kelsiface's 2013 ROOTed books

Grad school has seriously reduced my pleasure reading productivity, so I'm setting a pretty modest goal for 2013-- twelve books that I've already acquired (as of 1 Jan 13) or that I acquire during 2013 but have languished for at least a month. Hopefully I'll manage to go beyond that, though! My TBR piles are through the roof.




Good luck everyone!

Update, 7 Feb: Having met my initial goal of 12 ROOTs many months earlier than I would have guessed, I'm going to raise it to 25. I think having a concrete number will be more motivating than a 'let's see how far we get' attitude, judging from the last five weeks' reading compared to, like, the entire year of 2012.

Progress (format: title by author -- date finished -- time on shelves prior to reading):
1. Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch -- 2 January -- approx. 5 mos
2. Revolution by Deb Olin Unferth -- 3 January -- approx. 2 yrs
3. How Music Works by John Powell -- 10 January -- approx. 2 yrs
4. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny -- 14 January -- approx. 8 mos
5. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny -- 16 January -- approx. 8 mos
6. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny -- 17 January -- approx. 8 mos
7. Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny -- 19 January -- approx. 8 mos
8. How Music Works by David Byrne -- 24 January -- approx. 2.5 mos
9. The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde -- 29 January -- approx. 10 mos
10. Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook -- 1 February -- approx. 1.5 yrs
11. Underground America, edited by Peter Orner -- 5 February -- approx. 3 yrs
12. A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie -- 7 February -- approx. 6 mos
13. Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde -- 15 February -- approx. 2 yrs
14. Internal Time by Till Roenneberg -- 26 February -- approx. 2 mos
15. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear -- 7 March -- approx. 2 mos
16. Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer -- 19 March -- approx. 1 yr
17. American Nations by Colin Woodard -- 10 May -- approx. 3 mos
18. The Society of Timid Souls by Polly Morland -- 24 August -- approx. 3 mos
19. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley -- 25 November -- at least a few months??
20. Ninety Percent of Everything -- 30 November -- approx. 6 mos

Book 1 -- Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch

I'm not sure why it took me so long to get to this, since it's a really fun (and really quick) read! I had actually ordered it from the Book Depository ahead of its US release in July, not wanting to wait, which kind of adds to the embarrassment of it taking me so long to read. Anyway, I thought this was the best of the series so far-- a little less exposition driven, perhaps? I liked that the series' 'big bad' played a smaller role in this title. I felt like the mundane and the magical worlds were a bit better and more interestingly balanced as a result.

Book 2 -- Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War by Deb Olin Unferth

I lost this in a move, found it, then found myself utterly uninspired to read it. I'm glad I finally did, though, if only to get it off my TBR list-- I didn't entirely enjoy the memoir, finding Unferth kind of unlikeable (certainly at 18, which is when the bulk of the action takes place, but even as a narrator looking back at her life). I had been expecting more travelogue, less focus on the 'fell in love' bit, and unfortunately the opposite emphasis dominates. There are moments where the book sparkles, though. She captures the absurdities of travel very nicely, and there are a few passages that will stay with me for a while due to their wisdom or her portrayal of human kindness.

You are doing really great.

Thanks! Unfortunately, the new semester begins on Monday, so we shall see what happens with class in session.

Anyway...



Book 3 -- How Music Works by John Powell

This is another one that had gotten waylaid in that move. It ended up being a bit of a mixed bag-- the sections on acoustics were really, really well done, but I found it more difficult to get through the straight-up music theory bits. I suspect my personal interests are coloring that assessment, though-- I really, really like the physics of sound, while I don't care quite so much about keys/scales, for instance. I do wish there was a bit more on vocal music in the book... His explanations regarding the acoustics of various instruments were so clearly written that I'm curious what he'd have to say about the human voice and its production.

You're doing great!

Thanks! And thanks for organizing this-- I have to say, I've been finding it so much more motivating than I would have ever anticipated! Very enjoyable.

I made the great decision to stay up most of the night reading last night (before the first day of the semester), leading me to...



Book 4 -- The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

I had actually started this last August or September, I think, judging from what I used to mark where I was, but then last semester got in the way and here we are now. For some reason, I had four separate bookmarks at various points in this book, and I can't figure out why. Anyway, Penny's writing was as enjoyable as it usually is. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Gamache's backstory in this novel (and seeing a softer side of Ruth!). Quite engrossing, as my lack of sleep might suggest.

Book 5 -- A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

This has been my favorite of the series to date-- it didn't have any of the pacing problems that have caused my interest to occasionally wander while reading the earlier novels in the series. I didn't think I'd like leaving Three Pines behind, but it was actually really interesting to read about mostly new characters and to see more of Penny's Quebec. I will say, I do wish Penny did a better job developing certain characters, since she's clearly capable of writing characters with complex motivations and personalities. Certain characters' two-dimensionality sometimes feels a little soap opera-y.

Book 6 -- The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny

I have been binging on Chief Inspector Gamache novels-- one more remains on the TBR list and will surely end up as Book 7-- but I can't seem to help myself. Anyway, although I liked #4 in the series more than this one, it was still another very good novel. Although it certainly was upsetting in its twists and turns, I give Penny a lot of credit for not making it unnecessarily so, unlike some authors.

I do have one small gripe-- the aside about Dr. Gilbert's history of Down Syndrome research really pulled me out of the story. Creating a prenatal test for early identification and then working on genetic treatment / a possible cure, what sounds like decades ago? I think leaving it just at the creation of a test would have served her purpose well enough without entering the realm of the scientifically implausible. Perhaps gene therapy will get there someday (although I think a 'cure' is still dubious), but to suggest that it could have been achieved circa 1990 is a bit much.

You are doing really well. At this rate you'll be finished in a couple of weeks! Good going.

Great work! Hope you enjoy your next Gamache book. My favourites are probably Bury Your Dead and A Rule Against Murder.

>10 VivienneR: This challenge has proven surprisingly motivating for me! Last year was a really horrible reading year for me-- as in, I suspect I will surpass the entirety of 2012's pleasure reading in January alone-- but this has been a reminder that it's worth carving out time for myself (and using it in a productive fashion).

>11 rabbitprincess: Thanks-- I did end up enjoying it very much. I feel like it's a much different book than the others in the series so far... Maybe quieter, almost, perhaps because of its grief? Certainly a lot more serious and sad, not to mention much more complex in terms of its plot. I can definitely see why those two titles would be your favorites-- I think they're probably mine as well at this point.

On that note,



Book 7 -- Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny

I think it's a good thing that this is the last title of Penny's already on my shelves, since I feel like it's one that I need to sit with a while before moving onward in the series. I found the main storyline in Québec the least engrossing of the three featured in the novel, but perhaps that makes sense, given we have the least investment character-wise there. I don't find myself much happier than I did after The Brutal Telling about what's going on in Three Pines; if anything, I actually find it even more tragic, though I can see how it's sort of a 'fix' for the previous novel. That said, I did really enjoy the development of Jean-Guy's character! The final storyline... just, yikes (in a mostly good way). The resolution/reveal was very moving, and I'm curious where Penny will go with that particular plot thread in the future.

Onto some more cheerful reading, I think.

Wow, you almost reached your goal, Kelsiface. What are you planning to do after finishing?

Your review has me wanting to reread Bury Your Dead! That was actually the first Gamache book I read. At the time it was the most recent book in the series -- I like to read later installments in the series first and then work my way back. Another thing I liked about it, besides the impact of the ending and the fact that I warmed to the characters very quickly despite not having read previous installments, was the atmosphere of Quebec City in the winter. Made me want to go back and see the city again.

>13 connie53: I'm not sure if I'll re-set the goal (is that a thing people do in challenges like this?) or just keep reading and see how far I get without any concrete number in place. I feel like I might be more motivated by setting a new goal, but I also know that this will probably be an unusual burst of reading productivity for the year... I finish my MS in December, but things get pretty hairy there for a while beforehand, between internships and comprehensive / licensing exams.

>14 rabbitprincess: I can't quite imagine reading that one first! I feel like it must be a totally different reading experience, especially since it sort of continues onward from The Brutal Telling. Did you find that coming to the novel with a clean slate evened out the relative draw from various subplots? It would seem like the Sûreté plot would still probably be the most compelling, just because of its emotional toll on characters, but I can see how a lack of investment in the secondary storylines might make the main one that much stronger. (Totally agreed about the sense of atmosphere, by the way-- I think Penny has a real gift for developing and depicting the settings she chooses.)

> 15. Some people do, some people don't. I did not do so last year after I finished my challenge. The books that I've read after that were counted for the groupchallenge. That's one possibility. Or you can re-set your goal. Whatever you want to do, it's fine!

>15 kelsiface:: Hm, good question! It probably was the case that I found all of the plots equally interesting, not having met any of the characters before and not really knowing what sorts of subplots she likes to write. The only disadvantage I had was when I finally read The Brutal Telling -- I thought the ending would show the Sûreté plot line that comes up at the beginning of Bury Your Dead. So I spent all of TBT waiting for that to appear, not realizing it happens between books. Silly me! That was my fault though so I didn't factor it into my eventual rating/review.

I've enjoyed the Gamache novels also. Some better than others, but still, I like how the characters develop as the books go on. I saw her at a book-signing last year, and she said that she had to pull some of the books out of Three Pines because how many murders can take place in a town that small? At some point, I'd like to re-read them all in order, but there are just so many other books that I have to read that haven't even had a first chance yet....

>17 rabbitprincess: Oh man, that is one extended build-up to something that never happens! I actually really like / respect that Penny doesn't give in to cheap cliffhangers like some other authors of series do (or at least so far she hasn't...), but I can see how it would be almost expected considering how Bury Your Dead starts.

>18 tloeffler: I'm not a great re-reader, too, which makes the number of books I own that much more 'hmm'-worthy sometimes. Like you say, though, there's so much more out there! Interesting re: Three Pines, by the way-- makes sense!

Anyway, it has been a slow-ish reading week and a busy week otherwise, but here's another for the list:



Book 8 -- How Music Works by David Byrne

It seems to take me a lot longer to get through non-fiction than fiction, but this was a good one! There isn't a very strong narrative arc running throughout the book; it's more like a series of related essays about Byrne's thoughts on music, the music industry / production, and his own career. I thought the chapters on the latter two topics were most compelling, although the opening chapter ("Creation in Reverse," about how the spaces music inhabits shape the form of the music produced) was also really interesting. There's another great chapter about the financial side of the business that was also very illuminating. I was pleasantly surprised by how thoughtful Byrne's writing is... I might have to search out his other books at some point. Tangentially, the book is also really lovely just as an object. I kind of side-eye the slightly squishy cover, but the interior design is great-- lots of photos and other images to support the text when appropriate, a great font, etc.

(Minor quibble: in the final chapter, he briefly discusses a study about the relationship between human speech and musical preferences. The phonetics / speech science here is just so wrong, so if you end up reading the book and are intrigued by this section, well, take the linguistics-y bits with a grain of salt.)

Book 9 -- The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde

This is another one that I had abandoned at some point last year for some reason I no longer remember. Possibly Fforde-overexposure? I seem to recall moving directly from The Big Over Easy to this one, and personally, there seems to be a limit to how much overtly jokey fiction I can read at once. The good news is that I enjoyed The Fourth Bear's middle/end considerably more than I recall enjoying its beginning/middle! I very much did not see the ending coming (in the broad particulars, anyway-- some of the smaller details didn't surprise me so much), and he tied things up very neatly. If the third book in the trilogy is ever written, I'm sure I'll read that one as well.

As a side note, I've decided to start including covers in the thread along with each little blurb about the book. I've enjoyed seeing them in others' threads in the group.

I like seeing the covers! Especially when its a book I've read or possess.

But 9 ROOTs! You are really doing great!

It definitely makes it much less 'wall of text' feeling! And thank you! :)

So, an accidental nap this afternoon/evening means that I'm pretty certain I won't be finishing my current book before the clock ticks over tonight. With that in mind, I am declaring January 'done'.



A much better month than I would have ever expected!

Total books read: 9
ROOTs read: 9 (100% of my reading-- I find this shocking!)
Books acquired (not counting those added for school/professional purposes): 2
Net book flow: -7

Favorite book: Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch
Oldest book: How Music Works by John Powell (2 years, 7 days)
Fiction-to-Nonfiction Ratio: 6:3

Book 10 -- Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook

This ended up being another title that was like 'Why did I wait so long?!?'-- a tremendously worthwhile read. I hesitate to call it enjoyable: for all that it is well-written (and it is-- it reminds me of a very long-form essay you'd read in the Atlantic or the New Yorker), its contents are frequently quite disturbing and depressing. The bulk of the book is about how industrial agriculture has resulted in a sort of 'race to the bottom,' in every way imaginable-- fruit quality, use of pesticides, labor abuses, etc. As seemingly wrong as it is that taste isn't even a factor considered in Florida's tomato export regulations, the more compelling sections of the book focused on social justice issues instead of botanical themes. Farmworkers' habitual exposure to highly toxic pesticides and abusive labor practices (which in some instances amount to literal modern-day slavery) are just heart-breaking to read about. Thankfully, Estabrook also talks about what is being done to change the current situation. The stories of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and others working for better conditions insert some hope into Tomatoland.

Anyway, this was an excellent start to February's reading! It is definitely a book that will cause me to change my behavior... I don't buy non-seasonal/non-local normal-sized tomatoes at the grocery store anyway because of their non-tomato-ness, but I will be paying much closer attention to the source of what I do buy (i.e., cherry/grape tomatoes) and looking for more ethical alternatives.

Amazing! 9 ROOTs. I am really most impressed.

Book 11 -- Underground America, edited by Peter Orner

Reading about migrant workers' struggles in Tomatoland inspired me to finally pick up this title off my shelves-- it had a long wait, since Christmas 2009! Although it was a seriously heavy / depressing read in a lot of ways, I'm glad I finally read it. The opening paragraph of the foreword (by Luis Alberto Urrea) does an excellent job at summarizing why:

Undocumented immigrants have no way to tell you what they have experienced, or why, or who they are, or what they think. They are, by the very nature of their experience, invisible. Most of us pass them by-- some of us might say a prayer for them, some of us wish they would return to their countries of origin. But nobody asks them what they think. Nobody stops and simply asks.

There's a lot of truth in that, and I think it happens in part because it's easier not to know. There is a lot of human depravity and cruelty recounted in the anthology, and many narratives illustrate how broken our immigration system currently is. If anything, though, I feel like that makes it even more of a moral imperative to listen to those stories. Trying to become less ignorant regarding other people's hardships seems like the very least that I can do.

Anyway, regarding the book itself, it is a very well put together anthology. It was published in 2008, and I wish there was some way to find out what has happened since then in some of the narrators' lives, since you end up fairly invested in some stories. I do have two minor quibbles. The book very heavily favors the narratives of Latin American immigrants-- I think 3 out of the 16 long-form narrators were from the Americas. This may have been to represent the relative proportions of undocumented persons in the US (if that even works out math-wise), but it would have been interesting to hear a few other perspectives as well. The short-form narratives included after every two long-form narratives also occasionally weakened the anthology. Some were just a bit less effective on a narrative basis; in the case of the final one, I feel like it made for a less effective ending to the anthology as a whole. The last two long-form stories are from the perspective of a mother and daughter (who arrived in the US at 2 months and was then 17 years old), and their narratives would have made for a thoughtful and even hopeful ending note to the anthology. Instead, though, they're followed by one of the weaker short-form pieces, and it's just kind of 'oh.'



Non-ROOT A -- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

With how much of a downer the above occasionally was, I alternated reading it with my first non-ROOT of the year. I tried reading The Eyre Affair many, many years ago, but didn't get into it at all then and subsequently actually rooted it out of my library! This time, I really enjoyed it. I was pleased that it was a lot less silly than the Nursery Crime novels but still more light-hearted than Shades of Grey-- pretty much the perfect antidote for Underground America's unhappiness.

Why is the Jasper Fforde book a non-ROOT?

I bought it on Saturday. :)

That explains it!

(note to self: read all of those posts, Con!!!)

Book 12 (initial goal met!) -- A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie

Having read titles from a few different mystery series recently, it was interesting to see how differently Christie handles plot / character development from the others-- it seemed much more streamlined, maybe? Perhaps because the Miss Marple novels aren't a series in the same sense that the others are. Anyway, it was a fun, quick read... totally did not see the ending coming! This is only the second Agatha Christie novel I've read (the other being And Then There Were None)-- any suggestions about what to pick up next?

As a sidenote, considering how effective having a concrete number to aim for has proven the last five weeks, I've decided to raise the goal to 25 ROOTs for 2013 rather than just floating onward. I've always loved lists and metrics and tickers and things, so maybe I should have guessed how motivating this would be. (The power of LibraryThing!)

Great big round of applause for you, Kelsi!

Book 13 -- Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

I bought this as airport/airplane reading two years ago and really couldn't get into the story, abandoning it after 100 pages or so. (I really, really hated one of the main characters and disliked several others.) After my recent revisits of Fforde novels, I thought I'd give it another shot, and I'm glad I did-- it still took me about 2/3 of the novel to finally like Jane at all, but I enjoyed it on the whole and look forward to the next. That's actually my biggest complaint about the book: it is CLEARLY written as the first in a series, and who knows when the next will ever come out. A little frustrating.

Hm, good to keep in mind about the "First in series" aspect. Sounded like an interesting premise so I put it on the maybe list.

Also YAY for exceeding your ROOTS goal! :D

Yeah, the whole caste system by color perception premise is pretty interesting. When that really gets going in terms of its consequences and as the underlying structures of society get exposed, I think that's when the book picks up steam-- it ended up being one of those stay-up-late-to-finish endings for the last 100 pages or so. Holding off until the next is in sight might be a good idea, though... It felt a little more egregious than most in terms of how much it left you hanging for what comes next.

Reading has definitely slowed down for me the past couple of weeks... midterm season has arrived! (Yuck.) Anyway--



Non-ROOT B -- Drop Dead Healthy by AJ Jacobs

I listened to this one as an audiobook during my commute, which I think it honestly is ideally suited for! Just enough of a narrative to be interesting, but not so much that frequent interruptions are a problem (or that it was impossible to get out of the car). I don't know if I really learned anything terribly new per se, but it was nonetheless entertaining to listen to him try to figure out what's 'healthy'. Jacobs does the narration himself, and surprisingly, I thought he did a really nice job of it.



Book 14 -- Internal Time by Till Roenneberg

This was actually loaned to me by my dad back in December, and since it probably could have sat on my shelves forever without too much issue (other than my guilt at hanging onto it for ages...), I decided to count it as a ROOT. There are definitely some interesting ideas in this book, which is primarily about chronotypes and their impact on people's lives. Unlike most nonfiction books, each chapter begins with a short fictional vignette related to the chapter topic-- this sometimes works and sometimes is a bit of a stretch. Ultimately, I'm glad I read the book, but I'm also not sad that it was a loaner, if you know what I mean.

I can't imagine I'll finish anything tomorrow, so it's time for the monthly round-up!



Total books read: 7
ROOTs read: 5
Books acquired: 14
Net book flow: +7

Favorite book: Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook
Oldest book: Underground America by Peter Orner (3 years-ish? I can't remember if it was a Christmas or birthday gift)
Fiction-to-Nonfiction Ratio: 3:4

Not so great on the net book flow this month, but that's because it was my birthday today. My personal contribution this month consisted of four new titles, which isn't tooooo budget- or shelf-breaking, sort of. Of the 14 new books, two are cookbooks, two are swimming reference books, and one is an ARC. Keeping that in mind, I don't think it's too bad for my TBR list either!

Congratulations!!!!

Great work and happy birthday! :)

Thanks! It was a good one. :)



Non-ROOT C -- The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart

I've decided to grant this one full-sized cover status even if it isn't a ROOT because it was a January Early Reviewers ARC instead (available in a week and a half, I think?), a super enjoyable book, and I really like the cover. (And it's my thread and I can change the rules if I want to, right?) Anyway, as stated, this was quite the gem! Stewart's writing is a pleasure to read, always informative, and oddly amusing at times-- there's so much strange history out there! Despite the book's title, you really don't have to be a drinker to enjoy this. I think any non-fiction fan with a moderate interest in plants or cultural histories of food/drink would probably find something to like here.



Book 15 -- Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

This was a bit of a departure for me, since I'm not a huge historical fiction reader. It was a bit sentimental at times, but that sometimes worked, as I found the ending surprisingly moving. Anyway, I enjoyed the book on the whole, and I suspect I'll read more of the series, even if I can't claim to be rushing out to find the next title immediately. (I will say, I wish Winspear wasn't so devoted to writing certain characters' speech in very heavy-handed dialect! I also could have used less of Maisie being able to copy a person's posture or movements and magically know exactly what they were feeling. Love the cover design, though.)

I've kind of gone off track with ROOTs this month, between midterm season decreasing my pleasure reading time and new books distracting me from old ones. I've been trying to read Life of Pi, but I'm just not getting into it.



Non-ROOT D -- Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

So this was a fun one. I thought it was more tightly focused / better paced that the first title in the series, but this one managed to end in an even more plot-dangly way somehow. Despite that, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next in the series.



Non-ROOT E -- Hero by Perry Moore

This was a continuation of my deliberately light-hearted spring break reading. There were brief passages where I felt some MAJOR secondhand embarrassment (like, momentarily stop reading secondhand embarrassment), but I suppose that adds to the realism of a YA novel, right? Anyway, the plot was pretty much super predictable, but despite that and the embarrassment factor, I enjoyed the book. Superheroes are fun to read about, and it was nice to see that the main character's status as a gay teenager wasn't his sole defining characteristic or even the primary plot line of the story.



Book 16 -- Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer

I didn't overly enjoy this, but admittedly, I don't think I understood what the book was truly about when I bought it as an audiobook of the month on iTunes a year ago, so that's kind of on me. Ultimately, although I'm very interested in the science of learning and memory, I just don't care much about the classical history of mnemonic training or the world of memory competitions. I would have preferred a greater emphasis on the biology/psychology of memory and the use of memory in everyday situations, since those sections of the book were actually quite well done, and less emphasis on very artificial memory tasks and tricks.

Well, it has been a not so great reading month. I've decided to abandon Life of Pi for now, so perhaps that will get me more on track again for April (though the end of the semester is at the end of the month, so we'll see). Anyway, the picture above is the largest flock of snow geese I have ever seen! They extended all the way back to that far tree line and into the adjacent field. It's nice to hear/see geese migrating again... it gives me hope that spring is eventually going to arrive, despite the cold temperatures and snow that have been lingering this year.

Total books read: 5
ROOTs read: 2
Books acquired: 2
Net book flow: -3

Favorite book: The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart
Oldest book: Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer (1 year, 10 days)
Fiction-to-Nonfiction Ratio: 3:2

QUARTER ONE CHECK-IN (YTD):
Total books read: 21
ROOTs read: 16
Books acquired: 18
Net book flow: -3

A magnificent picture!

Well, April was certainly a wash for pleasure reading! The end of the semester kind of narrowed things down to journal articles, textbooks, and the news, and that's about it. I did, naturally, have enough time to acquire more books.

Total books read: 0
ROOTs read: 0
Books acquired (not counting those added for school/professional purposes): 3
Net book flow: +3

I did finally just finish the book that I have been very slowly chipping away at since the end of March...



Book 17 -- American Nations by Colin Woodard

I'm afraid I don't know tons about US history, so I can't really pass judgment on Woodard's argument about the centrality of regional cultures in shaping the current state of North America, but there were definitely aspects that resonated with me regardless! The book was very well-written and engaging, although the last couple of chapters (about modern history) weren't as strong as earlier sections.

NON-ROOT F -- The Whole Fromage by Kathe Lison

Here is another Early Reviewers ARC-- from March, I think? Available in June, I know. Anyway, it was quite enjoyable to read-- Lison hit that sweet spot between informativeness and entertainment/personality. I love cheese but was quite unfamiliar with French varieties, primarily because so many (or at least so many available where I'm from) are soft cheeses, and I've always dismissed them due to being lactose intolerant. Considering this, I learned a fair amount, both about varieties' production and their histories. Who knew cheese production was so political? Anyway, I think I need to seek out a few new varieties to try!

Book 18 -- The Society of Timid Souls by Polly Morland

So, after an extraordinarily / embarrassingly long hiatus from progress on my reading list, I have finally finished another ROOT. (Also another book, period.) My internship and classes this summer took a harsher toll on my reading life than I ever would have guessed-- hopefully this fall won't be quite as bleak!

Anyway, The Society of Timid Souls. This was an Early Reviewers title, and in the end, I'm kind of glad about that? I certainly don't regret reading it-- it was thought-provoking at times, and some of the interviews contained within were truly fascinating-- but I also don't regret not having bought it, if that makes sense. Kind of bizarrely florid during non-interview sections, and also kind of overly lengthy, although admittedly the latter trait might be an artifact of how long it took me to get through it this summer.

Glad you are back in the ROOTrace, kelsiface.

Book 19 -- The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

So it turned out this fall was even MORE bleak reading-wise than the summer was, somehow..! On the plus side, in the meantime, I've passed all the exams needed to graduate and become licensed as a speech pathologist, have one more week of grad school left (!!!), and should actually have time to read again for the foreseeable future!

First up post-exams was the book I borrowed from a friend a few months ago. Since we have literally a week and a half left in the same city together, it seemed time to read it. Verdict: cute! Sometimes it felt a little too cozy, but I enjoyed Flavia's perspective and will definitely continue forward with the series.

Congratulations on passing your exams! Glad you liked Flavia. She is a very charming protagonist.

Welcome back to the fun of reading and congratulations on your exams!

Congrats op passing the exams!

Thank you all! It's good to be back in the pleasure reading world again. :)



Book 20 -- Ninety Percent of Everything by Rose George

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this title (another ARC), but on the whole, it was a fairly interesting perspective into the shipping industry! It suffered from a somewhat slow start for me-- a little too sentimental in its language, I think? Eventually, though, the book picked up speed when George diverged from the over-arching narrative being told about her time on the Kendal (a container ship) and instead adopted a topic/theme-based organizational approach. I'd recommend it, but probably as a library book unless you're really, really keen on maritime and/or industrial themes.