readingtangent (Elizabeth)'s 2016 ROOTs

The ROOT challenge helped me cross some VERY old books off my TBR list in 2015 and that felt really great, so I'm definitely down with participating again :). I'm upping my goal from 40 to 45. And unlike last year, when I only counted things I'd had since before Christmas, this year anything I owned prior to January 1st, 2016 will count. That should make it easier to meet the goal!




I'll also keep track of my total books read for the year and how many new ones I get.

ROOTs read so far:

JANUARY
1) 31 Days to Clean - Sarah Mae
2) A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven - Corey Taylor
3) One-Eyed Dukes Are Wild (A Dukes Behaving Badly Novel) - Megan Frampton
4) Armada - Ernest Cline
5) Sid Vicious: Rock 'n' Roll Star - Malcolm Butt

FEBRUARY
6) Dead Is the New Black - Marlene Perez
7) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
8) When Good Earls Go Bad - Megan Frampton
9) Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis
10) Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe - Cullen Bunn
11) The Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis
12) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis
13) The Silver Chair - C.S. Lewis

MARCH
14) Glamorama - Bret Easton Ellis
15) The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis
16) The Reason - Lacey Sturm

APRIL
17) The Magician's Nephew - C.S. Lewis
18) The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis
19) Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron - Kim Newman
20) Into the Wind - Jake Ducey

MAY
21) Ella Enchanted - Gail Carson Levine
22) Lucien's Fall - Barbara Samuel
23) Sinner - Maggie Stiefvater
24) Doomed - Chuck Palahniuk

JUNE
25) Slipknot: All Hope Is Gone - Joel McIver
26) Anno Dracula: Dracula Cha Cha Cha - Kim Newman
27) Scoundrels (Star Wars Legends) - Timothy Zahn
28) The Short Drop - Matthew FitzSimmons

JULY
29) Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard - Kim Newman
30) For Love of the Duke (The Heart of a Duke Series Book 1) - Christi Caldwell
31) It's So Easy (and Other Lies) - Duff McKagan
32) Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks - Brad Dukes

AUGUST
33) Survivor's Quest - Timothy Zahn
34) Finding Ultra - Rich Roll
35) Shadow Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga Book 4) - Sarra Cannon
36) Rival Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga Book 5) - Sarra Cannon

SEPTEMBER
37) Demons Forever (The Shadow Demons Saga Book 6) - Sarra Cannon
38) A Demon's Wrath Part I - Sarra Cannon
39) A Demon's Wrath Part II - Sarra Cannon
40) After Midnight: A Shadow Demons Novella - Sarra Cannon
41) Supernatural: Fresh Meat - Alice Henderson
42) Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina - edited by Kevin J. Anderson
43) Tales from Jabba's Palace - edited by Kevin J. Anderson

OCTOBER
44) The Shining - Stephen King
45) Sunshine - Robin McKinley

NOVEMBER
46) Flow - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
47) How to Catch A Wild Viscount (novella) - Tessa Dare

Other books read:

JANUARY
1) 10-Minute Digital Declutter: The Simple Habit to Eliminate Technology Overload - S.J. Scott & Barrie Davenport (borrowed from Kindle Owner's Lending Library)

FEBRUARY
2) Deadpool Killustrated - Cullen Bunn
3) Deadpool Kills Deadpool - Cullen Bunn
4) Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut

MARCH
5) The Girl You Lost - Kathryn Croft
6) The Peaceful Wife - April Cassidy
7) Appetite For Reduction - Isa Chandra Moscowitz
8) The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
9) Deadpool Corps Vol. 1 - Victor Gischler
10) The Princess Wore Plaid (novella) - Karen Hawkins

APRIL
11) Night of the Living Deadpool - Cullen Bunn
12) The Purpose of Man: Designed to Worship - A.W. Tozer

MAY
13) Stars Above - Marissa Meyer

JUNE
14) Sweet Valley High Book 13: Kidnapped! - Kate William (borrowed)
15) Prelude to Deadpool Corps - Victor Gischler
16) St. Therese of Lisieux - Wyatt North

JULY
17) The Average American Male - Chad Kultgen
18) Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain - Ian Halperin and Max Wallace
19) Time's Echo (The CHRONOS Files 1.5) (novella) - Rysa Walker (borrowed)

AUGUST
20) Any Duchess Will Do - Tessa Dare
21) Becoming A Titus 2 Woman - Martha Peace (borrowed)
22) Beauty and the Blacksmith (novella) - Tessa Dare

SEPTEMBER
23) The More of Less - Joshua Becker

OCTOBER
24) Sweet Valley High Book 14: Deceptions - Kate William (borrowed)
25) Do You Want to Start a Scandal? - Tessa Dare
26) Sweet Valley High Book 15: Promises - Kate William (borrowed)
27) Security - Gina Wohlsdorf
28) Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Organized, and Happy Life - Rachel Jonat (borrowed)

NOVEMBER
29) Deadpool vs. The Dead Presidents - Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan
30) Deadpool Flashbacks - various
31) Sweet Valley High Book 16: Rags to Riches - Kate William (borrowed)
32) Twelve Kisses to Midnight (novella) - Karen Hawkins

DECEMBER
33) Star Trek Myriad Universes: Inifinity's Prism - various authors
34) Bringing Out the Best in Your Husband - Norman H. Wright
35) Christmas in Good Hope - Cindy Kirk (borrowed)

New books acquired (struck through if read):

JANUARY
1) Beautiful in God's Eyes - Elizabeth George
2) Appetite For Reduction - Isa Chandra Moskowitz
3) Proposal: A Mediator Novella - Meg Cabot
4) Sword of My Mouth - Jim Munroe

FEBRUARY
5) The Peaceful Wife - April Cassidy
6) Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut
7) The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
8) Ghost Gifts - Laura Spinella

MARCH
9) The Girl You Lost - Kathryn Croft
10) Mediator #4: Darkest Hour - Meg Cabot
11) Mediator #5: Haunted - Meg Cabot
12) Mediator #6: Twilight - Meg Cabot
13) A Million Little Ways - Emily P. Freeman
14) The Princess Wore Plaid (novella) - Karen Hawkins
15) Gabriella - Brenda Hiatt
16) While You Were Mine - Ann Howard Creel

APRIL
17) The Purpose of Man: Designed to Worship - A.W. Tozer
18) The Raven King (The Raven Cycle Book 4) - Maggie Stiefvater
19) Size 12 Is Not Fat - Meg Cabot
20) Stars Above - Marissa Meyer (birthday gift)

MAY
21) Recovery Road - Blake Nelson
22) Rose - Lauren Royal
23) Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

JUNE
24) St. Therese of Lisieux - Wyatt North
25) The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle Book 2) - Maggie Stiefvater
26) Blue Lily, Lily Blue (The Raven Cycle Book 3) - Maggie Stiefvater
27) Death and Justice - Mark Fuhrman
28) The Average American Male - Chad Kultgen
29) Journey's End - Renee Ryan

JULY
30) Any Duchess Will Do - Tessa Dare
31) Amethyst - Lauren Royal
32) Lily - Lauren Royal
33) Once Upon a Bride - various authors
34) Love and Death: The Murder of Kurt Cobain - Ian Halperin and Max Wallace

AUGUST
35) Educating Caroline - Patricia Cabot
36) Beauty and the Blacksmith (novella) - Tessa Dare

SEPTEMBER
37) The More of Less - Joshua Becker
38) Violet - Lauren Royal
39) Size 14 Is Not Fat Either - Meg Cabot
40) Do You Want to Start a Scandal? - Tessa Dare

OCTOBER
41) Run Less, Run Faster - Bill Pierce and Scott Murr
42) Just Kids - Patti Smith
43) Security - Gina Wohlsdorf
44) Covenant With the Vampire - Jeanne Kalogridis
45) Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and Korn - Fieldy

NOVEMBER
46) How to Live a Good Life - Jonathan Fields
47) Twelve Kisses to Midnight (novella) - Karen Hawkins

DECEMBER
48) Bringing Out the Best in Your Husband - Norman H. Wright
49) Disclaimer - Renee Knight
50) Dressed to Kiss - various authors
51) More or Less: Choosing A Lifestyle of Excessive Generosity - Jeff Shinabarger
52) The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen
53) Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less - Greg McKeown

Welcome back and good luck with your challenge! :) This group is a fantastic motivator.

Good luck, Elizabeth!

Welcome back and happy reading!

I am always afraid to look at how many new books I get. Glad to see you so brave!

>5 rabbitprincess: Thank you; it certainly is!
>6 connie53:, >7 MissWatson: Thanks! :)
>8 majkia: I'm hoping it will help me keep the number under control! I hear you, though. That's why I haven't cataloged all my unread books here on LT -- it bums me out to see the list just keep getting longer and longer. But I do record them in a spreadsheet :).

Welcome back & happy rooting!

Elizabeth, congratulations on your success in 2015!

It always feels good to check off those unread books, right?
I found that recording the books that I acquire makes me think more about when I'm going to read a new book and did I need it this minute.

>9 readingtangent: this is the first year I catalogued incoming books, I found it quite an eye-opening experience, and realised my need to reign-in my book-buying somewhat! We'll see how this year goes! Good luck with yours!

I've been cataloguing my bought books on LT since 2010.
I just looked at the numbers. they are a bit shocking to me.

2010 - 89
2011 - 91
2012 - 90
2013 - 47
2014 - 54
2015 - 58

>13 connie53: looks like you've cut down in the past few years! That's great! :)

>14 avanders: I need to cut down more! I need to (I just have a wishlist on BOL.com). ;-))

Good luck with your ROOT reading!

>10 avanders: Thanks, Ava! Good luck to you, too, although I'm sure you won't need it :).

>11 cyderry: Thank you! And yes, it's sooo nice to start the new year without certain books still on the list!

Keeping track of my purchases throughout 2015 seems to have helped me think harder about them, too, but I'm hoping that posting them publicly might help even more.

>12 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie!
>13 connie53: Wow, Connie, you've almost cut your numbers in half over the years. I hope I can do that, too.
>16 lkernagh: Thank you! I'm excited to get started :).
>17 connie53:, >18 Tess_W: Thanks so much; Happy New Year to you, too!

Happy New Year and great reading!

>22 avanders:, >23 MissWatson: Thank you! :)

ROOT #1

Title: 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way

Author: Sarah Mae

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 01/19/2015

Amazon description:

Get your home and your heart in order in just 31 days!

Sarah Mae wants to let you in on a little secret about being a good homemaker: It’s not about having a clean house. She’d never claim to be a natural, organized cleaner herself—yet, like you, she wants a beautiful space to call home, a place where people feel loved and at peace. Where people can really settle in with good food, comfy pillows, and wide-open hearts.

Is it possible to find a balance? To care for your heart—and your home—at the same time?

Journey with Sarah Mae on this easy, practical 31-day plan to get you moving and have your house looking and feeling fresh. But even more than that, you’ll gain a new vision for the home of your dreams, and how to make it a place of peace, comfort, and community. Originally published as the e-book 31 Days to Clean and now revised and expanded in print for the first time, Having a Martha Home the Mary Way will inspire you to find a happier, healthier . . . cleaner way to live.

Comments:

The version of this e-book that I have doesn't seem to exist anymore. It seems it was picked up by a different publisher and is being revised and re-released, so the old one has been removed from Amazon. The description above is for the upcoming new edition. This is all well and good except it means I can't add the edition I actually have, to LT! Believe me, I have tried. So now my catalog feels incomplete :(. Oh, well.

The subtitle of this book refers to the biblical story of Martha and Mary found in Luke 10. It is set up as a series of two daily challenges, a "Mary" one (for the heart/soul) and a "Martha" one (for cleaning your house).

I'm one of those weird people who actually likes to clean (for the most part), and I think this book would probably be better for extremely reluctant cleaners. There is a lot of time spent on encouragement and motivation and such. Also, it started out as a series of blog posts and it still kinda reads that way. There were a lot of typos and grammatical errors, too. But it was short and overall, worth reading if you are into books about homemaking/cleaning.

ROOT #2

Title: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven (Or How I Made Peace with the Paranormal and Stigmatized Zealots and Cynics in the Process)

Author: Corey Taylor

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: purchased 12/31/2015

Amazon description:

In this book, Corey Taylor undertakes something never before attempted in the history of rock superstardom: he takes you with him as he journeys undercover through various ghostbusting groups who do their best to gather information and evidence about the existence of spirits. Some are more credible than others, and, frankly, some are completely insane, but all are observed with appropriate seriousness as Taylor attempts to better understand some of the spooky things that have happened to him in his life, especially that night at the Cold House.

But that’s not all, folks. Taylor once again gives you a behind-the-scenes tour of his crazy life and the many beyond-the-grave events he’s encountered. (You’ll be shocked how often Slipknot has been invaded by the supernatural.) Taylor also touches on his religious background and how it led him to believe in much more than the Man in the Sky.

Comments:

This is not really an old book. I used Amazon money I got for Christmas to buy it for myself before the year ended, though, so technically it counts as a ROOT! :)

(The rest of these comments are partially taken from a post I made on my personal blog.)

Taylor is the singer of Stone Sour and Slipknot. My husband and I saw Slipknot live back in September and I've been on a huge kick w/them ever since. When I found out Taylor had written a few books, I knew I wanted to try them. I started with this one because it just sounded so strange and intriguing. Why would a rock star write a book about ghosts, of all things? Well, it turns out, because he is haunted. Ha. Okay, so not exactly, but…he does seem to have had an inordinate number of run-ins with the paranormal throughout his life (although, is there such a thing as an “ordinate” number of paranormal experiences? Probably not). Ghosts just seem to like him.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s not fantastically written, by any means. Parts of it are a mess. He curses a lot and goes off on many tangents. But a lot of it is interesting and thought-provoking and very, very funny. I laughed out loud so many times while reading this. I enjoyed all of his Star Trek and other sci-fi references, as I had not known that he was One of Us, and I liked that he poked a lot of fun at himself because I appreciate it when famous people don’t take themselves too seriously. He seems like one of those people that just has a million funny stories to tell you, and I came away with the feeling that he’d be a cool person to hang out and have a beer with. That is, if he wasn't sober, which he is.

I think this book may be most interesting to Taylor’s fans, and to people who like ghost stories. But really, who doesn’t like a good creepy ghost story :)?

>26 readingtangent: That sounds mighty, mighty interesting. Not a Slipknot fan myself but gotta bunch of younger people around who definitely are. Funny title and great cover too!

congrats on pulling your first 2 ROOTs!
The cleaning book sounds interesting.. I will try to keep that in mind when I am talking to reluctant cleaners! ;)

>25 readingtangent: I think I have read a book very similar to this one. I, too, do not mind cleaning at all. I think I like the result better than the process, though! My grandmother taught me very early, from the age of 5: make your bed and wash your dishes, your house will look fine! I have always followed that advice. I never go to bed or leave the house with a dirty dish out and I make the bed first before I even go to the bathroom in the morning. I'm not bragging, but my house is really clean. About 20 years ago I started a system wherein I clean one room per day, thoroughly, and my house is always clean. It takes 10 minutes after dinner each night to dust and clean a room, and that includes taking things off surfaces. About once a month I have my husband move the furniture out (piano, sofa, etc.) and I clean behind them. It is easy for me to clean floors because except for the bathrooms, everything is hardwood and swiffer works great! The first week of of the month I vaccum the floors and the other 3 weeks I use the Swiffer. Of course, as likely happens, in the summer when I don't work, I get into something, like cleaning a closet and it consumes my entire day! My mantra these days: downsize!

>29 Tess_W: That sounds soooo organized! I'm in awe.

>30 connie53: right?

>29 Tess_W: I love the thought of 10 minutes each day to dust and clean a room keeping your house clean forever..

>30 connie53: >31 avanders: Born of necessity.....over-extended committments, 2 kids, working 60 hours per week.....

sure, but lots of people just skip the cleaning part ;)

>33 avanders: That's generally what I do! :/ Then have a meltdown every so often where I do a big blitz. I do wish I was more organised, but it just never happens.

>34 Jackie_K: lol yeah, that's been more my speed. ;) Lately, though, I've been looking more like (MORE like, not exactly like) Tess, so .. maybe there's hope?
I'm naturally an incredibly organized person, but somehow that doesn't always extend to my living space at home... perhaps bc of "roommate" situations ;)

I think I'm an old-fashioned housewife. I clean on a regular basis. I had a tight schedule when the kids were little. But now it's just the two of us and that gives room for lazy days without a cleaning thing to do.

My parents were always very strict about cleaning and tidiness, and both my sister and I are considerably more lax about cleaning, possibly as a reaction to them. I guess we're just having an extended teenage rebellion :)

Hey maybe my daughter will rebel by becoming a clean freak!!! :D

>36 connie53: that sounds so nice! I think we'd probably be there if not for the extra roommate (my sister lives with us for a few more months...)
>37 Jackie_K: lol it does happen!

We grew up on a farm where there was always dirt/dust coming in through the screens from the plowing. My mother would not let us open the curtains or go outside until every bed was made, every dish washed, and every surface dusted....every day. My sister and I hustled because we wanted sunshine! So now, the clean 1 room per day isn't really anything for me......

>39 Tess_W: sounds like a good reason to hustle! ;)

>27 avidmom: I think Slipknot fans can't really go wrong reading it, as they will be biased enough to overlook all the problem areas. Ha. And I agree, the cover is great. There are other pictures like that throughout the book, too :).

>29 Tess_W: Wow, Tess, I'm pretty clean but I think you put me to shame :). That sounds lovely, though. I do enjoy a clean home! The funny thing is, I was always messy as a kid/teenager. Not really that "dirty," because I would dust and organize things, but I had clutter everywhere. As soon as I moved out, it changed and I've become progressively neater. A few years ago I discovered the minimalism movement and started downsizing with a vengeance. My husband really took to it, too (probably more than me) and he has gotten rid of SO much, plus he's always asking what else we can get rid of. It's definitely easier to keep things clean when you don't have a lot of stuff to move around.

I can't say I never leave a dish in the sink, but I do make the bed first thing and do dishes every day. I have a schedule for everything else and for the most part, I stick to it. I wish we had hardwood everywhere, but it's an apartment and there's carpet everywhere except the kitchen and bathrooms. My husband bought me a Dyson, though, so it's much easier to vacuum now (my old one weighed a ton).

>35 avanders: I'm naturally an incredibly organized person, but somehow that doesn't always extend to my living space at home... I can relate to this. I've always enjoyed organization, too, but like I said above, it wasn't always reflected in my living space, either. If you'd told me when I was younger that one day I'd be tidy, I probably wouldn't have believed it :).

>34 Jackie_K:, >37 Jackie_K: I've definitely been there, Jackie, particularly when I was in college and very busy. The cleaning went more by the wayside. And it's funny you should say it might be a rebellion. My mom has always had clutter and I think part of the reason I eventually went the other way was in response to having grown up with that.

>36 connie53: I think I'm an old-fashioned housewife, too :).

ROOT #3

Title: One-Eyed Dukes Are Wild: A Dukes Behaving Badly Novel

Author: Megan Frampton

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: purchased 12/29/2015

Amazon description:

When does proper behavior deserve a deliciously improper reward?

The scandalously unmarried Lady Margaret Sawford is looking for adventure—and is always up for a challenge. Her curiosity is aroused by a dangerous-looking stranger with an eye patch, an ideal companion for the life she longs for, no matter what Society might say. So when the piratical gentleman turns out to be a duke—and just as boringly proper as any other nobleman—she can't help but incite him to walk on the wild side.

Well-heeled, well-mannered, and well beyond any interest in society's expectations, the Duke of Lasham is tired of being perfect. Margaret's lush beauty and gently laughing eyes are an irresistible temptation to embrace the imperfect—and her. But if a little misbehavior is appealing, unleashing his wild side is completely seductive—as long as the lovely Margaret is the object of his passion . . .

Comments:

I heard about the first book in this series, The Duke's Guide to Correct Behavior, through BookBub last year. It was $1.99 and sounded cute, so I bought it and read it right away. It was the first historical romance novel I'd ever read, and it hooked me. I've read a bunch more since then, including the other full-length novel and one of the novellas in this series by Megan Frampton.

I enjoyed this one, although probably not as much as the others. I'd considered not even getting it because the description didn't seem that appealing to me, but then I read an excerpt and liked it, plus I realized the heroine is the sister of the heroine from the second book. I'd liked her character when I read that book and wanted to see what happened to her! Like I said, I did enjoy this but it felt a little long and there wasn't much plot. But I like this writer's humorous style and will probably buy the next book when it comes out in July (I think). Also, I like the cover. Ha.

ROOT #4

Title: Armada

Author: Ernest Cline

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Husband purchased on 09/10/2015

Amazon description:

Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.

But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.

No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.

It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?

At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.

Comments:

I LOVED this!!

I'm not sure why this book hit me so hard, but I suspect it involves some of my own personal baggage that I brought to the story (like the MC, I also grew up without my father around). Regardless, this story really sucked me in and got to me. I finished it a couple of days ago and still can't stop thinking about it. Unfortunately, I feel like I can't say the things I really want to say about it without spoiling something :(. So I will just say that, for the most part, it was a fun read and I loved it. I loved Ready Player One, also, and I look forward to Cline putting out another book!

>44 readingtangent: The eyepatch on that one makes me giggle. :)

>45 readingtangent: That sounds like a book a friend of mine would like. I'm going to give him the tip. Thanks,

>46 rabbitprincess: Hee :)

>47 connie53: My pleasure :)

ROOT #5

Title: Sid Vicious: Rock ‘n’ Roll Star

Author: Malcolm Butt

Cover:



Format: Trade paperback

When/how acquired: ???

Amazon description:

Venomous, violent, and profane, Sid Vicious made an indelible mark on the world in the short time he lived. With eight new pages of text and 150 photographs, this compelling biography follows him from a rough childhood through his infamous career as a punk rocker with the Sex Pistols and on to his rapid decline, culminating in heroin addiction, arrest for the stabbing death of girlfriend Nancy Spungen, and his own death by drug overdose. This unblinking chronicle of Sid Vicious's short life presents a no-holds-barred look at the punk world of the 1970s.

Comments:

I wish I could remember where I got this book. I've had it at least twelve years or so, since my days working in the bookstore. But I can't remember if I bought it there or elsewhere, or if I got it as a gift. Regardless, it's finally read!!

As with so many ROOTs, I feel silly for having taken so long to get around to it. It was really good. It was short and moved very fast, because the story was so sensational and morbidly fascinating. Also, it is loaded with great pictures. As a teen, I had a preoccupation with Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols, but most of my knowledge came from the Sid & Nancy movie starring Gary Oldman (I was a big fan of his) and the book written by Nancy's mother, And I Don't Want To Live This Life. I had never read anything about Sid himself and therefore hadn't realized just how messed up he really was, or what an appalling life he led. It is actually quite sad :(.

I may add more comments later, as I think I'm still processing this one...

My report for January:

By my count, I'd started the year with 192 unread books (this does not include any graphic novels my husband has on his Comixology account, because I didn't want to take the time to wade through all of them and write them down -- if I read an old one, it will count as a ROOT, but it won't affect my TBR tally). This month I read 5 of those, bringing me to 187.

I also acquired 4 new titles, and only started 1 of them, so my pile of "new TBRs" is at 3. I'm keeping the numbers separate because last year I got all confused trying to combine them.

My goal has been to not buy anything until after my birthday (April 30th) UNLESS it's 1) on my wish-list and drops in price by 50% or more, or 2) it's something I planned in advance to buy and read immediately, or 3) it's something I hadn't planned on but will read as soon as I buy it. Basically I just want to get away from buying too many random things and adding them to the pile.

I figured 4 months is a decent amount of time for this goal. After that I can reevaluate and decide if I want to continue abstaining :).

So...3 of the 4 I got this month fell into the categories of established exceptions. So, yay! And I don't feel too bad about them because one is a cookbook, one is a novella, and another one is a graphic novel. So only one is a full-length book! They are all e-books.

>50 readingtangent: Some good maths there, Elizabeth. I like your rules for buying books. I might adopt them ;-)

>50 readingtangent: Good ideas on buying! I find I'm a compulsive buyer. I don't buy often, but when I do, it's too much. I purchased only 12 books last year and want to lower that number to no more than 6 this year, one of which will be for my RL book club. That being said, I still have 400 in my TBR pile!

>42 readingtangent: and >43 readingtangent: maybe that's it -- I was also a pretty messy kid/teen, but as I "grew up," that has mostly gone away. Maybe some of it lingers in my living space ;)

>45 readingtangent: yay!! I also loved that book - glad you enjoyed it!

>50 readingtangent: >51 connie53: >52 Tess_W: I agree - some good book buying rules! After tracking "books in" the past few years... my mental thought process has to change about it ... last year was particularly bad (I believe I had a NET gain of over 200 books), so I'm hoping/expecting to be a lot more thoughtful about my book buying. I mean, it's hard when those $5-a-bag clearance sales come along, but I've about run out of room in the book nook, so...... I now ask myself: Are you going to read that immediately? No? Is it for book group? No? Is this as cheap as you can possibly get it AND are you going to DEFinitely read it (someday)? If the answer to the last 2 questions is no, then I can't buy it. ;)

>50 readingtangent:

Those are good book-buying rules. I try to see how long each year I can go before my book-buying binge, but thankfully my birthday is in February, so I don't have to wait as long!

>51 connie53: Thanks, I hope I can stick to them! :)

>52 Tess_W: 12 new books bought in 2015 seems really good to me! I bought around 60 :O. But I hope you're able to make your goal of 6.

>53 avanders: Those are all good questions to ask before buying, for sure! So far I'm doing okay sticking to my plan. I bought an e-book today (Heart-Shaped Box) but it was on my wishlist and had gone down to $1.99, plus I have already read it before AND I used to have the paperback but don't anymore so this is really more of a replacement so I can re-read it in the future. I'm not even sure if I should count it as a new book acquired?!

And yay for love for Armada! It doesn't seem to be nearly as popular as Ready Player One but I thought it was great.

>54 Caramellunacy: Ha :). I'd be in trouble if my birthday was that early in the year!

ROOT #6

Title: Dead Is the New Black

Author: Marlene Perez

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 01/01/2015

Amazon description:

Welcome to Nightshade, California—a small town full of secrets. It’s home to the pyschic Giordano sisters, who have a way of getting mixed up in mysteries. During their investigations, they run across everything from pom-pom-shaking vampires to shape-shifting boyfriends to a clue-spewing jukebox. With their psychic powers and some sisterly support, they can crack any case!

Teenage girls are being mysteriously attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy Giordano is a junior. When Daisy discovers that a vampire may be the culprit, she can’t help but suspect head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” Samantha appears a little . . . well, dead, and all the most popular kids at school are copying her style.

Is looking dead just another fashion trend for Samantha, or is there something more sinister going on? To find out, Daisy joins the cheerleading squad.

Comments:



I met Marlene Perez at a conference in 2011. She was on a panel with a few other writers and she seemed like a really classy and cool person. So even though she didn’t really discuss her own books very much, I decided to buy one just because I liked her.

At the time I didn’t know Dead is a State of Mind was the second in a series! I read it anyway, though, and it didn’t seem to matter that I’d started with the wrong title :). I liked it a lot and have always wanted to go back and read the rest of the books in the series. The Kindle version of the first one went on sale for $1.99 at the start of last year, so I snapped it up. Now that I got around to reading it, I liked it a lot, too! Perez has a very clean and succinct writing style that I enjoy very much. I also find the main couple in these stories, Daisy and Ryan, to be very cute together, as well as realistic and likable. There were some unanswered questions toward the end of the story, but nothing I couldn’t live with. I definitely would still like to read the rest of the series. In fact, I’d like to re-read the second one right now and go from there but none of those would count as ROOTs, so I think I’ll hold off until after my birthday!

>56 readingtangent: Cool! I love having signed books.

>55 readingtangent: I don't always succeed, but I at least try to ask the questions. :) (... I, erm, bought 7 new books this weekend. Well used books. from a used book store. but they were possibly not the cheapest I could have ever gotten them :o)

I have heard great things about that book! Plus it was on your wishlist and only $1.99! You know, I don't count those -- when I re-buy a favorite book that I've given away/lost/misplaced over the years that I count as part of my permanent collection (which is not an extensive collection -- I mostly have unread books), it's just part of my permanent collection. Not a TBR, so not included in my numbers :)

>56 readingtangent: >57 connie53: yeah, fun! :)

>58 avanders: Thanks for your input on this! I like that idea of a "permanent collection" a lot. I think mine would be pretty small, too, but I might go through and tag the books I wouldn't want to get rid of as "permanent" or "keep" or something like that. Although ALL ebooks you're pretty much stuck with, unless you delete them. Also, this one would sort of be a TBR because I do plan to re-read it. Hmmm...:) I think about these things too much :).

ROOT #7

Title: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Author: C.S. Lewis

Cover:



Format: paperback

When/how acquired: From my husband’s collection.

Amazon description:

Narnia . . . a land frozen in eternal winter . . . a country waiting to be set free
Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.

Comments:

My husband has had this set of little paperbacks since he was about ten. So they’ve been available to me since we moved in together, about thirteen years or so ago. I had actually read this one before but it was so long ago I didn’t remember any of it and I figured I may as well start over. I know there is some debate as to the order in which they should be read, but I decided to read them in the order this particular set is numbered, and this one is labeled as the first volume. It’s a very cute story but I’ll bet most people already know that, since it feels like I’m one of the few who hasn’t already read these books!

ROOT #8

Title: When Good Earls Go Bad: A Victorian Valentine’s Day Novella

Author: Megan Frampton

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 11/03/2015

Amazon description:

What's a lovely young woman doing asleep in his bed? Matthew, Earl of Selkirk, is shocked to discover it's his new housekeeper! She's a far cry from the gray-haired woman he expected. Matthew is no fan of surprises, and Annabelle Tyne is pure temptation. Perhaps he shouldn't have had her hired sight unseen.
Annabelle, co-owner of the Quality Employment Agency, is no housekeeper, but she wasn't about to lose a potential client simply because there was no one to fit the bill. Imagine her shock when the earl arrives at his London townhome and she's awoken in the night by the most attractive man she's ever seen.
Matthew is a man who lives life by the rules, but sometimes rules are made to be broken … and being bad can be very, very good.

Comments:

This novella isn’t very old (as far as ROOTs go) but I decided to go ahead and read it because it’s set at Valentine’s Day :). Elements of the plot brought to mind other Megan Frampton books I’ve read over the past year, but overall this story was still pretty cute and sweet. I especially liked the ending.

ROOT #9

Title: Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia

Author: C.S. Lewis

Cover:



Format: paperback

When/how acquired: From my husband’s collection.

Amazon description:

Narnia . . . where animals talk . . . where trees walk . . . where a battle is about to begin.
A prince denied his rightful throne gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.

Comments:

I liked this second book about Narnia, although probably not as much as the first one. I do like Caspian a lot!

ROOT #10

Title: Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe

Author: Cullen Bunn

Cover:



Format: ComiXology ebook

When/how acquired: From my husband’s collection.

Amazon description:

What if everything you thought was funny about Deadpool...was actually just disturbing? What if he decided to kill everyone and everything that makes up the Marvel Universe? What if he actually pulled it off?

Comments:

This was pretty disturbing in a lot of ways, but also funny. We have a ton of Deadpool comics and I’m trying to read them all, but unfortunately this collection is probably one of the few that's old enough to count as a ROOT!

ROOT #11

Title: The Rules of Attraction

Author: Bret Easton Ellis

Cover:



Format: trade paperback

When/how acquired: Purchased used in summer of 2009

Amazon description:

Set at a small, affluent liberal-arts college in New England at the height of the Reagan 80s, The Rules of Attraction is a startlingly funny, kaleidoscopic novel about three students with no plans for the future--or even the present--who become entangled in a curious romantic triangle. Bret Easton Ellis trains his incisive gaze on the kids at self-consciously bohemian Camden College and treats their sexual posturings and agonies with a mixture of acrid hilarity and compassion while exposing the moral vacuum at the center of their lives.

Lauren changes boyfriends every time she changes majors and still pines for Victor who split for Europe months ago and she might or might not be writing anonymous love letter to ambivalent, hard-drinking Sean, a hopeless romantic who only has eyes for Lauren, even if he ends up in bed with half the campus, and Paul, Lauren's ex, forthrightly bisexual and whose passion masks a shrewd pragmatism. They waste time getting wasted, race from Thirsty Thursday Happy Hours to Dressed To Get Screwed parties to drinks at The Edge of the World or The Graveyard. The Rules of Attraction is a poignant, hilarious take on the death of romance.

Comments:

This was a re-read for me. It actually hasn’t even been THAT long since I read it the first time (about six years), but I decided to count it as a ROOT because I found that I didn’t remember most of the details. I have a really bad memory, apparently :(. But I did remember that I loved the book, and thought it was both depressing and funny. I remember last time I was very concerned with the character of Paul. I still liked him a lot, but this time around I was way more worried about Sean. Not sure why. But it’s always nice when you can re-read something and get all wrapped up in it all over again! Anyway, part of the reason I re-read this was because I plan to re-read Glamorama soon and Lauren and Victor appear as main characters in that, too.

>59 readingtangent: oh, great idea! I haven't done that yet, but it makes great sense!
Yeah, though with eBooks, if you have a kindle, you can store on Amazon instead of your eReader, which is nice if you want to "clean it up" ;)

>60 readingtangent: I didn't read them as a kid either... oddly, since my older sister loved them! I've now read the first 4, I think.. also from my husband's collection ;)

>64 readingtangent: I'm very intrigued by that cover....

& Congrats on reading so many more ROOTs!

>65 avanders: Good point about storing them on Amazon instead of on the device! I might have to go through and move some over sometime soon; I've amassed quite a few :).

I've also now read the first four Chronicles of Narnia. Usually I'm not too big on fantasy stories but I am enjoying these!

And thanks, I've squeezed in a couple more short ones for the month...:)

ROOT #12

Title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Author: C.S. Lewis

Cover:



Format: paperback

When/how acquired: From my husband’s collection.

Amazon description:

Narnia . . . where a dragon awakens . . . where stars walk the earth . . . where anything can happen.
A king and some unexpected companions embark on a voyage that will take them beyond all known lands. As they sail farther and farther from charted waters, they discover that their quest is more than they imagined and that the world's end is only the beginning.

Comments:

Maybe my favorite one of these so far :)!

ROOT #13

Title: The Silver Chair

Author: C.S. Lewis

Cover:



Format: paperback

When/how acquired: From my husband’s collection.

Amazon description:

Narnia . . . where giants wreak havoc . . . where evil weaves a spell . . . where enchantment rules.
Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, a noble band of friends is sent to rescue a prince held captive. But their mission to Underland brings them face-to-face with an evil more beautiful and more deadly than they ever expected.

Comments:

This one was cute. I enjoyed the new (and new-ish) main characters :). Parts of the story were a little predictable...like, I guessed what would happen before it did. I know they're children's books but still. That (predictability) hadn't been an issue with the other books in the series so far, so I guess that's why it's worth noting for me :). I did like it, though.

I love the Narnia books, although I haven't actually read them since my early 20s. Must rectify that. I suspect I might find that my least and most favourites have changed in the intervening years! (previously I think my favourite was Prince Caspian, and least favourite was The Horse and His Boy).

>69 Jackie_K: I just finished The Horse and His Boy last week. I think it's probably my 2nd favorite so far :). It would be interesting to go back and re-read, and see if your opinions have changed! That's always part of the fun of re-reading.

ROOT #14

Title: Glamorama

Author: Bret Easton Ellis

Cover:


Format: Trade paperback

When/how acquired: Christmas gift in 2009 (I think)

Amazon description:

Victor Ward, a model with perfect abs who exists in magazines and gossip columns and whose life resembles an ultra-hip movie, is living with one beautiful model and having an affair with another. And then it's time to move on to the next stage. But the future he gets is not the one he had in mind.

Comments:

I first read this book sometime around 2002 or 2003, I think. I found a hardcover in the bargain bin at the grocery store for around two dollars, and I bought it because I had read American Psycho and liked it. Well, I hated Glamorama! Just hated it. And of course I got rid of the hardcover. Years later, I read the rest of Ellis’s books and loved them. Now I’d count him as one of my favorite writers, and for years I’ve meant to give Glamorama another chance. I put the paperback on my wish list and got it as a Christmas present in 2009, I think (I didn’t enter it on LT at the time, so I’m not sure). Anyway, it’s taken me this long to get around to actually reading this new copy!

Well, I didn’t hate it this time :), but I still found it a difficult read, particularly the last 2/3 or so. The story just goes off the deep end. But I have a greater appreciation for the book now and can see myself re-reading it again in the future. I'd like to write an essay about it, really, since it did give me quite a lot to think about. I think Victor is probably the most sympathetic of Ellis’s main characters, aside from the fictionalized Bret in Lunar Park.

Oh, and of course now I wish I hadn't sold that hardcover :/. Ha. Oh, well.

ROOT #15

Title: The Horse and His Boy

Author: C.S. Lewis

Cover:
(coming soon)

Format: paperback

When/how acquired: From my husband’s collection.

Amazon description:

Narnia . . . where horses talk . . . where treachery is brewing . . . where destiny awaits.
On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the fate of Narnia itself.

Comments:

I thought this was super cute! Probably my 2nd favorite of the Chronicles so far.

ROOT #16

Title: The Reason: How I Discovered A Life Worth Living

Author: Lacey Sturm

Cover:



Format: Kindle ebook

When/how acquired: Purchased 11/04/2015

Amazon description:

There is a reason you exist . . .

The day Lacey Sturm planned to kill herself was the day her old life ended. As an atheist who hated Christians, she thought church was a place for hypocrites, fakers, and simpletons. After a screaming match with her grandmother, she ended up in the back of a sanctuary, hating everyone in the room. But what happened in that room is The Reason she is alive today.

With raw vulnerability, this hard rock princess tells her story of physical abuse, depression, suicidal struggles, and more--and her ultimate salvation. She asks the hard questions--Why am I here? Why am I empty? Why should I go on living?--showing that beyond the temporary highs and the soul-crushing lows is a reason each of us exists and a purpose for our lives.

Comments:

Well, I cried my way through this one. Of course, I practically live on the verge of tears anyway (happy, sad, whatever, I just cry really easily :)), but I thought this was a very moving story. I’d never heard of Lacey Sturm or her music before, but I was interested in this book because Brian Welch (from one of my favorite bands, Korn) wrote the introduction. I had read his book, Save Me from Myself a couple of years ago and liked it. I don't exactly consider myself religious but for some reason I seem to really enjoy conversion stories. Also, this was fairly short and on sale for $1.99 when I saw it on Amazon back in November, so I figured "why not?" :). I read it now because I thought it would be an appropriate choice for Easter-time. I liked it a lot and will read more from Lacey if she writes anything else.

I realized I didn't make an update on my stats last month, so I'll just combine February and March. As of now my total TBR count (what I started out with at the beginning of the year, combined with this year's acquisitions) is 187, down from 192. Not great progress :/. I'm acquiring too many. This month I downloaded 7 new titles and have only read one, although I think I can probably read another short one in the next few days.

I've broken my rules a few times, too, and bought stuff that wasn't on my wish list, or that was on sale but not quite 50% off. I did read several of the brand-new ones right away. A couple of them weren't really worth it in the end, though :(. Maybe that'll teach me not to break the rules and instead stick to reading my ROOTs like I am supposed to :)!

>74 readingtangent: At least your TBR is going down, albeit more slowly than you'd like. I have acquired around 1.5 books for every 1 I have read so far this year, so it's still going in the wrong direction!

>75 Jackie_K: I second that thought!

>75 Jackie_K:, >76 connie53: Thanks! I suppose you are both right. I should focus on the progress I've made, even if it isn't much :).

I think I felt a little disappointed because last year March was my "best" month, as far as acquisitions went (I only bought one book and read it right away). So far this year March has been my "worst" month. Oh, well. At least so far in April I have managed not to acquire anything else...although there are 2 I'm currently thinking about ;).

ROOT #17

Title: The Magician’s Nephew

Author: C.S. Lewis

Cover:



Format: paperback

When/how acquired: From my husband’s collection.

Amazon description:

Narnia . . . where Talking Beasts walk . . . where a witch waits . . . where a new world is about to be born.
On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible.

Comments:

The origin story of Narnia. I guess this is the book that is labeled as the first in the series in newer editions. I think it would sort of be a shame to read it first, though, since it would take away a lot of the mystery of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But that just could be because this is the order I've read them in-? Regardless, I liked this one. These have all been very cute :).

ROOT #18

Title: The Last Battle

Author: C.S. Lewis

Cover:



Format: paperback

When/how acquired: From my husband’s collection.

Amazon description:

Narnia . . . where lies breed fear . . . where loyalty is tested . . . where all hope seems lost.

During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest challenge—not an invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have taken root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the destruction of all they hold dear in this, the magnificent ending to The Chronicles of Narnia.

Comments:

I thought this one was quite bizarre. Not really the ending I was expecting, although I'm not sure what I did expect :). But overall I did like the series and I'm happy to have finished it! Now if I could only finish a few other series I'd started much longer ago than this one...

ROOT #19

Title: Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron

Author: Kim Newman

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 10/22/2015

Amazon description:

WAR IS HELL...It is 1918 and Graf von Dracula is commander-in-chief of the armies of Germany and Austria-Hungary. The War of the Great Powers in Europe is also a war between the living and the undead. Caught up in the conflict, Charles Beauregard, an old enemy of Dracula, his protegé Edwin Winthrop, and intrepid vampire reporter Kate Reed go head-to-head with the lethal vampire flying machine that is the Bloody Red Baron...

In the brand-new novella Vampire Romance, Geneviève Dieudonné, newly returned to England, infiltrates a singular vampire gathering in the service of the Diogenes Club.

A brand-new edition, with additional novella, of the critically acclaimed, bestselling sequel to Anno Dracula. Written by popular novelist and movie critic Kim Newman, The Bloody Red Baron takes the story into the 20th century.

Comments:

I loved this! I didn’t expect to, as I’d read the main story once before (probably 20 years ago) and didn’t remember anything about it. I was probably just too young for it or in the wrong frame of mind or something at that time. Anyway, I really enjoyed it this time and also thought the new novella at the end was hilarious (I wasn't expecting that, as the main story wasn't heavy on humor); I loved it, too. We already had a paperback of Anno Dracula, which I’d re-read in 2014. My husband bought all of the sequels in the series for $1.99 each last year so I look forward to reading the rest of them soon. Looks like there is also supposed to be a 5th book in 2017.

ROOT # 20

Title: Into the Wind: My Six-Month Journey Wandering the World for Life’s Purpose

Author: Jake Ducey

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 08/25/2014

Amazon description:

Without a map, nineteen-year-old Jake Ducey leaves behind a drug-filled life and college basketball scholarship to wander the world and prove we can create/find our dreams by following our heart. On the outskirts of civilization, often uncertain, without money and near death, he finds that everything he was seeking in the world was within him the whole time. Journeying from Guatemala to Australia, Indonesia to Thailand, and ending with fourteen days of silent meditation, he shows that our destiny is in reach if we only look within ourselves first.

Comments:

I’m still reading this one but will probably finish it tomorrow or the next day, so I figured I’d go ahead and log it here. So far I’m not digging it very much, unfortunately, but it’s very highly rated on Amazon so it’s probably just me missing something...

*Edit: Okay, I finished it today and it just was not my cup of tea :(. The writing style wasn't for me and the philosophy seemed like a jumble; I couldn't really get a handle on what he was trying to convey other than "follow your heart and everything will be okay," and there was some Law of Attraction/The Secret stuff sprinkled in, too...The author seems like he's probably a nice guy, though.

Anyway, it was short and counts as a ROOT, so yay!

Wow you are really chugging along! Congrats on 20 ROOTs pulled already!
Looks like you're reading a lot of good ones :) .. and maybe a couple not-as-good ones ;p

>82 avanders: Thanks, I'm trying! :)

Good job, Elizabeth. Almost halfway your goal. Only 2,5 books and two more months.

>84 connie53: Thanks, Connie :). Last year I cut it very close with making my goal, so this time I wanted to build up a lead early on. Hopefully I'll be able to hang onto it as the year progresses...:)

>85 readingtangent: I'm sure you will hang onto it. I'm trying very hard too.

ROOT # 21

Title: Ella Enchanted

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 07/13/2014

Amazon description:

How can a fairy's blessing be such a curse?

At her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift -- the "gift' of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse -- once and for all.

Comments:

I thought this story was so cute and funny! I also loved the clean and simple writing style. An easy 5 stars for me, and I will probably look for some more books by this author.

That description sounds lovely. And funny!

>87 readingtangent: wow - will have to check that out!

>88 connie53:, >89 avanders: Yeah, I thought it was super-cute :). When my niece and goddaughters get old enough, I think it would make a great gift for them.

ROOT # 22

Title: Lucien’s Fall

Author: Barbara Samuel

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 02/10/2015

Amazon description:

A SINFULLY APPEALING RAKE
Lord Lucien Escher is a renowned London rake who believes there is not a woman in the world who cannot be seduced--he is determined to prove it, come what may.

AN INTELLIGENT AND DETERMINED WOMAN
Madeline is determined to save her treasured ancestral home and has no use for love or the tricks of an unredeemable scoundrel. Against her better judgment, however, she is powerfully drawn to the elusive and dangerous Lucien, whose hardhearted façade hides a tragedy that is slowly devouring him from within.

As Lucien and Madeline circle each other in a magnetic play of desire and denial, their passion will rise to a crescendo of longing and sacrifice that will change their fates forever.

Comments:

I finished this book almost a week ago and I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about it. Most of the historical romances I’ve read so far have had quite a bit of humor in them but this one didn’t; it was more serious. I didn’t mind that, it was just different for me.

I thought the book was well-written and enjoyed the author’s poetic style of writing. There were parts of the story I really enjoyed, too, but there were also things I didn’t like as much ( It’s a little hard for me to enjoy a romance when one of the main characters is involved with someone else to the point that you know the third person is going to be hurt when the H/h ultimately end up together. That was the case here, with Madeline’s fiancé, Charles. I felt bad for him and it put a damper on my enjoyment of the romance between Madeline and Lucien!), and I was left with some questions. I guess you could say that overall, I have mixed feelings about this one. I’d read more by Barbara Samuel, though. And I love that cover; it’s so pretty!

ROOT #23

Title: Sinner: The Wolves of Mercy Falls Book 4

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 07/31/2014

Amazon description:

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy.

found.

Cole St. Clair has come to California for one reason: to get back Isabel Culpeper. She fled from his damaged, drained life, and damaged and drained it even more. He doesn't just want her. He needs her.

lost.

Isabel is trying to build herself a life in Los Angeles. It's not really working. She can play the game as well as all the other fakes. But what's the point? What is there to win?

sinner.

Cole and Isabel share a past that never seemed to have a future. They have the power to love each other and the power to tear each other apart. The only thing for certain is that they cannot let go.

Comments:

I read the 3 other books in this series about 5 or 6 years ago and didn’t really remember either of these characters from them, but I enjoyed the story anyway. There wasn’t much of a plot, really, but I didn’t notice that until I’d finished the book :). I didn't mind; I liked reading about the characters just going through their days and trying to find their way back to one another. I also just really like Maggie Stiefvater’s writing.

Congrats on pulling 2 more ROOTs.. you've passed your halfway mark!

Congrats on passing the halfway mark, Elizabeth!

>93 avanders:, >94 connie53: Thanks! :)

ROOT #24

Title: Doomed

Author: Chuck Palahniuk

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Christmas gift 2015

Amazon description:

Madison Spencer, the liveliest and snarkiest dead girl in the universe, continues the afterlife adventure begun in Chuck Palahniuk’s bestseller Damned. Just as that novel brought us a brilliant Hell that only he could imagine, Doomed is a dark and twisted apocalyptic vision from this provocative storyteller.

The bestselling Damned chronicled Madison’s journey across the unspeakable (and really gross) landscape of the afterlife to confront the Devil himself. But her story isn’t over yet. In a series of electronic dispatches from the Great Beyond, Doomed describes the ultimate showdown between Good and Evil.

After a Halloween ritual gone awry, Madison finds herself trapped in Purgatory—or, as mortals like you and I know it, Earth. She can see and hear every detail of the world she left behind, yet she’s invisible to everyone who’s still alive. Not only do people look right through her, they walk right through her as well. The upside is that, no longer subject to physical limitations, she can pass through doors and walls. Her first stop is her parents’ luxurious apartment, where she encounters the ghost of her long-deceased grandmother. For Madison, the encounter triggers memories of the awful summer she spent upstate with Nana Minnie and her grandfather, Papadaddy. As she revisits the painful truth of what transpired over those months (including a disturbing and finally fatal meeting in a rest stop’s fetid men’s room, in which . . . well, never mind), her saga of eternal damnation takes on a new and sinister meaning. Satan has had Madison in his sights from the very beginning: through her and her narcissistic celebrity parents, he plans to engineer an era of eternal damnation. For everyone.

Once again, our unconventional but plucky heroine must face her fears and gather her wits for the battle of a lifetime. Dante Alighieri, watch your back; Chuck Palahniuk is gaining on you.

Comments:

If you’re familiar with Chuck Palahniuk then you know what to expect from one of his stories: something weird, gross, a little depressing, but also darkly funny. This is the sequel to Damned and I liked that one more, but after the first few “chapters” (they are actually blog posts, I guess) of this one, I got into the story and read it quickly. I chuckled out loud quite a bit :). There’s not much resolution at the end of this, so I hope there is a third installment (and that it comes out before I completely forget what happened in parts 1 and 2).

>87 readingtangent: Going back a bit, but Ella Enchanted has long been a favourite of mine. So fun (and smart!). I may still have a bit of a crush on Char...

>97 Caramellunacy: Yes, Ella Enchanted was such an adorable book! And Char is crush-worthy, for sure :).

My stats for April, since I missed it (oops):

4 "old" TBRs read
4 new books acquired, 2 new books read

My stats for May:

4 "old TBRs" read, bringing my total down to 169.
3 new books acquired and 1 new one read, bringing the "new TBR" total to 15.
So my overall total is now 184, down from 192 at the beginning of the year. I'm down 8 books, which really doesn't feel like much :(. But I'll take it.

Also, I've mostly managed to stick to the rules I'd established for myself in post >50 readingtangent: and I think they've helped, so I'm going to keep them for the rest of the year.

Nice stats, Elizabeth.

>100 connie53: Thanks, Connie :).

ROOT #25

Title: Slipknot: All Hope Is Gone

Author: Joel McIver

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Christmas gift 2015

Amazon description:

With no fewer than nine members and a unique stage image based on grotesque masks and boiler suits, Slipknot retained a mystique that was unprecedented in the metal world, never allowing their faces to become known – so that the focus would remain on their music.

The first edition of this book published in 2001 followed the band from their inception in Des Moines, Iowa in the mid-1990s through to the release of their second album: an updated edition followed in 2003.

It’s now a decade since the first volume appeared, and in that time Slipknot have evolved into a completely different band from the one that first emerged into the limelight in 1999. Everyone knows their faces now.

The band’s music is darker, deeper and more adult after four studio albums, three DVDs and a live release.

Most strikingly, the sudden death of their bass player Paul Gray in 2010 has changed the face and the attitude of the group, although their commercial profile is, if anything, greater than it was before.

Slipknot: All Hope Is Gone explores this unlikely and tragic evolution, with new chapters covering the band’s career to date – and it also asks what their future will be.

Comments:

I read this one in anticipation of seeing Slipknot live again, later this month. However, Corey Taylor had to have emergency surgery a couple of weeks ago and now the concert I have tickets for has been postponed until August :(! Oh, well. I’m just glad they didn’t cancel the tour or anything. Guess now I'm just psyched ahead of time :).

I thought the book was pretty good for being unauthorized. It focuses mainly on the early years and initial formation of the band, and includes a lot of interesting trivia and anecdotes. The later chapters feel a little tacked-on (because they were :)), but I would think any Slipknot fan would find the whole thing interesting and worth reading.

ROOT #26

Title: Anno Dracula: Dracula Cha Cha Cha

Author: Kim Newman

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Husband bought 12/08/2015

Amazon description:

Written by award-winning novelist Kim Newman, this is a brand-new edition, with additional 40,000 word never-before-seen novella, of the popular third installment of the Anno Dracula series, Dracula Cha Cha Cha.

Rome. 1959. Count Dracula is about to marry the Moldavian Princess Asa Vajda - his sixth wife. Journalist Kate Reed flies into the city to visit the ailing Charles Beauregard and his vampire companion Geneviève. Finding herself caught up in the mystery of the Crimson Executioner who is bloodily dispatching vampire elders in the city, Kate discovers that she is not the only one on his trail...

Comments:

I enjoyed this one, although not as much as part 2 (ROOT #19). I thought it started off strong and then sort of fizzled by the end, but then the bonus novella sort of gave the overall book a boost. Like the last book, these stories were more humorous in tone than the first one.

I really like the vampire-populated world Newman has built (he raises so many interesting questions about what our world would look like if vampires were real and lived out in the open) and I am looking forward to reading part 4 in the series sometime soon. It makes me a little sad that there’s only one book left, but I guess there is supposed to be another one published sometime in 2017 :).

ROOT #27

Title: Star Wars: Scoundrels

Author: Timothy Zahn

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Christmas gift 2015

Amazon description:

To make his biggest score, Han’s ready to take even bigger risks.
But even he can’t do this job solo.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Han Solo should be basking in his moment of glory. After all, the cocky smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon just played a key role in the daring raid that destroyed the Death Star and landed the first serious blow to the Empire in its war against the Rebel Alliance. But after losing the reward his heroics earned him, Han’s got nothing to celebrate. Especially since he’s deep in debt to the ruthless crime lord Jabba the Hutt. There’s a bounty on Han’s head—and if he can’t cough up the credits, he’ll surely pay with his hide. The only thing that can save him is a king’s ransom. Or maybe a gangster’s fortune? That’s what a mysterious stranger is offering in exchange for Han’s less-than-legal help with a riskier-than-usual caper. The payoff will be more than enough for Han to settle up with Jabba—and ensure he never has to haggle with the Hutts again.

All he has to do is infiltrate the ultra-fortified stronghold of a Black Sun crime syndicate underboss and crack the galaxy’s most notoriously impregnable safe. It sounds like a job for miracle workers . . . or madmen. So Han assembles a gallery of rogues who are a little of both—including his indispensable sidekick Chewbecca and the cunning Lando Calrissian. If anyone can dodge, deceive, and defeat heavily armed thugs, killer droids, and Imperial agents alike—and pull off the heist of the century—it’s Solo’s scoundrels. But will their crime really pay, or will it cost them the ultimate price?

BONUS: Includes the novella Winner Lose All.

Comments:

I’d seen this described as “Ocean’s 11 with Star Wars characters” and thought it sounded cool. I usually like heist stories. Plus, that cover! I just love it. I did end up liking the book (and the bonus novella) a lot. A fun, quick read that reminded me why I keep reading Star Wars books.

ROOT #28

Title: The Short Drop

Author: Matthew Fitzsimmons

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: 11/30/2015 as a “Kindle First”

Amazon description:

The bestseller with over half a million readers that People magazine called a “live-wire debut.”
A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappeared in the most sensational missing-person case in the nation’s history. Still unsolved, the mystery remains a national obsession.
For legendary hacker and marine Gibson Vaughn, the case is personal—Suzanne Lombard had been like a sister to him. On the tenth anniversary of her disappearance, the former head of Benjamin Lombard’s security asks for Gibson’s help in a covert investigation of the case, with new evidence in hand.
Haunted by tragic memories, he jumps at the chance to uncover what happened all those years ago. Using his military and technical prowess, he soon discovers multiple conspiracies surrounding the Lombard family—and he encounters powerful, ruthless political players who will do anything to silence him and his team. With new information surfacing that could threaten Lombard’s bid for the presidency, Gibson must stay one step ahead as he navigates a dangerous web to get to the truth.

Comments:

I haven’t finished this one yet, but I’m more than halfway through so I figured I’d go ahead and log it :).

Update: In the end, I wound up thinking this one was just okay. I am NOT good as guessing "twist" endings, yet I guessed this one early on :(. So that was a little disappointing. The story moved fast, though, and I liked the main characters. I might read the next one of these when it comes out.

>102 readingtangent: wow, very cool that that is based on real life! Sounds very interesting.
I can imagine seeing the band live after reading a book like that would be engaging! And awesome that it wasn't canceled -- August will be here before you know it!

>103 readingtangent: I love that title ;)

>104 readingtangent: fun!

>106 avanders: Yep, now the show is only about 5 weeks away! So excited! :)

I like the Dracula Cha Cha Cha title, too. I think in the UK it was published as "Judgement of Tears," which doesn't sound nearly as fun :/!

ROOT # 29

Title: Anno Dracula: Johnny Alucard

Author: Kim Newman

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Husband bought it 10/22/2015

Amazon description:

THE HOTLY ANTICIPATED BRAND-NEW ADDITION TO THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ANNO DRACULA SERIES!

Award-winning author Kim Newman takes the series stateside to Andy Warhol's New York and Orson Welles' Hollywood.

It's 1976 and vampire reporter Kate Reed is on the set of Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula. She helps a young vampire boy, Ion Popescu, who then leaves Transylvania for America. In the States, Popescu becomes Johnny Pop and attaches himself to Andy Warhol, inventing a new drug which confers vampire powers on its users...

Comments:

I don’t think this book was written as a novel. It’s a bunch of novellas and short stories put together in chronological order to continue the Anno Dracula story. As a result, the narrative seemed a bit disjointed. The book also felt really L-O-N-G. It just kept going and going and going…All that said, though, I really enjoyed it! It was weird, but my kind of weird, I guess :).

There really aren’t that many people I know who I’d feel comfortable recommending these books to, aside from the first one, because I can see how it wouldn’t be to a lot of people’s tastes, particularly with ALL the pop culture references. But I think if you can get on board with Newman and what he’s trying to do, you can have a lot of fun with the story. I look forward to the next book coming out!

ROOT # 30

Title: For Love of the Duke

Author: Christi Caldwell

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 05/23/2015

Amazon description:

After the tragic death of his wife, Jasper, the 8th Duke of Bainbridge buried himself away in the dark cold walls of his home, Castle Blackwood. When he’s coaxed out of his self-imposed exile to attend the amusements of the Frost Fair, his life is irrevocably changed by his fateful meeting with Lady Katherine Adamson.

With her tight brown ringlets and silly white-ruffled gowns, Lady Katherine Adamson has found her dance card empty for two Seasons. After her father’s passing, Katherine learned the unreliability of men, and is determined to depend on no one, except herself. Until she meets Jasper…

In a desperate bid to avoid a match arranged by her family, Katherine makes the Duke of Bainbridge a shocking proposition—one that he accepts.

Only, as Katherine begins to love Jasper, she finds the arrangement agreed upon is not enough. And Jasper is left to decide if protecting his heart is more important than fighting for Katherine’s love.

Comments:

This had some cute parts, but overall just wasn’t my cup of tea :(. I have another of the “The Heart of a Duke” books in my virtual TBR pile so I will probably give the series another shot sometime. Not sure when, though.

ROOT #31

Title: It’s So Easy: and other lies

Author: Duff McKagan

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Christmas gift 2012

Amazon description:

In his New York Times bestseller, Duff McKagan, founding member of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, shares the story of his rise to fame and fortune, his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction, his personal crash and burn, and his life-saving transformation via a unique path to sobriety.

In 1984, at the age of twenty, Duff McKagan left his native Seattle—partly to pursue music but mainly to get away from a host of heroin overdoses then decimating his closest group of friends in the local punk scene. In LA only a few weeks and still living in his car, he answered a want ad for a bass player placed by someone who identified himself only as “Slash.” Soon after, the most dangerous band in the world was born. Guns N’ Roses went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide.

In It’s So Easy, Duff recounts Guns’ unlikely trajectory to a string of multiplatinum albums, sold-out stadium concerts, and global acclaim. But that kind of glory can take its toll, and it did—ultimately—on Duff, as well as on the band itself. As Guns began to splinter, Duff felt that he himself was done, too. But his near death as a direct result of alcoholism proved to be his watershed, the turning point that sent him on a unique path to sobriety and the unexpected choices he has made for himself since.

In a voice that is as honest as it is indelibly his own, Duff—one of rock’s smartest and most articulate personalities—takes readers on a harrowing journey through the dark heart of one of the most notorious bands in rock-and-roll history and out the other side.

Comments:

Someone gave this to my husband as a Christmas gift back in 2012. I’ve wanted to read it ever since he finished it, because he said it was really good. Well, I finally got around to it now, because we’re seeing Guns n’ Roses on their reunion tour soon and I've had the band on the brain :)!

Anyway, I’ve read a lot of rock musician biographies and I’d probably rank this one as the third best I've ever read, after The Dirt and The Heroin Diaries. Interesting story, really well-written, and includes a lot of redemptive/hopeful insights on Duff's part. He seems like a smart guy.

ROOT #32

Title: Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks

Author: Brad Dukes

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Christmas gift 2014

Amazon description:

Reflections: An Oral History of Twin Peaks examines David Lynch and Mark Frost's legendary television series that aired on the ABC network from 1990-91. As the mystery of "Who Killed Laura Palmer?" played out on television sets across the world, another compelling drama was unfolding in the everyday lives of the show's cast and crew. Twenty-five years later, Reflections goes behind the curtain of Twin Peaks and documents the series' unlikely beginnings, widespread success, and peculiar collapse. Featuring first-hand accounts from series co-creator Mark Frost and cast members including Kyle MacLachlan, Madchen Amick, Richard Beymer, Joan Chen, Sherilyn Fenn, Miguel Ferrer, Piper Laurie, Sheryl Lee, Michael Ontkean, Ray Wise, Billy Zane, and many more - Reflections explores the magic and mystique of a true television phenomenon, Twin Peaks.

Comments:

My husband gave this one to me for Christmas in 2014. I feel bad that it took me so long to get to it. I usually try to read gifts within the year of receiving them :(. It was really good, too! I feel as though I’ve seen and read so many things about Twin Peaks over the years, that I must know everything there is to know about the show already, but apparently not :). This book didn’t feel redundant to me at all. It’s packed full of all sorts of interesting memories and anecdotes I'd never heard before. It was a quick read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in the show.

Also, I LOVE the cover :)!

You are making excellent progress, Elizabeth!

>112 connie53: Thanks, Connie! I'm trying :).

ROOT # 33

Title: Survivor’s Quest

Author: Timothy Zahn

Cover:



Format: hardcover

When/how acquired: purchased used 09/17/2007

Amazon description:

Sometimes it seems a Jedi’s work is never done and Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker know this only too well. Despite the bond they share in the Force, after three years of marriage the Jedi Master and his wife are still learning the ropes of being a couple—and struggling to find time together between the constant demands of duty. But all that will change when they’re united on an unexpected mission—and must pool their exceptional skills to combat an insidious enemy . . . and salvage a part of Jedi history.

It begins with a message from a surprising source: Nirauan, the planet where Thrawn, dangerous disciple of Emperor Palpatine, once held sway . . . and from which Luke and Mara barely escaped with their lives. The message itself is shocking. After fifty years, the remains of Outbound Flight—a pioneering Jedi expedition viciously destroyed by Thrawn—have been found on Nirauan. Now, the fiercely honor-bound aliens who reside there wish to turn over the remnants of the doomed mission to the New Republic. Accepting the gesture will mean a long voyage into the treacherous cluster of stars where the thousands of souls aboard the Outbound Flight vessel met their grim fate. But it may also mean something more . . . something that has stirred an inexplicable sense of foreboding in Mara.

Whatever may await, the Skywalkers will not face it alone. Joining them on the strange and solemn journey are an officer of the post-Palpatine Empire, escorted by a detachment of Imperial stormtroopers; a party of diplomats from a gentle alien species that reveres the fallen Jedi for saving them from bloodthirsty conquerors; and a New Republic ambassador who harbors his own mysterious agenda.

Soon enough, suspicion, secrecy, and an unknown saboteur run rampant aboard the isolated ship. But it is within the derelict walls of Outbound Flight itself, buried for half a century on a desolate planetoid, where the gravest danger lies. As the marooned hulk yields up stunning revelations and unexpected terrors to its visitors, Luke and Mara find all they stand for—and their very existence—brutally challenged. And the ultimate test will be surviving the deathtrap carefully laid by foes who are legendary for their ruthlessness . . . and determined to complete the job Thrawn began: exterminating the Jedi.

Comments:

I tend to enjoy Timothy Zahn’s entries into the Star Wars EU and this book was no exception. I liked this one a lot. I especially liked getting to see Luke and Mara working together as a team. The drama in this story came from the rest of the plot, not from problems within their relationship, and I appreciated that a lot. It seems rare to read about a married couple that actually gets along! Also, there were just interesting twists to the story that I didn’t see coming.

And...now that my husband and I have both read this story, I can purge this book from my shelves. Yay!

ROOT # 34

Title: Finding Ultra

Author: Rich Roll

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: purchased 08/04/2015

Amazon description:

Finding Ultra is Rich Roll’s incredible-but-true account of achieving one of the most awe-inspiring midlife physical transformations ever.

One cool evening in October 2006, the night before he was to turn forty, Rich experienced a chilling glimpse of his future. Nearly fifty pounds overweight at the time and unable to climb the stairs without stopping, he could see where his current sedentary lifestyle was taking him. Most of us, when granted such a moment of clarity, look the other way—but not Rich. Plunging into a new way of eating that made processed foods off-limits and that prioritized plant nutrition, and vowing to train daily, Rich morphed—in a matter of mere months—from out-of-shape midlifer to endurance machine. When one morning ninety days into his physical overhaul, Rich left the house to embark on a light jog and found himself running a near marathon, he knew he had to scale up his goals. How many of us take up a sport at age forty and compete for the title of the world’s best within two years? Finding Ultra recounts Rich’s remarkable journey to the starting line of the elite Ultraman competition, which pits the world’s fittest humans against each other in a 320-mile ordeal of swimming, biking, and running. And following that test, Rich conquered an even greater one: the Epic5—five Ironman-distance triathlons, each on a different Hawaiian island, all completed in less than a week.

But Finding Ultra is much more than an edge-of-the-seat look at a series of jaw-dropping athletic feats—and much more than a practical training manual for those who would attempt a similar transformation. Yes, Rich’s account rivets—and, yes, it instructs, providing information that will be invaluable to anyone who wants to change their physique. But this book is most notable as a powerful testament to human resiliency, for as we learn early on, Rich’s childhood posed numerous physical and social challenges, and his early adulthood featured a fierce battle with alcoholism. Ultimately, Finding Ultra is a beautifully written portrait of what willpower can accomplish. It challenges all of us to rethink what we’re capable of and urges us, implicitly and explicitly, to “go for it.”

Comments:

I bought this book last year when in it was on sale for $1.99. It was just okay for me. I found the first part, where he talks about his struggles with alcoholism, more interesting than the second half, but that is probably because I am just generally interested in the subject of addiction.

I’d thought this would be the story of an “average Joe” type of guy who went from being completely overweight and out of shape to being one of the “world’s fittest men” (like it says on the cover). It was actually more of a comeback story, as the author had been an athlete earlier in his life and had simply fallen out of shape. He obviously has quite a bit of natural talent and admits that this runs in his family. He also has money, connections, and other resources that made his comeback possible. Interesting, but not exactly inspiring, I guess. He throws in a lot of references to the nutritional supplements and other products that he sells, so parts of the book come off sounding like an ad :/.

Also, I never quite know what to think about some of these “ultra” endurance events. Yes, the athletes suffer a great deal during them, but…it is purely their choice to put themselves through that. I never know whether they are being bold and courageous or just…foolish? Ha :). I felt the same way when I read Eat and Run, although that was a better and more interesting book. Scott Jurek really did have a tough childhood and he comes across as pretty down-to-earth.

So, I had a bit of a wake-up call yesterday. For most of this year I've felt as though I was being pretty mindful about my book-buying. I felt as though I really hadn't bought all that many, particularly in comparison to previous years. But I looked at my "books purchased" spreadsheet and realized that by this time last year, I had bought 38 books and so far this year, I have bought 36 :(. Hardly any change at all! Boo!

I started off with a list of 195 books TBR and have read 34 of them. I've also added 23 new titles to the TBR pile, which brings me to 184 books on the list. I'm only down by 11 books total! Not even enough to clear a physical shelf. Good thing most of my TBRs are digital, but still. I'm going to keep trying...

>116 readingtangent: I can totally understand what you mean, Elizabeth. I'm trying to downscale my book buying too. So far I bought 30 books. My total last year was 58 and I really aim for less these year.

>116 readingtangent: >117 connie53: It is looking like this year I am going to exceed the number of books that I bought last year, but I am taking comfort that I have already read more this year than I did last year, so my ratio of books read to books bought is slightly less worrying! Last year I bought 3 books for every 1 I read, but this year so far I've only bought 2 for every 1 read. Which is still a lot, but going in the right direction!

Hi! I couldn't possibly catch up on the threads after my crazy-long absence, but I just wanted to say hi :)

I just noticed also that you're doing a great job w/ your ROOTing goal! Congrats!

>117 connie53: Thanks, Connie. At this rate I'll probably end up buying almost the same amount as I did last year :(. But I still have hope for myself, that I can slow down the rate.

>118 Jackie_K: You're doing so well, Jackie! You're right, even if you buy more, as long as you're also reading even MORE, it works out alright :). Keep up the good work!

>119 avanders:, >120 avanders: Thanks, Aletheia! I'm trying to take it slow and steady and it seems to be working. It's so good to see you're back.

ROOT # 35

Title: Shadow Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga Book 4)

Author: Sarra Cannon

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 04/16/2014

Amazon description:

This is Book 4 of The Shadow Demons Saga:

In Peachville, there's a fine line between good and evil.

That line is about to be crossed.

Comments:

I read the first 3 books in this series years ago. I think at that time, that was all that existed. Then, by the time the author put out more books, I'd been sidetracked by other stuff to read and I just never got back around to the Peachville Demons Saga!

I've collected a bunch of the newer books over the past couple of years, though, and am finally getting around to them now. I enjoyed this one a lot. I'd forgotten how addictive the storytelling is!

Since the description doesn't really say anything about the series, here's the description from the 1st book, Beautiful Demons, that tells a little bit more:

Beautiful Demons
Harper Madison isn't like other girls. She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she's lost count. Shadowford Home for Girls is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs.

But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret.

ROOT # 36

Title: Rival Demons (The Shadow Demons Saga Book 5)

Author: Sarra Cannon

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 08/25/2014

Amazon description:

Book 5 of The Shadow Demons Saga:

After narrowly escaping death at the hand of the Order of Shadows, Harper finds herself thrust into the strange and beautiful world of the shadow demons. But crossing through the portal doesn't mean she is safe. The Order of Shadows is determined to bring her home and transfer the Prima line to the Harris family. They send their most vicious hunters after Harper. Hunters who will not stop until they have found their prey.

Determined to keep her safe, Jackson takes her deep into an underground world filled with dangers of its own. Here, Harper will begin a journey that will teach her more about herself and her own path than she ever imagined possible.

But will her relationship with Jackson survive?

Comments:

I put the description in spoiler mode since it gives away plot points from the earlier books. I really enjoyed this installment in the series, too. These books are sort of like candy. Fun, and so easy to just keep reading and reading…I already started the next one :).

>121 readingtangent: Maybe I should make more of an effort to do that... I aways sprint in the beginning and then get tired in the middle.... ;P
Thanks! It's good to be back :)

ROOT # 37

Title: Demons Forever (The Shadow Demons Saga Book 6)

Author: Sarra Cannon

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchases 08/25/2014

Amazon description:

Harper has come a long way from her life as a foster child. She never imagined what her future would hold when she was first brought to the small town of Peachville. Since that day she's faced great evil, found some of the answers she's been looking for, and fallen deeply, madly in love. But her biggest challenge and her greatest lessons are still ahead of her.

Comments:

This was supposed to be the end of the series but I see there are now two other installments, in addition to the “bonus” books I read as ROOTs #38, 39, and 40. Oh, well. I’m actually glad the story continues because I really liked it. I tore through these last few books! Also, I love this cover. Harper looks so pretty :).

ROOT # 38

Title: A Demon’s Wrath: Part 1

Author: Sarra Cannon

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchases 09/15/2014

Amazon description:

The bestselling Shadow Demons Saga continues with this bonus novel told from Jackson's point-of-view!

"In order to move toward my future, I knew I would have to face my past. If Harper was to ever really understand me, she would have to also understand my greatest triumphs and my darkest secrets."

Jackson's past is complicated, but he needs for Harper to understand what he's been through before the war with the remaining priestesses of the Order begins. Part flashback, part present day, A Demon's Wrath will take you on a journey through both Peachville and The Shadow World where you will learn more about Jackson's life just before and after his brother Aerden was taken by the Order of Shadows.

Comments:

A short “bonus” novel in the Shadow Demons Saga, told from the male MC’s POV. This was probably one of my favorites in the series. I thought it was really well done. This title is now sold as one book, but I’d bought it as two parts. They were listed as separate books on my TBR list, so I am listing them as separate reads here, too.

ROOT # 39

Title: A Demon’s Wrath: Part 2

Author: Sarra Cannon

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchases 09/15/2014

Amazon description:

(Same as above)

Comments:

Part 2 of ROOT #38

ROOT # 40

Title: After Midnight: A Shadow Demons Novella

Author: Sarra Cannon

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 11/04/2015

Amazon description:

From the outside, Becca Goldberg looks like any normal freshman girl at Tulane, but she’s been keeping a terrible secret. She’s really Allison Moore—a young witch from Peachville hiding out from an evil coven of witches known as the Order of Shadows. She thinks she is safe until an unexpected accident occurs. Now, she only has until midnight on Halloween until her identity is discovered.

She must turn to the hottest, most elusive guy on campus for help. Will he help save her? Or will her life come crashing down around her after midnight?

**After Midnight originally appeared in the Halloween collection entitled “Midnight Kiss”. This story is tied to The Shadow Demons Saga, but it can also stand alone! If you haven’t read The Shadow Demons Saga, you can get the first THREE books in the series for FREE!**

Comments:

A bonus novella in the Shadow Demons Saga. I loved this! It was short and sweet, moved quickly and was just super cute. I kind of hope these side characters show up again in the series later; that would be awesome.

Btw, the link in the description was broken, so I removed it, but you really can get the first three books in this series for free on Amazon, if anyone's interested...

Now I only have five more books to go in order to complete my challenge! Woo-hoo! :D

>128 readingtangent: You are serial reading! WOW! And only 5 more to go to reach your goal. You go!

>129 connie53: Thanks, Connie :). Yeah, I'm kinda sad that I ran out of books in that series to read (there are more, but I don't have them).

>129 connie53: >130 readingtangent: So fun! I love being able to do that :)
& awesome that you're so close to your goal!!

>131 avanders: It is fun. I have a couple of other series waiting, where I have all the books saved up, so I should do it again :).

And yay, only 2 1/2 more books to go now!

ROOT # 41

Title: Supernatural: Fresh Meat

Author: Alice Henderson

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 09/09/2015

Amazon description:

A rash of strange deaths in the Tahoe National Forest bring Sam, Dean and Bobby to the Sierra Nevada mountains to hunt a monster with a taste for human flesh. Soon walking corpses, bodies with missing organs, and attacks by a mysterious flying creature lead the trio to a cunning and deadly foe which can assume a human form and will do anything to survive. When a blizzard strikes the area, and not knowing who they can trust, they must battle not only the monster, but also the elements to survive.

A Supernatural novel that reveals a previously unseen adventure for the Winchester brothers, from the hit TV series!

Comments:

I bought this as a birthday present for my husband last year, and have wanted to read it ever since he finished it and said it was pretty good :). I have to agree. This is the third Supernatural novel I’ve read and it’s probably the one I’ve liked the best so far, although I did enjoy the others. My only complaint about this one is that it was a tad too violent for me. The show is rough, but I don’t think it is quite this rough. Ha. I could have done with a little less brutality. But the story moved very fast, and definitely kept my interest. Piqued my interest about the Donner Party, too, due to the setting of the story...

I’ve got a bunch of other Supernatural novels in my virtual TBR pile and am looking forward to them now, although I’m not sure how many, if any, I’ll be able to get to this year :/.

ROOT # 42

Title: Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

Author: various, edited by Kevin J. Anderson

Cover:



Format: Paperback

When/how acquired: not sure, exactly, but it’s been in my LT since 06/24/2008

Amazon description:

Sixteen stories from the most infamous cantina in the universe...by some of today's leading writers of science fiction.

In a far corner of the universe, on the small desert planet of Tatooine, there is a dark, nic-i-tain-filled cantina where you can down your favorite intoxicant while listening to the best jazz riffs in the universe. But beware your fellow denizens of this pangalactic watering hole, for they are cutthroats and cutpurses, assassins and troopers, humans and aliens, gangsters and thieves....

Featuring original stories by:

Kevin J. Anderson * Doug Beason * M. Shayne Bell * David Bischoff * A.C.
Crispin * Kenneth C. Flint * Barbara Hambly * Rebecca Moesta * Daniel Keys
Moran * Jerry Oltion * Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens * Jennifer Roberson
* Kathy Tyers * Tom Veitch & Martha Veitch * Dave Wolverton * Timothy
Zahn

Comments:

I’m still trying to work my way through all of our Star Wars novels that I hadn’t read yet, so they can be purged from the shelves. It feels SO GOOD to be able to cross this particular one off my list, as it feels like it’s been on there forever! It was a pretty good book, too. As with all anthologies, some stories were better than others, but for the most part I liked them. Some of the writing (as well as the concept of sixteen interconnected stories) was more experimental than in any other SW book I’ve read, and I enjoyed that aspect a lot.

ROOT # 43

Title: Tales from Jabba’s Palace

Author: various, edited by Kevin J. Anderson

Cover:



Format: Paperback

When/how acquired: Not sure. I’ve had it on my shelves for at least 8 years.

Amazon description:

In the dusty heat of twin-sunned Tatooine lives the wealthiest gangster in a hundred worlds, master of a vast crime empire and keeper of a vicious, flesh-eating monster for entertainment (and disposal of his enemies). Bloated and sinister, Jabba the Hutt might have made a good joke -- if he weren't so dangerous. A cast of soldiers, spies, assassins, scoundrels, bounty hunters, and pleasure seekers have come to his palace, and every visitor to Jabba's grand abode has a story. Some of them may even live to tell it. . . .

Featuring original stories by: Kevin J. Anderson, M. Shayne Bell, John Gregory Betancourt, Mark Budz and Marina Fitch, A.C. Crispin, Dan'l Danehy-Oakes, George Alec Effinger, Kenneth C. Flint, Esther Friesner, Barbara Hambly, Daryl F. Mallett, J.D. Montgomery, Judy and Gar Reeves-Stevens, Jennifer Roberson, Kathy Tyers, Deborah Wheeler, Dave Wolverton, William F. Wu, Timothy Zahn.

Comments:

Another SW book down :)! I liked this one a lot, too. As in Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, the stories in this volume are interconnected. The overarching plot concerns a mystery involving a murderer loose in Jabba’s palace. Some of the stories, like “And Then There Were Some: The Gamorrean Guard’s Tale,” “And the Band Played On: The Band’s Tale,” and “The Great God Quay: The Tale of Barada and the Weequays” were silly/funny and others, such as “A Barve Like That: The Tale of Boba Fett,” were pretty dark.

There was even a bit of sweet romance thrown in at the end with “Skin Deep: The Fat Dancer’s Tale,” so of course I liked that :).

Almost there, Elizabeth!

>136 connie53: Thanks, Connie! I made it! :)

ROOT # 44

Title: The Shining

Author: Stephen King

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 08/25/2014

Amazon description:

Terrible events occur at an isolated hotel in the off season, when a small boy with psychic powers struggles to hold his own against the forces of evil that are driving his father insane.

Comments:

I had a paperback copy of this for a really long time, but since I never read it, I sold it. Then, a couple of years ago I saw the e-book on sale for $1.99 so I bought it again. Now I finally read it and I’m glad! It was quite good. I’d always heard it was different from the Kubrick movie and that King didn’t like that adaptation. Now I can see why. One write-up I read about it said that “while the film was a technical marvel… it lacked the heart and emotional complexities of the novel,” and I would have to agree. The book was heart-breaking to me in a way that the movie (which is one of my favorites) just has never been. I may have cried a little. But like I said, I’m glad I finally read this!

ROOT # 45

Title: Sunshine

Author: Robin McKinley

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 10/22/2015

Amazon description:

A small-town baker uses her own magic to confront a post–vampire apocalypse world in this award-winning urban fantasy Neil Gaiman called “pretty much perfect.”

Although it had been mostly deserted since the Voodoo Wars, there hadn’t been any trouble out at the lake for years. Rae Seddon, nicknamed Sunshine, head baker at her family’s busy and popular café in downtown New Arcadia, needed a place to get away from all the noise and confusion—of the clientele and her family. Just for a few hours. Just to be able to hear herself think.

She knew about the Others, of course. Everyone did. And several of her family’s best regular customers were from SOF—Special Other Forces—which had been created to deal with the threat and the danger of the Others.

She drove out to her family’s old lakeside cabin and sat on the porch, swinging her feet and enjoying the silence and the silver moonlight on the water.

She never heard them coming. Of course, you don’t when they’re vampires.

Comments:

I thought this dragged in some places, but overall I really liked it.

Looking at reviews and stuff, I see that the book gets compared to “Buffy” a lot but I personally don’t think it’s anything like that, except that it is about a blonde girl and there are vampires in it :).

I’ve also seen that McKinley has stated she won’t write any sequels to Sunshine, which I find disappointing because the story left me very curious as to what happens next to the characters! And the fantasy world she wrote is so complex and detailed, it seems ripe for more tales…Honestly, I’m still ruminating about the story, even though I finished the book a couple days ago! Oh, well. In some ways, it’s cool there were so many possibilities left open at the end of the book, because it means I’m free to imagine whatever I want to happen next. Ha, ha. It’s also nice to read a book (particularly about vampires) that isn’t part of a series. One and done!

PS: I love the cover.

PPS: I've now officially reached my ROOT goal for the year!! I plan to read at least a few more before the year ends, though, and contribute to the overall group goal :).

Congratulations!

>138 readingtangent: nice comments... will have to actually sit down and read that one, one of these days! It's always a challenge for me to read a book after I've seen the movie (esp. one that I've seen so many times!), but it seems worth it :)

>139 readingtangent: I've heard good things about this and am looking forward to reading it!

& Congrats on meeting your ROOT goal for the year!

>140 MissWatson:, >141 avanders: Thanks! :)

ROOT # 46

Title: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Author: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Cover:



Format: Trade paperback

When/how acquired: ??

Amazon description:

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life.

Comments:

As a Psychology major, I’d heard a lot about this book over the years. My husband picked up a used copy at some point but neither of us had ever read it until this year. Now we both have, and it can be on its way!

I thought the book was really interesting, particularly the concept of what Csikszentmihalyi calls “the autoletic personality.” From Wikipedia: “The autotelic personality is one in which a person performs acts because they are intrinsically rewarding, rather than to achieve external goals. Csikszentmihalyi describes the autotelic personality as a trait possessed by individuals who can learn to enjoy situations that most other people would find miserable.” Reading about this made me feel a little better about myself, as I’ve always been the type of person who rarely gets bored, and who enjoys things that are supposedly awful, like research papers and doing dishes. A lot of people think that is weird. I guess it is weird, but whatever. This book says there’s nothing wrong with it, so there! Ha :).

PS: The pronunciation of the author's name: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Mih%C3%A1ly_Cs%C3%ADkszentmi...

ROOT # 47

Title: How to Catch a Wild Viscount

Author: Tessa Dare

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

When/how acquired: Purchased 10/27/2015

Amazon description:

She's on the hunt for a hero...

Luke Trenton, Viscount Merritt, returned from war a changed man. Battle stripped away his civility and brought out his inner beast. There is no charm or tenderness in him now; only dark passions and a hardened soul. He has nothing to offer the starry-eyed, innocent girl who pledged her heart to him four years ago.

But Cecily Hale isn't a girl any longer. She's grown into a woman--one who won't be pushed away. She and Luke are guests at a house party when a local legend captures their friends' imaginations. While the others plunge into the forest on a wild goose...er, stag chase, Cecily's on the hunt for a man. She has only a few moonlit nights to reach the real Luke...the wounded heart she knows still beats inside the war-ravaged body...or she could lose him to the darkness forever.

This is a novella of approximately 20,000 words, or 80 pages. It was originally published under the title The Legend of the Werestag.

Comments:

This short one was a freebie from Tessa Dare, an author I’ve read a bunch of books by over the past year and a half or so. I love how cute and funny her stories tend to be. The description for this makes it sound much darker than it actually is. It’s just as cute and sweet as all her other stuff I’ve read, and I liked it a lot!

>143 readingtangent: That sounds really interesting, although my experience with psychology books has tended to be that the way they are written means the concept is more interesting than the actual book! (which more often than not will be my fault rather than the author's!). I'm another one who does nerdy stuff like read research papers for fun - Nerds Unite! It's not weird - nerds are cool :)

>145 Jackie_K: It's not weird - nerds are cool :)

Ha. Thanks, Jackie :). And yes, I agree, sometimes the topic sounds a lot more interesting than the actual book turns out to be!

Well, I'd thought for sure I'd finish one more ROOT in 2016, seeing as how it is a graphic novel and I started it weeks ago, but...I'm still only halfway through it :(! So I'll just count it as my first ROOT for next year.

I'm just happy I met my goal early this year, and managed to exceed it. It's also cool the group made its goal so early, too!

Overall, I did okay in the book-buying department. Not great, but okay. Last year I bought 69 new books, this year I bought 53. So 16 less, and roughly one a week. And my overall TBR pile shrunk by 14 books. Hopefully 2017 will see a much bigger dent :).

Happy New Year & see you in the new 2017 group!