Comfort Reads discussion
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What are you reading right now? (SEE NEW THREAD)
Gundula - oh shit! Sorry, but it seemed appropriate.... I am on page 533 of The Physician, and the tone has not changed. I feel guilty when I pick on it b/c it is filled with interesting information but somehow it doesn't work. It feels like a YA textbook. On the other hand YA books and textbooks can be interesting. Quite simply it is drab. It must be the writing style. Did you get as far as learning how to juggle balls? I felt it was so clearly explained that maybe I could do it after all those instructions - but I don't want to. Honestly I keep looking to see how many pages are left........ That isn't good! Another thing that is wrong is that there are no mind teasers - you know you start wondering where you would stand if such and such happened. There is none of that.
Beth, as of right now, Eating Chinese Food Naked: A Novel has to get in line behind some library books I need to finish before the due date. After that, we'll see what I'm in the mood for :/.
Gundula, Hope you're feeling better. There's never a good time for food poisoning but sometimes it couldn't come at a worse time.Years ago when I was visiting India in the midst of a search for "potential matches" for marriage, I came down with a bout of food poisoning from eating bad meat at a restaurant. It was the night before I was supposed to go meet someone and I couldn't make it. It was probably a good thing in retrospect. We did reschedule and the guy turned out to be a rich pompous ass(it sounds like sour grapes, I know). When I returned to the states he even sent me an invitation to his wedding to somebody else.
Chrissie, I knew that wasn't a very good review. I had just finished Cloudstreet which I loved, and it was hard to get back to The Abyssinian. And I am still having problems with your question. I felt like I was slogging through oil when I was reading it on Monday but I had been reading all day, the sentences were long and I was tired. When I finished it on Tuesday, I thought it was fine. There were so many sentences I wanted to quote, I liked the people, enjoyed the humor, and the story was interesting, but - for whatever reason, there may be an inherent flaw in it! I have read books in a day that I didn't find that difficult to get through so maybe it was the book. Looking at it again just now, I think that perhaps there is a lot of boring filler that I thought to be important at the time. If you couldn't get through it before, I would suggest you skip it! Now that I think about it, if I wasn't reading it for the Challenge I wouldn't have finished it - although I am glad I did. Can I be any more wishy-washy about this book!!!!!
Maude, no way was your comment wishy-washy!!! I think you got your point through very clearly. My personal opinion is that there is no excuse for a book that isn't enjoyable AS YOU READ IT! For the simple reason that in a year or two we might forget much of it! If the reading experience itself was bad, well forget it. Thaznk you for being honest. Many books say lots of interesting things, but why shouldn't a really good book say it in such a way that the reading is enjoyable?!!! I am having the same sort of experience with The Physician. It is full of lots of interesting facts and yes I find I do get upset when a friend died..... but there is no sparkle. It feels like a YA textbook!. I cannot even say that b/c some of the events are definitely not nice, so is it for young adults?! Hmmm, all I can come up with is to say I am too often looking to seee how many pages are left in the book....
Chrissie, Based on my recent experience with The Abyssinian in which I also looked at pages to come, STOP reading! I think, in my case, I was seduced by the cover - it is so beautiful.
Maude, I cannot stop the Physician. I am on page 591 of 741! that is almost done and I am in fact a bit attached to the main character. He just lost his best friend. The interaction between people of different faiths is interesting. Sometimes one of the duller characters say something that makes me think - where have you been hiding these thoughts all along! Mary Cullen just did that. Not an excellent book, but it teaches alot and I have to know how it ends.
Chrissie, I agree - you have to finish it now. I also wanted to know how the Abyssian ended without just skipping to the last pages. I am going to the library now to get some books I requested for the Challenge and I am also going to read I, Claudius for the group read. Let me know how you liked the book when you're done.
Mod
Cutting for Stone: about to start for real, finally. The book is so hard to get that my book club moved our discussion of it from our 6/20 meeting to our 7/18 meeting so I will have plenty of time to read it. Whew! And our next book too, also hard to get: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Chrissie wrote: "Gundula - oh shit! Sorry, but it seemed appropriate.... I am on page 533 of The Physician, and the tone has not changed. I feel guilty when I pick on it b/c it is filled with interestin..."Not feeling much like reading today, seems to make my headache worse. Hopefully, this will be gone by tomorrow. I'm never going to buy German potato salad and deli meats at that store again. Yuck.
One of the things that I feel about books is that because I had to read so much for university, and some of the books were a slog, did not entice me, did not sparkle, I kind of hesitate continuing with books that do not in some way speak to me. The books do not always have to be comforting, but they have to be well-written and interesting.
Mod
Maude and Gundula and Lee - it is nice to know that you know what I mean by a book that sparkles!!!! that is the only proper way to explain it. BUT, quiting a book when I have now read 668 pages of 712 is just not possible AND it is picking up. Lots is happening at the end! I mean is it me or what? the book teaches alot, I find that when something happens to an important character I am upset, I DO admire the physician Rob J Cole and now I simply MUST know how it ends. this is one of those books that grows on you. Only 45 more pages, and I am at the point where I cannot put it down. So it isn't TERRIBLE.Lisa, you WILL like Cutting for Stone. It is impossible not to, but you must accept working through some of the yucky medical calamities.
Gundula, are you feeling better now? Food poisoning is horrendously terrible but not of long duration.
Chrissie, I like "yucky medical calamities" as long as they're on the page. Not so good at handling them in real life.
Lisa, nobody is good at handling them in real life. You ae right, they are better kept between the covers of a book!
Chrissie wrote: "Maude and Gundula and Lee - it is nice to know that you know what I mean by a book that sparkles!!!! that is the only proper way to explain it. BUT, quiting a book when I have now read 668 pages of..."Feeling a bit better, but still woozy. I'm never going to buy potato salad again, I will make my own. Sorry, just the thought of food is yucky.
I had to put The Prayer Room
aside to first read
. It's our next face-to-face book, and our next meeting is soon.
aside to first read
. It's our next face-to-face book, and our next meeting is soon.
Finished Songs for the Missing, and it was okay. A good story, but not great. Last night I started Every Last One. Didn't someone on here say a hankie was needed for this one? I'm 100 pages in, and I see several different areas where trouble or tragedy could come to visit. Yikes!
Gundula wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Gundula - oh shit! Sorry, but it seemed appropriate.... I am on page 533 of The Physician, and the tone has not changed. I feel guilty when I pick on it b/c it is fille..."Gundula, sorry you had a bad time of it.
Kathy wrote: "Finished Songs for the Missing, and it was okay. A good story, but not great. Last night I started Every Last One. Didn't someone on here say a hankie was needed fo..."
Every last one....oh yes. You'll need cupcake therapy at the least.
Every last one....oh yes. You'll need cupcake therapy at the least.
Gundula wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Maude, I like memoirs and biographies! Nice that the story is based on real people. I have another question..... Would you say one reads the book for the story / the plot or for im..."
Catching up on some posts this morning (lovely and cool, birdies singing!)
Hope you are feeling better Gundula! Not a lot of fun. I got hit once with tuna salad from a deli-type place. Now every time I walk near there I break out in a cold sweat!
Reading Gulliver's Travels, which I realize I have never read all the way through. I'm taking it really slowly, trying to enjoy Swift's odd sense of humor.
Catching up on some posts this morning (lovely and cool, birdies singing!)
Hope you are feeling better Gundula! Not a lot of fun. I got hit once with tuna salad from a deli-type place. Now every time I walk near there I break out in a cold sweat!
Reading Gulliver's Travels, which I realize I have never read all the way through. I'm taking it really slowly, trying to enjoy Swift's odd sense of humor.
I just finished The Physician and have written a review for those interested. All in all it was just "OK" so that means two stars. I will not add it to the books shelves here in the group. This morning I started Chef: A Novel and immediately I see that the writing style is more to my liking! I hope to learn more about the Kashmir conflict and at the same time enjoy the love story. I think there is a love story.... As the title indicates it is also about food, but that is not why I am reading it. That the author values taste and all the other senses too IS tantalizing. Heavens, I couldn't bear another simplistic prose style that was so evident in the book I just finished. Personally, how a writer chooses his words is important to me, much more than the plot content. I hope I get both with this book. Mark Kurlansky, who wrote the fabulous book on Salt, loved this book. However that is nothing to trust. I think authors tend to write favorable reviews of other books so they will not be criticized themselves...... Here is a question: who else always tries to read a bit of the text before they choose a book to see if they like the author's way of writing? And if you do this, as I do, what site do you turn to? I usually look at B&N or Amazon. Where do you look?
Beth, the book you are reading sounds very interesting! Please tell us as you read it what you are thinking. I understand there are two story lines - the modern one seems less interesting than the historical one. Or is it that both are good? It seems there is humor in the prose style, but does it get to slapstick or like a fairy tale after awhile? Do the characters draww you in? Do you learn Polish history 1930-1990? Sorry for asking so many questions.....
Chrissie: Unless, I'm familiar with the author, I always read a bit of the text to see if I like the author's writing style.I usually go to the B&N site which often provides excerpts/sample chapters.
Mona, I am glad I am not the only one who feels like this! I prefer B&N over Amazon too because they usually have Kirkus reviews. Also there are less buttons to push. Have you read anything by the contemporary Indian author Narayan. He wrote The Man-Eater of Malgudi and I bought it. Tell me I will enjoy it. No, I am joking - tell me what you think of him pls.
Chef: A Novel is really good. It is NOT about food, more about the senses, and of course the Kashmir conflict.
Chrissie, I have read a lot of Indian authors but not Narayan yet, sorry.I will check out the book you mentioned here on GR.
Chrissie, there was a 13-episode TV series,Malgudi Days based on his work. If it's of any help, my hubby saw the series and enjoyed it. NETFLIX has it.The book you mentioned looks interesting. I've heard mention of Chef: A Novel. I'll put it on my list.
Yeah Narayan is suppose to a good author, but who knows! A TV series and a book really do not say much about each other, do they?! Too bad your husband hasn't read one of the books. My husband and I never look at TV. I go to sleep if I watch TV. It has been over a year since I turned it on. Why do we pay the TV tax?!
Chrissie, I'll have to ask him if he read any of the books.You must get a lot of reading done if you don't watch TV. Is your hubby a reader too?
Christine wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Finished Songs for the Missing, and it was okay. A good story, but not great. Last night I started Every Last One. Didn't someone on here say a hankie..."I couldn't put this book down last night, almost finished. Christine, I'm needing that cupcake.
Mona, yeah he reads but it is most of the time for work - he is a workaholic!
Chrissie: So is mine, a workaholic, I mean. I've mentioned in one of my groups that I'm actually kind of glad he doesn't read. It sounds bad, I know. But when hubby reads, that's all he does besides, eat,work,sleep, and personal hygiene. The book comes to meals,to bed,...until he finishes. When he was reading the Harry Potter series, it became a little much. He used to try and sneak the next in the series by me hoping I wouldn't notice he started a new one.
Mona, mine only reads economics or finance or history. Sometimes he will read some of my books. He is now reading The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life. He remembers more dates and facts than I do...... I cannot get him to read Ali and Nino: A Love Story. The Orientalist is about the author of Ali and Nino. At least we both read!
My hubby is the only one in his family who likes to read for pleasure. He was on his own for a while and read a lot of the classics(he was considered quite the "cultured" one back in those days due to his book/music collections). He has a nice collection of books/music back at home in India just gathering dust. I would love to bring them here so they can be read/listened to and treasured.When he was younger, growing up in India, he would read anything he could get his hands on and would get in trouble for it. Sadly, back then, reading for any reason other than studying or job-related was considered frivolous and a waste of time. Books were and still are expensive.
In my family, my brother,sister-in-law, and I are the readers.
When hubby reads though, he skims. He reads a lot faster than I do because I read word-for-word.
Chrissie wrote: "Beth, the book you are reading sounds very interesting! Please tell us as you read it what you are thinking. I understand there are two story lines - the modern one seems less interesting than the ..."Chrissie, I'll keep you updated on the book but right now I'm immersed in I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali which I'm reading for the adult summer reading club at my local library. It's my last book and I need to make sure I finish with the club before my hubby (we have a little competion going, lol).
Mona wrote: "Chrissie: So is mine, a workaholic, I mean. I've mentioned in one of my groups that I'm actually kind of glad he doesn't read. It sounds bad, I know. But when hubby reads, that's all he does besi..."
Mona, my hubby absolutely loved the whole Harry Potter series. He was really bummed out when he finished it!
Mona, right now he's reading the 4th book of the City of Ember series (I can't remember the name of it and he took it to work with him today). He really loves series. He just finished reading The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan and he can't wait for the next one to come out.What's yours reading?
Lee wrote: "Oh Lisa, I'm so glad you're reading Cutting for Stone! I absolutely loved that book."me too, me too Lee. WHAT A BOOK!!! Hope you like it Lisa.
I am currently reading Christopher Reich's Rules of Deception and I just started reading Arturo Perez-Reverte's The Fencing Master.
Mod
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Beth, will hubby be bummed when this series is over too :)?When I was working and going to school, I always took a pleasure read with me. I used to read during lunch breaks and breaks during class. My co-workers and I used to discuss and exchange books too. I also used public transportation which gave me a lot of reading time. I really miss those days sometimes.
My hubby is not reading anything right now. He enjoys doing the crossword puzzle in the paper and keeps asking me to help when I'm trying to read.>:(.
Mona wrote: "Beth, will hubby be bummed when this series is over too :)?When I was working and going to school, I always took a pleasure read with me. I used to read during lunch breaks and breaks during clas..."
He'll probably be a little bummed when the new Rick Riordan series is done but I don't think anything will be as hard as the end of Harry Potter. Tonight while in Borders he mentioned that he's ready to reread them all and he just read them a year ago.
LOL, I hate being "bugged" when I'm trying to read, too. My oldest son is into crosswords like your hubby but he doesn't ask me for help. When he's at school he always does the ones in his campus paper but now that he's home he and his girlfriend bought identical puzzle books and when he gets home (after being with her all day and night) they do them on the phone together. I would never say this to him but it's so cute!
Hayes wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Maude, I like memoirs and biographies! Nice that the story is based on real people. I have another question..... Would you say one reads the book for the story / th..."I am a bit better today, just have a bit of a headache still. I'll never eat store bought potato salad again. Funny, you spend one day (or not even an entire day) away from GR, and you have tons of comments to read.
Gundula, I'm glad you're mostly well. Yes, potato salad is notorious for food poisoning, if not properly refrigerated. I'll bet homemade tastes much better anyway.Funny, yes, and sometimes even when I check in 4 times a day I have a lot of messages in groups and on reviews, and friends' reviews still on my home page, etc. to catch up with. If I ever go on vacation without access to the internet, I'm not convinced I could ever catch up.
Hope you're 100% well eally soon, Gundula!
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Comfort Reads
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So, do I. It could not have come at a worse time though. I was supposed to meet my brother at the Toronto airport this afternoon (he is in Canada on business), but I think that that will be impossible and potentially toxic for others. He'll be ticked off, but that's the way life goes.