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

Ruth’s comments from the The Dusty Bookshelf group.

I like it!

I was reading a novel this month that I would consider a cozy, though it is quite the genre-bender, "City of Lost Dreams." What this book is not: dusty. It was newly published in 2013. Oh well!

I have to agree -it would have been much more shocking without knowing, but it was incredibly shocking when I read it. I swore and and screamed and went crazy. And that's only half-way through book three!

I was newly charged for book 5 after concluding season 3 of the TV series. So good!!!

I am not even close to any of my reading goals for the year. My commitments to hearth and home have interceded much more than anticipated. Plus, these bloody Song of Fire and Ice books should count as three each!

I just downloaded the app, Hayley. Looks fun!

I am enjoying Under the Dome, too. We have only seen the pilot episode, and plan to watch the second tonight.

I am watching a bunch of videos this summer, relishing in my Netflix subscription. I am hooked on "Castle" right now.

South Park did a parody of GE? No way... gotta check THAT out. LOL

I want to read Bleak House this year, but I don't know that I'm going to get to it. I still have A Dance With Dragons to read! For now, I'm reading Patriot Games and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle which are fun and fast!

I just finished "A Feast for Crows" this afternoon. Hooray for me! And a great book, to boot!

I'm reading A Feast for Crows. I'm about half way (finally!). I started it right after I finished Book #3 in the Song of Fire and Ice series, but couldn't get into it. I needed a break from doorstop books for a little while, anyway. I am now way behind on my reading goal for the year because of this book. I knew it would do this to me. I'm only able to read print about an hour a day total, but I do enjoy a good audiobook when I'm stuck in the car much of my day.

Jennifer: I definitely recommend "Where the Red Fern Grows." I read this in elementary school and it was the first book I ever read that made me cry - I hope that isn't too much of a spoiler? - and I think it's amazing.

I saw a promotion on one of those pre-movie ads for the Vikings program. My husband and I were intrigued. We will have to check it out.

I cancelled our cable few weeks back. Thanks to streaming through our blu-ray player, I get my hour of TV a night.

Downton Abbey, Revenge is my guilty pleasure, The Daily Show & Colbert Report, NCISThe Mentalist, GoT, Dexter & Homeland. I will be sad not able to watch these shows when they premiere. We also enjoy Big Bang Theory, and it's pretty much the only sitcom we watch. Oh, except how could I forget Parks & Rec? A sitcom, but not really.... I love, love, love this show.

Haha... Enabling! I can sympathize with that. Unfortunately, I have started buying books for my kids instead. :)

Yes, even most libraries have a tough time keeping their middle grade/teen/YA books properly categorized. I was looking for the audio version of Kane Chronicles #2 in the Teen section, because book #1 was there, but no, it was in the youth lit section. Here's a general guideline. When in doubt, ask your friendly neighborhood librarian! :)

Early chapter books: Grades 1-3
These would include Magic Tree House, A to Z Mysteries,etc.

Middle Grades: Grades 3-10
These books are about school, family life, dealing with loss, being different, changing bodies, changing hormones. Much of Judy Blume Judy Blume including the Fudge series but not Forever (YA), Rick Riordan Rick Riordan, Avi Avi, Rebecca Stead Rebecca Stead, J.K. Rowling J. K. Rowling Harry Potter series books 1-6 (I consider Book 7 to be cusp YA).

YA or Young Adult: The "change" has happened, now how do these newly aware people control themselves to adapt to an adult world they strongly want to oppose?
Family is still a major factor in the characters' lives; the protagonists are not yet fully independent, unless abandoned/orphaned. Generally, the language is PG, but the themes are completely adult and there's much heavy petting if not gratuitous or explicit sex. Violence, as in movies, has a free hand. It seems mostly about the sex and language.

Jessica wrote: "did you know that go ask Alice isn't a memoir either? some lady wrote it and a ton of other ones to..."

Yes, I knew that, too! :) But Angela's Ashes is a real memoir. The movie is really good, too!

Ya'll are aware that "Memoirs of a Geisha" isn't a real memoir? I really liked the book, though. An oldie but goodie, if you're one of the few in the world that hasn't read it, I recommend Go Ask Alice. I think I might try to read Angela's Ashes. It's so dusty, it got missed when I put books on Goodreads almost three years ago and I had to go pull it out of the box of my dustiest books. My husband, who doesn't read much any more (podcasts have taken over!) loved this book and the follow-up, 'Tis by Frank McCourt.

For once, I am reading a book the old-fashioned paperback way, My Cousin Rachel My Cousin Rachel. I may have to finish David Copperfield David Copperfield on e-book because my audio book has a glitch on the 24th (!!!) disc.

Did start Hound of the Baskervilles audio-style, but I was interrupted by family vacay, so I didn't get it done by the end of the month.