DECEMBER ROOT - Progress Thread

As we discussed in the October Thread, I have removed those members who have been inactive for a lengthy period of time.

If you do not see your name in the list, you have been removed.
If you want to be added back, please indicate your current status below.

December is a magical time of year so no matter the weather or activities that will take through the remainder of the year, we should end the year with a smile.
To add that magic to our gardens, let's look to FAIRY GARDENS.

Essentially, fairy gardens—also called enchanted gardens—are minuscule plots that include live plants, flowers, mushrooms, tiny statues, darling trinkets, and other mini accessories such as furniture, fountains, or swings. They're constructed indoors or out.






Fairies seem to like spaces that flow. In general, fairies don't like to be seen, so placing stones to hide behind and small hollowed out logs to shelter in will make them more comfortable. If you're crafty, you might try making a little house – something that looks like it could have grown there, perhaps.

Another Welsh legend explains why foxgloves bend and sway so gracefully. It has nothing to do with the wind, but that as the flower is sacred to the fairies, it has the power of recognizing them, and indeed all spiritual beings who pass by, and that it bows in deference to them as they waft along.

What are the rules for a fairy garden?

Don't use iron or nickel in the fairy garden as they will repel your fairies.
Fairies appreciate when you recycle, compost and garden organically.
Perfect playmates for fairies are fireflies, ladybugs and butterflies.
Fairies have an affection for honey, sugar and sweet cakes.

Remember if your name doesn't appear, check to make sure you are a member.
Those members whose tickers are not working are marked BLANK. Please repair your tickers. If you need help, just ask.

AInkspill 53 / 55 96.4%
Ameise1 10 / 10 100.0%
Ann_R 9 / 25 36.0%
atozgrl 25 / 25 100.0%
benitastarnd 99 / 72 137.5%
Bookbrained 57 / 70 81.4%
brakketh 20 / 34 58.8%
bumblesby 18 / 20 90.0%
ca_dmv 8 / 12 66.7%
Caramellunacy 25 / 24 104.2%
Cecilturtle 54 / 50 108.0%
clue 42 / 40 105.0%
Coach_of_Alva 52 / 50 104.0%
connie53 50 / 36 138.9%
curioussquared 78 / 65 120.0%
CurrerBell 32 / 50 64.0%
cyderry 90 / 72 125.0%
detailmuse 42 / 40 105.0%
DisassemblyOfReason 41 / 100 41.0%
EGBERTINA 595 / 25 2380.0%
enemyanniemae 0 / 50 0.0%
Familyhistorian 65 / 65 100.0%
formativeage 5 / 10 50.0%
fuzzi 66 / 50 132.0%
handshakes 12 / 32 37.5%
HelenBaker 38 / 48 79.2%
Henrik_Madsen 28 / 50 56.0%
humouress 16 / 25 64.0%
Jackie_K 46 / 40 115.0%
kac522 76 / 75 101.3%
KWharton 8 / 12 66.7%
Kyler_Marie 52 / 60 86.7%
LadyBookworth 12 / 30 40.0%
lindapanzo 95 / 84 113.1%
LisaMorr 20 / 40 50.0%
madhatter22 22 / 50 44.0%
majkia 118 / 65 181.5%
martencat 11 / 18 61.1%
MissWatson 124 / 75 165.3%
nebula21 5 / 12 41.7%
postsbygina 24 / 55 43.6%
QuestingA 36 / 50 72.0%
rabbitprincess 95 / 40 237.5%
readingtangent 30 / 55 54.5%
Rebeki 32 / 30 106.7%
Robertgreaves 75 / 72 104.2%
rocketjk 17 / 30 56.7%
rosalita memorial 50 / 50 100.0%
sallylou61 27 / 24 112.5%
si 26 / 25 104.0%
torontoc 19 / 30 63.3%
twogreys 19 / 24 79.2%
VioletCrown 31 / 52 59.6%
wandaly 24 / 24 100.0%

We actually have members - fuzzi, rabittprincess, MissWatson, majkia, curioussquared, benitastarnd, detailmuse, connie53, cyderry, sallylou61, lindapanzo, Rebecki, si, Jackie_K, Robertgreaves, and EGBERTINA - who have reached their goals! This month they were joined by wandaly, Ameise1, Cecilturtle, kac522, atozgirl, Familyhistorian, Caramellunacy,clue, and Coach_of_Alva!
Those leading the pack toward their goals are:

AInkspill 96.4%
bumblesby 90.0%
Kyler_Marie 86.7%

We have reached our goal now that we have eliminated the inactive members.

But we still have ROOTS TO DIG! Or at least I know, I do!

What a great job, everyone!
Chèli, those gardens are too cute for words! What a delightful idea for this month of celebrations. I mean... I would want to live there :D

Wishing you all a great reading month. Since I've reached my goal I'm tackling longer reads to get a couple of Big Fat Books off my shelves.

Cuteness overload :)

Hope everybody has a great end of year season with lots of reading time.

I have a friend who created a fairy garden for her granddaughter and even though the granddaughter is now in junior high and too old for such things, my friend faithfully adds new pieces to it from time-to-time. She is just fascinated with it, and loves collecting items for it. But not too many, she says she doesn't want the fairy garden to overtake their small backyard.

Love the Fairy gardens! Congrats to all of us for so much ROOTing! Have a great season no matter how you celebrate.

I decided on the fairy garden theme because Daryl Wood Gerber has two cozy mystery series -Fairy Garden Mysteries and Aroma Wellness Mysteries - that have fairy characters and they are so charming.

Fairy gardens are just perfect for the season! I'm happy we have reached our goals, but I'm sure we'll continue ROOTing nonetheless.

>9 cyderry: sounds delightfully fun!

Thanks for the stats, Chèli. I've noticed Fairy Gardens showing up in the forest trails around here. BC has many treed areas with trails.

I can report my first ROOT for December, Letzte Ernte. It is also my number 125, 50 books beyond my goal. Retirement is simply wonderful!

I love those gardens, really cute.

So cute! And yayyy for reaching our group goal! :)

>3 cyderry: Still getting the hang of this, I have posted in the nov thread (https://www.librarything.com/topic/365482#n8686521 messages: 18, 34, 45) and maybe I should be updating it elsewhere but my latest update is 52 / 55, if I've missed a step, pls let me know :)

(reporting root 78)
finished reading Jamaica Inn and Measure by Measure

new total 52 of 55 🌴

>17 AnishaInkspill: Have you made a ticker and kept it up to date? That's what cyderry uses to update the stats so if you don't update your ticker, she won't have your latest figures.

>18 Robertgreaves: yes I made the tickertape here , https://www.librarything.com/topic/356418#n8648629, post 78 but updating in Nov progress, but have updated it.

Though not sure if to update it here or the monthly progress.

>19 AnishaInkspill: I've adjusted your numbers. When I looked at the tickers I guess I didn't get the new number. Apologies.

>19 AnishaInkspill: As long as you keep your ticker up-to-date, you do not need to post here. Your ticker is your official count, and that is the number used in each month's summary.

>20 cyderry: thank you for updating it, and it's fine, I'm getting teh hang of things

>21 kac522: okay, that's good to knowm, and I think I get it now

updated my ticker!

Fairy gardens, what fun! I love that some here have seen them in the wild.

Finally a root for December. Posession by A.S. Byatt. This completes my Booker Prize winners challenge that I set myself this year but it has really impacted on my reading pace, hence I am behind in this challenge. Many of them were 500+ pages and very challenging reads but at long last they are off my shelves. I will try and refocus on my Root goal but it seems unachievable at this point.

>26 HelenBaker:
Big Books do tend to slow down the reading pace.

My recent drive to Alabama was very ROOT productive and resulted in several ROOT's.

I listened to Matrix by Lauren Groff and Open Season by C. J. Box on the way down. I finished reading Secret Life of Dust while there, and Transcription by Kate Atkinson. I was very disappointed in the book because it was the worst Kate Atkinson book I have ever read - listened to. I also started and finished listening to Conviction by Denise Mina. I am not an avid reader of psychological thriller's and this novel was classed as such, so I started it with some trepidation. However, I liked this one. It turned out to be more conventional than I thought it would be, and it kept my interest on the long drive.

>26 HelenBaker: Many of them were 500+ pages and very challenging reads but at long last they are off my shelves.
Congratulations, that's such an accomplishment!

I've finally added my first ROOT for December (#47 for the year) to my own ticker. Still hoping to reach at least 50 for the year.

I have finished 6 ROOTs in December, that is 130 for the year. I am very pleased with this result, retirement has been great for my reading!
I’m travelling to my sister for our Christmas holidays and will be back for ROOTing in 2025 in January.

Happy Holidays to all my fellow ROOTers!

>31 MissWatson: Warm Holidays to you as well

I'm starting the preliminary work on the 2025 ROOT theme.
I know that we had talked about cheeses but I also thought about fountains around the world. Please vote below.

Cheese = yes Fountains = undecided No = either is fine.

ROOT #20 for the year and the first for Dec. No tickers updated

Well I am doing my best by choosing the shortest books on my shelves. Two more read The Animals in That Country by Laura Jean McKay and The Foreign Woman by Fiona Kidman, 41/48.

Reporting two more ROOTs (The Innocent Mage and A Deadly Education) which takes my total to (I think) 18. My ticker updated.

Finished ROOT # 51 for the year, # 1 for December

Het teken van de vogel by Deborah Harkness

Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a good 2025

#78 updated, 2 further roots completed, that's 55/55 🌴😊

>38 AnishaInkspill: Congratulations, Anisha!!

I've completed 59 this year - I may be able to go to 60 but with all my family in town I may be partying more than reading. Overall I'm very happy with my reading. Last year I had not managed my goal of 50 and this year, I pulverized it :)

I hope everyone is enjoying the festive season... or at least nice and cozy, and resting!

>37 connie53: Happy Christmas to you and Peet, Connie. Look forward to more book talk in 2025.

Still trying. One more root completed, Oracles & Miracles by Stevan Eldred- Grigg, 42/48.

>38 AnishaInkspill: yeah! you made it!

Back again with two more roots, The Shining City by Stevan Eldred-Grigg* and Fire by John Boyne*. 44/48

Reporting ROOT number 19, Alanna: the First Adventure. My ticker updated.

>42 cyderry: Thanks, I'm pleased with myself, some were a tough reads

One more Root, The Good Doctor by Damon Galgut, getting closer, 45/48.