Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Midnight in Everwood by M.A. Kuzniar
  • A Lone Star Christmas by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Finished:

  • Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
  • The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas by Syd Moore
  • It Ate Billy on Christmas by Roman Dirge
  • A Die Hard Christmas by Doogie Horner
  • The Night Before Christmas in Texas by Betty Lou Phillips and Roblyn Herndon
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton

Total pages read this week: 598

TBR Mountain: -24

Total books read: 94 of 80

I’ve hit both of my book goals for the year! Assuming I don’t buy any more physical books this year without finishing an equal number of them, I have earned a new Kindle. I’m going to wait until after my Birthday (in January) to buy it, though, since there’s a possibility that the Boyfriend got it as either my Christmas or Birthday present.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

Down the TBR Hole #135

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?
My shelf is down to 1118 books. I finished and started several books this week.
This week’s books:

Dear Theo by Vincent Van Gogh – KEEP. Van Gogh is my favorite artist and this book contains his letters to his brother, which I think will be much more telling about his life than any biography.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune – KEEP. I have heard nothing but rave reviews for this book!

Tools for Slow Living by Agata Toromanoff – GO. This seems to be more of a design/style book than anything else and its overall rating on Goodreads is 2.73 with no written reviews. I bought it (along with the next two books) as an impulse during a trip to Half Price Books when stores were starting to open back up during the pandemic.

Stop Saying You’re Fine by Mel Robbins – GO. I got into Mel Robbins for a while after reading a later book of hers, The 5 Second Rule. This book seems to be all of the same information.  I don’t need to reread about how not hitting the snooze button changed her life.

Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin – KEEP.  While this book might not have any new insights than what I’ve gotten from other similar books, I’m willing to give it a chance.
My want-to-read shelf is down to 1116 books and I’m now only 3 physical books away from my TBR goal for the year. That’s much more doable than 5 books with less than a month to go. The next post will have more of the physical books I own and likely be the last post for 2023.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for December 3rd – 9th.
  • The Boyfriend and I went to the Christmas Ranch on Friday night and had a really good time walking around to see all of the lights and drinking hot chocolate.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3/5
  • Steps: 46,237
  • Miles: 18.89/16.30
  • Total Miles: 717.81/775
  • Active Minutes: 90/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
  • The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas by Syd Moore

Finished:

  • A Classic Christmas by various authors
  • The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani
  • Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis

Total pages read this week: 868

TBR Mountain: -19

Total books read: 89 of 80

I’ve been reading many Christmas-themed books, but not my physical ones, and with only 23 days left to finish 5 of them, I’m concerned that I won’t earn my new Kindle this year. I’m having a great time with what I’m reading, though, and with participating in the #WinterGames and #SnowedIn challenges on Litsy!

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

Down the TBR Hole #134

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?
My shelf is down to 1122 books. I finished and started several books over the past couple of weeks.
This week’s books:

Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis – KEEP. I’ll be reading this ebook this month as a part of a reading challenge I’m participating in on Litsy.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman – KEEP. I have this one in both ebook and audiobook so I can read along to Gaiman’s narration.

The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling – KEEP. My Best Friend read this in one day and loved it, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

The Raconteur’s Commonplace Book by Kate Milford – KEEP. I love the “Greenglass House” series, of which this is the 5th and most recent book.

Self-Compassion by Kristin Neff – KEEP. I bought this when I needed it, but never got around to reading it. I’m going to keep it for now, since Winter is a difficult time for me, especially around February.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1122 books. The next post will be mostly physical Non-Fiction books I already own.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for November 19th – December 2nd.
  • Since I was out of town last week, this post is for two weeks.  I did a lot of walking but at a much more leisurely pace.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 3 and 0/5
  • Steps: 41,730 and 41,595
  • Miles: 16.91 and 16.93/16.30
  • Total Miles: 698.92/825
  • Active Minutes: 91 and 13/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • A Classic Christmas by various authors
  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien

Finished:

  • Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert
  • Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae
  • Sarah’s Quilt by Nancy E. Turner

Total pages read this week: 978

TBR Mountain: -19

Total books read: 86 of 80

I was back home in Texas for Thanksgiving, and so this post is for the past two weeks of reading. I had such a great time in Texas and it had been so long since I had been home that I didn’t want to leave. Now that it’s December, I’ll be reading Holiday and Winter-related books for the rest of the year and participating in a few different activities, challenges, and readathons on Litsy, including a read-along of Letters from Father Christmas.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!

Down the TBR Hole #133

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
Image: hjl

How it works:

  • Go to your Goodreads want-to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?
My shelf is down to 1129 books. I finished and started several books over the past couple of weeks.
This week’s books:

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth – KEEP. I like that this story looks at what happens to the heroes after they’re done doing heroic things.

The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre – KEEP. I absolutely love wolves, and I enjoy reading about them.

I Touched a Cat and I Liked It by Anna Blandford – KEEP. I love reading about cats even more than wolves, and I especially enjoy cat humor.

Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae – KEEP. I’ve had this Scottish Cozy Mystery on my TBR for quite a while, and I’m planning to finally read it sometime this month.

Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide by J.K. Rowling – KEEP. This is the third book in the “Pottermore Presents” trilogy, of which I’ve already read books one and two.
My want-to-read shelf remains at 1129 books. The next post will be mostly books I already own that I’m planning on reading this Winter and am unlikely to be getting rid of any time soon.

#FitReaders Check-In

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment
  • This check-in is for November 12th – 18th.
  • This has been a rough week, and I’ve been feeling a little down. My degenerative disc disease has progressed enough that I had to get a walker for the bad days.
  • If you have a Fitbit, you can find me HERE.
  • Active Days: 1/5
  • Steps: 30,773
  • Miles: 12.52/16.30
  • Total Miles: 665.08/825
  • Active Minutes: 44/150

Building the Book Fort

Published on by RachelleLeave a comment

“Building the Book Fort” is a weekly post where I track my bookish life.

Currently Reading:

  • Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
  • Sarah’s Quilt by Nancy E. Turner
  • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
  • Past Due for Murder by Victoria Gilbert

Finished:

  • Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies by J.K. Rowling
  • Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists by J.K. Rowling

Total pages read this week: 410

TBR Mountain: -20

Total books read: 83 of 80

I need to finish or get rid of four books by the end of the year to meet my TBR goal. I know it’s doable, but I feel like it’s been slow-going this past week, probably because the physical books I’m reading are both longer reads. Luckily, I’ll be traveling next week and will have plenty of time to read while I’m sitting in airports and on planes.

What are you reading? Let me know in the comments!