Comfort Reads discussion
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What are you reading right now? (SEE NEW THREAD)
Diana S wrote: "I'm trying to finish by this weekend: 
Remarkable Creatures 
The Girl in the Green ..."</i>We are going to read "Remarkable Creatures" for my live book club sometime next year, I've already read it, however, really liked it. I almost went to Lime Regis when I went to England this past summer, but it didn't work out the way I wanted to so I didn't get a chance to go, next time though!
[book:Remarkable Creatures
I have begun my first audio book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I had planned on rereading it, but instead I will listen to it. I don't want my first audio to be difficult. I want to enjoy the whole experience. I hae just finished a very, very good book: Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman. I highly recommend it. My review folows: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... Let me just add that it is long and it does have a lot of history in the book. This is simply because she was a powerful leader. You meet her a a leader and as an individual. I admire her tremendously. I learned so much. I did get tiored at points when I felt I was drowning in the history, but that is only due to my own ignorance. I believe that every time you reread this book you will appreciate it more. If you knew what this woman did. And in private she wanted no fuss, no impoliteness. A very intriguing woman that this author has done an excellent job in bringing to life.
Chrissie, That's smart to try out an audiobook of a book you've already read and enjoyed! I hope you like the reading experience via audiobook. I've read only a few in my life but when I have I love that feeling of being read to.
Chrissie, when I started listening to audiobooks i also listened to books I'd read before. It was only after a couple of months of listening regularly that I started listening to new books. Now I listen to books I've read before and new ones with equal pleasure. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is on my TBR list and I've been thinking about getting the audiobook, so I'll be most interested in your impressions.
Chrissie wrote: "I have begun my first audio book A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. I had planned on rereading it, but instead I will listen to it. I don't want my first audio to be difficult. I want to enjoy ..."I only listen to books I've read already it's a wonderful way to refresh your memory :) I hope you enjoy it!
All of you, I am totally enjoying it. The narrator is doing a better job of bringing these characters to lige than my own head would. It is a totally wonderful experience. AND I LOVE THE BOOK! A Tree Grows in Brooklyn will I think remain on my favorites shelf. There are lines that are priceless. I picture Francie sitting there in the leaves on the fire-escape with her cookies. And that totally horrible library lady who NEVER bothers to communicate on any level with the children/Francie. I am really drawn in, all over again. Glad I chose to reread a good book on my first audio.
Chrissie, Fabulous news!!! Given that you might have to rely on audiobooks at some point I'm glad you can enjoy audiobooks. I love that feeling of being read to.
That's great news, Chrissie! The narrator is absolutely crucial. A poor narrator can ruin what would otherwise be an okay book and a good narrator can make a good book even better. If there are multiple editions available on Audible with different narrators, I always listen to a sample so I can decide which voice I like best. I will go and add A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to my list of audiobooks to buy.
Kim, that is a great tip for choosing narrators. Yes, it is nice that I like it.
I started The Winding Ways Quilt
last night and am about halfway through or so. Last of the published novels in this series that I hadn't read. Liking it.
Jennifer wrote: "I started The Winding Ways Quilt last night and am about halfway through or so. Last of the published novels in this series that I hadn't ..."I've been eyeing that series for a few months now... maybe I should pick it up.
It is a good series--- and wait a minute, hold the phone, the next one came out on November 1!!! I just downloaded it.
LOL :) I'm picking up the first in the series tomorrow when I go to the library!
I finished
and loved it. Now I'm reading
Abeer wrote: "Franny and Zooey J.D. Salinger."I read it ages ago, but I remember enjoying it tremendously! Dream Catcher: A Memoir is a book about Salinger written by his daughter. He was difficult to have as a father.....
Jeannette wrote: "I am reading my second Wimsey: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club."Jeannette, I plan to read these in January.
Reading Sue Grafton's latest Kinsey Milhone one, V is for Vengeance. Very good! It's amazing that Grafton can keep this series on the level of excellence after so many books.
Currently reading Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution and re-reading And Only to Deceive in order to read and finish the rest of the series as my goal for 2012 is to finish every series I ever started..this includes television series.
Chrissie wrote: "Abeer wrote: "Franny and Zooey J.D. Salinger."I read it ages ago, but I remember enjoying it tremendously! Dream Catcher: A Memoir is a book about Salinger written by his daughter. H..."
I really enjoyed franny, I am still in the first few pages of Zooey, but he has a tremendously unique style, he also constantly imposes what I think to be radical-ish Ideas.
I am really interested in reading his memoir, most artists are bad parents, but I suppose this is a bit of a cruel generalization.
Abeer wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Abeer wrote: "Franny and Zooey J.D. Salinger."I read it ages ago, but I remember enjoying it tremendously! Dream Catcher: A Memoir is a book about Salinger written by..."
I am glad you enjoy it! I do think that people who are very dedicated and enveloped in their "career", particularly those of an artistic nature, spread themselves thin concerning others.
I took out 3 novels from the library today, all light. I'm going to start with The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. I can't believe I've read only the first book of this series; I want to catch up. Then I'll probably read Betsy and the Great World. And then the book for my real world book club's January selection: A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. I'm looking forward to all 3 of them.
Jeannette wrote: "Looking forward to your review of A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. :)"I'm the one who suggested it to my book club so I hope I love it. A couple members have already gotten to it (really early!) and have liked it a lot, thank goodness. I always feel such responsibility when I lobby for a book.
Me, too. I recommended this one to a few people.
Lisa, oh, so now you will be reading the Bird book. I am curious to hear your views.I certainly know what you two mean about recommending books. Even if your head tells you each person must decide for themselves..... you do feel worried! And tell us what the members of the group say, pls.
Chrissie, Will do. Our meeting for the bird book isn't until mid-late January. For December we'll discuss Little Bee; I've already finished that one.
Thanks, Lisa. I went and read your review of Little Bee which I seem to have missed. I loved how you did the rating of that one. I thought I would start with Incendiary first, if I ever get to reading it.BTW am I the only one not getting emails of the books my friends are reading? On several days I have received no daily emails, as I have requested.
I have been receiving emails, but maybe every couple of days. I tend to check the update feed now, several times a day, rather than rely completely on the emails.
Lisa wrote: "I took out 3 novels from the library today, all light. I'm going to start with The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. I can't believe I've read only the first book of this series; ..."Lisa, I love, love, love the Falvia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Happy to see that you are reading The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. I just started the latest in the series, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows and loving it already. Bradley has the most interesting titles of all.
Chrissie wrote: "Abeer wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Abeer wrote: "Franny and Zooey J.D. Salinger."I read it ages ago, but I remember enjoying it tremendously! Dream Catcher: A Memoir is a book about Salin..."
thats very true, I am an aspiring writer (who isnt?) and it depresses me the amount of downfalls it comes with, still, its one of the greatest pleasures I ever get to have so, we'll see..
Chrissie, Sometimes the emails get backed up but I think they usually eventually arrive.Kathy, Alan Bradley's books have the BEST titles, yes. I haven't started book 2 yet but hope to later today. And I can't wait to read them all. It's kind of nice being able to play catch up. I hate when I'm all caught up and have to wait for ages until the next book in a series.
Iain wrote: "Finally finished Unbearable Lightness and loved it, am now starting Little Brother for English class."I miss my high school english class!
I have just begun The Hummingbird's Daughter in the audio format. I am trying to learn to like audios...... and I find the topic of this book interesting. Although it is a novel, it is based on a true woman and a real place. I just finsihed my first audio A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Yes, I did enjoy it but I felt that it is primarily written for a young adult audience.OK, maybe also for those adults that want to reminisce. I felt that it was tring too bluntly to convey a message. I didn't feel it engaged me as it did when I was a child. I absolutely adored the book when I was in the pre-teens. My GR review explains in more depth what I enjoyed and what disappointed me on my second reading: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The only other book that I can recall rereading is To Kill a Mockingbird. Now that has always been for me, and it still remains, a five star book, the second reading being almost fifty years after the first. I will stick in here my review of that too: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....
Good luck with audio, Chrissie. I tired listening to The Phantom of the Opera in the car last week, but I dozed off! I tend to nap on long road trips, so it's my fault, mostly.
Jeannette wrote: "Good luck with audio, Chrissie. I tired listening to The Phantom of the Opera in the car last week, but I dozed off! I tend to nap on long road trips, so it's my fault, mostly."I hope you were not driving at the time, lol.
hahaha! Of course, not. I have yet to nap while driving. :0)
Jeannette wrote: "hahaha! Of course, not. I have yet to nap while driving. :0)"I know, but would it not be great if there were a car that actually drives for you (well, especially a car that parallel parks for you).
There are cars that parallel park for you already. :)
And, I have seen early research on cars that drive for you, especially cars that sense distance, and lane markings, so you don't tailgate or drift,
This video is from a Lexus, but my FIL's VW does this, and I think the Prius, and the Ford Focus have this feature, too. It's is really weird. We tried it out in Germany.
http://gizmodo.com/196551/lexus-self-...
And, I have seen early research on cars that drive for you, especially cars that sense distance, and lane markings, so you don't tailgate or drift,
This video is from a Lexus, but my FIL's VW does this, and I think the Prius, and the Ford Focus have this feature, too. It's is really weird. We tried it out in Germany.
http://gizmodo.com/196551/lexus-self-...
I really enjoyed The Phantom of the Opera. I first read it prior to seeing the stage production about ten years ago. For me, it was very gripping.
It's a very good book, and I always enjoy it. But, I think I do better reading it, than listening to it.
Jeannette wrote: "It's a very good book, and I always enjoy it. But, I think I do better reading it, than listening to it."I tried listening to it and could not for the life of me get into it. I read most of the book and found it much better.
Gundula wrote: "I hope you were not driving at the time, lol."Jeannette wrote: "hahaha! Of course, not. I have yet to nap while driving. :0)"
Ha! I knew that not to be the case, but my mind went there anyway.
Gundula wrote: "I know, but would it not be great if there were a car that actually drives for you (well, especially a car that parallel parks for you)."I've seen that on tv. It's a rather slow process though, compared to what I can do on my own. And somehow it makes me nervous. What if the computer screws up and gets the car in an accident?!
Jeannette wrote: "Good luck with audio, Chrissie. I tired listening to The Phantom of the Opera in the car last week, but I dozed off! I tend to nap on long road trips, so it's my fault, mostly."There is no fault in this matter..... I have to give it a good try. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn simply was not challenging enough.
I have the The Phantom of the Opera to read too. It is horrible when you have bought a book and then youread that others dislike it. Ugh...
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Comfort Reads
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Ahh the hippies... I've heard that book isn't very good hopefully you have better luck than most!