Bragan Frantically Grabs Books Off The TBR Shelves in 2015

My thread in last year's group was called "Bragan vs. the TBR Pile, The 2014 Rematch!" Alas, despite the fact that I did meet my ROOT goals, I'm afraid the TBR Pile won. It's currently bigger than ever, and full of lovely, shiny books... some of which have been there for a good long time. So, here we go again!

Once again this year, I'm setting up one goal for total ROOT books read, and one featuring a more elaborate points system:







The 100 ROOT books goal is the same as last year, and any book acquired before 2015 will count for it.

The points ticker works like this:

Books acquired in 2015: 0 points (They don't count for the challenge and won't be listed here.)
Books acquired in 2014: 1 point
Books acquired in 2013: 2 points
Books acquired in 2012: 3 points
Books acquired in 2011: 4 points
Books acquired in 2010: 5 points
Books acquired in 2009: 6 points
Books acquired in 2008: 7 points
Books acquired in or before 2007 (when I first joined LT): 8 points

Although there are more points available this year than last year (when it only went up to 7), I've lowered the total goal by just a little, as it was a bit dicey whether I was going to be able to make it or not in 2014, and I'd like things to be a smidge more low-pressure this time.

I am eager to get reading for the new year! Just as soon as I finish up my 2014 reading, of course.

Yay, welcome back! Good luck with both aspects of your challenge.

>2 rabbitprincess: Thank you! Hopefully it will be another successfully ROOTy year.

As always, I'll be impressed by your reading speed in 2015 I'm sure. But I think we're neck in neck when it comes to BUYING books. :)

My speed actually lagged a bit in 2014, compared to the previous couple of years, despite a lot of downtime after I had surgery. I'm hoping to pick up the pace a little next year! But, oh, the book-buying... Damn those library sales!

Welcome back and good luck w your fight against the TBRs in 2015!

>6 avanders: Thanks! I'm ready to come out fighting!

Good luck with your rooting!

Forget the library sales, what about Amazon marketplace? Damn those one penny books!

>8 Tess_W: Thanks, and the same to you!

>9 hairballsrus: Ooh, I try to avoid those. Very dangerous! Fortunately, the shipping on those adds up quickly enough to be discouraging. Well... sometimes.

So happy to see you back! Good luck! I look forward to seeing what read in 2015.

>11 craso: Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing it to. I've already got a whole bunch of books in mind to read soon.

Welcome back and good luck!

>13 cyderry: Thank you, and thanks for helming this thing for another year!

>9 hairballsrus: They have one penny books? >1 bragan: Good luck with your ROOTing! I'm sure we could all use some luck when we face the book shelves!

>15 Familyhistorian: I could use some luck, and about twice as many hours in a day to get some reading done. :)

>15 Familyhistorian:, Yes, Amazon has 1 cent books...however the downside of that is the shipping is $3.99....which depending upon the book, might still be cheaper than a 2nd hand store.

I think I lost track of you last year, and I'm sorry for that. I always liked seeing what you were reading. I hope to do better this year!

Happy New Year, and good luck!

15>Familyhistorian-You have to pay attention to what you're doing, but there are bargains to be found. But considering we all joined this group because we have too many books, I don't suppose I should be telling you that.....

>18 tloeffler: No need to apologize, of course. Good to see you, and good luck to you, too!

>19 hairballsrus: Yes, that sort of knowledge is dangerous. :)

And, behold, I have finished my first book of the year! And a fun one it was, too:

1. What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe. It almost seems like cheating to count this one, because I just got it a few days ago. But a few days ago, it was 2014, so it counts! That's one point on the points ticker.

...and it turns out I somehow managed to mess up my points ticker, but it's all fixed now, and properly showing my significant forward progress. :)

>21 bragan: We wanted to get that book for my dad for Christmas, but it kept eluding us at the bookstore. It was so weird. We tried no fewer than four bookstores, all of which claimed to have it in stock, but it was in none of the places it was supposed to be (and didn't seem to be anywhere it *wasn't* supposed to be). At one store about four employees got roped into helping us look. We never did find it. It probably hid until the coast was clear. So if Dad is ever getting a copy, we're ordering it from the website!

All this to say I really want to read this book even more and am glad you liked it :)

Congrats!

>23 rabbitprincess: Huh, that's very weird. And annoying. Mind you, I didn't see it the first time I looked for it in a bookstore, either, as I'd assumed it'd be shelved with the science books, and it was in the humor section. I suppose it qualifies as both, really.

>24 hairballsrus: On to the next one!

>21 bragan: Sounds like a fun book! Thanks for the review.

I love your points idea - but honestly, I don't know when I got many of my books! Maybe I'll try to do something similar but based on number of pages. Hmmmmm......

Enjoy your ROOTS!

>27 Dejah_Thoris: I can't claim credit for coming up with it, as I saw one or two other people doing something similar before I adopted it, myself.

I use my LT catalog to keep track of when I acquired everything. I catalog new books as soon as I get them, so I can use the "entry date" field as a guide. That's why everything before 2007 just gets lumped in together, because that's when I started using LT. (And holy cow, how is that nearly eight years already?!)

But doing it by pages sounds like a great idea! I find that I do sometimes end up reading the shortest books possible, just so I can count them. Taking number of pages into account would no doubt help with that.

Yeah, one down - 99 to go!

>29 cyderry: I'm well on my way! :)

Chugging right along!

2. The Salinger Contract by Adam Langer. One point.

Hi Bragan! Glad to see you ROOTing again! Go for it!

>32 connie53: I am going for it! Although my next book might take me a little longer.

Liked your review. Really, really ridiculous? Although you know, that actually appeals to me. :)

>34 hairballsrus: Really, really ridiculous! It's funny, because the novelist character the story centers around is known for writing crime thrillers that are really, really detailed and plausible, and the plot for this book is the exact opposite of that, with each development being more far-fetched and ludicrous than the last. So much so that I suspect it might actually be a deliberate little meta-joke.

>35 bragan:-Have you read The Weirdness ? Far fetched and ludicrous was the whole point of that novel. It all starts with The Devil and his Power Point Presentation.

>36 hairballsrus: I haven't, but it's already on my wishlist.

3. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. This one's worth three points. I am on my way!

4. Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson. One point.

(Yet, that's two on the same day! I'm on a roll!)

5. What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund. One point.

Wow congrats on all your ROOTs already!
And re >4 hairballsrus: have you read Alif the Unseen by the same author?

>41 avanders: I haven't, but it's on my TBR shelves waiting patiently for me to get to it.

Alif is on my TBR as well.

>40 bragan: I'm happy that there is another person in the world that doesn't see a running movie in their head when they read. I sometimes visualize what a character looks like or what their voice sounds like, but that's about it. Thumbed your review! I hate when people assume everyone is a like.

>42 bragan: I enjoyed it -- I haven't read anything else by Wilson though.. I'll have to check out one of her graphic novels one of these days!

>44 craso: I suppose it can be very hard to imagine just how different other people can be from you in areas like that. Unless you ask them, of course!

>45 avanders: I haven't read anything else by her either. I had the vague impression that I'd heard some short stories of hers in a podcast somewhere, but I can't find or remember what or where, so I might have confused her with someone else, there.

>44 craso: A running movie in my head? O no. Not for me. I have the same idea about how someone looks like but sometimes not even that.

So we are three in the world!

>47 connie53: Quite a few more than three, even, since lots of other people responded saying much the same thing on my thread in the Club Read group. It's nice to feel not alone!

6. The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. One point.

>48 bragan: I've been thinking about this.... it's not a movie. But ... I think it is, at least at times, visual. And .. I don't know. I can't quite figure out how it "looks" to me when I'm reading a book. I think I'm there, but it's definitely not like watching a movie from a 3rd person perspective.. Very interesting!

>49 bragan: oo! That's on my list too!! It was a book I stumbled across a while back.. (used bookstore, early reviewer copy) and I'm pretty excited to read it! Nice review!

> That's on my wish-list too! Just waiting for the translation.

>50 avanders: It is at least thought-provoking to consider how much we do or don't visualize when we're reading.

And I hope both of you like The Book of Strange New Things when you get to it. I still kind of feel, as I said in my review, that I shouldn't have liked it quite as much as I did, but, hey, I'm not complaining. :)

7. Confessions of a Sociopath by M.E. Thomas. One point.

>52 bragan: heh heh, those sneaky books ;)

>54 avanders: They are entertaining, the sneaky ones. :)

8. One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. One point.

>56 bragan: mm brain candy... :)

>57 avanders: Sometimes, your brain just wants something nutrition-free to munch on. :)

>58 bragan: nothing but truth!

9. Handling the Undead by John Adjvide Lindqvist. Three points.

>56 bragan: Ahh, Janet Evanovich! Fun reading!

>61 connie53: It made a nice little break between more serious books. And I've still got most of the rest of the series left to read.

Me too. I think I've read 6 or so!

10. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Three more points.

11. The Ferryman by Amy Neftzger. One point.

So, do you think we should try to take this woman's advice? :)

Time for the January summary. That was not a bad start to the year, I think! Except for the fact that the TBR total went up. I blame my discovery of thriftbooks.com, which may possibly be the internet's most dangerous website.

Anyway, the results:

JANUARY

Books read: 12
ROOT books read: 11
ROOT books YTD total: 11
ROOT points added: 17
ROOT points YTD total: 17
Books acquired: 17
Current TBR total: 777

>66 bragan: I think if people struggle with those things, it's good advice! I'm glad I don't anthropomorphize my books.... My "guilt" is not so much guilt as ... like, fear that if I don't make an effort to "read what I have," I might never... ;)

>67 bragan: great job in January! thriftbooks.com you say, ey? ......

>68 avanders: I don't anthropomorphize quite the way she's talking about, but I do have various, vague kinds of guilt. And I do sometimes catch myself thinking things like "poor, neglected books." But, yeah, it's mostly the idea that I'm never going to get to them all that drives me crazy. What I need is obviously not fewer books, but more time. Because one lifetime is clearly just not enough.

And Thriftbooks... Oh, man. Cheap used books! Free shipping! I am dooooomed.

>67 bragan:: Thriftbooks is the best thing! Not so good for my wallet sometimes...

>70 kaylaraeintheway: At least you can get a lot of books for the damage it does to your wallet.

23. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. One point.

>69 bragan: lol yep, I can relate ;)
and Free shipping?! oh no.....

>73 avanders: Yeah, it's the free shipping that really dooms ya. :)

13. The Whim of the Dragon by Pamela Dean. One point.

14. You Can Date Boys When You're Forty by Dave Barry. One point.

15. A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean. One point.

Hi Bragan.

I finally got to your thread!

I never feel guilty about not reading all my TBR's in this lifetime. I think of those books as being saved from a very bad faith and feeling happy on my shelves, knowing that I'm thinking of them constantly, dusting them, rearranging them. In short: loving them for being on my shelves!

>78 connie53: I like your attitude!

>79 bragan: Feel free to copy that! It might make your live easier!

16. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. One point. And, man, that one was good.

17. Doctor Who: The TARDIS Handbook by Steve Tribe. One point.

18. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. One more point.

>83 bragan: That's a fun title!

>84 connie53: And literally true for the main character, 'cause he lived on Alcatraz, where the convicts did the laundry. :)

>>81 bragan: BB got me with your review - I don't usually read these kinds of books, but this one sounded very interesting.

>81 bragan: argh! I keep hearing that.... It's going to have to be another BB.....
& Congrats on your ROOTing success!!

>86 cyderry: I think it might actually be a good book for people who "don't usually read these kinds of books." But see what you think if you get to it! I'd be interested to hear your opinion.

>87 avanders: That one's a good BB to be hit with, I think. :)

And thanks! I'm doing great on numbers, which is awesome. Not so great on points, though. But I am reading one right now that's worth a lot. It's probably going to take me a while, though.

>88 bragan: I put it on hold at the library -- I'm 59 of 59, so I've got a little time before it comes my way :)

>89 avanders: That is a bit of a wait! But I hope you enjoy it when you get it.

>90 bragan: it is, but I think there are 15 copies, so not quite as long ;)
Looking forward to it!

>88 bragan: I hope you will get those points, Bragan. I decided not to have a points ticker this year. I've enough tickers to keep up with.

>92 connie53: I'm thinking I may skip it next year. We'll see.

19. Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies by Douglas Hofstadter, et al. Which is worth eight points! This one's been on the TBR so long that the shelves look funny without it.

8 points! Awesome :)

>94 bragan: I had to work for 'em! That one was a bit of a tome. :)

I can imagine! Sounds like a dense read :)

>97 avanders: "Dense" is a pretty good word for it. Physically, too. But I'm glad to have finally gotten to it, and gotten through it! It feels like an accomplishment. :)

20. When Mystical Creatures Attack! by Kathleen Founds. One point.

21. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Two points.

Oh I have to get to that one, one of these days! Sad that it didn't live up to Shadow of the Wind though.. :(

I'm almost wishing I'd stopped after Shadow of the Wind actually, because by itself it was just so good. It's probably not surprising, really, that the other two couldn't quite live up to it.

And that's another month down:

FEBRUARY

Books read: 10
ROOT books read: 10
ROOT books YTD total: 21/100
ROOT points added: 18
ROOT points YTD total: 35/225
Books acquired: 8
Current TBR total: 775

Which means I'm well ahead of where I'm supposed to be with the total ROOT books, and only a point or two behind on the points ticker. Not too bad, right?

Onward to the March reading!

Great job!

>104 Tess_W: Thanks! I hope to keep it up.

Congratulations on your progress, keep up the good work!

Well done on 10 ROOTs! I really like your 'ROOT Points' idea. I may have to adopt this next year.

>106 MissWatson: Thanks! Although I think there's going to be a few more non-ROOT books this month.

>107 klarusu: I can't take credit for it, as I basically stole the idea from someone else and adapted it.

>102 bragan: that's probably true! I didn't enjoy the 2nd as much... and of course I will read the 3rd, but good to have managed expectations going in!

>103 bragan: not too bad? I'd say! Great job!

>109 avanders: Managed expectations are good! I probably should have managed mine a little better, really.

And thank you!

>110 bragan: but it's so hard (to manage expectations)! ;)

22. Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams. Two points.

You just speed through books! I am in awe.

>113 reflexandresolve: And yet, somehow I still keep accumulating them faster than I can read them...

Skipping over a couple of short non-ROOT books...

23. Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All by Paul A. Offit. Three points.

>115 bragan: That's just gone onto my (burgeoning) wish list.

>116 Jackie_K: I definitely recommend it.

23! Congrats!

Thank you! #24 is taking a while, though. But I'm also dipping in and out of #25 at the same time, so, hey, I'm still truckin' along. :)

24. Armadale by Wilkie Collins. One point. (And that one does seem like a lot of reading for just one point. But at least it was enjoyable.)

Skipping a couple more non-ROOTs, something that's likely to happen more often as the year goes on.

25. Skylight by José Saramago. One point.

(Note that that's not the prospective #25 I mentioned above. I'm still not finished with that one yet.)

Hi Bragan! Just stopping and waving!

Hi, Connie! *waves back at you* Happy ROOTing!

26. The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two by Catherynne M. Valente. One more point.

27. Star Trek Concordance by Bjo Trimble. OK, it's debatable whether this one even ought to count, as I really just skimmed through most of it. But it's off my shelf, doggone it, and I'm counting it! And since it's been on that shelf for a long, long time, that's a whopping eight points. Yay!

Now, wish me good luck in the Star Trek trivia contest next week. :)

>125 bragan: Good luck!!! Go, go, go!!

>126 connie53: Thank you! I'm gonna go brush up on my TNG and DS9 now. :)

28. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Col Chris Hadfield. One point.

>128 bragan: I'd really like to read that sometime. I follow Chris Hadfield on twitter, his tweets from the ISS were fabulous and he continues to be a great ambassador.

>129 Jackie_K: I do recommend it.

29. Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich. One point.

30. A Passion for Books, edited by Harold Rabinowitz & Rob Kaplan. One point.

Here's an interesting link I think people in this group might enjoy (or that might give you a heart attack, one or the other): TBR Time, a tool to calculate how long it will take you to read through your TBR shelves.

My results look like this:

Reading all 783 books will take:
5 years and 8 months

You will finish your TBR pile on:
November 23, 2020

And you will be:
49 years old

Which doesn't seem bad at all, if you ignore that pesky little problem of buying more books.

I had 233 books on the pile and read 140 books last year, so TBR Time thought I'd get mine done by October 2016. Almost realistic, except for the part where 31 of those TBRs are audiobooks and it can take me up to six months off and on to finish just one audiobook. Fun link though!

>134 rabbitprincess: I suspect most of us are likely to have some complicating technicality like that. :)

>133 bragan: Very cool! Of course it supposes that you read at a consistent pace and don't buy more books. Which is crazy talk. ;)

>134 rabbitprincess: wow. Done by Oct. 2016. I could not even imagine.

And congrats on 30 ROOTs done!!

>136 avanders: Crazy talk, indeed! I personally will confidently predict that, come October 2016, I will have made negative progress on my own TBR pile. :)

And thanks! I'm doing pretty well so far.

Time for the March round-up!

MARCH

Books read: 14
ROOT books read: 9
ROOT books YTD total: 30/100
ROOT points added: 18
ROOT points YTD total: 53/225
Books acquired: 22 (Yeah, I'm not quite sure how that happened.)
Current TBR total: 782

Oh, and, for the record, my team tied for second in the Star Trek trivia quiz. Not too shabby, given that there were 26 teams. :)

>133 bragan: Fun! My results:

Reading all 147 books will take:
2 years and 5 months

You will finish your TBR pile on:
August 27, 2017

And you will be:
40 years old

The 147 includes every book in my apartment (and on e-readers) that I haven't read, but like I said on my thread, a bunch of those are my husband's, so I don't know if they really "count." Still, not too bad...

>139 readingtangent: You could do all your reading and all your husband's! :)

Ooh, TBR Time looks interesting but I have so many books to read that I am afraid to even find out the true number of TBRs on my shelves.

>141 Familyhistorian: That is a fear I can easily understand. Even if I do obsessively count mine.

Right, on to the April reading!

31. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Two points.

32. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. And, whew! That one took me a while!

>144 bragan: Well, fair enough, it's a brick!

>145 jen.e.moore: A large brick!

33. The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler. Two points.

34. The Night Watch by Sarah Waters. One point. And, yay, now I've finally finished my most recent set of SantaThing books! Excellent choices on my Santa's part, too.

35. The Brain Eater's Bible: Sound Advice for the Newly Reanimated Zombie by Pat Kilbane. One shambling, undead point.

36. Foreigner by C.J Cherryh. This one has been on the TBR shelves forever and ever and ever. So that's eight points! Now I just need to get around to the next zillion books in this series.

Looks like you're continuing to read (a lot! of) interesting books! 36/100! Congrats!
And congrats on pulling your super deep ROOT! (>150 bragan:)

>151 avanders: Thanks! I think I'm doing pretty well, both ROOT-wise, and in terms of finding interesting things to read. Less so on getting that TBR down, but I guess you can't have everything. :)

>150 bragan: Oh, I feel you - I feel like every time I finish a book off the shelf, it's the first one in a series and I end up stuck with it for another month! (I mean. Good series. But it doesn't help the shelf-pruning project when the only one you had was the first one.)

>153 jen.e.moore: At least I already have most of the rest of that particular series (and some of them have been there just about as long). But, boy, do I know how it is when triumphantly removing one book from the TBR shelves only leads to adding a whole string of sequels. It's actually making me kind of reluctant to start ROOT books that I know are the first in a series.

>152 bragan: lol no, but that's ok... I think books are an ok possession to have a lot of ;) (... Of which to have a lot? There is surely a better way to construct that sentence but I'm tired..... ;))

>155 avanders: A dangling preposition is something up with which you will not put? :)

I thoroughly agree, personally, but I do wonder if I'm not about to hit some kind of practical limit.

lol! Well, they actually don't bother me most of the time. But I know they bother many, so I try to avoid them when ... convenient. ;)

>157 avanders: People who are bothered by them are wrong, anyway. Seriously. There's nothing actually ungrammatical about dangling prepositions in English. That's an idea imposed by language pedants who were convinced that Latin was better than English, so English ought to be forced to mimic Latin. And, as Bill Bryson once said, imposing Latin rules on English structure is like trying to play baseball in ice skates. So, dangle away, I say! Also, you are free to cheerfully split all the infinitives you like. :)

>158 bragan: true! (but not many people know that ;))
Oh good, I love splitting infinitives.... ;p

>159 avanders: Being an old-school Star Trek fan, I have a natural love of the split infinitive. This is my five-year mission: to boldly split infinitives that no man has split before!

(I may be in a slightly odd sort of mood today. :))

lol! that's ok.. slightly odd sorts of moods keep the days interesting ;)

LOL to dangling...do you mean participles instead of prepositions?!!! And split infinitives! Too funny....except if you were one of my students.....turning in a research paper!!!!!!!!! In college, I got 5 points off for using "&" instead of "and". This was a hand-written exam, too!

>163 Tess_W: Dangling participles are much, much worse than dangling prepositions. :)

>164 bragan: LOL Ha!

>163 Tess_W: wow, the things people find "important".... ;p

37. Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi. One point.

>167 bragan: I've read Het icarus-meisje by her and thought that was a very nice book.

>168 connie53: Mr. Fox is the first one I've read by her, and I can't say I completely understood it, but it was beautifully written and weirdly fascinating. I also have her Boy, Snow, Bird sitting on the TBR shelves.

38. My Planet: Finding Humor in the Oddest Places by Mary Roach. One point.

Yay, more Mary Roach! Even if it's not her usual sort of topic/humour (I do love her exploration of thoroughly disgusting topics), I hope it will still prove entertaining.

>171 rabbitprincess: It's very funny in places, but not remotely as good as her quirky sciencey stuff.

Right, time to look at the new monthly totals!

APRIL

Books read: 10
ROOT books read: 8
ROOT books YTD total: 38/100
ROOT points added: 17
ROOT points YTD total: 70/225
Books acquired: 20 (oh dear)
Current TBR total: 792

I may have to give in and buy some more bookshelves.

39. Invader by C. J. Cherryh. A very old book, for another 8 points. Whoo-hoo! And maybe I'll actually finish this series sometime before I die. :)

>173 bragan: sigh.... more bookshelves. That's a sigh of slight envy ;)
I'd loooooooooooooove something like this (and of course, an appropriate room to put it in ;))


And congrats on your ROOTs success! You're doing great!

>175 avanders: My bookshelves are nowhere near that nice! But I do have a lot of them. And I may actually go buy more today. Because, well, there is that big library sale coming up...

And thanks! Pulling some of those really old ROOTs helps a lot.

>176 bragan: a great reason for a new bookshelf, if ever I did hear one ;)
No, my shelves aren't that nice either.... someday maybe!

Would do me no good to buy more shelves, would have to move out a bed, sofa, or table to put another one in!

>178 Tess_W: Yeah, I'm rapidly running out of space in the house, myself. Fortunately, the hallway is wide enough to line with bookshelves and still have room to walk...

>178 Tess_W: lol! well, maybe that'd be worth it..... ;)
>179 bragan: ooooooh hall bookshelves. (salivating over here)

What about this:


Put another bookshelf in w/o cutting down on space by adding it to a door! I *really* want to do this some day.....

>180 avanders: Oooh! I like. Except it seems to me that, once filled with books, that's going to be one heavy door.

40. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson. Two points.

>180 avanders: Probably not good to close the door too fast if the shelves were full of books. Door slamming in an argument could have a lot more potential!

>181 bragan: hmmmm yes, good thought.... I suppose that can be accounted for?
>183 Familyhistorian: and another good point ;) I guess I hadn't thought of those practical considerations ..... Just excited about the thought of a bookshelf door... preferably one that hides a secret room ;)

>184 avanders:: I know EXACTLY what you mean. When we travelled to Vienna a while back, I dragged my husband to the National Library where they have this gorgeous old state hall lined with books and globes. And there were secret doors in the bookcases that led to secret BOOK-LINED rooms INSIDE THE BOOKCASES. I was in heaven.

The poor husband - with his allergy to dust - was decidedly not...

>185 Caramellunacy: whaaaaaaat?! That sounds magical...

Practical concerns or not, I think I want a book-covered secret room door, now too. :)

>185 Caramellunacy: I didn't know that. I want to go there. Now.

41. Follow the Money: A Month in the Life of a Ten-Dollar Bill by Steve Boggan. One point.

>187 bragan: exactly ;)

42. Inheritor by C. J. Cherryh. Eight points! Finally getting around to reading this series is really helping my ROOTs total.

43. Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves by George Church and Ed Regis. Two points.

>191 bragan: Nice! It's fun reading series, especially when it helps with the ROOTs! ;)

Speaking of series:

44. Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich. One point.

>194 bragan: Oh I really need to get back to that one... I'm on book 6. I think. :)

>195 avanders: If you don't, I may catch up with you!

45. Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson. One point.

>196 bragan: lol in all likelihood, you will catch up and pass me ;)

46. Peter and the Secret of Rundoon by Dave Barry & Ridley Person. Three points.

47. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. One point.

>199 bragan: hee hee, adult-you being all stingy... ;) Sounds like an interesting series... is this "the" Dave Barry?

>201 avanders: It is, indeed, "the" Dave Barry. He's written some novels for adults, too, both on his own and with a co-author. Unlike, though, those, the Peter books don't really have his trademark wacky humor. Or maybe just a few toned-down glimpses of it.

>202 bragan: weird, I never knew he wrote those! Sounds like something I'd want to check out :)

>202 bragan: I like his columns better, but the novels are kind of fun, too.

48. October Sky by Homer Hickam. Two points.

>205 bragan: I have that book as Rocket Boys and absolutely loved it! What did you think of it? (I can see your 2 points is for length of time owned rather than opinion of the book)

>206 Jackie_K: Yes, the points are just for my ROOT goal. I gave it four stars (and even considered giving it four and a half, which maybe I should have). It thought it was really good. You can read my (short) review of it on the book page, if you're interested.

Hey, it suddenly turned into June! Well, OK, then...

MAY

Books read: 14
ROOT books read: 10
ROOT books YTD total: 48/100
ROOT points added: 29
ROOT points YTD total: 99/225
Books acquired: 51
Current TBR total: 830

So, a pretty good books-read total for May, and a nice jump in the points total, putting me nicely on target for the year. But, oh god, the "books acquired"... See, first there were these discount catalogs, then I got this really huge gift certificate (you could redeem it lots of places, but most of them I had no interest in, so I ended up spending it all at Barnes & Noble), and then there was the giant library sale... And now my TBR is over 800 volumes, when, only a scant few years ago, I swore it would never again go up above 400. I'd ask if there was a support group I could join for this, but I think I'm already here. Apparently it's not helping. (Even if it is fun.)

>208 bragan: Oof, I know that pain! Just last year I was cheering because my ROOTs had finally been confined to single bookcase, and this morning I sorted them all out only to discover I'm overflowing by three shelves...

I did end up buying a new bookcase this past month. Sigh. I'd hope for a more restrained time this month, but, well, I'm going to be visiting my sister in Oregon, and that always entails a trip to Powell's... At least there's a limit to how many books I can fit in my suitcase.

>208 bragan: I know, right?! Crazy how June got here so fast...
You're making great progress!
lol, yeah, books acquired seems to be an ongoing struggle.... ;) ESPecially when you add in that giant library sale!

>211 avanders: May actually seemed to be taking quite a long time... And then suddenly it was over, and I was like, wait, where did it go? :)

>212 bragan: lol funny how times moves like that :)

OK, after starting the month off with some non-ROOT books, we finally have:

49. Doctor Who: The Wheel of Ice by Stephen Baxter, for two points.

>214 bragan: Thumb for your review! I too thought this book was all right, but easy to put down.

>215 rabbitprincess: Thanks!

Mind you, I think that still makes it considerably better than some Who novels... But there are also some really good ones making it look bad by comparison.

50. The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan. One point.

And with that, I am now halfway towards my total-ROOT-books goal! Still a little way to go until I'm there on the points ticker, though. This month is shaping up to be kind of light on the ROOT points, I'm afraid.

51. Full Upright and Locked Position: Not-So-Comfortable Truths about Air Travel Today by Mark Gerchick. Two points.

>217 bragan: WooHoo Congrats!!

52. O Pioneers! by Willa Cather. Three points.

53. How to Build an Android: The True Story of Philip K. Dick's Robotic Resurrection by David F. Dufty. Another three points.

54. Strange Attractors by William Sleator. One childhood nostalgia-laden point.

>222 bragan: oh I can see why! That cover alone brings back childhood nostalgia nice & strong!

>223 avanders: It really does, doesn't it? Sitting here in 2015, it's pretty much the most wonderfully retro thing ever. :)

>224 bragan: yes it fits into that category "retro" quite nicely ;)

I've been traveling, so I'm a little behind on posting reviews, etc., but I wanted to be sure to get these recorded here before the end-of-the-month tally:

55. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2012, edited by Dave Eggers and a team of high school students. Three points.

56. Four to Score by Janet Evanovich. One point

And that points me over the halfway mark on the points ticker, too. I guess I'm right on track!

Woo hoo! Congrats on your great progress!

>227 avanders: Thank you! I wasn't at all sure I'd make it this far on the points ticker by now.

OK, I'm definitely not going to finish this huge-ass Stephen King novel that I'm currently reading today. So:

JUNE

Books read: 11
ROOT books read: 8
ROOT books YTD total: 56/100
ROOT points added: 16
ROOT points YTD total: 115/225
Books acquired: 14
Current TBR total: 832

The TBR total is still going in the wrong direction. But it could have been a lot worse. Fortunately for my TBR shelves, I didn't manage to make it to Powell's on this trip up to Oregon. Although I did still buy a few at the tiny branch at the Portland airport.

>220 bragan: LOL to the huge-ass Stephen King...I also finished mine, The Stand!

>230 Tess_W: Now, there's a huge-ass King novel! Especially if you read the uncut version.

Right, that's one huge-ass Stephen King novel finished! :)

57. Bag of Bones by Stephen King. Three points.

>232 bragan: woo hoo! Congrats on finishing it! That's one I've not read... perhaps it will be lower on the list .. seems that the things that annoyed you will probably also annoy me....

>233 avanders: I don't recommend against it or anything, but, man, do I find his tendency towards book bloat kind of frustrating.

>234 bragan: no no, I know, but I've read a lot of King and I know what you were getting at... :)

>231 bragan: I read the "short" version! LOL!

>236 Tess_W: Good call! I wish I'd done that.

Finished this one yesterday, but I kept not getting around to updating:

58. Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle by Daniel L. Everett. Two points.

59. The Muppets Character Encyclopedia by Craig Shermin. One point.

60. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. One point.

>59 avanders: This sounds like great fun!

>241 craso: I'm assuming you meant book 59, not post. 59. :) And, yes, the Muppets are always fun. I'm looking forward to their new TV series!

You are right, book 59. Sorry about that.

I've seen talk about a new series. I'm sure it will be great. They are consistently funny even in the bleak times before they were bought by Disney.

>241 craso: and >242 bragan: lol I was pretty confused for a sec too ;)

>240 bragan: also one on my "short list" .. was recommended by my MIL years ago.. so... you're not the last person on earth to start reading the series... ;)

>244 avanders: Nice to know I'm not behind the entire rest of the world! And I'll add my recommendation to your MIL's, too.

>245 bragan: sounds like it based on your review! I've got it on the shelves... just have to .. ya know... get to it... ;)

61. Precursor by C. J. Cherryh. Eight points! These old Cherryh novels have been very good for my points ticker.

After a pause for a number of non-ROOT books:

62. The Martian by Andy Weir. One point.

And, hmm. I don't seem to be able to update my tickers. I must remember to go back and try it again later, or all my totals will be off.

63. Half Empty by David Rakoff. One point.

And, aargh, the tickers still aren't working properly! This could make things difficult.

>248 bragan: I like your review! I esp. agree w/ this: "It seems like it shouldn't have been {gripping}, really. It should have felt like yet another so-so, tediously technical Tale of Hard SF Space Competence. . . . And yet... I wasn't just interested in the science-y problem-solving here, although that was pretty cool if you're into science-y problem solving. I actually cared about this guy, and I felt genuine suspense every time he faced an even-more-dangerous-than-usual situation."

>250 avanders: I'm still not remotely sure how Weir pulled that off, but I'm extremely pleased that he did!

Oh, hooray, the tickers are working again! Mine are now back up to date.

64. Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson. One point.

>248 bragan:, >250 avanders:
All this love for The Martian means I snapped it up when I saw it in our book exchange/library! Looking forward to getting stuck into it.

>254 Caramellunacy: I hope it works for you, too!

I'm looking forward to seeing the movie now, too. I just watched the trailer, and it looks well-done and pretty faithful to the book.

>254 Caramellunacy: yay hope you enjoy it!
>255 bragan: I am also really looking forward to the movie!

65. The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Three points.

Ooooo, I haveThe Martian on my Kindle, will have to read it next!

>258 Tess_W: The Martian for everybody!

>259 bragan: lol yes! ;)

Mars is my latest buy and on the soon TBR pile.

Well, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to finish the book I'm currently reading before today is over, so let's see where we are at the end of July.

JULY

Books read: 14
ROOT books read: 9
ROOT books YTD total: 65/100
ROOT points added: 21
ROOT points YTD total: 136/225
Books acquired: 18*
Current TBR total: 836**

* I also discovered one on my TBR shelves that I'd somehow never cataloged. But we won't count that.

**Plus one reference book I was just going to browse through a bit and put on the shelf, rather than including it with the unread total, except that I seem to be in the process of reading it straight through, anyway, a little bit at a time.

66. The Magician King by Lev Grossman. Two points.

>263 bragan: hmm... I'm looking forward to that series, but good to know I should keep my expectations in check ;)

>262 bragan: and Congrats on reading so many ROOTs already this year!!

>264 avanders: The gap between how much I feel like I ought to like it and how much I actually do like it is an annoying one. But perhaps you will have better luck.

And thanks! I'm doing pretty well so far. :)

>265 bragan: yeah that's always frustrating! We'll see... :)

67. The Road to Wellville by T. Coraghessan Boyle. Three points.

68. String Theory for Dummies by Andrew Zimmerman Jones. Four points.

>267 bragan: hmm. that's on the shelves... the story does sound interesting! Maybe I'll try to read when nothing else more interesting is going on so I'm not too easily distracted ;)

>267 bragan: It was one of the books I was thinking of reading when I was laid up last year after surgery, but didn't get to. I actually think it would have been pretty good for that. If I'd gotten through it quicker, maybe I would have finished before I got tired of it!

>270 bragan: Yeah I've definitely read books like that... where I was either lucky I read it so fast... or unlucky bc I didn't. ;)

69. White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland. One point.

70. The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout. Two points.

And now I think I'm going to have a little run of non-ROOT books coming up... I'll see you when that's over. :)

As predicted, I fell down a rabbit hole of recently-acquired books there for a while, but I'm climbing back up now. So:

71. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck. One point.

>274 bragan: oh another on the shelves! Interesting review...
Yeah I fell down a hole too .. mine was early reviewers & library books :-o
getting near the end of the piles though, so eager to get back to ROOTs!

>275 avanders: One of my rabbit-hole books was an ER one, so I have a good excuse for that, at least. :)

72. Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson. Three points.

73. Future Perfect: The Case For Progress In a Networked Age by Steven Johnson. Two points.

And since August is rapidly leaving us, I guess it's time for the monthly tally again:

AUGUST 2015

Books read: 12
ROOT books read: 8
ROOT books YTD total: 73/100
ROOT points added: 18
ROOT points YTD total: 154/225
Books acquired: 16
Current TBR total: 840

I think September is likely to get off to a slow start, by the way, since I've just plunged into a rather thick non-ROOT book.

Whew! Congrats on all your progress in August! 12 books read, including 8 ROOTs! And that's ok about a slow Sept.. you're ahead of your goal so you have some leeway ;)

>280 avanders: Thanks! And it's a good thing I have some leeway. September is off to a very slow start, indeed, and come the end of the month I'm going to have relatives visiting and doing vacation-y stuff for a couple of weeks, so I think it's going to be pretty slow going into October, too.

>281 bragan: Yeah, the season changes seem to affect people's reading times differently... I'm always surprised at how my reading is affected anyway :) I expected to read almost nothing this summer, and ended up having a big reading-summer! Though it's definitely slowing down, and I would have expected a faster fall... ;)

>282 avanders: Mine doesn't seem to change much seasonally, but it can be very affected by my work schedule, and I've long since learned better than to think I'm going to get a whole lot of reading done during vacation.

>283 bragan: oh yes, that makes sense!
Ha, I'm still learning that lesson re vacation! Everyone once in a while, I really do read a ton. But usually there's too much going on... ;)

>284 avanders: I'm still shaking my head over the ridiculously optimistic way I thought I was just going to breeze through On the Origin of Species on vacation in Australia. :)

Hey Bragan, you are doing a fine job ROOTing!

On the reading thing. I read more in the summer when I can sit outside. Inside I see lots of other things I can do (cleaning, LT-ing, playing games on my Ipad, doing crosswords and sudoku's) so for me a bad season is starting.

>286 connie53: I'm almost finished my first, belated ROOT of the month! And then I've got some higher-point books for my points ticker coming up, so that'll be good, even if my ROOT book total is low this month.

I don't do much reading outside, and in the summer, it's usually too hot for that here, anyway. But, boy, I do understand getting distracted by all the other things to do around you. That's probably why the most reading I've ever gotten done was after I had surgery, when I wasn't allowed to do much else.

Yeah, the last couple of non-ROOT books took me a while, but finally:

74. High Five by Janet Evanovich. One point. And at least that was a nice, fast read!

Hopefully I'll manage a few more ROOTs and rack up some points in the next couple of weeks, before my houseguests show up and start distracting me.

Go Bragan, Go!

I might have knee surgery coming up in a few months! (not that I'm looking forward to the surgery) so that would be one way for me to read inside.

>389 rabbitprincess: I am going! Well, maybe. I just started another large book. But at least this one is a very, very old ROOT!

Knee surgery sounds not at all fun, so I hope you manage to avoid it, but reading time during recovery is at least a bright side. :)

>285 bragan: lol well you never do know.... ;)

>286 connie53: that makes sense ... for me, for some reason I get antsy if I sit outside reading for too long... unless I'm in a hottub then I can sit out there forever ;) The trick, generally, though, is just to be alone... the fewer people around when I want to read, the better! ;)

>288 bragan: woo hoo! :)

>289 connie53: ooh, hope you avoid that knee surgery too! If not, yes, silver-lining... :)

Wow, it really is taking me forever to get anything read this month. Certainly, this one took me forever to read. But it's also been on the shelves forever and ever, so at least it's worth a lot of points.

75. Dragonfly: NASA and the Crisis Aboard Mir by Brayn Burrough. Eight points.

>292 bragan: me too! I can't tell if it's the book(s) or if it's the life event(s) that are too distracting.

Congrats on another one read & one worth so many points!

>293 avanders: In my case, I think it's a little bit of both, with extra added stuff keeping me busier than usual.

Anyway, I'm glad to finally have read that one. It's been sitting on my shelves yelling, "Read me SOON!" for years.

>294 bragan: lol I have a couple of those myself... ;)

>295 avanders: I have entirely too many of them!

76. Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith. One point.

>296 bragan: Me too, like 550 of them!

77. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain. Three points.

And that's the end of this month! Let's see where I stand.

SEPTEMBER 2015

Books read: 8
ROOT books read: 4
ROOT books YTD total: 77/100
ROOT points added: 18
ROOT points YTD total: 167/225
Books acquired: 13
Current TBR total: 850

As anticipated, not a great showing, although at least I didn't do too badly on the points ticker,.

Right. Onward into October!

78. The Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon. One be-fanged, grammatically correct point.

Looks good to me! You're just ahead of the curve :)

>302 avanders: Yes, I'm keeping up so far! And am reading another fairly high-point book at the moment.

Slipping one in in the middle of doing family vacation things:

79. Fragment by Warren Fahy. Five points.

80. Buried in Books: A Reader's Anthology by Julie Rugg. Two points.

80 books so far, Bragan!

Still on vacation?

I am! But my guests leave tomorrow, and then I'll have a few days before I have to go back to work. Maybe I'll get some more reading done then. :)

Enjoy!

OK, I finished the last of my vacation reading:

81. Firestarter by Stephen King. Two points.

>309 bragan: For some reason, Firestarter reminds me a bit of Scanners (the David Cronenberg film). I think it's the telekinesis element.

>310 rabbitprincess: You know, I've never actually seen that. Even though I've certainly heard of it.

>311 bragan: It was pretty cheesy, given that it was filmed in the 1980s, but it was just the right amount of creepiness and gore for me. Some bits were REALLY gross, but they could be seen coming and I could avert my eyes until the worst was over. And Patrick McGoohan is in it too, which doesn't hurt.

>312 rabbitprincess: Patrick McGoohan? Suddenly I'm much more interested!

Got sidetracked from the ROOTS for a couple of weeks there. What I want to know is, why is it that every book I've been eagerly awaiting seems to have suddenly been released all at once?

But, getting back to the TBR shelves again:

82. Tenth of December by George Saunders. One point.

My feelings exactly, Bragan. It might have something to do with autumn and being inside cuddled up at the fireplace with a book!

>315 connie53: Makes me wish I had a fireplace to cuddly up with a book by!

>314 bragan: >315 connie53: hmmm maybe that's it! Bc I agree! And I'm super geeked about the new ERs I have... but ... so many!

83. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson. One weird and unsettling point.

>318 bragan: You have to explain that one, Bragan!

Edit: Okay, I found your review! That explains a lot!

>318 bragan: Oo I really enjoyed that book ;) Weird and unsettling, but not obviously so - agreed :)

>319 connie53: Heh. It's actually a very difficult book to explain, as you may have seen from the review. :)

>320 avanders: I think I'm going to be thinking about that one for a while.

84. Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen. Three disease-ridden points.

85. Hot Six by Janet Evanovich. One brain candy point.

And I just realized, I never did my summary for October! I think I got distracted by Halloween. Well, better late than never, I guess. I'll try to figure all the stats as they actually were at the end of October.

OCTOBER 2015

Books read: 10
ROOT books read: 6
ROOT books YTD total: 82/100
ROOT points added: 12
ROOT points YTD total: 179/225
Books acquired: 41
Current TBR total: 881

Wow. Kind of a poor showing on points there. And way too many additions to the TBR. But there was a library sale! And everywhere I went on vacation, I had to buy a book or five in the gift shop. Oops.

>323 bragan: lol brain candy is the best kind of candy ;)

>324 bragan: yeah I've had a few rough months this year myself.. I will just have to refocus next year! ;p

>325 avanders: It is tasty! In my brain. :)

At least I have a good chance of making my ROOT total this year, I think. The points total is iffier, but I have a plan. Well, sort of. As for the TBR Pile... Well, maybe fate will intervene and I'll have to work during all the library sales next year!

>326 bragan: lol a sort of plan is better than no plan at all ;)
oh, that would be so sad to miss all the sales! But ... you know, maybe it would be better.... I know the pain.

>327 avanders: This group is good for being around people who understand my pain. :)

>328 bragan: I agree! ;)

>329 avanders: I do too!

You should all come over and live here! There is only one library here and I think they never have a sale! There is always a case with books that are for sale, but I can't find interesting books there most of the times. But then you would all be in a much greater pain for missing the sales, And I would not want that to happen.

>330 connie53: Maybe you should come here, Connie, and enjoy our nice library sales! (Although, sadly, I doubt they include many books in Dutch.)

>331 bragan: Fine idea, Bragan. If you investigate the amount of Dutch books in the library I will consider it!

>330 connie53: lol Only 1 library & no sale?! It would definitely be good for the buying issue.... ;)

86. Defender by C. J. Cherryh. One messy-alien-politics-riddled point.

87. Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals About Our Everyday Deceptions by Stephen L. Macknik and Susana Martinez-Conde (with Sandra Blakeslee). Four prestidigitatory points.

88. The Armageddon Rag by George R. R. Martin. Four rock 'n' rollin' points.

89. Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut. That one is worth eight points! Yay!

>337 bragan: You are doing fine, Bragan. 11 books and 23 points is a doable thing! You go.

>338 connie53: I can make it! I can make it!

Even if I do have to read this big, fat Early Reviewers book I get no points for now...

90. Putting on the Ritz by Joe Keenan. Two points.

91. Feynman by Jim Ottaviani and Leland Myrick. Three points.

You are almost there, Bragan.

>342 connie53: Getting closer!

Whoops, I almost forgot to do the month-end summary again! So:

NOVEMBER 2015

Books read: 9
ROOT books read: 8
ROOT books YTD total: 91/100
ROOT points added: 28
ROOT points YTD total: 207/225
Books acquired: 17
Current TBR total: 889

So, I did really well with the ROOT points in November, hopefully putting myself back on track for the end of the year. I was doing very well with not acquiring too many books this month, too, but then a friend gave me a big box full of Alexander McCall Smith novels, and how could I possibly say no to that?

Anyway. Onward into December! The first book of which I should finish... sometime.

>344 bragan: looks excellent! Only 9 more to go!

lol no one could say no to that ;)

>344 bragan: Of course you can't say NO to given books!

>346 connie53: It's simply unthinkable!

92. Explorer by C. J. Cherryh. Eight points!

>348 bragan: Ka-ching! Excellent work!

>349 rabbitprincess: Yes, that puts me well within reach of my points goal! It's still a tiny bit iffy, but here I go, off and racing the clock! Er, calendar. :)

>350 bragan:

>351 connie53: LOL! Yep, that pretty well describes it. :)

93. The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley. One point.

>354 bragan: fun! That one's (and Parnassus on Wheels) on the shelves! :)

I think Parnassus on Wheels may be the better of the two, but I quite enjoyed both of them.

94. Darwin Slept Here by Eric Simons. One point.

Getting there... getting there... :)

You can slow down now!

>358 connie53: Maybe not quite yet. But soon!

(I'm having fantasies of just spending all day tomorrow reading. We'll see if I manage to live them out.)

I have that fantasy too. But I know it will stay a beautiful dream!

>360 connie53: I've had that fantasy for ages. But it did occur to me suddenly that I really don't have much to do this weekend, for once, and that that not-quite-finished reading goal might just give me a really good excuse...

>361 bragan: Good for you!

My dream just shattered. We are going to visit daughter and son in (almost) law. They are expecting their first child so we are going to see how she is doing and bring along a few gifts. It's just a half hour drive, but it's a busy road so we see how long it takes us to get there.

Maybe I will get some reading time this evening.

>362 connie53: Oh, well. Visiting family and doing some gift-giving is, I suppose, not the worst thing to do if you have to do something other than read. Still, here's hoping they leave you a little time for it!

My read-all-day plan is going pretty well so far, but I haven't been awake all that long, so we'll see how well I can keep it up. :)

And the result of my morning's reading:

95. The Returned by Jason Mott. Which I found disappointing, but at least it was worth two points.

>364 bragan: I've read that book somewhere in 2014 and gave it ***1/2. I thought it was a bit strange.

>365 connie53: You liked it better than I did, then. I think I went into it with entirely the wrong expectations, somehow. Ah, well. The one I'm reading now is terrific!

And what are you reading now?

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann, which I think may have some of the best non-fiction writing I've read this year.

>368 bragan: Ooh, that one is on my "for later" list at the library. Will have to request it sometime soon!

>369 rabbitprincess: I recommend it heartily!

And, as advertised:

96. The Devil & Sherlock Holmes by David Grann. Two points.

That means I'm now down to four books and four points. Close! Very, very close!

>371 bragan: The suspense is almost unbearable!

>372 MissWatson: I know!

*goes back to reading*

>374 connie53: Yay, encouragement! :)

97. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich. One point.

Good job!

Two more!

>371 bragan: oo sounds so interesting!

>378 bragan: only 2 more!! So close!

>379 avanders: I definitely recommend The Devil and Sherlock Holmes.

Almost finished the next one! Clooooooose!

98. Size Matters Not by Warwick Davis. One point.

OK, when I said "two more" before, I really meant "two more after this one that I'm on." So, OK, it's two more to finish now. Soooooooo close!

>381 bragan: Hahahah, LOL. I'm sure you can do it!

Go go go!

99. How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found by Sara Nickerson. One point.

One more! One more!

Yeah!!!

And guess what?

I DID IT!!!!!

100. The Vagina Monologues by Even Ensler. One point.

(I know, what a title to met my challenge on!)

YAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!

My next book is also going to count as a ROOT, by the way, so unless something goes very wrong, I should not just meet my goal for the year, but exceed it. And again I say, YAAAAAAAAAAY!

WOW! You did it!

>387 connie53: Thank you!!!

Woohoo! Congrats!!

Hooray, well done! What did you think of the Vagina Monologues? I always mean to read or see it, but have never managed it yet!

Congrats!

Congratulations!

Thank you all! It feels pretty good to be done. :)

>390 Jackie_K: I appreciated what it was trying to do, but it really wasn't for me, I'm afraid. Although maybe it would have worked better on stage. My review of it is here, if you're curious.

Hurrah! Congratulations!

>386 bragan: woo hoo congrats!

Thank you!

And the rest is gravy! Mmm, gravy.

101. Little Bee by Chris Cleave. One surplus point.

Not done yet!

102. Mission to Mars by Michael Collins. One more point.

103. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. One point.

I think that's probably going to be the last one for the year, but I'll hold off on announcing that as the official end-of-year total until I'm certain.

Happy New Year, Bragan!

>400 connie53: And to you, Connie!

>399 bragan: 103 books in a year!! Congrats! That's an impressive total.. someday I may reach it.... ;)

>402 avanders: Considering that there was a point where I wasn't entirely sure I'd make my goal at all, I am very happy with it!

And that is very definitely all I'm going to get read this year! So, time for some final stats:

DECEMBER 2015

Books read: 13
ROOT books read: 12
ROOT books YTD total: 103/100 (yay!)
ROOT points added: 21
ROOT points YTD total: 228/225 (yay!)
Books acquired: 10
Current TBR total: 886

MY TBR total is something like 97 books larger at the end of the year than it was at the beginning, which... doesn't really surprise me much, I'm afraid. Still, I did very well with the ROOTs challenge, including finally getting around to some books that had been sitting on my shelves unread for a very, very long time. So I'm going to count that, at least, as a win!

A very, very happy new year to all! I'll be setting up a new thread for 2016 very soon here, and I'll be looking forward to yet another year of ROOTing and reading.

Woo hoo! Happy new year!

And, OK, my 2016 thread is here. See you on the flipside!