Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

Melindam wrote: "There are some random bookshelves in our house, but Jane Austen and Terry Pratchett have always had dedicated their bookshelves in all of the places I stayed. :)"

I have 3 for Pratchett! 1 paperback and two hardback for now. will be needing 2 more for the hardbacks by the time I have them all, lol.

Sammy wrote: "Melindam wrote: "There are some random bookshelves in our house, but Jane Austen and Terry Pratchett have always had dedicated their bookshelves in all of the places I stayed. :)"

I have 3 for Pra..."
👏👍

Nice! I need to complete my Pratchett - or should I say Discworld - collection.

I also need to complete my Brooks collection. I'm still missing a few of those though I think I have most in the meantime. (I recently found another one of the Shannara trilogies for a good price so I couldn't resist grabbing it!)

Wow. I haven't read Shannara for years! I wonder how far I got into that series before I stopped. Did any of you watch the tv series that was based on the books? It looked a bit silly, so I didn't try it out,

Jenny wrote: "Wow. I haven't read Shannara for years! I wonder how far I got into that series before I stopped. Did any of you watch the tv series that was based on the books? It looked a bit silly, so I didn't ..."

I saw the first season, which wasn't too terrible, but didn't get very far in season 2 at all before giving up. Silly would be an understatement!

Totally off topic, Disney + arrives to Portugal this September!!!!

come to mamma!!!!

I am getting a bit angry about every channel having its own pay-us-or-you-can't-see-anything streaming service. I don't want to get Disney plus, but Hamilton is going to be on that. So, I will be getting it. I am going to end up paying more for individual tv stuff than I am for books. The horror!

Oh Sammy I really like your shelves. That's great that your husband is handy enough to build those.

I also have built-ins in my spare room that a friend built after I was having issues finding shelves since my second floor has angled walls due to the house style. I actually have some extra space currently since I recently gave around 700 books away, although there are still almost 1,500 books on these shelves which I've acquired over my 30 years.

All of my books are in this room with the exception of my Secret Garden collection which is on a wall shelf in the living room. The only author I have enough books from for a whole shelf is Nora Roberts, which I grabbed a shelf from Target for so her books wouldn't take up as much room on the main shelves. That shelf also hold some of the collector's editions that I keep on the top.

Everything is organized by author last name then by pub date (keeping series together if there are other books released between installments). My graphic novels are organized by publisher (DC, Image, Marvel, etc.) and then by series name. Manga is just organized by series name and my coffee table/reference books aren't organized but are shoved where they'll fit.

Melanie wrote: "Oh Sammy I really like your shelves. That's great that your husband is handy enough to build those.

I also have built-ins in my spare room that a friend built after I was having issues finding she..."

Great built-ins! But when I see that last shot of the standing bookcase, I am like “But there is still empty space in the corner for books to be shoved in!”
Sometimes I think that if one can see the wall, one is doing something wrong. 🤣

Sammy wrote: "Bookcases my husband built into our livingroom wall when we bought the house: (the little packets are a loose-leaf tea advent calendar, lol)"

*drools*

You all are giving me wonderful dreams about organizing my books someday! Right now a lot of my books are in storage because my fiance and I have been staying with his mom to save up money to buy a house and there simply wasn't enough room to bring all of them with me. We're on the house hunt now and I can't wait to be reunited with all my books! Having to be down to just one bookshelf at her house has made me sad.

for a fantasy roadtrip theme we are for reals spending too much time indoors ogling everyone's sexy bookshelves and planning our own shelf-improvements! (can I say how glad I am that no one has come along with colour-organised shelves! I refuse to believe that those people are actually readers!)

anyway, where is everyone's favourite out-of-the-house reading spots?

For me, I very much enjoy reading under the massive fig tree at the beach in Greece we go to. The sun dapples through, the waves lap nearby, the sea is shallow and warm so a quick cool off dip is pleasant rather than a penalty. The only main down side is that there isn't beach service for the beer, but the bar isn't far to walk, so I put up with that (and the plus side is that noone comes round pestering you to spend money!)

Yay for "weird" reading! Weird is way more awesome than normal :)

Cat wrote: "anyway, where is everyone's favourite out-of-the-house reading spots?"

Growing up it was out in the backyard at my parents' house. I distinctly remember laying out there for hours reading the Dr. Quicksolve Whodunit books.

Aaaand I'm just now realizing I don't really have an out-of-the-house reading spot as an adult. I'll have to start thinking about this!

Sammy wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Wow. I haven't read Shannara for years! I wonder how far I got into that series before I stopped. Did any of you watch the tv series that was based on the books? It looked a bit silly..."

Silly definitely, but I watched the entire thing (and have them on DVD) for nostalgic purposes.... I haven't even read the entire series because there are so many books but I enjoyed them, even if they always did take me ages to read.

All those lovely shelves!!

I love that you guys are sharing photos of your shelves :-D

I mean, don't get me wrong! I read everywhere! Celia (my kindle) goes with me at all times, in case I have a spare three minutes of dead time!

Current favourite outside reading-spot is our terrace couch. Sprawling there with a book is just bliss. Whenever I look up from the pages, there is our lovely, shady walnut tree, bushes and flowers all round. There is peace and quiet and birdsong ... provided my 6-year-old son is not around. 😉

Cat wrote: "for a fantasy roadtrip theme we are for reals spending too much time indoors ogling everyone's sexy bookshelves and planning our own shelf-improvements! (can I say how glad I am that no one has com..."

I assume that color coders take off the slip covers of their books. Looking at my shelves, the title and author name seriously breaks up the color of the spine. Then what do you do with the covers? Throw them away? Really?

I haven't been to Greece in about twenty years. I want to go back there. Whine. Wine! I actually like Retsina, because of the memory of being on Kos in a little taverna with some good friends.

There isn't a great outdoorsy place for me to go read in Phoenix, especially this time of year. I do sit on my patio in the morning with a cup of coffee and a book quite often.

Coolest place I stopped off to read for a while was after I walked up Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. I brought a bottle of water, and a flask of whiskey and a book. I knew that I wouldn't want to walk right back down again, so I planned.

that sounds so good, Melinda! iced coffee to hand? (it's super hot here in Wales, so that's what I'm currently craving - iced americano or proper greek frappe, not the horrid calorific abominations that the coffee chains try to pass off as frappe)

Jenny wrote: "Coolest place I stopped off to read for a while was after I walked up Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. I brought a bottle of water, and a flask of whiskey and a book. I knew that I wouldn't want to walk right back down again, so I planned.."

Arthur's Seat is one of the coolest places on Earth.
Last time I was there is ... 9 years ago... OMG... one of the best trips.... EVER!

I love Edinburgh and Scotland!

Jenny, I love that you planned your Arthur's Seat read so well (bonus points for themed book??), but no snack?! No haggis to gnaw on? Or shortbread?

Cat wrote: "that sounds so good, Melinda! iced coffee to hand? (it's super hot here in Wales, so that's what I'm currently craving - iced americano or proper greek frappe, not the horrid calorific abominations..."

I prefer my coffee hot even it hot weather :) but now you made me crave shortbread. OH, I might bake some this evening.

Road Trip woo hoo !!!

My townhouse complex started having food trucks set up on Thursdays since the shut down. Tonight's rolling restaurant is a Detroit hotdog stand. And, they have root beer floats on the menu. I am so looking forward to this.

Jenny wrote: "My townhouse complex started having food trucks set up on Thursdays since the shut down. Tonight's rolling restaurant is a Detroit hotdog stand. And, they have root beer floats on the menu. I am so..."

That is a great idea!!

Melindam wrote: "Arthur's Seat is one of the coolest places on Earth."

Of course it is, I was born just down the road from there :D

I never, ever go anywhere without a book. We British spend far too much time queuing or otherwise waiting around, and not bringing a book would be such a waste! My handbag MUST be large enough to carry something the size of say, Kushiel's Dart, and if I run out of space, I'm more likely to leave my phone or my purse behind than the book, lol!

Melanie wrote: "Oh Sammy I really like your shelves. That's great that your husband is handy enough to build those.

I also have built-ins in my spare room that a friend built after I was having issues finding she..."

Your spare room looks like our "spare room" (currently inhabited only by books, but daughter moving back in in a couple of weeks). Ours is much smaller, but as the walls are straight, the bookcases are all 6ft tall. The colour scheme is similar though, and ours also have POP figures on them (in front of the books, because we'd never see tham on top of the bookcase, lol)

Hahaha, yep!

Tiny handbags are only, and only for when I go somewhere I know for a fact I will not be reading - like meeting friends or going out for dinner etc.

Anything else, I do not leave without a book. And if I happen to be nearing the end of the book, I prefer carrying around a second one rather than not having something to read ;-)

Cat wrote: "anyway, where is everyone's favourite out-of-the-house reading spots?"

I don't have a special place anymore, besides the library. But when I was a kid, I used to climb one of the trees surrounding the field adjoining our back garden, and sit up there reading. Got me away from noisy baby brothers, lol.
Was all very nice and well, until I'd forget where I was (because I was in Narnia or somewhere instead) and nearly fell out of the bloomin' thing!

Eldarwen wrote: "Hahaha, yep!

Tiny handbags are only, and only for when I go somewhere I know for a fact I will not be reading - like meeting friends or going out for dinner etc."

I'm always early for everything. I'd still bring a book! lol.

Sammy wrote: "Eldarwen wrote: "Hahaha, yep!

Tiny handbags are only, and only for when I go somewhere I know for a fact I will not be reading - like meeting friends or going out for dinner etc."

I'm always early for everything. I'd still bring a book!"

And I have to get public transport, so I'd bring Celia Kindle too!

Cat wrote: "And I have to get public transport, so I'd bring Celia Kindle too!"

Ditto.

Except the Celia part. my Kindle doesn't have a name yet, lol.

Eldarwen wrote: "Tiny handbags are only, and only for when I go somewhere I know for a fact I will not be reading - like meeting friends or going out for dinner etc."

My favorite tiny handbag is JUST big enough to fit my Kindle 😉

I've usually also got an ebook from the library on my phone, for worst-case scenarios!

Physical book, kindle, phone gir audiobooks.... everything else can be left behind. :)

There are too many people on public transit to read real books most days (when I used to take public transit, it has been 2 months now), but I have my kindle and a backup phone book if too crowded for kindle.

I’m with Sammy in that there are few series where I buy the books new but pick up from library book sales or free. I have a few trilogies where I have the first two and am missing the third. I am still missing Discworld books but I have over 30 so far.

I'm very frugal, and most of my book reading comes from libraries. I occassionally buy books depending on if I'm on a spending spree or not, but I no longer have the space! I need to get another bookshelf soon.

As for a space to read, I no longer have a designated spot except my bed. I'll listen to audiobooks anywhere, and I rent a room from a family and I've been giving them some space due to COVID, so I'm usually stuck in my room these days with books on my computer. I also hook my phone up to my speaker and I'll listen to an audiobook in the shower if I'm really into it. I used to do that with music but these days I've found some good audiobooks.

When I was a kid I loved finding hideaways to read! Tree branches were some of my favorites too! I also had a bay window with a large window sill, so I'd put blankets and pillows and camp out there with the curtains closed so I was hidden. It was amazing.

I LOVE the bookshelves. And the reading stories.

My reading memory is sailing through the Corinth Canal in Greece, ( in 2016) sitting on the balcony (with a drink of course, probably a Baileys on Ice) marvelling at the engineering whilst reading my first Sandra Brown (Mean Streak). It started my love affair with this author, I have since gone back and read her entire romantic suspense back catalogue and some of her bodice rippers from the 80's.

Melanie wrote: "Oh Sammy I really like your shelves. That's great that your husband is handy enough to build those.

I also have built-ins in my spare room that a friend built after I was having issues finding she..."

I don't say this very often because I think it's wrong, but I am jealous! My husband is also crafty, so now I think that rather than the purchased bookshelves we have, I am going to ask him to build me my wall-to-wall library! Like Belle's on Beauty and the Beast!

Talking about favorite reading memories is so difficult for me to choose. One is when my father was in a rehab for over 4 years, and when he was close to death I read the Bible to him. He wasn't able to respond or let me know if he heard, but the nurses told me that your hearing is the last thing to go. So I always hoped and prayed her heard me.

Otherwise, oh my goodness...in Kauai, Hawaii, on the patio yard right outside our resort room. No drinks in hand other than coffee, but those early morning sunrises were to die for. THE most beautiful sights!

I also thoroughly love it in Depoe Bay, Oregon, where our resort room has the best ocean view of rocks, sea otters, and one year the whole 2 weeks we had our own private whale show...amazing!!! But I was distracted, obviously. LOL

One more favorite would be in San Jose del Cabo, tropical drink in hand, by the pool/ocean next to my hubby who never reads. LOL But that's just the best time ever.

I’ve similar favorites Vicki...I love the beach for reading. At the beach I prefer the actual book but everywhere else my go to is Kindle. I’m usually listening to my husband snore the time away...

We have a porch with a lovely exterior view that’s perfect for reading if the weather cooperates.

Looking forward to this challenge...no doubt the creative mod minds have been at work. I’m praying I don’t have to dip in to my most awful books of all time list...’please no’...

I love all the bookshelves you share. It is my dream to have a built-in shelf one day !

Hey mods, could you lower my book per month to 20, please? Thanks !

✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "Hey mods, could you lower my book per month to 20, please? Thanks !"

Done!

Eldarwen wrote: "✿ Claire ✿ wrote: "Hey mods, could you lower my book per month to 20, please? Thanks !"

Done!"

thank you <3

I just signed up and said 4 (4-6 in comments) books per month, because some weeks I only read 1 but when I looked and double checked, it appears 6 would be more accurate. 6-8 because some days I get through more than others.

Mandiann wrote: "I just signed up and said 4 (4-6 in comments) books per month, because some weeks I only read 1 but when I looked and double checked, it appears 6 would be more accurate. 6-8 because some days I ge..."

changed to 6 :)

I pretty much only have two places where I (physically) read, really - my bed and on a chair in our staircase overlooking the roofs of the little 'village' I live in. I live on the top level of a small apartment building and I love sitting out there, it's so peaceful <3 and audiobooks I usually listen to when walking my dog or doing jigsaw puzzles :D

It's really hard for me to judge how many books I read a month because it really depends on the period and on my mood... and it can vary A LOT from months to months.

So looking forward to this challenge. i do most of my reading while at work. i have a front office desk job and there is a lot of down time.