DECEMBER ROOT - Progress Thread

The theme and questions this month are in regard to GENEROSITY



Someone showing generosity is happy to give time, money, food, or kindness to people in need. Generosity is a quality — like honesty and patience — that we all probably wish we had more of. When you show generosity, you might give away things or money or put others before yourself.

At this time of the year many are filled with a spirit of giving. We donate to charities, sign up for Secret Santas, wrap packages for family and friends, give time and efforts to help the homeless.

My question this time is just one -

WHY DOES IT SEEM THAT GENEROSITY IS ONLY A SEASONAL THING?

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Here are our November 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 21 / 40 52.5%
brakketh 24 / 42 57.1%
benitastarnd★ 93 / 72 129.2%
bumblesby★ 21 / 20 105.0%
ca_dmv★ 15 / 12 125.0%
Caramellunacy★ 38 / 25 152.0%
Carmenere 3 / 25 12.0%
Cecilturtle 42 / 50 84.0%
clue 37 / 40 ★ 92.5%
Coach_of_Alva★ 49 / 25 196.0%
connie53★ 58 / 36 161.1%
crazy4reading 1 / 30 3.3%
curioussquared★ 96 / 60 160.0%
cyderry 68 / 72 ★ 94.4%
detailmuse 31 / 40 77.5%
DisassemblyOfReason★ 104 / 100 104.0%
EGBERTINA★ 521 / 50 1042.0%
enemyanniemae 50 / 65 76.9%
Familyhistorian★ 65 / 65 100.0%
floremolla 6 / 40 15.0%
fuzzi 23 / 25 ★ 92.0%
HelenBaker 41 / 48 85.4%
Henrik_Madsen 33 / 50 66.0%
Jackie_K 42 / 52 80.8%
justchris 10 / 50 20.0%
kac522 72 / 75 ★ 96.0%
karenmarie 2 / 10 20.0%
Kristelh★ 54 / 30 180.0%
KWharton 10 / 12 83.3%
lilisin 57 / 100 57.0%
lindapanzo★ 98 / 84 116.7%
LoraShouse 10 / 15 66.7%
madhatter22 36 / 50 72.0%
majkia★ 108 / 65 166.2%
Miss_Moneypenny 73 / 75 ★ 97.3%
MissWatson 73 / 75 ★ 97.3%
Nickelini 26 / 35 74.3%
nikolahall 1 / 50 2.0%
pnppl 34 / 42 81.0%
QuestingA 42 / 50 84.0%
rabbitprincess★ 52 / 50 104.0%
readergirliz 10 / 24 41.7%
readingtangent★ 69 / 50 138.0%
rebeki 23 / 25 ★ 92.0%
Robertgreaves★ 91 / 72 126.4%
rosalita★ 57 / 48 118.8%
sallylou61 38 / 40 ★ 95.0%
si★ 31 / 30 103.3%
torontoc 21 / 30 70.0%
vestafan★ 61 / 60 101.7%
wandaly 23 / 24 ★ 95.8%




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

joined this month by
rabbitprincess
DisassemblyOfReason
bumblesby
si
vestafan
readingtangent

Readers still on target to reaching their goals, are:

Miss_Moneypenny 97.3%
MissWatson 97.3%
kac522 96.0%
wandaly 95.8%
sallylou61 95.0%
cyderry 94.4%
clue 92.5%
fuzzi 92.0%
rebeki 92.0%

As you can see with the numbers, we have reached our collective goal!!!




Hopefully, I will be more timely with the end of year numbers and setup for 2024.

Hurray, we did it! Congrats, everyone!

Thanks, Chèli, for crunching the numbers as always :)

So glad to see you well enough to be crunching numbers & posting, Cheli! (That's even better than the group meeting the goal, IMHO). Don't over-do it; find some good books and take it easy.

Hi Cheli, good to see you are back at it!

Hoorah for completing the group goal everyone! Especially thanks to those who had to pick up after me this year. I expect next year shall be easier.

Good to see you back. I have had a slow start to the month as well.

Good to see you back in action, Chèli.

So happy that you’re feeling better. Thanks for all you do. And a round of applause and standing ovation to all.

Good on us making our goal! And glad to see you back Chèli. Hope you continue to be well.

Great to see you're back with us, Chèli. And I have used the first days of December well and reached my goal as well. We're doing good!

I am also glad to see you're back and doing better! I hope you have a healthy month. I finished another ROOT last week, The Help by Kathryn Stockett. That's #22 for the year.

Added two more ROOTs to my total. Now up to 54/50 for the year.

Behind Human Error, by David D. Woods
The Crash That Stopped Britain, by Ian Jack

ROOT#22 for the year and first for Dec. No tickers updated and the review is in my thread.

I have 2 ROOTS for December for a total of 43.

All tickers are updated. Aiming for 45/50, a bit short but I'm still happy :)

Good to see you are fit enough to do the numbers, Chèli. Keep it up and don't overdo it.

Gongrats to all of us on reaching our goal.

On generosity. I think I do it regularly 'out of season'.

Biking along it takes not much effort to say good morning to passers by of dogwalkers.
Being friendly to shop attendants and not keep them personally accountable for things that are out of stock. Or if you have to wait a bit longer by the checkout.
Letting people go first if they have only a few items and your cart is really full.

Those little things count too.

I was very surprised when entering a full bus a girl gave me her seat. That did not happen to me before and now it happend three time in a row. I'm definitely old now ;))

Well, although I set a goal and am a member of the group, and have my own individual thread, my name is not appearing on the list. But I also realized that I'd never posted my ticker on the group ticker thread, either, and I've also been remiss in regards to the monthly total threads. So maybe that's why. Anyway, I've belatedly posted my ticker in the appropriate spot. Sadly, I'm once again going to fall short of my off-the-shelf goal. I upped my goal from 25 to 30 this year, but right now I'm only at 22, with perhaps one or, at the outside, two more books to add to the list. Maybe next year!

>18 rocketjk: I believe Chèli compiles the lists from the individual tickers

>19 Robertgreaves: She missed mine, then. Obviously, no big whoop!

Glad you're back with us, Cheli!

I've added my first two ROOTs for December (#43 and #44 for the year) to my own ticker only. Both 5* reads, so it's been a good start to the month.

>20 rocketjk: She compiles the numbers from everyone who has posted a ticker on the "Ticker Thread." Since you just posted your ticker on the Ticker Thread today, your ticker was not on the Ticker Thread when she did the numbers.

>22 kac522: That's what I assumed. Thanks!

I'm leaving for my holiday trip to my sister tomorrow and will be offline until next year, so my final ROOT count in 2023 is 79. I'll be back in January. Have a lovely holiday and a Happy New Year!

You too, Birgit!

ROOT #23 for the year and second for Dec.- the review is on my thread and no tickers updated.

I've added #3 for December (#45 for the year) to my own ticker. I know I always have good intentions, but with a few days off over the holidays I'm hoping to finish a good few books that I have on the go at the moment, to try and start 2024 without too many unfinished books hanging over!

Hi everyone, I am trying very hard to achieve my goal. This month I have read these roots, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton, Exposure by Helen Dunmore which takes me to 46/48. I aim to complete 2 more by years end, but alas I went to the library today...I will try to stay focused on my goal.

Thanks for taking this on again next year, Cheli. >3 cyderry:

I have been sitting at home, waiting for a storm to pass and rail traffic to return to normal, so I finshed one more ROOT. My final tally is 80.

Happy Holidays! See you again next year!

Safe travels and a restful holiday!

Hello everyone!

I'm looking for ideas for themes for 2024.
Any thoughts?

I've finished ROOT #4 for December, #46 for the year, and added it to my own ticker only.

>32 cyderry: Festivals? I visited Charlottetown and was surprised to find out that they have a scarecrow festival.



Very colourful! I bet there are lots of weird and wonderful things celebrated in different places.

A merry Christmas to all ROOT-ers celebrating the birth of Christ and a kewl Yule to those who aren't

Merry Christmas everyone! (>34 Familyhistorian: I love the festivals idea. There are a lot of scarecrow festivals in the UK too).

I've just added ROOT #5 for December, #47 for the year, to my own ticker. It was a delightful children's picture book, so was an easy ROOT, but it was also a 5* read - Benjamin Zephaniah's Nature Trail.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. I completed another root this morning with festive celebrations behind us here in NZ. One more root to go to reach my goal.

Happy Holidays!

I've finished ROOT 3 for December and 44 overall with The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble.
All tickers are updated!

I have reached my adjusted goal!

Since I had reduced reading time and numerous reading time interruptions this year, I reduced my goal by 1 ROOT per month, I made it.

Normally I read between 10 and 15 books a month, this year I only had 2 months where I managed 10. I won't make even 100 this year.

Still looking for theme ideas for 2024.

>40 cyderry: Congratulations, Cheli!

>40 cyderry: Well done, Cheli, especially in such a challenging year for you.

I'd be interested in a theme featuring famous gardens around the world.

Gardens sound lovely. I'm also particularly partial to garden doors.

>40 cyderry: congratulations!

I've made my 100 ROOT goal almost every year, but RL got in the way this year, big time.

It's okay, in 2023 I got more books out the door than came in.

themes-hmmm " Places We Call Home" . I also like gardens.

Like others here I am far short of my usual monthly totals for ROOTing. I have 6 ROOT's for the month and am unlikely to get more. No tickers updated. Caring for my mother and the usual family activities for the holiday season has really cut into my reading time.

Here is a list of my "reading."
Fiction - 3
By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah
So Shall You Reap by Donna Leon
Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin

Nonfiction - 1
Best American Food Writing 2023 edited by Mark Bittman

Recorded Books - 2
Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land - Nonfiction
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Baron - Fiction

At Christmas, we give thanks that God was generous by sending Jesus to save us. This motivates us to be generous and good to others, which we do in various ways by donating time or money. When the holiday ends, we have fulfilled our social obligation to give back. We have bills to pay and we need to get back to our routines.

I know I liked the other suggestion too, but I'd be very happy with a gardens theme!

GARDENS IT IS! Let's see if I can surprise you with my selections next year!

My results for the year, 44 ROOTs out of 76 total reads. My goal had been to have 50% ROOTs, so I'm pleased.

I'm on track to finish my ROOTs this year too (with my usual not particularly ambitious goal of 12). Well done everyone, and thanks for cheering everyone on!

Two more ROOTs out the door!

Turned in to the used bookstore, unread:
The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein
The Melting Clock by Stuart Kaminsky

I wasn't sure if I was going to read them any time soon.

So, I met my amended goal of 25 ROOTs.

>49 cyderry: looking forward to it!

I completed my final root on 29th, The Hiding Place by Trezza Azzopardi. So 48/48. I made a determined effort and managed one more, The Doctor's Wife by Fiona Sussman. I am another who has struggled to read as many books as in the past. Garden theme sounds lovely.

I am out of town for the remainder of the year so unlikely to finish more, but wrapped my last ROOT, The Mirror and the Light, on the 27th, bringing me to 111 total. Happy new year, all!

The 2024 ROOT Challenge is up!

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24198/2024-ROOT-Challenge

>55 cyderry: Yay!!!

>57 Jackie_K: Hooray! Thank you so much Cheli!

I've added ROOT #6 for December, #48 for the year, to my own ticker. I'm still optimistic I can finish another one today, but I know what I'm like so I'm not promising! :D

I have ROOT 4 for December and 45 overall with La Conspiration by Maggie Hall.

Thanks Chèli for the new 2024 challenge. See you all there!

OK I'm calling it a final total for me of 48. I could still theoretically finish another one before midnight, but I could also more realistically be fast asleep before midnight too! Here's to next year!

Today I added one last "off-the-shelfer" for 2023 to bring in the year at 27 books out of a hoped-for 30. Didn't hit the goal but came closer than last year. I'll be starting a thread in the 2024 group tomorrow or the day after. Happy New Year one and all!

I'm finishing 2023 at just 34 toward my ROOT goal of 40. Yay for resetting at the new year!

Thank you for EVERYthing, Cheli and Happy New Year to all!

I finished with 28 ROOTs.

My ticker messed up. While trying to fix it I messed up a second ticker for a different challenge. My 2024 ticker seems to be okay. I think I'll stop messing with tickers.

I ended 2023 with 61 ROOTS.

Sorry for my absence, but I’ve been reading and have 42 out of a goal of 40. My own ticker has disappeared so I won’t complicate things by trying to update group tickers.

Planning on more engagement in 2024. See you there :)

I read a total of 104 books this year and I think that somewhere around 96 of them were off of my TBR list or pile. I am not sure how many titles I added this year, but I think I read more than I added. That is a good thing since I plan on moving in 2024 and moving books is expensive.

Due to an unexpected death in the family, I was unable to meet my amended goal for the year. I did finish one more book while out of town and off wifi, so I will finish 2023 with 23 ROOTS read. My own ticker has been updated.

>67 atozgrl: Sorry for your loss.

Here are the final numbers for 2023.

Ann_R 12 / 20 60.0%
atozgrl 23 / 25 92.0%
brakketh 24 / 42 57.1%
benitastarnd★ 96 / 72 133.3%
bumblesby★ 21 / 20 105.0%
ca_dmv★ 15 / 12 125.0%
Caramellunacy★ 38 / 25 152.0%
Carmenere 3 / 25 12.0%
Cecilturtle 42 / 50 84.0%
clue 37 / 40 92.5%
Coach_of_Alva★ 49 / 25 196.0%
connie53★ 58 / 36 161.1%
crazy4reading 1 / 30 3.3%
curioussquared★ 96 / 60 160.0%
cyderry 68 / 72 94.4%
detailmuse 31 / 40 77.5%
DisassemblyOfReason★ 104 / 100 104.0%
EGBERTINA★ 521 / 50 1042.0%
enemyanniemae 50 / 65 76.9%
Familyhistorian★ 65 / 65 100.0%
floremolla 6 / 40 15.0%
fuzzi★ 28 / 25 92.0%
HelenBaker 41 / 48 85.4%
Henrik_Madsen 39 / 50 78.0%
Jackie_K 48 / 52 92.3%
justchris 10 / 50 20.0%
kac522★ 79 / 75 102.0%
karenmarie 2 / 10 20.0%
Kristelh★ 54 / 30 180.0%
KWharton★ 12 / 12 100.0%
lilisin 57 / 100 57.0%
lindapanzo★ 98 / 84 116.7%
LoraShouse 10 / 15 66.7%
madhatter22 36 / 50 72.0%
majkia★ 108 / 65 166.2%
Miss_Moneypenny 73 / 75 97.3%
MissWatson★ 80 / 75 107%
Nickelini 26 / 35 74.3%
nikolahall 1 / 50 2.0%
pnppl 34 / 42 81.0%
QuestingA 42 / 50 84.0%
rabbitprincess★ 52 / 50 104.0%
readergirliz 10 / 24 41.7%
readingtangent★ 69 / 50 138.0%
rebeki 23 / 25 92.0%
Robertgreaves★ 91 / 72 126.4%
rocketjk 27 / 30 90%
rosalita★ 59 / 48 123.8%
sallylou61★ 40 / 40 100.0%
si★ 31 / 30 103.3%
torontoc 23 / 30 76.7%
vestafan★ 61 / 60 101.7%
wandaly 23 / 24 95.8%

Fuzzi, KWharton, sallylou61, MissWatson and kac522 reached their goal! Congratulations!

>69 cyderry: Hey! I actually got 28, but messed up my ticker. Can you fix?

ETA: thank you for fixing it!

My actual ROOT's for the year was 96. I had 8 books that were not from my ROOT shelf. Can you change my total for the year to reflect that the number was 96.

I not on the list above, though I did finally post my ticker a bit ago. At any rate, you can add me in if you'd like. I read 27, just short of my goal of 30. I'll be trying again this year.

My actual final number was 48, Cheli!

Thanks for compiling all the stats, Chèli. My final total was 59 but no worries if it's too much bother to correct. I made my goal, which is the important thing.

>69 cyderry: No worries, Cheli, but my 2023 ticker says 79 (not 72), which is correct. (72 was my total at the end of November.) I actually exceed my goal of 75--I think it's a first for me!

I think I made all adjustments.

>68 cyderry: Thanks, Chèli.

I actually amended my goal from 40 to 25 at the end of November, and I think I would have met the amended goal if not for our unexpected loss. I wouldn't ask you to update the 40 to 25 on the final stats, but I actually completed 23 ROOTs, and the stats only show 21. I would like to get full credit for 23 completed on the final stats. My ticker is showing the correct number on the ticker thread, so I'm not sure how it got off.

>69 cyderry: I ended up with 39 not 33. Still not enough to reach my goal, but closer at least!

>77 atozgrl: >78 Henrik_Madsen: Corrected!

>79 cyderry: Thank you!

I am looking forward to ROOTing next year as well. Thanks for doing this each month and compiling the stats for all of us.

Looks like I was too late to update my ticker - sorry! I did achieve my not-very-ambitious goal of 12. Well done everyone!

I think the totals in >69 cyderry: are those for November instead of December. I read 2 ROOTS in December for a total of 40, my goal.

Happy New Year to all ROOTers!

>69 cyderry: I added a few books in December and ended up with 80, by the way. Thank you so much for doing all this, Chèli: keeping the stats and coming up with those great monthly themes.

All adjustments made!

>85 cyderry: I had updated my ticker as well I thought. I achieved 49/48 by the end of the year.
Sorry to create work for you Cheli.