2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss Uprooted by Naomi Novik.

Pages: 438 pages

Length: 1 month (May)

Participants: SarahKat, Allison

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I think I might be able to pick this up from the library this weekend.

Great! This is the only one of my May books available on ebook so I'll probably start tonight.

Oh, this is one of my favourite books. I hope you enjoy it as much I did!
(Got too many other books planned for May so unfortunately I can't join in this time)

I really enjoyed this one when I read it a few years ago. I hope you both like it as much as I did! Right now I happen to be reading Spinning Silver by the same author and I am enjoying it too.

I loved Spinning Silver too. This is the only book of Novik's I haven't read yet (not including her book of short stories). I think I was putting this one off because I didn't want it disappoint me, and I want more of her books to look forward to!

Through Chapter 2: (view spoiler)[Wow this started off strong. I was invested from the first sentence. There's a lot going on we don't know about yet. I like the main character, but I wonder why she was picked. (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 5: (view spoiler)[Well we know why she was picked now. She has magical abilities that have to be taught. The Wood is very compelling and freaky. I like that it's not just inside the actual woods, but it's like its own evil entity.
I love that she went to town to try to save it and the people there with just her cursory knowledge of like.. fixing things around the kitchen and the few potions she vaguely knew what meant.
I wonder if the Dragon will die. Sounds like that could mean really bad things. (hide spoiler)]

I just read this in the past week or so for something else, but it wasn't for me. Still, I'm looking forward to the discussion. I only finished it because I'd bought it with points and was stuck on an airplane--I do like the author's Temeraire series, though.

Picked this up from the library last weekend but haven’t had a chance yet. I’ve been working 2 hours extra every day this week. After that, I’m ready for a hot shower, bed, and booktube and not much else. Will try and start this weekend.

I would like to join please! This book is on my radar for this month :)

I get that Allison. I have a bunch of stressful/busy things going on and I find myself doom-scrolling instead of reading. Hope you enjoy it when you get to it! I'm loving it.

Welcome Sainabou!

Through Chapter 11: (view spoiler)[So much has happened since I last updated! The Dragon did not die or get corrupted obviously. I love how Agnieszka's magic is so different than his and she just sort of follows how it feels rather than the words on the page. I think she'll be much more powerful than the Dragon soon.

Agnieszka saved Kasia from the tree and they found a way to purge her. This part was really interesting. I like how patient he was with her trying to find a way because of his own past trying to purge his girlfriend's husband. The heart trees in the woods are apparently made from bodies... does it have to be of wizards? AND Kasia is made of wood now, and because they burned the evil out of her it burned the tree she was stuck in too! Crazy.

The almost-sex at the end of this chapter was interesting. Definitely didn't pick up any romantic vibes from them before. I wonder if it was *only* their magic intertwining that was so intimate or if there are some feelings under there as well.

I don't even know how this ends yet but I already wish this was a series. (hide spoiler)]

Sainabou wrote: "I would like to join please! This book is on my radar for this month :)"

Yay! ❤️

Hopefully I won’t be too far behind you, SarahKat. Really trying to get back into buddy reading!

Glad you are enjoying it so far!!

Yes I'm glad you're around more again! I have a super busy week next week so I might fall behind more. Or maybe I'll get lucky this weekend and finish it fast. I never know anymore.

Through Chapter 17: (view spoiler)[They got the queen back but there is nothing in her. Nothing at all. Good or bad. I wonder if that will change. And I wonder why she isn't tree-ish like Kasia?

Now Agnieszka is in the capital trying to get men for the Dragon, and make sure they don't burn Kasia and the queen. I like her sneaking trick. I'm just a little concerned about how this will happen. Still have 200 pages left, so I don't think it goes well. (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 24: (view spoiler)[ Stuff has been happening so fast! It's actually gotten a little harder to follow because there is so much going on. I like that the Wood has put a bunch of different things in motion to get its way. Is the queen evil? It seems like she wants to protect Marek but the kingdom can go for all she cares. (hide spoiler)]

I finished! Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Looking forward to reading your thoughts Allison

I’m sorry, I didn’t technically read it “with you”. I’m hoping to get to it this weekend. Work has been so stressful (they just cut us off from all OT today) and every night, I’ve been decompressing by having b*tch fits with my work bestie for HOURS and then YouTube until I fall asleep. I’m sorry you had to read it on your own. But I will read all your spoilers as I get to them and comment back.

I started it…..annnnddddd I am not liking it. I’m sorry I was a crap Buddy reader. I was trying to push myself into reading more to get my mind off personal things and it’s backfiring on me. I did participate in 2 other buddy reads with this group this month but I think I stretched myself thin. This is just not for me right now.

That's okay Allison :) you don't like every book you read and that's okay. I will still give this a good I think, I am currently in between books and see how I feel about it

Allison wrote: "I started it…..annnnddddd I am not liking it. I’m sorry I was a crap Buddy reader. I was trying to push myself into reading more to get my mind off personal things and it’s backfiring on me. I did ..."

I only finished it because I bought it and was travelling. This happens :) I do tend to like her Temeraire series, though.

That's okay Allison it happens to the best of us. I wouldn't want you to feel pressured to finish a book you don't like for a buddy read. Sorry you didn't though! I loved it so much!

I’m at least glad you did, SarahKat!