Comfort Reads discussion
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What are you reading right now? CURRENT THREAD
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Lee, Mod Mama
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Nov 22, 2013 02:53PM
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Lee wrote: "I ended up ditching The Bat. From the reviews it seems the series gets better but I didn't feel like wasting any more time on the first when I was completely unengaged. So, on to ..."I read only one book of this series, The Devil's Star and I liked it very much. Unfortunately I lost the four previus book, includeded The Bat, so I have to restart from beginning before express an opinion.
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Yesterday I've finished Neverwhere, a fantastic story by Neil Gaiman. This is the third book for me of this author and I like his style and his ability to describe places in between the fantastic and the real world. Now I'm reading Prince of Thorns for a group here on goodreads. I also started The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales
Reading "Perfect" by Autumn Jordon on Kindle.Autumn Jordonand "Home in Carolina" by Sherryl Woods in paperback
Reading "Perfect" by Autumn Jordon on Kindle.Autumn Jordonand "Home in Carolina" by Sherryl Woods in paperback
Just started on Kindle "A Naughty Little Christmas" pack.
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Hi everyone! I'm Sue from Buffalo NY. I am currently reading 2 books. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks and Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela.I just started both of these, so if anyone is interested in a buddy or group read, send me a PM here on Goodreads.
After finished Prince of Thorns, now I'm reading Life of Pi. After so much words about it, I was curious to read it.
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I'm reading some urban fantasy - Written in Red by Anne Bishop. And I ended up loving The River of No Return. It was an interesting mix of time travel, fantasy, romance and historical fiction. Most of the action takes place in the year 1815. It was fantastical but fun!
Lee wrote: "I haven't read Life of Pi yet, let us know what you think, Andrew. I'm reading some urban fantasy - Written in Red by Anne Bishop. And I ended up loving [book:The..."
I might finish the book in a couple of day, so I'll tell you what I think.
I just started a book I got really cheaply at a second-hand bookshop, one I've wanted to read for quite a while (by one of my favourite Canandian authors), Roses Are Difficult Here by W.O. Mitchell.
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Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Sacred Games, which is a historical mystery set at the Olympics of 460 B.C."Me too! Thanks.
It's the third book in a series, which starts with The Pericles Commission. I've enjoyed all of them.
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Yeah, it really is. And it's nice to look forward to new volumes in a series you like (I think the fourth one in this one is out next year).
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I'm in a complete reading slump but before I resort to reading some of my childhood comfort reads, I'm going to try We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. Unfortunately, I know all going in. It would have been more fun to not know, I think.
I'm thoroughly enjoying The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, a 19th Century mystery set during the New Zealand gold rush.I loved Life of Pi. Book and movie are very different, both great.
The Pericles Commission they have for pretty cheap new and used at Amazon (it was first published 3-4 years ago). I've gotten them all at the library.ETA: Yeah, if you wait you can also benefit from warnings that a series goes downhill after X book, too, sometimes.
I really want to read Einstein: His Life and Universe, and so I decided to prepare for the science by reading For the Love of Physics: From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge Of Time - A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics. I've always been a science dunce, but this man is actually a world-renowned professor of physics at MIT. He's led an amazing life and, for the first time ever, I'm fascinated by physics/science. I found out many of Dr. Lewin's lectures are available for free online at http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-...
If you're like me and had bad high school science teachers, you may really enjoy Professor Lewin's classroom.
In the book, he shares a bit of his personal story, as well, including the fact that the Nazis murdered half of his family when he was very young. He was born in The Netherlands and was only four when the Nazis invaded.
I'm only on chapter two, but I can tell this is going to open up a whole new world for me. One of those life-changing books!
Laura, Sounds wonderful! I don't have a proper education in it, but I love science, and have read a fair number of books and I did take a few college courses, but many, many years ago.
Thanks, Lisa! It's funny how finding the right book(s) can be just the thing. While browsing my library catalog for physics books, I found they recently purchased one of The Great Courses about physics, which can be found here:http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/co...
So I got myself on the hold list for that....and discovered the library has many more of The Great Courses. Both my local libraries have a nice selection, so if anyone is interested in their catalog, which can be found here, http://www.thegreatcourses.com/tgc/co...
I suggest you check out your local library. You never know what they may have available for free. They have courses on photography, fitness, even cooking, as well as literature, history, and many other courses you'd typically find in a college course catalog. Most combine a set of DVDs with a book. Pretty cool!
I hated history and science in school, but somehow I'm interested in both now, so I know these courses and some other great books are really going to be helpful.
Can you recommend any science books you particularly enjoyed, Lisa?
Math was the only subject I hated in school, and it was because it wasn't taught well. In college I love the statistics class I took. Yes, my library also has all sorts of great resources, Laura, and all.
I think that was my trouble with both science and history - bad teachers. Loved statistics too! I almost changed my career path, that teacher was so good.If you think of any science books that you've really enjoyed, I'd love to hear about them.
Any of you who loved statistics should take a look at ENBIS. It is FREE to join, and you will meet a huge diversity of people who apply statistical methods to their daily lives and work. This society is SO interesting!I am a founding member. We have grown, since 2000, to a membership of over 1800. I am currently a VP of ENBIS.
Don't be put off that it is a European society. We have members from all over the world.
It will take you just a couple of minutes to join and, as I said, it is FREE to join!
HAVE FUN!
Laura, I will. My science shelf is big.Lance, Sounds very, very interesting. I'd never heard of it. Thanks.
Lisa wrote: "Math was the only subject I hated in school, and it was because it wasn't taught well. In college I love the statistics class I took. Yes, my library also has all sorts of great resources, Laura, a..."I still hate math, and I was lucky that my grade eleven math marks were what was required to get into the university I chose (only year I did reasonably well in math because I had a good teacher and one who gave part marks).
And I have always had trouble remembering numbers and have a tendency to mix numbers up (probably math dyslexia).
Luckily I didn't have to have math to get into college. I shouldn't have passed, but did with Cs and Ds algebra in 9th grade and geometry in 10th grade high school. And only statistics in college. And some for my license. But I do love it now, though it's hard for me to learn as an adult, languages too. Both were taught very poorly when I took them, except for my first foray into Spanish in fourth grade, but that was a before school class for just a couple months.
Lisa wrote: "Luckily I didn't have to have math to get into college. I shouldn't have passed, but did with Cs and Ds algebra in 9th grade and geometry in 10th grade high school. And only statistics in college. ..."I've never generally had problems learning languages (I would get 90s in French and 50s in Math and the latter only if a studied like crazy).
Isn't it funny how we're all so different? I really liked math, but got to calculus as a high school senior and dropped right out. And didn't even try physics. It's more interesting now that I know from reading that book about physics that Isaac Newton discovered calculus! I think if it weren't for being a calculus dunce, I'd have changed my major and become an actuary, as my statistics professor suggested. Instead I'm an accountant. Oh well.
Gundula, I'm amazed at people who are fluent in many languages. That is astounding to me. I still would like to polish my French and learn a few others, such as Spanish and even German, which would make researching my heritage so much more efficient.
Lisa wrote: "Luckily I didn't have to have math to get into college. I shouldn't have passed, but did with Cs and Ds algebra in 9th grade and geometry in 10th grade high school. And only statistics in college. ..."I'm so amazed at what a good teacher can accomplish. I am in awe, actually, when I consider it. One of my daughter's best friends graduated last spring and is teaching for Teach for America in Baltimore City. The stories she tells really bring home the need for inspirational teachers who truly care about their students.
Sarah is changing lives every day. It is a very stressful job for her, but that is because she cares so much. She said her students will do anything for food, which is sad, but she helps their families find resources to help with that, and in the process of doling out rewards, she is really getting somewhere with these kids! She teaches reading to fifth graders, many of whom are on a first or second grade reading level when they arrive in her 5th grade class. She can accomplish so much with these kids, all because she is one adult in their lives who truly cares about them, and they know it.
I'm amazed at what teachers are able to accomplish, the good ones. The impact they have. How many of us still remember our favorite teachers, after 20 or more years out of the classroom? Amazing.
I found the only liberal arts college left in the U.S. that didn't require math. (This was as of 1984.)You had to take 4 lab science classes instead. Was fine by me.
(I ended up transferring, but my required math class turned out to be 1/3 stuff I learned in high school, 1/3 symbolic logic which I'd had a whole class in and does not have scary numbers, and 1/3 probability calculations about bridge hands. I was the only person in the class who had heard of bridge. I was also the only person in the class who had books on bridge at home! So I knew if my answers were in the right ball park.)
I wished to avoid math in college due to the fact that I still can't subtract (learning disability, though unfortunately not one diagnosed when I was in elementary school - I can get there, but I add backward, which takes longer), and I have a touch of number dyslexia.
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "I found the only liberal arts college left in the U.S. that didn't require math. (This was as of 1984.)You had to take 4 lab science classes instead. Was fine by me.
(I ended up transferring, ..."
I found out about four years ago that I have Non Verbal Learning Disability (mostly spatial and organisational) and likely also what you have, number dyslexia (especially remembering sequences and don't ask me to derive a formula). My math teachers were always annoyed and thought I was just being lazy because "How can you get nineties in French, Latin and eighties in English and history and get fifties in math and physics?"
Gundula wrote: "How can you get nineties in French, Latin and eighties in English and history and get fifties in math and physics?" ."Hmm. Well, easy. Most people are better at some subjects than others.
I'm trying to read (just started) We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves. Good so far, but unfortunately I know all about it and I think it would be more fun to go in knowing nothing.
I'd get, on the aptitude testing they did in school, 8 on math concepts, and 4 on math ability.I knew what I was trying to do, but my arithmetic was horrible. (Calculators were banned in my primary and secondary schools. That was the other thing that changed when I took college math: calculators were mandatory.)
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "I'd get, on the aptitude testing they did in school, 8 on math concepts, and 4 on math ability.I knew what I was trying to do, but my arithmetic was horrible. (Calculators were banned in my prim..."
That sounds very similar to me. I was actually lucky in chemistry and physics (the teachers usually gave partial marks and I got marks for knowing how to do the questions). But I had one math teacher who only accepted correct answers (and answers that were done according to his ideas) and that was horrible for me (and we were not allowed calculators either).
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Lee wrote: "I'm so happy to be reading The Last Word by Lisa Lutz! Her books are so clever and funny, real comfort reads for me."Hooray! I loved it, and love the series, and Lisa Lutz.
Just finished " Christmas Angel" by Opal Carew in the "A Naughty Little Christmas" box set. A sweet little story about an angel to was destined to live as the top of a Christmas tree for hundreds of years after a bad spell had been cast. She is given a reprieve to make a man fall in love with her. It was a very different twist to a holiday romance story. Very erotic and for mature readers only. Can't find this cover on Goodreads. 3 stars
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Just started in paperback, "Where Azaleas Bloom" by Sherryl Woods. The last in her Sweet Magnolia series.
Just startd "Where Azalias Bloom" by Sherrly Woods in paperback. Last in the Sweet Magnolia series
Just finished A Test Of Wills; very good. A historical mystery set in 1919; the detective has shell-shock.
I've got to take off Burial Rites my library hold freeze and put it on active. I've got to get to this book!
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Comfort Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
Open Season (other topics)Piece of My Heart (other topics)
The Phantom Tollbooth (other topics)
The Christmas Gift (other topics)
A Merry Little Christmas (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
C.J. Box (other topics)Sheila Roberts (other topics)
J. Belinda Yandell (other topics)
Frances Itani (other topics)
Allison Winn Scotch (other topics)
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