Ruth’s Comments (group member since Feb 09, 2012)

Ruth’s comments from the The Dusty Bookshelf group.

I set my annual goal for 52 - one book a week - and I'm several books ahead, somehow. I also will have to adjust my goal to reflect the children's books I review after reading with my daughter. They don't count towards my goals, but I want to track when I read certain things with my kids, otherwise I could record them without a date and they wouldn't count. Oh, well.

I'm not currently reading a dusty book. But I think my next book will be. It happens to be a kid's book, The Red Pyramid. I tried reading this last year, I think, and I couldn't stick with it. I loved the Percy Jackson series and my friends loved this one just as well, so I have hopes to get through this time. It's not very dusty, admittedly.

First week of April, I'll have some time to read since my kids will be at Walt Disney World with my parents. Maybe I'll read something really BIG like World Without End or David Copperfield.

I didn't get to read any Arthurian tales for this themed read. I did however get caught up on the DVR recordings of Merlin from SyFy Network. Not quite the same, sure, but fun anyway! :)

All really good points! I like the specific themes because it helps me to sort through the intimidating TBR shelf since I want to read them ALL at some point, but where to start? The more general the more impossible it is to narrow the selection. But that's only me. I can make my theme more specific for myself.

How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
Speaking of elephants, I'm off to throw a load of laundry in the washer. LOL

Barbara wrote: "Autumn wrote: "I will have to consider books that were recently added to my to-reads dusty books. Some of them I have had so long, I forgot I even owned them. Suddenly, I will see them in someone's..."

I've only done that once - bought a book twice - and it was The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers. Thankfully, one was from a used book store, so it didn't cost me much money.

The fact that I own two of the same book would certainly motivate me to read it! I must really want to read it, right? So I did finally read it.

Audiobooks: YES! Most definitely, This is the way I plan to get some of my heftier choices completed. I drive quite a bit for work and I will listen while driving and then read the old-fashioned way when I'm home.

I have a friend with really bad eyes and she can only read audio-style. She completed med school and is currently a GP and she did it all with audiobooks. Reading with your ears is just as valuable, if you ask me.

ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "How about a British theme. Could be either a book set in any United Kingdom country (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) or a book written by a british author. Bonus points for both. heh..."

Don't forget colonials, like Kipling! I have always wanted to read Kim and The Jungle Book. I absolutely adore Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.

I think Classics is too general; I like the concept of Austen, Gothic. One I'd like to suggest is Dickens. That would have been a perfect February theme since it was the 200th anniversary of his birth. But with his ouvre, I think making it a theme anytime this year would be fantastic! I have David Copperfield on deck to read sometime this year.

Another theme might be Children's and/or YA. I have Lizard Music and The Mysterious Benedict Society on my dusty shelves. And shock of shocks, someone out there might have Twilight on their Dusty Shelf. LOL

Dusty for me is something that's been on my to-be-read list (TBR) for more than a year. I just started reading a book a couple of days ago that I found available for ereader at the library, and that's been on my TBR since 2010, so it's gonna count!

Originally, it was just going to be books that I've wanted to read for a REALLY long time, like more than 10 years, but as it is, just about every book I have is dusty under my new guidelines. The dustiest book I have right now is Singularity which I was so excited about, I went out and bought it in hardcover, but I gave it to my husband to read first. Not only did I never get back to it, my HUSBAND never read it, either!

The only two non-dusty book I have in my sights are Garden Spells and Deadlocked,the new Sookie Stackhouse that hasn't been released yet.

Jaynessa wrote: "Dalynn wrote: "I think "dusty" is going to be different for everyone, and kind of an arbitrary line. I have a friend I'm trying desperately to get her to join this group, and she keeps hollering at..."

Welcome to the group! :)

Thalia wrote: "Whaaaa, I just went to the theatre and saw the "Love Never Dies" filmed version. It's the sequel to Phantom of the Opera that Webber wrote, ad ke rnjywevnj mhwejn, my heart has just died and it wil..."

Haha! Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?

Denise wrote: "Chimney wrote: "I was in the bookstore the other night when I saw A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett and had a nagging feeling that I had either seen a movie based off the book or when th..."

Yup, what she said. LOL I just started reading "A Little Princess" to my five-year-old daughter last night. I don't know if it will last. She fell asleep while I was reading.

Eric wrote: "Hi Ruth - I am a big Bette Davis fan too. So many films to see (and some are great to miss)! I had the privilige of meeting her in person during the last year of her life. It was at a book signi..."

That is so fabulous!

Darn it, I had to take the dog out and now I forget what I was going to say. I hate it when that happens!

I hope all of you are well and didn't have to suffer any of the horrific tornadoes that went through the midwest yesterday. We're north of it here in Michigan.

I tried to get into scrap-booking, but I couldn't get into it. I would always want something I didn't own and I never have a chance to scrapbook with friends. I think when I'm an empty-nester in another 12 years, I'll do it digitally and forgo the print and stick completely.

I used to cross-stitch a bunch in high school and college, but then I started making my own reeds in graduate school. Now I teach bassoon privately, so I make reeds for my students as well as for myself. It's a living!

April wrote: "Casey wrote: "Hi everyone! I have far too many books on my shelf that need to be read, so I'm glad to have found this group. I'm hoping to read (at least) the following 20 books from my own grungy ..."

I read Catch 22 a few years back... I had a newborn at the time and she's almost six, so, it's been a while... Anywho, I liked it and I understand why it's "great" but I had a tough time slogging through it. It could be the fact that I was only getting a few hours sleep at a time, between feedings, but it isn't the kind of book I usually enjoy reading.

On the other side of the quality spectrum, I just finished up The Darkest Night and I have decided that maybe paranormal romance isn't my thing. I like the steamy eroticism, but the story and the writing otherwise was ugh! If I want erotic lit, I'll stick with Anne Rice.

Melissa wrote: "I finally got some books together for my dusty bookshelf. My goal is 24 dusty books that I haven't read yet but all together I want to read 150 books this year. Here is my list so far(which is also..."

Nice list! 150 books, eh? I have some friends who can read like that, but alas, I am lucky to sit my goal at 50 for the year and call that good.

April wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "April wrote: "Alright, after much deliberation...I've decided on The Crystal Cave...and hope that I can keep myself on track and get back to my dusty reads after...or ..."

Yes, I loved The Crystal Cave, too! Great series you might just get hooked into.

Denise wrote: "Ruth wrote: "I bought Red Harvest for the Hammett discussion. I also have The Once and Future King on my TBR, highly recommended by my hubby. Either way, I'd best get crackin'! :)"

I read Red Ha..."

I love the "Sword in the Stone!" I didn't know it drew from "TOAFK," though. *sigh* I'm gonna have to read it, but not NOW! LOL I still have to finish A Storm of Swords, which even if I ONLY read that one book, it will take me a month.

Hayley wrote: "I will watch Eastern Promises, Big Trouble In Little China, The Breakfast Club, House of 1000 Corpses & The Devil's Rejects time & time again - decent range of favourite films there I think ;)

Las..."

"Drive" was a divisive film, so I'm not surprised by the blah response by some people. I was completely taken in by it. I have it to watch with my husband tonight. I have more than a little trepidation anticipating his feelings about it. It's a little like my fear that he wouldn't like Watership Down.

That's an impossible question. I'm with Chimney - "The Princess Bride" is up on the top of that very crowded list. My favorite movie this year (2011) was "Drive."

I am an old movie fan, constantly filling my DVR with films from Turner Classic Movies. My favorite director is Alfred Hitchcock, but I also love "Charade," "Casablanca," "Gone with the Wind," "Star Wars" (especially "Empire"), "Lord of the Rings," "Bringing Up Baby," "Ben Hur" and "Now, Voyager." I've been on a Bette Davis kick for the last year or so, trying to catch all of her films, but there are so many!

Denise wrote: "I'm going to get started on The Once and Future King tonight, since it looks pretty long! Also, on another site, we'll be discussing Dashiell Hammett during the last week of March, and I have seve..."

I bought Red Harvest for the Hammett discussion. I also have The Once and Future King on my TBR, highly recommended by my hubby. Either way, I'd best get crackin'! :)