This is topic So what are you READING? in forum The Anywhere Machine at Legion World.


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Posted by Stu on :
 
Other than comics!

I recently finished Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar, which a close friend of mine recommended. I've liked Plath's poetry but found it a bit dense, so I was a little apprehensive to read an entire novel by her. Much to my surprise, I found The Bell Jar to be very readable and engaging. The writing is vivid yet down-to-earth. You really get a good sense for Plath's genius and conflict in a way that doesn't come across quite so directly from her poetry.

I've started on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which I borrowed from another friend (after he read it through three times). I voluntarily self-spoiled the ending, but I'm still looking forward to finishing the book.

I'm also planning to get started on Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, which a number of folks have praised.

What are you currently reading, and what are some of your favorite books of all time?
 

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Posted by Kid Prime on :
 
I'm reading John Donne. It's pretty incredible.
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I'm reading the newest IVR manual and going through Avaya texts while trying to teach myself database programming for specialized reports on our Avaya e-mail system. I just don't know why this stuff isn't a Top 10 best-seller.
 

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Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
 
I just finished Jess Nevin's annotations for League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Next up is either Paradise Lost or a Doctor Who book, I haven't decided yet.
 

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Posted by Super Lad Kid on :
 
I just finished Treason by Ann Coulter. She had some interesting points if you can get through some of her elementary name-calling.

[ August 10, 2003, 07:50 PM: Message edited by: Super Lad Kid ]
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I was trying to read "The Little Friend" by Donna Tartt. I loved her first book, "The Secret History". Unfortunately, "The Little Friend" was unreadable. I finished about 400 pages of the drivel and had to sadly admit that I was defeated. While attempting to read it, however, I did read 5 novels by a Canadian science fiction writer, Robert Sawyer. Talk about relief - this guy knows plot, pacing and science. I would wake up early each morning just to read some pages before getting up for work. The books I read were, "Hominids", "Humans", "Flash Forward", "Calculating God" and "The Terminal Experiment". This is all in the last two months. Very fun.

Recently, I've read, "Attonement" and "Life of Pi". I highly recommend "Life of Pi."
 

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Posted by Danny Blaine on :
 
I just finished Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice...
 

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Posted by Stu on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I was trying to read "The Little Friend" by Donna Tartt. I loved her first book, "The Secret History". Unfortunately, "The Little Friend" was unreadable.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I was trying to read "The Little Friend" by Donna Tartt. I loved her first book, "The Secret History". Unfortunately, "The Little Friend" was unreadable. I finished about 400 pages of the drivel

Recently, I've read, "Attonement" and "Life of Pi". I highly recommend "Life of Pi."

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Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Baudolino by Umberto Eco.

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Originally posted by Looks That Kill Lad:
The last book I read was Lord of the Flies a few weeks ago, it's even more powerful than the film's.

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One of my favorite books.
 

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Posted by STU on :
 
How embarrassing. I still haven't finished The Da Vinci Code... it's been months...
 

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Posted by lancesrealm on :
 
I am current reading the Three Musketeers. Earlier this year, I started reading George R.R. Martin's Fire and Ice sextet, starting with A Game of Thrones. It was great! Turns out, though, there have only been 3 books published so far, and the 4th one, which was supposed to be out in August, was pushed back to this June! I wish I had checked to see how far along the series was before I started. They are a really good read, though.
 

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Posted by DrakeB3003 on :
 
"Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri -- great book from the author of "Interpreter of Maladies".
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by lancesrealm:
I am current reading the Three Musketeers. Earlier this year, I started reading George R.R. Martin's Fire and Ice sextet, starting with A Game of Thrones. It was great! Turns out, though, there have only been 3 books published so far, and the 4th one, which was supposed to be out in August, was pushed back to this June! I wish I had checked to see how far along the series was before I started. They are a really good read, though.

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quote:

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Originally posted by lancesrealm:
I am current reading the Three Musketeers. Earlier this year, I started reading George R.R. Martin's Fire and Ice sextet, starting with A Game of Thrones. It was great! Turns out, though, there have only been 3 books published so far, and the 4th one, which was supposed to be out in August, was pushed back to this June! I wish I had checked to see how far along the series was before I started. They are a really good read, though.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
I skimmed over most of the sea battle descriptions.

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Originally posted by Owl Lad:
Just finished The DaVinci Code. It's been awhile since I 've read a suspense thriller, but this was so much more. I can't believe that all that historical research he found out is for real..or is it? Does anybody out there know how legitimate the author's findings are?

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The vast majority of the author's "revelations" are invented. Some are expansions of ideas others have had in the past; many are complete fabrications. There was an article in the Boston Globe around the time the book came out last year that outlined the most important invented plot points.

It's funny reading everyone's comments above about The Little Friend. I too enjoyed The Secret History immensely and haven't been able to get into the new book. Oh well.

Instead, I'm reading Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels. It's about how many early Christian texts were discarded in the second century, and how the division seems to be between texts that say that only Jesus was truly divine, and texts that imply that the potential for divinity is in everyone. Interesting, well written stuff.
 

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Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
Currently: "The Wee Free Men" and "A hat full of sky" by Terry Pratchett.
 

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Posted by Numf El on :
 
Currently "Not the End Of The World" by Christopher Brookmyer.
Black humour, sarcasm, porn stars, religion and tidal waves. And not necessarily in that order.

Superb stuff.
As are his other books.
 

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Posted by Harbinger on :
 
Numf - I just finished "Boiling a frog" - Christopher Brookmeyer is the funniest thing since fake vomit! And that's a good thing
 

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Posted by Numf El on :
 
Yeah, H, this is the fourth of his books I've read in a row -
Quite Ugly One Morning
Country Of The Blind
Boiling A Frog
and now Not The End Of The World

All excellent. Very funny indeed. He has a great turn of phrase.

A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away next for me I believe.

NB We both spelt his surname wrongly - it's "Brookmyre".
 

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Posted by Owl Lad on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Director Lad:
[QUOTE]

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The vast majority of the author's "revelations" are invented. Some are expansions of ideas others have had in the past; many are complete fabrications. There was an article in the Boston Globe around the time the book came out last year that outlined the most important invented plot points.

Any idea where I might be able to get a read of this Boston Globe article or any other info that quickly distinguishes fact from fabrication?
 

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Posted by Numf El on :
 
Cobalt Kid / Petey C. / Anybody else who’s interested –

For a re-interpretation of the Arthurian Legends I’d thoroughly recommend the following trilogy by Bernard Cornwell

The Winter King
Enemy of God
Excalibur

From his own website, www.bernardcornwell.net -

""Once upon a time, in a land that was called Britain, these things happened . . . ." well, maybe. The Warlord Trilogy is my attempt to tell the story of Arthur, 'Rex Quondam Rexque Futurus', the Once and Future King, although I doubt he ever was a king. I suspect he was a great warlord of the sixth century. Nennius, who was one of the earliest historians to mention Arthur, calls him the 'dux bellorum' - leader of battles or warlord. I have to confess that of all the books I have written these three are my favourites. They have been translated into a score of languages and were best-sellers in a dozen countries."


Although I have thoroughly enjoyed all of his Sharpe, Starbuck and Grail series’, his Arthur books are by far the best – in fact they’re my favourite ever series of books.

It’s a pity there are only three books, but then I suppose there’s only a fairly limited scope to play with.

They are based around the life of one of Arthurs knights, rather than being a straightforward re-telling. There are plenty of little twists on the accepted legends – some of them quite breathtaking.

[ July 27, 2004, 04:44 AM: Message edited by: Numf El ]
 

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Posted by matlock on :
 
I just finished up a book called "Ghost Ship" about the real life case of a 19th century merchant ship called the Mary Celeste. She was found adrift in the north Atlantic with no crew but with no clue as to what might have happened to her crew. A lot of bizarre theories have been been floated over the years about what happened, and aside from recounting the tale sans a lot of bogus "facts" that have been added over the years, the author gives another theory. It was pretty interesting, especially because I first heard the story when I was a kid since it frequently turns up in those "unexplained mystery" books.

Next up is book 6 of the Dark Tower series from Stephen King, "The Song of Susannah."
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
**sigh** These all sound interesting.

Two more weekend books, very light reading:

Burglar on the Prowl, latest of the Bernie Rhodenbarr series. Bernie is a used book seller and a professional thief. Always the same story, but funny. This one was a bit more forced than the others in its conclusion, but I still laughed.

The Cat Who Killed Lillian Jackson Braun, by Robert Kaplow - a raunchy, comedic spoof on the Braun "Cat Who..." series. If you've read the originals by L.J. Braun, you'll love (or hate) this. I enjoyed her early books, but they got really syrupy after a while. So I loved this sex, violence and farce take-off of her work. I don't know how authors can do these spoofs without getting sued, but they must have worked something out. Guest appearance by Philip
Roth.

Now started Souls in the Great Machine, by Sean McMullen. SF, a strange world - "...there is no more eletricity, wind engines are leading-edge technology, librarians fight duels to settle disputes, steam power is banned by every major religion, and a mysterious siren "Call" lures people to their death." The head librarian, the power behind the throne, has officials assassinated who disagree with her modernization plans...there's a giant "computer" that is run by hundreds of mathematicians at desks, like galley slaves - when they make a mistake, they're taken out and shot...that's just the preface.
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
Based on your description, FC, I just added Souls in the Great Machine to my Amazon.com shopping cart. Sounds like a fun book.
 

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Posted by Kid Prime on :
 
I've been reading 'Leaves of Grass' by Walt Whitman. Challenging, but oh so rewarding. I don't get enough poetry in my life.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Kippers, I've read "Leaves of Grass" in the past, and found it to be exactly as you put it: 'challenging, but rewarding'. There are some sections that are absolutely mind-blowing, IMO. My old English Lit Professor also reccomended that I get a taped copy of "Leaves" with Orsen Welles reading it in as boisterous a manner as he could. He really enjoyed it himself, and said that Welles really 'got' Whitman and understood the way in which it should be read (loudly ).

Numf, those books sound interesting. I love reading about the Arthurian Saga, particulurly the connection to real early Middle Age history. My favorite books on this are by Jack Whyte, of which there is now 8, called "The Camulod Chronicles". The first two chronicle the lives of two Roman Officers in Britain after the Legions leave, then the next four are about Merlyn, Uther and a large cast of others, and the latest installments deal with Arthur and Lancelot (although Lancelot is called Clothar, since the name Lancelot certainly did not exist yet). Easily the best and most fun take on the story I've ever read!

Thanks for the reccommendation!
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I finished "Factoring Humanity", which I enjoyed a lot. Sawyer alwayws throws in quantum physics and this time he relates it to the idea of collective consciousness.

Last night I started "The Time Traveler's Wife."
 

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Posted by LABRADORIAN on :
 
i'm reading
SONG OF SUSANNAH - Stephen King
its an excellent read so far, only a a quarter of the way in but its THE DARK TOWER series so if you like the series you'll like this.
In a related story, when i was on my totally excellent adventure this summer i bumped into stephen king. Well actually what happened was, i was coming out of a highway burger king outside of lewiston, ME. got in the car and my brother started going around the parking lot, he says to me ... HEY, i think that was stephen king as we passed by a some guy walking to his vechicle. I looked over and thought yeah it could be him but who knows anyway, my brother LETS GO CHECK, so we go right around the lot and pull up opposite his truck, the guy is approaching the truck and my brother says...you gonna go ask him? i respond NO WAY, cause at this point i knew it was stephen king, my brother says WELL I AM, out he gets and go over as King is putting his key in his lock and says.. excuse me youre stephen king right? he responds... Yes
my brother says... my brother over there is a big fan of yours and i was wondering if i could get a picture of you with him. At this point, my head and half my body are almost out the window with excitement.
He responds, sorry not today.
i was about 12 feet away and he did look at me, and that was my brush with fame.
 

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Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
 
Haven't been in the mood to read anything too deep recently. I just finished a book on the Everly Brothers and next I'll probably tackle one of the Doctor Who novels I picked up in San Diego.
 

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Posted by kid chaos on :
 
OMG!!

Did SONG OF SUSANNAH really come out already??

How did I miss this?
 

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Posted by matlock on :
 
I think it's been out for around a month or so, but it kind of seems like the Dark Tower books don't get much publicity. I get the impression that King and his publishers view the DT series as an "acquired taste" and don't promote it as heavily as they would a regular King release.

I won't be reading it now, though. Due to not being able to get to the library in time to renew it before it was overdue I had give it back since someone else had it on hold. Apparently that's one of those obscure library rules I didn't know about. Live and learn. I read about 1 page. But it was good.
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
I am reading Life of Pi by Yan Martel. Good book so far.

Also I am trying to get through The Devil in the White City. This book is set turn of the century Chicago when the city is about to host the World's fair. The book is about the industrializing of America, the rise of big business, the isolation/lack of socialization/anonymity of people in big cities, set against what could be considered America's first serial killer to appear publicly.

Yah, there is a reason I haven't finished that book yet.
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
rtvu2, I read Life of Pi last year. When I picked it up I thought it might become a little tedious, given that most of the story takes place in a lifeboat with a tiger. However, I found it to be well-paced and contains some of the most vivid (and truly heart-breaking) passages I've ever read (e.g. the zebra scene).

I also have Devil in the White City in my bookcase waiting to be read. Maybe after I finish The Time Traveler's Wife.

[ August 05, 2004, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: Semi Transparent Fellow ]
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
hey Semi,

With Life of Pi, I am finding it more interesting when the author is writing about his meetings wiht Pi now. Also I enjoyed the book more when he was still in India. Did yo hear the M. Night Shaylman (director of Sixth Sense, The Village) is set to adapt the novel for a movie?


how good is The Time Traveler's Wife? Been meaning to pick that up.
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm liking Time Traveller's Wife a lot. It's written as a series of vignettes - because Henry (the time traveller) keeps popping in and out of various time periods. He has to become very adept at survival because he always appears buck naked when he travels. Often he ends up visiting a younger version of himself and teaching him survival tricks. There's a cute scene in a museum where he teaches his 6 year old self how to pick a pocket.

At first it's a bit confusing figuring out what he knows when, but gradually, you get the overall picture of his life. The writer enjoys shocking the reader with the practical realities of the time traveller's situation (for example, if you visited a 3 month younger version of yourself, and you were both 15 and horny, would you have sex with yourself. Henry did.)- and he's no goody-goody, although he is quite likeable.

[ August 05, 2004, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: Semi Transparent Fellow ]
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I'm currently reading In the Garden of Iden, forget the author's name. It is one Caroline read and I picked it up after she finished. Interesting time travel concept of taking inhabitants from the past and 're-engineering' them to become immortal so they can spend their lives saving things lost to time (artwork, books, plants, animals, etc).

Prior to that I read three of Dan Brown's books but not the DaVinci Code. I'm saving that one for some reason.

And before I read the Browns I read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, one of the best books I've ever read. Ever. In fact it was the first novel (re: non-technical) book I've picked up in over five years. I loved it so much it made me start reading for pleasure again. Now I'm trying to track down the comics that Chabon did. Already got a collection of the first stories through the Sci-Fi Book Club.
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
Really didn't like Kalavier and Clay that much but loved Wonder Boys by Charbon, even better then the movie which I think is great. Also liked his anathology of short stories Werewolves in their Youth.

Thanks for the mini review Semi for Time Travler's Wife. Guess I will pick it up now.
Is it out in paperback yet?
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I just checked Amazon, and Time Traveler's Wife is now out in paperback.

Scott, I loved "Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," too. I'm surprised that it's not required reading for all lovers of the golden and silver age eras of comics. The only part I found jarring was the interlude in the Antarctic during the war. The betrayal of the dogs really got to me.
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Devil in the White City - looked fascinating, but I couldn't get into it. Kavalier & Clay - enjoyed it although I hadn't expected to. Time Traveller's Wife sounds like fun...

Just wrapping up The Scar, by China Miéville. Best/favourite fiction book I've read this year.
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
hey Cramer, what is the Scar about?
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I just picked up "History Lessons". It shows how history textbooks from around the world portray US History.
 

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Posted by STU on :
 
I'm re-reading Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep.
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
rtvu2, The Scar is a fantasy/sci fi novel, but far beyond the usual wizards and warlords/Camelot/LotR imitations. Miéville has constructed an incredibly complex world, with its own languages, science, magic, sentient races - but anchored enough in our own world to make it accessible. His first book was Perdido Street Station; the Scar takes place in the same world, with all different characters.

Perdido St. was about the power of love; the Scar is about the loyalty & betrayal, and concepts of reality. The main character, Bellis, is a linguist on the run from the city of New Crobuzon, headed across the ocean to a colony. The ship she is on is taken by pirates and transported to the city of Armada, a collection of ships, offering refuge to malcontents, misfits, convicts... Bellis will do anything to return home, with very tragic consequences....

What makes both Perdido and The Scar incredible is the excellent writing, the "hitherto unimagined creatures" (quoting reviews here), "relentlessly, stunningly inventive: a conceptual breakthrough of the highest order". One reviewer called it "steampunk genre" - Victorian technology meets sci fi.

Cactus people, 6-foot high mosquito people, winged people, Crayfish people - not just described, but well thought out, with their own cultures and customs; sentenced criminals are "remade", with strange appendages or machinery grafted onto their bodies as punishment, to humiliate or to make them useful slaves ... there is science, but there is magic too, and they blend together. It's hard to describe the complexity.
 

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Posted by Numf El on :
 
Sounds most intriguing, FC. I'll have to keep an eye out for that.
 

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Posted by Flannel Lass on :
 
I just finished Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men. Crivens! He's one of my favourite authors.
 

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Posted by deanlegion on :
 
I hardly ever have time to read books, but I just finished Eats, Shoots and Leaves. It's all about punctuation. I read it in two sittings. It really makes you think about grammar and punctuation and how correct you are with it all.
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I finished Time Traveler's Wife and highly recommend it (if you like love stories with a twist).

Now I'm on to Tales to Astonish, a bio of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. It should be interesting (but I definitely prefer fiction).
 

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Posted by STU on :
 
I'm reading Stone Junction by Jim Dodge.

According to Thomas Pynchon, "Reading Stone Junction is like being at a nonstop party in celebration of everything that matters."

Now THAT'S high praise...!
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm going great guns on Tales to Astonish. It's packed full of fascinating information, although the writing style is pedestrian. Next up is "This is Burning Man", a history of the annual bohemian festival in the Nevada desert each Labor Day.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
What I’ve read since early spring (other than comics)…

“Star Wars: Darth Maul – Shadow Hunter” (promises Maul but really gives more than that. good fast read, I was surprised at how much I liked this book)

“Star Wars: Rogue Planet” (I’m about 2/3 through right now. So far the story is lacking)

“Star Wars: Shatterpoint” (Decent book)

“Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire” (another one that caught my attention, and I couldn’t put it down. Extremely fast read)

“Star Wars: The Truce at Bakura” (starts out slow, picks up at the end)

“Star Wars: Tattooine Ghost” (I liked this one too. It has a gimmick that lends itself well to the Star Wars mythos)

“Star Wars: The Jedi Academy Trilogy” (Classic Star Wars stories, very enjoyable.)

“Star Wars: I, Jedi” (This one was the jewel in the rough. The first person story telling gives other points of views which I thought added to the overall Star Wars universe. I did not expect to enjoy this one as much as I did.)

“Star Wars: Children of the Jedi” (don’t remember too much about it, other than the first 130 pages were brutal reading. The rest of the book was much better.)

“Star Wars: Darksaber” (kind of a let down. All the reviewers just fawned all over this one, I can not agree with those sentiments. The love interest seems extraordinarily forced.)

“Star Wars: Survivor’s Quest” (I guess Tim Zahn can do no wrong. Every time I think I’ve seen it all, he manages to put one by me. I can’t wait to read all of his Star Wars books again, knowing what I know now.)

“The Wolfen” by Whitley Strieber (I had to change it up) Wolfen is a decent little horror story written way back in 1978. It’s a quick read, and a fanciful yarn.

Once I finish “Rogue Planet”, I think I’ll head onto Steven King’s “IT”. I haven’t read it in pert near 15 years. I may just move on to some New Jedi Order novels. I can’t decide which I’d rather read.
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Books on tape: The latest in the Wheel of Time series, Crossroads of Twilight (unabridged--the only way to listen to books on tape). If you've ever enjoyed a fantasy novel, you'll enjoy Jordans hyperdetailed, sprawling (considering the length of the last two or three books vs. the plot advancement, not always a good thing) epic. Depending on how he wraps it up, could easily take Donaldson's Thomas Covenant novels place as my favorite fantasy series.

Actually reading: Just finished Fortune's Favorites, about 1/4 of the way through Caesar's Women. Colleen McCullough has written a wonderful series of books on the collapse of the Roman Republic, centered (of course) around Julius Caesar. Much more fun than reading Roman history, but accurate and packed with details about life 2000 years ago. Lots of sex, too. Be warned--lots of Gaiuses and Luculluses and Mariuses and Metelluses and other confusing Roman names. Another good one to get on unabridged tape.

Joy Hakim's book Freedom: A History of US. I'm going through both the companion to the series and the 10 book collection. If you have 10-18 year olds or know 10-18 year olds, point them in Hakim's direction. She has written the best US history book ever for adolescents. Every school system should dump their bloated shitty textbooks (trust me, as an 8th grade history teacher, I know bloated shitty textbooks) and teach from Hakim's series. Wonderful, wonderful stuff.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I've been reading 'American Gods' by Neil Gaiman, but like Semi said earlier in the thread, I just can't get into it anymore. I don't know why--I've loved *everything* he's ever written and my brother has liked the book so much, he's read it twice!

I also have a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula, which I'm considering reading. Although with school coming on, it'll be harder to have free time for reading non-history/non-comic book stuff.
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Dracula has some truly creepy moments, if you can get through the purple prose.
 

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Posted by Semi Titanic Fellow on :
 
I've just started "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood.
 

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Posted by rdstr2 on :
 
I am reading the Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde. It is the third novel staring Thursday Next.

Imagine a novel where the characters almost realize they are in the novel. People can actually enter into books and live and visit them. History can be changed and has been changed. Your favorite literary characters can come to the rescue or to kill you.

If you have any kind of literary background or just plain like to read everything you will get all the little jokes and asides the author has written in. Actually, he has created an alternate world that is so fully realized that everything just makes sense.

All that and it has a sense of humor and set in London. What more can you ask?
 

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Posted by Gilded Billy on :
 
I just finished reading "The Quick and the Dead" by Joy Williams. A *very* different style of writing there.

Now I'm going to try " House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski again. I started it before but found it too confusing. I hear its really good.

[ September 12, 2004, 11:11 AM: Message edited by: Gilded Billy ]
 

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Posted by Deathstroke Lad on :
 
Just ordered the first four books in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I've only tried to read the first one when it was serialized back in Asimov's Digest in the 70's. Thought that since he's releasing the final chapter next month I'd give them a try.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Let us know how those go Scott, I've always considered reading them but have never gotten to it. I know that a lot of the characters that appear in his other books show up in those too.
 

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Posted by matlarrk on :
 
I've read all of them up through the Wolves of Calla. I haven't been able to get the Song of Susannah yet but I do recommend the series. It's different from his usual stuff but I'm looking forward to the resulution.
 

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Posted by Donna Trom on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by armsfalloffboy:
Books on tape: The latest in the Wheel of Time series, Crossroads of Twilight (unabridged--the only way to listen to books on tape). If you've ever enjoyed a fantasy novel, you'll enjoy Jordans hyperdetailed, sprawling (considering the length of the last two or three books vs. the plot advancement, not always a good thing) epic. Depending on how he wraps it up, could easily take Donaldson's Thomas Covenant novels place as my favorite fantasy series.

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quote:

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Originally posted by armsfalloffboy:

Actually reading: Just finished Fortune's Favorites, about 1/4 of the way through Caesar's Women. Colleen McCullough has written a wonderful series of books on the collapse of the Roman Republic, centered (of course) around Julius Caesar. Much more fun than reading Roman history, but accurate and packed with details about life 2000 years ago. Lots of sex, too. Be warned--lots of Gaiuses and Luculluses and Mariuses and Metelluses and other confusing Roman names. Another good one to get on unabridged tape.

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LOVE, love, love the Mccullough Rome books. I can't imagine *listening* to them, though, as those interchangeable Roman names *do* get confusing... I'd think the visual cues would make telling who's who easier, but maybe I'm wrong. I've never listened to a book-on-tape with 'exotic' names...

Have you read Steven Saylor, AFB? He writes a mystery series that's set around the time of Julius Caesar... they're much lighter than McCulloughs, but still well-researched.

If anyone's interested, I'd recommend a book called THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND, first of the BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, by Jonathan Stroud as a fun read. You'd find it in the Young Adult section, but it doesn't read like 'kid-lit'.

If you liked Harry Potter, or Lloyd Alexander's books, or Robert Jordan, I think you'd like this one.

It's told from the point of view of a djinn, summoned by a young magician in an alternate London, where magic is the power of the realm. The djinn's footnotes *cracked* me up-- worth seeking out.

Todd
 

---

Posted by Semi Titanic Fellow on :
 
My copy of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell arrives from Amazon today. Have you heard of it? It's all the rage and is long-listed for the Booker. Many expect it to be on the short-list. It's about two magicians who try to bring magic back to England.

I'm putting aside Oryx and Crake (which hasn't caught my interest) in favor of this new one.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
I ordered Jonathon Strange also and expect it this week. It sounds great! There was a fairly lengthy article in the Globe & Mail about the author & book a few weeks ago - it really caught my interest.

In the same shipment, Iron Council by China Miéville - I loved his previous two books - but recently read a review in Wired mag that called him a pretentious blowhard. Oh well. Different tastes.
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Actually, the McCullough books on tape (read by a very proper-sounding English woman, which makes for hilarity when reading some of the more explicit gay sex) helped me keep everyone straight for some reason.

New Covenant books? Now there's welcome news! That may keep me happy until the next WoT book!
 

---

Posted by Bicycle Repair Man on :
 
Eric Flint's "1632" and its three (so far) published sequels: "1633", "Ring Of Fire", and "1634: The Galileo Affair" (thanks, Inter-Library Loan ).

They were quite good, but I am a bit worried that we will soon see a whole sub-genre of modern-community-mysteriously-transplanted-into-the-past fiction.
 

---

Posted by Semi Radiant Fellow on :
 
"The Egyptologist" by Arthur Phillips. He's signing at a local bookstore tonight, so I'm going to go, buy and copy and get it signed.

On Thursday, Susanna Clarke is signing copies of "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell". Even though I've already bought a copy, I'm going to go and get another copy signed. I'll give my original copy (which is unopened) as a Christmas gift.
 

---

Posted by matlarrk on :
 
I finally got the "Song of Susannah," Stephen King's sixth Dark Tower book, back from the library. It's a pretty brisk read so far and I'm enjoying it. I can't wait for book VII, though I accidentally got a little of it spoiled for me when I was flipping through a new guide to the series that's out in paperback. I didn't expect it to include the material for a book that isn't out yet, much to my chagrin.
 

---

Posted by Donna Trom on :
 
Dark Tower VII came out today, Sept. 21, mat.

Todd
 

---

Posted by matlarrk on :
 
Guess I need to get on the hold list at the library! Thanks for the heads up Todd.

Matt
 

---

Posted by Deathstroke Lad on :
 
Just got an offer from the Stephen King Library (another book club) to get the first six Dark Tower (that includes Song of Susannah) for $19.95, all in hard back. And the first book in the club is book VII for $7.95. So I cancelled my order with Amazon for the paperpack copies and will now wait for the hardbacks to show up.

In the meantime I'm reading a novelization of the 1980's TV mini-series 'Amerika'. Not too bad so far.
 

---

Posted by matlarrk on :
 
The wait list at the library was already about 7 or 8 people deep. Maybe I'll just buy the damn thing. Or else I'll kill time and read some of the other books that are tied in with the Dark Tower series first.
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
just went to Barnes and Noble and picked up Johnthon Strange and Mr Norrell. Could someone have warned me that the book was a brick and a half?


Heard great things and can't wait to read it though.
 

---

Posted by Semi Radiant Fellow on :
 
RTVU2, Susanna Clark was in San Francisco yesterday at a local bookstore. She spoke about how she developed the story and then read a passage. I got my copy signed. It is a big book, isn't it. I like big books.
 

---

Posted by Soy-Monkey Eater Lad on :
 
I just started 'A Series of Unfortunate Incidents' at the advice of my coworker but have also started The Iliad (only read The Odessey in high school) and The Alchemist. Oh and I got the Ultimate Spider-Man hardcovers so I wouldn't be too intellectual
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Radiant Fellow:
It is a big book, isn't it. I like big books.

---

That's a bit of an understatement, but then again who dosen't like big stuff.

So what did she say? It seemed from reading the jacket flap and stuff that it took here more then maybe three years to write the entire thing. That's alot of dedication there. Did everything she say seem that more intelligent and witty because of her british accent?
 

---

Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
 
Just finished "Momo", by Michael Ende, who also wrote "Neverending Story". It's written in a very simple style, but it's rather engaging.
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
To all the people whoa re reading Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell---thoughts so far?
 

---

Posted by Semi Radiant Fellow on :
 
Sorry, RTVU2, I've bought Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (2 copies, actually) but I haven't started it yet. I'm sitll reading Oryx and Crake. But, the good news is that one of the guys at my firm finished it and is raving about it. He says it really picks up after a while and the ending is very satisfying.
 

---

Posted by Kent on :
 
reading "Talisman," which weaves together all the neat secret-society conspiracies. it's a lot of fun, whether or not there's any thruth to it.
 

---

Posted by STU on :
 
Is Talisman a work of fiction, or is it written ostensibly as non-fiction?

I love reading about secret-society conspiracies.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
Betty Edwards ("Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain") was at a local bookstore today. I spent my lunch hour listening to her and got my copy of Drawing signed, as well as her new book "Color". She's a very sweet lady.
 

---

Posted by matlock on :
 
I think I'm going to make my annual attempt at reading "Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis. I've read "Babbitt" and "Elmer Gantry" in the past but every time I try "Main Street" I either get distracted or lose interest. Maybe this will be the time I get through it. I feel like I have to throw in something to balance out the fluff sometimes.
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
Anyone here read Augesten Burroughs? He wrote Running with Scissors and Dry. His new book of essays -Magical Thinking?- comes out today.
 

---

Posted by LyleLyle on :
 
I'm rereading "The Slippery Slope" since the next Series of Unfortunate Events book came out a week ago. I love the books, but then I'm the kind of fancy pants elitist who would go ga-ga over puns about Virgina Woolfe and JD Salinger snuck into children's books.

I also like the idea of the a children's book that makes such a big deal of the protagonists thinking their way through problems, even if their solutions get pretty absurd at times.

[ October 05, 2004, 11:38 AM: Message edited by: LyleLyle ]
 

---

Posted by STU on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by LyleLyle:
I'm rereading "The Slippery Slope" since the next Series of Unfortunate Events book came out a week ago.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
Sorry, RTVU2, I've bought Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (2 copies, actually) but I haven't started it yet. I'm sitll reading Oryx and Crake. But, the good news is that one of the guys at my firm finished it and is raving about it. He says it really picks up after a while and the ending is very satisfying.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I've heard about the Canticle for Lebowitz. Isn't that about the shopping list?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by STU:

quote:

---

Originally posted by LyleLyle:
I'm rereading "The Slippery Slope" since the next Series of Unfortunate Events book came out a week ago.

---

Are you looking forward to the live-action movie?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Deathstroke Lad:
Ira Levin wrote a sequel to 'Rosemary's Baby' called 'Son of Rosemary'. Have you read it Bevis? Also ABC is making a mini-series based on both novels.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
From the "Why Would I Ever Buy This Book? Department"... at the Amazon site, a customer's review of a fantasy book "Kushiel's Dart" - the funny thing was this reviewer was generally favourable to the book.

There were segments of boredom, the first 250 pages is a real drag, I had to push myself through these pages in hopes the book would get better, fortunately it did.

The last three hundred pages could have been told within the span of 100-150 really. Pages 600-900 was a forced read.

I guess it got better after page 900...

---

Oy, reminds me of the comics reviews that say "This issue was even worse than the last. Joe Blackink's take on the Superteam Extravaganza is the worst take on the Superteam Extravaganza ever written. This series has become just painful to read and I bet the next issue will manage to be even worse."

[ October 07, 2004, 04:47 PM: Message edited by: LyleLyle ]
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I picked up Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America," an alternate history where Charles Lindbergh becomes president of the U.S. and makes a pact with Hitler. This is going to the top of my reading list. I'm starting it today.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Picked up a paperback copy of The Gunslinger, Dark Tower 1. Decided I couldn't wait for my hardback to show up. So far, not too bad and I've gotten a lot farther along than the first time I tried to read it.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
"Bunnicula" I read every once in a while. A cat and dog team try to stop the reign of a vampire bunny. Everyone knows how- pound a steak through his heart!
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by CJ Taylor:
"Bunnicula" I read every once in a while. A cat and dog team try to stop the reign of a vampire bunny. Everyone knows how- pound a steak through his heart!

---

I remember that book! Man, i have not thought about it in years.....
 

---

Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Scott,

I read Son of Rosemary, and to tell you the
truth, I think that "Look What Happened to
Rosemary's Baby" was distinctly superior to
that, which should give you an idea of what
the book was like ...

Lately I've been reading the Science Fiction
Bookclub Omnibus edition of Madeline L'Engle's
"Wrinkle in Time" series.

When it gets here, I'll be reading Stephen R.
Donaldson's third Land trilogy...
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
RTVU2, I'm on this kids' book craze right now. Don't ask me why. After Bunnicula, I've got the Chronicles of Narnia, then The City of Gold and Lead on the list. They are all great books; probably why I'm such a reader today.
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
Hey CJ, love the Narnia books too. Whenever I want to go lighter I go Harry Potter.
 

---

Posted by Prime on :
 
Narnia kicks ass. Can't wait for the movie!!!
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Movie? Whachou talking 'bout Kippers?

They doing all 7 books? The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe? Details dagnabbit.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
The best place for info is http://www.narniaweb.com/ since they have an up-to-date cast list and news. The movie started filming in New Zealand in June and, I believe, is expected to be ready for release the end (maybe Christmas) of next year.



[ October 13, 2004, 06:24 AM: Message edited by: Lightning Lad ]
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
The casting for the White Witch is perfect. The kid playing Peter just dosen't look likes peter too me but all the other kids look great. Maybe we should start a new discussion thread about this?
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by RTVU2:
The casting for the White Witch is perfect. The kid playing Peter just dosen't look likes peter too me but all the other kids look great. Maybe we should start a new discussion thread about this?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blue Battler:
Scott,

Lately I've been reading the Science Fiction
Bookclub Omnibus edition of Madeline L'Engle's
"Wrinkle in Time" series.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blue Battler:
Lately I've been reading the Science Fiction
Bookclub Omnibus edition of Madeline L'Engle's
"Wrinkle in Time" series.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by LyleLyle:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blue Battler:
Lately I've been reading the Science Fiction
Bookclub Omnibus edition of Madeline L'Engle's
"Wrinkle in Time" series.

---

Hm, what does that include? Does that stop at Swifly Tilting Planet or go on to the second trilogy?

I'd like to sit with that series again some time. My old reading group did Wrinkle a while back and I noticed the Christian themes that I didn't pick up on when I was younger. I'm curious to see if I pick that up in the later books (I'm sure they're there, just remembering the plot of Many Waters).

Did you catch that awful ABC-TV movie? Some great casting (David Dorfman is perfect as Charles, same for Alfre Woodward as one of the Mrs.'s) but they oversimplified the plot.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blue Battler:
[QUOTE]It's got through Many Waters. I've read the first three now, and have just started on the 4th.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zombie STU:
I'm reading The Martian Chronicles. Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite writers.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lightning Lad:
The Chronicles are good. Most Bradbury stuff is. Ever seen the mini-series with Rock Hudson?

---

I saw the mini-series, but Rock wasn't with me at the time.

I remember being surprised by the series because I had a very different impression from reading the book. When I read the book, I thought the Martians were still present, but don't recall them being so in the mini-series.

[ October 17, 2004, 10:24 AM: Message edited by: Semi Transparent Fellow ]
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm plowing through Philip Roth's "Plot Against America." The writng is very dense, but it's hard to put down. Lindberg is elected President of the U.S., makes a pact with Hitler and keeps the U.S. out of WWII. This is all seen through the eyes of a young Jewish boy in Newark, N.J. I love alternate histories, especially when the author mixes a lot of well researched fact with his speculative fiction.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
For any Tad Williams fans (I'm one) the first book in his new trilogy comes out on November 2.



Shadowmarch: Volume 1 introduces a world conquered by humans, who have driven the Qar, or fairy folk, into the far north. There, the Qar hide behind the "Shadowline," a mysterious veil of perpetual mist, which drives mad any human who dares enter it. Bordering that mist and named for it is Shadowmarch, the northernmost human kingdom.

Shadowmarch has lately fallen on hard times. Its king has been captured by a rival kingdom, the regent has been mysteriously slain, and the new regents are callow fifteen-year-olds. Moody, crippled Prince Barrick is uninterested in their responsibilities and haunted by eerie dreams. His twin, Princess Briony, takes their new duties seriously, but is hot-tempered and headstrong. How can they defeat the greatest threats in Shadowmarch history? Their nobles plot to overthrow them--and the plotters may include their pregnant stepmother, seeking the throne for her own child. The expanding empire of Xis has sent its agents into Shadowmarch. And, for the first time since it appeared centuries ago, the Shadowline has starting moving. As the maddening mist spreads south over Shadowmarch, it does not quite hide the powerful, uncanny, and vengeful Qar army of invasion..

[ October 25, 2004, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: Semi Transparent Fellow ]
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
I am still trying to get through Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell but everytime I pick it upI fall asleep...
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Same problem here. Not exactly a page-turner yet. Maybe it's one of these "picks up after page 350" kind of books...I always read the end first - the ending is good...
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I haven't started Jonathan Strange yet, but one of my co-workers says that it picks up after the first few hundred pages and becomes quite engrossing.
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
first
few
hundres
pages...zzzzzzzzz

sorry, I am awake now. I will really try soon to get into it but it is just casuing me to fall asleep...
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
Read standing on one foot. That'll help.
 

---

Posted by Zombie STU on :
 
Yikes!

I was seriously considering buying Jonathan Strange, but now I'm apprehensive... I don't handle long, slow novels well...
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
STU, I know that you have lots of experience reading long excruciatingly slow pieces of writing - I think you can handle it.
 

---

Posted by ferroboy on :
 
Last book I finished was "Darwin's Children" by Greg Bear. I liked it. I'm currently in the middle of (as I have been for at least 2 years now) "You are being Lied to". It's interesting reading.
 

---

Posted by lil'rhino on :
 
I just finished " The Life of Pi". I loved it and highly recommend it!
 

---

Posted by Zombie STU on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
STU, I know that you have lots of experience reading long excruciatingly slow pieces of writing - I think you can handle it.

---

Yes, but those have pictures!
 

---

Posted by lil'rhino on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rtvu2:
Did yo hear the M. Night Shaylman (director of Sixth Sense, The Village) is set to adapt the novel(Life of Pi) for a movie?

---

Please, PLEASE say it isn't so!
That man couldn't direct a bowel movement!!!
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I liked Life of Pi. Didn't think I would, but it was really quite good. The death of the Zebra was heart-breaking.
 

---

Posted by Zombie STU on :
 
Thanks for spoiling it!

( )
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
That's a minor spoiler compared too......

It would be interesting to see M Night handle it. He is actually from the area in India that the book begins with. So I would have to wait and see how he envisions it coming to life.

And Stu, don't take my posts as indication of Johnthon Strange. I have liked what I have read so far, it is just alot more dense then I expected. Dense in a good way.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I went to a book Signing last night. Tad Williams was signing his latest - Shadowmarch. He's a very personable fellow and since the group was small, there was plenty of opportunity for interaction with him. I took my set of the Otherland novels, and War of the Flowers, which he graciously signed and personalized based on our conversation. In addition, my copy of Shadowmarch was the first copy of that book that he has signed - and he annotated my book to indicate that.
 

---

Posted by STU Cat on :
 
Is anyone reading Middlesex?

A friend of mine (the same one for whom I just finished catsitting) loaned me a copy... it's supposed to be terrific.
 

---

Posted by Outdoor Miner on :
 
I just finished reading one of those Mechwarrior novels they were passing out at Dallas.

I've read a lot of sci-fi novels in my time, and that was certainly one of them.
 

---

Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
Ya'know, all of a sudden, i am not reading much at all, including comics. I can't get into a lot of my old favorites, and i haven't seen much new by my favorite authors. And i haven't felt like seeking out any new ones lately.

Just a phase, i guess.
 

---

Posted by minesurfer on :
 
I was in that phase for about the last three months while I was hitting the custom action figures pretty hard. Now I'm back in the Galaxy Far Far Away.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I'm trying to work my way through the Dark Tower series still. Finished up book one, tough as it was since I still found it real hard to get through as I did when I first tried years ago.

Book two is much better. At least the first part with The Prisoner. That part flowed real well for me. But I'm limping through the Odetta/Detta section now and starting to glaze over. Really don't care for it. I'm hoping part three of the books picks up again.
 

---

Posted by Lad Boy on :
 
MacBeth
 

---

Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Is the Dark Tower Series the one that starts with the Gunslinger? I started reading that thinking, "Oh man. I love Stephen King. He hasn't let me down yet." I couldn't get past the first 30 pages. Every time I picked that book up, I was asleep two pages later. I couldn't help it.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
Is the Dark Tower Series the one that starts with the Gunslinger? I started reading that thinking, "Oh man. I love Stephen King. He hasn't let me down yet." I couldn't get past the first 30 pages. Every time I picked that book up, I was asleep two pages later. I couldn't help it.

---

The same one. I had the same problem with it when it was serialized in Asimov's digest many, MANY years ago, long before it saw print as a novel. It is still a hard read but I've been assured that the books do get better. And its about the only King work I haven't already read.
 

---

Posted by Star Boy on :
 
I just re-read a couple of Terry Pratchett books as he's a favourite author that happened to be speaking in town recently.

But now it's the new Hellboy anthology of short stories from Dark Horse. Called Odder Jobs. The first story was just OK, but it's a Western (of sorts) and they're not usually to my taste. Still, well written at times. Looking forward to seeing what else is inside.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by RTVU2:
I am still trying to get through Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell but everytime I pick it upI fall asleep...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by STU:
I have the special collector's edition gray cover.

---

STU - Still Telling Untruths
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by RTVU2:
Thrusday is a lousy night! How about the OC!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by ferroboy:
I suppose I could read that, but I'm not a fan of her philosophy - or at least what I can remember of it from my Ethics class.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
BTW, yesterday I saw a copy of J. Strange with a black cover - mine (from Amazon) was white - I wonder if they're playing on the white/black magic idea, and which cover is selling better?

---

I just saw an edition with a red dust jacket.
 

---

Posted by dedman on :
 
Finished the rand book....moved on to Barkers "Imajica"
 

---

Posted by Elvis Lad on :
 
"Squeaky: The Life and Times of Lynette Alice Fromme"...its about the woman who was a member of The Manson Family that tried to assinate President Ford in 1975
 

---

Posted by LanternLad on :
 
"Graves End"

Supposed to be a true story of an old haunted home in Brooklyn. Creepy & cool. Bt Elaine Mercado.
Before that:
"Take a Walk on the Dark Side: Rock & Roll Myths, Legends & Curses" by R. Gary Patterson. Fun, but too much speculation. but that's why their myths & legends.
 

---

Posted by Pariscub on :
 
I'm reading the Da Vinci Code and I'm rolling on the floor laughing every five minutes or so. It's obvious this guy has never set foot in Paris when he describes the city and the different places he goes to... Having worked both at the Louvre and the Orsay Museum, I can tell you that the whole beginning is just bullcrap LOL

For example, in the first chapter, there's no way a car can drive in the Jardin des Tuileries (you have to go around it) and you can't see the Louvre lobby from the outside of the pyramid... And of course, the Louvre never had that nifty security system they describe in the first chapter...

But I think it's the most hilarious book I've read this year so far
 

---

Posted by ferroboy on :
 
I actually read a bit into how these codes are derived. A lot of it involves rearranging the letters in whatever way is more convenient. Worst of all, you can find a _lot_ of the same words in most any lengthy book.
 

---

Posted by dedman on :
 
I'm about halfway through Imajica now.....I've found barker hit or miss in the past; this one is one of his hits
 

---

Posted by Pariscub on :
 
Imajica? That's an old one, read it years and years ago... That was the "sequel" to The Great and Secret Show, no?
 

---

Posted by Proability Pete on :
 
The Saturday Evening Post Reader of Western Stories. One story is called "The Law of the Lash."
 

---

Posted by Jorg-El on :
 
I enjoyed DaVinci code (and Angels/Demons). I gotta say I enjoyed the Code mostly cause I was reading it while traveling in Italy. But as a big mythology fan i gotta say the author made some big leaps where I thought were pretty silly sometimes.

Had to explain some of the real history to my gf.

Anyways reading Count of Monte Cristo...damn it's long. Sometimes I ferget what the hell is going on. Talk about continuity...i may need to by cliff notes...doh!
 

---

Posted by Jorg-El on :
 
Actually Angels and Demons was pretty far fetched psuedo history/mythology as well. ick. I am just into history and europe so i am a sucker.

Blood and Gold by Ann Rice (story of Marius) was pretty good in that regard (european history) just finished that two weeks ago.
 

---

Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Just finished five Star Wars Books in the last month: Planet of Twilight, The Crystal Star, and The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy.

The first two were generally ill received by SW fandom, so I was wary about them before I started reading them. "Planet" was probably the weakest SW book I've read to date and The Crystal Star was not without its problems but a little more enjoyable.

The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy was pretty decent though. Terribly anti-climatic in my opinion, but the author wrote the characters very well, both new ones and the main ones.

Only four more Star Wars books to go, and I'm finished with the Expanded Universe.
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I'm listening to the unabridged Iliad. It's making me feel very Bronze Age.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Haven't been able to finish book two of the Dark Tower yet. Just not hooking me in at the moment. So I picked up Caleb Carr's The Angel of Darkness, the sequel to The Alienist. Pretty good read so far. About 450 pages into it.
 

---

Posted by dedman on :
 
I'm still into Imagica, but have started reading I, Robot last night too.
 

---

Posted by dud on :
 
Any book by Rex Stout, the Wolfe books are the best. Currently rereading "The Doorbell Rang"
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm now about half way through Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. How are the rest of you doing - RTVU2 and Fat Cramer, in particular.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
re: Jonathan Strange - I'm up to page 586 and should finish tomorrow - it got to be a real page turner - I'd love to know how much of this is based on "real" magic traditions and how much she just made up. Hope she's working on a sequel!
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
You are really barrelling along, Fat Cramer. Unfortunately, the only time I seem to get to read it is in bed - and then I only get 10-25 pages read before I nod off. I need to set aside some early evening time to read.

When I met Susana Clark at a book signing, she did indeed say she was working on another book set in the same universe. She said it would include some of the same characters, but not necessarily the main characters. Hopefully it won't take another ten years for the next novel.

[ December 03, 2004, 02:39 PM: Message edited by: Semi Transparent Fellow ]
 

---

Posted by LyleLyle on :
 
Woo-hoo! Waldenbooks had America: The Book for 50% off this weekend!

"Yes, we were very accomplished. We discovered electricity, invented stoves, bifocals, the lazy susan, efficient printing presses and the swivel chair. But in the 18th cnetury it was nearly impossible not to invent something."
-Thomas Jefferson from the forward

(Also picked up the newly-released adult edition of The Ragwitch by Garth Nix... adult meaning it's got an abstract Dave McKean-ish picture on the cover and is no longer shelved in YA.)

[ December 03, 2004, 02:49 PM: Message edited by: LyleLyle ]
 

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Posted by ferroboy on :
 
Waldenbooks _didn't_ have volumes 2-4 of Otherworld from Tad Williams, which really annoys me. As much as I hate to see the upcoming Barnes & Noble make even more traffic in my area, it will be nice to have a decent bookstore close-by. (In fact, it will be just about right across the street from my new job.)
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
ferroboy, you can always get the other volumes from Amazon.com. Probably cheaper, too.
 

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Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
I go to borders, and Semi I haven't even picke dup Johntohon Strange in awhile....
 

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Posted by ferroboy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
ferroboy, you can always get the other volumes from Amazon.com. Probably cheaper, too.

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quote:

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Originally posted by dedman:
Last book i've read in thats series was Wizards and Glass...been too poor to afford to but more. How many more books in the series are out now?

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Three after WaG. Book 5 was Wolves of the Calla, book 6 was Song of Susannah and book 7, recently released, was simply called The Dark Tower. I'm still stuck on book 2. I really hope it gets better otherwise I'm likely to have a bunch more hardback dustcatchers.
 

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Posted by THE LABRADORIAN on :
 
I LOVE BOOK 2, and book 3 THE WASTELANDS was an excellent read too. I found the first book the hardest to get through, with WIZARDS and GLASS being a hard read too, but still overall both books are fantastic.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
I see i've got a trip to make to the bookstore when i get my first paycheque


btw....Labradorian, are you actually from Labrador or does your name have some other meaning?
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I had to give up on the Dark Tower again. Couldn't even get through the second book.

LLad, if you like Caleb Carr, pick up EL Doctorow's The Waterworks. It's similar, maybe a little more stylish.

Actually, everyone should read everything by EL Doctorow. Ragtime, World's Fair, Billy Bathgate, all great books. Compelling stories with little history lessons.
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I loved the movie adaption of Ragtime back when it came out. Never thought of looking for the novel. After I read the Alienist (I know, I started with the second book) I'll hunt up some Doctorow at the used book store.
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
Fat Cramer, have you finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell yet? I'm at about page 460. I'd love to have a good block of 3 or 4 hours to sit down with this now.
 

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Posted by THE LABRADORIAN on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by dedman:

btw....Labradorian, are you actually from Labrador or does your name have some other meaning?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
Fat Cramer, have you finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell yet? I'm at about page 460. I'd love to have a good block of 3 or 4 hours to sit down with this now.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by armsfalloffboy:
Actually, everyone should read everything by EL Doctorow. Ragtime, World's Fair, Billy Bathgate, all great books. Compelling stories with little history lessons.

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I've gotten a little past half way in "A Breif Hisotry of Time" and I've followed the argument up to that point. Then Hawking takes this quantum leap in logic (pun intended) and I'm lost. I might as well be reading Sanskrit scrolls at that point for all I understand. I keep meaning to go back to it.

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quote:

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"Catcher in the Rye" is a must-read classic.

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quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I've gotten a little past half way in "A Breif Hisotry of Time" and I've followed the argument up to that point. Then Hawking takes this quantum leap in logic (pun intended) and I'm lost. I might as well be reading Sanskrit scrolls at that point for all I understand. I keep meaning to go back to it.

"Catcher in the Rye" is a must-read classic.

knowjack recommends "Vernon God Little". His post was in this thread within the last couple of days.

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I tried reading Hawking’s book a few years ago and I had the same feeling—it was in a different language. Maybe I’ll take a look at it again and then again in a few more years, and eventually get the gist .

I’m one of those people who never really got into Catcher in the Rye either. My English teacher once said that it was one of those books people either loved or hated. I know tons of people who enjoy that book a lot. A book that probably is as widely read that I do like though, is “The Outsiders”, one of the best book I ever read in my teens that really meant something to me.
 

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Posted by lancesrealm on :
 
I discussed Catcher in the Rye with my mother-in-law (who is very well read) and I told her my low opinion of it. She said I was of the wrong generation to get it. She said if I were 10 years older and had experienced the '60s, it would likely have struck home.
 

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Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
 
"The Streeter" by Scott Ian Barry.

A pack of stray dogs, contaminated by a government chemical dump, become deranged, and stalk human prey.

It's quite good - and I'm not usually the thriller type.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
sounds interesting kent, i'll look for it @ the bookstore tommorrow when i go
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I'm not sure that anyone who didn't grow up in an age of conformity would "get" Catcher.
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I must read Catcher again. I read it in the 60's when I was in high school. (So I guess I fall into the group that "gets it.") Salinger's 9 Stories have also long been a favorite of mine (and usually I don't like short stories.)
 

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Posted by rokk steady on :
 
Love John Irving, even though his most recent work has not been up to par... Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany are my favorites. I love Garp and Hotel New Hampshire as well, but I saw them as movies before I read the books, and it's hard to separate them.

I recently began reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel, but joined a start-up book club with (and at the behest of) my S.O. and now must read Interview with a Vampire in the next coupla weeks. I'm not terribly thrilled at the prospect of that, but I've never read anything by Anne Rice, so there is always the chance I will be surprised.
 

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Posted by STU on :
 
John Irving is very talented. "The Cider House..." rules!
 

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Posted by Blacula on :
 
I got sooooo into the Vampire Chronicles when I read them in high school! I couldn't put them down! I think I read 'Interview with the Vampire', 'The Vampire Lestat' and 'Queen of the Damned' all in about a month! And I'm not someone who's normally into the whole vampire mythology thing.

If you kinda like 'Interview with the Vampire' Rokk Steady then make sure you read 'The Vampire Lestat'! Its the best one in the bunch and offers some radically different interpretations of key events in the first book. I swear - all my perceptions of the characters changed when I saw the same story told through a new person's set of eyes.

P.S. Thanks for all the 'Catcher in the Rye' talk people. You've peaked my interest enough to want to read it and form my own opinion now!
 

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Posted by Kid Psychout on :
 
Mechana: Winter's tale is a favourite book of mine. copy stolen a while back and been trying to find a new copy ever since.
AFOBoy: it's set in New York, and it's kind of a love story, but it's just one of those beautiful, magical stories that defy description. giving a plot outline doesn't really do it justice.

as for current books myself, haven't been able to get new books at the moment so been rereading all Terry Pratchett's discworld books.
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Got Winter's Tale from the library yesterday - the reviews at amazon made it sound very enchanting. Also bought a new Ian Rankin, Fleshmarket Close; he's one of my favourite mystery writers.
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm still plodding along in "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell." I'm at about page 550 and the man with thistle down hair is beginning to piss me off.
 

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Posted by THE LABRADORIAN on :
 
i thought INTERVIEW, LESTAT, AND QUEEN were the best books by far, an excellent read. I also enjoyed Witching Hour, though i found it a bit dragged out and a tad disturbing. What is it with Anne Rice and making at least some character either gay or a straight guy having a gay enounter, never understood the purpose behind these revelations.
 

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Posted by Saturn Girl on :
 
Scott says I just have to post this.... One of the biggest pieces of my history, which eventually lead to my meeting Scott as well, was when I was a total Goth chick, completely submerged in the vampire culture except for the hours I put on my Sheriff's uniform and worked my night shifts at the jail (quite a culture divergence, I know) Anyway, I got in so deep that I made in-roads with the New Orleans crowd, via the Los Angeles, Chicago and New York crowds first. In this life-altering period of about five years, I learned quite a lot about things other people only dream about. I also, fortunately, lived to move on and out of that phase of my life. Basically, everything in the 'game' of Vampire the Masquerade draws on reality. Yes Virginia, there are vampires !!

But, anyway, part of my experiences included spending three weeks in New Orleans in 1991, the last two weeks of October and first week of November. Through my writing for various independent vamp publishing outlets which ran from xeroxed pages stapled together and mailed out, to slick magazine and soft-cover book styles, I met some of Anne Rice's 'inner circle.' Long story short, it was my honor and deeply spiritually challenging priviledge to meet and spend time with Anne in her home and office and to get to know her. As it turns out, at that time, my good friend Muriel was one of Anne's cadre of Lesbian lovers. I believe that Anne is brilliant, but unfortunately, I also believe that years of drinking and popping pills in her younger years have taken their toll on Anne's mind and I think she's snapped. Whatever connection she had to the spirit realm, and I believe she had one, vanished and left her scrambling to keep cranking out books for the money. True fans, one's who 'get' Anne, can tell when the muse left her But what a wonderful ride it was while it lasted. Her characters, especially Lestat and the vampires, will live on in our imaginations forever. The Chronicles are mostly genius. Her descriptions absolutely delicious, even if they were so rich they made you ill as you pondered them.

I am glad I broke free of her world, or else I never would have met and loved Scott. But I am so thankful I got a glimpse into it for a short and magickal time.
 

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Posted by THE LABRADORIAN on :
 
her books have certainly been disappointing, and not just lately either. I couldnt even get through VIOLIN
SERVANT OF THE BONES was barely readable
BLACKWOOD FARM and its follow up BLOOD CANTACLE gave me good reason to say i could live without another vampire chronicles book. I just really enjoy the other vampires so much more and i wish i could get better stories with them.
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I would agree that the first three books are must-reads if you're into horror/fantasy/vampires. Interview is, by far, the greatest artistic achievement of the three (but my favorite is Lestat).
 

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Posted by rokk steady on :
 
Well, I am glad to have read your guys' thoughts on the vampire chronicles (non-Mormon Saturn Girl, your post was especially fascinating). Now I am looking forward to reading Interview with the Vampire for the book club. Thanks, guys!
 

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Posted by Bubble Wrap Boy on :
 
Hmmm... Having read most of her works, I'd have to say that the true impact of Interview isn't really felt until after you've read Lestat, then you see both sides of the same coin and can feel the texture of the characters and the events.
 

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Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
Just finsihed reading Little Children by Tom Perrota. Loved it. Read it in one night.

On to A Curious Incident in the Dog of Night.


Still have not gotten the muster to start reading Johnthon Strange again...
 

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Posted by Numf-El on :
 
I must confess that I got about two thirds through INTERVIEW and threw it away in disgust. What a load of girlie nonsense. No sex and not nearly enough violence. Too flowery by far.

Just finished Excalibur, again, the third and last of Bernard Cornwells Arthurian books (the best series of books I've ever read).

Now I have the seventh Thomas Covenant book (not including the pamphlet) to look forward to.

Am also reading a book called Eats, Shites and Leaves, a book about crap English and how to use it. Vaguelly humorous.

And sitting waiting to be picked up is a book entitled How To Support A Crap Football Team. Do you think my wife's trying to tell me something?
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Two going right now:

My Century, by Gunter Grass. He writes a 3-4 page story or vignette for each year of the 20th century. It might have more resonance if you know contemporary German history outside of the Nazi years - but each entry is a gem, and you get a real sense for each era. What a writer!

The other is Moneyball, by Michael Lewis (of Liar's Poker fame) about baseball - specifically, Billy Beane and the Oakland A's. Lewis explores how Beane used statistics to choose the optimal players for the team, for the least money. He was entirely at odds with traditional scouting methods - and his approach paid off. It sounds dry, but it's funny, captivating and reads like an adventure story. I could care less about baseball, but this is a fascinating read. I love it when contrarians succeed.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Two going right now:

My Century, by Gunter Grass. He writes a 3-4 page story or vignette for each year of the 20th century. It might have more resonance if you know contemporary German history outside of the Nazi years - but each entry is a gem, and you get a real sense for each era. What a writer!

---

This sounds fascinating! I'm especially interested in the early 20th Century before the rise of the Nazis. (I wrote my undergraduate thesis on "Gender Roles in Nazi Germany") I might have to check this out..
 

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Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
Cobie you can read?

Just got a new book Collapse: Why Civilizations Succed or Fail

Interesting book. This guys examines certain civilizations - like Easter Island, Mayan - in a 5 point framework from a very unibased point of view. He dosen't condem and he dosen't judge. He just presents the facts and extrapolates what could have lead them to fail or succeded.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by RTVU2:
Cobie you can read?

Just got a new book Collapse: Why Civilizations Succed or Fail

Interesting book. This guys examines certain civilizations - like Easter Island, Mayan - in a 5 point framework from a very unibased point of view. He dosen't condem and he dosen't judge. He just presents the facts and extrapolates what could have lead them to fail or succeded.

---

Don't let my over-sexed, alcohol induced, spelling mistake making self fool you, Vu! I'm a certified grad student with a passion for the classics, 19th Century Russian romance literature and a whole host of other stuff

I only wish I had the chance to squeeze more books in when I can between school reading and all the DC/Marvel comics I buy!
 

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Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
19th Century Russian Romance? I perfer the more friendly 17th century myself

Your just one big alt id aren't you
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Lermontov's Pechorin has influenced my love life for half a decade!

And that is probably a bad thing
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
I read some of the Anne Rice "Vampire" novels a long time ago. Don't remember much about them... I think I read Lestat first. This must have meant it was good because I would have never touched "Interview" or "Queen" if it wasn't. I don't remember "Interview" at all. "Queen" bored me. I stopped reading it around page 50 and never picked it back up.

As for recent readings... The Star Wars: Dark Rendezvous book is a darn good book. One of the best from the Galaxy Far Far Away. It's a bit of a prelude to the prelude of the upcoming movie. It is a very good take on Yoda, Dooku, Padawans and the nature of the Force. Excellent Star Wars story. Can't say enough good things about it.

I read Cloak of Deception (the prelude to Episode One) recently too. I couldn't find too much wrong with the "story", but be prepared for an awful lot of political wrangling (almost thought I was watching CSPAN a couple times while reading it). Definitely needed all of my patience to get through it.

Jedi Trial and Cestus Deception (two recent Star Wars releases) were both pretty entertaining reads. Very fast paced they were. 'Trial' was more militaristic than any other SW book I've read (and I've read just about everything except the New Jedi Order books and they're next). Being an old military dog myself... It appealled to me. Cestus Deception was just good.

As for what I'm reading now... The Han Solo Adventures is on my mantle. Pretty good so far but I'm only 60 pages into the first story. Since I've already read the Han Solo Trilogy.. I'm expecting the Han Solo Adventures to be quality entertainment.

Can't wait to get my hands on Labyrinth of Evil tomorrow... the prequel to episode III. Should be good stuff.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
Finished "the Great and Secret Show" by clive barker a few days. Found it pretty good, one of his better books. Just started to re-read "Swan Song" last night
 

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Posted by Jorg-El on :
 
After Blood & Gold by Anne Rice finished mid November i've read Le Morte De Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory.

Ok i got really bored with the knights banging each other in the heads, jousting, etc. But I did see some depth in the overall story...lots of it actually. No suprise it reminded me of the Illiad. Fate, karma, and how us humans fuck it all up. Boring...but i took lots of it. (and it wasn't ALL boring...but Tristram got boring fer sure)

I finished that last week and then went on to read the Last Bow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I read the collected Adventures of holmes a few months ago and LOVED IT. So i read the Last Bow which wasn't as good but I liked it lots. Gonna buy more Holmes stuff. Any suggestions? Has anyone read Adrian Conan Doyle's books? I was gonna go for those next (Exploits of Holmes).

I am read Harry Potter's and the Sorcerer's Stone (the 1st one) currently. I'ts aight...i haven't gotten into much but not turned off yet.
 

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Posted by Jorg-El on :
 
btw, i read Interview by Rice when I was 14. I liked it then...but I tried to reread it like 5 years ago...and it was pretty lame/girlie/eh. But Blood & Gold by Rice...loved it.
 

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Posted by Blacula on :
 
I thought the first Harry Potter book was called 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'. Did it have a different name in the States?
 

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Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
yeah blacula, it does. It's called the Sorcerer's stone here in the states.

Apparently the American Publishers didn't think that us American's could comprend what the Philososphers could mean. They also edited some of the very English stuff out of there too and made it more Amercainized. But with the 2nd book on, I think the publishers realized they didn't have to do that for the kiddos.
 

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Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
Also, I have still not compeleted Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell yet...
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
If you've read Mallory successfully, read Steinbeck's (unfinished--he died before completing it) Arthur book (can't remember the exact name). It was my bible in middle school. Also, I suppose it goes without saying but Once and Future King is brilliant.

Sorcerer's Stone. If only we could catalog all the things corporate America thinks the rest of America is too stupid to understand.
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
If you've read Mallory successfully, read Steinbeck's (unfinished--he died before completing it) Arthur book (can't remember the exact name). It was my bible in middle school. Also, I suppose it goes without saying but Once and Future King is brilliant.

Sorcerer's Stone. If only we could catalog all the things corporate America thinks the rest of America is too stupid to understand.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
still going on Swan Song; but i've managed to get my roommate hooked on asimov's foundation books!!!
 

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Posted by Kid Psychout on :
 
Deathstalker Return; book 7 in the series by Simon R. Green.

ths is a great pulp read, full of funny dialogue ideas thrown about to see if they stick. It's nominally scifi but throws in horror and a fair amount of comic book sensibilities as well.

On the donside, if you read comics not too many will be new to you, the characters tend to make speeches that reiterate the narrative descriptions of themselves on the previous page and the book gleefully contradicts itself all over the place.

But, hell, it's a fun, engaging read and i wish he'd write them a bit faster.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
Just started that old sci-fi classic "Day of the Triffids"
 

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Posted by Saturn Girl on :
 
My mother and I have been reading the same books lately - probably because she keeps getting books through the mail from our County Library. Large-print editions which are so much easier on her eyes since her chemo therapy. We just finished 'Smoke Jumper' by Nicholas Evans. He previously wrote The Horse Whisperer. I didn't care for 'horse' at all, but this book was excellent. We laughed, we cried, we cheered, and we both want it made into a movie. Fantastic male-bonding, hidden love story, surprises you don't see coming at all, and totally action packed.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I just finished reading a book called
"The Buried Pyramid" by Jane Linoskold.
Couldn't put it down.

Just restarted reading an old favorite
from College ... Fools Crow by James
Welch. Seems like I'm always going back
and reading that one ....

Caroline, have I mentioned that one to
you? You'd really love it...
 

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Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
btw, i finished Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone...i really got into it when he got to Hogwarts. Read in a few sitting. Gotta read the next. But first...Shogun.
 

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Posted by Queen B on :
 
Runes of the Earth by Stephen Donaldson - the Last Chronicle of Thomas Covenant.

Great stuff!

[ February 18, 2005, 07:56 AM: Message edited by: Queen B ]
 

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Posted by Numf-El on :
 
Just finished it, B. Excellent stuff.
Read in SFX mag that it's a four parter - I hope that doesn't spoil the end for you.

The only problem that I have with Donaldsons work is that of the second reading.
First time around it is just SOOOOO brilliant. Second time it's just "Get on with it - I know what happens next and I don't want to read 40 pages to get to the next part." But then I'm a much slower reader than most.
Needless to say I haven't tried any of them a third time.
 

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Posted by Numf-El on :
 
Oops. Forgot to tell you what I'm reading now.

Nothing. Nada. Nix.

Bugger all.

I'm sure I'll pick up something soon.
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Numf-El:
I'm sure I'll pick up something soon.

---

And we hope there'll be a cure for it!
 

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Posted by Star Boy on :
 
Stillll reading Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson.

Reading a Stephenson book is like reducing a set of encyclopediae into liquid form, and then slowly immersing yourself in it. Sometimes you feel like you can't breathe, but you're guaranteed to learn something new through the process... Quicksilver is awesome - can't wait to read the two sequels!
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Re-reading Timeline by Crichton again. Breezed through about 300 pages in the last couple of days. One of the few authors I genuinely enjoy re-reading.

Finally gave up on the Dark Tower series. Maybe I'll try it again at some point in the future but not now.

[ February 20, 2005, 08:44 PM: Message edited by: Lightning Lad ]
 

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Posted by Star Boy on :
 
Crichton does have excellent re-read value. Loved Terminal Man and Andromeda Strain...
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Andromeda Strain is a big favorite of mine. Both book and movie. The Great Train Robbery is another one of Crichton's best.
 

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Posted by Owl Lad on :
 
Any fellow Canadians out there who caught CBC's list of "Canada Reads" books? The top 5 came out this morning, but I missed the program.
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Owl Lad:
Any fellow Canadians out there who caught CBC's list of "Canada Reads" books? The top 5 came out this morning, but I missed the program.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
I've just started, finally, The Life of Pi. Promising!

---

It's a wonderful book. Please do tell us what you think about it. I loved the ending...
 

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Posted by Stargazer on :
 
Just started reading Captains Blood By William Shatner. (Yeah Denny Craine)
Picks up after events in ST Nemesis.
So far so good...
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Gloriana is a great book! Some of Moorcock's work is formulaic, but I really liked Gloriana.
 

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Posted by rokk steady on :
 
Anyone read Geek Love? It's the latest read for my book club. It's freaky... literally... and grotesque. It's about a family of carnival freak show attractions, all of whom are genetically "engineered" by their parents. It's keeping my interest mostly for being so bizarre that it's hard to NOT to keep reading, even if I am otherwise not really enjoying the story. I know there's a bigger message here, but it's kind of an unpleasant read... not that all reading experiences should be pleasant, but sometime this seems shocking solely for the sake of being shocking.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Rokk, can you give me some details on this
book? I read a book years ago that your
description reminds me of.

The one that I read involved a dwarf woman as
the narrator whose family included siamese twin
sisters, a sort of seal brother, and a psychic
brother ... is that the one you're reading?
 

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Posted by rokk steady on :
 
You win! That is indeed the book! Do you remember if it was ultimately a satisfying read for you?
 

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Posted by knowjack on :
 
I just read, in one night, Christopher Rice's new book, LIGHT BEFORE DAY. It's really good. This is his third book, and I've loved them all. Not supernatural like his mom Anne's books, but mysterious and sometimes creepy. His first book, A DENSITY OF SOULS is still my favorite though.

And they're HOT <G>!
 

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Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
I have heard something recent of Geek Love...maybe it was reading about the HBO show Carnival?

I am currently reading Shogun which may be the most intense book I've ever read. By this I mean it dominates my mind...I go to sleep and I dream of being in shackles with japanese men in togas yelling at me. It's a huge book...infact after 200 pages I took a break cause I felt a bit insane...read Lemony Snicket #1...took a day. Now back to Shogun. Hai!
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I loved Shogun when I read it (maybe 20 years ago - can it really be that long? I read it before they made the Richard Chamberlin miniseries. The book is much better.)
 

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Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
STF, I remember seeing the Richard Chamerlain mini as a kid. All I really remember is him getting pissed on. Ever since then I've always considered the ultimate insult. hai!
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
Jorg-Em, I don't remember that scene. Perhaps best that I don't.

I've just started "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's set in Barcelona in the 30's and 40's. It's a mystery about an ellusive author's writings being all bought up and destroyed - at least that's what the jacket says, since I'm only on page 30.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rokk steady:
You win! That is indeed the book! Do you remember if it was ultimately a satisfying read for you?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Who'd have thought that ROCKBOUND would win the Canada Reads competition? I think it was resurrected just for the contest. A novel that the residents of the island it was based on described as not representative of their way of life. Haven't read it, though, so I'm just being grumpy.

I've just started, finally, The Life of Pi. Promising!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
That Stirling book is one I'm looking forward to - love post-apocalypse books. He wrote one that took place in India (forget the title) which I didn't get into at all - except the appendix, in which he described the disaster that led to England's collapse and the re-establishment of the British Empire in India.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I've just started "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's set in Barcelona in the 30's and 40's. It's a mystery about an ellusive author's writings being all bought up and destroyed - at least that's what the jacket says, since I'm only on page 30.

---

I bought that book for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day (OK I'm not very good at getting romantic gifts for people) and he read a few pages then put it aside saying he just couldn't get into it (yes - I thought that was insensitive of him too).

So I'd be very curious to see what you thought of it STF. I'm tempted to borrow it off him and read it for myself so that at least one of us gets some enjoyment out of it.
 

---

Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Ain't been on this thread since January... Let's see. I read Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil which is the prelude to the upcoming Episode III movie. Pretty decent read. It was tough to get into, Luceno really has a way of wrangling the espionage and politics into the foreground, but it tends to be very... dry. Nature of the beast kinda thing I guess. The last part of the book was fast paced action though. It was hard to put the book down once that started.

Since then, I've started in on the New Jedi Order series. I've read...

Vector Prime
Dark Tide: Onslaught
Dark Tide: Ruin
Agents of Chaos: Hero's Trial
Agents of Chaos: Jedi Eclipse
Balance Point
Edge of Victory: Conquest
Edge of Victory: Rebirth
Star by Star
Dark Journey
Enemy Lines: Rebel Dream
and I'm half way through Enemy Lines: Rebel Stand.

What can I say? I got a lot of New Jedi Order books for Christmas. The fact that I've read that many books over the last two months bodes well for them. Every one of them kept my interest. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
 

---

Posted by Loser Lad on :
 
Sorry to hear that you didn't get into the Dark Tower series Scott. I had a hard time getting into The Gunslinger when I read it the first time years ago. I didn't really get drawn into the series until the last part of Drawing of the Three. From there I was hooked. Kind of lost track of it during the long wait between The Wastelands and Wizard and Glass, but I picked it up again over the winter and read through to the end. Then I went back to the beginning and read them through again. Knowing a little more about Roland's world and how it relates to ours made the first two books that much more understandable and fun to read.

I'd still have to say Wizard and Glass is my favorite of the seven books, and probably one of my favorite books ever. That one deals mainly with Roland's youth and the great love of his life and fills in a lot of the details about how and why Roland set out on his quest for the Tower to begin with. And, if you're a fan of The Stand, Randall Flagg makes an appearance in W & G and ends up playing an important part in the series. I won't say any more than that, because I don't want to spoil anything for you if you ever decide to give the series another shot.

[plug]Oh, and if you're into The Stand, take a peek at page 21 over in my gallery in Bits. I posted a Flagg pic that I colored over the weekend that I'm pretty proud of. [/plug]
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Flagg is one of the best villains and one of the reason I really wanted to get into the Tower series. I'll probably retry at a later time. Maybe even skip right into book 3. Off to see the Flagg pic now.
 

---

Posted by Loser Lad on :
 
I've heard that skipping around really isn't the best idea, and I'd probably have to agree. If you think it's confusing reading from start to finish you'll really get lost if you miss out on some of the details. Besides, I thought the ending of the second book (the drawing of The Pusher) was the best part of that book. I think that's the point where I really started to get into it way back when I read it the first time. I agree that the Odetta/Detta stuff was a bit annoying, but once the focus kind of shifts off of her a bit it gets a little better.
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
The Illustrated History of World War I, by John Keegan. Keegan is the best war historian I have ever read. Witty, thoroughly researched, and very British. The numbers from WWI are staggering. 40,000 dead in one day at the Somme. Hundreds of thousands at Verdun. Absolutely insane!

I'm also listening to James Lee Burke's Bitterroot. If you enjoy mysteries, RUN to the library. Burke wrote a series of novels set in Louisiana about a recovering alcoholic ex-New Orleans cop who always seems to get involved in apocalyptically messy situations (Black Cherry Blues, Heaven's Prisoners, Cadillac Jukebox,etc.). GREAT writing--not just great mysteries. Bitterroot is set in Montana and features a classic cast of f---ed up James Lee Burke characters. It can be pretty dark sometimes, but I can't get enough of him.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I second the Burke books. Caroline and I both read through all of his Dave Robicheaux novels a few years back. Along with vampires, anything to do with Louisiana and New Orleans usually wind up on our lists.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Don't think I've read Lucifer's Hammer or The Stand - how did I miss those? But I'll add 'em to the library list!

The Burke books are great, they seem to always end with good food and music - after dragging you through a few hundred pages of Louisiana scum and lowlife. Dave Robicheaux and Billy Bob Holland are complex - and overall appealing - characters, but I must confess that Clete Purcell is one of my favourites, even though he's violent, macho, a little psycho and would probably disgust me in real life.

Now I'm reading A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzani - an Italian journalist/foreign correspondent who worked for Der Spiegel, mostly out of Asia. A fortune teller in Hong Kong told him not to fly in 1993 - and he decided to follow the warning. This book chronicles his travels and work throughout that year. A travel book, but also lots on the politics and economics of the Far East. (Unfortunately, I only discovered this author because his obituary was in the paper a few weeks ago.)
 

---

Posted by Probability Pete on :
 
I'm reading "First Knight" by Peter David of comic book fame.

I just finished "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". That was as great as all the reviews say.
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Clete rules! I want an old junker convertible just so I can be like him! I always want to go wherever Burke sets his novels--I was dying to go to Louisiana when I was reading the Robicheaux books, and Bitterroot is making me want to drive the family to Montana this summer.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blacula:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I've just started "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's set in Barcelona in the 30's and 40's. It's a mystery about an ellusive author's writings being all bought up and destroyed - at least that's what the jacket says, since I'm only on page 30.

---

I bought that book for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day (OK I'm not very good at getting romantic gifts for people) and he read a few pages then put it aside saying he just couldn't get into it (yes - I thought that was insensitive of him too).

So I'd be very curious to see what you thought of it STF. I'm tempted to borrow it off him and read it for myself so that at least one of us gets some enjoyment out of it.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lightning Lad:
Flagg is one of the best villains and one of the reason I really wanted to get into the Tower series. I'll probably retry at a later time. Maybe even skip right into book 3. Off to see the Flagg pic now.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lightning Lad:
I second the Burke books. Caroline and I both read through all of his Dave Robicheaux novels a few years back. Along with vampires, anything to do with Louisiana and New Orleans usually wind up on our lists.

---

Hey, buddy, have you guys ever read Fevre Dream by
George RRR Martin?
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Now I'm listening to Cimarron Rose by Burke. Good stuff. I'm going to tackle Last Car to Elysian Fields on my trip next week.
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
I just finished The Time Travler's Wife.

I started a little bit slow for me but midway through I couldn't put the book down and finished it pretty quickly.

Not ashamed to admit that I was welling up near the end. Good book. I hihgly recommend it.
 

---

Posted by Polar Boy v2.0 on :
 
I have a few books I'm reading.

David Limbaugh - Persecution, How Liberals are Waging a War Against Christianity
David Bach - Start Late, Finish Rich
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
RTVU2, I also liked the Time Traveler's Wife. It takes a bit of getting used to the jumping back and forth n time, but once you get the hang of it, it's a fun book.

I recently finished "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's an enjoyable book, although it has it's flaws. One of the problems is that it is weak on character development. The villain is a major-baddy, but even by the end, the author hasn't really given a convincing explanation of his motivation. Some of the other supporting characters are a little weak as well. Nevertheless, I think Zafon shows great promise as a writer and I look forward to his next novel.
 

---

Posted by Karie on :
 
At the mo I'm reading "The Six Wives of Henry VIII", thought I might brush up on my non-existant English History a little. Pretty interesting reading.
 

---

Posted by Saturn Girl on :
 
HI Blue Cutie!!!! Actually, the first time I went to Wendover (the casino town bordering Utah/Nevada) where Scott was working when we met, his mother gave me her copy of Fevre Dream. So, to me, the book means even more because Ruth Sharritt took it down from her shelf, talked about it, and gave it to me, a virtual stranger. It was a big moment for me, something I will never forget. We had hardly met, and I was this strange Goth girl allegedly in love with her son. When Ruth gave me that book I felt it was a gesture of acceptance. I only wish that Ruth were alive today. She left our lives so shortly after Scott and I were married, and she left this world so young, 54.
 

---

Posted by Polar Boy v2.0 on :
 
Just got a new book!!

Dr. James Beall - Straight Talk about the Holy Spirit

Dr. Beall is the emertus senior pastor at the church I go to. This man is very good.
 

---

Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
Hey LL, i read Niven's Lucifer's Hammer. It was aight. I heard he just wrote something good. What is his latest book?
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm reading two books right now - "Ilium" by Dan Simmons is a SF tale based on the Iliad among other things. "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell is a non-fictiion book about the power of first impressions (basically a re-working of the left brain/right brain theory).
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:

I recently finished "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's an enjoyable book, although it has it's flaws. One of the problems is that it is weak on character development. The villain is a major-baddy, but even by the end, the author hasn't really given a convincing explanation of his motivation. Some of the other supporting characters are a little weak as well. Nevertheless, I think Zafon shows great promise as a writer and I look forward to his next novel.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jorg-EM:
Hey LL, i read Niven's Lucifer's Hammer. It was aight. I heard he just wrote something good. What is his latest book?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by RTVU2:
Wow, did we read the same book? I loved it. It think it is a great book!

The book had so much going for it. It's about friendship, love lost and love never to be returned. It's about identity. It's about trust. It's about not taking things at face value. It's about growing up. It's about misdrection. It's about hatered and happiness. It's just all encompassing.

I thought all the characters were fully realized. Down to all the incidental characters. They all had rich stories to share and a lives that begged for more. I laughed out loud, I was surprised and I got chills reading this book.

I thought the words just flowed of the pages and where almost lyrical in nature. Which is surprising considering this is a translation from the orginal Spanish. I thought I was living in the story of the book. That I had been really transported into the novel.

I have to say this is been one of the better books I have read in awhile.

---

I did enjoy the book RTVU. I just felt that it was lacking in some areas. For example, I still don't have a good sense of whether Julian Carax was a good writer or not. What was Clara all about? She almost seemed unnecessary. She was introduced in the begining, dropped for most of the book and then appears at the end so that the writer can bitterly tell us that she's lost her looks and been unsuccessfull in love. Nyah-nyah-na-na-na! I guess I was just left a bit unsatisfied becasue I think this writer is capable of a lot. But I assure you, we did read the same book.
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 
Semi, I hope you didn't think I was trying to bash you or anything. I just love this book so much.

I think Crax being a good writer is shown in the book by the devotion that the other characters share for him. Nuria, Miquel, Daniel, Penolpe, Jacinta, Bea and others show that he is a good writer through their love and devotion. Also made the writer is trying to tell us that only one person has to love your writing for you to be succesful. And I think it is beside the point because the book is more about Daniel and his journey into manhood and how the book effects who he will become.

Also I think Clara is there to show us how much first love can be wonderful, hated, confusing and overwhemling. Just in real life you lose contact with the people that mean the most of you. Daniel made a decision not to see her because it hurt him.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by RTVU2:
Semi, I hope you didn't think I was trying to bash you or anything.

---

I didn't think that.
 

---

Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
"Well Niven and Jerry Pournelle have written another book together that was just released, Burner Tower, a sequel to The Burning City. That came out earlier this year."

Thanks LL. I will check that one out.
 

---

Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
I am STILL reading Shogun. Haven't had much time lately. Ohwell I am enjoying it greatly.
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I liked all of Clavell's books, even if they are a little melodramatic. I just wish I could eliminate Richard Chamberlin circa 1980 from my mind's eye when I read Shogun.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by armsfalloffboy:
Have any of you Burke readers read "Last Car to Elysian Fields?" It was a bit of a downer. Either Burke's getting tired of writing Dave or the end is near.

Spoiler, just in case....

I missed Bootsie. Did she die "off-panel," or did I miss a book somewhere?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell is a non-fictiion book about the power of first impressions (basically a re-working of the left brain/right brain theory).

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I'm on a sci-fi kick right now. ILIUM, by Dan Simmons, was one of the most enjoyable books I've read in years. The sequel, OLYMPOS, comes out in two weeks and I'm chomping at the bit. This is a reimagining of the Greek Gods as post-humans living on Mars some several thousand years from now (4000 AD?). They quantum transport back and forth to the battlefields of Troy to mess with the heroic mortals. Great fun to see the mortals turn the tables on the self-indulgent "gods".

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Harbinger:
Deffo Semi, but will have to wait until Alan's read it first.

---

Maybe he could read it aloud to you while he refills your champange glass, peels your grapes and massages your tired feet. It's the least he could do.
 

---

Posted by Harbinger on :
 
We could hope!

I'll point this out to him just in case he takes the hint
 

---

Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
 
I've started reading ILIUM, but haven't been able to continue it recently. Too much stuff going on in college.

I'm also a fan of Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, though I admit his last few books haven't lived up to the greatness of the first five. I'm patiently waiting for Book 11.
 

---

Posted by RTVU2 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:

By the way, RTVU2, did you ever finish Jonathan Strange?

---

Last book I read was My Friend Lenoard by James Frey.

I am thinking about trying to star over on two books that I gave up on. One being Jonathon Strange and the other being Devil in the White City.
 

---

Posted by Disco Ded on :
 
Just finished Louis L'Amour's "Haunted Mesa". It was ok, but he's writen much better. Going to be starting to reread Saberhagen's Books of Swords next.
 

---

Posted by legionadventureman on :
 
Just finished "Guardian" by John Saul. Good book. Saul writes good books - each with its own subplot of controversy. Who would read a book if it were dull, anyway?
 

---

Posted by Ghost of Numf-El on :
 
Women

And Scientists

And women scientists
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
You calling Oprah a scientist?
 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
Scary.

I just read Paris to the Moon. It was... interesting, I guess. *shrugs* I'm always a bit apathetic to school reading. Silly college.

I'd recommend it if you like non-fiction, though (which I do) 'cause it's full of interesting politics and observations.
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I just loaded the DaVinci Code to my PSP. It is the last of Brown's books for me to get to. I hope I've saved the best for last.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
PSP? Play Station Portable?
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
PSP? Play Station Portable?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
By the way, Scott, has Caroline heard of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova? I'm reading it right now. It's a novel about a girl's search for her father, an historian, who's gone in search of Dracula, who apparently is still alive. It's rather well written, but slow paced. It just came out 2 weeks ago, but is already climbing up the best seller list.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Do you finish a book whether or not you enjoy it? Some people do see a book right through to the end, but I don't have the patience.

I'm looking forward to Olympos also - don't know if I'll shell out the $$ to buy it, or wait for the library - which could take months. So I'll probably buy it - and Locked Rooms by Laurie King - next in the series of Mary Russell ("Sherlock Holmes' wife") series.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Do you finish a book whether or not you enjoy it? Some people do see a book right through to the end, but I don't have the patience.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Do you finish a book whether or not you enjoy it? Some people do see a book right through to the end, but I don't have the patience.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caliente:
[]I'm with you. If I'm not enjoying the book, what's the point in continuing? It's a recreation activity, after all...

.

---

I guess I differ - reading isn't always a recreational activity for me. I'll stick with a book in the hopes that the overall experience will be rewarding in a manner that I can't discern while still in the midst of the book. One book that I struggled with at serveral points was "The Glass Bead Game" by Herman Hesse. I stuck with it though, and in the end found it thought provoking and deeply moving. Even though I read it many years ago, I still think about it often. Sometimes you just can't tell what the impact of a book is going to be until after you've finished it.

[ July 14, 2005, 10:31 AM: Message edited by: Semi Transparent Fellow ]
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Whether I finsh a book or not generally depends on what I have waiting to read next. My level of patience varys.

Right now I've just dropped everything to read Vision in Death by JD Robb. Major gulity pleasure SF-mystery-thriller type series of books. I got it today and I'm already half finished.
 

---

Posted by dedman on :
 
I'm still on my fantasy kick right now. Reading "An Armoury of Swords"....a group of short stories about Saberhagen's swords by other authors.
 

---

Posted by Tamper Lad on :
 
I'm not much for fiction, but I read a lot of biographies. I've just finished The Maverick and his Machine by Kevin Maney. It's a biography of Thomas Watson Sr. and IBM. The company worshipped him like a cult leader in those days.

http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/music/music_clips.html

"Ever Onward" must be experienced to be believed.
 

---

Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
Ok I finished Shogun a while back finally. Great book. Basically a huge chess match and I loved it.

I read the first three Lemony Snicket books. That was fun. I bought for my daughter but I loved the film so much I read them. The first was suprisingly wasn't the best IMO. Like 2 and 3 more.

Now I am reading Capitan Alatriste! Good ole sword adventures in the 17thcentury in Spain. How can I not like it! Viggo is currently making the film for this in Spain...and in spanish! Anyways the author is the same guy who wrote Club Dumas (aka the Ninth Gate film with Depp). The author is Arturo Perez-Reverte. So far I recommend it to anynone.
 

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Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
"Do you finish a book whether or not you enjoy it? Some people do see a book right through to the end, but I don't have the patience."

Yes. So many times I am not enjoying a book but 10 pages later I am loving it.

One book that I never can finish is Count of Monte Cristo though. I enjoy it but lose patience with it.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Me, too. I like it, but it's so long that I get distracted before I finish it.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm within spitting distance of the end of "The Historian." I can't recommend it. While the writer has a facility for English, she knows diddly squat about pacing or plot development. (I blame her editor for not trimming this overblown book to make it readable.) Description is thrown, seemingly because the writer just can resist the urge to describe the characters 3 meals a day, despite the fact that they're on the run and shouldn't be stopping for a meal. While she should be building to the climax, she goes on digressions about medieval manuscripts and their authenticity. Huh? I think Elizabeth Kostova has promise, but she needs a lot of help from her editor.

So if you thought Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell was tedious (RTVU2) stay far away from this book. It will try your patience.
 

---

Posted by Lad Boy on :
 
Hamlet at lunchtime, Fahrenheit 451 at bedtime.
 

---

Posted by Loser Lad on :
 
I'm currently halfway through "A Storm of Swords", the third book of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy epic. Totally awesome so far. I recommend it to anyone who is into fantasy/sword and sorcery type stuff.

For anyone who has been following this series, the long-awaited fourth book "A Feast for Crows" is finally due out on October 17th in the UK and November 8th in the US. Allegedly the fifth book "A Dance with Dragons" is also nearing completion.
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Much Depends On Dinner, by Margaret Visser (actually, on audio tape so I can weed and "read"). She traces the history of the foods that make up a very simple meal: chicken, rice, corn, salad and ice cream. Very detailed, wide-ranging, fascinating.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I just finished Sorcery and Cecilia (or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot) by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. It's a charming little regency fantasy, good for anyone who likes Jane Austen.

The novel actually started out as a game. The authors each created a character and they had the characters write letters to each other. The main characters are two cousins: Kate who gets to go to Londen for the season and Cecy who doesn't.

I'm reading the sequel now. (SFBC omnibus edition.)

[ July 21, 2005, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: Arachne ]
 

---

Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
One book that I struggled with at serveral points was "The Glass Bead Game" by Herman Hesse. I stuck with it though, and in the end found it thought provoking and deeply moving.

---

quote:

---

Woo hoo! George R.R. Martin's "A Feast for Crows" comes out July 26th! Finally!

---

quote:

---

The only book that I couldn't finish was "The Little Friend" by Donna Tart. I got through about 400 pages with 100 pages to go and I gave it up. I hated it so much and was so disappointed. I'm told I didn't miss anything since the story was never resolved. [/QB]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I finally finished "The Historian." ughhh! what a chore. Now I'm reading "Olympos", Dan Simmons sequel to "Ilium." What a pleasure!

---

So sorry you didn't enjoy The Historian, Semi. Scott gave me this for Valentine's Day, and he even got a large print edition so that my mother could read it as well. Mom picked it up before me, and she however stopped on page 49 where they (briefly) describe exactly how Vlad Tepes impaled people and stuck the stakes around his grounds as warnings to his enemies and ghastly trophies. I, on the other hand, am loving it!!! Of course, maybe that's because I am mad for any and all things vampire. This book could drag for a lot of people who are not into the details. Someone said they describe what they are eating and drinking on every page. Well, that's part of the inside joke too because it's a lot of the same takes on the cultures of the areas they are traveling through that Stoker and Florescu and Anne Rice and others have also used in their plots. I want more, more. I want to be the next one the letters and clues and such are left for! (But, I'm too damn old and fat to get the job done. So, Dracula is still gonna be safe out there wherever he is presently hanging out) Anyway, now someone please write such a fantastic book about the great werewolves of history!

 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
Caroline, if you like werewolf books, one that I really enjoyed was St. Peter's Wolf by Michael Cadnum. it's set in San Francisco in the 1990's. Cadnum makes the werewolf a somewhat noble and free creature, who is only really vicious during the first few months of his transformation, before he gets control over his new powers.

[ August 24, 2005, 01:03 PM: Message edited by: Semi Transparent Fellow ]
 

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Posted by Saturn Girl on :
 
Wow, thanks so much Semi. I will definitely have to get this one.
 

---

Posted by thor2168 on :
 
I just finished Wicked ,and liked it a great deal. Also, the new Star Wars, The Joiner King, it was an enjoyable fast read if not riveting. Now am on to the second book of the triology of The Victorian Age series from White Wolf, can't think of the name of the book at the moment...
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I finished Olympos by Dan Simmons last night. Wow! What a tour de force. Simmons imagination is so rich. Why can't epics like this be made into movies? I highly recommend this two book series. The first is Illium. Olympos goes way beyond Illium, but it all makes sense.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I'm totally hooked on the Southern Vampire Chronicles by Charlaine Harris. Great guilty pleasure stuff and one of the most plausible depictions of life as a telepath I've read. It's got some pretty sexy vampires, too. [sigh] Eric...

And it's got a werecollie, which has got to count for something.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
[QBAnd it's got a werecollie, which has got to count for something.[/QB]

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
Well it counts for a lot with this collie lover. Tell me about the werecollie. Is it a man that turns into a collie, or a collie that turns into a werebeast?

---

His name's Sam, and he owns the bar where Sookie (the main character) works. He can actually change into any animal, but he prefers being a collie. He has to change during the fulll moon whether he likes it or not. He's also a potential love interest for Sookie. If this were real life I'd say he was perfect for her, but this is fiction and I find Sookies relationship with Eric more interesting. Maybe she could hook up with Sam in the last book.
 

---

Posted by legionadventureman on :
 
Who here is a Harry Potter fan?
 

---

Posted by Jorg-EM on :
 
legionadventureman, I've only read the first book but I realy dug it. My gf has read all of them except the latest. I love the films and plan to read the rest!

Since my last post I read the Seville Communion. As a big fan of the city Seville -probably my favorite city ever(Napoleon Dynamite voice)- I realy enjoyed it. Shitty ending but ohwell.

I am currently reading The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson.

It belonged to a friend of mine who basically told me I had to read it. It's ok...lots of historical details about 1890s Chicago...including the serial killer H.H. Holmes. After that reading the History of the Basques...and then hopefully a Harry Potter.
 

---

Posted by legionadventureman on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jorg-EM:
legionadventureman, I've only read the first book but I realy dug it. My gf has read all of them except the latest. I love the films and plan to read the rest!

Since my last post I read the Seville Communion. As a big fan of the city Seville -probably my favorite city ever(Napoleon Dynamite voice)- I realy enjoyed it. Shitty ending but oh well. [QB]

Good to hear, Jorg, reading (and posting on Legion World, natch) is among my favourite past-times...From Agatha Christie to Virginia Andrews, i suppose i do have eclectic tastes in literature...as do you, i see.


I am currently reading The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson.

It belonged to a friend of mine who basically told me I had to read it. It's ok...lots of historical details about 1890s Chicago...including the serial killer H.H. Holmes. After that reading the History of the Basques...and then hopefully a Harry Potter.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
I'm totally hooked on the Southern Vampire Chronicles by Charlaine Harris.

---

You're welcome, Arachne dear
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 


I will find a way to pay you back.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Read four Greg Rucka novels in a row, all featuring a character named Atticus Kodiak. Good adventure stories. I think I've read all of Rucka's novels now.

Now I've started a collection of Banjo Patterson's writings - he's the guy who wrote "Waltzing Matilda" - very entertaining. I never know Merino sheep were so nasty....in addition to chronciling life in the Australian Outback, he also wrote about the Boer War and horse racing.
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm reading Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go."
 

---

Posted by Joe-Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Read four Greg Rucka novels in a row, all featuring a character named Atticus Kodiak. Good adventure stories. I think I've read all of Rucka's novels now.

Now I've started a collection of Banjo Patterson's writings - he's the guy who wrote "Waltzing Matilda" - very entertaining. I never know Merino sheep were so nasty....in addition to chronciling life in the Australian Outback, he also wrote about the Boer War and horse racing.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by RTVU2:
Hey Joe Boy, I love Jasper Fforde too, though since I am not much of a classics reader I don't get half of the stuff. I do enjoy reading them though.

No new books for me. Nothing has really captured my interest.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by disaster boy:
knife of dreams came out!

im reading through it....pretty good, better than maybe the last two....

---

you read like real books?
 

---

Posted by disaster boy on :
 

 

---

Posted by Caliente on :
 
I just finished Migrant Daughter for my Chicano Studies class and I actually really enjoyed it, so I thought I'd share. w00t~

That is all.
 

---

Posted by STU on :
 
I just got a copy of "Moominvalley in November" -- this was the last in the Moomin series of children's books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. I read all the other books in the series as a kid, but for some reason never got a hold of "November." By the time I thought to look for it, it was no longer available in the US.

They finally started reprinting it a few years ago -- and I finally found out about it recently -- and now I'll be able to say that I've read the entire series, at last.

My favorites are still "Comet in Moominland" and "Finn Family Moomintroll." The later ones were well-written and evocative, but melancholy and less fun...
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
So what is this Mooninvalley - a place for butt flashers?
 

---

Posted by STU on :
 
Moomins look a little like furry hippos that walk upright (seriously!). The author did all the illustrations for the books as well.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Bunnicula.

A cat trying to pound a steak (not a typo) through the heart of a vampire rabbit...
 

---

Posted by Probability Pete on :
 
Just finished "Anansi Boys" by Neil Gaiman (very, very good). About to start " The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay"; I know I'm late on that one but it's 600 pages.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Tove Jansson also wrote some excellent adult fiction. "Summer Book" is a series of connected stories about the permanent residents of an island shared with summer vacation homes.

I've started Dan Simmons' Olympos, which is great, but I keep getting interrupted. There have been some fairly unmemorable books, but a recent highligh was Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, which Semi praised highly. It really was an exceptionally thought-provoking book - one that merits re-rereading.

One I'm eagerly awaiting from the library is Arthur and George by Julian Barnes. It's fiction, but based on a true story of Arthur Conan Doyle fighting the wrongful conviction of George (whose last name I've forgotten). I heard in a radio review of the book that it was this particular case which led to the establishment of the British Court of Appeals.

[ November 03, 2005, 02:21 AM: Message edited by: Fat Cramer ]
 

---

Posted by Joe-Boy on :
 
Rereading Watership Downs....
Also about to read a book I found in the Library Im doing some temp work at for the Next 5 weeks..."The Rainbow boys"...and in a Catholic School Library no less.
Nice to see theres resources for the Gay kids these days.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Joe Boy, Watership Down is one of my recommended reads for anyone planning to live.
 

---

Posted by STU on :
 
I plan to live!

I read Watership Down when I was really young, and have to admit that I really didn't "get" it as much as I probably would have had I waited until I was a bit older to read it. It's on my list of books that I want to go back and re-read now that I'm "grown up"...

I noticed that Richard Adams has written a bunch of other books, most of them more recently: Plague Dogs, Tales from Watership Down, and Shardik. Has anyone read any of these?

[ November 09, 2005, 08:17 PM: Message edited by: STU ]
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
STU, I read Tales, and it was good for a collection of short stories, but it didn't match the original novel in depth of character.
 

---

Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
Simon R. Green's nightside tales. I have read them each three or four times, and each time i do, i find more little nuggets of imagination in them. And they are relatively small books, around 200 pages mostly.

Other than that, right now, i'm reading the ICC building codes for Mechanical and Building. Talk about dry reading. Accounting has a better plot, lol.
 

---

Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
Oh, and i have been trying the serenity falls horror series, but i don't know why. I don't really like them, but i can't seem to stop trying, hoping they will get better.
 

---

Posted by Ghost of Numf-El on :
 
You should be reading about changing nappies! How to make up formula. When to wean. How to deal with new teeth etc.


 

---

Posted by lancesrealm on :
 
I bought George R.R. Martin's "A Feast for Crows" on Tuesday. I traveled to Lexington to a book signing Wednesday night and now have an autographed copy! Yay! (I'm reading it too, by the way.)
 

---

Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
Nah, ghost, thats what i have a wife to teach me for, lol. She and my mom will teach me, and it will make them feel good to do it.
 

---

Posted by STU on :
 
I'm trying to "skim" Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire before the movie comes out. I kind of read through the second half in a hurry, and there are large chunks of the story that I just don't remember at all.

I'm also planning to re-read "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" again before the movie comes out December 9.

Come to think of it, I'll probably re-read "Brokeback Mountain" again before the movie comes out. I read the story when it was originally published years ago, and thought it was very powerful. It also takes place in Wyoming, one of my favorite states...
 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Stu. Wyoming. Sheep.


 

---

Posted by STU on :
 


Sheep? I think you've mistaken me for someone else...

 

---

Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 

 

---

Posted by legionadventureman on :
 
Wasn't there a song about being "Wide Legged and Eyeless"?
 

---

Posted by disaster boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by lancesrealm:
I bought George R.R. Martin's "A Feast for Crows" on Tuesday. I traveled to Lexington to a book signing Wednesday night and now have an autographed copy! Yay! (I'm reading it too, by the way.)

---

feast for crows is OUT?!?!

oh great there goes my school work.

i finished knife of dreams, by robert jordan, was good...lots of tying up loose ends (which is good) but not much new....progress.

[ November 16, 2005, 08:33 AM: Message edited by: disaster boy ]
 

---

Posted by lancesrealm on :
 
Yup - came out November 8th. It is good - but I think it is a step down from the first three books. I'm about 80% of the way through it, and am enjoying it, even though nothing much seems to happen.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
I probably won't get it for months yet.
 

---

Posted by legionadventureman on :
 
Is anybody familiar with the stories by John Saul? He can sure give Peter Straub, Dean Koontz or Stephen King a run for their money.
 

---

Posted by lancesrealm on :
 
Arachne, I honestly feel it isn't worh getting excited over. Martin's work seemed to take a serious downturn with this book. Hoping for better next time.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Well this book wasn't meant to be written, as I understand it. Originaly, the series was supposed to skip five years, but someone decided they'd better be covered after all. I'm hoping that that's why this book took so long and that the rest will be out faster.

I'm curently reading Evolution by Stephen Baxter. It's a facintating novel that covers evolution on earth from 65 million years ago to the present, and maybe beyond. (I haven't gotten that far yet.) I've never read anything like it. It's almost like reading a nature documentary. It's brutal and tragic, but wonderous at the same time. He's done a marvelous job meshing what we know and what we only theorize. The only thing I can think of that comes close to this it the Walking with Dinosaurs mini-series that was made a few years ago.
 

---

Posted by Joe-Boy on :
 
I just finished "the death and life od Superman" which i hadnt read since I was a kid...was neat

now Reading "Mysterious skin" its been on the pile for months but the movie is released here soon so I figured I might as well read it before it comes out. actually made me cry in parts...which is hard.
 

---

Posted by LARDLAD on :
 
Yes! Got the 500th post in this thread!!
 

---

Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I'm re-reading _Dragon Knight_ by Gordon R.
Dickson.
 

---

Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
The Historian. It's a good book, a vampire story more like Davinci Code than Dracula.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Jasper Fforde, The Eyre Affair. It's pretty funny, but I don't know if a whole series of this will maintain interest.
 

---

Posted by Joe-Boy on :
 
The second book is pretty good...the sort of trail off in the next two. Im yet to read the latest.

Just finished "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts www.shantaram.com ...It was a bit of a chore to read (anything that long is in my opinion) but definately worth it.

Was Given "the Truth about Diamonds" by Nicole Richie for Christmas...Ill let you know how bad it is when I read it. but first Im going to put it next to "Confessions of an Heiress" and see if I can make them fight like fighting fish.

[ December 27, 2005, 09:01 PM: Message edited by: Joe-Boy ]
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Finally finished The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson a few weeks ago.

It's about two non-fiction stories that happened in Chicago in 1893. One is about the World's Columbian Exposition (The Chicago World's Fair) and the other about a serial killer called H.H. Holmes.

Two very interesting stories yet it was a very boring book. I credit the author for being thorough with the details...but it slowed down my interest big time.

cool things about the world fair. Story mostly looked at the architects involved. Great minds and all of that. Just last August I saw Hunt's Vanderbilt mansion in Newport RI...so I appreciated some of this stuff. The fair had lots of American history I never knew about. The first Ferris Wheel named after Mr. Ferris. The wheel was giant (compared to most version we see today...save the awesome one I've seen in London). The wheel was an answer to Paris' Eifel Tower which debuted the year before at the Paris World Fair. First hamburgers in the USA, Quaker Oats, Cracker jacks, Aunt Jemima syrup, cream of wheat, juicy fruit. lots of famous people came through the fair...countless.

The other story? The serial killer known as H.H. Holmes. Truly chilling. He did it for profit and sport. Killed mostly women and children but some men. All in horrible fashion. At the end admitted to 27 killings but was suspected of dozens more.

Stranger still it was around the same time as Jack the Ripper who killed 5 (that we know of). Jack had more flair and became famous. Holmes usually killed innocent young women in their late teens to mid twenties that he'd date. He was also a doctor...of sorts. sick.

Sorry for the book report. In the boring details there was some very good stories. Now reading The Basque History of the World : The Story of a Nation by Mark Kurlansky. The friend who gave me both books is basque. She knows I love history and I gotta say I love this book. I love european history more than american...especially anything with Spain.
 

---

Posted by Abin Quank on :
 
I just finished "Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett

Next Up:

"Thud" again by Terry Pratchett

I think I have now read everything this underappreciated comic genius has written...

But, actually I hope I'm wrong...
 

---

Posted by Joe-Boy on :
 
"Where's My Cow?" hee hee hee
 

---

Posted by Joe-Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Abin Quank:
I just finished "Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett

Next Up:

"Thud" again by Terry Pratchett

I think I have now read everything this underappreciated comic genius has written...

But, actually I hope I'm wrong...

---

Have you read "Good Omens"? with Neil Gaiman?
theres also a few short stories and such you can find online.

Im a bit obsessive...I even have "Nanny Ogg's cookbook"
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Me, too.
 

---

Posted by Abin Quank on :
 
I don't have Nanny Ogg's Cookbook, but I'll be looking for it,

Yes I have read "Good Omens" Which I didn't think I'd enjoy and wouldn't have bought without Terry Pratchett's name on the cover, needless to say, I loved it!
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Have you read the Johnny and the Bomb books? How about Truckers, Diggers and Wings? I could be way off on those titles.

[ January 02, 2006, 08:37 PM: Message edited by: Arachne ]
 

---

Posted by legionadventureman on :
 
I'm reading an Agatha Christie right now called "Murder Is Easy" - and I think a TV movie starring Bill Bixby and Lesley Anne Down was adapted (more or less) from it. Helen Hayes had a cameo role...
 

---

Posted by Joe-Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
Have you read the Johnny and the Bomb books? How about Truckers, Diggers and Wings? I could be way off on those titles.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
Have you read the Johnny and the Bomb books? How about Truckers, Diggers and Wings? I could be way off on those titles.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
Have you read the Johnny and the Bomb books? How about Truckers, Diggers and Wings? I could be way off on those titles.

---

No, but if you're giving me hints at to where to find more Pratchett, I'll be looking for them...

"Mr. Shine, Him Diamond!"
 

---

Posted by Stratum on :
 
The Last Hero?

I've read most of the Discworld books and the collected Bromeliad trilogy thanks to a friend in Ireland. I've got Going Postal at home and still need to pick up Thud.

Terry Pratchett's Homepage

There's a section to help you find all of his books you may have missed.

Me? Currently I'm reading A Feast For Crows by George R. R. Martin. Up next is the new Robin Hobb book, I don't recall the title right now.

Jamie
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 
Try the young adults section of the bookstores, he's written both Discworld and non-Discworld books in that category.

I still haven't gotten Feast of Crows.
It's my own fault, I'm way behind on my book orders.
 

---

Posted by Joe-Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stratum:
The Last Hero?

I've read most of the Discworld books and the collected Bromeliad trilogy thanks to a friend in Ireland. I've got Going Postal at home and still need to pick up Thud.

Terry Pratchett's Homepage

There's a section to help you find all of his books you may have missed.


Jamie

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I reading "Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book." I've had this sitting on my bookshelf for about a year now. I've heard great things about it. I'm at page 11, so I don't have a lot to tell you yet.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by legionadventureman:
What sort of book is "Middlesex", rtvu? Sci-fi? horror?

---

From Amazon.com

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974." And so begins Middlesex, the mesmerizing saga of a near-mythic Greek American family and the "roller-coaster ride of a single gene through time." The odd but utterly believable story of Cal Stephanides, and how this 41-year-old hermaphrodite was raised as Calliope, is at the tender heart of this long-awaited second novel from Jeffrey Eugenides, whose elegant and haunting 1993 debut, The Virgin Suicides, remains one of the finest first novels of recent memory.
Eugenides weaves together a kaleidoscopic narrative spanning 80 years of a stained family history, from a fateful incestuous union in a small town in early 1920s Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit; from the early days of Ford Motors to the heated 1967 race riots; from the tony suburbs of Grosse Pointe and a confusing, aching adolescent love story to modern-day Berlin. Eugenides's command of the narrative is astonishing. He balances Cal/Callie's shifting voices convincingly, spinning this strange and often unsettling story with intelligence, insight, and generous amounts of humor:


Emotions, in my experience aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness," "joy," or "regret." … I'd like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic traincar constructions like, say, "the happiness that attends disaster." Or: "the disappointment of sleeping with one's fantasy." ... I'd like to have a word for "the sadness inspired by failing restaurants" as well as for "the excitement of getting a room with a minibar." I've never had the right words to describe my life, and now that I've entered my story, I need them more than ever.
When you get to the end of this splendorous book, when you suddenly realize that after hundreds of pages you have only a few more left to turn over, you'll experience a quick pang of regret knowing that your time with Cal is coming to a close, and you may even resist finishing it--putting it aside for an hour or two, or maybe overnight--just so that this wondrous, magical novel might never end. --Brad Thomas Parsons --
 

---

Posted by legionadventureman on :
 
Thank you, Vu - I wonder if Middlesex will be made into a movie as "Virgin Suicides" was?
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
I bought the comics-industry Golden Age history "Men of Tomorrow" in paperback this past Sunday. I spent all of Sunday night, and every free moment I had yesterday, reading it. That's why I didn't visit LW yesterday. It's that good. And I've still got 100 or so pages left...

I also bought a Jack Kirby bio called "Tales To Astonish." I'll start it as soon as I'm finished "Men of Tomorrow."

[ March 14, 2006, 08:08 AM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

---

Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
Stealth, I'm reading "Men of Tomorrow" right now. It's fascinating adn well written.
 

---

Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Frederic Wertham and the Critique of Mass Culture, by Bart Beaty. I think every comics fan should read this book. We generally vilify Wertham; I know I did based on what I read from other comics fans and excerpts from Seduction - only a fraction of the man's work. He did condemn the comic books of the 1950s - but the story and his arguments were a lot more complex than we tend to believe. Wertham was a man dedicated to justice, equal rights, defense of the defenseless; he took on jobs as a pyschiatrist that others would not touch for political reasons, operated a free clinic in Harlem, and was often publicly at odds with the established powers.

Another book I read about someone who was seriously misunderstood was about the geneticist Barbara McClintock (A Feeling for the Organism, by Evelyn Fox Keller). This book was written before McClintock was nominated for and received the Nobel Prize (1983). McClintock discovered transposition ("gene jumping") back in the 50s, but was unable to communicate the importance of this discovery. (Being female didn't help.) Transposition was re-discovered in the 80s, and McClintock's work finally acknowledged. Quite frankly, the science rather bored me but the process was fascinating. She was a rare bird, a truly independent thinker. She had a different way of seeing things, more of a Goethean approach to science (my words), or that of a true naturalist (author's words). It's a very sad book, I think, because she was so long ignored, she was so hopeful that things would change, so believing in the merits of pure science. (Also, I suspect her work paved the way for GMOs and other nasty stuff, which I personally loathe.)
 

---

Posted by Stealth on :
 
Cramer, Wertham is in several pages of Men Of Tomorrow, and the author is more fair to Wertham than the way he was portrayed in previous books about the comics industry.

I'll definitely read this other book you've recommended. Thanks.

Semi, glad to hear you're enjoying Men Of Tomorrow. I finished it, and still think it's a great book, but my one dissapointment (and it won't spoil anything) is that Julius Schwartz was mostly ignored.

We need a good Julius Schwartz bio, unless there already is one that I'm not aware of.

We also need a book that does for the generation of comics creators born between the late 30s and early 50s what Men Of Tomorrow does for the generation of comics creators born between the mid 10s and mid 30s.

The Kirby bio has been, so far, something of a dissapointment. The actual writing is flat, although there are fascinating bits in the chapters about the less-well-known parts of Kirby's life: his wartime experiences, the details about why the Fourth World saga was doomed almost from the start...

[ March 16, 2006, 05:56 AM: Message edited by: Stealth ]
 

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Posted by Stratum on :
 
You know, it's funny that Wertham has come up. I'm reading an overview of these events right now.

http://www.sequart.com/columns/index.php?col=2&column=715

Jamie
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
At the moment I'm rereading a lot of P.G. Wodehouse.

For those of you who don't recognize the name, Wodehouse is the funniest writer in the history of the English language and comes with my highest recommendation.
 

---

Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I just finished reading The Historian this week.

On the whole, I enjoyed it, but I found the
author used coincidence way too much ...
 

---

Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
Listening to Shogun by James Clavell. Boy, if you ever wanted to know about shogun-period Japan, this is the book for you. Detail, detail, detail. Hard not to have admiration for a very different society than we're used to...
 

---

Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
Currently reading Common Sense, Rights of Man, and other essential writings of Thomas Paine

On deck is Frederick Douglas' autobiography
 

---

Posted by Nick Vinson on :
 
The Hobbit, for my Brit Lit II class... Yes indeed. This has led to me starting the Lord of the Rings, again, which I've actually never finished. Having blazed thru Chaucer and Beowulf and Keets the last two semesters, this is a cake walk now.

Have a list of books in my que:
Abolition of Manby C.S. Lewis
Maximum Bobby Elmore Leonard
and a Groucho Marx biography, authors name not being remembered right now.
 

---

Posted by disaster boy on :
 
i just finished "ender's game" and "a heartbreaking work of staggering genuis" on vacation.

loved ender's game but it took about 100 pages to get going.

"ahwosg" was the worst book i ever read, i hated it, hated. yet i read the whole thing. ugh.

i need a new book now.
 

---

Posted by mhr_kara on :
 
I recently bought "The Historian", by Elizabeth Kostova(what can i say, i'm a big horror/mystery fan). It will probably take me forever to finish it.
 

---

Posted by Nick Vinson on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by disaster boy:
"ahwosg" was the worst book i ever read, i hated it, hated. yet i read the whole thing. ugh.

i need a new book now.

---

I felt that way while reading 'Soft Machine' by Burroughs. It wasnt necessarily the worst book, but man... i had to fight to finish. Every page I found myself saying "What the Heck is going on here? Why am I reading this?" and yet I still finished.

I read that book on the recommendation of Warren Ellis. That man lied to me.
 

---

Posted by rtvu2 on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by disaster boy:
i just finished "ender's game" and "a heartbreaking work of staggering genuis" on vacation.

loved ender's game but it took about 100 pages to get going.

"ahwosg" was the worst book i ever read, i hated it, hated. yet i read the whole thing. ugh.

i need a new book now.

---

I really loved the book the first time I read it and now I can't stand it. Most pretenious, self invloved, egotistical thing I have ever read.

Currently I have two books in the pipeline...

'The Kite Runner' and 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly CLose'. Any comments?
 

---

Posted by walkwithcrowds on :
 
I'm re reading the Philip Marlowe books by Raymond Chandler. I haven't read them in about four or five years and so am really enjoying them so far.
For those who are interested, the stories are told in the first person by a Private Detective (named Philip Marlowe)operating in 1930s L.A. They are very well written and all of the clues needed to solve the case are given in the story. So you don't feel cheated by some out of the blue ending, and (I imagine) feel quite smug when you do manage to solve them before Marlowe (I never have).
There are seven novels and quite a few short stories in the series, but you're better to stick with the novels if you want to try them because, the short stories were published in "Pulp" magazines and were written as different characters - they were renamed as Marlowe for the collected editions.
I'm reading them in chronilogical order and am only in the second one:Farewell My Lovely.
Jack O'Halloran,who played Non,in Superman II makes his first big screen appearance in the 1975 film version as Moose Malloy, which led to him being offered the part as Non.(some comics related trivia for you).
I really can't recomend these books enough. It's not just a load of macho, misogynistic c**p, as it sometimes seems to be perceived. Marlowe is a fully rounded,honourable character,with a code of ethics that most would consider old fashioned, in this cynical world.
Some of the language used to describe people and places, in the books, is very memorable, even poetic. Here are some examples:
"The minutes went by on tiptoe, with their fingers to their lips."
"The sunshine was as empty as a headwaiter's smile."
"They say lust makes a man old, but keeps a woman young. They say a lot of nonsense."
and,finaly:
"The purring voice was now as false as an usherette's eyelashes and as slippery as a watermelon seed."
If you want to find out more there is a very informative entry for Philip Marlowe in the "Wikipedia" which not only talks about the books but also tells you about the films, radio and comic versions. I can't remember the web address off hand but I'm sure you'll have no problem finding it.
The first novel is called "The Big Sleep". I really hope you give it a try. Get in touch and tell me how you got on.
Next time I'll tell you about P.G. Wodehouse.
 

---

Posted by Matthew E on :
 
That's the second Wodehouse mention in this thread in... well, okay, a little over a month. Nice.
 

---

Posted by rokk steady on :
 
Kite Runner opinion, as requested: The prose is simple and straightforward. At first, I was very moved by the story and interested by the description of life in Afghanistan (particularly the kite game from which the title is derived)... however, I was ultimately disappointed because a large number of coincidences piled up, such that my ability to suspend disbelief was stretched too far.

I am currently reading two things:

The Fabric of the Cosmos, by physicist Brian Greene... one of those non-fiction books describing the evolution of modern cosmology and the search for one unifying theory of everything, in plain language that even I can understand; and

My Lucky Star: Joe Keenan: as with many comic novelists, the author has been compared to Wodehouse (make it THREE mentions), but so far he is the only one that makes me laugh out loud to the same extent... and I mean he REALLY makes me laugh out loud. He was a writer for "Frasier." His best book is "Blue Heaven."
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
Just finsihed 'Extremely Loud...'

This kid has turned book raeding into an adverture and interactive. You really feel that you are living the life of the characters. He draws you in not only with the words but what he leaves out. The book is so different from others I have read. I can understand why he has gotten so many kudos for his style, which is very orginal. This book about lost and grief is handled in such a touching manner wihtout being cloying. I really love this book and am look forward to seeing what he has in store next.
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
Let's keep it on a Wodehouse run: re-reading Sunset at Blandings. I hardly reread anything anymore, but Lord Emsworth and the Empress of Blandings are like old friends. (It was Matthew's initial post that made me think of going back to Blandings.)
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
'Sunset at Blandings' is one of the rare Wodehouses I've never read. I've had the chance to; I've just stayed away from it because Wodehouse never really finished it.
 

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Posted by walkwithcrowds on :
 
I re-read Ukridge lately. I know it's a short story anthology,so probably doesn't count as a book, but it's definitely one of my all time favorite reads. I read through it when ever I feel a bit low and it always cheers me up.
Has anyone read Azazel by Isaac Asimov. It's a collection of short stories about a guy who is always granted wishes by a two centimetre tall imp called (you guessed it) Azazel. He can only make a wish to help some-one else but they always turn out wrong.
As Asimov says in his introduction:
"...if you occasionally detect the faint influence of P.G. Wodehouse, believe me, that's not accidental."
While we're on the subject, what do the rest of you think of the Granada TV version of Jeeves and Wooster, that starred Hugh Laurie as Bertie and Stephen Fry as Jeeves? For myself every time I read a Bertie book now I can't imagine anyone else as our heroes. It was only a shame they couldn't get the same cast to play the parts throughout all four series. The first guy to play Gussie was perfect but then they changed him. The same thing with Aunt Dahlia. Spode was the same throughout though and was spot on.
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
I like Laurie and Fry, but my wife and father-in-law don't like Fry as Jeeves. They think Jeeves needs to be older. I disagree.

I think I've read some of the Azazel stories, at least, but I don't remember them very well. I've read Ukridge, but a long time ago; he's my least favourite recurring Wodehouse character.
 

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Posted by walkwithcrowds on :
 
How about now? They were made about 15 years ago. Do they think he's grown into it? In fact, anybody else have any ideas on who would play the parts these days?
I think Colin Baker (the sixth Doctor Who) would be an interesting Jeeves. I've no real thoughts on who would play Bertie...give me time to think about it.
Brainiac 5 and Invisible Kid as a Legion version. The Kid has a talent for saying the wrong thing, although Brainy is WAY too arrogant. Still, it's an interesting idea.
As for Ukridge, I always envisaged him as Ronnie Barker, in a wig and glasses.
 

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Posted by Joe-Boy Harvestar on :
 
Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire - Sequel to "Wicked" (book and musical)
Its Neat
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
I am reading One Hundred Years of Soltitude.

Interesting book so far....
 

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Posted by Nick Vinson on :
 
Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee.

Really great read, if you are into Christian Theology in the slightest.
 

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Posted by Sketch Lad on :
 
I recently finished "The Tipping Point" which is an examination of how small events can trigger major trends/phenomena. It's not about money. It's about obvious things like fashion, but also about how the crime rate in NY dropped dramatically in the 90's.

It really makes you think about your role in society.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
currently reading "winter's Heart" by Robert Jordan, standard fantasy fare, though a bit long winded
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Sat down and read The DaVinci Code in two days. Been putting it off as I've read all of Brown's other work. Have to say, while a good read, it was no where near as good as the first book in the Langdon trilogy, Angels and Demons.
 

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Posted by armsfalloffboy on :
 
I enjoyed DaVinci Code last month when I read it.

Going back a couple of weeks, if you liked Ender's Game I highly recommend Speaker for the Dead. As good as science fiction gets.
 

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Posted by walkwithcrowds on :
 
I don't know if this counts as "reading", as it's more a coffee table type of book, but I've just got The Encyclopedia Of Urban Legends by Jan Harold Brunvand.

It gives a quick recap/description of each story and makes suggestions as to where they came from or how they developed. It's really good.

I've just been flicking through it to see if it has the stories I know and it has, of course, got "The Hook!"

And if you don't know the story of the Hook, then shame on you.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Let's try this again... lost my first attempt when the server went down .

Books that I've read since last February (my last time on this thread).

Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald
X-Wing #1: Rogue Squadron by Michael Stackpole
Last of the Jedi #4: Death on Naboo by Jude Watson
X-Wing #2: Wedge's Gamble by Michael Stackpole
Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard
Dragonback #1: Dragon and Thief by Timothy Zahn
The Legend of Drizzt: Homeland by R A Salvatore
Holes by Louis Sacher
Oops... almost forgot (and sometimes wish I could)
Creature by John Saul

Since I've read so many Star Wars books over the past couple of years I have a hard time remembering specifics. I tend to remember whether I liked the book or not. Suffice to say, I liked these books.

Of the non-SW books I read... Homeland really shined. Salvatore knows how to write... period. I liked Homeland so much that I started buying the rest of the series sight unseen. I plan to enjoy the rest of Drizzt's tale over the next several years. If you're interested its a fantasy novel about a Drow (dark) Elf. There's plenty of sword play (and fight), monsters, magic, intrigue (both family and political), soul searching, revelations, as well as friends and enemies. If you're a fan of good story tellers, you could do a lot worse than R A Salvatore.

Out of Sight I read because I wanted to give Elmore Leonard a try and I wanted to contrast it to the movie. A lot of the dialogue from the movie came straight from the book, but there are some subtle differences between the book and movie, that by the end of the book, the differences aren't that subtle anymore. All in all I have to say the movie works better for me than the book. The book's end is completely different from the movie and that's because of the subtle differences introduced at the beginning of the story. So I try to look at the book separate from the movie and it's still a good read, but not great.

Nightmare in Pink is the second in the Travis McGee detective/rogue series. Think of these as old time noir stories set in 1960's Florida. So far the first two books have been great, quick reads. MacDonald just draws me in... I don't know why, but I remember more from his books than any other books that I read. His dialogue is great, his action is vivid, and I find myself actively rooting for the characters... blood pumping and heart beating... thinking to myself, "You get 'em Trav. You get 'em good for what they done to you." Most books don't draw me in this way.

Dragon and Thief has a novel premise to it that some young Sci Fi readers might dig. Apparently there's a race of (Space) Dragons that need a human host to survive. The catch is that the dragon can become two dimensional and live on the host as a "tattoo" with the dragon becoming three dimensional at the dragon's liesure. I found this book at the library in the regular fiction aisle, but it should have been in the young adults. The plot was great... if you're 13 to 14 and haven't seen it done yet. Even so, I didn't realize it was youth oriented until I was about 50 pages into it and Zahn is a good enough writer that I'll probably track down the rest of the series someday.

Creature wasn't awful but it wasn't good either. It certainly wasn't up to the standards of books I've enjoyed in the past. I'll leave my thoughts at that... if you can't say anything nice and so on.

Holes was a good read for a young adult. I found my mind wandering, but I could see why kids would get a kick out of it. Maybe it was just too sophisticated for me .

Up next... I've got many Drizzt books to get through... gonna try and find time for Tim Zahn's Cobra Trilogy and The Icarus Hunt... Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is reportedly (by my dad and sister) a great book... Of course I've got all of the latest Star Wars to get through and a score of other authors that my dad and sister like... like Gordon Dickson, Keith Laumer, Anne McCaffrey, Orson Scott Card to name just a few... I may never watch TV again.
 

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Posted by Lance's realm on :
 
After reading Les Miserables for FOREVER I finally finished it a few months ago. Hugo did like to prattle on. Don't get me wrong - the portions of the book that were germaine to the story were excellent, but Hugo liked to take 30 pages to say something that I think could be said in 3. This might be the only book I have ever read where I would actually recommend the abridged version...
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I bought and readDragonsblood last night. Is anyone a Dragonriders of Pern fan?

This one was written by Anne's son, Todd McCaffrey.

Curious about other people's reaction to it.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
I haven't got into the Pern books yet, but I have it on good authority that the series as a whole is pretty good. Both my Dad and sister offered Anne McCaffrey's books as examples of good writing when I asked them last year to provide me with a list of authors and books that they've enjoyed over the years. I have the first Pern book in my library, on my 'too read' list, but just haven't gotten around to it yet. I will though... oh yes I will.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I am currently reading "Into the Arms of Strangers". It is personal accounts of Jewish children who were sent from Germany, Austria, & Czechoslovakia to England prior to WWII. The book is a companion to a documentary. The organized transport was called the Kindertransport.

It can be very depressing. One of the people interviewed actually was pulled off the train by her father because he could not bear to be parted from her. She eventually ended up in Auschwitz, but obviously survived.
 

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Posted by Joe-Boy Harvestar on :
 
Im fascinated with John dies at the end right now, which is also available in print
 

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Posted by walkwithcrowds on :
 
I've just re-read To Kill A Mockingbird.

The last time I read it was nearly 20 years ago (we had to read it in school) so I had forgotten most of it and so it seemed like reading a new book.

Bloody loved it!!

I can not recommend this book enough, buy, borrow or steal it but you just HAVE to read it.
 

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Posted by Lance's realm on :
 
To Kill a Mockingbird is the best book EVER!
 

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Posted by Joe-Boy Harvestar on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Lance's realm:
To Kill a Mockingbird is the best book EVER!

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I dont know...Paris Hilton's "Confessions of an Heiress" is pretty good
 

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Posted by walkwithcrowds on :
 
Paris Hilton can write?!

Well, maybe if she did it half naked and drunk in front of a crowd of photographers - that she didn't know was there...honest! - then I might believe it.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
Currently reading "Heavy Time" by C.J. Cherryh. Pretty good sci-fi tale so far.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
Just started "The Dark Tower" by Stephen King
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I picked up Essential Marvel Two In One yesterday, though I don't know if you'd consider it equivalent to a prose novel or not. Lots of 70s Thingy goodness!

Other than that, I picked up a prose novel written by Devin Grayson about Batman, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and their proteges working to solve a crime...
 

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Posted by Seth Gaterra on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blue Battler:
I bought and readDragonsblood last night. Is anyone a Dragonriders of Pern fan?

This one was written by Anne's son, Todd McCaffrey.

Curious about other people's reaction to it.

---

quote:

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Originally posted by dedman:
Currently Re-reading Asimov's Foundation books, some of my favorite sci-fi

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Deddy, I was called Ike (what the underclassmen considered short for Isaac) in school because you could always find me reading one of Asimov's books on the back steps of the school. The Foundation trilogy was the first great trilogy I ever read. Once upon a time I had the versions originally published in Astounding Science Fiction magazine. Psychohistory, to me, is one of the greatest literary concepts, ever.
 

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Posted by Lad Boy on :
 
Wide Sargasso Sea
 

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Posted by Kate Harvestar on :
 
Joe just gave me the "contract with god trilogy" for my Birthday. Im loving it!
 

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Posted by Saturn Girl on :
 
Scott and I went to one of the last surviving used book stores in Salt Lake City the other day. Scott was searching for Robert MacCammon's 'Swan Song' (which we have about six copies of, but they are all in storage somewhere) and I was just looking out for vampire books. I picked up a werewolf story called 'Cry Wolf' by Alan B. Chronister (Zebra, 1987.) It turned out to be so compelling that I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Would make a fantastic made for television kind of late night movie. I had the cast all figured out in my mind's eye. It was wonderfully creepy and managed to give me a lot to think about as well.

At the same trip to the bookstore I picked up a copy of Belva Plain's 'Crescent City' for $1.00. I'm in the mood to re-read something about New Orleans during the Civil War era. It is almost the year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and New Orleans is very much on my mind.

Hugs readers!!!!!
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Caroline forgot to mention I was also looking for Usher's Passing by McCammon, which I could not find. So I picked up my third copy (at least) of Stephen King's Bachman books (The Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork and The Running Man). I've read the four novels at least a dozen times if not more but The Long Walk is one of King's best. As is The Running Man as long as you can get that Schwartzenegger version out of your mind.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Hm. I've read Usher's Passing. You have me curious as to what happened to my copy of it ...

I had a credit with the Sci Fi Book Club that I used to buy a bunch of books with that came in on Friday. I read Tatoine Ghosts today which was pretty good.

I also got a hardcover version of the Solomon Kane stories...
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I am currently reading "American Infidel: Robert G. Ingersoll". Col. Ingersoll was the greatest speaker in the late 1800's, an agnostic, and friend to 3 US president's. His lectures would draw in thousands. One of the forgottens of history.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I am still reading American Infidel, but I also just got "Overheard in New York". The book is from this web site Overheard in New York

The title says it all. Be warned that a lot have swear words. It is New York after all.

Sample: Tourist dad, posing his family in front of WTC site: Smile, kids!--Ground Zero

Teen 1: Hey, look at this! It says "Train for jobs in beeyotch."
Teen 2: Fool! That word is "biotech." Why you gotta be ignorant all your life? -- 1 Train

[ August 17, 2006, 02:15 PM: Message edited by: Quislet, Esq. ]
 

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Posted by Seth Gaterra on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Lightning Lad:
So I picked up my third copy (at least) of Stephen King's Bachman books (The Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork and The Running Man). I've read the four novels at least a dozen times if not more but The Long Walk is one of King's best. As is The Running Man as long as you can get that Schwartzenegger version out of your mind.

---

I know we've had 2 copies of the Bachman Books, maybe three. Of the four novels, we think that Rage is the best one. The Long Walk and The Running Man, you could say are just some dark futures that can't happen (though with the way reality TV's going...?) Roadwork just wasn't that good. But what I find most frightening are the stories that could happen RL... and Rage fits that pattern.
 

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Posted by Danger Boy on :
 
i'm flipping between The Death and Life of Great American Cities. (Jane Jacobs) and City of Quartz (Mike Davis).
 

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Posted by Fat Cramer on :
 
I read Jacobs' Dark Age Ahead, which just confirmed my own thinking. Never got go Death & Life of Great American Cities, which is supposed to be a great book.

Keeping with the bad times theme, a fascinating book, Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile. This is the story of the man who basically armed the mujaheddin and drove the Russians out of Afghanistan. Appalling, frightening and revolting as to how government really works but holy crow! one hell of an adventure story. This guy was throwing so much money into Afghanistan that even the CIA freaked over it. What I liked was how well the author presented the thinking of Wilson and his circle, so you could see that they really thought they were doing the best thing for the world. Still, it left me feeling pretty hopeless about any remnants of democracy we may have (in terms of how public money is spent and how temporary alliances are made between various countries).

Joseph Tainter's Collapse of Complex Societies predated Jared Diamond's Collapse by over a decade. (I haven't read Collapse.) Tainter examines numerous societies, both western and eastern, and concludes that societies collapse when they can no longer afford to support their infrastructure. He also gores my ox by claiming that a return to simpler living is no solution, but I appreciate (and accept) his reasoning. Some killer graphs! and a very thoughtful, detailed analysis.

Now back to comic books!
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
ok, I am about to go and retry to read Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell.

Wish me luck.
 

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Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
 
I just read The Tin Flute by Gabrielle Roy. A fascinating look at an impoverished Montreal factory-neighborhood family at the outset of World War II. Highly recommended.
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by rtvu2:
ok, I am about to go and retry to read Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell.

Wish me luck.

---

You don't need luck. It's a good book. Just stick with it.

I'm reading Martha Wells's The Gate of Gods, third in her 'Fall of Ile-Rien' trilogy. It's pretty good. Wells is probably the most underrated author in fantasy; this is her seventh good book and she's still pretty much flying under the radar.
 

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Posted by Stratum on :
 
Just finished off Raymond Feist's Honoured Enemy, which was FINALLY released in the States. Good book for Riftwar fans, even if it does end suddenly.

Also read the second City of Heroes novel, The Freedom Phalanx, which was MUCH better than I expected for a shared universe book. Reminded me of the Wild Card stuff, just not as graphic.

A lot of what I've been reading is Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace books...kinda heavy on the religion but he makes a lot of sense. So much so that I'm actually excited about paying bills.

Jamie
 

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Posted by KryptonKid on :
 
"The Mighty and the Almighty"
by Madeleine Albright
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
The Freedom Phalanx was better than I expected it to be. I really liked the buddy-buddy relationship between Positron and Synapse.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
Since my last post I've read

Boys Life by Roobert Mccammon
Radix by A A Attanasio
Door to December by Dean Koontz
Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz
Nemesis by Issac Asimov

Currently re-reading "Nightfall" by Issac Asimov and Robert Silverberg
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Books I've read since July 31, 2006 (my last post on this topic)

Let's see...

From the Forgotten Realms World
The Netheril Trilogy by Clayton Emery
1. Sword Play
2. Dangerous Games
3. Mortal Consequences

A very entertaining trilogy about a Barbarian with a stupid name (Sunbright Steelshanks). Once I got past the name I really enjoyed these books. The premise is that two bored mages bet that Sunbright will either die or survive, then they put him to tests. Everything comes back full circle by the end of the third book and Sunbright actually turns out to be a very likeable Barbarian.

Also from the Forgotten Realms...
The Finder's Stone Trilgoy by Kate Novak and her husband Jeff Grubb
1. Azure Bonds
2. The Wyvernspur
3. Song of the Saurials

Again... a very entertaining set of books. The dialogue had me snickering in spots. The authors' perspectives had me admiring thier ability to communicate ideas through their writing. And again... everything is brought full circle at the end. Highly recommended reading if you're into fantasy. I can't tell too much about the characters without giving away plot points... but the main character is a swordswoman named Alias who wakes up in an inn with no memory of the last couple months of her life. Outside her window is a strange lizard man who she promptly names Dragonbait. Throw in a halfling bard, a magician/merchant (who really wants to prove his worth as an adventurer) several nasty entities trying to control everything, a red dragon, and some nobility (who is actually the main character in the middle book) and you've got a really good story.

Also from Forgotten Realms was the book Evermeet: The Island of the Elves by Elaine Cunningham

Evermeet is not a bad book, but at the end of it I felt like I had read a history book. Which is exactly what it is. Everytime I got into the characters, she would end the story and start anew with different charaters. I didn't really connect with the characters like I did in previous books. Having said that, I think the author could have written a very good 10 full length book series based on the tales related in this book.

From the world of Classic Science Fiction I read Slan by AE Van Vogt

Not a bad book, but it was written in the late 1930's so it did seem a little dated. In discussing it with my dad (he recommeneded it in the first place), he assured me that the book was cuting edge fantastic when it first came out. Of this I can agree, but by today's standards it seemed a little trite. Even so the story is engaging just to see how sci fi has evolved over the years. The characterization is a little loose with morality and looking back at it, I was a little disappointed by the female character. She was given half of the ink for the first third of the book, but then she disappears for a good majority of the book only to make a cameo near the end. Honestly, I believe the story would have been better if it had told her story instead of the main male character's. The story itstelf is about the evolution of man and how the new species integrates/mingles with the old species.

The other two books I read were more modern day thrillers.

The one I just finished was Retribution by Jilliane Hoffman

This was a story about a Miami Assistant Prosecutor who's been given a serial killer case to try. The catch you say? What's the catch? Well it just so happens that (and I'm only giving away a minor plot spoiler here) the serial killer on trial is also the man who brutally raped her 12 years previously.

The story is about 414 pages long and is fantastic for about the first 300 to 320 pages. After that it kinda devolves into typical thriller fare with a coincidence that is so unbelievable I was shaking my head and wandering if the same author that started the book was the same auther that finished the book. Even having said that, the protaganist is easy to root for as is the male lead. Overall I'd recommend the book but just barely. Now if I won the lottery, and then by same strange twist of fate my wife won a second lottery 4 years later... then and only then would I believe in the coincidence that drives this book at the end.

And finally... the best for last:
Rules of Prey by John Sanford

It's a typical male cop chases serial killer plot, but this one stands out. It plays more like a macabre chess game where you're not sure who is the better human being at the end. The main character, Lucas Davenport (the cop), is written with a little more depth to his character than most other fictional cops. The killer is smart, the cop's girl friend is smart (and kinda nasty too, but with a heart kinda nasty... she's scrumpcious), the surviving victim is smart... and the book had my heart racing at some places. I just couldn't put it down. That's when I know I've got a great book in my hands.

[ September 15, 2006, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: minesurfer ]
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
If you liked The Wyvern's Spur, you might just like the books of P.G. Wodehouse, which were a big, big influence on TWS. Most of Giogi's family, especially including Giogi himself, is straight out of Wodehouse (specifically the Jeeves and Bertie Wooster books). Now, we're talking comedy/romantic comedy with Wodehouse, not fantasy/adventure, so conduct yourself accordingly.

Me? I'm halfway through Steven Brust's Dzur, latest in the Vlad Taltos series.

And I'm gonna have to check out this Freedom Phalanx stuff... (I'm compiling a list of all the superhero novels I haven't read yet).
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Been reading the Green Sky Trilogy by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. If you're old enough to remember the old computer game "Below the Root" from the 1980s, this is the series that spawned it.
 

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Posted by rickshaw1 on :
 
I am currently reading the National Electrical Code- 2005 Edition.

and man, whatta page turner.

Wooo hoooooooo.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Been about a month since I've been on here, so here are my recent reads:

T2: Infiltrator
T2: Rising Storm
T2: The Future War
Pawn of Prophecy
Cry Wolf
Ender's Game

From the Universe of the Terminator movies and written by SM Stirling (an apparent master of alternate universe novels):

T2: Infiltrator
I picked this hardcover up for $1.00 at a used book store that was closing. I wasn't expecting much because I didn't know a thing about it or it's author at the time. I just knew that I didn't like some things about the Terminator 3 movie and wanted to see if this book gave any insight into T3.

Having said that... I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It basically picks up a short time after the T2 movie ends. Connors have gone into hiding while still on the look out for possible machine ascension. They are of course wanted terrorists at this point. There is also some interplay with the Dyson family, Cyberdyne and great use of an Arnold look alike character. Naturally there are Terminators and much of the story expands on different models and their interactions both in the present and the future.

As for insights on T3... none were directly given, but it seemed in the T2 movie that both Cyberdyne and it's Skynet research were destroyed in the present thereby usurping the "Machine" future. In the T3 movie the only explanation for Judgement Day was that it was, "inevitable". I can't remember if plausible eveidence for the rise of the machines was given in this book or the second book, but it is presented.

T2: The Rising Storm
The second of the trilogy extends the story further. Can't give away too much without spoilers but I was fairly satisfied with this story. Some of the action was hard to follow and I found myself having to re-read certain sequences, but in the end the story is still Sci Fi so I guess the implausible must be accepted... or at least glossed over so you can finish the book (lets face it, the premise of these books are implausible). Some really great irony in this book as well... kinda saw it coming, but was still enthralled to read it when it happened.

The knock on these books you say... What's the knock? Stirling is known for alternate universe stories where he envisions a wonderful, vivid, and excitingly different place and then marches some cardboard stereotype characters through it. I don't know about his other novels, but it seems like he benefits from using characters that are already "familiar" to the reader. I found myself liking these people and snickering at some of their bantering. These first two books were highly enjoyable for me.

T2: The Future War
Here's where the Trilogy goes astray in my estimation. More time is spent away from the Connors in this book than the previous two. Which means Stirling is playing with his "own" characters. These characters are important and logical in the Terminator universe but they in no way have even been hinted at in the movies. So here is where I buy into other people's criticisms about Stirling and his characters. They just weren't that interesting to me. And what starts out as great character moments for John and Sara Connor at the beginning of the novel are quickly forgotten as less and less time are spent with them. Some of the major characters from the previous books show up in cameo status in this book. Massive gaps in time also hinder the flow of this book.

Having said that... the book is not a bad read, its just not upto the standards of the first two novels or movies.

As the books relate to the Terminator 3 movie... well they give the reader plausibility that the machines can still rise given what we know about the first two movies. This trilogy of novels flies in the face of the T3 movie though so they are definitely "alternate" to the movie canon. In my honest opinion I think the first book would have made a better T3 movie than the one that was produced.

Pawn of Prophecy is the opening novel to David Eddings (classic) fantasy tale "The Belgariad" and was highly recommended by my sister and the readers at Amazon.com. Its probably unfair to comment on the story without having read the other four books in the tale, but this is the internet and everybody has a right to read what I think. It has potential to get better. Don't get me wrong... I didn't think it was bad, but maybe I'm just spoiled by the fact that my first novels read in the genre were penned by RA Salvatore and I feel like his books are the standard. So far this book didn't live up to my expectations. It could though depending on the next four... I'll just have to wait and see.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is considered to be classic science fiction. Written in the late 1970's and once again... highly recommended by my sister, her two sons, her husband, and the internet crowd... just didn't seem to live up to the hype. It's kind of a cross between Starship Troopers and Lord of the Flies. I found myself not involved with the characters. Ender is supposed to be this genius... once in a generation type genius, but I didn't feel like his tactical brialliance was really fleshed out. Some of the moves in the training scenarios are respectable, but I just felt like the author kept telling us just how smart Ender is, but he never really showed us. Maybe I'm not smart enough to pick up on the nuances of Card's writing. I just felt the big battle at the end was a cop out. My sister of course does not get that I don't get what the fuss is about this book. I'd give it a strong B-.

Cry Wolf by Alan Chronister was the other book that I read. After having read alot of Sci Fi and Fantasy recently, I was looking forward to a good horror novel. Alas this was not it. The book had character issues with just about everyone in it. They were either inconsistent in behavior, too pushy to be liked (lead female protagonist), or doing something that normal people in the same situation wouldn't do. Some of the werewolf rules are silly and the proportional amount of time spent on throw away characters versus the main protagonists is a killer for this book. I felt like I knew the "fodder" better than the leads. Then Chronister throws in a "shocking" ending that had me going... "Ugh" out loud. Just uninspired, unexplained, bad sci fi. It felt desperate to me.
 

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Posted by Saturn Girl on :
 
LOL !! Hey Minesurfer, I reviewed Cry Wolf back on August 11th and I had just the opposite reaction. I really enjoyed the story, and in fact said it ought to be made into a made for tv movie. Isn't it funny how opinions vary

I saw this t-shirt in a magazine the other day, and dammit I wish it came in baby elephant sizes so I could get one. It read 'Keep pissing me off and you will become a character in my next novel.' Wouldn't that be great, especially if you really were a writer... lol

At least it's becoming the season of the year when it's fun to slow down and get warm and cozy and drink something hot and read a good book.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Minesurfer, I've read The Belgariad and [B] The Mallorean [B] (the sequel) and both are solid reads. The sequel doesn't have quite the excitement as the original, but tackles some more mature concepts. Enjoy them both.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I love the Belgariad. I drove my friends nuts in grade 7 or 8, because I had to keep reading them the funny bits.

I just finished reading Why We Love the Dogs We Do by Stanley Coren. I really loved it. It had lots of great stories about famous people and their dogs. I liked how it grouped dogs by personality instead of function. The personality test to find out what kind of dog you should have was fun, too.

Now I'm reading The Intelligence of Dogs by the same author. It's equally fascinating. It deals a lot with the history of dogs and the history of our attitudes about dogs.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Arachne, did they happen to have Jimmy Stewart in there, and his poem he wrote for his dog after its death? When he read that aloud on the Johnny Carson Show, its one of the most heart-breaking things I've ever seen. The audience (and Johnny) were weeping, and I don't there's a viewer at home that wouldn't be either.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I don't think the poem was in there, but it talked about how he left the set he was for on for three days when heard his dog might have to be put down. It talked about how he cried in the car after it died, too. That was pretty emotional for me. 'cause the first time I saw my dad cry was when our dog was put down.
 

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Posted by mhr_kara on :
 
well, right now i'm reading "Chinatown Death
Cloud Peril"(yes,that's a real title XD ), by Paul Malmont. a really good mystery, especially fun if you're a fan of the 'pulps'.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Well... I got upto about page 300 in Neil Gaiman's American Gods and quit. I couldn't take it anymore. There's only 400 some odd pages in the book and I'm a fairly patient individual, but man... I couldn't take it anymore.

Note to Mr. Gaiman: If you are going to write a character driven book, (for very little action takes place in the first 300 pages of American Gods) at least put some interesting characters in the book. Having your main character just shadow walk through the book in a listless funk does not make for enjoyable reading.

Minor spoilers ahead (but I contend the book was spoiled way before I got to it):

When the dead wife of your main character tells the main character that he has no passion for life 3/4 of the way through the book, maybe, just maybe you should think about tweaking your premise. Here's your sign. I mean follow the story of the dead wife. She was the most interesting character in the book to me... until she went to get a job at a non-local Quickie Mart. That's also when I stopped reading. I couldn't take it anymore.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I just finished The Universal History of Numbers which is as dry as it sounds. But there's a nice little perspective on human history.

Also, Tales of the City by Armistad Maupin. t's the first in a series of fun novels, set in San Fran circa 1975. It's just single life and the struggles it brings told with very witty dialouge by very human characters. Melrose Place without the melodrama.
 

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Posted by Spellbinder on :
 
I just started reading "King of the Murgos," which is Book II of the five-part Mallorean series by David Eddings. It's the fourth time or so that I've read the book. I just re-read it's prequel series, the Belgariad, and am now rereading the Mallorean. It's a great series.

The basic premise of the two series is that there are two prophecies that detail the events leading up between the final battle between the Child of Dark and Child of Light. Belgarion, a young king with a fiery sword and sorcerous powers, is the Child of Light. He is aided by a number of people from a number of different lands, including his grandfather and aunt, the 1,000s year old Belgarath and Polgara.

Sorcery and swords, kings and gods, David Eddings weaves a mesmerizing journey that always keeps things moving, even through 10 books.

I highly recommend both series to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy.
 

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Posted by Insomniac Girl on :
 
My parents gave me King of the Murgos, unaware that it was second in a series, as a present when I was about twelve years old and lying in bed with a cold. I quickly grew obsessed with both series - I must have read and re-read those books about a dozen times back then.

Ah, warm, fuzzy memories.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
The Belgareth and Polgara prequels are pretty good, too.

I'm still into the dog books. I'm curently reading Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brain Kilcommons. I wish I read it years ago, it makes a lot of sense.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
I've just recently discovered fantasy writer Terry Brooks am now reading "The Elf Queen of Shannara".
Its been great reading the Shannara series so far.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Dedman, it's a favourite series of mine. Enjoy it. The whole Scions saga was the best run. I liked the various legacies Brooks explores in that mini-seres.

Jonathan Linvgston Seagull is on my ngihtstand right now, ready to get into it when I go to bed tonight.

[ December 09, 2006, 01:44 AM: Message edited by: CJ Taylor ]
 

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Posted by Joe-Boy Harvestar on :
 
The Ancient Future by Traci Harding, an Author who lives near me. Its the first in a Trilogy...and pretty damn good. Highly recomended
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
World War Z by Max Brooks (son of Mel). Great zombie book that tells the stories of the survivors of the war against the zombies. The "author" travels around the world collecting survivors' stories in hopes to avoid the plague coming back. Very original and well written.

Brooks wrote a book previous to this one called The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead. I haven't gotten that one yet but it is supposed to be more in the humor vein than WWZ is.

If 28 Days Later was more your type of zombie film than I think you'll enjoy WWZ.
 

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Posted by Awww,Lyle on :
 
Rereading Thackeray's Vanity Fair. That's my most recent go to book when I give up on a newer book that I just couldn't get into. The book I put down was The French Revolution by Carlyle, which when I bought it, I didn't realise was an epic poem of sorts. Yuh-huh, I'm smack dab in the middle of a classics binge.
 

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Posted by thor2168 on :
 
I just finished reading The Good Fairies of New York. It was a good fun light hearted read. Now onto The Time Traveler's Wife...
 

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Posted by Spellbinder on :
 
I just finished re-reading Smoke and Ashes, the third novel in Tanya Huff's "Smoke And..." series. I think it's the 4th time I've read it (I just love it!). The series is a spin off of her Vicki Nelson books (which they are making into a syndicated series in Vancouver).

I'm debating what to read next. I'm leaning toward something gay (naturally), but will have to check my bookcases and see what grabs me
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I'm between books. That's a very strange place for me to be in. I'm thinking of going back to reading Wicked, but I got distracted from it the first time. I'm not sure if that's my fault or the books.
 

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Posted by mechana on :
 
Wicked was not what I expected (for some reason I thought it was going to be comedic), but I definitely think it's worth reading. I also enjoyed the sequel: Son of a Witch.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Haven't posted in almost a year???

Well I read the last 4 Harry Potter books since then. The Nibelungenlied as well. Pretty cool reading some heroic tales almost a thousand years old. And I liked it better than Le Morte d'Arthur to tell the truth. A bit more exciting.

Anyways reading the Sun Also Rises currently. I have never read it. Also haven't read any Hemimgway since highschool. Thought I'd give it a shot.
 

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Posted by wndola1 on :
 
I have been trying to get my hands on a copy of Peter S. Beagle's sequal to his classic "The Last Unicorn" for a very long time. My womderful husband picked up a signed copy of "The Line Between" for me for Christmas. I didn't even know about this printing. I am such a lucky girl geek.

My husband and a friend of ours have been pouring through Orson Scott Card's "Empire." Our friend had it with him at a restaurant and my husband read 2 chapters by the time the waiter returned with our drinks.

As always you can read my weekly comic list on my blog http://wndola.livejournal.com/
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I haven't checked this thread in at least a year, but I might reread some pages when I get a chance (your comments, once online, may always be read dear posters! ).

I just picked up three cool books with a Christmas Gift Card at Barnes & Noble:

- 'On Sparta' by Plutarch, following my love for all things Greek & Roman

- The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, which I've never had the pleasure of reading

- 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Dostoevsky. I'm a huge, huge, huge fan of 1840-50's Russian Romance Literature, and I've always wanted to read this one, as it contains very compelling arguments for and against the existence of God.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
Hmm... I'm currently reading (well, technically, listening to on CD when I'm in the car) Salmon Rushdie's Shalimar the Clown. It's fairly interesting as a study of the origins of "terrorism", but nothing mind-blowing.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Oscar Wilde. I completely forgot I have his complete works now, and I haven't read any of them. I'll have to get on that.

I'm rereading Winter Rose by Patricia A. McKillip. Great book, almost poetic, but that's appropriate given that it's based on the Ballad of Tam Lynn. McKillip has written a sort of sequal to it called Solstice Wood that I'll be reading next.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Has anyone else read this? It's overwritten in my opinion. I like the ideas, but she puts too much into her exposition. I find that more of a hurdle than her complex philosophical ideas.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Yep, she does. I tried to read it over the summer. I got a little way into part 3 and gave up. Her philosophy is interesting, although I don't agree with all of it, but I had a really hard time caring about any of the characters and it is totaly overwritten. She needed a good editor, IMO.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
Hmm... I'm currently reading (well, technically, listening to on CD when I'm in the car) Salmon Rushdie's Shalimar the Clown. It's fairly interesting as a study of the origins of "terrorism", but nothing mind-blowing.

---

Have I mentioned that novels that end with cliffhangers are really annoying?
 

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Posted by Saturn Girl on :
 
I got my Border's Books email yesterday and it was highlighting a new book by Dan Simmons. I have enjoyed Dan Simmons' work since he was a baby writer (young 20's) and published a series of vampire books featuring Valentine who was a pre-teen immortal who could sing like an angel but was as depraved as a demon. Then Simmons began writing historical fiction, and his latest work is called The Terror which takes the reader into the lives and mysterious deaths of the crews of the 1850's explorer ships The Terror and Erebus in the polar ice cap. The ships were found, and theoretically the crew should have survived since they had more then enough supplies. Over the years several crewmen were found frozen and perfectly preserved by the cold. But as medicine became a more exact science, it was discovered that all of the food and water and lemon juice and tinned meats were all canned in lead lined cans. The punishing cold wasn't bad enough, the crewmen succumbed to madness...... Anyway this looks like a fantastic read.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Oh, creepy. I like sea mysteries. Probably because I'm land-locked.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Been a couple of months so lets see... I've read:

Urban Shaman by CE Murphy
The Silent Blade by RA Salvatore
The Spine of the World by RA Salvatore
Masquerades by Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak
Storm Front By Jim Butcher
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
Ill Wind by Rachel Caine


Urban Shaman by CE Murphy Not a bad little yarn by a first time novelist. It had some pacing issues but kept me interested for the most part. I'll read her follow up book to see if she got better. I'd give it a strong B+. It's kind of a modern urban fantasy noir piece told in the first person account of a female police mechanic. She's quippy, and smart alecky, and generally likeable. What Murphy does with this tale is she takes the tired-old-yelling police captain type and turns him into a respectable character. My one knock on this book is that a lot of the major action in the book takes place while the heroine is asleep or unconscious.

The Silent Blade and The Spine of the World are (I think) books 11 and 12 in the Legend of Drizzt series from the Forgotten Realms setting. Salvatore is an excellent writer. These books seem a little out of place with the rest of the series so far, but that's a minor knock when you look at them on their own merits. I can't recommend Salvatore enough... especially his Drizzt books.

Masquerades by Jeff Grubb and Kate Novak
This was the fourth book by Grubb and Novak that had something to do with their Alias character from the Finder's Stone trilogy (Forgotten Realms). Again... this story just seemed a little out of place when viewed as a whole with the previous trilogy. On it's own merits... its a better than average read. Alias had some weak character moments that were out of step with how she'd been portrayed before, but overall the book kept my attention. Decent read... not great, but decent. It just lacked the energy of the original trilogy and if I read it on its own without knowing Alias' background... I'm not sure I would have liked the character at the end of this one.


Storm Front and Fool Moon By Jim Butcher

These two books were diamonds in the rough for me. I stumbled across these on amazon.com and read the recommendations and ratings. Harry Dresden is the main character of this series and he is America's only openly practicing Wizard for hire. He's even in the phone book. I like this series. Dresden is based in Chicago and Butcher writes him very well. He's always in a tough situation and they only get worse, until he finds a way through. Some of the situations had me laughing out loud in the first book. The second book was a good take on Werewolves. The style of these books? They're very noirish, but with a modern, fantasy twist. And Dresden is like a macabre Indiana Jones. Right behind Salvatore, Butcher is the best writer that I've read in a while.

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
This book was a lot like Urban Shaman in some respects. Strong, yet vulnerable female lead coming into new powers and learning how to function while being pursued by the bad guys and other entities. She's sassy, smart alecky, and very quippy as well and just a little more sleazy than the Urban Shaman. This was the first in the Weather Warden series which has a bunch of books with weather related titles: Ill Wind, Chill Factor, etc. Of the books I read since last posting, this was the weakest. Having said that, it was still a decent read. It's got muscle cars, djinns, and elemental power wielders. Some of the twists are hard to see coming, but I wouldn't put this book above a "Beach Read" status.

That's almost it for now... I got half way through the second book in David Edding's Belgariad, The Queen of Sorcery, and put it down. I know a lot of people here love that series but the first two books have had a difficult time keeping my attention. I start reading them, and find myself wanting to read something else. I'm going to finish it someday, but man they are tough for me to stay "into".
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I'm finished Winter Rose by Patricia A McKillip and on to Solstice Woods. It's a contemporary fantasy novel which gives it a different feel from the first book. Winter Rose is never really given a location and time period. I was quite surprised to find it set in New York. Still, it's a good book. I'm looking forward to the rest of it.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
Now reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. It's one of those books I feel like I should've read but never have. It's certainly good and deserves its status as a classic, but "required reading for the human race", as it says on the cover blurb? I'm not so sure about that.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I recently finished off the Complete Calvin and Hobbes.

I've read half of a book called Eddie Bear, Private Detective, which is an omnibus of two novels provided by the Sci FI Bookclub. I enjoyed it as it's written in a style that reminds me of Douglas Adams.

I just started Dan Simmons, The Terror. So far it's off to a promising start.
 

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Posted by wamu2 on :
 
Currently reading Silent Victory by Clay Blair. It's a comprehensive history about the U.S. Pacific submarine forces in WWII. among my many addictions, I just can't pass up a good read about WWII.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I just picked up 1776 by David McCullough. 28 pages into it. It looks like a breezy sort of read.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I'm reading the Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliot. It's that rarest of rarities a huge epic that's actually finished. I'm rereading volume 5 right now (there's 7 all together) and it's really excellent.

The first time I heard of the series I thought it was just another "kids save the world" type story and I passed it by, but the description of the second book made me realize that there was more to it. I'm glad I took another look at it. The "kids" were 16, adults in their culture, and the series takes place over several years. There's also a lot of other great characters.

The three main characters are:

Alain, a young man sent to work at the local lords estate where he finds he can control a pack of dogs that no one but the Count is supposed to be able to command.

Liath, a young woman who's been on the run her whole life, but she doesn't know why. After her father's murdered she ends up as a slave to a corrupted priest.

Sanglant, the firstborn, but bastard, son of the king. He's content to fight battles and seduce women, but the king has other plans no matter what the laws say.

Elliot really knows her history. It's set in a medieval type world heavily based on the real world. The big difference (aside from the names) is that the people believe in a god that's a dual entity both male and female. That's had a huge impact on the culture. This is the best use of a medieval Christian-type church I've ever seen in a fantasy novel. Elliot really understands the impact it had on the society.

I'm going in to detail about this series because it seems to be marketed at teenage girls. It even has a heart and rose motif on the cover. Personally, I think it would appeal to older readers more, and not just women. The subject matter's just as mature as The Song of Ice and Fire, although it doesn't go into such graphic detail. At first I thought the story was a bit predictable even into the second book, but pretty much all my predictions turned out to be wrong. The plot is seriously twisty once you get into it.
 

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Posted by Blockade Boy on :
 
Novels peripheral to Clone Wars, taking place both before and after the movie.

SO much better than the movie with much better characters and better story development even of the main plot as shown in the movies.

Palatine was a sneaky little devil.

Anakin and Padme

Never in any of the movies did I "feel the love." A little rolling in the grass, some standing on balconies and a bunch of stilted dialogue?

One page in one novel told me more about Anakin's desperate need for Padme than all the movies combined. He was about to go into battle and the novel describes a letter he wrote to her to put in his final affects in case he didn't make it back.
 

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Posted by wamu2 on :
 
I just started Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. yeah, I know, I am late to the party.

but I have seen all the movies so far and thought they were good. and with the last book coming out, I thought this would be the perfect time to just read straight through the series.
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
Arachne, I read and enjoyed the CROWN OF STARS series, too. There was one one divergent plotline that I thought derailed the series in the middle volumes. That's a minor complaint, though.

I would recommend that if someone picks this up and, like me, tends to read different series at the same time (well, not the *exact* same time...), they *don't* read this one simultaneously with the other series you mentioned, SONG OF ICE AND FIRE. There are some striking similarities that can get mish-mashed together.

I'd add that the culture Kate Elliott creates here is one in which women have as much political and personal power (if not more) than the men-- something which wouldn't be expected from a medieval setting.

Ms. Elliott's more sci-fi series, JARAN, is excellent, as well. It approaches the DUNE novels in complexity and creative punch. And I don't say that lightly.

Robin Hobb's series beginning with ASSASSIN's APPRENTICE falls right in with Elliott's and Martin's.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
My latest reads were:

Star Wars: Allegiance by Tim Zahn
Legacy of the Force: Betrayal by Aaron Allston
Servant of the Shard by R.A. Salvatore
Sea of Swords by R.A. Salvatore
Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
Summer Knight by Jim Butcher

All of these books were very comfortable reads for me. I've read just about all of the Star Wars novels so getting into the recent releases was like putting on an old pair of work boots. Most of the time you don't even know that they're on.

Having said that, Betrayal had some laugh out loud moments in it that really made it stand out from other Star Wars fare. I'm not sure I like the direction some of the characters are taking, but I'm still interested in reading the forthcoming books in th series.

Anybody that has read my posts in this thread knows that I'm a huge fan of Tim Zahn's Star Wars writing. Before Allegiance he wrote six (that I can remember off the top of my head, strike that, just looked it up and there are seven) other novels in the SW universe and they are my favorites. He manages to put strength and freshness into relationships and characters that are well known and comfortable. I know that the early reviews of Allegiance are mostly negative, but the trend in those reviews tend to have sayings like, "Allegiance wasn't what I was expecting." or "There wasn't enough Luke, Han, and Leia in the story for me."

I don't really care about that type of criticism as I find it flawed. For me the story wasn't supposed to be about Leia, Han, and Luke... It was about Allegiance (hence the title) and in that sense the story worked. Plain and simple, I liked it. The plot was tight. The characters and situations were fascinating, in fact the only nitpick I have with it is a well known SW Universe problem. It seems that all of the main players end up at the same planet through different routes at the critical time. One instance of this is good writing. Two is a bit much, but it seems that this happens way more than it should. Every once in awhile some of the heroes need to be in the wrong place. Or at least in the right place, but at the wrong time. Zahn gets a pass on this for me though, as he writes the coincidences very plausibly. On a side note, I find myself drawn to the novels involving Storm and Clone Troopers. They are among the best written books in the SW Universe.

Servant of the Shard and Sea of Swords continue the story of characters related to the Legend of Drizzt. The word 'comfortable' comes to mind again. These are the 13th and 14th books in the series and I haven't disliked any of the series yet. I'm having a hard time keeping the stories of each book separate in my mind, but I always find myself looking forward to reading the next chapter and then the next book when I complete the one I'm currently reading. Can't ask for much more than that out of a story.

I haven't found anyone that writes better Modern Pulp Fantasy than Jim Butcher. His Harry Dresden series rocks so far. Grave Peril and Summer Knight did not disappoint. If tight, intricate plots with twists and brevity are your cup of joe, then you could do a lot worse than to read the Dresden Files.

As for what I'm reading right now... I just started Eyes of Prey which is (reportedly) the next "good" book in the Prey series by John Sandford. It's actually the third in the series and I read the first about six months ago and loved it. The second book isn't very good from reviews that I've read so I skipped it.

I have the Crown of Stars series, the first four of the Song of Ice and Fire, and the Hobbs' Assassin Trilogy and I'm glad that some others on here are liking them. I looked at the thickness of those books and man I don't want to read them if they suck, but all indications are that they're all fantastic, so I'm looking forward to them.

As Blockade Boy mentioned above, the Clone War novels are all fascinating reads. Much better than the movies about that era.
 

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Posted by Dain on :
 
I'm reading:

A Hat Full of Sky - Terry Pratchet.
It's a Discworld novel, the second one with the witch Tiffany Aching, and the "pixies" Nac Mac Feegle. One of the best Pratchett books I've read in a couple of years.

In the Center of the Galaxy - Clark Darlton.
It's a Perry Rhodan novel. Kinda childish but fun!

The Ethics of Star Trek - Judith Barad and Ed Robertson
"Using episodes from all four Star Trek series, as well as examples from Plato, Aristotle, Sartre and other great philosopher's of the past, The Ethics of Star Trek explores the answers to these and other important ethical questions: Why is good stronger than evil? If the Prime Directive is so inviolable, why does Kirk always seem to break it? Would Nietzsche have made a good starship captain? Are rational beings the only life-forms entitled to our respect? "

Not as "deep" and exhaustive as I would have liked but a good read nontheless.
 

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Posted by Blockade Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
My latest reads were:

Legacy of the Force: Betrayal by Aaron Allston

Having said that, Betrayal had some laugh out loud moments in it that really made it stand out from other Star Wars fare.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
My latest reads were:

Star Wars: Allegiance by Tim Zahn

Anybody that has read my posts in this thread knows that I'm a huge fan of Tim Zahn's Star Wars writing

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
Blockade Boy:

Legacy of the Force is set way after any of the movies. Han is in his early to mid 60's and his children are in their thirties. I think this puts them around 10 years after the NJO era.

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Thanks, I'll have to pick this one up if only to see how they could make Han anymore crotchety.
 

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Posted by wamu2 on :
 
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. it's the first in the Farseer triology.
 

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Posted by DrakeB3004 on :
 
"Tristessa" and "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 
George RR Martin's A Storm of Swords. I plan to get A Feast for Crows in a couple of weeks so I thought I'd reread the preceeding novel first so I wouldn't miss the subtle politics in the next one.
I borrowed a copy of it out of the Library last year when it was first released so I've already read it but I'm really looking forward to buying a copy to take my time with.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
I'm bouncing between "Mr Thundermug" and "Fruit."
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I'm in my boring time where I can't focus on anything other than technical books or manuals. Although I'm thinking of finally picking up my copy of A Game of Thrones tomorrow since mom has another long doctor appointment.
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 
I've really enjoyed the series so far, Scotty. It's been a good read. I figure it's time to get the one that's out 'cause I'm expecting the last one pretty soon. (soon as measured by epochs)

On the other hand I found a copy of The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant on a bargain book rack and while I did enjoy parts of it I'd only suggest reading it for nastalgia's sake. It's certainly no Illearth War, it's ok overall but I think Donaldson may be past his prime.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
The Doors of His Face, The Lamp of His Mouth by Roger Zelazny is currently what I am reading.

Very hit and miss. I am learning to appreciate it the more I read it. It's 1950s sci-fi stuff. Kinda trippy as you could guess by the title.

There was a very good story about a translator on Mars. He was a phenom at languages and had learned martian. He would translate works of literature to martian or from martian.
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ghost of Numf El:
Just read "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman over the course of a long week-end stuck on a North Sea oil platform.

Very enjoyable read (over 600 pages in his 'preferred text' version). Very well written. Worth a read.

Thriller / mystery / ghost / love / religion / magic / road movie type book.

---

Stuck on a North Sea oil platform??? That's like one of my phobias!!! Sorry Numf this quote is over a year old...I was reading some old stuff.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Just finished 'The Picture of Dorian Grey' by Oscar Wilde. You know, it was actually pretty amazing!

It suffers a bit by the plot kind of limping along at times, but its just so witty, and so bitingly unforgiving that it draws you right in. I’ll probably be quoting Wilde for the next few months.

Since it was so controversial for its time, its makes it much more enjoyable to picture so many people who were uncomfortable because of it.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
You know... I've never actually read The Picture of Dorian Gray, but Wilde pretty much rocks.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Yeah, he really does. You should read it Eryk. One of the main characters, Lord Henry, is generally called the 'quinntessential Wilde character' (yeah, liked I'd spell that right). Every single line he utters is pure genius. The book was worth it for his outrageous philosphies alone--by the end, I was converting into one of his discpiles no matter how I really felt.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
I just downloaded Dorian Gray off Project Gutenberg!

One of my friends in high school was a huge Oscar Wilde fan, but I've never explored his work in that much depth. I remember seeing "Gross Indecency", a play about Wilde's trials, a few years ago and really enjoying it. And The Importance of Being Earnest rocks like nobody's business.
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
Just finished Cormac Mcarthy's The Road.

No I didn't pickup the book because of Oprah. I was waiting for the paperback version. She just made the paperback come out sooner.

A beatiful bleak book set in a near future where some great castrophe has occured. That is not the important part, its more about the realtionship between a father and his son.

It a beautifully depressing uplifiting story.
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 
A Feast for Crows is a real pleasure. I read it in such a hurry when it first came out that I really didn't get to absorb the depth of this one. This series gets better with each book, I'm really going to be sad when it comes to an end...supposedly with the fifth installment.

Actually in an interview Martin said that he hadn't planned a fifth book but each character's story took on so much weight that he couldn't possibly wrap it up in this one without shorting the readers and the characters.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
I just downloaded Dorian Gray off Project Gutenberg!

One of my friends in high school was a huge Oscar Wilde fan, but I've never explored his work in that much depth. I remember seeing "Gross Indecency", a play about Wilde's trials, a few years ago and really enjoying it. And The Importance of Being Earnest rocks like nobody's business.

---

Let me know what you think!

And you know what? I've never read the Importance of Being Earnest (or seen it performed). Sounds like I know what my next purchase should be.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
To break with our fiction tradition...

Dead Men Do Tell Tales is a brief intro into Forensics Medicine. CSI fans will find something interesting.
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Finally started A Game of Thrones today. Should have been studying but Caroline had another dental appointment and I didn't want to drag the laptop with me at 8:00 AM. Only about 100 pages in but I'm hooked.
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 
I read a wonderful tribute to Vonnegut today where the writer mentioned that The Sirens of Titan was his first ever Vonnegut book. This made me remember a few bits about Winston Niles Rutherford (wasn't that the protagonist's name?) and the reason for the title of the novel. I've read a few, Cat's Cradle, Slapshot and Welcome to the Monkey House but sadly I have NOT read his most acclaimed works, Slaughterhouse Five or God Bless You Mr. Rosewater.

I think I'm going to get a new copy of it and a few others that I've never read and go on a Kurt Vonnegut jag this spring.
 

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Posted by Bicycle Repair Man on :
 
I've been re-reading Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Barsoom" series: John Carter! Swashbuckling adventure on Mars!
Check your brains at the door!
 

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Posted by Uranus Lad on :
 
I've just started Illium by Dan Simmons. This is the first book I've picked up in months. Haven't gotten very far but I'm hooked. I wish I could devote as much energy to non-speculative-fiction. I guess I must be a nerd Sci Fi is life candy to me
 

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Posted by Yellow Kid on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bicycle Repair Man:
I've been re-reading Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Barsoom" series: John Carter! Swashbuckling adventure on Mars!
Check your brains at the door!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:


Legacy of the Force: Tempest by Troy Denning
This book had a lot of “Oh no he didn’t” factor to it. Things are starting to unravel in the Galaxy Far Far Away. Maybe this time will be different… I don’t want it to happen this way, but I guess that’s what makes for good drama.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blockade Boy:

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:


Legacy of the Force: Tempest by Troy Denning
This book had a lot of “Oh no he didn’t” factor to it. Things are starting to unravel in the Galaxy Far Far Away. Maybe this time will be different… I don’t want it to happen this way, but I guess that’s what makes for good drama.

---

Is this a good thing? or a BAD thing? Have there been any books picking up after the Jedi beat those plant people?

I just found out our library (8th best in the country!) carries graphic novels. I tried a couple Star Wars. A Bobo Fett and some elseworlds type thing. Not too impressed yet.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
[QUOTE]Honestly... I'm a little confused by your post....

---

Understandable.


"plant people"

I just cannot think of the story line title, but it just recently finished up. They were a race from some other galaxy or some such, whose tech was based upon plants and genetics. They grew their weapons and such.

Can't believe I cannot remember what they were called?

Anyhow, you answered MY question.

Thanks.
 

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Posted by Ram Boy on :
 
A biography of Philipe, Duc d'Orleans. French Regent after the death of Louis XIV. Kind of an overlooked historical figure who was ahead of his times in many aspects.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I'm going to Key West next week, so I loaded up on some reading material to bring with me:

'Book of Fate' by Brad Meltzer, mainly to see if his mystery novels are really better than his comics, as they say.

'The Stand' by Stephen King.

'Pride & Prejudice' by Jane Austen, because I remember being shocked at how much I liked it in college and I got it for the cool price of $4!

I also still have to read 'The Brothers Karamazov' and I'm rereading Harry Potter 6 to gear up for the seventh book.

I do remember some discussion much earlier in this thread on 'The Time Traveler's Wife', which I almost bought. Then I couldn't remember if people liked it or not. I'll have check and then make my decision.
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Have you read The Stand before Cobie? Still my favorite book of all time. We actually just talked about it with CJ this weekend.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Nope, never have! My brother just finished it and couldn't reccomend it enough. Its also what my mom consider to be King's best and scariest book, and she's pretty much read them all.

Your favorite? Now I have to read it first! Cool--this was something I threw in the pile at the last minute!
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
Abridged or unabridged, I loved it. My top five books of all time:

1. The Stand
2. Lucifer's Hammer
3. A Canticle for Lebowitz
4. On the Beach
5. Hunters of the Red Moon

There's a theme to the first four. Can you guess it?
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Blockade Boy:

The way you are describing it now the plant people sound like the Yuuzhan Vong from the New Jedi story line. Don't know if I'd think of them as "Plant" people though as that limits their philosophy. I'd think of them as more "organic" and anti-technologic.

Gotta agree with Scott here on The Stand... that is a great story. But I read a story recently that I think blows The Stand away. I'll comment more on it in my next post.

[ May 10, 2007, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: minesurfer ]
 

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Posted by Blockade Boy on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
Blockade Boy:

The way you are describing it now the plant people sound like the Yuuzhan Vong from the New Jedi story line. Don't know if I'd think of them as "Plant" people though as that limits there philosophy. I'd think of them as more "organic" and anti-technologic.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
Gotta agree with Scott here on The Stand... that is a great story. But I read a story recently that I think blows The Stand away. I'll comment more on it in my next post.

---

Can't wait to hear what that book may be.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Alright here goes...

I would have put this book in with one of my other posts, but this story deserves a post of its own.

It's not really a horror story although it is by an author that came up through the horror ranks. It even has monsters, ghosts, demons, and murder in it as well.

But this tale is really a story about life. The title (appropriately so) is Boy's Life and it was written by Robert McCammon. It's about a 11 going on 12 year old boy growing up in 1964 Southern Alabama. Even though I had not been born at that time, I had no problems visualizing or connecting with the period or the characters.

I ran the gamut of emotions reading it, which I suppose a good story will make you. But at the end, I felt deeply satisfied and inspired. It made me look at things that I'd been pondering about for several years and I found that I was able to express why and how those things were important to me in a way that I hadn't before.

I can not recommend this book enough. Just an absolutely fantastic read.
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
Minesurfer, I read that book about a year ago, and I agree completely. A truely excellent read, well worth picking up if you haven't read it already.
 

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Posted by Lightning Lad on :
 
I read it back when it came out, 90 or 91. Good book. But his Swan Song was much better.
 

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Posted by Blacula on :
 
I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to, or should, but I'm trying to get back into it.

I've only read two books so far in 2007.

The first was the old Robert Ludlum thriller 'The Osterman Weekend' - it was a pretty good page-turner but it felt a little bit dated and the twist at the end seemed a bit silly.

The second was the new Nobel Prize-winning masterpiece 'The Road' - loved it!

Extremely well-written and completely engaging. He developed the bleak post-apocalyptic world so, so well. Almost too well! There is no doubting that this is a grim, dread-filled book.

But what makes it so moving is that at the centre of all this death and horror (and the horror is pretty unspeakable) is this amazingly pure love between a father and son. And so despite the extremely depressing nature of the book there's also an amazingly uplifting quality to it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
I recently finished re-reading cultural commentator Ian Penman's 1998 collection of essays, "Vital Signs: Music, Movies, and Other Manias." Witty, eloquent, irreverent, and ever-skeptical, this book is both great fun and food for thought.
 

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Posted by CJ Taylor on :
 
Just finished reading "The Dante Club." It's a novel akin to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, with 19th century American writers as a group of crime stoppers.
 

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Posted by Blockade Boy on :
 
Just finished "Ender's Shadow," a book written to parallel "Ender's Game." Clever idea and fast paced from the beginning. Makes the first book even more interesting.
 

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Posted by Kent Shakespeare on :
 
I'm reading a dark comedy written by a good friend of mine, who is a true wit:

"HOW TO BECOME A CEO - AND MAKE A KILLING" by CHRISTOPHER E. METZGER. (sorry for the caps - I did a cut and paste)

Chris draws upon his own pre-author Wall Street days to create a wonderfully sarcastic look at todays corporate culture. It's a gem.
 

---

Posted by dedman on :
 
Just finshed Robin Hobb's Tawny Man trilogy.
Well writen novels but not quite in the vein of what i look for in a fantasy novel.
 

---

Posted by Bicycle Repair Man on :
 
I interrupted my Barsoom series reread when I noticed something on my local library's new-book shelf: Variable Star by Robert Heinlein & Spider Robinson. A good read; some of the background/worldbuilding details will be familiar to those who know their Heinlein.
Then I noticed that my local library also has copies of several of the most recent "Rumpole of the Bailey" volumes, so I've finished Rumpole and the Angel of Death and Rumpole Rests His Case, am currently reading Rumpole and the Primrose Path, and have Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders to look forward to.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
I finally(!) finished the old sci-fi book by Roger Zelazny.

Now I am finishing Count of Monte Cristo. I've been "reading" it for about 8 years now. I've restarted so many times I know the first third of the book by heart.
 

---

Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blacula:
I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to, or should, but I'm trying to get back into it.

I've only read two books so far in 2007.

The first was the old Robert Ludlum thriller 'The Osterman Weekend' - it was a pretty good page-turner but it felt a little bit dated and the twist at the end seemed a bit silly.

The second was the new Nobel Prize-winning masterpiece 'The Road' - loved it!

Extremely well-written and completely engaging. He developed the bleak post-apocalyptic world so, so well. Almost too well! There is no doubting that this is a grim, dread-filled book.

But what makes it so moving is that at the centre of all this death and horror (and the horror is pretty unspeakable) is this amazingly pure love between a father and son. And so despite the extremely depressing nature of the book there's also an amazingly uplifting quality to it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone.

---

Don't feel bad Blacula. I recently got back into reading books about 3/4 years ago. I used to read a ton in junior high and high school. Between 18 and 26? I may have read one book. I was busy getting drunk I think.

I've been averaging a blazing speed of 5 to 6 books a year. My wife reads 12 to 18 books a year. Damn you fast readers!!!
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:
I finally(!) finished the old sci-fi book by Roger Zelazny.

Now I am finishing Count of Monte Cristo. I've been "reading" it for about 8 years now. I've restarted so many times I know the first third of the book by heart.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bicycle Repair Man:
I've been re-reading Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Barsoom" series: John Carter! Swashbuckling adventure on Mars!
Check your brains at the door!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blacula:
I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to, or should, but I'm trying to get back into it.

I've only read two books so far in 2007.

The first was the old Robert Ludlum thriller 'The Osterman Weekend' - it was a pretty good page-turner but it felt a little bit dated and the twist at the end seemed a bit silly.

The second was the new Nobel Prize-winning masterpiece 'The Road' - loved it!

Extremely well-written and completely engaging. He developed the bleak post-apocalyptic world so, so well. Almost too well! There is no doubting that this is a grim, dread-filled book.

But what makes it so moving is that at the centre of all this death and horror (and the horror is pretty unspeakable) is this amazingly pure love between a father and son. And so despite the extremely depressing nature of the book there's also an amazingly uplifting quality to it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone.

---

Don't feel bad Blacula. I recently got back into reading books about 3/4 years ago. I used to read a ton in junior high and high school. Between 18 and 26? I may have read one book. I was busy getting drunk I think.

I've been averaging a blazing speed of 5 to 6 books a year. My wife reads 12 to 18 books a year. Damn you fast readers!!!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Arachne:
I'm reading the uncut version of The Stand now. All 1150+ pages of it. I'm over halfway through and I'm still not sure if I like it or not.

---

As I mentioned a couple of pages back, my #1 book of all time. Don't know if I'd like it as much if the uncut version was my first read of it. If you don't wind up caring for the characters, probably everyone but the Walking Dude, I'd be surprised. That's why I re-read it so often. Its like visiting old friends.
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
I think it's not having a clue how it'll end that's bugging me. I haven't read much of King's work before. Actually, the first book of his I've read is The Gunslinger and that was just a week ago, and I can't say I liked how that ended.

In the foreword from The Stand it says the pages were cut at the request of the accountants not the editors, although King made the 400 pages of cuts himself. I think he wrote that there was more to Fran's relationship with her mother, for one thing. There was a lot of Trashcan Man's story cut, too. King said he didn't feel that cut worked well. He updated some stuff, too. The uncut version came out in 1990, when the story took place, so he made a few references to things he couldn't have known about in 1978. A Madonna song on the radio, for example. The copy I got from the library has illustrations.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
I've never read a Stephen King book. My wife has read lots of them. I need to catch up.

Scott, life gets in the way of reading. I wish I had the time to just read and watch films.
 

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Posted by mechana on :
 
This week I have read Neil Gaiman's "Stardust", and "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town" by Cory Doctorow.

From Publishers Weekly

It's only natural that Alan, the broadminded hero of Doctorow's fresh, unconventional SF novel, is willing to help everybody he meets. After all, he's the product of a mixed marriage (his father is a mountain and his mother is a washing machine), so he knows how much being an outcast can hurt. Alan tries desperately to behave like a human being—or at least like his idealized version of one. He joins a cyber-anarchist's plot to spread a free wireless Internet through Toronto at the same time he agrees to protect his youngest brothers (members of a set of Russian nesting dolls) from their dead brother who's now resurrected and bent on revenge. Life gets even more chaotic after he becomes the lover and protector of the girl next door, whom he tries to restrain from periodically cutting off her wings. Doctorow (Eastern Standard Tribe) treats these and other bizarre images and themes with deadpan wit. In this inventive parable about tolerance and acceptance, he demonstrates how memorably the outrageous and the everyday can coexist. - Russell Galen.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Ain’t been on since early May so let’s see if I can remember what I’ve read:

The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy by RA Salvatore
-The Thousand Orcs
-The Lone Drow
-The Two Blades

The Sell Swords Trilogy by RA Salvatore
-Servant of the Shard
-Promise of the Witch King
-The Road of the Patriarch

The Black Company by Glen Cook

Two of “The Rogues” series in the Forgotten Realms Universe
The Alabaster Staff by Edward Bolme
The Yellow Silk by Don Bassingthwaite

I guess I’ll start with my favorites of this lot… the last two books of the Sell Swords trilogy (I read the first one a few posts back). The Sellswords are about Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle who are both “villains” that came out of the Legend of Drizzt series… and at this point seem to be more interesting to Salvatore than Drizzt is. Salvatore manages to invest the reader into the rogue drow and ruthless assassin while weaving a complex array of intrigue, dragons, magic, ambition, and local politics into an amusing and entertaining tale. I don’t know if Salvatore has more Entreri stories planned, but I’m almost more interested in reading them than the Orc King Trilogy he’s supposed to be writing over the next three years.

As for the Hunter’s Blade Trilogy: Salvatore may be losing steam with his Drizzt books. Maybe he’s just told all of the interesting stories that Drizzt as a character has? Maybe he’s made some editorial decisions that detract from the series? I don’t know but The Hunter’s Blade trilogy had focus issues and didn’t seem to have much to do with Drizzt. Given that this has become the norm for the last 6 or 7 books in what is known as The Legend of Drizzt series, I have to acknowledge that Salvatore might need to step back and refocus the series as a whole. Don’t get me wrong, the books are written well but Drizzt seems to be becoming less and less the center of his own “Legend”. Most of the other characters are interesting but don’t deserve as much ink as the main character. I found myself skipping to chapters that had more to do with Drizzt and came back and read the other chapters afterward. I’ve found myself doing this type of thing with some Star Wars books I’ve enjoyed in the past. I don’t know if I should interpret it as a problem with the book or just being more interested in one plot thread more than another within the book. I suppose it’s a little bit of both.

The Black Company wasn’t what I was expecting. Once I got past my initial disillusionment and accepted the book on its terms, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Where as the strengths of most of the books I’ve read are the details, The Black Company doesn’t exactly concern itself with those. I expected a grim, gritty, fantasy about a mercenary military unit. Given that the series has earned a cult like following over the years I was expecting… I don’t know… just… more.

But Cook only visits the campaign when something major is about to go down jumping months ahead in time at various points in the book. I don’t remember him going into detailed physical descriptions of any of the main characters. He treats the story like a military historian who was imbedded with the troops. The action is almost incidental in the book as his fight descriptions generally amount to, “thousands of troops poured into hundreds of opposing troops who fought bravely, and killed many, but eventually tired out and gave ground.” What’s important in this book isn’t the action, or the characters, but the interactions between the characters, the tradition of the unit, and the realistic depiction of what massive conflict means. Glen Cook writes with authority. I can respect that. I’ll read the rest of the series and his other books too.

As for the Forgotten Realms’ Rogue books, they were distracting. The Yellow Silk was good. It boasts a tight plot with likeable protagonists and despicable villains. Further the story depends on consistent characters, a few surprises that you don’t see coming (and a few that you might), but throws in a touch of randomness (read fate) that elevates this book over standard fantasy fare. If a sequel ever comes out, I’d hunt it down in a heartbeat.

The Alabaster Staff starts off well but fizzles into standard fantasy fare by the end…strictly a pedestrian read. No going along for the ride on this one.

[ June 25, 2007, 11:45 AM: Message edited by: minesurfer ]
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
This probably doesn't bode well but I forgot to mention another book that I read... The Night Boat by Robert McCammon

Since I so thoroughly enjoyed Boy's Life by McCammon I wanted to read some of his other works. So Night Boat was one of his first novels... and it showed. Not a terrible read but I won't be rereading this one anytime soon. It's about a cursed WWII German uboat that resurfaces some forty years later in a fictitious Carribean setting that was responsible for the uboat's original demise. It was a fairly mediocre story. It was more interesting from the standpoint in seeing McCammon's growth as an author than for anything that was actually going on in the story. I'm still going to read his other books though, that's how good Boy's Life was.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Just finished rereading The Bug Wars by Robert Asprin. It's one of my favorite books.

I think that the Tzen would make for an interesting fight with Klingons ...
 

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Posted by Ram Boy on :
 
Rereading The First American, The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin. He's awesome. How awesome? Well, if I had twins I'd probably name them Ben and Frank. (Unless of course they were girls, in which case I'd go with Hyah and Watha)
 

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Posted by Pov on :
 
Playboy.


Just for the articles...
 

---

Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I'm kind of reading the same stuff as Arachne. Even though I've been meaning to read the Stand, I haven't started it yet, because I've become engrossed with the Dark Towers novels. Let me tell you Al--go ahead and read the second one, "The Drawing of the Three". Its far superior and really gets the story going. The first one is a bit 'out there' without a real coherent ending. You kind of have to accept it and move forward and then it all kind of comes back to it and makes sense.

I'm about 60 pages from ending 'The Waste Lands', the third book, and I'm enthralled. I'm especially looking forward to the fourth to learn about Roland's past.

*Then* perhaps I'll read the Stand before I read books #5-7. I really want to read Salem's Lot too, and maybe some other King books while I'm on a kick right now.
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
Just finished the new Warren Zevon biography and am rereading some books from the 'Swallows and Amazons' series that I just got at a used bookstore.
 

---

Posted by Arachne on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
Let me tell you Al--go ahead and read the second one, "The Drawing of the Three". Its far superior and really gets the story going.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
The second book I read was a hoot. The name of it is, "Heroics for Beginners" and it was written by John Moore. I think the best way to describe the book is to say that it is like Austin Powers meets the fantasy genre... only it was written by an Engineer with a sense of humor. The book is written very well and extremely tongue in cheek; But the plot is still tight. I laughed and laughed at much of this book. Just a hoot.

---

I read that. I really liked it, too. Have you read Game of Thrones before?

I went to Chapters today and got the art book The Monster Book of Manga: Fairies and Magical Creatures. 380 pages of paintings broken down into stages. I'm enjoying it. And I've finally gotten around to reading The Blood Knight by Greg Keyes. It's the third in a really good series that'll only be four books total. It's nice knowing there's an end planned. It's kind of Tolkien meets Lovecraft, if you can imagine that.

[ July 30, 2007, 07:46 PM: Message edited by: Arachne ]
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Finished A Game of Thrones last night after spending the Lion's share of the past weekend's hours on it.

It was the first time I read it Arachne, and I've got to say that I was most impressed with the story. I really had no idea what the book would be like going into it and once I got past the amount of characters, initial shocks and indecency (which are fine by my standards as long as they make sense within the story), I was hooked for the ride.

My only minor nitpick is that Martin tends to get a little too detailed in his lists of who is attending a meeting or meal. But if you're trying to increase your page count then I guess you'd have to put all those people in.

I'll read the rest of the series, but I'll probably give it some time before I do. I might head back to some of the other John Moore books as they are a little bit smaller in scope... I just don't know yet.

[ October 04, 2007, 02:39 PM: Message edited by: minesurfer ]
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Yeah, Martin's work is graphic in every sense of the word. Some of those minor characters become more important later one.

I understand giving it time before reading the rest. I read Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz a few weeks ago, and I loved it (I think Odd is going to go down as one of my all time favourite characters), but somehow I'm just not ready to read the next part.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Finished 4th Dark Tower book and it was definately the best of the first four. It was a pretty emotional ride, and I’m leaving it loving the love of Roland’s life like he did, and feeling the pain for him that his comrades feel. King really poured his heart and soul into this one.

Need to get the next three, but haven’t had the time to go to B&N lately. I *may* finally get to the Stand next…
 

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Posted by Blockade Boy on :
 
2nd Legacy of the Force book. Doesn't have the tongue in cheek humor of the first but it has Boba Fett, nothing gets better than that.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
I just finished Voltaire's Candide. I don't know if it made more optimistic or cynical? I think optimistic but I think Voltaire was trying to shows how foolish it is to think optimistically all the time. I read he wrote it as response to another philosopher who was had strong christian beliefs and basically says everything happens for a reason and it's god's will. Voltaire didn't agree.

The scary part is Voltaire uses examples of two terrible earthquakes that happened around the same time. One is Lima, Peru and the other in Lisbon, Portugal.

Peru just had an earthquake. I am going to Lisbon in October. I am being optimistic.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
I just looked up the earthquake happened Nov. 1st 1755 in Lisbon. I am going Oct. 25 thru Nov4th. eeek. I am being optimistic.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
I'm reading the last Potter book. I'm scared.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Just finished My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.
 

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Posted by mechana on :
 
I picked up the latest Harry Potter and the new William Gibson today, and a couple of Jane Austen books (Mansfield Park and Persausion).

But I can't open them until I catch up on some work!
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Finished up the novel Old Yeller that the movie was based on. It's possible that the book has an even sadder ending than the movie ...
 

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Posted by Ram Boy on :
 
What, they resurrect him and shoot him again!?
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Well....

Click Here For A SpoilerAs I remember the movie, Old Yeller had already begun to exhibit symptoms of rabies when the boy shot him. In the novel, he's literally just saved the life of the mother and his little brother and isn't even exhibiting any symptoms. He takes Old Yeller out to the woods and puts his gun to his head and shoots the trusting dog.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
Been spending a lot of time in the car lately, so I've listened to The Adventures of Hucklebery Finn and Great Expectations on cd. Huck Finn was fantastic. GE was good, though the coincidence at the heart of it that links Estella to Pip's benefactor kind of annoyed me.

As far as reading reading, I've been making my way through the complete novels of Eudora Welty. It's in the same Southern Gothic vein as Faulkner, but I generally prefer his works to hers.
 

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Posted by Uranus Lad on :
 
I just Finished The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem this is the best work of contemporary fiction I've read since the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Do yourself a big favor and go out an pick up this book. Seriously. Fortress of Solitude

Before that I read all three Hyperion books by Dan Simmons as well as Illium and Olympos all highly recommended as well. I'm on a roll this year. I don't think I cracked more than 2 books all of last year. I'm up to seven I think so far this year. Hooray for me.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Did Uranus Lad just use the word "cracked"?

I think we need some Beevis and Butthead emoticons for this moment.
 

---

Posted by Uranus Lad on :
 
H Ha!
 

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Posted by Blacula on :
 
I've got 'The Fortress of Solitude' in my pile of books waiting to be read so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it Uranus Lad. If it's anywhere near as good as 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' I'll be happy.

I'm currently reading a book called 'Bullet Points' by a Mark Watson. I'm sure no-one's ever heard of the book or the author - I know I hadn't when I bought it on a whim because of the cover.

I'm glad I did though because it's a real hoot. A kind of comedy/drama about a psychiatrist and his whacky clients in 1980s America with a pretty dark sub-current about the main character's lifetime rivalry with his 'perfect' best friend. It's very Woody Allenish in a way which makes it totally up my alley.
 

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Posted by Language Arts Lad on :
 
The Complete Bone. My four-year-old loves it.
Also a book called Fat, White, Vampire Blues. Just started it, but so far it's entertaining.
And, I picked up Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen. I'm a little light on my "English Novels," and I've heard that one is hilarous.

Oh, and a travel book called, "Off the Beaten Track-Illinois." I love learning about my home state.
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
I'm rereading Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling, the first book in his 'Emberverse' series (in which technology stops working all over the world and the survivors have to rebuild civilization without it). I just got the third book (A Meeting At Corvallis), and when I started into it I realized that I didn't remember well enough what happened in the first two, so I'm just gonna rip through all three one after the other.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I'm back to trying to finish The Terror.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Finally finished The Terror.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
With the birth of my first child last month, my reading time has twindled to scants of that which it once was.

I plodded through The Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher.

I’m a huge fan of Butcher’s Harry Dresden Series so I decided to check out some of his other novels. His Spider-man book was pretty good so I moved along to his Furies series which sets up to be a little more toward standard fantasy fare. This story suffers a little because it seems that choices were not made. It’s written in an omniscient viewpoint, but all characters seem equally important. The problem is that there is a definite main character and the rest are second tier. The main character disappears for over 70 pages of the book in a transparent attempt to create tension (this happens with other second tier characters too). The problem is the tension doesn’t really build in his absence because any mildly sophisticated reader will see the solution coming from miles away. Then the book is 500 pages long and I never found myself involved in the characters emotionally. Sometimes it was a chore to read this book. Having said that, there are some really interesting developments and interactions within the story that could make the sequels worth reading. I’d probably grade this book at a high C+ or low B- depending on my mood.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
I actually finished Furies of Calderon a few weeks ago... since then I have been reading a book called Alternities by Michael Kube-McDowell. It was published in 1988 and reflects some of the Nuclear politics of that time and the prior 40 years.

Alright the gist of the book: Somewhere along the line mysterious gates to other "Alternities" (read Parallel Universes) are discovered and explored by people from the "Home Alternity".

"Home" is populated by an America that adopted Isolationism as a national policy after WWII (and suffers, relatively speaking, technologically and sociologically because of it). This led to a quite different reality from our own, one in which Russia is more powerful than America. This in turn leads to some intriguing political maneuvering and kind of a reverse Cuban Missile Crisis. Mingled in with all of this is the exploration and exploitation of other Alternities for the political benefit of the "Home".

Decent enough setup and I found myself interested in turning the page to see what happens next. The set up never goes downhill and the pace of the book is consistent. The tone of the book kinda changes at the end and many details are wrapped up nice and neat... a little too neat for my tastes signifying that the author may have reached his word quota or page count. Having said that, this book still leaves some things dangling that I felt should have been addressed.

I guess most people would categorize this book as "hard" sci-fi, but in the end I think it was more of a character piece with some moral and theological discussion thrown in for good measure. Don't get me wrong, it's not a "preachy" piece of fiction,

(Spoiler Ahead)

but the writer never truly explains the creation of the gates. Characters provide theories about the creation of the gates' existence but they are never proven. Other characters strongly hint at a higher power as being responsible for the Gates. Maybe the author did this on purpose given that Man has struggled with reconciling the two concepts (Higher Beings and Science) since Eden or before. I don't know... maybe after so many discussions and thoughts about the creation of the gates, to not have them fully explained seemed a little disappointing to me.

(end spoiler)

I'd probably give this book a strong B+ even though there were some things I'd like to have seen explained better or at least happen "on screen".

[ September 19, 2007, 10:30 AM: Message edited by: minesurfer ]
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
Just finished A Tale of Two Cities (on CD) the other night. It was kind of tedious in the beginning, but the ending is fantastic. Sydney Carton has to go down as one of the greatest literary characters ever.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Great, great, great story. Its my favorite Dickens story by far.

I agree the beginning is tedious, but once you start to see the real side of the French Revolution, it really hits hard.

It left my teary-eyed the first time and one the reread.
 

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Posted by kenaustin on :
 
In 18 days I'll be reading Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, the second book of "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant."
 

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Posted by Arachne on :
 
Language Arts Lad, I've read Northanger Abbey and loved it. Austen does gothic really well, which is part of why it's so funny.

I just started reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I didn't even know I owned it until last week when I was looking through some books. I remember reading it when I was a kid, but I thought I got it from the library.
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by kenaustin:
In 18 days I'll be reading Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, the second book of "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant."

---

By the way, I've been meaning to ask you... did you happen to take your username from the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant?
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
A Tale of Two Cities and A Wrinkle in Time are both on my on deck circle. Along with a hundred other books.

I plan to read most if not all of Dickens. (and Patricia Highsmith, and Henry Miller, and Kafka, *groan)
 

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Posted by kenaustin on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Matthew E:

quote:

---

Originally posted by kenaustin:
In 18 days I'll be reading Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, the second book of "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant."

---

By the way, I've been meaning to ask you... did you happen to take your username from the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant?

---

Yes sir, that's where I got it from.
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
Aha!

--

I just finished reading G.K. Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday. It was good, but I'm not sure what to make of it. I think I'll need to read it again.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
Just finished The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Some pretty powerful stuff, though the ending was actually a bit blah.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I am finishing up Secret Daughter - a mixed race daughter and the mother who gave her up

It is a memoir. The author's mother ended up marrying Larry Storch of F-Troop fame.
 

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Posted by Pov on :
 
The rumor and gossip about Quislet, Esq. Thread... some juicy stuff there...
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Pov:
The rumor and gossip about Quislet, Esq. Thread... some juicy stuff there...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
Just finished The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Some pretty powerful stuff, though the ending was actually a bit blah.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dain:
[bMen of Tomorrow "Geeks, gangsters and the birth of the comic book" by Eisner winner Gerard Jones.

---

I started that a while ago! (It was a gift from Joe-Boy when I visited him in Australia. ) It's really interesting and I've definitely enjoyed it. I haven't had the chance to finish it yet, though, so don't tell me how it ends!

I'm stuck reading Introduction to Latin America History at the moment because, even though I'm a senior, I put off taking a few of my intro classes. It's so boring it should be a crime to inflict it upon poor unsuspecting students. As is, though, I will have to suffer through since my midterm's tomorrow.
 

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Posted by Dain on :
 
Oh, don't worry about it. I have no idea how it ends. I've read only 20 pages so far. And it IS interesting. I like the narration. It's laid back and comfortable like talking with a friend who *knows* stuff, like funny and obscure stories, anecdotes, an incredible amount of details and trivia etc.
I love this kind of book!
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
Finished reading _Fatal Revenant_. Much better than _Runes of the Earth._
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
I finished the Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451 while on long trip I just took.

Started Lord of the Flies. Yes I am rereading my high school reading cause I forgot most of the details cause it's been many many years AND I wasn't paying too much attention the first time around.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
There was a time at which I could quote passages from Lord of the Flies from memory. It was really the book that made me take reading novels seriously back in high school. I haven't read it in ages, though. I suspect I wouldn't be that impressed by it, now.
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
Rereading Dennis Hensley's hilarious Misadventures in the (213). (His other book, Screening Party, is even funnier.)
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
There was a time at which I could quote passages from Lord of the Flies from memory. It was really the book that made me take reading novels seriously back in high school. I haven't read it in ages, though. I suspect I wouldn't be that impressed by it, now.

---

I don't know EDE. Lots of those old high school books I've been rereading are impressing me. The Great Gatsby and Fahrenheit 451 did.

Fahrenheit 451 had some spots I thought were a bit...juvenille? Not sure. But a good portion of it is great social commentary. I did not care for the ending though.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I'm reading "Retained by the People: The 'silent' Ninth Amendment and the constitutional rights Americans don't know they have"
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Managed to fit in a few books recently:

The Orc King by RA Salvatore

and

Legacy of the Force: Inferno by Troy Denning

I started out as a big fan of the Drizzt series by Salvatore. The first six books tell an exceptional story of exceptional characters. The books start losing focus after that (so slowly that you don't even realize it's happening). He follows Artemis and Jarlaxle around for a few books, and Wulfgar for a book and a half, and when Drizzt is in the books, he gets very little "face" time.

The Orc King starts to reverse that trend. Not entirely though as Salvatore takes time in this book to wrap up some dangling threads of characters more minor than Drizzt. I enjoyed this book very much... not enough to group it with the first six of the series, but I'd put it in the top echelon of the next tier in the overall series.

LotF: Inferno was a very quick read. I started it at 5pm on Saturday and finished by 12 noon Sunday. I slept in that time too... I mean the book wasn't a "I-can't-stop-reading-this-yet" type of book. And I'm certainly not a fast reader, but this book went by lickety split for me. Other than that... solid book. Somethings caught me by surprise (which is very hard for a Star Wars book to do at this point) and some things left me a little flat. I'm not sure I've bought into Darth Caedus' altruistic motivations for turning to the dark side. It just seems thin to me and I think I would have appreciated a smarter, more kill them with kindness approach than the lets make him evil just for the sake of him being evil.

[ November 12, 2007, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: minesurfer ]
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
I have to say I didn't really love the Lord of the Flies the first time around (in high school), but I also didn't give many novels a chance back then. I owe it to myself to check out Farenheit 451 too, b/c I know for certain I hardly gave it a chance. This was when I not only had discovered girls, but became aware that they had discovered me. My priorities had changed

I always loved Great Gatsby though.

I hated Catcher in the Rye back then. Probably still would.
 

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Posted by Stealth on :
 
Would you prefer Catcher in the Whole Wheat?

Catcher in the Pumpernickel?

Catcher in the Sourdough?

Catcher in the Baguette?
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Definately Catcher in the Baguette! Actually, Pumpernickel sounds like it could be a better read. More American somehow.

Catcher in the Sourdough is too post-modern.
 

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Posted by Blacula on :
 
I think I wrote in a post about 20 pages ago that 'Catcher in the Rye' was in the pile of books next to my bed waiting to be read. Well, it's still there. I just cannot summon up the enthusiasm to read it. Hopefully one day it will hit me and then I'll love it, rather than forcing myself to read it when I'm not in the mood.

Anyhoo - finished 'Bullet Points'. Pretty good. Kind-of-a strange but interesting book and worth a read if anyone ever comes across it.

About to read 'The Interpretation of Murder' on the recommendation of my Uncle but I also just scored full runs of all the early 'Batman and the Outsiders' and 'The Outsiders' books so it could be a little while before I get started on it.
 

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Posted by l.e.g.i.o.n.JOHN on :
 
Big Bosoms and Square Jaws: the biography of Russ Meyer king of the sex film. by Jimmy McDonough

am a big fan of his "sexplotiton" films and saw this while browsing through Amazon so i thought i'd check it out.
 

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Posted by mechana on :
 
I've been sick a lot lately, so I've read a ton of books over the last couple of months; including everything by Richard Morgan.

It's sci-fi, but very dark, extremely violent, sexual, yet thought provoking and fascinating too. Highly recommended.

Black Man is a stand alone title, and his latest book.

There is a trilogy: Altered Carbon. Broken Angels, and Woken Furies, though each one is only nominally influenced by the ones that came before, so you wouldn't necessarily have to read them all.

Market Forces is also a stand alone. It is far less futuristic than the others. I didn't enjoy it as much as the others, but still a strong book.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Let's see... was home for the Thanksgiving holiday and had some free time on the farm so I managed a few books:

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

The Unhandsome Prince by John Moore

Odd was a neat little book... Koontz managed to pull the rug out from under me on several occasions. He is an excellent story teller. Grade: A-

Unhandsome was a nice, fast read... with a little bit of wit and a different way of looking at well known fairy tales passed down over the years. Grade: A-

JP was a great book... for the most part. Crichton knows his technicals... for several disciplines (higher math, biology, animal/human behavior, business, etc.) I was impressed. A number of differences from the movie but I wouldn't say that detracted from my enjoyment of the book. Every once in a while he got a little to soap-boxy for me, but more than forgivable in my opinion.
Grade: A-
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Blacula:
I think I wrote in a post about 20 pages ago that 'Catcher in the Rye' was in the pile of books next to my bed waiting to be read. Well, it's still there. I just cannot summon up the enthusiasm to read it. Hopefully one day it will hit me and then I'll love it, rather than forcing myself to read it when I'm not in the mood.

---

I read 'Catcher in the Rye' in high school. It was part of the assigned reading, but I didn't feel forced to read it as I love reading. However, I didn't like it at all. It seemed so boring and I didn't identify with Holden Caufield at all.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I am currently reading "The Last Days of Krypton" by Keving J. Anderson. I have only read 26 pages but it is looking good. Marv Wolfman wrote the forward. Anderson seems to be combining elements of the comics and the movies. Jor-el has white hair ala Marlon Brando and the Phantom Zone is the spinning rings. Krypton and the Kryptonians are not as isolated as Byrne's were, but the society is a bit stagnated. And the formal costumes of the nobles are as Byrne had them.

Anderson does make some changes. Jax-Ur still destroys one of Krypton's moons. But now that happened a couple of thousand years ago and is the reason for Krypton's lack of space travel and xenophobia (the missles came from an alien). Opposition to Jax-Ur led to the current make-up of Kryptonian politics/government. Now called the Kryptonian Council rather than the Science Council.

It is looking like it will be a good read.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I read that, Quis.

It was pretty good.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I just finished it. It was pretty good. Although I could see the ending Click Here For A Spoiler Krypton explodes a mile off.

I was disappointed by no appearance of Lar Gand of Daxam.
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 
I just finished read Pullman's 'His Dark Materials.'

I liked it, but this was supposed to be a kids book?

Reading 'Thunderstruck' now. I forget the authors name, but he also wrote 'Devil in the White City.'
He combines historical events togethere, one good and one bad. In Devil it was the turn of the century in Chicago with the Wordls Fair contrasted with the first published American Serial Killer. In 'Thunderstruck' its about Marconi and another killer.
 

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Posted by Caliente on :
 
A lot of boring books for school, mostly about Jews in Brazil in the 17th Century. Stupid final paper. But!! When it's over, I plan on enjoying... something to be decided. Maybe a German authored book for my visit there.
 

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Posted by Blockade Boy on :
 
Stopped buying Fables a few years ago when I had stopped buying Legion at the end of DnA.

Picked up all the trades 6 to 9 since then and am already on my second reading.

Jack of Trades - so-so but worth buying.
Trades 6 to 9 typically wonderful.
1001 Nights of Snowfall absolutely astounding reading and a work of art.
 

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Posted by Matthew E on :
 
Just finishing up a reread of Bernard Cornwell's 'Warlord Chronicles', an Arthurian trilogy (The Winter King / Enemy of God / Excalibur) and one of the best treatments of King Arthur I know of.
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Quislet, Esq.:
I just finished it. It was pretty good. Although I could see the ending Click Here For A Spoiler Krypton explodes a mile off.

I was disappointed by no appearance of Lar Gand of Daxam.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
I recently read Magician by Raymond Feist. It was a very well crafted story indeed and extremely enjoyable read for 660 of about 680 pages. He lost me for about 20 pages in the middle where he started talking about the history of one world. Its important to the plot and has to be there, but I found my mind wandering and wanting to get back to other peoples' stories.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by minesurfer:
I really liked "It" by Stephen King as well too.

---

Y'know, that was a great book, but there's always been one thing about it that bothered me. Remember when as kids when they all got hopelessly lost after destroying the monster? Remember what they all did to get back their focus?

I know it was handled fairly tastefully, and you can argue it played into the underlying theme of growing up...but it just seemed so wrong.

As much as I enjoyed that book, I'm not sure I'll ever reread it because of that scene. It disturbed me more than any of King's graphic horror scenes in his books. Sadly, I don't think it was supposed to.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
It has been a long time (near 15 years or so) since I read that book but I can only think that you are talking about them "discussing" their problem as a "group". That fell into the me having trouble visualizing the ending... being the description of the actual creature or the action leading directly to its downfall in either setting.

It really didn't disturb me all that much... I find the foot scene in Misery to be much more disturbing.
------------------------------------------------

I have Feist's Daughter of Empire / Servant of Empire / Mistress of Empire trilogy on my list of "to gets" now that I've made it through Magician. I'll probably read them within the next year or so.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I am re-reading Piers Anthony's Incarnation of Immortality series. Finishing up "On a Pale Horse" right now. I'm just planning on reading the first five.
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Looks like slow reading through the holidays for the Legion World community...

Let's see... since my last post I've read three books. Stinger by Robert McCammon, Halls of Stormweather by Various, and Shadow's Witness by Paul Kemp.

Stinger is a scifi/horror type tale about an alien fugitive crashing in a sleepy, racially divided, Texas border town. The alien is of course being tracked by another alien. Now... I like McCammon and I like aliens and bounty hunters and horror too. But I thought this book worked a lot better when McCammon was focussed on the inhabitants of the town. Overall I'd give it a weak B-. Plenty of things to like in this book, but plenty more that could have been fixed... or left out all together.

Stormweather and Shadow's Witness are Forgotten Realms' novels. Stormweather is a collection of seven short stories centered around members or servants of a well to do merchant family in an important city. Each story lasts about 50 pages or so and I'd say that I enjoyed every one, but two lagged behind the others. Each member gets a follow up book and Witness was the follow up book for the butler with the mysterious past, Erevis Cale.

Not bad books, but not great either. I'd give them both a hearty B.
 

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Posted by Semi Transparent Fellow on :
 
I'm reading "Soon I Will Be Invincible" by Austin Grossman. It's a rather literary novel about superheroes and super villains. The villain, Dr. Impossible, tells half the story, while Fatale, the cyborg superhero, tells the other half. It's quite insightful with it's observations about the mundane aspects of superhero life that the comics gloss over. And, while Fatale seems nice, the true (anti)hero is Dr. Impossible.
 

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Posted by Uranus Lad on :
 
I'm just about finished with Eternity by Greg Bear (part of a 3 book series, I've recently read the other 2 and accidentally discovered this one in the bookstore) Pretty amazing books. Speculative fiction at it's best. Before that, I read his Forge of God and the sequel Anvil of Stars also really good stuff and either could be read independently. Before that I devoured Johnathan Lethem's fortress of Solitude I can not recommend this book enough . Next it will be Ringworld's Children. I loved the Ringworld series, re-read them a couplse time and always wished for more. I had no idea this book existed so I'm pretty excited about it. I'm going to have to get away from so much sci-fi soon and read a fiction novel or some non-fiction maybe something political.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I'm still working through the Incarnation series. On "With a Tangled Skein" right now.

But today I was flipping through my copy of "Everything You Always Wanted to KNow About Sex * *But were afraid to ask" BY David Reuben M.D. This book is a hott and a half. It was the first Sex book for the general public. It was written in 1969. It is written in a question and answer format. I want to share the entry for gay bars with you.

All homosexuals don't find their partners on the street, do they?

For the average homosexual there are not too many other alternatives. The usual heterosexual social situations just don't exist for them. Church meetings, singles groups, blind dates, family introductions, are exclusively heterosexual territory. Not even the ultimate in commercialized sex, computer dating, has found a way to cash in on homosexuals.

The one refuge for every homosexual is the gay bar. These establishments cater exclusively to a homosexual clientele and are often operated by homosexuals. They are profitable because they corner the market - no gay guy can relax in a straight joint.

The first visit to a gay bar is quite an experience. Superficially, it seems like any other cocktail lounge. Men and women sit at the bar and mingle freely at booths and tables. There is the usual background of conversation with male and female voices balancing each other. Then it slowly begins to sink in - the entire room is filled with men!

The feminine whispers, the high-pitched laughter, the soft sighs, are men's voices. The cocktail dresses, the tight black outfits, are worn by men. Even the trim, middle-aged matron entering the ladies room (one sign says "Queens") is a man.

The sexy babe in the tight miniskirt owes her womanhood to two pounds of foam padding, a pound of makeup, and a lot of wishful thinking. In the daytime "she" parks cars.

In the corner booth, a senior citizen in a Nehru outfit is sitting with three young men. They have a hard glossy look; they mean business. Old homosexuals who have lost their charm but not their money attract a swarm of male prostitutes who will put up with anything if the price is right. Sometimes an aging queen needs, and is willing to pay for, two or three of them to do what one could do twenty years ago.

At another table a woman - no, a man, sits glumly. He is a closet queen. This is his first time out in drag and he is nervous. He has spent hours putting on his makeup; every hair on his blond wig is sprayed carefully in place. His padded breasts strain against his tight silk blouse. A sinister-looking butch in tight suede pants and a studded belt swaggers over and drops into the chair opposite him.
"How about a drink, baby?"

The queen nods her acquiescence. Homosexual romance begins to blossom. A pastry-chef has just picked up a used-car salesman.

Homosexuals live in their own world, with their own substitute for woman, and even their own language.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Finished Lord of the Flies. You know the first 3/4 of the book I was not into it at all. I remember liking it much more as a teenager. So EDE was right about that. Lots of social commentary and I'm not sure I agree with it all. (though I certainly agree with some)

Started reading a Tale of Two Cities. You know I was worried about reading an old book like this. But the language isn't bad. Infact Dickens is pretty entertaining.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
The thing about Lord of the Flies is that the whole pessimistic view of human nature (we're all just one step from becoming brutal savages) is the kind of thing that's sort of appealing when you're a teenager or in college, but the older I get the more it just seems kind of immature or simplistic.
 

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Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
 
Jorg, can't wait to hear what you think about "Tale of Two Cities". I loved that book when I read it (I was a teenager).

I think the next book I'll be reading when I complete the Dark Tower series is Stephen King's Salem's Lot, since I'm on a King kick. I've heard great things about it.
 

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Posted by Lard Lad on :
 
Salem's Lot's great, Des! Make sure you read it!
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
Hmmm...I've read quite a bit since my last visit to this thread. However I am not home at the moment and can't list all the books I have read without a look at my book shelf.
The last few books I've read are:
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Robot Visions by Issac Asimov
Currently reading Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
Next up is a re-read of one of my favorites, Swan Song
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
dedman, I hear Watership Down has lots of parallels with Lost (on purpose by the Lost writers).

I've promised myself to read more Asimov. I've only read two of his books.

By the way for people trying to read some literature classics like I've been lately...Cliffnotes.com has most of these books with chapter by chapter synopsis'. It's great because I usually read before bed time. Currently reading a book with lots of characters and details (Tale of Two Cities). I read the synopsis of the chapter I just or I am going to read next and it really enhances my understanding and enjoyment.

btw, A Tale of Two Cities has a chapter called...Five Years Later. I wonder if Giffen had a joke in there somewhere? All the Victorian style dressing?
 

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Posted by Mystery Lad on :
 
"It was the best of time; it was the worst of times."
 

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Posted by minesurfer on :
 
Since my last post I've read:

Legend By David Gemmell

Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Fury by Aaron Allston

Star Wars: Republic Commando True Colors by Karen Traviss

Allston is a helluva Star Wars writer. Haven't read any of his other stuff, but any SW book of his has been a stand out. Characters act they way they are supposed to, plots are tight, and every once in a while he throws in a pretty good yuk.

Republic Commando... Third in Traviss' Clone commando series... I really admired her first two clone books because she was able to take 6 to 8 clones and turn them into individual characters with different, yet believable personalities. True Colors continues their stories and adds in a few more for good measure. Alas this book plods... it rehashes a lot of the moral and ethical arguments from the first two books, and then it rehashes them again, several times within the confines of this book. Then the book lacks for action too. If I want a moral play/character piece I usually don't head for the Star Wars section of my library. This book could have used some scene editing. Not a horrible read though, just kinda like trudging through mud.

Legend was a good read. Lots to like about it. Great action/fight scenes. Great descriptions and visuals. Likable, well-rounded characters with decent dialogue. A fine book indeed.
 

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Posted by Eryk Davis Ester on :
 
Fans of Watership Down should also check out The Plague Dogs, also by Richard Adams!
 

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Posted by dedman on :
 
I second the Plague Dogs and also suggest Adams' "Shardick"
 

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Posted by Blue Battler on :
 
I just finished up the new Wild Cards novel _Inside Straight._ I liked it a lot. More than a lot of the earlier novels, to be honest.
 

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Posted by Quislet, Esq. on :
 
I just finished "The Client" by John Grisham. It was the first book of his I've read (haven't even seen the movies) I actually found the book on a bench in the subway, I did like it a lot. I may even check out some of his other books. Any recommendations?

Currently, I am reading "The Dred Scott Case: Its significance in American Law and Politics". The copyright is 1978. It seems good so far (if you are into this sort of material)

[ February 25, 2008, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: Quislet, Esq. ]
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
Quislet, Esq. My wife has enjoyed a few Grisham books. I *think* her fave is Pelican Brief.
 

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Posted by Ultra Jorge on :
 
In the what are you WATCHING post we brought Cormac McCarthy. Anybody a fan or read any of his books? I haven't but just curious.
 

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Posted by rtvu2 on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:
In the what are you WATCHING post we brought Cormac McCarthy. Anybody a fan or read any of his books? I haven't but just curious.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Quislet, Esq.:
I just finished "The Client" by John Grisham. It was the first book of his I've read (haven't even seen the movies) I actually found the book on a bench in the subway, I did like it a lot. I may even check out some of his other books. Any recommendations?

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