Helenz Root Challellenge 2021

A new year and renewed enthusiasm to reduce the unread books on my shelf. I will stay with my target of 4 a month as my daughter is expecting a baby early April and I need to be realistic that it could reduce my reading time. I am looking to use various challenges to help me achieve my goal again.

Well following a splurge with a gift card post Christmas and a new kindle (so I had to download two books for practice), I start the year only one less than last year - 341.
To guide me in my choices i will once again do an Author Alphabet Challenge as the only letter I am missing is X, I will substitute here.
I will also devise a category challenge to match each month of the year. I will give this some consideration before posting

Hi Helen, welcome back to another year of ROOTing and a grandchild on the way.

Welcome back Helen! How exciting that you're going to be a gran/nan/granny/nanny/whatever name you choose!

Good idea to practise downloading books onto the new Kindle! Looking forward to seeing what challenges you'll use to help whittle down the TBR pile. I like having those frameworks for my own reading -- the choice is overwhelming otherwise.

Glad you're back and congrats on the new grandbaby! We will expect pictures!

Happy New Year of reading and ROOTing, Helen. Exciting to have a new grand baby to look forward to!

>4 Jackie_K: Thanks Jackie. I am Gran to six already and I am pretty sure that this will be the last. Seven is my favourite number, so happy with that.

>5 rabbitprincess: Oops! Four more have slipped on to the kindle from my wishlist. I must stop browsing amazon. This is a dangerous pastime. LOL

>6 cyderry: & >7 floremolla: Thank you.

Setting the stage for my challenges. My category challenge is as follows:

January - a book with summer in the title.
- Summertime by J.M. Coetzee

February - a book with a colour in the title.
- The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble

March - a book that is also a movie.
- Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks

April - a book related to birth or new beginnings.
- The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

May - a book that has been unread on my shelf the longest.
- Little Men by Louisa May Alcott

June - a book with a place in the title.
- Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole

July - a book with winter in the title.
- A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore

August - the newest unread book on my shelf.
- One Hundred Days by Alice Pung

September - A book written before 1900.
- Liza of Lambeth by W. Somerset Maugham

October - a thriller, mystery or crime book.
- Force of Nature by Jane Harper

November - a biography.
- I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

December - a book with a person's name in the title.

And Author Alphabet Challenge, which does not have to be completed in order, as mood will often dictate choice.

A. - The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
B. - The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry
C. - Incendiary by Chris Cleave
D. - Oh Play That Thing by Roddy Doyle
E. - Two Brothers by Ben Elton
F. - The Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford
G. - The Quiet American by Graham Greene
H. - Travellers by Helon Habila
I. - The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
J. - Another Country by Anjali Joseph
K. - Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
L. - The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens
M. - The Wilding by Maria McCann
N. - Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen
O. - Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates
P. - Snow by Orhan Pamuk
Q. - The Mountain Sings by Nguyen Phan Que Mai
R. - Serena by Ron Rash
S. - Despite the falling Snow by Shamim Sarif
T. - The Legacy by Kirsten Tranter
U. - The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall
V. - A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul
W. - Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
X. - The Missing by Tim Gautreaux
Y. - A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Z. - The Messenger by Marcus Zusak

Love the potential of all those empty spaces to fill.

It looks tempting, Helen.

Welcome back! Really nice categories. I'm thinking about doing an alphabet challenge as well - do you do only surnames or is that negotiable as well?

Happy reading, Helen, and good luck with your challenges. Congrats on a 7th grandchild, it's such a perfect number.

>15 MissWatson: Like the 7 sisiters!

(probably a bit strange that I think about books when I see a 7 )

>14 Henrik_Madsen: Yes I only use surnames. I have all letters covered, except 'X' (where is Xinran when I need her). However, there are 3 other authors with 'X' in their surname which I will most likely choose from to substitute.

>17 HelenBaker: You can always use Xiaobo Lu

> 18. Ah but it needs to be on my shelf. I have not heard of him but what a remarkable man. Thanks for the suggestion.

>19 HelenBaker: I get it that it needs to be on your shelf. I did an alphabet challenge a few years ago and had trouble finding books with Q and X.

What I enjoy about these challenges is that it forces you to pick up books that have been sitting on your shelves for years and you discover they are gems. I loved The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani, a great start to my alphabet challenge.
I have also decided to limit my choice and where possible choose an author where not only the surname starts with a particular letter, but also the christian name, as in my first choice. I am surprised how many books I have where this is possible. So B. B... coming up.

I did discover that I was wrong in thinking it was only the letter 'X' I lacked. In fact, i don't have 'U' or 'V'. However I will find a suitable substitute.

Hi Helen. I recognized the writer in >21 HelenBaker: and it turns out I've read that one too. The Dutch version is called Dochter van Isfahan. I gave it 4,5 stars when I read this in 2017. Glad you liked it too.

Good luck with finding the U and V substitutes!

Last night as I was contemplating which root next, I realised I hadn't read any NZ authors this month, so that will be my other challenge - to read a New Zealand author on my shelf each month. So with one Category Challenge, two Alphabet Challenges and one New Zealand Author that will give me the required four a month for my root goal.

Great plan, Helen.

New Zealand authors.
1. Leave Before You Go by Emily Perkins
2. Acts of Love by Susan Pearce
3. The Mannequin Makers by Craig Cliff
4. Love and War by Elspeth Sandys
5. Lola by Elizabeth Smither
6. The Curative by Charlotte Randall
7. Dead People's Music by Sarah Laing
8. Maori Boy by Witi Ihimaera
9. Finding Out by Elspeth Sandys
10.The Necessary Angel by C.K. Stead

Another root completed outside of my challenges, A Kindness Cup by Thea Astley. This is an Australian classic and understandably so.

After steady progress last month, i have started this month by buying 11 new books. I had a morning to myself, having spent the last four weeks child minding my grandchildren, so set out to pick up a book from a neighbouring town's library. On route, I spied a book fair and couldn't resist. So I will list my additions in an attempt to track them this year.

Book purchases 2021
1. Last Orders by Graham Swift
2. Little Masters by Damien Wilkins
3. Now that you're back by A.L. Kennedy
4. Girls High by Barbara Anderson
5. Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
6. The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna
7. The Only Story by Julian Barnes
8. Independence Day by Richard Ford
9. The Sportswriter by Richard Ford
10. A Piece of My Heart by Richard Ford
11. A Multitude of Sins by Richard Ford
12. Happiness by Aminatta Forna
13. The Nickel boys by Colson Whitehead
14. The Lay of the Land by Richard Ford
15. From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan
16. The Death of Noah Glass by Gail Jones
17. Four Souls by Louise Erdrich
18. The Dream Lover by William Boyd
19. Fair Exchange by Michele Roberts
20. Goodwood by Holly Throsby
21. The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk
22. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
23. Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant
24. The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toibin
25. Force of Nature by Jane Harper

A book fair! Such sweet memory! And congrats on the acquisitions.

>28 MissWatson: Thanks Birgit. Yes I do appreciate how fortunate we are in New Zealand to be living fairly normal lives. It was a treat to be able to browse and buy.

I have strayed again. I went shopping with my daughter and called in at my favourite second-hand bookstore and three more came home with me.

>30 HelenBaker: I am sure they are happy to have found a nice new home.

>31 MissWatson: Thinking the same thing as Birgit does!

I have run out of time this month. failed to meet all challenges. I hope I can catch up in March. I fear I have made it too difficult for myself but I will keep trying.

>33 HelenBaker: Hi Helen. That's because February is so much shorter. March will certainly be better (and longer).

A visit to a bookfair and five more books added to my collection. I did donate five that I hadn't enjoyed though.

Just popping in to wish you and yours a Happy Easter, Helen! I hope you are still doing fine.

I had a free day today and it was a nice day for a drive to visit local libraries. I also strayed into a couple of second-hand bookshops and as a result five more books joined my collection.

Hi Helen. I read in the progress thread you have a new grandson! Congrats on that!

>38 connie53: Hi Connie. Thank you I am very much enjoying getting to know our newest grandchild. However a wee bit distracting when it comes to reading...

Just a wee bit! LOL. I bet he takes up lots of your thoughts and time!

Finally completed my New Zealand book for April. I am falling behind as I had 4 library books in a row, now completed. So back to my challenges. Today I have started The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro for the letter 'I'.

Hi Helen, good to see you here again. I must read some Ishiguro sometime soon.

I am happy to report three more roots which brings me up to date with my challenges for the month. Now on to my library books for book groups.

I have had a bit of a blow out this weekend with book purchases. It is a long weekend here, Queens Birthday, in New Zealand and a couple of annual book fairs locally. Friday night my daughter and two granddaughters accompanied me to the first, where we all found some books to please us and then enjoyed an Indian curry at a local restaurant. On Sunday after my granddaughters had gone home, I drove forty minutes to another. I came home with another bagful. I find this lady has books not easily found but I have done some serious damage to my 'To Read' numbers, although next book fair isn't until September. So recording my purchases...

26. A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne
27. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
28. The Woman on the Stairs by Bernhard Schlink
29. The Motion of the Body through Space by Lionel Shriver
30. Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende
31. Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
32. Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee
33. Season of the Jew by Maurice Shadbolt
34. White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
35. Five Strings by Apirana Taylor

36. Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
37. The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster
38. The Alleys of Eden by Robert Olen Butler
39. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
39. The Stars are Fire by Anita Shreve
40. The miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Barry Udall
41. Academy Street by Mary Costello
42. Other People's Money by Justin Cartwright
43. Brother-Love Sister-Love by Elizabeth Smither
44. The Lonely Margins of the Sea by Shonagh Koea
45. The Broken Book by Fiona Farrell
46. Tasting Salt by Stephanie Dowrick
47. Heloise by Mandy Hager
48. The Secret life of James Cook by Graeme Lay
49. James Cook's New World by Graeme Lay

>44 HelenBaker: Impressive list! Those should tide you over til the next book fair.

An excellent haul! I am enjoying living vicariously through you ;)

At last a root for the month following a couple of library books. Such a great read too, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.

Wow, Helen. great haul there in >44 HelenBaker:. You are a girl after my own heart too! ;-)). It must be great to go book-shopping with your granddaughters. Can't wait to do that with mine. Fiene will be staying for a few night in the summer break and I promised her we will go down town by the bus. I think I will take her to the bookstore too.

I hope you are doing fine. >47 HelenBaker: That was a great book, I agree!

Finished a final root for the month, The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. this is not one of my challenges but one for a local book group.

Waving!

An extra root for the month, The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams, this was for my online bookgroup discussion.

An extra root for the month, one for my f2f bookgroup, Islands of Mercy by Rose Tremain.

>51 HelenBaker: What did you think of that book, Helen? I loved it a lot.

>53 connie53: Rose Tremain is one of my favourite writers and yes I very much enjoyed it. My review is on the book page.

Another root for the month, this time an ebook, A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing by Jessie Tu

>54 HelenBaker: I was referring to the book by Pip Williams but it's nice to know Rose Tremain is good too.

I have five of her books on the digital shelves and have to check her out now. I have read your review and it sounds like a cozy read.

>56 connie53: Oops sorry Connie. Yes I very much enjoyed The dictionary of Lost Words. I found it fascinating learning about the origins of the Oxford dictionary, which I asked my daughter to buy me for my birthday last year. The first dictionary was such a labour intensive process. What different times we now live in. I especially enjoy Rose Tremain's books with a historic setting. The Colour she set in New Zealand. Her books are all very diverse. Happy reading.

I had the same thought about the Williams book, Helen.

Rose Tremain definitely moves up the digital TBR-soon list.

A weekend away and my first stop is a second hand bookstore...
50. Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
51. The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
52. Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw
53. Milkman by Anna Burns

>59 HelenBaker: But of course it is!

Oops and treated myself to one more from a local second-hand store
54. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

And another book fair with my daughter and granddaughter means 10 more books found a home with me.
55. Gabriel's Bay by Catherine Robertson
56. What You Wish For by Catherine Robertson
57. The Animals in that Country by Laura Jean McKay
58. An Unsuitable Match by Joanna Trollope
59. Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
60. Boy Overboard by Peter Wells
61. The Wedding at Bueno-Vista by Shonagh Koea
62. Amnesia by Peter Carey
63. My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher
64. The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton

To my credit I did donate one of my unread books to the fair which I decided I was not wanting to read. There are possibly a few others I could do this to as I have not made any progress on reducing my TBR stacks.

Yay for book fairs! And never mind the TBR...

I agree with Birgit. Never mind the TBR. I have a box of books to give to a member of my real live book-club. And some to donate to the second hand store. I think that's the first time in a very long time to give up on some books. I have to because I'm running out of space for books.

Whoops tempted by two more books today but one was an ebook.
65. The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
66. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

Hi Helen. I'm trying to visit as many threads as I can manage today. Don't know if I will succeed. But yours is one of them.

>65 HelenBaker: I'm buying more books than I planned too. But hey, we have to have some ROOTs to read next year!

>66 connie53:. Thanks for stopping by Connie.
I completed my goal last week with I am Malala. Although I am pleased to achieve my goal, I admit to disappointment that I have added more than I have removed. I will try for a few more to complete my various challenges this month but sadly it won't be enough. I am thinking next year I will include any book I own in my challenge rather than ones I have owned from before the 1st of January.

>67 HelenBaker: I read I am Malala this year too, she's so very impressive!

I include any of my books (other than reference books, literary magazines etc) as a ROOT regardless of when I buy them. It works for me.

>68 Jackie_K: Yes, Jackie what an incredibly brave young woman. We don't realise how lucky we are to enjoy the freedoms we have.

Oops and another book joins my collection. The library was culling it's copy of Road Ends by Mary Lawson, so a $1 bargain found a new home.

Hi Helen! Good to hear you have reached your goal!



And

>71 connie53: Thanks for brightening up my page in more ways than one Connie.

Christmas brought two new books for my collection;
67. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
68. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

and then I got tempted by some kindle bargains,

69. Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
70.A Little Bird by Wendy James
71. An Island by Karen Jennings
72. The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed
73. Indelible Ink by Fiona McGregor

That book by Amor Towles is one I like to read too.

And last purchase for the year,
74. Devotion by Hannah Kent, there was a sale and I had a discount voucher...

>75 HelenBaker: Well then! A sale and a voucher. You can't ignore that.

I finally completed my 2021 alphabet challenge today with A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. As I completed it in 2022, I will count this in my 2022 root challenge. This book takes the prize for my most harrowing read ever. At 720 pages it was a long haul. I am so relieved to be finished this book.