fuzzi ROOT ROOT ROOTs in 2023!

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fuzzi ROOT ROOT ROOTs in 2023!

1fuzzi
Editado: Dez 31, 2023, 5:19 pm

I'm back again for 2023!

Last year I determined to read all ROOT books, and while I didn't quite make that challenge, I did make my challenge of 100 and then some, 129 in all!

I'm going for 100 again, it's a nice round number.

Ticker issues, 28 ROOTs in 2023!

My discarding, aka "rehoming" thread for 2023 is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/347121#n8017805



And now...

fuzzi’s ROOTs rules:
1. Book must have been in my library for at least 365 days whenever I read it...so if it’s August 1, 2022 and I bought a book on July 31, 2021, it’s a ROOT
2. Unread and “rehomed” books count for ROOTing total
3. Partially read and abandoned books count for ROOT total (though not for my “Books read in 2023” challenges)
4. ROOTs can be e-books or tree-books
5. Children’s and other short books count as ROOTs


2Jackie_K
Jan 2, 2023, 7:36 am

Good luck with your goal!

3Robertgreaves
Jan 2, 2023, 10:00 am

Happy New Year. Looking forward to seeing what you're reading this year.

4Caramellunacy
Jan 2, 2023, 11:43 am

Yay! Good to see you back - happy reading!

5cyderry
Jan 2, 2023, 1:20 pm

Welcome back!

6rabbitprincess
Jan 2, 2023, 1:54 pm

Welcome back, fuzzi! Have a great reading year!

7majkia
Jan 2, 2023, 2:08 pm

Wishing you a wonderful new year.

8rocketjk
Jan 2, 2023, 7:14 pm

Happy Reading in 2023. I'll look forward to seeing which books you tackle this year.

9fuzzi
Jan 3, 2023, 6:52 am

Thank you all for stopping by to say hi!

May 2023 be gentler and kinder to us than 2022 was.

10fuzzi
Jan 3, 2023, 8:05 am

First ROOT, rehomed without reading it:

Lord Peter: A Collection of All the Lord Peter Wimsey Stories

11Ann_R
Editado: Jan 4, 2023, 7:00 pm

Wishing you a fun year of reading and rehoming.

12MissWatson
Jan 5, 2023, 5:32 am

Happy ROOTing!

13connie53
Jan 5, 2023, 7:43 am

Happy New Year, Fuz and welcome to a new year of ROOTing

14Henrik_Madsen
Jan 6, 2023, 2:03 am

Welcome back and good luck!

15fuzzi
Fev 1, 2023, 8:28 am


#2 The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg (Newbery Medal 1997)

A captivating story of four children who form a special bond and how it affects those around them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and will look for other books by this author.

16atozgrl
Fev 15, 2023, 12:01 am

Hi Fuzzi, I've found your thread and I'm dropping a star.

17fuzzi
Fev 15, 2023, 8:21 am

>16 atozgrl: yippee!

18fuzzi
Fev 15, 2023, 8:32 am

My latest read is only one week shy of technically being a ROOT...so I'm counting it as one!


#3 The Monastery Cat and Other Animals by Joyce Stranger

Mixed lot of stories by one of my favorite authors. Some I loved, some were just okay, but the collection is worth reading. I especially enjoyed the title story about a kitten that is rescued by a monastery full of monks.

19fuzzi
Editado: Fev 20, 2023, 2:02 pm


#4 Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech - Newbery Medal 1995

While on a road trip to go visit her mother in Idaho, thirteen year old Sal entertains her grandparents with strange tales about her friend Phoebe. There's a lot in this story to digest, I may go back for a re-read soon.

20fuzzi
Editado: Mar 23, 2023, 10:02 am


#5 Star Gate by Andre Norton

Fairly standard yet somewhat interesting story about a halfbreed forced to leave his legacy and join ranks with superior powers. It was a little uneven but I enjoyed it.

21fuzzi
Editado: Mar 25, 2023, 8:40 pm


#6 Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Newbery Medal)

Set in late 1300's England this is an engaging story of an orphan boy who is, for reasons unknown, targeted for execution by his Lord's steward. I appreciated the characters and the well-drawn setting. I felt the ending was just a tad contrived but it didn't spoil it for me.

I will keep an eye out for the sequels!

22fuzzi
Mar 27, 2023, 8:19 am


#7 The Animal, the Vegetable, and John D Jones by Betsy Byars

Amusing look at two single parent families going on vacation together with typical adolescent reactions to being forced into close proximity with others NOT of their choice. The author is good at getting into pre-teenagers' heads. Worth reading.

23fuzzi
Mar 27, 2023, 3:38 pm


#8 Jerry of the Islands by Jack London

As much as I usually enjoy Jack London's work I just couldn't get over the incessant use of the N word. Discarded.

24fuzzi
Editado: Mar 30, 2023, 9:03 am


#9 The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (Newbery Honor 1991)

Fun read, needed to suspend disbelief just a tad but enjoyed it nevertheless. Looking for more books by this author.

25Caramellunacy
Abr 1, 2023, 10:11 am

>24 fuzzi: I remember very much enjoying Charlotte Doyle when I was a kid and discovered it by happenstance on the shelves of a used bookstore.

26fuzzi
Abr 1, 2023, 10:41 am

>25 Caramellunacy: same here, but found about a year ago.

27fuzzi
Abr 16, 2023, 5:46 pm


#10 Listening Woman by Tony Hillerman

This is decidedly one of the author's better books, although none that I've read so far received less than three stars from me. I found this Leaphorn mystery gripping, suspenseful, and with many twisty canyons for the reader to follow.

28Caramellunacy
Abr 20, 2023, 2:18 pm

I don't remember which of the Hillerman books feature it, but I loved the scene where Chee goes to the drive-in to watch old Western movies because the extras are making lewd jokes about the white actors in Navajo.

29fuzzi
Abr 24, 2023, 7:15 am

>28 Caramellunacy: I've not read that one, yet. I have most of them I've picked up at the used book store in town (I have lots of credit!) and am trying to read them in order.

The Chee and Leaphorn books used to be listed in separate series but someone combined them all. Oh well.

30Caramellunacy
Maio 4, 2023, 9:24 am

>29 fuzzi: I generally preferred Leaphorn's investigations, but loved how distinct but effective both characters' methods were.

31fuzzi
Maio 23, 2023, 1:33 pm

No ROOTs yet in May...

32fuzzi
Jul 8, 2023, 8:50 pm

No ROOTs in June either...

...but WAIT!!!


#11 Protector by C. J. Cherryh

Things have calmed down enough for the Aiji's heir, Cajeiri, to have special guests at his (at last!) felicitous 9th birthday celebration, or have they? There's a bit more action in this installment, and character growth that is unexpected but welcome.

33fuzzi
Editado: Ago 8, 2023, 8:15 am

Ticker is off, will investigate...


#13 Monument Rock by Louis L'Amour

This collection contains the last of L'Amour's unpublished short stories, and it's a pretty good bunch. There are some familiar characters within, including Utah Blaine, the Cactus Kid, Chick Bowdrie, Kilkenny, and it even has a new Talon family member. I can't recall any of these tales not being at least a three star. Not going to rehome this one, yet.

34fuzzi
Ago 13, 2023, 5:36 pm


#14 Canyon Winter by Walt Morey

An engaging tale of a young man stranded in the wilderness, and how he comes to appreciate his surroundings as well as fend for himself. It's a young adult story that should appeal to adults, like me, who enjoy a well-told tale.

35EGBERTINA
Ago 13, 2023, 9:48 pm

do you like this better than gary Paulson? i find Paulson sort of so-so. perhaps this theme from a previous generation is more my style.

36fuzzi
Ago 14, 2023, 8:02 am

>35 EGBERTINA: I like Paulson quite a bit, but this is a little kinder, gentler than Hatchet. It's not too sweet which I appreciate.

If you want some recommendations for "surviving in the woods" sort of books I can provide them. I've read a lot, probably starting with My Side of the Mountain which I devoured shortly after the movie came out in 1969. The book is highly superior to the movie.

37EGBERTINA
Ago 14, 2023, 9:46 pm

>36 fuzzi: Yes, I too read My Side... My Dad was from Maine and he just raved about this book. He made the whole family read it. One might suppose it was his own personal accomplishment.

I might be open to survival read suggestions. Not sure if it is completely my thing or not. My younger son picked up Hatchet in the 90's (?) and he read a few of his books; then a grand-child read them; finally, I tried them out. I'm not completely certain why I find Paulsen off-putting. One of his books with sled dogs kind of set me on edge. It wasn't bad- I just felt a slight sensation of having been preached at. Not morality, just his personal worldview. Yes, wild animals not cute and cuddly- dangerous - like to chew you up... got it. It just seemed he had all these "learned" philosophies that descended upon him through the dogs and nature. It just hit me wrong. The other thing that struck me was a sense that he had had a "tough" life and it came through his writing, somehow. Certainly, he wasn't writing books that glorified gangs or anything - it was just a fleeting impression, and it nagged at me, ever so slightly. I admit it, I was raised in a marshmallow world in which children's literature was equally, marshmallowy - then, i was thrust into a horrible culture of abuse and poverty , belittlement etc - I just dont have an affinity for it. Its not that I think the world or its literature must be sanitized- its just that I dont mind mind when it is.

38fuzzi
Editado: Ago 15, 2023, 9:29 am

I've been reading more child/youth books, I am not entertained by reading gore/violence/sex, especially when presented in a graphic manner.

Also, I started playing "catch up" on Newbery winners and medal recipients a few years ago. Most of them are good adult reads, and without the graphic stuff I don't want to deal with.

Here's a list of survival type reads, and not all are youth books. Some are contemporary, some take place hundreds of years ago, and there's even one that takes place in Australia:

Flight of the White Wolf by Mel Ellis
(boy runs away with his pet wolf after bounty hunters want to kill it)

White Water, Still Water by J. Allan Bosworth

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry - a childhood and adult favorite!

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare - very good read!

Indian Fur by Glenn Balch

The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz

Hill's End by Ivan Southall

Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Non-youth reads:

Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Sevareid (yes, the journalist!)

Covered Wagon Women, Volume 2: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails by Kenneth L. Holmes - surviving the trail

39EGBERTINA
Ago 15, 2023, 11:22 am

Thank you

40connie53
Ago 20, 2023, 5:29 am

Hi Fuzzy, I'm hopelessly behind with reading threads. Finally reached yours! I hope you are doing fine.

41fuzzi
Editado: Set 19, 2023, 4:14 pm

42fuzzi
Out 3, 2023, 7:40 pm


#19 Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

I enjoyed this story, the world-building especially, but I feel that the last few chapters were an unnecessary addition to a tale that was good enough on its own, without one more crisis tacked on.

43fuzzi
Editado: Out 31, 2023, 10:31 am

Two more in October!


#20 Tracker by CJ Cherryh

Amazing how the author can keep me on the edge of my seat without any gun battles, just politics and diplomacy (or lack thereof). The characters are deep, even the younger ones, and the universe building is multi-faceted and believable. Bravo!


#21 The Not Just Anybody Family by Betsy Byars

Fun read about a dysfunctional family with plenty of plot for an adult to enjoy. I finished it in one sitting by staying up late...for me, that's a compliment.

Argh, ticker is off...where did that extra ROOT go?

44fuzzi
Nov 18, 2023, 4:47 pm


#22 Viking's Dawn by Henry Treece

This was an engaging tale of a young man on his first voyage with vikings. It was well-written, not stereotypical, with some character development of the individuals within the diverse crew. While there was violence and killing the author kept it from being unnecessarily graphic.

45fuzzi
Editado: Nov 18, 2023, 4:59 pm

Found the extra ROOT! It was Off the Mangrove Coast, one of the few L'Amour books that I couldn't finish.

#22 is one book in an three story omnibus, so I have two more to go.

46fuzzi
Editado: Nov 27, 2023, 10:49 am


#23 Prince Valiant, Vol. 10: 1955-1956 by Hal Foster

And we're back with Prince Valiant and all his family. Aleta winds up abducted but handles herself very well, indeed. In the meanwhile Prince Arn, a precocious 7 year old (approximate age) gets ambitious, and is allowed his own adventures, though with an older, wiser companion. Fun read as always.

47EGBERTINA
Nov 27, 2023, 11:38 am

>46 fuzzi: I remember reading his strip in the "funnies" as a kid

48fuzzi
Nov 27, 2023, 2:16 pm

>47 EGBERTINA: me too. I didn't read the classics, though, having discovered the strip in the late 1960s.

49fuzzi
Editado: Dez 29, 2023, 2:17 pm

I discarded two ROOT books today that I didn't think I was going to read:


The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein


The Melting Clock by Stuart Kaminsky

Now I have met my amended goal of 25 ROOTs off the shelves and out the door!

50fuzzi
Editado: Dez 30, 2023, 6:32 pm

One more ROOT:


The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

When I tried to update the ticker it loaded my 2024 ticker instead. Total for 2023 is 26.

52fuzzi
Dez 31, 2023, 5:18 pm

And one more under the wire!


#28 The Young Country Doctor by Vernon Coleman

We're in Devon, early 1970s, with a newly certified doctor who has accepted a position as an assistant to an older GP. His experiences with the rural population reminded me of a James Herriot tale, with a little less self deprecation. I enjoyed it, and plan to read the next in the series.

53fuzzi
Dez 31, 2023, 5:25 pm