APRIL ROOT - Progress Thread

Museum OF THE MONTH - The Louvre
Ahh, April in Paris - what a better way for spring to start!



Sculpture Garden

Winged Victory

Venus deMilo ..................................Sleeping Hermaphroditos

Mikchelangelo's Dying Slave .................Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss

Art Gallery





Liberty Leading the People

Wedding at Cana



Great_Sphinx of Tanis........................Ramses II

Tuileries Gardens


The Louvre Museum is the world's largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris, France, and is best known for being the home of the Mona Lisa. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement. Approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 72,735 square meters (782,910 square feet) more than 10 times as large as the National Art Museum of China. In 2019, the Louvre received 9.6 million visitors, making it the most visited museum in the world. However, the number of visitors plunged by 72 percent to 2.7 million visitors in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the drop in the number of foreign visitors.
The adjacent Tuileries Gardens, created in 1564 by Catherine de' Medici, was designed in 1664 by André Le Nôtre. The gardens house the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume, a contemporary art exhibition space which was used to store confiscated Jewish cultural property during the 1940 to 1944 German occupation of France.
The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Due to urban expansion, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary residence of the French Kings. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace.
The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings. The collection was increased under Napoleon, but after Napoleon's abdication, many works seized by his armies were returned to their original owners. The collection was further increased during the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, and during the Second French Empire the museum gained 20,000 pieces. The collection is divided among eight curatorial departments: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; Prints and Drawings.

The Louvre has three entrances: the main entrance at the pyramid, an entrance from the Carrousel du Louvre underground shopping mall, and an entrance at the Porte des Lions (near the western end of the Denon Wing).

It was extremely difficult to narrow down the pictures for this magnificent museum. I could have chosen 10 times as many!

Password is ROOTS

The percentages will be calculated and a star awarded for those on target to reach their goals. More stars for farther toward their goal. If anyone's number is incorrect, please let me know and I will make the necessary adjustments. So go out there and dig those ROOTs.

Ameise1 6 / 12 ★★★★ 50.0%
beach85 8 / 36 22.2%
benitastrnad 26 / 62 ★★★ 41.9%
bragan 23 / 85 ★ 27.1%
brakketh 4 / 30 13.3%
ca_dmv 3 / 12 ★ 25.0%
Caramellunacy 13 / 20 ★★★★★ 65.0%
Carmenere 9 / 25 ★★ 36.0%
cecilturtle 18 / 50 ★★ 36.0%
clue 7 / 50 14.0%
Coach_of_Alva 5 / 25 20.0%
connie53 14 / 50 ★ 28.0%
crazy4reading 2 / 30 6.7%
curioussquared 13 / 50 ★ 26.0%
cyderry★ 161 / 84 191.7%
detailmuse 15 / 40 ★★ 37.5%
DisassemblyOfReason 16 / 100 16.0%
enemyanniemae 25 / 60 ★★★ 41.7%
FAMeulstee 5 / 24 20.8%
Familyhistorian 14 / 65 21.5%
floremolla 8 / 40 20.0%
fuzzi 24 / 100 24.0%
HelenBaker 12 / 48 ★ 25.0%
Henrik_Madsen 16 / 50 ★ 32.0%
h-mb 3 / 20 15.0%
Jackie_K 21 / 60 ★★ 35.0%
johnxlibris 5 / 20 ★ 25.0%
justchris 9 / 100 9.0%
kac522 15 / 50 ★ 30.0%
karenmarie 10 / 30 ★★ 33.3%
Kiwi_des_neiges 0 / 44 0.0%
Kristelh 17 / 50 ★★ 34.0%
Kwharton 1 / 12 8.3%
LadyBookworth 6 / 20 ★ 30.0%
lepensuer 0 / 51 0.0%
leslie.98 30 / 80 ★★ 37.5%
lilisin 13 / 60 21.7%
lindapanzo 13 / 72 18.1%
LoraShouse 4 / 15 ★ 26.7%
Lynsey2 10 / 50 20.0%
madhatter22 10 / 50 20.0%
majkia 28 / 65 ★★★ 43.1%
mandymarie20 1 / 25 4.0%
martencat 7 / 30 23.3%
misscleasia 6 / 20 ★ 30.0%
Miss_Moneypenny 18 / 80 22.5%
MissSos 1 / 25 4.0%
MissWatson 23 / 75 ★ 30.7%
nebula21 9 / 36 ★ 25.0%
Nickelini 17 / 26 ★★★★★ 65.4%
Quaisior 11 / 50 22.0%
QuestingA 17 / 35 ★★★ 48.6%
rabbitprincess 17 / 60 ★ 28.3%
readingtangent 19 / 25 ★★★★★ 76.0%
Rebeki 5 / 18 ★ 27.8%
ritacate 1 / 24 4.2%
Robertgreaves 30 / 96 ★ 31.3%
rocketjk 7 / 30 23.3%
rosalita 18 / 48 ★★ 37.5%
Sace 1 / 21 4.8%
sallylou61 11 / 40 ★ 27.5%
si 9 / 25 ★★ 36.0%
sibylline 3 / 16 18.8%
susanj67 16 / 50 ★ 32.0%
This-n-That 7 / 14 ★★★★ 50.0%
torontoc 9 / 30 ★ 30.0%
Val_Reads 5 / 75 6.7%
vestafan 20 / 60 ★★ 33.3%
wandaly 7 / 18 ★★ 38.9%




Believe or not, cyderry has reached her goal!
Our ★★★★★ readers or those closest to reaching their goals, are:
readingtangent 76.0%
Nickelini 65.4%
Caramellunacy 65.0%


The goal for April is 1,016.

Please remember when updating the tickers to click new ticker when you have finished.

>1 cyderry: Gorgeous photos! I spent a month and a half in Paris one college summer taking classes, and I spoke good enough French that they let me into the Louvre for free with my student ID (this is supposed to be reserved for EU residents, but this American felt very cool passing as European). I went at least 4 or 5 times during my month and a half and it was so great to be able to actually devote the time the Louvre deserves without spending the whole day each time and being exhausted at the end.

Perfect choice, Chéli — and especially this month, as the Louvre has digitized their entire collection for online viewing. You can read more about that here:

You Can Now Explore the Louvre’s Entire Collection Online

>4 rosalita: I always wanted to see the Louvre, and figured it just wasn't in the cards for me. A few years ago my husband bought me The Louvre: All the Paintings and I spent a good week perusing over all the photographs and descriptions.

I may have to take some time to visit online. Thanks for the link!

>5 cyderry: You're very welcome!

Wonderful choice for April, Chèli! I can completely understand your final sentence in >1 cyderry:, lol!

Thanks so much for the link >4 rosalita: - while I have visited the museum in person years ago, I suffered from the overload >3 curioussquared: mentioned. There is just too much to take in for a single visit!!

>2 cyderry: wow, congratulations!

I would enjoy the Louvre, but will settle for photos.

Thanks for the beautiful pictures and all your other hard work, Chèli

Great to see those beautiful pictures. Thanks for keeping score of all our reading.

My numbers are correct.

Is it just me, or is the group this year far more quiet?

>10 connie53: My reading in general has gone down a bit... a combination of fatigue with the pandemic (or rather, the ineffectual measures that have been in place to combat it where I am) and getting hooked on a computer game. So for me, I know I've been quieter than normal.

>11 rabbitprincess: I completely understand. Live is very boring nowadays. I do nothing but read, jigsaw and crosswords.

I finished my first ROOT of the month! Falling in Love by Donna Leon. This is book 24 in the Guido Brunetti series and there are 30 published so far. I am getting close to being caught up with Leon! I have lots of books started already and most of them are ROOTS!

My reading has not slowed so far. I have been reading at the same pace I did last year at this time. However, in May 2020 I read 14 books in one month! I doubt that will happen this year. So maybe I have slowed my reading and the subsequent posting on the threads.

>10 connie53: my reading has picked up, but I have had Real Life ramp up and my time on LT has been limited.

I'm still ROOTing!

>14 fuzzi: I read that on your thread. I try to visit everyone today and tomorrow. Just to get some interaction with everybody.

>11 rabbitprincess: I too am hooked on a computer game, but I have found that restricting my hours of play keeps my reading on track. (I do allow myself to play while listening to an audiobook!) My addiction is Township, what's yours?

>16 cyderry: Stardew Valley is my addiction. I now have three farms going: one with my BF, one on my own, and one I just started with my brother to get HIM hooked on the game.

And yes, I try to limit myself to only one session per farm per day, and take breaks between farms.

OOh Paris! My native town! How lovely to have it featured!

I've added two new books to my list:
Le pays des autres by Leïla Slimani, a very sensitive account of the end of colonialism in Morocco in the 1950s.
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, which I've had since 2012. I've never been a big meat eater... but now even less...

Group tickers updated!

A blessed Easter to all those who believe in the Risen Lord, and lots of chocolate for everyone.

>19 Robertgreaves: thank you, you too!

Reporting ROOT # 15 for the year, # 1 for April

Livaks fortuin by Juliet E. McKenna

All tickers updated.

>22 cyderry: and to you!

>10 connie53: said: "Is it just me, or is the group this year far more quiet?"

I am not commenting much on any of the threads these days except for updating my own. Here I think that I used to comment more when I came by to update the group ticker and since we're not doing that now, I stop by less frequently.

I managed to finish a couple of ROOTs all at once - or at least it felt that way! I started a Kindle book & a very long audiobook both on the 1st and then the audiobook dominated my reading for several days until I finally finished it, quickly followed by finishing up the Kindle book. My thread and ticker have been updated.

I'm finally (re-)starting the Rougon-Macquart cycle by reading the first volume, La fortune des Rougon. This is quite nice as it's definitely putting the books I've already read in a better perspective in terms of the time period and family relations. I look forward to reading the rest of the series in (recommended by Zola) order and revisiting the books I've already read (only three) as I remember little of them and this new framework will make them even more enjoyable than they already were.

---
>10 connie53:

I've certainly been ignoring posting in my personal thread but I've still been updating its opening post with my finished reads, and updating this thread as well. I really need to catch up on my thoughts/reviews on my thread however. I'm also still lurking about everyone's threads as usual even if I don't usually comment.

>24 leslie.98:, >26 lilisin: Maybe we are all a bit more introverted by staying at home and not socializing that much.

I have completed my first root for the month, Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks, so pleased to have finally read this book, especially as I inherited it from my mother.
I find that I have set myself so many challenges this year that my chat time is limited and life is about to get very busy with the impending arrival of a new grandson.

>28 HelenBaker: That's such a exciting time, Helen. I hope everything goes well and you can hold your new grandson soon.

Reporting ROOT # 16 for the year, # 2 for April

Verdwenen by Val McDermid

All tickers updated.

Thanks for those gorgeous pictures, Chèli! How I long to go back there!

>26 lilisin: I have stalled on that project, thanks for reminding me. L'argent is next for me...

I finished another book from my shelf. Black Diamond by Martin Walker is finished. I am now working on two different books that are 500 pages each so I won't have as many ROOT's to report this month.

In the middle of Zola's La fortune des Rougons I decided to start L'affaire Calas by Voltaire as it's been staring me down from the shelf for a while now and it just seems so appealing. All this while still waiting to pick up volume 3 of Cao Xuequin's The Story of the Stone. I seem to be in a wanting to read everything all at once kind of phase right now as everything I'm reading is so excellent.

I've finally added my first ROOT for April (#22 for the year) to my own tickers. Group ticker left alone!

I am doing well with my ROOTing this month - 13 finished so far, helped by an omnibus audiobook edition of the 3 Oedipus plays :)

Last month I din't read any ROOTs at all. Doing better this month with 5 ROOTs finished so far.

First ROOT of April and #10 for the year- the review is on my thread and no tickers updated.

Finished reading the first Zola in the Rougon-Macquart series and it was fantastic. What a great idea to start from the beginning. It really puts everything into perspective.

Need to finish the Voltaire now and while I want to go back to reading The Story of the Stone, I also would like to keep my reading in French spree so not sure in which direction to go.

After a busy couple of weeks and the safe arrival of my new grandson, Ethan James, I can now report two more roots, The Quiet American by Graham Greene and The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant.

>39 HelenBaker: How wonderful! A new grandson - congraulations!

>39 HelenBaker: Congratulations on your new grandson! I also have The Birth of Venus to get to this year.

>39 HelenBaker: congratulations!

Do you have other grandchildren? I've just the two granddaughters, but my sister has six grands, and one more on the way.

I finished a ROOT that I have had in my collection since I joined Librarything back in 2008. River Horse by William Least Heat-Moon is now off of my shelves. It was a very good book. I don't know why I hadn't read it before, but I sure enjoyed it now. It makes me want to take that paddleboat trip down the Ohio and do a barge trip through the Erie Canal.

>42 fuzzi: Yes, I have six other grandchildren from my three daughters and I feel sure this grandson will be the last. I am happy with that, four grandsons and three granddaughters. I feel very blessed but they are a distraction and keep me busy.

>44 HelenBaker: wow!

My parents also had three daughters. Our mother died young but had met all but the youngest grands before she passed (there were 9 living at the time). Our father is a great grandfather of 8, 7 girls and one boy, and one boy due in August. Whew.

Root #2 for April and number 11 for the year. No tickers updated and the review ( I was not happy with this book) is on my thread.

>37 torontoc: Congratulations on lucky number 7 grandchild! :)

I've added ROOT #2 for April (#23 for the year) to my own tickers. It was a really good one too - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

After a reeeeeally slow reading month in general, I can finally report two ROOTs:

The Fourth Doctor: The Lost Stories, by Robert Banks Stewart (audio)
Bicycle Diaries, by David Byrne

My personal ticker is up to date, but not the group ticker.

Another Root for me Travellers by Helon Habila. I highly recommend this book. It is a very contemporary look at the refugee situation in Europe, albeit pre-covid.

Reporting ROOT # 17 for the year, # 3 for April

Roverandom by J. R. R. Tolkien

All tickers updated.

Six ROOTs this month, so far. Hoping for at least one more...

I've just added #3 for April (#24 for the year), Mary Beard's SPQR, to my own tickers. Have left the group tickers alone!

14 so far for me and hoping to get a few more done before the end of the month.

Also purged another 16!

Reporting ROOT # 18 for the year, # 4 for April

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

All tickers updated.

I got another ROOT! I finished listening to Return of the Thief. This is the final installment in the Queen's Thief series and it was a goody.

Number 12 for the year and #3 for April read- ( not a good read -you can see the review on my thread)No tickers were updated.

16 for the year! I got caught up this month probably just to fall behind in May again. I have a daughter getting married next week, a son graduating from college in a few weeks and a another daughter getting married in July. Whew!

I added another ROOT to the April list. This time I finished Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson. This was a good book, but I thought that the ending was a bit rushed. I know - that is a just a quibble.

I hope to have another ROOT finished by tomorrow.

I've just finished #4 for April (#25 for the year), but the tickers seem to be playing up so I'll update mine tomorrow. This will be my last ROOT for April.

{Edited: my own ticker now updated! I've left the group one alone}

Two more ROOTs, and that might be it for me for the month.

Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop, by Vic Galloway

My ticker is updated, but not the group ticker.

look guys, could you please help me.

If you are going to update the group tickers please, please remember to hit new ticker before you leave tickerfactory.

Here is my report for April 2021:

UpROOTED books: 17
ROOTless books: 4
Added to the treebook TBR shelves: 2

The ROOTs were:

Libraries in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson
Word by Word by Kory Stamper
False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy and The Restaurant At The End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John le Carré
David Mogo Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowe

ROOTs in YTD: 37

(Group tickers not touched)

I won't be finishing my current ROOT in time, so the tally remains at six ROOTs in April. My ticker is up to date, did not touch the group tickers.

I did way better than last month with finishing 12 ROOTs, giving a total of 17 ROOTs for the year.

All tickers updated.

Nothing to add anymore. I'm not going to finish a book today.

I haven't been around much lately because I've been doing more writing than reading. I was able to increase the number of ROOTs read this month to 7 which is a bit better. Maybe it will even earn e a star.

Hi all so for this month I read 5 books.
Only my personal ticker updated.
Happy reading all! :+}

I had 7 ROOT's for the month. No tickers updated.

I have decided that it is time for me to get many of my old old ROOT's off my shelves. This month I read a book that has been on my shelves since I joined LT back in 2008. It was a good book and I wonder why I left it languishing on the shelves for so long. I have started another book that has been on my shelves since 2008 but won't finish it until sometime this month.

Here are my breakdowns for the month.

I didn't drive around much this last month so had less time for listening to books.

1 Sound recording - Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

2 Non-fiction - River Horse by William Least Heat Moon - this is the old old ROOT
Route 66 A.D. : On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists by Tony Perrottet

4 Fiction - Falling in Love by Donna Leon A Guido Brunetti mystery
Black Diamond by Martin Walker A Bruno Couregges mystery
Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson - historical fiction
Book of Boy by Catherine Gilbert Murdock A mid-grade children's book that won a
Newbery Honor Medal in 2018

It turned out to be a better reading month than I thought it would be. I even read one book that was not a ROOT! It was one of the serendipitous library grabs. It didn't help this list but it prevented me from putting it on my TBR pile.

I had an absolutely phenomenal reading month with 18 ROOTS read!
Working on numbers now.

>63 Robertgreaves: would you please redo your ticker and copy the new one into your message at message #28 on the Ticker thread? The numbers aren't coming through clearly. Sorry.

May Thread is up!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/331867#

got 9 done- updating personal ticker

>72 cyderry: thank you!

Only 2 ROOTs for April, but I keep chugging along...