Monday, March 28, 2016

3 Reasons Why I'm 13 Reviews Behind

My goal this year is to review every book I read.  I'm not giving up that goal, but I'm going to have to spend some time catching up. I've got 13 books that I have finished but have not reviewed yet. Oops! My excuse is that I've been busy with a few other things:

1. Fitness/Guest Room

It started out something like this:



And ended up like this:




It's all set for me to work out. I can read, go on my laptop, watch movies, or listen to music while I'm on the treadmill.  I also have some old workout DVDs and can do workouts online. The bed we got from IKEA can be pulled out to fit two twin mattresses so we're all set for guests to visit, or it can be used to sit on like a couch.  I like to call it my "Chick Cave" but really anyone can go in there.


2. Food storage closet

I wish I had taken a true "before" picture with everything stuffed in our under-the-stairs closet, but I only thought to take a picture after emptying it and taking the carpet out.  Here are a few photos taken along the way.






This is for long-term food storage--food to have on hand in case of emergency or challenging financial circumstances. We mostly have grains, beans, and freeze-dried fruits and vegetables from Thrive Life. I also threw in some other emergency supplies and will add more a little bit at a time.

3. And last but certainly not least, we got a puppy! Meet Radar, our 14-week-old Miniature Schnauzer:




He's pretty good so far, and loves being held.  He has discovered the awesomeness of shoes which we are trying to discourage and he's a little bit clumsy.  I clean up a lot of accidents in the house!  Ironically, I don't think my floors have ever been so clean.

I've been listening to a lot of audio books while working on the house projects, but since we got Radar most of my time is spent house training him and enjoying his cuteness.  I'm hoping to get back into the reviewing routine next week. I've read/listened to some amazing books.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Classics Club Spin #12

I forgot about Classics Club Spins!  Apparently I've missed about ten of them while I've been away.  Here are the details for how it works and my list:
  • Go to your blog. 
  • Pick twenty books that you’ve got left to read from your Classics Club List
  • Try to challenge yourself: list five you are dreading/hesitant to read, five you can’t WAIT to read, five you are neutral about, and five free choice (favorite author, rereads, ancients — whatever you choose.) 
  • Post that list, numbered 1-20, on your blog by next Monday. 
  • Monday morning, we’ll announce a number from 1-20. Go to the list of twenty books you posted, and select the book that corresponds to the number we announce. 
  • The challenge is to read that book by May 2, even if it’s an icky one you dread reading! (No fair not listing any scary ones!) 

Five I'm hesitant to read/ am not sure if I will like:
1. The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper
2. The Europeans by Henry James
3. The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith
4. The Ambassadors by Henry James
5. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Five I can't wait to read:
6. Possession by A.S. Byatt
7. Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
8. Germinal by Emile Zola ***Winner***
9. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
10. One of Ours by Willa Cather

Hefty books:
11. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
12. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
13. The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek
14. Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
15. The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy

Random picks:
16. Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
17. The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk
18. I, Claudius by Robert Graves
19. A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh
20. The Reef by Edith Wharton