Curioussquared is back to ROOT in 2022

Hello everyone! I'm Natalie. I have participated in the ROOTs challenge for a few years now and find it immensely helpful in getting books off my shelves read! For me, a ROOT is any book I own, no matter when I bought it. I also recently started counting e-books I own, to combat my bad habit of buying e-books and then ignoring them.

I'm located in Seattle, where I live with my husband and dogs. I do most of my reading curled up on the couch with my retired racing greyhounds, Skelly, Otter, and Kermit, or listening to audiobooks while doing chores and walking the dogs. I'm on the hunt for a new job right now, so have more free time than usual. As part of that increased free time, one of my non-reading goals for 2022 is to finish the manuscript I started writing for NaNoWriMo 2021 -- I hit 50k but the story's not over!

I read mostly fiction, with a heavy emphasis on fantasy and sci-fi, YA fiction, general fiction/literature, a scattered mystery here and there, and the occasional non-fiction title. In 2021 I read a ton of romance novels, which have not been my traditional bill of fare, but I've been enjoying easier reads (and listens) in these strange times, so I expect that trend to continue in 2022.

I got to 68 ROOTs last year, and 72 in 2020. I'm going to up my goal to 55 this year -- still playing it safe but reaching a little higher!



Here's one of my favorite photos of the dogs -- Kermit, Otter, and Skelly -- at our wedding last August :)

This year, I have a pool of books I've pulled off my shelves that I want to try to get through this year. It's a mix of newer titles I'm excited about, stuff I've had unread on my shelf forever, and everything in between. It's really, truly random -- I just ran around pulling stuff off the shelves that caught my eye!

We're going aggressive with numbers this year, folks! Last year I chose 42 and got to 37; I'm carrying over the five I didn't get to, as I'd still like to read them soon, and added a whole bunch more:



Here's the list if you can't read them all!

Done: 51/61

1. Angel Mage by Garth Nix
2. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
3. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
4. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
5. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
6. The Greenstone Grail by Amanda Hemingway
7. Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
8. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
9. Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
10. Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix
11. The White Company by Alexander Conan Doyle
12. Flight to Arras by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
13. Breathe by Cliff McNish
14. A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
15. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
16. Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
17. Queen of Scots by John Guy
18. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
19. Beloved by Toni Morrison
20. The Girls by Emma Cline
21. Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky
22. Kim by Rudyard Kipling
23. City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
24. A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper
25. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
26. Heartstone by Elle Katharine White
27. In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
28. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard
29. Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
30. Knight's Castle by Edward Eager
31. Faithful Place by Tana French
32. Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
33. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
34. The Jewel Thief by Jeannie Mobley
35. Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
36. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
37. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
38. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
39. Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
40. The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
41. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
42. You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
43. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
44. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
45. Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
46. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
47. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
48. The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde
49. The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
50. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
51. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
52. Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston
53. The Secret Starling by Judith Eagle
54. Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
55. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
56. Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
57. Blackout by Connie Willis
58. Bend Sinister by Vladimir Nabokov
59. Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden
60. Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
61. Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz

Welcome to my thread -- happy ROOTing, everyone!

Hi Natalie. And there you are in your gorgeous wedding-dress with the dogs. I love that picture.
I hope you find a job soon, finish your writing and get all those books read.
Really good idea to pick your books and putting them on special shelves.

Happy ROOTing and al the best wishes for 2022.

I love that dog photo - they're gorgeous, and have the most beautiful backdrop! Hope you have an excellent 2022!

Great list and wonderful photo of you with the dogs! Have fun going through the ROOT stacks this year :)

>4 connie53: Thanks, Connie!! Happy new year!

>5 Jackie_K: Same to you, Jacque!

>6 rabbitprincess: Thanks RP :D

I have a sort of unofficial goal of reading more ROOTs than I buy this year but Kindle sales are out to get me... I have already purchased Red at the Bone and The Song of Achilles in 2022. I'd better get ROOTing quick!!

>8 curioussquared: I've already ordered 3 books too. Natalie. I keep forgetting that I promised my self to be more restrained with book buying this year (and last year, and the year before that and before that....)

A Happy New Year of reading, Natalie

Love the photo of the dogs! They look so delighted to be part of the wedding.
I hope you get to In Other Lands - I thought it was great fun.

Welcome back and good luck with your reading list!

>9 connie53: My books purchased in 2022 is now up to 5, Connie! Almost a book a day. I have to cool it! I couldn't resist great Kindle deals on Seven Days in June, The Once and Future Witches, or With the Fire on High. Oops.

>10 Robertgreaves: Thank you, Robert! Same to you!

>11 Caramellunacy: Thanks, Caramel! The dogs had a great time, especially when they got to just hang out pre-ceremony in the reception area and greet guests as they arrived. Good to know you enjoyed In Other Lands!

>12 MissWatson: Thank you, Birgit!

My first ROOT of the year was not one off my list, but it was a 5 star read!



1 ROOT down: The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen

In a world broken up into castes named after different types of birds, the Crows are the lowest of the low. They are travelers, living on the road and answering plague beacons when they are called to dispose of and dispense mercy to the sinners sickened by the plague. They have no natural magical birthright, like the other castes, but rather can call upon the birthrights of other castes using teeth they harvest from the dead bodies they burn. Fie knows she is meant to be chief of their band one day, when her Pa decides she's ready for it. But that day seems like it might come sooner than she expects when her band answers an unexpected beacon at the royal palace and must dispose of the bodies of Prince Jasimir and his body double, Tavin. But it turns out Jasimir and Tavin aren't ill at all, and rather feigned sickness to escape the evil clutches of Jas's stepmother. Jas and Tavin bargain with Fie's Pa to convince the Crows to escort them to safety. Fie is dubious -- what do two lordlings know about surviving outside of a palace? -- but she doesn't have much choice. But things go wrong very quickly, and soon Fie, Jas, and Tavin are running for their lives.

I absolutely loved this original fantasy novel. I feel like castes can be overdone in YA fiction (Divergent, etc.) but Owen did them in such a unique way that they felt totally different and new to me. I thought the magic system was fascinating and really well executed, and even the romance avoided all the YA romance tropes that can spoil a book for me. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and the author's other book set in this world this year. 5 stars.

>13 curioussquared: The once and future witches is a great book.

>15 connie53: I need to get to her first novel, too.

Would that be The ten thousand doors of January? Also a great book, even better if I remember correctly.

>17 connie53: That's the one! I own it already, just gotta get to it!

Belated Happy New Year and happy reading in '22.

>19 rocketjk: Thanks, Jerry!

2 ROOTs down: Even Cowgirls get the Blues by Tom Robbins

Sissy Hankshaw was born with unusually large thumbs. Massive thumbs. What should she do but become the greatest hitchhiker of all time? Her traveling existence leads her to a career in advertising modeling, and that career leads her to meet the cowgirls of the Rubber Rose Ranch, who have taken over the former beauty ranch and are creating a new, man-free existence for themselves.

Where to begin? "Yikes" is the first word that comes to mind. I don't think I've hated a book this much for a long time. I would have DNFed it had it not been highly recommended by a few members of my RL book club, and I definitely would have given up if I hadn't switched to audio early on. Audio made it bearable; there was a reason my eyes wouldn't stick to the words in print. I still probably would have abandoned it had I had any other audiobooks checked out from the library right now, and if I hadn't been super busy with a lot of audiobook-friendly tasks in the last few days. Every overwrought sentence is too clever for its own good in the most patronizing of ways. It felt very much like a novel written by a man, for men, which is why I was so confused by the recommendations I got from three women. There's a trend on TikTok right now of describing men who act in kind, compassionate, or emotionally vulnerable ways as "written by women." Every single woman in this book -- and there are actually a lot! -- is very clearly written by a man. I don't think it passes the Bechdel test, even on the man-free ranch and even during the lesbian sex scenes. And massive thumbs, you say? Yes, they're very clearly intentionally phallic. I typically like magical realism, but I'm definitely writing off Tom Robbins and getting rid of the other two books I own by him. Maybe I missed the point or the message, but for the life of me I couldn't see one. 1.5 stars; it gets a half star for a few clever turns of phrase that did make me chuckle.

3 ROOTs down: Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix

In this return to the Old Kingdom, Nix tells the story of Terciel and Elinor, Sabriel's parents. Terciel is Abhorsen-in-waiting to his great-great aunt Tizanael, who rescued him from a life in a poorhouse but is stern, cold, and closed-off. Terciel excels at his Abhorsen duties and charter magic, but growing up watching his aunt's sad, lonely life leaves him despairing that this is what his life as the Abhorsen will be like, too. Meanwhile, Elinor is a smart, lively 19-year-old girl living in Ancelstierre. She has grown up fairly wild, since her father died and her distant mother was never much interested in her. She spends her time mostly with her governess/housekeeper and the old groom Ham, putting on one-woman performances of Breakspeare plays and learning juggling, tumbling, and knife-throwing from Ham. But when a wind blows from the north, bringing the dead and free magic to invade her home, Elinor learns of her magical ancestry and the whole world that has been hidden from her, and her life changes in an instant when she meets Terciel.

The Old Kingdom series is one of my very favorites. I've been reading it since elementary school and I have a very clear memory of begging my mom to take me to buy Abhorsen on its release day when I was in 5th grade. I got to meet Nix a few years ago and brought my much-read Lirael paperback to be signed -- he did a double take when he saw it and remarked that it might have been the most clearly loved book he'd ever been asked to autograph. Anyway, I'm very much not impartial when it comes to these books, but Terciel and Elinor absolutely did not disappoint. I thought this was a fantastic, compelling adventure, with new characters to as well as old ones we've met before. 5 stars -- it made me want to reread the whole series again!

>21 curioussquared: Praise for your perseverance, Natalie.

>22 curioussquared: Ahh, Garth nix can write excellent books. I bought his The left-handed booksellers of London recently and hope to get to that one soon.
The book you talk about is not translated (yet). I hope is will be soon.

>23 connie53: Hopefully it's translated soon, Connie! It just came out in November so it has only been a few months. I love Garth Nix -- I have read all of his books except his two most recent, the one you mentioned and Angel Mage.

>21 curioussquared: Ooft! Thanks for taking that one for the team!

>21 curioussquared:

"Every single woman in this book -- and there are actually a lot! -- is very clearly written by a man. I don't think it passes the Bechdel test, even on the man-free ranch and even during the lesbian sex scenes."

That sounds like a hard pass from me, too. I'm surprised you managed to persevere!

>22 curioussquared:
You make the Nix books sounds amazing - I haven't read any of them. Any recommendations on the best place to start?

>26 Caramellunacy: Me too, honestly. By the end I think I was hate listening and starting to compose my scathing review in my head, lol.

For Nix, start at the beginning of the Old Kingdom books with Sabriel. The series was originally a trilogy but there are now 6 full-length books along with a novella. Two of the later books are prequels, but I still think they're best read in publication order. I hope you enjoy! My love for the series is definitely wrapped in childhood nostalgia, but I know lots of people who love the books who read them first as adults, too 😊

>21 curioussquared: I loved Cowgirls, as well Another Roadside Attraction when I first read them as a college freshman back in 1974. However, when I tried to read Still Life with Woodpecker only a few years later, I thought, "Wait a minute . . . what?"

"Every overwrought sentence is too clever for its own good in the most patronizing of ways." Yep, and also every character is a cartoon character. Thinking back on those first two books, I realized they were all the same in this regard. There isn't a single character in any of those books who even approximates someone you would meet in real life. And that's not even touching on the sexism. Ugh. In fact, books I don't like now for similar reasons I refer to as "verging into Tom Robbins territory."

>28 rocketjk: Glad I'm not the only one!! It definitely seems like something I could have read as a college freshman and thought to be much more substantial than it actually was. Oh well, no more Robbins for me!

4 ROOTs down: The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Friar William of Baskerville and his scribe, Benedictine novice Adso of Melk, arrive at an Italian abbey to attend a theological conference. But when they get there, the abbey is abuzz, as a monk, Adelmo, has been found dead. The abbot asks William to investigate the death, but lets him know he will not be allowed to explore the library of the abbey, a labyrinthian construction whose secrets are known only to the head librarian and the abbot himself. As William and Adso get to know the abbey and its inhabitants over the course of the week prior to the theological conference, more monks turn up dead, and William and Adso explore secret passageways, hunt for mysterious, disappearing books, and chase down various leads -- mostly connected to the forbidden library.

This is a twisty, intellectual mystery full of theological digressions and thought experiments -- makes sense as Eco was a professor of semiotics. William is very much a 14th century Sherlock Holmes (hence Baskerville) and Adso is his slightly bumbling but well-meaning Watson who occasionally manages to stumble into the right line of thinking. Some of the longer digressions would occasionally lose me a bit, especially as I was listening to the book and would sometimes pause and resume later with no recollection of how we got on the current subject or how it related to the overarching story. Probably not the best book to listen to! It's definitely denser than what I typically choose as an audiobook. But at the same time, the audio kept me going through passages that may have been slow going or lost my interest in print, and I still was captivated by the mystery and richness of the setting and characters. 4 stars.

5 ROOTs down: You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

Jasmine Lin is on top of her game as an actress -- she started out in soap operas, but now she's been cast as the lead in the new ScreenFlix streaming series Carmen in Charge: her chance to get into mainstream television. Now if only the tabloids would get off her back about her recent breakup with musician McIntyre. Her costar is telenovela veteran Ashton Suarez -- extremely handsome and deeply private. Jasmine can't help but be attracted to him, but Ashton is surrounded by very thick social walls -- probably a good thing, since Jasmine has resolved that single is the way to go if she wants to put the McIntyre saga behind her and focus on her career. But as shooting starts, Jasmine and Ashton develop a mutual attraction...

I enjoyed this slow-burn romcom. I'd emphasize that it was VERY slow-burn -- it takes the entire first half of the book for anything to happen, which I'm sure could put some readers off. But I enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters and Jasmine and Ashton's families. I think I would have given the book a 3.5 if it had kept going like the first half, but once they got together things picked up and I couldn't put it down, so bumping it up to a 4.

>31 curioussquared: This one is definitely on my list!

>32 Caramellunacy: I hope you like it! I appreciated that the inevitable conflict between the love interests was more complicated than something that could be resolved if they just not talked to each other for five minutes -- that's my most disliked romance trope!

6 ROOTs down: Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell

When Prince Kiem is summoned unexpectedly to meet with the emperor, the last thing he expects to be told is that he's getting married -- tomorrow! -- to the widower of his cousin Taam, Count Jainan of Thea. But the resigning of Iskar's treaty with the Resolution is coming up in weeks, and Taam and Jainan were the Thean representatives. Without a married pair in the position, the treaty is at risk, so a wedding ASAP is necessary despite the fact that it's been only a month since Taam's death. Kiem expects to tiptoe around his new spouse, who surely must still be mourning. What he doesn't expect is for he and Jainan to immediately stumble into a major conspiracy around Taam's death and the military operation he was running -- a conspiracy that will threaten not only their marriage, but the treaty and the fate of their solar system itself.

There's a blurb on the cover of this book that describes it as "the slow burn 'sad spaceboys in love' romance of your dreams," and like, yes, this is EVERYTHING I want in a book. One of our dogs had major surgery yesterday to remove a tumor, and this was the perfect thing to distract me during the surgery. Totally immersive romance wrapped in complicated space bureaucracy. What's not to love? 5 stars.

>34 curioussquared: I hope your dog is recovering well from surgery. Glad you had such a good distraction to hand.

>35 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie! There have been a few ups and downs but he seems to be on the mend. He'll probably be at the vet one more night at least. We were able to see him this morning which was great and the vet said he was much perkier after our visit ❤️

>34 curioussquared: slow burn sad spaceboys in love and a complicated space bureaucracy??? This has definitely been bumped up the list!

>37 Caramellunacy: Enjoy! It definitely hit the spot 😁

7 ROOTs down: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Chronicles the correspondence between Hanff, an American scriptwriter, and the staff of an antiquarian bookshop in London, primarily one Frank Doel, over the course of twenty years.

What a delightful little book. I laughed, cried, and smiled. So effective at capturing humans at their best. Recommended particularly for lovers of books, but I think anyone could get something out of this. Leaves you wanting all the letters that are missing. 5 stars.

>39 curioussquared: Oh I loved that book so much!

>40 Jackie_K: It was so good! I'm planning to watch the film, but annoyingly it's not on any of the streaming services we get. I requested it from the library on DVD, as well as the Helena Bonham Carter version of A Room With a View which I still need to get to!

8 ROOTs down: Kim by Rudyard Kipling

Kim, a young Irish orphan raised in India, embarks on a spiritual journey with a holy lama. They are in search of the lama's holy river and Kim's destiny as told to him by his father in a prophecy, of a red bull on a green field. Along the way, Kim's father's old regiment finds him and he is sent to school and is prepared to work in the British secret service -- but before he begins that work, he returns to the lama to help him complete his quest.

I had this in my head as "British boy's adventure story" which can be a hit or miss genre for me in the first place. If I had known it was "British boy's adventure story slash spiritual journey," I might have skipped it altogether. Just really not my thing, and the audiobook made it worse as I did not like the narrator at all and found it difficult to listen, which usually doesn't happen to me. I probably would have DNFed it had I had the energy to find something else to listen to, lol. 2.5 stars.

>2 curioussquared: Would love to see the shelf as the books are read!

>43 cyderry: I'll see what I can do! I tend to take several out at a time to keep in the TBR stack by my bed, so it's not quite as much of a linear process, but stay tuned :)

Oof, sorry I've been neglecting this thread, friends! Our dog Skelly who had surgery has been through it the past few weeks and that's been taking most of my time. He came home from the initial surgery on Friday 1/21, but we had to take him back to the vet early the morning of Tuesday 1/25 as he had vomited up what felt like his whole stomach overnight. He had to have another surgery 1/26 because they just weren't sure what was wrong, but all they found was a super distended stomach full of blocked up liquid, food, and debris. They cleared it out and were hoping he would improve, but after several days of no change, we had to transfer him to a larger vet facility with a bigger team. Luckily there one of the critical care specialists was able to get his stomach moving again, and we were able to take him home 2/2. He's doing really well so far, but is way too skinny for my liking. He's hungry and desperately wants more food, but I don't want to stress out his stomach since that's where both surgeries were. Waiting for his recheck appointment on Thursday to ask for the OK to up his food even more. Poor guy has been though the wringer but he's happy to be home!

I have been reading -- what else to do in stressful times?



9 ROOTs down: Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Rowan Roth has spent most of high school neck and neck with Neil McNair in their quest for valedictorian. He's her first competitive text in the morning and her last goodbye at night, especially on the memorable day when they stayed at school until midnight to recount the student election votes to make sure they really did tie for student body president. But now, high school is almost over. Just one last assembly, the annual seniors' game of Howl, a crazy scavenger hunt/assassins combo game, and then graduation on Sunday. And as much as Rowan has spent the last four years hating Neil's guts... she also starts to realize that she might not know who she is without him to compare herself to.

Loved this fresh YA romance! High achieving academic rivals, romance novel enthusiasts, a Seattle-based scavenger hunt -- what's not to love? 5 stars.

10 ROOTs down: A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper

Sophia is a princess -- in name, at lease. Her kingdom is the tiny island of Montmaray in the Bay of Biscay, where she lives in a crumbling castle with her mad uncle, King John, her cousin Veronica, her younger sister Henry, and their housekeeper, Rebecca. The island used to have a proper village, but the Great War and the Spanish flu have caused the population to dwindle to four. Sophia's brother Toby is heir to the throne, but he's away at school in England -- and Sophia's rich aunt Charlotte has recently written to tell Sophia it's time for her to come out in society, too. Sophia isn't sure she wants to leave Montmaray, where she's lived all her life. England does sound glamorous, but trouble seems to be brewing in Germany and Spain with Nazis and fascists. Sophia is pretty sure Montmaray is too small to have any place in such grand political happenings, but it seems she might be wrong -- and her choice of whether or not to leave Montmaray might not be hers much longer.

Major, major I Capture the Castle vibes. Honestly, the first half of this book sort of reads as if the author just really loved I Capture the Castle and couldn't really break away from recreating it. If you really like I Capture the Castle, like I do, it's not the worst thing, but it does get a little boring. Halfway through, though, things pick up, and I was racing through the second half of the story. It ends not quite on a cliffhanger, but sort of just as things get interesting. I wasn't planning to continue this series while I was reading the first half, but after finishing, I think I have to. 3 stars.

>45 curioussquared: Poor Skelly! I hope he's feeling better soon.

>48 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP! He's definitely on the mend, and hopefully we'll get good news at his recheck appointment.

>46 curioussquared: This sounds like great fun. I'm glad you at least have books to enjoy to take your mind off the stressful things. Hope Skelly feels better soon!

>45 curioussquared: Hugs for Skelly, and for you - hope things are much less fraught soon!

>50 Caramellunacy: Thanks, Caramel! Hope you enjoy that one if you get to it. Skelly is definitely feeling much better, but I won't stop worrying for a while.

>51 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie!!

11 ROOTs down: Knight's Castle by Edward Eager

When Roger and Ann's parents break the distressing news that their father is ill and they'll be going to stay for the summer in Baltimore to be near a hospital, the children are upset -- about their father, about missing their summer vacation, and about staying with their slightly snobbish cousins, Jack and Eliza. But the cousins turn out to be not so bad, and soon all four are merrily playing with the knight's castle toy Jack and Eliza's parents got for Roger for his visit. But one night, Roger wakes up to find himself IN the castle, in a story similar to Ivanhoe, his favorite, with the toy knights and other characters brought to life by some kind of magic. But before he can fix things in the story, he accidently wakes up. He and the other children must work together to put things right in the magic world of the castle -- and be careful what the say and do in this unknown world!

I loved Half Magic and Magic by the Lake as a kid and never read this one, so I snatched it up at a used book sale a few years ago. I'd say this one was OK. I'm not sure I would have loved it at the correct age, either. I feel like it demands too much of a love for Ivanhoe to work for a lot of modern readers. 3 stars.

>53 curioussquared: I inhaled all the Eager books when I was a kid. Just wonderful, inventive stories and great characters that a young reader can really identify with.

12 ROOTs down: Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

In a futuristic, China-inspired world, soldiers with access to lots of qi must pilot chrysalises, giant transformer mechas, against the invading alien hunduns in order to protect their nation. The chrysalises are piloted primarily by male soldiers, but each is partnered with a lesser, female concubine pilot as well, whose qi helps the male pilot to fuel the chrysalis. The only problem is that in the heat of battle, the male pilots often end up completely depleting the concubines of qi, killing them in the process. Zetian's sister was a concubine before her, but she didn't even make it to battle before Pilot Yang managed to kill her -- and Zetian has sworn revenge at any cost. She finally enlists herself, and is surprised when her qi scores at a very high level, and in her first battle, it is revealed she is an iron widow: a rare female pilot whose qi levels can meet and exceed those of any male, and expend the qi and life force of male pilots in the same way males usually do to concubines. Soon, Zetian's plans have expanded beyond her singular goal of revenge. Now, she wants more -- she wants to tear down the whole unfair concubine system.

What a book! I'm often skeptical of books that are super hyped up on BookTok or similar places, but Iron Widow caught me up and wouldn't let me put it down again. Super interesting, original story, with some familiar tropes that are twisted until they've been reformed almost beyond recognition. Every single page is packed with action, but somehow, not at the expense of worldbuilding or character development. I'm super excited for the sequel and whatever Zhao does next. 5 stars.

>53 curioussquared: Ooh, is that a Quentin Blake cover I spy? My edition of Half Magic was the Odyssey Classics one so that's the style I associate with Eager.
Ha, one of the covers for Half Magic on LT is of a Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers book (which oddly enough I also owned).

>56 rabbitprincess: Lol! How did that Power Rangers one end up in there?

My copies of Half Magic and Magic by the Lake had the Blake cover illustrations when I read them in elementary school. When I found Knight's Castle and two other books in the series at a sale a few years ago, they were the same editions, which probably factored into my decision to snag them :) Love a matching set!

13 ROOTs down: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni has a lot going on -- things for her and her 'Buela, who raised her, have always been tight, and they got tighter when Emoni got pregnant her freshman year of high school and gave birth to Emma, affectionately known as Babygirl. Now Emoni is a senior and against all odds, is on track to graduate. She's even applying to colleges, though she's not sure she wants to go. What she really wants to do is be a chef -- cooking is her passion and her gift, and her 'Buela is convinced her meals are magic and can make those who eat them feel and remember things. Culinary School would be a dream -- but Emoni's not sure she can swing it financially, and she's also not sure she wants to stifle her creativity by learning and practicing rote things she already knows all day. In the meantime, she enrolls in a culinary arts elective at school, which might be just what she needs to find her path.

I didn't mean to read this yesterday... it just sort of happened! I was hanging out on the couch with the dogs, and I was too comfy to grab a book but didn't want to just scroll mindlessly on my phone, so I opened this up on the kindle app on my phone and was immediately hooked. I expected this to be in verse, like Acevedo's first novel The Poet X. Instead, it was written in short prose chapters, but the writing definitely had a lyrical, poetic quality to it. Emoni's story is compelling, inspiring, and moving, all at the same time, and I couldn't put it down. 5 stars.

14 ROOTs down: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

When the Zulu Anglican Reverend Stephen Kumalo receives a letter from a fellow minister summoning him to Johannesburg to help his sister, who is sick, he and his wife reluctantly pool their meager savings to send him there. In the city, Kumalo searches for his sister; his brother, who works there as a carpenter; and finally, his son, who left their home and from whom he and his wife have not heard in several years. While it's not too late for his sister, it might be for his son -- for his search for Absalom ends when he learns that his son has committed that most horrible of crimes: killing a white man.

This is one of those books that I picked up mostly because I felt like I should, rather than because I thought I would actually like it -- and Cry, the Beloved Country proved me absolutely wrong. This is a deeply moving tale of pre-Apartheid South Africa that exposes the racism already rampant in the country and examines the structures that made it that way. It is a story that is somehow both broad and very personal. I thought the audiobook narrated by Michael York was superb. 5 stars.

>59 curioussquared: I agree that this is a great, great book. Almost as good, I thought, was Paton's Too Late the Phalarope.

>60 rocketjk: Good to know! I will keep an eye out for that one. Thanks for the rec!

15 ROOTs down: Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston

Cerys is the daughter of the royal gardener in Aloriya, a peaceful, normal village -- aside from the fact that it's right next to a cursed wood that the villagers all know not to enter. On the coronation day of Cerys's best friend, the princess Anwen, something goes horribly wrong, and the evils of the wood breach Aloriya. Cerys must flee into the wood with the royal crown, which holds the magic of Aloriya, her only ally the fox who eats her garden scraps. But Fox may be more than he seems, and he and Cerys must learn to trust each other as they travel deeper into the wood to try to save Aloriya and everyone they love.

I really wanted to love this -- I really love Poston's Once Upon a Con series, and I follow her on Twitter and enjoy her presence there. I thought the synopsis of this one was adorable -- a fox and the gardener's daughter on a quest to save the world! But it fell pretty flat for me. The characters and worldbuilding lacked depth, and I called the big twist from the very beginning. Something about the writing was a little off, too; the language used was very modern, which isn't necessarily wrong in a high fantasy novel, if it's done right, but it wasn't done well and just felt very out of place. 3 stars.

16 ROOTs down: Faithful Place by Tana French

22 years ago, 19-year-old Frank Mackey and his girlfriend Rosie Daly were supposed to sneak out of their parents' homes, meet at midnight, and head for the ferry to England to chase their dreams and escape their humble beginnings. But Rosie never showed up that night, and after finding a note she left in the abandoned house in the neighborhood, Frank assumed she had gone to England without him. He waited until dawn, then kept his promise to himself to escape his dysfunctional family and left, though he stayed in Dublin. Then, 22 years later, Frank gets a call from his sister Jackie, the only family member he speaks with. Rosie's suitcase has been found, stuffed up the chimney of the abandoned house, and suddenly, everything Frank knows is turned upside down. Maybe Rosie didn't leave him all those years ago -- maybe she never made it out of the neighborhood alive.

I don't think of myself as a mystery reader, really, but every time I pick up a Tana French novel, I can't put it down. This entry in the Dublin Murder Squad series was no exception. Frank appeared in The Likeness (and possibly in the previous book? I can't remember) and wasn't a particularly likeable character, so I wasn't sure if I needed a novel from his point of view. I was definitely wrong. French paints deft portraits of all her characters, all in shades of grey, and Frank is no exception; the bits with his daughter were beautifully done and served to complexify him nicely. I really did like The Likeness, but the premise required a suspension of disbelief that kept it from being truly excellent for me, while Faithful Place just requires that you know that humans are complicated creatures. Honestly, I just want to pick up the next book right away, and I might just do that! 4.5 stars.

Hi Natalie. Lots of ROOTs down. Great job.

I'm so glad Skelly is doing much better. Keep up the reading!

>64 connie53: Thanks, Connie! Skelly continues to improve which is so great to see. He's been like a puppy lately -- playing with toys, begging for food, more energy for longer walks every day. It makes me wonder just how long he had the tumor and how long it was making him feel sick.

17 ROOTs down: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

When Sir Robin Blyth is assigned a new position in the civil service, he's pretty sure it's a punishment -- it really seems like the most boring, out-of-the-way position they could possibly have found for him. But it turns out the assignment is a mistake, because the position is actually meant for someone aware of the magical world hiding behind the normal one, and Robin is meant to be acting as a liaison between those worlds. He finds all this out quite quickly in his tenure, when Edwin Courcey shows up in his office looking for Robin's predecessor and accidentally introduces him to this magical world. Robin and Edwin must become unlikely allies when Robin is cursed and Edwin is the only person available to help -- and soon, it seems like they might be the only people in all of England in a place to stop the villains who cursed Robin in the first place. As Robin and Edwin dig deeper into the mystery, their friendship deepens as well -- and might even become something more.

I knew I would love this book from the moment I first read the description and yep, I was 100% right. I love Robin and Edwin, I love the Edwardian setting, and I love the intricate, creative magic system. I'm so excited to keep reading Marske's work in this world -- book 2 is coming in November! 5 stars.

>66 curioussquared: This sounds like so much fun - kind of like an Edwardian The Rook...

>67 Caramellunacy: Ooh, well, now I'm intrigued by The Rook....

>68 curioussquared: I remember fairly little about it except enjoying it a ton - witty repartee, a secret bureaucracy and a VERY rude being in a fishtank...

>69 Caramellunacy: It's going on the list!

18 ROOTs down: Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

Ellie lives in an alternate USA very similar to ours -- but hers has fairy ring transport centers, vampires undergoing complex treatment plans, and, oh, Ellie can call up the ghosts of animals. Her ghost dog, Kirby, is with her always. When Ellie's cousin Trevor dies suddenly in a suspicious car accident, Ellie has a bad feeling about the whole situation, and that feeling is emphasized when Trevor appears to her in a dream the night of his death and accuses a local businessman of having killed him. Ellie knows her parents will believe her, but the police are a different matter. So she starts trying to unravel the mystery, supported by her parents, her best friend Jay, and Kirby. But while Ellie thinks she's prepared for most things, the evil she encounters is much older and much more insidious than she could have known.

This one has been on my list for a while and I'm so glad I finally got to it. I loved the feeling of the world being just a teeny bit off, in the most intriguing way, and I loved Little Badger's subtle worldbuilding -- just brief mentions of an aspect of Ellie's world that concealed these huge, fascinating ideas that I desperately wanted more of. Ellie is asexual and her identity was also refreshing -- it was just there, without being a big part of the plot. I also loved that Ellie's family was so supportive, as that can be hard to find in a YA novel! I think that might be partly why Elatsoe read as middle grade to me part of the time, even though Ellie is 17 -- so many of the hallmarks of a YA novel have to do with romance and rebellion against one's parents, and this book didn't have those things. Absolutely not a problem, it just made for a different YA reading experience than I'm generally used to. Refreshing! 5 stars.

19 ROOTs down: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre is back at the Spring Court, spying on Tamlin and others and playing a dangerous game. While she gathers information, Rhys and the rest of the gang back at Velaris -- including Feyre's sisters Nesta and Elain, now High Fae -- are preparing for the upcoming war against Hybern. But as Hybern and the threat of the cauldron grow stronger, Feyre and Rhys aren't sure they've mustered enough power to defeat them.

This was definitely the worst of the series for me. Maas needs a better editor, though her megafans seem to eat up every word, even the unnecessary ones. I thought the first part of this book was compelling, while Feyre was at the Spring Court and while she and Lucien journeyed home, but there was a massive lag in the middle that took me literal months to get through. It picked up when they finally had the council of all the high lords and seemed to make some actual progress in prepping for the war, then dipped again as I find Maas to be terrible at writing actual battle scenes. There are some characters and concepts in these books that I love, and others I find terribly boring. The final battle was underwhelming: Honestly, at this point, every single character is so overpowered the interactions are all boring and don't make sense because Maas is just making decisions as to how events will happen without any reason behind those decisions because otherwise everyone would be too powerful for anything to happen. I don't understand how the king of Hybern was able to easily walk up to the Weaver and break her neck with no issues at all when she's supposed to be this super power old god of death. Also, where the hell did Feyre's dad come from? He showed up out of literally nowhere. Finally, sorry, but someone we actually care about needed to die. This whole battle had zero stakes. The back and forth of Amren is dead! Rhys is dead! Lol jk they're both alive... just gave me really bad fanfic vibes. And I love fanfic, but this read like bad wish fulfillment fanfic. Anyway, I'm going to listen to the final book in the series; I think I'll enjoy it more if I can just kind of let it happen without thinking too hard about what's going on, and I want to finish the series if only to be conversant with all the memes since this series is so darn popular. 3 stars.

I feel like my ROOTing has slowed a little -- lots of library holds came in and I've been doing more rereading this year than I did last year, too. A Court of Wings and Ruin wasn't on my list of books to read this year, but it's one I've had for a while so it feels good to cross it off. And as long as I get to two more off my list this month, I'll still be pretty much on track! I'm about 75% through The Moonstone already and contemplating starting Notes from Underground next, though don't hold me to that :)

20 ROOTs down: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

At her birthday party, Miss Rachel Verinda is presented with the moonstone, a legendary Indian diamond of extraordinary size and value that was at one point stolen by a British soldier from its resting place in the forehead of a statue of an Indian god and has since been passed from person to person, always pursued by those who wish to restore it to its rightful place. And that night, the moonstone is stolen from Rachel's sitting room, where it had been stored in an unlocked drawer for the night. The authorities are called, but the stone is nowhere to be found, and the culprit goes free. But over the course of several narratives from witnesses to various parts of the story, the mystery unravels, and the strange crime is solved.

I really enjoyed this! I loved how distinct each narrative was, though of course as with any book with multiple narrators I had my favorites, and there was one I couldn't stand (*ahem* Miss Clack). When I read To Say Nothing of the Dog in 2020, I was annoyed because they spoil part of the mystery of this book -- they reveal that the culprit was sleepwalking when the crime was committed. Luckily, that didn't impede my enjoyment of the story at all, because there were still so many questions around who did it and how all the ends were tied up. So, not an issue in the end! 4 stars.

21 ROOTs down: Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

In a world where spirits of the dead threaten the lives of the living, Artemesia has spent most of her life training to be a nun in an order open only to those girls with the Sight, who can see and thus control the spirits with the help of incense, consecrated steel, and, for those especially gifted, saintly relics inhabited by spirits of their own. For most of her childhood, Artemesia's family thought her mad due to her Sight, and she was shunned and isolated. Now a shy, awkward young adult with more interest in the dead bodies they care for than the other order novices, Artemesia is due to be evaluated by the order to see if she is talented enough to be taken for additional training to wield a relic in the capital of Bonsaint, or if she is just to spend the rest of her days as a Gray Sister in the convent that has been her home for years. The problem is that Artemesia knows she's talented enough to wield a relic -- but she doesn't want the responsibility that comes with it, and she definitely doesn't want the public speaking or leadership role that comes with it as well. But when things go wrong and spirits start to appear in numbers not seen for years, Artemesia finds herself with greatness thrust upon her -- stuck with the relic of Saint Eugenia whether she likes it or not, and with its revenant spirit fighting first to possess her and then for space in her brain as a traveling companion. Forging an uneasy alliance, Artemesia and the revenant must figure out why so many spirits are suddenly attacking, and stop a greater evil before it's too late.

This was totally my kind of book. If you like Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series, you will almost certainly like this -- I got big Sabriel traveling with Mogget vibes from Artemesia and the revenant's relationship. A really unique story with a fascinating magic system and spooky, ghost-fighting nuns -- what's not to like? Rogerson just gets better and better for me -- An Enchantment of Ravens was good, and this entry and Sorcery of Thorns were great -- I would need to reread Sorcery of Thorns to figure out which one I liked better. She's definitely an auto-buy author for me now. 5 stars.

22 ROOTs down: Woes of the True Policeman by Roberto Bolano

Following Amalfitano, a university professor, as he is forced to leave his position and life in Barcelona due to his scandalous relationship with a student. He and his daughter move then to Santa Teresa, Mexico, where Amalfitano has landed a new teaching job and where he continues to explore his new homosexuality.

This is a sort of sequel to Bolano's epic 2666, which I read in high school for a really cool senior elective class called Violence, Morality, and Human Nature. (The other books we read were Crime and Punishment and Blood Meridian. Possibly one other that I've forgotten at this point!) I hesitate to call Woes of the True Policeman a novel; it was posthumously published from drafts found in Bolano's files, and it comes across more as deleted scenes from 2666 than a story of its own. The writing/translation is still excellent, and I particularly enjoyed the first half; I was lost in the part that was just summaries of Arcimboldi's novels. I remember feeling the same way in the 100 or so pages of 2666 that was just descriptions of women who had been raped and murdered in Santa Teresa. It's clearly a device that Bolano likes, but it has never worked for me. 3 stars.

23 ROOTs down: The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

The horrifying true stories of the radium girls, who painted luminous watch dials for greedy corporations who knew the risks of radium but preferred to profit. Moore focuses on the stories of individual girls involved in the landmark court cases that eventually opened the eyes of the nation to the dangers of radium, which had previously been marketed as a health product. Her book is extremely well researched and chock-full of primary sources -- she was able to get her hands on several of the women's journals, diary entries, and letters by contacting families, many of whom where glad these stories would finally be told.

Such a stunningly impactful book -- sort of like a car crash, in that it's horrible but you can't quite look away (or stop reading). These women showed incredible bravery in the face of what was almost certain death, many actively choosing to suffer in order to make things better for those who would come after them. Their court cases and testimonies paved the way not only for better workers' rights, but also for radiation and nuclear safety as the US dived into the Manhattan Project and other explorations of nuclear energy. 5 stars.

Life update: I had a ton of interviews last week and they paid off!

I got an offer for an HR communication role with a major grocery store corporation on Monday and agreed to terms this morning. I'm going to have one more conversation with someone I'll be working with closely who couldn't meet me last week; I just want to make sure he's not a big jerk before I formally accept, but I think it's happening! I'm pretty excited, but also definitely feeling a little like, wait, you mean I have to work again? Lol.

We haven't talked about start date yet -- I imagine they'll want me to start in April, but I do have some travel planned in May, so if they're willing to work around that I can start earlier, but if not, well, I guess they can wait. You never know how quickly these big corps can move; sometimes they're so limited by technology or company policies. We'll see!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to what the job will do for my wallet, but less so what it will do to my reading numbers this year, lol.

>78 curioussquared: Congratulations, Natalie. Fingers crossed that the job is everything you're hoping for.

>78 curioussquared: Congrats! Hope all goes well with starting out at the new job.

>78 curioussquared: Good luck that everything works out for you as you want it!

Thanks, Robert, RP, and Birgit! Should be exciting :) The good news is that the job will be 99% work from home -- we are supposed to go into the office "if it makes sense;" i.e., If there's some event to attend or an in-person meeting, but my whole team is based in other cities so I can't see that happening very often.

24 ROOTs down: Major Barbara by George Bernard Shaw

Major Barbara is partially about Barbara, a Major in the Salvation Army. But it's more about her father, the wealthy builder of weapons Andrew Undershaft. Long estranged from his wife and children, when Barbara and her father meet as adults, they clash: each is openly disdainful of the other's work. They strike a deal: Andrew Undershaft will come see the Salvation Army headquarters where Barbara works, and Barbara will in turn tour his weapons factory.

This is a strange little libertarian play from Shaw. It first comes across as preachy, and Barbara is indeed preachy, but quickly turns to satire as the Salvation Army eagerly accepts money from the industrialist father and Barbara and her beau become entangled in the family business. Entertaining to listen to from LA Theatre Works, and fantastic dialogue from Shaw as always, but I don't think I'd read it again. 3.5 stars.

25 ROOTs down: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Holcomb, Kansas, 1959. The Clutter family -- patriarch Herb Clutter, his invalid wife Bonnie Clutter, and their two teenage children still at home, Nancy and Kenyon -- are murdered in their home one Saturday night and discovered the next morning when they don't show up as usual to church. While the authorities are called and folks are questioned, there's no real motive anyone can think of, and no real probably suspects. The Clutters are famous for being kind, helpful, upstanding members of the community. Who would want to hurt them? In this nonfiction novel, Capote pieces together all the bits of the case into a compelling narrative, starting the day the Clutters died and ending after their killers are hanged.

I'm not really a true crime aficionado, but I do enjoy the occasional foray and this one has been on my list to read for quite a while as THE true crime book. The research Capote did (accompanied much of the time by his friend Harper Lee, though she is not mentioned in the book) is deep and thorough, particularly regarding the murderers themselves. I'm not sure I expected to spend most of this book inside the heads of the two killers, but that's the majority of the book. Capote doesn't make you sympathize with them, exactly, but you definitely come out of it with more of an understanding of what would need to happen in somebody's life to make them commit such a violent act -- which I suppose is really the draw of true crime, right? I did think the book went a little off the rails at the end; there's a bit where the murderers are on death row, waiting for an execution date, and there's a really long aside about some of the other condemned prisoners and what they did to get there and I never really understood the connection. 4.5 stars.

26 ROOTs down: Little Thieves by Margaret Owen

A year ago, Vanja stole the princess Gisele's appearance-altering pearl necklace and was suddenly transformed from abused maid to cossetted lady. The god-daughter of death and fortune, Vanja has always had help from her godmothers -- but when she turned 13, Death and Fortune appeared to her and told her she must choose one of them if she wished any more help. Since she refused to choose, Vanja has been on her own -- taking care of herself, because nobody else will. Disguised as the princess, with the real Gisele cast into poverty, Vanja has used every trick up her sleeve to cheat, lie, and steal from her fellow nobles, with the goal of saving enough money to escape the country and thus escape the local forms of her godmothers, finally evading the choice they're forcing upon her. But then, three things happen very suddenly. First, Vanja is stopped on her way home from a theft by another low god, who curses her to literally become her greed -- her body will become entirely jewels by the full moon in two weeks unless she can overcome her greed and break the curse. Second, an inspector arrives to investigate the rash of thefts in the area, and while Vanja's not too concerned with the seemingly bumbling junior prefect, he's another obstacle in the way of her escape. And third... the princess Gisele's fiance, the cruel Adalbrecht, has suddenly returned, and he has news: he wants the wedding to happen as soon as possible, in -- you guessed it -- two weeks. As the clock ticks down toward her wedding and her demise, Vanja must come to grips very quickly with her approaching fate -- and maybe, finally, let herself open up to some people who want to care about her.

I totally loved this loose Goose Girl retelling. The alternate-Germany setting was fascinating, the magic system was unique and interesting, and it was a pleasure to watch Vanja transform and heal over the course of the book. The side characters were also rewarding, especially Emeric and Ragne. And the whole book features gorgeous illustrations by the author. Owen is fast becoming a must-read author for me, and I'm looking forward to the sequel! 5 stars.

We booked a last-minute trip to the Washington coast with some friends for this weekend -- we'd been talking about a trip in April with some friends, and I suddenly realized this was the last real weekend to do it since the next weekend is Easter and the weekend after that I'll be starting my job on the Monday and will want to be well-rested. So I'm glad this weekend worked out! We found an Airbnb on the beach with two acres of fenced yard for the dogs and a great view, which is good since I think it's supposed to rain all weekend. Oh well! I'll be nice just to get away for a bit. And I'm definitely planning on doing some reading!

27 ROOTs down: Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Camino lives in the Dominican Republic with her Tia. Her father, who supports them, lives in the US for most of the year, coming home every June for the summer. Yohaira lives in New York with her parents, but her father goes home to DR every summer without her and her mother. Neither girl knows the other exists until their father's plane crashes on the way home, leaving no survivors. As each grapples with their grief and coming to terms with the father they loved is not entirely the man they knew, they both come to realize that solace perhaps can come only from each other.

Another gorgeous novel from Acevedo. I was fully immersed as soon as I started and finished it in an evening. I'm just going to keep reading everything she produces! 5 stars.

I've been reading a lot of library books and rereads lately, so not much ROOTing action! But I did finish one:



28 ROOTs down: Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama

Written years before his presidency, Dreams from My Father chronicles Obama's interesting childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia, the brief visit that was his only experience with his father in the flesh before his death, and his growth into a responsible young man. It continues to how he got involved in community organizing, and his eventual reconnection with his Kenyan family and subsequent visit to Kenya, ending just before he started law school at Harvard and culminating with a glimpse of his families merging at his wedding to Michelle.

I found this to be a compelling memoir of an interesting young life. Obama can really write! The book touches on race relations and Obama's own experience of growing up Black in America, in the brand new state of Hawaii and then the differences he encountered upon moving to LA, then New York, then Chicago. Normally I'm not interested in reading books by politicians, but I liked the idea of reading something written by Obama before he was a politician -- when he was just a young lawyer fresh out of Harvard who maybe had some big dreams but was definitely still figuring things out. I listened to the book and highly recommend that way of reading it -- I knew Obama was a great orator, but he's a shockingly good audiobook narrator -- he does voices and accents and everything! Be careful not to get the abridged version, though. There's a newer, unabridged version that clocks in at around 14 hours. 4.5 stars.

Hoping to get to at least one more ROOT this month, preferably off of my books to read this year list so I can keep up my pace. But I started my new job on Monday so things have been a little busier! So far so good :)

>88 curioussquared: I've not read this one, but I do have his first volume of his presidential memoir in both hardback and (rare for me) audiobook - I was really keen to hear it in his voice. Although when on earth I'll get round to it who knows?!

Edited to add: congratulations on your new job!

>90 Jackie_K: Isn't that always the question? This is my first Obama book; like I said in my review, I'm not the most keen on politician memoirs, but I was intrigued by a memoir by a politician from before he was a politician. My husband has read his other books, including A Promised Land, and I think counts him among his favorite authors.

29 ROOTs down: The Secret Starling by Judith Eagle

Clara's mother died when she was born, and she has always lived with her cold, distant uncle, a series of governesses, the butler, and the cook in lonely, cold, Braithewaite manor. It's a lonely childhood, but it's all Clara knows. One day, the latest governess leaves -- and for the first time, she isn't replaced. Soon, the butler and Cook are dismissed, too -- and then Clara's uncle leaves, abandoning her in the village with nothing but some money. Determined to make it on her own, she tramps back to the manor, ignoring the new For Sale sign in front. But she's surprised when she meets a boy her own age waiting outside, Peter, who has apparently been sent to stay with Clara and her uncle while his grandmother is recuperating and is very frustrated to find no uncle. The two decide to stay by themselves for the moment and soon start discovering mysteries hidden in the manor -- like an old ballet slipper under the floorboards. Together with their new friends, the grandchildren of Clara's old Cook, Clara and Peter start to piece together the puzzle -- but before they get too far, they'll have to deal with some adults who seem determined to get in their way.

A fun middle grade mystery in the best tradition! Featuring plucky orphans, nefarious villains, and mysterious ballet dancers. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recommended for fans of classic children's stories and more modern classics like The Penderwicks. 4.5 stars.

30 ROOTs down: Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

Thanh is a princess who spent many of her formative years as a sort of hostage/ward in a rival, bully country, Ephteria. Before she left Ephteria, she almost died in a fire of unknown origin, but she managed to find her way out of the building with the help of a mysterious maidservant who disappeared after the fire. Now back in her home country, Thanh is trying to prove herself to her mother by effectively running the negotiations with the Ephterian delegation -- which includes Princess Eldris, who happens to be Thanh's ex. Thanh struggles to find her place at home, still dealing with memories -- and more -- of the fire, and dealing with Eldris, who seems very happy to see Thanh again.

The first half of this novella went slowly for me, but I flew through the last half. I wasn't totally compelled, but I'm definitely intrigued by the world. 3.75ish stars.

31 ROOTs down: The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

In three interconnected narratives, Atwood explores the story of two sisters, Laura Chase and Iris Chase Griffen, beginning with Laura's death seemingly by suicide. The novel bounces between Iris's recounting of her and Laura's childhoods and her narration of her present life in her 80s, and is interspersed with newspaper clippings and selections from The Blind Assassin, Laura's novel that was published after her death and made her posthumously famous. But the details surrounding Laura's death are somewhat unclear, and there are other mysteries shrouding the Chase family that are slowly revealed as the timelines converge.

I tried to start this book a few weeks ago but had trouble getting past the first 40 pages, and decided to put it off until I had a few good, long plane rides to make me focus. I think that was a good choice for this book! The different narratives made it a little choppy and hard to get involved in the book, and I wasn't really absorbed until around page 100. I found The Blind Assassin intervals to be disruptive and hard to read, so I was glad I was trapped on a plane without the opportunity to put the book down at those points, because I was really enjoying the other sections. At the same time, it is the different narratives and timelines that make this book truly masterful -- reading it, I had the sense that I was peeling layer after layer of an onion. I kept revising my guess as to what, exactly, had happened, right up until the last few pages of the book where everything is revealed. So overall, it's an incredible piece of writing that I enjoyed for the most part and can appreciate for the bits I didn't, if not my favorite Atwood and not one I think I'll revisit. 4 stars.

>94 curioussquared: Terrific review. I read The Blind Assassin several years ago and enjoyed it a lot.

>95 rocketjk: Thanks, Jerry! Even if not my favorite Atwood, it's still an Atwood and therefore excellent :)

32 ROOTs down: Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver

In this sequel to The Bean Trees, Taylor Greer and her adoptive daughter Turtle are living a pretty good life in Tuscon until they end up on Oprah after Turtle sees a man fall down a hole at the Hoover Dam and inadvertently saves his life. A Cherokee lawyer, Annawake Fourkiller, spots Turtle on TV and immediately knows she's Cherokee, too. Annawake tracks Taylor and Turtle down to let them know that Turtle's adoption is invalid and to encourage Taylor to allow her daughter to connect with her Cherokee roots -- possibly by removing her from Taylor's custody and putting her with a Cherokee family. Taylor is terrified, and immediately uproots her and Turtle's life to go on the run. Alice, Taylor's mother, decides to try to help by traveling to the Cherokee nation where Annawake is located to get to the bottom of things. All three women are convinced they know what's best for Turtle -- but what's best might be a complicated question.

I enjoyed this sequel, but didn't find it as compelling as the other Kingsolvers I've read, including the first book in this series. Kingsolver's writing is good enough that I still enjoyed the whole thing, but some of the conflict fell flat and the ending felt very pat. Recommended if you loved Taylor and Turtle in The Bean Trees, but while it can stand alone, I wouldn't recommend it like that. 4 stars.

Just got back last night from a week in Maui, in which I managed to squeeze in a book per day -- five of them ROOTs!



33 ROOTs down: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

In this book within a book, editor Susan Ryland receives the manuscript of the latest Atticus Pund mystery novel and excitedly dives in, and the first half of the book is that manuscript, detailing Pund's diagnosis of a fatal brain tumor and his final case in a British town near Bath. But just as Ryland reaches the end of the novel, she realizes that the final few chapters are missing -- and then she learns that Alan Conway, the author of the series, has been found dead in what looks to be suicide. Susan, however, is unconvinced, and following in the footsteps of her favorite literary detectives, she starts to probe further into the events surrounding Conway's death.

I feel like I had heard lots of good things about this book, and I will admit that it was very, very clever. Once I hit the second part of the book, after the manuscript, I was hooked. But the initial section of the manuscript just really, really dragged for me, and I was close to putting it down several times (and would have if I hadn't known there was going to be some kind of book within a book twist). So, 3.5 stars overall, and I don't really feel the need to pick up the others in the series unless someone tells me they get better!

34 ROOTs down: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

In 1945, thousands of refugees travelled to West Germany to board ships that would hopefully save their lives. Salt to the Sea follows four individuals -- Joana, a Lithuanian nurse; Emilia, a Polish teen; Florian, a Prussian; and Alfred, a Nazi preparing one of the ships for the incoming refugees. As the ragtag group travels together to the port, they face unspeakable tragedy along the way -- and when they get to their destination, they manage to book passage on the Wilhelm Gustaff, a repurposed cruise ship stuffed with refugees, 8000+ past the stated capacity. Finally breathing a sigh of relief, little do they know that the safety they hoped for is still far out of reach.

This is a book about the horrors of war, and also about the Wilhelm Gustaff, which is apparently the deadliest naval disaster in history -- and I, like many, I'm sure, had never heard of it before I read this book. I thought the short chapters and multiple POVs were effective, but a little jarring at times. Overall, it's an impactful, well-written book, shining a light on a chapter of history we don't much talk about. I appreciated Sepetys's decision to highlight POVs that don't get much exposure in books about this period, and plan to read more of her stuff. 4.5 stars.

35 ROOTs down: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

Hugh Bain, known as Shuggie, grows up in Glasgow with his alcoholic mother. Shuggie is a tender boy, too tender, which sets him apart from the other kids -- along with the pride and well-mannered speech his mother has instilled in him despite his situation. The severity of his mother's illness ebbs and flows throughout his childhood, but there is a constant sense of doom, as the story hurtles to an inevitable end.

This is a bleak, devastating book, but I found myself unable to put it down. It's just very readable. You know how it will end, but you read on anyway. There's maybe the faintest sense of hope at the end -- but it's just a spark, if that. My heart broke over and over for Shuggie and his family. 5 stars.

It helped that this was how I read most of the book:

36 ROOTs down: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Lily has always known she was different from her friends. For one thing, she loves math and science, and wants to work on teams that send rockets into space. For another, she's never cared about boys -- but something in her made her save a newspaper clipping of Katherine Hepburn in menswear, and one of Tommy Andrews, a male impersonator act who performs near Chinatown at the Telegraph Club. But Lily is a good Chinese girl, so for the most part, she hangs out with her friend Shirley, helping at Shirley's family's restaurant and tagging along with their friend group. But it's her senior year of high school, and this year, she and a girl named Kathleen are the only two girls left in the advanced math class. They quickly become friends, and when Kathleen accidentally sees the Tommy Andrews clipping Lily has secreted in her bag, she lets it slip that she's actually been to see Tommy Andrews with her friend Jean, who was caught with another girl in the band room last year. Soon, Lily finds herself living a double life, spending most of her time as the good Chinese girl she's always been, but shocking herself by visiting the Telegraph Club and doing things with Kath she'd never before imagined. When things spiral out of control, Lily must make a choice -- to obey her parents, or to be true to herself.

This book won a bunch of awards, and I can see why. Lily is a compelling character, the self discovery and coming out stories are strong, and the book highlights some really interesting historical aspects I had no idea about. Definitely a solid YA historical fiction. 4 stars.

37 ROOTs down: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Kell is an Antari -- one who can pass through worlds into the other Londons. A denizen of Red London, he serves the royal family there and acts as their messenger to Grey London, where there is little to no magic, and White London, where magic is fading from the world and the citizens covet any scrap of it they can get. When Kell is tricked into smuggling a highly dangerous, highly magical artifact from White London to Red London, he accidentally triggers a manhunt, as dark forces rise to hunt him down and reclaim the artifact. As Kell hops from world to world, he becomes entangled with Lila, from Grey London, who will do anything for an adventure and isn't about to let magic out of her sight now that she knows it exists. Suddenly reliant on each other, Kell and Lila must work together if they're going to succeed and stop White London from destroying both their worlds.

I've been meaning to read this forever and I'm so glad I finally got to it! A rollicking fantasy adventure with fun characters and super interesting worldbuilding. Looking forward to the rest of the series! 4 stars.

38 ROOTs down: The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

Rin is a war orphan from the last Poppy War, living with her foster parents who treat her like a slave. When her parents announce that they've found her an odious husband, Rin begs for the chance to have one last year -- then she'll be 16, and eligible to take the country-wide test that determines which young people are eligible to train at one of the country's schools. They give her a year, and she starts studying like she never has before. When she tests into Sinegard, the top tier military academy, everyone is surprised. Brown-sinned orphan peasant girls from border provinces aren't supposed to test into Sinegard. But Rin is determined, and the test is only the beginning of her education. Soon she is pushed to limits she didn't even know she had, as she competes with her fellow students, chooses her path of study, and is thrown headfirst into the brutality of war.

The only thing I knew about this book going in was that it was inspired by Chinese history, and that it was supposed to be really, really dark. It definitely delivered on the dark front. This book has elements of my favorites -- a school/academy, a protagonist who works really hard to be better than everyone -- and then twists them into a much darker story than I'm used to. Kuang doesn't shy away from the horrors of war -- she has a history degree and almost all of the awful things Rin encounters actually happened at the Rape of Nanjing or in other parts of history. Kuang doesn't shy from putting Rin through the wringer, and the result was a story I couldn't look away from. I need to acquire the other books in the series soon! 4.5 stars.

>103 curioussquared: That sounds absolutely fascinating - I'm adding it to the list!

>103 curioussquared: Enjoy! It felt like the perfect mix of tropes I enjoy and a fresh story.

Hi Natalie. I've been neglecting the ROOTers for some time. Live, sunny days, babysitting the grandkids and doing volunteer work for the library at Lonne's school. And reading of course. Today is a rainy day with some thunderstrokes. A perfect Sunday for reading al those neglected threads.

WOW, you have been reading a LOT! I missed it when you reached the halfway-point, congrats on that!

>100 curioussquared: That's a lovely place and view for reading!

>106 connie53: Good to see you, Connie! Your life sounds like it has been lovely lately -- busy and full :)

I have been reading a lot, but I think my numbers will start suffering soon -- my new job is getting quite busy! We'll see how the second half the the year shakes out :)

>107 curioussquared: It's nice to have a busy job. Better than the other way around, dull and boring.

>108 connie53: Agreed, Connie!

39 ROOTs down: Queen of Scots by John Guy

Guy paints a vivid picture of Mary Stuart's life, from her coronation 6 days after her birth to her execution for her implication in the Babington plot in her 40s, after several long years of imprisonment at the hands of Elizabeth I. The image Guy presents is of a vibrant, intelligent woman who sought to rule within the confines of gender norms at the time and was perhaps too trusting, which eventually led to her downfall through two unfortunate marriages.

This was an educational, easy-to-read biography. I particularly enjoyed the part where Guy analyzed the casket letters which were used to prove Mary's involvement in the death of her second husband, Lord Darnley; the letters were the deciding evidence, but Guy argues that they were either forgeries or pieced together from older letters Mary had written. There are a few moments where he throws shade on other historians for cataloguing newly discovered letters in various royal archives without realizing that the letters actually held new information pertaining to Mary's life, which I thought was hilarious. Apparently this book was used as the source for a fairly recent movie featuring Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, and David Tennant, so I'll probably seek that out at some point. 4 stars.

40 ROOTs down: Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

Tarisai has had a lonely upbringing in her mother's house -- the mysterious Lady. She is surrounded by tutors and servants, none of whom will touch her due to her innate gift of sensing the memories of people and objects. When she's old enough, she is sent to the capital to compete with other children to become part of the council of the heir to the empire, Ekundayo. Dayo has the power of the Ray, and the 11 children he chooses to be on his council will be intrinsically linked and able to communicate by mind. Tarisai and Dayo have an immediate connection, but Tarisai is wary -- the Lady has used a magical wish to compel Tarisai to kill Dayo if she is selected as party of the council. Torn between her desire for her mother's love, the seemingly inescapable drive to kill Dayo, and her want to be a part of a group of friends for the first time, Tarisai must look within herself for inner strength -- and as she grows, she discovers things she never would have expected, about herself and the Lady.

It took me quite a while to get into this book, and for the first 100 pages, I wasn't really into it. The worldbuilding is complex, deep and interesting, but a little clumsy, and I had trouble settling into the world. Tarisai is also an interesting character in that she doesn't really have any agency for those first 100 pages, and I had problems connecting with her story at first for that reason. But things really picked up after that, and I devoured the rest of the book in a few days. 4 stars, rounded up from a solid 3.75. This is a debut novel so I'm excited to see what Ifueko does next, and am planning to read the sequel soon -- Raybearer and Redemptor will be my First Book by an Author and Most Recent Book by an Author for my summer reading book bingo.

41 ROOTs down: Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel

In this graphic novel memoir, Bechdel explores her complex relationship with her mother through the lens of psychoanalysis.

I loved Fun Home when I read it in college. I didn't actually read it for a course -- it was assigned to the Freshman reading list the year I was a sophomore, and as an overachieving newly elected writing tutor, I thought I would read it to better understand the tons of Freshman essays I would need to read about it. Anyway, this one wasn't as effective for me, or at least I didn't enjoy it as much as I remember enjoying Fun Home. The psychoanalysis angle didn't really work for me, and there was a lot of it. 3.5 stars.

43 ROOTs down: A Pale Light in the Black by K. B. Wagers

Max Carmichael is new to the NeoG -- essentially the space coast guard. She wants nothing more than to fit in with her new unit, and it doesn't seem like that will be too hard. Most of her teammates are welcoming, and the biggest challenge will be participating with her team in the Boarding Games -- the annual space sports competition between the NeoG, Army, Navy, and Marines. But as Max starts making friends and her team prepares for the games, they become aware of a sinister plot brewing, and it looks like it might be connected to LifeEx, the life-extending compound that Max's family got rich with.

It took me a while to get into this book, but once I settled into the story I couldn't put it down. I actually thought this was a debut novel because the intro and worldbuilding felt a little clumsy and info dump-y (turns out it's actually the beginning of Wagers' third series). You're introduced to a complex world and a large cast of characters really quickly, and honestly, I wasn't 100% sure two of the characters were different people for a while. (Ma sounds like it could be short for Tamago!) I think this is probably more on me for reading in the middle of the night than anything else, but I thought I would mention it. Anyway! I really don't want to sound like I'm hating on this book, because I actually loved it; I just wanted to let anyone who picks it up know that you might need to give it 20% or so before it gets really engaging. Once I hit my stride I was totally caught up, and I loved the little family of Zuma's Ghost. Very Becky Chambers feeling. I'll be keeping a look out for other books in the series. 4.5 stars.

Oops! I posted out of order. This is actually ROOT 42, and the one before was ROOT 43!



ROOT 42: Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

Jeremy and Rose Sommers are English siblings living in Valparaiso, Chile, when one morning, Rose discovers a Chilean baby girl in a soap box on their doorstep. Unmarried and with no children of her own, Rose decides to treat the child as her own and, naming her Eliza, begins raising her as a proper English girl. Eliza's childhood is spent between two worlds -- that of the British expatriate community in Valparaiso, and that of her native country, which she experiences at the side of the Sommers' faithful cook and housekeeper. As Eliza grows, she learns the things Rose asks of her, but she also learns things no respectable Englishwoman would know -- like how to craft fine recipes, and the secrets of the native medical treatments. As the world is swept into the craze of the California gold rush, Eliza falls in love for the first time. Her lover, Joaquin Andieta, decides to go to California to make his fortune, and at first Eliza is content to let him go. But when she discovers she is pregnant, she makes a choice: She will go to California and find Joaquin -- and her future.

I think this is only my second Allende and I really enjoyed it. It's a sweeping story, though everything is really focused on Eliza. I particularly enjoyed the second half set in California, as Eliza's relationship with Tao Chi'en develops and grows. Read for the "Set South of the Equator" square on my book bingo -- I didn't realize when I started that it would move to California, but the first half or so is in Chile so I'm counting it. 4 stars.

44 ROOTs down: The Girls by Emma Cline

In 1969, 14-year-old Evie is drawn in to the orbit of a group of older girls who live on the edge of town in a broken-down ranch house. There, she meets the alluring Russell, the leader of their group. The girls and other house inhabitants worship him, and their awe and respect rubs off on Evie, too. Evie gets more and more involved, lying to her parents and spending more time at the house... until it might be too late for her to get out.

This is essentially a fictionalized account of the Manson cult and murders from the point of view of a fictional marginal member. I was very drawn in and I think it helped that I didn't know much about the cult or murders going in; many of the less favorable reviews were upset that the book didn't do much more than that. What can I say, it worked for me. 4 stars.

45 ROOTs down: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

When Richard arrives at Hampden College, he decides to pursue a major in Greek -- he had already been studying it in community college, and it just made sense to him to continue. But his desire to study Greek leads him to discover and befriend some decidedly strange people, for all the other Classics students are part of an insular, mysterious group, led by Julian, the selective, exclusionary professor. As Richard finds himself slowly accepted into the group, he begins to find out more about their lifestyle and extracurricular activities -- and soon finds himself wondering what exactly he's gotten involved with.

This is one of those books where you don't really like any of the characters, but you can't put it down, either. It sort of reminded me at times of The Magicians minus the magic and Tam Lin if it were darker, but it's really a story all its own. Brilliantly done, especially for a first novel, but I can see why the reviews are polarized. I see this recommended a lot for people looking for "dark academia" reads and while I think it fits the bill, it's very different from a lot of the fantasy-style dark academia -- much more literary. It's long, but I felt it was worth the page count. Recommended; 4.5 stars.

46 ROOTs down: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

Lilac Girls follows three women before, during, and after World War II: Caroline, New York socialite and philanthropist; Kasia, a Polish girl who is sent to Ravensbruck for passing information on the Polish Underground; and Herta, a German doctor who is pleased to have secured a position at the camp that will support her family. As each woman grapples with her own war experience and post-war reality, their lives touch in different ways.

I had mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I appreciated that it was based on real women, and that Caroline and Herta were both real people that Kelly brought to life with her words. On the other hand, I think Kasia's story was my favorite aspect of the book. At first I didn't feel like Lilac Girls was doing much that other WWII historical fiction hadn't already covered. I know this is an ever popular genre, and I understand why -- I don't think humans will ever tire of looking and wondering how we allowed these things to happen. But I felt like I had to wait until the last third of the book for Lilac Girls to tread any new ground. At first I was confused that the story continued for so long after the war ended, but I soon came to appreciate the way Kelly wrote about and fully brought to light the stories of the Polish Rabbits -- I knew such experiments happened, but had never read about them in such detail. So overall, this was a fine read, with some interesting aspects, but not something I can see myself reading again. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

Officially over halfway through my books to read this year list! Feeling pretty good about progress made and hoping I can keep up the pace. Homegoing is next -- I started it on Saturday and am really enjoying it so far.

>118 curioussquared: I've heard only good things about Homegoing, it's on my (enormous) wishlist.

>119 Jackie_K: I have about 70 pages to go and so far it's excellent! Heavy stuff, but Gyasi's storytelling device of devoting only one chapter to each character makes it a little easier to keep reading.

47 ROOTs down: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

In 18th century Ghana, two half sisters are born -- one will marry a white Englishman there to work in the slave trade, and the other will become a slave herself. The novel follows their descendants for generations, through the years of slavery and oppression in the US and the changes and hardships in Ghana, until nearly the present day.

This is an incredible book. I didn't realize going into it quite how challenging the content would be going in (that's what happens when you try not to know too much about a book before reading!) but I found that the way it was written, devoting one chapter to each descendant, made it easier to get through. While each character had their own challenges and trauma, at least you could sort of move on from chapter to chapter. I thought that the ending was super well done -- it could have been trite or saccharine, but it was beautiful instead. 5 stars.

July ended up being a little ROOT-light for me, but I squeezed one more in yesterday:



48 ROOTs down: One for All by Lillie Lainoff

Tania has always dreamed of being a musketeer, like her father -- but not only is she disqualified by her gender, but she has been plagued since she was a child by spells of dizziness and weakness that no doctor has been able to explain. She trains in fencing with her father, learning to work through her blackened vision and racing pulse, but her mother's focus is still on hiding her illness so she can be safely married to a man who will take care of her. But when her father is violently murdered, Tania's mother lets her know that his last request was that she attend a finishing school. Tania can't believe that her father, who has always seen her as his strong, brave mousquetaire, would really want her to go to a finishing school, but she's not about to disobey his last wishes. But when she arrives at the school, she discovers it's actually a secret academy for young women to become... not exactly musketeers, but highly trained spies masquerading as eligible young women. Tania can't believe her luck -- but can she really do everything she'll need to with her dizziness in the way?

I loved the concept of this book -- genderbent three musketeers with a disabled protagonist? Sign me up! And much of the book delivered on that promise. I will say that some of the writing came off a little flat for me; there were some odd turns of phrase and awkward transitions that meant I was sometimes doubling back to figure out what I had missed in the narrative because the way the action had been described was said so obliquely that I, reading quickly, hadn't understood what was going on. I also felt that the middle of the book dragged; there was a long stretch of not much action that got a little bit boring. But I absolutely loved the disability representation (the author has POTS and while it was not diagnosed/identified until 1993, Tania's symptoms are consistent with it). The four main girls were fun to get to know, and I loved Henri as well. I guessed the main twist, but still enjoyed the ride. A solid debut novel -- I'm not sure if I'll seek out more by the author, but I'd definitely pick up another of her books if somebody recommended it to me. 3.75 stars.

>122 curioussquared: I love a gender-bending spin on a classic & an "academy with a twist" - so this does sound like fun! Adding it to the library list

>123 Caramellunacy: I hope you enjoy!

>112 curioussquared: I had very much the same experience with Bechdel's two books. I didn't dislike the psychoanalys angle per se - at some point Bechdel beautifully describes how everything in her family was mediated through texts, art, and reflections; there was no room in which talking spontaneously or just being together was more authentic - but it simply didn't work as well as seeing her father through litterature.

>125 Henrik_Madsen: Yes, agreed. I could appreciate what Bechdel was trying to do and understood the lens she was using, but it sort of abstracted everything for me more in this book rather than making things more clear like in Fun Home.

Hoping that this will be a good month for ROOTs! I am 80% done with Angel Mage, and two thirds of the way through Flight to Arras, both off of my big list up top.

I'm also hoping to get to Voyager, The Vanishing Half, Beloved, and Blazewrath Games this month for my final four squares of the Seattle Public Library's Summer Book Bingo Challenge. Getting to all those books when one of them is an Outlander novel might be a bit optimistic, but I'm going to try!

49 ROOTs down: Angel Mage by Garth Nix

Over 100 years ago, the kingdom of Ystara was abandoned to the ashblood plague, which either turned its victims to ash, or into horrifying monsters called beastlings. Since that time, Ystara has been left entirely to the beastlings, with few daring to cross its borders since. Those who fled Ystara are called Refusers, because unlike the rest of the population, they are unable to be touched by angelic magic -- for if they are exposed, the ashblood plague will take them or transform them. Now, in the nearby kingdom of Sarance, Lilliath has awoken from her self-imposed sleep, and she can feel that the time is right. Her plans are murky, but she means to somehow reinstall the archangel of Ystara, Palleniel, whose fall was linked to that of Ystara. But to enact her plan, there are four people she needs, who haven't met yet but are inextricably linked: Agnez, a young musketeer-to-be; Dorotea, a scholar of angelic icons; Simeon, a medical student; and Henri, a newly appointed architectural assistant.

I swear I didn't intend to read two Three Musketeers-inspired books in a row -- I had no idea this one had anything to do with musketeers until I was halfway through and things started to seem familiar, lol. This book... is a lot. There's so much really interesting worldbuilding -- I loved the angelic magic system and the icons, and the world itself was really intriguing, but I just don't think it was explored in enough depth. I can also see why I bounced off this in print, as there's an in media res prologue that throws you in headfirst and I always have trouble with those, and then we immediately transfer to Lilliath's POV -- and she's a villain, and also nonhuman, so difficult to get invested in. But once we transferred to the POVs of the four young people, I was hooked -- I loved each of them, and only wish the book had spent more time with them and their friendship than with Lilliath, although I can see the necessity of her POV for the plot. Overall, this was an ambitious undertaking that just didn't quite gel for me even though I really loved aspects of it. Parts were reminiscent of his Old Kingdom series, and parts were also reminiscent of Margaret Rogerson's Vespertine. Rogerson has acknowledged that Nix is a huge influence on her, but I think she did it better this time. 3.5 stars.

50 ROOTs down: Flight to Arras by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The year is 1940, and Saint-Exupery is a captain in the French air force, fighting a losing battle against the steadily advancing Germans. This short but heavy book chronicles Saint-Exupery's suicide reconnaissance flight to the town of Arras along with Duterte, his navigator, and his unnamed gunner. Along the way, he muses on life, death, war, and the nature of humanity.

This is the third book I've read by Saint-Exupery after Le Petit Prince and Wind, Sand, and Stars, and it's probably my least favorite of the three. The author's philosophical musings, while they clearly came from a deep place, are just not my favorite kind of reading material. The first half of the book focused more on the adventure of the flight interspersed with some deeper content, and I thought that part was excellent, but the last half was mostly an essay on the nature of man and Saint-Exupery's anti-war sentiments. While the book was especially poignant given that the author died in a similar recon mission 4 years later, I'll admit I had trouble getting through the last bits. 3.75 stars.

51 ROOTs down: Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

When Claire and Jamie said goodbye at the standing stone circle, both thought it was for the last time. Claire, 200 years in the future, knew there was no way Jamie had survived the horrific battle of Culloden, and focused instead on raising Jamie's daughter, Brianna, and devoting herself to her love of medicine and becoming a true doctor. But then, 20 years later, Claire learns of the impossible -- Jamie managed to survive Culloden, and through her research with Brianna and their friend Roger, they manage to track him over the 20 years that have passed and locate him in Edinburgh. Throwing caution to the wind, and making the hardest decision of her life, Claire decides to go back through the standing stones -- back to the dangerous 1700s, and back, hopefully, to Jamie. But while their research revealed that Jamie still lived, Claire knows he's been through hell -- living in a cave, in prison, and God knows what else. Will he still be the man she loves?

Ok, I think I'm officially a huge Outlander fan. I've rated each novel in the series higher than the last, and devoured the 1050-odd pages in this entry in about a week. Gabaldon makes the pages fly by but at the same time, the story is so sweeping and epic that by the end of the books I was questioning whether something that happened in the first quarter had happened in this book or the previous one, lol. My one quibble was a few instances of anti-fat sentiment that felt really out of place and totally took me out of the story each time; I guess I can forgive since it was written in the 90s, but it was just weird. Hoping to get to book 4 sooner rather than later! 5 stars.

52 ROOTs down: Heartstone by Elle Katharine White

Pride and Prejudice... but throw in dragons, gryphons, hobgoblins, and other magical creatures. Aliza Bentaine lives at Merybourne Manor with her three sisters and parents. Unfortunately, her fourth sister was killed in a gryphon attack. The gryphons have gotten so bad that the manor hires a team of wyvern-riders to hunt them down -- and are surprised with Alistair Daired, a dragonrider, shows up as well. Aliza and Alistair get off on the wrong foot, but fate keeps bringing them together, and Aliza starts to realize she may have misjudged him at first.

I enjoyed listening to this book. I thought the fantasy world White created was interesting. I'm not sure the P&P interplay entirely worked for me -- sometimes I wanted it to be more faithful, and sometimes I wanted it to be less faithful -- I think it was a difficult balance to strike but it was still fun to listen to casually. 3.75 stars. I'm planning to continue the series as I'm interested to see what White does with this world away from the restrictions of a retelling.

53 ROOTs down: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

Through a series of interconnected vignettes, Steinbeck introduces us to the colorful, shabby, and generally well-meaning residents of Cannery Row, a shady area of Monterrey inhabited mostly by fishermen, canning factory workers, prostitutes, and general layabouts.

I loved this. It's essentially a portrait of the community, and Steinbeck makes you care for every last character -- from Mack, Hazel, and the rest of the gang who mostly do what they like if they don't need money, to Doc, the grandfatherly owner of Western Biological Laboratory who spends his time hunting for sea creatures on the beaches, to Lee Chong, the owner of the local grocery, and even to Darling, Mack's pointer dog. Nothing much happens -- the longest running thread is just Mack and the boys trying to throw a party for Doc. I've only read a few other Steinbecks -- Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, and The Red Pony -- and I kept waiting for the devastating twist he's so good at. Instead, I found a surprisingly wholesome and sweet story of a community of friends who band together to help one another and forgive the mistakes of others. 5 stars.

54 ROOTs down: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The story of identical twin sisters Desiree and Stella, light-skinned Black girls from the town of Mallard, Louisiana, where light skin is treasured. The girls run away from home in their teens to New Orleans, and then a few years later, Stella disappears entirely. Desiree ends up back in Mallard after fleeing an abusive husband, while Stella passes over, marrying a white man and becoming his white wife. The story also follows their daughters, Jude and Kennedy -- Desiree's daughter Jude, with skin as dark as night, and Stella's daughter Kennedy, blonde and blue-eyed -- as they grow into young women and eventually cross paths.

I thought this started out a little slow, but soon couldn't put it down. It's a relatively simple story based on the idea of passing and becoming something different from what you were born as, and this concept is explored in a few different ways. Really excellently written and told -- I only wish it were a book club pick so I had a group to discuss it with, as I think it would be a good one for that. 5 stars.

55 ROOTs down: Beloved by Toni Morrison

18 years ago, Sethe escaped from slavery with her children, including Denver, who she gave birth to along the way. But the house where she lives is haunted by the ghost of her other unnamed infant, whose tombstone was inscribed only with the word Beloved. Free at last but still haunted by the ghosts of her past, Sethe is unable to move beyond the events that scarred her and that seem unwilling to let her go.

I'm not sure what I can add to the praise for this book -- it's a powerful story expertly told, with plenty of tough content that's at times hard to read but also impossible to look away from. Absolutely a masterpiece. I went into it not knowing much about it and wasn't really expecting the supernatural/horror elements, but I enjoy magical realism so that only added to it for me. 5 stars.

Woohoo, that's my goal down! Still planning on lots more ROOTing as I work to get through my list at the top of this post and whatever else strikes my fancy from my shelves :)

>134 curioussquared: Congratulations on reaching your goal, Natalie, and it sounds like you finished on a high note, too.

>135 Robertgreaves: Thanks, Robert! Yes, definitely a good book to close out the goal with.

Congratulations on reaching your goal!

Congratulations on reaching your goal - and well before the end of the year, too!

>137 MissWatson: >138 Henrik_Madsen: Thank you Birgit and Henrik!

Congrats on meeting your goal!!

>140 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP :D

56 ROOTs down: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, performed by LA Theatre Works

The classic play about traveling salesman Willy Loman and his self-destruction in pursuit of being liked and accepted.

I knew pretty much nothing about this play going in aside from its classic status; I never had to read it in school and had just had a copy sitting around on my shelf for years. I decided to listen to it when I saw that LA Theatre Works had a production available as I generally enjoy their content. I thought it was excellent and so well done; I can imagine reading it would have paled in comparison. I had tears in my eyes listening to the end. Highly recommend experiencing this American classic in this way. 5 stars.

57 ROOTs down: Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz

Lana Torres has dreamed for years of competing for Puerto Rico in the Blazewrath Games, the ultimate dragon sport tournament, just like her idol, Takeshi Endo, a former player from Japan. But her mother is against it, and so Lana hatches a plan with her best friend Samira to sneak away to the tryouts for the Runner position while she's supposed to be out with her family for her cousin Todd's birthday. But things quickly go wrong: right when Lana means to sneak away, the wand shop they're in is invaded by a Dragon Knight, someone trying to steal the heart of a dragon who was hidden on a floor of the shop. Lana leaps into action to save the dragon -- and is dumbstruck when the knight turns out to be none other than Takeshi, who's been missing for months. Lana thinks her Blazewrath dreams are dead after that fiasco, but is surprised when her performance saving the dragon earns her an invite directly from the Blazewrath federation president to join Puerto Rico's team. Lana is whisked off to Dubai where she must quickly get up to speed on her training while trying to fit in with her new teammates -- but at the same time, there's something strange going on with with the federation president, who seems sick all the time, and with the Puerto Rico team manager, Manny, who seems to know more than he's letting on. Lana has so many questions -- why was the dragon in the wand shop? Why was Takeshi there? Where is the dragon knight leader, the Sire, and what is he planning?

As you can probably tell from my description, this book has a LOT going on. There's a very Harry Potter-esque world, with magic-users coexisting alongside "regulars," and lots of dragons, and an evil dragon-turned-human who seems to be plotting something nefarious. I appreciated the Harry Potter feel with more diversity and loved the Puerto Rican backdrop to the story. There are side characters of every race, lots of casual Spanish usage, and even a character in a wheelchair. So like I said -- lots going on! In fact, maybe a bit too much for this debut author. It was an ambitious book and I think for the most part it delivered. While not every plot aspect made total sense and some things seemed a little convenient, the story held my attention and was exciting. I do have to say that the final confrontation with the sire went over the line from calling back to Harry Potter to borrowing from Harry Potter. The whole book already felt like a giant Quidditch World cup, and then the final battle included a sidekick using a cauldron and the blood of a fellow competitor/rival to complete a transformation ritual, killing the fellow competitor. There was also a literal wands connecting scene where they each were shoving power down the wands and I just... yeah. I didn't see anybody else mention this online, but it felt glaringly obvious to me? Overall I enjoyed the ride and would be curious to see what Ortiz does next. I think she bit off a little more than she could chew with this book, but I still had fun. 3.5 stars.

Well, we were supposed to be in Europe this week and next, but Skelly has had some complications starting the night before we were due to leave and we unfortunately had to cancel our trip. We're working on getting him fully stable again and developing a treatment plan. In the meantime, I've been distracting myself by reading up a storm.

58 ROOTs down: Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

It's the 70s, and sex, drugs, and rock and roll are the name of the game. The Six are an up-and-coming band with a bright future, led by lead singer Billy Dunne. After a successful collaboration with musician Daisy Jones on their song Honeycomb, their record label encourages the band to team up with Daisy for their next album if they want to produce a hit record, and the band agrees. The only problem? Billy and Daisy can't stand each other. Billy is strictly sober after his bender on their first tour caused him to miss the birth of his daughter. Daisy can't function without a delicate balance of drugs and booze. They're oil and water, but together, they make something magic. As the band embarks on tour, it's not clear how long their truce can last, and the rest of the band is feeling the effect of their tension, too.

I had mixed feelings about this book. It's not really a subject I care about -- I'm not really a music or rock and roll person -- but it's been so hyped I picked it up. And I will admit, the way the book is written is deeply compelling. Presented as a VH1-style interview with the band members and producers, the pages fly by. Apparently the audiobook is full-cast, and I almost wish I had consumed it that way, but print was good, too. As the trainwreck unfolds, it's hard to put down. Perfect reading for distracting myself. At the same time, though, I felt it was a little anti-climatic; there's a reveal that I think was supposed to be shocking but didn't really do much for me, and at the end of it all I didn't really care about the conclusion. It felt like it was all style with no substance. Maybe this one was just too hyped for me. I'll go for 3.5 stars overall.

59 ROOTs down: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Five years ago, Andie Bell was murdered in Fairview. Her body was never found, but after her boyfriend Sal Singh sent a confession text and committed suicide, the case was closed. Except... that explanation has never sat right with 17-year-old Fairview resident Pippa Fitz-Amobi, who knew Sal a little bit and has trouble believing he would do such a thing. So Pippa decides she's going to "re-open" the case by making it her senior year capstone project. As Pippa dives deeper into her research, aided by Sal's younger brother Ravi, she starts finding things she thinks were missed in the initial investigation -- but then she starts getting threats, and she might be in more danger than she realizes.

I've seen this book all over BookTok and never had too much interest, but a really good review convinced me to give it a try. It was fine. The whole thing requires a huge suspension of disbelief regarding how deeply Pippa is allowed to violate the investigation, and when I was able to suspend disbelief, the strength of the story and the mystery itself shined through. But inevitably Pippa would do something unbelievably stupid (like continue her investigation without telling any adults after receiving multiple death threats, or confronting the murderer utterly alone without even a can of pepper spray) and I'd be taken right out again. Something else that I think affected my enjoyment that I didn't realize until after finishing was that the original version is set in the UK, and for some reason the publishers Americanized it for the US release. But all they really did was change some place names and a few slang terms, and it just left the whole thing feeling weird and poorly written. I kept having to remind myself that it was set in New England and not the UK because it all still came off as British... but it wasn't. 3.5 stars.

60 ROOTs down: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Yelena is in prison for killing her abuser, the son of one of the 8 generals of Ixia, awaiting execution when a miracle occurs. The Commander's food taster has died, and per the laws, the next prisoner to be executed must be offered the job. Yelena accepts, and so begins her training from Valek, the Commander's right-hand man and a master of poisons. His first task is to secretly dose Yelena with a poison that will kill her if she goes too long without taking the antidote, to which only Valek has access, neatly preventing her from escaping. And the rest is up to Yelena: training hard enough to make it as a food taster, first, then... remembering how to be human after her long imprisonment and isolation. As Yelena slowly ingratiates herself back into society, her soul begins to surface, and she starts remembering what it's like to have friends. But the general whose son she killed is still out to get her, and Yelena must keep learning faster and faster if she's going to survive.

This was an interesting fantasy with some unique ideas. I liked Yelena despite her being just a little too good at everything -- she could have used some more flaws. A few bits stretched credulity. Overall, though, I enjoyed this world, and I loved some of the characters Yelena slowly befriends. Unsure if I'll continue the series. 4 stars.

>146 curioussquared:
I enjoyed this one a lot, but was able to mostly ignore the utter implausibility in this one until fairly near the end - though I caught it when it first came out so managed to avoid my tendency toward hype-based curmudgeonliness. (It probably also helped that I read the original set in the UK and know little enough about capstone projects/UK schooling and UK police investigations that I could just hush the little doubter that hovers over my shoulder when I try to read some other thrillers.)

I'm glad it provided a little diversion for you and hope your next read contains all your catnip.

>148 Caramellunacy: Yeah, I think the extra weirdness of the poorly done Americanization really took me out of the story further. I really did enjoy it when I could get into it, but there were just a few things that kept pushing me out. And thank you! Starting a few roots I have high hopes for (In Deeper Waters and The Ten Thousand Doors of January) so hopefully I'm not disappointed :)

Hi Natalie, finally made it to your thread and so sorry for missing all the good reviews you wrote.

Congrats on reaching your goal. Very good.

>150 connie53: Hi Connie! No worries, I haven't been great at visiting the ROOT threads this year either. Thanks for stopping by!

61 ROOTs down: Saving Savannah by Tonya Bolden

The year is 1919. The war is over, and the world is just beginning to recover from the ravages of the Spanish Flu. Savannah Riddle is a young well-off Black girl living in Washington D.C. with her parents, working on finishing high school and determining her next steps in life. But that's just the problem -- she doesn't KNOW what she wants to do with her life, and she's becoming unsatisfied. Then she meets Lloyd, a young activist from Barbados, and starts attending lectures and volunteering at a local school to better the working class Black population. As Savannah starts to develop a wider picture of the world around her, she becomes more and more excited about the possibilities for her future -- but she's not aware of the dangers this wider world presents.

I think I ordered this back in 2020 when I saw it on a list of new YA fiction by Black authors to support. I really wanted to like it, but the book is in serious need of a plot. In the afterward, Bolden writes about how 1919 was such a pivotal year in history, and why she was drawn to write about a girl coming of age while all those pivotal events were happening. The problem is that the book definitely read more like a recounting of events with a half-fleshed out character stuck in there to experience them, rather than a separate story that deftly incorporates those events. 2.5 stars.

62 ROOTs down: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

At the end of WWII, four distinct characters find themselves living together in an abandoned Italian villa, each in their own separate mental worlds: Hana, the young Canadian nurse; Caravaggio, the thief turned war spy who was maimed for his efforts and knew Hana in her childhood; Kip, the young Indian man and expert dismantler of bombs; and the nameless English patient, badly burned, lying in his bed with his memories.

There were bits of this that I found compelling and beautifully written, but overall I found it a bit of a slog to get through. I preferred the sections that focused on Kip and didn't really appreciate the parts with the English patient's memories. 3 stars.

63 ROOTs down: In Deeper Waters by F. T. Lukens

Prince Taliesen expects his coming-of-age tour to be pretty similar to his older siblings' tours -- tour the kingdom, get drunk a lot, maybe get to know his subjects and the country more. It's a little different for him, since to hide his magic, Tal has been more isolated than most of his siblings. But things take a turn -- first, a mysterious boy named Athlen shows up on his brother Garret's ship and then disappears into the water, seemingly drowning. But then Tal sees Athlen again when they dock at a town, so clearly he didn't drown -- but how did he survive? Just as Tal chases down Athlen and starts getting to know him, things go south, and it seems dark forces might be hatching a plot to disrupt Tal's older sister's marriage and harness Tal's powers that they've worked so hard to keep hidden.

I picked this up because it was recommended for fans of HBO's Our Flag Means Death, which I utterly loved. I'm not sure that was actually a great recommendation -- I don't think the two overlap that much in theme. There's a boat, and LBGTQ romance, but that's kind of the extent of it. Anyway, I would describe this as a sweet, simple romp -- enjoyable and cute but nothing extraordinary. Sort of a Little Mermaid remix. The story never really went anywhere I wasn't expecting it to, but I still enjoyed the ride. Tal's family was sweet. 4 stars, rounded up from 3.75.

64 ROOTs down: Summerland by Michael Chabon

Ethan and his father moved to Clam Island, Washington, after his mother died, and so far, he's been pretty lonely. He's met some of the local kids playing baseball, but the problem... is that he doesn't really like playing baseball. But during one of his team's games, Ethan notices something strange in the distance from the bench, and he runs off to chase it without a second thought. Soon, Ethan discovers that there's a whole hidden land of fairies, just on the other side of the human world, and Coyote, the villain of that world, has finally discovered the fairy community of Clam Island. Ethan and his friends must travel across fairyland to save the fairy population and rescue Ethan's father -- and to travel across the whole country, they're going to have to play a LOT of baseball.

The problem with this book, I think, is that in order to enjoy it, you have to buy into the conceit that the most integral piece of American folklore is... baseball. Unfortunately, I do not buy into it. Chabon's entire children's fantasy novel hinges on the concept that the fairies not only love baseball, but they invented baseball, and the whole magic system and Ragnarok-style end of the world is structured around a baseball game. It just didn't work for me. I think Chabon loves baseball so much that he squeezed an entire book out of the concept, but for me, not a baseball lover, it was just ill-conceived. It was such a weird concept that the whole thing felt like a parody, which doesn't really work for what I think was actually a serious attempt at a children's novel. Also, I'm struggling to figure out who the intended audience for this book was. I think it's kids who really, REALLY love baseball, and... I just don't think much of that audience exists. I don't think this would have been published if Chabon wasn't already a big name. The quality of the writing redeems it a little, but not enough. 2.5 stars.

65 ROOTs down: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard

As the events of Hamlet swirl around them, hapless Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (but which is which?) attempt to take charge of their fates and make sense of the events of the play.

I've always enjoyed absurdist theater but bounced off this the first time I tried to read it. Not this time! Stoppard's play is a brilliant reimagining of Hamlet, paying respect to the original and creating something entirely different from its structure. 5 stars.

I squeezed one more ROOT into September:



66 ROOTs down: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers

Lovelace, formerly the ship AI on the Wayfarer, has been removed from the ship and is now housed in an illegal body kit and living with tech genius Pepper. Now known as Sidra, she must grapple with her own personhood and new physical form as she struggles to adapt to a human lifestyle. Meanwhile, Pepper has mostly recovered from the trauma of her past as a child slave created to sort tech junk on another planet. But she's never given up hope of finding the ship and AI that saved her life so long ago...

Why did I wait so long to read this? I'm glad I waited a little while to distance myself from the first book since I knew I would miss those characters, but I definitely waited too long. I loved this just as much as the first entry in the series and can't wait to pick up more Chambers. 5 stars.

I'm really sorry these books are not translated. I have one English book by her and perhaps I will give that one a try soonish.

>158 connie53: I'm sorry too! They've won so many awards, I'm surprised they haven't been translated yet.

>156 curioussquared: I love the game of Questions!

>160 Caramellunacy: Me, too!

>157 curioussquared: These books are on my radar, I haven't read a single negative review! But I also haven't read nearly 400 of my own books, so ... (ahem).

>157 curioussquared: I feel you, Jackie. I'm hovering around 450 currently 😬 Luckily I can already count the next two Chambers books among those I own to be read!

67 ROOTs down: Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

The Great God Om has been secure in his domain for many years -- but somehow, people have mostly stopped believing in him, which is why when he tried to come to the world in the shape of a giant bull, he somehow showed up as a tiny, impotent tortoise instead. Luckily he is discovered by the only person who can hear his voice: his last true believer, the Omnian novice Brutha, a seemingly simple boy who can neither read nor write but has a powerful memory. Well, he's not the prophet Om would have chosen, but he's all he's got.

Pratchett takes on religion and philosophy with his trademark wit and satire in this entry in the Discworld series. I read 99% of this series in middle and high school and pretty much devoured them, but bounced off this one, and I can definitely see why as neither religion nor philosophy are part of my preferred reading topics. Even as an adult I found the first 100 pages of this book a little dry and boring to get through. The story picked up once we traveled to Ephebe and I could appreciate the book for what it was at that point. This feels like a Pratchett for the folks who are reading for his philosophical hot takes and don't care so much for the characters. 4 stars.

68 ROOTs down: The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell

In the first half, Orwell writes of his experiences living among England's poorest inhabitants, including miners earning preposterously low wages and the unemployed and houseless, using his concise, witty prose to examine and condemn the working and living conditions of these people. In the second half, Orwell considers socialism and the general attitude toward it, coming out in favor of it himself but also playing devil's advocate to explain why those who might need socialism the most might be most opposed to it.

I will admit that I picked this up expecting to find it mildly interesting at best. Nonfiction written 80+ years ago examining class economics is not really my sweet spot in terms of reading. Imagine my surprise when I was hooked -- Orwell is an excellent writer, even 80+ years later, and his writing makes these topics shine. I found myself almost moved to tears by some of the descriptions of the mine conditions, and I was even texting funny excerpts to a friend. Yes, it was written 80 years ago, but a lot of what Orwell has to say is still relevant in this day and age. The second half was less up my alley but still compelling, if a little more circular. 4.5 stars.

A few favorite lines:

- "He was one of those people who could chew his grievances like a cud"
- In reference to W. H. Auden, whose poetry I rather enjoy: "A sort of gutless Kipling"
- And in conclusion to why the more posh British classes should really consider socialism: "We have nothing to lose but our aitches."

69 ROOTs down: Breathe: A Ghost Story by Cliff McNish

Jack and his mother move into an old farmhouse after his father's death in the hopes of starting afresh. Jack is a strange child; he has severe asthma and is often lonely because of its limitations, as well as some of his other affectations, which include a love of old items and houses, as he believes he can get a sense of an object's previous owners by touching it. So the old farmhouse is right up Jack's alley. What Jack and his mother don't know is that their new home is actually already inhabited -- by ghosts! Four ghost children, specifically... and one older ghost, the ghost mother. When Jack discovers he can see the ghosts, he's initially excited... but things take a turn when the ghost mother starts to take a very special interest in Jack.

Meh, I was expecting a little more spooky from something billed as "a ghost story." Yes, it's a book for kids, but any child of the 90s can remember being totally traumatized by the story of The Green Ribbon in In a Dark Dark Room, and that was a damn I Can Read book! I also have very fond memories of Jade Green, which was written for about this same age level, and also messed me up, lol. Anyway, I love a good ghost story, and this was not that. It took half the book for there to be any tension. I didn't care about the ghost children's fates. Needed more spooky. 3 stars.

70 ROOTs down: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Gwyneth comes from a family of time travelers. There's one in each generation, each of whose birth date was predicted by none other than Isaac Newton himself, and in her generation, it's her cousin Charlotte. Charlotte is 17 now, just a day older than Gwyneth, has been training for her role her whole life, and is due to start time traveling any minute now. But then... one day, on her way to the shops, it's Gwyneth who finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the past. Suddenly, Gwyneth's whole life changes, and she must grapple not only with her new status, but with the fact that for some reason, her mother has lied to her her whole life.

I don't remember what prompted me to buy this on Kindle -- I knew pretty much nothing about it going in and expected something entirely different based on the cover. But I loved it! Sort of your classic YA chosen one story, but the plot felt unique and well-imagined. I'm excited to continue the series! 4 stars.

Ok, friends, I'm going to try not to buy any more books for the rest of the year, excluding those I've already preordered :) Time to really make a dent in the TBR!

>168 curioussquared: Good luck with that!

>167 curioussquared: I have this one on my shelves! Maybe it is time to pick it up. October seems like a good time for a time travel-y YA Chosen One.

>169 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

>170 Caramellunacy: Somebody on my 75ers thread pointed out this was the perfect time to read it as early October birthdays figure prominently in the book, which I hadn't even thought about. I hope you enjoy it if you get to it!

>165 curioussquared: This sounds amazing! (in a depressing sort of a way)

>172 Jackie_K: Definitely somewhat depressing, but I think it also inspires appreciation for the changes made in the UK to try to fix some of the issues Orwell identified (like the founding of the NHS, etc). Obviously I'm not British but I think things have improved since Orwell's writing!

>168 curioussquared: I hope you do better than I did. I keep adjusting the total to-be-bought books on my ticker. You go!

>174 connie53: I love it! I didn't even set a limit for myself this year, which led to me purchasing I think over 100 already 😬 hence why I'm trying to cut down!

71 ROOTs down: Falling Man by Don DeLillo

In the aftermath of 9/11, Keith, an office worker who escaped the towers, manages to make his way back to his estranged wife, and his family attempts to put together the pieces of their relationships and themselves.

This just felt... pretentious, to me. There's a ton of jumping around in POV in a way that is intentionally unclear and jarring so that it's really, really hard to tell whose brain you're in at any given time. I think DeLillo was trying to say something about the effects of the attacks with this fractured writing style, but it didn't really work for me. I didn't care about any of the characters and found them to be flat and uninteresting, too. I suppose there's also something DeLillo could have been doing there with examining the lives of "normal" people but again, didn't work for me. There were brief glimpses of brilliant writing (particularly the last few chapters, which fictionalize both the POV of a terrorist on one of the planes flying into the tower and the POV of people in the tower) but overall, I was just meh. 2.5 stars.

>174 connie53: Me too, Connie, me too. My resolve, which was so successful last year, has all but disappeared this year!

72 ROOTs down: The Body Artist by Don DeLillo

Lauren is the performance artist known as the Body Artist, and she sculpts her body through motion, contortion, and physical alteration to become other people in her performance art pieces. In the aftermath of her husband Rey's unexpected suicide, she retreats to a cabin on the coast where they had spent time together. There, she meets Mr. Tuttle, a developmentally delayed man who is a brilliant mimic and can somehow recreate her dead husband's voice even though she has no idea when he heard it. Lauren continues to develop her new art piece while taking Mr. Tuttle under her care -- and concealing his existence from the rest of the world.

DeLillo actually managed to mostly redeem himself to me with this short novella. I don't know that I'll seek out more of his work, but this was a weird, unsettling story that kept me hooked. 3.5 stars.

73 ROOTs down: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

January Scaller lives with Mr. Locke, her father's employer, while her father travels the world searching for rare and valuable items to add to Mr. Locke's collection. January has always been a strange, willful child, but Mr. Locke seems determined to squash her rebelliousness and make a lady of her. And for the most part, January complies, trying to be good for her father's sake. But when news comes of her father's death, January can't accept the confines Mr. Locke imposes anymore. When she finds a strange book called The Ten Thousand Doors, January discovers abilities she never dreamed of -- but Mr. Locke might be hiding sinister power she never dreamed of as well.

I've heard pretty much nothing but praise for this book and it lived up to my expectations. A beautiful, lyrical book about words and stories, with narratives within narratives. My favorite character was Bad the dog and I maintain he is the true hero of this book. 4 stars; I thought about giving it more, but there's something about the book that held me at a bit of a distance and prevented me from falling in love with it, despite really enjoying it and finding the concept to be perfectly executed.

74 ROOTs down: The White Company by Arthur Conan Doyle

Alleyne Edrickson is a young clerk who was raised at a local monastery during the 100 years war. He is content with his life, but his family insists that before he settles down, he leave the monastery for a time and travel in order to learn more of life. Along the way, Alleyne becomes a squire to Sir Nigel Loring and joins the knights of the White Company, traveling to France to fight the Spanish foe.

This started out "meh" and just got worse for me. Apparently this was Arthur Conan Doyle's favorite of his own works, which just goes to show that we're not always the best judge of ourselves. Chivalrous knights ride around getting into scrapes and wrestling matches and jousts and it's all very boring and blends together. In the end they defeat their dastardly foes bringing honor to England and Alleyne gets the girl right before she's about to become a nun because she thinks he's dead (a bit of an overreaction IMO but I guess it was the 1300s). I can see why my almost 80-year-old grandfather who grew up to love military history may have enjoyed this as a kid but it wasn't for me. 2 stars.

>180 curioussquared:

she's about to become a nun because she thinks he's dead (a bit of an overreaction IMO but I guess it was the 1300s)

I laughed hard at this... agree, a bit of an overreaction

>181 Caramellunacy: Lol. I guess if that was the only eligible guy you knew and you didn't have any other options... to the nunnery it is!

75 ROOTs down: Tartuffe by Moliere

Moliere's classic story of Tartuffe, the religious hypocrite, who's all god-fearing and holy on the outside but scheming to steal your wife and home on the inside.

This is my second Moliere; I read Le Misanthrope in a college French course but it was with my least favorite professor and I didn't get much out of it. I can again vouch for LA Theatre Works, however, because this production of Tartuffe was excellent to listen to and I enjoyed it much more than expected. 4 stars.

OK, this latest ROOT brings me down below 450 ROOTs on my shelves... now I just have to finish three more ROOTs before next Tuesday when a bunch of my preorders come in so I can keep it that way 😂

>184 curioussquared: Excellent! Savour that progress :D

>184 curioussquared: Fantastic, well done! (I hear you on the preorders though, they've been my downfall this year!).

>185 rabbitprincess: I read Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme for A'level French back in the Dark Ages, and remember enjoying it.

>185 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP! I have several more ROOTs in progress so hopefully I can maintain my progress against my preorders :)

>186 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jacque! I know, I have three preorders coming next Tuesday and I just realized there's another coming the Tuesday after. I have really been enjoying listening to plays lately, especially productions designed to be heard and not seen. I feel like it's the next closest thing to actually seeing the words brought to life on a stage.

>186 Jackie_K: Hot from Molière's quill?

>188 Robertgreaves: Not far off! :D

76 ROOTs down: Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

In this sequel to Gideon the Ninth, Harrowhark Nonegemisis has joined the Emperor's ranks as a lyctor and begins her training alongside Ianthe Tridentarius. The two new lyctors learn about the Emperor's ongoing fight against the resurrection beasts, the souls of dead planets the Emperor destroyed in his quest for power, and their role in fighting the beasts. But it soon becomes clear that Harrow's lyctoral powers are incomplete. Meanwhile, alternating chapters flash back to the events at the previous book at Canaan House... but these flashbacks seem different from what actually happened in the book. Harrow knows something is off, but she doesn't know why... and meanwhile, someone on the Emperor's Mithraeum is trying to kill her.

This was probably the most difficult book I've ever had to summarize, and it's definitely the most unreliable narrator I've ever encountered in a novel. The first 100 pages were difficult to get through just because it is purposefully devilishly confusing. Harrow doesn't know what's going on, so neither does the reader, and the reader can't even rely on what happened in the previous book. But as the different parts of this book start to coalesce and the plot becomes clear... it is so, so, SO satisfying. I don't know the last time I read a plot quite so complicated and brilliantly executed. Muir's writing is razor sharp, and not one word is misplaced or extra. I almost want to reread the first half now that I know how it ends, just to see what I inevitably missed or misunderstood. I definitely read a synopsis when I finished just to make sure I really had a handle on it. The heaviness and complexity of the plot are lightened by some ridiculous meme references throughout (I laughed out loud at the None Pizza, Left Beef callout). I know I said I'm not buying any more books this year... but I need Nona the Ninth now!! 5 stars.

77 ROOTs down: Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart

In a near-future dystopia where society is obsessed with youth, credit, and retail, 39-year-old Lenny Abramov works in life extension services, helping rich, healthy clients live longer. While selling services in Italy, he meets Eunice Park, a young, beautiful woman he instantly falls in love with. When Lenny returns to New York, he can't stop writing to Eunice and urging her to come live with him. Eunice, who is young and beautiful but otherwise directionless and worried about her immigrant parents and the failure of her podiatrist father's business, eventually agrees to visit and stay with him. Lenny is ecstatic, even as the US continues to fail in international trade, the dollar continues to fall, and the war with Venezuela rages on. As the political situation comes to a head, Lenny and Eunice cling to each other, but Eunice never stops looking for opportunities to improve her and her family's social standing.

This was a rather offputting book to read -- the world Shteyngart creates is harsh, crass, and unpleasant, but it's also easy to see it as a distorted reflection of our current society. It took me a while to work up any sympathy for the characters, but once I got to that point it was a more captivating read. Not a fun read, but one that certainly inspires a lot of thought, whether you want to think about it or not. 3.5 stars.

78 ROOTs down: The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

Florence Day has a couple secrets. First, she can see ghosts. She's always been able to; sure, it's cliche for the daughter of morticians, but she can't help it -- and it's the reason she hasn't been home in ten years, since the people in her small town bullied her after she solved a murder with the help of a ghost at the age of 13. Second, she's the ghostwriter for Ann Nichols, one of the biggest names in romance. But she's in trouble. The deadline for Ann's latest book is fast approaching, and Florence... hasn't been able to write the ending. In fact, she hasn't been able to write at all for a year, ever since her ex Lee broke her heart and stole the stories she told him in confidence of the ghosts she'd met and her childhood in the funeral home for his own novel. Florence thinks her biggest problem will be meeting her new editor, Benji Andor, and convincing him to give her an extension on the manuscript. But then the unthinkable happens, and Florence rushes home for the first time in years to be with her family and mourn. But while she's there, she sees a new ghost... and it looks suspiciously like her editor, Benji.

I loved this concept and for the most part, I enjoyed this book. There was a moment that took me out of the story when there was an anecdote about a possum having rabies and my brain immediately stopped me reading because I know that possums can't get rabies! Unfortunately, there were just a LOT of moments like that in this book. I don't know if Poston just needs a better editor or what, but I felt like I could have whipped this book into shape myself. There was a weird amount of namedropping of other books and authors that came really fast and furious at the beginning of the book and just felt awkward, and there were just some strange language choices and inconsistencies that maybe I was more sensitive to just because I had already been a little burned earlier in the book. For example, there's ANOTHER possum anecdote, except this time it's spelled opossum -- same animal, both spellings acceptable, but be consistent in your book, please? There's another bit that bugged me when she described "a voice with the syrupy sweetness of third-shelf vodka" and I was just totally taken aback; maybe it's just me, but my immediate reaction was "uh, has Poston ever had vodka?" Anyway, when I could get past some of the weirdness of the writing and get into the story, I enjoyed this. 3.5 stars.

>192 curioussquared: That would have taken me straight out of the story as well. I am quite partial to opossums and hate to see them maligned. (also third shelf vodka ick ick ick)

>193 Caramellunacy: Yeah, an OK plot/cute idea made less good with some weird writing choices. I still love Poston's Once Upon a Con series, but after this one and the disaster that was Among the Beasts and Briars I'm not going to be buying her other books unless they get really great reviews.

79 ROOTs down: Blackout by Connie Willis

Three time traveling historians from Oxford in 2060 -- Merope, Michael, and Polly -- are going on assignment to various points in 1940 during World War II. Merope, known as Eileen in the past, has been in the English countryside for months, on assignment studying child evacuees; Michael is going to Dover to study the heroism of soldiers rescuing others from Dukirk; and Polly is headed to London during the Blitz to pose as a shop girl. Things in Oxford seem particularly chaotic -- Mr. Dunworthy, who is in charge of scheduling the drops into the past and finding places where it can be done without the time travelers being seen, has been impossible to get ahold of, and many historians are frustrated at sudden changes in the order or timing of their planned assignments. While Eileen is already settled in the past, Michael and Polly are just glad to finally get to their assignments -- although there's an unusual amount of slippage when they arrive, meaning they arrive days off from when they were intended to. While both are excited to be there, they -- and Eileen, too -- quickly realize that something is off when their scheduled drops to report back to Oxford don't open as intended. Faced with the unsettling realization that something is wrong, all three historians try to figure out a way to get in contact with the future, as well as how they can find each other in the midst of a war.

Blackout is a stunning, deeply researched, fast-paced, unputdownable piece of writing. Willis puts each of her protagonists through the wringer, and you celebrate their successes and failures along with them. My biggest problem with the book was just that it felt so real that I found it to be incredibly stressful! Willis somehow manages to end every chapter on a cliffhanger. I really was thinking of waiting a little to read All Clear, but I don't think I realized before that they are essentially one novel, so I would be essentially only reading half the book if I stopped with Blackout. I'm already 100 pages into All Clear :) 4.5 stars.

80 ROOTs down: Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Through the lens of books and her teaching of English literature, Nafisi examines the Iranian revolution and its effect on the country and particularly its women. The book begins with the group of women, all former students, who began to gather at Nafisi's home 2 years before she would leave the country in 1997 to discuss literature. At this point, Nafisi had stopped teaching at the university dur to its strict rules and regulations for how female professors should act, dress, and teach. The book then flashes back to Nafisi's past, to her first marriage, her time in the USA, her journey to becoming a professor, and her early days of teaching, spending time with various students and recounting some of the horrifying things they experience.

This is an important memoir and I was excited to read it through the lens of the book club pitched as the center of the story. Nafisi's writings are still timely today, almost 20 years after the book was written. I do have some problems with the narrative, mostly the same problems I always have with memoirs which by definition will not perfectly align with a standard storyline. The narrative here felt uneven and jumpy -- I was fully bought in when I thought the book would be based on the book club at Nafisi's home, and loved the first quarter, but the flashbacks felt a little clumsy to me and the narrative never really recovered IMO. Still very good, but not always easy to read or follow. 3.5 stars.

Pleased to report I also donated 10 unread books that I was never going to get to to a local little free library over the weekend, so I'm down to 437 to be read :) Still going to try to abstain from buying any books for the rest of the year! So far I've been very good.

>195 curioussquared: Love the Oxford Time Travel novels (especially partial to To Say Nothing of the Dog). I also didn't realize that All Clear was basically the second half of Blackout and had no way to get a copy when I finished the first...so my brain is teetering on a cliff. I should re-read now that I have both halves in my possession...

>197 curioussquared: Congrats on the de-accession!

>198 Caramellunacy: Yes, I loved To Say Nothing of the Dog! It has everything I'm enjoying about Blackout/All Clear but was much less stressful, lol. I hope you can get to All Clear soon! I also have Doomsday Book in my possession, but didn't acquire it until after the pandemic had started when I wasn't feeling very kindly toward plague-related books. I'm think I'm getting close to ready to read it now :)

>199 curioussquared: Doomsday Book is certainly less lighthearted than To Say Nothing of the Dog (hard to be terribly lighthearted about the plague unless you're Monty Python - Bring Out Your Dead!!), but I liked it when I read in the BeforeTimes.

My library hold (from ages ago) on Station Eleven just came in, so we'll see how ready I am for pandemic-related lit...

>200 Caramellunacy: Good luck! I loved Station Eleven when I read it, but again, that was pre-pandemic :)

81 ROOTs down: All Clear by Connie Willis

In the second half of Blackout, Polly, Mike, and Eileen continue to try to get back to Oxford in 2060. As their foreknowledge of WWII and the Blitz starts to run out and Polly's deadline approaches, the past grows more and more dangerous, and the historians begin to lose hope that they will ever see the future again.

I couldn't put this down! What a book. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and while I had a few guesses about what would happen, some were right, some were wrong, and I truly didn't know what was coming until the very end. Loved it. 5 stars.

82 ROOTs down: Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner

In the city, the nobles reside on the hill, and everyone else in the lower city -- and the poorest and lowest live in Riverside. The nobles spend their time immersed in politics and parties, and settling their quarrels via duel -- but not dueling themselves, of course. For that, they use swordsmen, men who live, die, and earn their living by their swords. Richard St Vier is the current fashionable swordsman -- he's the best, after all, and he doesn't hold his punches, killing all of this opponents cleanly with a strike to the heart. He's also strict about the contracts he'll take. But when Richard offends some people on the hill by refusing a contract, powerful people sweep him up in their plans -- and threaten those he loves.

This was more of a fantasy of manners and politics than anything else -- there's no real magic or fantastical elements, and what action there was was fairly subdued. I enjoyed it overall, but didn't feel very strongly about the story or the characters and wouldn't reread it. 3.5 stars.

>179 curioussquared: I loved that book too and I've purchased everything by her I could find

Wishing you and yours all the best for 2023 and Happy Holidays, Natalie.

>204 connie53: I have The Once and Future Witches on my Kindle, Connie, and plan to get to it... someday!

I can't believe I haven't posted here all month. My rooting has been awful as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay has been taking me all month to read, but I'm nearing the end now. I managed to complete another ROOT yesterday and will post a review soon.

83 ROOTs down: Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

The ranting, raving notes of a man living "underground," first as a sort of rambling monologue, and then in more of a narrative form as the man describes his interactions with some of the people he meets and knows.

I found it difficult to get through the first part of this book -- rambling philosophical monologues are not really my forte. But the second half I found fascinating and unputdownable. Dostoevsky is the best at getting in the minds of madmen and this book is no exception. 4 stars.

>206 curioussquared: That one was assigned in my intro to philosophy class at university and I remember finding it really interesting (certainly more than the Kierkegaard that came next...)

>207 Caramellunacy: Yeah, this is about where I draw the line with philosophy. A story with some philosophical aspects? Sure. Straight up philosophical texts? No thanks.

84 ROOTs down: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

In the late 1930s, Sammy Clay's cousin Joe Kavalier arrives, bedraggled and exhausted, from Prague, where measures against Jews are just beginning. Together, the two launch an audacious plan to start their own comic book series featuring The Escapist. Sammy and Joe's creation soon takes off and before they know it, they're at the center of the comics heyday. But Joe's attention is always elsewhere, on his family back home, and soon, even comics aren't enough to keep them together.

This thing took me FOREVER to read. This book is honestly an epic, and I can appreciate it for the writing and the research that went into it. It's masterfully crafted and well-done. I just... don't like comics that much. Some aspects of the story I couldn't put down; other parts took me days to read because I found them just so boring. A mixed bag for me, in the end. 3.5 stars.

85 ROOTs down: Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanen McGuire

Cora, a fat girl who finally felt at home in the world where she was a mermaid, is new to Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children. There, she and her friend Nadya are surprised one morning when a girl named Rini drops from the sky and demands to see her mother, Sumi. Cora doesn't know Sumi, and for good reason -- she died before Cora ever arrived at the school. But Rini insists that in her world, a nonsense land of candy and confection, Sumi survived, and came back to save the world from the Queen of Cakes, marry a candy corn farmer, and have Rini. But now it seems like the timeline has reverted, because not only is the Queen of Cakes back, but Rini is disappearing. Cora, Rini, Nadya, Kade, and Christopher must journey to other worlds using Rini's magical candy bracelet to try their best to bring Sumi back, even though none of them really know how.

Third book in this series, and definitely my favorite so far. I loved the travelling to other worlds aspect and the group adventure style of this entry. 4 stars.