Amz pulls up the roots

This year I am going for 80 ROOTS.

1. Falling Stars - This was the last book in a series about 4 teenage girls at a stage school. Typical V Andrews, family secrets, sex, they all get the same after a while. 3 stars

2. The Truth About Forever - I really enjoyed this book, full of emotion and feeling. 4.5 stars

3. This Lullaby - Another good emotional book by Sarah Dessen. 4 stars

4. Jekel Loves Hyde - I wasn't really sure what to make of this one, I think it went a bit too far for me. 3.5 stars

Great progress already! I love your ticker :-)

I really like Sarah Dessen -- Just Listen is probably my favorite of hers.

5. Dreamless - This took me a while to get all the characters straight again, but once I did I enjoyed it as much as the first.

> Susan, its easy for me to make progress at the start of the year when I can't afford new books, but later on I will slo down.

>Chrisitina, I haven't found a book by her that I haven't liked yet, haven't read Just Listen but have it on tbr, so look forward to reading it.

Thanks for stopping by guys.

Starred you, Amz!

Thanks connie53 :)

6. Drought - I'm not sure what to make of this book, I enjoyed it while reading it, but felt like I was left with no answers to many of my questions. 3.5 stars

7. The Time Keeper - Not great, not terrible. 3 stars

8. What I Was - I'm really not sure how I feel about this book, as usual with Rosoff I can't stop reading, but always leaves me feeling a bit dirty, and a bit depressed. But at least it makes me feel something. 4 stars

9. Love Lessons - I enjoyed this, although not what I was expecting. 3.5 stars

10. Beautiful Creatures - I enjoyed this. 4 stars

11. Beautiful Darkness - Not as good as the first. 3.5 stars

12. Dream Dark - Not really sure about the point of this story. 2.5 stars

13. Beautiful Chaos - My favourite so far. 4 stars

> You have been busy, Amz!! Good work.

Connie, I was just looking and thinking I haven't actually read that many for me! Well I've just worked out I need to read 5/6 ROOTS a month to finish my goal, so definately doable for me.

14. Willow - Read this book in one sitting, very emotional, but thought it could have been better in a few places. 4 stars

Monthly Totals for January 2013:

Total TBR at start: 1088

Old TBR at start: 1088
Old books read: 14
Old Books dnf: 1
Old TBR at end: 1073

New TBR at start: 0
New books added: 5
New Books read: 0
New books at end: 5

Total TBR at end: 1078

In January 2012 my total TBR at end was 1193, I have actually reduced my TBR by 115 in a year thanks to this challenge.

15. Now You See Her - I'm not sure how I feel about this book, the narrator is someone I didn't have any sympathy with, especially at first, and too many exclaimation marks were used, but I actually enjoyed the first part of the story, and thought it the idea behind it was great, the only problem was, I guessed what had happened early on, so spent the rest of the book a bit bored, I was hoping to be proved wrong by the end, but was disappointed. 3 stars

16. Keeping Secrets - This was actually 2 books in one, Faking 19 and Saving Zoe.

Faking 19 - I didn't like this story as much, I really couldn't relate to the main character, she just got on my nerves and I wanted to tell her to grow up all the time, and her best friend.

Saving Zoe - I really enjoyed this one, I felt I could relate alot more although I have never lost a sibling. I also love the fact that my favourite TV series "Gilmore Girls" was referenced in it.

I also had a copy of Saving Zoe on its own, so thats one read and one gone.

17. Lola Rose - This was quite a good story, especially for children who might be going through similar things. 4 stars

18. Spells - I liked this one slightly better than the first. 4 stars

WOW, 18 books read! Very good, Amz.

I haven't updated in a while, so here are the last few books read in feb.

19. Illusions - Pretty much similar to the others. 4 stars
20. An evening at Gods - very short text. 2 stars
21. So Over You - I enjoyed this YA book. 4 stars
22. When She Woke - I thought this was really good, but was disappointed in the ending and wished it had gone on abit more. 4 stars

Monthly Totals for February 2013:

Total TBR at start: 1078

Old TBR at start: 1073
Old books read: 8
Old Books dnf: 2
Old TBR at end: 1063

New TBR at start: 5
New books added: 6
New Books read: 2
New books at end: 9

Total TBR at end: 1072

My tbr has gone down by 6 in the last month and 99 since Feb 2012, glad to see I am going in the right direction.

23. Lost It - I didn't enjoy this as much I thought I would, none of the characters seemed at all real to me. 2.5 stars
24. How to Live on 24 Hours a Day - An essay on making the most of your time. 3 stars

25. Cliffhanger
26. Buried Alive

Both good quick reads, 3.5 stars

27. Found
28. Sent
29. Sabotaged

All quick kids reads 3/3.5 stars

March Totals:
Total TBR at start: 1072

Old TBR at start: 1063
Old books read: 7
Old Books dnf: 1
Old TBR at end: 1055

New TBR at start: 9
New books added: 5
New Books read: 5
New books at end: 9

Total TBR at end: 1064

Roots for this month: 7

So my tbr has gone down by 7 in the last month, down by 23 so far for the year, and this time last year it was 1158 so gone down by 93 in the last 12 months

That's great work to reduce your pile by so much in a year!

Thanks konallis

30. Glimmerglass - Okay start to the series. 3.5 stars
31. Remedial Magic - A very short story which I don't think added anything. 2 stars

32. On Writing - An interesting look into Stephen King's life 3.5 stars

33. Shadowspell - A little better than the first. 3.5 stars

34. Sirensong - The best of the series, but still a few things annoyed me, so still only 3.5 stars

35. Inside Out - Not as good as I was hoping, a bit too predicatable, but other than that it was ok. 3 stars

You are doing a great job, Amz! Almost a book a day!

Thanks, one of the things I like about reading YA is how fast they are

36. Outside In - I found this a little boring, I started to skim read towards the end and am not sure if I missed somethings or some questions just weren't answered. 3 stars

37. Enthralled - I don't normally like short stories because I want to know more, the good thing about these was that for most of the stories I could read more by reading the series they belonged to. 4 stars

38. The Folk Keeper - I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would, got sucked in very quickly, only critism is, it was a bit predicatable. 4 stars

39. Neverwhere - This one took me a long time to finish, I didn't enjoy it as much as i thought, although I did like the end. 3.5 stars

April Totals:
Total TBR at start: 1064

Old TBR at start: 1055
Old books read: 10
Old Books dnf: 0
Old TBR at end: 1045

New TBR at start: 9
New books added: 9
New Books read: 1
New books at end: 17

Total TBR at end: 1062

Roots for this month: 10

So my tbr has gone down by 2 in the last month, down by 26 so far for the year, and this time last year it was 1143 so gone down by 81 in the last 12 months

40. Across the Universe - This was better than I thought it would be. 4 stars

41. Jellicoe Road - This wasn''t what I was expecting at all, I enjoyed it, but found it very confusing in parts. It was lovely writing however. 4 stars

42. Wish - This was ok, nothing special though. 3.5 stars
43. Little Darlings - Young children would enjoy this, usual Wilson. 4 stars
44. UR - A quick short story. 4 stars

45. I heart you, you haunt me - I really enjoyed this book, the haunting was done in such a way it was believabble, and the emotions seemed spot on. 5 stars

46. The Nature of Jade - A really good book about a girl who suffers from anxiety. 4.5 stars

I really enjoyed The Nature of Jade when I read it a few years ago. It wasn't at all what I expected. (plus I liked the elephants)

Caramellunacy, me too, it was really nice to read about the Elephants, I learnt so much I didn't know.

47. Small Persons with Wings - I think younger readers would enjoy this, but it wasn't really for me. 3.5 stars

48. Gossamer - A lovely little tale that I really enjoyed. 4.5 stars
49. The Crate - A short story, nothing special. 3 stars
50. Then I Met My Sister - A good ya, characters seem real and relationships seemed real. 4 stars
51. Sisters Red - A good twist on little red riding hood. 4 stars

May Totals:
Total TBR at start: 1062

Old TBR at start: 1045
Old books read: 12
Old Books dnf: 0
Old TBR at end: 1033

New TBR at start: 17
New books added: 14
New Books read: 3
New books at end: 28

Total TBR at end: 1061

Roots for this month: 12

So my tbr has gone down by 1 in the last month, down by 27 so far for the year, and this time last year it was 1141 so gone down by 80 in the last 12 months

52. Twisted Window - I found this very predictable, and the characters a little unbelievable, but maybe a younger reader would enjoy this more. 3 stars

53. Moxyland - I lost interest around the middle, but enjoyed the beginning. 3 stars

54. Major Crush - Very light YA romance. 3 stars
55. Kiss Me, Kill Me - Not what I was expecting, I thought it was pnr, but it turned out to be a ya crime series. 3 stars
56. Kisses and Lies - 3 stars
57. Kiss in the Dark - 3 stars

58. Kiss of Death - This series just got worse as it went on. Characters got less believable. 2 stars
59. Shine - I really enjoyed this to start with, but didn't really like the end. 3.5 stars

60. Poison Study - I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. 4 stars

That's good te hear, Amz. They are on my TBR pile.

Connie - I wasn't sure I would enjoy it after reading Inside Out and Outside In by the same author but Poison Study was so much better. I have now started the 2nd one, Magic Study

61. Magic Study - I think this one was as good as the first. 4 stars

62. Power Study - Not bad for a short story. 3.5 stars

63. Fire Study - Not as good as the others, but still good. 3.5 stars
64. I've got to get away - A very, very short story, but still quite good. 3.5 stars

Just found another book that I read, not sure when though, I think it was somewhen in may/june.
65. The Future of Us - A good story and good characters. 4 stars

66. Stopping Time & Old Habits - 2 short stories set in the ink exchange series. 3.5 stars
67. Radiant Shadows - I am finding this series is taking me longer to read as I go along, I don't seem to enjoy the later books as much. 3.5 stars

Oops I didn't do June totals, so here is June and July:

June Totals:
Total TBR at start: 1061

Old TBR at start: 1033
Old books read: 12
Old Books dnf: 0
Old TBR at end: 1021

New TBR at start: 28
New books added: 5
New Books read: 0
New books at end: 33

Total TBR at end: 1054

Roots for this month: 12

July Totals:
Total TBR at start: 1054

Old TBR at start: 1021
Old books read: 4
Old Books dnf: 0
Old TBR at end: 1017

New TBR at start: 33
New books added: 0
New Books read: 1
New books at end: 32

Total TBR at end: 1049

Roots for this month: 4

July wasn't a good month for me, only 4 roots read! On a plus note though, my tbr has gone down by 39 so far this year.

68. Darkest Mercy - not a bad end to the series. 4 stars

69. Crossed - I didn't enjoy this as much as the first one, but still thought it was pretty good. 3.5 stars

70. Jacky Daydream - Quite an interesting look into her life. 3.5 stars

71. The Ex Games - Quite similar to another book I have read, but still a good read. 3.5 stars

No 70 and 71 were in August, 72 was in September

72. Torment - I enjoyed this more than the first, but still felt it was mediocre. 3 stars

August Totals:
Total TBR at start: 1049

Old TBR at start: 1017
Old books read: 4
Old Books dnf: 0
Old TBR at end: 1013

New TBR at start: 32
New books added: 0
New Books read: 1
New books at end: 31

Total TBR at end: 1044

Roots for this month: 4

Just realised all my figures are the same as last month except the totals, but I read the same amount of new books, same amount of old books, added no books either month and dnf no books!

73. Passion - I didn't enjoy this as much as the first 2. 3 stars

These are September books:

74. Love Story - This book was very average. 3 stars

75. Going too Far - This one was slightly better but very predicatable

September Totals:
Total TBR at start: 1044

Old TBR at start: 1013
Old books read: 4
Old Books dnf: 0
Old TBR at end: 1009

New TBR at start: 31
New books added: 1
New Books read: 0
New books at end: 32

Total TBR at end: 1041

Roots for this month: 4