NOVEMBER ROOT - Progress Thread

The theme and questions this month are in regard to Preparations.



As the year winds down, I got to thinking of all the "preparations" I need to make regarding the upcoming holidays. I realized that there are preparations for just about anything that happens in your life and wondered how others go about that process.

For me, since I am such a Christmas creature, I will be starting my Christmas preparations (shopping, wrapping, decorating, etc.) next week since I will be traveling around at Thanksgiving.

But the holidays aren't the only times that I make preparations - there's vacation, other traveling, family birthdays, and special events that need attention as well. Every day there is the need to prepare for lunch and dinner - do you just start and make what you are in the mood for or do you plan the meals out? So I will start my lists early about what needs to be done and then indicate on the list when it needs to be done by or what needs to be obtained. I'm a list person.

So what about you? Do you make a note when you realize that there is an upcoming event and that you need to prepare for it? Or do you get blindsided by an occasion popping up and you are unprepared? Do you start to make a recipe and check for all the ingredients or just make adjustments if you're missing something?

I'll start my preparations for next year's reading after all the holiday prep is done.

So what about you?

Here are our October totals. Remember, if you are not a member of the group, or have not set a goal, your name will not appear in the list.
The percentages will be calculated and a star awarded for those on target to reach their goals. More stars for farther toward their goal. If anyone's number is incorrect, please let me know and I will make the necessary adjustments. So go out there and dig those ROOTs.

Many tickers in the ticker thread are failing! Please go and see if yours is working and if not, edit the message with a new ticker. PLEASE DO NOT CREATE A NEW MESSAGE! JUST CREATE A NEW TICKER AND COPY IT INTO THE MESSAGE ALREADY DESIGNATED AS YOURS.

Thank you.

Ann_R 12 / 20 60.0%
atozgrl 18 / 40 45.0%
brakketh 13 / 46 28.3%
benitastarnd★ 84 / 72 116.7%
bumblesby 19 / 20 ★★ 95.0%
ca_dmv★ 15 / 12 125.0%
Caramellunacy★ 35 / 25 140.0%
Carmenere 3 / 25 12.0%
Cecilturtle 37 / 50 74.0%
clue 37 / 40 ★★ 92.5%
Coach_of_Alva★ 41 / 25 164.0%
connie53★ 54 / 36 150.0%
crazy4reading 1 / 30 3.3%
curioussquared★ 88 / 60 146.7%
cyderry 62 / 72 ★ 86.1%
detailmuse 31 / 40 77.5%
DisassemblyOfReason 94 / 100 ★★ 94.0%
EGBERTINA★ 496 / 50 992.0%
enemyanniemae 45 / 65 69.2%
Familyhistorian★ 65 / 65 100.0%
floremolla 6 / 40 15.0%
fuzzi 22 / 100 22.0%
HelenBaker 38 / 48 79.2%
Henrik_Madsen 26 / 50 52.0%
Jackie_K 39 / 52 75.0%
justchris 10 / 50 20.0%
kac522 66 / 75 ★ 88.0%
karenmarie 2 / 10 20.0%
Kristelh★ 52 / 30 173.3%
KWharton 10 / 12 ★ 83.3%
lilisin 53 / 100 53.0%
lindapanzo★ 87 / 84 103.6%
LoraShouse 10 / 15 66.7%
madhatter22 34 / 50 68.0%
majkia★ 97 / 65 149.2%
Miss_Moneypenny 69 / 75 ★★ 92.0%
MissWatson 65 / 75 ★ 86.7%
Nickelini 26 / 35 74.3%
nikolahall 1 / 50 2.0%
pnppl 34 / 42 81.0%
QuestingA 37 / 50 74.0%
rabbitprincess 47 / 50 ★★ 94.0%
readergirliz 10 / 24 41.7%
readingtangent 26 / 50 52.0%
rebeki 21 / 25 ★ 84.0%
Robertgreaves★ 79 / 72 109.7%
rosalita★ 50 / 48 104.2%
sallylou61 33 / 40 82.5%
si 29 / 30 ★★ 96.7%
torontoc 18 / 30 60.0%
vestafan 54 / 60 90.0%
wandaly 19 / 24 79.2%




We have achievers who have reached their goals.
EGBERTINA★
Caramellunacy★
Kristelh★
majkia★
connie53★
curioussquared★
Coach_of_Alva★
ca_dmv★
Robertgreaves
benitastarnd

joined this month by
rosalita
Familyhistorian
lindapanzo

Readers closest to reaching their goals, are:

si 96.7%
bumblesby 95.0%
rabbitprincess 94.0%
DisassemblyOfReason 94.0%
clue 92.5%
Miss_Moneypenny 92.0%

The goal for the month is to REACH THE GROUP GOAL!!! We have 34 ROOTS to go!

WE CAN DO THIS!!!

Thank you for finding the time to do this amongst all your preparations, Chèli.

I'm more of an improviser, make it up as I go along, is it that time all ready person. But also someone who worries a lot about the future. Being on LT and Litsy has encouraged me to prepare my reading lists for the month ahead but as often as not, when it comes to it, I will then choose something else.

>3 Robertgreaves: Agreed, thank you so much Chèli for setting up the thread and keeping the stats!

I've already got a ROOT to report for November, one I had hoped to finish Tuesday but it took me a couple more days. That makes 19 for the year.

As for preparations, I tend not to make too many when it comes to travelling or events. I tend to just go with the flow and see what comes up, and when travelling, what I'm in the mood to go see. Though I will admit, I will make some plans about the things I hope to go see. On the other hand, when it comes to cooking and something that requires a recipe, I'll check ingredients before I go shopping for the week to see if I need to stock up on something for the dish I'm making. And most of the time I stick to the recipe; I'm not so much of a cook that I feel comfortable changing things up on the fly.

I generally prepare but also have been in situations where I’ve been blindsided. The end of the year has be setting up the next years reading for my group on GR (Reading 1001). I also begin to prepare for my trip south (packing and worrying). I prepare for the holidays; both Thanksgiving and Christmas which is still held at my house. I keep a journal daily and in that I make To Do Lists and Reading lists and appts so that I hopefully decrease episodes of being blindsided.

Thanks, Chèli!

I tend to prepare for matters that are economically important, such as retirement or taxes. But on holiday trips we usually don't plan too far ahead. I read guide books and make a list of things I want to see, but on the ground we often change our minds.
When it comes to baking I stick to the recipe, because it can too easily go wrong. I'm more relaxed about cooking and replace spices or other ingredients if I can't lay my hands on the originals.

I definitely like to prepare to the extent that I can to avoid being surprised. When traveling, I am reasonably easygoing but I do like to have my travel and lodging booked in advance :) I very much like to plan and prepare my reading. For the past few years I have prepared a selection of ROOTs at the beginning of the year that I want to get to during the year and that method has worked really well for me. I have two more to get through this year! I will also sometimes prepare a monthly TBR list and see how many I can get through. I think I just really like crossing things off of lists :)

I am a preparer and planner but then can sit back calmly and watch it all go to hell in minutes. So I wing it - alot! I get upset about my plans that go awry but I can also adapt. I am getting better as the years go by.

Looking at our current stats, it appears members of this group have been successful in executing their 2023 plans for ROOTs!

I do prepare too. I'm a listmaker and always have pencil and paper lying next to me. And I'm worry a lot of all the things that can go wrong. Even day to day live is planned several times a day. So I need my lists to hang on to.

Thanks again for all your work.

Reporting ROOT # 55 for the year, # 1 for November.

De leesclub by Laura de Koning

Own tickers updated

Thanks for all the work that goes into this forum! And bravo for almost getting to our collective goal (not thanks to me this year :P)

I'm like MissWatson: for important stuff, I plan, not in detail but I have a clear path; for not less important stuff: que sera, sera! Over the past few years, I've also become much better at doing a bit at a time so I'm not tasked with one big effort (aka finances or Christmas shopping).
I'm grateful that in Canada, Thanksgiving and Christmas are spaced out... November is a lovely introspective month where I can watch the winter slowly coming in.

Ok - I've actually picked up a ROOT this week - away I go!

I've added my first two ROOTs for November (#40 and #41 for the year) to my own ticker.

The end of the month snuck up on me so I'm just getting to the November thread now. Interesting question about planning. If it's for trips those are planned with transportation and airfare taken care of. For the rest, I mainly work on deadlines, which is one way to keep on top of my writing and other projects.

I have read three ROOTs so far in November and hope to add some more.

First ROOT of November is a re-read: 4.50 from Paddington, by Agatha Christie. My personal ticker is up to date. Only 2 ROOTs to go!

>15 rabbitprincess: Go, go, go!

Reporting ROOT # 56 for the year, # 2 for November

Wat mama niet vertellen kon by Marcel Maassen

Own ticker updated

ROOT #19 and #20 for the year and two books for November. Reviews are on my thread and no tickers updated.

I can report ROOT #20 for the year, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. My personal ticker has been updated.

I'm an organizer and preparer, but life has been throwing some roadblocks in my way, so I'm trying to not get upset or anxious at things that have not panned out as planned.

There's no way I will be making my usual goal of 100 this year, so I am going to shrug it off and lower my challenge to 25.

I've finished two ROOTS in November so far for a total of 39 ROOTS.
1. Kukum by Michel Jean
2. Dites-leur que je suis un homme by Ernest J. Gaines

All tickers are updated.

I've added ROOT #3 for November (#42 for the year) to my own ticker.

For the first time in several years I'm not going to reach my goal for the year, but I will keep trying to get as close as I possibly can!

ROOT #21 for the year and the third book reads this Nov. The review is on my thread and no tickers updated.

I have now finished 70/75 ROOTs.

Reporting ROOT # 57 for the year, # 3 for November

De woestijndief by Emmelie Arents

Own ticker updated

Met my goal of 50 ROOTs with The Blackbirder, by Dorothy B. Hughes. My personal ticker is up to date.

Adding two more ROOTs to my personal ticker and the group goal.

ROOT 51 is an article I'm reading for my upcoming master's course. I will have very little fun reading time for the next two years so I'm going to count every article and book I read for the course as ROOTs :)

ROOT 52 is Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt.

>26 rabbitprincess: Congratulations on meeting your goal and good luck on your studies!

>26 rabbitprincess: Way to go!

Reporting ROOT # 58 for the year, # 4 for November

De meesterdief by Emmelie Arents

own ticker updated.

Here is my report for November 2023:

UpROOTED books: 12
ROOTless books: 7
Added to the treebook TBR shelves: 1

The ROOTs were:

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Katherine of Aragon The True Queen by Alison Weir
Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood
The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier
The One by John Marrs
Winter's Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch
A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain
The Hidden Life of Trees The Illustrated Edition by Peter Wohlleben
Kamusari Tales Told At Night by Shion Miura
Animal Rights A Very Short Introduction by David DeGrazia

ROOTs in YTD: 91

(Group tickers not touched)

Today I finished The language of science and faith : straight answers to genuine questions by Karl W. Giberson and Francis S. Collins. It's my 21st ROOT for the year. When I joined this group back in February, I had no idea how many ROOTs I might get to this year, and set an ambitious goal of 40. Unfortunately, that has turned out to be unrealistic. I joined a book club and have been reading borrowed books for that group, some of the challenges I have found on LT this year led me to read books I don't own, and most of the ROOTs I did read were nonfiction, which are generally longer and slower to read. Since some have said we can revise the goal, I have gone ahead and changed mine to 25 for the year. I'm hoping I might be able to complete that by the end of December. My book club is taking a break this month, so it might be doable.

My personal ticker has been updated.

I probably won't finish my current book before midnight, so the tally remains at eight ROOTs in November, 73/75.

Checking in with another 4 ROOTs for November, putting me only 2 away from meeting my goal for the year! Personal ticker is updated.

I have had a busy month - in LT and out of it, but I still managed to get 9 books ROOTed. One of which was the first book I ordered when the Great Lockdown started in March of 2020. Here is the breakdown of my month's reading.

5 works of fiction
House of Always by Jenn Lyons
Golden Calf by Helene Tursten
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Poseidon's Gold by Lindsey Davis
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

2 works of nonfiction
Saint Everywhere: Travels Search of the Lady Saints by Mary Lea Carroll
My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq by Ariel Sabar

2 Sound Recorded works of fiction
Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

I have two new ROOTS for November... so that's an overall 4 for November and 42 overall.
I'm probably not going to reach 50, but I'm already doing better than last year, so that's a win!

When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson (2015)
The Secret Language of Symbols by David Fontana (2019)

All tickers are updated, including group ones.

The end of November did not run according to plans. At the beginning of the week I started with a cough thinking I was catching a cold. Since we were up in Maryland and had planned to visit with a friend undergoing chemo, we nixed that and instead moved to a hotel. I continued to seem to be getting a cold, the cough getting worse now accompanied by an extreme sore throat, so yesterday I trotted myself off to urgent care and lo and behold. I have COVID. This killed the rest of our travel plans - my husband's office holiday party and seeing my granddaughter Bella as Clara in the Nutcracker. So we decided to head home to isolate driving the 7½ hours home. Today seems even worse, I am extremely tired but can't sleep because of the cough, but I'm hoping that once I start on the meds that were prescribed, I'll be better quickly since I have a another granddaughter playing in a softball tournament close by and I wanted to go.

Needless to say, I've forgotten all about the December thread. I'll work on it as soon as I can.

>37 cyderry: Oh no, don't worry about the December thread, the important thing is to get better! I don't know about the current variant, but certainly the variant which got me in August was very unpleasant and I did not feel well at all for over a week. I hope this one is milder and you recover quickly.

>37 cyderry: I am so sorry to hear that you came down with COVID, and that you weren't able to do all the things you had planned. Did your husband catch it too? No worries about the December thread. Just take care of yourself and rest as much as you need too. Sending healing thoughts your way, and I hope you will be well soon!

I traveled over Thanksgiving and about 4 days after the plane flight I didn't feel well. I suspected it was COVID, but when I was tested it turned out not to be the case. Just some kind of cold. A friend of mine in the medical profession told me to wear a mask from the minute I got to the airport until I walked out of the door. I didn't listen, but think that had I done so, I would have spare myself this cold. Sorry to hear about all of this.

>37 cyderry: Get well soon Chèli and don't worry about the December thread. It will come when it comes. I know it's difficult to get this time of year but fresh air and natural vitamin D (i.e., sunshine) really did help when I had it.

finished 5 this month for a total of 50 for the year

Feel better, Cheli!

I met my ROOT goal earlier this month. It'll get noted when it gets noted. Hope everyone is feeling better who has had various forms of crud...

Get well soon Chèli.

So sorry to hear you had to cancel such lovely plans, Chèli! I hope you get well quickly and don't suffer any long-term effects. We'll be here when you're ready to come back!

>37 cyderry: Oh no! Rest up and take care of yourself!

Well, I gathered the November numbers, and I'm pooped. Will try to get the thread done tomorrow.

>47 cyderry: Thank-you for being an awesome moderator, Chèli and get well soon!

Hope you feel better soon, Cheli.

Reporting ROOT # 59 for the year, # 1 for December

Dat beloof ik by Roxane van Iperen

Own ticker updated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get well soon, Chèli, just take all the time you need.

Reporting ROOT # 60 for the year, # 2 for December

A Hidden Magic by Vivian Vande Velde

Own ticker updated

FINALLY, I HAVE POSTED THE DECEMBER THREAD!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/355803#n8308912

Sorry everyone!

>37 cyderry: I'm sorry to hear you've been sick.

>37 cyderry:. I can relate Cheli, as I, too contracted Covid on the 1st. We had two family birthdays to attend. I did fare better than you though as I really just suffered high temps for two days which left me feeling washed out. I did succeed in not passing it on to my husband and family though, which was a relief. I am fully recovered now. I hope you are also.