JULY ROOT - Progress Thread

The Seventh Labour of Hercules The seventh of the labors of Hercules sent him to Crete to capture the Cretan bull, which was said to be the father of the Minotaur by Pasiphae, wife of the Cretan king Minos. By one account, the Cretan bull was the beast that had carried Europa from Phoenicia to Crete for Zeus. In other myths, the bull was sent by Poseidon to Minos,to be sacrificed following the king's promise that he would sacrifice to the god anything that rose from the sea. But Minos, struck by the animal's beauty, sacrificed in its place another bull, thus provoking the god's rage. The sea god then in revenge drove the animal wild, ravaging the crops and orchards of Crete.

Hercules captured the beast after a lengthy struggle. He brought it all the way back across the sea to Tiryns, to present it to Eurystheus. He then set the beast free. It then roamed around Laconia and Arcadia, crossed the Corinth Isthmus and ended up in Marathon, to be later captured and killed by Theseus.

We are back on track! Since we have passed the halfway mark, I have adjusted the totals for any members that have not read one ROOT. If they begin to contribute, I will add them back in.

Here are the totals as of the midway point.

abinitio 21 / 50 42.0%
Amberfly 22 / 35 ★★ 62.9%
Ameise1★ 10 / 10 100.0%
avanders 14 / 18 ★★★★ 77.8%
avidmom 7 / 15 46.7%
benitastrnad 35 / 47 ★★★ 74.5%
billiejean 9 / 25 36.0%
bragan 54 / 100 ★ 54.0%
brewergirl 11 / 30 36.7%
Britt84 36 / 75 48.0%
Caramellunacy 1 / 20 5.0%
clue 24 / 40 ★★ 60.0%
Coach_of_Alva 7 / 25 28.0%
Conachair 2 / 10 20.0%
connie53 21 / 36 ★★ 58.3%
crazy4reading 21 / 30 ★★★ 70.0%
CurrerBell 40 / 75 ★ 53.3%
cyderry 54 / 72 ★★★★ 75.0%
detailmuse 23 / 40 ★ 57.5%
DisassemblyOfReason 41 / 100 41.0%
enemyanniemae 16 / 52 30.8%
Erratic_Charmer 41 / 75 ★ 54.7%
Familyhistorian 25 / 50 ★ 50.0%
floremolla 42 / 60 ★★★ 70.0%
fuzzi 52 / 100 ★ 52.0%
getrus 7 / 52 13.5%
HelenBaker 35 / 48 ★★★ 72.9%
Henrik_Madsen 26 / 40 ★★ 65.0%
HenriMoreaux 6 / 55 10.9%
InfoQuest 68 / 100 ★★★ 68.0%
Jackie_K 27 / 48 ★ 56.3%
jen.e.moore 18 / 50 36.0%
johanna414 12 / 25 48.0%
JPGilpatric 4 / 100 4.0%
kac522 11 / 35 31.4%
kale.dyer 18 / 40 45.0%
karenmarie 19 / 40 47.5%
kkunker 17 / 40 42.5%
klarusu 13 / 50 26.0%
knotbox 5 / 10 ★ 50.0%
LadyBookworth 29 / 48 ★★ 60.4%
LauraBrook 43 / 75 ★ 57.3%
leslie.98 58 / 100 ★ 58.0%
liberian 2 / 50 4.0%
lilisin 8 / 50 16.0%
Limelite 5 / 12 41.7%
lindapanzo 42 / 60 ★★★ 70.0%
lkernagh 33 / 40 ★★★★ 82.5%
Lisa805 3 / 14 21.4%
LoraShouse 11 / 20 ★ 55.0%
luvamystery65 29 / 50 ★ 58.0%
madhatter22 25 / 40 ★★ 62.5%
majkia 44 / 50 ★★★★★ 88.0%
martencat 17 / 25 ★★★ 68.0%
MissWatson 38 / 40 ★★★★★ 95.0%
Montarville 8 / 15 ★ 53.3%
moonshineandrosefire 15 / 59 25.4%
nancynova 31 / 75 41.3%
nebula21 17 / 30 ★ 56.7%
nerwende 2 / 15 13.3%
Nickelini 15 / 20 ★★★★ 75.0%
Pigletto 21 / 80 26.3%
Queezle 2 / 20 10.0%
rabbitprincess 29 / 50 ★ 58.0%
rainpebble★ 49 / 12 408.3%
randomarbitrary 6 / 75 8.0%
RavenHill 8 / 20 40.0%
readingtangent 29 / 46 ★★ 63.0%
Rebeki 9 / 16 ★ 56.3%
Robertgreaves 51 / 72 ★★★ 70.8%
rubyandthetwins 21 / 23 ★★★★★ 91.3%
sace 16 / 36 44.4%
sallylou61 13 / 25 ★ 52.0%
si 14 / 20 ★★★ 70.0%
streamsong 16 / 50 32.0%
Tallulah_Rose 7 / 12 ★★ 58.3%
tames 2 / 13 15.4%
tess_schoolmarm 63 / 65 ★★★★★ 96.9%
torontoc 14 / 30 46.7%



Rainpebble was joined by Ameise1 in reaching their goal! Who will be next?

Those trying to join the success are lead by:

tess_schoolmarm 96.9%
MissWatson 95.0%
rubyandthetwins 91.3%
majkia 88.0%

The goal for July is 2,028 Get out there and read those ROOTs!!!

Sorry, I'm really late but I had a major issue with the file. Apparently I lost all of May totals and had to recreate them. Stiill typing one handed which also slowed me down. Please let me know if anything is wrong!

Thanks so much!

Thanks so much, Cheli! Hope the hand heals soon!

Oh, Chèli, you don't have your troubles to seek - wishing you a speedy recovery and thank you for your efforts on our behalf. Happy 4th July to you too!

Thanks for all you do, we appreciate it.

I see I earned my star back. :)

I'm trying to concentrate on ROOTs, but then those ILLs arrive...or I see something interesting at the used book store.

Thank you for all you do for us in trying circumstances, Chèli.

YAY. 3 stars. I don't think I've ever had three stars before.

I'm so sorry for you, Cheli! I have been trying to keep my totals updated, but not sure if I'm doing that great a job. I think that I'm going to reach my goal this month, but I'm definitely going to keep reading, don't worry! ;)

Thanks for the great work, especially such a rapid recreation.

I see I have some work to do as I have lost my star, back to the garden.

I hope you recover soon, Chèli, thanks for struggling on so heroically. I'm not sure if I will reach my goal this month because I have started a big non-ROOT, The witchwood crown and The legion of flame is on deck next. I am so eager to find out what is happening in these worlds!

Get well soon, Chèli and thanks so much for what you're doing.

This is my first star! What does it mean? :D

I hope you heal well and swiftly, Cheli. I really am glad to be part of this community.

Thanks for getting the lists on track again Cheli! Hope your hand will heal soon.

>12 knotbox: a star means you're on schedule to meet your ROOT - goal...
I got a bit behind on my reading the past months but I am aiming to get my star back by the end of this month...

Be better soon Cheli. Like the others, I am so appreciative of all you do here.

My first ROOT for July was a Big Finish audio drama: Doctor Who: The Churchill Years, by Phil Mulryne et al. I've updated my ticker and the group tickers.

I have completed my 1st book for July but have had to slip in a few that don't qualify for this challenge. I shall return.
>2 cyderry:. How frustrating for you Cheli, on all levels. Thanks and well done for persevering one-handed. Very pleased to see we are on track again.

Continuing on with my Milton marathon (for the 350th anniversary of PL), Anna Beer's Milton: Poet, Pamphleteer, and Patriot, which I read on Kindle while spending the past six day in the hospital with a severe attack of gastroparesis. I've had the book for quite a while in treeware so it will also qualify for ROOTing, but Kindle was a little easier reading when I was stuck in a hospital bed.

1st for July, 41/75

>17 CurrerBell: hope you're feeling better

I've finished another two ROOTs. All tickers updated.

Just added 26 to my personal ticker, no main tickers updated. Looks like we're on track for the year - YAY!!!!!

I've just added my first ROOT for July (28th for the year to date) to all tickers, mine and the group.

Echoing the above thanks to Cheli for all you do for the group. Rest up and feel better soon!

added #15 and first ROOT of July- review is on my thread but no tickers updated

Finished my first ROOT of July - my thread and all tickers updated.

Hope you are feeling better Chèli.

Ooh! Love this page -- great graphics. Love the statue.

Could it be I'll read and finish more than one book this month? I was unable to accomplish any reading last month. So, I'm a book behind on this year's goal. First read for July was The Rosie Project. A complete joy to read. For anyone requiring a buck-you-uppo, this is the book I recommend!

Tickers updated and personal thread has a teaser and link.

Since I accomplished no ROOTs in June, I'm happy to say it's one down in July. I may be behind my goal but I have a feeling I'll make it up this month.

Finished the marvelous The Rosie Project, a great buck-you-uppo if you're in the reading doldrums like me.

Tickers updated and personal ROOT thread has some remarks about this novel and a link.

Happy reading, one and all!

First ROOT for July, 43/60 for 2017, Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. Quite the opposite of >25 Limelite:'s upbeat read!

All tickers updated.

I just added my 2nd for July (29th for the year) to all tickers.

Kingfishers Catch Fire (5*****), which I just finished for the Virago group's July Rumer Godden read.

2nd for July, 42/75

I've added my second ROOT for July: Murder on the Mauretania, by Conrad Allen. It is also an uprooted ROOT.

My personal ticker and the group tickers have been updated.

Read The Vegetarian this weekend. Can't say I like the book but I did devour it in three sitting sessions and can now count it as a ROOT.

Finished my first ROOT for July. I listened to the YA thriller novel Map of Fates by Maggie Hall while commuting. This is the sequel to Conspiracy of Us that I finished last month. I am now caught up with this series and will have to wait for a year before the final book in this trilogy comes out.

Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy for the VMC Group's July read of Rumer Godden.

3rd for July, 43/45

#16 and my second ROOT of July- review is on my thread and not tickers updated.

My third ROOT for July was Far from True, by Linwood Barclay (the second in the Promise Falls trilogy). I've updated my own ticker and the group tickers.

I finished another book! This one was for the June Non-Fiction Challenge hosted by Chatterbox. The topic for June was the Natural World. Assembling California was my first book by John McPhee and it was very well done. I am interested in geology so this one was of great interest and very well written. It may be about California but it took the reader all over the world.

>17 CurrerBell:
I am sorry you have been under the weather again, Mike. It's been a rough year for you but it's nice to know you've felt at least good enough to be reading. Take care of you.......

Midway through the month I have completed 4 ROOTS:
The Pearl by John Steinbeck; acquired prior to L/T; (5*),
Impunity Jane by Rumer Godden; acquired 2/14/2015; (5*),
Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs; acquired prior to L/T; (1 1/2*) and
The Man Who Smiled by Henning Mankell; acquired 4/04/2013; (3*).

I will update my ticker at the month's end.
Keep ROOTing everyone. We are doing great!

>36 rainpebble: Thanks, Belva. And I just spent a few hours of yesterday (Saturday) afternoon in the ER with some kind of a COPD attack. It wasn't that serious and the doc released me on a short regimen of predisone, but I'm going to have to see my pulmonologist ASAP. I'd been hoping I could stick to my gastric issues for the time being. {sigh}

The people I feel especially sorry for are the ones who don't have the quality of medical insurance I've got.

I fell behind in June but I managed to read 3 ROOTs while on vacation at the start of July, so I am working to get back on track. All tickers updated.

#17 - review is on my thread- this is the third ROOT for July- no tickers updated

I read 125 pages of the 912 page Kushiel's Dart and just couldn't get into it, so I Pear Ruled it.

Second ROOT for July - Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier. 44/60 for 2017. All tickers updated.

Second July ROOT under my belt. The Moon Opera, a contemporary Chinese novel. Off to update tickers.

On to #8 in my goal of 12.

2nd book completed for this challenge this month and onto a 3rd.

>32 CurrerBell: The Peacock Spring, another for the VMC group's July read of Rumer Godden.

4th for July, 44/75

#18- fourth ROOT for July- review is on my thread and no tickers updated

My third ROOT of the year finished, I've updated all tickers.

Sara Pennypacker, Pax, a 5***** quick-read middle-reader.

5th for July, 45/75 ... 60% of the way

I finished a book! Summerland by Michael Chabon. I think it is the greatest baseball novel ever!

#3 for the month taking my tally to 38/48. Time for one more...

Just thought I'd give you all a head's up on how I'm doing. The doctor believes that I have a pinched nerve in my neck. He gave me some steroids, muscle relaxers, and heavy duty pain killers. He also sent me to Physical therapy. I thought I was getting better until Friday when the therapist started pushing my left arm up and up and up! Now I feel like I'm back at the beginning and have to start all over again. At least the pain levels are lower but still not fun. At the start of this roller coaster ride pain levels were off the chart, now on a scale of 1-10 they're only an 8.

On the other hand, Mom is doing great and hopes to be out of rehab by the end of the summer.

Thanks for all your good wishes, support, and understanding.

>51 cyderry: heading in the right direction Chèli, hope it continues apace!

O my, Chèli. Is there not a good osteopath that can help you. My daughter is very happy with hers. She even let her see to Fiene's shoulder and arm. She probably had a nerve in her neck pinched when she was born.

I hope the medication helps. Get better soon.

>51 cyderry: Ouch! I hope the physical therapy does the trick and that you're back to normal soon! And I am glad to hear that your mom is doing well.

>53 connie53: Oh, poor Fiene! :(

****

Adding my fourth ROOT for July: another audiobook! This one is Doctor Who: The Last Dodo, by Jacqueline Rayner, read by Freema Agyeman.

>51 cyderry: I hope the neck pain doesn't keep you from being able to read a book although I can sure see how it could. Best wishes for a resolution soon!

I've added #3 for July (#30 for the year to date) to all tickers.

Gordon Campbell, John Milton: Life, Work, and Thought

6th for July, 46/75

I finished another book but, unfortunately, it isn't a ROOT. I added it to my list of books to read earlier this summer. A chance visit to the public library found me taking the book home. I wasn't feeling all that great for the last couple of days, so I went to bed early and read this fun novel. Borderline by Mishell Baker. It was fun urban fantasy! But the downside is that I can't count it as a ROOT. According to my rules about what I am counting as a ROOT - that is.

I've added one more (#4 for July, #31 for the year) to all tickers.

Well, I have an up date for my surgery, and I am not happy. September 18th is the earliest date on my surgeon's schedule. There must be an awful lot of hurting people out there. This means that I have another 55 DAYS that I have to suffer through before there will be any possible start of the relief from this pain. I am going to be one grumpy person.

Reporting ROOT # 22 for the year, #1 for July.
Tot in de dood by Peter James

Updating all tickers.

I have finished 2 ROOTs in July and have started a non-ROOT, so that will be my final tally for July. I'm one ROOT short of my goal which I will certainly reach next month.

I've managed to sneak one more ROOT in, which I think will be my final one for July - all tickers updated (that's 5 for me for July, and 32 for the year to date). I need to finish my library book, so will concentrate on that next.

A fifth ROOT for July: Two Solitudes, by Hugh MacLennan. I've updated my personal ticker and the group tickers.

Shirley Jackson, Hangsaman

7th for July, 47/75

I've met my goal of 4 for the month and won't finish any more in July. I'm now at 28 read against the goal of 40. I should be able to meet goal in October and in November and December read a few above the goal.

ROOT #8 under my belt. A complex and intellectually rewarding novel about forgery and the art world, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith.

Root #9, heading into August, will be Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor. And that puts me ahead of schedule in reaching my modest goal of 12 ROOTs in 2017

Third ROOT for July - The Diary of A Nobody by George Grossmith - 45/60 for 2017. Will need to read 5 ROOTs per month August-December if I'm to meet my target - I'd better step up the reading rate! All tickers updated.

Here is my report for July 2017:

UpROOTED books: 6
ROOTless books: 4
Added to the TBR shelves: 3

The ROOTs were:

Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn
The Three Fates by Kate Quinn
Caleb Williams by William Godwin
What We Believe But Cannot Prove edited by John Brockman
Awakenings by Oliver Sacks
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

ROOTs in YTD: 57

Personal and group tickers have been adjusted, but hopefully not harmed.

I unexpectedly finished another ROOT just now, so that's 6th for the month (my best month ever!) and #33 overall for the year. I've updated all tickers.

I am going to hold off on posting until tomorrow because I am sure that on the commute tonight I will finish the novel I am listening to. It is Gas City by Loren D. Estleman and it has been a pleasant surprise.

# 19 ROOT finished ( number 5 this month) no tickers updated

I have managed to keep up with my own thread and ticker but haven't updated the group tickers. Sorry Chèli...

I completed 7 ROOTs this month for a total of 65 on the year.

The Man Who Smiled by Henning Mankell; (3*); acquired 4/04/2013,
Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs; (1 1/2*); acquired prior to L/T,
Impunity Jane by Rumer Godden; (5*); acquired 2/14/2015,
The Pearl by John Steinbeck; (5*); acquired prior to L/T,
The Kitchen Madonna by Rumer Godden; (5*); acquired 9/19/2011,
Incantation by Alice Hoffman; (5*); acquired 10/06/2009 and
The Sealed Letter by Emma Donoghue; (2 1/2*); acquired 12/20/2012.

I am updating the ticker on my thread but won't touch the group one.

>74 rainpebble: wow, 65 is great going! And so many 5*. I'll be popping by your other thread sometime to get the lowdown...

I ended up reading one book and three manga this month adding 4 titles to the ROOT pile. I'm still way too behind to ever get close to my goal but with how busy I am, I'll take some reading over no reading at all.

Just squeaked in another ROOT. I hope that the ticker updates in time for it to be counted. Just 4 ROOTs for July. I thought it was more. Maybe it is all those ROOTs I have on the go right now. I hope I keep my star. I hope you are feeling better Cheli.

I got 5 done in July and under the circumstances, I am happy with that.

I got 5 done this month and under the circumstances, I am happy with that. Updating my personal ticker.

I had a good month. I read 6 titles that qualify as ROOTS. No tickers updated.

I finished two books last night. I knew I was close on both of them, but didn't realize that the novel I was listening to on my commute was so close to being done.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - somewhat of a disappointment after all the hype
Gas City by Loren D. Estleman - a great example of the crime noir subgenre

For the sake of moving the thread a little closer to automatic turn over to the new month, I will add one more post to the thread.

The ROOTS I read for the month are as follows:
Map of Fates by Maggie Hall - July 4 - I counted this one because it is the second installment in a series I have had on my shelves for a long time.
Assembling California by John McPhee - July 13 - read for the June - non-fiction challenge on the natural world
Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox - July 15 - listened to as my commute book - children's mystery/fantasy fiction
Summerland by Michael Chabon - July 21, 2017 - my lunch book at work
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - July 31, 2017 - wanted to get read before the movie came out
Gas City by Loren D. Estleman - July 31, 2017 - listened to as my commute book - good solid crime/noir fiction

Oh, and I forgot.

I also read a book that didn't qualify as a ROOT, Borderline: the Arcadia Project by Mishell Baker - July 26, 2017 - this one was good enough to make me find the sequel in the library. And, I Pearl Ruled Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, I just couldn't get into it, so after 125 pages in a book 913 pages in length, I ditched it. I figured that I had given it a fair shot. I didn't count either of these as ROOT's for this project even though Kushiel's Dart has been on my TBR list for years. At least I could remove it from there.

August thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/266514#

Hello everyone! Actually, I have been having a little trouble updating my reading ticker lately, although I seem to have gotten it worked out now. But I do feel like I'm still playing catchup a bit.

Due to everything that has happened with me just in the first few months of the year, I can already tell that my reading total will be significantly lower than it was last year. Although, I'm not too worried about that just yet!

July's reading total was much lower than I was expecting. I read seven less ROOTs than last July, so it obviously wasn't the best month for me reading wise. However, I do have high hopes for myself next month. Anyway, in keeping with the group theme, here are my totals for this month:

Ancient Oaks Pruned: stands for older books read from my TBR pile: 0
Young Saplings Pruned: stands for newer books read from my TBR pile: 1
Trees Replanted: stands for rereads from my TBR pile: 0
New Seeds Planted: stands for additions to my TBR pile: 7
Trees Transplanted: stands for books that were donated: 1

I have only dealt with my own personal tickers, never touched the group ones.