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Dusty Shelf Challenge
message 51:
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Gisela
(new)
Jan 23, 2015 04:58AM
I've done four so far. It's even-stephen for me, two I loved and I now don't understand why I didn't read them before and two which I wasn't in the end so very keen on. The one which might break me is The Scarlet Letter, which I am persisting with but which is hard going. On the other hand, just started The Age of Innocence from the pile and am loving it so far. I do need a Scandinavian crime in between so.
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It's sad I know, but I've just discovered how to get ebooks from the library via Overdrive and I am beyond excited. Have downloaded and started Howard's End. Promising so far, though she hasn't started name-dropping yet. This is my fourth book currently on the go, which is too many. I really must finish one.
Cathy it's not sad. Well maybe it is but then join the rest of us saddos anyway. I love my journey to work with my audiobooks from library site. Hate it when I need to listen to radio instead. Hope you enjoy yourself as much as I.
Mod
I haven't ventured down the ebook route with Dorset Libraries yet. I am 8 over my limit as it is!
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That was the intention Sha'ron. Any good ones yet?
I am reading the magicians land and I am glad I bought it. I am at the beginning still but I am really enjoying it so far
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I have wondered about Lev Grossman. Is his work any good?
Finished Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home yesterday, my first for the challenge. I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I absolutely loved it and got a lot from it. Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...The only problem is that, rather than making me want to read the dusty books already on my shelf, I've added even more books to my reading list - authors and books I've always meant to read. Oh dear!
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I know it wasn't the intention Paul! Trouble is, I just can't read about books without wanting to actually read them. I've gone and added all of Virginia Woolf's novels to my list now, as a sort of personal 2015 challenge.
On to book number 3 of the challenge, to the lighthouse, Virginia wolffe.
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it's nice to look at the shelves and see a few more read
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4/50 for me- Burmese Days, I liked this a lot more than I was expecting to.
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I'm starting to feel that I have set my target to low (although probably realistic). I've so far done 4/8. Well if I do more I give myself a bonus and buy myself an indulgence book or two. Let's get there first though.
thought i would share my thoughts on the susan hill book:I like the concept of this book more than the actual writing. The first chapter introducing the idea of only reading from your own bookshelf for a year made me think long and hard about what books were gathering dust on my own bookshelves, and what is it that makes me choose my next books to read. However, I felt that the book then deviated off for the next 60 pages before returning to what the book was supposed to be about. We delved into her relationship with literature going back to her childhood and university days, and as many have said before me, just too much name-dropping. When she discusses authors and books I have experienced it makes light reading but there are many authors/books discussed that I haven't a clue about so I found myself skimming through those pages. I would have preferred to join her through her year of reading these books, hearing her thoughts of these forty books she proposed reading. Instead I was allowed to sit in on her deliberations of what books to pick intermingled with countless short anecdotes regarding her love of literature, which to me is not as interesting as what I thought the book would be like.
Mod
Very well written Charlotte
Perhaps not the most positive review, but I do really like the concept and am looking forward to dusting off these books that have been haunting the shelves for too long!
Book number 3 finished, travels with charley by Steinbeck. A 5 * read for me, loved his connection to charley and the humanisation of him nearly. His musings on American states and it's people were interesting to think about as a European who probably holds generalisations of certain states.
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Seraphina wrote: "Book number 3 finished, travels with charley by Steinbeck. A 5 * read for me, loved his connection to charley and the humanisation of him nearly. His musings on American states and it's people were..."Read this one a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Would love to do the same journey as it seems a good way of seeing the real USA, but will probably have to wait till retirement.
Ya, apparently there is a book with his letters to his wife during this journey aswell that is meant to be good to read along with it. Haven't managed to get my hands on it yet
Finished The International recently which I thought was a good portrayal of Belfast pre troubles. Now reading The Taker for a change of pace
Totally off-track with my dusty shelf books at the moment, too many good book recommendations which shout "read me first" as well as books-of-the months in various groups, which I really like. Never mind, still time, just as well I only chose 8!
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My goal for thic challenge is 20 books. So far I've read; 4/20The Da Vinci Code
The Loveless Marriage
Love in the Dark
The Bedside Companion to Sherlock Holmes
I just joined the challenge and I dare myself to read 80 of my tbr books!At the beginning of this year I owned 153 unread books and my plan for 2015 was to reduce the tbr to 100, so with a bit of math and rounding up, 80 sounded like a good goal for mid-2016.
I haven't read Susan Hill's book yet, but it has been on my wishlist for a while. I've been hoping for a translation (I'm German), but hey.
Finally I have an "official" tracker so I can see if my aim is still achievable. That helps a lot.
Happy reading to you!
I've done all my 8 and whilst this was a low target, the books were very dusty indeed. Of those 5, four I should have read years ago they would have enriched my reading earlier, 3 however, I really didn't like and if it weren't for this challenge, they would be lying on the shelf still. Thought about uping my number (there are still a couple of books which have been there for quite a while), but keep getting seduced by recommendations, new releases and what catches my eye in the library.
Thanks, guys! I'm currently 6 boks behind schedule, but there's plenty of time, so no worries (as of yet) ;)Gisela wrote: "I've done all my 8 and whilst this was a low target, the books were very dusty indeed. Of those 5, four I should have read years ago they would have enriched my reading earlier, 3 however, I reall..."
Congrats, Gisela! Whatever suits you, reading should be fun, right?
Mod
Paul wrote: "I am way behind on this challenge. Ahead on the other"Way behind on both :(
Just finished the perks of being a wallflower. Brilliant read, one of my favourites this year
I've just read "The Woman in White" from my dusty shelf. Brilliant novel which I really enjoyed.
I think I'm just about on track with this challenge and a couple ahead in the other. I'm almost exclusively reading dusty shelf books at the moment though.
I think I'm just about on track with this challenge and a couple ahead in the other. I'm almost exclusively reading dusty shelf books at the moment though.
Seraphina wrote: "Just finished the perks of being a wallflower. Brilliant read, one of my favourites this year"Interesting. My daughter has been trying to get me to read this one for ages. Guess I better give it a go.
Its a great read, and if your daughter says so you'll have to give it a go :)
I'm currently 4 books behind on my challenge, but I mean to slowly catch up during the summer months. Fingers crossed!
I'm currently 5 behind on this one, but 5 ahead on the full desk, so I'm calling it even at the moment. Hoping for some time to catch up soon. I've got a few big train journeys ahead of me.
I had to cut down my challenge to 60 books. I'm currently purging many dusty (and some not so dusty) books since my fiancé and I will be moving to Cologne this autumn. So my feeling is that I might still own enough dusty books for the challenge, but only just, and I want some room for selecting. ...And, yes, 80 books was maybe a bit too ambitious :)
Soooo joining this - just finished To the Lighthouse, which has been dusty on my shelf since 1991 (OMG!).However my reading binge was kicked off by the great inspirational The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books (and Two Not-So-Great Ones) Saved My Life - so I'll start by cheating, and substituting that for the (less wonderful sounding) book by Hill.
The "reading classics"-binge also ticked off Crime and Punishment so fell like I'm on a roll and will give Cervantes a go too...
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Paul wrote: "I have got The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books Saved My Life from the library to read soon."Do it! It's awesome! I entirely blame it for getting into reading again!
Paul wrote: "I have got The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books Saved My Life from the library to read soon."I just read this. He has an interesting view on some of the books he read. Plus he read some I have never heard of which I might have to check out. I have to agree with his assessment of The Da Vinci Code.
Just reserved at library. 1 star from one user in Cornwall.....I wait to see who I agree with Goodreads or Cornwall library service user.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Howards End (other topics)The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books Saved My Life (other topics)
The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books Saved My Life (other topics)
The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books Saved My Life (other topics)
Crime and Punishment (other topics)
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