Saturday, 21 November 2020

Tackling The TBR

 

 
In December 2018 I launched Tackling The TBR, a challenge to reduce the ever extending TBR pile and 2019 was pretty successful in that regard. In 2020 I intended to make a big effort to reduce my TBR by buying less, getting stuff read and getting rid of the things that I just don't want to read from my bookshelves and my ereaders Maurice and Myrnin! However the darn Coronavirus Pandemic has put the skids under all my plans and I had to suspend the challenge. I've now decided to bring it back in a bid to kickstart my TBR reduction as nothing else has been working.
 
The TBR total shown is the total number of books I own but have not read yet-wishlist books are NOT in my TBR! Sometimes there will be a difference between the books read and new total-if I read a book not on the TBR it counts for books read for the week but not for this challenge.

BOOKS IN
-Books in refers to bought, downloaded or gifted books being added to the TBR list. 

BOOKS OUT
-Books read refers to books read that were ON the TBR and DNFed is obvious. 
-Deleted from the TBR are books I lost interest in reading, or sequels to DNFed books I no longer want to read and have been removed without starting to read them. These three categories added together are my books 'out'.

I'm posting my progress on the 7th, 14th, 21st and final day of the month as before, even if there is no progress to report and anyone else is welcome to join in. No rules, set up your posts how you want and when you want, just reduce the pile! And each week I'll add my new week to the end of the post so I can track how the whole month went.

November 1st-7th   
TBR Start Total: 1546

BOOKS IN:
New Books In: 

BOOKS OUT:
Books Read: 2
Books DNF: 0
Others Deleted From TBR: 0

Target Total: 1500

New Total: 1544

I'm happy enough with two books this week because both are big non fiction books!
********************
November 8th-14th
TBR Start Total: 1544
 
BOOKS IN:
New Books In: 0
 
BOOKS OUT:
Books Read: 3
Books DNF: 0
Others Deleted From TBR: 0
 
Target Total: 1500
 
New Total: 1541
 
Another decent reading week so mustn't complain. Three non fiction read! One was over 300 pages so I'm pleased with that. 
********************  
November 15th-21st
TBR Start Total: 1541
 
BOOKS IN:
New Books In:
 
BOOKS OUT:
Books Read: 1
Books DNF:
Others Deleted From TBR:
 
Target Total: 1500
 
New Total: 1541
 
The book I read wasn't actually on my TBR which was frustrating but I guess I did deal with it before it was added. Either way, one less to worry about and it counts for my reading challenge on Goodreads.  
********************

 

Posted by at 6 comments:

Chuckles Weekend Roundup

     Welcome to my feature Chuckles Weekend Roundup where I will be looking at what books I've received, anything interesting I've done or bought or watched and other random stuff. I'll be taking a look back at what happened in my blogging world too, sort of like The Sunday Post that some of you do! 
 
Please note that I'll be visiting your STS/SP as normal, but I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow DISQUS to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I am the only one who does that on my social media! I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. Sometimes, I have problems leaving messages on blogs hosted by Wordpress-they try to block me because I deleted my account with them but I will persevere as it only happens the odd time!
 
It's been another busy week...but I don't seem to have anything to show for it! I've been getting stuff done on my computer, cleaning out and deleting files, getting stuff into files for easier access etc. It is pure drudgery! Off the computer I'm gradually getting a few bits and pieces moved ready for the furniture rearrangement in my room. I'm struggling to find space outside my room to stack the books, the winter junk food supply, dvds and cds etc as our house is pretty small and my uncle and dad's stuff is already taking up a lot of space! It's making this tidy up go very slowly! I'm moving one book pile to a small gap I've found then having to stop until I clear space to put more books in the new gap...it's turning into a nightmare! I swear it would be easier to totally move house than rearrange my room in these circumstances! 

I did get a bit of reading done but the non fiction book turned out to be one that wasn't on my TBR which was frustrating. Still, no TBR damage this week is a good thing so I'll take that! I did get a bit of chill out TV time to enjoy which was good and Dave enjoyed it too! This week I hope to get a few posts written if Blogger behaves and a few more from the backlog with the book reviews. I'm also working on a few special blog posts for Christmas though not on my usual blogmas level. Maybe a lower key version this year, still thinking about it!

Chuckles Blogging World
A reasonable week overall. I caught up with some stuff during the week so I'm pretty up to date going into the weekend.
 
Book Reviews
 
Michael Bond-Paddington Here And Now (Paddington Bear #12)
 
Michael Bond-Paddington Races Ahead (Paddington Bear #13)

Michael Bond-Paddington's Finest Hour (Paddington Bear #15)
 
Chuckles Mini Review Catchup

Regular Posts
 
Chuckles Friday Reading Roundup

Around The Blogs With Chuckles
 
Discussion Posts
 
Autumn Blues #7

Reading Challenges
 
Tackling The TBR

Films & TV & Music
I've been catching up this week or should I say, re-watching Coronation Street from 1992. In the afternoons I'm still watching the Border Security documentaries and also the debt collectors on Can't Pay We'll Take It Away. 
 
Book Tags/Blog Awards 
none this week
 
The Week Ahead 
I really need to get more stuff done in my room but it's going to be a tough job! I hope to read a bit but it won't be priotity until other things are done.
 
Posted by at 6 comments:

Wednesday, 18 November 2020

Autumn Blues #7


I haven't been online for a couple of days with a mixture of more back issues and a bit of depression, but neither is anything serious to worry about, just the usual kind of ailments. I did a small bit of moving stuff in my room and straight away my back went again. It sounds strange to say but you don't realise how many books you have on a three shelf bookcase until you have to ferry all of it from your room out to the bathroom to get it out of your way! I have too much stuff in my room so whenever I have a clear out or rearrange things, I have to move a chair and set of plastic drawers up onto my bed out the way and empty and move a couple of small bookcases out into the hall to give me space to move stuff. It's a nightmare! So I guess I'm still about halfway through the prep stage, never mind the actual main events! Ugh. I just want it done!

I had been happy to hear that the local charity shops were starting to take stuff in again so my dad and I did a clearout at my uncle's house of all his clothes, and a pile of books from both houses, some dvds and cds etc and stacked them into the car. Now we hear that on Friday, our part of Scotland is going into level four restrictions so the charity shops are closing again. I'm really mad because all the charity shops are socially distancing people, limiting numbers inside, masks and hand sanitiser are in use and are being safe. Now we're stuck with even more stuff in our house than before and we're not greatly happy about the chaos up here. How can it be safe for kids to go to school but certain shops following the rules can't open? How can supermarkets sell alcohol as an essential item but not children's clothes? Why are universities open with students continuing to party yet care homes can't have relatives visiting safely? There's no sense to the regulations here. 

Blogger is still causing chaos some days so it looks like I won't be doing my usual Christmas posts as the ones I planned have lots of graphics. Graphics and book tags are so hard to get done when it is in one of it's twisted moods. Usually I do a big pile of posts through December about the best books of each genre but with Blogger and my reading being all over the place, I doubt I'll be doing much of that! I am working on a few random blog posts but with Blogger being weird some days, it's taking so much longer than it should to get simple stuff done. 

Hey everyone! Dave again. 
We had panic stations yesterday on Asda delivery day. Mum freaked out when the van came thirty minutes early and we were all running about like lunatics, or in my case, bouncing about with a panicked grimace and getting in everyone's way! Mum managed to fall out of her slippers and land face first on the chair! (luckily, it's a soft chair) but I don't think she appreciated me yelling 'FACEPLANT!' and bouncing across her back! Come on, a pumpkin has to have a bit of fun sometimes! We were all knackered by the time we got it in and put it all away, but it beats hoofing out to the supermarket for it...  

We've been entertaining ourselves today watching the darts and some of those Border Security documentary episodes from around the world. I love watching idiot passengers doing wrong get what is coming to them-getting arrested for drugs, getting sent home for trying to illegally work, smuggling in biohazard and banned food...mum loves it! I was a bit disappointed with it overall...what's the point of having sniffer dogs if they don't get to chew the drug smuggling passengers? Why not just give a beating to passengers who are breaking the rules instead of silly little fines and deportation? Where is the fun in this kind of show without a bit of mindless violence for our entertainment! Gah!

Tonight, I'm having a bit of reading time with mum, maybe a bit of TV watching but I can guarantee that there will be Texas BBQ Pringles, some chocolate and a bit of cake! I hope you all continue to stay safe from the virus and find the strength to face all the tough challenges that can be lurking around the corner.

Dave
Posted by at 16 comments:

Sunday, 15 November 2020

Book Review: Paddington's Finest Hour by Michael Bond (Paddington Bear #15)

Paddington – the beloved classic bear from Darkest Peru, now a major movie star – is back in this fantastically funny, brand new illustrated novel from master storyteller Michael Bond!

Hurrying forward, he held out a welcoming hand. “Sir Percival Rushmoor,” he said. “I’m invigilating.” “I’m sorry to hear that, Sir Percival,” said Paddington. “I hope you feel better very soon.” Paddington always finds himself in unusual situations so it is no surprise when he has a run-in with the police, appears in a TV cookery show, and gives one of his hard stares to a hypnotist!

My Review:
Paddington is well known around where he lives, including amongst the local police. But when police are around that Paddington doesn't know, he discovers that police have become suspicious about the sight of an innocent bear posting a letter. To say that the police were very unfair to poor Paddington is putting it mildly and retraining is required for those dreadful officers. It is fair to say that in this book, Paddington is discovering just how horrible people can be when his pride and joy rockery in his garden is destroyed just before a garden competition is to be judged. I was outraged in this book about the results of the judging when it was clear that the dreadful Mr Curry had stole Paddington's plants to pass off as his own. Where were the police over this dreadful theft!
 
Paddington decides to throw a party for a loved one but it is about to be ruined by an unexpected and unwanted guest, as always seems to happen. What I liked best about this book was the next story where Paddington discovers that Mr Curry is about to be in the local newspaper and the bear sees a chance for a bit of payback for what happened with his rockery. Mr Curry is really going to regret getting on the wrong side of the bear this time! I loved that Paddington finally gets one over on that dreadful man who is forever taking advantage of him and causing him trouble! I'm so pleased for the bear! 
 
It finishes with Paddington going to a variety show and becoming a volunteer for a hypnotist. The man has met his match in Paddington who proves to be a difficult subject and his hard stares cause chaos! I loved this story as I'm always amused by Paddington's hard stares as I employ that tactic myself when someone is really getting on my nerves! I was having a good laugh at the book but it is with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to the adventures of Paddington. This was the last book written by the author before his death so there will be no more of the charming bear. I'll have fun re-reading the books in years to come though.

Read August 2020
4 stars.


Posted by at 6 comments:

Chuckles Mini Review Catchup

 


I review everything I read, on my blog and on Goodreads. Most reviews are of a decent length but sometimes you don't have much to say about the book because of its length or you DNFed it or various other reasons. In cases like that it makes sense to write a few mini reviews in one post and clear them out your way! I've barely written a review in months due to a mixture of Blogger issues and being Chuckles The Sloth recently!

Here are some reviews of books read from September-October.

1) Michael Bond-Love From Paddington (Paddington Bear #14)
Told through a collection of Paddington's letters to his aunt Lucy back in Peru, this new book offers Paddington's own special view on some of his most famous tales. Filled with Paddington's signature charm and with black-and-white illustrations throughout, this paper-over-board keepsake is a celebration of this beloved character.
 
This was a much quicker Paddington read because of the letter format so I'm doing a shorter review of it. We hear from Aunt Lucy and why she decided to send Paddington off on his adventures, letting him experience more of life than just hanging out with old retired bears at the home. We get Paddington's view of being sent away and the full story of how he got to London by ship and met the Brown family. It was great to see the letters that Paddington sent to Aunt Lucy, telling of all his adventures!  It was a fun addition to the series.
 
Read August 2020
4 stars. 

2) Ken Irwin-The Real Coronation Street
The story behind the television serial and how it affected the lives of the actors involved with it over the first ten years.
 
I was intrigued to read this because it was written by a journalist who reviewed the first episode, saying the show was pretty much rubbish and wouldn't last. It was actually a good read. He looks at behind the scenes, starting with the cast purge of 1964 which led to a pile of the original cast being fired, the real life relationship behind a popular romance that led to scandal and divorce, problems getting a job after being in the series and a lesbian actress who was chasing popular cast members. It looked at the unpopularity of actress Sandra Gough (Irma Ogden) with her religious mania and rude comments about colleagues which led to her being shunned. 
 
I was interested in how actor Philip Lowrie hated his character Dennis Tanner, the fake gossip about the cast, the fiery persona of the actress who played timid Minnie Caldwell, the alcohol issues that nearly destroyed Peter Adamson (Len Fairclough) and a lot more secrets from behind the headlines. This was a fascinating read that covered all the gossip and a great read for fans of the show. 

Read September 2020
4 stars.

3) Michael Bond-The Paddington Treasury
Paddington Bear had traveled all the way from Peru when the Brown family first met him in Paddington Station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same.... For ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around. This sumptuous treasury celebrates Paddington's enduring popularity by bringing together six of his most popular stories: 
 
Paddington-the story of how Paddington met the Browns for the first time.
Paddington at the Palace-Paddington at Buckingham Palace.
Paddington at the Zoo-Disaster strikes each marmalade sandwich that Paddington has.
Paddington in the Garden-The story of Paddington's famous rock garden!
Paddington and the Marmalade Maze-A visit to Hampton Court Palace.
Paddington the Artist-Paddington holds his own art exhibition.
 
I love these short Paddington adventures with the huge colour illustrations. They are gorgeous and you can see how cute and fluffy the bear is!
 
Read August 2020
4 stars.
 
4) Daran Little-The Life And Times at the Rovers Return
This looks at the entire history of the famous pub in the Coronation Street series, even going back to long before the TV series began. I like this level of detail as it is something different. It looks at the original people who founded the Brewery that became Newton & Ridley, how Annie and Jack Walker came to be running it in the sixties and who was there before them. It then covers who the licensees were, a look at the bar staff and managers, the cleaners and potmen and the big stories that the pub was central to ie weddings, births and deaths there. It even covers what all the locals drink, the major disasters at the pub and other landlords and ladies at other pubs.  
 
It was an interesting book to read and I always enjoy the amount of work and detail that Daran little puts into his books.
 
Read October 2020
4 stars. 
 
5) Daran Little-Weatherfield Life
This book is about the history of Weatherfield and the residents of Coronation Street. It features changing maps of the entire area and the chapters cover time periods from before 1902, right through to when the book was published. In the 1914-1918 period it looks at the Weatherfield men who volunteered for service in the First World War and what happened to Albert Tatlock and his friends. 1918-1930 looks at marriages of Minnie Caldwell and Ena Sharples. 1930-1939 has when Jack Walker married Annie, the Great Depression in Weatherfield, Martha Longhurst's adventures, Ena's financial issues and Frank Barlow meets Ida. 1939-1945 looks at Weatherfield in the Second World War with Elsie's American lovers, Betty's illicit affair and pregnancy, Hilda meeting Stan and the war babies.
 
1945-1960 features Percy coming home, the death of Harry Hewitt's wife, Alf marrying his brother's girl, Ken gets an education, Blanche gets pregnant and Beattie marries and moves away. This brings us up to the start of the Coronation Street series and all the stories that feature on screen. I found the extra history of all the characters I know to be fascinating, getting extended details on things only mentioned in the series. 
 
Read October 2020
3 stars. 
Posted by at 4 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)