Cheli is ROOTing again 2023

Well, I met my goal again in 2022 and far surpassed it considering I also. I'm going to leave my goal to 84 - 7 ROOTs per month because I'm going to be busy moving in 2023 and that I'll be busy packing and unpacking.


In 2021 I started a purging project to eliminate books that I know I will never read and I managed to wipe out a good number. I pretty much finished that project in 2022.

Goal:
E-Books/Net Galley 60 Books off my e-readers or NetGalleys downloaded to my Tablet, or Books on my PC Kindle App.
Audio books 12 - Books downloaded to my PC/MP3 or NetShelf.
ARDs 12 - Books that are already sitting on my shelves or ARCs/ERs awarded to me in 2022

For every ROOT successfully cleared in 2022 I put $1 in my book bank so that at the end of the year I have money for new books! I've completed my wish-list but there may be a few more before the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, I will place my order with Amazon for my e-book acquisitions and will have additional books to count. The book bank total may be added to if I receive any gift cards for Christmas.

Starting Tallies:

Tsundoku (My Unread) = 51 (37 less than last year!!)
PC Downloads/MP3/NetShelf = 18 (down 58)
NOOK = 58 (reduced 55)
Tablet/Kindle = 82(down 51)

STARTING ROOT TOTAL = 213 (decreased 197)

NetGalley/ER/ARC Awards in 2023 - 0

Total ROOTS = 213

Even though it shows my ROOTs decreased 190 from the total for last year, I did clear a bunch more, removing books from my wishlist as well. I acquired 85 books - 70 of which were ARCs that automatically go into the ROOT total. Leaving 15 books as new, so the decrease of 197 is massive, right?

ETA - books I had in 2022 but failed to catalog. These numbers will be tweaked with last day acquisitions and finally reading totals.
Considering that I added 85 books in 2022 and I have a starting total 197 less than last year's adjusted total - I have reduced my ROOTS well!

I again am aiming to read at least 50% of the new books added in the new year. I did very well in 2022 with 60% of my acquisitions read! That's the best I ever did!

I'm starting the year with $372.55 - $241.55 left over from 2022 and the $131.00 from my $1 a book for 2023 in my book bank.

Once again I will be tracking how many new books enter my catalog and the target percentage to be read in the current year will remain at 50%.




1. Because I Could Not Stop for Death Amazon 1/2/23 $6.35 READ
2. Murder with Earl Grey Tea NetGalley 1/22/23 READ
3. Murder in Florence NetGalley 1/22/23
4. Methods of Malice NetGalley 1/22/23 READ
5. A Newlywed's Guide to Fortune and Murder NetGalley 1/22/23 READ
6. Lemon Curd Killer Amazon 3/23/23 $7.99 READ
7. Road to Surrender NetGalley 3/28/23
8. Steeped in Malice NetGalley 3/28/23 READ
9. Murder at the Elms NetGalley 3/28/23 READ
10. Mischief Nights are Murder NetGalley 4/8/23 READ
11. Poaching is Puzzling NetGalley 4/8/23 READ
12. Murder in the Book Lover’s Loft NetGalley 4/13/23 READ
13. Blueberry Blunder NetGalley 4/13/23 READ
14. Dressed to Drill Amazon 5/1/23 READ
15. Overdue or Die NetGalley 5/2/23
16. Caught on the Book NetGalley 5/2/23
17. Board to Death NetGalley 5/2/23 READ
18. Fire and Rain Amazon 5/2/23 $7.99 READ
19. Pink Lemonade Cake Murder NetGalley 5/11/23 READ
20. Death in the Romance Aisle NetGalley 5/13/23READ
21. A Brew to a Kill Amazon $0.00 READ
22. Songs of Wine and Murder NetGalley 6/16/23 READ
23. Murder in a Cup NetGalley 6/16/23 READ
24. How the Murder Crumbles NetGalley 6/21/23
25. The Sign of Four Spirits NetGalley 6/21/23
26. Murder Checks Out NetGalley 6/21/23
27. Beer and Loathing Amazon $0.00 7/20/23
28. Murder in Siena NetGalley 7/10/23
29. Murder on Tour NetGalley 7/10/23
30. Murder Most Royal NetGalley 7/31/23 READ
31. The Lost Library NetGalley 8/7/23
32. Cozy Case Files, Volume 19 NetGalley 8/18/23
33. Death by Drywall Amazon $0.00 8/22/23 READ
34. Homicide by Hammer Amazon $0.00 8/22/23 READ
35. Nuts and Bolts Amazon $0.00 8/22/23
36. snared by the Snake Amazon $0.00 8/22/23
37. Murder by the Seashore NetGalley 8/22/23
38. The Body in the Wheelbarrow Amazon $4.47 9/9/23 READ
39. Honey Drop Dead Amazon $14.99 9/9/23 READ
40. You're Snug with Me Gift from Whisper1 9/13/23
41. A Christmas to Remember NetGalley 9/14/23 READ
42. Take the Long Way Home NetGalley 9/14/23 READ
43. Murder with Chocolate Tea NetGalley 9/14/23 READ
44. Dating Can Be Deadly NetGalley 9/14/23
45. The Bear and Her Book NetGalley 9/14/23 READ
46. Murder Marks the Page NetGalley 10/2/23 READ
47. Sieve and Let Die NetGalley 10/2/23
48. Poison Pen NetGalley 10/2/23
49. Fatal Folio NetGalley 10/21/23
50. Lantern's Dance NetGalley 10/21/23 READ
51. Serving Up Spite NetGalley 10/21/23
52. Fresh Snow on Bedford Falls Amazon $.74 10/21/23 READ
53. Murder at the Matterhorn NetGalley 10/27/23
54. Twelve Books of Christmas Amazon $8.99 11/2/23 READ
55. Five Furry Familiars NetGalley 11/21/23
56. Witless Protection Program NetGalley 12/5/23
57. Limoncello Yellow Amazon $2.99 12/17/23
58. Killing Me Softly Amazon $7.99 12/26/23 READ

Total purchases 2023 = $62.50

Books off my e-readers - goal - 60

Alexander Cipher
★Am I Guilty?
★Arbella Stuart Conspiracy
Armed and Fabulous (Lexi Graves Mysteries)
Aura
Babbling Brook Naked Poker Club
Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Berried to the Hilt (The Gray Whale Inn Mysteries)
✔Blood Spangled Banner: A First Ladies Mystery
Blueberry Blues
★Boleyn Deceit: A Novel
Cappuccinos, Cupcakes, and a Corpse
Catching fire
★Catherine Howard Conspiracy
Chorus Lines, Caviar, and Corpses
Condemn to Death
Cracked Pot (Clay and Crime Mysteries, No. 2)
David Copperfield
★Deadly Chapter
Death Turns a Trick
Dinner, Drinks and Murder:
Double Blind
★Elizabeth Tudor Conspiracy
★Fatal Fundraiser
★Fatal Judgment
★Fatal Masquerade
Fields' Guide to Fog
Florentine Cypher
★Foreclosed: A Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery
Garden Plot (Potting Shed Mystery series Book 1)
Ghost a la Mode
Hanover Square Affair
Harry Potter's Bookshelf: The Great Books behind the Hogwarts Adventures
Jungle Books
Jury of One
★Knot What You Think
★Lady in the Lake
★Little Shop of Found Things
★Lost Letter: A Victorian Romance
★Lost Queen
Love and Murder on the Queen Anne
Marked By Fate (Jenkins & Burns Mystery)
Married By Mistake
Murder a la Carte
✔★Murder at Beacon Rock
Murder in Cannes
★Murder Makes Scents
Murder on the Cote d'Azure
★Murder Once Removed
★One Last Summer
★Orchid Throne
Order of the White Feather: The Sword of Dalamar
Other People's Skeletons
Perfect Pitch: A Hot Baseball Romance
Poisonous Pageant
Pretense for Murder
Princess and the Horse
★Provencal Mystery
Pygmalion
Read and Buried
Robinson Crusoe
★Rose Throne
Scottish Connection
Silhouette in Scarlet
Sourdough Wars
★Spark of Light
Spoonful of Murder (A Soup Lover's Mystery)
Stiffs and Swine
Still Life and Death
Still Life with Murder
★Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books
Street of the Five Moons (Vicky Bliss Mysteries)
Summerset Abbey
Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh
Tastes Like Murder (Cookies & Chance Mysteries)
Tourist Trap
We the Jury

Audiobook ROOTs read in 2022- goal 12

Benediction
★The Book Thief
Bulls Island
★Cloud Atlas
★Columbus Affair: A Novel
★Cuckoo's Calling
★FDR
★Fellowship of the Ring: Book One of The Lord of the Rings
I Shall Not Want
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
★King's Deception: A Novel
Lady of the Rivers
Last Lessons of Summer
Magicians: A Novel
One Was a Soldier
Pawleys Island: A Lowcountry Tale
Pillars of the Earth
Plainsong
Porch Lights
Queen of the Flowers
Return to Sullivans Island
Rituals of the Season
Sand Sharks
Save the Date
Summer Rental

ARD - Antique Reading Devices read in 2022- goal 6
Ones to consider:

★25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know
Athenian Murders
Beauty to Die For: A Spa Mystery
★Bridge Cardplay Pb
Death at Bishop's Keep
Death on Demand/Design for Murder
French Pressed
Gilt By Association
Going Through the Notions
Going, Going, Ganache
Golden Door
Greatest Lover in All England
★Harry, A History: The True Story of a Boy Wizard, His Fans, and Life ★Inside the Harry Potter Phenomenon
Hearse and Buggy
Knit Fast, Die Young
Larceny and Old Lace
Lusitania Murders
Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia
Middlemarch
Mind Over Murder
Perfect Mistress
Plateful of Murder
Precious Jewel
Priceless
Queen's Bastard
★Setting Trick: Practical Problems in Bridge Defense
Stitching Hour: An Embroidery Mystery
Sup with the Devil
Tempest in a Teapot (A Teapot Collector Mystery)
Ten Things I Love About You
Wedding Soup Murder: An Italian Kitchen Mystery
Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!: A Novel

Great work on reducing the TBR last year! Looking forward to seeing your progress this year. Good luck with the move!

Happy New Year, Chèli. Thank you for all your work over the years in keeping us ROOTing. I hope your move goes well

Congrats on the TBR deaccession process! I have to do a big one this year and I'm dreading it a bit.

Well done on clearing so many ROOTs last year! Wishing you all the best for the preparation before the move (and the actual move itself, of course!).

Sounds like you are set up for a great 2023!

Happy New Year! Wishing you a successful year of ROOTing!

Happy reading, good luck with the move, and thank you for steering this group again!

Wow! Sounds like amazing progress last year! Good luck with all of the work and logistics around moving this year!

Good luck with your ROOTing this year, Chèli, and thanks for hosting the group again.

Good luck with your plans and your move, Chèli! And many thanks for keeping us organised!

Happy New Year, Chèli and welcome to a new year of ROOTing.

Thanks for setting the group up again. Whatever would we do without you?

Happy New Year, and thanks for all you do for us.

>8 Caramellunacy: I dreaded my purge too. I did it in 2 stages. The first one I went through all the physical books I had and separated the read ones that I might want to reread from the ones that I knew I'd never reread and then I went through the TBRs eliminating the ones that I knew I'd never read from the ones that I hoped to read. That got 166 books out of the way.

Then a few months later I took the possible rereads and eliminated more and the TBRs were also reevaluated and cut again. I may take another pass before my library is packed up, but that will only be if time permits. Good luck with your efforts!

ETA - My ebooks were pretty easy - I archived those that I'd read and found that I also had acquired numerous "FREEBIES" that I'm pretty sure I'll never read, so I archived those too.

>18 cyderry: That sounds like a good method to help whittle down the mountain - thanks!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading! Wonderful list of books to choose from.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon in the ER. It seemed that the symptoms from my 16 day stay in the hospital were starting to recur, Tim and I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, we returned to the hospital. After numerous tests, x-rays, CT scans, it was determined that the infection was still active but it wasn't necessary for me to stay at the hospital. Just more anti-biotics.

Hopefully, this will be over soon. It's really bad when I haven't enough concentration to even read.

>21 cyderry: I hope the antibiotics kick in soon and you're very soon back to yourself! In the meantime, be kind to yourself and don't overdo things!

>21 cyderry: All the best for a good recovery, Chèli. Hope they've got it sorted this time.

>21 cyderry: Glad you're able to be home. Wishing you well soon!

I hope you are still home, Chèli, and getting better each day.

doctor's appt this morning but hoping to run numbers this afternoon, if I don't fall asleep!

Hello, everyone!

I think I am FINALLY on the road to recovery. I was taken off the toxic IVs last Thursday and though they are still having some effect on my stomach, I am beginning to feel better. My other systems (sleep, concentration, etc.) seem to be going back to normal so I have actually been reading! I am hoping that I can keep my star.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts and prayers. They are truly appreciated.

>27 cyderry: That is terrific news, Chèli! I know we're all hoping that the recovery "sticks" this time. You've been through the wringer lately.

>27 cyderry: Great to hear, Chèli. Now that you seem to have turned the corner, I hope full recovery comes quickly

Well, I have moved out of the house and staying with friends in SC to monitor the finishing stage of the move. My hubbie is handling the old house.

Needless to say, I haven't had a lot of reading time. 2 books finished so far this month.

I hope everything is going smoothly with your move!

>31 MissWatson: well, not exactly. I had planned to be in SC early so that I could get a bunch of deliveries made and get things hooked up before the furniture arrived. However, a workman putting up the shelves in the pantry drilled into the wall and hit a water line which flooded about 1/3 of the house causing the new hardwood floors to buckle. Needless to say, that threw the schedule in a tizzy because the floors had to be replaced and the waterline repaired so the schedule was all pushed back a week. However, I wasn't able to shift the furniture delivery. Fortunately, I had the time buffer but now timing is pretty tight. I did manage to order the washer and dryer yesterday for delivery on the 26th along with the refrigerator. Today I'm working on getting all utilities so that when we settle next week, we'll have TV, internet, water, electricity, etc.

I have a feeling that next week will be the week from hell!

>32 cyderry: How awful! That sounds indeed like a scenario from hell, water is so destructive. Keeping my fingers crossed that nothing else will go wrong!

>32 cyderry: Ohhh, NOOOO! That is terrible! I hope you have time to breath and enjoy your new house soon.

Apparently, my premonition of a week from hell, was right on the mark.

I started Sunday, I'm staying with my friend while hubbie closes the old house, and I was reading the new neighborhood's Facebook page and they were talking about paving a road, MY ROAD, that was to take place on May 25th, the exact day that the movers were scheduled to arrive with our things from MD. I called the builder Monday morning to find out if this was true, and if so, what we could do about possibly having our section of the postponed or how we were to handle the moving truck situation. They told me to change my delivery. I asked them how am I supposed to do that if they are already on the road to here. I asked couldn't they shift the paving because my part of road still has construction going on. No way. So for a day and a half I worked with the movers to change the delivery to the 26th. Finally all in place - the movers are coming on Friday, along with the deliveries of the Refrigerator, washer and dryer and the installation of my ceiling fans, all things I couldn't reschedule at this point.

So I was looking at a very, VERY busy Friday, We went to the attorney today to sign all the papers, and while we waited for the copies to be made, I checked the Facebook page and find out that the builder had shifted the paving from the 25th to the 26th after they said it wasn't possible!!!!!!! Now the road will be blocked and paved and who knows what's going to happen to the movers and deliveries!

I keep hearing that the Lord only gives you as much as you can handle, but, Lord, I think I'm full!

>35 cyderry: I can't even imagine such a scenario! Not very good advertising for the city you are moving to but best of luck, I hope it all works out better than it sounds.

>35 cyderry: I am so sorry to hear about your troubles. It really sounds like hell.

>35 cyderry: Gracious, that does sound like an absolute nightmare. Hope you feel it is worth it once you are safely installed.

>35 cyderry: Wishing you strength and patience!

Cheli OMG! Hoping workers have since made things easier for you, not harder!

update on my moving saga (maybe I should write a book!)

moving truck arrived at 7am on the 26th along with the clouds so paving was postponed! The Fan man pulled out his back and asked to delay a day - perfect, and the refrigerator, washer, and dryer didn't arrive until afternoon. So far so good.

My nephew also arrived on the 26th and immediately went to work on the list of items that I wanted him to do. (he was a godsend!)

MAY 31ST the people arrived to install my walk-in tub and there we ran into the first snag. They had a bit of a problem getting it through the little entry way to the Master suite. They had to disconnect two of the pipes and then reconnect it after it made it into the bathroom.

Fine, they hook it all up and test it out. Then call us into the bathroom for a instructional demonstration. Here's where the BIG SNAG came to the forefront. When the tub was draining, all the water started to flow out of the shower and the toilet into the bedroom and closet and under the bathroom vanity into the Great Room. We rushed to try to prevent the water from getting to the hardwood floors, but where were the towels, in the washing machine! Not exactly helpful. We managed to wet dry vac most of the water but there was still damage to the floors. We called the builder because we had to determine what we should do. The water was turned off. Could we stay in the house or did we have to leave? The plumber came quickly and it was determined that it wasn't the fault of the tub guys but the concrete company had punctured the sewer line when they laid the forms for the driveway. ServPro came and brought these gigantic fans/dehumidifiers to try to save the floors. The house sounded like an airport runway.

The builders want to replace the floors in three rooms and partially in the Great Room but we won't know the schedule for that until they can get the supplies of wood.

So we are kind of in limbo until the replacements are scheduled. I don't want to unpack and put away things if I'm just going to have to pack it up again.

Such fun! At least it gives me a little chance to read and Tim can get a little work done.

>41 cyderry: Yes, you should write a book...Erma Bombec style!

Well, another month has ended and I still have not gotten back to my reading. I finished all of 2 - count them 2! - books in July. That was the worst month in 15 years! I read more when I was unconscious in the hospital!

Moving has seriously impacted my reading time!

>43 cyderry: I hope that things will resolve themselves soon and you'll be able to enjoy your new home fully!

I'm with Birgit on that. I hope you have found the time to read at least one more book in August.

Today, I am set to finish re-cataloging my physical books now that I have them unpacked and shelved.

I have a feeling that there were some that I gave away that are still sitting in my catalog so I'm hoping to identify them and adjust my ROOTS accordingly. Fingers crossed.

I can't believe it - so far I have found a bunch of books that weren't cataloged so now I have more ROOTS than I thought. Darn, I was really hoping to find some to decrease my TBRs not increase them. Well, maybe tomorrow.

>46 cyderry: I've gone through the lost and found routine so many times, it's absolutely demoralizing.

Considering all the activities/events that I have had in my life this year, I have decided that I need to reduce my goal to 72 instead of 84. It will still be a stretch to get there, but I'm hopeful.

Good luck with it, Chèli!

2023 Year-End Meme:
use book titles you read

Describe yourself: Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Describe How Your Feel: A Christmas to Remember
Describe Where You Currently Live: Lost Library
If You Could Go Anywhere, Where Would You go? Murder in Tuscany
Your Favorite Form of Transportation: The Doll People Set Sail
Your Favorite Food Is: Lemon Curd Killer
Your Favorite Time of Day Murder in Chianti
Your Best Friend Is: The Bear and Her Book
You and Your Friends Are: Four Charming Spells
What's the Weather Like: Fire and Rain
You Fear: Methods of Malice
What Is the Best Advice You Have to Give? So Shall You Reap
Thought for the Day: Take the Long Way Home
What Is Life for You? Dinner, Drinks and Murder
How You Would Like to Die: Death in the Romance Aisle
Your Soul's Present Condition: Loose Screw
What Was 2023 Like for You? Hold on for Beer Life
What Do You Want from 2024? Songs of Wine and Murder