Ritacate's ROOTs

I'm excited for my second year of ROOT encouragement.

I've kept my goal at 24 because I want to read more of the fascinating non-fiction books I've acquired, which take me a lot longer to read. I am incapable of making a list of what I will read; it depends on the whim of the moment. That said I will *try* to choose one book from each DDC 100, starting with the 000s.

Any paper book I own or acquire counts, as does any digital non-fiction. Digital fiction must have been acquired before 1/1/21 to count.

So said, time to get moving on it! Happy reading everyone.

000s - So Many Books, So Little Time
200s - No Price Too High
300s - Pop Goes the Weasel
700s - Quilting for Beginners
800s - Crime and Punishment
900s - Dreaming in Hindi

January
1. So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila

February
*several library books*

March
4. Innocent in Las Vegas by AR Winters (digital)
5. Kill Me Why? by Ritu Sethi (digital)
6. A Family of Saints: The Martins of Lisieux--Saints Thérèse, Louis, and Zélie by Fr. Stephane-Joseph Piat (digital)

April

May
7. Midnight in Aisle 7 by Jay Lowder
8. Pop Goes the Weasel The Secret Meaning of Nursery Rhymes by Albert Jack
9. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
10. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
11. Hostile Witnesses: How the Historic Enemies of the Church Prove Christianity by Gary Michuta

June
12. Critical Mass by Sara Paretsky
13. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson
14. No Price Too High: A Pentecostal Preacher Becomes Catholic by Alex Jones (paper and digital)
15. Life Lessons: Fifty Things I Learned in My First Fifty Years by Patrick Madrid (digital)

July
16. The Book of Saints: Inspirational Stories & Little Known Facts by Jenny Schroedel
17. Yes or No?: Straight Answers to Tough Questions about Christianity by Peter Kreeft

August
18. Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich
19. Quilting for Beginners
20. Friday by Robert A. Heinlein
21. Poems Every Child Should Know by Mary E. Burt
22. Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David B. Currie

September
23. Angels and Demons: What Do We Really Know About Them? by Peter J. Kreeft
24. The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

October
25. Ignatius Study Bible - online app edition and notes in hard copy Ignatius Study Bible New Testament. 🎉🎉🎉🎉 woo hoo!

November

December

Welcome back and have a great reading year! Enjoy exploring that non-fiction on your shelves :)

Hi Ritacate. So good to see you here. Happy ROOTing and a happy New Year.

Good luck with your reading from a fellow non-fic fan! Looking forward to seeing what you get to read.

Glad you're back!

>3 rabbitprincess:
>4 connie53:
>5 Jackie_K:
>6 cyderry:
Thank you for your welcome. I hope to read a few more of people's reviews this year, stretch beyond just documenting my own reading.

So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson

With this quick start I should change my ticket counter to a hare. Precisely because it looks good out of the gate, but probably won't last!

This is my 000s book to start the year and a much better option than Adventures in Excel 2003! Ms. Nelson works in the publishing business and is an avid reader. She had noticed how often her reading intersected with her life and decided to document her reading for one year with a goal of one book written AND reviewed per week. I enjoyed how her she wove together the story of her reading choices, the books that chose her and the flow of her life during this year.

I enjoy reading. For me it's escaping when I'm struggling with something and/ or vacationing in other places and lives. I joined several challenges here last year to encourage myself to read all those books that are never quite as interesting once I see a new mystery that piques my interest. And also to have a more well-rounded reading diet. As I entered the fray it made me think about what's important in life and where I should be spending my energies. I want my reading to enhance my life, not take over my life. At the end of the book Ms. Nelson suddenly finds herself on vacation without a book. "For once I even could see the wisdom in (my husband's) response... maybe for just a little while I didn't need to read books that would explicate my life. I could just live it."

Bravo! I want to read for the pleasure of seeing a bigger world, sometimes real, sometimes imaginary. But I want to make sure I'm not so busy with the stories of other people's lives that I forget to live my own story.

>8 ritacate: I could not agree more with everything above.

Happy reading in 2021!

>8 ritacate: What a lovely-sounding book - I really enjoyed reading your thoughts, and that project of documenting reading sure does sounds like a great read to start off our own reading documentation projects!

>8 ritacate: a much better option than Adventures in Excel 2003!

Ha! Definitely :) Although when I was younger I did like borrowing the older "Dummies" computer-related books from the library before they got weeded. I considered it historical non-fiction :D

>12 rabbitprincess: 🤣 long, long ago I did read a book on Microsoft access. I could work wonders with that program but have sadly forgotten most of the more intricate programming.

Kill Me Why? by Ritu Sethi

I loved the first book when I read it last year. This one seemed disjointed, forced, lacking cohesion. Many interactions did not seem natural. I struggled to the end because I wanted to know who the killer was and when I peeked at the end about halfway through it didn't make sense. I'm curious about the resolution of book 3, but not enough to read it.

>14 ritacate: That's disappointing. I hope your next book is a better one.

>15 connie53: I finished three books today (only one ROOT) and all were better.

And with this book I am on track again.

A Family of Saints: The Martins of Lisieux--Saints Thérèse, Louis, and Zélie by Fr. Stephane-Joseph Piat

I am glad I read this book with its much deeper look at the family of St. Terese of Lisieux, starting with her parents. I struggled through because it does not have the same rapt pace as my normal mysteries. It was hard to relate to the family life because their focus on God and faith was so different than our lax modern approach. The writing style almost felt like the old hagiographies where they whitewash the saint's life of any normal humanity, except the Martins truly were holy people.

I think the book is very good and well researched, but I would prefer a different writing style.

Just popping in to wish you and yours a Happy Easter.

>18 connie53: thank you Connie! I hope you also had a beautiful Easter and are enjoying spring if you live in the northern hemisphere.

Midnight in Aisle 7

Don't bother. The title was the best part. Full review on Goodreads, but I can't seem to copy and paste at the moment.

Pop Goes the Weasel The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes by Albert Jack

This fun book explored the origins of a wide variety of our favorite childhood rhymes and a few songs. The author seems to have done a good deal of research despite limited sources for some of the rhymes. He gives multiple theories where he found them, in addition to historical facts that support or refute the theory. Most were interesting, some made a lot of sense, some seemed to have gaping holes in the logic. All in all this was an enjoyable light read.

>21 ritacate: I am pretty sure I have that one on my shelves somewhere. I may have to go poke around for it...

>22 Caramellunacy: it's not quite on the bestseller list! Always fun when I see someone review one of my more obscure books. I also have N'heures Souris Rames: The Coucy Castle Manuscript which says our common nursery rhymes are actually French verses which is why they often seem like nonsense. Pretty sure it's tongue in cheek, but I haven't read it yet.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

I'm on a classic literature kick thanks to Well- read Moms. I've been listening to a lot of books while I work and sew and garden and finally 'read' Tom Sawyer. This is part of cultural literacy, a book I've known my whole life, could tell you about, but hadn't actually read. Although I listened to most of it, I did read the last few chapters from my personal copy while soaking off the garden dirt in the tub.

Mark Twain did an incredible job of capturing a young boy's mind, especially in those pre-electronics days. I could see my children in some of these exploits and even follow some of my own reasoning as a child. A delightful book, I'm glad I finally read it.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Owned 12-28 years, READ!

Last year I struggled to get through The Brothers Karamazov. It was very heavy reading for me and while I enjoyed it and am happy I read it, I would not pick it up again for a quick weekend's read!

This academic year I joined The Well-read Mom and our May/ June book is Crime and Punishment. After The Brothers Karamazov I was very thankful to see two months allowed to read this! Once started, however, I flew through and had to stop myself so I wouldn't need to reread it (though I might anyway) before our June meeting. A good portion of the book takes place in the mind of our protagonist as he contemplates, justifies and struggles through the aftermath of turning away from societal norms. And we are present to see his thought process.

This book encompassed a wide cast of characters, all of whom seemed a bit exaggerated to me. I don't know if this reflects Russian culture of the time, a certain writing style or what. I read that several of the names have specific meaning related to the character so this over the top behavior could be one more aspect of driving home the story.

I also found literature guides at coursehero.com which helped me review just "Who is this? And what is his place in the story again?" Five stars, two thumbs up and highly recommended. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

>25 ritacate: Congrats on finishing and enjoying such an intimidating classic!

>26 MissWatson: This book group has really helped me develop a greater appetite and ability to enjoy the classics.

Hostile Witnesses: How the Historic Enemies of the Church Prove Christianity by Gary Michuta

On the whole I really enjoyed this book. Mr. Michuta presented a lot of "back- handed" evidence from ancient sources, such as Jewish texts forbidding their people from seeking Christian healers who use the name of Jesus which shows that indeed Christians were performing noticeable healings in the name of Jesus to such an extant that the authorities felt a need to address it. A couple arguments I did not find convincing as I could think of other explanations, but generally this is a good and well-argued book.

Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

Owned since 1986 (so would you believe I'm only 22? Ok, maybe a few years more 🤣)

I can only give this three stars. It wasn't bad, I just didn't particularly enjoy it. The characters all seemed overblown, exaggerated. It reminded me of the characters inCrime and Punishment. Were people really like this or is it a writing technique? And everyone seemed disgruntled (as well as an extraordinary percentage of the women being tall!) I question how much this accurately reflects small town life at this point versus how much it reflects the author's outlook. This reminded me how much writers can shape our view of something. By definition writers tend to have a different lifestyle than CPAs; are they able to escape their own point of view any more than anyone else? Mr. Anderson left his wife and family to pursue his writing and I don't believe there were any happy families in this book. Just a bit depressing.

Hi RC, I'm just making my rounds and visiting all ROOTers threads to see what everyone is reading.

I see you are past the half way point! Keep it up!

No Price Too High: A Pentecostal Preacher Becomes Catholic by Alex Jones

I listened to Deacon Jones' conversion story many years ago and really enjoyed this more detailed account which included his wife's journey as well. I've been most impressed with him because as he studied and learned more about the Bible and Christian history he continually shared it with his congregation, even when he knew it conflicted with what they'd been taught in the past. He was dedicated to searching for the truth and following where it led.

Yes or No?: Straight Answers to Tough Questions about Christianity by Peter Kreeft

Probably owned about 15-20 years

I am Christian. I would say I am firmly Christian, yet somehow found this book disappointing. The reasons did not seem nearly as strong to me as it seemed they were meant to be. An example is page 108 where he says if it took millions or billions of years for us to evolve to the most advanced and most conscious life form and there were no life after death, the universe would be absurd.
And on page122 he says if there is no life after death, then life is meaningless in the long run.

This reminded me of working in my huge and wild flower garden one day. I suddenly realized neither of my children will probably move here and after I die my garden will be overgrown, plowed under or razed for a housing development. What a waste! Why should I bother? And then I realized I bother because it gives me joy. I find joy in working the earth, I find joy in seeing the beauty. If it gives further beauty beyond my death, so much the better, but even if it's torn up immediately I have found great joy there and thus it is not meaningless.

Your so right about that! You enjoy the work and love to see a beautiful garden. Live is worth living even if there is no live after.

Dreaming in Hindi by Katherine Russell Rich

Owned two to three years

Very enjoyable. It took me over six months to read this because it ambled along at the Indian pace Ms. Russell came to know while living there to study the language. It was not a gripping page turner, but an enjoyable ramble through the countryside.

>34 ritacate: That sounds really relaxed reading.

The Crazy Quilt Handbook by Judith Baker Montano

Owned 76 hours

Not nearly as impressed as I'd hoped to be. I'm not actually counting it as a ROOT because I'm donating it back to the used book store.

Quilting for Beginners

Owned six days

Final book for my first Alphabet challenge!

I'm a self-taught quilter and suspect there are many tips and ideas I don't know, so I figured its about time I read a couple how-to books. Our local used book store just had a bag sale and I threw in several quilting and cook books to assess at home.

This is a book for the absolute novice; it starts with a diagram and explanation of the sewing machine. Definitely being donated back when I'm done. And then a funny thing happened.

As I read through the projects I liked the book more and more. The projects are simple and straightforward, but give you something nice when you're done. They are not dated or niche like quilted jackets and pendant jewelry (not my taste, that book's going back! ) The directions are so clear that I feel like I'm 3/4 done with the projects just by reading the instructions. I will keep this for awhile and for a project or two.

This book has earned its keep beyond being a Q to finish off my Alphabet challenge!

Friday by Robert A. Heinlein

Owned about 30 years, last read in the late 90s

In the Alphabet challenge losseloth mentioned reading a Heinlein, which reminded me of this book. What has stuck with me for over 20 years was the idea that rudeness is the root cause of most trouble. So I decided to read it again.

And the idea is still there, the sign of a dying civilization is common, everyday rudeness, simple lack of manners. Remarkably it took less than three pages of 357! This was a tiny sidenote in the story, but still my main takeaway, I think.

Best part of the book was finding a scrap of paper I'd left in there with a quote from my son who was 7 at the time:
"It's hard when you have a dream in your head to keep your eyes open. "

>38 ritacate: It's really interesting how some messages really stick in your head (and then turn out to be less prominent than you remembered when you go back to re-read)!

Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David B. Currie

Mr. Currie details the process of his conversion, how the more deeply he studied the Bible, the more he came to understand the claims of the Catholic Church. He addresses the topics with respect and intelligence.

>36 ritacate: You had me laughing there. I almost choked on my coffee!

It's odd that people don't do that when they read 'Owned two years' but 76 hours is enough the laugh out loud!

I've been with my family in Las Vegas again for the last two months, helping care for my almost 2 and almost 1 year old grandchildren. Surprisingly little reading is happening on the adult front. I did, however, finish the Bible and here is my review from Goodreads:

I have read the WHOLE Bible!
It is easy to see the hypocrisy in our own families, in the faith of our upbringing, in our own culture and only see the shining examples in faraway groups. As a young adult I saw this lead many people to reject Christianity and American culture as they sought the wisdom of Eastern gurus or Native American traditions. At the same time I became intrigued by an author quote by Joseph Girzone on one of his Joshua (Jesus in the modern day) books. A group from the far east had started reading his books and wrote to ask him to be their guru. Like us they saw the hypocrisy and failures of the everyday man within their own systems and saw the beauty in the teachings of the "guru" of a faraway culture.

This experience made me realize how easy it is to reject our "home" culture because we see the multitude not measuring up, all the human messiness of real life. We tend only to see the shining examples of a faraway belief system, and thus can start believing how pure and holy that group must be and thus how true their teachings compared to ours. I also saw how many people were willing to read the holy books and teachings of another system and embrace it without the courtesy of reading the Bible and teachings of Christianity before rejecting it. (Think about Monopoly, just because we've all grown up with it or Christianity, doesn't mean any of us actually knows it properly! )

And so, several years ago, I realized that I too, especially as a believing Christian, needed to read the whole Bible, not just piecemeal bits of it. I finally made the commitment last November to use a reading plan to finish the Bible in a year. I'm about three weeks under a year. This has been a very positive experience. It's granted me the desire to read more deeply, study more deeply and learn so much more about the Bible, its teachings, its times, its background, anything to make it more meaningful.

Highly recommended!

I just reviewed my Goodreads list and saw that I missed a couple ROOTS from September, Angels and Demons by Peter J. Kreeft and The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang.
Enjoyed both.

Very excited to have met my goal of 24, even though I didn't quite meet the goal of one book from each 100s category. Maybe next year 😊

Congratulations on meeting your goal, and on reading the entire Bible!

>44 Jackie_K: thank you!

Congratulations on reaching your goal! And the whole Bible, wow.

Congrats on meeting your goal, RitaCate



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