posted
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.
posted
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.
-------------------- Something Filthy!
From: NOVA by way of NOIN | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
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...
From: Cincinnati | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
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.
-------------------- Something Filthy!
From: NOVA by way of NOIN | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
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.
-------------------- Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!
From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003
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posted
Im fascinated with John dies at the end right now, which is also available in print
-------------------- Remember : It's not technically a suckerpunch if you yell ''DEFEND YOURSELF SPROCKER!'' two seconds before you let him have it.
From: Australia | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Lance's realm: To Kill a Mockingbird is the best book EVER!
I dont know...Paris Hilton's "Confessions of an Heiress" is pretty good
-------------------- Remember : It's not technically a suckerpunch if you yell ''DEFEND YOURSELF SPROCKER!'' two seconds before you let him have it.
From: Australia | Registered: Apr 2005
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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.
posted
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...
Registered: Aug 2004
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