rabbitprincess is happy just to read with you in 2022

Another year, another bunch of ROOTS to get through!

My 2022 category challenge is based on quotes from A Hard Day's Night, so the title of this thread comes from a song from the film, I'm Happy Just to Dance With You.

I'm reducing my goal to 50 ROOTS, because my reading slowed down in 2021.



I'll also be doing the 2-for-1 TBR again. This is my fifth year trying it. Rereads don't count *for* me, but gifts (including books bought with gift cards), duplicate copies of books I own (e.g., buying the audio version of a book I already have in print), books I have borrowed and read but am now buying my own copy of, and freebies don't count *against* me.

I'm starting off the year with 134 books to "pay off", some dating back to 2019. This number is less than the number I started with in 2021, hurray!

2022 reading list
Italics = books off the shelf. Bold = Favourite book of the month. (Parenthetical notes) = audio, rereads, and other relevant information.

January
1. DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
2. Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper (Destiny of the Doctor, #9), by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
3. Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
4. The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
5. The Journeying Boy, by Michael Innes
6. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian (ebook, comic)
7. Tigerman, by Nick Harkaway (ebook)
8. Ten Little Aliens, by Stephen Cole
9. The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream, by Charles Spencer
10. Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape, by Patrick Laurie
11. This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

February
12. Emily Carr: Life and Work, by Lisa Baldisseri
13. McNally’s Trial, by Lawrence Sanders (reread)
14. Volcanoes: A Very Short Introduction, by Michael J. Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz
15. Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, by Shaun Bythell
16. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (Serial Reader)
17. Feral Creatures, by Kira Jane Buxton (Overdrive)
18. The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
19. The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
20. Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America, by Angie Schmitt
21. The Quiller Memorandum, by Adam Hall
22. Ivanov, by Anton Chekhov (tr. Ronald Hingley)
23. The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
24. I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston

March
25. This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay
26. The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald
27. Tiger in the Sea: The Ditching of Flying Tiger 923 and the Desperate Struggle for Survival, by Eric Lindner
28. The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (tr. Juliet Winters Carpenter)
29. Shadows on the Rock, by Willa Cather (Faded Page)
30. The Road to Mars, by Eric Idle (reread)
31. The Darkest Evening, by Ann Cleeves
32. The Tenth Nerve: A Brain Surgeon's Stories of the Patients Who Changed Him, by Dr. Chris Honey
33. Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, by Christof Spieler
34. This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past, by John Kalbfleisch
35. Lady Susan, by Jane Austen (Serial Reader)
36. Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir of Asperger's and an Extraordinary Mind, by Daniel Tammet
37. The Red Power Murders, by Thomas King (writing as Hartley GoodWeather)
38. A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, by Sara Manning Peskin
39. Toksvig’s Almanac: An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year, by Sandi Toksvig

April
40. The Heron’s Cry, by Ann Cleeves
41. Bloody January, by Alan Parks
42. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
43. The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande (ebook, comic)
44. Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett (Faded Page)
45. The Madness of Crowds, by Louise Penny
46. The Marrow Thieves, by Cherie Dimaline (Overdrive)
47. The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser)
48. Death at the Château Bremont, by M. L. Longworth
49. Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey (ebook)

May
50. Garnethill, by Denise Mina
51. Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett (Overdrive)
52. Farewell, My Lovely, by Raymond Chandler (Faded Page)
53. The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama)
54. The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie
55. The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid, by Craig Russell
56. Murder in the Rue Dumas, by M. L. Longworth
57. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean (ebook, comic)
58. The Blazing World, by Margaret Cavendish (Serial Reader)
59. Amongst Our Weapons, by Ben Aaronovitch (Overdrive)
60. The Heretic, by Liam McIlvanney
61. With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix

June
62. Cold Skies, by Thomas King
63. Solutions and Other Problems, by Allie Brosh
64. Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
65. The World Set Free, by H. G. Wells
66. Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When You’re Not Feeling Okay, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
67. ’Til Death, by Ed McBain
68. Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, by Natalie Haynes
69. Doctor Who: The Ruby’s Curse, by Alex Kingston
70. We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, by Simu Liu
71. Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes
72. The Wintringham Mystery, by Anthony Berkeley
73. Obsidian, by Thomas King
74. Infused: Adventures in Tea, by Henrietta Lovell
75. Witchmark, by C. L. Polk (ebook)
76. Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing, by Peter Robison
77. Tales from New Earth, by Roy Gill (Big Finish audio drama)

July
78. The Passenger: How a Travel Writer Learned to Love Cruises & Other Lies from a Sinking Ship, by Chaney Kwak
79. Fly Girl: A Memoir, by Ann Hood
80. This Charming Man, by C. K. McDonnell
81. Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy, by Susan Calman
82. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal, by G. Willow Wilson
83. Cover Your Tracks, by Claire Askew
84. Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why, by G. Willow Wilson
85. The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield
86. Outside, by Ragnar Jónasson (translated by Victoria Cribb)
87. Kim’s Convenience, by Ins Choi
88. The Sisters Sputnik, by Terri Havro

August
89. Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun, Vol. 1, by Izumi Tsubaki (translated by Leighann Harvey)
90. Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit (Serial Reader)
91. Dead Man’s Grave, by Neil Lancaster
92. Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew, by Michael D. Leinbach
93. Death in the Vines, by M. L. Longworth
94. The Black Tide, by Hammond Innes
95. The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, by Nancy Springer
96. Poison, by Ed McBain
97. The Great Stewardess Rebellion: How Women Launched a Workplace Revolution at 30,000 Feet, by Nell McShane Wulfhart
98. Meet Me at the Morgue, by Ross Macdonald
99. Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw
100. The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, by Leonard Gribble
101. The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit (Serial Reader)
102. Edge of the Grave, by Robbie Morrison

September
103. Elektra, by Jennifer Saint
104. The Way Some People Die, by Ross Macdonald
105. Positively Introverted, by Maureen “Marzi” Wilson
106. A Matter of Time, by Claire Askew
107. Death on Gokumon Island, by Seishi Yokomizo (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)
108. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 4: The Endless Song, written by Nick Abadzis, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini and Elena Casagrande (comic, ebook)
109. Heartstopper, Vol. 1, by Alice Oseman (comic, ebook)
110. This Much Is True, by Miriam Margolyes
111. Sherlock: Chronicles, by Steve Tribe
112. The Case of the Gypsy Good-Bye, by Nancy Springer
113. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, by Lilian Jackson Braun (reread)

October
114. The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, by Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant
115. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, by T. Kingfisher
116. What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, by Randall Munroe
117. The Mary Celeste and Other Strange Tales of the Sea, by J. G. Lockhart
118. Kent Monkman: Life and Work, by Shirley Madill
119. A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1, by Umi Sakurai (translated by Taylor Engel)
120. Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)
121. The Rising Tide, by Ann Cleeves
122. Murder on the Île Sordou, by M. L. Longworth
123. Invitation to a Dynamite Party, by Peter Lovesey
124. Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 1, by Yuki Midorikawa (translated by Lillian Olsen)
125. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal)

November
126. Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon
127. Buffalo Is the New Buffalo, by Chelsea Vowel
128. Heartstopper, Volume 2, by Alice Oseman (Overdrive)
129. Pascoe’s Ghost and Other Brief Chronicles of Crime, by Reginald Hill
130. The Bullet That Missed, by Richard Osman
131. Deep House, by Thomas King
132. A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
133. Spear, by Nicola Griffith
134. Death at Windsor Castle, by C. C. Benison (reread)
135. Drunk on All Your Strange New Words, by Eddie Robson
136. The Eight of Swords, by John Dickson Carr

December
137. Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman
138. The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence
139. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands, by Kate Beaton
140. Overture to Death, by Ngaio Marsh
141. 1989, by Val McDermid
142. The Blood Tide, by Neil Lancaster
143. Heartstopper, Vol. 3, by Alice Oseman (Overdrive)
144. The Green Branch, by Edith Pargeter
145. The Sleeping and the Dead, by Ann Cleeves
146. Doctor Who: Babblesphere (Destiny of the Doctor, #4), by Jonathan Morris (audio, performed by Lalla Ward and Roger Parrott)
147. The Mystery of the Lost Cézanne, by M. L. Longworth
148. Cézanne: Visions of a Great Painter, by Henri Lallemand

Welcome back! I can't wait to see what you're reading this year!

Hooray, dropping my star! Hope you're well, and that 2022 sucks considerably less than the last two years!

>3 Miss_Moneypenny: Thanks, good to see you back as well! Also hoping some of your excellent 2021 reading energy rubs off on me for the coming year :)

>4 Jackie_K: Hurray, glad to see you! I'm working the rest of this week but off for New Year's week, and really looking forward to it. And I agree, hoping 2022 can be a touch less crappy than this year :D

Happy new year, and good luck in 2022! Yes, let's all wish for big (good) changes.

Glad you are with us again!

>6 mstrust: Wishing hard! Have a good reading year!

>7 cyderry: Glad to be here! Thanks, as always, for setting things up! :)

Hi RP, glad to see you back again. Happy ROOTing.

Happy ROOTing RP!

>9 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

>10 majkia: Thanks, Jean!

Welcome back. Happy reading, and what Jackie said

I hear you on the dropping off on the reading thing.But I know you've got this!
Happy reading!!

>12 LoraShouse: Thanks, Lora! :)

>13 LadyBookworth: Thanks, LB! Gained some steam in the past week so am hoping to carry that momentum forward.

>14 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! Love the card :) Happy new year!

Hi RP, good luck with your reading goals in 2022 and I hope it's a good year for you!

Happy ROOTing in 2022, RP!

Happy ROOTing this year!!

>16 floremolla: Thanks, Donna! I hope the same for you :)

>17 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! It's nice to have a fresh start for the new year.

>18 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! I'm going a bit more freewheeling this year when it comes to picking books out, so I'm hoping that will help make the ROOTing even more fun :)

Happy New Year, and happy ROOTing in 2022!

A Happy New Year of reading, RP

Happy ROOTing and 2022ing!

>20 readingtangent: >21 Robertgreaves: >22 detailmuse: Thanks, Elizabeth, Robert, and MJ! I have a few ROOTs on the go and not sure which one to pick up next.

Looks like you're all organized, RP. Good luck with your ROOTing this year. I hope that 2022 surpasses last year!

Happy ROOTing!

>24 Familyhistorian: Thanks, I hope so too!

>25 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

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Off to a good start with an audio-snack (as I call these short audiobooks)

Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper (Destiny of the Doctor, #9), by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
ROOT 1 of 50
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139865028

The random number generator picked this for me. Good choice! I devoured it in a somewhat late night. I liked the comic-book vibe of the masked vigilante.

Good to see you again this year. I love your elaborate list of types of new books which DON'T count against you!

>27 Henrik_Madsen: The sad part is, even with those generous allowances, I still find it tough to break even!

Just stopped by for a cuppa and the bookish news - glad to see an update from my favorite reporter on the Whovian beat!

"My 2022 category challenge is based on quotes from A Hard Day's Night, so the title of this thread comes from a song from the film, I'm Happy Just to Dance With You."

As soon as I saw your thread title, I thought of A Hard Day's Night. I would have thought you wouldn't need to explain that, but I guess I should have known better!

>29 Caramellunacy: *adjusts fedora* It's a tough beat but someone has to walk it!

>30 rocketjk: Hahaha very well played!

****

Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
ROOT 2 of 50
Source: Pickwick Books, Waterdown, ON
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/188403652

A book to be read in a single sitting, preferably with a bowl of popcorn. I couldn't put it down. Lots of fun.

>29 Caramellunacy: >31 rabbitprincess: I'm told all the cool reporters are wearing fezzes now, not fedoras.

>32 Robertgreaves: Very true, and bowties!

>31 rabbitprincess: I read Nine Coaches Waiting in late 2019 - a gift from my grandmother. I loved the high Gothic drama of it all and got so excited when I realized that she rides in a car 9 times...

>31 rabbitprincess: a BB for me! Recommended by a book group friend years ago, it never made it onto the group list, but I always meant to read it. Sounds great for a dreich day at home :)

Nine Coaches Waiting sounds familiar but it's not in my collection of Mary Stewart books. I'll have to check it out.

>1 rabbitprincess: As someone who is also (supposedly) doing the 2-for-1 TBR thing, I find it genuinely kind of comforting to know that you've started the year with 134 books to "pay off" on it. I don't know how many I have on mine -- I'm a little afraid to count -- but it might actually be less than that. Possibly? I will take encouragement from your perseverance with it!

Although it may be an uphill battle for me. Not only have I already bought more books than I should this month, but I keep thinking about the fact that it's my 15th Thingaversary next month. Hey, that's a milestone anniversary, right? I should perhaps celebrate with the appropriate number of book purchases, right? Right? Um. :)

>37 bragan: I allow my self 50 new books a year. That's roughly 4 books a month and I bought 3 so far.

I have my Thingaversary in 302 days, so I will have to save up for 14 books somewhere in november. I'm afraid I will skip that day and stick to the 4 books a month if I can restrain myself.

>34 Caramellunacy: Yes, that was such a clever technique! I believe my great-grandmother would have read this book as well. She liked this sort of suspense novel. Helen Macinnes was another favourite.

>35 floremolla: It's perfect for that kind of day!

>36 Familyhistorian: It's a good one, enjoy! I'll have to find more by her.

>37 bragan: Last year I FINALLY got through all the books I'd bought in 2018, so the books on my 2-for-1 TBR are from 2019 at the earliest. Some of the books I'm paying off, I've read already... not sure what to make of that.
And I agree, 15 is a big deal! I think you absolutely need to buy the appropriate number of books :)

>38 connie53: My Thingaversary is in February, so I usually just say "the first X books I buy this year are my Thingaversary books". Maybe the 4 books a month you buy in the months leading up to your Thingaversary can count as books for that celebration :)

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Finally checking in here with a ROOT.

The Journeying Boy, by Michael Innes
ROOT 3 of 50
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965334

This was a Top 100 Crime Novels book. My copy is a green Penguin, and the edition was originally not for sale in the U.S. for copyright reasons. I have a couple of books like that (my copy of Watership Down, for example). This was a pretty good story but slow going at first.

Stopping in to say hi and wish you good reading!

>39 rabbitprincess: I frequently find that I'm "paying off" books that I've read already. And sometimes a book counts towards "paying off" itself, which feels kind of weird.

I looked over my list again, by the way, and, um... Yeah, I definitely do have more than 134. But I'm still afraid to count them!

Also, people need to stop enabling me! :)

>39 rabbitprincess: >41 bragan: I must admit, I just reset at the start of each year, so if I don't quite make 2 for 1 at the end of one year, it's not taking me months and months to catch up (or down). I think I'm a bit of a lightweight.

>41 bragan: Haha me too!

>42 Jackie_K: I was considering doing that, but I think not having had access to nearly as many bookstores and book sales during the pandemic has helped a lot.

Thanks for encouraging me last year! Happy ROOTing - you're off to a good start.

>44 KWharton: Good to see you back! And thanks, it feels like a good start!

****

January is a good month to reset. I feel like I've been good at prioritizing my own reads this month (and it helps that I am holding the brakes down on my library borrowing).

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian
ROOT 4 of 50
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162694948

Doctor Who comics both add a lot of entries to my 2-for-1 TBR list and make it easy to put a dent in said list. I liked this comic for the dialogue and story, a bit less so for the main art (the doodles done by the companion were fun).

Ten Little Aliens, by Stephen Cole
ROOT 5 of 50
Source: BMV
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/133956550

Now how could I resist a Doctor Who novel with an Agatha Christie-esque title? This was good, a First Doctor adventure with a clever storytelling mechanism.

Please don't be sad about the "small" list of TBRs that you have. 2021 I purged close to 200, read over 100 and still have 400+ to go!

>46 cyderry: Wow! I suspect I'll keep building my TBR list back up again as well :)

****

Last ROOT of January. Month-end recap coming soon.

This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
ROOT 6 of 50
Source: Perfect Books
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/172309469

This was definitely the right book at the right time. A novella that allowed me to put it down for a little bit and think about the storytelling and the care with which it was crafted. Loved this. Hope to read it again.

January recap: 6 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 6)

Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper (Destiny of the Doctor, #9), by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (audio, performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
The Journeying Boy, by Michael Innes
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian (ebook, comic)
Ten Little Aliens, by Stephen Cole
This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

ROOT of the month: This Is How You Lose the Time War

A lot of sci-fi this month for some reason. Next month’s ROOT pile has more crime fiction in it.

First ROOT of February is a re-read.

McNally’s Trial, by Lawrence Sanders
ROOT 7 of 50
Source: Friends of Library and Archives book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/78161557

I went through this series about 20 years ago, not in order, and have been sporadically re-reading the books in chronological order. The books do stand alone enough that you can hop around, though.

Glad to be back into Serial Reader; it helps me chip away at public-domain ebooks and gives me some easy wins when they are finally finished!

Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
ROOT 8 of 50
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/209111391

I'd never actually read this; most of what I know about it comes from popular culture and trivia. So the second half was full of surprises. At about the 3/4 mark it got a bit confusing, but it all worked out in the end.

>50 rabbitprincess: I really ought to give this one another chance. I first started reading it when I was in school (not for school), but the copy I had was misprinted and reprinted pages 13-65 right when things were starting to get thrilling. So I've never picked it back up even though I was enjoying it at the time!

>51 Caramellunacy: That must have been annoying and weird! I hope you get a hold of a copy that doesn't have weird printing errors like that.

****

Came here to update my tickers and reading list and realized I hadn't actually posted a review for a ROOT I finished last week.

The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
ROOT 9 of 50
Source: Christmas gift from 2014
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/114932712

Almost finished the Lew Archer series. I find it amusing that the first novel in the series is the one I'm reading second last. It's a good introduction to the series, so if you're the type to read series in order, I feel comfortable recommending it in this case ;)

The Quiller Memorandum, by Adam Hall
ROOT 10 of 50
Source: Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/145800126

Set in Berlin during the 1960s, this thriller is fine (especially if you like the anti-Bond sort of thriller), but it's not one I would keep.

>47 rabbitprincess: Oh, I'm glad you loved Time War! I thought it was gorgeous.

>47 rabbitprincess: That one has been on my list for a long time. Cool that you liked it!

>54 curioussquared: >55 readingtangent: It was so good and came up for me at just the right time. Gorgeous is such a great word for it.

****

Under the wire with one last ROOT for the month.

I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston
ROOT 11 of 50
Source: Wordery
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/179398941

February recap: 5 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 11)

McNally’s Trial, by Lawrence Sanders (reread)
Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (Serial Reader)
The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
The Quiller Memorandum, by Adam Hall
I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston

ROOT of the month: I Love the Bones of You

Mostly thrillers this month. The trend will likely continue into March.

The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald
ROOT 12 of 50
Source: Bearly Used Books, Parry Sound, ON
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/134021526

Lew Archer investigates the disappearance of a young woman whose mother is equally mysterious and suspiciously unconcerned about her daughter's welfare. I read this in about a day and a half. Just what I needed.

I just realized that your posts about books have the source of each ROOT in them. How do you keep track of all of those?

>59 Familyhistorian: Mostly through tags, but also through my journal, where I record all my book-buying sprees :)

>59 Familyhistorian: There's a field in your catalog called "From Where?" You can either search for an actual bookstore/library that has an entry in LibraryThing local (and if it doesn't you could add it) or enter free text such as "birthday gift from Bruce."

>61 rosalita: I use that field as well, although slightly differently from the tags; instead of writing specific bookstores where I buy books, I make the broader categories of "Bought secondhand" and "Bought new".

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I love that Serial Reader allows you to upload epubs (presumably DRM-free ones) to create your own serials. I do this with books from Faded Page (fadedpage.com), which produces ebooks of titles that are public domain in Canada. So that's how I read my latest ROOT:

Shadows on the Rock, by Willa Cather
ROOT 13 of 50
Source: Faded Page
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212577707

This is set in Quebec City in the 17th century (so fair warning, it's from a settler perspective) and is very character-driven. It's also a quiet read, which I liked and kind of need at this point in the pandemic.

A re-read that was kind of disappointing.

The Road to Mars, by Eric Idle
ROOT 14 of 50
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/2105562/reviews/704442

I remembered really liking this book in high school because of the sci-fi storyline and the observations on comedy. Those are still good, but I had forgotten the excessive sex scenes. So not much of a favourite anymore.

This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past, by John Kalbfleisch
ROOT 15 of 50
Source: Black Squirrel Books, Ottawa
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/170451874

This book was fine, but it had a heavy writing style. It took me over a month to read.

Lady Susan, by Jane Austen
ROOT 16 of 50
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213785250

Hurray for short books providing a sense of accomplishment! I think I'm going to have to read this again after watching Love and Friendship again; that film was actually an adaptation of Lady Susan, despite the title, and was very good.

>63 rabbitprincess: My six degrees of separation fact about Eric Idle is that my husband dated his daughter when they were in college together, lol. I didn't know he had written a book, though!

>65 rabbitprincess: I need to get to this one sometime!

>65 rabbitprincess: That's one of two Austin's that I haven't read yet (the other is Persuasion). I need to try to make room for both of them this year, I think. I didn't realize there was a film adaptation of Lady Susan.

>66 curioussquared: Wow, that's a cool connection! This book was first published in 1990, and it kind of shows. I prefer his tour diaries and memoirs (The Greedy Bastard Diary and Sortabiography).

>67 rosalita: I haven't read Persuasion yet either, but I did watch the Rupert Penry-Jones adaptation.

A long-standing ROOT to end March.

Toksvig’s Almanac: An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year, by Sandi Toksvig
ROOT 17 of 50
Source: Christmas gift 2020
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198796324

A good book to dip into throughout the year. Recommended if you have an interest in women's history.

You did it, you finished that Toksvig book! Congrats!

March recap: 6 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 17)

The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald
Shadows on the Rock, by Willa Cather (Faded Page)
The Road to Mars, by Eric Idle (reread)
This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past, by John Kalbfleisch
Lady Susan, by Jane Austen (Serial Reader)
Toksvig’s Almanac: An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year, by Sandi Toksvig

ROOT of the month: The Wycherly Woman

This was a nice blend of books: mystery, historical fiction, historical non-fiction, sci-fi, and a classic, as well as finishing up a year-long journey through women's history. Really not sure what this month will bring!

>70 mstrust: It was a fun book to keep on the go throughout the year!

****

First ROOT of April is a quick one.

The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande
ROOT 18 of 50
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162694970

Robbie Morrison is easily my favourite Doctor Who comics writer. He certainly "gets" Twelve, and he has a good handle on Ten as well. I liked the historical aspect of this story, and the Weeping Angels were the perfect choice of enemy. Glad I read this in broad daylight.

I've had this ROOT on the go for a while but finally managed to finish it.

Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett
ROOT 19 of 50
Source: Faded Page
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/214184846

I haven't read much Hammett, and this was one of the oldest books on my to-read list, so I decided to read it now. It's quite good, and I will certainly read the other novel about the Continental Op. This is not a cozy read, though, so be forewarned.

Checking off another audio.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser)
ROOT 20 of 50
Source: Libro.fm
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/202047067

This was the first Agatha Christie novel I read (in print), and this was the first time I'd read the audio. Hugh Fraser is the perfect choice of narrator. As always, the mystery is excellent, but there were some cringe-inducing bits for 21st-century readers that jumped out in audio in a way they didn't in print.

>73 rabbitprincess: You might want to post in this month's noir/hardboiled thread of the MysteryKit!

>74 rabbitprincess: That's the only Christie I've ever read!

>75 mstrust: I hopped over and posted :)

>76 Jackie_K: A good choice! Because it's her first, it feels fresh.

****

I haven't had a lot of momentum for reading this week, but I did manage to get through a short ebook that I got from the Tor.com ebook club.

Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
ROOT 21 of 50
Source: Tor.com ebook of the month club
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/209592761

I liked this a lot and would read more in this world if it appeared, but as it stands, it's a perfect length.

April recap: 4 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 21)

The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande (ebook, comic)
Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett (Faded Page)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser)
Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey (ebook)

ROOT of the month: Upright Women Wanted

Another little-bit-of-everything month: SFF, comics, dystopia, and mysteries.

Glad you liked the Gailey! I enjoy Magic for Liars and have Upright Women Wanted waiting for me on my kindle as well :)

>79 curioussquared: Ooh, Magic for Liars sounds good too! Added that to the to-read list.

>77 rabbitprincess: I saw! Thanks for joining us with your review!

Halfway through May with two ROOTs to report.

Farewell, My Lovely, by Raymond Chandler
ROOT 22 of 50
Source: Faded Page
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/215558361

I tried reading this in audio in 2009, but the print didn't work for me either. Had a hard time caring about Marlowe when he made such extensive use of the N-word.

The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama box set)
ROOT 23 of 50
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/172785294

A River Song box set is always a treat. I love her James Bond--sounding theme music, and she always has a quip and a plan. In this set, she meets various incarnations of the Master. All of these stories were great, but the cumulative effect made the last story slightly predictable (of COURSE the new guy with two hearts is going to be the Master, not the Doctor -- weren't you listening to the previous episodes?. Still, good fun.

Another quick ROOT.

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean
ROOT 24 of 50
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162695003

I keep stockpiling these comics for a rainy day, but if I don't read them now, when? They make good light reads when I need to up my numbers, haha. I liked this one a bit more than The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1, but not quite as much as Vol. 2.

My parents treated me to a used-book shopping spree for my birthday this month, so the best part about all these new ROOTs is that they don't count against me in my 2-for-1 TBR :D

Warriors' Gate, by John Lydecker
State of Change, by Christopher Bulis
Transit, by Ben Aaronovitch
Not the End of the World, by Christopher Brookmyre
A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away, by Christopher Brookmyre
Testament of a Generation: The Journalism of Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby, eds. Paul Berry and Alan Bishop
Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, by Tomson Highway

Of these books, two (A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing) were already on my to-read list.

Bailing with abandon.

The Blazing World, by Margaret Cavendish
ROOT 25 of 50
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216771801

This is one of the first examples of science fiction, being published in 1666. However, there isn't much of a narrative to it, and the sentences stretch on forever, so I'm dropping it unfinished.

Happy Birthday month!

>82 rabbitprincess:, >85 rabbitprincess: 1/5, 1.5/5
Yay for "Bailing with abandon"

Happy birthday!

>86 detailmuse: >87 mstrust: Thank you both for the birthday wishes! And yes, I'm very happy to be bailing with abandon. Gets me onto better books faster :D

****

With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix
ROOT 26 of 50
Source: Perfect Books, I think
Rating: 5/5 (original rating)
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/20539418/reviews/163668623

I highly recommend this book.

May recap: 5 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 26)

Farewell, My Lovely, by Raymond Chandler (Faded Page)
The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama)
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean (ebook, comic)
The Blazing World, by Margaret Cavendish (Serial Reader)
With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix

ROOT of the month: The Diary of River Song (it was the best new read)

Mostly sci-fi this month, interestingly. I might be back into crime fiction ROOTS next month.

Hi RP. I've been neglecting the ROOTers for some time. Live, sunny days, babysitting the grandkids and doing volunteer work for the library at Lonne's school. And reading of course. Today is a rainy day with some thunderstrokes. A perfect Sunday for reading al those neglected threads.

Congrats on reaching the halfway-point! Great job. A happy belated birthday wishes!

>90 connie53: Hi Connie! Glad to hear you've been getting lots of grandkid time and volunteering at Lonne's school library. That must be a lot of fun :) Thanks for the birthday wishes!

Catching up on my own thread with a few ROOTs to report.

Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
ROOT 27 of 50
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139865162

I spent most of this week knitting, so I ended up listening to an audiobook one evening. Doctor Who audiobooks are the perfect treat for knitting with.

The World Set Free, by H. G. Wells
ROOT 28 of 50
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/217202291

I set myself free from reading this book. It contains excerpts from a fictional book written in the universe of the novel, and I kept forgetting what was fictional and what was less fictional, if that makes sense.

’Til Death, by Ed McBain
ROOT 29 of 50
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/123120913

After bailing on the Wells, I needed a quick win, and this 87th Precinct book did the job. It's an early book in the series, so a very fast read.

Doctor Who: The Ruby’s Curse, by Alex Kingston
ROOT 30 of 50
Source: Wordery
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201539771

I had a lot of fun with this. Alex Kingston of course understands River Song very well, so she did a great job with this book (with assistance from Jacqueline Rayner).

>93 rabbitprincess: Ooh, I've got that one on my TBR now. I'm looking forward to it!

>94 bragan: Hope you enjoy!

****

Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes
ROOT 31 of 50
Source: By the Lake Books, Burlington, ON
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/149484063

A Cold War thriller that took me rather longer than I thought it would, but I think that is probably more a reflection of my reading fog than the book itself.

Had a little SFF binge lately.

Witchmark, by C. L. Polk
ROOT 32 of 50
Source: Tor.com Ebook of the Month Club
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212681610

I liked this but made the mistake of putting it down partway through; that made me lose momentum and I didn't end up being blown away by it. Still, the book is part of a mere three-book series, so I'll read the second one.

Tales from New Earth, by Roy Gill (Big Finish audio drama)
ROOT 33 of 50
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/179423593

This was fine but not my favourite Big Finish audio drama. I wasn't enamoured with the male lead's impression of David Tennant; too much clenched teeth. But now I want to rewatch "New Earth" and "Gridlock", so that's good.

June recap: 7 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 33)

Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
The World Set Free, by H. G. Wells
’Til Death, by Ed McBain
Doctor Who: The Ruby’s Curse, by Alex Kingston
Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes
Witchmark, by C. L. Polk (ebook)
Tales from New Earth, by Roy Gill (Big Finish audio drama)

ROOT of the month: I’ll say Phobos because I was surprised at how much I liked it. Runner-up would be The Ruby’s Curse.

Although I said I would be reading crime ROOTS this month, it appears that I continued the SFF vibes. Who knows what I’ll get into next month?

>96 rabbitprincess: I have Witchmark on my kindle and will make a note to try not to lose momentum with it!

Hi RP! Good to see you kept on reading! Witchmark got my interest because I need books about witches for my RL-challenge. I will ask my brother about it.

>98 curioussquared: Hope you like it!

>99 connie53: Hi Connie! It was good :)

****

Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy, by Susan Calman
ROOT 34 of 50
Source: Perfect Books
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/202391981

I have too many books on the go and not enough attention for all of them, so I read this in a day earlier in the week. Just what I needed.

I keep starting a bunch of ROOTs but not finishing them. Yesterday I persevered, though, and got one finished.

The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield
ROOT 35 of 50
Source: Perfect Books
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/207356675

I wavered between a 3.5 and a 4, mainly because this was a huge hardcover and took me a long time to read for reasons of physical comfort, but I felt churlish giving only 3.5 when the book was written with such precise technical detail and was a really good story. Obviously Hadfield knows his astronaut stuff! I bet if this had been a paperback I would have consumed it more quickly.

Content warning for an eye injury in the prologue -- I am REALLY squeamish about eye stuff, so I had to read that part rather quickly.

>101 rabbitprincess: As someone who looooves space stuff (and has this book on the TBR shelves), but is also very squeamish about eyes, I appreciate the warning!

(Fun anecdote: I was at a movie with a friend once, and a scene involving icky eyeball stuff came on. I immediately squeezed my own eyes shut. Eventually, I asked my friend, "Is it over?" "I don't know!" she said. "I can't look, either!" And the stranger sitting next to us tried not to laugh and utterly failed. :))

>102 bragan: But did they at least have the courtesy to tell you whether you could safely look again?

>102 bragan: You're welcome! Heck, I think you could start the book at Chapter 1 and not read the prologue... all you need to know is "this guy gets an eye injury and it affects his career."

Did the stranger beside you let you both know when the scene was over?

My BF saw the new Doctor Strange movie without me, and he gave me the following content warning: "There's an eyeball scene at the beginning of the movie. You'll know it's coming." Thanks to that, I had enough warning to be able to keep my eyes shut until the sound effects told me it was over.

>103 Robertgreaves: Ha, great minds, Robert!

>103 Robertgreaves:, >104 rabbitprincess: I think I opened my eyes to check at that point, and it was safely over. The stranger may have been too busy trying not to laugh at us. :)

Anyway, I can read it, I just might want to skim over it quickly. Eye injuries being one of the very few things that will make me do that.

July recap: 2 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 35)

Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy, by Susan Calman
The Apollo Murders, by Chris Hadfield

ROOT of the month: Tough call, given that there were only two, but I'll give the edge to Sunny Side Up, because that was my actual book of the month out of all the ones I read.

I have a backlog of crime ROOTs on my shelf. Perhaps I should put back most of them and change things up for August.

Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit
ROOT 36 of 50
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/221153937

As a child, I read only one E. Nesbit book, The Enchanted Castle, and even then I didn't read it very much. I'm giving her a couple more tries as an adult. Five Children and It is OK except for the last couple of chapters, which portray Indigenous people in a stereotypical way.

The Black Tide, by Hammond Innes
ROOT 37 of 50
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965502

I've had this one on the go since late June. It has some good "boat bits" if you like to read about ships, and parts of it are set in Cornwall. Probably one of the better Inneses I've read so far.

>101 rabbitprincess: Experts recommend going after the eyes of an attacker (human or animal) but I honestly think that even in a life-and-death situation I'd have to rally bigly to do that 0:

>110 detailmuse: Same!

Poison, by Ed McBain
ROOT 38 of 50
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Canada book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70473922

There are certainly more graphic elements in this one (descriptions of poisoning and sexual assault), but I ended up reading it in a day, so I went with 4 rather than 3.5.

>112 rabbitprincess: I really enjoy that series. I realize now that I've stalled out in my chronological read at #25, Hail, Hail, the Gang's All Here!. Need to get back to that soon.

>113 rosalita: My reading in that series has been wildly out of order. I read a whole bunch many years ago, pre-LT, but I can't remember all of the ones I've read already (it was whatever I could get from the library).

Continuing my hard-boiled theme...

Meet Me at the Morgue, by Ross Macdonald
ROOT 39 of 50
Source: BMV
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/112239309

This is a stand-alone novel from the author of the Lew Archer series. It's set in California as well, and the protagonist is similar to Archer in his law-adjacent experience but closer to the actual law, given that he's a parole officer rather than a private detective. I quite liked this book.

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, by Leonard Gribble
ROOT 40 of 50
Source: Waterstones Glasgow Sauchiehall Street (if I remember correctly)
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/160840613

Took me just under 4 years to get around to reading this! It was OK, although I felt I was in the wrong time period in my head (the 60s/70s rather than the 30s).

The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit
ROOT 41 of 50
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/222410936

I liked this better than Five Children and It. More of a cozy heartwarming story if you like that early-20th-century British children's fiction. And if you like trains.

August recap: 6 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 41)

Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit (Serial Reader)
The Black Tide, by Hammond Innes
Poison, by Ed McBain
Meet Me at the Morgue, by Ross Macdonald
The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, by Leonard Gribble
The Railway Children, by E. Nesbit (Serial Reader)

ROOT of the month: Poison

For September I’ve put a bunch of short paperback ROOTs on the on-deck shelf to balance out the huge library books. I may also try to finally finish Les scrupules de Maigret, which I’ve been reading forever.

I've been remiss at getting around the threads, RP. Looks like you're close to your ROOTs goal.

>118 Familyhistorian: Getting there! If not this month, then definitely next month.

****

The Way Some People Die, by Ross Macdonald
ROOT 42 of 50
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213554257

I thought this was the last Archer novel I had to read, but it turns out that I never bought The Barbarous Coast or The Doomsters, so I still have more Archer adventures to go. This is a good one, an early installment in the series so it feels a bit fresher and lighter than later books.

Hi RP, >112 rabbitprincess: I've read them too, not all but many, Pré-LT. They must be somewhere in a box in the attic. I plan to clean the attic in the near future and will look out for them.

Good to see you're near your goal. Go, go, go.

>112 rabbitprincess: Hi Connie! It's hard to keep track of which of the Ed McBains I read, because I read most of them before LT.

****

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 4: The Endless Song, written by Nick Abadzis, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini and Elena Casagrande
ROOT 43 of 50
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162695021

Inching my way toward my goal with comics! This was fine but forgettable.

I'm also inching my way toward my goal by reading books that are good for reading in bits and pieces.

Sherlock: Chronicles, by Steve Tribe
ROOT 44 of 50
Source: Christmas present
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/124504761

The only quibble I have with this book is that not all the photos had captions -- I like context with my photos! But overall this book is very well done. I received it as a Christmas present back in 2015 and finally read it now :D

The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, by Lilian Jackson Braun
ROOT 45 of 50
Going Through the Stacks
Source: pilfered from parents’ library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/72567997

A nice easy re-read of the only Cat Who book I kept after purging my bookshelves. This is my favourite in the series because it involves a play and boats, and it has all of the key series elements in place. And it's an earlyish book in the series (number 8), so it's still pretty fresh. And my copy is exactly 200 pages! I like a nice short mystery.

September recap: 4 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 45)

The Way Some People Die, by Ross Macdonald
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 4: The Endless Song, written by Nick Abadzis, illustrated by Eleonora Carlini and Elena Casagrande (comic, ebook)
Sherlock: Chronicles, by Steve Tribe
The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, by Lilian Jackson Braun (reread)

ROOT of the month: Sherlock: Chronicles

For October I’ve put some re-reads on the shelf, and I’ll probably be dipping into the ebook stash because I’m visiting my parents for a week.

>124 rabbitprincess: have a nice week at your parents, RP.

3 months for 5 ROOTs is very doable.

>123 rabbitprincess: I loved the Cat Who books when I was growing up! Both of my parents used to read them and we would chat about them - especially the early ones with the dictionary game were excellent vocabulary builders (plus I loved how Qwill's moustache would bristle...)

>125 connie53: Thanks, Connie! I'm heading down on Saturday morning :)

>126 Caramellunacy: They were a lot of fun. I actually did a book report on one of them (The Cat Who Blew the Whistle) in middle school. Why did I think a book report about a mystery novel was a good idea?! It would spoil the ending, haha.

****

The Mary Celeste and Other Strange Tales of the Sea, by J. G. Lockhart
ROOT 46 of 50
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965565

The Mary Celeste story was great, and I had not actually known anything about the USS Maine, so that was educational. Didn't like the stereotypes and dated language about people of colour.

Inching toward my goal...

Invitation to a Dynamite Party, by Peter Lovesey
ROOT 47 of 50
Source: Book Bazaar
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/117653024

The Sgt Cribb adventures are nice light mysteries. I still have a few left and need to track down one more, Abracadaver.

And one more, just under the wire.

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal)
ROOT 48 of 50
Source: Libro.fm
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/12848384/reviews/187430806

I read the print edition of this book two years ago and started the audio around the same time this year. But then I went through an audio slump and only just finished the book now. It's well worth the listen, though.

October recap: 3 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 48)

The Mary Celeste and Other Strange Tales of the Sea, by J. G. Lockhart
Invitation to a Dynamite Party, by Peter Lovesey
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King (audio, read by Lorne Cardinal)

ROOT of the month: Invitation to a Dynamite Party

For November I have some general fiction, mystery, and re-read ROOTs lined up. Also put out another historical fiction to give myself some choice.

Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon
ROOT 49 of 50
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/135780449

I've had this book on the go since June, but that is not a reflection on the book: I've found it difficult to focus on French books this year. But something clicked finally and I managed to finish it. A good Maigret, worth reading.

Pascoe’s Ghost and Other Brief Chronicles of Crime, by Reginald Hill
ROOT 50 of 50
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Canada book sale
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/89848511

Yay, met my goal! Boo, it wasn't a book I enjoyed very much. Oh well. It's going to be donated, so it will at least free up shelf space.

>132 rabbitprincess: Congratulations! Hope ROOT 51 is a better read.

>132 rabbitprincess: Congrats, rp! Too bad thw book didn't meet the occasion.

>132 rabbitprincess: Hooray, well done and with time to spare! Sorry it was completed with a dud, hope the next read is better!

Congratulations on ROOTing those 50!

Congrats! You did it!

>133 si: >134 MissWatson: >135 Jackie_K: >136 detailmuse: >137 mstrust: Thanks, all! Fortunately the next two ROOTs were better :)

****

A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
ROOT 51 of 50
Source: Tor.com ebook of the month club
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216255089

It took me a while to read this because it is very cozy and contemplative, and I have not been feeling very cozy lately. But I got it done and it was quite nice.

Death at Windsor Castle, by C. C. Benison
ROOT 52 of 50
Source: passed along from Grandma
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/282872/reviews/82844804

Once I got into the cozy mindset I decided to read a book I've read many times before. Love this one.

>138 rabbitprincess: The Chambers has been on my list for a while. Hoping to get to it next year!

>139 curioussquared: I'm glad to have read it, after meaning to get to Becky Chambers's work for a while.

****

November recap: 3 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 52)

Les scrupules de Maigret, by Georges Simenon
Pascoe’s Ghost and Other Brief Chronicles of Crime, by Reginald Hill
A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
Death at Windsor Castle, by C. C. Benison (reread)

ROOT of the month: A Psalm for the Wild-Built
(technically, the re-read was my highest-ranked ROOT, but I don't count re-reads as ROOTs of the month unless the other books were truly terrible)

I have a few straggler ROOTs on my on-deck pile that I'd like to get to in this last month of the year. We'll see how well I can pry myself away from video games :)

I really like your idea of "paying off" the books. I might have to steal that!

>141 handshakes: bragan was the one who introduced me to it! It really helps me be more mindful when going to book sales ;)

>142 rabbitprincess: Absolutely love it! I'll use that as a motivator!

>142 rabbitprincess: What does the phrase "paying off books" actually mean. I perused your thread and couldn't discern what you meant, exactly. I'm sure I'm just missing something obvious.

>144 rocketjk: I've been doing this for so long, the explanation got dropped along the way! Basically I keep a list of all the books I purchase for myself, and for every book I buy I have to read two books I already own to consider it "paid off".

>145 rabbitprincess: Ah, OK. Thanks. I figured it was something like that. I have a similar but slightly different system. I have a 3-way rotation. I can go out and buy a book, and then I have to read one book that's already in the house, and then I read one book from my "short" TBR list, which includes series I'm in the middle of, books I'm given as gifts and a few books I buy with the intention of reading them sooner rather than later, but not immediately. Of course now that I'm in a monthly book group, that's really become a 4-way rotation. Essentially one book from each category per month. Cheers!

>146 rocketjk: Great way to manage the reading rotation!

I've tried to do something similar, but the difference with my system is that I restart from 0 every year, and I only count the books that I buy that year. If I were to count my entire TBR I wouldn't know where to start!

>148 Jackie_K: That's probably a more manageable way to do it!

****

Haven't been reading much this month, and only one ROOT so far.

The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence
ROOT 53 of 50
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/135780695

This one took me a couple of months to read. Overall I preferred The Stone Angel, but we'll see how I do with some of Laurence's other books.

Hi RP, Congrats on reaching your goal.



And you moved the ticker beyond that target, Great job.

I want to wish you and yours all the best for 2023 and Happy Holidays!

>150 connie53: Thanks, Connie! Happy holidays to you and yours as well :)

****

Managed to sneak in a ROOT while at my parents’ place. This book is actually mine, but my Edith Pargeter books live with my parents because I don’t have enough room at my place.

The Green Branch, by Edith Pargeter
ROOT 54 of 50
Source: By the Lake Books
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/403245/reviews/149483935

I read the first book in this trilogy a while ago but was able to follow along well enough with this book. Will have to read the third one on my next visit for sure!

Also managed to read a short audiobook yesterday while doing some knitting.

Doctor Who: Babblesphere (Destiny of the Doctor, No. 4), by Jonathan Morris (audio, read by Lalla Ward and Roger Parrott)
ROOT 55 of 50
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/13702184/reviews/139864948

I’m reading these Destiny of the Doctor audiobooks way out of order and so far apart that I’m definitely missing some connections. Nevertheless, they are good fun.

Hi RP!

Alas, it's line in the sand and onward to next year's threads, I'm afraid. One of my new year’s resolutions is to be a better LT friend.

>153 karenmarie: Thanks for stopping by, Karen! My posting dropped off this year and I too hope to be more active online next year.

Hope you had a Merry Christmas, RP. All the best for the New Year!

Happy new year, and congrats on reaching your goal! :)

>155 Familyhistorian: Thanks, and a happy new year to you as well!

>156 readingtangent: Happy new year! Glad to have squeaked in with my goal.

****

December recap: 3 ROOTs pulled (YTD: 55)

The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence
The Green Branch, by Edith Pargeter
Doctor Who: Babblesphere (Destiny of the Doctor, #4), by Jonathan Morris (audio, performed by Lalla Ward and Roger Parrott)

ROOT of the month: Babblesphere
(technically, the re-read was my highest-ranked ROOT, but I don't count re-reads as ROOTs of the month unless the other books were truly terrible)

I’ve shuffled the on-deck pile a bit for January and have a little bit of everything: general fiction, historical fiction, re-reads, and mysteries.

ROOTs of the year:

This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston
The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald
Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama)
Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
Sunny Side Up: A Story of Kindness and Joy, by Susan Calman
Poison, by Ed McBain
Sherlock: Chronicles, by Steve Tribe
Invitation to a Dynamite Party, by Peter Lovesey
A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
Doctor Who: Babblesphere (Destiny of the Doctor, #4), by Jonathan Morris (audio, performed by Lalla Ward and Roger Parrott)

A lot of my favourite owned books this year were SFF, and three of those were Doctor Who audio dramas. Clearly I am doing the right thing by buying those!

Happy new year! I hope you have a terrific year!