Erratic Charmer's 40 in 2020

I had 20 books on my TBR shelf, and 20 in 2020 seemed like such a nice, round, achievable goal.

But then my partner cleared out their bookshelves and I got so many lovely paperbacks as hand-me-downs :)

I've hidden the new books in boxes under the bed and my goal for the year is to finish my 20 TBR books *first*. Only then will I be allowed to rummage through the hand-me-downs and pick an additional 20, to make a total goal of 40 ROOTs for the year!

I'm also doing a RONB this year (Replace Only No Buy - meaning I'm not purchasing any new books until I've read everything on my shelves). Exceptions allowed for borrowing library books for book group once a month.

Welcome back, Valerie! Happy ROOTing. I hope you will find treasures in the box under the bed.

Thank you! Hope that you have a great reading year ahead of you. I know there is treasure in the box under the bed but I have a few months to forget all about it so it will be a nice surprise :)

Welcome back from me too, happy reading!

Welcome back and have a great reading year! Looking forward to seeing what's in those boxes once you've read your other TBRs :D

Good luck with your ROOTing!

First ROOT for January: Deragon Hex: The Vipdile Key by Carlie Martece

You've set quite a goal for yourself- good luck and happy ROOTing!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

Second ROOT for January: Oh, You Pretty Thing by V.G. Lee

Third ROOT for January: Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler

Here's my reading stack for January. I read a couple of library books as well as my own ROOTs. Overall a great month for reading, and even went all female/non-binary authors without setting out to do so, which is nice.

First ROOT for February: Giant Days vol 11 by John Allison

Second ROOT for February: Sciencia by Burkard Polster et al.

Nice stack of books, Valerie!

Third ROOT for February: Maggie Terry by Sara Schulman. Loved this book!

Fourth ROOT for February: Gut by Giulia Enders

Fifth ROOT for February: Smut Peddler anthology edited by C Spike Trotman

Sixth ROOT for February: The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night by Jen Campbell

Seventh ROOT for February: The Way by Swann's by Proust



This was my reading stack for February:

First ROOT for March: Darling Days by iO Tillett Wright

Second ROOT for March: Oh Joy Sex Toy volume 4 by Erika Moen

Third ROOT for March: Slip of a Fish by Amy Arnold

This was my reading stack for March:

>24 Erratic_Charmer: Nice stack!

First ROOT for April: Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain by Ronald Hutton



I am SO HAPPY to have finally finished this one. It had been on my stack since December 2012....and finishing it was a real slog.

Second ROOT for April: The Point of Rescue by Sophie Hannah

Third ROOT for April: Factfulness by Hans Rosling

>28 Erratic_Charmer: Did you like Factfulness? It's on my TBR and I have high hopes for it, having seen him speak online.

Jackie_K yes, very much! It's a quick read, level headed and comforting, and he had such a fascinating life.

Fourth ROOT for April: The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

Fifth ROOT for April: The Mental Load by Emma

The Mental Load is on my wishlist - I really like her cartoons!

April's reading stack, including Kindle :)

First ROOT for May: Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs

Second ROOT for May: The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

Hi Valerie. I see you have been reading some interesting books. I hope you are doing fine. Keep safe.

Thanks Connie! I'm reading lots and lots of thrillers to pass the time - candy for the brain.

Third ROOT for May: Lasting Damage by Sophie Hannah

Fourth ROOT for May: The Compassionate Mind by Paul Gilbert

Fifth ROOT for May: The Tinder Box by Minette Walters

My reading stack for May:

First ROOT for June: Another World by Pat Barker

Second ROOT for June: A Girl's Guide to Sensible Footwear by Kate Charlesworth

Third ROOT for June: The Liar by Stephen Fry

Fourth ROOT for June: White Teeth by Zadie Smith

Fifth ROOT for June: A Room Swept White by Sophie Hannah

This is my reading stack for June:

First ROOT for July: The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry

Second ROOT for July: Maskerade by Terry Pratchett

Third ROOT for July: Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah

Wow, you are well on track to meet your goal! Well done!!

Lots of Sophie Hannah books read, Valerie. I like the way you stack and show your monthly books. Very good idea.

Thanks connie53 :) The stacks are my way of keeping track of everything I read, the ROOTs as well as the new books and library books.

Here is the July reading stack:

First ROOT for August: A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett

Second ROOT for August: Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett

Third ROOT for August: Life and Times of Michael K by J M Coetzee

Fourth ROOT for August: Making History by Stephen Fry

Fifth ROOT for August: Ecstasy is Necessary by Barbara Carrellas

Excitingly, 'Ecstasy is Necessary' marks the very last of my pre-2020 books, so I now have *no* ROOTs older than 6 months :)

This has been a goal of mine for the last few years of ROOTing so I'm feeling very pleased!

Previously on this year's ticker, I wasn't counting anything read within a year of acquisition as a 'ROOT', so I'm now wondering if I can go back and retroactively add the new ones that I read this year :)

>59 Erratic_Charmer: Yay! Excellent ROOT work.

I would say go for it and add those other ROOTS retroactively :)

>59 Erratic_Charmer: Ooh, well done! I'd totally add the new ones - as far as I'm concerned they're still ROOTs, they just don't have such deep roots on your shelves as the older ones.

Excellent :) Another six added to my ticker then, for books that I both acquired and read this year.

Die volume 2, Kieron Gillen
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge
The Hours, Michael Cunningham
Freshwater, Akwaeke Emezi
Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness, Ingrid Fettell Lee
Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies, Tara Schuster

Two more ROOTs for August:

Steeple by John Allison
America is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo

>59 Erratic_Charmer: You can do whatever you like, it's your challenge. And I think you have met your goal. Is that right?

I've definitely met my goal and then some :)

August book pile:

Than this is for you.

Ahahahaha brilliant! :)

This is my first ROOT for September: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Second ROOT for September: Giant Days vol 12 by John Allison

Third ROOT for September: Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker

Fourth ROOT for September: Eve Stranger by David Barnett

Fifth ROOT for September: Permission by Saskia Vogel

September book stack. The library is open again!

I've heard good things about that Becky Chambers book, I keep meaning to look for it.

I heard that too.

I would definitely recommend the Becky Chambers book. It was a hit with my book group.

First ROOT for October, and #50 for the year! Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Great one to kick off Halloween month.

A bit late - here is my October reading stack. Now that I've reached my ROOT goal I'm reading lots of borrowed books and library books. I've noticed the ROOT stack has been creeping up though, so I'll definitely be back in 2021 :)

First ROOT for November: Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Second ROOT for November: The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya

November reading stack. Got a bit ridiculous.

>78 Erratic_Charmer:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying followed by The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k. That's quite the rivalry there.

First ROOT for December: What We Don't Talk About by Charlot Kristensen

>78 Erratic_Charmer: I like ridiculous things!



Happy Holidays from the Netherlands!

Thanks connie! :)

Another 7 ROOTs in December...reading stack here: