Nebula21's ROOT Challenge

Keskustelu2015 ROOT Challenge - (Read Our Own Tomes)

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Nebula21's ROOT Challenge

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

1nebula21
tammikuu 13, 2015, 12:10 pm



2nebula21
tammikuu 13, 2015, 12:13 pm

I have loads of books on my bookshelf that have been gathering dust for years! I'm going to get through at least 30 this year!!!

3rabbitprincess
tammikuu 13, 2015, 5:47 pm

Welcome and good luck!

4avanders
tammikuu 14, 2015, 12:36 am

Welcome to the ROOTers! Good luck :)

5MissWatson
tammikuu 14, 2015, 7:36 am

Welcome to the group and happy ROOTing!

6connie53
tammikuu 15, 2015, 1:50 pm

Welcome and good luck ROOTing!

7nebula21
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 20, 2015, 6:28 pm

Thanks guys. Good luck ROOTing!

8nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:37 am

1) Farmer Giles of Ham by J.R.R. Tolkien

My first book off the shelf! I bought it years ago.

This was the 50th Anniversary Edition with the original manuscript and notes on the intended sequel. This is a entertaining children's story with giants, dragons and an unlikely hero. It was interesting to see how the story progressed from the first manuscript to the final published version.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

9MissWatson
tammikuu 22, 2015, 10:35 am

Congratulations!

10craso
tammikuu 22, 2015, 10:47 am

Congratulations on reading your first ROOT! Good Luck with reading 30 books this year!

11nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:38 am

Book number two is just a short one.

2) Babalu Aye : Santeria and the Lord of Pestilence by Baba Raul Canizares and Aburo Eric Lerner

By brother bought me this book while in Cuba. It explains the worship of a god of illness (and healing) in Africa which spread to places like Cuba and Brazil due to the slave trade. This god has been built into Christian tradition as he is associated with the beggar St.Lazarus. It is an interesting read. The parables about Babalu are the best bit. The book collates information from different sources and describes how Babalu is viewed and honoured in different cultures. This helps the reader to gain an understanding of attitudes to illness in these regions.

My rating: ★ ★ ★

12connie53
tammikuu 24, 2015, 4:04 am

Yes, number 2 down! Good job.

13nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:40 am

3) Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

The first book in the Sookie Stack house novels. I bought a set of these books after watching the HBO TV series "True Blood". I am finally getting around to reading them.

This is the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I found the book entertaining even though I knew what was going to happen from watching the HBO TV series True Blood, which is based on the books.

A young telepath, Sookie Stackhouse, tells her story about meeting a vampire in a world where the undead have "come out". There are series of murders of young women and Sookie is one of the serial killer's targets because she consorts with vampires. The story is not as involved as the TV series, does not have as many key characters, and has some other differences. I enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a light, but exciting, read with plenty of action.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

14connie53
tammikuu 25, 2015, 2:49 pm

>13 nebula21: I just got that book by a bookswap and I'm interested what you are going to say about it, Nebula!

15nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 1, 2015, 5:42 pm

4) Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

This is the second book in the Sookie Stackhouse Series. Sookie and Bill go to Dallas on a job for Eric Northman, Bill's boss. A vampire has been kidnapped and the Dallas vampires need Sookie's mind-reading powers to find him. In Bon Temps, one of Sookie's co-workers has been murdered and Sookie uses her powers to solve the crime and clear the name of local detective, Andy Bellefleur.

I did not think the book was quite as good as the first one, Dead Until Dark; although I did like it. There are interesting subplots formed, and continued, and I will definitely be reading the next book in the series, Club Dead.

My rating: ★ ★ ★

16nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:47 am

5) Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

The third book in the series. This is basically another adventure in the life of telepathic waitress, Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie goes undercover looking for Bill, who has been kidnapped. She is helped by Alcide the werewolf.

I found the story entertaining and I would recommend this book to others who enjoyed the first two in the series.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

17nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:34 am

6) Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland

A collection of Norse myths translated into English. I did not like the illustrations in the book. I did not enjoy the stories. They were told in such a way that they lacked excitement.

My rating: ★ ★

18nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:30 am

7) The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

This is the third Earthsea novel. It is written so you don't have to read the ones before it but I think it is easier to relate to the story if you have.

The story is about Sparrowhawk's (Ged's) last adventure. He is now the Archmage and quite old. He takes a young Prince on his mission to discover why magic practioners are losing their abilities and people are losing faith in magic. The pair go on a quest to find the source of a great evil that is taking over the land and along the way they meet lost wizards, dragons and a tribe who live on the open seas.

I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

19connie53
helmikuu 14, 2015, 12:38 pm

>18 nebula21: What did you think of that one? I liked it and gave it ****

20nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 17, 2015, 8:28 pm

My plans have gone awry slightly, but on the plus side I am ahead of my target!

21nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:27 am

8) A Journey to the Interior of the Earth by Jules Verne

This is the first eBook towards my target. A little is lost in translation and it's a bit dated. However this is still an entertaining story of a great adventure undertaken by two German geologists and their Icelandic guide. You just need to ignore certain scientific advances since it was written and make allowances for some attitudes of the time.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

22nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:55 am

9) The Door in the Wall and Other Stories by H.G. Wells

Another eBook. An uninspiring collection of short stories. I was disappointed with this book after reading The War of the Worlds, which is brilliant. The stories were not very interesting and fell short somehow. The storytelling was somewhat lacking. H.G. Wells is not a master of the short story!

My rating: ★ ★

23nebula21
Muokkaaja: helmikuu 18, 2015, 4:19 am

>19 connie53:

I liked it. I gave it ★ ★ ★ ½

24avanders
helmikuu 18, 2015, 10:44 am

Congrats on your great progress! Appreciating your little tidbits of thoughts on your reads :)

25cyderry
helmikuu 22, 2015, 1:04 pm

Excellent progress!

26nebula21
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 18, 2015, 4:41 pm

10) Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life by Roald Dahl

Collection of short stories about a group of country characters. I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the other Roald Dahl short stories that I have read in the past. However it is a good collection and I would recommend it.

My rating: ★ ★ ★

27nebula21
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 3, 2015, 4:09 pm

11) The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

An interesting and thought provoking classic. I must admit, I didn't find it very enjoyable. The story presented the author's vision of what the human race may become in the very distant future. I found it hard to empathise with the main character and I expected the Morlocks to be more sinister.

My rating: ★ ★ ★

28nebula21
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 18, 2015, 5:00 pm

This was a big one!

12) The Wolves of the Calla by Stephen King

This is the fifth book in the Dark Tower series. You need to start at the beginning and read all the books. It is well worth doing so as this is a compelling and entertaining saga.

The story continues and we meet new characters including Father Callahan from Salem's Lot. The gunslingers take a break from their quest to help a save the children of a small town but one of the ka-tet is in trouble.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

29nebula21
maaliskuu 19, 2015, 2:44 pm

13) Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin

The fourth book of the Earthsea series. This book brings the first three stories together nicely as we again meet Tenar from The Tombs of Atuan and Arren (now Lebannen) from The Farthest Shore. The story overlaps with The Farthest Shore and then they coalesce when Ged arrives back in Gont and we discover what happens to him after his return from his greatest battle where he lost his powers.

The book successfully wraps up the three stories as well as telling the compelling new story of Therru, a small child who has been the subject of the cruellest of abuse and been left scarred, both physically and mentally.

I loved the ending!

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

30connie53
maaliskuu 20, 2015, 2:41 pm

>28 nebula21:, >29 nebula21: Both are on my favourite books list. I really loved the Dark Tower series.

31nebula21
Muokkaaja: maaliskuu 25, 2015, 6:50 pm

14) The Woman on the Bus by Pauline McLynn

A nice piece of Chick Lit about a Dublin woman who escapes her tragic life by getting drunk and getting on a bus to Limerick. She gets off the bus at Kilbrody and reinvents herself finding a new job, new love and new perspective.

My rating: ★ ★ ★

32nebula21
huhtikuu 3, 2015, 7:41 am

15) La Cucina by Lily Prior

Readable but not very good. Set in Sicily, you can tell the author is not Italian. The characters are stereotypes rather than real people - there is more to the Italian people than sex, food and the Mafia. The sex scenes were flat and a little cringe worthy. There was a lot of detailed description of cooking that was not necessary and did not add to the story. I found it hard to identify with anyone but the main character and even she was not very well developed. I will not be recommending this book to anyone.

My rating: ★ ★ ½

33nebula21
huhtikuu 26, 2015, 5:30 pm

16) Song of Susannah by Stephen King

This is the sixth book in the Dark Tower series. It is a continuation of the epic tale and as the title alludes its main focus is the story of Susannah's pregnancy and the ka-tet's efforts to save her from the Crimson King's clutches. You need to have read the other books to appreciate and understand this book. I did not enjoy it as much as Wolves of the Calla but it was still a good read. The inclusion of the author in the book was interesting and quite amusing.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

34connie53
huhtikuu 27, 2015, 6:37 am

16 ROOT's! good job.

35nebula21
Muokkaaja: toukokuu 5, 2015, 8:06 pm

17) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo by J.R.R. Tolkien

The first two poems in this book are by an unknown author written around 1400.I liked Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The translation had a great narrative and the quality of the original poetry was clear. I found Pearl incomprehensible in places and was put off by the amount of religious dialogue and dogma.Sir Orfeo is an earlier poem but like Sir Gawain it has a clear and compelling narrative.The rhyming nature of the poem is quite charming,as is the fairytale theme.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

36nebula21
toukokuu 11, 2015, 8:52 pm

18) Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman

This is the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy. It is a sinister tale set in an alternate dimension which is similar to ours in many ways but very different. In this world every human has a daemon that exists in animal form. Human and daemon are inseparable and one cannot exist without the other.

The heroine of the tale is a girl of noble birth called Lyra with a promising destiny. She ends up taking a perilous journey to the cold North to save her best friend and her father.

The book is suitable for adults and teenagers and I would highly recommend it.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

37nebula21
kesäkuu 8, 2015, 10:31 am

19) Wookie the Chew "The House at Chew Corner" by James Hance and Max Michaels

This is an absolutely charming little book. If you love Winnie the Pooh and Star Wars - two things that I adore - then read this book.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

38nebula21
Muokkaaja: kesäkuu 8, 2015, 11:38 am

20) Switch Bitch by Roald Dahl

A collection of four short stories about sex. Roald Dahl is an excellent storyteller. This a good collection of tales that showcase his sharp wit and penchant for foolishness.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

39avanders
kesäkuu 8, 2015, 5:00 pm

Great progress! 2/3 done!

40nebula21
Muokkaaja: kesäkuu 30, 2015, 7:39 am

21) The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin

The final book in the Earthsea series. It started off really well but I was a little disappointed by the end. The conclusion for all the characters happened very fast in a short space of time and I think that left me with a feeling that there was something missing from the story or at least the telling of it. Le Guin took the time to develop the characters well but in some cases the end of their stories was rushed and undetailed.

My rating: ★ ★ ★

41nebula21
elokuu 3, 2015, 12:48 pm

I didn't read any tomes in July. This month I hope to read at least three.

42avanders
elokuu 3, 2015, 11:00 pm

>41 nebula21: no worries - you were already ahead! :)

43nebula21
Muokkaaja: elokuu 11, 2015, 5:33 am

22) When the Tripods Came by John Christopher

This is the prequel to the Tripods Trilogy. The title is self-explanatory - a young boy tells his story about the coming of the Tripods and his family's attempts to escape their grasp. I have not yet read the trilogy, but I have seen the TV series and this book answered a lot of questions. It is a fast-paced and gripping read. I read it all in one go as I did not want to put it down.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

44connie53
elokuu 14, 2015, 3:21 am

>43 nebula21: 'All in one go' is a good thing. Are you going to read the trilogy now too?

45nebula21
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 4, 2015, 1:07 pm

>44 connie53: I've already started reading White Mountains the first in the trilogy. They are not too long, so I might read them all at once.

46connie53
syyskuu 12, 2015, 1:05 pm

>45 nebula21: I really like reading series in one go. You can stay in the story that way.

47nebula21
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 13, 2015, 2:15 pm

23) The White Mountains by John Christopher

I didn't like this book as much as the prequel, When the Tripods Came. This could, at least in part, be due to the fact that I have seen the TV series and so knew everything that was going to happen. The series sticks close to the storyline of the book. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend reading it. John Christopher excels in his imagining of a sinister future where aliens have taken over the planet. I am looking forward to reading the next instalment The City of Gold and Lead.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

48nebula21
syyskuu 18, 2015, 12:40 pm

24) Ilse Witch by Terry Brooks

This the first instalment of the Voyage of Jerle Shannara trilogy. I will definitely continue with these books. It is the usual Tolkien inspired fantasy affair. A group of mismatched people in a pre-industrial style fantasy land go on a seemingly impossible quest. Old guy with magical powers insists young lad goes on quest even though he doesn't appear to have anything to offer but he turns out to be pivotal to the success of the mission. Good vs. Evil etc. It may be nothing new, but Brooks spins the tale well and it is not so predictable it is spoiled.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

49nebula21
syyskuu 20, 2015, 8:12 am

25) Coastliners by Joanne Harris

A charming novel set on a dreary French island. This review is a bit harsh but it describes the book pretty well. The review is much more entertaining than the novel and I had a good laugh reading it! http://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/mar/09/fiction.reviews1

My rating: ★ ★ ★

50nebula21
syyskuu 23, 2015, 5:28 am

26) Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris

This is the fourth book in the series. It is easy to read and entertaining like the other books in the series. Readers who liked the other books will enjoy it. It is a bit annoying how Harris keeps explaining things for people who have not read the previous books, which she does quite often. However this means that you do not have to read the previous books to read this one, although I would recommend reading them in order.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ½

51UtopianPessimist
syyskuu 23, 2015, 12:11 pm

Wow! That IS a really grim review you sent us to for Coastliners! I had to laugh!
Great that you're at 38. Congrats.

52connie53
syyskuu 27, 2015, 1:51 pm

I love every book by Joanne Harris so I'm putting >49 nebula21: on my TBR. I have the translated version of this book in a digital version. So on the Kobo it goes!

53nebula21
syyskuu 28, 2015, 6:41 pm

27) Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris

I am getting addicted to these novels!!! The saga that is the life of Sookie Stackhouse continues. This is the fifth book in the series and we find out more about the shifter communities as Sookie tries to find out who is behind a series of attacks against the other-worldly. This is an entertaining and amusing read and should not disappoint Sookie fans.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

28) Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris

I just kept reading. The story continues and Sookie is summoned to New Orleans by the (Vampire) Queen of Lousiana. Yes, it sounds stupid. That is because it is!!! A vampire war breaks out and Sookie's dating a were-tiger. For Sookie fans, this book is a must read and you won't want to put it down!

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

54Tess_W
lokakuu 18, 2015, 10:49 pm

So very close!

55connie53
lokakuu 19, 2015, 4:07 pm

Yeah! Just two more!

56nebula21
lokakuu 24, 2015, 9:01 am

I am hoping to reach my target this month by reading the last two Sookie Stackhouse books I own. I am now halfway through All Together Dead.

57nebula21
lokakuu 25, 2015, 7:06 am

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

The seventh instalment of this series and still going strong. Sookie has to attend a vampire summit in Rhodes as an employee of the Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Ann Leclerq. Trying to balance her everyday life with her role in the vampire world is not easy and the competing attentions of her vamp exes, Bill and Eric, and her new beau, weretiger Quinn, are not helping!

Harris cleverly builds in mystery into her books to keep it interesting making them addictive. I've already started the next book in the series, From Dead to Worse.

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

58nebula21
lokakuu 25, 2015, 7:08 am

ONE MORE TO GO!!!!!

59MissWatson
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 25, 2015, 8:26 am

>58 nebula21: Go, go, go!

60MissWatson
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 25, 2015, 8:28 am

And I finished another short one, Glück hat seinen Preis, which brings me to six ROOTs in October. So happy with my progress.

Oops, wrong thread!

ETA

61nebula21
lokakuu 29, 2015, 6:48 pm

Yeah! Reached my total!!!!

30) From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

The eighth book in the series. Harris still keeps the saga progressing in expert fashion. Sookie gets embroiled in the politics and violence of the vampire and Were communities and is lucky to escape with her life. A must read for Sookie fans.

My rating: ✳️✳️✳️✳️

62rabbitprincess
lokakuu 29, 2015, 8:52 pm

Congratulations! :)

63MissWatson
lokakuu 30, 2015, 5:15 am

Congratulations!

64connie53
lokakuu 30, 2015, 5:36 am

Congrats! Yeah!!!!!

65Tess_W
marraskuu 1, 2015, 7:19 pm

Congrats!

66avanders
marraskuu 3, 2015, 10:19 am

>61 nebula21: woo hoo Congrats!