The Dusty Bookshelf discussion

Get them out, find the old bookmark and move it back to the front or just see if you can remember what happened before you stopped. That's right folks, I know you have them, those poor books that you put down mid-read and never picked back up to finish. Well this month is now abandoned book awareness month. So rekindle the romance, the thrill and the suspense that never had a chance to show you it's all...

Or just pick up an unfinished book and finish it ;)

I am actually reading one that I put down twice before, David Crystal's The Stories of English. It wasn't even that I wasn't enjoying it, it's just really long. The first time I tried to read it over Christmas break and had to put it down when I went back to grad school. Then, I started it back up a year later when I finished my degree, only to have to abandon it again when I went to Boot Camp. Third time's the charm?

The only one I have that I want to read currently is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, or maybe Beautiful Ruins... but they are both library books so they don't count as "dusty" for me :(

I'll be starting the unfinished book once I've finished The Island - it was given to me as a World Book Night book so I need to finish and leave it in the Cathedral over the bank holiday... lots of people will be there for the festival and as entrance is free to the Cathedral a few tourists will probably pop in :)
Still need to find the unfinished book though as I can't remember the title :S

Abandoned book awareness month! I love you Hayley :D

The only book on my shelf that I started and then put down was Origin of Species by Darwin. It was so dry...like the most boring textbook you could ever imagine :/ But it's such an influential work. Maybe I'll just read a page a day and finish it in 5 years :)

I did read East of Eden last month. I had started it in high school and just didn't get it. Too bad I didn't read it this month to count for the theme! I'm glad I picked up now because I DID get it this time and it was amazing.

I have way too many books that fit into this category. I will have to make up a list and see how many i can read. I may need some help deciding though. ;)

Jennifer- oh make a list!!! We'll help you pick :)

Ok, I have made a list of some of the books I really need to get around to reading and finishing. Here it is:

Little Women
Memoirs of a Geisha
Jane Eyre
Tom Sawyer
The Secret Garden
Where the Red Fern Grows
The Lovely Bones
Fast Food Nation
The Host
Inkheart
Marked (House of Night)
Ransom my Heart
Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
Pet Cementary
Killing Mr. Griffin
Daughters of Eve
Sabriel

Any help narrowing this down would be appreciated. I would like to get at least one done, although it may have to wait until after graduation, which will give me a good week. :)

There's lots of good stuff on there, but as far as books I personally liked, Jane Eyre is good, Tom Sawyer is fun, The Secret Garden is Sweet, and Little Women is charming. I haven't read any of the others and I won't touch Where The Red Fern Grows until someone forces me.

I'd personally go with Jane Eyre, out of the list that's definitely my favourite ;)

I have the name of the book I'll be restarting and hopefully finishing this time: A Darkness Forged in Fire - it's not the sort I've been reading recently but was definitely the genre I was constantly reading back when I bought it. I think I stopped midway because I'd overdone the fantasy so much that I was in dire need of something a bit different, and then I just never went back :(

The only book I have that fits this category is The Brothers Karamazov. Anyone have any advice on how to finish it without going mad?

I'd go with either Killing Mr. Griffin or The Lovely Bones.

Jennifer wrote: "Ok, I have made a list of some of the books I really need to get around to reading and finishing. Here it is:

Little Women
Memoirs of a Geisha
Jane Eyre
Tom Sawyer
The Secret Garden
Where the Red..."

I read "Memoirs of a Geisha" in high school. I really enjoyed it. I doubt my input is helping since everyone else has listed a different book. Sorry! lol

Cynthia wrote: "The only book I have that fits this category is The Brothers Karamazov. Anyone have any advice on how to finish it without going mad?"

Audiobook. That's the only thing that got me through it. Plus the final few chapters were actually very interesting, but it takes FOREVER to get to that point.

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'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.

Ruth wrote: "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 doorsto..."

I know how you feel, Ruth! I just started A Dance With Dragons and it's about 1,000 pages! I hear it's better than book 4 though. This book is also going to put me behind on my goal. I hope I can get through it in a decent amount of time. The chapters are so long though!

I cannot seem to get through Dance With Dragons. I started it in February... and I'm still only about halfway through it. I just can't bring myself to pick it up. I just don't care about the series anymore, totally burnt out. Nothing happens except in the first five and last five chapters, it feels like.

Sorry I've been missing in action so far this month everyone. I requested A secret Garden and Killing Mr. Griffin from the library, and i found another book I started, didn't finish and have been meaning to get back to. I am going to start Too big to miss, and the other two when I get them from the library. While I would love to work on some of the others like Jane Eyre, I don't think I will have the mental power after finals. I am ready for a little bit of light fluffy reading.

Well, I won't finish it this month, but at least I got it started! I'm currently reading Rebecca's Tale by Beauman Sally, a follow-up to Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca. I had started it years ago, but never finished it. It was on my Dusty bookshelf last year, but was the only book I never got around to, so I kept it on the shelf for this year. I'm glad we had this theme to give me the kick I needed to read it!

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

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

Yay! Now brace yourself...a bigger book is coming! lol