I am afraid I do not have much new to talk about today. The packing of books continues as well as the weeding out of books no longer wanted. I am doing it in bits and pieces when time permits. My husband and I are fortunate that we have been given a head start in preparing for our move, but our cushion is rapidly deteriorating. The city's offer on our house will be coming in the next week or two (I finally heard back from the city rep), and it will bring with it a whirlwind of activity--possible negotiations over the amount being offered (although I understand the city isn't willing to budge much), house hunting, final preparations for the baby's arrival, more packing and the actual move. My hope to move before the baby comes is nonexistent at this point. I do hope, however, we will be able to make the move sometime towards the end of spring, beginning of summer. So many changes happening close together! As excited as I am, it's also rather stressful. I manage though. I'm not one to overly worry about the things I can't control, although I do like to plan ahead. It's part of of what keeps me sane. Mostly I'm trying to focus on the here and now. Tomorrow will come soon enough.And yet, as I pack up books, I find myself lingering over certain ones, not wanting to pack them all away just yet. Those books have found their way into a box I've set aside. I do not know if I will get to them before the move or even have time to read them in those early months once the baby is here, but I feel comforted knowing they're handy if I do need them. It's quite a mix, from nonfiction, general fiction to crime fiction and fantasy novels. There's also my remaining review books I'm hesitant to pack just yet.
I found it funny that here I am setting books aside "just in case" while my husband packed his entire TBR pile. I asked him what he planned to read in the meantime. His response was that he'd figure it out as he went. I've since noticed that he's reading books that I've either read and recommended to him or books from my TBR collection. That's one way to do it! He recently read John Green's An Abundance of Katherines and is now working his way through Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself, a book I haven't yet read. He also finished off the Hunger Games trilogy, and we had a great discussion over the series and final book over lunch yesterday. I'm sure he'll be reviewing the books on his own blog eventually. I'll try and remember to link them here in case any of you are interested.
At the moment I am reading Tigerheart by Peter David. Somehow this book got relegated to a hidden corner of my review book section and has languished there ever since. As I began reading it, I fell in love almost instantly. I love the author's narrative voice--it's quite playful. The story itself is both light-hearted and serious: about a boy who goes out looking for a way to make his mother happy again after tragedy tears apart his family. It's a magical story full of hijinks and adventure. I have not managed to spend as much time with the book as I had planned this past week, but hopefully can change that today.
I had hoped to get to George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones this month but it wasn't meant to be. I think I've done pretty well though, fitting in the other books I had wanted to read. I am not sure yet if I want to be so well organized next month. All I know is several books are calling to me all at once . . . Deciding what to read won't be easy!
As you can see, I changed my template again. What can I say? I'm never satisfied.
What are you plans for today? Are you reading anything interesting at the moment?
I had hoped to get to George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones this month but it wasn't meant to be. I think I've done pretty well though, fitting in the other books I had wanted to read. I am not sure yet if I want to be so well organized next month. All I know is several books are calling to me all at once . . . Deciding what to read won't be easy!
As you can see, I changed my template again. What can I say? I'm never satisfied.
What are you plans for today? Are you reading anything interesting at the moment?
This Week In Reading Mews:
Reading Now:
Tigerheart by Peter David
Next Up:
The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney - I really will get to this one next this time.
Books Purchased:
The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall - bought with Christmas gift card
Reviews Posted:
From Book to Film: Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
Blood of My Brother by James LePore
Posts of Interest This Week:
It's Monday! Bookish Musings
Random Tuesday Tangents on Wednesday
Random Friday Fun: Question of the Day, Fill-Ins & Book Beginnings
© 2011, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved.If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Sounds like have so much going on Wendy! I hope things continue to go smoothly for you. I've wanted to read Tigerheart!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your packing and the move! Tigerheart sounds like a good novel to read!
ReplyDeleteBook Surprises
Wow, this "move and baby thing" is getting rather real now isn't it? I am sure weeding through all the books is a big task. When I do things like that I always find myself reminiscing about certain books, what was going on in my life when I read them, etc.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
I totally understand about placing some books aside "just in case". Almost all my books are packed away and that has been easier than I thought and yet, I miss them. Never satisfied. LOL
ReplyDeleteTake care while all this is going on and enjoy these last weeks of pregnancy, Wendy!
Hope everything will fall into place. I loved your old template, but I love this one too. The color is nice
ReplyDeleteGood luck with all that you have on your plate right now Wendy.
ReplyDeleteI saw you mention, Winter's Bone....my husband and I tried to watch this movie yesterday, but after 45 minutes we gave up. It seemed so slow moving. I know many liked it, but it was not for us. We ended up watching The Emperor's Club which we LOVED.
Have a great week Wendy
Plans today include more reading of Paul Guest's "One More Theory About Happiness" and figuring out loading audio books onto my Nook so I can use it as a glorified iPod when I work out. Also need to write a couple of blog posts and make an edit to another one.
ReplyDeleteWe moved when I was almost 8 months pregnant, in the middle of the summer. What a fit of nesting I had! Wendy, are you registered somewhere? We should have an online baby shower for you!
ReplyDeleteI think the hardest part of moving is figuring out what to leave in the "just in case" or "last minute" or "easiest to access" boxes! We haven't moved in a while, but invariably there was something I'd be ripping through all the boxes to find, so I'd say make lots of "just in case" boxes!
ReplyDeleteOh Wendy, I read about all the upcoming changes in your life and I feel stressed. I just don't know how you are holding it all together.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that the pregnancy is going well, and I hope that the offer is fair.
Wow, just thinking about all you have ahead of you makes me tired. I'm sure it will all work out though. Your smart to get through it one day at a time.
ReplyDeleteOh I see you purchased The Case of the Missing Servant. I hope you enjoy it - we just discussed it with my mystery group and almost everyone loved it. I thought it was a nice mix of mystery and travelogue almost as the writer's descriptions of India are so wonderful to read about.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. A move is so stressful and with a baby on the way I cannot even imagine! Hang in there. Remember to just relax when you can. Keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well with the offer on the house!
Smart attitude, to not worry about the things that are beyond your control (that "Serenity Prayer" has a lot of wisdom in it).
ReplyDeleteStill, wow, you have a lot going on!
Glad you're feeling well and that you have plenty to read in your "just in case" boxes :) Your new template is beautiful - clean and clear.
Thinking of you -- I know the time before major changes can seem to speed up. Take care!
Amy (MyFriend) - I hope so too, Amy! There are bound to be some bumps in the road, but hopefully they won't be insurmountable.
ReplyDeleteBook Bird Dog - Thanks! I really hate packing. LOL
Laura - Yes, both are now more a reality than something in the far off future, that's for sure. There's been reminiscing here as well. Some of my books have been with me through quite a bit.
Kay - I keep telling myself that I can't possibly read them all before the move and baby coming. But a part of me wants to at least have the option, you know?
Violet - Thank you, Violet. I liked the old template too. I think this time I was more in the mood for something simple. My husband's just relieved I didn't want to change the header as that would have fallen to him. Poor guy. :-) What he does out of love . . .
Diane - Thanks, Diane.
Winter's Bone is a bit slow going in the sense there's not a lot of action going on. You'd think there might be from the description, but it's really not that kind of movie. I'm glad you enjoyed The Emperor's Club at least!
Amy (Campbell) - Sounds like you have a busy day planned! I hope you are able to figure out how to download the audio books to your nook. I haven't tried that yet. Hopefully it won't be too difficult.
You are amazing! Just taking everything one step at a time is the best way to handle it (easier said than done), but you are doing great under so much "stress".
ReplyDeleteI love it that you have a "just in case" pile of books. Sometimes I think my TBR pile is a "just in case" pile ;-)
But hope you get a little time to relax during all of this!
Thanks for sharing it all here!
Sandy - Oooh! I bet that was no fun. Hot and ready to pop! Not a good time to move, that's for sure. I was kind of hoping we'd be moving about now so I could get out of actually having to carry most of the boxes. ;-) Oh well.
ReplyDeleteI am registered somewhere--two places actually. Babies 'R' Us and Target. My coworkers are throwing me a shower this coming Thursday. I'm nervous about cheating on my diet, but it'll just be a little tiny bit of cake, right? And I've been so good up until now.
Jill (Rhapsody) - Oh yes! I keep going back and forth about which books belong in the "just in case" box. I am sure books will be moving in and out for awhile.
Molly - It helps that I don't have a choice. LOL Seriously though, I'm just trying to take it one day at a time. And thank you for your kind thoughts. Hopefully things will continue to go well and everything will work out with the house.
Kathy - Thank you. I am sure it will, Kathy. We'll make it work, regardless. :-)
Iliana - I hope I enjoy it too. The store didn't have the two books I was looking for and I was itching to spend that gift card so thought Hall's book would be a worthy substitute. Hopefully that will hold true. I love mysteries set in other countries.
And thanks! Having a sense of humor about the whole thing has helped some. I'll just be glad when we've moved and are settled into the new house, baby and all.
Dawn - So true--that poem really does speak true. Thank you for your kind words and I'm glad you like the template. I was aiming for something cleaner.
Suzanne - Haha! That is so true, isn't it? That are TBR piles are also "just in case" piles. I can relate to that. :-)
And thank you so much for your kind words.
I'm doing laundry today and hopefully starting a new book which I have yet to decide on. I had to move once while almost ready to give birth. No fun! But you are much more organized than I was. Soon this will be a memory and you will be in your new home with your baby girl.
ReplyDeleteHave a great week Wendy! Take care!
Wow, so much to manage. Good luck with it all. I'm sure you'll do great! :-)
ReplyDeleteJaimie - I'm looking forward to that day, Jaimie. :-) I'm not sure how organized I am . . . I'm trying to be, anyway.
ReplyDeleteMarie - Thanks, Marie!
I'm glad you have had some time to prepare for the move. With your baby coming and packing and finding a house there is a lot going on for you! I completely understand the need to put books aside, just in case. Have a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteI love changing my blog...It's blogger ADD!!! Looks great as always. I would have a hard time packing my books up even though it would be for a short time!! The one you're reading right now sounds very enthralling!!
ReplyDeleteHope everything goes on smoothly for you, Wendy! I can imagine how stressful it'd be with the move, the baby coming and everything.
ReplyDeleteHope you've a great week! Love the new look of your blog! :)
It would be difficult for me to keep only 1 box available, so I think you're doing great. :)
ReplyDeleteI want to read that Tarquin Hall book, too. I've heard great things about it. I hope to get to it soon - before I'm really far behind in the series.
Gosh ... with a baby on the way and an impending move, I can't see how you find time to read ... let alone blog!
ReplyDeleteOne good thing about e-readers is that the packing of books is quite easy! Good luck with everything!
Good luck with packing while you are pregnant! ugh, I've done it, and I know how awkward everything is. I hope you are taking lots of rests, and relaxing somewhat. It's such an exciting time for you - new baby, and new home. If you can fit in reading in the midst of everything, you have my awe!!!
ReplyDeleteFunny, my post was a little similar today, about what books I wanted to keep safe by me the last time I moved out of the country. What are some of the ones you want to keep near you while you pack, Wendy?
I can't even imagine dealing with childbirth, a new baby and a move all at the same time. I wish you the best of luck and hope that it all goes smoothly!
ReplyDeleteDon't you love how easy it is to change up your templates on Blogger now?
ReplyDeleteI'd leave out a few TBR books "just in case," too - I wouldn't want to pack every single one!
Good luck with the house negotiations, Wendy. You've definitely got a lot going on right now!
Gavin - I really like having time to sort through things before stuffing them in boxes, so the extra time has been nice. It's amazing the junk that piles up after living in the same house for 10 years.
ReplyDeleteStaci - LOL I like that: Blogger ADD. I definitely have that too. :-)
Melody - Thanks, Melody. I think I have enough distractions to help get my mind off of it now and then--between work and my books. :-)
Joy - I would keep more than one box available, but I'm not a very fast reader--and I haven't really counted my immediate TBR stack sitting on my desk among those set aside, which I probably should . . .
Jenners - I'm not sure where I'm finding the time either, but somehow I manage to. :-) I'm sure the blogging will start to slow way down soon.
ReplyDeleteYes, the e-reader is convenient for not having to pack so many books! Still, I think we're up to 25 boxes of books we're taking with us right now--and we have five bookcases worth of books left to pack. I've pulled five hundred easily that we decided not to keep.
Susan - I probably am not resting enough when caught up in the process. I completely forgot to check my blood sugar level on time and almost missed my required afternoon snack today . . . I get so caught up in sorting, it's easy to forget. Hopefully this means I will sleep well tonight. Maybe. LOL
Besides review books I am catching up on, some of the other books I've got close at hand include The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett, a couple of Patricia Briggs' books from her Mercy Thompson series, Beth Hoffman's Saving CeeCee Honeycut, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot just to name a few.
Alyce - Thanks, Alyce! I appreciate your kind thoughts and well wishes! Every little bit helps. :-)
Florinda - Changing the template is a breeze compared to what it was! It makes it too tempting to change sometimes.
Thanks for the good luck wishes. I'm hoping when the city says they'll be in touch early this week they really mean early and not middle or later. I want this over with so we can figure out the next step.
You have my admiration - and my sympathy! I just moved - without having a baby! - and it was amazingly hard. If it helps, what I found worked for me was using my car as a sort of permanent library: books I had to review or knew I wanted to read, I left in the backseat (four or five). That way they wouldn't get lost...
ReplyDeleteJust back from vacation, during which I discovered the mysteries of Hakan Nesser and Barbara Nadel (one Swedish, the other British). So now that I've moved I'm back to acquiring books again...
Plans for today include catching up on email and working on "Pru 2," as we call her here: Cats Can't Shoot. (followup to Dogs Don't Lie).
My first child had a big appetite. I read a lot of books while nursing him!
ReplyDeleteOh my! It does sound like you've got a lot going on over there! I know what you mean about packing the books though. It's like they are friends that you want to be able to have close to you all the time. I hope that you are able to get some good reading time in this week!
ReplyDeleteTigerheart sounds so good! My son is a fan of Peter David but I haven't read any of his books.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your dilemma about what to pack and what to leave out. I can't imagine packing up all of my TBRs, as your husband has done. Isn't it wonderful when you can have a nice discussion about a book with your spouse? That doesn't happen often with mine because we have so little crossover in our reading, but it's such fun when it does.
Wow, you have a lot going on. It is good that you can take things one day at a time and not worry too much about the things you can't control. These skills will really come in handy when you become a mom!
ReplyDeleteI dread having to pack up and get rid of my books. I can see myself wanting to keep alot of them. I don't envy you and all you are doing. So much work!
ReplyDeleteHave a great week!
I wanted to read A Game of Thrones too..before the show starts, but I keep forgetting I need to buy the book and time is just slipping away.
ReplyDeleteI hate packing books up. I am too flighty with my reading. I make a pile and then don't want to read anything on it! Actually, that happens most of the time regardless. For some reason when I make a list I get disinterested in the books...
ReplyDelete