TBR@58 Robertgreaves's Challenge for 2015/2016 part 2

Part 1 can be found here

I have 60 books on the TBR shelves and 46 on the virtual TBR shelves, which means I have one more book to read than I did this time last year.

My target for this year is 66 ROOTs. A ROOT is anything on my physical or virtual TBR shelves bought before 09/01/2016. Books count as ROOTs when I start them.

My first two ROOTs are:

My No. 50 (in the birthday to birthday count), The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough (chosen by my online bookclub in memory of the author after her death last year)

My No. 51, The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunits Volume 1 by Mike Ashley

My ticker:

Welcome back, Robert!

The TBR shelves.

I am an English 58-year-old partnered gay man living in Jakarta, Indonesia, where I work for a local law firm proofreading and correcting documents written by Indonesians in English. I've been doing this for coming up to 20 years. I am a member of two book clubs, one online which mainly reads fact and fiction about the Romans, and a real life one which is quite eclectic, taking it in turns to choose a book.

Welcome back, Robert! I see there are a few chunksters on your very neat bookshelf. Are they read or to be read?

Welcome back and good luck with the 2016 portion of your challenge!

Good to see you here Robert! Wow, I had no idea you were in Indonesia, how very exotic (at least for me!)!

welcome back!

Welcome back and happy ROOTing. Such neat shelves! I'm looking forweard to the eclectic choices!

Now I want a bookcase for my TBR too!

>9 connie53: Now let's be honest, Connie. Would one bookcase be enough? ;)

Happy ROOTing 2016, Robert.

>4 Tess_W: These are waiting to be read, Tess. Some of them have been waiting for rather a long time.

Thank you all for dropping by.

Welcome back and happy 2016 rooting! Your bookshelf looks very manageable ;)
Your life and work both sound very interesting! Proofreading legal documents written by Indonesians in English... You must see some very interesting translations! ;)

>10 Jackie_K: It would suffice for my SoonTBR, Jackie. My TBR is in bookcases already. ;-)

>14 avanders: The legal system here is so different from the Anglo-Saxon common law system that surprisingly little of my work is really to do with the law. It's mostly adding and deleting s's at the end of words, getting verbs in the right tense, and general vocabulary (like the difference between 'accept' and 'receive').

>16 Robertgreaves: That sounds like a very interesting job, Robert.

>16 Robertgreaves: Also engaging work! (at least, I think so ;)) But that makes sense that the legal system is very different... I think most countries' systems are different than ours :)

Your work does sound interesting!

Happy ROOT reading!

Thanks for dropping by, lkernagh.

Starting my No. 52, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. This is my third ROOT for 2016. I am reading it because it is my bookclub's choice for January.

Interested to see what you think about Unbroken - that one is teetering on being added to my TBR... you may be my deciding vote!

>22 Robertgreaves: >23 Caramellunacy: It is a very powerful book.

>3 Robertgreaves: Wish all my ROOTs would fit in one bookcase. :-(

Starting my No. 53, Doña Bárbara by Rómulo Gallegos This is my fourth ROOT for 2016. It was a freebie from the University of Chicago Press which I am reading for the GeoCAT challenge.

My review of Unbroken:
A biography of Louis Zamperini, a US Olympic runner who was shot down over the Pacific in the Second World War, drifted across the Pacific in a liferaft and then became a POW of the Japanese.

My interest in athletics or World War II is pretty minimal so I probably wouldn't have bothered reading this book if it hadn't been a bookclub choice, but I'm glad I did even if parts of it were a bit of a slog. It's probably going to take a while to fully assimilate.

Robert, the movie is very moving, also.

We might watch it after our bookclub discussion of the book.

>26 Robertgreaves: That was one of the two UoC Press free books I didn't get last year! I'll be interested to see if your review makes me regret that decision!

Starting my No. 54, A Drink of Deadly Wine by Kate Charles, my fifth ROOT for 2016, which brings the physical TBR shelves down to 59. I found this book quite serependitiously when browsing through the 'Religion' section of a bookshop. It is actually a crime novel with an ecclesiastical setting which had been misfiled. You don't get that sort of serendipity with ebooks. I'm reading it now because a friend asked to borrow it so I thought I'd better read it first.

My review of Doña Bárbara:

As his inheritance diminishes due to corrupt judges settling disputes against him, Santos Luzardo returns from Caracas to his estate near the Arauca river where he decides to fight against Doña Bárbara, who has gained possession of the neighbouring estate by seducing Santos's alcoholic cousin.

Any attempt to summarise the plot makes it sound like a Mills & Boon or soap opera (in fact the book has been turned into a telenovela), but there's actually some quite meaty stuff here about how adverse circumstances can mar a person's character, how we are the result of the choices we've made, and reflections on how and whether a good man can survive in a society where might makes right.

The book may be a jewel of Spanish prose for all I know, but the translation does seem rather clunky and over-literal at first, but I got used to it and am glad I persevered.

Well done. You are speeding through your ROOTs!!!

>30 Robertgreaves:, Wow Robert, I thought I had seen that title before, so I went rooting through my shelves, and I did find it, albeit it's in large print! (Won't have to wear my glasses). Will be looking for your review.

I wish this copy had larger print. Do I need new glasses or am I spoiled by being able to adjust the font size in ebooks?

>31 nebula21: I need to read 5 1/2 ROOTs per month to reach my target.

Starting my No. 55, the next in the Psalms series, The Snares of Death. This is a new ebook and so is not a ROOT.

My review of A Drink of Deadly Wine:

Gabriel Neville, parish priest at St. Anne's, Kensington Gardens, is hoping to be promoted to Archdeacon, when he receives a letter threatening to expose his involvement in events leading to the suicide of a young man ten years before when he was a curate in Brighton. Gabriel calls on another figure from his Brighton days, David Middleton-Brown, to help him track down the blackmailer before he is exposed.

A great start to a new-to-me series that I just couldn't put down.

>33 Robertgreaves: You might just need longer arms ;) (I'm pretty sure I do - have a feeling at my next eye test I will have to face facts and finally submit to varifocals).

>36 Jackie_K: I hate varifocals! I have one I rarely use and reading/pc glasses I use for everything, from reading to household chores.

With varifocals I see things move that don't and moving things don't move at all. I tried them for a week and I was very insecure while cycling to work. So now I only use them for watching tv.

>37 connie53: I'm not sure how I'd cope with them, but I definitely have to have something drastic! I will see about getting basic reading glasses to go with my regular contact lenses, but my eyes have changed so much that both distance and close vision need considerable attention! As mentioned above, my arms are no longer long enough for me to be able to read small print!

>38 Jackie_K: I know the feeling! Luckily I don't drive (no licence) so I'm coping with my old glasses. On my bike I can't do much harm. I see enough, but yes, I need to go and get a new prescription this year.

I have two pairs of bifocals, one for reading and just walking about and one for the desktop computer at work which can't be moved easily which is at just the wrong distance for my close-up glasses.

>40 Robertgreaves: I have the two you are talking about combined into one, Robert. I asked the optician if that could be done and he said: yes, it could. And it works wonderful. If I need to type out a handwritten letter (my boss still gives me those) it's a blessing. I can read the notes and switch to the desktop with no difficulty at all. And school gives me a refund for the glasses, because I need them for work purposes.

Hmm. I'll have to ask my optician about those. It's a pain keep having to switch glasses. And I just know I'll lose a pair if I don't wear them.

Starting my No. 56, the next one in the series: Appointed to Die. Again this is a new ebook and so not a ROOT.

My review of The Snares of Death:

Evangelical pastor Bob Dexter takes over the staunchly Anglo-Catholic church of St. Mary the Virgin, South Barsham and proceeds to make a lot of enemies. He is found dead in the church with his head bashed in. The young priest accused of the murder asks for David Middleton-Brown to act as his solicitor. David is convinced he didn't do it. But who did?

A gripping and enjoyable mystery. I did wonder Bob Dexter was too unpleasant to be believable but I suppose he had to be for there to be that many suspects. I'm a little disappointed with the direction the overall story arc featuring the detective David Middleton-Brown and his sidekick Lucy Kingsley is taking.

I have no line bifocals (the top half for distance and the bottom half for reading.) However, neither one of those work when I'm at the computer. Between 12-18 inches I have perfect vision, so I have to take them off to work on comp and play piano. It's so dang annoying!

While I was away and spending a lot of time hanging about at airports and on planes, I read the last two in the Book of Psalms series: A Dead Man Out of Mind and Evil Angels Among Them. They were my Nos 57 and 58 in the birthday to birthday count.

My review of Appointed to Die

The new Dean of Malbury Cathedral makes himself very obnoxious in his attempts to modernise the way the cathedral is run. When the Subdean dies from poisoning at the Deanery everybody is very willing to believe the Dean murdered him but when David is asked to represent the Dean he feels the Dean is innoccent. But in that case who did murder the Subdean and why?

Kate Charles excels herself here with a portrait of a thoroughly nasty but very believable individual.

My review of A Dead Man Out of Mind:

The Church of England has voted to allow women priests but the parish of St. Margaret's is adamantly opposed. Tempers flare when a woman curate is appointed and there is more than one well concealed sigh of relief when she is knocked off her bicycle and killed. The police write it off as a simple hit-and-run, but David and Louise are not so sure, given the other funny goings on at St. Margarets.

Although some of the polemicising seems a bit dated now, it doesn't stop this from being a very intriguing mystery.

My review of Evil Angels Among Them:

When social worker Flora Newell is poisoned, fingers point at the lesbian couple who have just arrived in the village, one of whom is a herbalist. If it wasn't Gill English's herb tea that killed Flora Newell, who did slip her some digitalis? And was the murder connected to the obscene phone calls someone has been making to the Rector's young wife?

This is the last in the series, which means David and Louise's relationship has been left in a rather unsettled state now that his inheritance of a house of his own has come through.

Starting my No. 59, The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. It's my sixth ROOT for 2015 and brings the TBR pile down to 58. I have an idea I bought this as a Book Bullet from LT and I'm reading it now because it fits this month's AlphaKIT, SFFKIT, and RandomCAT.

>45 Robertgreaves: That was a BB for me too, Robert.

>43 Tess_W: interesting about the computer... my eye doctor said that if you are near sighted (I am), then you should wear a +1 of whatever your prescription is (or, if you're wearing contacts, just a +1 reading glasses would work) for computer work... Like many of us, I'm on the computer all day long for my job, so that is helpful advice! (even if I haven't, erm, yet taken it....)

>45 Robertgreaves: Oh, can't wait to hear how you like it! I haven't read it yet, but I stumbled upon it (apparently right before everyone started talking about it) in the library's used book store -- it was a used early reviewer ;P

>47 avanders: I did read it last year and gave it **** 1/2 star, Ava. I thought it was very good. I usually don't like books about God or religion and this book has a lot of that, but it never annoyed me. For me this book was all about two people being separated in space and how you can drift apart and start misunderstanding your loved one because you have to communicate in words only.

>48 connie53: awesome - I have heard that a lot about the book.. That it has the religion discussion but it's not "in your face" about it :) can't wait to get to it!

Hi, Robert! I'm glad that I found your thread. I finally am able to read e-books now that I have a kindle. I don't know why the nook didn't work for me.

Hello, BJ. Good to see you again. Thanks for dropping by.

Starting my No. 60, A Day of Fire. It's a book of interlinked short stories by various authors set during the eruption of Vesuvius which destroyed Pompeii. I'm reading the ebook now as my online bookclub's choice for February and it is my seventh ROOT for 2016.

My review of The Book of Strange New Things:

A multi-national company called USIC selects Peter Leigh as a Christian missionary to a planet called Oasis but he must go alone and leave his wife behind. Once he arrives, he finds that as he gets closer to the Oasans, he gets further away from his wife.

A wonderful book that works as a SF story and also takes the main characters' faith and their emotional interactions seriously. It left me wanting to know what happened next for the characters on Earth, the Earthlings on Oasis, and the Oasans but I suspect a sequel would only spoil it. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would.

>52 Robertgreaves: Wow, that's praise indeed! It reminds me of how I felt after finishing The Sparrow. I loved it so much, that even though I know there's a sequel and I really really want to know what happens, I'm also scared that finding out will break my heart and mean I won't be able to reread The Sparrow.

>52 Robertgreaves: Good to hear you loved it, Robert!

>53 Jackie_K: If I took that attitude I would never be able to watch any of David Tennant's Dr Who episodes. So many of those broke my heart one way or another.

>55 Robertgreaves: I still haven't watched the second part of The End of Time (where David Tennant regenerates into Matt Smith) for that reason. I've watched the first part and seen the actual regeneration scene in documentary or retrospective shows, but I haven't been able to watch the entire episode for fear of heart breaking.

Starting my No. 61, Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction by Julia Annas, which brings the books on the TBR shelves down to 57 as my eighth ROOT for 2016. I bought this because I'm working my way through the Very Short Introduction series and I'm reading it now because it fits the AlphaKIT and the DeweyCAT.

My review of A Day of Fire:

An anthology of six linked short stories by different authors about the destruction of Pompeii.

None of the stories was bad but none of them really got me going either. I finished with a shrug rather than weeping, which I suspect was what the authors were hoping for.

>52 Robertgreaves: I keep hearing such good things about that book (Strange New Things) - I hope I have time to get to it this year!

Starting No. 63, Reflections for Lent 2016 by various authors. This is my ninth ROOT for 2016. I forgot yesterday that I had added two books to the TBR shelves, so it now stands at 58.

>59 Robertgreaves: You forgot! Hahaha, that's really very funny. I think you might have suppressed them from your mind subconsciously.

Quite possibly.

I admire you for having an actual count. No way to count mine, I'm afraid. I just have stacks in front of stacks.

I stopped counting when I got to 250 (before I started counting I had estimated c.100). I reckon my total is around 300.

I had to know... I counted at the end of 2014, when it was in the more reasonable 500 or 600-something range... now it's in the around-900-range :p But I'm slowing. I think. I'm trying.

Starting my No. 64, Socrates: A Very Short Introduction by Christopher Taylor (hmm, touchstones don't seem to be working today). This is my tenth ROOT for 2016 and keeps the TBR count the same at 58 because I also added a book to re-read after mentioning it on FB.

My review of Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction:

Rather than go through a chronological list of Great Thinkers, the author highlights some themes and works from the Greek philosophical tradition and how the modern (post-Renaissance) world has chosen to highlight different aspects of it as time goes by.

Starting my No. 65, The Symposium by Plato. This is my eleventh ROOT for 2016 and brings the books on the TBR shelves down to 57. I'm reading this as a follow-up to the earlier books on ancient philosophy but it was originally put on the TBR shelves to re-read after I heard it being discussed on "In Our Time" podcast from BBC Radio 4.

My review of Socrates: A Very Short Introduction:

This started out OK with a general discussion of the sources about Socrates and whether they are reconcilable to show us the historical figure behind the different accounts. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of Plato's earlier dialogues and then a quick guide on Socrates through the ages, focussed particularly on the 19th century.

There is no way that this is an "Introduction". I don't have a great knowledge of Plato's work but I do have some, and I found the central section discussing the chronology of the works and then the earlier dialogues in particular a real struggle. The last part focussed on Hegel, Kierkegaard, and Nietzsche, who I freely admit I know very little of beyond their names. I understood very little of this section and ended up skimming my way through it.

>66 Robertgreaves: You are doing a fine job ROOTing, Robert!

Starting my No 66, Daphne Du Maurier Omnibus 4. It contains Rebecca, which is my RL book club's choice for February, and My Cousin Rachel. For some reason it was cheaper to buy the pair like this as an ebook than to buy "My Cousin Rachel" by itself. It's a new ebook and so is not a ROOT.

>68 Robertgreaves: I have also notice this in several purchases I made. I'm anxious to see what you think of Rebecca.

I'm going to count Daphne Du Maurier Omnibus 4 as two books because the books are not available in a single volume as a physical book.

Therefore my next book is my No. 68 in the birthday to birthday count. It is Mouse or Rat? by Umberto Eco. It brings the TBR shelf down to 56. It is a re-read from my own shelves so counts as my twelfth ROOT for 2016. I am reading it now in memoriam as he died on Friday.

My review of Rebecca:
A young girl working as companion to a wealthy American woman in Monaco meets Maxim de Winter, a rich and handsome widower who asks her to marry him. But how can she possibly compete with the beautiful, witty Rebecca, the first Mrs de Winter, who had all the social poise and elegance the narrator, with her crippling lack of self-confidence, does not?

Although I can sympathise with the narrator's continual fantasies, second-guessing other people's reactions to her (I have been known to do it myself), it does get tedious after a while. The story after the big reveal does raise uncomfortable questions about where the reader's sympathies should lie. The narrator, if not the author, wants our sympathies to go in one direction but should they?

There were obvious echoes of "Jane Eyre", which I re-read last year, but not as many echoes as I thought from my memory of "Rebecca" from when I read it 35 or so years ago.

My review of My Cousin Rachel:
Philip Ashley's cousin and foster father, Ambrose Ashley, travels to spend the winter in Italy for the sake of his health. There he meets and marries a distant cousin, Rachel, the widow of an Italian count. He stays in Italy for a year longer than he had planned and then dies before he can come home again. Are his last letters home due to paranoia brought on by a brain tumour, or is Rachel really up to no good? Philip must decide when Rachel comes to stay with him.

Spoiled by what seems to me to be a major plot hole: Wouldn't the will leaving the estate to Philip have been invalidated by Ambrose's subsequent marriage, so Rachel as his wife would have got everything anyway?

That makes perfect sense to me! In general, just bc some publisher has published multiple books into 1 volume ... Doesn't mean it's become one book.. :)

Also - I have never heard of mouse or rat - it is not a novel, is it? I thought I knew about all of Eco's novels. Sad about his death - my husband was very sad that he won't be able to read any more new works by him!

It's not a novel. It's essays based on some lectures he gave about translation.

Starting my No. 69, Dangerous Admissions by Jane O'Connor. This is an ebook but old enough to count as my thirteenth ROOT for 2016. I don't remember why I bought it but I'm reading it now as it fits for the AlphaKIT and I feel like something lighter after the Eco, which was rather over my head.

Starting my No. 70, the sequel, Almost True Confessions. This is a new ebook and so not a ROOT.

My review of Dangerous Admissions:
When Mr. Tutwiler, the college admissions counsellor, at an exclusive Manhattan school is found dead in his office, from an overdose of a date rape drug, Rannie Bookman, an appropriately-named copyeditor and part-time tour guide at the school, is worried that her son will be accused because he was one of the last people to see Mr. Tut alive. However, one of the English teachers at the school is behaving very strangely.

Very entertaining and enjoyable mystery. I think I would query some of Rannie's grammatical judgements on the people round her and some of the sex scenes could be trimmed a bit, not because of a sudden onset of prudishness but simply because they are just not very interesting and don't really add to the story. But these are minor blemishes and I'm moving on to the sequel straight away.

>72 Robertgreaves: ah that would explain it... My husband reads the essays. :)

Starting my No. 71, The Last Tobacco Shop in the World by Bjorn Turmann. This brings the TBR pile down to 55 and is my fourteenth ROOT for 2016. The author's day job is a corporate trainer and he gave me a copy after holding a series of seminars at work. I am reading it now for the AlphaKIT.

My review of Almost True Confessions:

When Rannie Bookman arrives at a reclusive author's apartment to pick up a manuscript she finds the author tied naked to her bed and asphyxiated. Was it a sex game that went wrong or something more sinister?

Another fun piece of fluff. But I would hope Rannie knows the difference between 'laying' and 'lying'.

Starting my No. 72, Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms byGerard Russell.This brings the TBR pile down to 54 and is my fifteenth ROOT of 2016. I'm reading it for the DeweyCAT.

My review of The Last Tobacco Shop in the World:

In 2040 tobacco is illegal all over the world except on one small island in the Andaman Sea. Anton Brick is hired as the guest relations manager for the hotel on the island but there seems to more going on than a safe haven for those who want to buy and consume tobacco legally.

Rather slow world-building meant too much was crammed into the second half of the book so that when the big reveals came, they left as many questions as they answered.

>77 Robertgreaves: very cool idea! Unfortunate that the execution was not great :-\ That's always such a disappointment to me...

Starting my No. 73, The Death of Caesar by Barry Strauss. This is a new ebook and so not a ROOT. I'm reading it for my online book club.

My review of Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms:
Description of the history and present day situation of some of the Middle East's religious minorities.

I found some of the general historical description a bit wobbly where I already knew something about the topic but lots of fascinating information about the beliefs and present situation of the groups.

Also reading my no. 74, "The Upside Down-Bible"(no touchstone) by Symon Hill. It's a new ebook and so is not a ROOT. I saw this on FB. It sounded so intriguing I bought it straight away.

The author takes people who have had little contact with churches and reads through some of Jesus's parables with them and then compares what they say with what scholars know about Jesus's social, political and religious background as a first-century Jew. The results are often quite different from the "official" church-mediated interpretations of the parables.

>80 Robertgreaves: I read about that on fb too - I don't know Symon Hill but we do have a few friends in common (small world, 6 degrees of separation etc), so was already familiar with him. I think this book sounds fascinating.

Starting my No. 75, Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman. It's a new ebook and doesn't count as a ROOT. I went to a talk by the author on Tuesday, which is why I'm reading it now, and the subtitle qualifies it for this month's AlphaKIT. It's about the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller in what was then (1961) Dutch New Guinea while searching for Asmat art to bring back to the Metropolitan Museum.

My review of The Death of Caesar:

Barry Strauss looks at the events of the Ides of March, what led up to them, who was involved, and their aftermath.

An excellent re-telling firmly based on the sources and acting as a counterweight to Shakepeare's account.

My review of "The Upside Down Bible" (still no touchstone):

Symon Hill discussed some of Jesus's parables with people unfimiliar with church or the Bible and compares their reactions with what scholars can tell us of 1st century Judea under the Romans.

Lots of interesting thought-provoking points but would probably work best as the basis for a series of group discussions rather than individual reading.

Starting my No. 76, The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. This brings the TBR pile down to 53 and is my sixteenth ROOT for 2016. I forget why I originally wishlisted and bought this, but it fits this month's GeoCAT.

My review of Savage Harvest:

The author stays with the Asmat trying to find out what actually happened to Michael Rockefeller, who disappeared in Asmat territory in 1961 while looking for art to bring back to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Did he drown at sea or was he headhunted and eaten by the Asmat?

Interesting story but uneven execution. I found some parts difficult to read because clumsy prose made it difficult to follow.

>83 Robertgreaves: ooooh hope you enjoy that one - I love it!

>83 Robertgreaves: The Master and the Margarita I also bought and it's waiting on my shelf to be read!

>83 Robertgreaves: Robert, I'm currently listening to Master and Margarita and I love it.

I read The Master and Margarita last year. I somehow thought it would be a slog, but absolutely loved it.

I keep meaning to read it (it is one of the few of my husband's books that I want to read!) but my own Mt TBR is so high I can't really justify it just yet!

Just saying hi, Robert!

I'm finding it rather slow going, I'm afraid. It's interesting when I read it, but it's not one I race to get back to.

For a trip yesterday I downloaded an ebook version of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and finished it because my RL book club's choice for April is Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This was not a ROOT but was my No. 77 in the birthday to birthday count.

I also added 1 book, The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs to my physical TBR pile as a re-read after seeing it mentioned in the DeweyCAT for the 200s.

Starting my No. 78, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This is a new ebook and so not a ROOT.

My review of The Master and Margarita:

Satan visits Stalinist Moscow, wreaking havoc in the lives of various people connected with the Variety Theatre and of The Master, the unnamed author of a historical novel about Pontius Pilate, and the Master's married lover, Margarita.

It sounds a good premise and parts of it were interesting and entertaining but it wasn't a book I felt I really wanted to get back to rather than mess about on FB or watch DVDs.

Hello, Robert.

My apologies for being so slow to come back and visit you. I see that you have been reading some interesting books and having some interesting conversations here. Late to the reading glasses discussion - I actually have two sets of glasses, one has reading and distance while the other (my main pair) has computer and reading. Most of my day I am either reading or on the computer so having to juggle my head to get my vision in just the right spot for the computer on trifocals was a pain so having two different tops has worked great for me. The pair with my computer section stays by my computer and the other pair I have ready to go whenever I'm off and about.

I hope you continue to enjoy your reading.

Thanks for dropping by, Cheli. That sounds very similar to my set up. I keep one pair by my computer at work because it's a desktop and so I can't change its position.

>92 Robertgreaves: sorry you didn't like M&M better! But, despite it's lack of luster for you, at least you did finish it, so one more ROOT down!

>92 Robertgreaves: That reminds me I have to get back to my copy of The Master and Margarita... I am thinking I agree with your assessment that it's interesting while reading it, but it's easy to put down.

Starting my No. 79, "The Further Adventures of Pontius Pilate" (no touchstone) by Kevin Butcher. It's a new ebook and so not a ROOT. I saw it mentioned on FB, the description sounded fun, and how could I resist a title like that while reading The Master and Margarita?

I enjoyed Huckleberry Finn as a rollicking yarn, but I'm not sure I'm going to have much to say about it in a bookclub discussion.

>97 Robertgreaves: I found Huckleberry Finn weirdly uneven. Like a few books cobbled together, as if Twain was desperate just to fill some pages.

passing by and waving, Robert!

I've got Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer on my eReader (thank you Project Gutenberg). I've never read any Twain, but kind of feel I ought. And I have vague memories of a TV adaptation in my childhood which I think I enjoyed. One day I'll get round to them!

I had vague memories of reading them as a child, but no idea whether it was the originals or children's adaptations. Some of Tom Sawyer seemed familiar but I had no memory of Huckleberry Finn at all just a general idea of boys drifting down the Mississippi on a raft.

I was forced to read Twain in school and now I just can't abide him! Don't know if it's just not my style or what.

>99 connie53: waving back at you, Connie

>102 Tess_W: I have similar feelings about Thomas Hardy.

Starting my No. 80, Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas. This is my seventeenth ROOT for 2016 and brings the physical TBR to 53 (I added Laskar Pelangi by Andrea Hirata to the TBR shelves because at one point it looked as if I might be going to the island where it's set in May). I bought it because I'm working my way through the series and reading it now for AlphaKIT.

My review of "The Further Adventures of Pontius Pilate":

On his return to Rome after serving in Judaea, Pontius Pilate finds that himself to be the focus of a sometimes violent struggle between various Jews, Samaritans, Simonians, and Angelics, all interested in his records of a trial he presided over in Judaea. Also the new emperor, Gaius Caligula, has a mission for him, and it's not at all clear whether it would be more dangerous for him to succeed or fail.

The description somebody posted on FB made me think this was going to be a comedy, but it was actually quite an intriguing thriller, albeit with some humorous moments. It's an interesting look at Pilate as a Roman official navigating treacherous imperial politics as he tries to work out what, according to a prophecy, is going to be the one thing for which he will be remembered throughout history (and he gets the answer wrong!). The ending strongly hints at a sequel being in the works, and the historical note at the end confirms this. I do hope so. Highly recommended.

Starting my No. 81, Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves by Sarah B. Pomeroy. It is my eighteenth ROOT for 2016 and brings the TBR pile down to 52. I bought it because it happened to catch my eye when I was looking for something eligible as the third in a 3 for 2 offer. I'm reading it now for the DeweyCAT.

My review of Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand:

When they were teenagers, Adamsberg's brother, Raphaël, was accused of murdering his girlfriend. Adamsberg saved his brother by concocting a false alibi. Over the years he becomes convinced there is a serial killer on the loose who frames others for his murders. Now the killer has struck again and as Adamsberg investigates, he himself is framed for another murder while he is on a training course in Ottawa.

Absolutely unputdownable as Adamsberg goes to ground and investigates aided by his friend Clémentine and her friend Josette, all the time plagued by self-doubts. Had he committed murder after drinking so much as to leave a four-hour gap in his memory?

>101 Robertgreaves: I like the idea of combining "The Further Adventures of Pontius Pilate" with The Master and Margarita, very fitting! And it sounds like an intriguing book...
Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves sounds interesting too, I'll be waiting for the review...

>104 Robertgreaves: The Pontius Pilate book sounds fascinating. BB.

Goddesses, Whores, Wives and Slaves, the title is intriguing! I will await your review before I add it to my wishlist!

Starting my No. 82, Perdido Street Station by China Miéville. I bought this ebook long enough ago for it to count as my nineteenth ROOT for 2016, but I can't remember why I bought it. I'm reading it now for the SFFKIT.

My review of Goddesses, Whores, Wives, and Slaves:

An overview of the position of women in Classical antiquity in myth, legend, literature, and history.

This was a groundbreaking book when it was published in 1975, the first to examine the position of women of those times in such a comprehensive manner. In some ways it's very much of its time. I suspect a modern book would give more credence to systemic sociological and economic factors rather than psychoanalytical ones, for example. But, having said that, it's full of interesting tidbits presented in an engaging manner.

Hi, Robert. I read Perdido Street Station several years ago because I thought it was such a great title. I liked it overall, but thought it was kind of long. Still trying to decide whether to read more books by Mieville. I look forward to seeing what you think.

I am having success reading from my new kindle. Better than the nook I got several years ago. I am optimistic that it will save me from being totally covered in books.

You are having a great reading year.

Starting my No. 83 The Emperor's Babe by Bernadine Evaristo. This was a bookshop impulse buy a couple of years ago. It brings the TBR shelf down to 52 and is my twentieth ROOT for 2016.

My review of Perdido Street Station:

In the city of New Crobuzon humans are the majority but there are minority races as well. Isaac Dan de Grimnebulin is a human scientist and his lover, Lin, is a khepri sculptor -- a relationship which if not exactly illegal is frowned upon in all but the most bohemian circles. Isaac is engaged to research biological flight while Lin is commissioned to make a statue of the city's mafia Godfather. Isaac's research unleashes a horror that threatens to depose humanity from its place at the top of the food chain while Lin finds Godfathers can turn very nasty.

Great, sprawling fantasy which is a bleak cross between Dickens and Lovecraft. I loved it and definitely want to read this author's other books.

Starting my No. 84, The Last Roman by Adrian Murdoch. I got this in a sale. It brings the TBR shelf down to 51 and is my twenty-first ROOT for 2016.

My review of The Emperor's Babe:

Zuleika, the daughter of Sudanese/Nubian immigrants to Londinium, becomes a child bride and then the mistress of the emperor Septimius Severus.

A brash bawdy romp, this is basically a "Carry On Cleo" type of mixture of Roman stereotypes with knowing winks to the audience through references to modern place names in and around London and modern fashions. The cover gives the game away with Zuleika sporting a heart shaped tattoo enclosing the words "SEV IV ME". I loved it, but those who take their historical fiction seriously will hate it.

>111 Robertgreaves: sounds great! I've had it on my shelves for years, but I actually never really knew what it was about... Thanks for the review :)

I've got quite a few books like that. I bought them on impulse, or because of a mention here on FB, but then I can't fit them into a lot of challenges because I don't really know what they're about so they just hang around on the shelves. Before LT I just used to read books more or less in the order I bought them with a time lapse averaging about 3 years.

>114 Robertgreaves: exactly... but I try to remember that I bought them for a reason... ;)
Wow .. I'm not sure if I've ever read books in the order I bought them.. makes sense though!

Starting my No. 85, The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst. This is an ebook but has been sitting on my virtual TBR shelf since 2014, and so counts as my twenty-second ROOT for 2014. It fits with the AlphaKIT.

My review of The Last Roman:

Materials on Romulus Augustulus, the last Roman Emperor in the West, whose deposition has become the conventional date for the end of the Roman Empire, are so scanty as to make any attempt at a biography futile. So this is more of a quick survey of the last years of the Roman Empire. Competently if not very excitingly done.

Apparently, today, Saturday, is the 10th anniversary of when I joined LT.

Congrats, now you have to buy 10 books, one for each year and 1 extra to grow on ;-))

10 years, wow and congrats!

Awesome, 10 years!

>117 Robertgreaves: Wow! Congratulations!

Congratulations!

Thank you, all.

Starting my No. 86, Winter Quarters by Alfred Duggan. This is a new ebook, which I'm reading for my online book club, and so is not a ROOT.

My review of The Line of Beauty:

After finishing Oxford in 1983, Nick Guest lodges with the family of his unrequited love interest, the son of an up and coming MP.

Lots of sex and drugs and eventually AIDS among the young generation of Thatcher's Tory elite. The beginning brought back memories of that time as parts of it are set near where I used to live in London and the ending is unexpectedly moving after a middle which drags a bit apart from a few giggles.

Starting my No. 87, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This is not a ROOT because it's a new ebook which I'm reading for my real life book club.

My review of Winter Quarters

Camul tells the story of how he ended up as a Gaul fighting with Crassus at Carrhae and being captured by the Parthians.

Straightforward and interesting narrative.

Are you going to buy 10 books? Please let me know which 10. :)

It's an interesting thought .......

Starting my No. 88, Pagan and Her Parents by Michael Arditti. I bought this after reading his first novel but have only just got round to it. It counts as twenty-third ROOT for 2016.

My review of The Kite Runner:

Amir grows up in Kabul with Hassan, escapes the Soviet invasion, comes to America and becomes a writer. Then he has to go back to rescue Hassan's son from the Taliban.

A marvellous, unpredictable story of shame and remores after an act of cowardice and betrayal and its consequences, and maybe redemption.

I have abandoned Pagan and Her Parents. The continual flashbacks were just too confusing. So my new No.88 is The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks, which is my twenty-fourth ROOT for 2016. I bought it in memoriam when the author died and am reading it now for the AlphaKIT.

>129 Robertgreaves: but you gave yourself credit for attempting & abandoning a book, right?! :)
I want to read your new 88... looking forward to your thoughts!

>129 Robertgreaves: I loved The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat. Some of the tales are a bit 'of their time', but even still his astonishing care and concern for his patients shines through.

>129 Robertgreaves: Hope you'll enjoy Sacks, I always really like his work and as Jackie says, he just seems like such a kind and considerate doctor, even when cases are difficult or weird...

>130 avanders: an abandoned book still counts as a ROOT because it's off the shelf but not in the birthday to birthday tally

Nos. 89 and 90 are In Dog We Trust (my twenty-fifth ROOT) and The Kingdom of Dog, both by Neil S. Plakcy. I have also started my No. 91 a book of Sister Fidelma short stories, Hemlock at Vespers (my twenty-sixth ROOT) by Peter Tremayne.

My review of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat:

Oliver Sacks explores some of the things that can go wrong because of brain injuries through a series of case studies.

Through bizarre and moving accounts of some of his patients, the author pleads by example for patients to be seen not just as neurological puzzles and symptoms but as human beings with emotional needs and responses. Even those with low IQs can respond to symbols and stories, ways of thinking which the modern West has devalued in favour of logic and proveable fact. We need both and the author shows why and how it can be done. A marvellous book.

My review of "In Dog We Trust":

When Steve Levitan's neighbour is shot and killed, he takes in Rochester, her golden retriever, as no-one else seems to want him. Regretting that he didn't get to know Caroline, the neighbour, better, Steve, helped by Rochester, gets involved in the investigation. The only problem is that the investigation needs the computer skills Steve, as a convicted hacker now out on parole, should not be using.

Fun piece of froth which persuaded me to get the second in the series.

>133 Robertgreaves: Ah, well, that sounds like a fair compromise to me ;)

>134 Robertgreaves: ok, BB :) (The Man Who Mistook His Wife...)

Starting my No. 92, Dog Helps Those, the next in the Golden Retriever series. It's a new ebook so not a ROOT.

My review of The Kingdom of Dog:

Steve Levitan is now working as publicist for the Eastern College fundraising campaign. He finds the body of the head of admissions at a gala event to launch the campaign but is the murder due to the victim's obstructive attitude to the campaign, allegations of impropriety in the admissions office, or his nature conservancy work? Naturally Steve is dragged into the case by Rochester.

A good second installment to this series.

Next in the series is my No. 93, Dog Bless You, again a new ebook and not a ROOT.

My review of Dog Helps Those:

Rita Gaines, a member of Eastern's Board of Trustees, causes a scene at a student art exhibition over a piece she considers blasphemous and cruel to animals. A few days she is found dead, injected with cobra venom. Was the artist, who believed Rita was trying to have his scholarship withdrawn, responsible or was it one of the many other people who had suffered from Rita's unpleasant behaviour? Naturally, Steve Levitan and Rochester are in all the right places at the right time, which means Steve just has to investigate.

Another fun adventure for a man and his dog, and a love interest has appeared. But I have to say, considering Steve has gigs teaching writing skills, the proofreading in these books is getting worse and worse as the series progresses.

And the next in the series is No. 94 Whom Dog Hath Joined.

My review of Dog Bless You:

When Steve Levitan, his new girlfriend, and Rochester go out to look round a property Eastern has bought and intends to develop into a conference and continuing education centre, wouldn't you know it, Rochester finds a buried body.

Another fun piece of froth. It seems to have been better proofread than previous episodes, apart from the table of contents.

Moving on to what is currently the last in the series, Dog Have Mercy. This is my No. 95

My review of Whom Dog Hath Joined:

At a Harvest Festival in the grounds of an old Quaker Meeting House, Rochester of course manages to find a dead body from the 1960s. Who was it and what happened? And are there any contemporary consequences?

Another enjoyable installment, though the ending after the mystery had been solved did read like a rather sappy conclusion to the whole series, so I was surprised to find that there is another one.

Starting my No. 96, Robots and Empire, Isaac Asimov's last novel, which forms a bridge between his Robot novels and stories and the Foundation series. I've had it for about 18 months and am reading it now for the SFKIT. It brings the TBR shelf down to 50 and is my twenty-seventh ROOT for 2016.

My review of Dog Have Mercy:

Apparently some vials of potassium have been stolen from Rochester's vet. Why would anyone want to do that? Was it the ex-con kennel attendant? Is it drug-related?

I thought this was very slow, with the focus much more on the domestic life of major and minor characters. It was basically an 'and they all lived happily ever after' epilogue rather than a mystery.

So.. when you say Golden Retriever series... I'm trying to understand how that's the common theme.. are the characters.. dogs? Or is that just a cute name for a group of people? I must have missed that somewhere... Sounds like an interesting murder mystery series though :)

>141 avanders: Steve Levitan becomes the owner of a Golden Retriever called Rochester after his neighbour is murdered. Rochester has a knack for finding dead bodies and drawing Steve's attention to clues.

>142 Robertgreaves: ooooh. Thank you! Lol that explains the "Rochester found a dead body" phrasing of sentences ;)

Starting my No. 92, Words and Rules by Steven Pinker. This is a re-read which brings the TBR shelf down to 49 and is my twenty-eighth ROOT for 2016. I forget why I originally put it on my TBR shelf to re-read but I am reading it now because it fits the RandomCAT.

My review of Robots and Empire:

Apparently Gladia's home planet of Solaria has been abandoned. Feeling homesick and missing the long-dead Elijah Baley, she gets caught up in the machinations of Levular Mandamus and her old enemy Dr. Amadiro, machinations which threaten to destroy the Earth and plunge the human race into a war between Settlers and Spacers unless R. Daneel and R. Giskard can avert the catastrophe with the help of D. G. Baley.

An interesting and exciting novel, this was Asimov's last and it ties together two of his earlier series, the Robot series and the Galactic Empire/Foundation series.

I was just telling a friend of mine last night that if I see a dog on a book cover (and especially a golden!), I buy the book. I can't help it.

I read all the books in the Foundation series not too long ago, so I really need to read the robot ones, too.

Starting my No. 93, Andivius Hedulio by Edward Lucas White. This is an out-of-copyright ebook which I've had long enough to count as my twenty-ninth ROOT for 2016. I'm reading it now because it fits the RandomCAT. I've added The Cornish Trilogy by Robertson Davies to the TBR pile to re-read at some point, thus bringing it back up to 50.

My review of Words and Rules by Steven Pinker:

Pinker takes an in-depth look at English irregular verbs as a starting point to explore how our linguistic abilities are made up of words and rules. He uses evidence from the way children acquire regular and irregular forms, the way irregularities work in other languages from German to French to Arabic to Chinese, and the language problems of people with neurological dam, age to generalise his approach to the way our minds work in general, not just with regard to language.

Fascinating, if a little heavy going in places. I don't know enough to be able to judge whether he's right or where his approach is open to informed criticism, but it certainly seems convincing.

>145 billiejean: funny! I am pretty opposite that.. I tend not to find books centering around/about animals enticing. Of course, there are always exceptions... :)

>146 Robertgreaves: I also added The Cornish Trilogy to my Kindle and it's on the TBR List!

Starting my No. 94 American Gods by Neil Gaiman. This is my thirtieth ROOT for 2016. I bought it last year after reading Anansi Boys and finding out it was a sequel to this. I'm reading it now for the GeoCAT.

It should bring the TBR pile down but I had to go to Singapore yesterday and while I was there I bought a book for a friend's birthday and took advantage of the opportunity to buy one for myself, so the TBR pile stays the same at 50. I bought A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder, the first in the Inspector Singh Investigates series by Shamini Flint, a series of mysteries each of which is set in a different SE Asian country.

My review of Andivius Hedulio:

Andivius Hedulio is falsely denounced to the Emperor Commodius as a conspirator and has to go into hiding in various disguises.

Books could take a more leisurely pace in 1920 and although not without incident this book takes full advantage of that leisurely pace to look at Roman society as people then thought it was probably like. It's rather less brutal and sex-drenched than the picture we are given today. The picture of Commodius is also rather more sympathetic than we are given elsewhere as well. A very enjoyable adventure story.

Starting my No. 95 The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida. This ebook is my thirty-first ROOT for 2016. It was recommended by my sister-in-law and is also my real life book club choice for June. It also fits the AlphaKIT.

My review of American Gods:
Shadow is let out of prison two days before his sentence ends because his wife has been killed in a car crash. The job he had been promised has also evaporated because the friend who offered it was also killed in the car crash. Fortunately the strangely persistent Mr. Wednesday has a job opening for a driver and general dogsbody. But Mr. Wednesday is a god in America, a land peculiarly inimical to gods.

Some funny bits, some sad bits, some downright confusing bits -- I was often not at all sure whether a character in the chapter tailpieces had appeared earlier or not. Nevertheless it's a good read that kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next.

Starting my No. 96, How To Manage Your Slaves by Marcus Sidonius Falx by Jerry Toner, which is the June book for my online book club. It is my thirty-second ROOT for 2016 and brings the TBR shelf down to 49.

My review of The Reason I Jump:

A thirteen-year-old autistic Japanese boy's explanation of what it's like being him in a question and answer format.

Interesting insights, but I wonder how generalisable they are to other autistic people.

>150 Robertgreaves: glad you enjoyed American Gods.. you read those 2 out of order, right? Do you think it mattered at all? I read American Gods first (many many years ago), and haven't read the Anansi Boys yet, but I'm looking forward to doing so at some point...

>152 avanders: Not really. It's two books set in the same universe rather than a series.

Aaaaah. Good to know, thanks :)

Starting my No. 97, Jingo by Terry Pratchett. I've had this ebook for long enough for it to count as my thirty-third ROOT for 2016. I'm reading it now for the SFKIT.

My review of How To Manage Your Slaves by Marcus Sidonius Falx:

The fictitious Marcus Sidonius Falx has written a self-help manual giving a Roman noble's views on slavery and how to be a successful slave owner. Each chapter is followed by a commentary by the author, Jerry Toner, in his own persona discussing how far Sidonius's views are typical and the relevant ancient sources.

A unique way of presenting what we know about Roman slavery, which was different from Greek slavery and from later British and American slavery. Lots of entertaining and illuminating anecdotes but some annoying typos.

Also reading my No. 98, My Grammar and I (Or Should That Be 'Me' by Caroline Taggart and J. A. Wines. This is my thirty-fourth ROOT for 2016 and brings the TBR shelf down to 48. It was a Christmas present from one of my brothers and I'm reading it now for the DeweyCAT.

>155 Robertgreaves: fascinating... I think How to Manage Your Slaves might be a BB for me!

Starting my No. 99, The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett. This is a new ebook and so not a ROOT.

My review of Jingo:

When a city rises from the seabed halfway between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch, both lay claim to it. As they drift towards war, an assassination attempt is made against a Klatchian prince on a visit to Ankh-Morpork. Can Commander Vimes and the Watch solve the crime before war becomes unstoppable?

Another very, very funny Discworld novel where playing spot the reference is almost as much fun as the laugh-out-loud stomach-hurting comedy.

Somebody posted this on FB: Novel Reading, A Cause of Female Depravity

>158 Robertgreaves: have you seen the movie The Fifth Element? If so... I will be curious to see if there's any correlation/reference to the movie in the book (... assuming the book was written after the movie came out).

I saw it when it first came out but don't really remember much about it. From what I do remember I can't see much of a connection. It's mainly set in the Discworld equivalent of Transylvania.

Starting another Discworld novel, Night Watch. This is my No. 100, but is a new ebook and so not a ROOT.

My review of The Fifth Elephant:

Sir Samuel Vines, Commander of the Night Watch, Duke of Ankh-Morpork, has been appointed ambassador to Überwald, the Discworld equivalent of Transylvania, for the coronation of the Low King of the Dwarfs.

The usual fun and games with vampires, werewolves, Igors, dwarfs, and the multi-species members of the Watch. I must admit I stumbled every time I read "the Scone of Stone", the throne on which the Low King must be crowned.

Unfortunately the ebook version I got was marred by bad formatting so it was impossible to tell where I was in the book.

>161 Robertgreaves: ooh interesting!
>162 Robertgreaves: yep, doesn't sound like the movie ;)

Starting my No. 101, Thud!, another Discworld book.

My review of Night Watch:

While in hot pursuit of a serial killer, Samuel Vimes is struck by lightening and goes 30 years back in time. Can he find his way back to the present without changing history too much?

It was an interesting and entertaining story with Pratchett's amusing descriptions and comments, but not the real laugh out loud scenes of the earlier books.

Onto what seems to be the last in the Watch subseries of the Discworld books, Snuff. This is my No. 102.

My review of Thud!:

As the anniversary of the Battle of Koom Valley approaches, tensions between the dwarf and troll communities in Ankh-Morpok mount. Then a dwarf leader particularly given to inflammatory rhetoric is murdered and the evidence seems to point towards an unknown troll as the murderer. Can Sam Vimes prevent a re-match of the battle from taking place in the streets of Ankh-Morpork?

Enjoyable Watch story. But I'm not sure whether it was supposed to be obvious where the Summoning Dark was.

>151 Robertgreaves: Weird! I put that book on my wishlist this morning. Because David Mitchell had something to do with it. And I'm a bit of a Mitchell fan right now.

Yes, he and his wife translated it from Japanese.

Starting my No. 103, Down Under by Bill Bryson. This is my thirty-fifth ROOT and brings the TBR shelf down to 47. An Australian friend gave it to me a couple of years ago when she was leaving to go home. I'm reading it now for the GeoCAT.

My review of Snuff:

Sam Vimes is forced to take a holiday at his wife's country estate. Naturally, he finds evidence of criminal activity there.

A good humorous adventure story with lots to say about oppressed groups, the influence of the local gentry (good and bad), and still even at this late stage, some fascinating world-building.

My review of My Grammar and I (Or Should That Be Me?:

This mildly humorous guide to good usage unfortunately doesn't move much past the half-truths and simplifications one gets taught at school. If you read it carefully, you can see the authors ignoring the rules they insist on and misusing the terminology they explained earlier.

Great review of the grammar book.

>168 Robertgreaves: blech - the grammar book sounds frustrating!

My 104 is a re-read of The Crossroads Brotherhood by Robert Fabbri. That makes it my thirty-sixth ROOT for 2016. I'm re-reading it now because I want to read the second and third in the trilogy.

My review of Down Under:

Bill Bryson visits Australia, calling attention to how little it is known both to science and to the world at large.

As usual, he has produced a very, very funny travelogue, full of interesting, if rather random, anecdotes and facts, but it is Australia as perceived by a well-heeled tourist so I couldn't help but wonder what was being left out.

Starting my No. 105, The Racing Factions, the second in the Crossroads Brotherhood Trilogy of novellas, which is my thirty-seventh ROOT for 2016. As each one only takes about an hour to read, it does feel a bit like cheating. I'm reading them now because this one fits the AlphaKIT so well.

My review of The Crossroads Brotherhood from when I previously read it nearly 2 years ago:

Marcus Salvius Magnus solves the rivalry between a brothel owner under his protection and a rival under the protection of the gang from a neighbouring area in 1st century AD Rome in such a way as to also do a favour for Antonia, daughter of Mark Antony and sister-in-law of the Emperor Tiberius.

This story of mafia style gangs in the lower reaches of Roman society paints a rather harsher picture than I'm used to, but once I got used to the style the story grabbed my attention and was quite impossible to put down.

>172 Robertgreaves:, not cheating to read shorter works! In the end, it all balances, out, at least for me. I'm impressed with 105 reads so far this year, wow!

Starting my No. 106, the third in the trilogy, The Dreams of Morpheus. A new ebook and so not a ROOT.

When a bookie defrauds Marcus Salvius Magnus of most of his winnings, Marcus's desire for revenge ties in nicely with the need to help his patron, Gaius Vespasius Pollo, win the favour of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus.

Great fun wheeling and dealing in a nasty, brutal time and place.

Starting my No. 107, The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney. This is my thirty-eighth ROOT for 2016 and takes the physical TBR pile down to 46. I don't know if I'll be able to get through it in one go. I didn't realise when I ordered it how big it is.

My review of The Dreams of Morpheus:

When his patron asks Marcus Salvius Magnus to rob a spice warehouse, Magnus finds himself involved in the drug trade at a time when he is also trying to expose an aedile who is stealing from the grain dole.

As usual Magnus manages to kill several birds per stone in an entertaining fashion.

>175 Robertgreaves: That sometimes happens to me with library books. I'll place a hold on it without having seen a copy, and then when it arrives I am taken aback by the size. Peter May's Entry Island was a case in point. It was huge! I could have used it for weightlifting.

Have you read The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire? If so, do you have any advice about how to tackle it? Thanks.

I have read it. The only advice I can give is start at the beginning and keep going. It really does depend on your tolerance for 18th century prose. Make sure your edition includes Gibbon's footnotes -- some are drily factual and some are very witty. The first three chapters are a general survey of the empire and the second half of the first chapter is a bit heavy going because it's based on 18th century countries, many of which don't exist any more. But persevere.

Starting my No. 108, Pagan Holiday by Tony Perrottet, which is a new ebook and so not a ROOT. I'm reading it for my online book club. It's about ancient Roman tourism and tourists.

This means a hiatus in The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia. I've only read Book One so far. It's basically Twelfth Night on steroids. Shipwreck, disguises, cross-dressing, love triangles (not to say quadrilaterals), plus age of chivalry knights wandering around Greece. Our heroes Musidorus and Pyrocles are travelling under the aliases Palladius and Daiphantus (quite why I have no idea but apparently it's explained in flashbacks later) but then fall in love with princesses. To get closer to the women they love, Musidorus/Palladius disguises himself as Dorus, a shepherd (it does make sense in context, I promise), while Pyrocles/Daiphantus disguises himself as Zelmane, princess of the Amazons.

I am loving it, though the language does mean I'm reading it very slowly.

Thanks. I don't think my copy has the footnotes, but I have heard that they are important to have. Maybe I can get a kindle version with the footnotes.

Starting my No. 109, a book of Gervase Fen short stories, Beware of the Trains by Edmund Crispin. It's an ebook and counts as my thirty-ninth ROOT. I usually have a book of short stories for reading between or during other books. At the moment I don't need my backpack and The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia is too big for my bag.

I have added two books to the physical TBR pile, Night by Elie Wiesel, who died over the weekend, and Longitude as a re-read since other people are reading it for the DeweyCAT. The TBR pile is now therefore 48.

I saw that he had passed away. I should read that as well. I think it is around here somewhere.

>181 Robertgreaves: I use Night in one of my history classes that I teach; it is very touching.

Starting my No. 110, The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang for my real life book club. It's a new ebook, so is not a ROOT.

Also starting a new book of short stories, "The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits Volume 2" (no touchstone), edited by Mike Ashley.

I have finished Book II of The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia, in which our princely heroes reveal their identities to their respective love interests and various people give the heroes' back stories. It's becoming more of a challenge to concentrate on this for long because of the language. Book III is the longest of the five books so I'm quite glad of the break before I start it.

Starting my No. 112, Cold Snap by Francis King. I've had this ebook for long enough for it to count as my fortieth ROOT for 2016.

I haven't finished Book III of The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia yet but have got as far as the lacuna left by Sir Philip Sidney and filled in by Sir William Alexander in the 1620s. This seems to be a reasonable place to leave it because I am travelling tomorrow, with lots of hanging about in airports and cafes, so need something lighter to carry for reading. I must admit I'm starting to lose track of the various plot threads.

While travelling I also read my No. 113, The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire by Doris Lessing. This was also an ebook which counts as my forty-first ROOT for 2016.

My review of Cold Snap:

In the winter of 1946/7, Christine Holliday, a brilliant Classics student at Oxford, and her cousin Michael, a don, befriend some German POW who have not yet been repatriated. She falls for one of them, Thomas, but since fraternisation is frowned upon and anyway he is married, what can they do?

The story was not at all what I was expecting but the picture of Britain in those days was fascinating.

My review of "The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire":

The final book in Doris Lessing's Canopus in Argos series looks at the influence of political rhetoric on societies, how it is predictable (just fill in the blanks) and meaningless.

Thought-provoking with characters from the first and third in the series rather than broad themes echoed and repeated.

While travelling I also read my No. 113, The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire by Doris Lessing. This was also an ebook which counts as my forty-first ROOT for 2016.

My review of Cold Snap:

In the winter of 1946/7, Christine Holliday, a brilliant Classics student at Oxford, and her cousin Michael, a don, befriend some German POW who have not yet been repatriated. She falls for one of them, Thomas, but since fraternisation is frowned upon and anyway he is married, what can they do?

The story was not at all what I was expecting but the picture of Britain in those days was fascinating.

My review of "The Sentimental Agents in the Volyen Empire":

The final book in Doris Lessing's Canopus in Argos series looks at the influence of political rhetoric on societies, how it is predictable (just fill in the blanks) and meaningless.

Thought-provoking with characters from the first and third in the series rather than broad themes echoed and repeated.

Hi Robert! I'm a bit envious of all your reading!

I have to say The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia is taking a lot longer than I expected.

My post from Wednesday has disappeared. I was unwell and so read something lighter (physically and mentally), my No. 114, Buried for Pleasure by Edmund Crispin. This was my forty-second ROOT for 2016. As I also bought a book last week (One Day by David Nicholls), the TBR pile remains unchanged at 48.

My review:

Professor Gervase Fen takes up politics and stands as an Independent candidate in the Sanford Angelorum by-election. Then he meets a policeman friend investigating a case of blackmail and poisoning undercover. And then the friend himself is murdered. Of course, for Fen, investigating murder is much more fun than politics.

The mystery is as entertaining as usual and the political satire is still spot on in these days of Brexit and the US Presidential elections.

Starting my No. 115, Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. This is a new ebook and so is not a ROOT. It is my real life book club's choice for August and also fits the AlphaKIT.

My review of The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia:

800-odd pages of dense Elizabethan prose and poetry telling the story of two princes, Musidorus and Pyrocles, who are travelling under the aliases Palladius and Daiphantus and fall in love with two sister princesses, Pamela (apparently Sir Philip Sidney made the name up) and Philoclea. Eventually of course after many vicissitudes true love finds a way.

I did find this very heavy going, reading very slowly, due to the very ornate language. Unfortunately the slow pace meant I'd often forgotten earlier episodes by the time they were referred to again.

Also starting my No. 116, The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits Volume 3, a book of short stories selected by Mike Ashley.

I hope you are feeling better, Robert!

Thanks, Connie. A day's rest did wonders for me.

Starting my No. 116, Supernova: Ksatria, Putri, & Bintang Jatuh by Dewi Lestari. I bought this a while ago when I was thinking I ought to read more Indonesian authors but never got round to it. I started it last night when my reader needed charging as it fits the AlphaKIT and the SFFKIT. It's my forty-third ROOT for 2016. It's from my physical TBR pile but it remains unchanged at 48 as I added a re-read The Dumas Club by Arturo Pérez-Reverte because a friend on FB has been quoting him an awful lot and although I have read this book I have almost no memory of it.

Starting my No. 117, Chaos by James Gleick as a re-read, thus being my forty-fourth ROOT for 2016. I read this quite a while ago and it's probably out of date now, but there was quite a bit about chaos theory in Ksatria, Putri & Bintang Jatuh, which I didn't really grasp, so a refresher in English is probably a good idea before I read the second in Dewi Lestari's Supernova series, which I bought today, bringing the TBR shelf up to 49.

My review of "Ksatria, Putri & Bintang Jatuh":

To celebrate their 10th anniversary together, Dimas, a writer, and Reuben, a scientist, collaborate on a novel loosely based on a children's story, "The Knight, the Princess, and the Falling Star". Elsewhere in Jakarta the love affair between Ferre, a businessman, and Rana, a married magazine writer, echoes the events in their novel, or is their novel echoing the affair?

Dewi Lestari has fun playing with concepts from quantum physics, chaos theory, and Jungian synchronicity. Linguistically, a bit over my head at times, but I enjoyed it anyway.

Starting my No. 118, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. It brings the TBR shelf back down to 48 and is my forty-fifth ROOT for 2016. One reason I'm reading it now is because it fits the AlphaKIT.

My review of Chaos:

How the emerging science of chaos theory and nonlinear systems came to be.

I read this before when it first came out, but that was quite a while ago and as well as wanting to refresh my memory I wondered what had happened in the field since I first read it. There is an expanded version available as an ebook, but I have to say it wasn't really worth it. There were some nice videos included which added to the visual attractiveness, but the links to the endnotes would have worked better as pop-ups, especially as most of the notes were simply references rather than adding anything to the text. The afterword didn't really add anything at all.

Starting my No. 119, Master and God by Lindsey Davis. This is an ebook which I've had for long enough to be my forty-sixth ROOT for 2016. I'm reading it now for my online book club. It also fits the AlphaKIT.

My review of The Song of Achilles:

The story of Achilles as told by Patroclus.

The first half of this book was an excellent touching story of childhood and then young love.

Unfortunately it all fell apart when we got to the Trojan War. Patroclus is not only not as good a warrior as Achilles (well, no-one is, that's the point) but he has no warrior skills at all. While everybody else is off fighting, Patroclus just moons about the camp until he stumbles across the medical tent and discovers a talent for battlefield surgery. And yet we have to believe that he is popular and respected. This is just not believable for a Homeric hero.

If you are telling the story of Achilles with Patroclus as your narrator, the problem is of course that Patroclus dies first. The last 30 or 40 pages are supposed to be narrated by Patroclus's ghost, which is fine, but the author didn't really bring it off. The ending, where Thetis arranges for them to be re-united in the afterlife, did make my eyes moisten a little, but really I should have been bawling my eyes out.

Hi Robert! You are always so organized in your posts!

>196 Robertgreaves: did make my eyes moisten a little, but really I should have been bawling my eyes out.

That sounds like a not so great ending.

>197 connie53: I don't think the problem was with the ending so much as with most of the second half so that I'd lost my involvement in the characters.

Hi! I couldn't possibly catch up on the threads after my crazy-long absence, but I just wanted to say hi :)

Welcome back

Thanks :)

Starting my No. 110, New Finnish Grammar by Diego Marani. It brings the TBR pile down to 47, and is my forty-seventh ROOT for 2016.

I'm reading it for the RandomCAT and the AlphaKIT.

My review of Master and God:

A hairdresser to the imperial family and a Praetorian Guard try to survive in Domitian's Rome.

Historical fiction needs to strike a balance between setting the period and telling the story. Unfortunately for most of this novel, I don't think the author really managed it so that at times it felt like the author was writing down everything she knew about the Flavians. Still, the relationship between Gaius and Lucilla was well done and the last section was quite gripping.

So, Kobo had a 50% off offer. I bought 6 books, only one of which had 50% off. In mitigation I plead that 3 of them were upcoming books for my RL book club, 1 was for my online book club, 1 was the actual discounted book, which was on my wishlist, and another 1 off my wishlist just because.

>203 Robertgreaves: That sounds like acceptable mitigation to me :)

I love how when people here have a big book splurge they always offer mitigation. I do that too!

>203 Robertgreaves: lol well, sometimes you just need some new books ;)
And RL book club needs is a legitimate excuse!

Starting my No. 111, The Rosetta Man by Claire McCague. This is an ebook I bought back in April because it looked fun, but that's not long enough for it to count as a ROOT just yet. I'm reading it now for the RandomCAT, SFKIT, and AlphaKIT.

My review of New Finnish Grammar:

In WWII Trieste, a German neurologist of Finnish origin is asked to treat a patient with head injuries. When the patient regains consciousness he has amnesia and has lost all knowledge of his language. Since the jacket the patient was wearing had a Finnish name sewn into the collar, the doctor teaches him some rudimentary Finnish and arranges for him to be sent to Helsinki.

I really enjoyed this exploration of identity, language, and cultural belonging in an Italian author's ponderings on Finnish-ness. It was the author's first novel and I've put his second on my wislist.

>206 Robertgreaves: New Finnish Grammar sounds great - I've added it to my wishlist!

>203 Robertgreaves: I think none of us would have minded if you said the books were for your Aunt Clara or to be put on coffee table just for looks!;) Kindle had the same thing, 100 books for 99 cents........I also bought 6 books for no reason!

Starting my No. 112, Beowulf in the Seamus Heaney translation. It brings the physical TBR down to 46 and is my forty-eighth ROOT for 2016. I have forgotten why I put it on to the TBR shelf to re-read but it counts for the RandomCAT.

My review of The Rosetta Man:

Estlin Hume has a special talent: telepathy with animals, many of which, particularly squirrels, find him very attractive. When aliens who landed in the South Pacific come ashore in New Zealand, who else is the biologist who finds them going to call?

I expected this to be funnier than it actually was. It did work well as quite a gripping, if at times rather confusing, first contact story.

>206 Robertgreaves: New Finnish Grammar on my wish list!

Starting my No. 113, Binu and the Great Wall by Su Tong. I've had this ebook for long enough for it to count as my forty-ninth ROOT for 2016. It's another translation and so fits the RandomCAT.

Also reading Around India in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh. It's a new ebook and so doesn't count as a ROOT. I'm reading it for my real life bookclub. It also fits the GeoCAT and AlphaKIT.

>206 Robertgreaves: Nice to see that reviewed! It sounds good...it is on my TBR also, and I have been wallowing in library books rather than living up to my responsibilities with ROOTs. Ah, well...it's autumn now.

My review of Binu and the Great Wall:

Binu's husband Wan Qiliang is pressganged into working on the Great Wall of China. She sets out on the long journey to bring him a set of winter clothes.

It's difficult to judge this without knowing the original Chinese folk tale. Is it a straightforward retelling or is the author riffing on the story somehow? I certainly enjoyed it as a story of a journey across China by one woman and a frog who may or may not be the reincarnation of a woman from the nearby town.

One annoying feature is that the book has no apostrophes (were or we're, shed or she'd, etc?) or speech marks, which can be momentarily confusing.

Starting my No. 115 The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. It is my fiftieth ROOT for 2016. I am re-reading this because an FB friend has been saying what a great writer Pérez-Reverte is, though my friend does read him in Spanish. It also counts for the RandomCAT and AlphaKIT.

I was in a bookshop trying to decide between two books when I got a phone call to say I would be leaving an hour earlier than previously notified. In my panic I bought both. So the physical TBR shelves now have 48 books.

My review of Around India in 80 Trains:

Basically, what it says on the tin. Monisha Rajesh catches 80 trains visiting various parts of India.

It didn't really grab me apart from the penultimate chapter when she talks about her experiences of meditation. She has an irritating habit of starting each chapter with a would-be dramatic incident and then backs up to where she left off at the end of the previous chapter, which gives a confusing timeline.

>215 Robertgreaves: I enjoyed Club Dumas thoroughly...also an earlier one, The Flanders Panel. Hope you enjoy it!

>205 avanders: So true! I hardy can keep myself from going to my wishlist and buy some of the books now. It's all that talk about buying them that's going on here! You are all to blame. LOL

Starting my No. 116, The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu. I've had this ebook for long enough for it to count as my fifty-first ROOT for 2016. I'm reading it now because the third in the trilogy has just been published in English. It counts for the RandomCAT, SFFKIT, and AlphaKIT.

My review of The Club Dumas:

Lucas Corso tracks down rare books for collectors. A friend has asked him to get a manuscript of a chapter of "The Three Musketeers" authenticated and a client has asked him to find the two other copies of an occult book, "The Nine Doors", he recently purchased. According to the printer, who was burnt as a heretic in 1667, he only printed one copy. Which, if any, of the three copies is genuine?

I have to admit my knowledge of popular 19th century French and Italian literature is scanty, so a lot of the names in this book were just names and without Google wouldn't even have been that. If I remembered more of "The Three Musketeers", I would probably have got a lot more out of it.

>217 connie53: lol I know, I always feel somehow more justified when someone else is doing the same thing.... ;)

>218 Robertgreaves: Good info on The Club Dumas... I think that's somewhere on my shelves, but I, too, know little about popular 19th century French & Italian literature...

Starting my No. 117, Death's End by Cixin Liu, the third in the The Three-Body Problem trilogy. It is too new to count as a ROOT, but I couldn't wait :-)

My review of The Dark Forest:

With technological and scientific progress blocked by the sophons, Earth lies helpless before the Trisolarian invasion fleet, four centuries away. Can the Wallfacers, solitary thinkers who must at all costs prevent the sophons from learning their plans, foil the Trisolarians?

Very enjoyable and fizzing with ideas, if not quite so intriguing as "The Three-Body Problem". Can't wait to see how it all plays out in the third one.

The story continues here