readingtangent (Elizabeth)'s 2018 ROOTs

Hi, I'm Elizabeth, back for my 4th year of ROOTing :). I read a lot of YA, historical romance, sci-fi, horror, comics, and non-fiction, but I will give just about anything a chance. Most of my unread books are in digital format but there are still some physical ones lying around that I need to get to as well.

My goal this time around will be 46 ROOTs, the same as last year. Anything I owned prior to January 1st, 2018 will count, including re-reads. I'll also be keeping track of my overall books read for the year and any new ones I buy (which hopefully won't be very many :)).










(My beginning TBR was 165):

ROOTs read so far:

JANUARY
1) Deadpool: World's Greatest, vol. 8 - Gerry Duggan
2) Spider-man/Deadpool vol. 3: Itsy Bitsy - Joe Kelly
3) Deadpool: World's Greatest, vol. 9 - Gerry Duggan
4) Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars - Cullen Bunn
5) Deadpool: Back in Black - Cullen Bunn
6) Antarctica - Gabrielle Walker
7) Artemis - Andy Weir
8) For Better or for Best - Gary Smalley
9) Disclaimer - Renee Knight
10) Jem and the Holograms, vol. 4: Enter the Stingers - Kelly Thompson
11) Jem and the Holograms: The Misfits - Kelly Thompson
12) Jem and the Holograms, vol. 5: Truly Outrageous - Kelly Thompson
13) Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier - Mark Frost
14) Doctor Sleep - Stephen King

FEBRUARY
15) Deadpool: World's Greatest, vol. 10 - Gerry Duggan
16) Deadpool V Gambit: The 'V' stands for Vs. - Ben Acker
17) Deadpool Versus The Punisher - Fred Van Lente
18) Deadpool & Cable: Split Second - Fabian Nicieza
19) Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again - Cullen Bunn
20) A Confident Heart - Renee Swope
21) Beautiful in God's Eyes - Elizabeth George
22) Alexandra - Lauren Royal
23) Survivor - Chuck Palahniuk
24) Supernatural: Carved in Flesh - Tim Waggoner
25) Reshaping It All - Candace Cameron Bure

MARCH
26) Year Zero - Rob Reid
27) A Singular Lady - Megan Frampton
28) The Icarus Hunt - Timothy Zahn
29) Supernatural: One Year Gone - Rebecca Dessertine
30) Stuffocation - James Wallman

APRIL
31) Fugitives and Refugees - Chuck Palahniuk
32) The Dark Phoenix Saga - Chris Claremont
33) Days of Future Past - Chris Claremont
34) God Loves, Man Kills - Chris Claremont
35) Texas Bride - Joan Johnston
36) From the Ashes - Chris Claremont
37) Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Vol. 1 - Warren Ellis
38) Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. Vol. 2 - Warren Ellis
39) Deadpool Team-up Vol. 1: Good Buddies - Various authors
40) Recovery Road - Blake Nelson

MAY
41) Deadpool: Dead Head Redemption - Various authors
42) A Night to Surrender - Tessa Dare
43) Of Beast and Beauty - Stacey Jay
44) Dune - Frank Herbert (re-read)

JUNE
45) The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen
46) Anackire - Tanith Lee
47) The White Serpent - Tanith Lee

JULY
48) The Art of Temptation - Lauren Royal

AUGUST
49) Crimson Bound - Rosamund Hodge

SEPTEMBER
50) Supernatural: Rite of Passage - John Passarella
51) The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER
52) Uprooted - Naomi Novik
53) Season for Temptation - Theresa Romain
54) Season for Scandal - Theresa Romain
55) Season for Desire - Theresa Romain

Other books read:

JANUARY
1) The Winter Duchess (novella) - Jillian Eaton
2) Deadpool the Duck - Stuart Moore
3) Spider-man/Deadpool vol. 4: Serious Business - Joshua Corin

FEBRUARY
4) Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos - Gerry Duggan
5) A Dangerous Seduction - Jillian Eaton
6) Silent Victim - Caroline Mitchell

MARCH
7) The Screaming Citadel - Kieron Gillen
8) Edinburgh Twilight - Carole Lawrence
9) A Dangerous Proposal - Jillian Eaton

APRIL
10) The Black Panther Collection Vol. 1 - Christopher Priest
11) Despicable Deadpool Vol. 1: Deadpool Kills Cable - Gerry Duggan
12) Spider-man/Deadpool Vol. 5: Arms Race - Robbie Thompson
13) Deadpool Team-up Vol. 2: Special Relationship - Various authors
14) Deadpool Team-up Vol. 3: BFFs - Various Authors

MAY
15) Bandwidth - Eliot Peper
16) The Mina Murray Series Box Set (Books 1 - 3) - L.D. Goffigan
17) Thanos Quest - Jim Starlin

JUNE
18) The Infinity Gauntlet - Jim Starlin
19) Bringing Adam Home - Les Standiford
20) Rings of Passage - Karla Tipton
21) Tempting Juliana - Lauren Royal

JULY
22) The Price of Privilege - Madeline Levine, PhD.
23) Dangerous Reflections - Karla Tipton
24) Born to Buy - Juliet B. Schor
25) An Extraordinary Union - Alyssa Cole
26) Gilded Ashes - Rosamund Hodge
27) Sweet Valley High #29: Bitter Rivals - Kate William
28) Jem: Infinite - Kelly Thompson
29) The Infinity War - Jim Starlin

AUGUST
30) The Infinity Crusade Vol. 1 - Jim Starlin
31) The Infinity Crusade Vol. 2 - Jim Starlin
32) Thanos Rising - Jason Aaron
33) House of Shadows - Darcy Coates
34) House of Secrets - Darcy Coates
35) Batman: Nightwalker - Marie Lu
36) Jem: Dimensions - Kelly Thompson
37) Dark Matter - Blake Crouch

SEPTEMBER
38) After On - Rob Reid
39) Neon Fever Dream - Eliot Peper
40) Wyoming Bride - Joan Johnston
41) Bloodstone #1 - 4 - Dan Abnett
42) The X-Files: JFK Disclosure -
43) Still Life - Michael Montoure
44) Dead Is Just A Rumor - Marlene Perez
45) Dead Is Not An Option - Marlene Perez

OCTOBER
46) Shifter's Fate - Alyssa Rose Ivy
47) Vampire's Descent - Jennifer Snyder
48) Hunter's Revenger - Juliana Haygert
49) Triton's Curse - Sarra Cannon
50) Siren's Song - Juliana Haygert
51) The Headless Cupid - Zilpha Keatley Snyder
52) Jinxed - Thommy Hutson
53) Witch's Mark - Sarra Cannon
54) Dying To Remember - Karin Kaufman
55) Gothique - Kyle Marffin
56) Gilchrist - Christian Galacar
57) The Witch Tree - Karin Kaufman

NOVEMBER
58) Edinburgh Dusk - Carole Lawrence
59) Daughters of the Lake - Wendy Webb
60) A Density of Souls - Christopher Rice

New acquisitions (struck through if read):

JANUARY
1) Wyoming Bride - Joan Johnston
2) The Duchess Deal - Tessa Dare
3) The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara

FEBRUARY
4) Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
5) Silent Victim - Caroline Mitchell

MARCH
6) A Dangerous Proposal - Jillian Eaton
7) The Mad Morelands Box Set (books 1-3) - Candace Camp
8) Goddess of the Hunt - Tessa Dare
9) Rags to Riches - Casey L. Bond
10) Beauty and the Beast (Timeless Fairytales Book 1)
11) Mina Murray Box Set (books 1 - 3) - L.D. Goffigan

APRIL
12) After On - Rob Reid
13) Sacrifice Me: Season 1 - Sarra Cannon
14) A Dangerous Affair - Jillian Eaton
15) Bandwidth - Eliot Peper

MAY
16) Unseen - Sara Hagerty
17) Everything That Remains - Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus
18) How To Sew A Button - Erin Bried
19) United As One: Lorien Legacies - Pitticus Lore

JUNE
20) Bringing Adam Home - Les Standiford
21) Tempting Juliana - Lauren Royal
22) The Price of Privilege - Madeline Levine, PhD.
23) His Dark Kiss - Eve Silver
24) Roses - Leila Meacham

JULY
25) Bright Smoke, Cold Fire - Rosamund Hodge
26) Triton's Curse - Sarra Cannon
27) Born to Buy - Juliet B. Schor
28) Do the Work - Steven Pressfield
29) Always and Forever - Wendy Lindstrom
30) A Dangerous Seduction - Jillian Eaton
31) Dark Matter - Blake Crouch
32) The Headless Cupid - Zilpha Keatley Snyder
33) Blair's Nightmare - Zilpha Keatley Snyder
34) Promised To The Crown
35) You'll Never Know, Dear
36) Can't Buy My Love

AUGUST
37) Jinxed - Thommy Hutson
38) Minimalism: Live A Meaningful Life - Ryan Nicodemus & Joshua Fields Millburn
39) Intertwine - Nichole Van
40) Divine - Nichole Van
41) Clandestine - Nichole Van
42) Change Your Mindset, Not Your Man
43) Lady of Skye - Patricia Cabot
44) Batman: Nightwalker - Marie Lu
45) Smuggler's Moon - Cynthia Wright
46) Neon Fever Dream - Eliot Peper
47) A Vision of Fire - Gillian Anderson

SEPTEMBER
48) Clean My Space - Melissa Maker
49) The Dukes of Vauxhall - Theresa Romain and others
50) The Bone Clocks - David Mitchell
51) Story of My Life - Jay McInerney
52) Shifter's Fate - Alyssa Rose Ivy
53) Vampire's Descent - Jennifer Snyder
54) Hunter's Revenge - Juliana Haygert
55) Siren's Song - Juliana Haygert
56) Warlock's Embrace - Alyssa Rose Ivy
57) Witch's Mark - Sarra Cannon

OCTOBER
58) Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0 - Eliot Peper
59) Dying to Remember - Karin Kaufman
60) Gothique - Kyle Marffin
61) The Witch Tree - Karin Kaufman
62) A Density of Souls - Christopher Rice
63) Daughters of the Lake - Wendy Webb
64) They Thirst - Robert McCammon
65) Wolf's Hour - Robert McCammon
66) Kind Is the New Classy - Candace Cameron Bure

NOVEMBER
67) The Spiritglass Charade - Colleen Gleason
68) Sanctuary of Roses - Colleen Gleason
69) The Lady Traveler's Guide to Larceny...- Victoria Alexander
70) Wayward Pines Book 1 - Blake Crouch
71) The Snow Garden - Christopher Rice
72) Light Before Day - Christopher Rice
73) The Little Friend - Donna Tartt
74) Yuletide Happily Ever Afters - various
75) The Heir and the Spare - Emily Albright
76) The Christmas Widow - Jillian Eaton
77) A Secret Christmas - Lauren Royal
78) The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo
79) A Generation of Sociopaths - Bruce Cannon Gibney
80) American Gods - Neil Gaiman
81) Lord of Chance - Erica Ridley
82) The Viscount's Christmas Temptation - Erica Ridley
83) The Snow Bride - Debbie Macomber
84) Blackhaven Brides Books 1- 4 - Mary Lancaster
85) The Chess Queen Enigma - Colleen Gleason
86) The Frame-up - Meghan Molin

Good luck in your 2018 rooting!

>5 Tess_W: Thank you, you too! :)

Welcome back and have a great reading year!

>7 rabbitprincess: Thanks, you too! :)

My husband found this Chrome extension for me and I thought you all might like it, if you haven't already heard of it!

When you are browsing Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc., it lets you know if your local library has the book you are looking at. It works for e-books, too, which is awesome! :D

https://bookriot.com/2017/10/23/chrome-library-extension/

Have fun with your ROOTing in 2018!

Happy reading in 2018, Elizabeth!

>9 readingtangent: I saw that extension, sadly it is not available yet in my country.

glad you're back!

Welcome back and happy reading!

>10 Familyhistorian: Thank you, you too! :)

>11 FAMeulstee: Thank you! Good luck with your challenge!

>12 cyderry: Thanks! :)

>13 MissWatson: Thank you! Good luck with your challenge. :)

>18 readingtangent: lol!

>18 readingtangent: Truth!

>18 readingtangent: So true!

ROOT #1 - 5

Title: Deadpool: World’s Greatest, vol. 8, Deadpool: World’s Greatest, vol. 9, Spider-man/Deadpool vol. 3: Itsy Bitsy, Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars, Deadpool: Back in Black

Author: Gerry Duggan, Joe Kelly, Cullen Bunn

Covers:



Format: Kindle e-books

Year acquired: 2017

Comments:

I decided to lump all these together (and only include a few of the covers) because I’m too lazy to make separate posts for each of them! I have a TON of comics TBR -- so many of them that I don’t even know the number -- so…I will count them as ROOTs, but they won’t impact my TBR total, (that is just my list of non-comic books) :).

ROOT #6

Title: Antarctica: An Intimate Portrait of a Mysterious Continent

Author: Gabrielle Walker

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2014

Amazon description:

Antarctica is the most alien place on the planet, the only part of the earth where humans could never survive unaided. Out of our fascination with it have come many books, most of which focus on only one aspect of its unique strangeness. None has managed to capture the whole story—until now.

Drawing on her broad travels across the continent, in Antarctica Gabrielle Walker weaves all the significant threads of life on the vast ice sheet into an intricate tapestry, illuminating what it really feels like to be there and why it draws so many different kinds of people. With her we witness cutting-edge science experiments, visit the South Pole, lodge with American, Italian, and French researchers, drive snowdozers, drill ice cores, and listen for the message Antarctica is sending us about our future in an age of global warming.

This is a thrilling trip to the farthest reaches of earth by one of the best science writers working today.

Comments:

I only have one thing on my “bucket list” and it is to visit Antarctica. Actually, I want to run a half marathon there. Reading this book didn’t change my mind; if anything, it made me want to go even more! We'll see if I ever make it.

The book was long, and a little dry in places, but overall an interesting read.

ROOT #7

Title: Artemis

Author: Andy Weir

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2017

Amazon description:

Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.

Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.

So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down.

The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself.

Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city.

Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.

That’ll have to do.

Comments:

This was a lot lighter and wackier than I’d expected, but I really enjoyed it :). It was a fun, fast read -- and Jazz cracked me up!

ROOT #8

Title: For Better or for Best: A Valuable Guide to Knowing, Understanding, and Loving Your Husband

Author: Gary Smalley

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2014

Amazon description:

In this newly revised edition of the classic bestseller For Better or for Best, Gary Smalley speaks to women and explains what motivates men and how wives can use their natural qualities and abilities to build a better marriage.

Using case histories and biblical illustrations, as well as stories from his own marriage, Smalley offers empathy, humor, and wisdom to women who wish to more fully understand their husbands and love them better.

With over 750,000 copies in print and now updated and expanded to integrate the latest research and cultural changes for today’s readers, For Better or for Best offers women an insider’s perspective into the world of men, including practical help and application so they can deepen their relationships with their husbands and build a lasting marriage.

Comments:

When I first got married, I realized I knew nothing about how to be a wife :(. So of course I turned to books to help me (it's my go-to solution for everything).

I’d thought from the title this one would be advice on how to be a better wife, but it often read more like “how to fix your husband.” I don’t have any of the complaints listed in the book and I don’t feel as though my husband needs fixing, so it didn’t really apply, but oh well. Now I’ve read it! It did remind me how fortunate I am to have a happy marriage. And since this is one of my oldest e-book ROOTs, it felt really good to finally cross it off the list!

ROOT #9

Title: Disclaimer

Author: Renee Knight

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2016

Amazon description:

A brilliantly conceived, deeply unsettling psychological thriller— already an international sensation—about a woman haunted by secrets, the consuming desire for revenge, and the terrible price we pay when we try to hide the truth.

Finding a mysterious novel at her bedside plunges documentary filmmaker Catherine Ravenscroft into a living nightmare. Though ostensibly fiction, The Perfect Stranger recreates in vivid, unmistakable detail the terrible day she became hostage to a dark secret, a secret that only one other person knew—and that person is dead.

Now that the past is catching up with her, Catherine’s world is falling apart. Her only hope is to confront what really happened on that awful day . . . even if the shocking truth might destroy her.

Comments:

I learned about this from one of Connie’s threads, although I don’t remember if she liked it or not :).

For the most part this was a page-turner. I appreciated the complex narrative structure, which jumped back and forth between the past and the present, and between the first-person POV of one character and the third-person of others; definitely kept me interested. I wish it had wrapped up differently, but up until that point, I enjoyed it and read through it super quickly.

ROOT #10 - 12

Title: Jem and the Holograms vol.4, vol. 5, Misfits

Author: Kelly Thompson

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-books

Year acquired: 2017

Comments:

More comics! :)

ROOT #13

Title: Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier

Author: Mark Frost

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2017

Amazon description:

The crucial sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Secret History of Twin Peaks, this novel bridges the two series, and takes you deeper into the mysteries raised by the new series.

The return of Twin Peaks is one of the most anticipated events in the history of television. The subject of endless speculation, shrouded in mystery, fans will come flocking to see Mark Frost and David Lynch’s inimitable vision once again grace the screen. Featuring all the characters we know and love from the first series, as well as a list of high-powered actors in new roles, the show will be endlessly debated, discussed, and dissected.

While The Secret History of Twin Peaks served to expand the mysteries of the town and place the unexplained phenomena that unfolded there into a vastly layered, wide-ranging history, Twin Peaks: The Final Dossier tells us what happened to key characters in the twenty-five years in between the events of the first series and the second, offering details and insights fans will be clamoring for. The novel also adds context and commentary to the strange and cosmic happenings of the new series. For fans around the world begging for more, Mark Frost’s final take laid out in this novel will be required reading.

Comments:

This was quite short and not nearly as textured and complex as The Secret History of Twin Peaks, but anyone who is a fan of the show will like it at least a bit, I think, because at least you get to learn what happened to all the characters who weren’t in season three! Or at least, what Mark Frost thinks happened to them ;).

>26 readingtangent: How nice to see you read this, Elizabeth and you liked it too. I gave it 4 stars, so yes, I liked it.

>24 readingtangent: Great comments about Artemis, I'm looking forward to this.

Great work, lots of ROOTs pulled! :)

Wow, you've been reading up a storm this month!

>29 connie53: :) Thanks for writing about it!
>30 MissWatson: There was a lot of cursing in it, just as a heads up (I don't remember if The Martian was like that or not, but I don't think so). But yes, it was a very fun read!
>31 floremolla: Thanks!
>32 Jackie_K: Well, the comic collections go very fast, and it seems as though several of the other 'regular' books I've chosen have also been really quick reads. Or maybe I'm just getting faster? That would be nice! :)

ROOT #14

Title: Doctor Sleep

Author: Stephen King

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2017

Amazon description:

Stephen King returns to the character and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called the True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, the True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the steam that children with the shining produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel, where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant shining power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to this icon in the King canon.

Comments:

I actually finished this in January but I didn't get around to adding it here in time. It'll just have to count for February! :)

I’ve wanted to read this ever since I finally got around to reading The Shining (a couple of years ago now). My husband and I both got it for Christmas from different family members this past year, so that’s kind of funny (we only kept one, of course) :).

It was a worthy sequel, IMO. In fact, I probably enjoyed it more than The Shining, although it’s not exactly a fair comparison; the stories are quite different from one another. I really enjoyed Dan’s character in this, and while toward the end it started to feel long, and there were a couple of small things I wished were different, none of that was enough to diminish my enjoyment of the story, overall. The description says it’s “gory,” but with the exception of one scene, I don’t remember much gore. In fact, this was easily the most optimistic, even happy, story I’ve ever read by King (not that I’ve read all that many). A 5 star read for me.

ROOT #15 - 17

Title: Deadpool: World’s Greatest, vol. 10, Deadpool V Gambit: The ‘V’ stands for Vs., Deadpool Vs. The Punisher

Authors: Gerry Duggan, Ben Acker & Ben Blacker, Fred Van Lente

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2017

Comments:

Three more collections from my hoard down! The last two were pretty awesome, FWIW. Super funny :).

ROOT #18 - 19

Title: Deadpool & Cable: Split Second, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again

Author: Fabian Nicieza, Cullen Bunn

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-books

Year acquired: 2017

Comments:

Couple more comic collections down. :)

ROOT #20

Title: A Confident Heart: How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Live in the Security of God’s Promises

Author: Renee Swope

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2014

Amazon description:

Often the biggest obstacle to living out our faith is our own doubt--about our worth, our abilities, our relationship with God, and situations in our lives. A Confident Heart gives voice to the questions, doubts, struggles, and hopes so many women have. Author Renee Swope shows women how to identify, overcome, and even use doubt in order to live confidently in God's power, truth, and grace. Perfect for women's small groups or individuals, A Confident Heart is an authentic, insight-filled and encouraging message for any woman who wants to exchange destructive thought patterns with biblical truth that will transform the way she thinks, feels, and lives.

ROOT #21

Title: Alexandra

Author: Lauren Royal

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2017

Amazon description:

England, 1815: Alexandra Chase has always liked being the perfect daughter, thank you very much. Why would she bother chafing against society’s restrictions when instead she could be basking in the warm glow of its approval? But when her brother’s best friend—and secret obsession—returns from a long spell abroad, she begins losing interest in the suitable young lord she’s expected to marry. Suddenly, family duty and a flawless reputation seem less important than the chance, however slight, that her girlhood crush might notice her now that she’s all grown up…

Tristan Nesbitt has done some growing up himself over the last few years, what with moving across oceans, inheriting a title, and facing a devastating scandal. But through it all, he’s never forgotten the Chases, the closest thing he had to a family back in his school days. When his old friend Griffin Chase requests a favor, he’s happy to oblige, as long as he can maintain enough distance from the family that his infamous past won’t tarnish their good name. Unfortunately, one Chase seems intent on getting much closer to him than she should…

Comments:

This is the “clean” version of Lost in Temptation, which I’ve previously read. I liked this version, too, although some of the funnier parts were missing, I suppose because they were too risqué :). A very cute story, either way!

ROOT #22

Title: Beautiful in God’s Eyes

Author: Elizabeth George

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2016

Amazon description:

Elizabeth George's brand-new Beautiful in God's Eyes Growth and Study Guide provides questions and insights to help women apply the truths of Beautiful in God's Eyes to their lives. With practical wisdom, Elizabeth shows women how to triumph over daily pressure and enjoy the creativity, fulfillment, beauty, and purposes God reveals in Proverbs 31 by

• developing a passionate life vision
• making time for family, friends, and God
• improving life-management skills
• keeping their sights on God's plan
• tending to the fires of heart and home

This enlightening study guide encourages women to grow spiritually strong, put their efforts in the right places, and become the active, influential, on-fire believers God wants them to be.

Comments:

I don't know why the Amazon description says it is for the study guide; this is the actual book, not the study guide :)! But I left it, because it still gives the gist of what the book was about. Basically, an in-depth study of Proverbs 31: 10 - 31.

ROOT #23

Title: Survivor

Author: Chuck Palahniuk

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2017

Amazon description:

Tender Branson—last surviving member of the Creedish Death Cult—is dictating his life story into Flight 2039’s recorder. He is all alone in the airplane, which will crash shortly into the vast Australian outback. But before it does, he will unfold the tale of his journey from an obedient Creedish child to an ultra-buffed, steroid- and collagen-packed media messiah. Unpredictable and unforgettable, Survivor is Chuck Palahniuk at his deadpan peak: a mesmerizing, unnerving, and hilarious satire on the wages of fame and the bedrock lunacy of the modern world.

Comments:

Got this one for Christmas. (Darkly) funny, and a very quick read. I liked it a lot! :)

ROOT #24

Title: Supernatural: Carved in Flesh

Author: Tim Waggoner

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2017

Amazon description:

Reported sightings of a hellish hound and the discovery of newly dead desiccated corpses bring Sam and Dean Winchester to Brennan, Ohio. But when they catch the monster canine it turns out to be "Frankenmutt"; a reanimated patchwork of pieces from separate dogs.

Soon the brothers are on a trail that leads from mad scientists and biotechnology to a centuries-old alchemists, walking corpses, and an ancient and malevolent power.

Comments:

These Supernatural books are always fun, and this one was no exception. It takes place during season seven. Well-written and a very fast read – I finished it in two days!

ROOT #25

Title: Reshaping it All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness

Author: Candace Cameron Bure

Cover:



Format: Kindle e-book

Year acquired: 2015

Amazon description:

Candace Cameron Bure first became known to millions as a co-star on the hit ABC television series Full House. Today, like her brother Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains, Fireproof), she is the rare Hollywood actor who is outspoken about her Christian faith and how it helps overcome certain obstacles.

Bure’s healthy lifestyle has been featured in US Weekly and People magazines as well as national talk shows including The View and NBC’s Today. In Reshaping It All, she continues the story, inspiring women to embrace a healthier lifestyle by moving faith to the forefront, making wise choices, and finding their worth in the eyes of God. Candace shares a candid account of her struggle with food and ultimately her healthy outlook on weight despite the toothpick-thin expectations of Hollywood.

More than a testimony, here is a motivational tool that will put readers on the right track and keep them there. In addition to practical advice, Candace offers a biblical perspective on appetite and self control that provides encouragement to women, guiding them toward freedom.

Includes 16-page black and white photo insert.

Comments:

I’m not quite finished with this one yet, but very close! I’ll definitely be done with it by tomorrow, so I’ll go ahead and log it for February :). Btw it says the photo insert is in B&W, but some of the pictures are in color in mine.

Not sure what is going on with me, but I have been finishing books very quickly lately. Not that I'm complaining! Hopefully I can keep it up as the year progresses.

I also only acquired 2 new books this month, and I read one of them right away, so...I'm only up one for the month. I'm down 7 total for the year so far. Would be awesome to keep that up!

Down 7 for the year is fantastic! I'm up 1 (read 10, acquired 11), which is loads better than I ever managed last year, I hope I can keep this up too!

Good work on the reading and the abstaining! :)

Congrats on your progress!

Very impressive, Elizabeth.

>44 Jackie_K:, >45 floremolla:, >46 MissWatson:, >47 connie53: Thanks! It only looks impressive because of all the comics collections I've read; they go so fast :). This month doesn't look nearly as good, although I did manage to read four ROOTs and I'm almost done with another. I bought too many new ones, though (6 -- and two of them are box sets. I only read one) :/.

Just take the encouragement, Elizabeth. ;-)) We think you are doing just fine!

>49 connie53: Thanks, Connie :).

>18 readingtangent: wry grin

Should have one with an alarm set off on approach to opshops and garage sales