Sandi's profile

292 ratings | 95 reviews
avg rating: 3.97

#22 best reviewers

Sandi's bookshelves

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2008 (86)
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books-my-son-liked (6)
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Sandi is currently reading

	10/06 Sandi is currently reading: Water for Elephants (Paperback) by Sara Gruen bookshelves: currently-reading, own-unread	my rating:
	progress: (page 120 of 368) "This book is much better than I expected." — 3 hours, 20 min ago add a comment
	10/04 Sandi is currently reading: A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (Paperback) by Ishmael Beah bookshelves: currently-reading	my rating:
	progress: (page 30 of 240) — 1 day ago, 09:11PM add a comment

Sandi's recent updates (rss)

October 06

New comment on Bethanne's review of The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World

Sandi wrote: "I haven't heard of this book. It does sound interesting.

Congratulations on your marriage! "

reply to this comment

Sandi read and liked Bethanne's review of The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World:

"I finally got through a book! All it took was my honeymoon and a beach! Considering I was becoming borderline illiterate, I read this book quite fast. The story of the cholera epidemic in London was a page-turner, and I was disappointed that more ...more "

1 comment

Sandi read and liked Andrea's review of The Pokey Little Puppy (A Little Golden Book Classic):

"This book was one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES as a little girl...I don't know why. So if you read it and it's not that great, sorry, but it's a five star book to me because I remember my Mom reading it to me a million times when I was a wee little lass. "

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New comment on Sandi's review of The Last Colony

Sandi wrote: "I haven't read "The Sagan Diaries" yet. I don't know why that hasn't attracted me. I do ...more "

(see all 2 comments)

Sandi read and liked Kevinalbee's review of Mage-Guard of Hamor (Saga of Recluce):

"This was an enjoyable read. However, Modesitt's stories in this world are starting to repeat themselves.

Boy kicked out of recluse
boy learns great control of his powers. Boy becomes central to events on other part of world.

Boy aquires a po...more "

2 comments

Sandi is on page 120 of Water for Elephants

"This book is much better than I expected."

Sandi gave

to:
The Last Colony (Mass Market Paperback)
by John Scalzi
bookshelves: 2008, 2008-hugo-nominees, sci-fi

my rating:

read in October, 2008

Sandi said: "The more of John Scalzi’s work I read, the more I like his writing. Set in the same universe as “Old Man’s War”, the 2008 Hugo nominated novel, “The Last Colony” does not disappoint. Scalzi has a gift for writing science fiction that fi...more The more of John Scalzi’s work I read, the more I like his writing. Set in the same universe as “Old Man’s War”, the 2008 Hugo nominated novel, “The Last Colony” does not disappoint. Scalzi has a gift for writing science fiction that fires the imagination and remains completely believable. He doesn’t fill his novels with a bunch of boring exposition. Any technology that needs explanation is explained in a comprehensible manner, not with a lot of jargon. In many ways, his novels hearken back to the days of Asimov, Clarke and Bradbury. They are fun and easy to read, but they are also full of big ideas.

“The Last Colony” features John Perry and Jane Sagan from “Old Man’s War” and their adopted daughter, Zoë, who was introduced briefly in “The Ghost Brigades”. While all of Scalzi’s books are fine to read as stand-alone novels, one should probably at least read “Old Man’s War”, if not “The Ghost Brigades” before diving into “The Last Colony”. Mind you, “The Last Colony” will still be comprehensible to readers who haven’t read the previous two; but the background in the predecessors will make “The Last Colony” a richer experience.

“The Last Colony” is an incredibly fun read. It has more twists and turns than a rollercoaster. Every time the protagonist and the reader figure something out, there’s something else they didn’t know about that changes the whole thing. The ending is the biggest twist of all, but it fits logically with the rest of the story.

I have to say that, unlike its predecessors, “The Last Colony” left me wanting more. Scalzi introduces an intelligent alien species on the newly colonized planet, but never goes back to them. I want to know more. I want to know what happens to the Roanoke colonists after the story end. I would love to see a book about Manfred Trujillo and one about the Mennonite colonists. There’s just so much more to the Roanoke colony than the book gives us. It’s not that I think “The Last Colony” should have been longer. It is the perfect length, and I like that it limits its scope to the story at hand. Scalzi doesn’t muck things up by including a bunch of confusing subplots. The stories I want to see told are best left for other books and I happy that they’re not here.

...less "

2 comments

October 05

Sandi voted on the poll: What topic interests you for the November True North Bookshelf?

If you have a suggestion for a future shelf, speak up!

Sandi read and liked Ginnie's review of A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes:

"I read a review in the LAT and Luisa Weiss of the blog The Wednesday Chef swears by his recipes so I checked it out of my library and loved it. How can you not love someone who writes, "What makes a boy from Ohio, born in the wrong centur...more "

1 comment

Sandi made a comment in the group YA Book Club—Who's Reading "Something Wicked..." This Month? topic:

Sandi wrote: "I'm just wondering if there's going to be anyone discussing the book this month. I read it in junio...more "

see all 287 of Sandi's books »

Sandi's favorite quotes

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."
— Albert Einstein

tags: einstein, human, humor, infinity, nature, philosophy, science, stupidity, universe

3069 people liked it

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."
— Mark Twain

1868 people liked it

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
— Martin Luther King Jr.

tags: inspirational, love

1703 people liked it

"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything."
— Malcolm X

1571 people liked it

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
— Robert Frost

tags: life

953 people liked it

see all of Sandi's favorite quotes »

Sandi's groups (recent posts)

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club — 865 members — last activity 1 hour, 51 min ago
OCTOBER BOOK (Science Fiction): Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

Discussion Leader: Micheal

THEME SELECTION (Monster Mash): A Nigh...more

True North — 144 members — last activity 7 minutes ago
To discuss important issues, book-related and not. To talk about the things that matter most to us, the things that get us up in the morning, the thin...more

Goodreads Feedback — 1195 members — last activity 1 hour, 18 min ago
This is a place to give feedback about Goodreads. Feature ideas, bugs, or any other suggestion for improvement. The Goodreads staff monitors this gr...more

YA Book Club — 350 members — last activity 37 minutes ago
Welcome to the Young Adult Book Club!

October Book: Double Helix by Nancy Werlin

Discussion Leader: Angie

THEME SELECTION: Something Wicked...more

True North Book Club — 31 members — last activity 23 hours, 35 min ago
A private book club for members of True North.

If you are a member of the discussion group True North, you may request membership to this group fro...more

see all of Sandi's groups »

events Sandi is attending

event: Wierdos Book Shelf
date: October 25, 2008 04:11PM
location: True North, United States
description: Weird is in the eye of the beholder. List the weird books in your life and vote for the True North Top 50 Weirdos. List thread and discussion thread are now open.

Current reply: yes change your reply »

Sandi's friend comments

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from Rowena

08/12/2008 01:58PM

Hello, Sandi,

Thank you for your friendship, and I'm so glad I stopped by your page, or I wouldn't have noticed that there's a new Physics book out.

Physics of Superheroes goes straight onto my wishlist!

Best wishes,

Rowena Cherry

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