Double-Stacked Bookshelves

Day 5 - in progress Current Read:  On the Come Up by Angie Thomas Reading:  in progress  A couple books within books favorites: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - WWII/Historical Fiction; YA The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - Contemporary Adult Fiction The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - Historical Fiction; Mystery; Fantasy Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - Contemporary YA; Romance If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino - Magical Realism; Literary Fiction Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov - Literary Fiction; Mystery; Poetry The Nevernight Chronicles by Jay Kristoff - Fantasy; Adult Fiction What are some of your favorite books within books...within books? Day 4 Current Read:  On the Come Up by Angie Thomas Got some reading done: 84 pages A super quick sketch of a recent scene for today's challenge: A rap battle - drawing is not always my forte! Day 3 Current Read:  On the Come Up by Angie Thomas Fina...

Along with my intent to get back into blogging more frequently, it just so happens that one of my favorite reading events in beginning on Monday!  Bout of Books is heading into its 27th round (!) and I have every intention of participating for this round - it's been a while!   Here's a little about the challenge: The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, Twitter chats, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional.  For all Bout of Books 27 information and updates, be sure to visit the  Bout of Books  blog.  - From the Bout of Books team I have no intention of setting outlandish goals aside from reading every day and participating in the daily challenges.  There's still time to join if you'd l...

What a fun round of Bout of Books!  I know I'm a day late in posting my final stats and wrapping it all up, but life happens :) Here are my final stats: Current Read :  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Pages Read : Not enough to even count...haha Total Pages :  346 + a smidge...I forgot to keep track (to be honest) Time Spent Reading :  I didn't spend nearly as much time reading over the weekend as I had planned.  I have no excuse aside from pure laziness and getting sucked into some TV instead of my books.  I'm okay with that, though I wish I had finished at least two books for the read-a-thon. Books Finished :  Knitting by Anne Bartlett  Challenges :  Book-Spine Poetry (Day 6); none on Day 7 Thoughts :  As a whole, this Bout of Books might not have been a page count success, but I participated in more mini challenges and didn't stress about getting my reading in this round.  I count tha...

Today's mini challenge for Bout of Books is:  Book Spine Poetry! Here's my poetic endeavor: Speak Softly, She Can Hear The Remedy for Love, The Last Breath. Nothing to Envy. Little Earthquake. Beautiful Ruins. What She Left Behind: The Grace That Keeps This World A Rather Lovely Inheritance. This was a fun little challenge :)   Happy reading, fellow Bout of Bookers!

Welcome to the homestretch, fellow Bout of Bookers!  I have every intention of completing the two books I've been working on all week.  Here are Friday's Stats: Current Read :  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon Pages Read :  107 in Knitting Total Pages :  346 Time Spent Reading :  I had a very good reading day!  Spend several hours throughout the day reading and finishing up one book and got a good chunk done out of the other.  Maybe I'll finish Shadow before the weekend's up and start a third! Books Finished :  Knitting by Anne Bartlett  Challenges :  None... Thoughts :  Though I had every intention of reading from Shadow yesterday evening, I just didn't get to it.  I chose to watch some TV (mainly shows my husband is not too keen on since he was at work) and then went to bed.  I'm not too heartbroken about it ;) Happy reading, BOB Fam :)

Hello, dears :)  We're coming to the last half of the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon and, though not as successful as I would have liked, I'm okay with my participation.  Here are my stats for Day 4: Current Read :  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Knitting by Anne Bartlett Pages Read :  34 from Shadow and 59 from Knitting Total Pages :  239 Time Spent Reading :  Yesterday was my most successful reading day yet...which isn't saying much.  I almost finished one book.  It shall be done on Day 5 for sure. Challenges :  Bookish Favorites ...loved this mini challenge :) Thoughts :  I liked yesterday! Happy reading, fellow Bout of Bookers!

Goooood Morning, Bout of Book enthusiasts!  Today is a new day and (fingers crossed) a productive one.  The rain is raining.  The skies are gray.  The books are waiting to be read!  Here's how yesterday went... Stats for Day 3: Current Read :  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Knitting by Anne Bartlett Pages Read :  30 from Shadow and 21 from Knitting Total Pages :  146 Time Spent Reading :  I got a bit of reading done on my lunch break and during my evening break at my second job and a little bit done right before bed (to relax).  15 hour workdays don't lend themselves to good reading time. Challenges :  None...I had every intention of doing the book spine rainbow and even thought about recycling my post from last round of BoB, but I couldn't bring myself to do it and then I ran out of time. Thoughts :  While yesterday was not a super successful BoB day as a whole, I'm still pretty stoked abou...

Good morning, lovelies!  Yesterday was a more successful book day all around :)  I got a little bit more reading under my belt (though still significantly below what I normally do) and participated in the awesome goals challenge.  Here are my stats for Day 2: Current Read :  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Knitting by Anne Bartlett Pages Read :  30 from Knitting and 26 from Shadow Total Pages :  95 Time Spent Reading :  Again, about 2 hours on and off throughout the day.  I was feeling very unmotivated to do much last night and got sucked in to HGTV... Challenges :  2018 Reading Goals Thoughts :  Still approaching the read-a-thon with no expectations of myself or the event and I don't feel pressured to read in every spare moment I have.  Today may be a better reading day, or it may not.  Who knows ;) Happy reading, fellow Bout of Bookers!

Today's mini challenge for Bout of Books 21 is 2018 Reading Goals I always have reading goals...mainly due to the fact that there are so many books on my constantly growing TBR and I know I will NEVER be able to read them all before I kick the can.  This might give me slight heart palpitations.  I want to read everything, but people keep writing new books and I want to read those too.  Sigh.  On my quest in reading ALL the books, here are some of my goals for 2018: ONLY read books I currently own.  This is "set in stone" for the next three months as I made this the goal of my book bingo three month reading challenge on the first of the year. Finish series that I've started (and have the desire to finish):  Wildwood Chronicles  by Colin Meloy, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Contours of the Heart by Tammara Webber, Villains by VE Schwab, Muses of Mayfair by Sara Ramsey, Lost Lords by Mary Jo Putney, 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCa...

Day 1 is in the books and we've all survived!  While yesterday may not have been the "successful" day I would normally wish to have in past Bout of Books sessions, I'm not worried about it.  As long as I'm able to carve a little time out of my days this week to enjoy a few pages, I'll be a happy camper.  Regardless, here are my stats for the first day of the read-a-thon! Stats for Day 1: Current Read:  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Knitting by Anne Bartlett Pages Read:  39 pages in Shadow of the Wind Time Spent Reading:  About 2 hours on and off throughout the day.  I took some time to attend a yoga+wine session in the evening and watched a show with the husband when he got home from work.  Challenges:  None yesterday.  I had a surprisingly busy day that did not lend itself to bookish pursuits. Thoughts:  I'm approaching the challenge with a low-key relaxed attitude, so I'm not too bent out of sha...

The start of Bout of Books 21 (wow!) is just around the corner and I'm getting all geared up for the fun :)  My work week will be pretty busy with the start of the term and all the students who will (inevitably) have issues, but I should be able to squeeze some much needed reading time into my evenings.  Here's what's on my radar for the week: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon:  I have just started this book and am loving it, but it's massive and I don't think I'll be able to finish it over the weekend. Knitting by Anne Bartlett:  I have started this book as well, and it's significantly shorter than Zafon's, so I may have it finished before Monday. Possible reads:  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Diviners by Libba Bray, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, Shame by Salman Rushdie I'm also on a kick of reading ONLY books I already own (too many that I've had for EONS and have never read) AND that fit into the categ...

Yikes!  I'm a little behind the curve on signing up for this round of Bout of Books , but thanks to Lori over @ Palmer's Page Turners I saw there was still time.  Woohoo! The official blurb: The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal.  It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 8th and runs through Sunday, January 14th in whatever time zone you are in.  Bout of Books is low-pressure.  There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional.  For all Bout of Books 21 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team   Yay!  I always love this read-a-thon and am excited for another round...though I doubt it will be as successful as the last one (graphic novels for the win!).   There's still time to sign up if you'd like to join.  Simply go HERE !   Happy readin...

Coming at you with three days of updates today!  Hot dog! Here are my stats: Day 5, 6, and 7 Current Read :   Uganda Be Kidding Me  by Chelsea Handler (audio book) and March: Book Three by John Lewis Pages Read :  828 and 1 hour and 15 minutes of audio Total Pages Read :  1726 and 2 hours and 15 minutes of audio Books Finished : The Melody of Secrets American Born Chinese The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark The Complete Persepolis Saga, Volume 7 Blankets March: Book One March: Book Two Challenges :  None over the weekend.  I worked late on Friday night and then spent all day Saturday snapping and canning green beans, then went to a friend's house to watch the Mayweather-McGregor fight...yay... Thoughts :  I am SUPER pleased with my Bout of Books activity this round!  While I'll admit that reading graphic novels makes the page count go through the roof, I still feel pretty accomplished w...

Happy Friday!  Yesterday was a super busy day, but I did get a fair amount of reading under my belt. Here are today's updates: Current Read :   Blankets  by Craig Thompson, Uganda Be Kidding Me by Chelsea Handler (audio book), and March: Book One by John Lewis Pages Read :  302 and 20 minutes of audio   Total Pages Read :  898 and 1 hour of audio Books Finished : The Melody of Secrets American Born Chinese The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark The Complete Persepolis Saga, Volume 7 Challenges :  None yesterday...I had every intention of doing it, but time got away from me... Thoughts :  I'm loving this round of Bout of Books! Happy reading, fellow Bout of Bookers!

Good Morning! Here are today's updates: Current Read :   The Complete Persepolis  by Marjane Satrapi and Uganda Be Kidding Me  by Chelsea Handler (audio book) Pages Read :  178 pages and 20 minutes of audio Total Pages Read :  596 pages and 40 minutes of audio Books Finished : The Melody of Secrets American Born Chinese The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark   (audio book) Challenges :  Rainbow Spine...posted on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook.  You can see my IG post here Thoughts :  A fairly successful reading day.  I was struggling with a massive headache all day and wasn't really feeling up to doing anything, but I managed to get some reading done and busted out the challenge in the evening. Happy reading, fellow Bout of Bookers!

Hot dog...graphic novels should totally be my thing for reading challenges.  You really feel like you accomplish A LOT!  I may even finish all the books I currently have checked out and move on to a few audio books to finish out this round of the challenge.   Here are my stats: Current Read :   The Complete Persepolis  by Marjane Satrapi Pages Read :  313 + 20 minutes of an audio book Books Finished : The Melody of Secrets  by Jeffrey Stepakoff  American Born Chinese  by Gene Luen Yang The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark  by Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan, and Corey Ryan Forrester (audio book) Challenges :  I didn't get around to completing yesterday's challenge... Thoughts :  Overall, it was a great reading day.  I have enjoyed every book I've finished so far and am really liking my current read.  Though it is strange to only be reading one book and not my normal 2-3. ...

Hello Hello!  Day 1 was a pretty decent reading day for me.  Time was taken out to view the AWESOME Eclipse as my town was in the path of totality.  So freakin' COOL!  Like, there are NO WORDS to describe how amazing it was and NONE of the pictures do it justice.  Seriously.  After that, we headed downtown to having some breakfast and wander around the park enjoying the last of the festival that the town put on.  Such a fun time. Regardless, I did get a little reading done. Here are my stats: Current Read :   The Melody of Secrets  by Jeffrey Stepakoff Pages Read :  105 Books Finished :   The Melody of Secrets Challenges :  I was an hour late to the Twitter Chat...sigh... Thoughts :  I need to be a little more proactive in checking the BOB site earlier in the day...haha.  Also, I was super pleased with my choice of books.  I randomly found this book at a local Dollar Tree and thought the cover was i...

Bout of Books 20:  Goals and Whatnot Inspired by a recent post  from  The Broke and the Bookish , I've determined that my reading goal for the week is to knock out some stellar graphic novels that have been residing on my TBR for a while.  They've all been requested through the library, so they should arrive before Monday (barring the horrific eclipse traffic that we're scheduled to have...curse you, tiny town that's in the path of totality!!!). On the slate: March by John Lewis (all three books) Watchmen   by Alan Moore  The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi Blankets  by Craig Thompson American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang What I like about graphic novels is their fast pace and visual offerings.  I am pretty confident that I'll be able to get through these...and maybe even start on a "regular" novel, too.  The sky's the limit! Possibilities:   Uganda Be Kidding Me  by Chelsea Handler or  Al Franken...

Bout of Books 20 I can't believe that Bout of Books is moving into the 20th cycle of this reading challenge!  That's insane...and it just keeps growing in participants.  Kudos to Kelly and Amanda for one kick ass read-a-thon. The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal .  It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 21st and runs through Sunday, August 27th in whatever time zone you are in.  Bout of Books is low-pressure.  There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional.   For all Bout of Books 20 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog .  - From the Bout of Books team I have been completely absent and non-blogging for a little over a year.  Yikes!  I was so incredibly burnt out on all things blog related and checked out hardcore.  There have been a lot of new developments outside o...

Bout of Books 16 Wrap-Up Sadly, this round of Bout of Books has come to an end.  Though I didn't get nearly as much reading in as I would have liked, I still had a great time!  Here are my overall stats:   Number of Books Read From  3 Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and Yours Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist and Flawed   Finished Books 2 Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH and Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist   Total Number of Pages Read 605   Challenges Completed Four   Fun Had INFINITE!   I'm very excited for the next round of Bout of Books (August 22nd-28th!).  Hope to see you all there!   Happy reading!