MARCH ROOT - Progress Thread

FLOWER OF THE MONTH = NARCISSUS










Password is ROOTS

Narcissus is a genus of predominantly spring perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil, narcissus and jonquil are used to describe all or some members of the genus. Narcissus has conspicuous flowers with six petal-like tepals surmounted by a cup- or trumpet-shaped corona. The flowers are generally white or yellow (also orange or pink in garden varieties), with either uniform or contrasting coloured tepals and corona.

The species are native to meadows and woods in southern Europe and North Africa with a centre of diversity in the Western Mediterranean, particularly the Iberian peninsula. Both wild and cultivated plants have naturalized widely, and were introduced into the Far East prior to the tenth century. Narcissi tend to be long-lived bulbs, which propagate by division, but are also insect-pollinated. Some Narcissus species have become extinct, while others are threatened by increasing urbanization and tourism.

Narcissus were well known in ancient civilization, both medicinally and botanically. The genus is generally considered to have about ten sections with approximately 50 species. The number of species has varied, depending on how they are classified, due to similarity between species and hybridization. The exact origin of the name Narcissus is unknown, but it is often linked to a Greek word for intoxicated (narcotic) and the myth of the youth of that name who fell in love with his own reflection. The English word "daffodil" appears to be derived from "asphodel", with which it was commonly compared.

Historical accounts suggest narcissi have been cultivated from the earliest times, but became increasingly popular in Europe after the 16th century and by the late 19th century were an important commercial crop centered primarily in the Netherlands. Today narcissi are popular as cut flowers and as ornamental plants in private and public gardens. The long history of breeding has resulted in thousands of different cultivars. For horticultural purposes, narcissi are classified into divisions, covering a wide range of shapes and colors. Like other members of their family, narcissi produce a number of different alkaloids, which provide some protection for the plant, but may be highly poisonous if accidentally ingested. This property has been exploited for medicinal use in traditional healing and has resulted in the production of galantamine for the treatment of Alzheimer's dementia. Long celebrated in art and literature, narcissi are associated with a number of themes in different cultures, ranging from death to good fortune, and as symbols of spring. The daffodil is the national flower of Wales and the symbol of cancer charities in many countries. The appearance of the wild flowers in spring is associated with festivals in many places.

Below is the current list of members that have identified a ROOT goal for 2020 and how many books they read by the end of February. The percentages will be calculated and a star awarded for those on target to reach their goals. More stars for farther toward their goal.

If anyone's number is incorrect, please let me know and I will make the necessary adjustments.
So go out there and dig those ROOTs.

The goal for March is 802. Let the Narcissi trumpet a huge bunch of ROOTS as spring arrives!!

ahef1963 0 / 100 0.0%
alexa_d 27 / 100 ★★ 27.0%
Ameise1 6 / 12 ★★★★★ 50.0%
arubabookwoman 0 / 36 0.0%
benitastrnad 18 / 60 ★★ 30.0%
bg853 2 / 25 8.0%
bookworm148 1 / 20 5.0%
bragan 11 / 50 ★★ 22.0%
brakketh 3 / 30 10.0%
ca_dmv 2 / 12 ★ 16.7%
clue 11 / 50 ★★ 22.0%
connie53 8 / 42 ★★ 19.0%
crazy4reading 1 / 38 2.6%
curioussquared 5 / 50 10.0%
CurrerBell 2 / 40 5.0%
cyderry 14 / 84 ★ 16.7%
detailmuse 12 / 40 ★★ 30.0%
DissamblyOfReason 7 / 100 7.0%
enemyanniemae 15 / 50 ★★ 30.0%
Erratic_Charmer 10 / 40 ★★ 25.0%
Familyhistorian 14 / 65 ★ 21.5%
FAMeulstee 5 / 24 ★ 20.8%
floremolla 5 / 50 10.0%
fuzzi 24 / 100 ★ 24.0%
HelenBaker 12 / 48 ★★ 25.0%
Henrik_Madsen 11 / 50 ★ 22.0%
humouress 11 / 40 ★★ 27.5%
Jackie_K 11 / 60 ★ 18.3%
Jacksonian 4 / 75 5.3%
jenknox 6 / 100 6.0%
kac522 12 / 45 ★★ 26.7%
karenmarie 14 / 30 ★★★★ 46.7%
klarusu 2 / 36 5.6%
Kristelh 14 / 45 ★★ 31.1%
Kwharton 0 / 12 0.0%
LadyBookworth 3 / 30 10.0%
lindapanzo 9 / 48 ★ 18.8%
lilisin 6 / 50 12.0%
LoraShouse 2 / 15 13.3%
leslie.98 36 / 75 ★★★★ 48.0%
madhatter22 6 / 50 12.0%
majkia 17 / 60 ★★ 28.3%
mandymarie20 8 / 25 ★★ 32.0%
martencat 5 / 30 ★ 16.7%
Miss_Moneypenny 21 / 50 ★★★★ 42.0%
MissSos 2 / 25 8.0%
MissWatson 14 / 50 ★★ 28.0%
nebula21 8 / 48 ★ 16.7%
Nickelini 5 / 15 ★★★ 33.3%
rabbitprincess 15 / 60 ★★ 25.0%
rainpebble 5 / 36 13.9%
readergirliz 4 / 32 12.5%
readingtangent 11 / 24 ★★★★ 45.8%
Rebeki 7 / 24 ★★ 29.2%
ritacate 3 / 24 12.5%
Robertgreaves 22 / 90 ★ 24.4%
rocketjk 6 / 27 ★ 22.2%
rosalita 10 / 36 ★★ 27.8%
Sace 6 / 18 ★★★ 33.3%
sallylou61 6 / 30 ★ 20.0%
si 2 / 20 10.0%
sibylline 4 / 30 13.3%
This-n-That 4 / 20 ★ 20.0%
torontoc 2 / 30 6.7%
tuna.moriarty 3 / 200 1.5%
Val_Reads 1 / 100 1.0%
vestafan 12 / 60 ★ 20.0%
wandaly 4 / 18 ★ 22.2%


The readers leading the way are:

Ameise1 50.0%
leslie.98 48.0%
karenmarie 46.7%

There are still several tickers belonging to readers that are not members of the group. Remember, if your name is not in the list above, your ROOTS are not being counted, you need to join the group.

Sorry I'm a day late, I was cleaning my closet out and got buried!

>2 cyderry: whew--I know how THAT happens--which explains why my closets are more like Fibber McGee's....

and once again, LOVE the flower toppers. What a great theme this year!

My numbers are correct. Thanks Chèli for the maths (again).

My numbers were right too, and I gained my star after my slow start in January. Thank you cyderry for crunching the numbers and setting up the monthly threads.

Thank you for all your work, Chèli.

My numbers are correct. Thanks for setting up the new thread and for the beautiful flower photo! It is freezing rain here today and very grey and dreary -- those cheery yellow flowers hit the spot!

First ROOT in March started and finished on the 1st due to it being a short 215 page thriller.

Ryu Murakami : In the Miso Soup

My numbers are right too. Thanks Chèli for all the work you do for the group!

I love jonquils and daffodils. They signal spring's arrival to me (as well as being beautiful in their own right)!

I just realized I"m a March girl. So that's why I always liked daffodils!

Thanks for the lovely flowers, Chèli! The garden department of our city plants daffodils on the dividers of the main thoroughfares and they are just starting to bloom. It's such a cheerful sight when sitting in a bus. And after the daffodils, red tulips.

My jonquils are blooming, I love looking out the kitchen window and seeing their cheerfulness. In another week or two I'll be reading on the patio again!

My numbers are correct. Thanks Chèli.

What a cheery thread topper! My numbers are correct, thanks Chèli!

Lovely daffies on the top of the thread, Cheli. I've seen some popping up around here in the last few weeks. Always wonderful to see signs of Spring.
Which brings to mind spring cleaning. Probably why you got lost in your closet and undoubtedly something I should also tackle. Thanks for crunching the numbers and I am happy to see I retained my star.

ROOT #3 for the year and first for March- no tickers updated and the review is on my thread.

Added my first ROOT of March to all tickers: Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada, by Anna Brownell Jameson.

Second March ROOT finished on the 4th: William Golding's The Spire. The next book I'm reading is 700 pages long and more dense so I don't suspect I'll be be finishing this one as fast as the first two I read this month. I also didn't expect to jump right into another long novel after having just finished the 2000 page novel. Although I guess 700 pages looks easy after reading 2000.

Should add that The Spire is a ROOT from 2009 and has traveled with me from Texas to Colorado to Texas to Japan so I'm happy to have it finally read! Was worth it though.

Loving my 2 stars but now I have been a bad, bad girl. Almost finished my 2nd library book and picked up 2 more but they are on our NZ shortlist for our major prize so wanted to read them and make my own judgement. It's got to be better than buying them right?

Hope to get back later in the month with a root or two.

I finished my first ROOT for March. Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan. I love Egan’s work. His love for the wide open spaces of the American West shows in all of his work. This book is about the big forest fire that ravaged a huge area of three states in 1910; Washington, Idaho, and Montana and a big part of British Columbia before it died out. At that point the U.S. Forest Service was still a nascent organization and had powerful opponents in the U.S. government who happened to be representing the very states that were devastated by this fire. The idea of making land “public” was antithetical to these Representatives and Senators and they did everything in their power to kill the Forest Service and the idea of National Parks, Forests, and WIlderness Areas. The very idea of conservation of any natural resources was anathema to them. This book is about all of that, as well as about the fire itself.

I think this is one of the books I have had or the longest in my LT account and I don’t know why it took me so long to read it. This is great reading!

First ROOT of March is done, the 1946 Newbery winner Strawberry Girl. Personal ticker is updated.

It's been a while coming, but I've just posted my 1st and 2nd ROOTs for March (#12 and #13 for the year to date) to all tickers.

(edited to add 2nd ROOT)

Reporting ROOT # 9 for the year, # 1 for March

All tickers updated

Reporting ROOT # 10 for the year, # 2 for March

All tickers updated

I've finished my first ROOT for this month Summit Lake and have only updated my personal ticker.

Kind of in as reading funk. Usually by day 11 of a month, I've finished at least 3 books - nary a one so far this month. Can't seem to concentrate on reading, or maybe I just haven't chosen the right books. Will have to do better the rest of this month. Maybe it's spring fever?

>26 cyderry: sorry about the funk. I find a favorite book to reread when I am in a reading slump and it usually jump-starts me.

>26 cyderry: I hope you find something nice soon to take you out of it.

I've just added ROOT #3 for March (#14 for the year) to all tickers.

Added my second ROOT of March to all tickers: The Tiger in the Smoke, by Margery Allingham.

Do you think this should become the group picture for awhile?

>32 Jackie_K: I can't see it, cheli! Just the blank error square.

>31 cyderry: Are you suggesting we’re hoarding books? *outraged shock*

;0)

>31 cyderry: Perfect!!!

Added my third ROOT of March to all tickers: Strike North, by W. Howard Baker.

>31 cyderry: Yes please!

That's a darling picture! I think it would be a perfect one for the group!

>31 cyderry:. Love it Cheli. I am guilty for the first month ever of not having read any Roots but bingeing on library books. Starting my first Root of the month today but might lose a star. I have been reading with a purpose though, the shortlist for the New Zealand Ockham Book Awards 2020. At least I haven't gone and bought them so in some ways reducing my potential TBR stack.

Love the illustration- I am self- isolating ( travelled to the US and back to Canada) and books will help pass the time!

Read ROOT #4 for the year and second for March. Review is on my thread and no tickers updated.

>38 torontoc: Wishing you well on the self-isolation, including many many good reads.

>31 cyderry: love it!

I finished a ROOT the day before my forced incarceration for the panicdemic. I read Tidelands by Phillippa Gregory and really liked this work of historical fiction. Highly recommend it to those who like historical fiction.

Finished #3 for March, updated personal ticker.

>31 cyderry: Love it!

I too have been slack in my reading so far this month. But I did manage to finish a couple of short ROOTs recently. Hopefully more will get read in the second half of the month! My thread & all tickers will be updated shortly.

Book #5 was We Have Everything Before Us, which I received from LT early reviewers. Thread and ticker updated as soon as I not blocked by a firewall!

It is Spring Break at the university and that along with unexpected downtime of this panicdemic caused me to find myself with more reading time over the weekend so I finished reading Lost Boy by Camilla Lackberg today and enjoyed it. This murder mystery is tarnslated from the Swedish and even though on the long side (almost 500 pages) and I do think it had a tendency to wander and “get lost in the weeds” so to speak with to many different plot elements, I found it to be a good story.

One of the things that I unexpectedly found myself really liking about this book was the picture of Swedish life that it gave me. This is book 7 in a series set in a small town on the southwestern Swedish coast, and I am beginning to find myself getting to know all of the people who work at the police station better and what life is like in that kind of an environment. I like that in a mystery.

Halftime, and I can report 4 ROOTs. The new picture is lovely, Chèli. It's a good thing we've got so many books squirreled away!

I love the new group picture!

"Amazon Deprioritizes Book Sales Amid Coronavirus Crisis":

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/8...

I put a book in my cart and it still schedules a pretty fast delivery, four days. But honestly, I don't disagree with the priorities and haven't lately even been interested in acquiring new books :0

>48 detailmuse: options? Ebay or bookfinder (just don't choose an Amazon seller).

Another ROOT finished (though not yet reviewed)... All tickers updated.

I'm nearing the end of Melmoth the Wanderer and have been greatly enjoying it. I love these descriptively dramatic gothic tales! Hope it holds up until the end.

I've finished my second ROOT for this month An Englishman in Madrid and have updated my personal Ticker.

I finished another ROOT Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington. This truely is a story of injustice in the American South and a reminder that Jim Crow is alive and well south of the Mason Dixon line.

No tickers updated

Reporting ROOT # 11 for the year, # 3 for March

Jongen verslindt heelal by Trent Dalton

All tickers updated

>48 detailmuse: >49 fuzzi: Also, many independent bookstores across the country are offering free nationwide delivery right now, so you could order from one of those, once you're back in the mood for acquiring books. :-)

That's ROOTs nos 4 and 5 for March (nos 15 and 16 for the year) added to all tickers.

Reporting ROOT # 12 for the year, # 4 for March

Gebroken by B.A. Paris

All tickers updated

Finally a root for March #13, A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman. Currently reading another but then 2 more library books before they have to close their doors.

Added another ROOT to all tickers: Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon.

Finished ROOT #6: Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee. Loved it. I think I may catch up on my ROOTS a bit with all this staying at home!

Finished ROOT #5 for the year and third for March- review is on my thread and no tickers updated.

My numbers are correct. I have now finished 3 more ROOTs so far this month.

I hope everyone is staying safe from the corona virus. Our libraries here have now closed, so only books available online from them for a while. Of course, I hadn't gotten to the library this year yet anyway. So, getting thrown back on the ROOTs for reading anyway.

Thanks Cheli for keeping up the group so well.

Oh, also I like the picture. Very appropriate.

I've just finished my fourth for the month and may get two more in. I find myself wanting to veer away from what I have planned but even so could read other ROOTs. I did feel the need this morning to try out the library's curb service and found it works very well. I picked up the book I wanted about 45 minutes after I reserved it!

This is the worst month of my reading time here at LT in 11+ years. But that hasn't stop me from getting more books! This is truly an addiction!

I'm going to lose my star!

>64 cyderry: I ordered three books yesterday, but I figured I was just doing my part to support local indie bookstores at this time...

>64 cyderry: I'll bet you get your star back in the coming months when we aren't so unsettled. I'm reading but not anything that takes much concentration, I just can't do it right now. Nonetheless, I had two books delivered today and used the library's temporary curb service to pick up another one!

>64 cyderry: New books are definitely a source of comfort in these strange times, so perfectly justifiable :)

>65 rabbitprincess: >66 clue: As is supporting the economy/small businesses and libraries!

After years of feeling guilty for all the unread books and unwatched DVDs we have, I'm suddenly feeling grateful! However, despite having enough books to last me for years - and not having been able to read more than a couple of paragraphs at a time the last couple of weeks - I've found myself panic-buying books...

In order not to undo all my good ROOTing, I plan not to add these to the official TBR pile but to put them to one side and then bring one out periodically as a treat to myself and to make up for not being able to visit a bookshop.

Reporting ROOT # 13 for the year, # 5 for March

Koud bloed by Robert Bryndza

All tickers updated

Finished #4 for the month, personal ticker updated.

Finished book #6 for the year and 4 for the month- review is on my thread and no tickers updated.

I finished another long term TBR title. Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner went down to my smokin' slow reading pace. Somehow I thought I would get more reading done during my forced incarceration but cooking and a few reading projects have distracted me. I don't know why I haven't already read this series. These are fantastic! Can't wait to start book 3 in the series.

No tickers updated

And another title from the TBR list falls to my mighty reading sword arm. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller was read for my real life book discussion group. This one is a really good book folks. If you haven't read it you should up it on your TBR list.

Finished a couple of ROOTs, including the 1000+ page chunkster I have been working on since February - Black Lamb and Grey Falcon. No reviews yet but all tickers have been updated.

>73 leslie.98: I'll look forward to your review of that (I read it last year and was very proud of myself!).

Just added another ROOT to all tickers: Wives and Daughters, by Elizabeth Gaskell, which I read as a public-domain ebook.

>75 rabbitprincess: I loved Wives and Daughters - too bad Gaskell didn't get to finish it...

>74 Jackie_K: I have written up a very short review. I too am proud to have finished it because I didn't find it easy to read.

>76 leslie.98: I know! I literally exclaimed out loud in dismay when I came to the "concluding remarks". Such a good writer.

I won't read any more this month, have read a total of 5, 16 YTD against the goal of 50. I'm having trouble sticking with the plan I set up in advance now, I feel so distracted, will just have to see how April goes, I have 5 planned.

Finished 11 this month. Tickers updated
Current status
Read in March - 11
Read towards goal - 18 / 25 72.0%

>66 clue: I agree. I, too, am struggling to concentrate despite what should be extra reading time as I can't see family and look after grandchildren.
I, also, managed to pick up a couple of library books before they shut their doors for an indefinite period, so a very poor rooting month for me. However, next month it will only be TBR books so hope to catch up again.

>72 benitastrnad:. Noted. This has been waiting for far too long.

>76 leslie.98: Yes, I agree! Wasn't Gerda awful?!

(edited to get the correct post!)

I've just added #6 for March (#17 for the year) to all tickers. Hoping I can finish one more this weekend, and possibly another before the end of the month.

Added my first audio ROOT of the year to all tickers: Watership Down, by Richard Adams, read by Peter Capaldi.

>82 Jackie_K: I felt so bad for Constantine!

One more ROOT finished & two in progress which I hope to complete before the end of the month... My thread and all tickers have been updated.

Added my second audio ROOT of the year to all tickers: Moone Boy: The Blunder Years, by Chris O'Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy, read by the authors.

I've finished two more ROOTs for this month and have updated my personal ticker.

Finished ROOT #7 for the year and fifth book for March- a great reread- review is on my thread- no tickers updated

I may not be reading a lot at this moment but.....

I've added another ROOT to my personal ticker and the top group ticker, but not the bottom group ticker. There's a discrepancy between the two tickers and I'm not sure which is correct.

The ROOT is City of Death, by James Goss, a novelization of a Douglas Adams Doctor Who story.

Reporting ROOT # 14 for the year, # 6 for March

Gevangen by Kelley Armstrong

All tickers updated

I've added my #7 for March (#18 for the year) to my own ticker. The group tickers are showing a discrepancy still, so I thought I'd leave them both alone till Cheli sorts it out!

Managed to put away another ROOT: Ships in the Bay!, by D. K. Broster. I have added it to my own ticker, but not the group tickers.

So for March, managed 5 roots.
Only personal ticker updated.
Praying that everybody is safe and well.
And, "Happy reading". :+}
ps Cyderry -- Love,love the picture...so true..

Here is my report for March 2020:

UpROOTED books: 7
ROOTless books: 10
Added to the TBR shelves: 11

The ROOTs were:

After Many A Summer Dies the Swan by Aldous Huxley
Three Tales About Marriage by Geoffrey Chaucer
Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
The Sandman: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman
The Sandman: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman
A Place of Safety by Caroline Graham
Living With a Dead Language by Ann Patty

ROOTs in YTD: 29

Tickers have been updated but hopefully not harmed in the making of this report.

I finished three off-the-shelfers during March and I've now read nine for the year out of my goal of 27. My ticker is updated appropriately. Cheers, all!

Managed to finish Lady Chatterley's Lover just before midnight last night so I managed 4 ROOTs in March. I only purchased one book this past month and that's because it was only 50 cents. Otherwise, I've been reading really well from my TBR pile, even reading some purchased years back, and I've been reading a lot of my bigger books! Great progress.

I managed to finish another largish paperback ROOT today - Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino. If you like fairy tales, this book is worth checking out! My thread and all tickers have been updated & that is my last ROOT of the month. I managed to get almost as many books as I read this month but overall am still "in the black" (i.e. making a dent in my library).

I read 8 ROOTs in March for a total of 22/65. I still have a lot of library books to distract me because I picked up 7 holds the day before my library closed and now have 13 library books at home. I just hope they all don't have to go back at the same time!

I managed to finish 3 ROOTs in March. I'm going to use the present circumstances to try to get through some of the longer books I own, as well as some new acquisitions, so my ROOTing may slow down a bit in April...

In March I have read 6 ROOTs, making a total of 11/24.
Due to closed library my rooting was busted, this may continue next month.

ETA: all tickers updated

I'm checking in late with my March totals: Two ROOTs were read in March, short of my monthly goal.

Dear Edward was a really good book about the fallout surrounding an airline crash and its only survivor, a young boy named Eddie.

Triple Jeopardy is a Nero Wolfe omnibus. The three stories written in the 1950s feature a wide cast of characters, including a cadre of Communists, undocumented refugees from Eastern Europe, and a monkey-loving comic strip creator.

I've updated the ticker thread.

Edited to add one that I forgot: As the Crow Flies, the eighth book in the Walt Longmire series. So that brings me up to my monthly goal, hooray.

I read 8 roots this month, so pretty happy with that.

I finished 6 ROOTs this month. I'm not getting in as much reading as I thought I would.

6 for the month- 21 total for the year. Updating personal ticker.

You would think that being imprisoned at home for COVID would have had me reading much more than normal. Didn't happen. I have the concentration of doodlebug.

I had 7 ROOT's read in March. No tickers updated.

I read 3 Nonfiction books from my shelves this last month.

1. Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan
2. Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington
3. Lentil Underground: Renegade Farmers and the Future of Food in America by Liz Carlisle

I had 4 works of fiction that got ROOTed from my shelves.

1. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire - book 4 in the Wayward Children's series, and another of the TOR.com novellas I have been reading this winter.
2. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - for my real life book discussion group
3. Lost Boy by Camilla Lackberg - for the mystery comparison group here on LT
4. Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor - book 2 in the Binti science fiction series and another of the TOR.com novellas I am going through.

I had 2 recorded books that were ROOT's for the month.

1. Tidelands by Philippa Gregory - this one was for the Sunday Barnes & Noble Book Club
2. Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner - these YA novels are so good I don't want to stop reading them. This one is book 2 in the series. The narrator is great as well.

Now it is up to you guys to add to the posts. If a few more of you add on to the posts we will make it to 150 and make the transition to April much easier.

I've read 6 ROOTS in March

Total ROOTS read: 14/42 total

I promise I'll get to April thread soon.

I'm trying to end my reading funk. I just realized that I read only 4 books in March. That is the worst total for me in over 15 years since I retired. I could understand that small number when I was working but, I have been doing nothing! I haven't left the house in 20 days!

I'm so embarrassed. What kind of leader am I?

I read four ROOTs in March, making it a total of 28 ROOTs for 2020 so far.

Personal ticker has been updated, but I've not touched the group ticker.

>113 cyderry: we all get in a slump from time to time.

Watch this, it might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IuRzJRrRpQ&list=RDAWvefaN8USk&index=8

>111 benitastrnad: I'm working on it...

Questions To All:

Do you keep track of how many ROOT books you have waiting to be read?

If so, how many ROOTs do you have in your catalog?

I have 204 in a collection labeled "ROOT 2020 - To Read".

>117 fuzzi: I see I have 523 books in my To Read collection here on LT, and that doesn't include a couple hundred ebooks so ... gulp! Maybe my 2020 goal of 36 ROOTs is a little on the paltry side.

I'm currently at 604

Books I have that count as ROOTS right now? Um...

879.

*cough*

Which isn't counting books I bought this year and haven't read yet. And I miiiiight have just bought some more (or, OK, a lot more) online that haven't even arrived yet. (Look, bookstores need help to stay in business right now! I'm helping!)

I don't even have any extra time for reading right now, as I still have to go to work.

RIP my carefully planned out system for reducing the TBR shelves.

3 ROOTS completed this month - 8/60. Well behind where I should be!

Personal ticket updated and the first ticker of this thread updated, but when I went to update the percentage ticket the total was different, so I didn’t change it.

180 on my TBR pile - that’s only the ones I’ve got round to cataloguing.

>117 fuzzi: I don't have an accurate count of my ROOTs but I would estimate it to be over 600, including ebooks and digital audiobooks.

I have 274 in my "Owned but unread" collection. It used to be more but I've been ROOTing pretty steadily for several years...it CAN be done.

I'm very happy with my TBR pile. I have 109 books and they are split appropriately between three languages.

Japanese 26
French 49
English 34

So this means I have an easily manageable (ok, maybe less so with the Jpn ones as those take me longer) pile. However I've already read most of the short ones so there are lot of of 500+ paged books on these lists!

My overbuying shows itself more with my manga TBR pile of 363 volumes. I'd have to read one volume a day to manage to read all of those! Which when you think about it, due to the readability of manga wouldn't be so difficult a task but I would definitely have to put aside books for a while. Although maybe dedicating a year to only reading manga would be a good exercise as that would force me to read Japanese every day. Hmm... tempting!

>119 cyderry: I can bearly believe it...

47 treebook ROOTs plus 11 treebooks which haven't taken root yet, and

126 ebook ROOTs plus 14 ebooks which haven't taken root yet.

Just wondering if everyone feels we are really making progress at uprooting our ROOTs or are we enabling each other to just plant more?

>127 cyderry: lol - a good question! I do feel I am making progress and actually participating in this challenge over the past several years has raised my awareness of my book acquisitions. Not that it has necessarily slowed them down that much but, as they say, you have to know you have a problem before you can fix it *grin*

>127 cyderry: I know I have made a lot of progress. I don't just read my ROOTs, but I rehome others once I realize I don't need them all. Part of it is mindset, too.

Yes, I do feel that I am making progress with your help. I need the ROOTs challenge to help me make a dent in my unread older books. I have many, many TBRs (I haven't actually counted them but I have more than 2500 books and the majority of them haven't been read). Since I keep track of my ROOT I always look for a ROOT among my own tomes when undertaking a reading challenge.

>117 fuzzi: I'm mainly concerned with how big my overall TBR pile is, so don't have a separate collection for ROOTs. However, taking off these year's acquisitions, I can see that I have 159 ROOTs. That doesn't sound too bad, but, with new and borrowed books and rereads to consider, I'm getting through them at a fairly slow rate.

Continuing my answer in >131 Rebeki:, in order to manage my TBR guilt and feel like I'm making some headway, I've also split my To Read collection into three smaller collections: recent TBRs, older TBRs and foreign-language TBRs.

The latter's not a worry, as it's good to have a pool of books at hand when I feel like stretching myself, and the beauty of the "older TBRs" collection (books acquired up to the end of 2017) is that it can only get smaller. My real, more manageable aim is to get my "recent TBRs" down as close to zero as I can...

>127 cyderry: Definitely making progress! When I first started ROOTing, my TBR pile stood at 220, having increased yearly for as long as I can remember. This group has helped me reverse that trend and now it's down to 162 books.

>129 fuzzi: Agree it's mindset, and this group has been part of what's changed mine.

>130 Familyhistorian: I now get "itchy" if I haven't read a ROOT in a while and love the way this challenge has made me look at my older books differently.

Are we nearly at 150 yet???

>113 cyderry: You are beary funny. I am afraid that I have been very Grizzly since I have been hibernating at home due to COVID restrictions. The experience has been quite Polar-izing. Seriously, I simply have not been able to concentrate on what I am reading. I'm working from home and am expected to do online training for 7 hours a day. My brain is fried and my eyes are crossed by the end of the day.

I will do better. I shall become a Big Dipper into my stacks. *roar*

I am glad that this group exists. During the year I buy more books than I read from my mountain TBR. I love my public library and mostly read books from there. Since it is now closed due to the current pandemic event (well, I could download e-books), I finally have time to read my own books.

I have 430 books marked TBR in my catalogue. Excluding e-books, which I don't count because they are not taking up shelve space.

>132 Rebeki:

My Japanese language books also are of a non-guilty pleasure, there to challenge me when I'm in the mood. (But also to remind me that I can totally read them just fine and there is no reason for me to be not reading them.)

I find this group super-helpful too, to motivate me to read. And when I take part in challenges, I make sure that I read books that are already on the shelf (physical and electronic) rather than buying new ones just to complete a challenge. I need to check the ticker on my thread, but my TBR total is 418 or 419, and I'm trying really really hard to only buy 1 book for every 2 read (with the caveat that gifts don't count). I did that for the first time last year, and although I didn't quite succeed, I did end up with fewer books on Mt TBR at the end of the year than I had at the start, so I'm counting that as a win!

I managed 7 ROOTs in March, which is kind of average for me. I've high hopes for April, but we'll have to see how it goes. I'm finding the current Covid-19 weirdness very unsettling, so it's sometimes hard to concentrate on reading.

>138 lilisin: I'm reminded that I started plodding my way through Como agua para chocolate two years ago and then had to set it aside as life got too busy. I guess now would be a good time to get back to it, though my Spanish is very rusty.

>141 Rebeki:

I also have that one on my TBR pile, the only Spanish book actually. I haven't read in Spanish since I left Argentina in 2009 so my Spanish is also very rusty. I miss it though.

Oh yes, I find this group a huge motivator! I am finding that nowadays I am reading more ROOTS and totally ignoring the library books I had out before the libraries closed.

Yes this group is very helpful to me, on several levels, Chèli. I’m encouraged to read books that have been on my shelves for decades. Ok, I am prompted to buy more books but they’re far more thoughtful acquisitions than if I was just browsing. I feel like I’m learning about different kinds of literature. And there’s a lovely camaraderie that stretches across continents. So never doubt you’re doing a great service to us all and it’s very much appreciated!

>140 Jackie_K: I agree. I think that the pandemic has affected my concentration so that I had my worst reading month in 15 years! I'm hoping to do better in April!

Yeah, concentration is definitely hard right now.

For me too, the "house arrest" doesn't lead to more reading, rather the contrary. But now I have gotten used to working at home and have some little routines, it should get better. Or maybe I should pick shorter books?

>145 cyderry: >146 majkia: I'm seeing quite a few memes around along the lines of 'now you've got all the time in the world, you'll be able to write that book you always meant to', and they're really annoying me! a) Writing a book isn't easy, b) lots of people don't have all the time in the world, they're still working or have caring responsibilities and suchlike, and c) anxiety and stress really screw with concentration and creativity! I'm writing for 10-15 minutes a day, and that's an achievement right now. I'm reading a bit more when I can, but even so, it's hard to concentrate on doing anything for long.

>147 MissWatson: I found it easier to read more once I'd settled into "the new normal", but shorter, lighter reads might be what you need. I'm reading The Mirror and the Light, so not necessarily taking my own advice, but immersing myself in the distant past is very comforting right now!

>148 Jackie_K: Ha, I'm finding it hard to even get down to minor jobs like "descale the kettle" or "sort out the cupboard under the sink", so I think they're wildly overestimating people's ability to shut out what's going on in the world around them. I'm impressed you're managing to write anything at all!

>145 cyderry:, >146 majkia:, >147 MissWatson:,>148 Jackie_K: I have no problem with concentration. Books are my escape right now.

I have about 400 fiction books on the shelf and about 150 on my Kindle. I have some nonfiction but I'm not concerned about them because there aren't many. For the first time this year I decided to count books I bought in 2020 as ROOTS too. I came to the conclusion that stacking up books bought in the current year and waiting to read them didn't make any difference in terms of overall "inventory" which is what I want to improve. I think it will help me think twice before I buy a book because I can't rely on "putting it off." My goal is to lower the number of books I have waiting to be read. The arch enemies to this plan are the public library and friend's libraries. So we'll see how it goes. The other goal for this year is to read more and so far I'm slightly above what I read at this time last year but I'm like most others, finding it hard to concentrate now.

I definitely stay motivated to read what I have in the house by being a member of this group regardless of how many books I have on hand, it would be even more otherwise!

April thread is up!

I’ve updated my personal tickers for March. Only two ROOTS to report.