fuzzi Gets to the ROOT Cause of Her Collapsing Bookshelves in 2021!

I met my 100 book ROOT challenge in 2018 and 2019, but missed it in 2020…go figure.

Since I still have hundreds of unread books on my shelves I’ve decided to ignore falling short this past year and stay with my 100 ROOT challenge for 2021!

Here's my 2021 ticker:



As always I'll be reviewing all books as soon as I finish reading them, so feel free to drop by anytime. And I don’t “spoil” in my reviews, so read without fear!

My main 2021 thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/327963#

AND my rehoming thread is here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/327960

fuzzi’s ROOTs rules:
1. Book must have been in my library for at least 365 days whenever I read it...so if it’s August 1, 2021 and I bought a book on July 31, 2020, it’s a ROOT
2. Unread and “rehomed” books count for ROOTing total
3. Partially read and abandoned books count for ROOT total (though not for my “Books read in 2020” challenges)
4. ROOTs can be e-books or tree-books
5. Children’s and other short books count as ROOTs

Here’s to Reading Our Own Tomes!!!

Hi Fuz, glad to see you here. Happy ROOTing.

>2 connie53: thank you! You're "Johnny-on-the-spot" this morning, first one to post here!

I've mothing else to do and I like visiting all threads!

Good to see you back, have a good year of reading!

Welcome back and good luck with your goals this year!

Thank you, all!

I've had better ROOT years than in 2020, here's hoping that I'll meet my goal of 100 in 2021!

Have a happy and healthy new year of ROOTing, fuzzi.

>9 Robertgreaves: you too, my friend!

Glad you're back!
Love your thread title! LOL

>11 cyderry: ha ha, thanks!

I try to have FUN with the challenges, even doing crazy combinations with the tickers.

First ROOT of 2021 completed!


#1 The Confession of Brother Haluin by Ellis Peters

Satisfying entry in the Cadfael series, about a fellow monk with a secret, and a need to atone for it. I guessed the solution to the mystery, but it was still "good fun".

Glad to see you're back, and better luck with the ROOTing than last year!

>14 MissWatson: thanks! I've been meeting my ROOT goal of 100 every year, so one year (2020???!!!) of not quite getting there is okay...

>15 fuzzi: 2020 simply doesn't count in so many ways...

I added this book to my library in 2011, haven't read it since, and have absolutely no recollection of reading it, though I'm sure I did, 25+ years ago...so I am counting it as a ROOT.


#2 The Broken Gun by Louis L'Amour

A mystery set in the American west, but in the mid twentieth century instead of the author's usual late 1800s period. Not L'Amour's best, but worth a read.

>17 fuzzi: Hmmm. Never heard of that one. And here I thought I'd ready every L'Amour novel.

>18 justchris: boom! Book bullet?

I only know of two of L'Amour's books that I did not read, on purpose. One was The Haunted Mesa and the other was The Lonesome Gods. I don't care for occult related stories, so I skipped those two. Oh, and I didn't care for my first Hopalong Cassidy read so I skipped the rest of them.

There's a 2021 L'Amour shared read thread here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/328390#7374016

>19 fuzzi: Not sure I ever read Haunted Mesa, so maybe L'Amour is like Christie--I read everything available locally, and my brain interpreted that as everything available anywhere. Oh well.

I enjoyed The Lonesome Gods, maybe more than lots of other L'Amour stories, maybe because it had more character development due to being larger than most of his stories.

>20 justchris: I was big into L'Amour after discovering him about 1986. I printed a list of all his books and crossed them off as I completed each read. I remember at one point that I had read everything published to date, probably in the mid 1990s.

It's been more than 20 years since I read some of them, so they're like new reads.

>21 fuzzi: Yes, they do end up feeling new all over again.

#3 Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny - Did not finish

>23 fuzzi: What an ugly cover!

>24 connie53: I agree.

#4 Trading Jeff and His Dog by Jim Kjelgaard

Entertaining story of a young peddler who gets involved with a murder mystery in the hills of Appalachia.

>26 fuzzi: That dog is enormous!

#5 Rose in a Storm by Jon Katz

Rose is a shepherd, a Border collie mix who loves her farm, her sheep, and her partner Sam. But when a blizzard of the century hits how can she keep all of her charges safe?

Engaging read of "what if?" inspired by the author's own collie and his farmstead experiences.

#6 Double Challenge by Jim Kjelgaard

Ted and his father Al live in the wilderness, living off the land. When a poacher is shot suspicion falls on Al. Ted finds himself both trying to manage his new hunting lodge and prove his father's innocence. Good read.

#7 The Polar Bear Twins by Jane Tompkins

Older story about nature, aimed at children but without sugar-coating that polar bears kill to eat. The illustrations are a treat.

#8 Jupie Follows His Tale by Neely McCoy

This is the third and final book in the Jupie series, where Spring arrives and life gets busy for both Jean and Jupie. Ground Hog wakes up, Robin returns from the South, Cow has a baby, and Jupie goes fishing with disastrous results. Nostalgic and enjoyable read.

#9 Mr. Tucket by Gary Paulsen

Francis finds himself in trouble after lagging behind the wagon train, but then a mountain man shows up, and the fourteen year old boy finds himself growing up fast.

I really enjoyed this story. It was believable, realistic, authentic, but not too graphic.

>32 fuzzi:
Every time I hear about a Gary Paulsen book, I lament not discovering his books when I was 10 or so, when I would have eaten them up with a spoon.

I still haven't read any of them, but you are convincing me to have a look at the library. Something quick and survival oriented sounds very satisfying right now.

>33 Caramellunacy: do it! Do it!

I started reading Gary Paulsen in my early 50s, when someone here on LT recommended his works. Hatchet was my first Paulsen. The only book of his that I did not like was The Rifle, but any of the others I'd recommend. Check out my "no spoiler" reviews if you want to get a better idea of what to read first.

Hatchet is as good a place to start as any, but I also really liked Woods Runner, which takes place in colonial America. If you want to see a more nonfiction side of this author, Woodsong is about his attempt to complete the Iditarod, My Life in Dog Years explores his dog sledding adventures, and Guts is a collection of short autobiographical stories.

#10 Call Me Francis Tucket by Gary Paulsen

Tucket is on his own, heading west in search of his family, finding trouble when he least expects it. But he also discovers that finding company, no matter in what form, can be better than being alone.

I'm really enjoying this series, put in a hold at the library since I don't own the next book!

#11 Tucket's Gold by Gary Paulsen

Francis Tucket continues to flee pursuing outlaws, unaware of the dangers and discoveries ahead, including meeting up with some compassionate folks, and some other unpleasant fellow wanderers.

#12 Tucket's Home by Gary Paulsen

As Francis, Lottie, and Billy continue west they meet more settlers in search of a better land, though not all will finish their journeys unscathed, or at all.

I liked this final book in the Tucket series, and appreciated its well-written ending.

#13 Tall Tales of America by Irwin Shapiro

I enjoyed reading "tall tales" as a child, and loved this book. But upon a reread I discovered that the writing is poor and uninteresting. Too bad.

The illustrations are great, though!

>38 fuzzi: We call that the suck fairy, Fuzzi.

>39 connie53: yep, but I didn't want to use that term in the "official" review...

#14 A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

This is a collection of mildly amusing tales about a small bear who comes to live with a family in London.

I recall reading this years ago and being just as underwhelmed at the time. Upon my reread I found the title character's antics irritating and quickly lost interest in the book. If I'd read this when I was a child I might have enjoyed it more.

#15 More About Paddington by Michael Bond - Started reading, then decided life was too short to read something I don't enjoy.

#16 Paddington Helps Out by Michael Bond - did not read

#17 Up Periscope by Robb White

Wow. Described as a young adult book, this adventure story read more like a Hammond Innes or Alistair MacLean tale. Good plot, enough suspense to keep the pages turning, and just the right amount of details to make it plausible. I'm looking for more works by this author.

#18 Native Dancer: Thoroughbred Legends by Eva Jolene Boyd

A well-written biography of a thoroughbred champion, whose many descendants continue to exhibit the winning traits they inherited from the original Gray Ghost, Native Dancer.

>42 fuzzi: Sounds good.

#19 The Greyhound by Helen Griffiths

Jamie wants a dog, but his mother says no, there's not enough room or money at home. When a dog he's befriended is suddenly for sale, a classmate lends the money to Jamie, but at a price. Is all the deception and trouble to keep Silver worth it?

Good story, showing how breaking one rule can lead to bigger troubles, but the author conveys the moral without being preachy.

#20 Tiltawhirl John by Gary Paulsen

Short coming-of-age story, told from the perspective of a 16 year old runaway who winds up working as a carnie. There are some touching moments as well that made the characters more human than caricature.

#21 Revolt in 2100 by Robert Heinlein

Did not finish, not the best Heinlein by a long shot.

I think Heinlein is a bit overrated or old-fashioned. I've never read anything by him I really liked.

>47 fuzzi: Never even heard of it.
>48 connie53: I agree with your first sentence. I *loved* Friday as a teenager and reread it several times. And then I reread it again in my 30s and by then had also gotten around to The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Stranger in a Strange Land and probably some others. And then I was done. Done with Heinlein's sexual politics all about women in service to men under the guise of sexual liberation. Ugh.

I love the long list of historical YA stories!

>48 connie53: >49 justchris: I also loved Friday, but never cared for Stranger or the Lazarus Long series. I've been reading a bunch of his older works, including the juvies, which are a mixed bunch.

Tunnel in the Sky about a final exam on survival gone wrong was one of the best, and a few others like Time for the Stars and Farmer in the Sky were better than average reads.

It's been decades since I read The Number of the Beast, Starship Troopers, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, or I Will Fear No Evil, and will probably pass on a reread in case the Suck Fairy is standing by, ready to ruin them.

I think what I liked best about Heinlein was his social commentary and how well he saw how cultures would change in the future. I also liked his characters. What I liked least was his "free love" promotion throughout his later works.

Heinlein quotes:

“No statement should be believed because it is made by an authority.”

“A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.”

“Secrecy is the keystone to all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy and censorship. When any government or church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, "This you may not read, this you must not know," the end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man who has been hoodwinked in this fashion; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, whose mind is free. No, not the rack nor the atomic bomb, not anything. You can't conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him.”

“An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.”

“One of the sanest, surest, and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.”

“Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost.”

“Political tags — such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth — are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort.”

“It is a bad sign when the people of a country stop identifying themselves with the country and start identifying with a group. A racial group. Or a religion. Or a language. Anything, as long as it isn't the whole population.”

“The coldest depth of Hell is reserved for people who abandon kittens.”

“But there seems to have been an actual decline in rational thinking. The United States had become a place where entertainers and professional athletes were mistaken for people of importance. They were idolized and treated as leaders; their opinions were sought on everything and they took themselves just as seriously — after all, if an athlete is paid a million or more a year, he knows he is important … so his opinions of foreign affairs and domestic policies must be important, too, even though he proves himself to be both ignorant and subliterate every time he opens his mouth."

“Women and cats do as they damned well please, and men and dogs had best learn to live with it.”

😁😁😁

#22 The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars

Sara is restless, unhappy with her life, angry at the world. Her older sister is beautiful and has a boyfriend, and her younger brother Charlie is a burden, a pest. He hasn't spoken since he had a high fever six years ago. When Charlie wanders away overnight Sara's priorities change, and she discovers friendship in those she considered enemies. Realistic, not overly-whiny as some teen stories tend to be, recommended.

#23 Conan of Cimmeria by Robert Ervin Howard - Did not finish, have no plans to ever try another Conan book.

#24 The Moved-Outers by Florence Crannell Means

A gripping tale of Japanese-Americans forced to leave their lives and their homes, sent to internment camps after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. While most are discouraged about their current situation, some exhibit perseverance and hope for the future.

The plot is handled skillfully, never becoming melodramatic, always keeping the characters fresh and real.

#25 Alida's Song by Gary Paulsen

A young teen receives an invitation from his grandmother to spend the summer working on a farm where she is employed as a cook. It turns out to be a turning point in his troubled life. And it made me smile, well done.

#26 The Quilt by Gary Paulsen

During World War II a young boy lives for a time with his grandmother in northern Minnesota. Most of the narrative takes place on a farm, where the boy learns about animals, chores, and experiences new life as well as loss. Very touching.

#27 White Water Still Water by J. Allan Bosworth

An engaging story of an ill-prepared teen who finds himself in the wilderness with no skills to survive except for what he's read in adventure books. It's not a typical survival story and I appreciated the author's balance between a slightly whiny kid and the emerging adult. Nicely done.

#28 Murder on the Trans-Siberian Express by Stuart Kaminsky

Inspector Rostnikov is sent on a mission which involves following a suspect on the famous Trans-Siberian express, but he is not expected to return. Sasha Tkach is trying to keep on the straight and narrow while Karpo seems to have a death wish. And in the meanwhile Elena Timofeyeva and her fiance Iosef try to prevent another murder in the subway system.

Not as much a mystery as a solid story about the post-Soviet society. Good entry in the series.

#29 The Potter's Field by Ellis Peters

The remains of a woman are uncovered as an unused field is being plowed. Was she the estranged wife of a man who recently took vows to become a monk? The weave is tangled in this one, indeed, and I wasn't sure whodunit until the end, when I discovered how wrong I was. Good twisty mystery.

#30 Survivors: Extraordinary Tales from the Wild and Beyond by David Long and Kerry Hyndman

This is an Early Reviewer book that I just couldn't finish. I think the size of this volume contributed to my inability to complete it as it was almost as large as a "coffee table" book.

#31 The Summer of the Danes by Ellis Peters

Brothers Cadfael and Mark head into Wales on a diplomatic mission that escalates into conflict between Welsh royalty and Danish invaders. Not so much a mystery as an interesting story about 12th Century politics and relationships.

Hi Fuzzi, just swinging by to see what you have been reading. I have to try a book by Ellis Peters sometime. There is just something that keeps me back from really doing so.

>62 connie53: they're consistently good reads.

Okay, I might try one then!

#32 They Looked for a City by Lydia Buksbazen

This is the story of a family of Russian Messianic Jews and how their faith sustains them through trials in the early to mid Twentieth century. This read was interesting, engaging, but not too preachy.

Hmm. I marked myself as having done 34 ROOTs to here, not sure where the other two are...to be investigated...

#35 The Journals of Lewis and Clark by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, edited by John Bakeless

I recalled very little about Lewis and Clark's expedition from my school days, so I when I saw this little paperback at a yard sale I thought I'd give it a read. And I'm glad I did.

While some might feel that reading journal entries from over 200 years ago would be boring or tedious, I found them fascinating. Yes, some of the attitudes could be considered old fashioned or out of date, but many of the interactions between the native tribes and the exploration team were refreshingly respectful and compassionate.

And I was never bored.

It could be that the huge volumes produced on this trip by Lewis and Clark might be tough to get through, but the editor waded through the mountains of information to create a satisfying read.

#36 The Holy Thief by Ellis Peters

Decent addition to the Brother Cadfael series. This time I guessed the actual murderer, but not the motive. Interesting.

#37 The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

Delightful continuation of the first book in the series. Rosalind starts to worry when her father is coerced into a blind date, Skye and Jane make a pact with disastrous results, and Batty keeps claiming she's seen a "bugman". It's a funny, touching, believable story.

#38 One-eyed Cat by Paula Fox

#39 War Admiral by Edward L. Bowen

>66 fuzzi: And, did you find them?

>71 connie53: I've not made an exhaustive investigation, yet. 😁

>72 fuzzi: LOL. I think I would investigate immediately. But that's just me.

>73 connie53: oh, usually that's me, too, but I barely have time to read right now...gotta let some things slide. 😎

#40 The Wreck of the Mary Deare by Hammond Innes

Ripping good yarn of men and the sea, with lots of technical jargon and nautical excitement. The author kept the tension and suspense going even through the official courtroom enquiry portion. The romance did seem to be casually tacked on, but it didn't ruin the story for me.

(shared read with PaulCranswick)

>75 fuzzi: Ooh, that looks fun! I am a sucker for both nautical excitement and courtroom dramatics, so this sounds right up my alley.

>76 Caramellunacy: I have really enjoyed my Hammond Innes reads, this one and Atlantic Fury especially!

>75 fuzzi: Both this and Atlantic Fury are on my shelves waiting to be read!

>78 rabbitprincess: what are you waiting for?? :)

>79 fuzzi: The flood of library books to stop coming in so that I can get to some of my own books ;)

DNF, Pearl ruled at 25 pages...


#41 Why Some Animals Eat Their Young by Dallas Louis

No rating, I'm 25 pages in and haven't felt even slightly amused. Perhaps if I'd not read books by Peg Bracken and Erma Bombeck in the past I might have appreciated this more.

It's off the shelves and out the door = ROOT.

#42 Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton

Although written in the 1950s, Sargasso of Space did not read like a stereotypical early SciFi. The plot flowed along nicely with the technical aspects only vaguely described, which not only made the book more timely but more believable. I enjoyed reading this, and will look for other books in the Solar Queen series.

Hi Fuzz, just swinging by to see what you are up to. I hope you are doing well.

>83 connie53: thanks for swinging in, glad you missed the crockery on the table by the door! :D

I'm doing well, thankful for blessings: my 93yo dad had cancer surgery in February, tests are showing he is still cancer-free. My dh is doing about the same, which is wonderful, and my children and Grands are all great.

That's good to hear. Especially the good news about your dad.

>84 fuzzi: Oh my, you have had a lot happening in RL. Best wishes that the good news may continue.

>86 MissWatson: here's hoping that 2022 is better!

>87 fuzzi: Oh yes! One of my most fervent wishes.

#43 Brother Cadfael's Penance by Ellis Peters - (ROOT)

I've been putting off reading this, the last of the Brother Cadfael series, but I'm glad I finally did take the plunge. Without spoilers: Brother Cadfael finds himself having to leave his duties in order to assist in brokering a peace between Empress Maud and King Stephen. There's also some unfinished business from previous books that is being addressed, so don't read this until you've read the previous entries. Nice swan song.

#44 Quadrille by Marion Chesney

Subpar Regency romance with too much angst and drama even for Marion Chesney. I finished the book despite its faults.

#45 Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen

Interesting premise, not executed as well as I would expect with this author.

Newly acquired slave arrives and starts teaching others to read, with some horrible results.

December purge:

Miles, Mystery & Mayhem
Young Miles
Diplomatic Immunity
A Civil Campaign
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance
Cryoburn

That adds six to my total.

Hello Fuz!

Trying to catch up on threads again. I want to wish you

>93 connie53: thank you! I hope you had a wonderful season.

My 2022 thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/338007#7696715