Comfort Reads discussion
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What are you reading right now? (SEE NEW THREAD)
Chrissie wrote: "Christine, I have read all of his books except for one. I rate these books by comparing them to each other not other books in general. I think this was his first novel. He is a very good author. I ..."Chrissie, I've had The Hungry Tide on my shelf forever. How much did you like it?
Lisa wrote: "Gundula wrote: "I actually had to reread the book, because I read it so fast the first time, I missed quite a lot. "I already want to reread Connie Willis's Blackout..."
So happy! I think it would be great to reread them, too, now that we could do it one right after the other.
I'm stuck in Hamish Macbeth land, reading my way through the rest of this series by M.C. Beaton. While I love these cozy mysteries, there are so many other books I'm wanting to get to. Sometimes I wish I weren't so OCD about series.
Jeanette, I have already ordered Under Fishbone Clouds. Done is done! I cannot buy more!!!Kathy, I gave The Hungry Tide four stars. I defintiely enjoyed it, but The Shadow Lines: A Novel is better.
Well, then I hope doubly that you enjoy it! I borrow a lot of books from my local library, because I seem to be unlucky at choosing books to buy.
If I haven't said it lately, Chrissie, I really do enjoy reading your reviews. I can tell that you enjoy writing them, even if you don't like the book you happen to be reviewing.
Jeannette wrote: "Yes, Chrissie, it was Christine that really liked Under Fishbone Clouds. It didn't quite grab me as I hoped it would."
What? Miss Jeannette! You didn't finish it? And it was my favorite book of 2010 (out of 98).
What? Miss Jeannette! You didn't finish it? And it was my favorite book of 2010 (out of 98).
Chrissie wrote:
Kathy, I gave The Hungry Tide four stars. I defintiely enjoyed it, but The Shadow L..."</i>
I finished [book:The Shadow Lines: A Novel today, and I loved it!
Kathy, I gave The Hungry Tide four stars. I defintiely enjoyed it, but The Shadow L..."</i>
I finished [book:The Shadow Lines: A Novel today, and I loved it!
Christine wrote: "Jeannette wrote: "Yes, Chrissie, it was Christine that really liked Under Fishbone Clouds. It didn't quite grab me as I hoped it would."
What? Miss Jeannette! You didn't finish it?..."
That's why I don't like to post what I am currently reading. I feel so embarrassed. :( I just couldn't get into it....
What? Miss Jeannette! You didn't finish it?..."
That's why I don't like to post what I am currently reading. I feel so embarrassed. :( I just couldn't get into it....
You shouldn't be embarrassed....I hope you don't think I was crazy, I just loved it. At least we agree on cupcakes, that's what matters.
Christine wrote: "You shouldn't be embarrassed....I hope you don't think I was crazy, I just loved it. At least we agree on cupcakes, that's what matters."
I always feel bad when I start a book that I should at least like, that someone else loves, and I don't get into it. Makes me feel like a bumpkin.... It's not you -- just me. :(
I always feel bad when I start a book that I should at least like, that someone else loves, and I don't get into it. Makes me feel like a bumpkin.... It's not you -- just me. :(
Jeannette wrote: "Christine wrote: "You shouldn't be embarrassed....I hope you don't think I was crazy, I just loved it. At least we agree on cupcakes, that's what matters."I always feel bad when I start a book ..."
Maybe you were not in the mood for the book, I've had that happen before, even with favourite books.
Not every book is for every person. I have absolutely hated a few very popular, very loved books.
Christine and Jeanette, we all like different things. It is good we see both sides of the spectrum. Library Journal emphasizes that Under Fishbone Clouds demands patience, but in the end this patience pays off. YAY, Christine read Shadow Lines and loved it. Hip, hip, hurrah!!!!
Jeanette, I simply cannot understand how you couldn't like The Pure Land. You can tell me. We do not have to love the same things. I adored it. Here is MY review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I was wondering about both of these books. In The Pure Land the first thing that put me off was word-choice and tone, epitomized by the rather awkward and crude "sex-act" the main character shares with his girl before setting off. I just felt that in telling the story, the author would make these kinds of word-choices, which I don't enjoy. In Under Fishbone Clouds I ran out of steam; I didn't have the patience to finish. I felt like the author gave me too short accounts of "interesting" events and too long accounts of events that didn't appeal to me. He spent too much time recounting the "hazing scene" in the kitchen, for instance.
I had on the surface decided that maybe I prefer a female author for these types of stories, but I really enjoyed Autumn Bridge, but it has more lively characters and more interesting language. I also enjoyed The Last Chinese Chef. Maybe I just needed a quicker pace, or maybe I had run out of juice when I tried UFClouds. Well, there's my overly-long post for today.
I had on the surface decided that maybe I prefer a female author for these types of stories, but I really enjoyed Autumn Bridge, but it has more lively characters and more interesting language. I also enjoyed The Last Chinese Chef. Maybe I just needed a quicker pace, or maybe I had run out of juice when I tried UFClouds. Well, there's my overly-long post for today.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love Comfort Reads, and the lovely people who post here about their favorite books? :)
Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette, I have already ordered Under Fishbone Clouds. Done is done! I cannot buy more!!!Kathy, I gave The Hungry Tide four stars. I defintiely enjoyed it, but [book:The Shadow L..."
Thanks, Chrissie.
Jeanette, thank you for explaining. Gosh, I was never disturbed at all about the sex in Ther Pure Land! There you see, things can be interpreted so very differently. Library Jopurnal says the reader has to be patient with Under Fishbone Clouds...... I hope I will have enough patience since I bought it! Kathy, remember that poetry book. Well I ordered it, but now I am all upset b/c I am wondering if I there are two different books, one with poems and one being a memoir. Look what I found: both Spoon River anthology and Spoon River Anthology. Are they the same?
Kathy, this is what I got: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
I think I bought the poetry book. Right? Have I bought the right thing? Help.......
Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette, thank you for explaining. Gosh, I was never disturbed at all about the sex in Ther Pure Land! There you see, things can be interpreted so very differently...."
The sex-scene itself didn't really bother me, I just didn't like the way the author chose to describe it, "pathetic and ugly" is how I came away. So, I figured this would probably be his point-of-view in general, and I wouldn't enjoy it (there was a lot of cussing in general in the beginning, too). So, it was all about style of writing for me.
The sex-scene itself didn't really bother me, I just didn't like the way the author chose to describe it, "pathetic and ugly" is how I came away. So, I figured this would probably be his point-of-view in general, and I wouldn't enjoy it (there was a lot of cussing in general in the beginning, too). So, it was all about style of writing for me.
Jeanette, I went back and checked my review of The Pure Land. I did not give one quote! that is kind of strange. Probably, since I did not add a bunch of quotes, it was not the writing style that drew me to the book, but rather that I felt a strong connection with the things I had experienced in Japan and that were mentioned in the book. It was the story of his life that I found fascinating. Oh well, you cannot please everybody all the time. I really liked that book. You didn't. C'est la vie! Thank you for explaining. I WISH you had liked it as much as I did.
How long and when were you in Japan, Chrissie? My daughter and I are learning Japanese right now, and she wants to study in Japan during college.
I'll check your shelves for other books about Japan, if you have more shelved.
I'll check your shelves for other books about Japan, if you have more shelved.
Jeannette wrote: "Have I mentioned lately how much I love Comfort Reads, and the lovely people who post here about their favorite books? :)"Me too!
Jeanette, here is a link to my Japan shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/... I have 55 books there. Unfortunately many of the books I own are not listed there. We were only in Japan for 3 weeks. It was an amasing three weeks. It is important to buy the train tickets abroad. You buy the right to use any train for the chosen time period. We bought for three weeks. Much cheaper this way. Still Japan is expensive.... Don't let your daughter miss the gardens of Kanazawa, or Nikko, or Kyoto. There is so much to see. Everything is done beautifully!! The people are so kind. they held umbrellas over my head when it rained. they insisted on carrying my muggage upa and down the steps at the train stations. The trains are always on time and super clean. I am not so fond of sleeping on the floor mats in a ryokan..... and there was a dripping fountain nearby which in my dream became a leaking faucet in our house that flooded the place. So the first night I slept nothing. Nevertheless this was one of the best trips I have ever taken. Japanese art is the best art in the world.
It sounds like you had a wonderful experience. She will have to see what is available for study abroad, but she wants to stay a good long while (up to a year!). My plan is to visit her (with my huband), see Japan and Australia. I have a friend in Australia that I would love to visit.
If you could recommend any Japanese art books, that would be great. We have studied some Japanese art in our language course. And, in learning the language we are learning their alphabets which are like an art form, too.
If you could recommend any Japanese art books, that would be great. We have studied some Japanese art in our language course. And, in learning the language we are learning their alphabets which are like an art form, too.
Big turn around in themes. I am leaving 1830's England in Remarkable Creatures, to now start The Blue Notebook; the story of a young Indian girl sold into sex slavery.
Jeannette wrote: "It sounds like you had a wonderful experience. She will have to see what is available for study abroad, but she wants to stay a good long while (up to a year!). My plan is to visit her (with my h..."The Japanese take art into every part of their lives. The cloth, the gardens, how tea and food is served, in fact every daily utility can be done beautifully. There will be metal grid beneath the trees on the streets and their design is gorgeous. That is why I said everything is beautiful. You can get beautiful combs. So they have brought art into everything in a person's life. I haven't read yet The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss, but I have ordered the paperback which should come in April. This is about a collection of Japanese ivory carvings called netsuke. And the family, its rise and fall. Ti is about a real family. Here is just another example of an artilce being made beautiful.
Gardening - that too they brought to perfection. It too is art. Unfortunately all of these books are in Sweden. I do have here one of the guide books, which I highly recommend:Japan. This is a great series. When you go in museums specialized on a particular art form you will find tons of interesting books - Hokusai paintings, scrolls, kimonos, tea ceremonies, everything. Start with this guide and from there you can pick out what interests you.
You know I have such a hard time with the beautiful art the Japanese culture has produced and the brutal, savage methods of war they are known for. Their insularity for centuries has defintiely changed their culture.
So there is no one art book that is best. If you like gardening, as I do, you will choose such a book. If the tea ceremony attracts you, there will be another. Don't miss Frank Lloyd Wrights train station in Nikko! Look for scrolls in Nikko and Kyoto. Be careful, there are tons of modern copies. You will see the difference. Sometimes it is just enough to have seen them - they are too expensive to buy.
And I am little and their clothes are made for people with short arms, but I didn't buy any clothes. Here too, you can find gorgeous pieces. Like if you look at a leather jacket, it is just so well sewn. The details are perfect. But expensive.
Have fun! WOW what an experience your dauther will have, and she will make the most of it since she is learning the language. A three week trip and staying there for at least one year are completely different. She will leave understanding so much. The good and the bad. The Japanese relationship with the Chinese - hmmmm!
Gundula wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Gundula, House of Spirits is her best, in my opinion. I also liked the ones about her daughter. They are written from her heart! All of these are more or less biographical, that is..."Gundula, the name of the book about her daughter is Paula
Thanks, Chrissie for your detailed response. I don't want to give a hasty reply, but I will say that you should put The Samurai's Garden at the top of your list the next time you are ordering books. I think you will enjoy it very much, just based on the aspects of Japanese culture that you have described in your post.
Laura, I gave Gundula the title, Paula. She is still kind of negative due to the subject matter. How are we going to convince her to read it? I thought it was truly excellent? Didn't you?
Jeanette, perhaps I should have bought Samurai Garden instead...... but I didn't. I have now moved it to my wishlist shelves. From these shelves I choose the books to buy. It does look good, and the author has both Chinese and Japanese parents. She obviously knows what she is writing about. I have noted that I defintiely liked the text I checked at Amazon. I am always making mistakes. Thank you for pushing me in the right direction.
Laura wrote: "Gundula wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Gundula, House of Spirits is her best, in my opinion. I also liked the ones about her daughter. They are written from her heart! All of these are more or less biogr..."Thanks, I added it, I hope the library has it. I would love to be able to read Allende in Spanish, but my Spanish is definitely not good enough for that.
Chrissie wrote: "Laura, I gave Gundula the title, Paula. She is still kind of negative due to the subject matter. How are we going to convince her to read it? I thought it was truly excellent? Didn't you?"I think I will definitely read it, but I will wait until after I have read a few less traumatic books. But, since both you and Laura seem to have really liked it, I have put in on my to-read shelf.
I'm supposed to be reading Pippi Longstocking for a group read in the children's literature group next month. It will be interesting because as much as I loved Astrid Lindgren as a child, I never liked "Pippi Longstocking" all that much. It will be interesting to reread it (and to read it in English translation for the first time) and to see if I still feel the same way about the book.
I have been reading and simply loving, loving a children's historical novel by one of my favourite Canadian children's authors, Jean Little, The Belonging Place. This is an amazing novel, but it has also been an emotional roller-coaster ride for me, as reading the novel is bringing up all sorts of memories about immigrating to Canada, not fitting in etc. Definitely to recommend though, and not just for children.
Christine & I both loved Samurai's Garden. The story expresses the "art" in everyday Japanese life. I am very fortunate in being able to borrow many good books from the library.
Japanese culture is very interesting, and I am enjoying learning more about it. The exchange students brought us some beautiful little gifts this summer -- toothpick holders and a notepad -- very inexpensive items, but they are just so lovely. Little mundane household articles, made of these pretty papers. I think so many of us in the US especially have lost the connection between everyday objects and art. Too many things are plastic and throwaway. But, now I am rambling here....
Japanese culture is very interesting, and I am enjoying learning more about it. The exchange students brought us some beautiful little gifts this summer -- toothpick holders and a notepad -- very inexpensive items, but they are just so lovely. Little mundane household articles, made of these pretty papers. I think so many of us in the US especially have lost the connection between everyday objects and art. Too many things are plastic and throwaway. But, now I am rambling here....
I'm going to start these today
and
. Plus I'm going to the the library today so I may end up picking up the rest of the Stephanie Plum series if I do then I'll end up starting the 4th one too lol I'll have 15 books on the go!
Jeannette wrote: "Christine & I both loved Samurai's Garden. "
Yes! Christine loved it!
Yes! Christine loved it!
Kimberly wrote: "...lol I'll have 15 books on the go! "Heck!! That's good going. I had 6 at one point recently, but 2 of those were recipe books; not quite the same ballpark at all!
I'm down to 3 actual reads at the moment. To Say Nothing of the Dog is on the back burner for the moment, although I've adored what I've read so far. Should be easy enough to pick it up after a short hiatus, I'm sure. I have Three Hands in the Fountain as my current audiobook, and while I have taken time to
The recipe books on my "currently reading" shelf are Digby Law's Pickle and Chutney Cookbook, procured from the library so I could try the Banana Chutney recipe my sister had been raving about (very good indeed!) and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking (also from the library). Enjoying experimenting the the bread baking; results so far have been interesting, but still room for improvement. I have a loaf ready to get shoved in the oven any minute.
Chrissie wrote: "Laura, I gave Gundula the title, Paula. She is still kind of negative due to the subject matter. How are we going to convince her to read it? I thought it was truly excellent? Didn't you?"sometimes we are not in right mood to read a certain book.....
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The book is much better than the last Hollywood movie. I just discovered that Frank Capra also made a version of it. Great reading, believe me.
I just finished Doomsday Book, which I'll add to our shelves if it's not already there. Heartbreaking with some humor and definitely a comfort read for me.Next up (I think) is BELLYACHE: A Delicious Tale then Revolution then Count Them One by One: Black Mississippians Fighting for the Right to Vote. And then...
Jeanette and Lee, I think maybe I must splurge a little more and get The Samurai's Garden?! I mean if I have been splurging, a little splurge more won't make any difference. Gundula and Laura, Laura is right. One should never push another to read a book they do not want to read. If you want to read more from Allende after reading first Daughter of Fortune and then Portrait in Sepia, go for Paula. Gundula, about Pipi. Pipi is better seen than read. There is a child's museum where you can go into Pippi's hous in Stockholm. It is magical. The thing is, when you read the pages you think she is so tough, but a good "performance" will show that she is a child with a very hurtful past that has spark and gumph. You root for her. Maybe you have to get the inflections revealed in the untranslated Swedish. I too have trouble with this book by Lindgren, but it is marvelous on TV and in plays and movies. It is a part of what every Swedish child grows up with.
Lisa and Lee and Gundula and anyone interested in seeing Oscar in tons of Swedish snow- I added 4 photos of Oscar! Finally! Lee, yeah swimming is Oscar's favorite!
Chrissie wrote: "Lisa and Lee and Gundula and anyone interested in seeing Oscar in tons of Swedish snow- I added 4 photos of Oscar! Finally! Lee, yeah swimming is Oscar's favorite!"Thanks, Chrissie, I think I saw them, and some others I'd somehow missed. So cute! Especially that one with snow on his nose. Adorable!
Chrissie wrote: "Jeanette and Lee, I think maybe I must splurge a little more and get The Samurai's Garden?! I mean if I have been splurging, a little splurge more won't make any difference. Gundu..."
Chrissie, I actually remember that I really, really liked the Pippi Longstocking movies, they were really great (better than the books, which I usually would never say). Supposedly, a new Pippi Longstocking movie is being made, I just cannot imagine that it could be anywhere as good as the ones I saw when I was a child. I've actually seen quite a lot of Pippi Longstocking adaptations (they were and are very popular in Germany), and I like most of them a lot. And, yes, I checked your photos of Oscar in the snow, very cute.
I just started The Help by Kathryn Stockett today. I've read the first 50 pages so far and really like it.
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Comfort Reads
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Oh, this one looks really good, Pamela. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!