SEPTEMBER ROOT - Progress Thread

DESSERT OF THE MONTH - DESSERT PUDDINGS








Password is ROOTS

“Ah, what an excellent thing is an English pudding!” raved Monsieur Misson de Valbourg, during a visit to England from France in the 1690s. While it’s unclear about which “pudding” de Valbourg rhapsodized, it is clear that there are vast numbers of ribsticking creations that get lumped under the deceptively simple title. Ancient pudding renditions included gruel-like mixtures of grain and fruit, and milky porridges served on holiday. But those simple dishes evolved to much tastier fare. Adrian Bailey, writing in TimeLife Book’s 1969, “The Cooking of the British Isles” defined a pudding as “any sweet, filling and satisfying dish that follows the main course.” Today, a pudding may mean anything from baked and fried dough, to steamed cakes, iced creams, syllabubs and flummeries.

Dessert puddings are rich, fairly homogeneous starch- or dairy-based desserts such as rice pudding or steamed cake mixtures such as treacle sponge pudding (with or without the addition of ingredients such as dried fruits as in a Christmas pudding). Puddings are made either by simmering on top of the stove in a saucepan or double boiler or by baking in an oven, often in a bain-marie. These puddings are easily scorched on the fire, which is why a double boiler is often used; microwave ovens are also now often used to avoid this problem and to reduce stirring.

Creamy puddings are typically served chilled, but a few, such as zabaglione and rice pudding, may be served warm."
In the United States and some parts of Canada, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, instant custards or a mousse, often commercially set using cornstarch, gelatin or similar collagen agent such as the Jell‑O brand line of products. In Commonwealth countries these foods are known as custards (or curds) if they are egg-thickened, blancmange if starch-thickened, and jelly if gelatin based. Pudding may also refer to other dishes such as bread pudding and rice pudding in North America, although typically these names derive from their origin as British dishes.

Puddings seem to be able to come a variety of shapes and flavors and the ingredients for that special taste can come from extracts to ordinary or extraordinary additions. You can have chocolate, fudge, vanilla, toffee, caramel, or butterscotch puddings but then you can have rice, tapioca, gingerbread, and bread puddings as well. Those seem to be regulars but what about the puddings with fruits or something else extraordinary at their core? You can use lemons, plums, bananas, mangos, raisins,figs, coconut, pumpkin, peanut butter, pecans, pralines, pistachios, even sweet potatoEs. You can even add a splash of maple syrup or rum or sherry or wine or any liqueur that you fancy.

Many countries even have their own special pudding. So, what is your favorite pudding?

Well, we just barely reached our goal for the month but next month may be easier. At the end of September anyone who hasn't read one ROOT or made any progress in the last 6 months will be removed from the group total.

So if you haven't read a ROOT in a while, better get reading!

The goal for September is 2,614.

The percentage is calculated and a star awarded for those on target to reach their goals. More stars for farther toward their goal.
If anyone's number is incorrect, please let me know and I will make the necessary adjustments.
So go out there and dig those ROOTs.

alexa_d 46 / 90 51.1%
Ameise1★ 16 / 10 160%
BENITA★ 59 / 55 107.3%
bragan 53 / 80 66.3%
brakketh 6 / 30 20.0%
brewergirl 1 / 30 3.3%
Caramellunacy 5 / 12 41.7%
ChelleBearss 11 / 30 36.7%
clue★ 31 / 30 103.3%
Coach_of_Alva 43 / 75 57.3%
connie53★ 40 / 36 111.1%
crazy4reading 16 / 38 42.1%
curioussquared 31 / 50 62.0%
CurrerBell 29 / 100 29.0%
cyderry★ 90 / 84 107.1%
detailmuse 26 / 44 59.1%
DisassemblyOfReason 50 / 75 ★ 66.7%
Donna828 2 / 30 6.7%
enemyanniemae★ 52 / 50 104.0%
Erratic_Charmer★ 43 / 30 143.3%
eshaw27 0 / 35 0.0%
FAMeulstee 122 / 150 ★★ 81.3%
Familyhistorian 63 / 65 ★★★★ 96.9%
floremolla 28 / 60 46.7%
fuzzi★ 108 / 100 108.0%
HelenBaker 35 / 54 64.8%
Henrik_Madsen 37 / 40 ★★★★ 92.5%
h-mb 9 / 20 45.0%
ILuvBookplates 2 / 10 20.0%
Jackie_K★ 51 / 48 106.3%
janoorani24 7 / 25 28.0%
johanna414 13 / 25 52.0%
kac522 24 / 40 60.0%
karenmarie 40 / 45 ★★★ 88.9%
Kristelh 30 / 50 60.0%
KWharton 3 / 14 21.4%
LadyBookworth★ 12 / 12 100.0%
LadyoftheLodge 91 / 100 ★★★ 91.0%
LauraBrook 88 / 100 ★★★ 88.0%
leslie.98 41 / 100 41.0%
lilisin★ 66 / 50 132.0%
lindapanzo★ 38 / 36 105.6%
lkernagh 13 / 45 28.9%
LoraShouse 15 / 20 ★★ 75.0%
Lori76 0 / 65 0.0%
madhatter22 11 / 60 18.3%
Majkia★ 69 / 50 138.0%
mandymarie20 4 / 10 40.0%
martencat 14 / 27 51.9%
midnightbex 6 / 50 12.0%
Miss_Moneypenny★ 79 / 50 158.0%
MissSos 12 / 25 48.0%
MissWatson 54 / 75 ★ 72.0%
mkunruh 16 / 50 32.0%
nebula21 27 / 35 ★★ 77.1%
Nickelini 18 / 20 ★★★ 90.0%
nrmay 0 / 50 0.0%
originalslicey 0 / 38 0.0%
Quaisior 10 / 50 20.0%
quiqui 7 / 24 29.2%
rabbitprincess 56 / 60 ★★★★ 93.3%
rainpebble★ 95 / 50 190.0%
readingtangent 36 / 48 ★★ 75.0%
Rebeki 20 / 24 ★★★ 83.3%
Robertgreaves 72 / 84 ★★★ 85.7%
rocketjk★ 21 / 20 105.0%
sallylou61 39 / 48 ★★ 81.3%
seascape 0 / 50 0.0%
si 13 / 16 ★★ 81.3%
sovay 2 / 30 6.7%
Tanya-dogearedcopy★ 30 / 25 120.0%
the_traveler 3 / 12 25.0%
torontoc 22 / 30 ★ 73.3%
vestafan 37 / 50 ★ 74.0%
wandaly 11 / 16 ★ 68.8%
zaydah09 0 / 20 0.0%



I don't think that we've ever had a person reach their goal so early in the year but LadyBookWorth has reached her goal!
LadyBookWorth, rainpebble, Erratic_Charmer, fuzzi, Majkia and Ameise1 have reached their goal and were joined this month by cyderry, Benita, Jackie_K, connie53, Tanya-thedogearedcopy, Miss_Moneypenny, clue, enemyanniemae, lilisin, lindapanzo, and rocketjk .

Next in line to join them are:

Familyhistorian 96.9%
rabbitprincess 93.3%
Henrik_Madsen 92.5%

Everybody keep cool and READ, READ, READ!!!

Thanks, Cheli. I thought I might make my goal last month but somehow ran out of days. I like pudding, English puddings that is, not the stuff they call pudding in Canada. Sticky toffee pudding is a good one and my mum used to make a steamed suet pudding with golden syrup - I haven't had that in decades.

I'm not a big fan of pudding, but to each their own. 8-)

I have two small ROOTs on the go now, so I should be able to achieve my goal this month. We'll see!

Thanks for all the numbers and for keeping the group on track, Cheli.

Thanks Chèli for keeping track for all of us.

My numbers are correct but they include the one ROOT I finished yesterday Het pauluslabyrint by Jeroen Windmeijer. So technically that is the #40 for the year and # 1 for September.
I did not add that one to the group tickers!

Thanks for the numbers thing, Chèli! I was distracted almost all August, so I need to pour some speed on. But with a vacation coming up where knitting, swimming and playing card games are the main pastimes, I won't make promises...

My favourite pudding as a kid was rice pudding with cherry sauce. I changed my mind after my first crème caramel. In France. Heaven.

I've yet to meet a pudding I didn't like.

Finished # 41 for the year # 2 for September

Op kamp by Mirjam Oldenhave

All Tickers updated

Inching even closer to my goal with Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth, by Frank Cottrell Boyce. The audio, read by Peter Capaldi, is such a delightful audiobook that this is actually the second time I'm reading it. The first time I've ever re-read an audiobook!

(And yes, I count re-reads as ROOTs, because they are in my library and also I want to make time to enjoy my favourites.)

I've updated all tickers.

I've just added my 1st ROOT for September (#52 for the year) to all tickers.

@ Chèli: I think something is wrong with Ameise's number. Barbara did read more then 1 book! ;-0

And thanks to having to wait for my daughter's swimming lesson to finish, I finished my 2nd ROOT of the month (#53 for the year) while I waited. All tickers updated.

I have finished my first ROOT of the month - my thread and all tickers updated. I see that I am still in the uncomfortable position of having no stars next to my name. Hopefully I will manage to get to my goal none the less...

>10 connie53: thanks, I fixed it.

Finished # 42 for the year # 3 for September

Operatie zeer ernstige ramp by Tosca Menten

All Tickers updated

I'm not sure where to post this, since I didn't see an Introduction thread, but I'm happy to join the ROOTs group and help bump numbers. I pretty much read only my own books; I'm not a fan of the library system where I live though I occasionally borrow e-books from here and from the library service where my parents live.

When you set the goal for the year, is it just a random, achievable number? I've been in the 75ers for years - although I have never reached the magic number, so I suppose I shouldn't just repost my 75 ticker.

>15 humouress: Welcome! Here's the intro to the group:

https://www.librarything.com/groups/2019rootreadourownto

Join the Group. Then add a ticker to the Ticker thread. And you can start your own thread, but that's optional.

Rules are pretty loose, but basically we're trying to get those older books read and outa here. My own "rule" is that any book I owned prior to Jan 1, 2019 is a "Root." Your goal on the ticker should be how many Roots you hope to read by December 31, 2019.

That's it!

>16 kac522: Oh and our Wonderful Fearless Leader Cheli (cyderry) does all the number crunching for us, so you just need to read those
Roots and keep your Roots ticker up to date, and she does the rest.

Plus she does cool themes each month to inspire us, so have some pudding and start reading!

*sigh* My doctor is not going to be happy about those puddings.

Do we have to get rid of the old books? I like to collect them for the nostalgia. (Quite apart from the fact that I'm a hoarder.)

>18 humouress: The idea is to provide motivation to read books that have been sitting around patiently on the TBR way too long, just waiting for you to open them.

What you do with them after you've read them, is completely up to you.

Your rules, your way.

>19 kac522: Kathy gave you all the right answers. Welcome to the ROOTers.

>15 humouress: Welcome to the group!

I've just added ROOT #3 for September (#54 for the year) to all tickers.

Let me add my thanks for all the tracking and motivating Chéli does. This was my first year with ROOTS but it won't be my last, it made a difference in getting me to look at the books I already have instead of shopping for new ones. One thing I should have asked about earlier is the tickers - I've been updating my own ticker and the two tickers at the top of the progress thread. Is that right or should I just update my own ticker and let Chéli take care of the group tickers?

>22 wandaly: Either way is OK but I believe that it is preferred to update the group tickers in order to make it easier for Chéli.

>15 humouress: Welcome! Personally I tend to keep most of my books (being also somewhat of a hoarder at least of books plus a person who rereads) but as >19 kac522: said, it is all up to you.

>16 kac522: >17 kac522: >19 kac522: >20 connie53: >21 Jackie_K: >23 leslie.98: Thanks everyone!

One more question (for now); rules are pretty loose and easy, right? I generally read books that I've had for a while - sometimes I desperately need to get a book (you know how it is, right), but once I've acquired it, it sits enshrined on my bookshelf. Very rarely, I do read a book I've bought recently, such as if I buy one to read for my book club. So, since those come from my shelves, I'm going to count them anyway. Or, as >16 kac522: says, do they have to be acquired in a prior year?

ETA: Okay; *deep breath* I shall go and set up a thread.

>24 humouress: Your challenge, your rules. I count a book as a ROOT when it has been on my shelves for 6 months or more. Some people count each book they read as a ROOT. But for me that does not work because I feel I leave those older books stranded.

>23 leslie.98: Same here, I don't sell or give a way my books. They just move to the 'read' section of my shelves.

>24 humouress: That's how I do it - I figure if a book is on my shelves (real or ebook), it is a ROOT. Some books just have deeper roots than others! I think I have a good mix of long-standing reads and new and shiny - for me it hasn't meant that I only read the new ones and leave the older ones languishing for even longer.

>24 humouress: I do the same, I count every book on my shelves (and e-reader). It could be there for a day or for more than 11 years (I started on LT in 2008), for me they all count as ROOTs. The majority of the ROOTs I read are books acquired before 2008.

>24 humouress: I count books that I acquired prior to the current year and also any ARC that I get (since they need to be read in a timely fashion). My problem is that along with those that are pre-2019 I also manage to get a bunch of ARCs! I also count any books that have been "lent" to me by a friend/family member, even though technically they are not my books, I don't like to keep someone else's too long. (I did finally return a book to my sister - she had lent it to me in 2009 - timely return - LOL)

>26 Jackie_K: I like that! Some of my books have deeper ROOTS than others too. I also prioritize my ARCs because I want to live up to my commitment to review them. As others have said, I count all of them, e-reader books or shelves, piles on the end tables, those in boxes, shopping bags, or crates (usually acquired at book sales). I also try to give away some of the books once I have read them, either to a book sale, Little Free Library, and the YMCA lending shelf.

I count only books that have been on my shelves sne the previous calendar year. My goal each year is to read more books from my ROOT list than I add on my shelves. So far, I have failed in that endeavor.

Added my second ROOT of September to all tickers: Running Blind, by Desmond Bagley. Only two more to reach my goal!

>15 humouress: how nice, you're joining us here, welcome!

My ROOTs are books I've acquired at least 365 days prior to reading them.

If I read them, they count as a ROOT.

If I decide that I'm probably NOT going to read them anytime soon, and they leave my home, they count as a ROOT.

If I can't finish reading them, and rehome them unfinished, they count as a ROOT.

I sometimes rehome my ROOT books, but not always: I love to reread.

I plan my ROOTs for each month by seeing if any of my books that qualify as ROOTs also qualify for another challenge here on LT, like AlphaKIT.

Now I will go search out your ROOT thread...

I'm endeavoring to make up a little for lost time and have managed to knock of 5 ROOTs so far this month :) My thread and all tickers updated.

I just posted my 65th ROOT which means I reached my goal. All future ROOTs will go towards the group total.

>36 leslie.98: Well done, Meg. Congratulations.

Congrats >34 Familyhistorian:!!

Congrats, Meg!

Yeah, Meg!

>34 Familyhistorian: Congratulations!!

Thanks everyone!

>34 Familyhistorian: Awesome - congratulations!

>34 Familyhistorian: excellent!

ROOT #4 added for September to all tickers (that takes me up to 55 ROOTs for the year to date).

Added ROOT 59/60 to all tickers: Medicine Walk, by Richard Wagamese.

I finished reading Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel. It almost makes me think seriously about stopping my purchase of banana’s. Here is my review of it.

This is one of the first books I entered into LT back in 2008. I read it for Suzanne's Nonfiction Challenge. The category was Raw Materials: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral.

This book almost makes me stop buying bananas. There is little good about the production of the fruit and lots that is good about the fruit itself. It is the production that causes the problems. The pursuit of profits around the fruit has had repercussions around the world. There is a reason why many Central and South American countries have acquired the moniker of "Banana Republics" and none of those reasons are good.

Politics aside the fruit is fascinating. It is also endangered. Endangered by man. There are few varieties of bananas. The bananas that we eat in the stores are all clones and therefore susceptible to genetic calamity. That kind of calamity befell the banana industry once and the banana that was previously eaten by most American's was destroyed by a fungus that is now threatening the one variety that proved immune to that fungus. The banana hasn't mutated. The fungus has - and there is no replacement for the fruit. What is really a problem that in many places in Africa and Asia, the bananas home territory the fruit supplies 70% of the caloric intake for millions of people. With that food source now gone or depleted and no replacement in sight, a true food calamity is knocking on the door of many of the world's poorest countries.

This was an amazing story and I encourage people to read it.

>45 benitastrnad: I've noticed in my time here in Indonesia the Cavendish banana has become more and more common, crowding out other kinds. I actually prefer Pisang Mas, a smaller, less curved, banana, usually eaten raw or fried in batter and drizzled with honey.

>46 Robertgreaves:
The author says that Malaysia is the home of the Banana and there are more varieties of Banana there than anywhere else on the planet. They have a variety of tastesm shapes and colors. The biggest problem with them is that they don’t ship well. Also, American’s would have to change their idea of what a banana is, what it looks like, and how it tastes. The American consumer doesn’t seem moved to do any of these.

I don’t know as many American’s have embraced the eating local and buying fresh home grown food, so maybe they would be willing to change.

>47 benitastrnad: My favourite banana anecdote is when I met somebody here who had been working in Portugal and she told me that in Portugal there is a popular green liqueur called Pisang Ambon, but most Portuguese people have no idea why it's called that. In fact pisang ambon is a type of Indonesian banana which has to be eaten while the skin is still green. If the skin is yellow it's already over-ripe.

#5 for September (#56 for the year) added to all tickers. This was Expecting: The Inner Life of Pregnancy and it was amazing - I'm fully expecting this to be my book of the year.

>48 Robertgreaves:
The author makes a point of saying that part of the reason why there is no replacement for the Cavendish banana is that Americans and the EU consumers have, so far, been unable to embrace the different colors of bananas. He says so far the banana has to remain yellow.

I bet that as soon as the Cavendish is gone that a massive advertising campaign will start and people will forget about the yellow banana. After all, they forgot about the Gros Michael.

Today I finished reading Handlingens kvinder, a Danish anthology on women's history, and so, with a book on my shelves for nearly two decades, I reached my goal for the year.

I look forward to contributing to the group total and basking in the glory of the overachiever!

I've added #6 for September (#57 for the year) to all tickers.

>51 Henrik_Madsen: Woo hoo, congratulations!!

>51 Henrik_Madsen: Well done!

I have been sidetracked into rereading a series but I started off strong this month so have added 8 ROOTs to my total so far this month. My thread and all tickers have been updated.

>51 Henrik_Madsen: Congratulations, well done!

>41 Henrik_Madsen: >42 fuzzi: Thanks!

Goodness, I need to pick up my pace. Well done to those reaching their goals. I am contemplating an Alphabet challenge to help focus myself for the rest of the year. I can report two books so far for the month: Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad. My other two books read don't count towards this challenge. Currently at 37/54.

>56 HelenBaker: What did you think about The Bookseller of Kabul?

I really enjoyed it when I read it many years ago, but there was a good deal of controversy afterwards because the actual bookseller couldn't recognize himself in the book.

#7 for September (#58 for the year) added to all tickers.

3 of my 7 ROOTs this month have been editions of Elementum journal which is just fantastic, I thoroughly recommend it. I can't wait for the next edition, which is out towards the end of the year.

GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLL

I have achieved my target of 84 ROOTS.

ROOTS read in September:

A Sea of Sorrow, collaborative novel by a group of authors.
Death in Holy Orders by P. D. James
Ghost Ship by Neil Placky
The Essays: A Selection by Michel de Montaigne
Beautiful People by Simon Doonan
Full Moon by P. G. Wodehouse
The Gardens of Delight by Ian Watson
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Legend of A Suicide by David Vann
The Interpreter by Diego Marani
The Long Divorce by Edmund Crispin
The Last Pagan by Adrian Murdoch

Tickers updated.

I will of course add any more ROOTs to the group total.

>57 Henrik_Madsen:. I also really enjoyed it. Though it was non-fiction, it read like fiction. It provided a great snapshot of a family and a culture constantly adapting to a changing political climate.

>59 Robertgreaves: Hooray, well done!

>59 Robertgreaves: Congrats, Robert!

>59 Robertgreaves: Hurray, congratulations!

>59 Robertgreaves: Yeah!!!

Read #23 for the year and first ROOT for Sept . Review is on my thread and not tickers updated.

>59 Robertgreaves: Congrats!

I listened to the Ruta Sepetys book Salt to the Sea on the way over to Atlanta last weekend. The recorded version had a full cast and it was well done. This is a YA novel and is about the sinking of the Wilhelmina Geostloff, a ship with 10,000 refugees on board. They were fleeing the Russian Army advance into East Prussia in January 1945. It is the maritime disaster with the most loss of life in history. Sepetys is making a name for herself as an author of notable historical fiction and she does a good job of telling the story.

When I finished the first recorded book I took with me I popped in the next one which I finished listening to this last week. Flame in the Mist is a YA fantasy novel by Renee Ahdiehand it too made the miles fly by. It is not the best YA fantasy novel I have listened to, but it was interesting enough to keep me listening. This is part of a new series the author is writing so I will get to find out how the story ends when the next installment is published.

>20 connie53: good job, congratulations!!

I've only read six books this month, but three were ROOTs. My personal ticker has been updated.

Back to report another root #38, Restoration by Rose Tremain. I think this would be my favourite book this year. I absolutely loved it.

>59 Robertgreaves: Congratulations - very well done!

(And some interesting books from september as well.)

I've just added #8 for September (#59 for the year) to all tickers.

Over the weekend I finished another ROOT. Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman was for my real live book discussion group. It was not what I expected, but it was a good book. A more hopeful view of WWII. I was not that impressed with Ackerman's writing style.

Unexpectedly I've been able to sneak in another one this evening - #9 for this month, #60 for the year, and my first ever Sherlock Holmes book. I've added it to all tickers.

#24 for the year and number 2 this Sept- review is on my thread and no tickers updated.

I have finished #51 for the year and tenth for the month of September :) My thread and all tickers have been updated.

>74 Jackie_K: Your first ever Sherlock Homes????

Did you love it?

Just got back from a wonderful 10 day vacation in Fiji where on top of island hopping, snorkeling, swimming with reef sharks and manta rays, soaking up the sun, meeting other friendly solo travelers and quickly becoming friends, hermit crab racing, and also lots of little naps soaking up the wonderful sun, and watching every variation possible in a sunset, I also managed to read 5 books. What a perfect vacation it was.

Keigo Higashino : Salvation of a Saint
John Wyndham : The Day of the Triffids
Ursula K. Le Guin : The Lathe of Heaven
Pearl S. Buck : The Good Earth
Sheila Heiti : Motherhood

>74 Jackie_K: I read Sherlock Holmes for the first time a few years ago, after reading books about him and his apprentice, written by Laurie R. King.

>78 lilisin: I really liked The Lathe of Heaven.

>77 cyderry: Yes, can you believe it? I didn't *love* it, but I enjoyed it more than a lot of classics.

>78 lilisin: That does sound like a perfect holiday! I'd like to read the Sheila Heti book.

And that's #10 for the month (#61 for the year) added to all tickers. I'm hoping I'll finish at least one more before the end of the month.

OMG! This is our cake - dessert with books!

>82 cyderry: Love it!

>82 cyderry: WOW.

Another root for this month, Restless by William Boyd. My first spy thriller too. Hoping for one more before month's end to get back on track.

YUM!
I finished #25 for the year and number #3 for Sept- review is on my thread and no tickers updated.

I have finished several more ROOTs since my last update here :) My thread and all tickers updated.

I managed one more, Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland, taking me to #40/54. Trying for another in the last two days of the month...

I finished Travels With Herodotus by the great Polish journalist Ryzsard Kapuscinski. This one was a wonderful meditation on the value of an ancient classic - the books of Herodotus, and how they are still relevant and applicable today. This was an amazing read. Kapuscinski died in 2007 but he was said to be on short lists for the Nobel Prize prior to that. After reading this bookI can understand why. It was so well written and so well translated. Kudos should go to the translator as well.

I finished Red Rising by Pierce Brown for the local Barnes & Nobel Book Club and enjoyed reading this one so much that it took me about a week to finish it. This one was a book bullet from Joe Walsh a few years ago and because it was the discussion book for this month I decided that now was a good time to read it. This is much like many of the war games types of books that have been published recently in lots of different formats, but it is very well done. It is a dystopian Sci/Fi thriller that keeps a person on the edge of their chair. The writing is good and the plot is different and very exciting with plenty of action and a little romance among the way.

This is the first book in a series and I will read the next one.

>90 benitastrnad: That sounds really good. I have had the book sitting on my shelves for a couple of years - maybe it's time to get to it soon!

Just met my goal with a Doctor Who audio drama from Big Finish: The Diary of River Song, Series 3. All tickers are up to date, and I'm going to contribute the rest of my 2019 ROOTS to the group total.

Well done, rabbitprincess.

>93 rabbitprincess: Congrats!

I finished 8 more this month for a total of 60. I'll update my personal ticker.

>93 rabbitprincess: >59 Robertgreaves: >34 Familyhistorian: Congratulations on your goals!

I managed one more in 24 hours, I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson. My tally is 41/50.

I finished the delightful Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. This book was a fun book to read, with the author managing to pull off scenes that made me laugh out loud and scenes of incredible pathos as well. It probably is unfortunate that this book got labeled as Women's Fiction. It is not just Chick Lit. This is a really well done novel.

I hope to get one more finished tonight and so will report my monthly total in the morning .

>59 Robertgreaves: >93 rabbitprincess: Congrats Robert and RP! I read 12 ROOTs for the month of September.

Cogratulations to everyone who met their goal this month!

With 25 ROOTs read this month, I reached 147 of 150 at the end of September.
All tickers updated.

Just one ROOT done for September and right before the cut-off - the 732-page The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir. Really proud to have finished this one!

>98 benitastrnad: I loved Eleanor as well. My mum practically snatched the book out of my hands as soon as I'd finished it, and she loved it too.

My vacation seriously ate into my reading time, so I have reached 56 out of 75, as of September 30. Hoping for better luck next month.

Good job everyone! And if you've not yet met your goal, a new month awaits you. :)

I managed to finish Hidden Child by Camilla Lackberg just before the midnight on Sunday, September 28. I know this isn't a race, but it was good to finish this novel and be able to count it for September. It was a good novel, but slow to start. About 100 pages into it, things got interesting, but this author keeps distracting the reader with all the domestic issues that the main characters have going on in their lives that are not part of the mystery. The mysteries are good reading, but I think they should be severely edited as their is just to much extemporaneous stuff in them for my tastes.

I had a good month. I read 5 books this month that were off of my extensive TBR pile and list. All of them were good reads, but Travels With Herodotus really stands out as does Red Rising. I think that Red Rising is the best SciFi/Fantasy book I have read this year.

1. Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World by Dan Koeppel
2. Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
3. Travels With Herodotus by Ryszand Kapuscinski
4. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
5. Hidden Child by Camilla Lackberg

I listened to 3 novels this month on my daily commute and while driving around town. Salt to the Sea was a very well done narration, with different readers for different characters, even if the novel wasn't a "fun" novel to read. However, the best recorded book this month was without a doubt, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. The narrator was outstanding and there were some hilarious laugh out loud scenes that made me laugh out loud. A writer and a reader who can do that combines for some great listening.

1. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
2. Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
3. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

My total for the month of September was 8 ROOTS. No tickers updated.

October thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/311734

Checking in here late to mention that I read my 22nd off-the-shelf book during September, Action at Aquila by Hervey Allen. This is a mostly enjoyable historical novel about the Civil War, originally published in 1938. This was my 22nd off the shelf book of the year, which isn't too bad given that my year's goal was 20.

>111 rocketjk: Congratulations for meeting and surpassing your goal!

Good Job, Jerry. Congrats!