ROOTING Through 2017

Taking it a bit easier on myself this year. Life has gotten very busy for me! Reading has become more of a luxury than before. *sigh*

(15 as of 12/15/17)

Welcome back and good luck with your challenge!

Nice to see you back :). Good luck with your 2017 goal!

Welcome back, and my best wishes that real life will allow you some luxuries!

Welcome back & Happy 2017 ROOTing!

>1 avidmom: I certainly know the feeling -- it's good to take it easy on yourself! :)

Welcome back and Happy ROOTing.

Good luck rooting!

Thanks everybody!
Looking forward to following everybody's 2017 reads. :)

Welcome back! Lovely ticker design. :)

>9 nerwende: Thank you. That black cat is honor of my RL black cat, Bagheera. He started out as a little feral kitty and we had him fixed. He refuses to live in the house (I have another cat for that). He is a real sweetheart.

I hope you find time for luxuries. Good luck with your ROOTing.

>10 avidmom: What a perfect name for a black cat!

>10 avidmom: what a pretty kitty!

Saving Grace: Book Three In The Healing Ruby Series

The third (and, so far, last) in the Healing Ruby series. I liked it. It was a lot more intense and dark than the first few, following Matthew and Ruby's stories through their experiences on the Philippine Islands during WWII. Really, not the kind of book I needed right now and was disappointed that it didn't wrap up their stories; the book leaves us on a cliffhanger.

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

Wow. This story blew me away. At the age of 24, Susannah Cahalan had her own pretty normal adult life: a nice boyfriend, friends, a budding career as a journalist at the New York Post, and a studio apartment. Seemingly, out of nowhere, she began falling apart psychologically. It seemed like she might be having a nervous breakdown or manifesting symptoms of schizophrenia. And then the seizures started. Susannah ended up in the E.R. and then the hospital. After weeks of misdiagnoses, a doctor from outside the hospital diagnosed her with what is called non-NMDA receptor encephalitis.

The book itself is rather short, but the story is rather scary and compelling.

http://www.antinmdafoundation.org/the-illness/what-is-anti-nmda-receptor-encepha...

ROOT #3

>15 avidmom: Sounds like a great book!

>15 avidmom: It certainly was a most interesting - and very scary - story!

Hi - just stoping by to say hello! :)

Hi, avidmom. Just stopping by to see what you are reading. And saying 'HI' of course.

>19 avanders: >20 connie53:

Thanks for stopping by! I admit to being more of a "lurker" than a poster here on LT lately. *sigh* I have been, of course, lurking about on both of your threads. :)

Not reading a ROOT right now; but have quite a few lined up. The TBR/ROOTs list just gets bigger and bigger.

>21 avidmom: absolutely no problem w/ that! I certainly don't mind lurkers ... you know, as long as it's not at my RL house... ;p

You'll get there -- but I know the feeling! Books are so... hard to not buy! ;)

>22 avanders: Yes, RL lurkers are not good!

Books are so... hard to not buy! ;)
And check out! Remember that library I used to work next to? Well, the bad news is is that that library moved to another location ... and the good news is that is I got (another) part time job at another branch of that library. So now I am literally surrounded by books to check out and buy! (our library has a little used book sale room, which can be quite tempting!)

So between working 2 part time jobs & reading, you can understand why I've become quite the lurker!

(And don't even ask me about the housework/laundry.... fuhgeddaboutit!)

>23 avidmom: Oh that's so nice! I really would love a job where I got to "work" with books all day... someday I think I'll have it :)
And yes, I can definitely understand your lurking! ;)

Conor blinked. Then blinked again. "You're going to tell me stories?"

Indeed, the monster said.

"Well - " Conor looked around in disbelief. "How is that a nightmare?"

Stores are the wildest things of all, , the monster rumbled. Stories chase and bite and hunt.


A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A beautiful, lovely, sad and wonderful story. It takes some courage to read about Conor and his very sick mum and the yew tree that comes walking. It is, however, totally worth it.

And maybe even, perhaps, necessary.

The copy I have has illustrations done by Jim Kay. The art in this book is just stunning.

It is a rather short book (202 pages) but incredibly beautiful and powerful.

Very highly recommended.

*******************

(I learned about this story during the movie previews before we saw "Kubo and the Two Strings" last summer. I don't think I would have even heard of this story otherwise. I very much want to see the movie now.)

>25 avidmom: I loved that book! Glad to hear you loved it too.

>25 avidmom: sounds lovely - wishlisted, thanks!

>26 connie53: I'm glad to hear that Connie!

>27 floremolla: It is lovely, but it's certainly not a "happy" story.

Thanks for stopping by! :)

>25 avidmom: (and >26 connie53:) Ahhhh! BB. ;p

Not gonna lie, there were spots in that book that made me stop and cry a little. There was one paragraph in particular that felt like an emotional sucker punch. I lost my dad to cancer many years ago (I was older than Conor, thank goodness) & I felt like "wow, this author totally understands what this feels like."

>30 avidmom: oh no - sorry to hear about your dad..
Good to know about the book - will try to keep that in mind !

I read this on my library's website this mornining:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/tsundoku-japanese-word-for-book-hoarding-244396?...

a-hem... hoarding books? not this gal.... ;p

>32 avidmom: oh dear, guilty m'lud! I used to love buying smart clothes and then realised I never actually went anywhere I would wear them and that I really preferred my comfy clothes anyway.....same with books, I was always buying ambitiously because I thought I 'ought' to have read them, but then would balk at 'actually' reading them and have to buy something more...comfy... for casual enjoyment.

While LT is a constant source of inspiration for more acquisitions, putting them on a wishlist and then actually giving them some consideration before buying, means that I'm more likely to stick to realistic reading goals - hopefully that'll minimise the tsundoku phenomenon.
.....Well that's what I'm telling myself anyway! ;)

LOL.... I did purge my shelves a few years ago. My philosophy is is that I don't have too many books, just not enough shelves. Ha! (Hey it works for me. )

>35 avidmom: heheh! :))

>35 avidmom: lol I agree w/ that perspective!

"This 40 Day Soul Fast is about finding rest and restoration for your soul. When all is well with the souls of humanity, all will be well in the world. When you have peace in your soul, you will bring that peace to bear on the world around you - you will become the change you are hoping to see."


The 40 Day Soul Fast: Your Journey To Authentic Living by Cindy Trimm

I rather enjoyed this book. It's a Christian self-help character building book. Its aim is to get at the very core of who you are. Trimm's book is divided into 40 days (40 characteristics of an authentic person) so this book is meant to be read over a 40 day period - which I didn't do. Part of the reason I read so quickly was 1) time is not something I have a lot of right now; 2) there are so many other books piling up on my TBR pile (so, so many!) and 3)I just found this book incredibly interesting once I got going (admittedly I started quite a while ago, would pick it up and put it back down).

Trimm's character focused book is full of a lot of quotes from various people from all walks of life: spiritual giants, political leaders, and, of course, the Bible. (I think the only negative comments I read about this particular book is that she pulls some of her quotes from some "New Age-y" personalities... didn't bother me at all. Wisdom is wisdom.) It's an easy book to read; but it is not simply a book of common sense mixed up with Christianity (a la Joyce Meyers) or a more intellectual spiritual book (maybe like a Phil Yancey or C.S. Lewis). Trimm, IMHO, falls somewhere in the middle of that Christian-ese writing spectrum. The book itself seems to be a hybrid of self-help/daily devotional.

I would recommend this book. I'm glad I read it and will probably visit it again and again over the years. I think the effect of this book will stick with me; it's not an overnight lightning bolt kind of change but rather a slow burning change of thinking. It really made me stop and think about who I am, and if I am lining up with my professed faith. Trimm's book is like a spiritual mirror. Even though it's obviously written by a Christian, I think even those of other faiths might find something useful here.

This is her first in a series of "Soul" books; I plan on reading more of them.
There's also an actual journal that accompanies this one.

I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will. - Edward Everett Hale
(Quoted in Chapter Two: Twenty-one Grams)

"Next week I start fifth grade. Since I've never been to a real school before, I am pretty much totally and completely petrified...."


Wonder by R.J. Palacio

I really loved this book about August, a 12 year old boy going to "real" school. Until now, August's mother has been homeschooling him. Born with genetic disorders (not 1, but 2) that has affected his face, August has had to endure multiple surgeries. Going to school with other kids for the first time is terrifying and the story takes us through August's entire school year. There are sections of the book "written" by the other people in August's life: his sister, friends, etc. Each expresses what it feels like to have August in their life. I really appreciated the section of the book written by August's sister who writes about what it feels like to feel totally eclipsed by a sibling who has extraordinary circumstances ("special needs" doesn't quite fit here.)

Palacio's writing is incredibly balanced, tugging at heartstrings here and making you laugh there and watching the characters deal with very real everyday situations.

Looking forward to the movie.

Highly recommended.

Both #38 & # 39 going on my wish list!

"I've been a series regular on nine different television shows, which proves a cliche: When one door closes, another one opens. Then the cliche takes a turn, because that door closes and you're alone, in a locked room. But just as you're about to lose hope, a window opens. And closes behind you as soon as you crawl through it. Now you're outside. All the doors and windows to show business are locked, and you're wondering if you should quit. Then another door opens. But it's a trapdoor, and you have fallen into a pit. The trapdoor shuts, and you begin screaming, "Help! Help!" And that's when Barbara Walters calls and asks if you want to be a permanent co-host of The View."


Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself A Break by Sherri Shepherd

Full disclosure here: I don't watch "The View" but I did watch "Trial & Error," a short-lived sitcom starring John Lithgow and Sherri Shepherd. Sherri Shepherd is one of the funniest characters on that show. (The show itself is incredibly goofy, but I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a silly sitcom in my life.) So, when this showed up at our library's book sale room, I took it as a sign from God.

Sherri shares her life story, from growing up in Chicago to becoming a legal secretary in L.A. and then how she met and fell in love with stand-up comedy. The book is broken into little sections, little "vignettes" of her life followed with a "Permission Slip" to give yourself.

She's been through some stuff and she doesn't gloss over it, but the book is all in light-hearted fun.

Definite solid 3 3 1/2 star read.

"It's so hard to see past the no's and believe that there's something better ahead. Just have yourself a good cry, put on your big-girl pants and keep going. Someone will call you stubborn or single-minded. Maybe they're right, but we shouldn't have to apologize for it, justify it, or minimize it. Guys don't. So be ambitious and chase your dreams. But don't forget to pay your parking tickets. Armageddon's a long ways away."

So write yourself a permission slip to listen to that little voice in the back of your head, because it might not be so little."

>41 avidmom: Permission slip bullet taken :)

"Centuries have come and gone since his holy sob ripped me loose from timeless conversation with the ageless ones. Ten thousand, thousand scholars and saints have asked, "Why? What made the King of Heaven bow his head and cover his eyes and spill holy tears onto the earth? Why? Why did Jesus weep?"


When Jesus Wept by Bodie and Brock Thoene

I love the Thoenes. They are a husband and wife team that write historical Christian fiction. Everything is well researched and rich in detail. I was very much looking forward to reading this one: a look at the Lazarus miracle in the New Testament through Lazarus's eyes.

There was much to like about his book. The characters of Martha, Mary and of course, especially Lazarus, get their own back-stories. Other characters, familiar to New Testament readers, also get their own back stories and have parts to play here as well. Typical of a Thoene book, there is also a lot of history to be gleaned here about the political/day to day life of the area. And there's even a lot to be learned about vineyards and the making of wine too! But, alas, there were also things that I did not care for here as well. The writing seemed to be a bit juvenile and melodramatic in spots. And then there seemed to be loose threads throughout the storytelling i.e. Lazarus says at one point he "witnessed" a miracle Jesus did but it didn't seem to me like he witnessed it as much as heard about it; he says he is a cousin to one of the people who received a miracle from Jesus but the relationship to this person isn't revealed to the end of the novel. Of course, in all fairness, it might have been more my lack of attention than the Thoene's writing but still..... you would think things like that would have stuck.) Most disappointing to me was the lack of a real relationship between Lazarus and Jesus.... the friendship was there, certainly, but I was expecting Lazarus and Jesus to be closer than they were throughout the novel.

I would give this a 3 and 1/2 rating on a bad day; a 4 star rating on a good one.

Maybe my expectations were too high (or just different) for this one.

(I did like their explanation as to why Jesus wept...)
What? Did you think I was going to tell you? Read the book. :)

"I am learning that getting our intentions right simplifies our decisions in life and changes our perspective. And in the end, what it's all about is thankfulness and contentment." Joanna Gaines
....................................................................................................................................................................
"It's funny because I went to Baylor, where I was surrounded by all these rich kids from rich families, and for whatever reason I was never drawn to that. I was much more comfortable hanging out with the guys who dug ditches. I lived like them, too, whether it was carrying all my money around in my pocket or sitting under some shady treen at lunchtime while they laughed at me trying to eat jalapenos." - Chip Gaines


The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines

I am absolutely addicted to HGTV's "Fixer Upper" (along with a few other shows on that channel). Apparently I'm not the only one looking forward to hearing "Y'all wanna see your Fixer Upper?" at the end of each episode and seeing those canvas billboards get pulled apart. While I watch the other HGTV shows to see the designs or whether they are going to .... drumroll please ... "Love It Or List It!".... I really watch Fixer Upper for Chip and Joanna. I think the little Texas town of Waco reminds me of my own small hometown upbringing; Chip reminds me quite a bit of my dad and my uncles when I was younger - just goodhearted, salt of the earth hard working people. And while my design preferences don't always match Joanna's, I love to see how she transforms spaces with families at the heart of her design. (Here in this book, she tells when and how she came to that lightbulb moment where she let go of perfection and started creating spaces where her family could live.)

The Magnolia Story is the story of how Chip and Joanna met, courted, fell in love, and then - thanks to one crazy, ugly houseboat Chip surprised Joanna with - went on to become the HGTV celebs they are today. The book is written with Jo's part in regular print and Chip's part written in bold, so it is their story written like a long in-depth interview. It certainly was not a straight path for either one of them. Their story is very interesting and inspiring and there are certainly surprises about each one of them to be found here. Some of the stories are pretty funny .... like the first time Chip told Jo he loved her; Chip's first time on camera; and how Chip's dogs landed him in jail once. There certainly were a lot of potholes on their "road to success" and here they tell how they managed to navigate around them and not give up.

A really fun and inspirational read. 4 stars.

>44 avidmom: I love Chip and Joanna! I'm going to put this book on my wishlist!

>45 Tess_W: You won't regret it! :)

Just dropping by to say Hello!

And >44 avidmom: fun, I've wondered about that book :) Glad you enjoyed!

>47 avanders: Yes. It was a fun read! A little bit of homespun wisdom in there too.

>48 avidmom: oh I'm not surprised at all :)

Hi, just stopping by to say Hi. I've been away from LT for some time due to RL things. But now I'm back trying to keep up with threads.

>50 connie53: Glad to see you are back. It's hard to keep up on LT; especially if you're like me and find everyone else's threads so interesting!

>51 avidmom: I know. Sometimes I'm glad there are ROOTers that became a member in January and never came back again. ;-))

>50 connie53: >51 avidmom: good to know I'm not alone in tracking every active thread!

“My soul sometimes feels like a Twitter feed where I’m following a million of the most annoying people ever, and I can’t find the Unfollow button.”


Crash the Chatterbox by Steven Furtick

Steven Furtick is the pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. I had never heard of him before but in recent weeks have caught a few of his sermons on the Christian channel. I liked him. His teachings seemed very real and down to earth but he also brought to his message a very fresh, younger perspective. This book, Crash the Chatterbox was part of his series of teachings, “When Anxiety Attacks.” I found what he said about anxiety so helpful that I decided to take the risk and plop down the few $$$ for the actual book (I have the e-version).

In the introduction of the book he introduces us to what the chatterbox is. One morning as he steps into the shower getting ready for a meeting he notices the burned out light bulb in the bathroom (for the third time) and that he is running late (again) for a meeting “… A burned out light bulb has turned into a mid morning meltdown in my mind, and I can’t find the switch to shut it off. The meltdown, I mean, not the light bulb. …” From here the inner dialogue in Furtick’s brain spirals into a negative tornado wherein he berates himself for all kinds of things light-bulb and non light bulb related. And then at the end of it: “… The chatterbox informs me that I’m fourteen minutes late …. And I suck as a person.”

Who can’t relate to this? I think everybody walks around with our own “chatterbox” from time to time. The chatterbox is that incessant, whining, nagging, complaining voice (your own mostly!) that takes that one simple mistake or misstep you make, runs with it and tells you in pretty plain terms that, as Furtick says, “you suck.” The chatterbox tells us over and over again all the time that we are simply not enough and that we are failing miserably in whatever role we are in. Sometimes the chatterbox is loud (like in Furtick’s light bulb scenario) and sometimes it is quiet… like a white noise in the background. And as soon as you think you've thrown that annoying little noise machine out the window, bam! there it is again. Furtick, using his Christian perspective, stories from the Bible, and his own experiences, endeavors to give readers very specific tools to “crash the chatterbox.”

It’s a very entertaining and easy read. I really enjoyed his younger perspective on things (there are some allusions to things a younger generation would maybe be more familiar with than older folks). More importantly, I really learned a lot from his somewhat unique take on things and feel a little better prepared to, if not shut my chatterbox off completely, at least turn down the volume!

So glad I read it. It will be one of those books that I re-read.
“…the chatterbox cannot be crashed once and for all. It has to be dealt with daily.”

>54 avidmom: What a great review! I have a friend who lives in Charlotte and attends Furtick's church--she loves it.

>55 Tess_W: Thank you. That is great that you know someone who goes to his church! He certainly is an enthusiastic young dude. ("Young" 'cause I'm old now. *snort*)

I just wanted to drop by to say hi :)
I couldn't possibly catch up on the threads here (explanation on my own thread), though I wish I could!
I hear that you feel like you have a little more time again at some point after having a kid... here's to hoping ;)

>57 avanders: :)

Dot Journaling: A Practical Guide: How to Start and Keep the Planner, To-Do List, and Diary That'll Actually Help You Get Your Life Together

My 14th ROOT was unexpected. I did not go seeking this book; it was a Kindle "Daily Deal" and I snatched it up. Why? Well, for one thing I've always (well, since my kids were grade school age and I was a working mom) kept a notebook of "To Do" lists. Usually these consist of cheap $1.50 Walmart/Target variety notebooks .... bigger than a composition book but smaller than a "real" notebook. And, while on my quest for these "To Do" lists keepers at the aforementioned big glamorous stores I'd run across these notebooks/journals with dots in them instead of lines. Anyhow, I'd pull up these journals full of dots and I would think "What kind of crazy witchcraft is this?!?" and chuck dotted aberration back in the bin.

But now, I get it... dot journals are for people who love to be organized. OR at least dream of being organized. Who set aside time each day to write about ... each day. The beauty of dot journaling is that it can be whatever you want it to be .... diary, daily planner, monthly planner, hourly planner, reading lists, etc. etc. It can be a mixture of everything, or just one thing. The beauty is is that there's no preset anything in the little book, you can make it whatever you want because you can use the dots to draw boxes, or rectangles or ..... The only caveat in dot journaling is that there is a key to use: (dots for stuff to do; a > for things on your to do list moved to another day (or week, or month). There is a set key in the book, but, obviously you can make that your own. And the other thing about dot journaling is to number the pages and create a table of contents.

Miller's book does a great job of explaining the complexities and simplicities of dot journaling. It's full of images of different methods to do the same thing.

At the end of the book there is a review on .... pens. Yes. Pens. Which I thought was awesome. And incredibly nerdy.

I would recommend this book about making your own dot journal for those who are 1. Just curious about these weird notebooks full of dots; 2. To Do list makers; 3. Diarist; 4. Busy people; 5. And mostly just people (like me) who love any excuse (and I mean any!) to buy new school supplies.

Miller's book is pretty entertaining too, believe it or not. She approaches her subject with a pretty wry sense of humor. Made the book fun. :)

>59 avidmom: sounds interesting! I could do with a bit of help on the organisation front, being category 4. Busy people and 5. Compulsive stationery buyer... :)

>59 avidmom: This sounds like something I do.....I don't really diary, but I have a "black book" wherein I keep notes, birthday reminders, who to call, things to do, etc. I get a new one each year and it really does help me organize myself and remind me what I need to do. I didn't know they were called dot journals, my "unofficial name' for mine is Bullet Book due to my dots reminding me of bullet points in power point presentations.

>60 floremolla: Yep. My grown kids still refuse going to the stationery section of the store with me.

>61 Tess_W: I think "Bullet Book" means the same thing here.

I think if I don't write stuff down I forget about it! I do love the idea of an all-in-one journal. Such a simple idea... But brilliant. :)

My cousin does the bullet journal thing and LOVES it! I love seeing how other people structure their bullet or dot journals but don't really have the energy to make my own.

>63 rabbitprincess: I don't know if I'll have the energy either .... but I'm gonna try. I find myself a little intimidated by the whole thing. (Silly, I know, but ....)

>64 avidmom:, Not that silly! I have been thinking about starting one for a while now and I know it's not a competition or anything, but I get a bit intimidated by all the elaborate spreads and trackers and things I've seen (and also just a bit overwhelmed by all the crazy that I would be trying to organize)...
So I can relate!

I keep three notebooks by my side on the table. One is used to write down notes about books, one for all kinds of things, and one for lists. My books have no dots, but you can make them yourself if you want, can't you?

>65 Caramellunacy: & >66 connie53:

I had been trying to keep up 3 different notebooks: a to do list notebook/a "gratitude"/personal journal and a little notebook to write book quotes in. Well, except for the to do list (because you gotta live life everyday.... ) I basically left the others to fall to the wayside. So, I love the idea of an all-in-one kind of thing.

Today I went to Staples and got a graph paper notebook and then went to Michael's Craft Store and bought 2 cheap dot journals (Artist's Loft for $5 each ). Figure I'd try it out on the cheap $2 graph paper notebook and then upgrade to the "real" thing.

ETA: Oh, and some Washi tape.... because .... it was pretty and I have this school supply addiction and....

Somebody help me! LOL

Here's a link to a blog post of Miller's on BuzzFeed:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelwmiller/how-to-start-a-bullet-journal?utm_term=.j...

Hello... sorry for such a long absence! I kept seeing that "unread" number get higher and higher and was completely intimidated... Finally, I figured it's better to just stop by and say HI. :)
I wish I had time to go through these threads and read all about what you've all been doing and reading! But, alas, I very much do not. But I think of you often!! And my "hello" is heartfelt and repeated often in my own head ;)

I'm not sure how I will remain involved next year, but I will be around in some fashion!
xo

Also: >59 avidmom: I just read about this! Intrigued :)

>70 avanders: Hello back at ya! :)
I tend to lurk/skim/and lurk some more. LOL Toddlers demand every ounce of time and energy we have! I remember those days.

I plan on starting my "real" dot journal in 2018; for now I'm experimenting with my graph paper notebook. Working so far (not very artsy yet, trying to figure out what format works for me...).

The Purpose Driven Life: What On Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren

Snagged this one up when it came across as a Kindle Daily Deal. It was an enjoyable read (albeit a slow one). Warren breaks his book down into an intro./then a 40 day journey/conclusion format. I tried to read the "40 day journey" like he suggested: one a day. But then I got impatient and read a few days at once. Oh well.

His "purpose" for our lives is pretty generic and applicable to all Christians and then his personalization is basically "you are unique/you be you" kind of thing.

I liked it well enough. There were some insights I thought were really great and other points he made (especially at the beginning) where I found myself arguing with him a bit. (Minor stuff really.)

Anyway, well worth checking out if you're a Christian.

A solid 4 stars from me.

Woo hoo! That's my 15th ROOT! I made it! :)

>73 avidmom: Congrats!

>73 avidmom: Hooray!

Congrats!

Welcome to the club!

Well done! And I'm inspired to try a bullet diary next year. :)

>74 rabbitprincess:-78 Thank you!

>78 floremolla: And I'm inspired to try a bullet diary next year. :)

Good! :)

A bit late but:

Thank you! :-)

Hi avidmom! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas & Happy New Year!


And congrats!!

>82 avanders: Thank you! Christmas was great. Happy New Year to you too. :)

(Christmas is so much more fun with a little one around, isn't it?)