fuzzi’s 2019 ROOT n Tootin’ Thread

My 2018 ROOT challenge was 100 books, which I did reach, but just.

Yet I still have over 200 books in my library, unread, and that have been on my shelves for at least one year.

So, I’ve decided I'm going to stay with my 100 ROOT challenge for 2019!

Here's my ticker:




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

My main thread is here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/301181#6672966

My rehoming thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301032

And here's something I decided to add this year:

fuzzi’s ROOTs rules:
1. Book must have been in my library for at least 365 days whenever I read it...so if it’s August 1, 2019 and I bought a book on July 31, 2018, it’s a ROOT
2. Unread and “rehomed” books count for ROOTing total
3. Partially read and abandoned books count for ROOT total (though not for my “Books read in 2019” challenges)
4. ROOTs can be e-books or tree-books
5. Children’s and other short books count as ROOTs

Here’s to Reading Our Own Tomes!!!

Hi Fuzzi! Glad to see another familiar 'face'. Happy ROOTing.

Thanks for stopping by @connie53!

Hi Fuzzi!! Great to see you back! I haven't reached my ROOT goal for 2018 but I am going to try and get some really short books in over the next few days.

Welcome back and good luck with your ROOTS in 2019!

Welcome back and happy reading in 2019!

>4 crazy4reading: go for it! Even if you do happen to fall short, it’s still much better than not even attempting the challenge.

>5 rabbitprincess: >6 LoraShouse: thank you, both. Yesterday I managed to finish another ROOT for 2018, one that had been unread for 5 or 6 years. Woo!

Welcome back and get reading!

>8 majkia: I’m reading, I’m reading, though they count for 2018 stats. :D

Welcome back, and good luck with your ambitious target!

Good luck with your ROOT reading. That is a high target!

And away we go...


#1 The Sanctuary Sparrow by Ellis Peters

Another entertaining story in this series. I did not guess whodunit until very close to the end of the book, which I liked.

>10 Jackie_K: >11 Familyhistorian: thanks for coming by!

Welcome back!

#2 Rocket Ship Galileo by Robert A. Heinlein

I've been valiantly attempting to finish this book, but at the halfway point I've given up, and admitting that I'm not interested in what happens. The story is not engaging at all, and the writing isn't up to par with this author's other works, including his other early "juvenile" books I've read.

#3 Double or Quit by Joyce Stranger

In this final book of the series, author Joyce Stranger has to make a decision: to double her "pack" by adding another dog, or quit field trial and obedience work altogether due to her dog Chita's advancing age. She takes on Josse, a young dog who with issues due to having several owners within a few months. Josse needs help adjusting, and how Joyce brings him closer to "normalcy" makes for an interesting and enjoyable story.

I wish there were more books about Josse.

#4 Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg - Did not read, rehomed

This was a "gift"...I looked it over, and decided there were other books that I was more interested in reading...

#5 Wave Without a Shore by CJ Cherryh

Wow. Just wow. In this short novel Cherryh does what she usually does in her stories, creates a world, and culture, both alien and familiar...but this time it's on a scale that even she rarely attains. With virtually no fighting or other actions so common in SciFi, she hurls the reader along in this story of an artist who went too far and threatened a society conditioned to be blind to reality. Superb.

#6 Hungry: Lessons Learned on the Journey from Fat to Thin - (ROOT) - Ebook unread, would delete if I could figure out how...

#7 The Marriage of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King

This was a thoroughly enjoyable romp with two of my favorite characters. A must for fans of the author's Russell & Holmes series, but also worth a read for those new to these books.

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#8 Mary Russell's War by Laurie R. King

This is a collection of short stories in the Russell-Holmes universe. Some I'd read before, but all were entertaining and worth perusal.

#9 Texas Vendetta by Elmer Kelton

I believe this was my first read by author Elmer Kelton, but it won't be my last. In this tale from the late 1800s we see a glimpse of Texas Rangers' jobs, and also the lives of those they were sworn to capture. Never sensational, but believable, this book was entertaining. The characters were well-written, and the violence was not graphic. Recommended for anyone wanting a "good story".

Now to find the rest of the books in the series...

#10 Partners - 'NetWalkers: Part One by Jane Fancher

When I downloaded this book several years ago, I thought it would always be there...but not according to Kindle and Amazon. Since I can't read it without paying for it again, I'm just going to count it as an "unread discard" and move on...

#11 Preacher's Blood Hunt (The First Mountain Man) by William W. Johnstone

Not on the shelves, probably rehomed back in October 2017. Though not listed with all the other books in the series that I rehomed at that time, I'm fairly certain it no longer resides in my house.

#12 Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Have attempted to read this at least two times. Life's short, so many books...why waste time?

#13 The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

Not interested at this time. Easy enough to borrow from the library if I change my mind in the future.

#14 The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Geoffrey Chaucer

Made an attempt, just not interested at this time. Easy enough to borrow from the library if I change my mind in the future.

#15 The Good Old Boys by Elmer Kelton

This is not a western.

To clarify, this is a really good story about people living in Texas in 1906. Changes are coming in the form of the automobile, and the old way of the cowboy is waning.

It's good, very good, and recommended. And it's staying on my shelves!

#16 Little Farm in the Ozarks by Roger Lea MacBride

Nice follow-up to the first book in the series about Rose, the daughter of Laura from the Little House books. I'll be reading the next book, and possibly the others as well.

#17 An Old Woman's Reflections by Peig Sayers

An interesting collection of stories from an Irish "story-teller" who lived most of her life on an isolated island. It's translated from Gaelic into English, but much of the original lyrical prose is still evident. Worth reading.

#18 In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham

Satisfactory read about a missionary couple kidnapped and held for ransom in the Philippines for over a year. The flashbacks were distracting from the survival story, which was actually interesting.

Note: this book was a truly ancient ROOT, downloaded in 2012!

#19 Middlemarch by George Eliot

A thoughtful yet entertaining read about the people and customs of an English town from the earlier part of the 19th century. The characters are very well drawn, their personalities are not superficial, and I was willingly dragged into the story, something I expect a very well-written book should do. This tale is never boring, but as the sentences often have deeper meanings one needs to take time to read this work slowly, unhurried, and without distraction. Quite good and worth the time and effort. Solid.

#20 Midnight is a Place by Joan Aiken

The author has a writing style that appealed to me as a child, but as an adult it still has me turning the pages of her books with alacrity, wondering how each situation will be resolved. There is only a little foreshadowing, too, though the younger reader might miss subtle references altogether. Good characters, twisty plots, and enough descriptions to illustrate the tale without bogging it down.

#21 Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

Of all the books that I have read by this author there was only one I did not care for...and this one isn't it!

Woods Runner is a good tale of a 13 year old boy growing up on the western Pennsylvania frontier of the late 1700s. While most of the people in the settlement like their neighbors and bucolic lifestyle, young Samuel takes to the woods where he is most comfortable, disappearing for days while exploring, as well as hunting for the community.

But while he is on one of his trips a force of British troops and Hessian mercenaries attack and destroy the settlement, massacring most of the people yet taking a few as prisoners...including Samuel's parents.

This one is a page-turner, a book I could not put down until I found out how things turned out. While categorized as a youth book, it also is a fine adult read.

#22 Bristlenoses: Catfish With Character by Kathy Jinkings

Entertaining and highly informative book about a popular variety of "suckermouth" catfish kept by hobbyists. There's some anecdotal aspects about the species, but also plenty of technical information that wasn't overwhelming to the amateur fish-keeper. There are a lot of photos and diagrams taken from scientific studies, too. Recommended for anyone interested in freshwater tropical fish.

#23 The Black Shrike by Alistair MacLean

This is one of the best books I've read (so far!) by Alistair MacLean. It's cold war counter espionage stuff from about 60 years ago, so is a little dated, but it holds up well.

What I really liked, apart from the twisty plot, is the humanity and fallibility of the main character. He might be an agent, but he's no James Bond, though a bit more like MacGyver!

This one is definitely a keeper.

#24 Funny Cide not well-written, discarded as an active read, maybe permanently.

#25 Llano River by Elmer Kelton

Another good story by this author, with depth to the characters and a storyline with a twist. Read and enjoyed, and back on the shelves for a later reread!

#26 The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen

The seasons of the year, as told first-person through the perspective of an eleven year old boy, living on a farm in northern Minnesota.The descriptions of what he associates with each season are not typical; several times I paused and thought over his view of what might be considered mundane tasks. Caution: he does describe the slaughter of farm animals for food in a slightly graphic manner, but did not revel in it. As tender-hearted as I am, I was able to handle it. Good read.

#27 Prince Valiant, Vol. 7: 1949-1950 by Hal Foster

In this volume Prince Val has more adventures: some glamorous, some mundane, and some humorous. I love how the artist adds little everyday scenes within the stories of derring do. Thoroughly enjoyable, and the artwork is superb as always.

#28 Barry: the Story of a Wolf Dog by Thomas C Hinkle

An adequate story by an author whose other books I have enjoyed more. The characters were two-dimensional, and I never felt drawn into the story. Not my favorite by Thomas C. Hinkle, but worth finishing.

#29 God's Secretaries: the Making of the King James Bible by Adam Nicolson

This is not a Christian work. It is a history of the people and the times surrounding the translation and publication of the world's best-selling book. And it is an engaging account, with only a little bit of bias exhibited in the writing.

The author used and credited the research of others, expanding it whenever possible with recent discoveries from the ancient libraries of England. Unfortunately the majority of documentation was lost over the centuries, especially in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and the full history is hidden. The people involved in the making of the King James Bible are not vilified (for the most part), but are shown for what they were: flawed but mainly sincere men from religious and non-religious vocations within seventeenth century Britain.

Having already read about the religious persecutions of the time, I was disappointed in what I perceived as a recurring bias against the Puritan and Separatist movements, but the author did a good job recounting the history of the group that would later land in the new world and be known as the Pilgrims. I was also disappointed that he repeated the oft-told but disputable claims of some regarding manuscript evidence, but for most readers it won't matter.

Overall, a good though flawed history.

This afternoon I did a purge of my shelves, removing books that I either was probably not going to read anytime soon, or books I'd read but could find a copy fairly easily if I desired a reread.

Total rehoming today is 65 books, of which 61 were eligible to be considered ROOTs!

Ticker updated to 90.

List of books is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/301032#6840517

Added Thumbelina to the rehoming stack. Ticker is now at 91.

This is weird...books that I have rehomed and removed from "My Library" are suddenly listed again in "My Library", which I only use for books that I still physically have on my shelves or on my iPad.

Anyone hear of anything like this happening before?

Add ten more to the ROOT stack, rehoming:

June Purge continues...all by Leon Uris

#92 QBVII (excellent book!)
#93 Trinity
#94 A God in Ruins
#95 Mila 18
#96 Redemption
#97 O'Hara's Choice
#98 The Haj
#99 Mitla Pass
#100 Exodus (excellent book!)
#101 Topaz

Your rehoming is an inspiration!

>46 Familyhistorian: thank you. It's been tough in some ways, too.

#102 The Big Book of Favorite Horse Stories, Twenty-Five Outstanding Stories By Distinguished Authors by Sam Savitt

I've read my share of short story collections, and most were mediocre. However, this book of "favorite" stories is definitely above average, with some recognizable classics (chapters from My Friend Flicka, Black Beauty) and others that were new to me. The only story I skipped was one I despised from my childhood, The Gift (aka The Red Pony).

This is not a child's book of pony tales, but works that encompass adult and young readers alike. Enjoy.

Oops, wrong thread...

#103 The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

What a fun read! This is the story of sisters who act like real children: they argue, have misadventures, make friends, and all this without any taint of schmaltz or pretension, a tale that an adult can read and enjoy. Thanks to whoever on LT who recommended this book. Now, on to book #2!

Hmm. Where is #104?

Anyway...


#105 The Menace From Earth by Robert Heinlein

This is another good collection of short stories by Robert Heinlein, most written in the 1940s and 1950s. The dated aspect of some of the technology mentioned is easily overlooked for the intriguing plots and interesting characters of each tale. Definitely recommended, and not just for fans of this author.

#106 The Devil's Novice by Ellis Peters

The latest addition to the abbey is a young man with night terrors...what sins has he committed in order to act this way? Brother Cadfael works out the clues as usual. I thought I knew the murderer this time, but the motive was not apparent until the end. Good read, as always.

#107 Ice Station Zebra by Alistair MacLean

A slow-starting but very satisfying tale of rescue and espionage in the Arctic. While slightly dated, the Cold War references shouldn't keep the reader from enjoying this adventure.

#108 The Wild Heart by Helen Griffiths

I recall reading a portion of this story in a grade school textbook, but until recently never found a copy of the entire book to find out how everything ended. Here's my review:

This is a realistic yet not terribly graphic tale of a hard luck horse of the Pampas. The author immerses us in the life of an ugly yet swift mare, called by the natives "La Bruja" (the witch) for her willingness to fight against any man trying to catch and tame her. I loved reading about her indomitable spirit as a pre-teen, and again as an adult. I would have given this book a higher rating but for a less than satisfactory ending. Still recommended.

Did you find # 104?

>55 connie53: I've not looked too hard.

I figured that once I met my goal, what's one book plus or minus? :)

>56 fuzzi: That's true, it wouldn't matter at all. But I would be very curious and try to figure it out. But that's me.

>57 connie53: I would like to know which one I missed...but so far I've not figured it out!

>58 fuzzi: bummer.

#109 Prince Valiant, Vol. 8: 1951-1952 by Hal Foster

Prince Valiant meets with more adventures and avoids sudden death miraculously in this installment of the classic comics. I can't praise the artist enough for his wonderful detailed illustrations that capture his characters' emotions with minimal strokes of the pen. As always, recommended.

#110 Dead Man's Ransom by Ellis Peters

Adequate entry in this entertaining series, and I didn't guess the culprit before it was revealed.

#111 Ride a Dark Horse by Lynn Hall

Predictable mystery story for the younger horsey set.

#112 Fear is the Key by Alistair MacLean

Nice twisty tale of a sadistic killer hired to recover underwater treasure...but don't assume anything. This one did surprise me and had me guessing to the end.

#113 Fall of a Cosmonaut by Stuart Kaminsky

Enjoyable entry in the series, with yet more insight into the characters we've come to know. Oh, and there's also three murders, at least, that need solving. Well done.

#114 The Tale of the Good Cat Jupie by Neely McCoy

An tale of a cat who lives by himself in a tiny red house, until one day he finds a roommate. It's a bit slow by today's standards, old fashioned, but I did enjoy it. Note: skip the preface.

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#115 A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me by Jon Katz

This is a reflection of the author's life with a new "rescue" dog, over the course of a year. Devon is a neurotic Border collie that Jon is determined to help transition from obedience dropout to a loving family companion. The author lays out his thoughts and actions, whether seen as right or wrong, and so shares with his audience how the relationship between him and Devon progresses. I have read other books by this author, and rank this near the top of his works.

#116 The Dogs of Bedlam Farm: An Adventure with Sixteen Sheep, Three Dogs, Two Donkeys, and Me by Jon Katz

A sequel to the author's first book in a series about his life and dogs, this time detailing his first winter on a rundown farm in Vermont. Katz also adds his personal thoughts and philosophies to the narrative without slowing down the pace.

#117 Dog Days: Dispatches From Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz

Good entry into the Bedlam Farm series, though more of a journal than a series of consecutive events.

#118 Celia's House by D.E. Stevenson

This was a thoroughly enjoyable and gentle look at a family living on an old estate in Scotland in the early to mid 1900s. The characters are not shallow, but well developed, and I found myself getting involved in their trials, decisions, all the while wondering how the story would end. Recommended.

#119 The Brave Riders by Glenn Balch

Interesting, believable, straightforward tale of Pawnee teens on their first spiritual quest. The characters are not stereotypical, and include one youth who is silently critical of the leadership. Fine for preteens as the violence is not graphic.

#120 Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein

Interesting story of a teen going to one of Jupiter's moons in order to homestead. There's enough science to make the narrative believable, but not so much as to bore the reader. I liked it quite a bit, and am keeping my copy for a future reread.

And after that last and decent read from Heinlein, I follow with one of that author's books that I can't get past page 35 after two attempts. Out, out it goes!


#121 The Day After Tomorrow by Robert Heinlein

Struggled twice to read this, but now I'm giving up. I won't even blame my inability to get involved in the story to how dated it is. None of the characters are likable, and the plot isn't believable. (no stars)