Sally Lou's ROOTs for 2025

I'm initially setting my goal as 36, an average of 3 per month. I expect to reach that since I'm a member of some book clubs plus take adult education classes. ROOTs will be books I owned by December 31st, 2024 plus any acquired for classes, book clubs, or LT Early Reviewers in 2025.

Way way behind in late August. Reduced my goal to 24.



1. From Sarah to Sydney: The Woman behind All-of-a-Kind Family by June Cummins
2. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
3. Some Things in This World: Poems by Joyce Thomas. Early reviewers
4. Making the Best of What's Left: When You're Too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered by Judith Viorst. Early reviewers
5. Jane Austen: A Life by Carol Shields -- Colonnades Monday book group
6. These Happy Golden Years - Laura Ingalls Wilder (Feb. ColorCAT, gold)
7. Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey -- gift in 2024
8. The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse by Lawrence Scanlan -- OLLI class
9. Valiant Friend by Margaret Hope Bacon -- had many years
10. I Take Thee, Serenity by Daisy Newman -- reread -- had many years
11. The Road Back: a Journey of Grace and Grit by Michael Vitez
12. The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams. Colonnades Monday book group
13. Gemma Sommerset by Jill McCroskey Coupe -- Early Reviewers
14. The Kendal Sparrow by Barbara Schell Luetke -- had many years
15. Plain Language by Barbara Wright -- had many years -- touchstone not found
16. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson -- JMRL Wednesday afternoon book club -- finished reading Aug. 12th
17. Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout -- Christmas gift 2024.
18. How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ -- OLLI class fall 2025
19. Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner—OLLI class fall 2025
20. Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner -- OLLI class fall 2025

Good to see you back, Allison. Happy New Year and happy ROOTing.

Glad you are back with us!

Happy ROOTing!

Thanks >2 connie53:, >3 cyderry:, and >4 MissWatson:

1st ROOT for January and 1st ROOT for year: From Sarah to Sydney: The Woman behind All-of-a-Kind Family by June Cummins.
This book was an enjoyable read although could have used more thorough editing; it was repetitious. The All-of-a-Kind series of children's books was based on the life of the author, Sydney Taylor. She was part of a Jewish family, the members of which stayed very close throughout their lives.

Happy Reading & Rooting

Thanks >7 AnishaInkspill:.

Second ROOT for January and for the year: Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson.

In this book, Mr. Stevenson discusses the work of his organization in attempting to free people from prison who were wrongly accused and convicted. Although he mentions a number of cases and situations, he focuses on Walter McMillian who was at family gathering and seen by many people when the murder for which he was accused occurred. Among the situations which Mr. Stevenson addresses are the jailing for life of young people (in their early teenage years).

First ROOT for February and third (out of 36) for the year: Some Things in This World by Joyce Thomas.

This review is based on an ARC, an uncorrected proof.
Some Things in This World by Joyce Thomas is a collection of poetry. Most of the poems feature animals and nature, mostly outdoors. Although most of the poems are a page or two long, Ms. Thomas wrote in many different styles including the lengths of the verses which often differed within a poem. The placement of the text on the page is also an important element.

This collection will probably be particularly enjoyed by people who grew up in the 1950/60s because of Ms. Thomas's mentioning aspects of life then.

Second ROOT for February and fourth (out of 36) for the year: Making the Best of What's Left: When You're Too Old to Get the Chairs Reupholstered by Judith Viorst.

In this book Judith talks about the Final Fifth of life -- life at age 80 and older -- both in essays and poems. Much of the discussion relates to living in Resident Communities (RCs); she and her husband live in one. Even though this is a very serious topic, Judith writes with humor. (I'm referring to the author as Judith, her first name, since that's the way the residents address each other.)

Third ROOT for February and fifth (out of 36) for the year: Jane Austen; A Life by Carol Shields

This short biography dwells upon Jane's writing and the circumstances of her life -- what influenced her writing. It also examines her relationship with Cassandra, her only sister, who had an impact on her life and writing.

>11 sallylou61: the humor in the title is appealing. I have put it on my library list.

Fourth ROOT for February and sixth (out of 36) for the year: These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

This was the last of the Little House books which was published during Laura's life, and the last to be edited by her daughter. It tells the story of the last year of Laura's unmarried life including her teaching school and living with a horrible family (the wife sounds as if she was mentally ill) and Almanzo Wilder's coming to take her home every weekend to Laura and Almanzo's courtship and marriage at the end of the book.

First ROOT for March and seventh for the year: Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey.

The subtitle accurately tells the topic of the book. Grisham and McCloskey each tell the story of five people or groups who were wrongly convicted for crimes which they did not commit. Most spent years in prison before being released if they were released at all. Often corrupt public "servants" were responsible for them being in jail.

First ROOT for April and eighth for the year: The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse by Lawrence Scanlan for an adult education class. Our instructor/discussion leader chose this book because she found the story of the groom, Eddie Sweat (whom she had never hear of) particularly interesting. Unfortunatey, the book was not particularly well written.

First ROOT for June and ninth of the year: The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams.

For a book club meeting I read The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams. This book is about Ms. Goodall's theories about and experiences with hope. Her four reasons for hope include: (1) the amazing human intellect, (2) the resilience of nature, (3) the power of young people, and (4) the indomitable human spirit (table of contents, p. vii.) The arrangement of the book is that Mr. Abrams asks Ms. Goodall questions about hope which she answers.

Second ROOT for June and tenth for the year: Gemma Sommerset by Jill McCroskey Coupe.

The reason I was particularly interested in reading this book is that I live in Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains and Lynchburg, the town Gemma is from. I enjoyed this story of Gemma's life including her relationships with her husband and later in the book, an early lover. Gemma had two daughters who grew up with married parents who loved them. After Gemma's earlier lover reappears, she needs to tell him that he is the father of her younger daughter. Neither daughter likes the idea that they were not told of the relationship between their mother and the stranger. The book is about the relationship which this time continues (the daughters' father having died) and the lives of both daughters.

Third ROOT for June and eleventh for the year: The Kendal Sparrow by Barbara Schell Luetke

This is a novel featuring Elizabeth Fletcher, a teenage girl, heavily influenced by George Fox (the founder of Quakerism) who travels numerous miles around England and Ireland delivering the religious message. She was severely injured early in her travels which helped lead to her early death.

First ROOT for July and twelfth for the year: Plain Language by Barbara Wright (touchstone not found)

Virginia Mendenhall, a Quaker who had just been working for the American Friends Service Committee in Mexico, takes the train to eastern Colorado to marry a man whom she had only met once years before but had had a continuing correspondence with. This is the story of their adjusting to married life together in an environment very foreign to Virginia. Both work hard to adjust to their new life together. Within the first year they have new challenges when Virginia's brother, damaged in World War I, comes to live with them and marries a young woman who lives in town. Virginia's Quakerism is an important part of the story.

Hi Allison, I've been neglecting to0 many threads for too long. So I'm trying to do better and catching up between reading in the garden and household stuff.

First ROOT for August and 16th for year: Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Second ROOT for August and 17th for year: Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Lot of characters from other books by Strout, but two of main ones are Bob Burgess and Lucy Barton who take many walks together.

First ROOT for September and 18th for the year: How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ

I read How to Suppress Women's Writing by Joanna Russ for an OLLI adult education course this fall. This edition was c2018, but I felt that it was overly negative in the difficulties in getting women's writings published.

Hi Allison, I have to get some books by Strout too. They sound very interesting when I did some research.

How to Suppress Women's Writing -- already covered in message 24 -- sorry for the second listing

Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner is the first novel which he wrote. One of my OLLI (adult education) courses this fall is titled something like Alpha and Omega; it featured Stegner's first and last novels. We compared them for style, theme, etc. THis is not nearly as memorable as Stegner's later work.

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner is Stegner's last novel. It features two couples, Sid and Charity Lang and Larry and Sally Morgan, who meet when the two men are on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin. The book begins with Sally's being crippled and the Morgans visiting the Langs in Vermont. Then it traces the story of the couples' meeting in Wisconsin their early years at the Langs including the camping trip during which Sally gets very ill and finally the final chapter of Charity's life when she orders the Morgans to return to visit them again in Vermont. Charity is a person who always wants things done her way.

Visiting some threads to wish you Happy Days!