MobileRead Book Challenges discussion

That sounds fun. I had done a bit of art journaling a while back. The art gallery (Dunlop) associated with our downtown library here had a program where you could 'borrow' a journal and then fill it up and give it back to them. Mine exists somewhere. It was fun. I'm sad I didn't get to keep it, but I photographed the contents for myself before I returned it. I even found mine on display at the gallery one day which was pretty cool.

That's really cool!
I've always collected little bits and bobs from every day life, but ended up throwing them away after a while, because what would you do with them? Now I can use them in the junk journal, or parts of them at least.

I'm now considering if I'm going to the Kreadoe this year (creative convention). I love it and would love to get some new things, but it's always so busy and noisy that it takes me several days to recover from it. Plus that week I also want to go to a record/music market to see if I can find some music I'm after. Two of those events in a couple of days might be a bit too much for me. But maybe if I go to the first day of the Kreadoe on the Thursday and wear my noise cancelling headphones I'll be able to do it.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
Great story. So far I've read three books by this author and all three were five star books imho. It's a spooky thriller. Not too scary, but the balance is just right.

Onward with The Ferryman by Justin Cronin. I gave up his Passage trilogy after two books. If I like this one I might go back and reread the first two and finish the last one.

October was a good reading month; 5 books totaling 1764 pages. My best month since March.

I really enjoyed my ghost hunter/paranormal investigator books and discovered two new series (one with just one more book, but the other has over 20 books).

I did better than expected; I've been busy with my other hobbies this month (Lego, junk journaling mostly). I'm planning on getting a new Silhouette, plus supplies. It's more difficult now since I don't have a local Scrapbook or hobby store. So supplies take a bit more effort and planning to get.

So we'll see how much reading I get done next month with everything else going on.

I'm glad you had a great month! :)

What are the names of your two discoveries?

I'm hoping to start a new hobby this weekend: cross-stitching. My daughter found two starter packs for me to try, and I'm excited to give it a try.

The Parrish Chronicles by Shannen (Crane) Camp (I think she dropped the Crane), only two books so far, but on Facebook she mentions she's getting back into the series.

And Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper by J.L. Bryan. Which has over 20 books so far.

The are very entertaining.

I need to get back into cross stitching and finish my current project. I keep planning on cross stitching at night, when watching TV, but I always end up not doing it. I've got my next two project lined up already. Which are two Hannibal Lecter quotes from the Witchy Stitcher (if you're into spooky themes check her out). Have fun with it and take it easy at the start (you'll get neck/shoulder pain if you want to stitch for too long when you're not used to it, also a pillow/arm rest underneath the elbow of the arm I hold the needle in helps).

I may give Ellie Jordan a try.

As for cross stitching, it has emphasized how poor my eyesight has become, even with my glasses. So, I'm now looking for a magnifying light. In the meantime, I'm practicing with plastic cross-stitching sheets instead of cloth to see the holes.

My eyes are also deteriorating. When wearing my glasses I'm fine, but I now need reading glasses when wearing my contacts for the fiddly bits.

Good lighting helps, I have a spotlight behind my reading/cross stitch chair and a clip on spotlight I can clip on the shelf above my bed when I want to stitch there. For when I don't have good lighting I've got an LED clip on book light with two arms which I clip on my hoop.

On my stitching Facebook groups a lot of people wear those magnifier glasses, they come with various lenses.

I did stitch last night (yay), just over 100 stitches, it'll be a while before I can do 300 in one sitting.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
This one took me a while. Due to a combination of life happening and it simply being a slower read for me. It was good though, so I need to revisit his Passage trilogy.

I have to take it easy for a bit, because on Sunday I managed to twist my knee in the theater (we went to see Six, which we loved). I had hoped to being going on an outing or two this week, since it's fairly dry, but that isn't happening. I've got a bunch of graphic novel I want to read, so maybe I'll focus on that.

The Nice House on the Lake: the Deluxe Edition by Álvaro Martínez Bueno & James Tynion IV

A very good graphic novel. A mixture of horror, thriller and sci-fi. I have the deluxe edition, which consists of both parts. This doesn't mean the story is over. Next year the next book is going to be released; The Nice House by the Sea (it's already available in ebook, but not in print and for graphic novel I prefer print over digital).

Stay in the Light by A.M. Shine
This one took longer than it should. I didn't read all of last week. It was a combination of life and not really liking the main character. She's so passive most of the book. I did enjoy the secondary main character. I read 80% of the book in just three days. In the end I did like the book and I hope there will be third book.

My rooms are very slowly coming together. I've been decorating my computer/craft room these last couple of weeks and it finally starts looking like a proper space. I'm still waiting on some things I ordered, which hopefully will arrive this and next week.

Today I also reorganized my Blu-ray/cable cubby. It just didn't work; it was too messy.

It's funny how I've been turning to physical media these last six weeks. I've been buying books, cd's, vinyls and blu-rays of my favourite releases. My Amazon wishlist has grown.

Cold Shadows by J.L. Bryan
A good second book in the series. The books are short and fast paced. Not just great palate cleansers but entertaining as well.

That was book number 40. Will I manage 45 books this year? 50 is too much, but depending on how this month will go 45 might be realistic. Next week will be busy-ish. But at the end of the week we hopefully have a cleaner that comes by weekly and the garden will be winter ready and looking nice again.

My year in reading went well. I had hoped to read 12 books and I finishing book number 41 today. So that went well. The amount I read is similar to last year, with three weeks to go it will be a little bit better. Which is surprising to me, considering everything that went on in the first six months of the year.

With a 7.8 out of 10 the books I read were good, there really only was one stinker. I do find that unless I'm really into the book I have trouble to keep steadily reading, it's easier to skip days. Mind you, I do have more hobbies than years ago. I think a lot of it has to do with currently not having a reading routine. Before I at least read half an hour before going to sleep.

So one of my goals for next year is to build a reading routine again. I also want to get back to some series I've been neglecting this year.

Big question right now: am I going to wipe my Kobo and start afresh in the new year. I'm tempted, especially with my series goal for next year. But I also don't want to forget the books I currently have on there, and if their not on my Kobo I will easily forget about them.

If you’re worried about forgetting you can:

1. Leave them on and add a few series books
2. Create a list of the Kobo books in one of your threads as a reference.

Happy reading!

Nyssa wrote: "If you’re worried about forgetting you can:

1. Leave them on and add a few series books
2. Create a list of the Kobo books in one of your threads as a reference.

Happy reading!"

Currently I'm thinking of just adding the books. Kobo's series tab will come in handy for this challenge.

Bianca wrote: "Big question right now: am I going to wipe my Kobo and start afresh in the new year. I'm tempted, especially with my series goal for next year. But I also don't want to forget the books I currently..."

I have a spreadsheet that I have one tab devoted to potentials. It even includes where I might find it as well if I searched libraries for it and links to books read by country so I can know if I'm reading too much from a country or want to focus on that at some point.

I clean it out every now and then, but it's almost always better just giving things a rating and sort or filter by things that are more interesting.

I'm a nerd and a geek. :)

A Haunting in Plum Hollow by Ambrose Ibsen
Meh. Normally I really like his books, but this one was a bit of a miss for me. I think it's because it was more graphic than his other books. Now I don't mind gore, but I found it repetitive in this book. I like Ibsen best when his horror is more subtle, I guess.

Now let's see if I can squeeze in one more book this year. It's the latest Bayou Hauntings by Bill Thompson, which are usually quick reads. But my sister's off until the 2nd and she has *plans* so I'll have to see how much reading I can get done.

The Bayou Witches by Bill Thompson
A good one for this series. I was a bit thrown by the last couple of chapters, which were set a year after the main event of the book. But it was to set up the next book, which is a continuation of this story (so far all the books are fairly stand alone). But this one didn't end with a cliff hanger, which I appreciate.

That was the last book of the year. I'm starting Justin Cronin's The Passage (third time) and that's a long one, I won't be able to finish that one in the next four days. I've read it in 2010, after it was just released, then in 2012 before I read the second book in the trilogy and I never read the third one. I'm hoping to read all three next year, but they're long books, so I'll have to wait and see if I can manage it.