Curioussquared ROOTs harder in 2024

Hello everyone! I'm Natalie. I have participated in the ROOT challenge on and off over my 15+ years on LT, and consistently over the past several years.

I'm located in Seattle, where I live with my husband and dogs. I do most of my reading curled up on the couch with my retired racing greyhounds Otter and Kermit, or listening to audiobooks while doing chores and walking the dogs.

I read mostly fiction, with a heavy emphasis on fantasy and sci-fi, romance, YA fiction, general fiction/literature, a scattered mystery here and there, and the occasional non-fiction title.

I've been keeping track of my books read since 2008, and I have traditionally aimed for 100, but I think these days I'm usually hoping to hit 150. I hit 227 2023, which is an all-time high and I would be surprised if I get there again, with a total of 111 ROOTs. I wish my ROOTs had made up half of my reading, but I was close, and I spent December reading some of my longest ROOTs, so the library audiobooks took the lead.

It would be great to read more of my own books than library books in 2024. I have a selection of books off my shelves I'd like to get to this year, which you can see in a post below.

This year, I'm hoping to hit 65 ROOTs total -- should be pretty easy for me, but I want to keep it attainable just in case life gets in the way.



Here is Otter, ridiculous creature:


And Kermit, cuddling the corn squeaky toy he got for Christmas:

Favorite Books of 2023

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Possession by A. S. Byatt
Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
Hidden Figures by Margo Lee Shetterly
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate Di Camillo
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angelline Boulley
Painted Devils by Margaret Owen
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
System Collapse by Martha Wells
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard

2024 Reading Goals

I finished all 40 books I wanted to read in 2023! For 2024, I tried to limit it to a similar number but ended up picking a few more than intended. Here's the picture of my physical TBR cart, and the list! Most of these are just books that were calling my name from my TBR shelves. Many are sequels to books I read in 2023 or series I've been working through. A few were chosen to align with specific 2024 Popsugar Reading Challenge prompts, another challenge I'll be working on this year. 55 is more than I intended to pick... but hey, it's about half of the total number I read off my shelves this year, so I think I can do it!



1. A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
2. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
3. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
4. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
5. Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
6. Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb
7. Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
8. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
9. Forestborn by Audrey Becker
10. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
11. Pentimento by Lillian Hellman
12. Baudolino by Umberto Eco
13. The Secret Place by Tana French
14. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs
15. Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
16. Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
17. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
18. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
19. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
20. Saturday by Ian McEwan
21. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
22. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
23. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdich
24. Have Dog, Will Travel by Stephen Kuusisto
25. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
26. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
27. A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
28. Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
29. The Burning God by R. F. Kuang
30. Magic or Not by Edward Eager
31. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
32. Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht
33. The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
34. The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix
35. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
36. The Memory of Babel by Christelle Dabos
37. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
38. The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio?
39. A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab
40. The Serpent Sea by Martha Wells
41. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
42. The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan
43. The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint
44. Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik
45. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
46. The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
47. The Once and Future King by T. H. White

I also have a few books I'd like to read off of my Kindle this year:

48. Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
49. Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire
50. Forest Born by Shannon Hale
51. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
52. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
53. Piranesi by Susannah Clarke
54. Witchmark by C. L. Polk
55. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

DONE: 42/55

Hi Natalie, So here you are. Found and starred you. Your dogs are so cute!

I saw some interesting titles on your cart. Some I've read (and recommend) and some that are on my list too.
I now realize we read similar books! I never really noticed.

Hi Natalie, welcome back! Your dogs are gorgeous (I bet they know it too!).

Happy new year, Natalie. Otter and Jasper are adorable. I look forward to closely monitoring their continued adorableness throughout 2024 — along with following your reading adventures, of course!

Welcome Back, Natalie!

Thanks, all! Glad to be back 😊

>4 connie53: I'll be checking out your thread for recs, Connie!

>5 Jackie_K: Oh, definitely, Jackie. They know they rule this house!

>6 rosalita: Thanks, Julia! I am usually better at updating my 75ers thread than this one during the year, but I will make an effort to post lots of dog pics here as well ☺️

>7 cyderry: Thanks, Chèli!

>8 curioussquared: I will make an effort to post lots of dog pics here as well ☺️

Yay!

Happy to see you (and the puppies) here again. Dropping a star as I always love to see what you pick up.

Welcome back, Natalie! Looking forward to seeing what neat reads you pull off the cart.

>10 Caramellunacy: Thanks, Caramel!

>11 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP!

1 ROOT down: At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard

Cliopher is now the Viceroy of Zunidh, and the emperor is off on his quest to find his heir. With retirement approaching and the life he knows coming to an end, Cliopher must figure out what comes next -- or perhaps the world will have plenty in store for him.

This direct sequel to The Hands of the Emperor starts off feeling very similar but turns into a very different novel, if just as enjoyable. I liked it just a little less than the first one, but I liked the first one so much that doesn't say much. 4.5 stars.

2 ROOTs down: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

In this sequel to A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Sibling Dex and Mosscap the robot journey from the borderlands into human settlements, where Mosscap begins his quest to understand what it is humans need. As they travel and meet more people and see more places, Dex and Mosscap learn more about themselves, too.

A lovely sequel, just as delightful as the first book. I'll read anything Becky Chambers writes at this point (and am rather sad to have run out of her books to read for the moment!). 4.5 stars.

>14 curioussquared: You've reminded me I really need to finally make A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet one of my ROOTs this year!

>15 rosalita: I hope you love it as much as I did! Did you ever watch Firefly? aLWtaSAP gave me Firefly vibes the first time I read it.

>14 curioussquared: That one and the first book is also on my TBR pile! Glad you liked it.

Happy New Year, Natalie, great to see you're back.

>14 curioussquared: I'm happy to see there's more to read from Becky Chambers!

Hi, Natalie, and Happy New Year. Love your dog photos. In fact, there were two dogs very much like your in the Morningside Park (NYC) dog run today, and my German shepherd/husky mix* had a great time running and romping with them. Cheers!

* https://www.librarything.com/topic/351911#8196463

>17 connie53: They are delightful, short little reads, Connie. I think you'll like them!

>18 MissWatson: Hi Birgit! I am eagerly awaiting whatever Becky Chambers does next ☺️

>19 rocketjk: Hi Jerry! Love your pupper -- such a cutie!

>16 curioussquared: I did not but I have had so many friends tell me how wonderful it was that I really regret not seeing it.

>21 rosalita: I think it holds up and is worth a watch! I might rewatch it soon. It's one of the few things I own on DVD.

3 ROOTs down: A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark

In a steampunk Cairo set in 1912, Agent Fatma el-Shar'arawi is famous for her work dealing with the supernatural in her government role -- but her latest case is a doozy. When a rich Englishman and 20 of his friends turn up burned to death in his estate, with no fire damage to the house itself or the dead people's clothing, Fatma is summoned to investigate. What she finds will lead her to delve deeply into legend to solve the mystery, with the help of her friend and lover Siti, and her new partner, Hadia, who Fatma must reluctantly admit is surprisingly competent.

This was a lot of fun and really well done! I enjoyed Fatma and her thought processes and the rich world Clark has created here. 4 stars.

4 ROOTs down: Saturday by Ian McEwan

This novel follows a Henry Perowne, a middle-aged neurosurgeon living in London, over the course of a Saturday, when a chance encounter turns his day from a normal one to a very strange one.

This book has mixed reviews and I can see why -- it's a very internal story. Really, there isn't much story, and for much of it, nothing really happens. We just follow Henry and his thoughts about his day, from his early morning waking, to his squash game with a colleague, to the fishmonger, and on and on. If you don't like that sort of thing, this would get old quickly. Luckily, I do like that sort of thing. One of the reviews on LT suggests that this novel builds to a big climax that never really comes, and I really disagree with that. There is a scene near the end of the book that was absolutely climactic to me, and I was totally gripped and unable to put the book down. There's also a long denouement, and the climactic scene doesn't end up having a huge impact on Henry, but I don't think that means it's not a climax. Anyway, I typically like McEwan but for some reason I put this off for years because the summary never really grabbed me, but I ended up really enjoying this. 4.5 stars.

5 ROOTs down: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

Emira is 25 and aimless; not sure what she wants to do with her life, she works part-time doing transcription and part-time as a babysitter three-year-old Briar. Late one night, Briar's mom Alix calls her in a panic -- they have an emergency at home and Alix really needs to get Briar out of the house. Is there any way Emira can come and and take her somewhere for a little bit? Even though Emira is out at a friend's birthday, not dressed for childcare, and has been drinking, she agrees after confirming Alix is OK with it. But then, when Emira and Briar are at the grocery store, they are approached by the store security guard and a woman who alerted him, accusing Emira (who is Black) of having stolen Briar (who is White). Even though the situation turns out OK, its repercussions echo through Emira and Alix's relationship and will change the course of their time together.

I picked this up and couldn't put it down! Reid's characters are super vivid and the story is captivating and timely. I could see maybe finding some flaws if I sat down and thought about it a bunch -- I think the story is pretty predictable once you have a few key plot elements, but in a car crash can't look away kind of way -- but I was so enraptured in this reading experience that it deserves full marks just for the strength of the storytelling. Five stars.

ETA: This has been on my TBR for a while, but I earmarked it to read this year because a bunch of people in the PopSugar groups said it fit the "About a 24-year-old" prompt. Of course, when I started reading (and even when I read the inside cover flap a little closer), I learned pretty quickly that Emira is 25, not 24. That will teach me to trust people on the internet!

>24 curioussquared: I remember it as one of McEwan's best, subtil shifts being built upon one the other. The main character is presented through many lenses, reminding us that we live in many overlapping realities even if we chose to see only one.

>26 Cecilturtle: Yes, I thought it was very well done. Up there with Atonement for me.

6 ROOTs down: Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

In this sequel to One Dark Window, Ravyn and the Nightmare in Elspeth's body must work together in order to acquire the Two Alders card to unite the deck and dispel the mist and save the infected. Meanwhile, Elm and Ione search Stone Castle for Ione's missing maiden card while Hauth fights for his life, hoping Ravyn and the Nightmare can complete their quest before more people die.

I liked One Dark Window a lot, and this sequel was even better. It was everything a sequel should be -- it raised the stakes while keeping the story tight and well-plotted, and it was the perfect length. And I love a duology! 4.5 stars.

7 ROOTs down: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

In long-ago Britain, shortly after the days of King Arthur, when Britons and Saxons lived in uneasy close quarters, an old couple, Axl and Beatrice, set off on a journey from their village to visit their son. Along the way, they will encounter a warrior and a boy, an aged Sir Gawain, monks, a boatman, and a dragon.

I really liked Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and The Remains of the Day, but this one didn't really work for me. I could appreciate the writing, and there were parts and aspects that worked better than others, but as a whole I had trouble with it. I'm not always great with extended allegories and this was no exception. 3 stars.

WOW, you are really flying through those ROOTs.

>30 connie53: Thanks, Connie! I've been mostly at home for the first two weeks of the year (I'm not working right now and my husband and most of the rest of my family and friends have been sick) so I spent all my extra time with books :)

8 ROOTs down: A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

After an incident he accidentally triggers causes the death of two of the royal guard and the demotion of his personal guard, Prince Kadou of Arast is devastated, the panic attacks and anxieties he deals with regularly getting wrose. Plus, he has a new primary bodyguard, Evemer, who is loyal and proper to a T but seems to have as much personality as a brick wall. As Kadou struggles to get back into his sister, the sultan's, good graces by leading the investigation into a possible counterfeiting ring, he and Evemer learn to work together and grow closer.

I enjoyed this overall, although it probably could have been quite a bit shorter. (Possibly too slow of a slow burn for me.) It took me forever to read the first half and then I flew through the second half. Honestly, the plot of this book is sort of just there; the true focus is the relationship for sure. If you like M/M romances with a LOT of angst and longing and plenty of tropes set against a political fantasy background, this is for you. 4 stars.

9 ROOTs down: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi (though he does not think that is his name) lives in the House, a vast structure of never-ending halls filled with statues, the lower levels flooded. He knows of fourteen other people in the house -- thirteen dead, and the Other, the only other living inhabitant. Piranesi spends most of his days surviving -- fishing, drying seaweed, and exploring the house. Piranesi knows the house like the back of his hands, and he understands its moods and tides. When the Other warns Piranesi to beware a sixteenth person who wishes them both harm, Piranesi is confused -- and he starts to question the existence he believes he has always known.

I don't want to say too much about this because I think it's best to go in knowing as little as possible, but I thought this was brilliant and compelling. Lovely writing and a fascinating concept. 5 stars.

Up the pile it moves!

I hope all the sick family and friends are better by now.

>34 connie53: Thanks Connie! Yes, everyone is doing much better, thank you :)

10 ROOTs down: The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan

Lady Isabella Trent's second volume of memoirs of her career as a dragon naturalist, this time recounting her trip to the Africa-like continent of Eriga, accompanied by Mr. Wilker and her new young female companion Natalie. Isabella will navigate dangerous terrain, threatening creatures, and cultures very different from her own in her pursuit of dragon scholarship.

Just as fun as the first volume. I'm looking forward to continuing this series! 4 stars.

11 ROOTs down: Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

Coriel is the bastard half-sister of Lady Elisandra Hallsing. For most of the year, she lives with her grandmother in a small village, learning her wise woman and herb lore. But come the end of Spring, her uncle Lord Jaxon comes to retrieve her to spend Summer at Castle Auburn, where the regent Lord Matthew rules until Prince Bryan comes of age. Corie loves her summers at the castle; she loves her sister, her friends, and seeing the aliora, the mysterious faerie creatures that are captured and bound into servitude, many of them by her Uncle Jaxon, and have the power to raise the spirits of the humans around them. But as Corie grows older, something about the servitude of the aliora begins to rankle at her, and her teenage crush on Prince Bryan grows into concern over his flippant, cruel disposition and Elisandra's impending marriage to him.

I hadn't read any Shinn before this although I was aware of her name; I have probably read some of her short stories in various fantasy anthologies. I was surprised how much I enjoyed this! Shinn's writing is lovely and lyrical and this book was charming in just the way I like. 4 stars.

Wow! just digging away!

>38 cyderry: Thanks, Cheli! I can't imagine I'll continue at this pace for the rest of the year so I'm enjoying it while it lasts and making a dent.

12 ROOTs down: The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

Famous inventor and heiress Tesla Crane and her brand new husband, retired detective Shal, embark on a space cruise to Mars for their honeymoon. But just a few days into the cruise, somebody is killed -- and Shal is arrested for the murder. As more people turn up dead, Tesla will need to use all of her wits, money, and power available to clear Shal's name and solve the murder -- and of course, her service dog Gimlet will help, too.

I thought this was a fun space mystery and enjoyed the cruise ship setting and technology, and of course Gimlet. Not the best mystery I've ever read, and there were a few bit that read somewhat awkwardly to me, but overall I had fun with it. Not as good IMO as Kowal's Lady Astronaut series or Shades of Magic books but still fun. As a side note, I haven't read or seen The Thin Man, so can't comment on the book's relationship with that work. 4 stars.

13 ROOTs down: Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

In this 5th Wayward Children book, Jack needs help stopping Jill once and for all. Christopher, Cora, Kade, and Suki follow her back to the Moors to assist.

I don't think I like the Jack and Jill books as much as the rest of the Wayward Children books. Nothing wrong with them, just not as much my thing. Still well done. 4 stars.

>40 curioussquared: I liked The Spare Man quite a bit when I read last year. It felt kind of Fifth Element-y in places, which was fun.

>42 Caramellunacy: I haven't seen The Fifth Element either (I am bad at movies, lol). Do you recommend it?

>43 curioussquared: I liked it! I think it's a bit off-beat, but I found it funny. It's basically a smart-ass Bruce Willis action movie in space. I have no idea how well it holds up, though as I haven't rewatched recently.

>43 curioussquared: One of my favourite movies of all times, including the music. I think it's held up super well thanks to the story (we're still trying to save the world) and Jean-Paul Gaultier costumes. Fun, visually creative and fast-paced, I recommend it!

>45 Cecilturtle: OK, it's going on the list! Thanks for the rec :) I'm not sure if my husband has seen it; if he hasn't, we'll probably watch it sooner rather than later, but he's not a rewatcher so if he hasn't seen it I'll have to work up the gumption to watch it on my own, lol.

14 ROOTs down: Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles

Will Darling came back from the Great War with a few medals and nowhere to go. After some very lean times, he reached out to his estranged uncle, who was happy to hear from him and was happy to offer him employment in his bookstore. But only a few weeks after he starts working there, Will's uncle dies, and Will inherits the shop -- and all his uncle's problems. When mysterious men begin showing up and demanding Will hand over the "information," Will is at a loss -- but he's not one to give up easily. With the help of Kim, a gentleman who seems to know a little more about what's going on than Will, Will starts to piece things together. But can Will trust Kim, even though he desperately wants to?

I loved this. MM romance, mystery, intrigue, with a 1920s backdrop. I'll be continuing the series for sure. 4.5 stars.

>47 curioussquared: That sounds so fun! I will have to add it to my list.

>47 curioussquared: Sounds right up my alley too!

>48 Caramellunacy: >49 Cecilturtle: I hope you both like it! I checked book 2 out from the library already :)

15 ROOTs down: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Sam and Sadie were briefly best friends as kids, when they met while Sam and Sadie's sister were in the hospital and bonded over video games -- until they had a falling out and grew apart. When they reunite in Boston while Sam is at Harvard and Sadie is at MIT, neither thinks much will come of it -- but before they part, Sadie gives Sam a copy of the game she's programmed, on a whim. Sam plays the game and thinks it's brilliant, and is determined to get back in touch with Sadie. The two decide to make a game together, with Sam's roommate Marx supporting, and history is born. Over the years, Sam and Sadie's relationship will ebb and flow -- but they'll always have video games.

So glad I finally got to this! Sam and Sadie's story drew me in immediately and I couldn't put it down. Zevin's narrative is compelling and innovative. I did think the pacing was a little off; I thought it slowed waaay down 3/4 of the way through after Marx's death and was sort of just denouement for the rest of the book; the climax/big resolution I was waiting for never really came. I'm not sure that was a problem, it was just a little odd to read after the first part of the book was so fast-paced and almost frenetic. Anyway, I'm wavering between 4.5 and 5 stars for this one; let's compromise and say 4.75 here.

16 ROOTs down: River Secrets by Shannon Hale

Razo doesn't feel like he's good at anything. He's small, he's not strong, he's not skilled with a sword -- he's a terrible member of Bayern's Own, honestly. So when he's chosen to go along with the delegation to Tira along with his friends Enna and Finn, he's pretty surprised, but happy to be included. Once in Tira, things are tense; most of the Tirans resent the presence of the Bayerns, and Razo is on his toes looking for odd things. When someone starts leaving burned bodies around the complex in an attempt to frame the Bayern fire witch, who the Tirans don't know is Enna, Razo is determined to use any skill at his disposal to solve the mystery.

I enjoyed this follow-up to The Goose Girl and Enna Burning. Razo is a fun character, and it was nice to see him come into his own. 4 stars.

16 ROOTs in January feels pretty good! We'll see if I can keep up this pace in February, lol.

>52 curioussquared: I've read The Goose Girl and really enjoyed it - Hale really has a way with fairy tales. I really ought to give this full series a read.

>54 Caramellunacy: They're pretty fun! The rest of the books are original stories and not based on fairy tales, but Hale maintains the feel throughout.

17 ROOTs down: Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Rin, Razo's younger sister, has always loved her forest home and her family. The trees seem to speak to her, and she has always gone to them for comfort. But when the trees' comfort turns to rejection, Rin is adrift. Full of pain, she decides to accompany Razo and Dasha back to the capitol to find work in the city. There, she meets important people and befriends the young prince, and sets off on a journey with Isi, Enna, and Dasha to discover what threatens Bayern from a neighboring country.

A lovely conclusion to the series. 4.5 stars.

18 ROOTs down: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Scholar Emily Wilde is headed to the far north to study the local faerie population in order to complete her groundbreaking Encyclopaedia of Faeries. What she doesn't expect is for her fellow professor and sometimes rival Wendell Brambleby to show up, too. While Emily resents Wendell's presence at first, she soon comes to appreciate his help and skills -- and she'll need him more than ever once she has her first encounter with the courtly fae.

This was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it all the way through, but had trouble getting fully immersed in it for the first half -- not sure if it was because of the writing style or what. But I devoured the second half. 4 stars.

19 ROOTs down: Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb

Having escaped prison and believed to be dead by most of his fellow soldiers, Navarre escapes into the forest to go to the only people he believes will accept him now, the Specks, to accept the fate he believes the magic has in mind for him. Once he finds them, though, Navarre finds himself in an awkward situation -- his Speck consciousness, always in the back of his mind, has taken over his body, and the part of him that he thinks of as his true self is just riding along, trapped in his mind. Can Navarre regain control of his physical form and somehow solve the imbalance between the Gernians and the Specks?

I guess everyone has an off trilogy every once in a while, right? Even if you love Robin Hobb, don't read these books. They are bloated and mostly boring. The best part about it was the exploration of fatphobia due to Navarre's weight gain due to the fat-based magic system, but as I feared all along, Navarre ended the book skinny once again and only then does he get the girl, which really ruined it all for me. Navarre is whiny, wishy washy, and annoying throughout the books, and his is the ONLY viewpoint. 3 stars -- Hobb's writing is still good, but the whole thing was just ill-conceived.

>57 curioussquared: I really loved this one, especially the footnotes. I was excited to see the second has come out.

>59 Caramellunacy: It was a lot of fun! My best friend has already read and enjoyed the second one, so I'm looking forward to it 🙂

>57 curioussquared: BB for me! Thanks Natalie

>61 connie53: Yay, I hope you like it, Connie!

20 ROOTs down: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

In this sequel to Fourth Wing, Violet starts her second year at Basgiath. She and Xaden are separated most of the time since he graduated, and leadership seems to be going out of their way to separate them even more when they have time together -- this new officer Varrish seems to have it out for her. Violet struggles to keep secrets of the rebellion from her year-mate friends who don't know, and uses her scribe knowledge to research the construction of Navarre's wards. Plus, Andarna has been sleeping almost since they got back to Basgiath -- what's up with that?

This was a lot of fun. I think a good portion of the first half probably should have been condensed -- it made it less fast-paced and engaging than Fourth Wing, although that frenetic pace came back for me in the second half. Anyway, I'm usually pretty critical of bad writing, and this is full of it (like PLEASE can an actual good editor get her hands on these books?), but Yarros has a knack for writing a story that keeps you reading and that's enough for me in this case. I'm having fun and that's all that matters! 4 stars.

I thought Iron Flame was fun as well, but agree that a bunch of the beginning should have been pared down a bit. But the pages kept practically turning themselves (if less quickly than Fourth Wing) so I am looking forward to the next when it comes.

>64 Caramellunacy: Same here! The series is a lot of fun, if nothing else 😊

21 ROOTs down: Have Dog, Will Travel by Stephen Kuusisto

Legally blind his whole life and raised to believe his disability was shameful, Kuusisto's life is fundamentally changed when he makes the decision at the age of 38 to get a guide dog.

This was a lovely memoir that does an exquisite job of conveying what it's like to live as a blind person, and how a guide dog can change that. Corky sounds like she was the best girl ever. 5 stars.

Read for PopSugar Challenge prompt #8: A book by a blind or visually impaired author.

22 ROOTs down: The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths

The Talgarth High community is shocked when one of their English teachers is murdered in her home. Fellow teacher and friend of the victim Clare Cassidy is shocked, especially when it is revealed that a note with a line from a Gothic short story that Clare teaches was left at the crime scene. DS Harbinder Kaur investigates the case as the crimes continue and the stakes grow higher.

I enjoyed this overall. I found it a bit hard to get into at first and was glad when the POV switched from Clare to Harbinder for the first time -- something about Clare's narration didn't quite work for me but I enjoyed Harbinder and Georgie's POVs. I don't really read too many straight-up mysteries and for that reason I think I kept comparing this to Tana French, which isn't really fair because she's the GOAT, but I did enjoy it overall, just not as much as one of French's mysteries. I also guessed the murderer in this one pretty early on, which is not normal for me! Still, I liked this, especially the gothic elements and callbacks to the short story within the book, and Harbinder's bits were my favorite, so I'll probably try another in the series. I also have the first Ruth Galloway mystery on my shelf to try at some point. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

23 ROOTs down: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Jude was 7 when Madoc, a red cap, killed her parents and took her and her sisters into Fairyland. Now it's ten years later and it's the only life she knows. Jude spends her days attending school with the other fairy youths and her twin sister Taryn, where she is forced to spend time with Cardan, the cruel youngest son of the High King Eldred. When the High King announces he will be abdicating his throne in favor of one of his six children, Jude throws in her lot with Prince Dain, who Madoc has long been allied with, and becomes his spy. But fairy politics are more complicated than she first expected, and Jude soon finds herself and her family tangled in a web she's not sure she can escape.

I read Holly Black's first fairy novel Tithe years and years ago back when it first came out and I never felt too pressed to read more, but I'm really glad I picked this one up! This is the first in a massively popular trilogy, related to her early fairy books but not super connected. I think it gets some flack sometimes because people recommend it for fans of ACOTAR, but I think they're very different books. I loved how badass Jude was and appreciated that almost every character was multilayered and complex. Recommended; 4.5 stars.

I promised I would try to share more dog photos this year, so here you go:

Here are Otter and Kermit competing at synchronized comfort:


And a good game of tug!

>69 curioussquared: Oh look at them! Aren't greyhounds the most ridiculous things ever?!

>70 Jackie_K: They are truly absurd creatures and I am honored to share my home with them ☺️

>69 curioussquared:. That's a very curious way to relax. Love the pictures.

>68 curioussquared:. I liked that one too 4 stars for me.

>66 curioussquared: That must be an emotionally charged book - right up my alley!

Otter and Kermit are too cute. I love the tug-of-war :D

>72 connie53: Thanks, Connie! They love to lie like that, with their legs in the air. Ridiculous :)

>73 Cecilturtle: Thanks, Cecil!

BOOK READ FOR JULIA: Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Wallace was a horrible person in life, an when he unexpectedly dies of a heart attack, the last thing he was expecting was to be picked up by Mei, a Reaper, at his funeral, and taken to a sort of waystation for the dead to meet Hugo, a ferryman, who will help him pass on to what's next. Souls usually only spend a few days with Hugo and team, max, but Wallace finds himself lingering at Hugo's waystation/tea shop, learning more about being a ghost, about the people he finds himself spending his time with, and about himself.

This was an odd book, much less feel-good than The House in the Cerulean Sea, but still with some of the same themes. Wallace is very difficult to like at first, which makes the first part of the book hard going. It mostly won me over by about 3/4 of the way through, but the ending felt unearned to me and sort of anti- the message of the rest of the book. 3.5 stars.

I read this book to contribute to the reading for Julia Rosalita challenge, so will not be counting it in my own ROOTing total, but did want to note it as a book off my shelves :)

24 ROOTs down: Baudolino by Umberto Eco

Baudolino, a man with a gift for languages and for lying, tells the story of his life, from his youth in a small Italian town, to his devotion to Frederick Barbossa, to his fantastical adventures in the East.

This just didn't work for me. There were a few funny bits but most of the time I found myself pressed to care. I liked The Name of the Rose a lot, but this was not my thing. 2.5 stars.

Read for Popsugar Prompt: A book that came out 24 years ago.

25 ROOTs down: I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai

During Bodie Kane's senior year of high school at a New England boarding school, her junior year roomate, Thalia Keith, was murdered, found dead in the pool with injuries to her head. After an investigation, Omar Evans, athletic department staff, was convicted. Since then, Bodie and her classmates have mostly tried to put the incident behind them, despite ongoing interest in the case on Reddit and conspiracy forums and a 2006 Dateline special. Now a successful film professor and podcast host, Bodie returns to Granby in 2018 to teach a "minimester" two week podcasting class. When one of her students chooses Thalia's murder as the subject of her podcast project, Bodie gets sucked back into the investigation, convinced that the police missed something back in 1995.

I had seen some mixed reviews for this book but I enjoyed it a lot! Bodie is very flawed and not super likable, but she's very fun to read about. I thought most of Makkai's writing choices worked well, although it took me a little bit to wrap my head around the second person narration and figure out who Bodie was addressing -- but I think that was intentional. I also thought Makkai did a fantastic job of building up the suspense despite the murder being years old -- I was super keyed up after I finished before bed and it took me ages to get to sleep. It probably could have been a bit shorter, but overall I enjoyed it and recommend. 4 stars.

>76 curioussquared: I felt much the same about Baudolino (and The Name of the Rose) - disappointing. In some ways it reminded me a bit of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but less whimsical.

>78 Caramellunacy: Glad I'm not alone! I've never been a Narnia person so I didn't see the Voyage of the Dawn Treader comparison.

>57 curioussquared: oooo, fairies!

>80 cyderry: It was a fun one! I'm looking forward to book 2.

>69 curioussquared: 💗💗💗

Happy Easter! We're heading out to Tim's family's beach house in a few minutes, but I just realized I haven't updated with any of my March ROOTs. Here they are copied over from my 75ers thread :)

26 ROOTs down: Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Years before the events of Legends and Lattes, Viv, a young mercenary orc, is injured in battle and must spend weeks recovering in the small, quiet seaside town of Murk. Sure she will be incredibly bored, Viv soon finds herself unexpectedly bonding with Murk's residents, especially the ratkin proprietor of the local rundown bookshop, and she even finds a spark of romance with the baker. But nefarious forces lurk even in cute seaside towns, and Viv and her friends will need to stay on their toes to combat them.

I enjoyed this prequel just as much as Legends and Lattes. So much fun! 5 stars.

27 ROOTs down: Witchmark by C. L. Polk

In a steampunk fantasy world, Dr. Miles Singer has a secret -- he's not who he says he is, having fled his family years ago to avoid being bound into magical servitude to his twin sister. When a strange man stumbles into his hospital, claims to have been poisoned, and then dies, Miles starts following a path that will lead him to discover corruption even deeper than he expected in the world he knows.

This has been on my kindle forever and I'm so glad I finally read it! I enjoyed the heck out of this; it felt like some of the most unique worldbuilding I've read in ages. I'm looking forward to the next books in the series. 4.5 stars.

28 ROOTs down: Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

The classic "story without a hero," telling the story of the unscrupulous Becky Sharp, orphaned, intelligent, selfish, and entirely bent on achieving her own ends using whatever means necessary. On the other hand is Amelia Sedley, kind and beautiful, but cursed to struggle through life after the death of her husband. This book is also the story of the various secondary characters around these two women and a shrewd look at society and human morality in general.

I tried to read this doorstopper in high school and bounced off it -- not surprised, really. This time I attempted it on audio and I ended up enjoying it a lot! The version I listened to, narrated by Wanda McCaddon, was EXCELLENT and I highly recommend it. 4 stars.

29 ROOTs down: Seafire by Natalie C. Parker

Years ago, warlord Aric Athair took over, ruling the lands and seas of Caledonia's country. Caledonia's mother was a rebel with a ship, bent on piercing through Athair's naval guard and escaping -- but then Caledonia made a mistake, and she lost everyone except for her friend Pisces. Four years later, Cal and Pi have rebuilt a ship and built up an all-female crew, determined to get their revenge on Athair's fleet.

This was a fun sisterhood/pirate YA book. I think it could have used a little tighter plotting, but I enjoyed the concept and the characters and I'm planning to continue the series. 4 stars.

30 ROOTs down: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

In a fantasy world inspired by the Americas, Serapio was raised to become a god. Xiala, a down-on-her-luck ship captain, accepts an impossible job to transport Serapio, who she is told is harmless. As an eclipse grows nearer, Serapio and Xiala travel toward the city of Tova, where Sun Priest Naranpa is struggling to maintain her political power. When they reach the city, things come to a head -- and the world may never be the same.

This was a great first entry in a unique fantasy series. The ending felt very unresolved -- definitely part of a series. I'm glad I own book 2 and that book 3 comes out in a few months. I enjoyed the characters, especially Serapio and Xiala -- Naranpa a little bit less. Looking forward to the next book! 4 stars.

31 ROOTs down: The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart

Nicola Ferris arrives at a remote Cretan village ready for a relaxing holiday with her cousin. But before she even reaches the village proper, she stumbles upon a crime that seems to indicate the village's residents are not as innocent as they may seem. Reluctant to just forget what she's seen, Nicola continues investigating on the sly -- but she'll have to have her wits about her as things get more complicated.

My second Mary Stewart and I enjoyed it just as much as This Rough Magic -- I think my next one will be one that's not set in Greece as it got a little repetitive, but I really liked it all the same :) Such charming writing, settings, and characters. 4 stars.

32 ROOTs down: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

After Patroclus accidentally kills a boy and disgraces his family, he is disowned and sent to foster with another family, that of the young Achilles, son of a sea nymph and a great warrior even as a boy. At first, Patroclus doesn't fit in, but after a chance encounter, he and Achilles become inseparable. As Achilles pursues his great destiny, first training with Chiron the centaur and then leading his army to the fight the trojans, Patroclus is always at his side -- until the very end.

This book has been so popular for ages but has never really called my name -- but I'm so glad I picked it up, because it deserves all the praise. Greek retellings are not my thing, but Miller brings her material to life, with gorgeous prose and a reimagining that captures the modern mind. 5 stars.

33 ROOTs down: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

Lucy is a teacher's aid struggling to save up enough money to adopt one of her students, a young boy who ended up in foster care after his parents' death. Lucy loves Christopher, but she has no idea how she's going to get the money to afford a better apartment and car that are required to care for him. Until Lucy receives a mysterious invitation from Jack Masterson, author of the Clock Island children's book series, to come to his island and compete to win the priceless only copy of the final book in the series. Lucy is determined to win -- for her sake, and for Christopher's. But it might not be so simple...

I enjoyed this overall. At times it felt somewhat saccharine, but I still found myself turning the pages, so it didn't turn me off enough to affect my opinion too much. Also, I was a little disappointed in the contest itself -- I love a good contest/scavenger hunt in a book but this one was a little bit of a letdown. 4 stars.

34 ROOTs down: A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

Malik and his sisters are refugees, come to Ziran to start a new life with false papers to disguise their ethnic background. But everything goes wrong when they get into the city only to run into a magical entity who kidnaps his younger sister and demands that Malik kill the princess of Ziran to get her back. Malik decides to try to enter the Solstasia competition as a champion in order to get closer to the princess. Meanwhile, Princess Karina is dealing with her own problems -- her mother has been secretly assassinated and Karina must hold things together with the help of her council and steward. Karina's only chance at success lies in an old spell to resurrect the dead -- if she can bring back her mother, it'll solve all her problems. But the spell requires the heart of a king, so Karina will have to do some murdering of her own if she wants it to succeed....

This African-inspired YA fantasy has been on my Kindle for ages and I finally got around to it. It was a solid story, fairly slow-paced but effectively building to an exciting conclusion. I'm looking forward to reading book 2.
4 stars.

Phew, finally got through all the books I read on vacation 😂 Now I just need to tackle what I've read in the past week!

35 ROOTs down: Stormsong by C. L. Polk

Following the events of Witchmark, Lady Grace must act quickly to maintain some control in the wavering government. With her father imprisoned for his involvement in the witch asylums, it should be simpler, but somehow he seems to still have his fingers in her business. Meanwhile, journalist Avia Jessup seems to be catching on to what's going on rather quickly, and Grace is tempted to treat her as an ally -- but is she trustworthy?

I really enjoyed this sequel! I was disappointed at first that Miles and Tristan weren't the main characters of this one, but they were still present and I enjoyed Grace's POV more than I expected. 4 stars.

36 ROOTs down: The Memory of Babel by Christelle Dabos

It's been 2.5 years since Thorn escaped from the Pole and Ophelia returned home to Anima, and Ophelia is sick of her family and home. When Archibald finally shows up to help her escape, she's ready, and she and her scarf head to the ark of Babel in search of Thorn and information. Ophelia is surprised by Babel's strict order, but manages to land a spot among the forerunners, the trainees who steward the Memorial Library, the history and memory of the ark. Struggling through the training, chasing hint after hint, Ophelia can't tell if she's getting closer to Thorn -- but she'll keep trying until she finds him.

I'm going to be honest, I really like these books, but after I finish each one I feel like I have no idea what happened, so sorry if the above summary makes zero sense. Despite that, I really enjoy Dabos' interesting writing and creative imagination, and am looking forward to the final book in the series. 4 stars.

37 ROOTs down: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club is back! When Elizabeth receives a mysterious letter from a man from her past, she knows it can't be good -- and soon, the gang is involved in a mystery involving diamonds, the mafia, and of course, a little murder.

I liked but didn't love the first book in this series, but I'm so glad that I continued because I thought book 2 was a vast improvement. So much fun and I can't wait for book 3. 4.5 stars.

Looks like a great run of reading! Your reviews have me wanting to pick up some Mary Stewart and continue that C.L. Polk series (I read the first one a while ago).

>96 rabbitprincess: Hi RP! I think both would be well worth your time :)

I've already borrowed A Winter's Promise and I'm thinking about Witchmark. This does not help my ROOTing.

You have been racing through your ROOTs lately, congrats!

>94 curioussquared: I felt about the same as you did after reading that series. So you are not alone.

>98 humouress: I can't help that my thread is a dangerous place, Nina!

>99 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

>100 connie53: Phew, I'm glad, Connie. My best friend also read them and asked me where I was in the series and I started trying to describe it and she said "you know what, never mind, I honestly can't remember how they all fit together anyway." Lol.

38 ROOTs down: Dragon's Bait by Vivian Vande Velde

When 15-year-old Alys is accused of being a witch and left out as dragon's bait, she doesn't have much hope for her life. But when the dragon show's up, he's not so bad -- and agrees to help her get revenge on the townsfolk who betrayed her.

This reminded me a little bit of Dealing with Dragons, although it wasn't as charming, but still a lot of fun. 3.75 stars.

39 ROOTs down: Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Melody's coming out party on her 16th birthday inspires various reminiscences among her family, including her mother, who had her when she was just 16, her father, who was just 17, and her grandparents.

This was a lovely novel, short but packed full of explorations of race, class, and family ties. The writing style was somewhat experimental but I thought it was effective and easy to read despite that. 4.5 stars.

>102 curioussquared: Oh, I loved the whole Dealing with Dragons series growing up. I will have to keep an eye out for this one.

>102 curioussquared:. Sounds like fun to me. I do own a few ebooks by Vivian Vande Velde. Perhaps this is one of them. I have to go and see if that's the case.

I love your posts. I really admire your making a list of what you are going to read for the year. Question: how do you draw a line through words without deleting them?

Oops, I haven't meant to ignore this thread for a month!

>104 Caramellunacy: I hope you enjoy it! It wasn't quite up to Dealing with Dragons level for me, but it has some similar vibes.

>105 connie53: Hi Connie! I hope you like Dragon's Bait if you read it.

>106 Coach_of_Alva: Hi David! Thank you -- that's very kind of you 😊 I am motivated by crossing things off a list, so making a list helps me work through my ROOTs without being intimidated by my larger TBR. The hard part is making the list a good size where I can complete it and also give myself room for random mood reading.

To use strike-through text, you surround the text you want crossed out with:
{strike} {/strike}
Except you replace the curly brackets with the less than/greater than symbols on your keyboard.

So if I want to cross out the word Hello, I would format it:

{strike}Hello{/strike}

Using the correct symbols, you won't see the formatting words, just the text with strike-through.

Hello

I hope this makes sense!

Thunk you Thank you

>108 Coach_of_Alva: Hooray! :)

I have been remiss in updating this thread! Here are the roots I've finished over the past month and a half :)

40 ROOTs down: Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft

Wren can heal with her magic, and serves as a healer in the queen's guard. But when she heals an enemy boy after being told not to and allows him to escape, she's in disgrace, kicked out of the guard and sentenced either to serving as a healer in a convent or losing her magic altogether. Wren is determined to earn her place back, and when she gets a mysterious letter from a nobleman in another country inviting her to his manor to use her powers to heal his favorite servant in exchange for his support in her country's war, she is initially suspicious, but it seems like her only option. When she arrives, Wren soon learns that she may have bitten off more than she can chew...

I loved the premise of this, and I love a spooky gothic magical manor, but I thought this debut novel needed a little help with the worldbuilding, and Wren's decisions often didn't make sense to me. On the other hand, I enjoyed the characterizations and character interactions overall, and most of the issues I had seem like stuff that can improve with experience, so I'll give Saft another chance, especially since I already own a copy of A Far Wilder Magic. 3.5 stars.

41 ROOTs down: The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

Thara Celehar, a witness for the dead who can "speak" with the recently dead to learn their last thoughts and memories, now lives in Amalo, where he becomes embroiled in several mysteries as part of his calling.

This is a lovely follow-up to The Goblin Emperor -- it took me a bit to get back into the world and Addison's slow, lovely writing, but once I did I flew through it. Can't wait to get to The Grief of Stones. 4.5 stars.

42 ROOTs down: Rabbit Redux by John Updike

10 years after the events of Rabbit, Run, Harry Angstrom's marriage is on the rocks again when he discovers his wife Janice is having an affair.

I read Rabbit, Run probably about 10 years ago and didn't totally hate it, I think? So this second novel stayed on my TBR, which was probably a mistake. I think the best way to sum this up is that Updike is actually a great writer, but I hate what he writes. 3 stars.

43 ROOTs down: Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Britt-Marie has spent most of her life doing what her husband tells her and keeping her home scrupulously clean and organized. When she walks out on her cheating husband and needs a job, she ends up in the middle of nowhere in the town of Borg, tending a run-down recreation center. At first, Britt-Marie is horrified by Borg, where most businesses have closed and people are trying to move away, and nobody seems to know how to clean anything. But before she knows it (and whether she likes it or not), Britt-Marie becomes entangled with Borg and its residents.

Backman's books always seem a teeny bit too sweet for me, but I always enjoy them anyway. Watching Britt-Marie gain confidence was great, and I liked the colorful cast of characters living in Borg. 4 stars.

44 ROOTs down: American Royals by Katharine McGee

What if, at the end of the Revolutionary War, the people of America offered George Washington not just leadership, but a crown? Princess Beatrice Washington is the heir to the American throne, along with her younger twin siblings, Samantha and Jefferson. When her parents start pressuring her to get married, she's surprised -- she's not ready! Plus, she kind of likes her bodyguard... Meanwhile, Samantha likes this guy Teddy Eaton, and Jefferson likes Samantha's best friend, Nina, but his ex Daphne isn't ready to give him up...

Totally ridiculous YA soapiness, but I had a pretty good time with it. Would make a good dumb TV show. I read this on on Kindle, but I may listen to the rest of the series. 3.5 stars.

45 ROOTs down: The Serpent Sea by Martha Wells

Moon, Jade, and the rest of Indigo Cloud Court have finally made it to their new home -- their ancestral tree their colony fled from years ago. But upon arriving, they discover their new home is at risk of falling apart due to the theft of the magical artifact that keeps it alive. Together, they embark on a quest to retrieve this artifact -- before they're homeless once more.

The Raksura books continue to be a lot of fun. Wells has crafted such an interesting world -- I particularly enjoyed the idea of a city built on the back of a leviathan in this entry. Looking forward to reading more of the series! 4 stars.

46 ROOTs down: The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan

Once a year, the magicians clear the city of the poor underbelly, sending thieves, scum, and homeless outside the walls. They fight back -- throwing stones and other objects, but they usually just bounce harmlessly off the magicians' shield. Until Sonea throws a stone and it hits a magician in the head. Suddenly, the whole of the magicians' guild is searching for Sonea, knowing she must have magic for the stone to have gone through. But Sonea has only ever heard bad things about magicians, and she wants nothing less than to be found by them.

There wasn't anything particularly great about this book, and the first half went on probably too long, but I still enjoyed it. The writing was good even if the plot could have been tightened up and I enjoyed the characters. I'll probably continue the series at some point. 3.75 stars.

47 ROOTs down: The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

It's 1771, and the Fraser's Ridge community is growing. Jamie is charged with forming a militia to combat unrest in the colonies, with Claire at his side as always. Meanwhile, Breanna and Roger deal with raising Jemmy, and Roger works to earn his father-in-law's approval. Together, they both continue the hunt for Stephen Bonnet, determined to get revenge.

This was definitely a chunkster at 1443 pages, but even though it probably could have been cut down somewhat, I still very much enjoyed the ride. Gabaldon is a natural storyteller, and made me interested even in the less interesting parts of homesteading in the colonies in the 1700s. Although, as some reviewers have mentioned, I probably could have done with a few less mentions of Breanna's constantly lactating breasts, lol. 4.5 stars.

48 ROOTs down: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

When Iris's brother goes to war to fight for the goddess Enva, the one thing he tells her to do is stay in school -- but when her mother loses her job and succumbs to drinking, Iris is forced to get a job at a newspaper, where she's competing for a columnist position with the insufferable Roman Kitt. Iris takes out much of her frustration by sending letters to someone she hopes is her brother -- all she knows is when she types them out on her old typewriter and puts them in her wardrobe, they disappear. But then, someone writes back -- someone who isn't her brother. When Iris's situation changes once more and she becomes a war correspondent, her mysterious letter writer becomes her only constant in her life -- especially when Roman shows up on the front lines, too.

I have some quibbles with this book if I think about it hard enough, but honestly, I just really enjoyed the whole thing and I absolutely loved the overall vibe -- a sort of steam-punky world with just a hint of magic, with two protagonists who love writing and words and eventually each other. I'm really looking forward to book 2 -- just need to get my hands on it! 5 stars.

49 ROOTs down: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

The fictionalized story of Sayuri, a successful geisha in Kyoto's Gion district in the 1930s, starting with her humble origins in a fishing village and stretching through to her retirement many years later in New York.

I didn't really know what to expect from this, but I found it to be a compelling story. I think it was enhanced by the fact that I actually did a tour of the historic Gion district while I was in Japan late last year, so it was the perfect time for me to read this book and understand the history of geisha in comparison to their role today. 4 stars.

50 ROOTs down: A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

Following the events of A Restless Truth, Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn is working with Robin, Edwin, Maud and Violet to prevent the binding of the Last Contract. Alan, the rather sketchy journalist and thief character they met in book 2, continues to hang around. Hawthorn doesn't like Alan, but something seems to keep throwing them together...

A satisfying ending to this trilogy. I still liked book 1 best, but this was a good ending and I liked it better than book 2. 4 stars.

51 ROOTs down: Rakkety Tam by Brian Jacques

Gulo the savage, a wolverine from the north, is on the hunt for his brother, who stole the mysterious walking stone that will give him the right to rule their kingdom. After Gulo and his troops ravage a squirrel kingdom, Rakkety Tam, a fearsome warrior squirrel, goes to stand against him with his faithful pal Wild Doogy Plumm. But Gulo and his army appear to be heading straight for Redwall Abbey...

This entry in the Redwall series came out after I had stopped reading them, so this was my first time with it. I enjoyed listening to the full cast audio a lot! Jacques acts as narrator with various actors doing the voices and all the songs are fully sung and set to music. The story is solid, too. I don't think we've seen a wolverine in the Redwall universe before. All in all, I had a great time with this. 4.5 stars.

52 ROOTs down: The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett

Married young, Rose slowly realizes she does not love her husband. Unfortunately, she only realizes this after learning she's pregnant. Instead of telling him, Rose leaves without a word, driving from California to Kentucky to St. Elizabeth's, a Catholic home for unmarried pregnant girls, where her life will change forever.

This is Patchett's debut novel and I thought it was excellent overall, but the ending fell somewhat flat for me. 4 stars.

53 ROOTs down: You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo

Captain Niko Larsen and her crew have finally escaped the army of the Holy Hive Mind and set up a restaurant on TwiceFar, hoping to earn a Nikkelin Star and earn enough money to buy a ship of their own. But when TwiceFar is attacked right when a famous food critic comes to their restaurant, they end up escaping on a bioship (You Sexy Thing) with a mind of its own, determined to take them to a prison planet. Can the crew convince the ship to take them somewhere else -- and once the course is changed, can they make it out alive?

I enjoyed this found fantasy space opera! The cooking and the military stuff makes it a funny mix of cozy and action-packed. My favorite part was all of the different alien species that made up the crew. Rambo mentions in their note that part of what inspired the book was a request for a third-person omniscient space opera narrative, which this certainly is. For me, it did make the writing a little weird at times because the jumps from one person's brain to another's were often abrupt. 4 stars.

54 ROOTs down: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

Chronicles the lives of Tom and Maggie Tulliver, children of a miller, as they grow up in the countryside and deal with life's hardships.

I liked Middlemarch when I read it in college. This one... didn't work for me. Eliot can certainly write, but I found myself uninterested in Tom and Maggie's fates. Wanda McCaddon was an excellent narrator as always, though. 3 stars.

You have been reading an amazing number of ROOTs, congrats!

>126 MissWatson: I second that! And thanks for the 'how to strike a word' lesson. I was wondering about that myself.

>126 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

>127 connie53: Thanks, Connie! Glad I could help :)

I've been very behind on reviews and I still am, but here's a little catch-up...



55 ROOTs down: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Shay has worked as a producer at her Seattle radio station for ten years since she was the college intern wunderkind. But now, her new colleague Dominic is shaking up the station and they can't help clashing. The station is desperate for new programming, and Shay comes up with the idea of exes hosting a dating show -- and then her boss decides that Shay and Dominic, despite never dating, should pretend to be exes and host the show. Forced to join up to keep their jobs, Shay and Dominic start to figure out how to be fake exes and co-hosts -- and soon find that they might have more in common than they thought.

This is my third book from Solomon and I enjoyed it a lot! I'm definitely a bit biased since she sets her books in Seattle, but I just feel like she writes realistic, flawed characters and fun storylines without too much stress -- I was worried about Shay and Dom's secret coming out, but it wasn't dragged out too much. 4 stars.

56 ROOTs down: Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

Ella and Kev grow up in an area surrounded by gang activity, and Ella has a Thing -- a power that lets her see the future and manipulate the world around her. She and Kev stay out of trouble, until Ella disappears and Kev gets in with the wrong group, eventually ending up incarcerated. Ella must decide how to use her powers while her brother is locked up, in a world that is becoming a police surveillance state.

This was an interesting book, looking at police brutality and the prison industrial system through a science-fiction lens. Parts were extremely powerful and moving, parts were a little confusing and half-fleshed out. 3.75 stars.

57 ROOTs down: The Once and Future King by T. H. White

The story of King Arthur, from his lowly days as Wart the fosterling and squire to his downfall and betrayal at the hand of Mordred.

I like Arthurian stuff, but this was not totally my thing. I enjoyed the first book with Wart, which is what the movie The Sword and the Stone is based on, but didn't care for book 2, with Arthur fully come into his own. Book 3 with Lancelot was fine. Book 4 bored me again. 3 stars.

58 ROOTs down: The Book of Merlyn by T. H. White

Merlyn comes to Arthur for a few final lessons.

This felt like an unneeded coda to The Once and Future King. I probably wouldn't have read it if I didn't own it and it wasn't part of the OaFK audiobook I was already listening to. 2.5 stars.

59 ROOTs down: The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint

Nina and Ash are cousins but they couldn't be more different, even though they share a room. When Nina is targeted by a dangerous spirit, Ash ends up going on a magical dream quest to save her.

This was fine. Not de Lint's best, but there were some interesting aspects. 3.5 stars.

60 ROOTs down: Not In Love by Ali Hazelwood

Rue had a rough childhood and is pretty reserved as an adult, with one close friend and her boss. She's not really interested in a relationship, but does enjoy the occasional app hookup on her own terms. When her latest conquest, Eli, shows up the next morning as one of the people acquiring her company, Rue plans to shut things down immediately -- but she and Eli seem to be irresistibly drawn together, and Rue might break her own rules to spend more time with him.

Hazelwood has an author's note at the beginning of this book warning readers to expect more of an erotic romance than a romcom with this book. I'm glad she included that, because it helped me temper my expectations, but I still didn't love this book. Rue and Eli's motivations didn't make sense to me, and there was a lot of banging and not very much plot to support it. I'll continue to read Hazelwood's books, but I regret that I bought this one and didn't listen to it first like I did the rest of her books. 3.5 stars.

Oops... managed not to check in for all of July. Hope everyone is doing well! Here are my ROOTs from last month, minus a few I'm still putting together reviews for.

61 ROOTs down: Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina

Anna has lived on the reservation her whole life with her family. She's just trying to get through high school and make a little money working in housekeeping at the local casino that has turned things around for her people. But the casino seems to have an underside, and Anna gets dragged into it despite her best efforts.

A decent thriller, but the horror aspects didn't quite work for me, and the timeline jumping around was just disruptive for me. 3.75 stars.

62 ROOTs down: The Magician's Daughter by H. G. Parry

Biddy lives on the magical island of Hy-Brasil with her magician adoptive father, Rowan, and his familiar Hutch, who spends most of his time as a rabbit but occasionally takes human form. Magic has been disappearing from the world, and Rowan spends most of his time stealing bits of magic to share with the common people instead of letting it be hoarded by the magicians' council. But magic continues to dwindle, and Rowan's efforts to spread it soon won't be enough.

This was a lovely, lyrical fantasy novel and I enjoyed every minute. I loved this world and the magic of Hy-Brasil, and Biddy, Rowan, and Hutchincroft's relationship. 5 stars.

63 ROOTs down: Magic or Not? by Edward Eager

Laura and James move to a house in a small town with a wishing well on the property. Laura decides to test the well -- but is it really granting her wishes, or is it just coincidence?

I liked this entry in the series. The kids felt like kids -- precocious but they still made plenty of childish decisions, while also growing up a little along the way. 4 stars.

64 ROOTs down: The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Part memoir, part interviews, part portrait of a system, Villavicencio dives into the lives of undocumented immigrants, interspersed with excepts from her own story as a DACA-recipient Harvard graduate and writer.

This book is so powerful. It's slim, but packs a punch. Villavicencio makes you know the people she writes about, and feel the things they feel. Really excellent writing. 5 stars.

65 ROOTs down: The Appeal by Janice Hallett

In a small English town, an amateur theater group puts on a production of All My Sons while the family who runs the group deals with the tragic diagnosis of Poppy, their two-year-old grand-daughter, with a rare form of cancer. The night of the dress rehearsal, one of the actors is killed. Two young lawyers are given a case file and told to read through the material and come to their own conclusions about who is guilty of the murder at the center of the case.

Told through emails, text messages, letters, and other gathered communications, this is a fascinating, fresh mystery novel where you, the reader, are given the opportunity to solve alongside the young lawyers reading the material. I enjoyed this a lot and will look for more from Hallett. 4 stars.

66 ROOTs down: First Test: The Graphic Novel by Tamora Pierce, Becca Farrow, Devin Grayson

This adaptation of the novel follows Keladry of Mindelan throughout her probation year of her Page training.

I loved this! Such a delight to see some of my favorite characters brought to life. I really, really hope we get the rest of the series adapted as well. My only complaints were with Numair and Raoul's designs -- what were they thinking making Raoul a redhead? 5 stars.

67 ROOTs down: The Secret Place by Tana French

Stephen Moran has been looking for his chance to get on the Murder Squad for years -- and now it seems to have walked into his office when teen Holly Mackey shows up to report a postcard that has been pinned to the Secret Place, a board at her school where students can leave anonymous secrets. The postcard poster claims to know who killed a boy who died at the school last year. The case remains unsolved and it belongs to Antoinette Conway, who doesn't have a great reputation -- but Stephen isn't about to let his chance slip through his fingers.

This entry in the series didn't work quite as well for me. I didn't really like the interlude chapters from the girls' POVs, and I especially didn't like the supernatural element. 3.5 stars.

>138 curioussquared: Oh, I remember those Edward Eager books. I loved them so hard when I was a kid. I can easily imagine that they'd still be fun.

>141 curioussquared: I was so excited to see a graphic novel version of Kel's initial adventure! I, too, hope to see more of this.

>143 rocketjk: They are fun! I only read Half Magic and Magic by the Lake as a kid so I've been enjoying exploring the rest.

>144 Caramellunacy: Fingers crossed!

Sorry to disappear for so long! I've been working again which has been taking up more of my time, and we closed on a new house a week ago so that's been a time-suck, too. Here are some recent ROOTs!

68 ROOTs down: Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik

Laurence and Temeraire are putting the finishing touches on their pavilion in Australia when they get a surprise visit from an old friend -- Hammond, who has been sent to restore Laurence to the lists so he and Temeraire can go negotiate with the Tswana tribesmen in Rio de Janeiro and keep Britain's hope of defeating the French alive. So they set off for South America, accompanied by Granby and Iskierka, Demane and Kulingle, and the rest of their crews. But the journey will test them, and once they arrive, the Inca are not disposed to be friendly.

I thought this was rather a return to form from the previous book and enjoyed it quite a bit. 4 stars.

69 ROOTs down: Arthur & George by Julian Barnes

In this fictional retelling of a real event, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle takes up the case of solicitor George Edalji, wrongfully convicted of harming animals.

I chose this as my background book on the Sunday where I was painting two of my bathrooms and driving 3+ hours there are back to the other side of the Olympic Peninsula to get tile, so I started this 18 hr audiobook in the morning and had finished by the end of the day, lol. I think that was actually a good way to consume this book -- I wasn't sure how much I would like it, but I was totally immersed in Barnes' writing. He creates really strong characters in Doyle and Edalji, based of course off their real life personas, but he truly brings them to life. 4 stars.

70 ROOTs down: Once Was a Time by Leila Sales

Lottie lives with her time travel researcher father in WWII era England -- until an encounter with a portal rips her away from her family and her time to modern-day Wisconsin. Lost and friendless in a time she doesn't understand, Lottie is determined to find her way back to her family -- and to her best friend Kitty, who she tried desperately to take with her.

This book was solid overall. I had a few quibbles with how Lottie's situation worked out in present-day Wisconsin, but overall this was a lovely story of powerful friendship, and I cried at the end. 4 stars.

71 ROOTs down: A Collection of Essays by George Orwell

In this selection of essays, Orwell touches on his school days, literary criticism, politics, and more.

I'm not sure if the essays in this title are consistent across editions, but my edition contained: Such, Such Were the Joys; Charles Dickens; The Art of Donald McGill; Rudyard Kipling; Raffles and Miss Blandish; Shooting an Elephant; Politics and the English Language; Reflections on Gandhi; Marrakech; Looking Back on the Spanish War; Inside the Whale; England Your England; Boys' Weeklies; and Why I Write.

For the most part, I enjoyed this as I usually do Orwell's nonfiction. The more effective essays for me were the ones that focused on Orwell's own life and experiences; I was less interested in his literary criticism or historical entries. 3.5 stars.

72 ROOTs down: March by Geraldine Brooks

Based on Little Women and Louisa May Alcott's father, March takes place mostly during the events of Little Women, following Mr. March during his off-screen experiences of the Civil War.

I really enjoyed this, despite not having read Little Women in many years, and loved the way Brooks filled in the hole in the story while also making Mr. March fully her own character. 4 stars.

73 ROOTs down: Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

In true Allende fashion, the novel follows Eva Luna as she grows up, from her childhood in the home of a sort of mad scientist professor to her brushes with political revolution to her eventual escape from her life of servitude through her natural talent for storytelling.

I really enjoy Allende's tales and colorful characters and this was no exception. I enjoyed following Eva's story and Allende's trademark magical realism. 4 stars.

74 ROOTs down: Evicted by Matthew Desmond

Desmond explores the housing industrial complex in the poorest cities of Milwaukee, taking the reader into the lives of the evictees and also the evictors, the landlords making their money off of turning people out in the street.

This was a powerful, accessible book that exposes the utter injustice of the American housing system. Recommended -- 5 stars.

75 ROOTs down: The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Gareth Inglis has been shunned by his father for years and wasn't expecting anything when he died -- and he certainly wasn't expecting to suddenly inherit his father's minor title, move to Kent, and become Sir Gareth. Nor was he expecting his new home of Romney Marsh to also be the home of the mysterious man he'd fallen a bit in love with in London months ago. As Gareth works through his new life and status and tries to figure out his place in a society he doesn't understand, he also works through his feelings for Joss -- and for Joss's involvement with the local smuggling activity.

KJ Charles writes really lovely queer historical fiction and this was no exception. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and more of her work. 4 stars.

76 ROOTs down: Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner

A collection of short stories, vignettes, recipes, and research notes surrounding the Queen's Thief series, interspersed with lovely illustrations. I felt this collection didn't really satisfy as a whole and I don't think it would recommend it for anyone but the biggest fan of the series, but I enjoyed my time back in this world and it DID make me want to reread all the books again. 3.5 stars.

77 ROOTs down: Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

Joanna has lived alone in her small Vermont house ever since her father died, blood sucked dry by one of the magical books they custodian. Her half-sister Esther left when she turned 18 and refuses to come home, traveling the world, and Joanna doesn't know why. Meanwhile, Esther was told by her father on her 18th birthday to leave and never come back, and to spend a certain day each year traveling, never settling in one place for long. When Esther breaks that promise and decides to stay at her Antarctic research facility and allow that day to pass by, nefarious things start happening -- and Esther wonders if she's put herself and everyone she loves in danger, and if she'll manage to escape this time.

I love books about books and this was a really good one. Unique magical books, mysterious legacies, deadly stakes -- what more could you want? 5 stars.

78 ROOTs down: Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Phedre is an anguissette, one cursed by Kushiel to derive pleasure from pain. Born into the service of the Night Court of the City of Elua, she is raised knowing she will one day become a full courtesan in the service of Namaah until she earns enough to purchase her own marque. When her marque is purchased by a new patron, Anafiel Delaunay, she's not sure what to expect -- but Delaunay is the only one to recognize her for her true talent as an anguissette, and in his hands, she becomes a true weapon. Phedre is trained not only in the arts of Namaah, but also as Delaunay's spy, learning languages, politics, and history alongside Delaunay's other protege, Alcuin. Phedre's role puts her into the hands of some of the most dangerous characters in Terre d'Ange, and she's able to hold her own and gather the information Delaunay seeks. But as the political situation more dire, Phedre will be cast into situations she never would have imagined, and she will need to use every scrap of learning to survive.

This is not an easy book to summarize, partly because it's 900 pages, and partly because Carey's worldbuilding is extensive and complex. This started slow for me; it took me about a month to read the first 300 pages, and then I flew through the last 600 in four days. This is a masterful fantasy epic that I'm sure doesn't always get its due because of the graphic sex and Phedre's profession and proclivities, but if you're looking for a complex, detailed fantasy world to get lost in and don't mind a little sex, I would recommend it. This is not a romance/smut novel; the sex serves a purpose and is part of the plot/worldbuilding. I'm looking forward to reading the sequels, although I'm glad they're not quite as long as this one. I'd like to read them sooner rather than later due to the complexity of the world and politics, but we'll see when -- I need to make some progress on my books to read this year list first. 4.5 stars, a half star off for the slow start.

Those are some rather nice books you've added to your ROOTs list, Natalie.
And nice news too, about the new home and the new job. I hope you are back to stay for the rest of the year.

>150 curioussquared: I have that exact edition of Orwell's essays (or at least an edition with the same cover), though I haven't read through it yet. Maybe it's time to pull it down off the shelf. Cheers!

You've got in a lot of reading while being so busy!

>158 connie53: Thanks Connie! Yes, I hope to be more present for the rest of the year :) I'm better at updating my 75ers thread, so you can usually find me there if I'm not around here.

>159 rocketjk: I inherited this copy from my dad :) I liked it, but not as much as some of Orwell's longer form nonfiction (Down and Out in Paris and London, The Road to Wigan Pier).

>160 MissWatson: Gotta keep reading through the busy to stay sane, Birgit! :)