rabbitprincess reads ROOTS with will and determination, and grace, too, in 2020

Back again for another year of ROOTing. This year my Category Challenge revolves around the songs of The Tragically Hip, so I've carried the theme over to this group.

The title of my thread comes from the song Grace, Too, off the album Day for Night.

My goal for the year is 60 ROOTS. Everything counts: old, new, unread, re-read. If it's in my library, I want to enjoy it.




I'm still plugging away at the really old books in my stacks for which I haven't written reviews. Sometimes I suspect I shall never finish.




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

I definitely went in the wrong direction. Last year's ticker started at 100. This year's starts at 159. *ah heh*

Turns out 2018 was a fluke for reading all of the books in my Pool. That said, I've stuck to the same number of books for the 2020 edition.



2020 reading list
Italics = books off the shelf. Bold = Favourite book of the month. (Parenthetical notes) = audio, rereads, and other relevant information.

January
1. The Bellamy Trial, by Frances Noyes Hart (Faded Page)
2. North Korea Journal, by Michael Palin
3. The Mystery of the Chinese Junk, by Franklin W. Dixon
4. Gender and Our Brains: How New Neuroscience Explodes the Myths of the Male and Female Brains, by Gina Rippon
5. Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 1: Terrorformer (ebook)
6. The Last Nine Minutes: The Story of Flight 981, by Moira Johnston
7. Solomon Gursky Was Here, by Mordecai Richler
8. 1967, le Québec entre deux mondes, by Jean Rey
9. Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 2: Fractures, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Brian Williamson and Mariano Laclaustra (ebook)
10. Gold from Crete, by C. S. Forester
11. The Crooked Hinge, by John Dickson Carr
12. Verdict of Twelve, by Raymond Postgate
13. A Short History of Progress, by Ronald Wright
14. Effin’ Birds, by Aaron Reynolds
15. Dread Journey, by Dorothy B. Hughes
16. The Mystery of Orcival, by Emile Gaboriau (Serial Reader)
17. Gold for Prince Charlie, by Nigel Tranter
18. The Personality Brokers: The Strange History of Myers-Briggs and the Birth of Personality Testing, by Merve Emre
19. Flying Beyond: The Canadian Commercial Pilot Textbook, by Chris Hobbs
20. Tall Tales and Wee Stories, by Billy Connolly
21. Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime, by Val McDermid
22. A Taste for Honey, by H. F. Heard
23. Airline Maps: A Century of Art and Design, by Mark Ovenden and Maxwell Roberts

February
24. Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton
25. Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 3: Hyperion, written by Robbie Morrison and George Mann; illustrated by Daniel Indro and Mariano Laclaustra (ebook)
26. What You Pay For, by Claire Askew
27. Airport, by Arthur Hailey
28. Now We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of Time Lord Verse, written by James Goss and illustrated by Russell T. Davies
29. Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives, by Daniel J. Levitin
30. Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, Vol. 4: The School of Death, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Rachael Stott and Simon Fraser (ebook)
31. Death from a Top Hat, by Clayton Rawson
32. Is It All in Your Head?: True Stories of Imaginary Illness, by Suzanne O’Sullivan
33. Ape and Essence, by Aldous Huxley (reread)
34. The Beatles from A to Zed: An Alphabetical Mystery Tour, by Peter Asher
35. Canada and Impressionism: New Horizons, by the National Gallery of Canada
36. Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha’s Vineyard, by Nora Ellen Groce
37. The Eejits, by Roald Dahl, translated by Matthew Fitt
38. Doctor Who: Shroud of Sorrow, by Tommy Donbavand (CloudLibrary)
39. 887, by Robert Lepage (translated by Louisa Blair)
40. Millions, by Frank Cottrell Boyce
41. The Plotters, by Gareth Roberts
42. Jet Age: The Comet, the 707, and the Race to Shrink the World, by Sam Howe Verhovek
43. In Her Wake, by Amanda Jennings

March
44. Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada, by Anna Brownell Jameson
45. Murder in Mesopotamia, by Agatha Christie (CloudLibrary)
46. Cardiff Castle and the Marquesses of Bute, by Matthew Williams
47. The Book of Forgotten Authors, by Christopher Fowler
48. The Bastard Brigade: The True Story of the Renegade Scientists and Spies Who Sabotaged the Nazi Atomic Bomb, by Sam Kean
49. The Tiger in the Smoke, by Margery Allingham
50. Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, by Matthew Walker
51. The Doctors: Time and Space Collection, by Adam Hargreaves
52. Strike North, by W. Howard Baker
53. Four Queens: The Provençal Sisters Who Ruled Europe, by Nancy Goldstone
54. Twelve Angels Weeping, by Dave Rudden
55. Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon
56. Doctor Third, by Adam Hargreaves (CloudLibrary)
57. The Day She Saved the Doctor, by Jacqueline Rayner, Jenny T. Colgan, Susan Calman, and Dorothy Koomson
58. Wives and Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell (Serial Reader)
59. Gun Before Butter, by Nicolas Freeling
60. Watership Down, by Richard Adams (audio, read by Peter Capaldi)
61. Moone Boy: The Blunder Years, by Chris O’Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy (audio, read by the authors)
62. City of Death, by James Goss (from a story by David Fisher)
63. Ships in the Bay!, by D. K. Broster

April
64. Effective Data Storytelling, by Brent Dykes
65. Cop Killer, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (translated by Thomas Teal)
66. Our Man in Havana, by Graham Greene
67. Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 5: The Twist, written by George Mann and illustrated by Mariano Laclaustra and Rachael Stott
68. Doctor Who: Darkstar Academy & Day of the Cockroach, by Mark Morris and Steve Lyons (audio, read by Alexander Armstrong and Arthur Darvill)
69. Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, by Tanya Talaga
70. Doctor Fifth, by Adam Hargreaves (CloudLibrary)
71. Isvik, by Hammond Innes (abandoned)
72. ATA Girl, by Gemma Page, Victoria Saxton, Helen Goldwyn, and Jane Slavin (Big Finish audio drama)
73. The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy (re-read)
74. 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics, by Bruce Goldfarb
75. The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot (Serial Reader)
76. Here Be Dragons, by Sharon Kay Penman
77. An English Murder, by Cyril Hare
78. Piece of Cake, by Derek Robinson
79. The Diary of River Song, Series 4 (Big Finish audio drama)
80. Vampires of Ottawa, by Eric Wilson

May
81. The Travelling Cat Chronicles, by Hiro Arikawa (translated by Philip Gabriel) (Overdrive)
82. The Merry Heart: Selections 1980–1995, by Robertson Davies
83. Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, by Neil deGrasse Tyson
84. When Days Are Long: Nurse in the North, by Amy Wilson
85. Doctor Who and the War Games, by Malcolm Hulke
86. The Thick of It: The Missing DoSAC Files, by Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche and Ian Martin (reread)
87. The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence
88. Beware of the Trains, by Edmund Crispin
89. French Exit, by Patrick deWitt
90. The End of the Line, by Stephen Legault (Overdrive, abandoned)
91. Main Street, by Sinclair Lewis (Serial Reader, abandoned)
92. A Rising Man, by Abir Mukherjee
93. La Reine étranglée, by Maurice Druon
94. A Matter of Malice, by Thomas King (Overdrive)
95. The Field Guide to Understanding ‘Human Error’, by Sidney Dekker
96. Family Matters, by Anthony Rolls (Overdrive)

June
97. Murder by Matchlight, by E.C.R. Lorac (Overdrive)
98. The Coral Island, by R. M. Ballantyne (Serial Reader, abandoned)
99. The Grand Scuttle: The Sinking of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow in 1919, by Dan Van der Vat (abandoned)
100. Doctor Who and the Tomb of the Cybermen, written by Gerry Davis and read by Michael Kilgarriff and Nicholas Briggs
101. Doctor Who: Hunters of Earth (Destiny of the Doctor, #1), written by Nigel Robinson and read by Carole Ann Ford and Tam Williams
102. Microserfs, by Douglas Coupland (re-read)
103. The Colour of Murder, by Julian Symons (Overdrive)
104. The Mabinogion, translated by Sioned Davies
105. Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen, by Dan Heath
106. Murder Unprompted, by Simon Brett
107. The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, by Katherine Sharp Landdeck (Overdrive)
108. The Christmas Card Crime and Other Stories, ed. Martin Edwards (Overdrive)
109. The Body in the Dumb River, by George Bellairs (Overdrive)
110. The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons: The History of the Human Brain As Revealed by True Stories of Trauma, Madness, and Recovery, by Sam Kean
111. Lords of the Storm, by David A. McIntee

July
112. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King
113. Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature, by Margaret Atwood
114. The Souls of Black Folk, by W. E. B. Du Bois (Serial Reader)
115. The Captain, by Jan de Hartog
116. Surfeit of Suspects, by George Bellairs (Overdrive)
117. Trans-Canada Rail Guide, by Melissa Graham
118. The Women of the Copper Country, by Mary Doria Russell
119. Murder in the Mill-Race, by E. C. R. Lorac (Overdrive)
120. King Lear, by William Shakespeare
121. Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne, translated by Robert Baldrick (re-read)
122. Death in Captivity, by Michael Gilbert (Overdrive)
123. Chop Suey Nation: The Legion Cafe and Other Stories from Canada’s Chinese Restaurants, by Ann Hui (Overdrive)
124. Brewed in the North: A History of Labatt’s, by Matthew J. Bellamy
125. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North
126. Thinking Inside the Box: Adventures with Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who Can't Live Without Them, by Adrienne Raphel
127. Beautiful Scars: Steeltown Secrets, Mohawk Skywalkers and the Road Home, by Tom Wilson (Overdrive)
128. Things Ain’t What They Used to Be, by Philip Glenister
129. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass
130. The Daughters of Chivalry: The Forgotten Children of King Edward Longshanks, by Kelcey Wilson-Lee
131. Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet, by Heather Poole
132. Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen (re-read) (Serial Reader)
133. False Value, by Ben Aaronovitch
134. This is the World, by Miroslav Sasek

August
135. Helen McNicoll: Life & Work, by Samantha Burton
136. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (audio, read by Stephen Fry)
137. The Detective Wore Silk Drawers, by Peter Lovesey
138. Any Night of the Week: A D.I.Y. History of Toronto Music, 1957-2001, by Jonny Dovercourt
139. Paths of Glory, by Jeffrey Archer (audio, read by Roger Allam)
140. Les Belles-Soeurs, by Michel Tremblay
141. Toe Blake: Winning is Everything, by Paul Logothetis
142. The Tenth Doctor Adventures, Vol. 1 (Big Finish audio drama)
143. A Darker Domain, by Val McDermid
144. Ridgerunner, by Gil Adamson
145. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland, by Patrick Radden Keefe
146. Shroud for a Nightingale, by P. D. James
147. This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, by Daniel J. Levitin
148. Deep Waters: Mystery on the Waves, ed. Martin Edwards
149. How Music Works, by David Byrne
150. Blue Lightning, by Ann Cleeves
151. Partners in Crime, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser)
152. In a House of Lies, by Ian Rankin
153. Twenty Years at Hull House, by Jane Addams (Serial Reader)
154. Witch Hunt, by Jack Harvey (aka Ian Rankin)

September
155. The Periodic Table: A Very Short Introduction, by Eric R. Scerri
156. Plague City, by Jonathan Morris
157. Confessions of a Bookseller, by Shaun Bythell
158. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (re-read)
159. Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina, by Chris Frantz
160. Five Little Indians, by Michelle Good
161. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams (audio, read by Martin Freeman)
162. Bloody Murder, by Julian Symons
163. The Scheme for Full Employment, by Magnus Mills
164. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton
165. Gideon’s Night, by J. J. Marric
166. The Ghost at Skeleton Rock, by Franklin W. Dixon (Overdrive)
167. Dalek Empire 2.1: Dalek War, Chapter 1, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
168. All Things Consoled: A Daughter’s Memoir, by Elizabeth Hay (Overdrive)
169. User Friendly: How the Hidden Rules of Design Are Changing the Way We Live, Work, and Play, by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant
170. Indians on Vacation, by Thomas King
171. And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Dan Stevens)
172. Dalek Empire 2.2: Dalek War, Chapter 2, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
173. Sixty Degrees North: Around the World in Search of Home, by Malachy Tallack
174. Dead Water, by Ann Cleeves (Overdrive)
175. Dalek Empire 2.3: Dalek War, Chapter 3, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
176. Soap and Water and Common Sense: The Definitive Guide to Viruses, Bacteria, Parasites, and Disease, by Dr. Bonnie Henry
177. The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, by Dorothy Gilman (re-read)

October
178. Parting Shot, by Linwood Barclay
179. Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain, by David Eagleman
180. Dalek Empire 2.4: Dalek War, Chapter 4, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
181. The Mark on the Door, by Franklin W. Dixon
182. The Big Life of Little Richard, by Mark Ribowsky
183. Sex Power Money, by Sara Pascoe
184. Mary Barton, by Elizabeth Gaskell (Serial Reader / Project Gutenberg, abandoned)
185. The Little Book of Big Feelings, by Maureen “Marzi” Wilson
186. Death Under Sail, by C. P. Snow
187. Uncrowned Queen: The Life of Margaret Beaufort, Mother of the Tudors, by Nicola Tallis (abandoned)
188. Jago & Litefoot & Strax: The Haunting, by Justin Richards (Big Finish audio drama)
190. The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, by Siddhartha Mukherjee — 4 stars
191. Kind of Coping: An Illustrated Look at Life with Anxiety, by Maureen “Marzi” Wilson
192. The Honjin Murders, by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Louise Heal Kawai
193. The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman
194. Doctor Who: The Time Machine (Destiny of the Doctor, #11), by Matt Fitton (audio, read by Jenna Coleman, Michael Cochrane, and Nicholas Briggs)
195. Agent Sonya: Moscow’s Most Daring Wartime Spy, by Ben Macintyre
196. jPod, by Douglas Coupland (re-read)
197. Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 6: Sonic Boom, by Robbie Morrison, illustrated by Mariano Lacaustra and Rachael Stott (ebook)

November
197. The Inugami Curse, by Seishi Yokomizo, translated by Yumiko Yamakazi
198. Shooting Script, by Gavin Lyall
199. The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria: The Sinking of the World’s Most Glamorous Ship, by Greg King and Penny Wilson
200. The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books, by Martin Edwards
201. The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking), by Katie Mack
202. The Case of the Missing Marquess, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)
203. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Modern Pop from Bill Haley to Beyoncé, by Bob Stanley
204. Doctor Who: Shadow of Death (Destiny of the Doctor, #2), by Simon Guerrier (audio, read by Frazer Hines and Evie Dawnay)
205. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams (reread)
206. Still Life, by Val McDermid
207. Murder in the Crooked House, by Soji Shimada (translated by Louise Heal Kawai)
208. The Devil and the Dark Water, by Stuart Turton
209. Warriors and Witches and Damn Rebel Bitches: Scottish Women to Live Your Life By, by Mairi Kidd
210. Dementia: A Very Short Introduction, by Kathleen Taylor
211. Le Lotus bleu, by Hergé
212. The Hog’s Back Mystery, by Freeman Wills Crofts
213. Lancaster: The Forging of a Very British Legend, by John Nichol
214. The Green Gables Detectives, by Eric Wilson (reread)
215. The Informer, by Liam O’Flaherty

December
216. The Traveller and Other Stories, by Stuart Neville
217. Amorality Tale, by David Bishop
218. The Glass Room, by Ann Cleeves
219. The Less Dead, by Denise Mina
220. Railway Nation: Tales of Canadian Pacific, the World’s Greatest Travel System, by David Laurence Jones
221. When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error, by Danielle Ofri
222. Stalking Point, by Duncan Kyle
223. Man Overboard!, by Freeman Wills Crofts
224. More Than a Woman, by Caitlin Moran
225. An Overdose of Death, by Agatha Christie (re-read)
226. The Role I Played: Canada’s Greatest Olympic Hockey Team, by Sami Jo Small
227. Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy!, by Claire McNear
228. The Relentless Moon, by Mary Robinette Kowal (Overdrive)
229. The Answer Is… Reflections on My Life, by Alex Trebek (audio, read by Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings)
230. Moon of the Crusted Snow, by Waubgeshig Rice (CloudLibrary) — 3.5 stars
231. Doctor Who: Shockwave (Destiny of the Doctor, #7), by James Swallow (audio, read by Sophie Aldred and Ian Brooker)
232. Relax, Dammit!: A User’s Guide to the Age of Anxiety, by Timothy Caulfield
233. Thin Air, by Ann Cleeves (Overdrive)
234. Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World, by Meredith Broussard
235. Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville, by Mary Somerville (Project Gutenberg)
236. Myths of the Norsemen, by Roger Lancelyn Green (re-read)

Best of luck to you!

Best of luck with your 2020 ROOTs goal!

Welcome back and good luck. I don’t even dare doing a 1:1 goal...

Welcome back, RP. Happy ROOTing.

Best of luck for both reading your roots and your 2 for 1.
Happy reading!

Hooray, RP is back for another year! Have a great year of reading and travelling!

Wishing you a good reading year in 2020, RP!

>3 Sace: Thanks! I'm glad you're back with us :)

>4 Familyhistorian: Thanks! I will need it ;)

>5 Henrik_Madsen: Thanks, Henrik! It's pretty ambitious, and sometimes demoralizing, but it's a good goal for me to keep in mind.

>6 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

>7 LadyBookworth: Thanks, LB! :)

>8 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie! Fall 2020 will hopefully see some travelling.

>9 leslie.98: Thanks, Leslie, and to you as well!

Happy new year and happy ROOTing, RP!

Happy new year, RP, and happy reading in 2020!

Happy New Year and much good reading! Great to see you again. Thank you for being one of my motivators- I love reading your lists and stats.

>12 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen! :)

>13 floremolla: Thanks, Donna, and to you as well!

>14 enemyanniemae: Thanks, EAM! I'm touched that my lists and stats are a motivating force :) They are fun to put together.

****

I'm starting 2020 right out of the gate with a public-domain ebook.

The Bellamy Trial, by Frances Noyes Hart
ROOT 1 of 60
Source: Faded Page
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/175952780

This is one of the earliest courtroom mysteries and is presented well, with each chapter being one day in the trial. The chapters are a bit long, which is why I didn't end up finishing it in 2019. Read the last three today. I didn't guess the verdict. Good stuff.

Happy New Year, RP

Welcome back! I'm intrigued with your theme and always in awe of your Pool progress.

Happy New Year, rp, and good luck with your 2:1 plans!

Happy New Year and happy reading, RP!

>16 Robertgreaves: Thanks, Robert, and to you as well!

>17 detailmuse: Glad to see you back as well! Hoping this year I'll finish the Pool :)

>18 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

>19 Miss_Moneypenny: Thanks! It should be a fun reading year :)

>15 rabbitprincess: Congrats on the first ROOT of the year!

>21 curioussquared: Thanks! I've chalked up another, and it's going out of the house :)

****

The Mystery of the Chinese Junk, by Franklin W. Dixon
ROOT 2 of 60
Source: library book sale
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/116423109

This is a threadbare entry in the Hardy Boys series, with cringe-inducing stereotypes. There are better books in the series.

Last weekend I was really cramming in the shorter reads. Hoping to stockpile some more short ones on my iPad to read in snippets during the week.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 1: Terrorformer, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Dave Taylor with Mariano Laclaustra
ROOT 3 of 60
Source: Doctor Who comics Humble Bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162695053

I have a big (virtual) stack of Doctor Who comics to get through, and what better place to start for me than with Twelve? I liked the stories themselves but felt the art didn't really capture Peter as I would expect. At least not in the comics themselves; the cover is good, and some of the alternate covers are great.

Another weekend, another Doctor Who comic!

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 2: Fractures, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Brian Williamson and Mariano Laclaustra
ROOT 4 of 60
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162695079

The art in this one more closely reflected Twelve, in my opinion, hence 4 stars rather than the 3.5 for the previous volume. (I looooove the fedora Twelve wears in "Gangland"!) The writing remains strong; Morrison has captured Twelve's voice for me.

Hi RP!

>15 rabbitprincess: I'm going to find a free download of The Bellamy Trial - an early year BB for me!

>25 karenmarie: Excellent! I'm glad that one is proving popular :)

****

Gold from Crete, by C. S. Forester
ROOT 5 of 60
Source: By the Lake Books, Burlington, ON
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/149484039

A collection of WW2 naval stories, including a counterfactual that I didn't read (I am DONE with alternate histories of WW2). The stories were OK, but not as good as The Man in the Yellow Raft.

Verdict of Twelve, by Raymond Postgate
ROOT 6 of 60
Source: bought somewhere in Scotland in 2018
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/160724151

Content warning for animal cruelty, and some typical-for-1940s-literature stereotyping of women and non-WASP people. Structurally this was an interesting book, but I found The Bellamy Trial a more interesting case (and it didn't have animal cruelty).

It's amazing how dated some of the books -- like the Dixon's and Carolyn Keene's and so on have become. Unreadable, really. I think I read somewhere that they've updated Nancy Drew where necessary.

>22 rabbitprincess:, >27 sibylline: I do love the nostalgia ... but I re-read a Nancy Drew a couple years ago where she was robbed and attempts were made on her life and her Dad was just, OK bye, be careful. !!

>27 sibylline: I am pretty sure that Nancy Drew has been updated over the years. I had 5-6 of my mother's Nancy Drew books (printed in the 1930s) growing up and then accidentally checked out one of them from the library and several things had been changed & that was in the late 1960s/early 70s.

>27 sibylline: They've updated the Hardy Boys as well, I think. And the newer books featuring the Hardys seem to have made them younger.

>28 detailmuse: Haha such a far cry from the helicopter parenting we hear about today!

>29 leslie.98: Yes, I think they rewrote some books in both series. There was one Hardy Boys, I think it was The Phantom Freighter, that had been totally rewritten in the 70s. I read the original, but the plot summary on Goodreads described the rewrite, and I was totally confused for a moment!

****

Thank goodness for public-domain ebooks to keep my ROOT total ticking along.

The Mystery of Orcival, by Emile Gaboriau
ROOT 7 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/176645336

This was rather dull in places, interesting only as a curiosity of early detective fiction.

Boy, I feel good about myself, getting to a historical fiction novel in my Pool so early in the year.

Gold for Prince Charlie, by Nigel Tranter
ROOT 8 of 60
Source: probably bought this in Wigtown (it was on my 2014 trip to Scotland)
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/109001354

This book is the conclusion to Tranter's MacGregor trilogy. All three books in the trilogy read quickly for historical fiction, each only a couple of hundred pages. This one takes place shortly after Culloden and features Bonnie Prince Charlie, so if that period interests you, this book might as well.

Good job, RP!

>26 rabbitprincess: I rated Verdict of Twelve 3 stars but was mostly disappointed with it, too. I haven't kept it on my shelves.

You remind me that I have some books by Tranter on my shelf that I have never read, RP. Maybe I should get to them sometime soon.

>32 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

>33 karenmarie: I'm not planning to keep my copy either. I'll pass it along to my friend who also reads British Library Crime Classics.

>34 Familyhistorian: Let me know which ones you do get to! I still have lots of them to read as well.

****

January recap: 8 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 8)
* = Book from the Pool

The Bellamy Trial, by Frances Noyes Hart (Faded Page)
*The Mystery of the Chinese Junk, by Franklin W. Dixon
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 1: Terrorformer, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Dave Taylor with Mariano Laclaustra (ebook)
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 2: Fractures, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Brian Williamson and Mariano Laclaustra (ebook)
*Gold from Crete, by C. S. Forester
Verdict of Twelve, by Raymond Postgate
The Mystery of Orcival, by Emile Gaboriau (Serial Reader)
*Gold for Prince Charlie, by Nigel Tranter

ROOT of the month: Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 2

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 3
In progress: 0
On deck: 0

I had a pretty good start with ROOTs, then got derailed by the library, again. Going to boost my numbers with some short books, such as my Doctor Who comics, and get back into the Pool.

You're getting a lot of reading done, even if there aren't as many from the Pool as you'd like - still plenty of time to catch up. The Bellamy Trial sounds intriguing - it's added to my wishlist!

>36 floremolla: Hi Donna! I really liked that one. Much better than Verdict of Twelve in my opinion.

My reading was indirectly helped by the fact that work has been exhausting; I haven't been going out at all in the evenings and have been staying in most weekends, preferring instead to read and sleep.

>37 rabbitprincess: reading and sleeping are perfect antidotes to a busy work-life :)

>38 floremolla: Indeed! The reading in particular has helped keep me centred.

****

I seem to have instituted a custom of "Doctor Who Sundays": watching an episode of the show, reading a bit of Doctor Who Magazine, and indulging in a comic book.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 3: Hyperion, written by Robbie Morrison and George Mann; illustrated by Daniel Indro and Mariano Laclaustra (ebook)
ROOT 9 of 60
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162695098

Another enjoyable Twelfth Doctor comic. Robbie Morrison really gets Twelve's voice :) The historical story had the better art, but the futuristic story itself was more interesting.

>39 rabbitprincess: Now, that sounds to me like an excellent way to spend a Sunday!

HA -- thought of you when I saw this:
https://bookriot.com/2020/01/29/ideas-for-nancy-drews-90th-birthday-that-arent-k...

It prompted me to pull out Girl Sleuth, about Nancy's publisher and writers.

>40 bragan: Hoping to keep it up when the show ends for the season -- could indulge in some of the extra features on the Peter Capaldi Years blu-ray I bought (which was actually what prompted me to finally buy a blu-ray player, haha).

>41 detailmuse: I literally laughed out loud at #5! Hope you like Girl Sleuth -- I thought it was great!

Second ROOT of February (apparently I forgot about the Doctor Who comic I read on Sunday, duh).

Now We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of Time Lord Verse, written by James Goss and illustrated by Russell T. Davies
ROOT 10 of 60
Source: Christmas gift
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/163581500

I wanted a nice quick read after Airport, and this book fit the bill. The poems were only OK, but I loved RTD's illustrations.

>41 detailmuse: Great link! I admit that I share the author's outrage that the best way to celebrate Nancy Drew is to kill her off.

Hi RP! Reading and sleeping. Good stuff.

Nancy Drew was my first detective series when I was 10 and 11. I still have a few of them on my shelves, bought with hard-earned allowance money and have a bunch of the original blue-cover (although without dust jacket) ones from the 30s and 40s. I'm not sure I could read any of them today, don't exactly know why.

I 'graduated' to Perry Mason and Agatha Christie soon after.

>44 leslie.98: Me too! That is ridiculous.

>45 karenmarie: I've tried reading a few now, and really the only ones that work are the ones that I had already read. Same with Hardy Boys, for the most part. Reading them for the first time as an adult doesn't really work for me, although I do sometimes try again anyway...

****

Now I need to buy more Twelfth Doctor comics...

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor, Vol. 4: The School of Death, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Rachael Stott and Simon Fraser
ROOT 11 of 60
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162695123

Loved this volume! Robbie Morrison really gets Twelve and I am so happy he's been writing such great stories for him.

A re-read, a Going Through the Stacks book, AND a space freed up on the bookshelf.

Ape and Essence, by Aldous Huxley
ROOT 12 of 60
Going Through the Stacks #80
Source: bought for a university course
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70475497

I originally read this for a university course featuring utopian and dystopian fiction. At the time I apparently rated the book much higher than I do now. This book is weird and kind of creepy, and without the benefit of my course notes I have no idea what I saw in it originally.

I am amazed at how much you have read! I wasn't too read more, but am also trying to be more active and I can only read while walking for a short time! 😋

>48 ritacate: I have several secrets: reading on the bus to and from work, reading classics via Serial Reader (an issue a day adds up!), and this year work has been so tiring that I've begged off all weekday evening engagements. But I hope to get out and about more once spring rolls around.

Piling up a couple of reviews. I've been updating the ticker and my reading list up top, but not necessarily the reviews down here.

The Eejits, by Roald Dahl (translated by Matthew Fitt)
ROOT 13 of 60
Source: Museum of Edinburgh, Scotland
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/98030770

This is the Scots translation of The Twits. If anything, Mr. Twit's beard is even MORE gross in Scots.

The Plotters, by Gareth Roberts
ROOT 14 of 60
Source: St. Matthew’s Church book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/141824514

A First Doctor novel in which the Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki are in London just in time for the Gunpowder Plot. Good stuff -- it really does feel like a historical from that era of the show.

Clocking up another ROOT that I plan to pass along to my mum.

In Her Wake, by Amanda Jennings
ROOT 15 of 60
Source: free with Bouchercon 2017 swag bag
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/147042868

I got this book for free at Bouchercon 2017, so I didn't really have high expectations. Ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would. It probably helped that it was set in St. Ives, where I've been :)

February recap: 7 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 15)
* = Book from the Pool

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 3: Hyperion, written by Robbie Morrison and George Mann; illustrated by Daniel Indro and Mariano Laclaustra (ebook)
Now We Are Six Hundred: A Collection of Time Lord Verse, written by James Goss and illustrated by Russell T. Davies
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 4: The School of Death, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Rachael Stott and Simon Fraser (ebook)
Ape and Essence, by Aldous Huxley (reread)
*The Eejits, by Roald Dahl, translated by Matthew Fitt
*The Plotters, by Gareth Roberts
In Her Wake, by Amanda Jennings

ROOT of the month: The Plotters

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 2
In progress: 1
On deck: 3

I love that over half my ROOTs this month were Doctor Who-related. For March I’ve pulled out a few historical novels, as well as a thriller and a book-about-books.

Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada, by Anna Brownell Jameson
ROOT 16 of 60
Source: St. Matthew’s United Church book sale 2019
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/169132962

I was able to find this book shortly after learning about the author on a trip to Sault Ste. Marie. It was interesting to me, possibly because I have not read Susanna Moodie or Catherine Parr Traill to compare her to. Although now I do want to read them, to see how similar and how different they are.

>53 rabbitprincess: I haven't read anything by Susanna Moodie or Catherine Parr Traill but feel that I have a better background on them after reading Charlotte Grey's Sisters in the Wilderness.

>54 Familyhistorian: That's another one I shall have to borrow from my mum!

****

Reading has been slow this week. I worked from home today and Wednesday, and I always find my reading suffers a bit. That plus generalized anxiety about the world at large made it hard to focus.

I did, however, finish one ROOT this week.

The Tiger in the Smoke, by Margery Allingham
ROOT 17 of 60
Source: Book Bazaar
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/152345399

I liked this well enough but might not have had quite enough of the energy required to pay full attention to it. I did find my attention flagging toward the end.

>55 rabbitprincess: The anxiety at the moment is awful, isn't it? I'm thinking about what might happen if the schools close, and how we're going to have to completely change the way we work. I definitely need to read something light today, I think!

>56 Jackie_K: The schools have already closed here, and the libraries are closing effective Monday. I have a feeling I might get more audiobook reading done if print seems too hard to focus on.

>57 rabbitprincess: I am not a big audiobook listener, but I am stocking up on podcasts!

>58 Jackie_K: I like the idea of podcasts but can't sit through them for some reason! My BF likes podcasts though. He listens to ones on investment, Formula 1, and board games.

****

I needed a light read, and boy howdy did this ever deliver on the light front.

Strike North, by W. Howard Baker
ROOT 18 of 60
Source: pilfered from my friend J
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/150153307

This is a competent but rather thin thriller on the high seas. Short on pages and on characterization. But if this is your favourite flavour of brain candy and you need something REALLY mindless, this might do the job.

Feeling the same ... I have more time to read but almost no attention for it. I'm glad when someone discovers a book or genre that fits.

>60 detailmuse: I feel the same but I can always loose myself in a book when bad things are happening around me.

Yes, a good time for light reading and maybe more ROOTs although I was able to get to my library to pick up some holds before it closed down. I don't think all of those are light. There were 7 of them.

I'm unable to focus on much beyond light reads either, so am reading #49 in the In Death series and re-reading Pride and Prejudice.

>60 detailmuse: Same. And it's different kinds of time too. Normally I'd be getting through more books because I'd be reading a different one on the bus. But without a commute, I'm not starting as many books.

>61 connie53: Bliss! At least there is only one other person in my apartment, and he's not making a whole lot of noise. I do have to leave the room if he's watching the news, though. I can check trusted news websites, but being bombarded with visuals and sound and doom-laden music is too much.

>62 Familyhistorian: Whew! The new Mary Doria Russell is waiting for me at the library :( I didn't get there in time! Argh. I do have some other good holds, though.

>63 karenmarie: P&P is an excellent choice. Doctor Who novels are my light reading. Planning to start another one today!

****

Managed to get a historical fiction novel done! Possibly the one benefit of being at home all the time.

Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon
ROOT 19 of 60
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965863

This read surprisingly fast for historical fiction in my second language. The French was a bit older than what I'm used to, probably deliberately, and I learned some new words but can't use them in general conversation because they relate to how people were executed :-/ I do recommend this book, though, and will have to support a local bookstore by ordering the next few volumes online!

>64 rabbitprincess: I'm also missing my commute reading time.

LOL at "they relate to how people were executed." Thanks, France. I'm always looking for new books to help keep up my French and I'll put this one on the list :)

>65 curioussquared: They did a little bit more than drawing and quartering, let me put it that way...

Speaking more generally, the book uses passé simple and some funky subjunctives (my personal favourite: "eussé-je"), but you should be able to get the gist from context.

>66 rabbitprincess: TBH, the vast majority of my French reading has been in a classroom context reading classic lit, so I'm pretty used to passé simple. Thanks for the heads up!

>67 curioussquared: Excellent! :) I've already put the second book on my to-read pile (they arrived on Tuesday!).

****

A long-standing Serial Reader read has finally been finished.

Wives and Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell
ROOT 20 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/177004065

I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to reading more books by Gaskell; I've already read North and South, so Cranford is probably going to be next.

After a drought of no audiobooks finished so far this year, I finished two in one day!

Watership Down, by Richard Adams (audio, read by Peter Capaldi)
ROOT 21 of 60
Source: iTunes
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/168554635

This one took me a while to finish, because apparently I don't think 478 pages should take THAT long to read in audio, but Peter Capaldi's narration is amazing. He has so many different voices and keeps up the energy throughout. And hearing the terrible fight at the end rather than reading it makes it that much more horrific. Breathtaking.

Moone Boy: The Blunder Years, by Chris O’Dowd and Nick V. Murphy (audio, read by the authors)
ROOT 22 of 60
Source: iTunes
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/135203721

I read this in print four (!) years ago, and am only just reading the audio now. Having the authors read it is perfect. I had broadly the same comments as with the print book: the footnotes vary widely in terms of audience and I'm not actually sure who this book is intended for. I liked it, but it's hard to figure out who to recommend it to.

Time once again for Doctor Who Sunday!

City of Death, by James Goss
ROOT 23 of 60
Source: BMV, Toronto
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/147110327

This is my favourite of the Douglas Adams stories novelized by Goss. I found The Pirate Planet too long and have not yet tried Krikkitmen, because that one looked really long too. Now I'm going to go watch the TV version.

Rounded out the month with some historical fiction.

Ships in the Bay!, by D. K. Broster
ROOT 24 of 60
Source: The Cinema Bookshop, Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/145726258

I'd recommend this for those who like the time period of the Poldark series. Similar time, but set in Wales (with nods to Ireland and continental Europe). There are ships, a cosy domestic story, a surprisingly resourceful heroine, and some moments of amusement (I laughed out loud a couple of times).

****

March recap: 9 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 24)
* = Book from the Pool

*Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada, by Anna Brownell Jameson
The Tiger in the Smoke, by Margery Allingham
*Strike North, by W. Howard Baker
Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon
Wives and Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell (Serial Reader)
Watership Down, by Richard Adams (audio, read by Peter Capaldi)
Moone Boy: The Blunder Years, by Chris O’Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy (audio, read by the authors)
City of Death, by James Goss (from a story by David Fisher)
Ships in the Bay!, by D. K. Broster

ROOT of the month: Watership Down

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 2
In progress: 1
On deck: 1

And because we're already ending the first quarter of the year, here's a Pool update:



I'm at 7/33 completed, so a little under 1/4 of the way done, 1/4 of the way through the year. I'm already not ranking my chances very highly, especially because The Odyssey is one of my books! That's going to be a big one.

Keep up the good ROOTing, RP!

>72 Familyhistorian: Thanks! :)

****

April is off to a flying start with a mystery I read in a single day.

Cop Killer, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (translated by Thomas Teal)
ROOT 25 of 60
Source: Christmas gift
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/81147923

Another good installment in the Martin Beck series. Only one left to read!

I feel pretty productive on the reading front. Now I won't feel so bad about going off to watch Netflix ;)

Our Man in Havana, by Graham Greene
ROOT 26 of 60
Source: OPL book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/7175/reviews/116422819

This was a re-read, and I enjoyed it so much more because of the background I have since acquired. It's based on Greene's experiences in British intelligence during the Second World War and on the story of Agent Garbo. I'd recommend Ben Macintyre's excellent Double Cross for the details on that true story.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 5: The Twist, written by George Mann and illustrated by Mariano Laclaustra and Rachael Stott
ROOT 27 of 60
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/179425675

Another Twelfth Doctor comic for Doctor Who Sunday. I liked the idea of this one and the fact that the two stories in the volume were tied so closely together, but the art didn't look as Twelvey as I would have liked, and I prefer Robbie Morrison's stories. So this was good but not great.

>74 rabbitprincess: I find it interesting that British Intelligence likes to employ writers - W. Somerset Maugham based his book Ashenden on his experiences in that service. I guess that being an author gives one a good cover for travel and asking impertinent questions!

>75 leslie.98: And they can write comprehensible reports! That reminds me, I have to read Ashenden. Just downloaded it from Faded Page. Thanks for the reminder :)

****

Racking up another audiobook:

Doctor Who: Darkstar Academy & Day of the Cockroach, by Mark Morris and Steve Lyons (audio, read by Alexander Armstrong and Arthur Darvill)
ROOT 28 of 60
Source: AudioGO CDs
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/100241547

I enjoyed this little audio bundle. The second story was delightfully disgusting in sound effects.

In case you hadn't heard, RP, something popped up on my FB feed to say Big Finish is giving away some Dr. Who audios for free during the present circs.

>77 Robertgreaves: Something to that effect did pop up on my Facebook feed, but I haven't gone to check out what's on offer yet. Thanks for bringing it back to my attention!

Starting the long weekend with a must-read for all Canadians.

Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, by Tanya Talaga
ROOT 29 of 60
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/164589583

This book tells the stories of seven Indigenous youth who died in traumatic circumstances in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Their stories are also part of a larger narrative of historical, systemic discrimination, poverty and abuse. It is heartbreaking and harrowing.

Halfway to my ROOT goal and abandoning a book with a vengeance.

Isvik, by Hammond Innes
ROOT 30 of 60
Source: library book sale
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/125283063

This book took forever to get going -- I reached Part 3 and they were still nowhere near Antarctica. Also, very disappointed with the role given to the one female character. Not recommended.

I spent a highly productive evening yesterday working on a jigsaw puzzle and listening to an audiobook. A very good audiobook too, as it happens.

ATA Girl, by Gemma Page, Victoria Saxton, Helen Goldwyn, and Jane Slavin
ROOT 31 of 60
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/168247411

The Air Transport Auxiliary is one of my favourite stories of WW2, and this box set does a great job of chronicling the stories of women in these circumstances through a mix of fictional and real characters. This pairs nicely with A Spitfire Girl, by Mary Ellis.

A re-read AND a really old book I've been meaning to properly review.

The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy
ROOT 32 of 60
Going Through the Stacks #81
Source: a long-ago Christmas or birthday gift, probably
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/71328452

I'm not sure how well this holds up as a re-read, because I felt like I could see all of the clues coming from a mile off, but once I told my brain to shut up and just enjoy the story, I had a better time of it ;)

I feel like I've been reading this one on Serial Reader forever; it is quite long!

The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot
ROOT 33 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/178028533

Overall, this was good. I did read the last three installments in a single day. Not quite as big a binge as with Wives and Daughters, where I read the last 14 installments in a single day, but that does mean I was pretty interested in how everything would turn out.

Another long book finished over the weekend.

Here Be Dragons, by Sharon Kay Penman
ROOT 34 of 60
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139133248

The first in the Welsh Princes trilogy, which I bought for myself but which my mum ended up reading first! I liked this one and am looking forward to the other two books, but I will have to take a break first.

More audio, and a Pool book to boot!

The Diary of River Song, Series 4 (full-cast audio drama box set)
ROOT 35 of 60
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/172785268

Big Finish audio dramas are always good, but this is probably not my favourite of the River Song box sets. I wanted all the stories to be like the last one in the set, so perhaps I had the wrong expectations. But also, a villain that goes back in time and rewrites history so that it always wins is a bit frustrating to read about.

I could feel myself getting bogged down with all the books I have on the go, so I picked up something short and sweet.

Vampires of Ottawa, by Eric Wilson
ROOT 36 of 60
Source: Rockcliffe Park book fair
Rating: 3/5 (rated by Past Me)
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/135780488

Ah, the joys of reading children's mysteries 20 years or more after you first read them! This was amusing from that perspective.

>86 rabbitprincess: Looks like your reading is going really well, RP. Keep up the good ROOTing!

I have also been focusing on the 'short & sweet' recently - it is a good way to get through some ROOTs without demanding too much concentration.

>87 Familyhistorian: It is funny how I am ignoring my library books in favour of those on my own shelves!

>88 leslie.98: I've put a few more re-reads on deck for next month, hoping they will help too.

****

This may be my best ROOT month ever, in all the time I've been tracking this.

April recap: 12 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 36)
* = Book from the Pool

*Cop Killer, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (translated by Thomas Teal)
*Our Man in Havana, by Graham Greene (re-read)
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 5: The Twist, written by George Mann and illustrated by Mariano Laclaustra and Rachael Stott (ebook)
Doctor Who: Darkstar Academy & Day of the Cockroach, by Mark Morris and Steve Lyons (audio, read by Alexander Armstrong and Arthur Darvill)
Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, by Tanya Talaga
*Isvik, by Hammond Innes (abandoned)
ATA Girl, by Gemma Page, Victoria Saxton, Helen Goldwyn, and Jane Slavin (Big Finish audio drama)
The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy (re-read)
The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot (Serial Reader)
*Here Be Dragons, by Sharon Kay Penman
*The Diary of River Song, Series 4 , by Emma Reeves, Matt Fitton, Donald McLeary, and John Dorney (Big Finish audio drama)
Vampires of Ottawa, by Eric Wilson (reread)

ROOT of the month: Seven Fallen Feathers

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 5
In progress: 1
On deck: 0

Excellent ROOTing!

Did you see that Bloody Scotland has been cancelled for this year? Unsurprising, of course, but a shame for Stirling nonetheless.

>90 Jackie_K: I saw that! There was no way I was going to get over there this year, but it is a disappointment nonetheless. I still have my little bottle of Stirling Gin so will have to have a cocktail in its honour.

May is off to a good start; managed to check off my in-progress book from the Pool.

The Merry Heart: Selections 1980–1995, by Robertson Davies
ROOT 37 of 60
Source: Great Glebe Garage Sale
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/141824795

This is a collection of essays, speeches and articles that touch on reading and writing. I liked this collection pretty well but preferred his writings on the theatre, Happy Alchemy.

Hi RP!

>82 rabbitprincess: I read The Scarlet Pimpernel in December of 2008. I don’t remember it being that long ago. I can imagine how exciting it was when it came out, but I agree about the clues being rather a bit obvious.

>89 rabbitprincess: Congrats on your best ROOT month ever!

>93 karenmarie: OK good, it wasn't just me having re-reader X-ray vision ;) And thanks!

****

Another non-fiction ROOT for May.

Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, by Neil deGrasse Tyson
ROOT 38 of 60
Source: part of my BF’s collection, so basically mine, especially because he doesn’t remember owning it
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/84889665

I count my BF's books as "my" books, especially when he doesn't remember that he owns them! I must have bought this for him in an apparently misguided attempt to turn him into a reader ;) He is more of a podcast and crossword and occasional online game kind of person. This book was all right. I would be interested in reading more by Tyson.

I love these books that I can read in an afternoon.

Doctor Who and the War Games, by Malcolm Hulke
ROOT 39 of 60
Source: By the Lake Books, Burlington, ON
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/149484093

This is the Second Doctor's last hurrah on television before he turns into the Third Doctor. It is well told and exciting.

An unexpected re-read.

The Thick of It: The Missing DoSAC Files, by Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche and Ian Martin
ROOT 40 of 60
Source: Book Depository
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/10605444/reviews/148650809

This was a re-read in preparation for a virtual pub quiz today that will have a Thick of It round. The Photoshopping is still very cheesy, but the writing is good.

Feeling pretty good about checking this book off, because I'd intended to read it three years ago but did not!

The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence
ROOT 41 of 60
Source: Great Glebe Garage Sale book sale
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/130510979

This is a CanLit classic and used to be a set text in high school English. Not sure if it is still a set text today. It was a personal read for me because my grandmother is about the same age as Hagar and our family faces similar challenges in being able to look after her while still maintaining her independence.

Hi RP, finally getting to your thread. Lots of ROOTs read. Good job done there. I hope you are still doing fine.

>98 connie53: Thanks for checking in, Connie! I'm working full time from home, so in that sense it's business as usual. But some parts are harder to manage with everybody out of the office. We've had to adjust how we work in consequence, and I think it will be really beneficial for everyone in our head office to have done this. It might help us collaborate better with our coworkers in other cities now that we've all had a taste of working remote, and how cut off from everyone it can feel.

****

I haven't been reading much since getting back to work on Wednesday (I took a week off just to not work for a bit). This was one of the last books I read on my vacation.

Beware of the Trains, by Edmund Crispin
ROOT 42 of 60
Source: library book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70473716

A solid collection of short stories that make sense when their solutions are revealed (although I am not sure that the bits of "general knowledge" that Crispin mentions in his introduction are really general knowledge anymore).

I've been in a terrible reading slump most of the week, just picking at all of the books I had on the go. It is very annoying.

I've decided to bail on a book I was reading via Serial Reader (which, as a public-domain ebook, qualifies as a ROOT under my rules).

Main Street, by Sinclair Lewis
ROOT 43 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/180617828

This book started out OK but eventually proved frustrating for me. I was being suffocated right along with Carol in the mires of provincialism, and that was not a place I wanted to be in at the moment.

>100 rabbitprincess: Smart choice. I suffered all the way through Main Street years ago. It never got better!

>101 curioussquared: Under other circumstances, I might have finished it anyway (with a lot of skimming), but I don't even have the patience to skim.

****

Reading mojo picked up a little bit so that I could finish this book, which I started a month ago. That is not a reflection on the quality of the book; it is a reflection of how bogged down my brain is at the moment :-/

La Reine étranglée, by Maurice Druon
ROOT 44 of 60
Source: Librairie du Soleil
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/180496406

I like that the Rois maudits books are so slim; only about 250 pages each, and that includes historical endnotes. I found this one slightly less interesting than the first book, but the end was great, especially the title scene -- chilling! Hoping to shake off some more cobwebs and return to this series soon.

>102 rabbitprincess: Sorry about your bogged down brain, RP. I think I am distracted too. I have many projects here that I have started but now sit waiting for me to get back to them.

You seem to be moving marvelously toward goal! Going way back upthread, I think I will soon get to Watership Down on audio -- my library has an edition read by Peter Capaldi :)

>103 Familyhistorian: When we first went into lockdown I thought "Great! I'll finally finish that baby blanket I've been making for a couple of years!" Hasn't happened :) (It's not for anyone in particular; I'm just in the "everyone within 10 years of me either way is having babies" period of my life, haha.)

>104 detailmuse: Yay!!!! I hope you enjoy it!

This will probably be my last ROOT of the month, but you never know...

The Field Guide to Understanding ‘Human Error’, by Sidney Dekker
ROOT 45 of 60
Source: bought online directly from the publisher
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/183785056

I am deeply interested in transportation, transportation accidents, and transportation accident investigation. So this book, recommended by a friend who is an accident investigator, was right up my alley. It's written clearly and amusingly, and there are excellent examples taken from actual investigation reports. It is a thoroughly nerdy book, but if you have read and enjoyed books such as Beyond the Black Box, by George Bibel; or Brace for Impact, by Peter Pigott; or Into the Raging Sea, by Rachel Slade (all of which I recommend most highly), you might like this as well.

May recap: 9 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 45)
* = Book from the Pool

*The Merry Heart: Selections 1980–1995, by Robertson Davies
Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Doctor Who and the War Games, by Malcolm Hulke
The Thick of It: The Missing DoSAC Files, by Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche and Ian Martin (reread)
The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence
Beware of the Trains, by Edmund Crispin
Main Street, by Sinclair Lewis (Serial Reader, abandoned)
La Reine étranglée, by Maurice Druon
The Field Guide to Understanding ‘Human Error’, by Sidney Dekker

ROOT of the month: The Field Guide to Understanding ‘Human Error’

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 1
In progress: 0
On deck: 1

Not a great month for Pool books, but at least over half the books I read this month were ROOTs.

Hi RP!

>99 rabbitprincess: Edmund Crispin is a favorite of mine. Glad you liked it.

>107 rabbitprincess: I’m glad you finished your month with a 4.5 star read

>108 karenmarie: I've enjoyed a couple of his other books as well: The Moving Toyshop and Love Lies Bleeding, both of which I read several years ago.

And yes, I'm glad May ended with such a good book!

****

This week has been all about clearing out the current reads and declaring finished books I wasn't interested in. One of them was a Serial Reader read.

The Coral Island, by R.M. Ballantyne
ROOT 46 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/182033556

I lost interest in this once, pausing it for about a week. Then I hit the really outdated cultural stereotypes, and I was done.

Went on a bit of an audio binge yesterday.

Doctor Who and the Tomb of the Cybermen, by Gerry Davis (audio, read by Michael Kilgarriff and Nicholas Briggs)
ROOT 47 of 60
Source: library CD
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/136631351

I found the audio of this novelization rather slow. I was at chapter 8 of 13 and the Cybermen *still* hadn't shown up. And it took me over a month to get to that point! So I watched the original TV story on BritBox to get the ending.

Doctor Who: Hunters of Earth (Destiny of the Doctor, #1), by Nigel Robinson (audio, read by Carole Ann Ford and Tam Williams)
ROOT 48 of 60
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139864916

This was a speedy listen, clocking in at just over an hour. Carole Ann Ford reprises her original TV role of Susan well, and Tam Williams provides good support as her friend Cedric.

This ended up being exactly what I needed.

Microserfs, by Douglas Coupland
ROOT 49 of 60
Going Through the Stacks #82
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70444337

I picked this book up when I was about 12 and glommed onto it in a way that I cannot fully explain. It's trippy reading now, because the technology feels so cutting edge yet so out of date, and I am now older than all of the protagonists (and yet I feel like they are still older than me). I wish I'd read this at least once in my 20s, closer to the narrator's actual age. Oh well, I still enjoyed this a lot and will have to re-read it again sooner :)

Feeling very productive, having finished this book, which has been in progress on the coffee table for just over a month.

The Mabinogion, translated by Sioned Davies
ROOT 50 of 60
Source: bought at the National Museum of Wales, 2017
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/145590425

This is not really a light read, but it is worth digging into if you like mythology, Wales, or the Arthurian tales.

A light mystery fit the bill for this heat-warning week.

Murder Unprompted, by Simon Brett
ROOT 51 of 60
Source: library secondhand bookstore
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/159294668

I am a sucker for mysteries set in the theatre, and this series is just the right amount of light for me. It may help that Bill Nighy plays Charles Paris, the actor/detective, in the BBC Radio 4 adaptations :)

Microserfs is on my TBR list as well. I will have to let you know if I find it Trippy lol!

>114 Bcteagirl: Not sure if trippy was the right word, in hindsight, but it did feel pretty strange to read now!

****

Last ROOT of June!

Doctor Who: Lords of the Storm, by David A. McIntee
ROOT 52 of 60
Source: Great Glebe Garage Sale
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/141824598

I've read three Missing Adventures so far and two of them have been meh. This definitely picks up more when the Sontarans and Rutan show up, but that's like 2/3 of the way through the book :-/

June recap: 7 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 52)
* = Book from the Pool

The Coral Island, by R. M. Ballantyne (Serial Reader, abandoned)
Doctor Who and the Tomb of the Cybermen, by Gerry Davis (audio, read by Michael Kilgarriff and Nicholas Briggs)
Doctor Who: Hunters of Earth (Destiny of the Doctor, #1), by Nigel Robinson (audio, read by Carole Ann Ford and Tam Williams)
Microserfs, by Douglas Coupland (re-read)
The Mabinogion, translated by Sioned Davies
Murder Unprompted, by Simon Brett
Lords of the Storm, by David A. McIntee

ROOT of the month: Microserfs (yes, it’s a re-read, but I wasn’t blown away by my other ROOTs this month)

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 0
In progress: 1
On deck: 0

No Pool books read this month; I was feeling more fickle.

And speaking of the Pool, it’s the end of Q2, so time for an update!



I have no idea why I thought there were 33 books in my Pool. There are only 30. So this makes my total of 14 look much better than it would have done otherwise. I’m just under halfway at the halfway point, which is better than I expected, to be honest.

Hoping travel conditions improve enough for my parents and me to meet somewhere so that we can swap books, including one of my Pool books (the Beatles one).

Nice work!

"Meh" reads, but excellent progress!

>117 enemyanniemae: Thanks! :)

>118 detailmuse: Thanks! Fortunately I started July off with a decidedly NOT meh read ;)

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King
ROOT 53 of 60
Source: gift from my brother
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/163581484

I love Thomas King's fiction, and this non-fiction book was excellent as well. He writes crisply and cleanly, with emotion and wit. This is a must read.

Continuing my trend of reading books about important social issues:

The Souls of Black Folk, by W.E.B. Du Bois
ROOT 54 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/184625396

This is a hard book to rate and review, because it's not really something you read for entertainment. One of many books I am reading to fill the gaps in my education.

The Captain, by Jan de Hartog
ROOT 55 of 60
Source: a church book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/129906131

Another strong read. I had started it last week but couldn't settle down, then I devoured the rest of it yesterday. Definitely a keeper.

>120 rabbitprincess: I have The Souls of Black Folk on hold at my library and it has been there for ages. Thankfully, the Vancouver library will start opening up to give out holds next week. Maybe I'll get to that one soon.

>122 Familyhistorian: Hurray for the library opening up to give out holds! My local branch will be open for contactless pickup as of tomorrow. So glad I don't have to drive across town :) I have three items ready for pickup and another eight in transit, haha.

****

I think this was not the right book for the right time, but I wanted it off my list.

King Lear, by William Shakespeare
ROOT 56 of 60
Source: Bay Used Books, Sudbury, Ontario
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/168824514

Stalled a lot in Act 1, read a plot summary of the whole play so that I could free up my brain for the language rather than understanding the plot, went OK in Act 2, then hit the Gloucester scene in Act 3 and lost my appetite to read further. Maybe I'll read the last two acts in another decade or so. Maybe not.

This is DEFINITELY a "your mileage may vary" review, so don't take my opinion for an informed one.

Hi RP!

>116 rabbitprincess: I hope you get to meet up with your parents soon.

>120 rabbitprincess: On my shelves, just waiting for the right time. Thanks for the nudge

>124 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I was just over at your thread earlier today. Given our province's COVID situation, I've risk-assessed and decided to visit my parents in the second half of August. The riskiest part will be the train, but the train precautions are very well thought out (including mandatory masks on board!).

Hope you like The Captain!

****

Was getting into a bit of a reading funk, so I grabbed a re-read.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne, translated by Robert Baldrick
ROOT 57 of 60
Source: probably a gift
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/41564/reviews/70476083

This was a much-loved book of mine as a preteen. It sparked my love of Iceland and thus led to my appreciation of Icelandic mysteries when they became available in English.

Is there a better way to spend a day off than to sit on the couch all morning, finishing up a really good book?

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North
ROOT 58 of 60
Source: gift
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/184308561

I received this from a friend for my birthday, and she chose really well! I enjoyed this very much.

>126 rabbitprincess: I heard an interview with Claire North once and she sounded amazing - so young and so prolific! And her books sounded awesome, even for fiction-phobic me! She's an author I definitely want to get to eventually.

>127 Jackie_K: I've added a whole bunch of her books to the to-read list!

Another day off today. Finished two more books, one of which was a ROOT.

Things Ain’t What They Used to Be, by Philip Glenister
ROOT 59 of 60
Source: All Books, Ottawa, Ontario
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/131147249

This was all right, but it could have benefited from more photos and maybe fewer topics, covered in more detail. It does definitely sound like Glenister, though!

And it's goal!

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass
ROOT 60 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/185924368

The quiet, matter-of-fact telling of Douglass's experiences highlights just how awful they were. Douglass possessed great strength and resilience.

>130 rabbitprincess: Woohoo, congrats!!

Congratulations!!

Congrats RP!

Well done, RP

Awesome, well done!

Congratulations!!

>130 rabbitprincess: Congrats!! Now let's see how many above your goal you can finish ;)

>131 curioussquared: >132 MissWatson: >133 connie53: >134 Robertgreaves: >135 Jackie_K: >136 detailmuse: >137 leslie.98: Thank you all! I probably reached my goal a little earlier than usual this year thanks to being deprived of the library for three months. I had 7 holds to pick up last week and another 8 this week :O So yes, it will be interesting to see how many more books above goal I can read!

Hi RP!

>125 rabbitprincess: Anticipation is half the pleasure. I’m glad to hear that you’re going to visit your parents in August. How long will you be able to stay with them?

>126 rabbitprincess: I read The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August last September and only liked it a little bit less than you did – 4.5 stars. Her newest sounds interesting, The Pursuit of William Abbey. I’ve just added it to my wish list.

>130 rabbitprincess: Congrats on reaching your goal! And a wonderful book to do it with.

>139 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I'm visiting them for two weeks. Plenty of time to raid their bookshelves :D

That one does look great! I added all of her other books to my to-read list.

And thanks! It was a good book to reach goal with.

Lately I've given myself permission to grab quick, fun reads off the stack and fast-track them if that is what I feel I need. I had need of such a book yesterday.

Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet, by Heather Poole
ROOT 61 of 60
Source: library book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174491573

This should probably be more of a 3.5 than a 4, but it lifted my mood so much that I rounded up. Also I figured my searching for the author's website and Twitter in hopes that she'd written another book was a good sign.

Books that lift up your mood definitely deserve to be rounded up!

>142 leslie.98: I was going to round it up on Goodreads anyway (I usually round up instead of down when rating there), then figured why not round it up officially.

****

Here was another good book that I enjoyed reading gradually over the past couple of months.

Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
ROOT 62 of 60
Source: Serial Reader, even though I own a physical copy
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/2228/reviews/70444150

This was my third read-through and this time I was amused to be around the same age as Colonel Brandon. I don't feel THAT old, but some days, yes, maybe I would like a flannel waistcoat!

>143 rabbitprincess: It's a slightly strange feeling, isn't it, when you re-read a book where you were the same age as one of the younger characters the first time and are now the same age as one of the older ones.

I get a similar feeling watching old pop videos (or clips from Classic Who) on youtube. When I first saw them the performers were 10-20 years older than I was and now they look so young.

>144 Robertgreaves: Same! Or when you're looking at photos of relatives from when they were your age. My parents had me when they were 25 and they look impossibly young in my baby photos, especially now that I am nearly 10 years older than they were then.

>143 rabbitprincess: Have you seen the film of Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet? Pretty much all of the actors are far older than their characters in the book, it might make you feel better to think "I'm not as old as Alan Rickman" rather than "I'm the same age as Col Brandon". It's a wonderful film, despite age incongruity - the 5 main actors nail their characters perfectly IMO.

>146 Jackie_K: Oh yes! It is a great film. I must admit I am more partial to the 2008 miniseries because the actors are closer to the characters' ages in the book and there's more room for some of the side characters, but when I was reading the book I was picturing the movie cast. What I love best about the Emma Thompson movie is the relationship between Edward and Margaret -- I love how he engages with her on her own level. It is a great way to demonstrate Edward's kindness.

>147 rabbitprincess: I also thought that the interaction between Edward and Margaret in the Emma Thompson version was one of its strengths. But I agree that the 2008 miniseries was better! Of course, as much as I enjoy almost all of the adaptations of Austin's books, the books themselves are best. Sense and Sensibility isn't my favorite but still wonderful!

Congratulations on reaching your goal, RP. It's great that you have plans to visit your parents. Is it a long train journey?

>148 leslie.98: There's also a 1981 miniseries, but I haven't watched it.

>149 Familyhistorian: Thanks! It's about 4 hours by train. They're not offering business-class service, so I have to remember to bring my own lunch.

I finished this back on Monday but am only getting around to reviewing it now.

This is the World, by Miroslav Sasek
ROOT 63 of 60
Source: Christmas gift
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/114940296

I asked for this for Christmas the year it came out; I'd just bought a Miroslav Sasek calendar and was enchanted by his illustrations. These are charming indeed. My only wish is that the book were longer :)

July recap: 11 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 63)
* = Book from the Pool

*The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King
The Souls of Black Folk, by W. E. B. Du Bois (Serial Reader)
The Captain, by Jan de Hartog
*King Lear, by William Shakespeare
Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne, translated by Robert Baldrick (re-read)
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, by Claire North
*Things Ain’t What They Used to Be, by Philip Glenister
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass
*Cruising Attitude: Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet, by Heather Poole
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen (re-read) (Serial Reader)
This is the World, by Miroslav Sasek

ROOT of the month: The Inconvenient Indian

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 4
In progress: 1
On deck: 3

At the beginning of each quarter I have a renewed push to read books from the Pool, and it obviously worked this month :D

I read in the August thread that you made your goal. Congratulations!

>153 Merryann: Thanks, Merryann! I usually meet my goal around August, so it is good to meet it slightly ahead of schedule :) And I deliberately set it pretty low so that I can contribute to the group total.

Good luck with your long train journey, RP. Maybe you'll get some reading time in there.

>155 Familyhistorian: My plan is to load up some audiobooks on my phone and some ebooks on my iPad, and bring one print book that I plan to lend to my mum. When I visit my parents, I raid their shelves so I don't really need to bring my own books :D

Getting August off to a good start.

The Detective Wore Silk Drawers, by Peter Lovesey
ROOT 64 of 60
Source: Book Bazaar
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/130511532

I'm reading the Inspector Cribb series out of order, like many other mystery series, so this is the fourth book I've read in the series but only the second book chronologically. Told well, but not my favourite subject (pugilism, or bare-knuckle fighting).

>157 rabbitprincess: I read that a few years back and didn't like it very much. Still, I have some Lovesey on my TBR so I should give him another try.

>158 leslie.98: Of the Cribbs I've read, I think Swing, Swing Together is my favourite; it's set the summer after Three Men in a Boat was released and London is overcome with Jerome-mania.

Another audiobook read, yay!

Paths of Glory, by Jeffrey Archer (audio, read by Roger Allam)
ROOT 65 of 60
Source: audiobook on CD
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/106637079

The story of George Mallory is supposed to be tinged with glamour and glory, but the overriding feeling for me after reading this book is one of futility. Was it really worth it for Mallory to try a second expedition, when perhaps he should have stuck to his guns about taking the hint from the first expedition? I may perhaps be biased because I've read Into Thin Air, but I feel more keenly Mallory's wife's loss than any thrill about Mallory's achievement.

And another audiobook! I'm on a roll.

The Tenth Doctor Adventures, Volume 1 (Big Finish audio drama)
ROOT 66 of 60
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/154346824

This 3-story set features the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble, my favourite companion from the Ten era. I liked the third story best, then the first. The second story had a really creepy cold open that put me off the rest of it :-/

Finished a highly anticipated book, and it met my expectations.

Ridgerunner, by Gil Adamson
ROOT 67 of 60
Source: Perfect Books, Ottawa
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/182637012

This is the unexpected but very much welcome sequel to Gil Adamson's previous novel, The Outlander (not to be confused with the similarly named time travel series by Diana Gabaldon). I devoured this in a weekend and may have to bump the rating up to the full five stars.

Greatly enjoyed this audio!

Partners in Crime, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser)
ROOT 68 of 60
Source: iTunes
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/158727048

Hugh Fraser makes this Tommy and Tuppence collection sparkle. Each story parodies the style of a popular detective of the 1920s or earlier, and the last chapter, which parodies Hercule Poirot, is particularly funny for the reason of the narrator. I do like Tommy and Tuppence's bubbly, lively, clever selves and had a lot of fun with this collection.

In rabbit news :) my friend who's had pet bunnies for decades lost an old-aged little guy in May. By June she was ready again and adopted an 8-week named Happy who was very small, sweet and smart, and liked pets...but very soon had a medical emergency and didn't survive :( Now she has Winnie, who's always hungry and thinks she's queen, but likes company and comes when my friend calls her :)

>164 detailmuse: Thanks for the rabbit news! I am sorry to hear that your friend lost two in short order, especially the 8-week-old one, which must have been even more terrible because of the shock. But I am glad she has a smart, funny new rabbit to keep her company :)

Finished a long-standing Serial Reader book yesterday.

Twenty Years at Hull-House, by Jane Addams
ROOT 69 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/186787609

I'm rating this "almost liked it, but not quite", because the work chronicled in this book is valuable and interesting, but the writing style was rather heavy. I ended up doing a lot of skimming.

****

And while I was visiting my parents, I supported a local used bookstore by acquiring the following new ROOTs:

Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
An old-timey omnibus of two Waverley novels by Walter Scott: The Bride of Lammermoor and Legend of Montrose
Terminal Shock, by Franklin W. Dixon (one of my favourite Hardy Boys books back in the day, now tremendously dated)
Alexandre Chenevert, by Gabrielle Roy
History of the Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides (translated by Rex Warner)
The Rez Sisters, by Tomson Highway
A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry
Ratlines, by Stuart Neville
and my own copy of How to Be Champion, by Sarah Millican, which I read from the library and liked.

So going by my rules for the TBR ticker, this counts as 7 books to "pay off". Because I've already read the Hardy Boys and the Millican, they don't need to be paid off.
I'm also totally going to be counting the two books in the Waverley omnibus separately whenever I read them...

And bonus, two of these books (the Stewart and the Mistry) were already on my to-read list!

August recap: 6 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 69)
* = Book from the Pool

*The Detective Wore Silk Drawers, by Peter Lovesey
*Paths of Glory, by Jeffrey Archer (audio, read by Roger Allam)
The Tenth Doctor Adventures, Volume 1 (Big Finish audio drama)
Ridgerunner, by Gil Adamson
Partners in Crime, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser)
Twenty Years at Hull-House, by Jane Addams (Serial Reader)

ROOT of the month: Ridgerunner

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 2
In progress: 0
On deck: 2

A great month for audio: I think 3 audiobooks in one month is a record!

September looks to be a mystery- and thriller-heavy ROOT month to counteract the non-fiction I have out from the library.

Hi RP. Just popping in to see how you are doing. Lots of ROOTing going on there.

>168 connie53: Hi Connie! I was glad to read so many ROOTs in August. Normally when I am visiting my parents, I don't read very many of my own books.

****

Starting off September with a Doctor Who ROOT.

Plague City, by Jonathan Morris
ROOT 70 of 60
Source: Blackwell’s, Oxford
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/146093232

This book features the Twelfth Doctor, my favourite Doctor Who. It also features Bill and Nardole, whom I loved. The three of them made a great team. And this story, set in Edinburgh during the Great Plague of 1645, is creepy, amusing, and maybe just a bit TOO relevant for nowadays, but still fun.

The year of the re-read continues.

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
ROOT 71 of 60
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/2773690/reviews/70444099

I'm following along with a group that is reading all of the major Austen novels in publication order. This was a delightful re-read, exactly what I needed.

After working my way through a lot of library books, I managed to squeeze in a couple of ROOTs.

Bloody Murder, by Julian Symons
ROOT 72 of 60
Source: probably the Great Glebe Garage Sale
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/141824226

I'm glad I waited a few years to read this book. It covers a lot of books that have been reprinted by British Library Crime Classics, so I was much more familiar with the authors and titles mentioned. This is an interesting predecessor to The Golden Age of Murder and I look forward to comparing it to The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books.

The Scheme for Full Employment, by Magnus Mills
ROOT 73 of 60
Source: Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/145726327

This was one of many books I bought in Hay-on-Wye back in 2017. My first Magnus Mills but actually the second one I bought. It was OK. I will read more by him but I wasn't laughing out loud nearly as much as the blurb on the front cover suggested I would.

Congrats on meeting your ROOT goals!

>172 Sace: Thanks! I do lowball them a bit, but that just means I get to add more to the group total :)

I low balled this year and then the quarantine hit so I will go over. Still, I think I will make lowballing a habit. :)

Hi RP, I thought you might be interested to know that, as of this week (it opened on Monday), Stirling has a new indie 2nd hand bookshop! It's called The Book Nook, in Upper Craigs, and it has a coffee shop too. I had a very enjoyable browse today (and an excellent vegan brownie) - didn't buy any books this time, but I will definitely be back!

>174 Sace: Excellent idea :)

>175 Jackie_K: Oooooo that is great news! Someday we'll be back and I can check it out for myself :D

I had a good start to the reading week, then got steadily more tired. But I do have two ROOTs to report.

Gideon’s Night, by J. J. Marric
ROOT 74 of 60
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Canada book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/89848482

One of the many Gideon books I have stockpiled. This is one of the early ones, so still pretty good. (The ones written after the death of John Creasey, the author behind the pen name, aren't as good.)

Dalek Empire 2.1: Dalek War, Chapter 1, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
ROOT 75 of 60
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/154841381

This continues the story of Dalek Empire, which I'd listened to a while ago but which is very neatly summarized here so I did not feel lost. A pleasant diversion.

After a long run of library books, I decided to check off an easy audio ROOT.

Dalek Empire 2.2: Dalek War, Chapter 2, by Nicholas Briggs
ROOT 76 of 60
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/154841492

Each Dalek Empire story is only about an hour long, so they make good listening while I do audio puzzles. This one ended on a good cliffhanger.

>170 rabbitprincess: I've finally started Pride and Prejudice ... for the first time :0 ! It's a tight-bound mass-market paperback with tiny font printed edge to edge on the pages which does not encourage me to pick it up. But so far, the first dozen chapters have been fun!

>179 detailmuse: Yay! I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)

Managed to squeak in two more ROOTs for September.

Dalek Empire 2.3: Dalek War, Chapter 3, by Nicholas Briggs
ROOT 77 of 60
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/154841590

Almost done this story arc. It continues to be reliable and cheesy at the same time, because it was produced in 2003.

The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, by Dorothy Gilman
ROOT 78 of 60
Going Through the Stacks 83 of 208
Source: probably a gift, but I’ve had it for so long I don’t actually remember
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70476199

I recently brought back all my Mrs. Pollifaxes from my parents' place, so I decided to re-read one in an attempt to find something that would fit my flagging attention. It did the job nicely.

September recap coming soon!

September recap: 9 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 78)
* = Book from the Pool

Plague City, by Jonathan Morris
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (re-read)
Bloody Murder, by Julian Symons
The Scheme for Full Employment, by Magnus Mills
*Gideon’s Night, by J. J. Marric
Dalek Empire 2.1: Dalek War, Chapter 1, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
Dalek Empire 2.2: Dalek War, Chapter 2, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
Dalek Empire 2.3: Dalek War, Chapter 3, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, by Dorothy Gilman (re-read)

ROOT of the month: Plague City

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 1
In progress: 0
On deck: 3

Another great month for audio, at least audio I own; I started two audios from the library and ran into annoyance with voices in both, so I DNF'd.

I thought I had a lot of mystery and thrillers on the pile last month, but I have more this month! I am also hoping to read one of the two historical novels in the Pool.

Speaking of the Pool, only 8 books left!



Realistically, I won't be able to complete the Pool this year, barring a miracle; one of the books is at my parents' place and I did not pick it up last time I was there... and who knows when I will be able to go back??

October's started off well, at least in terms of reading.

Parting Shot, by Linwood Barclay
ROOT 79 of 60
Source: Bouchercon 2017
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/147044639

Had a hankering for a Linwood Barclay after seeing him at a virtual panel at Bloody Scotland. This was great, just what I needed. Now I'm only two novels behind (I still have to read A Noise Downstairs and Elevator Pitch).

>183 rabbitprincess: I love the books by Linwood Barclay. I really have to read everything by him as I do with the books of Harlan Coben. Just get those 2 books read, they are awesome.

Hi RP! Congrats on 79 of 60 for your ROOTing.

>170 rabbitprincess: Is it an LT group? I am doing a personal challenge re-read of all Jane Austen’s novels in publication order and am on Emma, #4 of 6. Good for you. I rate it 5*, too, and I’m very stingy with stars.

>184 connie53: Linwood and Harlan will be in conversation at the Toronto International Festival of Authors on October 29! https://festivalofauthors.ca/event/the-boy-from-the-woods-harlan-coben-in-conver...
Given the time difference, it would probably be a very late night for you to watch live, but the video will be available on the website for 3 days afterward :)

>185 karenmarie: Hi Karen! It's a group on Litsy, a book app that LT acquired recently. Functions like Instagram but the purpose is more like Goodreads. The group is taking 3 months for each book: 2 to read the book at about a chapter a day, then 1 for related spin-offs, retellings, and adaptations. I'm not digging into any of the retellings, but it was really fun to see everyone discover Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters :)

Continuing my audio trend with this book.

Dalek Empire 2.4: Dalek War, Chapter 4, by Nicholas Briggs
ROOT 80 of 60
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/154841692

Another series of Dalek Empire finished. These were made in 2003, so before Doctor Who came back to TV. Some well-done surprises in this one.

>186 rabbitprincess: Nice, thank you for mentioning that. I will make a note of it in my calendar.

I'm impressed at how you're working through the pool! Whenever I set a list of books I want to get through my subconscious immediately wants me to read OTHER books.

>188 connie53: Excellent! It looks really good.

>189 curioussquared: Haha I can understand that! I do find it helps that I give myself all year to read the books if they strike my fancy.

Hey RP - just dropping by to catch up after having been a bit MIA in September. You have been ROOTing with a vengence - well done!

>183 rabbitprincess: I've heard "Linwood Barclay" a lot. Are his standalones? ...any recommendation as to the best to read first? (Trust Your Eyes has been in my wishlist for a long time, with my comment of "map-obsesses schizophrenic.")

>191 leslie.98: Thanks, Leslie! Welcome back :)

>192 detailmuse: Yes, most of his work is stand-alone, and Trust Your Eyes is one of my favourites, so I'd consider it a good place to start ;)

The "Promise Falls" trilogy comprises four volumes: Broken Promise, Far from True, The Twenty-Three, and Parting Shot. They may make more sense if you read them in order, but I think you could probably get away with reading them in a different order.

That said, I *would* recommend reading No Time for Goodbye and No Safe House in that order because the stories are linked. But with the Promise Falls trilogy and these two books, you could read other books in between them and not lose any threads.

>193 rabbitprincess: I completely agree with RP.

>194 connie53: Thanks, Connie :D I would also add that Parting Shot can be read on its own a bit more than the first three books; Linwood wrote those three books at the same time, over a period of 18 months, so they are much more closely knit.

****

Going through my currently reading stack and declaring some books finished.

Mary Barton, by Elizabeth Gaskell
ROOT 81 of 60
Source: Serial Reader, Project Gutenberg
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/188769814

I've been trying to read this for a month and a half and it isn't really working. Probably more me than the book.

>193 rabbitprincess:, >194 connie53: Thanks! - I just downloaded it!

>196 detailmuse: Hurray, enjoy!

****

The library books are taking over my shelves at an alarming rate, but I managed to get another ROOT in this week.

Death Under Sail, by C. P. Snow
ROOT 82 of 60
Source: Bearly Used Books, Parry Sound
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/134021500

I picked this up on impulse at a secondhand bookstore. A serviceable Golden Age mystery.

Audiobooks make the perfect accompaniment to jigsaw puzzles, and this was no exception.

Jago & Litefoot & Strax: The Haunting, by Justin Richards (Big Finish audio drama)
ROOT 83 of 60
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/154346993

The fact that I actually had a Halloween-appropriate audiobook on hand was too much to resist! This was fun. I love Strax and found this a good introduction to the Jago and Litefoot series. (I've seen the Doctor Who episode where they first appear but never got around to their audio spinoff series.)

Hi RP!

>195 rabbitprincess: I’ve only read Cranford by Gaskell, loved it, but haven’t felt inclined to read any more by her.

>199 This-n-That: Thanks! Good to see you :)

>200 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I really liked Wives and Daughters and also liked North and South, but Mary Barton just didn't work for me at this time. I am prepared to chalk it up to pandemic brain though.

Hi RP. Just popping in to see what you are reading.

>195 rabbitprincess: I didn't dislike Mary Barton nearly as much as Ruth! Cranford & Wives and Daughters are her best books imo...

>197 rabbitprincess: I didn't know that C.P. Snow wrote mysteries! I'll have to look for that one...

>202 connie53: Hi Connie! Thanks for stopping by :) I'm hoping to get one more ROOT in by the end of the month!

>203 leslie.98: Hi Leslie! I think this was the only crime novel that Snow wrote (or one of very few). I'll be interested to see what you think of it.

After searching for my copy of Rebecca and realizing that my mum probably borrowed it on her most recent visit, I asked her to send me a list of the books she'd borrowed so that I could update my records. I use the collection "At parents' place" in my catalogue to indicate which books are at their place (or by extension, at my grandma's or my uncle's if one of them has borrowed one of my books).

This collection also until recently consisted of the few books of mine I hadn't taken with me when I left home for university. When I was down in August, I cleaned out most of the books that were still there. I've now checked off another 6 books from my "going through the stacks" ticker, giving these books away without re-reading:

The Cat Who Blew the Whistle
The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare
The Cat Who Saw Red
The Cat Who Turned On and Off
The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern
The Cat Who Robbed a Bank

So now I'm up to 89 of 208. Getting closer to the halfway mark, a mere 8 years after starting this challenge, haha.

The only Cat Who book I've kept is The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, which is one of my favourites and also makes me laugh because it was mentioned in the Quiz at Bloody Scotland 2018. One of the rounds featured "cat-themed cosy mysteries" and the quiz teams had to guess whether the given title was real or fictional. Neither team knew this was a real book!

Ooh, looks like I have even more books to add to my Going Through the Stacks score! I really haven't been keeping this part of my catalogue up to date. I've added another eight books to the Going Through the Stacks ticker by virtue of removing them from my shelves without doing a review.

Three were mysteries I had no interest in revisiting:

Pawing Through the Past, by Rita Mae Brown
Murder at Monticello, by Rita Mae Brown
Thale's Folly, by Dorothy Gilman

And five were children's books recounting short episodes in the War of 1812. My parents bought them for me for Grade 7 history, where we spent pretty much the entire year talking about this war. All of the books are by noted Canadian historian Pierre Berton:

The Death of Tecumseh
The Attack on Montreal
The Capture of Detroit
The Death of Isaac Brock
The Battle of Lake Erie

The books themselves are good, as you would expect from books by Pierre Berton, but we have his full-length books for adults: The Invasion of Canada and Flames Across the Border.

So now I am at 97 books done. I also counted again the books still tagged with "project: going through the stacks" and updated the target on the ticker to match that number.

Oh, taking a BB for the Pierre Berton books (the grown-up versions)!

>205 rabbitprincess: I have 10 of The Cat Who…. Books on my shelves, won’t ever read them, and you’ve now inspired me to deaccession them from my catalog.

>206 rabbitprincess: Now you’ve inspired me to get rid of the cat mysteries and fox hunting mysteries by Rita Mae Brown too!

Congrats on the culling.

>207 MissWatson: Haha if you'd been interested in in the children's versions, I'd probably have kept them aside for you! Assuming my parents hadn't already taken them out to the used bookstore of course. The books are probably more preteen level than "kid" level. I haven't yet read The Invasion of Canada, but Flames Across the Border was excellent.

>208 karenmarie: I had so many cat-themed mysteries on my shelves from when I was a teenager. This was the last batch of them to go. It felt good to move them off that ticker!

Another way to feel accomplished: reading a short, snappy audiobook!

Doctor Who: Destiny of the Doctor 11: The Time Machine, by Matt Fitton (audio, read by Jenna Coleman, Michael Cochrane, and Nicholas Briggs)
ROOT 84 of 60
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139865052

This is the 11th of 11 linked stories about the Doctor through his various lives; these were written to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the show, in 2013. Naturally, I've been listening to them totally out of order. This was a good quick Sunday-afternoon read.

>210 rabbitprincess: Naturally, I've been listening to them totally out of order.

That seems like the most appropriate way to do it, really. :)

>211 bragan: I know right? It seemed fitting. I may listen to the rest of them in order, but we'll see.

****

Finally, a Going Through the Stacks book that I've actually read :D

jPod, by Douglas Coupland
ROOT 85 of 60, Going Through the Stacks #98
Source: gift
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70475313

I last read this in 2006, and this was almost a first read rather than a re-read, because I'd forgotten so much about it. It's sort of a successor to Coupland's book Microserfs, which I prefer to this one. JPod feels spikier and harsher than Microserfs, and I am not sure how well some parts of it have aged. I'm going to go read Microserfs again :)

Another short ROOT for October.

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 6: Sonic Boom, by Robbie Morrison, illustrated by Mariano Lacaustra and Rachael Stott (ebook)
ROOT 86 of 60
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/179425710

I do enjoy a Robbie Morrison Doctor Who comic. The art in these ones was a bit hit-or-miss for me though. I have high standards for people drawing Twelve ;)
And now I've read all of my Twelfth Doctor comics! Have to figure out which Doctor's adventures to read next.

October recap: 8 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 86)
* = Book from the Pool

Parting Shot, by Linwood Barclay
Dalek Empire 2.4: Dalek War, Chapter 4, by Nicholas Briggs (Big Finish audio drama)
Mary Barton, by Elizabeth Gaskell (Serial Reader / Project Gutenberg, abandoned)
Death Under Sail, by C. P. Snow
Jago & Litefoot & Strax: The Haunting, by Justin Richards (Big Finish audio drama)
Doctor Who: The Time Machine (Destiny of the Doctor, #11), by Matt Fitton (audio, read by Jenna Coleman, Michael Cochrane, and Nicholas Briggs)
jPod, by Douglas Coupland (re-read)
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 6: Sonic Boom, by Robbie Morrison, illustrated by Mariano Lacaustra and Rachael Stott (ebook)

ROOT of the month: Doctor Who: The Time Machine (although it was a tough choice)

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 0
In progress: 1
On deck: 2

Three audios this month! I’m doing very well with those.

I didn’t get to either of the historical fiction books on the pile in October, but hope springs eternal, so maybe one of them will be read in November.

First ROOT of November is a cheesy thriller with planes! My favourite.

Shooting Script, by Gavin Lyall
ROOT 87 of 60
Source: likely the Great Glebe Garage Sale’s used book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/156469260

I enjoyed this a lot and will probably end up keeping the book, which is a solid endorsement for a book that I picked up entirely on the strength of its inclusion on the Crime Writers' Association top 100 crime novels list from 1990. (That was a long sentence.)

Second ROOT of November is a holdover from October.

The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books, by Martin Edwards
ROOT 88 of 60
Source: Bouchercon 2017
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/147110199

This is a book I'll have to return to for reading ideas! I enjoyed the summaries and appreciated how Edwards was able to tap-dance around spoilers for the most part, at least as far as I could tell with the books I've read already.

>205 rabbitprincess: I'm impressed that your mom could list your books in her possession! And I feel such vicarious pleasure reading about your organizing/de-accessions :)

>217 detailmuse: My old bedroom is now her office (although everyone still calls it "RP's room"), so she tends to keep books she's borrowed from me there on the desk. And when I'm visiting I tend to create a little stockpile of books to borrow from her on that desk as well. It's like our designated handover spot :D

And thanks! I feel good about freeing up the space at my parents' place. They want to fill the bookshelves with THEIR books, haha.

More short audios!

Doctor Who: Shadow of Death (Destiny of the Doctor, #2), by Simon Guerrier (audio, read by Frazer Hines and Evie Dawnay)
ROOT 89 of 60
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139864927

I felt like reading a Second Doctor story, so this audio obliged. It's more of a trifle than some Doctor Who stories, but I will almost never say no to a Doctor Who story.

And a re-read.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams
ROOT 90 of 60
Going Through the Stacks #99
Source: I think I bought this for myself a long time ago? No idea
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70444425

I tried reading the audio version of this but didn't like the Zaphod voice. The print version was much better. Funnier than I remembered, too.

Took me a while to get back to a ROOT. Too many library books, not enough time!

The Hog’s Back Mystery, by Freeman Wills Crofts
ROOT 91 of 60
Source: charity bookshop in Edinburgh
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/160561314

I'm always on the lookout for British Library Crime Classics when I'm in the UK, and this one I picked up in a charity shop for £2.50. It was a solid Golden Age mystery, not my favourite Inspector French, but worth the investment ;)

>220 rabbitprincess: I reread that via audiobook not that long ago and agree that the Zaphod voice wasn't great. Interesting how some books are just better when the voices are in your head!

>222 leslie.98: Agreed, especially when I am remembering Mark Wing-Davey's voice instead!

****

Here's a re-read from a very long time ago.

The Green Gables Detectives, by Eric Wilson
ROOT 92 of 60
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/135780512

This was one of my favourites in the Tom and Liz Austen series when I was younger. This may be at least in part because I visited PEI myself around the time of reading it. The book isn't technologically dated (impressive for a book published in 1987), but I bet a book written today would have less awkward-sounding dialogue for people whose first language is not English...

Last ROOT of November is here.

The Informer, by Liam O’Flaherty
ROOT 93 of 60
Source: Book Bazaar
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/138119679

I almost liked this, but not quite. It's not something I will re-read.

November recap: 7 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 93)
* = Book from the Pool

Shooting Script, by Gavin Lyall
*The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books, by Martin Edwards
Doctor Who: Shadow of Death (Destiny of the Doctor, #2), by Simon Guerrier (audio, read by Frazer Hines and Evie Dawnay)
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, by Douglas Adams (reread)
The Hog’s Back Mystery, by Freeman Wills Crofts
The Green Gables Detectives, by Eric Wilson (reread)
The Informer, by Liam O’Flaherty

ROOT of the month: The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 1
In progress: 0
On deck: 1

Haha still didn’t get to either of the historical fiction books on my pile. I focused on lighter reads, and December’s ROOT stack looks about the same.

First ROOT of December in the bag.

Amorality Tale, by David Bishop
ROOT 94 of 60
Source: BMV
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/133956566

This is one of the Doctor Who "history collection" stories, and it is set in London during the Great Smog of 1952. I was a bit early in reading it, though; the action takes place from December 5 to 7. Had I known, I would have timed my reading appropriately! This was a good story but very grim and violent by Doctor Who standards.

After having to take care of a bunch of library books, I managed to find some time for this ROOT.

Stalking Point, by Duncan Kyle
ROOT 95 of 60
Source: Rockcliffe Park Public School book sale
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965454

I bought this entirely because of the airplane on the cover. It ended up being a great story that was mostly set in Canada! I had a lot of fun with it.

Hi RP!

Wow. Root 95 of 60. One of the few good things to come of this year is how many people are reading way beyond the goals they set. Congratulations in a terrible year.

>228 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen! I'm nearly 20 books ahead of my total from last year, which feels somewhat astonishing because of the days I don't feel like reading, but I guess the reading is still getting done.

****

An Overdose of Death, by Agatha Christie
ROOT 96 of 60
Source: pilfered from grandparents
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139917270

One of many 1970s paperbacks of Agatha Christie on my shelves. They're my favourite editions, if I'm being honest. They remind me of my childhood. This is not one of my favourite Poirots, but an easy read in a distracting time.

The Answer Is...Reflections on My Life, by Alex Trebek (audio, read by Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings)
ROOT 97 of 60
Source: Libro.fm
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/190416364

I loved this memoir, even as it ripped my heart out because Alex is gone. The chapter about his wife, Jean, had me weeping. Half-star knocked off for a few weird Jennings pronunciations (also, Alex speaks way better French and I wish his voice had been strong enough for those bits).

... and here's to a better 2021!

>231 karenmarie: Amen to that! Thank you for the Christmas wishes :)

What a great ROOTing year you've had! This is the year I've started to appreciate that having a large and varied TBR pile is no bad thing!
I hope you have a great Christmas and a safe and happy start to 2021 :)

Happy Christmas, RP - I hope it's not too weird and 2020ish, and here's to a better 2021!

Wow rabbitprincess, 97 of 60 is an amazing total. Belated congratulations.

>233 Rebeki: I've seen large TBRs likened to wine cellars, and I like that analogy -- you'll have something on hand for just about any mood. Merry Christmas to you and a happy new year!

>234 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie, and Merry Christmas! This will actually be my first Christmas spent with my other half; I'm usually with my parents and he with his. So a bit 2020ish but perhaps not a bad thing.

>235 QuestingA: Thanks! I deliberately set my goal to be achievable quickly, and I guess not having access to library books during a three-month lockdown helped my ROOTs total somewhat.

Happy holidays, RP, and here's to a brandnew reading year with a full stack of delightful vintages!

Happy Holidays from the Netherlands!

>230 rabbitprincess: So glad to see you liked Trebek's memoir -- I have it as an e-book and it'll be a ROOT next year! :)

Continuing holiday cheer and Happy New Year!

>237 MissWatson: Thanks, and the same to you! Cheers!

>238 connie53: Thanks, Connie! I hope you had snow like in the photo. We did not have snow this year, but my parents did. Normally it's the other way round!

>239 detailmuse: It was so good! I also liked Answers in the Form of Questions, which is more about Jeopardy! than about Trebek. A bit of overlap but they complement each other well. Hope you have a great holiday and New Year!

Another audio ROOT!

Doctor Who: Shockwave (Destiny of the Doctor, #7), by James Swallow (audio, read by Sophie Aldred and Ian Brooker)
ROOT 98 of 60
Source: Big Finish Humble Bundle
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139864992

These Destiny of the Doctor stories are only about an hour each and thus make good short reads when you want to read but are not sure what exactly to read (or don't really have a lot of attention span).

I really enjoyed Trebek's memoir, too. The part that had me cackling was the vision of him getting up in the middle of the night and chugging a glass of milk. He is so missed.

>240 rabbitprincess: We did not have snow, not even one flake. Just a very heavy storm and lots of rain.

But I don't mind, I'm not that crazy about snow.

>242 curioussquared: I loved the bit where he announced that he swore! He swears with such poise.

>243 connie53: A heavy storm would be perfect reading weather, anyway! We ended up getting a little bit of snow yesterday. Having at least a dusting of snow helps me with the holiday vibe ;)

Oh, I think that Alex Trebek memoir is going to have to go on my wishlist.

>245 This-n-That: Thanks! I hope you have a happy new year as well. Agreed, hoping that 2021 is better.

>246 bragan: It is so good! I borrowed the print copy from the library to see the pictures, and I think I'll have to buy my own.

A DNF ROOT is still a ROOT!

Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville, by Mary Somerville
ROOT 99 of 60
Source: Project Gutenberg
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/192588158

I borrowed this after reading about Mary Somerville in another book (Warriors and Witches and Damn Rebel Bitches). I've been picking at it for over a month but haven't felt inspired to finish it, so I'm going to clear it off the decks. Maybe in a non-pandemic universe I would have finished it, but I don't have the attention span right now.

Best ROOT year ever, I think.

Myths of the Norsemen, by Roger Lancelyn Green
ROOT 100 of 60
Going Through the Stacks book 100
Source: it has existed in my collection for about 25 years, no idea who bought it
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70476135

For the past few years I've read a mythology book to begin the year; in keeping with the topsy-turvy nature of 2020, I'm reading a mythology book to close out the year instead. I enjoyed this retelling, which I read many times as a kid.

Also how cool that it was my 100th ROOT of the year and the 100th "Going Through the Stacks" book!

>259 rabbitprincess: Woohoo!!!

>249 rabbitprincess: Hooray, well done!

>250 curioussquared: >251 Jackie_K: Thank you both!

****

I won't complete any more ROOTs today, so here is the month-end recap.

December recap: 7 ROOTS pulled (YTD: 100)
* = Book from the Pool

Amorality Tale, by David Bishop
Stalking Point, by Duncan Kyle
An Overdose of Death, by Agatha Christie (re-read)
The Answer Is… Reflections on My Life, by Alex Trebek (audio, read by Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings)
Doctor Who: Shockwave (Destiny of the Doctor, #7), by James Swallow (audio, read by Sophie Aldred and Ian Brooker)
Personal Recollections, from Early Life to Old Age, of Mary Somerville, by Mary Somerville (Project Gutenberg)
Myths of the Norsemen, by Roger Lancelyn Green (re-read)

ROOT of the month: The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life

Books from the Pool:

Completed this month: 0
In progress: 0
On deck: 1 from the 2020 Pool, 1 from the 2021 Pool

My attention wandered a fair bit from the Pool in the last quarter of the year. Ended the year with 23/30 Pool books read.

ROOTs of the year:

Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor Vol. 2: Fractures, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Brian Williamson and Mariano Laclaustra (ebook)
Doctor Who: The Plotters, by Gareth Roberts
Watership Down, by Richard Adams (audio, read by Peter Capaldi)
Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, by Tanya Talaga
The Field Guide to Understanding ‘Human Error’, by Sidney Dekker
Microserfs, by Douglas Coupland (re-read)
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, by Thomas King
Ridgerunner, by Gil Adamson
Doctor Who: Plague City, by Jonathan Morris
Doctor Who: The Time Machine (Destiny of the Doctor, #11), by Matt Fitton (audio, read by Jenna Coleman, Michael Cochrane, and Nicholas Briggs)
The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books, by Martin Edwards
The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life, by Alex Trebek (audio, read by Alex Trebek and Ken Jennings)

Audio was good for me this year, apparently, with 3 of the 12 slots. And so was Doctor Who, with 4 of the 12 slots. I had some excellent reading off my shelves, aided in part by the three-month shutdown of the libraries in the spring.

Nice stats, RP.

Congrats on 100 ROOTs and great stats.

>254 connie53: >255 karenmarie: Thank you both! I was glad to have a better ROOT year this year.

100! Congratulations, that's phenomenal!

A good year's reading. Here's to an even better 2021

>257 detailmuse: I think not having new library books for three months really helped with that... :D

>258 Robertgreaves: Thanks, Robert, and wishing you a great 2021 as well!

Just catching up with your thread as it comes to a triumphant end with 100/60 for 2020 - well done! Especially since you had a bit of pandemic-brain along the way. I did too but wasn't so successful at overcoming it. I've picked up a couple of BBs and I'm just disappointed I have no idea who Alex Trebek was or he would've been in there too.

I was amused by your book-sharing arrangements with your parents. My daughter stayed with me for four months during lockdown and siphoned off a few (to me) classics. Not only that but she further disbursed some to her friends - so I'll probably never see them again (other than on IG posts!). Och, well, I'm glad really that my books were making other people happy during 2020 :)

>260 floremolla: Alex Trebek was the host of the TV quiz show Jeopardy!. So his memoir covers the 36 years in which he hosted the show, and he talks about his career in Canadian radio and television, then in the US television market before he was given the Jeopardy! gig. I happened to read it around the same time as a library book about the show itself: Answers in the Form of Questions, and they made a great combo.

Haha the only time I've lent my parents' books to my friends was when my friend who's a fan of John Dickson Carr borrowed my mum's copy of one of his books. I think it was The White Priory Murders. I could trust my friend to return the book quickly and look after it while she had it ;)

>261 rabbitprincess: thanks for explaining Alex Trebek! I used to wish we had Jeopardy! on tv here. Back in the days when my memory still functioned and I enjoyed quiz shows :)

Yes, I'll have to instil some book borrowing etiquette into my DD. She will bend the pages over rather than use a bookmark and gets shirty if I comment on it! I might have to get one of those Ex Libris rubber stamps and demand safe and pristine return on pain of disinheritance.

>262 floremolla: You could get the famous book curse made into a book plate for your books:

"For him that stealeth a Book from this Library, let it change to a Serpent in his hand and rend him. Let him be struck with Palsy, and all his Members blasted. Let him languish in Pain, crying aloud for Mercy and let there be no surcease to his Agony till he sink to Dissolution. Let Book-worms gnaw his Entrails in token of the Worm that dieth not, and when at last he goeth to his final Punishment let the Flames of Hell consume him for ever and aye."