justchris is ROOTing down in the cellar in 2023

I've participated in the ticker thread the last couple of years, and maybe it's time I have my own thread here instead of placing it in the Categories Challenge group.

I'm setting the same challenge as last year: 50 ROOTS. Also of note is that I am hoping to relocate a long distance and need to look long and hard at downsizing my collection. Tough to do. Still buying them faster than I read them.

About me: I'm 52. I have a condo at a cohousing community and live with Duende the cat. Books are most of what I have, followed by kitchen stuff because I love me some food. And then lots of hobby stuff because I just can't stop learning new things.

My reading leans heavily to speculative fiction and social justice nonfiction, with forays into other fields. My goal is to finish off the box of TBR fiction, and the stretch goal would be to read through my fiction collection and cull. Plus, I want to keep working through my nonfiction shelves, much of which is still unread.

Welcome to the group, and good luck with your reading goal, the move, and the downsizing!

WELCOME BACK! I understand about downsizing!

Have a great reading year, and good luck with the downsizing!

>2 Jackie_K: >3 cyderry: >4 rabbitprincess: Thank you for the welcome and good wishes, Jackie, Chèli, and rabbitprincess!

Wishing you good luck with your downsizing and your reading this year. Choosing which books to let go of is difficult but I always take into consideration someone else will be able to enjoy the book(s).

Welcome and enjoy your reading!

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

>6 Ann_R: Thank you, Ann! Yes, I certainly hope my discarded books find new life in another home.
>7 MissWatson: Thank you, Birgit!
>8 connie53: And a Happy New Year to you too Connie!

I certainly hope to get a lot done this year. Though perhaps that's unrealistic. We'll see.

Welcome! I'm eager to follow your downsizing...have some to do myself :)

>10 detailmuse: Who doesn't?

>10 detailmuse: Thank you, MJ! I wish you every success in lightening your shelves.
>11 connie53: Sometimes it feels like a platonic ideal that can never be achieved--reducing the total number of books vs slowing the accumulation rate.

Well, I abandoned my first book in a long time, so no ROOT to count yet.

>13 justchris: I must admit if I give a book a reasonably good go before abandoning it then I still count it. By 'reasonably good go' I mean at least Pearl-ruling it (so subtract your age in years from 100, and then read to that page number).

>14 Jackie_K: Thanks for reminding me of the Pearl Rule. I'm sure I exceeded that. It's just so incredibly rare for me to choose to be done with a book before getting to the end, especially for fiction. Probably less than I can count on one hand in my whole life. Starting and not finishing--all the time for nonfiction books, but I always have the intention of returning to them. And sometimes I even do!

>15 justchris: It's very rare for me too, I'm a classic completer, but the older I get (and the more unread books I have looking at me and waiting their turn) the less patience I have with books that are not bringing joy!

>16 Jackie_K: I hear you. I certainly have much less patience for bullshit now that I'm in my 50s. I checked--I got to page 90 or a little more. Definitely gave it a fair shake and just did not like.

>16 Jackie_K: >17 justchris: I am just the same — I used to finish every book and now I'm much more comfortable with tossing one aside if it's just not doing it for me. There are plenty more ROOTs in the sea on the shelves.

>18 rosalita: Although I will often put a book aside to start again another time - I recognise that sometimes I'm just not in the mood, rather than that the book isn't good. It's very rare that I DNF, you can be sure if I do that I really didn't think it was very good!

>16 Jackie_K:,>17 justchris:,>18 rosalita:

I do the same lately. So many books, so little time left to read them all. I might put a book aside for a while in favour of another one that needs to be read for a challenge, but most of the time I return to them eventually.

Now that I've finally succumbed to Libby, I've been going on a library e-book spree, which means not so much attention to my own collection. I finally finished my first ROOT of the year: one of my fiction books that I started and put down for a couple years The Awakening and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin--not my usual style at all. Kinda interesting and kinda horrifying and quite a contrast while simultaneously reading The Vanishing Half. It's not a keeper, and the book is falling apart, so I'll recycle it.
(cross-posted with my 75 Book Challenge thread)

Also, not doing very good with downsizing. I finished one book and will dispose of it but brought two more into the house today. Hah! Baby steps.

>21 justchris: I loved the entry, "The Story of an Hour," and liked several others very much, but see I rated the collection 3.5 stars. Fascinated by the 1800s women quietly seeking their authentic selves.

>21 justchris: As long as you try to downsize, it doesn't matter if you sneak to much books into the house occasionally.

So I just realized I haven't started a listing of ROOTs this year because in past years I've just rolled it into my 75 Book Challenge tracking and updated my ticker for this group. Time to fix that. Traditionally, I interpret ROOTs as those in my TBR box that I haven't read before.

But also, I have started going through my fiction collection and dividing definite keepers from maybes. Can't make a decision without reacquainting myself with the story...

2023 ROOTs (from TBR pool)
1. The Awakening and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin - DNK
in progress: Uncle Tom's Children by Richard Wright

collection downsizing
1. The Sioux Spaceman by Andre Norton - Keeper!
in progress: Iron Cage by Andre Norton

DNK - do not keep

Just curious how you are doing with the downsizing of you Keepers pile.

>25 connie53: Sorry I am so slow to reply! Progress has been minimal. I realized I couldn't get through 2 boxes of books in the few months before my intended relocation.

Here are my ROOTs read this year:
1. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - DNF/DNK
2. The Awakening and Selected Stories of Kate Chopin - DNK
3. Deathless Gods - keeper
4. Wild Magic - keeper
5. Wildfire - keeper
6. The Magic Wars - keeper
7. Hood Feminism - keeper
8. Spiritwalk - DNK
9. Moonheart - DNK
10. Persepolis - undecided...

Hi Chris, How is the reading going? And have you relocated since your last post?

I hope you are doing fine.

>28 connie53: Thanks for the check-in, Connie! I'm reading a lot, but almost entirely e-books from the library or book club picks. So not much progress on my own collection.

I expect to relocate in late fall--say end of October, early November. But now that August is here, I need to actually start getting rid of stuff and packing stuff. First, I need to clear out my parking spot to stage boxes...

>29 justchris: Hi Chris, I hope the clearing out is has started. I'm doing the same over here in the Netherlands. Not that I'm planning on moving to a new place. I just have to get rid of stuff so my children will have an easier task if eventually, somewhere in the far away future, the house needs to be cleared out. I'm still physically able to that now in my own pace.

It doesn't matter really what you read, just reading is important enough.

>30 connie53: Thanks for asking! Not really. My current goal is to clear out all of the stuff in my parking spot so I have someplace to stage boxes once I start packing. And every weekend goes by without me even starting on it.

How is the moving and packing going, Chris?

>32 connie53: Thanks for asking, Connie! Packed and moved. The bulk of my stuff was delivered this morning. So now it's all about the unpacking.

The plot twist: I got admitted to the hospital last night and don't know when they'll let me go. I was able to arrange for someone to meet the movers, and someone else brought my work laptop so I can be a little productive when I have the energy.

Now that is very unfortunate timing! All the best wishes for a speedy recovery!

>33 justchris: Oh no! I hope you'll be back home with your own things soon!

>33 justchris: Get well soon!

>34 MissWatson: >35 rabbitprincess: >36 Jackie_K: Thanks for all the good wishes!

The hospital discharged me Sunday after 2 days of IV antibiotics and negative cell cultures and sent me home with 2 weeks of oral antibiotics. I'm still sleeping a lot and resting frequently. But today I hit my work goals and got out to run errands and enjoy the sun. I must be getting better because I'm not ready to crawl into bed after that.

>37 justchris: I hope the recovery continues!

>38 MissWatson: Thank you! Yes, the affected area is less painful and less angry looking, which is a relief.

Oh the timing! Glad you're on the mend, and hope you're finding all the belongings that make you comfortable.