I've been doing OK with my 75 all-in-one challange, though I've been lacking in some areas. Mainly the nap part (I sleep when the baby sleeps) and studying, since I don't seem to be able to make the time with my velcro baby.
I also took a week off of working out, since I started to get some knee pain. But I haven't been able to get back into it again. It's been a chaotic couple of weeks. So, I decided to make a little change: instrad of doing a weight lifting routine, I'll be doing at-home pilates with a video. That way I can work out without the problem of lifting weights in my living room next to my moving baby.
As for journaling, it was not included in my challenge, but it is something I enjoy, so I want to start a new bed time routine where I simply sit with a cup of tea and write. I can update my reading journal or my personal journal or even update my baby's journal and album, since I'm so behind with it. But the plan is no more TV or screen time. Just me and my thoughts so I don't take the weight of the day to bed.
Somehow I've managed to read 4 books at the same time this month as well. I've mostly listened to audiobooks, since I can just hit play and take care of my kid. But when I have a minute, I grab my physical copies and read a couple of pages.
i am participating in the viral 75-booked challenge! basically i just need a way to fight off the seasonal depression and i felt like this might be a fun way to do it:) and you all are subject to my whims so you must watch me update you every week until i get bored of bothering you all
i have three anticipated reads for the week; i hope to finish them all this week, but we shall see!
i am not counting fanfic in this challenge, but you totally can if you'd like! follow along, or join me on your own reading journey :))
Day 1 of 75 - The Foxhole Court (AFTG #1) by Nora Sakavic
One reading session in bed and one at my desk.
I'm revisiting one of my favorite series to start off this year. There are two new books in it, so I figured let's start from the beginning. I've missed this series!
75 Booked Rules:
Complete two 45 minute reading sessions daily
* one of them not being in bed
Finish a water bottle during each session
Log all reading in a physical journal
* as well as keeping track digitally on Fable, Storygraph, etc.
No purchasing books
* can only read from owned books, books bought secondhand, or ones acquired through a library/lending service.
this challenge was created by EmilyPaigeBooks, the reel for the challenge is linked at the top.
I was gonna do weekly posts but ehhhh I'm impatient lol (also these do get delayed by like a day but shhh it's fine)
Book: Dragonborn by Struan Murray
Progress: 100%
Time read: 2.5 hours
As previously stated, I was reading this book for my internship, so I'll be writing an actual formal review for that. This is just gonna be general vibes and thoughts! Kept vague as well because I feel like this book works really, really well if you don't know what's going to happen at the end
I'm really glad I started this challenge with this book, as I ended up really enjoying reading it. I was reminded of a LOT of other series I enjoy, from How to Train Your Dragon to The Little Prince. As someone who was obsessed with Wings of Fire in middle school, this book kinda felt like returning to that era.
the PLOT TWISTS. The goddamn plot twists. The villain reveal was incredible, as it was the person I least suspected. I also was not at all prepared for some of the other character reveals - they just seemed to genuine and honest, and in a fantasy book like this the twists on their characters were just. so incredibly unexpected
I was really surprised by how much time was focused on Alex not being able to change into her dragon form; I didn't expect that to be the most triumphant part of the story, and I did feel like the tone for that scene was a little out of place, considering the villain just got everything he needed to put his plan to eradicate humanity into motion. That was a little jarring. But also, I get it, it's middle grade and she's not even a teenager yet so... I can live with it
With the way the end was going, I expected more death. I mentioned Wings of Fire earlier... I feel like a big difference between these two (well, everything is different between them, but I mean in tone mostly) is Wings of Fire didn't shy away from death. It opens with a death scene. And death is pretty prevalent in this book, since Alex can communicate with dead dragons, so to see characters basically tiptoe around the concept was strange, and I wonder if the end would have had a completely different tone had any characters actually died
I love the kids. I love Cindraw. Oliphos gives me sketch vibes, but I like the way he and Drak Midna are parallels to each other and I am very interested to see how their influence on Alex devolves in future books
I want the second book already but it comes out in a year.
Also! Because I forgot to do it on my original post... I got inspired to do this challenge from @goodluckclove ^^ I think it's awesome that a challenge like this exists and it's already helped me a lot - I mean, I finished a book in about four days when I haven't finished reading any book (for classes or otherwise) in at least a month.
Aaaand because I can, in no particular order, a few of my favorite quotes under the cut ^^
"... dragons and humans cannot exist together. One is a race of powerful, cruel, murderous monsters, and the others are dragons."
"They are death given form, given flight. They are the fury of a thunderstorm, bottled inside a living thing." (can you see where I thought of HTTYD while reading?)
"How would you feel if I had your friend's skull hanging in my kitchen?"
"They say that history is written by the victors, dear reader, but that isn't always the case. History can be written by the losers too, so long as one of them survives."
Okay, so @goodluckclove got me wanting to do 75 Booked. (Why is it called that? Where did the 75 cone from? Was the original challenge about doing this for 75 days?) I was supposed to start on Friday, but then work was way busier than the day after Thanksgiving at a grocery store should have been. (Stupid Snowmeggedon being expected yesterday...) so, I started yesterday, and then forgot to write about it.
My personal rules:
1) Read at least 25 pages of a novel (or short story collection) a day. I'll finish whatever chapter page 25 lands in the middle of, because I don't like ending a day mid-chapter.
2) No buying new books. Books I own, or taken out of the library only (I'll obviously make exceptions for my friends' books.)
3) Log page and chapter numbers in my bullet journal.
4) Talk a bit about that day's reading in here.
I clearly forgot to do rule 4 yesterday. But that's partly because I had plans to do more reading, but then didn't. So, a belated day 1 of 75 Booked:
Yesterday I read the last 20 pages of Duke Looks Like a Groomsman by Valerie Bowman. It's actually a reread for me. It's book 2 in the Lords in Disguise series, which I am rereading for reasons I don't remember. Anyway! It was cute. I adore these little idiots. My only nitpicks with the ending are that Juliana didn't get to tell off her parents. I want to shake them. (And Frances from book 1's mother, too. Valerie Bowman let your heroines tell off their parents for being idiots challenge.) And that there is a set-up for a book about Julianna's sister that I NEED to read, and as far as I know, does not exist. GIVE MARY AND HENRY A BOOK. I need to read about the woman who, if her sister's story is any indication, was raised to think that the only important thing about her is her looks, and that her purpose is to marry well, and love and her own happiness are not to be considered falling for a damn servant. Give me Lord Montlake having apoplexy about this. And maybe him AND his wife being told off about not giving a shit if the daughters they claim to love are actually HAPPY.
Anyway! Today I start book 3. Looking forward to it. I like Bell.
Yes I am aware this was now over a week ago but I wanna catch you up, don't I?
session 1 ~1hr
The Ruling Class: 165 pages
session 2 ~1hr
The Ruling Class: 162 pages
★★★★☆ Such a fun read, as always with JL Barnes Thrillers tbh. She's just incresible at what she does. I am so buying more once I finished this challenge.
Reading Recap!
These are all the books I read in the first nine days of this challenge, a pretty impressive stack if I do say so myself. I finished all but one of them within those nine days.
I've seen the 75-Hars/Soft/Booked/etc. trending online and decided to join. Though I customized it to be an All-in-one. I'm going to do EVERYTHING. My main goals are:
Reading: I want to read for at least 1 hour daily. It can be physical or audiobook, as long as the book gets consumed.
Studying: I NEED to get my German C1 certification next year and I'm only on A2, so I'll have to study for 1 hour daily to keep progressing.
Working out: I'm already moving my body and have tried a new workout routine. The goal is to get some movement daily for only 30 minutes. Walking counts.
Content creation: I want to get back to posting, so I have to create or edit content for at least 45 minutes a day. It can be one, the other or both, as long as it gets done daily.
I thought about including writing as well, bit it seemed like a lot already, so I'll keep it as a side quest and only if I have the time.
My secondary goals are:
Coffee intake: I want to lower my caffeine intake, so I'm quiting. I'll still be drinking teas, but coffee is for special occasions now.
Water intake: I don't drink water ever because I forget, so now that I'm not drinking coffee I need to keep my water intake high or I'll dehidrate, specially with this heat.
Nap time: I take at least one nap with my baby. I won't be able to once I get a job, so I'll be working on quiting my daily nap. I'm not too strict about this one though.
Tracking: I have to keep track of my daily goals so I'll be journaling.
