What are you reading?

[prhoshay]

I also read to escape! I read fiction and non-fiction (no sci-fi), but if I wanted to read to 'improve my mind', I'd go back to school, or I need to be being paid for it. I do improve my mind, though, since my vocabulary benefits from my reading, and I do pick up different angles of thought, but this is strictly on my terms. I hate self-improvement books, and you may not preach to me and try to mess with my head...which is why you never see me in church on Sundays!

[Google]

 

[MotherSister]

I'm a little over halfway through The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, by Stephen Sherrill. It's about the Minotaur (the half man, half bull in Greek mythology) living in modern-day North Carolina, working as a cook in a restaurant. I know it sounds weird, but I'm finding it a really beautiful and really resonant story about melancholy and loneliness and isolation. I'm excited to finish it.

[Critical]

I finally got my copy of The Monster of Florence in the mail and am speeding through it. I took a break from Drood for a week and have read Maeve Bincy's Whitethorn Woods and Lauren Willig's The Seduction of the Crimson Rose for a change of pace. The Willig book is about as fluffy as historical fiction can be, but it's great fun and Maeve Bincy is always worthwhile.

[ClosetRTWatcher]

Originally Posted by obsession57

Interesting to read this post as my daughter's boyfriend's mother gave her this book for her 19th birthday and told her it was one of the best books she'd ever read. Don't know if my daugther's getting into it. Her idea of summer reading is stuff like Firefly Lane. But at least we have a copy in the house!

I also think it's hard to buy books for people for gifts, unless you know it's something they want to read. Should you foist your reading tastes onto someone else, especially in the case of someone you don't know real well?

I hope your daughter gives it a chance. My aunt also raved about it, but when I initially read the synopsis on the back I was not intrigued. However it only took a page or two for me to realize this was not going to be "The Diary of Anne Frank" redux! Even if she doesn't pick it up, you should consider checking it out!

ITA about buying books for other people. At Christmas both my mom and my aunt sent books, but they did ask for general genres to start with. The other thing that made it a bit easier is that we have four kids and they sent such a variety that even if a book didn't work for one kid, it could work for one of the others!!

[myrosiedog]

I'm actually reading an older book called Heartbreak Hotel by Anne Rivers Siddons. The book takes place in Alabama in a college in 1956. It's sort of autobiographical and it is actually a really good book. Gives insight into the time period and also the beginning of the Civil Rights movement in the South. It's really a good "period" piece about how girls dressed and looked and were expected to act in the 50's and people's attitudes. I reccomend it highly.

[Duxxy]

Originally Posted by prhoshay

I also read to escape! I read fiction and non-fiction (no sci-fi), but if I wanted to read to 'improve my mind', I'd go back to school, or I need to be being paid for it. I do improve my mind, though, since my vocabulary benefits from my reading, and I do pick up different angles of thought, but this is strictly on my terms. I hate self-improvement books, and you may not preach to me and try to mess with my head...which is why you never see me in church on Sundays!

OMG I could have written this! I will occasionally read non-fiction but not just anything, I have to be intersted. My daughter is 9 and she's a huge reader too, what really pisses me off is the teachers at her school insisting that she should be reading non-fiction, I actually got a note home that said she was reading too much fiction (she's a Nancy Drew fan) I felt like sending a note back asking "how many other kids in your class read voluntarily for pleasure?" IMO any reading is good reading.

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by Duxxy

OMG I could have written this! I will occasionally read non-fiction but not just anything, I have to be intersted. My daughter is 9 and she's a huge reader too, what really pisses me off is the teachers at her school insisting that she should be reading non-fiction, I actually got a note home that said she was reading too much fiction (she's a Nancy Drew fan) I felt like sending a note back asking "how many other kids in your class read voluntarily for pleasure?" IMO any reading is good reading.

ANY reading improves the mind. I used to read strictly fiction, but I as I"ve gotten more into history, I do enjoy good biographies and historical books.

But I don't like self help books either.
And if I'm not entertained, be it fiction or non, I put the book away. I won't read a boring book except for school.

Duxxy the teacher should be happy she reads voluntarily and nothing wrong with Nancy Drew. I started reading those and today, mysteries remain my favorite genre. I also think they can help with reasoning skills because I'm always trying to figure out the mystery before the end of the book. So I say your daughter is learning reasoning and deduction skills by reading Nancy Drew. And improving her vocabulary. And there is a lot to learn from fiction, not everything is made up. I've actually learned a lot about different cities and countries where some of these books are set, different cultures, etc.

I also read to escape. That's the joy of reading. You can travel the world, be someone else, when you get lost in a book. I also read everything but sci-fi, westerns and bodice ripper romances. But I do occasionally read a book that falls into those categories if I think it sounds interesting. But mostly I avoid those 3 genres, but I read just about everything else.

Would you consider Eat, Pray, Love a self help book? I LOVED that book and I learned a lot from it and it did spark an interest in some introspection and learning in me. But it's not REALLY a self help book for others as it was a story of her own "self-help". But her journey made me want to kind of change a few things in my life. So maybe it's a self help book in disquise?

[Duxxy]

I ignored the teachers. she gets an a+ in reading on her report cards and she is one of the best spellers in the class so I'll pay as much attention to them as I did when they insisted that I stop teaching her phonics at home.

I just finished scouring this thread for a recommendation - I was at the bookstore last night trying to describe the series of books. "female author, a little older, very caustic, really long subtitles' I don't think the girl behind the counter reads...
So I finally found her! Jen Lancaster "Bitter is the New Black" they sound like excellent summer reads. I can't wait to get into them!
Right now I'm reading "A Brief Guide to The Greek Myths" by Stephen P. Kershaw- we only covered a few in school and I found myself interested, and "The Secret Shopper's Revenge" by Kate Harrison brit-chick-lit, So far I like it.

[paridy]

I have been reading Evermore by Alyson Noel the Immortals series she is starting up. Its a YA but a very good read, kind of Twilight but no biting involved. Hard to put it down, its about a girl who went through a near death experience and ended up with Psychic abilities, and able to see peoples auras. So she purposefully makes it so she is unnoticeable by people. She meets a guy with no aura but who makes her feel again. Can't wait for book 2 in July. Also getting into the House of Night series by PC Cast and Kristin Cast.

[CaliLily]

I tried the House of Night and got through book 3. I after that it just got too weird for me, but the first 3 were really good.

Paridy- if you like Evermore you should try The Immortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare (City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass). They are great books!