fuzzi's 2020 Vision of ROOTing Out the Books and Emptying the Shelves!

Both my 2018 and 2019 ROOT challenges were for 100 books, both of which I completed plus a little more.

But my shelves are still groaning, so I’ve decided I'm going to stay with my 100 ROOT challenge for 2020!

Here's my 2020 ticker:

(have to recreate due to ticker issues, total is 90 as of 12/31/20)

As always I'll be reviewing all books as soon as I finish reading them, so feel free to drop by anytime. And I don’t “spoil” in my reviews, so read without fear ;)

My main thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/314426#7004586

https://www.librarything.com/topic/321866 (part 2)

My rehoming thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/314902

fuzzi’s ROOTs rules:
1. Book must have been in my library for at least 365 days whenever I read it...so if it’s August 1, 2020 and I bought a book on July 31, 2019, it’s a ROOT
2. Unread and “rehomed” books count for ROOTing total
3. Partially read and abandoned books count for ROOT total (though not for my “Books read in 2020” challenges)
4. ROOTs can be e-books or tree-books
5. Children’s and other short books count as ROOTs

Here’s to Reading Our Own Tomes!!!

Good luck with your 2020 ROOTing!

>2 Jackie_K: thank you!

I just added to my ROOT list all books I received from January 2018 to the end of December 2018.

I now have 218 books that have been unread for at least a year!

Time to get ROOTing...

Welcome back and good luck digging up those ROOTS!

(Accidental double post...)

Adding that I'm glad to know your book reviews will be spoiler free. That is always helpful.

Wishing you a happy year of ROOTing in 2020! :)

Happy ROOTing!

>5 rabbitprincess: >7 This-n-That: >8 MissWatson: thanks! I hope to see your input in the near future!

Very cute 2020 ticker. :) Good luck!

This one I am NOT rehoming!!!


#1 The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams

This book sat on my shelves for a couple years after its publication, not due to any disinterest, but because the author had set such a high standard with his previous trilogy Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. So I started reading it with a little trepidation, afraid of ruining my memories of the volumes that preceded it.

And my belief that Tad Williams is a superb author was vindicated.

The Heart of What Was Lost is a short(er) follow-up to his massive masterpiece, and it's worthy: the narrative and characters draw you in from the first page, pull you close, and don't let you go until you find out what happens. There is tragedy, anguish, horrifying deeds, triumphs, yet the descriptions of battles are never more graphic than is necessary to tell the tale.

Fantastic follow-up, Mr. Williams, thank you.

This book is a couple weeks shy of technically being a ROOT, but as I'll be rehoming it, I'm counting it as one.


#2 Guts by Gary Paulsen

This book contains a series of short chapters about experiences in the author's life that he used when he wrote Hatchet. His tales of childhood exploring the woods of northern Minnesota were fascinating. Recommended, especially for those like myself who appreciate his body of works.

>11 fuzzi: I still have to read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, but I kind of forgot they were on my TBR-list. You've made me want to read them now. Because I really liked the Anderland series I think I will like them to. And Het hart van steen is on my shelves too.

>13 connie53: Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is so good, I'd probably include it on a list of books to have with me if I were shipwrecked on an island.

I'd also include Watership Down, Shogun, Jane Eyre, Conagher, a Chanur omnibus, and of course the Bible. Eclectic enough?

>14 fuzzi: Noted! I'm on them.

My first purge of 2020, 15 books!

Bring 'em in, move some out...most unread:

A Little Magic by Nora Roberts
Winds of Change: Blood of Ten Chiefs 3 edited by Richard Pini
Black Ice by Michael Connolly
Night
and
Dawn by Elie Wiesel
The Mark of the Christian by Francis Schaeffer
In the Beginning by Chaim Potok
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
Kaspar by Michael Morpurgo (somehow I never entered this into LT!)
Little House in Brookfield by Maria D Wilkes
In the Land of the Big Red Apple
and
On the Other Side of the Hill by Roger Lea MacBride
Stories to Remember edited by Thomas B Costain
The Mouse That Roared by Leonard Wibberley
Cassie and Ike by Mary Carr Hanna

If you see something you'd like, shoot me a PM.

(17 ROOTs as of today)

Hi Fuzzi. Welcome back. And you go, reading and rehoming.

>17 LoraShouse: thanks!

#18 Dark Interval by Joan Aiken (couldn't finish)

#19 Woof by Spencer Quinn

Eleven year old Birdie lives with her grandmother in the bayou. As this story opens, she is given a rescue dog as a birthday present, a canine that will become her partner in solving a mystery.

The author does a good job with the genre, but this one was just a tad too cutsie for my tastes.

#20 Mouse on the Moon by Leonard Wibberley (rehomed unread)

~~~


#21 Breakheart Pass by Alistair MacLean

An excellent entry by MacLean, set in post-Civil War American west. I loved how the plot kept twisting and I was unable to figure out what was happening until well into the book. I'm definitely keeping this one.

>20 fuzzi: Oh my, this puts me back quite a few years! And there was Charles Bronson in the movie version...

>21 MissWatson: I've not seen the movie version, was it good?

>22 fuzzi: I think they took a few liberties with the book, but other than that it was a decent, straightforward western.

#22 False Colours by Georgette Heyer

Charming tale of family, siblings, and duty. One of the better Regencies I have read, with character development, humor, and a lack of the pratfalls so common with lesser books of the genre. Not a Jane Austen, but close. Well recommended.

#23 The Secret of Hunter's Keep by Joyce Stranger

Thoughtful story of a young man whose father is a gamekeeper at a rundown estate. The son loves the wild animals that his father is sworn to protect, but also those targeted for removal: a family of foxes.

Not the best work by this favorite author of mine, but still a good tale with realistic children, adults, and relationships. Oh, and a bit of the local fauna is included as well.

#24 Dragonflies by Molly McLaughlin

Nice nature book for grammar school readers and up. As an adult and dragonfly enthusiast, I was pleased that the author balanced basic and advanced information well in a volume with beautiful photographs.

#25 Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski (Newbery Medal 1946)

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-researched story about poor farmers living in early 1900s Florida.

#26 Caravan to Vaccares by Alistair MacLean

The Gypsies have arrived in France in time for festival, but a young man is missing, and his mother is hysterical beyond reason. Something's happening beneath the surface and people aren't who they appear to be...or in other words, this is yet another good read by Alistair MacLean!

#27 Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking

This book is full of fairly simple recipes that sound absolutely delicious. Included is a traditional recipe for Sauerbraten, which I intend to try in the future. There's also a nice introduction to the origins of the culture. I wouldn't recommend this for a beginner cook due to some of the instructions being vague as far as measurements.

#28 Summerhills by D.E. Stevenson

While not as good as the first book, Amberwell, this is a well-written sequel worth reading.

We are now post-WWII, and the inhabitants of Amberwell as well as the neighbors are getting on with life and its challenges. Most of the intertwining plots are resolved by the end with no major crises. Can be read out of order but I'd recommend you read the first book prior to this one.

#29 Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz (1983 Honor Book)

Touching recollection of the author's childhood in China, including her thoughts and observations of the culture. This one deserved its Newbery honor award, recommended.

#30 The Changing Land by Roger Zelazny

Entertaining story with the usual fantastic elements such as large hands springing forth out of the ground to snare and destroy the unwary traveler. While I enjoyed this book, there were a few plot points that never were addressed or or in a vague manner. Still an interesting read.

#31 The Snare of the Hunter by Helen MacInnes

I was surprised and pleased with this story, a first time read for me of a book by Helen MacInnes. It was a page-turner, can't-put-it-down type of book, with lots of plot twists. Very good, will be reading more by this author!

>33 fuzzi: Assignment in Brittany is my favourite book of hers :)

>34 rabbitprincess: I know what I'll be looking for once the used bookstore reopens (I hope!).

#32 South By Java Head by Alistair MacLean

This engrossing tale takes place during WWII just after the fall of Singapore to the Japanese. A motley group of evacuees strive to not only evade the enemy but also survive the elements with a traitor on board. Very good almost to the ending, which unfortunately was a tad weak. Still, it's another good story by MacLean.

#33 Taming the Star Runner by SE Hinton

A troubled young teen has a physical altercation with his overbearing step-father, and winds up being sent to live with his uncle. Travis is full of himself, thinks he's better than anyone around him, but winds up realizing that friends and human companions are pretty important.

I liked most of this book, though I felt the author could have developed the characters a bit more. And the ending was hurried, unsatisfactory, and not typical of SE Hinton's works.

>37 fuzzi: What? When I was reading S.E. Hinton in Jr. High/High School, she only had four books (that I read literally to pieces). I hadn't heard of this one! Disappointing you didn't like it better, but I think I'll still have to read it for nostalgia's sake.

>38 madhatter22: hi! Good to see you here.

Recently I've been discovering that my favorite authors of 30 years (plus) ago have been adding to their list of works, and SE Hinton is one of them. The only work of hers that I disliked was That Was Then This is Now but I'm sure others would disagree with me. Not one book has achieved the brilliance of The Outsiders, in my opinion.

#34 Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (rehomed unread)

#35 Stormbringer by Michael Moorcock

I gave this 50 pages, but there's nothing between the covers to keep me reading, especially with so many good books waiting on my shelves.

Not counting this toward my reading goal, just as a ROOT.

#36 The Pilgrim of Hate by Ellis Peters

Another satisfying read in the Brother Cadfael series, with more King Stephen/Empress Maud fighting in the background!

Hi Fuzzi, I hope you are doing fine. Your reading is great. Keep safe.

#37 Nethergate by Norah Lofts (rehomed unread)

#38 The Boat by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim (rehomed unread)


#39 Black Fox of Lorne by Marguerite De Angeli (1957 Newbery Award Honor Book)

A well-written and believable tale of two Norse youths who wind up captives of an evil Scot lord. The author paints an interesting picture of life just prior to William's conquest of Britain, probably about 1020. While there are scenes of fighting and people dying there is nothing graphic.

---

#40 The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman

A very interesting and illuminating journal of sorts, written by a 23 year old young man looking for adventure in the American West of the 1840s. While one might not agree with his analysis about the native societies, his observations appear valid, and his prose paints a clear picture of his time. Occasionally his narrative timeline was muddled, and I had to turn back a page or two to get my bearings, but the chapters flow well for the most part. The attitude of the author and his companions are sometimes upsetting, but should be viewed in the context of the time and the age of the people involved. Definitely recommended.

#41 Streams to the River, River to the Sea by Scott O'Dell

This is a semi-biographical story of the young female guide who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their exploration of the Louisiana territory, back in the early 1800s. The author has done a good job fleshing out the characters and avoiding stereotypes, ultimately providing us an interesting tale based upon the journals of the travelers.

>43 connie53: sorry I missed your kind comments in May. We're doing well. Hope you are as well.

#42 Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

This is a cute story about Misty, and the Beebe family, and a new pony they name Sea Star.

It's also making decisions about what's best, not necessarily what one wants. And Wesley Dennis illustrations, woo!

#43 The Raven in the Foregate by Ellis Peters

Adequate entry in the series. I didn't guess the murderer but felt a little let down by how the mystery concluded.

#44 Jupie and the Wise Old Owl by Neely McCoy

Jupie's friend, Jean, is sick, so he and the other woodland creatures make her tea, clean her house, and entertain her with stories. Cute and sweet story, but not too sweet.

#45 Jericho's Road: A Story of the Texas Rangers by Elmer Kelton - (ROOT)

Worthy installment in the Texas Ranger series, continuing Andy's experiences as a Ranger. This time he and a less than friendly acquaintance are sent to the Texas/Mexico border due to increasing hostilities between residents on both side of the river. Good read, liked the character development, too.

#46 Sandy and the Rock Star by Walt Morey - (ROOT)

A teenager rebelling from his Hollywood style parents finds himself on an island with a tame cougar, trying to avoid a trophy hunter who purchased the big cat with the intent of adding another trophy to his collection. It reminded me of a Hallmark or Disney story, without all the saccharine. Good read, believable, and entertaining.

#47 The United States in World War 1: The Story of General John J. Pershing and the American Expeditionary Forces by Don Lawson

This author provides the reader with an overview of events that led to and included the first world war. He starts the narrative with what happened prior to the United States getting involved, then a slightly more detailed account of the battles that followed in 1918, and the Americans change in fighting methods and strategies. Throughout this book were short but interesting biographies of major and noted people involved and descriptions of the final few campaigns. It was never boring, with enough details to let us know what happened without being graphic.

#48 The Cybil War by Betsy Byars

Best friends for years due to similar situations, two boys come in conflict over a pretty girl in class.

The kids are real, and the situations are not contrived. If you appreciate Beverly Cleary's books such as Dear Mr. Henshaw, this should also appeal to you.

---

#49 The Rose Rent by Ellis Peters

This one had me guessing about "whodunit", and had several red herrings to deceive the reader. I liked it as well as most of this series entries, if not a tad more.

#50 Jonathan Blair: Bounty Lands Lawyer by William Donohue Ellis

I bought this book at a library discard sale on a whim, based upon the cover. This time the cover method actually worked!

Jonathan Blair is what is referred to as a "Five Dollar Lawyer" by people on the northwestern frontier of the early 1800s, in what is now known as the state of Ohio. He helps the settlers with land deeds, treaties with the natives, etcetera, armed with just his three water-stained law books, doing his circuit on his unnamed bay mount. When a banker with a desire for more control tries to foreclose on the settlers, they find themselves in need of a 100 dollar lawyer, but all they have is Blair. Is he up to the challenge?

I really liked this book, definitely well-researched and full of early US/American history, but never overwhelmingly so. There's a lot of legal discussions, but I never felt bored, nor did the courtroom scenes slow down the story. And you get to know the characters, their strengths and weaknesses. The writing style reminded me of Conrad Richter and other good frontier fiction authors, but Ellis also adds just a bit of humor to keep the realities of the time from being too grim. Definitely recommended, if you can find a copy.

Tickers are down, but this is #51.


The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters

Good entry into the series, with some not obvious revelations reserved for the very end. I also noticed and appreciated more introspection by Brother Cadfael.

#52 Prince Valiant, Vol. 9: 1953-1954 by Hal Foster

Saxons are attacking King Arthur's forces, a perfect distraction for Prince Valiant while his family is away. Aleta is enroute to the Misty Isles, to set her kingdom in order, all while keeping her eldest, Arn, in line.

Fun read, as usual, and fantastic artwork.

#53 The Man Who Sold the Moon by Robert Heinlein

As I read this book I was reminded of why I appreciate Heinlein at his best: his ability to tell a believable and interesting tale without all the drawn out technical elucidations that often flood and drag under SciFi stories. Descriptions of how a rocket is built or why a power source works aren't always necessary to advance a plot.

I consider this one of this author's better short story collections.

#54 Indian Fur by Glenn Balch

It's the early 1800s in the United states, and John Daniels is sixteen. His elder brother went west to be a fur trapper three years before and has never communicated with his family. John joins a trading expedition led by a wily mountain man and does a lot of maturing in the following months as he tries to locate his brother.

I liked how the author avoided using stereotypes in his depiction of the native Americans, and I learned more about how people survived in the often hostile environment of the early American frontier.

While aimed at a youth audience, this story of a young man exploring the American wilderness is perfectly fine as an adult read. I found it entertaining, and kept me up past my bedtime.

#55 The Miracle of Dunkirk by Walter Lord

An engrossing history of the evacuation of Dunkirk as told through the eyes of survivors. There's no sugar-coating of the blunders made by those in command, errors that should have sunk this operation, but there are also many stories of bravery and courage. Upon reflection it is truly amazing that as many people were rescued considering the mistakes committed. A miracle, indeed.

#56 Genuine Risk by Hallie I McEvoy

A well-done bio of a well-known champion thoroughbred, and only the second filly to beat the boys in the Kentucky Derby.

BIG BOOK PURGE!

I went through my bedroom bookshelves, to organize, but to also rehome some books...and I got a little carried away...

1. Wildflowers by Juliet Alsop Hubbard
2. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
3. Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace
4. Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace
5. Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace
6. Betsy Was a Junior by Maud Hart Lovelace
7. Betsy in Spite of Herself by Maud Hart Lovelace
8. Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace
9. Betsy and the Great World by Maud Hart Lovelace
10. Dune by Frank Herbert
11. Legacy by James H Schmitz
12. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
13. Dilvish the Damned by Roger Zelazny
14. The Changing Land by Roger Zelazny
15. Moon of Three Rings by Andre Norton
16. Year of the Unicorn by Andre Norton
17. Hoyles Rules of Games
18. The Conquering Family by Thomas B Costain
19. The Big Silence by Stuart M Kaminsky
20. The Last Little Cat by Meindert DeJong
21. Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson
22. Desert Dog by Jim Kjelgaard
23. A Nose for Trouble by Jim Kjelgaard
24. Lion Hound by Jim Kjelgaard
25. Wolf Brother by Jim Kjelgaard
26. Boomerang Hunter by Jim Kjelgaard
27. Coyote, the Wonder Wolf by Joseph Wharton Lippincott
28. The Red Roan Pony by Joseph Wharton Lippincott
29. James Herriot's Dog Stories
30. James Herriot's Animal Stories
31. Man o' War by Walter Farley
32. Red Fox by Charles GD Roberts
33. Royal Red by Jack O'Brien

If you see something you'd REALLY like, drop me a PM with your mailing address.

NOTE: I already counted 7 of these as ROOT reads, so I'm only crediting my counter for 26.

#83 Wanted...Mud Blossom by Betsy Byars

Pap's dog Mud has apparently eaten the hamster that Junior borrowed from his classroom for the weekend, what can be done?

Cute story about an eccentric family, with believable characters and situations. I'll be looking for more books by this author.

Four more ROOTed from my shelves, unread:

#84 More Stories To Remember: Six Complete Novels and Thirty Stories: Volume 1 by Thomas B. Costain
#85 Son of a Hundred Kings by Thomas B. Costain (duplicate)
#86 Firefox by Craig Thomas
#87 A Blunt Instrument by Georgette Heyer

#88 The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman

Meh.

Happy Holidays!

>65 connie53: thank you, Merry Christmas!

#89 The Darkness and the Dawn by Thomas B. Costain - Did not read

#90 On the Case with Lord Peter Wimsey:

I am uncomfortable with hardcovers due to arthritis in my hands, will find individual titles in paperback...eventually.