Shearon, who hates gardening, will pull them out by the roots

KeskusteluROOT - 2013 Read Our Own Tomes

Liity LibraryThingin jäseneksi, niin voit kirjoittaa viestin.

Shearon, who hates gardening, will pull them out by the roots

Tämä viestiketju on "uinuva" —viimeisin viesti on vanhempi kuin 90 päivää. Ryhmä "virkoaa", kun lähetät vastauksen.

1shearon
joulukuu 29, 2012, 10:35 pm

All the discussion as to what to name this group made me smile: I am a very non-violent person, but the BOMBS name never bothered me. I hate weeding my garden, and now we are calling the group ROOT. Go figure.

The 2012 group was a nice motivator, so I am going to try again in 2013. I set a goal of 20 BOMBS in 2012 and read 26. My only regret is that I did not read more of the member giveaway and other free books that I have had for some time. Only seven of the 26 were member giveaway. So, my 2013 goal is 25 books, at least half of which should be member giveaways.

Unlike many others, I am not creating a list. My only criteria is that the book is currently in my house, whether in paper or electronically. Just like weeds in my garden, I have plenty from which to choose.

Good luck to all.

2LucindaLibri
joulukuu 29, 2012, 10:50 pm

Totally agree with you about weeding . . . anything in my garden has to thrive on benign neglect!
Though I do tend to tackle the dandelions in my yard the old fashioned way, with a long poker that digs down into the dirt and pulls them up (not entirely by the roots) . . . Doing it that way reminds me of my grandfather (who was an excellent gardener) because that was his method . . . no nasty chemicals . . . But you have to get them before they go to seed . . . and I usually give up before I've made much progress :)

Good Luck with your ROOT 2013 Challenge!

3connie53
joulukuu 30, 2012, 7:26 am

Good luck Shearon.

4cyderry
joulukuu 31, 2012, 3:45 pm

ROOT is for cheerleading too!

5Samantha_kathy
Muokkaaja: heinäkuu 31, 2016, 9:31 am

Viestin kirjoittaja on poistanut viestin.

6shearon
tammikuu 14, 2013, 10:20 pm

2013 ROOT #1: Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym. I read this as part of the Pym Centenary with the Virago Classics group. While I have previously read several of Pym's books, I had not read this one and am glad for this opportunity to read the entire catalog over the year. Written in 1950, this was Pym's debut novel and deals with themes common to many of her later works: single women, church community. Pym has a deep, but subtle sense of humor and draws great characters, often just to the brink of being caricatures. I look forward to reading more Pym this year (several of which will be ROOTS).

7Samantha_kathy
Muokkaaja: heinäkuu 31, 2016, 9:31 am

Viestin kirjoittaja on poistanut viestin.

8shearon
tammikuu 30, 2013, 8:52 pm

2013 ROOT #2: The School with Chocolate Air by Jenifer Rubloff. I received this book through the Member Giveaway program. It is the first of two (so far) in the Betsy Butters series. Targeted towards teenage girls, it is the story of a young girl from Chicago who after the death of her parents is set to a French immersion boarding school in Switzerland and her adventures. Overall the story is inconsistent and strained, but more difficult was the very choppy writing and perhaps inadequate editing. I commend the author on completing, not just one, but two books in this series, but unfortunately I can't recommend this one.

This will likely be my last January ROOT.

9shearon
helmikuu 25, 2013, 12:49 pm

2013 ROOT #3: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. I have enjoyed other Patchett (Bel Canto and Run) and this one does not disappoint. It is an odd story, with odd, contradictory and sometimes disingenuous characters, but this contributes to the other-worldlyness of the Amazon jungle setting and the conflicting forces of science and ego and the past. Patchett's descriptions are so vivid that at times I could defintiely see the dense foliage and actually feel the humidity and the bugs biting. A couple things bothered me: the gratuitous sex at the end and the handling of the Easter character, but that does not take away from the overall satisfaction of this read.

10connie53
helmikuu 25, 2013, 1:13 pm

Keep up the good reading, Shearon!

11shearon
maaliskuu 26, 2013, 9:29 pm

2013 ROOT #4: Spiritdell Book 1: Zan and Austin by Dalya Moon. This is a silly, cute, coming of age, teen romance story, with just a touch of the occult. The story is a bit strained but the main characters are sufficiently quirky to make them fun, and sufficiently good-hearted that you want to cheer them on. Thanks to the author for sharing this through the Member Giveaway program.

12shearon
maaliskuu 26, 2013, 9:36 pm

2013 ROOT #5: Fool for Love & the Sad Lament of Pecos Bill by Sam Shepard. Fool for Love is a short, intense, excellent play about doomed lovers who just can't let go. Shepard uses incredibly detailed stage instructions which really set the mood. I am curious what the stage instructions are when the play is actually performed. I did not care too much for the opera The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill. Perhaps that is one that you need to see/hear performed.

13shearon
maaliskuu 26, 2013, 9:41 pm

2013 ROOT #6: Excellent Women by Barbara Pym. This was a February re-read and I enjoyed it just as much as when I read it many years back. I think I enjoy Pym's characters because they are simultaneously all the same, yet each sufficiently different to be perfect in the role cast. It is also interesting to reflect on the concept of "excellent women", both during the 50's about which Pym writes, and also today.

14shearon
maaliskuu 26, 2013, 9:52 pm

2013 ROOT #7: Jane and Prudence by Barbara Pym. This is the March volume in the Pym Centenary. I have read J & P at least three times and find it a fresh pleasure each time. The relationship between the title characters is a total mismatch, yet they are steadfast, loyal friends. From my previous reading of Pym, I can't recall any strong male characters. There really were not any here. I look forward as I read through the entire catalog to see if she ever draws a strong male figure, and how he matches up to all these "excellent women".

15connie53
maaliskuu 27, 2013, 8:59 am

Wow, you are doing great, Shearon!

16shearon
huhtikuu 27, 2013, 11:20 am

2013 ROOT #8: The Volunteer Traveler's Handbook by Shannon O'Donnell. I did a volunteer trip to Costa Rica earlier this year and although that was a very good experience and I was well prepared by and very happy with the organization I worked through (Cross Cultural Solutions), I wish I had read this book before I planned that trip, and it will be very helpful in planning another volunteer trip. O'Donnell tackles issues, big and small, for the person considering volunteer travel. She helps you consider the preliminary issues of where to go, for how long, whether to try to do something on your own or work through an organization, and then gets into some of the important details that any volunteer, and especially international traveling volunteers must consider. This is a very valuable resource. Thanks to the author for sharing this through the Member Giveaway program.

17shearon
huhtikuu 27, 2013, 11:31 am

2013 ROOT #9: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Disclosure: When reading novels, I almost always read the end of the story very early in my reading of the book. I am much criticized for this by some friends, to whom I point out that it is MY reading time, isn't it, and that I should be able to read any darn way I please, thank you very much. But, more seriously, I think knowing how it turns out really increases my enjoyment and appreciation of a good book.

I am not sure that Gone Girl is that great a book, but it is a perfect example of how my practice works for me, at least. No spoilers here, but although I do not understand why some folks were all ga-ga over this book, it is a story full of surprises, not particularly likeable characters, but an engrossing plot and a number of unexpected twists and turns.

18connie53
huhtikuu 27, 2013, 11:33 am

Hey Shearon, I just started reading Gone Girl on my Kobo Glo.

19shearon
huhtikuu 27, 2013, 11:37 am

I will be interested in your reaction. It is a little slow in the very beginning, but once it gets going, I bet it will keep your interest.

20shearon
huhtikuu 27, 2013, 11:44 am

2013 ROOT #10: IOU: New Writing on Money by Ron Slate. This is a collection of forty-eight short stories, essay and poems about money: mostly the trouble with money, or lack of it. Some of the writings are very good; others downright awful.

Thanks to the Concord Free Press for making this and a number of other books available free, "in exchange" for an honor contribution to a charity. Recipients of the books are then asked to pass them along to others who will read, and make a donation, and so on and so on. Look for it in Member Giveaway soon.

21connie53
huhtikuu 27, 2013, 11:45 am

I'm looking forward to that. I have 2 weeks off and time enough for reading. I will let you know. Maybe in my one thread though.

22rabbitprincess
huhtikuu 27, 2013, 11:49 am

>17 shearon:: One of my relatives also used to read the ends of books first, especially mysteries. She wanted to make sure the ending was worth reading the rest of the book for! :)

23shearon
heinäkuu 31, 2013, 8:53 am

After a long break...

2013 ROOT #11: Knit Two by Kate Jacobs. Nothing special here, but having read the others in this series, a pleasure to see how things are going for this little group of friends. Pretty much no knitting in this one, just the dramas of this group over family, romantic, career, life. I think the author has gotten all she can out of this crowd. But a nice, light read.

24shearon
heinäkuu 31, 2013, 9:04 am

2013 ROOT #12: Twenty-Five Years Ago Today by Stacy Juba. Thanks to the author for making this available through Member Giveaways. This mystery keeps you guessing until the very end.

25shearon
elokuu 31, 2013, 9:44 pm

2013 ROOT #13: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. What a beautiful, and heartbreaking, depiction of early 20th century New York society and the perils of the single woman without fortune. Lily Bart struggles to maintain her integrity in an environment that calls for total compromise of self to make a favorable match. She refuses and pays the price.

26shearon
elokuu 31, 2013, 9:47 pm

2013 ROOT #14: Shakespeare's Kitchen by Lore Segal. These interconnected stories follow a group of friends (??) at a research institute. We get involved in their lives and loves and hopes and deceits.

27shearon
elokuu 31, 2013, 9:53 pm

2013 ROOT #15: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermesiter. A random group of people join for a cooking class and find in the food and fellowship peace, serenity and happiness. A little hokey, perhaps, but definitely a pleasant, feel-good read.

28shearon
lokakuu 20, 2013, 8:45 am

2013 ROOT #16: March by Geraldine Brooks. This had sat on my shelves for a few years, so I was very glad when my book group selected it. I really enjoy these stories inspired by earlier classics by other authors (and I really wish I knew what that genre was called). This was perhaps a little disappointing because of the way the March character was portrayed -- a whimpy, wishy-washy guy, not too loyal to Marmee or his daughters, someone who thought he was so special that he could cure generations of poverty and ignorance, and when he failed, was unable to get over it and move on. But I like Geraldine Brooks and was glad to read this one.

29shearon
lokakuu 20, 2013, 8:50 am

2013 ROOT #17: Book Doctor by Esther Cohen. Harmless, not memorable -- glad to get it off my shelves.

30shearon
joulukuu 1, 2013, 7:00 pm

2013 ROOT #18: Rembrandt's Whore by Sylvie Matton. The cover compares this to The Girl with the Pearl Earring. I don't think so, perhaps because of all the emphasis on Rembrandt's financial struggles and the fact that it is told from a mature woman's perspective.

31shearon
joulukuu 1, 2013, 7:03 pm

2013 ROOT # 19: Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. This was a re-read, after about 40 years. Still a classic. In good times and in bad, the Loman family struggle rings true.

32shearon
joulukuu 2, 2013, 9:50 am

2013 ROOT # 20: It's the Economy, Stupid: a Rhodes Scholar Education in One Hour by Andre Jute. You get what you pay for. Invest an hour or so and you will get names of famous economists and economic thinkers and cursory descriptions of economic theories, but I don't think you will really learn too much. This was a Member Giveaway.

33shearon
joulukuu 11, 2013, 4:20 pm

2013 ROOT #21: The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. I found this collection of interconnected short stories a slow start. But the stories picked up momentum and by the time I was through thought it was an excellent study of the human and business aspects of a declining newspaper.

34connie53
joulukuu 11, 2013, 5:27 pm

You can do this, Shearon!

35shearon
joulukuu 12, 2013, 4:47 pm

2013 ROOT #22: Look Before You Leap by David Webb. This is a nice collection of fourteen personal essays by a former Air Force, now commercial pilot. They are mostly about his childhood and young adult years. Nothing memorable, but nothing wrong here either. Congrats to Mr. Webb for his focus (and generally good writing) in compiling these memories. This was a Member Giveaway.

36shearon
joulukuu 17, 2013, 4:50 pm

2013 ROOT #23: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. I love Barbara Kingsolver's work, so I was disappointed that I had so much trouble getting through this book. I did not like the story or the characters or the style: I just could not get into it. Thus, it took me two years to finish it. I have since read Flight Behavior and I am back on Kingsolver track.

37shearon
joulukuu 30, 2013, 6:45 am

2013 ROOT #24: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. I received this through Santa Thing, probably three or four years ago, so it is a perfect time of year for this book. It is an excellent collection of short stories about the Indian expereience, both at home and as immigrants to America. I look forward to reading more by Jhumpa Lahiri.

38shearon
joulukuu 31, 2013, 3:17 pm

2013 ROOT #25: Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriquez. Here on the afternoon of the last day of the year I completed this book which has been bouncing around my house for a couple years. I wasn't caring for this "memoir" about a quirky woman's efforts in running on behalf of Afghan women by running a beauty academy, so I would periodically pick it up, read a few pages and put it down again. I have since read that much of the story, particularly her own role, is exaggerated, at best.

39shearon
joulukuu 31, 2013, 3:22 pm

Year End Report: My goal was 25 books, at least half of which were to be Member Giveaways. I met the 25 number, but only 6 were Member Giveaways. Half success is better than none, I suppose, but I really want to get through more of those books I have received from kind members. That will also be a goal for 2014.

Happy New Year to all.

40rabbitprincess
joulukuu 31, 2013, 4:02 pm

Congrats on meeting your 25-book goal. Good luck with those member giveaway books next year :)

41connie53
joulukuu 31, 2013, 7:31 pm

Good luck, Shearon. And congrats on meeting your challenge