Word Maven's 2016 ROOTS Challenge

Hi everybody,

I'm new here. My goal is 20 books out of the 300+ unread books I have.

I'm working my way through The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Personally I like We Have Always Lived in the Castle better, but I may be spoiled from all the movie versions of Hill House.




Linda

Welcome aboard, Linda! Enjoy your challenge!

Welcome to the group Linda! Happy ROOTing.

Could you be so kind and post your ticker on the ticker thread too? This helps Cyderry with the monthly maths! The Thread is here http://www.librarything.nl/topic/208665
Just copy/paste the code there.

Thank you, rabbitprincess. Are you a bunny mom?

Hi,

Is that German on that page? It's not English and I can't tell how to add a new post. Sorry.

I'm Dutch so it could be Dutch.

Sorry for that. I didn't realize the language changes.

I can't give you the link to the English Site. Perhaps some one else can do that.

Or you go to the group page (where you signed up) and scan the threads until you find the Ticker thread.

>5 WordMaven: Here's the thread in English.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/208665

Just copy and paste your code from >1 WordMaven: into the next blank message. To get you code, click on edit at the bottom of >1 WordMaven:.

Thanks, Allison!

Thanks, everyone. I think I finally did it right.

Yes, you did fine! Thanks.

Now all I have to do is read those 20 books.

Lots of time to do that!

>4 WordMaven: I used to have rabbit siblings but am currently rabbit-less. Fortunately a friend of mine has a rabbit I can visit/borrow.

Welcome and happy rooting!

I finished my first book, the Haunting of Hill House. I posted a quick review on the book's page. So now I want to update my tickers. I hope I can find them.

Hi Linda Marie,

You don't need to go an find your ticker. If you click on the one you have in your first post and open it on a new page you can update it. It will adapt everywhere you use that ticker!

OK, here goes! I feel like such a moron with this thing.

It worked! It worked! Phew! I was worried. Over such a small thing. I swear, these books are just too important to me. Now I'm in what I like to call the Sweetest Spot: choosing my next read. Add multiple heart emojis here. :-D

Thanks for your help, Connie53 and RabbitPrincess.

Congrats on finishing your first root! It is always exciting deciding what to choose next--like a kid in a candy store!

YES, Tess! You get it!

Commitment time. Dancing Through It by Jenifer Ringer. I've had this book on my shelves for at least a year. I received it as an ARC from Goodreads, I think.

I love classical ballet, God, and recovery, so Dancing Through It hits numerous high points for me. Right on, ROOTS!

Glad to help, Linda Marie!

Welcome & Happy ROOTing!

>13 rabbitprincess: for a minute, I thought you were using "rabbit" as a euphemism for children... and I thought, cute! ... but you're not really rabbit-less if they've simply moved out...... ;)

>21 WordMaven: I'm always looking for books about dance! I'll have to give that one a try.

I have the LibraryThing app on my phone, but I can't pull up the groups so I'll have to get caught up later. I finished my book, yay! Now I just have to update the ticker. I'm now reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I'm really enjoying it. I bought it a year ago, so it doesn't quite feel like a ROOT, but it is.

I did it! Ticker updated!

Very good Job, Linda!

Yeah - great job both on pulling the ROOTs and on updating the ticker :)
(And I think no one can do groups on the LT app yet? Maybe that's a "2.0" feature :))

And I look forward to your thoughts on Americanah -- I read it last year for my RL book group and I really liked the 1st half... (will refrain from saying anything about the 2nd half til you're finished ;)) She has a knack for moving the story along!

Avanders I am liking it so far. But I had 2 arc arrive on Thursday from publishers and I can't keep my nose out of them. I need to give up my day job so I can get more reading done.

>29 WordMaven: lol I know the pain... ;)

Here's a question. Someone may have already asked it, but IDK if there's a FAQ for this group, so here goes.

What happens when you're reading a ROOTs book, and you just can't get through it? I've gotten up to page 118, but the truth is I am just not loving this book. Reading it feels like a chore I have to get through and I'm too old to waste time reading books I am not that into.

What say you, ROOTs administrators? Can I count this book as read if I've tried to finish it but can't bring myself to read it to the end? Or do we have to finish it before it can be counted?

I think different people choose their own rules. Personally I think 118 pages is more than enough to know that it's soul-sapping and isn't working for you, so I'd definitely count it as a ROOT (in fact one of my 2016 ROOTs already is one that I abandoned after 3 chapters as it was such a turkey). I think if you've put yourself through something you've really not enjoyed then you might as well add it to your numbers, it's the only pleasure you're going to get from it!

Your challenge, your rules! :)

But if you want to review it and tell us on your thread why it was so awful you had to abandon it, then it can serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of us!

Thanks, Jackie_K. I like your advice.

I agree with Jackie! You're far enough in to know it's not for you, and so you should definitely count it!

>31 WordMaven: That's why this group is great, you make your own rules! I usually use the "Rule of Pearl" 100-your age....that's how many pages to read....it works for me!

It would definitely count as a ROOT for me. You've tried it and it's of your TBR-pile.

I agree with everyone else -- you gave it a good effort and decided it wasn't for you... AND got rid of the book (presumably ;)), so it's completely fair to call it a ROOT pulled!
But also yes: your challenge, your rules :) I know some people call it a ROOT if they got rid of it, even if they didn't read it at all. Whatever helps motivate you :)

>33 Jackie_K: I agree w/ Jackie too... let us know what book & why it was so awful!

Thanks, everyone. Actually, it's finally getting good. I'm on page 165 now and I'm growing more interested in the characters and the outcome of the story, so I'll stick with to the end.

Glad to hear it's getting better for you! Which book is it?

That was so funny! After all the discussion, you stuck with the book anyway! But I do think that if the effort was made that counts as a ROOT because after all the goal is to root out those shelf-huggers. And it would definitely help to know what the reason is for not being able to stick with it. And the rule of Pearl is what? 100 pages plus your age?

>40 avanders: I'm reading Americanah. I wasn't all that into it when she was writing about her life back in Lagos, but when she started writing about her experience in America and her observations of American culture, I became very interested because she articulates so many things I've noticed.

>41 mmignano11: I'm pretty sure I gave it that. Actually, maybe it's 100 pages minus your age, because as we get older we have less time to waste, so that would mean reading fewer pages to know whether it's worth the time. At any rate, I'm glad I stuck with it.

My litmus test is this: if I'm reading a book and thinking "I could be reading SO many other books!" then I know it's not the right book for me. Because when I read something I love, I don't even think about all the other books I have, waiting in the wings to be read.

>42 WordMaven: yes, I think it's 100 minus age, I like the logic behind that. I tend to go by estimating how much longer it's going to take (or if it's on my Kobo Glo which tells you how much time you've got left, even better) and seeing how I feel. The last one I abandoned after 3 chapters, because the Glo told me I still had over 3 hours to read and my heart just sank at the prospect of that much time wasted with this terrible book. Luckily it was a freebie, so I didn't feel remotely hard done by just deleting it!

>42 WordMaven: oooooooooooh. Interesting! I read that for my RL book group last year.. Funny, I actually preferred the first half to the 2nd half ;) Glad you're enjoying it more now!

Your litmus test sounds like a great one!

>44 avanders: what is RL book group?

I'm already thinking about my next read. Should I read a classic I've wanted to read for a long time like Moby Dick or Madame Bovary? Should I read Faust? Invisible Man? Sooo many books. So little time. I read that title several years ago. :-)

>45 WordMaven: Real Live, as in getting together somewhere in a restaurant discussing the monthly book.

>45 WordMaven: yep, what Connie said - RL book group means my Real Life (as opposed to online) book group :)
All your possible selections sound great! Which did you choose?

>47 avanders: I'm about 140 pages from the end of Americanah. I still don't know what to read next! I love this part, selecting my next read. Actually, I love the process of thinking about choosing. So many choices. Like going to Baskin Robbins!

>46 connie53: I could go for being in a RL book club. I found out about 3 days before they met that a local book club was discussing Americanah. I was so bummed because I wanted to go, but I hadn't finished the book yet so I didn't feel like I could discuss the book very well. Opportunity missed. :(

>48 WordMaven: I hear ya - picking out the next book to read is the best!

>49 WordMaven: too bad you missed that one! But maybe now that you know they exist you can find another :)
Libraries often have groups, and do you have meet up in your area? There are usually book groups on there too :)

>49 WordMaven: But you could join for the next book! That might be fun.

I finished Americanah!!! I finished another ROOT!! I have to update my ticker and then I'm on my way to selecting my next read, which is a delicious time for this bookworm.

Last night I picked out several books that are in the running for my next read. It's so interesting how being in this group is effecting my reading. I feel like every choice has to be well thought out and mulled over; there's just no room for error! Of course, it will take years to finish all my books, but it seems very serious now because of my ROOTS commitment.

Eventually I'll have to read my ARCs that I've received from Early Reviewers, but I'm not ready for that yet.

Forward, MARCH! :-D

>52 WordMaven: I know just how you feel, each choice of a book is so very exhilarating!

>53 Tess_W: Yes, exhilarating is the right word!

I had my potential reads all laid out on the bed last night, like I was selecting a wardrobe. So funny. Yep, I've got the book bug bad.

My ticker is updated. :-D

Woo hoo congrats! Also - glad you enjoyed it!

>57 avanders: Me as well. Now all I have to do is start reviewing these books. I find that helps me remember them better.

Hello Rooters,

I have made zero progress on my ROOTS ever since I discovered Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch. I am consumed with this character. I've listened to Echo Park on CD and watched almost all of 2 seasons of Bosch on Prime. Currently I'm listening to The Burning Room, although admittedly I'm not enjoying it as much as Echo Park.

I also think I chose my next ROOTS read based on the previous ROOTS read and that probably wasn't a great choice. At any rate, I'm somewhat stalled but I am going to get back on the good foot and find a ROOT that I will actually read. Connelly has quite an oeuvre and those books aren't going anywhere.

>59 WordMaven: I hope you will get back to ROOTing but if you like Connelly that much, it's perfectly all right to read those first! As long a you don't forget us!

>59 WordMaven: One must read what they enjoy!

Thank you, >60 connie53: and >61 Tess_W:. This is more of a discipline issue, I fear, than anything else. It goes hand in hand with my distraction challenges. I plan to get back on the ROOTS good foot this week.

Finally settled into a new ROOTS read and this one almost got kicked to the curb, too: The Psychopath Test. I think the title is a poor one; to me it implies that madness is a man-made industry, but fortunately for all readers, Robert D. Hare makes a believer out of this guy. For now, it is enough to say that I won't be reading any of his other books. He seems a bit off kilter to me and he keeps putting himself in that position. I don't think it's cultural, either.

I'm a bit more than halfway through and if I have my way, I will polish this baby off tonight. It has finally become a page turner.

>63 WordMaven: The book you did not like that much turned into a page turner? Wow!

>64 connie53: It lasted long enough to get me through the entire book, even though I think Ronson is a fool. I have completed another ROOT!

Today I will begin The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. This will be a challenge for me because I'm not much for magical realism. I've been curious about this book for a long time, so down the rabbit hole I go.

Holy Smokes. I have 16 more books to read to meet my challenge. I'd better get busy.

You can do it! ;)
And I hope you enjoy Master & Margarita -- though if you're not a magical realism fan... well. It's definitely magical realism. Maybe this book will sway you ;)

>67 avanders: I just started Master and Margarita last night and so far I'm enjoying it. I'm still on the part about Pontius Pilate. I'm not sure how long it goes on. I'm familiar with the New Testament, so it's interesting to see how this part of the story reads.

>68 WordMaven: oh yes that's a great part! I saw a wonderful production of Master & Margarita in Chicago a couple years back.. and that part once again stuck out. :)
It seems a lot of people are reading or have read that book this year! :)

Penguin just released a new edition last week. Russia is huge in the literary Zeitgeist right now with Master and Margarita, The Romanovs, Shadow and Bone and hopefully Janet Fitch if she ever releases her next book.

>70 WordMaven: oh! Well that probably has a lot to do with it :)

Good to hear you choose an interesting book, Linda! And go get those ROOTs!

HARK! Harold's angels sing, for I have completed another ROOT!

It took me exactly 2 months to read The Master and Margarita, but I'm glad I did. Somehow the long duration has endeared this book to me. I think there's something to Francine Prose's instruction to be careful and slow readers. I'm as insatiable as the next bookworm, but I found out that I won't die if I have to painstakingly read a book through to the end.

While I was reading this one, I took 10 days to read Before the Fall, this summer's big news. It's definitely a page turner. I recommend that one as well.

Now to update the ticker! There's no way I'm going to make my goal of 20 ROOTS this year; I have reviewer books to read, new acquisitions, library books...the happiness just won't stop!

Y I P P I E !!!

Glad to hear you're enjoying your ROOTS and your other reading! That's the important thing.

Thanks >74 rabbitprincess:! It took me a really long time to complete my last ROOT, but I did it!

Now I'm reading an Early Reviewer read for LT, Terry McMillan's latest I Almost Forgot About You. It should be a very quick and easy read compared to Bulgakov! That's one of the great things about tough reads: they make most other reads seem like child's play.

>73 WordMaven: lol congrats! :)
Oh I'm glad you enjoyed Master & Margarita!

lol books does equal happiness so much of the time, doesn't it ;)

>75 WordMaven: agreed... when you finish a bear of a book and then switch to a "normal" book... the pages seem to fly by!