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?
I'm reading John Donne. It's pretty incredible.
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.
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.
I just finished Treason by Ann Coulter. She had some interesting points if you can get through some of her elementary name-calling.
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."
I just finished Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice...
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.
That's too bad. I also really enjoyed "The Secret History" when I read it -- wow, was it really nine years ago? I was thinking of picking up "The Little Friend," but I'll probably hold off on that now... there are too many other books that I'd rather get to first.
I haven't heard of Robert Sawyer, but his writing sounds interesting -- I'll keep an eye out for it the next time I'm at the bookstore.
I am currently reading "Masters of Midnight" which is a collection of short stories all based on vampirism. It is considered gay erotic fiction, and I've enjoyed it very much.
I just saw the movie "Whale Rider" and now I want to read the book! I'm also interested in Nersesian's new one "Chinese Takeout". I'm in the middle of Tisbe Nissen's "Out of the Girl's Room and Into the Night" (we were in highschool together).
I liked The Corrections. If you come from a messed-up family and gotten over it, it's pretty funny.
I'm reading The Best Democracy Money Can Buy by Greg Palast, some short stories by Mercedes Lackey and Baudolino by Umberto Eco. I usually have a few books going at the same time.
The last book I read was Lord of the Flies a few weeks ago, it's even more powerful than the film's.
I just read "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix."
I'm not a Harry junkie, but I do enjoy the books. This one had its moments, but I think J.K. easily could have knocked 100 or so pages out. And I know a lot of teens go through the whole angst thing, and Harry had reason to more than a lot, but there were just too many times I wanted to slap him to truly enjoy the book. It's a must for "Potter" fans, though, and has some significant developments.
Eric
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."
I too am struggling to get through
The Little Friend . What a letdown after
The Secret History which I highly enjoyed. I only got through 200 pages of it though.
Life of Pi is a must read (a Booker Prize Winner and Canadian!). I've had so many people give mixed reviews, but the ending is brilliant. This is a book that is sure to generate discussion among anybody has read it.
I'm currently reading a work by another Canadian writer, Diane Schoemperlen and her
Our Lady of the Lost and Found; so far, it's a witty story about the notion of Mary, mother of Jesus, finding refuge at a writer's home because she's, quite frankly, tired of pulling miracles and making appearances all over the world and she thought stopping someplace in Canada would be nice because we have a "reputation for being quiet, polite, decent, and rather reserved".
I'm always interested to see movie adaptations of books. The Harry Potter movies so far have been, I've thought, pretty good screen adaptations. I know I'm lagging behind in finishing the books (midway through Goblet and just barely started Order, despite not having finished the previous one), but at least it'll be a while before I'm in danger of having to watch the movie without first having read through the corresponding book...
In the meantime, I'm in danger of having to watch Cold Mountain, starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renee Zellweger, before I finish the book... it's been OK, but just a bit slow in parts... I've had to put it down several times over the past year while I temporarily moved on to other books...
I've enjoyed the Potter movies, too. I thought Kenneth Brannagh was wonderful. I'm glad the filming will overlap on the third and fourth ones since the kids are getting older and may wind up aging themselves out of the parts for the last couple. That'd be a shame.
Otherwise, I'm reading a bunch of picture books -- recording a CD of bedtime stories for our nephews on the west coast. I think some "Curious George" will be next.
Eric
Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Baudolino by Umberto Eco.
I started it, but didn't get that far.
It's the first Eco book that I haven't found incredibly compelling.
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.
One of my favorite books.
How embarrassing. I
still haven't finished
The Da Vinci Code... it's been months...
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.
"Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri -- great book from the author of "Interpreter of Maladies".
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.
Oh those are sooo good. Who's your favourite character? Mine's Arya.
Let's see, I'm reading
Green Rider by Kristen Britain; the original Battlestar Galactica novelization;
Borderlands of Science by Michael Shermer; and the Legion Companion. I don't know how many books I've got on my waiting list...
before i went on christmas leave, i went to the book store and bought DARK TOWER V : WOLVES OF THE CALLA, so i would have something to read at worK cause i was downstarirs where its verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry slow, so i read. I didnt get far but i did get about a third of it, its excellent, i gotta finish it. Anyway i returned to the store saying it was already bought as a gift and got my money back just as i was leaving for my trip, saved 40 dollars.
I'm now reading Mirror Mirror by Gregory Maguire.
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.
me too.... I read the first few books then had a frustrated week looking for the rest of the series. I'll have forgotten the characters by the time the next one comes out!
I'm reading The Camelot Chronicles by Jack White, it's up to seven books right now. Anyone ever hear of these?
And I try to read anything by Noam Chomsky and as much as I can by Eric Hobsbawm (a historian).
Just got "The Song of Arthur" from the library. It says it's "Celtic Tales from the High King's Court". It's a King Arthur thing. Short stories.
I'm currently reading two books:
"Star Wars: Spectre of the Past" by Timothy Zahn
and
"Who's There? The Life and Career of William Hartnell" by Jessica Carney
Now I'm reading Blood Canticle by Anne Rice...
Next up,,, Armageddon from the Left Behind Series (It's funny, I never would have picked this up myself, but I received the entire series as a gift and could not put them down...)
umm...i've been distracted with work, my writing, and "smallville" on dvd...
the last book i read (or rather re-read) was "rats saw god" by rob thomas. up next: ayn rand's "the fountainhead" and then "the divinci code" (yes, i know...i'm waaaay behind).
Being newly unemployed, it's "The Dilbert Principle" for me. What a riot!
I recently gave up on "Focault's Pendulum"...maybe some other day.
My new books "Case For Christ" and the sequel "Case For Faith" just arrived so that's probably next on my list...
Well it's summer again and time for some beach reading material. I just finished "Rule of Four" which is quite fun and rather well-written for a number 1 best-seller. Now I'm into "War of the Flowers" by Tad Williams. It's a guilty pleasure about a San Francisco singer, down on his luck, who gets transported into the fairy realm and embroiled in the war between the ruling families. And for good measure, he then finds out that he was never really mortal at all ...
I've read a few things lately:
-"Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield, my favorite book of all time. It's about the 300 Spartans who died at the pass of Thermopolyae, and I try to re-read it every three or four years. I've never seen a better description of valor, comradarie, or honor in my life.
-"American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, which I'm actually in the middle of. Very, very cool stuff and great reading.
-All five Harry Potter books, which I loved so much, I started my own thread about.
-Since summer and Christmas are the only times I get to do any non-comic book pleasure reading (school kills that), I'm hoping to read "Mystic River", which my girlfriend got me for Valentine's Day, and Bram Stoker's "Dracula", which I just got a free copy of when I bought an indie horror magazine.
"War of Flowers" sound very cool Semi!
Cobie, I was never able to get through "American Gods." I think I read about 150 pages and just never cared. I gave my copy away to someone at work. It's too bad, because I had really looked forward to it and was expecting to like it a lot. The reviews were great, and most people I know have really enjoyed it.
Semi, thanks for the heads up on "War of the Flowers". I've always enjoyed Tad Williams books so I'll have to pick that up.
Semi, I think a lot of Gaiman's writing is hit or miss. I know my Dad never liked Sandman at all, and dropped the series after the first 30 issues, leaving my brother unable to finish reading the series until he buys the trades (I read the trades in college). I've been reading "American Gods" for awhile now, and stopped reading it altogether for about a month. I think sometimes I have to be in the right mood for Gaiman's writing, which can make it very satisfying and enjoyable.
I just finished Storm Constantine's Wraethu trilogy. She has a poetic style to her prose, but it's not the most effective for storytelling. Judging from her shift by the end of the third book, I'm guessing that's not the first time she got that comment.
Summer reading:
Bikini Planet, an intellectual treatise on... yeah right.
Master and Commander: I've not seen the movie, but the book was excellent. Lot's of ship-tech and period language. A tough read for a math teacher but well worth the effort. Anybody read any of this series? Is it worth going on?
Two Cussler Dirk Pitt novels. Mind candy, nothing more.
I checked the library for any graphic novels. We got nothing and the money budget isn't letting me do an Amazon.com order.
In the middle of The Two Towers.
I picked up all five (at least I think there were only five) of the Wild Cards series of books edited by George R.R. Martin. I'd heard of this series for years but had never read it before. Wonderful stuff.
BB- I read the whole Aubrey/Maturin series - obviously, I'm biased! Great stuff if you like the details of history, from the big events to everday life - frequently funny - I skimmed over most of the sea battle descriptions.
Right now I'm reading a strange and funny sci-fi novel, Galactic Rapture by Tom Flynn. Set in 2344, a very backward Earth is granted membership in the Galactic Confetory. The galaxy goes wild for Earth's religions, especially Catholicism - the Vatican is granted its own planet and takes religious exploitation to new heights (or lows).
The other big Earth export is "senso" - undercover agents with bio-implants become human cameras, conceal themselves among primitive and savage societies and broadcast scenes of gruesome daily life to eager audiences.
After I finish War of the Flowers (which I am loving, immensely), I'm going to read "Factoring Hunamity" by Robert J. Sawyer, a prolific Canadian Sci-Fi writer. It's seems to be a fantasy summer for me (reading-wise).
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?
I just started The Lovely Bones by Anne Sebold. -not exactly uplifting, but I was curious to see why it was so successful.
Owl Lad, I read "The Da Vinci Code" a few months ago and did some online research. There are several websites and also books that explore just how accurate Dan Brown's depictions of history and art are.
One example that stands out to me is the passage from an apocryphal text in which Jesus is described as kissing Mary Magdalene on the mouth. This passage does exist, according to one site, but it's incomplete. Brown apparently fabricated the "on the mouth" bit, among other things.
Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
I skimmed over most of the sea battle descriptions.
What! But that's when body limbs fly and cannon balls cut off heads, you know, the good stuff. Living on the Lakes as I do, the battle maneuvering are actually the best parts.
Since most of my non math/tech reading is smoltz like Cussler, I'm amazed when I pick up a real book, at the efficiency of the prose. Every sentence is useful, nothing wasted in this book.
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?
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.
Currently: "The Wee Free Men" and "A hat full of sky" by Terry Pratchett.
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.
Numf - I just finished "Boiling a frog" - Christopher Brookmeyer is the funniest thing since fake vomit! And that's a good thing
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".
Originally posted by Director Lad:
[QUOTE]
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?
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.
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."
**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.
Based on your description, FC, I just added Souls in the Great Machine to my Amazon.com shopping cart. Sounds like a fun book.
I've been reading 'Leaves of Grass' by Walt Whitman. Challenging, but oh so rewarding. I don't get enough poetry in my life.
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!
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."
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.
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.
OMG!!
Did SONG OF SUSANNAH really come out already??
How did I miss this?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
hey Cramer, what is the Scar about?
I just picked up "History Lessons". It shows how history textbooks from around the world portray US History.
I'm re-reading Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep.
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.
Sounds most intriguing, FC. I'll have to keep an eye out for that.
I just finished Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men. Crivens! He's one of my favourite authors.
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.
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).
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...!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dracula has some truly creepy moments, if you can get through the purple prose.
I've just started "Oryx and Crake" by Margaret Atwood.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you're a Thomas Covenant fan, AFB, you'll be glad to know that Donaldson has a continuation of the Covenant novels coming out Oct. 14. Titled THE RUNES OF EARTH, it's the first in a projected new series of four.
Now, if Jordan would just get a new WHEEL OF TIME book out... it's time to wrap that baby up.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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.
"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.
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.
Dark Tower VII came out today, Sept. 21, mat.
Todd
Guess I need to get on the hold list at the library! Thanks for the heads up Todd.
Matt
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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?
Just finished "Momo", by Michael Ende, who also wrote "Neverending Story". It's written in a very simple style, but it's rather engaging.
To all the people whoa re reading Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell---thoughts so far?
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.
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.
Is Talisman a work of fiction, or is it written ostensibly as non-fiction?
I love reading about secret-society conspiracies.
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.
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.
Anyone here read Augesten Burroughs? He wrote Running with Scissors and Dry. His new book of essays -Magical Thinking?- comes out today.
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.
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?
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.
Actually just saw this book as a featured selection from SFBC. I'm considering picking it up as well as the 50th anniversary copy of A Canticle for Lebowitz, one of the best post-apocalyptic novels ever written.
I've heard about the Canticle for Lebowitz. Isn't that about the shopping list?
Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
I've heard about the Canticle for Lebowitz. Isn't that about the shopping list?
Yeah, that's one of the items being illuminated by the monks at the beginning of the book while they are trying to get Lebowitz cannonized. It is a very good novel and I recommend it to anyone who likes that style (end of the world/future after a nuclear holocaust). With me it ranks right up there with 'On the Beach'.
Just started 'Monstrous Regiment' by Terry Pratchett and it's very good so far (but then again Pratchett is always good. Some of his books, however, are brilliant. To early to tell which category this one fits into).
And I just finished 'Rosemary's Baby'. I kinda wish I hadn't seen the film beore seeing it since obviously I knew what was going to happen but that wasn't a huge problem. You still have that same sense of creeping dread that you get with the film. It's a pretty quick read and deceptivly simple. Very much worth reading, whether you've seen the film or not (and it has to be said the film is a *very* good adaption of the book).
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.
Nope, not yet, although Chris keeps meaning to go and buy it. I'm kinda wary of it simply because I like the end of Rosemary's Baby so much that i sort of don't want to know what might happen next.
Originally posted by STU:
Originally posted by LyleLyle:
[b]I'm rereading "The Slippery Slope" since the next Series of Unfortunate Events book came out a week ago.
I'm really excited about this. The trailer looks great and managed to convince me of the casting choices, which I had some hesitation over (I needed to get my mental images of Patric Stewart as Count Olaf and Maggie Smith as Aunt Josephine out of my head). I dunno if I can get over it if more movies happen and anyone aside from Parker Posey is cast as Esme Squalor.
I've got Casper on my Netflix list just to remind me what the director can do with a franchise film.
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.
I was initially interested in this book but I saw some really bad reviews... this was the book that came out within the last ten years or so, long after the original, right?
There was also a made-for-TV sequel where Patty Duke took over the role of Rosemary, I tried watching it but couldn't make it past the first 30 minutes.
Anyway, I think I'd be interested in the new miniseries, see a contemporary translation of the material.
Son of Rosemary was release in 1998 I think, so it is pretty recent.
And I remember the TV sequel, 'Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby'. I don't remember much but do recall that Adrian was adopted by a brothel madam. Should have known then that the movie would go downhill from there.
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...
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."
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.
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.
"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!
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.....
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...
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.
Hey CJ, love the Narnia books too. Whenever I want to go lighter I go Harry Potter.
Narnia kicks ass. Can't wait for the movie!!!
Movie? Whachou talking 'bout Kippers?
They doing all 7 books? The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe? Details dagnabbit.
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.
![[Linked Image]](http://www.narniaweb.com/img/news16_1.jpg)
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?
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?
Done. Discuss the Narnia movie
here .
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.
Those are great. I still go back and reread them every couple of years.
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.
Originally posted by LyleLyle:
Originally posted by Blue Battler:
[b]Lately I've been reading the Science Fiction
Bookclub Omnibus edition of Madeline L'Engle's
"Wrinkle in Time" series.
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. [/b]It's got through Many Waters. I've read the first
three now, and have just started on the 4th.
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.
Wasn't there a second trilogy focusing on Meg and whasshisname's daughter? I think they all had references to time in the title. Then again, maybe not...I get so confused trying to sort out L'Engle's books.
I want to reread the whole series but Many Waters especially. The first time I tried reading it I was still pretty young and had a hard time keeping track of all the unusual names.
I only ever read the first three books. Weren't the later one(s) written quite a while later?
I often find that, when a series/trilogy is written in relatively quick succession, and then another book is written a while later, the new additions aren't as satisfying.
Case in point: I didn't really think Tehanu was a particularly good follow-up to the Wizard of Earthsea trilogy.
I'm reading The Martian Chronicles. Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite writers.
Originally posted by Zombie STU:
I'm reading The Martian Chronicles. Ray Bradbury is one of my favorite writers.
The Chronicles are good. Most Bradbury stuff is. Ever seen the mini-series with Rock Hudson?
Don't think I've seen that one. I'll finish reading the book, then see if I can find it on DVD (or, more likely, video) somewhere.
I do know that Dandelion Wine was also made into a movie a while back.
Does anyone know what Bradbury is doing these days?
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.
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.
For any Tad Williams fans (I'm one) the first book in his new trilogy comes out on November 2.
![[Linked Image]](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0756402190.01._PE32_PI_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
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..
I am still trying to get through Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell but everytime I pick it upI fall asleep...
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...
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.
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...
Read standing on one foot. That'll help.
Yikes!
I was seriously considering buying Jonathan Strange, but now I'm apprehensive... I don't handle long, slow novels well...
STU, I know that you have lots of experience reading long excruciatingly slow pieces of writing - I think you can handle it.
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.
I just finished " The Life of Pi". I loved it and highly recommend it!
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!
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!!!
I liked Life of Pi. Didn't think I would, but it was really quite good. The death of the Zebra was heart-breaking.
Thanks for spoiling it!
(
)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Originally posted by RTVU2:
I am still trying to get through Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell but everytime I pick it upI fall asleep...
I've finally started Jonathan Strange, RTVU@, and I'm having exactly the same problem you did. Every time I pick it up, I get through about 2 pages and I fall asleep. I of course wake up once that heavy book falls on me. Maybe I should not be reading it in bed.
To tell you the truth Semi, I haven't picked it up since I wrote that... have read Magical Thinking by A. Burroughs and started A Curious Incident... since then. The book is still on my nightstand waiting to be read.
I'm on page 56. To tell the truth, I enjoy the writing. My problem is that once I get in bed, I just pass out with that book. It doesn't happen to me with other books. Maybe I've had a spell cast upon me. I'm going to try reading it earlier in the evening from now on. I have to get through it because I have a whole pile of fun books waiting to be read. (Not that I don't think J. Strange and Mr. N. is not fun, but .. well, you know.)
Well, I read some more of Jonathan Strange on the exercise bicycle this morning. It was actually pretty good. I had to re-read what I read in bed last night because I didn't remember any of it.
Maybe we need a Jonathon Strange readers' support thread.... I bumped it for Miéville's Iron Council and a few library books.
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've got the black cover!
I have the black cover, and as I mentionned, I have a signed copy. They were selling both white and black covers here. I chose black because I thought the white would get dirty. (That's the Virgo in me coming out). I'm at page 80 now. It's starting to get interesting. Thursday is a lousy night for tv, so I think I'll just read.
I have the special collector's edition gray cover.
Thrusday is a lousy night! How about the OC!
Originally posted by STU:
I have the special collector's edition gray cover.
STU - Still Telling Untruths
Originally posted by RTVU2:
Thrusday is a lousy night! How about the OC!
RT, I don't watch the OC. Absolutely nothing on Thursday, Monday, Tuesday or Saturday interests me. I should be able to get a lot of reading done, eh? I'm now at page 125 in Jonathan Strange. It's picking up and getting quite good. Two major new spells have been cast.
I'm currently reading Otherworld: City of Shadows. It's a trilogy, but I only bought the first one because I wasn't sure I'd like the book. And considering it's 780 pages long, I want to know I like it before spending my money on the others. It's definitely a good book with a nice blend of sci-fi and fantasy (more sci-fi but with some elements of fantasy).
ferroboy, did you mean, "Otherland, City of Golden Shadow" by Tad Williams? If so, the series is actually 4 very long volumes. As I posted above in this thread, I recently went to a book signing and had Tad Williams sign all 4 volumes of the Otherland series.
Yes, that's the one, Semi. I find it quite enjoyable so I will be getting the rest. I'm actually moving through it faster than I would have expected but I still haven't made page 300.
i just picked up and started "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand
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.
Has anyone read Jonathan Franzen's (sp?) The Corrections? My Chapters store is selling it for $9.99 (CDN) with an additional10% off and it's the hardcover edition. Is this worth the buy despite the low price tag? I heard it got a lot of buzz after the author was against wanting it on Oprah's Book Club.
I read The Corrections. It's funny. Dysfunctional family that still manages to function in the end - but not so dysfunctional that most of us wouldn't recognize some of the elements in our own families. I wouldn't classify it as Pultizer material - too light - but the author had a way of tying together very disparate sub-plots which I enjoyed.
do you know Jack Williamson-More than Dark??
is it sci-fi or fantasy?
I liked the Corrections too. Not as heavy as I expected it to be.
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.
Her philosophy is not really up my alley either, but i do find her to be an excellent writer.
I read a bunch of Ayn Rand books back in university. The best one for me was "We the Living", which I believe was one of her earlier works. It's not as preachy as the others. Atlas Shrugged was always famous for John Galt's 50 page speech. Readers seemed to be divided into 2 camps - those that plowed through those 50 pages and those that skipped it. I can't remember which I did. Nevertheless, I do not subscribe to her philosophy.
I've tried and given up on reading The Fountainhead a half dozen times. I've never made it further than page fifty or so.
There's something unsettling about the way Rand's settings (at least in that book) seem untethered from reality -- they just didn't seem to be a part of "this" world, yet didn't seem detached enough to be part of some fantasy world, either.
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.
Finished the rand book....moved on to Barkers "Imajica"
"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
"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.
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
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.
I'm about halfway through Imajica now.....I've found barker hit or miss in the past; this one is one of his hits
Imajica? That's an old one, read it years and years ago... That was the "sequel" to The Great and Secret Show, no?
The Saturday Evening Post Reader of Western Stories. One story is called "The Law of the Lash."
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!
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.
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.
I'm listening to the unabridged Iliad. It's making me feel very Bronze Age.
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.
I'm still into Imagica, but have started reading I, Robot last night too.
Any book by Rex Stout, the Wolfe books are the best. Currently rereading "The Doorbell Rang"
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.
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!
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.
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.)
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.)
ferroboy, you can always get the other volumes from Amazon.com. Probably cheaper, too.
I go to borders, and Semi I haven't even picke dup Johntohon Strange in awhile....
Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
ferroboy, you can always get the other volumes from Amazon.com. Probably cheaper, too.
I know, but I usually prefer to pay in cash. That way I keep away from my checking account funds, which are needed for other things. Still, three books at a discounted price is probably affordable.
I might just wait to see if Santa brings it for Christmas. In the meantime, I might try to get into the Epic of Gilgamesh. It's been on my bookshelf just waiting for me.
i just started the second book in the belegarad (sp?) series....light but fun reading
I have 4 chapters left in the AWESOME DARK TOWER, the final chapter in stephen king's epic dark tower series.
Saving the last chapters for a christmas read, i can barely stand not reading them but i can wait, its the finale in the story and i think its gonna gbe fantastic, i hope.
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?
I can recommend the book VERNON GOD LITTLE by D. B. C. Pierre.
I read it for my book club a couple of months ago, and I find myself still thinking about it. It's very much a satire; It's about a 14 year old boy who's gay best friend kills a bunch of people at school, and then kills himself. The media turns the case into a circus, and poor Vernon gets dragged into the investigation...it's funny as hell in parts, but moving, too.
I recently finished "An Insupportable Light" by Donna Barr, set in an alternate version of the Geiselthal: no half-horses. A moving tragedy.
I'm currently re-reading "The Dosadi Experiment"; the Bureau of Sabotage stories are my favorite Frank Herbert works.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Originally posted by dedman:
btw....Labradorian, are you actually from Labrador or does your name have some other meaning?
born and bred, however i now live in nova scotia just like my buddy FAT CRAMER.
Cool beans man....I was born in Goose Bay,but moved to NFLD when I was 5. Good seeing some other East Coasters here
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.
Finished Saturday afternoon - it is best enjoyed in blocks of time, I think. At one point I was even reading it while I was cooking (consequently, that nice white cover isn't white anymore).
Now I'm back to the Nazis. Albert Speer: His Battle with Truth, by Gitta Sereny. The last Nazi-era book I read was amazing, I WIll Bear Witness, by Victor Klemperer. Two volumes covering 1933-1945 - the diaries of a Jewish professor of Romance languages in Dresden. His survival was due to being married to an Aryan, his formerly prestigious position and an awful lot of luck. It was a fascinating account of the small details that make up everyday life under increasing tyranny and chaos.
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.
I *LOVED* Ragtime! Great book written in a very unique and interesting style. Went and saw the musical production too. It was a pretty good adaptation but obviously a lot had to be chopped out. There were also some pretty strong musical numbers but then I'm a big fan of that style of music.
I've got a huge pile of books next to my bed waiting to be read. I just keep buying more and more books that look interesting to me but then never getting around to reading any of them. Maybe if I give you guys a list of what's there you could give me some help in choosing what to read next or what order to read them all in. OK here's what I've got -
* The 'His Dark Materials' trilogy by Phillip Pullman
* 'Star of the Sea' by Joseph O'Connor
* 'Vernon God Little' by D.B. Pierre
* 'Catcher in the Rye' by J.D. Salinger
* 'Dispatches' by Michael Herr
* 'Morality for Beautiful Girls' by Alexander McCall Smith (yes, I've read the previous two books in this great series)
* 'A Brief History of Time' by Steven Hawking
... and some others I've forgotten. HELP!
The most recent book I've read and *LOVED* was definitely 'Rubicon' by Tom Holland! I'm not normally one for non-fiction but this book about the rise and fall of the Roman republic gripped me from first page to last. Its written in a very easy to read, contemporary style and is full of the most amazingly interesting personalities and events that I defy anyone not to like this book! Ancient Rome is one place where the truth really is more incredible than fiction!
The "His Dark Materials" trilogy is terrific. The concept of Daemons is brilliant -- it kind of makes you wonder what animal form your own personal familiar would take...
I just found out that Annie Proulx has written a "sequel" of sorts to her collection of short stories about Wyoming called "Open Range." I think the new book is called "Wyoming Stories 2" or something like that -- I'll probably look for it on Amazon.com one of these days.
I generally like Proulx as a writer, but I've never been able to get through "The Shipping News"...
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.
"Catcher in the Rye?" What a snoozer. Maybe I'm just uncultured. For a great classic, try "All Quiet on the Western Front," "Anna Karenina," or "Gone with the Wind."
I'm also still waiting for the 4th book in Geaorge RR Martin's Fire and Ice series to come out. Great reads, but it's been what? 4 years? *sigh*
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.
I read this years ago when it came out. I have to admit that I didn't fully understand it all, but I didn't even take physics in high school. Instead, I took astronomy.
"Catcher in the Rye" is a must-read classic.
Also read this years ago, probably as a teenager. It had been my mother's copy, which she had read years earlier. [/QB][/QUOTE]
I'm re-reading, for about the 5th time, "Winter's Tale" by Mark Helprin. I first read it when I was about 14, and it raised my expectations for every book I ever read afterward. The story is charming, the imagery is amazing, every sentence is a little poem. (in case you haven't guessed, I'm a huge fan) This is my favorite book of all time (so far).
I also recommend anything by Robertson Davies and John Irving. I like my books quirky I guess.
Though I though Cedar Housr Rules was a great movie, the book was so much more and so differnet too. Tough I can't seem to get into any of his outher novels though.
"Winter's Tale" sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Jog my memory?
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.
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.
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.
"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.
sounds interesting kent, i'll look for it @ the bookstore tommorrow when i go
I'm not sure that anyone who didn't grow up in an age of conformity would "get" Catcher.
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.)
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.
John Irving is very talented. "The Cider House..."
rules!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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!
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.
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...
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?
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.
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..
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.
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!
19th Century Russian Romance? I perfer the more friendly 17th century myself
Your just one big alt id aren't you
Lermontov's Pechorin has influenced my love life for half a decade!
And that is probably a bad thing
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.
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
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.
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.
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?
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.
Also, I have still not compeleted Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell yet...
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.
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.
still going on Swan Song; but i've managed to get my roommate hooked on asimov's foundation books!!!
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.
Just started that old sci-fi classic "Day of the Triffids"
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.
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...
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.
Runes of the Earth by Stephen Donaldson - the Last Chronicle of Thomas Covenant.
Great stuff!
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.
Oops. Forgot to tell you what I'm reading now.
Nothing. Nada. Nix.
Bugger all.
I'm sure I'll pick up something soon.
Originally posted by Numf-El:
I'm sure I'll pick up something soon.
And we hope there'll be a cure for it!
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!
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.
Crichton does have excellent re-read value. Loved Terminal Man and Andromeda Strain...
Andromeda Strain is a big favorite of mine. Both book and movie. The Great Train Robbery is another one of Crichton's best.
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.
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.
Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen
Rockbound by Frank Parker Day
Volkswagen Blues by Jacques Poulin
No Crystal Stair by Mairuth Sarsfield
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Here's the site and list:
http://www.cbc.ca/canadareads/books.html
Thanks for the link, my neighbouring American. You bring this Canuck to shame.
I am reading Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond .
Its a big book, but that reading is fascianting. He examines lots of past societies and modern ones and with enviromental factors and relations with neighboring societies . A great read...
I recently finished Gene Wolfe's "The Knight" and am now reading the second volume "The Wizard." They're well written, but don't grab me as much as I expected having read all the adulatory reviews.
In between, I read Michael Creighton's "The State of Fear." Not a good book - I'm sorry I wasted my time. He spends most of the book proferring his own political agenda and neglects those little things that make a novel readable - like character development. Although I generally enjoy him for a quick non-challenging read, "The State of Fear" didn't do it for me.
I just finished a book titled GLORIANA, OR THE UNFULFILLED QUEEN by Michael Moorcock. It's the first book of his that I've read.
It's a dark fantasy, I guess, though the fantasy is really just around the edges... The title character is patterned after Elizabeth I of England.
It's an erotic book, in a way... with an ending that might piss a lot of folks (particulary women) off... though it's also an inevitable ending, I felt.
The book features a character, called Quire, who is fascinating. He'd be a great prototype for an adversary in comics.
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!
Also reading The Logogryph, a book about imaginary books. Sort of like Calvino or Borges.
Plodding through The Luminous Ground by Christopher Alexander - the fourth volume in a series "The Nature of Order" on creating living structures - buildings, gardens, ornaments which become alive and express our connectedness to the universe. It may sound wacky, but it's a serious and idea-dense work by a professor of architecture at UC Berkely.
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...
Just started reading Captains Blood By William Shatner. (Yeah Denny Craine)
Picks up after events in ST Nemesis.
So far so good...
Gloriana is a great book! Some of Moorcock's work is formulaic, but I really liked Gloriana.
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.
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?
You win! That is indeed the book! Do you remember if it was ultimately a satisfying read for you?
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>!
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!
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.)
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!
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.
Originally posted by rokk steady:
You win! That is indeed the book! Do you remember if it was ultimately a satisfying read for you?
It was a rather strange one. I think I had a
headache during it... and that always makes
reading a surreal experience for me ... and
that one led to surreality. 8-)
Well I've breezed through Timeline and Prey (both Crichtons) and have started one called Dies the Fire by S.M. Stirling. Interesting book that takes place in the same universe he created in his "Island in the Sea of Time" books.
Has anyone read these?
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!
An excellent read. The ending was a winner. Please do share your thoughts when you're done!
I'm currently enjoying Eats, Shoots and Leaves! It's a gut-busting laugh out loud read from a "stickler" like myself. "Punctuation vigilantes unite!" I'd be curious to know if any non-English majors have read this and think it's as brilliant and funny as I do.
Life of Pi really surprised me, pleasantly. A boy and a tiger adrift on a raft? I feared it was going to be some talking tiger who would philosophize about life with the young man, ho-hum - but the tiger acted like a real tiger, or a believable one, at least... The ending was one of those laugh-out-loud-on-the-bus funny.
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.
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.
The Peshawar Lancers. I was thinking of reading that one but, like you, I like the description of the disaster and would like it better woven into the story.
Stirling has a sequel to Fire coming out this year, The Protector's War. Then one more, no publishing date, to come later. You can read sample chapters of most of his work at his website:
http://hem.bredband.net/b108107/stirling/smstirling.html I'll probably go on to Conquistador after Fire then maybe try the Sea of Time trilogy. I'm quite enjoying Fire.
Oh, Nancy, have you ever read Lucifer's Hammer? It is my second favorite post-apocalyptic book, right after The Stand. Excellent and most recommended. It was written by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
And since I'm mentioning my favorite sub-class of sci-fi, the end-of-the-world story, I have to mention the classic by Nevil Shute, "On The Beach", and the also classic "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller, Jr. It may be time for me to re-read both if not all four of these books while I'm on a rare reading kick.
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.
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.
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]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
Originally posted by Blacula:
Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
[b] 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.
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. [/b]Blacula, I'm only about 100 pages in but I'm enjoying it. So far it's not really fast paced, but that 's not a problem for me. I'll post again about this book once I've made more of a dent in it.
I just finished MYRREN'S GIFT, the first installment of a new series called THE QUICKENING by Fiona McIntosh.
It's a fairly standard fantasy with a revenge-quest as its plot.
NOT standard is the featured twist on mind/body switching that I've never encountered and find quite fascinating.
I believe the author is Australian, though I'm not sure if the book was published there earlier. I've noticed there's been a mini-wave of Australian fantasy writers 'crossing over' to the USA, lately.
Anyone who's a fan of politically oriented fantasy (as opposed to magic as the central driver of plot) might enjoy this one.
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.
You might try the first volume on audiobook. King's revised version is supposed to be a little easier to get into, but before it was published the first book was supposedly pretty daunting. I listened to it on tape, which pulled me in better than reading it might have. From that point on I read the rest in reasonably short order.
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?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hey LL, i read Niven's Lucifer's Hammer. It was aight. I heard he just wrote something good. What is his latest book?
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).
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.
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.
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?
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.
And I think Niven just released another Ringworld book, Ringworld's Children.
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?
Also, I just started Memoirs of Cleopatra. Pretty good so far.
Also, Dan Simmons is a genius. Any SF fan who hasn't read the Hyperion books is missing a talent on par with anyone in the field. Matter of fact, may be time to reread Hyperion...
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.
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.
Originally posted by RTVU2:
Semi, I hope you didn't think I was trying to bash you or anything.
I didn't think that.
"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.
I am STILL reading Shogun.
Haven't had much time lately. Ohwell I am enjoying it greatly.
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.
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?
She died off-panel. She had cancer in one (or more?) books, but I don't remember a deathbed scene.
There's a new Robicheaux book out this summer: Crusader's Cross - "It deals with a new phase in the life of Dave Robicheaux, one in which he becomes involved with a remarkable Catholic nun and a family who claim descent from the Roman knights who defeated Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons. Unfortunately for Dave, this particular family considers Dave the modern equivalent of Attila. Dave also finds himself the target of a smear campaign waged by a local television personality who may or may not be the Baton Rouge serial killer."
I am currently reading Star Trek Titan.
This is the first novel of Captain Riker after the events from Nemesis.
I am still waiting on a wow from this book. Even an Oh my gosh...not there yet
I didn't care much for Titan either ... of course
when the whole tagline of the book seems to be
"This is the most ethically diverse starship in
Federation history" you gotta expect things aren't
going to be all that they could be ...
Anyone ever read some of the older Star Trek
boosk? Back before TNG when they took chances
with the Trek books? Anyone remember the books
featuring Spock's son, Zar?
I liked Titan. I liked all the diversity and the potential for all the characters. Also I liked that they have acknowledged all the the other trek books and shows by reintroing chacters like Melora.
I really like Dr Ree too.
I'm reading the latest Robert Jordan paperback. While I do go for long involved stories, this feels like he's writing to write now. So much of the page is used for detailed descriptions, which aren't always bad, but do get tiresome after a bit. And day-to-day activities that don't advance the plot are used to show the characters fretting...
I don't expect he'll finish this series anytime soon. More, this is the outlet for the fanciful life RJ's living in his head.
Update: I am totally loving "Illium" by Dan Simmons. Every single page is a joy and I can hardly wait to get to the next page, yet want to linger on the current one. The mixture of sci-fi and Greek mythology is a perfect combination for me.
What's even more exiting is that the 2nd and last book of the series, "Olympus" comes out in July.
A Gentleman's Game, by Greg Rucka - one of the novels based on the Queen & Country series (or was the comic based on the novels?) Actually, I enjoyed it more than the comic - one of the few monthlies I was getting - so maybe I'll just read the novels. A thriller/adventure - not a whole lot of depth to the characters, though. I think the LeCarré books were filled with more interesting people. Still, fun to read on a rainy weekend.
There's little doubt Jordan has been coasting a bit for 2-3 books. Those detailed descriptions take up a lot of pages, as well as the "I Love Lucy" romantic clashes that are so frequent.
That being said, I haven't been as involved and interested in a series of books since I don't know when. I've read them all at least twice and listened to the audiobooks at least once. A truly completely realized fantasy world, with a history and logic and mythology and wonderful (if a bit cliched) characters.
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).
I'm also reading that right now. Interesting stuff about the workings of the human mind and how we make decisions.
I've just finished "A Man Named Dave", the third of Dave Pelzers autobiographical books.
Very emotional stuff.
About to start "Deception Point" by Dan Brown.
No idea what it's about.
Finished that now. it was quite fun. Discovery of life from another planet in a meteorite fossil.
Now half way through 'The DaVinci Code' by the same author.
It's a bit like 'Angels and Demons' so far. Dead people and secret codes. And lovely European women. Running around lots.
I hear Ron Howard's making a film, with Alfred Molina, Tom Hanks, Sir Ian McKellan and Audrey Wots'ername from Amelie.
It's Audrey Tatou.
Reading Crossing Calfornia by Adam Langer and The Interperter of the Maladies by Lira Something else else.
Both good books. The first short story from Interperter made me cry.
Looking forward to the new Harry Potter and the new James Frey book -My Friend Lenoard.
Woo hoo! George R.R. Martin's "A Feast for Crows" comes out July 26th! Finally!
I just finished "The Monster Show", a book about horror films and culture by one David J. Skal. He does a good job looking at some early horror flicks in the light of the aftermath of the First World War. Strangely enough, the book gets less interesting as he gets closer to the present day.
...and I followed that one with another with another critical analysis, this time of modern "weird" fiction.
Went through it pretty quickly, since it didn't take long to determine that the writer was a tool.
I've started on a collection called "Shadows Over Baker Street". It's a batch of stories mixing Sherlock Holmes with the H.P. Lovecraft Mythos. The first story's by Neil Gaiman and is excellent, despite Gaiman not really having a handle on the Great Old Ones.
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".
After ILIUM, I read Robert J. Sawyer's FOSSIL HUNTER, book 2 of the Quintaglio Ascension about an intelligent race of dinosaurs transplanted from prehistoric Earth to a new planet to develop independently and give mamals a chance to develop on Earth. Sawyer is one of my favorite writers. He's always exploring the boundaries of his agnosticism and this trilogy is no exception.
I'm now reading MAMMOTH by John Varley, on the recommendation of a review in the Sunday paper. It's fluff.
Got the recommended Ilium from the library - yep, it's a real page turner. It's a lot of fun to see how Simmons plays with Homer's story and adds more insight into the bickering gods. Nasty bunch, they are.
P.S. it's quite funny in parts, as well.
Glad you're enjoying it FC. At your suggestion, I picked up "Souls in the Great Machine" several months ago. It's in my to-be-read pile which is steadily growing taller and taller.
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".
it was after reading Ilium that I decided to included the greek gods in Leg35C Finale! My husband can quote Dan Simmons books like they are gospel.
I finished Mammoth and do not recommend it, other than for casual reading while tanning.
I've just started "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. It's getting the same kind of positive buzz that "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" got.
By the way, RTVU2, did you ever finish Jonathan Strange?
Harbs, are you going to read Olympos? Only two weeks before it comes out.
Deffo Semi, but will have to wait until Alan's read it first.
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.
We could hope!
I'll point this out to him just in case he takes the hint
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.
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.
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.
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?
You calling Oprah a scientist?
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.
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.
PSP? Play Station Portable?
Originally posted by Semi Transparent Fellow:
PSP? Play Station Portable?
Yep. I watch my TV shows, movies, read comics and books as well as play games on my PSP. Best little electronic buddy I've ever had.
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.
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.
Yep. Had it on order at Amazon since early this year. Got it week before last. We decided to wait for the large print edition so her mom could read it too.
Oh, and the movie rights have already been bought up. I think even before it was published.
Am currently reading Book of Leaves - it scares me!
I've been on a reading binge since school let out. I'd need notes to remember them all.
I read a huge number of Anne McCaffery book ending with the early Pern novels. It seems every time a reread one I find more sex. ;7
I've also recently read
The Lost Tomb by Ken R Weeks. It's a great book about the excavations in kv5, the tomb of the sons of Rameses II. One of the nice parts is that it's got a website (
www.kv5.com) that has regular updates on the project, so for once I don't feel like I'm reading out of date history.
Taking a break while I wait for more Pern books, I decided to read
The Mummy by Anne Rice which is semi-coincidently about Ramses II. Not a bad book, but I'm glad there's no sequel. I suspect it would just be one non-stop orgy.
The Mummy led to
Interview With a Vampire, and
The Vampire Lestat. I thought I'd read both before, but I didn't remember any of
Interview. It was really different from what I expected. I thought it would be a "noble" vampire novel, where the vamps never do anything really evil. That would have been more fun, but this was a lot more thought provoking than I expected. I'm reading
Lestat now and it, at least, is familiar.
Semi's been recomending
Shadowmarch by Tad Williams. I agree, that's a really, really good book. Better than
Dragonbone Chair, and I loved
Dragonbone Chair.
I'm really struggling through "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. I've read about 400 pages and still have 250 or so to go. The writing is decent, but the pacing is off. It's supposed to be a suspense novel, but the characters spend all their time having 3 square meals a day. That just doesn't seem right. I can't recommend it unless you like a long leisurely novel and have a lot more patience than I do.
Next up, Olympos by Dan Simmons. It's the sequel to Illium, one of my very favorite books in a long time.
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 $$ to buy it, or wait for the library - which could take months. So I'll probably buy it - and Locked Rooms by Laurie King - next in the series of Mary Russell ("Sherlock Holmes' wife") series.
books and movies.....no matter how bad i have to finish 'em!!
Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Do you finish a book whether or not you enjoy it? Some people do see a book right through to the end, but I don't have the patience.
I'm looking forward to Olympos also - don't know if I'll shell out the $$ 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.
I try and finish the books I start. I'm afraid that I'd never finish anything if I gave up when my interest started to flag - because it always does at some point in every book. 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.
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.
With me it is usually not my patience that wears thin or I don't like the book, it is my reading interest in general. I got on a kick there for a few months where I was reading almost like I did when I was a teen. Growing up I could devour a novel a day, two if they were Mack Bolans or a similar genre.
But as my life progressed to where I was getting into technical fields I found my interest in real reading fading. I'll go through occasional periods where I read anything in sight but then that other side of my brain kicks in and I'll drop a book I'm thoroughly enjoying mid-way in (like I've done with Dies the Fire). Eventually I'll pick up where I left off.
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 with you. If I'm not enjoying the book, what's the point in continuing? It's a recreation activity, after all...
Of course, I have come back to books before when I'm older/in a different mind set and sometimes enjoyed them greatly.
I just read some of Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser for class -- it was pretty interesting. There's lots I didn't know about the porn industry and stuff...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
Me, too.
I like it, but it's so long that I get distracted before I finish it.
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.
Hamlet at lunchtime, Fahrenheit 451 at bedtime.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
Aw man .... I made it through about 60% of that book before I lost interest. I thought a lot of it was really interesting, but the middle dragged on for me and ended up putting it aside. Now you're making me want to see if I can finish it...
I am reading the God of Small Things by A. Roy. Good book so far. Got interrupted b/c I read Harry Potter.
I finished Captain Alatriste. If anyone like good ole fashioned macho historical stories of sword play this is for you. Cussing, picking up chicks, and fighting duels in 16th century Spain...i loved it.
And speaking of long books this was a short one. 230 pages? I read it quick. They are making a film of this book (or maybe it is based on another in the series) with Viggo Mortenson playing the spanish Captain Alatriste. great fun this book was!
Just started Seville Communion which is alot like DaVinci code but more realistic...and it came out before. Love it so far. Also by Arturo Revere-Perez!
How to be Idle, by Tom Hodgkinson (like I needed lessons...). Traces some of the history of the work ethic, manipulative propoganda that it has been over the centuries and extols idle & simple living. I skipped the chapters on how great it is to drink and do drugs (like I needed lessons...), which is where Mr. Hodgkinson and I part ways. Otherwise, we advocate the same lifestyle, although I fear he works too much, having put out this book.
I finally finished "The Historian." ughhh! what a chore. Now I'm reading "Olympos", Dan Simmons sequel to "Ilium." What a pleasure!
Alan bought Olympos at the weekend - we're taking turns reading it, it's GREAT!
"Love All The People" - the Letters, Lyrics and Routines of Bill Hicks.
The Late Great Bill Hicks. A sad loss to the world of comedy.
Since it contains a number of stand-up routines etc. there is a tendency for jokes to be repeated throughout the book. In much the same way, I suppose, that you'd get bands playing the same songs in different gigs. That tiny annoyance aside it's a great book. If you like your humour dark and satire biting then you can't beat Bill Hicks.
Why the Catholic Church has not canonised this man yet I do not know! lol!
Just finished "Something else else Rotten" by Jasper Fforde. It is his last Thursday Next Novel.
My next choices to read are the following. Anybody have any comments?
1. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2. the new Nick Hornby "A Long Way Down"
3. the new Jasper Fforde "The Big Over Easy: A Nursey Crime"
4. "Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules" by David Sedaris -a collection of short stories
Ahh, heck I'll just buy all of them...
I just finished "The Half-Blood Prince" and a rereading of the "Thief of Time" by Terry Pratchett. Not the best of the Discworld books but I had forgotten I had read it the first time. <G>
In the past year, I've tried to expand my reading a bit from the normal Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre and read "The Name of the Rose" and most of "Baudalino" by Umberto Eco. I enjoyed TNotR but Baudalino lost my interest.
I've considered picking up "The Dubliners" by James Joyce but have yet to.
Jamie
Woo hoo! George R.R. Martin's "A Feast for Crows" comes out July 26th! Finally!
So has anyone actually SEEN this book in a store yet?
Jamie
I've been into reading the "classics". Barnes & Noble has a series of classic books. They have notes at the end, along with some reviews from the time the book was written and other material.
I am finishing up the collection of O Henry stories.
Not sure what to read next.
I dont know if this will make me rise in the estimation of my fellow bookworms, but at the moment i am reading "Desperation" by Stephen King. It is a typically weird book full of interesting and weird characters...
I am just a fan of horror and suspense, in general...
Brian
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]
My wife bought me this book when it first came out since I was such a fan of "The Secret History", but what a bore "The Little Friend" turned out to be. I still haven't finished it and I only have a pang of guilt for not having done so since it was a birthday gift.
I finished "The Rule of Four" and I have to say I was let down a bit. I was hoping for more of a "reveal" for the main characters' quest.
Summer is slipping away and I haven't finished a book yet in 2 months! The world of Work starts soon and sadly, I didn't finish a book. Everything I want to read is at least 500 pages! Can anyone recommend anything current out there that is under 300?
"currents of space" by asimov
Song of Ice and Fire fans:
According to
Martin\'s Official Web Site A Feast of Crows is do out in the UK on October 17 and in the US on November 8.
Hmm, maybe I should start rereading. It'll probably be out latter through the SFBC, though.
i love the song of fire and ice, but i like the robert jordan series wheel of time better that is my favorite.
right now i am reading Lies My Teacher Told Me.
a must read for every humna being. it's staggering.
i also just got The Rise Of The Creative Class which should be facinating when i get to it.
I'm in the middle of Crucible of War by Fred Anderson. It's weighty, but it's a very well-written history of the French and Indian/Seven Year's War. Very up-to-date. I met the author at a National Council for History Education conference. If you have any weakness for American History, I recommend it.
I've been checking Doonesbury books out of the library. Brilliant stuff.
Go tell it on the Mountain, James Baldwin
Just bought three books from Borders.
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules - a collection of short stories picked and edited by David Sedaris. All about life,lonliness,love and envy for monkeys.
The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan - another collection of short stories about her life and journey to become a writer.
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. History book.
i'm reading volume#1 of the Han Solo trilogy by A.C. Crispin. intitled "the Paradise Snare"
the whole trilgoy tells the story of the adventures of a young Han Solo before Epi#4.
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!
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.
Wow, thanks so much Semi. I will definitely have to get this one.
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...
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.
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.
Eric...
And it's got a werecollie, which has got to count for something.
Originally posted by Arachne:
[QBAnd it's got a werecollie, which has got to count for something.[/QB]
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?
I don't know if this fits into the "highbrow" stuff that everyone else is in to, but i am (re)reading a Stephen King book called "Insomnia" - nice plot...if ever a movie about it came on TV, maybe the sponsors could insert random coffee commercials...coz it (the book) certainly kept me up at nights...
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.
Who here is a Harry Potter fan?
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.
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.
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.
Originally posted by Arachne:
I'm totally hooked on the Southern Vampire Chronicles by Charlaine Harris.
You're welcome, Arachne dear
I
will find a way to pay you back.
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.
I'm reading Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go."
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.
aaaaah Banjo, Banjo, Banjo. I highly recommend reading "The Illalong Children" if you get a chance. My mother read it to me when I was a kid. Its an Autobiographical book that he wrote for his Grandaughters all about his childhood. Also, "The Man from Snowy river" seems to be what he's most well known for in the states.
oddly enough about an hour, hour and a half's drive from where I live is the "Big Merrino" which is, yes, A big Merrino. Its made out of concrete. It has a gift shop....they built it in the eighties. if I recall correctly there was once a wool museum of some sort in the head. Australia has a habit of building "Big Things"....like the Big Bananana, The Big Pineapple, And the Big Rocking Horse which is out LAM's way. Closer to me then the Big Merrino is A big Oyster. Also theres a Big "Ayers Rock" (Uluru) about 45mins out of town, which isnt that big at all if you've actually seen Uluru. it was conceived as a tourist park (also back in the eighties) by the "Leland Brothers" who were dinky-die Aussies with their own nature show. like steve Irwin but less Cringe Worthy. or more (I havent decided as yet). Now its used to house stuff Im assuming. And theres a Gas Station.
What am I reading though? Today its "Something else else Rotten" by Jasper Fforde...the fourth in the "Thursday Next - literary detective" Series. these books are a hoot for anyone who has ever taken English as a subject and actually enjoyed it...Sort of Harry Potter for Smart People. "The Ayre Affair" - the first book is my favorite, though "Lost in a Good is Book" (#2) is pretty good. "The Well of Lost plots" is sort of....meh. Anywho. Thats my little rant for the day.
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.
I've just finished the first 100 pages of John Irving's 700+ page latest novel, Until I Find You.
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.
My Mother is an English Teacher...I developed a love of the Classics By Proxy.
Classics are awesome, I am quite partial to Dickens myself.
And I'm about halfway through Goodkind's "stone of Tears"
Finally caught up on all my Star Wars books, so I decided to ask my Dad about some of the books he's read over the years that he really enjoyed.
His first response was the Travis McGee novels by John MacDonald. It's about a 1960's Gum Shoe type who lives in Florida on a house boat named the "Busted Flush". Named for the poker hand in which he won it.
There's about 20 novels in all... and I read the first one, The Deep Blue Good By, about a week ago at the beach (winds out of the NE made the Atlantic too choppy for swimming). Given that the book was set in Florida over 40 years ago, it was a pretty good window into the society of the time. I was pleasantly surprised at how good of writer MacDonald really was. I didn't think my dad would recommend a bad book, but I wasn't sure he'd hit my tastes either.
Also read Velocity by Dean Koontz... picked it up in the bargain bin about 1.5 months ago. Didn't know a thing about it other than I'd enjoyed some of Koontz's other novels. This was a nice quick beach read also. Hooked me from the first page with a nice little neighbor vs. neighbor story and went from there. There are points where the book lives up to it's name... I couldn't wait to turn the page and see what happened next... actually felt the heart racing a few times while reading it. Not a classic literature work by any stretch... I'd probably call it an extremely good "popcorn" book.
Also re-read Lightning by Koontz too. It had been about 15 years and I didn't remember too much about it. This was another good book. Koontz has a great way of making the reader identify with characters... or at least care about them. As long as he stays away from hokey "spiritual" themes, I really enjoy his books.
I'm way behind on Harry Potter books, so I'm just now reading The Chamber of Secrets.
Do the movies follow the plot of each book, word-for-word, Dan?
I just read THE FURIES OF CALDERON by Jim Butcher. It's a fantasy title set on another world where the human characters live in a society based on ancient Rome.
The magic involved is that of the elements- earth, fire, air, water, wood and metal. The various uses of elemental-control are really well-presented and show how superheroes with similar abilites could be used way more powerfully.
The nonhuman population of this world live in a clan system with strong, possibly supernatural, bonds to animals. The clash of cultures is a central part of the story.
Well worth a read if you enjoy parallel histories, intricate magical fantasy or CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR type stories.
I don't know this, but I *think* it's heading towards a lost colony sort of fusion between fantasy and SF, like Darkover or Pern. A subgenre that's a particular favorite of mine, when done well.
Yesterday, at a Garge Sale, I picked up a first edition of the Naked Lunch for a price so cheap that its laughable. Woot! non-linear prose anyone?
I'm currently re-reading "The Four Agreements" which is a Toltec philosophy book. I forget the author's name. The four agreements are:
1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don't take anything personally.
3. Don't assume.
4. Always do your best.
I find myself referring to these agreements a LOT in day to day life. I find it especially hard to be impeccable with my words, because it's really easy to whine or b*tch about things. If we really think before we speak, we'd put a lot less negativity out there. We'd put more constructive, positivity out there.
We are raised to take things personally, both insults and compliments. If we were able to rely on our own understanding of how we are with/at things, others couldn't hinder us. Also, we wouldn't rely on others to make us feel worthy, we'd already know we are. That'd put more positivity out there.
We assume a LOT in our culture. We make decisions based on our assumptions all the time. I'm actually still reading this chapter. I'll elaborate when I finish.
It seems like a no-brainer to always do your best, but really, how often do we do that? I know in my busy life, it's easy to run at about 80%, just trying to get everything done. What if I actually slowed down and gave everything 100%? It might take longer, but everything would be better. Right?
Reading books like this really does help me, though I can't say that it's very practical to give myself completely to these ways of thinking. This reminds me of another book, "The Prophet" which I haven't read in a long time. Ancient ideas that really help in today's busy world.
I just started King Leopold's Ghost. It's a history of the pillage of the area around the Congo river by Belgium's King Leopold II.
I'm reading The Buddha of Brewer Street by the incredible Michael Dobbs.
Dean, your book sounds great though those philosophies would be very hard to follow 100%
Reading "Reading Lolita in Tehran"
Might as well o.d. on pro-Fem
Read "The Four Agreements" in July. "Don't take it personally" has probably been the most valuable advice to me.
I've finished Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go." Probably the most moving novel I've read in a decade and profoundly sad. I can't stop thinking about it. Ishiguro is a master. In a year or so, I'll have to read it again. I think it's one of those rare books that can be read on several levels. No doubt it's an English teacher's dream with all its imagery and metaphor. That said, Ishiguro's style is very engaging and the book never drags, although nothing really exciting ever happens directly in the story - all the sensational stuff happens outside of the story, but permeates the story and its characters. I note that "Never Let Me Go" has been short-listed for the Mann Booker Prize. I can't imagine a more deserving winner.
I'm about halfway through Catch Me If You Can, which is surprisingly different from the movie. I'm really enjoying it -- I just wish I could find the time to finish it!! >< Dumb school reading.
/mini-rant.
But I really do enjoy the way he writes. It's hilarious and fun, while having some serious undercurrents too. You can see how intelligent he is, too. It's pretty neat.
I'm now reading "Misfortune" by Wesley Stace, who is also known as the musician, John Wesley Harding. (who'd a thunk it?) It's a Dickensian style novel about an abandonned baby boy resuced from a garbage heap in Victorian England by a fey noble named Geoffroy Loveall. Geoffroy, age 33 or so, has only one love in life - his sister who died at the age of 5 (or so). Geoffroy decides to raise the baby boy as a girl. Problems ensue.
It's nicely written, although I'm a bit spoiled right now just having finished Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go," (which I think is one of the best books written).
Misfortune is a hefty novel, just as I like them. It doesn't appear to be written tongue-in-cheek - thankfully! The reviews have been good.
Started working on Les Miserables a few weeks ago. I've been on this French literature kick lately. I'm told there is a cure, but it involves German prose, so I'm sticking with the French works.
Am reading "Death Comes As The End" by Agatha Christie - a marvellous meld of whodunnit intertwined with the rich culture of yesteryear. The reader gets a detailed glimpse of a society whose human frailities had withstood the passage of time and as such, could be related to by anybody in the present time.
It was announced today that "The Sea" by John Banville won the Booker Prize.
Supposedly, there was a tie in the voting -- out of five judges, two preferred Ishiguro's book, and two preferred Banville's. John Sutherland, chairman of the panel, cast the deciding vote by selecting "The Sea."
(Note that Ishiguro beat out Banville for the Booker Prize in 1989 with "The Remains of the Day.")
How does Ishiguro's latest compare to his last book which I think was "When we were Orphans"? I remember enjoying that one quite a bit a few years back. I think it was set in Colonial Shanghai.
the Devils Dictionary by Ambrose Beirce. for like the 10th time
The recent talk about the Booker Prize and the discussion about movies men endure at the behest of their partners reminds me of a book. This past week I've been rereading In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje (who also wrote the Booker Prize winning The English Patient).
It's my favourite book set in Canada and Toronto in particular. A book about immigrants by an immigrant, can't get more Canadian than that.
Nobody reading anything? I'm still reading Misfortune and enjoying it.
I am finishing up Perilous Time - Free Speech in Wartime - from the Sedition Act of 1798 to the War on Terror.
I had shared this from the book with the guys (& FC) during the con.
During WWI the US government encouraged civic organizations to ferret out "disloyalty". Among the groups were: The Knights of Liberty, The Boy Spies of America, The Sedition Slammers, and The Terrible Threateners. All of which strike me as names from the Golden Age of Comics.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 -- A Political History
For anyone who enjoyed the Charlene Harris vampire books, you should also love the series by Kim Harrison.... Book One, 'Dead Witch Walking,' Book Two, 'The Good, the Bad and the Undead,' and now Book Three, 'Every Which Way But Dead.' The heroine, Rachel, is a very powerful witch in a world which has equal numbers of mundane humans and magickal folk. Rachel tracks down and deals with witches, vampires, demons, and were creatures who break the rules and kill humans. Interesting and entertaining, and would make a fun movie.
knife of dreams came out!
im reading through it....pretty good, better than maybe the last two....
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?
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.
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...
So what is this Mooninvalley - a place for butt flashers?
Moomins look a little like furry hippos that walk upright (seriously!). The author did all the illustrations for the books as well.
Bunnicula.
A cat trying to pound a steak (not a typo) through the heart of a vampire rabbit...
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.
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.
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.
Joe Boy, Watership Down is one of my recommended reads for anyone planning to live.
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?
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.
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.
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.
You should be reading about changing nappies! How to make up formula. When to wean. How to deal with new teeth etc.
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.)
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.
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...
Stu. Wyoming. Sheep.
Sheep? I think you've mistaken me for someone else...
Wasn't there a song about being "Wide Legged and Eyeless"?
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.
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.
I probably won't get it for months yet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Yes! Got the 500th post in this thread!!
I'm re-reading _Dragon Knight_ by Gordon R.
Dickson.
The Historian. It's a good book, a vampire story more like Davinci Code than Dracula.
Jasper Fforde, The Eyre Affair. It's pretty funny, but I don't know if a whole series of this will maintain interest.
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.
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.
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...
"Where's My Cow?" hee hee hee
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"
Me, too.
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!
Have you read the Johnny and the Bomb books? How about Truckers, Diggers and Wings? I could be way off on those titles.
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...
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.
Truckers etc are called the "Bromelaid"? trilogy? theres a stop motion animated series of Truckers. there's also animated series of both "Soul Music" and "Wyrd Sisters"...
like i said Im a bit obsessed
TEEN TITANS COMPANION!!! WOOT!
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.
Theres also "Only you can save mankind" which seems a little dated with its 80's computer game references
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!"
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
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.
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.
JamieTheres a Companion picture book to THUD called "Wheres my Cow" where Vimes tells a story of Ankh Morporke to his son using all the familiar Characters (Foul ol' Ron, Dibbler etc)...
It cost me $35 which was a bit of a rip-off - but I couldnt NOT buy it.
Arachne, while I enjoyed Feast for Crows, it really wasn't that great. Lotsa buildup, and not much payoff. It did have some great cliffhangers, none of which will likely be resolved in the next book. Gonna have to wait a looonnng time to see how those turn out.
What!!! this thread is impermissibly languishing. Is nobody reading anymore? Let's see - Christmas was my time for light reading so I read a fun John Grisham paperback, but I can't remember the name. It was about a young guy who bought a local newspaper in rural Mississippi. There was of course a trial and a murder or two or three involved. Mostly it was atmospheric. He's always easy to read and I have to admit I enjoy him.
Next I read another light novel called "The Traveller" about these people who are able to travel to other dimensions to bring enlightenment to humanity, and the group of warriors called Harlequins who protect them from the people who want to control the Earth and destroy the Travellers. The nasty folks are suspiciously modelled after the current Republican administration and its corporate cronies. Great fun --- and it's a trilogy.
The next book was "Making History" by Stephen Fry. It was recommended to me by our very own Quislet Esq. (although not in this thread, I think). Quis --- I loved this book. It's about a Cambridge history PhD candidate who gets together with a physics professor to send something back in time to prevent Hilter from being born. Instantly, the world changes and our intrepid doctoral candidate finds himself at Princeton (I think). He alone remembers the former world and gradually learns that Hilter's non-existence allowed a more competent and charismatic fascist to rise to prominence and lead Germany to victory in WW2 --- oops!!! Along with these startling discoveries, our hero also discovers a new love to replace the female geneticist who left him --- a cute male Princeton undergrad. Rest assured, it never gets sordid. Apparently, America remained opposed to Germany but because of the cold war, things like civil rights, the 60's anti-war movement, and gay rights never occurred. To top it off, all of Europe is facsist. (Tamper and Arachne, breathe deep and relax -- Canada remained neutral. Apparently, it was the new Switzerland.) Anyway, our hero seeks out the new version of the physics professor and together they set off to restore the world to it's original state. This book is great fun.
Now I'm reading "Mara and Dann" by Doris Lessing, one of my very favorite writers, and one who has been shamefully overlooked by the Nobel Prize Committee, in my opinion. This novel relates the adventures of a brother and sister in Africa several thousand years into the future as the world teeters on the brink of another ice age. Lessing frequently sets her novels in a science fiction milieu, but the focus is always on how her characters deal with their situation. The sci-fi is always secondary, and almost always implied rather than explicit. She uses it to isolate her characters in a situation unfamiliar to us, to explore the human condition. I had the great pleasure of meeting Lessing in 1985 and chatting with her for about 15 minutes. I realized even back then that I was in the presence of a very special person.
The only book that I'm reading at the moment is a Discovery Channel / Insight city guide to New York.
Billy and I are planning to head over there next year for our 15th anniversary - leaving the kids at home with the in-laws. So we thought it would be an idea to check out what we wanted to see.
Top of the list at the moment is the Chrysler building followed by Times Square and various museums.
Over Xmas I read 4 out of 5 of David Feintuchs Seaforth Saga books. All good, but I should probably have interspersed different books between them. Still got to get ahold of the last one.
Prior to that I started reading Johnathon Strange and Mr Norrell.
Got bored after a couple of hundred pages and gave it up as a bad idea. Very atmospheric, but I didn't find that enough to keep my interest.
But recently it's just been magazines I'm reading - the usual SFX and Total Film.
Just finished listening to the unabridged HP and the Order of the Phoenix book on tape and went straight into HP/Half-Blood Prince. Still REALLY like the series, it continues to get better and better. I haven't finished HB Prince, just got through the part where they figure out about the horcruxes. Gotta say, it may end up being up there with Thomas Covenant and the Wheel of Time in series of books that I will return to again and again.
Just started 1491--a survey of what was going on the Americas before European contact. As someone who has taught 8th grade American History for six years, it's amazing how much more we know now than just a few short years ago. I can't wait to teach it again next year! The book is written very well, would appeal to the lay person who's interested.
"LAst night a DJ saved my life"..its about the history of Dance Music. Its Neat...I got it from the Uni Years ago and never finished it. (what with Uni work and all) But I figured I might aswell buy it...Came with a Kick Arse CD.
I just finished the Justice League series of novels (I started a thread about them)
I am currently reading "Misquoting Jesus" by Bart D Ehrman. It is not a novel, but about how the text of the Bible has changed, sometimes accidentally and sometimes intentionally. So far the biggest "shocker" was that the story of the Adulteous woman (Let he who is without sin cast the first stone) was an add in.
One of the reasons for accidental mistakes (aside from some of the "scribes" being illiterate) was that the early manuscriots were written without punctuation, all capitalized, and without spaces between words. And the problem with that is illustrated by this example in English.
GODISNOWHERE
Is this "God is nowhere" or "God is now here"?
Oh and Semi, I am glad you liked "Making History"
Quislet, I saw Misquoting Jesus in Borders a couple of weekends ago and almost picked it up. Bart D Ehrman has also written several books about the scriptures that weren't included in the Bible. I've not read them, but they look very interesting and I've had them sitting in my Amazon cart for many months now (that's my way of keeping track of the things I mean to read).
Finished the book about Basques a bit ago. Read the Case Book of Sherlock Holmes and now am reading the Return of Sherlock Holmes.
I love the old Sherlock Holmes stories by Conan-Doyle.
I'm reading Winter Holiday by Arthur Ransome - part of the 'Swallows and Amazons' series. I'm steadily working my way through the series, which I've never read before. Why didn't I? If I had gotten to these when I was, say, ten, I would have thought they were the ocelot's overshoes. Oh well; I still like 'em.
Let's see... I haven't been on this thread since last September... So since then I've read...
The latest Star Wars PB trilogy by Troy Denning.
-The Joiner King
-The Unseen Queen
-The Swarm War
They were decent reads, but I'd recommend reading all of the New Jedi Order books first to really appreciate these three.
I read the HC Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. Not a bad book by any stretch, but there's a little bit of a pattern here where you know the book has limitations going into it. I find I don't remember much about it other than it was a quick read with not enough Vader in it. I like the good guys, but unfortunately you know where the story is going way before the characters do.
I'm ashamed to admit that I've picked up the three available young reader books by Jude Watson, The Last of the Jedi. They are set inbetween Eps 3 and 4 and are surprisingly good, despite being geared at younger readers.
I recently picked up Outbound Flight by Tim Zahn. This is another Star Wars book that tells a pretty good story in its own right, but it also sets up just about all of the other Star Wars books that Zahn scribed. As far as I'm concerned... Zahn can do no wrong in the Star Wars galaxy. He is my favorite SW author.
Other than that... my Dad is in the process of writing his first novel. I've read about half of it. It's a little historical fiction piece set in the late 1700's America. There's a little adventure, a little romance, some Indians, some sci fi, some history, some Brits, a tad bit of combat, and a bit of irony/fate/serendipity. It also has a horse.
So far I'm pretty surprised by it. Taking away as much bias as I possibly can, and I'd tell you if it sucked, it's kept my attention fairly well. He's got a few places that need smoothing, but overall I find myself enjoying it. The best way I can describe it... It's alot like a Louis Lamour book, but with maybe a bit more intrigue or politcal wrangling and sci fi. Its an odd combination, but it works so far.
Best of luck to your dad on his writing efforts, minesurfer.
I've just reading "Mr Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of The Byrd's Gene Clark". A pretty sad story about an underrated singer/songwriter who just couldn't handle what fame he did get.
Next up is Tim Power's "On Stranger Tides".
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.
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.
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.
I enjoyed it. So much so that I hunted down a couple other books by that author (Gerard Jones) and liked them too (Killing Monsters and The Comic Book Heroes, if you're curious).
I recently read a few superhero-relate novels:
Those Who Walk in Darkness by John Ridley. Well-written.
Wild Cards XVII: Death Draws Five by John J. Miller. I'm a huge Wild Cards fan, and this book does tie up the biggest loose plot thread from the original run, but if Martin and co. aren't willing to devote more time to this series they may as well not bother, because this was not one of the stronger entries. I mean, it was okay, but the bar for Wild Cards books has been set pretty high.
Nobody Gets the Girl by James R. Maxey. It wasn't bad. Like a lot of superhero fiction, it was kind of underwritten.
Matthew, as I get more into it, I'll post what I think. So far I'm enjoying the descriptions of turn-of-the-century New York and Cleveland (yes Cleveland - apparently at one time it was the 5th largest city in the U.S. and the most progressive).
Just finsihed reading 'The Know-It-All' by A.J. Jacobs. Was a little hard to get into but overall an excellent read.
Have started two new books. 'The Alchemist' and 'Middlesex.' 'Alchemist' because all my friends tell me to so I finally broke down and bought it. Bought the other at Borders at the Buy Two get Thrid free. That always sucks me in to buying books.
So far I am enjoying 'Middlesex' more.
What sort of book is "Middlesex", rtvu? Sci-fi? horror?
"The Orientalist", by Tom Neiss - the biography of Assad Bey, aka Lev Nussimbaum aka a few other names. He was born in Baku in 1905, to an oil baron and a Russian revolutionary; a Jew who fell in love with Muslim culture just as European/Russian/central Asian society was falling apart. He and his father lived on the run from various revolutions and economic disasters for the rest of their lives. Bey/Nussimbaum ironically became the toast of Nazi society for his anti-Communist writings. A New York newspaper described him: "He hates trouble, but he's ready for anything". A fascinating, complicated look at a turbulent life in very turbulent times.
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 --
Thank you, Vu - I wonder if Middlesex will be made into a movie as "Virgin Suicides" was?
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."
Stealth, I'm reading "Men of Tomorrow" right now. It's fascinating adn well written.
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.)
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...
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
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.
I just finished reading The Historian this week.
On the whole, I enjoyed it, but I found the
author used coincidence way too much ...
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...
Currently reading Common Sense, Rights of Man, and other essential writings of Thomas Paine
On deck is Frederick Douglas' autobiography
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.
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 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.
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.
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?
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.
That's the second Wodehouse mention in this thread in... well, okay, a little over a month. Nice.
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."
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.
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.)
'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.
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.
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.
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.
Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire - Sequel to "Wicked" (book and musical)
Its Neat
I am reading One Hundred Years of Soltitude.
Interesting book so far....
Spiritual Authority by Watchman Nee.
Really great read, if you are into Christian Theology in the slightest.
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.
currently reading "winter's Heart" by Robert Jordan, standard fantasy fare, though a bit long winded
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
Im fascinated with
John dies at the end right now, which is also available in print
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.
To Kill a Mockingbird is the best book EVER!
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
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.
Currently reading "Heavy Time" by C.J. Cherryh. Pretty good sci-fi tale so far.
Just started "The Dark Tower" by Stephen King
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...
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.
Yes, I'm a Pern fan (though I admit I hadn't read her prequel-type books except for Moreta). Just finished re-reading "All the Weyrs of Pern"; bit behind on the books right now, so I hadn't gotten to that one.
Books I've read since June 1, 2006 (my last post on this page)
From the Star Wars Universe: By Karen Traviss
Republic Commando: Hard Contact
and
Republic Commando: Triple Zero
I was tremendously surprised by these two books. Not only was the author able to tell two very intriguing tales, but she successfully took no less than 12 CLONE Troopers and gave them individual identities and personalities. And some of the dialogue between the troopers had me laughing out loud. Two very good entries into the Star Wars library.
From the realm of Fantasy I read:
The Legend of Drizzt books 2-10 by R.A. Salvatore
2. Exile
3. Sojuorn
4. The Crystal Shard
5. Streams of Silver
6. The Halfling's GEm
7. The Legacy
8. Starless Night
9. Siege of Darkness
and
10. Passage to Dawn
It's tough to report on each book individually since each is a part of the whole story. All of these books are great. If I had to recommend a starting point with this series I'd recommend the second trilogy (Icewind Dale, books 4-6)which was actually published first. Great story with Elves, Dwarves, Barbarians, magic, magical beasts, Demons, Dragons, Evil Dwarves, Evil Elves, Gods, Politics, physical conflict, emotional struggles, war, romance, great villains, great cliff hangers (especially book 5)... the story has it all. Can't recommend these books enough.
Other books I've fit into my schedule were The Icarus Hunt and Cobra by Tim Zahn. Two interesting Sci Fi tales. Cobra is about enhanced military soldiers and Icarus is about rogue smugglers/pilots trying to fulfill the terms of their contract while the rest of the universe wants to stop them from doing just that. The book was a pretty good read, until the ending turned it up a notch. Zahn seems to be able to surprise me, even though I should know better. Cobra was just a little bit better than standard Sci Fi fare.
Reading Katie McAllister's 'Sex, Lies and Vampires' which is just silly and fun and doesn't take much brain power. This is from my vampire 'lite' collection and is great recovery reading.
Currently Re-reading Asimov's Foundation books, some of my favorite sci-fi
I was in one of those read-a-classic kind of moods, so I picked up "Good Omens."
Originally posted by dedman:
Currently Re-reading Asimov's Foundation books, some of my favorite sci-fi
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.
Joe just gave me the "contract with god trilogy" for my Birthday. Im loving it!
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!!!!!
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.
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...
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.
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
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.
i'm flipping between The Death and Life of Great American Cities. (Jane Jacobs) and City of Quartz (Mike Davis).
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!
ok, I am about to go and retry to read Johnthon Strange and Mr Norell.
Wish me luck.
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.
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.
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
"The Mighty and the Almighty"
by Madeleine Albright
The Freedom Phalanx was better than I expected it to be. I really liked the buddy-buddy relationship between Positron and Synapse.
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
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.
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).
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.
I am currently reading the National Electrical Code- 2005 Edition.
and man, whatta page turner.
Wooo hoooooooo.
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 GameFrom the Universe of the Terminator movies and written by SM Stirling (an apparent master of alternate universe novels):
T2: InfiltratorI 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 StormThe 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 WarHere'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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'.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Ancient Future by Traci Harding, an Author who lives near me. Its the first in a Trilogy...and pretty damn good. Highly recomended
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.
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.
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...
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
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.
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.
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.
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/
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Oh, creepy. I like sea mysteries. Probably because I'm land-locked.
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
I just picked up 1776 by David McCullough. 28 pages into it. It looks like a breezy sort of read.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Originally posted by minesurfer:
My latest reads were:
[b]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. [/b]
Minesurfer, what's the setting for this one? Between what movies I mean?
Originally posted by minesurfer:
My latest reads were:
[b]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 [/b]
Thrawn novels right? Better than ANY of the movies IMO. I also just read Outbound Flight and the follow-up "Survivor's Quest." Both were excellent.
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.
Yep to the Zahn and his Thrawn novels sentiment. I'd agree that they are better than the movies (especially episodes 1-4).
Wow...I haven't posted here since Dec. 5th!!!
Since then I've read -
The Talismans of Shannara - Terry Brooks
Ilse Witch - Terry Brooks
Antrax - Terry Brooks
Morgawr - Terry Brooks
The Redemption of Althalus - David and Leigh Eddings
The Elder Gods - David and Leigh Eddings
The Treasured One - David and Leigh Eddings
Crystal Gorge - David and Leigh Eddings
Forever Odd - Dean Koontz
Cold Fire - Dean Koontz
Dragon Tears - Dean Koontz
The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul - Douglas Adams
The Salmon of Doubt - Douglas Adams
Rhapsody - Elizabeth Haydon
Prophecy - Elizabeth Haydon
Destiny - Elizabeth Haydon
Beyond the Hanging Wall - Sara Douglass
Battleaxe - Sara Douglass
Enchanter - Sara Douglass
Starman - Sara Douglass
I am currently reading Sinner, also by Sara Douglass
Originally posted by minesurfer:
Blockade Boy:
[b]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.
[/b]
Thanks, I'll have to pick this one up if only to see how they could make Han anymore crotchety.
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. it's the first in the Farseer triology.
"Tristessa" and "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac
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.
I'm bouncing between "Mr Thundermug" and "Fruit."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
You know... I've never actually read The Picture of Dorian Gray, but Wilde pretty much rocks.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
To break with our fiction tradition...
Dead Men Do Tell Tales is a brief intro into Forensics Medicine. CSI fans will find something interesting.
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.
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.
I've been re-reading Edgar Rice Burroughs' "Barsoom" series: John Carter! Swashbuckling adventure on Mars!
Check your brains at the door!
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
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! Lol
I loved those!
John Carter of Mars,
Tarzan at the Earth's Core and
Carson of Venus Space Rock!
Been awhile since I've given a few book reports so here's what I've read recently:
Eyes of Prey
Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines
Legacy of the Force: Tempest
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction
Death Masks
Blood Rites
Dead Beat
Proven Guilty
The Scarlet Ruse
Thunderbird Falls
Eyes of Prey by John Sandford
I guess with this type of series the bad guy is going to drive the plot, pacing, and ultimately the reader’s enjoyment. Lucas Davenport is Lucas… a little more moody than I like my heroes, but given the circumstances his mental state is entirely understandable. I thought the bad guy(s) were a little weak in this story and it hurt the book overall. Not only that, but Lucas figures out that one of the bad guys is involved early on but can’t prove it and the ultimate actions and relationship of the bad guys is chronically predictable.. The new love interest for Lucas is likeable in a party girl, what me worry, kind of way. All in all I’d give this story a weak B.
Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines by Karen Traviss
Anymore, a Star Wars book just shuts my mind down as I’m reading it. I’ve read so many of them that I have very little hope or remembering the details of the story even after I’ve just read it. It’s almost like the projects I’ve worked on at worked. Don’t ask me a question about something I worked on two weeks ago… I don’t know what I did. So here I sit three or four weeks after reading this book and I’m struggling with what happened between the covers.
Oh yeah… this was the one with Boba Fett. Pretty good story. Really nice plot but a little short on action, especially where Boba is concerned. Traviss is a wonderful author though, and I love her take on the Mandalorian/Clone heritage in the Star Wars Universe. The focus of this book is on the next generation of heroes and villains in the galaxy far, far away and I’m struggling with the villain. I don’t want him to be the villain, so once I get past that… It’s a really well written book.
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.
Darth Bane: Path of Destruction by Drew Karpyshan
No real major flaws in this book. It was a nice Star Wars story that occupied a few nights’ attention span.
Death Masks by Jim Butcher
Butcher has shot to the top of my favorite authors list with a bullet. Every one of his Dresden stories have been thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable. Every last one is rife with well thought out imagination and intricate plots that don’t give themselves away.
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
Reading a Dresden book is like catching up with an old friend. A friend that you genuinely like, not one that you bumped into at the supermarket and can’t wait to forget again after the obligatory “How’s life?’ and ‘We should catch up again soon.” Followed by the head tilt and slight shoulder shrug. With a Dresden book you just shake hands, sit down and lean into it, thinking, “Man I missed you.”
Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
Probably one of the funnier and more off beat of the Dresden Series.
Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
Man I did not see this one coming. Another exemplary foray into the Dresden series.
The Scarlet Ruse by John MacDonald
This was a hearty welcome back to the Travis McGee series for me. While this one strays a little from the previous two McGee novels’ paths, Trav is still a Gumshoe type trying to right a wrong. Great visual descriptions by the author make these stories memorable long after having read them. The characters are well defined and likeable. If you’re looking for late 1960’s Florida style noir, you can’t get much better than John MacDonald’s Travis McGee series.
Thunderbird Falls by CE Murphy
This was the follow up to her first book, “Urban Shaman”. A nice little tale about Joanne Walker and her adjusting to her new found powers. Murphy has pacing issues with me sometimes, but I’ve managed to get through them and finish the books. She’s not inspiring me to rush out and pick up the third book in the series, but someday I’ll stumble over to the used book store and pick it up.
Originally posted by minesurfer:
[b]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.
[/b]
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.
Originally posted by Blockade Boy:
Originally posted by minesurfer:
[b]
[b]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.
[/b]
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.[/b]Honestly... I'm a little confused by your post. I think the confusion comes from the fact that there are two different Star Wars story lines going on right now that are named "Legacy of the Force". There's the novels which is scheduled for 9 total and are about 20 years or so after the movies. Now my facts may be off on the following, but the other Legacy of the Force series is being told right now in the graphic novels and takes place a generation or two after the novel Legacy of the Force story line. That just might be called the "Legacy" era though. I don't know for sure.
I'm reading the novels and I can't remember any Jedi vs. Plant people thing in them. I'm enjoying the story line of the novels, but I'm hoping that things turn out better than what Anakin Skywalker's fate did. Right now I'm not seeing that, but I'm hooked for the ride. I don't plan on picking up the separate graphic novel story in the near future, so I can't comment on it, but I think that may be where your plant people are.
Unless I haven't come to the plant people yet or you are thinking about something from a previous story line... I vaguely recall Han and Luke being on a weird planty-like planet in the Dark Nest Trilogy, but man that's been a while since I read that. It may just have been a mossy covered substance that corroded things.
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.
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.
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.
Have you read The Stand before Cobie? Still my favorite book of all time. We actually just talked about it with CJ this weekend.
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!
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?
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.
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.
THAT's THEM! Good stories but as for philosophy, I tend to leave a lot of the deeper meaning of books on the floor, hence "Yuuzhan Vong" became "plant people." I'm not too interesting at parties, lol.
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.
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.
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.
I read it back when it came out, 90 or 91. Good book. But his Swan Song was much better.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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. LOL Good to see I'm not the only one having trouble with that one. I think I read somewhere that Dumas was paid by the word.
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.
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! These books are still, to this day, my favorite sci-fi series ever. ERB helped cement my love of sci-fi and fantasy. I just wish they'd get the damn movie made!
Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:
Originally posted by Blacula:
[b]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.
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!!![/b]I used to average at least one book a week all the way through grade school until I was first married. I read at least 50 books a year. Now I'm lucky to read five. Caroline does much better and probably reads around 20 or more.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ...
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)
Playboy.
Just for the articles...
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.
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.
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.
I did read it, and I agree, it's much better. I started The Waste Lands, but I wasn't really in the mood for a series. I wanted something with and ending. I ended up getting Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. I really,
really loved it. I'm like, two or three pages from the end of it tonight. Of course, it turns out there's two more books and a graphic novel is on the way. I haven't decided what I'm going to read next. Possibly one of Stephen King's anthologies.
Whew, finished the Count of Monte Cristo. It ended really strong!
Currently reading Voltaire's Candide. It's really good so far. I needed something short after the very long Monte Cristo.
Kept things light and airy the last month or so. I only read two books.
The first was "The Darkest Hours" which was a Spider-man novel written by Jim Butcher. I picked it up because Butcher just seemed like such a natural to write the smart-mouthed, can't buy a break Peter Parker. It was a good, fast read. Mildly distracting with no heavy thinking and more than a few great character moments for MJ, Pete, Dr. Strange, The Rhino, Felicia, and just about everybody in the book except for the main bad guys.
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.
Next up is "A Game of Thrones".
Went Barnes & Noble earlier and bought a biography of Abigail Adams, and Inside the Victorian Home (bargain bin). Now maybe I'll be able to understand what they're saying in the Victorian Flirting thread.
Originally posted by minesurfer:
The second book I read was a hoot. The name of it is, [b]"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.
[/b]
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
I just looked up the earthquake happened Nov. 1st 1755 in Lisbon. I am going Oct. 25 thru Nov4th. eeek. I am being optimistic.
I'm reading the last Potter book. I'm scared.
Just finished My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George.
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!
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 ...
What, they resurrect him and shoot him again!?
Well....
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">As 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.</span></span>
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.
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.
Did Uranus Lad just use the word "cracked"?
I think we need some Beevis and Butthead emoticons for this moment.
H
Ha!
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.
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.
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.
I'm back to trying to finish The Terror.
Finally finished The Terror.
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.
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".
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.
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.
In 18 days I'll be reading Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, the second book of "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant."
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.
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?
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)
Originally posted by Matthew E:
Originally posted by kenaustin:
[b]In 18 days I'll be reading Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, the second book of "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant."
Yes sir, that's where I got it from.
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.
Just finished The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. Some pretty powerful stuff, though the ending was actually a bit blah.
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.
The rumor and gossip about Quislet, Esq. Thread... some juicy stuff there...
Originally posted by Pov:
The rumor and gossip about Quislet, Esq. Thread... some juicy stuff there... But nothing about me and Larry Storch.
Found time to read Guilty Pleasures by Laurell Hamilton.
This was the first in her (wildly popular?)Anita Blake, Vampire Killer series. I don't know much about the phenomena this series has become. I know fans liked it pretty well up until about book 9 or so... but I'm going to stick with what I thought of this book.
Overall: Not bad. Decent plot, but not out of the ordinary (might have been when it was first published though). Great pace to the book. Action sequences were fast and easy to visualize, characters were a little shallow, but I think that was more a result of the narrative choice than poor writing. My main gripe is that the book seemed terribly anti-climatic. I'll read some of the follow up books though.
Grade: B+ to A-.
I'm trying to read Michael Chabon's "The Yiddish Policeman's Union." Unfortunately, it's not "Kavalier and Clay" -- but then, what is? It's an alternative history -- Europe's displaced Jews end up in Alaska, not Israel, after WWII. But it's also a noir murder mystery. I'm not that fond of the noir genre, but love alternate histories. So I'm torn.
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.
Continuing on with the works of Carson McCullers, I've read Reflections in a Golden Eye and Ballad of the Sad Cafe, both of which were incredible!
Reflections in a Golden Eye is kind of a murder mystery in reverse, where you're told at the beginning that a murder is going to happen, but your left guessing who exactly is going to kill whom until the very end.
Ballad of a Sad Cafe is pure genius, and has one of the grooviest epilogues I've ever read.
I finally finished the latest Harry Potter! Damn, that took a long time. The first third was good the last third was great! The middle? Man it just seemed to drag on and on!
Anyways, started reading the Great Gatsby. I read it in high school and never revisited it. I don't remember much so I am giving it another go.
I just started on the Charles Schulz biography Schulz and Peanuts, and I had to tear myself away from it to go on the computer. From what I've read so far, I don't think it portrays him negatively like a lot of people are saying -- I think it humanizes him; I mean, everyone is more complicated than they appear.
How about Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions?
I've heard good things about it so I picked up a copy and I'm taking it on the road with me this week.
Lately _Around the World in 80 Days_ has been my book of choice while I'm hitting the exercise bike.
Reading _Runes of the Earth_ again in preparation for Fatal Revenant_
Finished reading _Runes_ and started on _FR_.
Man, the Sci Fi book club edition has small text.
Just finished Darkwalker on Moonshae by Douglas Niles
Darkwalker on Moonshae is one of the first novels (if not the first) that was written in the Forgotten Realms setting.
It scored well on Amazon.com and I’ve read a few other FR books and most have been very good… if not great. I think ‘Darkwalker’ has this nostalgic/first written thing going for it because it was not as good as advertised. Putting expectations and comparisons aside though, the book is competent.
The plot is fairly standard fantasy fair. Powerful lost sword is mentioned by a wandering bard. About 100 pages later you know what the lackadaisical prince is going to stumble upon. Of course he’s going to need it to fight the ‘Darkwalker’.
The book also suffers from generalities in general. For instance most of the battle scenes are described like this… “The good guys rode their white horses through the bad guys on their black horses. Blood flew and warriors on both sides fell to enemy lances. The heavily outnumbered white horses turned and rode away while the bad guys followed.”
This causes the book to be too impersonal even though it is almost 400 pages long. I know I said the book is competent and I’m coming off pretty harsh here, but those are about the only things wrong with it.
Even through the generalities the characters are likable when they are supposed to be and the bad guys are despicable. Also some of the visuals and fantasy ideas are endearing.
Final Grade: Strong B
Worlds of Amano An artbook of Japanese fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano.
Men of Tomorrow "Geeks, gangsters and the birth of the comic book" by Eisner winner Gerard Jones.
Originally posted by Dain:
[b[b]Men of Tomorrow "Geeks, gangsters and the birth of the comic book" by Eisner winner Gerard Jones.[/b]
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.
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!
Finished reading _Fatal Revenant_. Much better than _Runes of the Earth._
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.
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.
Rereading Dennis Hensley's hilarious Misadventures in the (213). (His other book, Screening Party, is even funnier.)
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.
I'm reading "Retained by the People: The 'silent' Ninth Amendment and the constitutional rights Americans don't know they have"
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. Something else elses 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.
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.
Would you prefer Catcher in the Whole Wheat?
Catcher in the Pumpernickel?
Catcher in the Sourdough?
Catcher in the Baguette?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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-
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.
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.
I read that, Quis.
It was pretty good.
I just finished it. It was pretty good. Although I could see the ending <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text"> Krypton explodes</span></span> a mile off.
I was disappointed by no appearance of Lar Gand of Daxam.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Originally posted by Quislet, Esq.:
I just finished it. It was pretty good. Although I could see the ending <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text"> Krypton explodes</span></span> a mile off.
I was disappointed by no appearance of Lar Gand of Daxam.Yeah, I really figured when the ship showed up it was going to be Lar's.
I finished up another one of Shatner's Star Trek books last night. As things have gone on, I haven't really enjoyed his version of Kirk. (His co-authors did a much better job of Kirk in their own works) but I find myself kind of missing the days when you could find tons of Star Trek books out there.
Last night I also started Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. It's pretty good so far.
I read the Science of Superheroes and am reading the Science of Supervillains, both by Lois Gresh and Robert Weinberg. I recommend them. They take very logical looks at some things, while avoiding the "magic" element. They are very enjoyable.
It's funny, but I am really enjoying the Percy Jackson book.
Am 9/10's of the way through the Stand. Its definately King's Masterpeice. Its phenominal, even some parts were ruined by that crappy made for TV movie of my youth (damn my great memory!). Some of his best characters of all here.
I really liked "It" by Stephen King as well too. Even though they both start out a little slow and had trouble visualizing both endings... still both are great books.
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.
Overall I'd probably compare this book with George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones but with more magic involved. The book gets a strong A from me. Very enjoyable.
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.
That's my favorite book, ever. (Although Zelazny's Lord of Light comes close.)
If you liked Magician, check out Feist's Daughter of Empire / Servant of Empire / Mistress of Empire trilogy co-written with Janny Wurts, based on the other world of Kelewan (on the other side of the rift). Very, very cool books. (The sequels to the Magician books, not so much. They aren't bad, but the main characters have reached the point where there isn't as much room for drama by the end of Magician.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Salem's Lot's great, Des! Make sure you read it!
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
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?
"It was the best of time; it was the worst of times."
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.
Fans of Watership Down should also check out The Plague Dogs, also by Richard Adams!
I second the Plague Dogs and also suggest Adams' "Shardick"
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.
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)
Quislet, Esq. My wife has enjoyed a few Grisham books. I *think* her fave is Pelican Brief.
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.
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.
I read the 'The Road' by McCarthy. Sad and uplifting at the same time. I would recommend it.
I am currently reading 'Then We Came to the End' by Joshua Ferris
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?
I've read a few of his... I can second the recommendation for
The Pelican Brief, I guess; it was fine. Actually Grisham's not that great. Serviceable, but not much more than that. The best one he wrote that I read may have been
The Rainmaker, which is the only one I actually own. I specifically
don't recommend
A Time to Kill.
rtvu2, Just read a review for Then We Came to the End...
Nick Hornby describes the novel as "The Office meets Kafka. It's Seinfeld rewritten by Donald Barthelme." Me, I was reminded by particular scenes and motifs of Donald Antrim and Don DeLillo, but so many comparisons will only obscure the fact that Ferris has concocted something truly original.
Sounds very interesting.
You like it so far?
You know I never read Watership Down (actually, I may have discussed this in this thread earlier). I really would like to get to it sometime.
I also still owe Eryk giving Moby Dick a second chance
Let's see... I've recently read A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo and Jumper by Stephen Gould.
Hymn was pretty good military sci-fi. One of Ringo's earlier books if I am not mistaken. Lots of likable characters in this book so that's always a plus. The action was pretty good too... but it's military sci-fi so don't expect any deeply moving experiences while reading it.
Jumper I liked too. Will read the sequel some day so I guess that speaks to the positive side of the story. It was really more of a coming of age story with a sci-fi twist than hard sci-fi. I like the way Gould progresses the discovery of the power within the hero. The book bogs down a little on the boat at the end, but that's only for about ten pages or so. Overall it was an entertaining ride.
Just bought two books (I still have a stack I need to read, but they were on a 2 for the price of 1 shelf.
First is Great Gatsby, which I've read and love, so I thought a reread would be cool (I usually don't like to reread books unless a lot of time has passed).
Second is "On the Road", which I've never read before actually. Looking forward to that one, although I'm wondering if I'm too old for all the angsty goodness that goes with it
You know... everytime I've thought about reading "On the Road" I've had exactly the same thought. I should've read it when I was 18 or something, and it just feels like too late now.
That's exactly what's happened to me a bunch of times now until I finally just broke and bought it (because of the 2 for 1 deal). So now I just have to get the inkling to read it...maybe I can time it right when I'm in the mood for it. Like if I get cold feet for my wedding or something (I kid, I kid
).
But yeah, its a concern for me too. I wish I read it when I was 18 too.
I've gotta get around to reading Slaughterhouse 5 sometime because I keep seeing it used in reference to Lost! Is it a really good, involving read or just one of those technically well-written books (if you understand the difference) as some classics are.
I also need to read Slaughterhouse 5 myself and I'll be interested to here some replies.
Like Jorg and Blacula, I have an 'on deck' table right near my bed with a stack of books on it to read. I'm currently midway through Dark Tower part 7. I've basically read only King books since May, including all the other 6 Dark Tower books, so I'm heavily invested here. Although I have Salem's Lot to read too, I may switch it up for my next one (possibly the above referenced Gatsby).
Finished up Star Wars: Death Star by Michael Reeves and Steve Perry Saturday night. Not as bad as some of the reviews I've read, but certainly a book with structure issues.
I count that they had about 10 to 15 characters in this book and three of them were known commodities (Vader, Tarkin, and Daala) going into it. The rest were fillers and "page" time for each character was kept short and choppy. Almost like watching a modern music video. Scenes and angles kept changing real fast and by the time I got invested in the new characters the book was nearly over.
If you are not an avid Star Wars reader then I would say this book is not for you. If you are there are some interesting side scenes that didn't make it to film in Episode IV but do make it into this book.
Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:
rtvu2, Just read a review for Then We Came to the End...
Nick Hornby describes the novel as "The Office meets Kafka. It's Seinfeld rewritten by Donald Barthelme." Me, I was reminded by particular scenes and motifs of Donald Antrim and Don DeLillo, but so many comparisons will only obscure the fact that Ferris has concocted something truly original.
Sounds very interesting. You like it so far?Jorge, I work at an advertising agency and everything I have read so far has been dead on and funny - the making up billable hours for clients to the office politics and the characters so far introduced - I work with everyone one of them.
Its a bit more snarky then I expected but its good.
No one has an opinion on Slaughterhouse 5 for me and Cobalt?
Haven't read any books recently but I did read two very cool articles in Portfolio Magazine not long ago. One detailed the battle between Hollywood and online pirate organizations like Pirate Bay. The pirates seem to have the upper hand. For instance, a group of teenagers were able to hack into one of Hollywood's biggest online security companies and by releasing internal memos, expose that companies own doubts about it's abilities to prevent pirating.
I've never pirated anything before, but after reading the article, I think that Hollywood might have to re-examine the way they are doing business in the age of the internet.
The second article was an examination of the business model being put forward by burger chain Carl Jr. (they own Hardies as well, I believe). Reading about their strategy of marketing to blue collar guys and presenting them with an incredibly unhealthy menu was not pretty (the pictures of greasy fast food items that accompanied the article didn't help). A burger with a hot dog on it and another topped with eggs and bacon (I still want to gag when I think about that one) are just a couple of the items that are making them one of the bright spots in the fast food industry and causing other chains like Burger King and Wendy's to follow their lead. That most is better seems to be the message.
I read that issue of Portfolio in the dentist's office. I may have to subscribe.
Your dentist certainly offers better reading material than most - all I get are decorating magazines and Sports Illustrated.
Slaughterhouse Five - I read this a long time ago, late 70s, and it sort of depressed me, although it's supposed to be absurdist funny, because up until then I didn't know about the firebombing of Dresden. But it probably merits a reread because it has aliens, time travel and (for you guys
) sex with a porn star - and it's a critique of war.
So I just reread "Great Gatsby" last week in like two days. I forgot how thoroughly awesome it is! A great, great read, and it was enjoyably 200 pages long (after reading like twelve 1,000+ers lately).
The narrarator (Nick Carraway) is far more likeable than I remember, and so is the girl *he's* interested in (Jordan). Daisy is despicably annoying to me too.
All in all, a great read. When Nick turns to Gatsby and tells him he's better than all the rest of them combined, it brought a smile to my face--much more so than I remember. I never really gave this book its due when I read it in high school. Definately a great commentary on becoming the person you want to be while accepting who you are.
I'm reading "Late Nights On Air" by Elizabeth Hay, a Canadian writer. It's about the characters inhabiting a radio station in Yellowknife in the Canadian north in the 70's. It's very well written and paced. Every so often, I need to reconnect with my northern self.
Cobie, I agree Gatsby was better the 2nd time around. Nick was much more likable as well for me.
After Kurt V. died I bought Slaughter House 5. Yet to read it.
Reading Tale of Two Cities and it's going much slower than I would like.
STF, never read a Canadian book.
Atleast I don't think so. (though I am currently reading every Alpha Flight ever so I'm in a Canadian kick) I always wanted to read the Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.
Tale of Two Cities starts out slow, but it really picks up in the last third.
I listened to it on cd, and must have started that first cd about half a dozen times before I really got into it.
EDE, thanks for giving me hope.
I'm at the part where Darnay is staying at his snotty uncle's house. About a third in.
The problem with it is that almost everything with Charles Darnay is boring, and he at least seems to be the main character throughout most of the book.
It's really about the last third or so when you realize that it's really Sidney Carlton's story, and he's just so much more interesting than Darnay.
I'm reading God on Trial by Peter Irons. It examines 5 of the current slate of religious legal battles. The Mt. Soledad cross, Prayer at a high school football game, the 10 Commandments in a courthouse, "under God" in the Pledge of Alligence, and Creationism in schools.
The author presents the background of the cases and follows them through the legal process. It gets interesting when he will quote the Supreme Court Justices' questions during oral arguments. He ends each chapter with personal accounts of a person form both sides of the issue.
While reading this in a McDonalds, a guy who was sitting near me, asked "Who's the judge?". My Dad asked if I was reading about God.
Anyone else here ever read the Dragon Knight books by Gordon R Dickson?
I've looked on the Web but have never found anything saying what his plans were for the series if he had lived.
Let's see... since my last post I've read five books that I can think of off-hand:
The Crimson Shadow
Luthien's Gamble
Winter Prey
Night Prey
and
Bad Prince Charlie
The first two are kind of a fantasy take on the Robin Hood tale. Both written RA Salvatore and I'd say they were competent enough. They didn't totally envelope me like the first six books in RA's Legend of Drizzt, but then again not much has. These books seemed a bit more simple, like they were aimed at a younger audience. There's a third book in the series and after reading the first two I made the mistake of reading the inside cover of the third one which pretty much tells you everything that is going to happen. Haven't read it yet, but I might some day.
The next two were "cop catch the serial killer" books. Not bad... not great either.
Bad Prince Charlie by John Moore was a pretty good read though. Very tongue-in-cheek approach to fantasy/fairy tale writing and re-writing. I found myself laughing out loud a few times at this book. I've read a couple other books of his The Unhandsome Prince and Heroics for Beginners and they have all made me laugh... and that is tough to do. If you haven't read any of his "stuff" I highly recommend it.
Not a lot of reading going on these days eh?
I finished the latest Harry Dresden story from Jim Butcher, Small Favor. I liked it, but its been a few weeks since I read it and since I've read all of the other Harry novels I have trouble remembering what happens specifically in each book. I'm looking forward to rereading this entire series someday.
Also read Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. Fairly competent story and certainly entertaining yarn about werewolves, walkers, and vampires. Nothing spectacular either good or bad... solid B+.
Also read Legacy of the Force: Revelations by Karen Traviss. Didn't seem like a lot happened in this book, but I've always found myself enthralled by Traviss' take on the clones and Mandalorian culture. She's written about six books or so related to them and only one of them bogged down a little for my tastes. This one wasn't it. I don't get the rest of Star Wars fandom some time as they seem to pan her more than she deserves. Maybe I'm just getting more patient in my old age.
Just picked up the latest Percy Jackson book ...
I am currently reading up on the doomsday predictions for December 21, 2012.... Anyone else falling thrall to the possible end of the world scenarios being harolded by the end of the 4th Mayan calendar, the I-Ching, and various scientific predictions? Most of the Wiccan/New-Age crowd is studying all this with a grain of salt and a big sigh. For those of you not up to speed, just Google the date 12-21-12 and it will blow your mind.... Whether or not it turns out to be just a bunch of crap, there is no denying some of the truths such as the increase in the Sun's solar flare and sunspot activity is influencing the Earth's weather and causing earthquakes and megastorms. Also the Earth's magnetic field is experiencing 'cracks' the size of the state of California so more harmful radiation is making its way into our atmosphere. So, hey everybody, the least you can do is to start applying sunblock as a regular part of your morning ritual and be more conscious of your time spent out in the sun!
I just finished 'The Society of S' by Susan Hubbard. It was a vampire story written in the first person and was a surirpsingly engaging coming of age story. This book was so engrossing that I read it in one day. I seriously could hardly put it down because I wanted to know what would happen next. After finishing it I hurried to the computer to jump on Border's Books and looked for other books by this author. Happily she has just released a sequel that continues the story, called 'The Year of Disappearances.' The latest book was released May 8, 2008.
Now I am reading 'Saging While Aging' by the awesome Ms. Shirley MacLaine. I love the way she is so real. She tells it like it is and is not afraid to show people her flaws and share her mistakes in hope that it can help someone else to make better choices or have less pain. Shirley is all about enjoying and learning from her journey as a child of the universe. She is honest and humble enough to say that were it not for her 'stardom' and all the money and opportunities, she would not have had the means to travel around the world many, many times on her spiritual quests. I love the way she mixes humor and warmth into her stories whether about 'old Hollywood' or the metaphysical. Shirley appears to be happy in her new home in the high desert country of New Mexico and is seeking to embrace the reality of old age.
Shirley rocks. Have you ever been in the area in New Mexico where she has her home? It's beautiful country.
Hi Jerry, no, not yet but I've always wanted to take a trip there. My maternal grandfather had a turquoise mine around Kingman, Arizona and was part-owner in a silver mine in northern Nevada in the 1930's through the 1960's. He had a wonderful relationship with talented, and spiritually powerful Navajo people and employed them in his jewelry and trading post businesses. I grew up watching the old shaky home movie reels of his travels and adventures throughout the Southwest. Every Thanksgiving we watched the previous summer's desert and mountain beauty, but it was always in black and white. I totally believe the Land of Enchantment is a sacred region and that I need to walk the ancient pathways and breathe the night air and listen to the voices of the spirit teachers. Shirley does rock, and I hope she stays with us for a good long time yet. Blessed Be!
So since I was traveling this week I took along Kerouac's "On the Road", which I bought a few months ago (as readers of this thread may recall). I was initially hesitant that I might not enjoy it as much as if I read during my teens.
Well, so far, I'm enjoying it quite a bit! I'm pretty sure I would really be enjoying it more during my teens/early college years, especially when you have that initially 'constrained' feeling in all of its forms. But what I'm enjoying most right now that I'm not sure I could appreciate then is Kerouac's use of language and how he really riffs with his character's dialogue throughout. It's really got a jazz-type rhythm to it.
Working my way through the second book in the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Fatal Revenant. Really reminds me about how much I loved the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Gotta love an antihero! Kind of makes me want to go back through them again--between thirteen and twenty five I probably read all six five to ten times.
Also reading Chris D'Lacy's dragon books, because my son loves them so much he actually wrote to the author, and he replied. Okay, so it probably was his assistant, but it really impressed the ten year old.
Originally posted by Quislet, Esq.:
I'm reading God on Trial by Peter Irons. While reading this in a McDonalds, a guy who was sitting near me, asked "Who's the judge?".
I love that guy, whoever he was!
I just got The Born Queen, the conclusion to Greg Keyes' 'Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone' series, out of the library, so I'm in the middle of rereading the first three books before I read the fourth one.
Wanting to briefly get my head out of the vampire stories until after we get back from the ComicCon, I grabbed a western paperback from the late 70's or early 80's. It's called 'Fandango' and the author is Michael Zimmer. The book is actually a good read. It is full of all kinds of history and trivia and cultural bits from the early to mid-1800's. The character's themselves are speaking a mixture of English, Spanish, French, and mountain-man-ese. Trying to follow the words they use and putting it together with the action is like trying to follow 'Deadwood' if you are watching the show for the first time. This book is probably best described as doing for mountainmen what 'Lonesome Dove' did for cowboys. Especially enjoyable is the description of the Rockies and in particular the Wasatch Mountains because it includes so much of Utah. This is pre-Mormon occupation stuff and very interesting. Mostly chasing beaver pelts, the biggest thing out there before the gold rush. So remember "if'n ye gits a hankerin' fer a gud trappin' yarn, ye'd 'ave a 'ard time doin' better'n this 'on hare."
I'm currently reading The Road, a Pulitzer Prize winning book by Cormac McCarthy. It follows the adventures of a man and his young son in a post-apocalyptic U.S. I was a bit worried that it would be dense going, but it actually reads really quickly and does a great job of sustaining the reader's interest.
just started Exile: Star Wars legacy of the Force book #4
things are starting to heat up the Galactic civil war has started and the Skywalker legacy has come full circle again, there's a new Sith lord.
i like the pacing of the books so far and each book is writen by a different author. this time the series is shorter compared to the NJO series of books only 9 i think. i can't wait to finish this one and start the next book.
The Night Watch by Sergei Lukanyenko. It's described on the cover as Harry Potter meets Gorky Park... Good and evil supernormals (called "Others" to distinguish them from regular humans) are magicians, shape changers, vampires, seers, etc., all of whom have an ability to enter The Twilight, a rather creepy magic dimension within our world. Light and Dark forces have come to a truce in the world and set up a Night Watch (the good guys watching the bad guys for infractions) and a Day Watch (bad guys making sure the good guys don't break the rules either). It is very modern, practical magic. Vampires are licensed to hunt and assigned blood from donor clinics. If one side breaks a rule, the other side gets to break a similar rule. There are observers from each side who participate in each other's big operations and a panel called The Inquisition to decide disputes. It was a great adventure, but the best part of the story was the explanation of how good and evil work in the world. This made more sense to me than any religion.
Happily, there are three more volumes in the series (Day Watch, Twilight Watch and Final Watch) along with some movie adaptations, although I haven't read or seen them yet.
OK, I need to gear up with books for my honeymoon. Two books I'm bringing which I've never actually read are:
(1) The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - I heard you can read this in one sitting and I feel its a must to read it.
(2) Salem's Lot by Stephen King - after becoming a huge King fan these last two years I'm looking forward to this. I've heard by many this is actually his best work, even better than the Stand (which I loved).
I'm considering The Time Travelers Wife from reviews I read on this very thread years ago. I'll have to reread this thread some more for suggestions and ideas. I like an eclectic mix while I'm on vacation but nothing depressing or sad--more 'on the edge of my seat' type stuff, whether mystery, science-fiction, historical fiction, etc.
PS - Ultra Jorge, you are needed! What other books from the "High School rereading list" would you reccomend to me? I'm kinda looking for another enjoyable surprise like Great Gatsby.
PPS - How was Voltaire's Candide?
I'm reading Light Raid by Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice. For some reason I couldn't get into it the first time I tried it but this time it's going down easy. That's not a surprise, of course; Connie Willis is one of the all-time greats. The surprise is why it didn't take the first time.
Ya know I ain't gonna lie, I've just been re reading my older comics to be honest.
Novels I've read recently:
"Thanksgiving Night" by Richard Bausch
"The Family Tree" by Carole Cadwalladr
"2010: Odyssey Two" and "2061: Odyssey Three" by Arthur C. Clarke
"The Professor's House" by Willa Cather
Of this lot, my favorite was "The Family Tree" by UK first-time novelist Cadwalladr. It's about a woman reflecting on growing up circa 1980. It explores the idea of family secrets and why things turn out the way they do.
"Thanksgiving Night" is also a family story but set in a small Southern town. It explores similar ideas but in a very different way. It also features an ensemble cast that shows how much fun a large cast of characters can be.
The two Clarke books are sequels to "2001: A Space Odyssey." (There is a third sequel, "3001," which I haven't read yet.) I'm not a hard science fiction fan, but these are readable and entertaining, although "2061" meanders. It's also interesting to note the differences between Clarke's vision of 2010 (the book was written in 1982) and our present reality. (Hint: the Soviet Union still exists in the book.)
Willa Cather's book, written in 1925, is the oldest on the list. It's about a middle-aged professor who doesn't adapt to change. It, too, meanders but contains a compelling look at the early part of the 20th century.
I follow my muse where it leads. None of these books have anything in common, except that they all engaged and held my attention.
So I have the two books I mentioned above and bought several more to read while I'm on my honeymoon and when I'm traveling on business next week:
"And Then There were None" by Agathie Christie -I've wanted to read this for so long and can't wait. Even if the end is spoiled by so many copycats over the last several decades.
"The Importance of Being Earnest" & other Wilde" - can't wait to dig into some more Wilde.
"Cossacks" and other Tolstoy short stories - also a HUGE Tolstoy fan (and the whole 1850's Russian Romance movement) so this should be a pleasure.
The Time Traveler's Wife - also looking forward to tihs.
So I should be set for some time. I'll definitely let you all know what I think of each!
Originally posted by Cobaltus Primus Augustus:
OK, I need to gear up with books for my honeymoon.
Ah, and so is revealed the downside of living with one's fiancee before marriage--ya wanna read BOOKS on your HONEYMOON!!!!! :rolleyes:
Originally posted by Cobaltus Primus Augustus:
"And Then There were None" by Agathie Christie -I've wanted to read this for so long and can't wait. Even if the end is spoiled by so many copycats over the last several decades.
I've always wanted to read this, as well... maybe I'll see if the local library has a copy.
(By the way, the premise of the book would make an interesting MMB event!)
In the middle of Day Watch by Sergei Lukanyenko, which is just as good as Night Watch. It's written from the point of view of the dark ones and makes a convincing case for their behaviour (although I still side with the do-gooder light ones). The author is a psychiatrist; that may help him create these believable moral arguments for "good" and "evil".
I did get the movie version of Night Watch but it wasn't anywhere near as good as the book. Sort of like The Golden Compass - if you haven't read the book, the movie is a bit incomprehensible.
Originally posted by Lard Lad:
Originally posted by Cobaltus Primus Augustus:
[b]OK, I need to gear up with books for my honeymoon.
Ha! You can't do that all the time!
She's already put up with my insatiable ways enough these past, oh, 8 years!
But jeez Lardy, didn't you see I'm reading Salem's Lot (partially) on your reccomendation!
Yeah, THAT oughtta put you in the mood!
And only "partially" on my recommendation?
Still, I'm miffed because far as I know, you've still yet to watch "Across the Universe"!
Isn't that a tribute to the Monkeys or something?
(I kid, I kid, you know I'm a Beatles fan too
)
Have you read "The Shining", yet, Cobester? That and "'Salem's Lot" are my favorite of the 'short' books I've read of his. (I've really only read a handful of King's stuff, though my wife has them all).
Haven't read the Shining yet either! How does it hold up to the movie, Lardy? I heard its completely different, and famously, King hated the movie rendition by Kubrick. I do like the movie mainly because its Jack Nicholson at his crazy best before that became repetitive.
Yeah, it's very, very different! Some aspects of the movie were totally changed from the book, for better and for worse. I thought the book was about the creepiest thing I'd ever read, definitely unsettling if you read late at night all alone! Trust me, knowing the movie inside and out, won't spoil it for you at all!
Just finished Les Miserables. Awesome piece of work. Hugo goes off on tangents at times, but well worth reading, especially if you like the musical.
Originally posted by Virgin Lad:
No one has an opinion on Slaughterhouse 5 for me and Cobalt?
I liked "Slaughterhouse 5" as all over the place as it was. From what I remember, it's not big on plot or resolution, but an interesting read with ideas that you find yourself the better for having in your head. In terms of Vonnegut, I'd also recommend "Cat's Cradle" - more plot-centric and again, very cool ideas.
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
So since I was traveling this week I took along Kerouac's "On the Road", which I bought a few months ago (as readers of this thread may recall). I was initially hesitant that I might not enjoy it as much as if I read during my teens.
I read "On the Road" as an adult and found it meandering. My wife was big into it as a younger person, not for the angst, but for the "freedom" of the characters' lifestyle. As an adult, and having met people like that, she feels the characters are just kinda losers and totally irresponsible.
Currently reading "The Third Policeman" by Flann O'Brien.
I picked it up after seeing it featured in "Lost" and I'm quite glad I did. It reminds me a good deal of Samuel Beckett's "Molloy" in its absurdist logic... but I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.
I read "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Wilde, as well as "A Woman of No Importance" and "Lady Windermere's Fan" (I was on a Wilde short-story/play kick). All were excellent, typical examples of Wilde's incredible wit. And they were all fun too! That's the best part about it. Wilde never once loses his sense of fun and using literary techniques to make his stories even more so.
Originally posted by DrakeB3004:
Originally posted by Virgin Lad:
[b]No one has an opinion on Slaughterhouse 5 for me and Cobalt?
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
So since I was traveling this week I took along Kerouac's "On the Road", which I bought a few months ago (as readers of this thread may recall). I was initially hesitant that I might not enjoy it as much as if I read during my teens.
Jillikers! I didn't realize you were married by now Drake! (I knew you were engaged). Congrats buddy!
Thanks CK! Yeah, we pulled the trigger a month ago
When's your happy day?
Actually, on Saturday! (Two days from now). Part of what reminded me to check this thread was when I was going shopping for books to read on the honeymoon, in between, well, you know...
No... I don't know. Please tell me.
Just started, "The Time Traveler's Wife," last night, in prep for the release of the film this winter. Wow. For her debut novel, Audrey Niffenegger has a very engaging prose style. I'm twenty pages in, and already engrossed. I'm really looking forward to getting into this one.
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
PS - Ultra Jorge, you are needed! What other books from the "High School rereading list" would you reccomend to me? I'm kinda looking for another enjoyable surprise like Great Gatsby.
PPS - How was Voltaire's Candide?
Voltaire's Candide was great. I have problems with many of those older workers keeping my interest. This one did. Voltaire manages to make it funny, witty, interesting and you certainly get the harsh criticism that makes you think as well. Good stuff.
Currently STILL reading Tale of Two Cities. Man the first two books were a bit painful. Finally getting into it.
I took a break from it and read Suite Francais which I I liked but not sure if I recommend. If you want to learn more about France during the Nazi occupation it's great. It has some good parts but it bordered on what I call a chick book/lifetime reading.
An article in the back of a recent issue of Ed Brubakers "Criminal" led me to a paperback imprint called Hard Case Crime. Everything they publish is pulpy, noirish crime fiction, each book a light 200-page or so read. They alternate publishing older materal from the genre's heyday in the 50s and 60s with brand new material written for the imprint. So you'll get some Mickey Spillane, some Max Allen Collins (known for
Ms. Tree in comics) mixed with some guys you've never heard of. The covers are all painted and feature an appropriate pulpy image, generally highlighted by a mysterious, sultry woman.
(Stephen King fans might be interested to know that HCC scored a major coup by getting him to write one. It's called "The Colorado Kid".)
Since I enjoy Brubaker's stuff and things like Sin City, I bought a couple of lots of HCC on eBay for a total of 8 books for about $14 including shipping. The lot includes King's entry.
So far, I've read two of the eight: "Fade to Blonde" by Max Phillips and "Little Girl Lost" by Richard Aleas. Both did what a book of this genre should doby providing engaging first-person dialogue from the protagonist, nice twists, engaging mysteries, seedy underbelly characters, moral ambiguity and mysterious women. Here are their covers:
![[Linked Image]](http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk2/cover_big.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books/bk4/cover_big.jpg)
Of the two, I definitely recommend "Little Girl Lost" the most. While I figured out the twist earlier than the one in the other book, the ride getting to it was really enjoyable. The lead is a young P.I., John Blake, whose high school sweetheart is found murdered on the roof of a strip club. The process in which we learned what happened to the girl in the ten years since they stopped dating leading to the murder is really engaging. The stripper who helps John break the case is particularly interesting and written as smart and resourseful without resorting to any cliches. It really left me wanting to read more about those characters.
Oh, neither book has had any really explicit sexual content (i.e. no really graphic X-rated descriptions), but do expect a liberal amount of the f-word and what-not in the realm of colorful expletives!
I'm hooked! I think I'm going to join their book club, so I can get a monthly fix!
Since last I checked in on this thread I've read:
The Quick Red Fox A short but sharp story from John MacDonald about his main character Travis McGee. Didn't draw me in like his other McGee stories, and even though the plot is some what quaint by today's standards (it was written in the 1960s), you can't go wrong with MacDonald. Great characters, dialogue, plots, and consequences.
Silent Prey by John Sandford
I've read four or five of the Prey series and the first one in the series was top notch stuff. I read this one out of sequence so it was kinda spoiled for me. Still not a bad read though, it didn't measure up to the others in the series.
Ghostwalker by Erik Scott di Bie
A stand alone Forgotten Realms novel in the "Fighters" series. Decent enough fantasy tale with enough twists to put it above standard fantasy tales.
Legacy of the Force: Invincible by Troy Denning
A rather terse novel for the epic LotF storyline. Since I read the first eight in the series I guess I was "in for a pound" as the metaphor goes that is. Kinda felt like the page quota was met and the story had to be ended. Definitely left wanting at the end of this one and not in the good way.
Broke down and picked up Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants by Lee Goldberg
I had a gift certificate to use and since I enjoy the TV series I figured what the heck. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I giggled most of the way through it and even though the killer is easy to figure out, a nice twist is supplied that takes the book in a totally unexpected direction. I highly recommend this book, but only for those that are already Monk fans.
Also read A Clash of Kings by George rr Martin
Second in an epically detailed fantasy series that is just tough to put down.
And I read Slay and Rescue by John Moore
Another really enjoyable read. Best tongue in cheek author that I've read.
Minesurfer...I just recently finished all the available ASOIAF books. Truely epic fantasy done the right way. The story just continues to get better as it advances. Martin is still writing book 5 however with no end in sight
Meanwhile I'm currently reading "Reaper's Gale" by Steven Erikson, another epic fantasy writer. its book 7 in his Malazan series. Thus far it is an excellent and engrossing read, with many of the characters and threads from previous novels starting to come together.
Originally posted by LardLad:
An article in the back of a recent issue of Ed Brubakers "Criminal" led me to a paperback imprint called Hard Case Crime. Everything they publish is pulpy, noirish crime fiction, each book a light 200-page or so read. They alternate publishing older materal from the genre's heyday in the 50s and 60s with brand new material written for the imprint. So you'll get some Mickey Spillane, some Max Allen Collins (known for Ms. Tree in comics) mixed with some guys you've never heard of. The covers are all painted and feature an appropriate pulpy image, generally highlighted by a mysterious, sultry woman.
(Stephen King fans might be interested to know that HCC scored a major coup by getting him to write one. It's called "The Colorado Kid".)
Since I enjoy Brubaker's stuff and things like Sin City, I bought a couple of lots of HCC on eBay for a total of 8 books for about $14 including shipping. The lot includes King's entry.
So far, I've read two of the eight: "Fade to Blonde" by Max Phillips and "Little Girl Lost" by Richard Aleas. Both did what a book of this genre should doby providing engaging first-person dialogue from the protagonist, nice twists, engaging mysteries, seedy underbelly characters, moral ambiguity and mysterious women. Here are their covers:
Of the two, I definitely recommend "Little Girl Lost" the most. While I figured out the twist earlier than the one in the other book, the ride getting to it was really enjoyable. The lead is a young P.I., John Blake, whose high school sweetheart is found murdered on the roof of a strip club. The process in which we learned what happened to the girl in the ten years since they stopped dating leading to the murder is really engaging. The stripper who helps John break the case is particularly interesting and written as smart and resourseful without resorting to any cliches. It really left me wanting to read more about those characters.
Oh, neither book has had any really explicit sexual content (i.e. no really graphic X-rated descriptions), but do expect a liberal amount of the f-word and what-not in the realm of colorful expletives!
I'm hooked! I think I'm going to join their book club, so I can get a monthly fix!
Lardy, there’s a great article today in USA Today on Max Collins completing the final Mike Hammer novels for Mickey Spillane. It definitely peaked my curiousity (along with your previous comments), and I may check out a Spillane novel or two, since I love the genre but largely have not ventured into it outside of comics and movies.
Were they specifically mentioned to be published by Hard Case Crime, Des?
Like you, I don't really have a background reading this genre, but I'm really enjoying them. I may be subscribing to HCC's book-of-the-month club if I enjoy the rest of the lot as I haven't had time to start the other six since I wrote that post. Since I read the first two, I've been catching up on TPBs and my monthly comics. But I'm gonna read another two later this month.
I have yet to read any Spillane but did read a Max Allan Collins book a decade or so ago, so I know I'll like his HCC stuff. Max has had several books published by HCC already, and the samples I've read on the website are really good! I definitely will buy Max's HCC books eventually, and having a passing familiarity with Mike Hammer, I'm pretty excited about those.
Exploring the HCC website, I was excited to see that they've published another Richard Aleas book featuring John Blake of "Little Girl Lost". Yes, Richard Aleas is an obvious pen name, and if memory serves, the writer behind the pen name is one of HCC's founders/execs. I enjoyed his other work, so I'm excited to see he's continuing with the characters.
I'll reemphasize that HCC books are only around 200 pages apiece, so they're a pretty light read. Personally, I don't think that's a bad thing in this genre. And the HCC covers are GREAT!
Anyhow, Des, let me know if you pick up anything!
I'm reading the third volume of Moomin, the collected edition of Tove Jansson's comic strips. At the rate they're being collected, there will probably be 14 to 18 volumes before all of the strips are published in the hardcover format.
That cover on Little Girl Lost looks vaguely familiar. It's similar to a very famous pose by a harem girl by who? Perhaps Deliquix (sp?)
I recently read a children's book, 'The Island of Aunts' which was fun, full of baby krakens, seilkies. mermaids and aunts.
I love kids books ~ there's more story and a lot less blood and sex!
I caught up on McCaffery and son's Dragon books, which weren't all that great and bought the latest Terry Pratchett books.
If I were at home I'd give you the titles!
One is 'Thud!', I think, and the other is about a Postman/con-man.
Pratchett can make me lol AND he can surprise me, too. Neither of those things happen to me very often when I read.
I read the Bible, too and related commentaries.
Currently, I'm reading the Gospel of Luke because I'm interested in Mary's point of view.
Congrats on your marriage Cobalt!
Gosh, everybody just keeps growing up!
Thanks Shady!
I'm fighting 'growing up' every step of the way
Ya, me too.
The 6th graders I'm working with are always looking at me in confusion!
I love it.
Ummm, the title for the kids book was 'Island of the Aunts' instead of . . .
If it matters.
sigh
I just finished the Gilgamesh translation from the clay tablets.
It has some interesting spots but it's no Genesis!
Started a novel today about one of Thomas Jeffersons' daughter with Sally Hemings, his slave.
I've been reading the Supergirl Showcase. I want to point out some of the campiness and super-dickery there.
In the Bizarro baby story, I think we see some repressed rage in Kara over being stuck in the orphanage. When she & Superman discover Bizarro's son (who looks normal) has superpowers. Kara imediately suggests turning him over to the authorities. However Superman nixes that idea saying "No, Supergirl! Just think! Being a boy, he could grow up to be my successor some day!" Something else else SuperGIRL could never be, I guess. At the end of the same story, both Superman and Supergirl show a callous indifference to the death of the Bizarro Supergirl.
One of the last stories has Superman telling Supergirl that he will reveal her to the world after he and Krypto get back from a trip to another dimension. While they are gone a cloud of Kryptonite dust encircles Earth. Supergirl finds refuge in Atlantis with Lori Lemaris and Jerro. The criminal world, thinking Superman is either dead or incapacitated, embark of a crime spree. Supergirl, remotely from under the ocean, is able to foil several of these crimes. Everyone thinks it is Superman though. When Superman comes back, he is ready to introduce Kara to the world. However Kara has suddenly lost her powers. And because she is no longer a Supergirl, Superman refuses to tell people about her and her super-deeds.
And boy the people wanting to adopt orphans were incredible shallow back then. Oh her dress is torn, she must be lazy. I don't want her for a daughter! And the people running the orphanage would just let any couple take an orphan. No background check, no home study. Heck, a pair of robots got to adopt a baby right away.
That really sounds kind of sad. I don't remember the stories being that awful to Supergirl. Talk about negative programming. Maybe the robots were better parents than the Silver Age humans.
The robot parents get destroyed after they get baby Bizarro away from the orphanage.
Another aspect of the stories is the use of the Linda Lee robot. It is kept in a hollow tree. Supergirl has the robot take her place at the orphanage if she is going to be away for an extended period. The robot is all "yes mistress". While reading the stories, I got to thinking about the poor robot. She gets moments of freedom and then pow it's back to the hollow tree for days and weeks on end no doubt.
And then, in one story, Supergirl give the robot a new dress so that people won't suspect something from seeing the robot in the same outfit (despite the fact that Linda herself is always wearing the same outfit) So Supergirl give the robot the dress and says "put it on". The robot replies with the standard "yes mistress" After the new dress is on, Supergirl says "You look lovely in your new dress, Robot -- Now take my place as Linda Lee at the orphanage while I romp with Krypto!" The robot replies " I... shall obey Supergirl!" The hesitation, the switch from "mistress" to "Supergirl". If this was written today, I am sure the story would be about the robot becoming self-aware and sentient.
I love the early Supergirl stories!
I actually think the orphanage setting was far more interesting than... well, anything I've seen done with the character since then.
True, the orphanage setting wasn't bad in itself. But the rationale given (foster parents might discover that you are super and thus you'll cease to be my secret weapon) is flimsy. And the cruel way Superman treated Kara (telling her that she had to stay in the orphanage) just seems wrong. However, I could even take the weird adoption procedures as quaint.
In those days a lot of prejudice against girls was just accepted, even in the futuristic Legion.
Remember when some of the Legionnaires were in the prison and Brainy didn't want the girls to involve themselves in the breakout?
At least they were shown fighting back.
Kara usually had pretty poor writing.
Most of her adventures involved a boy or trying to get a girl for her cousin.
The robot story you pointed out Quislet, was sad, especially if they never followed up on her breakthough.
Well, that story was towards the end off the volume. It is possible that it was followed up. But I would say most likely it wasn't.
And the Lesla-Lar multi issue story was very good.
Browsing through a used book store today I discovered a H. Beam Piper collaboration in an old Ace Double.
Crisis in 2140 (copyright 1957) by H. Beam Piper and John J. McGuire
I've never seen this before and I'm really hyped. I just LOVE Piper's works and discovering a "new" one is a huge thrill!
Haven't posted here in awhile-- I notice there's been lots of appreciation of Oscar Wilde. There's a couple of fairly new mysteries (at least new in the U.S.) that feature Oscar as a character solving mysteries, with Arthur Conan Doyle as a sort of around-the-edges-of-the-plot advisor. Bram Stoker shows up in the second book.
This subgenre of fiction is growing- folks like Beatrix Potter, Jane Austen, Shakespeare are used as amateur detectives. I have mixed feelings about the books, but they can be entertaining, as I found the Oscar Wilde entries.
Anyway, the books are OSCAR WILDE AND A DEATH OF NO IMPORTANCE and OSCAR WILDE AND A GAME OF MURDER by Gyles Brandreth. The first one has a plot I figured out pretty quickly, so I was a little disappointed in it. I'm no Wilde scholar, so I don't know if the characterization used here is particularly factual, but his wit is on display, if perhaps parochialized.
The second one, of which I've read about half, is thus far a much more intriguing mystery.
Any fans of WITCHES OF EASTWICK by John Updike? He's just published a sequel, titled WIDOWS OF EASTWICK. I haven't read it yet, but will soon.
Also, there's a third Gregory Maguire book set in Oz, called A LION AMONG MEN. Guess who the main character is....
I love Maguire's books, and this one's no exception. A worthy sequel to WICKED and SON OF A WITCH that left me wanting more.
Mystery Lad, I've been wanting to read Maguire's Oz books.
The famous author as detectives sound like lots of fun I have to check that out.
You (or anyone else) ever read Nero Wolfe? Nick and Nora? Micky Spillane stuff? I have this list of old school mysteries and pulp books I've been dying to read.
Originally posted by Mystery Lad:
I'm no Wilde scholar, so I don't know if the characterization used here is particularly factual, but his wit is on display, if perhaps parochialized.
Also, there's a third Gregory Maguire book set in Oz, called A LION AMONG MEN. Guess who the main character is....
I love Maguire's books, and this one's no exception.
1. I always love how you say things, ML!
sigh
2. I so love OZ books! I hadn't heard about these Maguire books, either. I'll try to get them.
kisses
I'm currently reading "A Shadow on the Glass" by Ian Irvine. Yes, I am reading yet another fantasy series
My wife put me onto this one. It is essentially just a big chase novel, but it is engaging and the characters are likeable.
I'm reading "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. It's a first contact novel concerning a Jesuit led expedition to Alpha Centauri.
LOVED The Sparrow. At one time there was talk about a movie, it was cast and all. When you're finished, be interested in your opinion on why that movie never hit the theatre.
There's a follow on book and Russell followed that with a WWII novel, completely non Sci Fi. She's not prolific but I have enjoyed everything she wrote. Ohioan too!
Originally posted by Blockade Boy:
LOVED The Sparrow. At one time there was talk about a movie, it was cast and all. When you're finished, be interested in your opinion on why that movie never hit the theatre.
There's a follow on book and Russell followed that with a WWII novel, completely non Sci Fi. She's not prolific but I have enjoyed everything she wrote. Ohioan too! I really liked it. <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">A Catholic Priest forced into prostitution & killing a child</span></span> might make potential investors think twice about a film project. It probably wouldn't cheap to produce either.
According to
Internet Movie Database the film version of it may still happen.
I'm reading a trilogy by Garth Nix about young people who live in a land about the size of Scotland where magic is a reality.
The Old Kingdom is separated by a Great Wall from the rest of country adjoining it (like England), where there IS no magic.
The bad guys are Free Magic sorcerors and necromancers.
The heroes (male and female) are heriditary heroes (like Shady) or rulers (like Jeckie) or seeresses (like Nura) with lots of inbetweens and even some very powerful and enigmatic pseudo-animals (a dog and cat.)
I love these books.
They're generational and so remind me of Legionnaires!
In order:
Sabriel (name)
Lirael (name)
Abhorsen (title like 'King' or 'Hero')
Fun reads!
What am i reading? Dewalts study guide to the SC contractors licensing exam.
And legionworld, of course.
Finished Tale of Two Cities. Pretty good. Not sure if I agree with some about Sydney Carton being the hero of the story. It reminded me of Count of Monte Cristo but I enjoyed that more.
Decided to take a break and read something light. Call of the Wild. Pretty good! I want that dog! It was nice, short, and easy. Lots of emotion.
Next is The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe. I'm just curious about it.
What a coincidence! "Call of the Wild."
I just watched the movie with Charlton Heston.
I'm sure the book was better.
Picking up here and there the various connections to this final crisis as the library gets them. Starting to make sense. The Blue Beetle one was very good IMO but I still need the one before that.
Just read A Nameless Witch by A. Lee Martinez, along with Gil's All Fright Diner.
Q, by Luther Blissett. A hefty historical fiction at 750 pages, it tells the story of an Anabaptist radical from 1518 to 1555 and the Vatican spy who has infiltrated the group. We never learn the true name of the Anabaptist character; he assumes many identities as he lives life on the run throughout Europe, spreading the message and encouraging rebellions. The spy is identified as "Q", but it's only in the final pages that we learn who his identity was as the infiltrator. The two play a very extended cat and mouse game for decades, neither one knowing who the other one is. The story is a fascinating study of political manipulation and power brokering, and we see how diverse interest groups used the protestant rebellions for their own purposes.
I read it as a straight novel, but after learned that some consider it to be an allegory for European sosciety from the rebellious 1960s to today.
The author "Luther Blissett" is actually 4 Italian writers who now go by the name of Wu Ming, which means "no name".
I just picked up a little book on the extraordinary uses of baking soda!
lol
Another one is about not sweating the small stuff in you family.
There's just piles of books everywhere at this school!
Accounting For Dummies. Don't ask.
Recently finished a couple of Sue Grafton's mysteries. Gotta' say that if you read 'em out of alphabetical sequence, she's improved a hell of a lot over the years in terms of story quality. Or else her editors got better. Maybe it's both...
(I left off the Kinsey Milhone series at M or O. I forget.)
I've almost finished Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, by Stephen Puleo. Sound like a joke or a Bugs Bunny cartoon? It's not. This is the first and only book to document a disaster that hit North End Boston in January 1919. (More unfortunate jokes come to mind, about molasses in January....)
A huge tank (50 feet high) containing 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst apart on January 15, 1919. A wave of molasses 25 feet high and 160 feet wide spilled into the surrounding area, engulfing people, horses, other animals and wrecking buildings and a railroad line. People were killed and injured, either drowning in molasses or crushed by debris. All the horses were shot. It was a real nightmare of a disaster.
The molasses was being distilled into industrial alcohol, used in the manufacture of explosives. With the world war, there had been a huge demand for explosives, so this giant tank was built. After the war, the country was on the edge of Prohibition and the company, U.S. Industrial Alcohol, thought they could make some money with one final, massive distillation of alcohol for rum - so the tank was filled to the maximum.
Leaks in the tank had been reported for years; the company would just recaulk the tank. At one point, they even painted it brown so the leaking molasses would be less evident. In the end (in a class action civil suit), it was determined that the company was negligent. However, they argued that anarchists had bombed the tank.
This wasn't an entirely farfetched proposal. Anarchist activity was widespread at the time; there were a number of actual bombings throughout the U.S. and many threats. It seemed a lot like our own time with terror alerts and widespread suspicion of particular nationalities.
The book is a fascinating tale of a tragic event and the surrounding political and financial environment of the time.
1000 Novels Everyone Must Read Cool article with synopses (synopsi? damned plurals) of the books. I'm ashamed to admit I've only read a few of them and honestly have never even heard of a great many of them.
A very few of them I own or have owned but never got around to reading so I have to dig 'em out of the slush pile. Also now I have something to really look forward to finding at the book stores.
Very cool.
More useful to me if I could sort by page count.
I love DVDs. Sometimes I turn on subtitles, does that count as reading?
So one of my friends knows I like crime novels and noir movies so he gave me a copy of James Patterson's recent Alex Cross novel. I really didn't want to read it, but I felt guilty returning it to him unread...it just didn't feel like the kind of thing I was looking for. Well, either I made a self-fulfilling prophecy or my gut was right, because I really did not enjoy it very much and by the end I was skimming through it.
It just felt very...weak. The pacing and characters all acted very cliche, the plot was a bit jumbled without being clever, and the dialogue seemed to be trying so hard to be witty and 'cool' without achieving it (because it was trying too hard). I've read much better crime fiction, including many comic books, and I've seen too many better films that the book didn't ring true to me. It felt rather flat, like the author is running through the motions without giving me any real meat.
Anyone ever read one of these? Am I way off and simply was too jaded? Because it just didn't seem all that good. There's just so much better crime / CSI / serial killer fiction out there that doesn't get all the press probably because its more complicated plot & character wise. I've heard the same thing about Tom Clancy's books, even though I've never picked on up.
Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
(I left off the Kinsey Milhone series at M or O. I forget.)
I've almost finished Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, by Stephen Puleo. Sound like a joke or a Bugs Bunny cartoon? It's not. This is the first and only book to document a disaster that hit North End Boston in January 1919. (More unfortunate jokes come to mind, about molasses in January....)
A huge tank (50 feet high) containing 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst apart on January 15, 1919. A wave of molasses 25 feet high and 160 feet wide spilled into the surrounding area, engulfing people, horses, other animals and wrecking buildings and a railroad line. People were killed and injured, either drowning in molasses or crushed by debris. All the horses were shot. It was a real nightmare of a disaster.
The molasses was being distilled into industrial alcohol, used in the manufacture of explosives. With the world war, there had been a huge demand for explosives, so this giant tank was built. After the war, the country was on the edge of Prohibition and the company, U.S. Industrial Alcohol, thought they could make some money with one final, massive distillation of alcohol for rum - so the tank was filled to the maximum.
Leaks in the tank had been reported for years; the company would just recaulk the tank. At one point, they even painted it brown so the leaking molasses would be less evident. In the end (in a class action civil suit), it was determined that the company was negligent. However, they argued that anarchists had bombed the tank.
This wasn't an entirely farfetched proposal. Anarchist activity was widespread at the time; there were a number of actual bombings throughout the U.S. and many threats. It seemed a lot like our own time with terror alerts and widespread suspicion of particular nationalities.
The book is a fascinating tale of a tragic event and the surrounding political and financial environment of the time.
Sounds fascinating!
Anarchists around that era are extremely interesting. After an anarchist shot and killed President McKinley (I believe in 1900), a panic swept through the nation (and this was already after anarchists scared many people).
Interestingly, wiki claims that Czolgosz, McKinley's assassin, never held formal membership in any Anarchist group-- though he was enamored of some Anarchist teachings.
BTW, Candle, I remember reading about the plant disaster in an old 'zine called
Murder Can Be Fun. My husband was a big fan. I'll have to tell him that the events inspired an entire book.
BTW, for anyone who's curious about American Anarchism from the other end, I totally recommend
Sticking To The Union .
P.S.- CK, your complaints about Patterson sound like my complaints about Phillip Margolin. He's hugely popular in these parts, but I read one of his books, and that was plenty.
The Voice in the Mirror. Book 29 in the Nightmare Hall series.
A book I was supposed to get for Christmas but came late.
Salem University student Annie and her friends are preparing for the holiday season, but, one of the boys suffers an unexpected, Ripper-esque psychotic break, and begins to imagine that one of Annie's friends, Helene, is actually Elyse Weldon, the girl he killed to get her scholarship. This isn't helped by a split personality which has manifested, a voice in the mirror which tells him to kill "Elyse" before she reclaims her scholarship. But when the "Voice" takes over and tries to kill Helene, getting her sent back home for surgery, the guy now sees another girl as "Elyse" and that he will have to kill her before she kills him. And pretty soon Annie will be next on this psychopath's quest to get rid of Elyse Weldon once and for all.
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
So one of my friends knows I like crime novels and noir movies so he gave me a copy of James Patterson's recent Alex Cross novel. I really didn't want to read it, but I felt guilty returning it to him unread...it just didn't feel like the kind of thing I was looking for. Well, either I made a self-fulfilling prophecy or my gut was right, because I really did enjoy it very much and by the end I was skimming through it.
I started reading one of Patterson's books a few years back while on vacation at the beach. The house we rented had it in their library... I put it down after fifteen pages. It just didn't grab, much like the Cross movies. They are weak and thin in my opinion.
A few weeks later I read a blurb from Stephen King on James Patterson and he said that he didn't like his writing because all of his stories tend to be the same one over and over again (paraphrasing of course). Having read a few King novels over the years, I respect his opinion on fiction novelists.
Good to know minesurfer. "Thin" is the perfect word.
(And yeah, King is the man!)
Well with those recurring character novels, writers have a tough line to walk. Readers want the same good story, but writers then get dissed for not writing too creatively. Poe and Christie and Doyle faced similar criticisms.
I just read my first Jonathon Kellerman novel. It was good, and Alex Delaware is a skewed take on the hard boiled pi. But I can easily see the books getting formulaic.
I'm working my way through A Confederacy of Dunces and it's intriguing and quirky for sure.
I'm reading a debut book by Elizabeth Kerner, 'Song in the Silence'.
So far, like the wonderful title, the book is lovely and interesting.
She writes in first person, which usually isn't so good, but in this case, it means that at least one of the charaters that I've come to like very much, is going to survive!
lol
Dragons are done to death, how do they keep inspiring so many different, and often fantastic, stories?!
I recently skimmed a child's picture book, if that's possible, about a little tree that found Spring, Summer and Winter to be easy seasons.
But AUTUMN is hard ~ then you see it trying to get the colors right!
Lovely litte book.
Reading Rainbow had books about eggs this week.
One was Rashashana's Eggs. The story was about a wounded goose who is taken in by an old peasant woman.
The goose accidentally knocks over a basket of decorated eggs, breaking them (those beautiful Ukranian colored marvels).
The woman shows the eggs that she makes throughout the year in Moscow. She usually wins, but . . .
Before this happened the goose was laying a plain egg every day, which the woman was eating.
After the accident, every day there was an egg but it was designed and colored in the shell, itself.
The woman blew the eggs out and kept the shells.
Finally, the fair came and the goose was healed.
The woman won the prize, the goose was gone but the next morning she found an egg, Rashashana's last, on her bed, shaking and breaking.
Out came a beautiful baby goose who stayed with her 'forever'.
The illustrations were just unbelievablly lovely, but they took the story even farther but showing us the artist.
She looked just like a younger version of the Ukanian woman!
She made a decorated egg for us, too.
I love kids books!
Currently reading "Kings Dragon" by Kate Elliot.
I discovered Ms. Elliot through her Gate series, which is pretty good.
The book I reading now is not good however (though it weas her first published novel).
Not saying the book is actually bad, cause its not. However her prose doesn't flow nicely and her fiction events thus far seem to be rehashing of actual historical events with a fantasy bend.
All that being said I'm going to stick with the series, cause I know (based on her gate cycle) that she improves dramaticly as a writer, and I think it may be interesting to see HOW she eveolves thoughout this series
I love authors who write with a word flow and rythm that make them beautiful to read out loud.
It doesn't happen very often though.
Patricia McKillip(sp) has writen some gorgeous prose.
Her 'Beasts of Eld' is especially lovely.
LeGuin's 'EarthSea' books are equally wonderful in your mind or on you tongue.
I really need to have a go at EarthSea one day soon. I have several of LeGuin's short story collections, all of which have at least something worth reading more than once. Compass Rose is probably my favorite.
You really ought to get all three of them AND The Wind's Twelve Quarters which has an extra Earthsea tale in it. A voracious reader will knock them out in practically no time and yes(!) they're fantastic.
I'm a sucker for well written fantasy and I just picked up a new Darkover novel called The Alton Gift by Deborah Ross (who 's been doing a pretty decent job of continuing MZB's works) and a new Pern novel called Dragon Harper by Todd McCafferey (likewise doing a very nice job of continuing the work with his mother's excellent Pern series).
Oh yeah, I've been looking for a few Heinlein novels to fill a couple of gaps in my collection so I picked up The Rolling Stones. I'd forgotten how much fun that book is.
LeGuin' last Earthsea book is the adopted daughter of Ged(the burned out wizard) and the girl under the temple.
It's truely wonderful, the kind of end to a series that I wish #50 had been.
I've packed it away somewhere, darn it, or I'd tell you the name of it.
Y'know..that sounds familiar.
I enjoyed the Todd McCaffery novel. He started out ok, not all that special, but he's starting to grow into the role pretty well. This one was pretty good overall. His primary characters have emotional depth now (not all of them but more than ever before) even if they're perhaps a bit too competent. So far he does have a habit of not filling in much of the background but it works well enough if you've been aboard the Pern stories for a while. He doesn't have to fill in too much because you already know a lot of it, a great advantage to working inside an already existing framework.
The Darkover novel was good. I might like them better now than I did when Bradley was writing them, they're less driven by MZB's social agenda. It picks up after the Terrans have left Darkover where the people and the government are left with a power vacuum.
It was hard to put down.
I haven't found the LeGuin book yet, but I think the title is 'Tehanu'.
Todd's doing better, I think, too.
I really enjoyed the characters in his mini, except for the bad guy. I thought he was around for just too long!
I've always liked the watch whers!
I'm reading the Sonoma Diet right now.
Scanning really, before I start it in March.
(snip)
Yellow Kid: You really ought to get all three of them AND The Wind's Twelve Quarters which has an extra Earthsea tale in it. A voracious reader will knock them out in practically no time and yes(!) they're fantastic...
D'oh !!
There's a type of story where an author takes a fairy tale and rewrites it ~ fleshes it out into a novel.
I have a number of them, but I read a new one the other day called 'The Goose Girl' by Shannon Hale that was pretty fantastic.
She's a princess, although not a very good one, it seems.
But her aunt taught her to talk with animals when she was little, particularly birds and horses.
Later, while a goose girl, she learns how to talk with the wind.
The next book is a continuation of characters and deals with Isi's best friend, Enna ~ a forest girl who learns to talk with fire.
Great stories and great takes on having a superpower as teens.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.
Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal.
The inside jacket describes it as combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film. The New York Times review described it as a silent film on paper. It's a delightful story of a young orphan boy hiding in a train station, an old man who runs a toy shop, and a young girl. It's a mystery that evolves into a preoccupation with mechanical things that evolves into a celebration of film. Highly recommended for both the story and the innovative way it is told.
Got up to page 100 in Neal Stephenson's Anathem and dropped it. Read the last chapter to see what I'd missed... there seemed to be something about multiverses but there was just too much of something. Maybe this is a book that could benefit from being turned into a comic book series or GN, since visuals might help transcend some of the dictionary-ness of it. Stephenson's books are hit or miss for me.
I finished Sorrow of Young Werther by Goethe. It was good. Now reading Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. One of the best books I've ever read.
Whoa, that's quite the praise, Jorge! I may have to check out Tropic of Cancer (I have two books I need to read first...)
I'm reading Godel, Escher, Bach and quite enjoying it. I should have read it sooner!
Originally posted by Matthew E:
I'm reading Godel, Escher, Bach and quite enjoying it. I should have read it sooner!
Not only is it awesome, but it's named after three of the most awesome people ever!
Mrs. Astor Regrets by Meryl Gordon. I don't go for celebrity bios generally, but this is more the story of the legal battle over Brooke Astor (and her money) in her final years - she lived to be 104. As her mental faculties declined, her only son (allegedly) started to play fast and loose with the legalities, forcing her to sign new wills in his favor, stealing valuable property from her homes, firing her long-time staff. One of the grandsons took his father to court over this and got a guardian appointed. A timely book, since the trial of the son, Tony Marshall, has just begun.
Any story about families squabbling over great wealth can generate a lot of interest, and it's a riveting tale in that sense. However, it's also very sad, to see how easily an old person can be abused and how many of her friends were aware that something was wrong, but did nothing.
That's too heavy for me!
I read kids books, mostly.
(There are some adult stories in the mix, of course, but not zillions of them.)
I recently discovered a new author, Tamora Pierce.
She writes teen fantasy and does it very well.
Her first quartet is about Alanna, a girl who wants to be a knight in a world of magic, where there hasn't been a female knight in over 100 years.
The 4 books cover her years from 10 to 20, give or take a few months.
I still have the fourth one to read when my library gets it in.
It's a mini-Legion story, really.
Eifelheim by Michael Flynn. Aliens (who look like giant grasshoppers) crash land in a 14th century German forest. Lucky for them, they are near a small village with a very well educated, but thoroughly Christian, priest. Father Dietrich determines, through logic, that they are not demons, but travelers from afar in need of charity - and conversion. The Krenken determine that they need these backward idiots to survive the winter and repair their ship.
It's a complex story, with lots of 14th century history. There's also a 21st century plot which serves to frame the medieval story.
What I found particularly interesting was how Dietrich, with his education, managed to grasp some of the advanced tech ideas, but explain how they work in terms of his own world's technology - and how he got most of the villagers and their lord, Manfred, to accept them. On the other hand, the Krenken listen to Dietrich explain Christianity to them and they hear what they want to ... for example, that an all-powerful lord from the heavens will return to Earth, with the power to fix everything. They figure this means some superior, space-traveling overlord of Earth will be dropping in shortly and help them repair their ship. Some of these scenes are quite comical.
The story sounds interesting!
I can feel for Father Dietrich.
Christians are supposed to preach the Good News to every living creature, but I don't know if crashed space grasshoppers are part of the plan.
lol
Actually, I don't think they could be part of our plan for a relationship with God.
They'd probably have to have their OWN plan for a relationship.
Sort of like the Narnian's relationship with God formed through Jesus as King Aslan, the lion, in the C.S.Lewis stories.
Drood by Dan Simmons. Charles Dickens, leading novelist of the age and amateur mesmerist. Wilkie Collins, his friend and sometimes collaborator, who never quite rises to Dickens' level, consuming ever-increasing quantities of laudanum and opium. A mysterious, evil personage named Drood. Is Drood real, a creation of Dickens' fertile imagination, or one of Collins' complex opium fantasies? Is Dickens trying to kill Collins, or is Collins trying to kill Dickens? A 770 page mystery/thriller exploring the nature of envy and reality, that was very hard to put down. (I'm so glad I dumped Anathem to read this.) Exciting, creepy and historically interesting.
I started DROOD, but got interrupted-- 'bout time to get back into it.
Interestingly enough, Matthew Pearl has written a book which also just came out dealing with the same subject, in a way. It takes places after Dickens' death, rather than before.
Synchronicity at work, I guess. Or zeitgeist.
I'm reading another Tamora Pierce quartet.
This one is on wild magic creatures like winged horses, ogres, harpies and dragons.
The lead character is a young girl, orphaned by bandits.
She's not Gifted the way humans are but she IS able to talk with animals.
A badger god comes to her with advice and portents.
A lot of fun.
I finished Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther. Much better than I thought it was going to be. A bit too romantic (but that was the era).
Next reading Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller. So far one of my favorite books. Cobalt you'd like it.
Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Eifelheim by Michael Flynn.
That sounds all kinds of awesome!
A similar book, if you like that sort of thing (spacefarers forced to deal with a primitive society, with some broad comedy strokes), is the The Flying Sorcerers, by David Gerrold adn Larry Niven.
I haven't been reading much lately, I've been trying to corral some of the ideas in my head to put on paper. but what I have been doing is remembering some of the old sci-fi stuff that I read as a kid and haven't seen since.
One story was about a conspiracy to surplant individual governments on earth by a group of scientists that had established a base on the moon. A teenager was trying to stop it, only to find out that his astronaut uncle was in on it along with his parents, that he thought were dead. It was a kids book. One of the things i remember was that speed limits were according to your own permit. And that was based on your reflexes. As they improved, so did your speed limit. As they declined, so did your speed limit. I think the last line of the book was something along the lines of "It's gonna be a wonderful conspiracy!" because the conspiracy was supposed to be altruistic.
There was another one that was a series, i think the kids name was Brant, or something like that. It was a sci-fi hardy boys, really, but I dug it back then.
And I've been thinking about E.R.B lately, since i read about the movie on John Carter they are supposed to be making.
Okay, picked this book up a few years ago and never read it (Had a kid, free time disappeared). So, i put it in the library (re: bathroom) and have been reading it during visits over the last day. Bradbury was a master at creating a new language out of freeflowing mental rivers, it reminds me in a way of all that gnatty jive from shows like the rockford files. Sorry, forgot the title of the book: Lets all kill Constance.
Haven't finished it yet. Its not a long book and I would ordinarily finish it off in about two to three hours, but I don't have that kinda time chunks anymore.
Okay, its a beautiful sunday, Carol and Sam are at the movies, the Braves lost, and I am gonna hit the beach chair, lay in the sun, soak up some rays, finish a beer, and read The Chamber by Grishom. I know, its not exactly literature, but I have knocked out some Dick Francis books lately and feel like something similar, but with a lot more words.
Enjoy this beautiful sunday, folks.
Just finished Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book". As a Gaiman fan it felt new and familiar at the same time. This time we get a baby whose parents are killed and he gets adopted by the residents of a graveyard.
I'm reading China Mieville's new one The City and The City. It's a police procedural, with fantasy elements, rather than a fantasy book like his other ones (eg Perdido Street Station).
I've also nearly finished all of Richard Yates's books. (The author of Revolutionary Road). They are really brilliant!
Somebody several pages back mentioned "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo", which sounded interesting, so I added it to my never-ending list of books to go read (I often take recommendations from this thread but take years to follow-up on, so fear not posters, some of us do read your thoughts and take them to heart).
It was actually a really great read. A very solid mystery with some surprises. It starts out very slow, and because its in Sweden there are some references and names that are hard to follow at first and distracting (for an American that is). But that soon goes away and 1/4 into it, the book really picks up and gets very good. After that I was totally engrossed and read it in two days.
What was also excellent was the author was very blunt about their being no easy answers, and honest about how pervasive abuse is in our culture(s), towards women, but not limited to that. He does a great job mirroring that with some more casual coldness people show one another on a much lesser level even though they are friends...I thought it was a pretty daring connection for him to make. The characters are pretty likeable too.
All in all, a great read! Up next...*possible* the first Twilight book, since its sitting on my desk.
China Miéville! His new book hasn't been released here yet, but it's definitely going to the top of the list when it's available.
Now I'm reading The End of Overeating by David Kessler. No earth-shattering news, so far, but he presents a good story of how the food industry combines fat, sugar and salt in many, many foods - a combination which triggers the powerful reward system in our brains (well, many of us) and breaks down rational control over what we eat.
Ya.
Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
[QB]China Miéville! His new book hasn't been released here yet, but it's definitely going to the top of the list when it's available.
It's not like his other ones but it's really good. I went to a q and a session he did and he's also completely GAWJUSS!!!
What is your favourite of his? You should definitely read his short story collection, Looking For Jake, there are some great ideas in that.
Anything else along the Bas Lag book theme that you'd recommend?
Hard to choose a favourite, but probably Iron Council, which I saw described as "a love story disguised as a protest story or a protest story disguised as a love story". (And I still can't get his horrible mosquito people out of my mind.) Perdido Street Station was the one I read first and it took me a while to get accustomed to the universe - should probably reread it.
I haven't read Looking for Jake, only a couple of the stories in it. Looks good, though!
I'm still reading Tamora Pierce stories.
So far: I've finished 3 of her 4 book (called Quarters or Quartets) series; 2 books about the Copper Isles = to a 4 book series; and am on the second book of another 4 book series.
whewww
After these 4, I just have one more quartet to go, that my school's library has, anyway.
What I like about them most, is that kids and adults work together as the kids grow into their various magic based powers.
There's a lot of respect that builds between the characters and their powers are always used imaginatively.
They're also sort of generational, which I enjoy.
I may have to settle for thses last 3 books and leave the rest for the city library this summer.
sigh
Gah! This thread is like a book-brothel with the number of great reads it makes me want to take to bed every night! I love it! Keep pimping them out people!
As for me, I've unfortunately only had time to read one book recently and even more unfortunately it was [small voice] Angels and Demons by mega-millionaire Dan Brown.
I kept hearing that this one was so much better than The Da Vinci Code (which I had actually enjoyed for its page-turning readability and some of the interesting ideas it expressed - though certainly not for its extremely pedestrian use of the English language or its predictability) but I was quite disappointed.
Once Langdon gets to Rome and starts to look for the missing cardinals it picked up a lot but there's a full 50% of the book to get through before that and that was full of some of the most groan-inducing characterisation and exposition I've ever read. I literally had to force myself to keep going.
The last half is pretty exciting in its own trashy way though and I think this part could make for a good movie. I hope so anyway since my sister is dragging me to see it this week.
Did I mention that Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer was really good.
It's in your face and unapologetic but I loved it.
Anyways reading something light and fun right now. Peter Maye's Anything Considered. It's a southern france escapade type of book. Here is an intro I found that sums it up exactly.
"A Snooping Maid, A Neopolitan Beast, A Shady Lord, A Corsican Hood, An Ex-Girlfriend, A Bibulous Monk, A Retiring Detective, A Japanese Bodyguard, An Etonian Villain, A Fair Accomplice, And An Unlikely Hero.
A rollicking caper set on the Cote d'Azur and in the luscious landscape of Provence.
Bennet, an English expatriate living in France, has champagne tastes and a vin ordinaire bankroll. He has abandoned a successful career and found an ideal village to idle in. But a business scheme fails to work out, and he finds himself broke.
Not a man to be downhearted, he places an ad in the newspaper volunteering his services -- any services, Anything Considered. The most attractive response comes from a rich Englishman named Julian Poe who has developed a means of producing superb truffles and is close to cornering the immensely lucrative truffle market.
Bennet signs and - bliss! He finds himself in Monaco and able to live in a style to which he has wished to become accustomed including eating to beyond his heart's content. He is joined thre by the beautiful and experienced (in many ways) Anna, a New Yorker who has put in time in the Israeli army.
But soon ---sniffing the financial potential of the truffle --- Sicilian and Corsican Mafiosi intrude. Life gets hectic. Ham-fisted goons working at cross-purposes, French village busy bodies and an order of monks dedicated to the god Bacchus all play a role."
LOL I thought you were describing the plot to Tropic of Cancer (which I haven't read) and I was wondering why the heck it had been so controversial.
I listened to the audiobook version of
World War Z about a world-wide zombie war. Interviews with survivors, with various actors reading the different parts. Not a big zombie fan, but it was very interesting from a survivalist/emergency strategy point of view. Surprisingly light fare compared to the next one:
Family of Secrets by Russ Baker. George Kenney, interviewing Baker about the book on the
Electric Politics podcast , said it made him physically ill to read it and I'd have to say it took me pretty close to that.
Baker goes deep into the history of the Bush dynasty with a thoroughly researched and documented investigation. The web of connections, some of them officially denied, is disturbing and wide-reaching.
Although Baker spends a lot of time discussing Poppy Bush and his associates' links to the Kennedy assassination and many other events of the past 50 years, what I found most disturbing was the re-examination of Watergate. To cut to the chase, Nixon may have been a creep, but he was set up by the Bush clan with the Watergate scandal.
Baker also examines W, and while there are revelations, I think, with the internet, that we have been afforded better coverage of what shenanigans he's been up to, even if we don't know all the details.
Baker, in the final chapter, writes: I discovered that Poppy was not really the sentimental preppy, the oft-bumbling public servant most of us believed him to be. Poppy had led what amounted to a double life, and the secret portion of that life included participation in an astonishing range of covert operations. As I began to examine Poppy's most improbable statements about himself, I found myself struggling through a miasma surrounding the John F. Kennedy assassination, Watergate, the American relationship with the Saudis, and other chapters of the American experience that have never been properly explained. While I was in my reporting phase and sharing some of my more surprising findings with colleagues, one of them suggested, only half in jest, that the book be called "Everything You Thought You Knew Is Wrong."
I may be stretching the topic here, but I read a letter from the Christian Appalachian Project this morning. Appalachia contains some of the poorest regions in the USA. Often, families can't afford to feed their children properly, and so the only decent meals they can get are at school. Hence, when school lets out for summer these kids are SOL.
One of the tasks of the Project is to feed these luckless youngsters when school's out. If you feel you can spare some money, their website is
http://www.christianapp.org/ .
Thanks for bringing attention to something which is an important but incredibly neglected issue, KC.
A lot of the kids I work with depend on school meals, a lot even stay after school in clubs and things to get the extra lunches.
And I live in Salem, Oregon.
sigh
I'm sure the problem is even worse in Appalachia.
Welcome to my corner of the world. 70-80% of our high school kids are on lunch program, what's called a "type a" lunch. They won't eat it though because then everyone can see that they're "poor." (even though they have all that company). sigh So they buy pizza slice for a dollar, EVERYDAY! sigh^2
Oh yeah, OT
They read "Twilight." Not much else.
I feel funny here.
I've read a number of classics over the years, but now I tend to read humorous fantasy (Terry Prachett), fantasy-scifi, or kids books.
I finished all of the Tamora Pierce books about young people growing up in magical worlds with various powers or gifts, that the school libray had.
I finished 5 quartet mini-series and a two book set.
Then, I started on a Harry Potter type series by Brandon Mull called Fablehaven, which was part of a 10 book intercolegient reading competition.
I read the 2 at the school, now I have to hit the city library (for the rest of the Pierce books, as well.)
I may go to the local book stores, too.
My grand-daughters are almost the right age to enjoy them ~ the oldest is 7 and the heroines/heroes in the books are around 10 - 13 when the stories start.
They're all young by Legion standards, but they all start as students/pages/grandkids with adult mentoring.
sigh
I just read a classic...The Hobbit!
I read it when I was 12 and enjoyed it but didn't love it. (I was a big Llyod Alexander fan though as a kid)
I loved it this time around. I haven't read a book this fast since high school. Read it in 5 days.
I want to read Fellowship of the Ring next but may read Donna Tartt's Secret History.
Originally posted by Blockade Boy:
Welcome to my corner of the world. 70-80% of our high school kids are on lunch program, what's called a "type a" lunch. They won't eat it though because then everyone can see that they're "poor." (even though they have all that company). sigh So they buy pizza slice for a dollar, EVERYDAY! sigh^2
Oh yeah, OT
They read "Twilight." Not much else.
Yes, Twilight.
We had a Twilight dance, too.
Our kids seem to eat, though.
Pizza is one of their choices.
I work in a Middle School, though.
Originally posted by Ultra Jorge:
I just read a classic...The Hobbit!
I read it when I was 12 and enjoyed it but didn't love it. (I was a big Llyod Alexander fan though as a kid)
I loved it this time around. I haven't read a book this fast since high school. Read it in 5 days.
I want to read Fellowship of the Ring next . . .
I remember Lloyd Alexander, but I didn't read a lot of him.
The Hobbit is so fun.
The story was originally a newspaper series for children.
So, you won't find any of the Lord of the Rings books to be a 'fast read', I think.
Just a wonderful read!
Texasville and Duane's Depressed by Larry McMurty. I never liked either one of those books the first reading, little day to day things keep reminding me of them and I go back to them every once in a while. His books always seem better about the third or fourth reading.
For some reason, I seem to have completely lost my taste for fiction. So far this summer I have several history books. Funny, I was never much interested in history before, but that seems to be all I want to read now. Thus far I have read books on:
WWII
The Revolutionary War
The Civil War (by Bruce Catton - highly recommended!)
The Conquest of America
The Birth of America, from before Columbus to the Revolution
and I am now reading another, more detailed book on the revolutionary war.
Up next on my list is a book on WWI and a book on ancient Rome. Tonight I think I am going to check out books on landmark Supreme Court cases, the Old West, and maybe gangsters.
I have no idea what's gotten into me - other than a lot of historical information that might make me a good Jeopardy contestant.
Taste's change over time. Don't worry about it. I go through phases of what I like to read. I might go from scifi to westerns to police mysteries to spy to bio's to historical....just enjoy where your mind leads you.
Actually, I saw recently that Robert Heinlein has a new book out - sort of. After his wife's death a few years ago, an outline was found for a new novel. Spider Robinson was selected somehow to write a book based on the outline. The book is called "Variable Star" and I think I am gonna have to check it out next time I go to the library. Has anyone read this, by the way?
"Variable Star" must have been ok since I read the whole thing yesterday. Actually, it was good, but not great. There are a lot of references for us diehard Heinlein fans, although I thought the book really plodded along at some points. The ending seemed a bit of a cop-out, too. Robinson basically swiped an ending from a different Heinlein book and used it here. I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you are a diehard Heinlein fan.
Semi-Tough. Great book, horrible movie. Truly, truly horrible movie.
PN Elrod's vampire series starring Jack. Set just after prohibition in Chicago. good series.
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami for the umpteenth time. It's just marvellous!
I read everything by Richard Yates, who wrote Revolutionary Road, over the summer and they are some really GREAT books!
Also recently enjoyed Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs. It's a hoot!
I'm reading one of Sherman Alexie's short story collections. I wanted to know more about life on a native American reservation! But I'm finding his stuff quite unsatisfying, he doesn't really give anything proper endings and is quite repetitive.
I just finished Gone With the Wind, which I have not read since I was 17. I also have been on a Heinlein kick, rereading Starship Troopers and Tunnel in the Sky.
Lance, my wife and I were just trying to figure out if either of us had a copy of Gone With the Wind. I know I read it, but maybe it was my mom's. I haven't read it in ages either. And Starship Troopers is on my list of books that I reread every year or two. Pity about the movie.
Really? I actually enjoyed the movie. Not great or anything, but I like watching it. Don't gag, but I even like watching the movie of the Puppet Masters. I understand what you mean, though - neither movie captures the flavor of the book. Actually, the only movie that seems like a Heinlein movie (but isn't) is a made-for-TV movie called Star Command.
I think I liked Puppet Masters, but it's been a long time since I watched it or read the book for that matter. I'd like to see a big screen take on "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" although I bet they'd drop most of the politics in favor of the action stuff.
I didn't like the way the movie version of Starship Troopers drifted into satirizing the military even if the book went a bit far in the other direction. Paul Verhoeven just wasn't the right director for it, I think. Plus, everything else aside, who would do a "Starship Troopers" movie without the cool MI Suits?
I agree with you on the absence of the MI suits. I have no idea why they weren't included. The thing that really bugged (pun intended) me about the movie is this: If you are fighting something with a decentralized nervous system, why in the world is almost everyone using projectile weapons? Doesn't make a lick of sense to me.
As for which Heinlein book I would like to see made into a movie - hmm...I think Tunnel in the Sky would make a cool film, but that might just be because I read it recently.
I finally finished "The Prince and the Pauper." I just don't get some books that are supposed to be classics, I guess. Anyway, back to some more Heinlein which I excavated from the basement a few days ago, starting now with "Between Planets."
Let's see, in the past few days I have knocked out Between Planets, the Puppet Masters, and Farmer in the Sky. I am most of the way through Space Cadet, as my Heinleinian odyssey continues.
I've been reading Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu. It's a new urban fantasy series. It's different from the Charline Harris and Patricia Briggs books, which I'm quite fond of. Instead of vampires and werewolves, it's got demons. She puts a new spin on zombies and creates some pretty bizarre creatures. At first I kind of felt like I missed something (I think maybe there was a short story before the novel), but once I figured out the back story, I couldn't put it down.
One thing I like about this book is how epic it feels even though it's set in a world a lot like our own. Most urban fantasy seems to tell little, personal stories, but in this book it feels like the whole world as we know it could come to an end. The cover description makes it sound like a romance novel, but it really isn't. Or at least, it's not that simple.
Oh, and there's the Boys. I'd really like to tell you all about them, but they're better left as a surprise in case anyone decides to read the book. I'm actually tempted to go through the book copying out descriptions of them so I can draw them.
I got the second book, Darkness Calls today and I'm really looking forward to starting it.
Edit: I forgot to add, Liu is a comic writer, she wrote part of NYX and is currently co-writing Dark Wolverine.
I recently discovered the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I read the first 9 while I was down in Arkansas (12 hr night shifts...). I highly recommend them.
And anything by Robert Heinlein, any time any where, the man was the greatest Scifi Author Ever.
I have a box set of the Charlane Harris Vampire Novels, I made it halfway thru the first one before losing interest. I intend to give them another shot but so far, meh...
For me, the main reason to read Harris's books is Eric, and he doesn't get to do much in the first book.
Just finished Knight Life (Peter David) and Memiors of a Mangy Lover (Groucho Marx). Just started Hearts in Atlantis (Stephen King).
Finished The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Highly recommend it. One of the best books I've ever read.
Currently reading I, Claudius by Graves. I like history and this has a ton.
I am so embarassed, I'm not sure I can post on this thread anymore. I..it seems...well, I mean...umm....
(dramatic pause while I fidgit nervously and look ashamed)
I don't think I even own copies of "Rocket Ship Galileo" or Have Spacesuit, Will Travel!"
I went digging through boxes of books in the basement, and I finally found my copy of "Red Planet," but the other two juvenile novels still elude me. I am not even sure I have ever read them!
Excuse, me, I have to start cleaning the floor. Sackcloth and ashes sure are messy...
Jorge, your endorsement of The Secret History has swayed me. I might check this out at the lib when I go tonight.
Anka Radakovich's Wild Girls Club. Had it for years and decided to reread it for the hell of it.
good info in there for all you single straight guys looking for love, or at least love for the night.
SECRET HISTORY's great- can't say the same about the same author's later work. Then again, I never finished it- so maybe it got better towards the end.
If you like I, CLAUDIUS, UJ, seek out the MASTERPIECE THEATER production, which is on DVD. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
I think it's one of the best TV productions I've ever seen, though it pales to the more recent ROME in visual pageantry, it more than holds its own in human spectacle.
I did pick up "Secret History" from the library - so it better be good or I am gonna get really snotty.
Finished Hearts in Atlantis.
Now onto Dune.
Originally posted by Lance's realm:
Jorge, your endorsement of The Secret History has swayed me. I might check this out at the lib when I go tonight.
Cool Lance. Let me know if you like it.
Dev, I was looking through my basement boxes a few days ago, and I didn't see my copy of Dune. I purged a lot of my books about 12 years ago, so I might have gotten rid of it. I loved the first Dune book, but I could never get into any of the sequels.
I did finish The Secret History over the weekend. It was..um..I guess I wasn't terribly impressed. It was ok, I suppose, but I'm glad I didn't pay anything for it.
Anyway, I had to dig, but I did locate my copy of Red Planet. Off I go to get reacquainted with Willis and the gang.
Lance's realm, to each his own i guess.
It was in Time's 100 best books of the 20th century. I went down that list and tried to find something i'd like. But I'm a sucker for that Ivy League/North Eastern Universtiy stuff though.
I've never read Dune but I've always wanted to. I might check it out soon.
I'd be interested to know what you think of Dune.
Let's see, I finished Red Planet and am working on The Rolling Stones. After that, I think I might take a crack at Dracula, since I have never read it.
I actually did read Dracula - I don't recommend it. Reading it was like trying to run through molasses - very plodding. Since there have been so many movies, books, tv shows, etc. based on vampires, I just had to see what actually happened in the most famous of vampire novels. Now I know, and I won't be re-reading that one anytime soon. Or ever.
Currently I am reading Gary Jenning's Spangle. I highly recommend all of the author's books.
To whet my appetite for the new "V" series next month, I'm reading "V: The Second Generation", a novel by "V" creator Kenneth Johnson which is basically a prose version of the script for what would have been his sequel to the original mini-series (disregarding "The Final Battle" and the weekly series, which Johnson had nothing to do with; FYI, Johnson has no involvement in the new weekly series, either.) So far, it's good.
There is going to be a V series? I didn't know anything about this.
As to what I am reading, I finished Spangle and am currently reading the first Tarzan novel.
Finished "Tarzan" and Heinlein's "Beyond This Horizon." I am now reading Alan Dean Foster's "Sentenced to Prism."
"Monster" by A.Lee Martinez. Lightweight fun.
Originally posted by Lance's realm:
I actually did read Dracula - I don't recommend it. Reading it was like trying to run through molasses - very plodding. Since there have been so many movies, books, tv shows, etc. based on vampires, I just had to see what actually happened in the most famous of vampire novels. Now I know, and I won't be re-reading that one anytime soon. Or ever.
Currently I am reading Gary Jenning's Spangle. I highly recommend all of the author's books.
I'm with you on the potential of rereading Dracula. Defiintely not something I plan on.
I've read several great books in recent weeks I need to report on...will do that shortly. I'm currently reading Slaughterhouse Five, which I've never read before. Its really different than I thought it would be--and a lot better! Its hilarious and incredibly moving at the same time. Its science-fiction with a wink. And its about the tragedies of war, and anti-war literature of its finest.
I was in Key West about 6 weeks ago for a week, and it was glorious—actual relaxing accomplished, and a lot of that had to do with reading by the pool. I’ve also been traveling a lot and reading books on the planes. Almost all of them have been excellent—I planned it that way
.
Some books I’ve read recently:
Farewell My Lovely – by Raymond Chandler featuring Phillip Marlowe – I’ve never read a Chandler novel before this, and wanted to try some real hard-boiled noir fiction, and I figured I might as well start with the master. “The Big Sleep” has been one of my favorite films since I was a pre-teen (Bogey is my favorite actor of all time since I was a kid—it was his version of the character), so I had some familiarity with Marlowe. Well, I read it, and as I suspected, it was awesome. Chandler really shows why the term “hard-boiled” became associated with noir through him. I’m amazed at the seedy side of life he showed, and am reminded that grim and gritty didn’t start in recent decades but has a long history in literature. Marlowe is a great character and I’m looking forward to reading more of Chandler’s novels featuring him; Chandler also does a great job introducing the various characters who make up the book, from the thugs, cops, strange killers and enemies, corrupt people and femme fatales, to the regular people who lend him a hand—usually for something in return. He also evokes the depression era so well, that you really feel it immediately even if its unsaid. Perhaps his best trait in writing is the snappy dialogue that he uses—its funny yet tough, and its totally engrossing.
Dolores Claiborne – by Stephen King – I raved about this on facebook when I read it, and now I feel guilty that its not recent enough in my memory to give this the praise it deserves. Let me try anyway. This book is a pure MASTERPIECE. Stephen King outdoes himself beyond belief with this book, and in fact, I’d say its one of the greatest books he ever wrote, if not the actual greatest. Its certainly a contender. With Dolores, King gives a fully developed, in depth character the likes I’ve hardly seen. By the end of the novel, you relate to her in a way you hardly ever have with another character—its like a bond you feel with someone you’ve known your whole life. King also is able to use the minutiae of a regular day to pull together the tapestry of a lifetime and then give you some poignant thoughts on friendships, relationships and “little battles” you fight every day of your life. And being the master of scaring the hell out of people, there is one sequence in this book that is as chilling as anything I’ve ever read, and it does not involve vampires, monsters, or serial killers—it involves two people who hate one another fighting for their lives. This was the highlight of all the books I’ve read in 2009. I can’t recommend it enough. And it has a very odd and original format: one long, 400 page chapter; it’s a continuous narrative with no chapters breaking it apart, and it flows so naturally that you find yourself reading it at clips of 100 pages at a time.
Death on the Nile – by Agatha Christie featuring Hercule Perot – I had never read Agatha Christie before until last year when I read the acclaimed “And then There were None” on my honeymoon. I liked it a lot and picked up this book to try another, and to give her legendary character Hercule Perot a try as well. And wow, it did not disappoint. I can see why Agatha Christie is the most read author of all time: here she shows her mastery of mystery, shocking twists, interesting characters, fascinating interactions that move the plot along, and amazing settings for the mystery to unfold. And above all, its completely fun and engrossing. Now I know from here on, a vacation won’t be complete without one of her mystery novels; they’re just too fun to pass up and trying to solve them as the book goes is part of that.
Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis – I’m not the biggest fan of Warren Ellis and generally avoid his comic books. But I do the same with Brad Meltzer and read one of his novels a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised. I saw this on sale at the book store and it had high praise wrapped around its cover, so I was intrigued. Plus I was on a mystery kick, so I figured I’d give it a try. Well, its completely nothing like I expected. And its pretty raunchy. In fact, its downright crossing lines, breaking boundaries and getting plain nasty in places. Here, Ellis takes things as far as they can possibly go to shock or appall the reader, making sure no topic is taboo. You name it, its in here, including fans of Godzilla dressing like the monster and having a bukake (don’t know what that is? Be thankful). And that’s not the worst of it. And yet, at times, the two main characters can be really relatable, and can make some great points about life and people. One super-liberal character visiting Texas realizes that “people are the same everywhere; there are good ones and assholes”, as they discuss the differences in political view that permeate the US. Would I recommend it? I think anyone who wants a good detective story with some pretty shocking crazy parts would like it. But if you don’t like gross-out humor, stay away. I enjoyed it while I read it a few weeks ago but looking back on it, I have no intention to reread.
Cobalt, Key West is awesome. Check out Irish Kevin's, Hog's Breath, or Sloppy Joe's? Knowing you probably all of them.
Thanks for the update on the pulp/mystery novels. I always wanted to read Chandler (or Hammet) and Agatha Christie as well. I actually own Death on the Nile but haven't read it.
I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan and have all his books (by Conan Doyle and others) I've never read any other mystery books.
I love the pulp genre and figured I would like those. I want to read Spillane, Dashiell Hammett, Nero Wolfe books, Agatha Christie, etc.
You're right on Jorge, I went to all 3
. It's actually my third time in Key West, I love it there (proposed to my wife there). I always hang out in Sloppy Joes and Irish Kevins--love those places! Our dog has a Sloppy's t-shirt via my wife.
You should check out Death on the Nile, you'll like it. Incredibly entertaining. I'm just getting into Chandler and Christie and like you, want to check out those other authors too. I haven't read a Holmes book since the 4th grade and think it's time I did--probably way overdue!
I always need at least one mystery on vacation to really enjoy being completely distracted from everyday life while I try to solve it.
Agatha Christie's worth checking out, but among her family of writers (Christie, Josephine Tey, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, Dorothy L. Sayers, Georgette Heyer when she's not doing Regency romances) she's probably the least literary. After you've found your feet with some of Christie's stuff you may want to check out some Sayers and watch her show Christie how it's done.
Two particularly good ones by Christie were "Murder on the Orient Express" (aka Murder in the Calais Coach) and "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd".
I'm also a big fan of the Nero Wolfe books; about ten years ago I made a point of hunting down each and every one of them in used bookstores.
Matthew tracking those old books in used book stores is half the fun right?
Someone else recommend Sayers to me. She said her detective stories about Lord Peter Wimsey and Montague Egg(sp? i forgot his name) were quite good.
They also recommended works by Anthony Berkeley, Ruth Rendell, and I want to say Edward Lee?
Matthew have you (or anyone else here) read anything about those last three?
I want to say they also suggested Leslie Charteris and Douglas Preston. The person that suggested it was a big mystery fiction buff.
I prefer the Lord Peter Wimsey stories to the Montague Egg ones. (And one thing about Sayers is that she gets better as she goes along; the later books are noticeably superior to the earlier ones. Not that there's anything wrong with the earlier ones.)
Have His Carcase is one of my favourite mysteries ever.
I'm not even sure I've heard of Berkeley or Lee (or Preston). I've certainly heard of Rendell, but I couldn't tell you if I've ever read anything by her.
I like Leslie Charteris's early stuff a lot, but after the first, oh, let's say ten Saint books it starts to feel like he's going through the motions. I wouldn't call it "mystery", though; they're more action novels or spy novels or thrillers or what have you.
Matthew tracking those old books in used book stores is half the fun right?
It is. You should see the spreadsheet I've got of all the books I'm still looking for in used bookstores: dozens of Agatha Christies, Ngaio Marshes, Erle Stanley Gardners (there's something you can try: Perry Mason. Nothing could be more formulaic, and yet Gardner manages to keep every book fresh), Encyclopedia Brown books, Three Investigators books, Danny Dunn books, Ed McBain, Ross Macdonald, John D. MacDonald, Lawrence Block... and those are just the mysteries!
I didn't think anyone but me loved Nero Wolfe! I've reread those books about every 10 years. They're not even in the public libraries around here anymore. There was also a series of radio plays on the CBC, I think back in the '80s, which were quite good.
Douglas Preston - I hadn't read any of his Pendergast novels, but picked up The Monster of Florence, a true crime book. The Monster of Florence was the murderer on whom Hannibal Lecter was based. The real Monster has never been found, although theories abound regarding his identity. Preston went to Italy and wound up working with a crime reporter on this story. It became incredibly personal when both the reporter and Preston were arrested themselves. It's also a very interesting tale of how personalities get in the way of prosecutions.
Fat Cramer, a good friend of mine read Monster of Florence and said it was real good. I didn't put two and two together...didn't realize he was the guy that wrote the Pendergast novels. Need to read his works asap. I'm interested in both The Monster and the Pendergast stuff.
by the way guys not sure if I mentioned this before here but there is a good website called
www.goodreads.com It's kind of like a myspace or book club. It helps me keep track of what I read and what people have suggested, etc.
I am currently reading "Methuseleh's Children" by Heinlein, and before that I read the third Tarzan book, which was preceeded by David Brin's "The Practice Effect," which was kind of a snoozer.
Okay, I bit the best seller bug and read Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. It's a real adventure/page turner, with pretty shallow characters. Also, I think he credits the Freemasons with much higher thinking than they actually practice, but what do I know.
The most interesting aspect for me was the description of all the symbolism (and its history) which has been incorporated into American architecture, city planning, rituals, language, etc. I haven't read any interviews or reviews, but I'm assuming this is factual, or mostly factual.
Lisa Lutz's Curse of the Spellmans. Second book of a series. Like the first book, it's hilarious.
I finished "Burning Chrome" by William Gibson. It contained a collection of his short stories. Johnny Mnemonic was pretty good, but the best story in the book was Dogfight. Really nice read. The rest of the book was a little lacking. Frankly, Gibson's success mystifies me somewhat.
I am currently reading the 4th Tarzan book, "The Son of Tarzan." So for I am about halfway through it, and it is easily the best of the Tarzan books I have read thus far.
In the middle of Jeff Gordinier's X Saves the World. It's right in my wheelhouse; it's one of the more entertaining GenX books I've read.
Unseen Academicals from Terry Pratchett.
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
This Immortal by Roger Zelazny. I got lucky and found Lord of Light, Madwand, and This Immortal in a used bookstore along with a Louis L'Amour book I never had before. Got all four books for less than fifteen dollars.
I love those lil' mom and pop places.
Was WARBREAKER the one that had color-based magic, Arachne? If so, I enjoyed it (though apparently not enough to remember the title...)
Did you know that author has been finishing the recently-deceased Robert Jordan's WHEEL OF TIME series?
The first volume of the trilogy that concludes WHEEL OF TIME is out. It's called THE GATHERING STORM. I enjoyed it-- it was fun revisiting this 'world' after so long.
And some events actually come together and reach conclusions, of a sort.
That's the one. I'm really enjoying it. Maybe not as much as the Mistborn trilogy, though. That knocked Song of Ice and Fire out of my top epic fantasy spot.
Funny you should mention The Gathering Storm, someone mentioned it on another board yesterday and I saw it in the store today. I gave up on that series a long time ago, though.
I am currently reading "The Broken Crown" by Michelle West. It's kind of a snoozer, so I read 1 chapter per day. The rest of my reading time is taken up by Gary Jennings "The Journeyer." Much better.
Just finished Get Real, the last Dortmunder story we'll ever see, by the late great Donald Westlake. What are we going to do without Westlake?
I just finished the 5th Tarzan book, "Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar." It was nowhere near as good as the last book in the series.
I have just started on one of the early Forgotten Realms novels, "Pool of Radiance."
Read Dashiell Hammett's Red Harvest last night.
Pretty good. I had known but forgotten the fact that it was a major influence on Yojimbo/A Fistful of Dollars, with the basic plot of a "man with no name" entering a corrupt town and then pitting the various factions against one another.
I'm readin "confessor" by Terry Goodkind.
Horrible book by a horrible write.
This series started of with a ton of potential then when downhill quick.
I'm only reading it because I invested so much time into the series (Sword of Truth).
Every book is worse than the last and serve as nothing more than a soapbox for goodkind to peach his ideals upon.
If your lucky you haven't started reading this series.
I really can't recommend this to anyone.
I continued the Hammett reading last night with The Dain Curse. It was okay, but I guessed the identity of the master villain really quickly.
I'm a firm believer in buying and getting people presents of newspapers and magazines, so for Christmas I got my mother and brother a subscription to National Geographic. I also got one for myself--this way, we can all read it each month and talk about anything really groovy, since we're always discussing science, politics, relgion, art, movies, etc. My Mom love National Geographic and kept meaning to get a subscription herself.
Got the first issue in and have been reading it during my lunch break when I don't have errands to run. Great reading when you're looking for something interesting to relieve your boredom!
Now reading "the Song of Tears" trilogy by Ian Irvine.
This is his third series and his writing improves with every book.
Each series is a sequel to the previous and all of them are great.
I'm only a few chapters into this new series (its fantasy, like most stuff I read) but it really good.
If you enjoy fantasy novels this series (and his previous two) are must reads.
Cobie, I got myself Nation Geo, NG Adventurer, and NG Traveler for my b-day back in Sept. NG Adventurer is getting cancelled though so they are extending my NG Traveler.
I am reading Fellowship of the Ring (almost done) and The Road by McCarthy.
I've finished reading all five Hammett novels since my last post.
The Maltese Falcon was absolutely fantastic! I was a bit worried, as I've loved the movie for years, but this is one of those rare cases in which the novel and the movie really complement one another, without one being clearly better than the other. The novel has a lot of interesting stuff that didn't make in the movie. Perhaps the coolest detail that's in the novel that's not in the movie is the fact that Brigit's fear/hatred of Cairo is the result of the fact that his homosexuality makes him immune to her manipulations. The movie makes certain plot elements move a lot more smoothly. One entire character (The Fat Man's daughter) is actually left out of the movie, though her appearance in the novel in so tantalizingly brief that I think the story probably works better without her.
The Glass Key was probably my least favorite of Hammett's novels. It was okay, but I just found it really hard to get into. Maybe the problem is that the hero was probably Hammett's most "anti-heroic" character.
The Thin Man is also one of my favorite movies, but, unlike The Maltese Falcon, I think it was clearly much improved in the movie version.
the Last days of Krypton by Kevin j. Anderson, the book takes place about a year before Kal-El's birth, it goes into the politcal climate of Krypton, and it's Xenophobia with the rest of the galaxy, the abduction of Kandor by Brainaic, the rise and fall of Zod to power, Jor-El's courting and marrage to Laura, Zor-el and his wife have an important role in the tale also, i'm 3/4 of the way finished with the book and i've noticed that Kara Zor-el has not been mentioned in the book at all so i'm guessing that the book is not Cannon.
I'm rereading Dune for the fifth time. Frank Herbert’s masterpiece does not dull with time and its impact on the science fiction genera is large.
I've also been reading some different sorts of books than what I am use to. Some cheap fantasy with more of a romance edge to them and some more mainstream stories. I am looking for some recommendations though on what is the good fantasy and sci-fi genera's today.
I've been so busy with my fanfictions though it's hard to read.
Just finished Dune. Now on to Dune Messiah.
Ha! Too funny! I recently noticed that I don't seem to own a cope of Dune any longer (it might be merely misplaced) so I picked up a copy at a used book store recently. It is near the top of the stack of books I will soon read. Best science fiction book ever, IMHO. I thought the sequels were quite lacking, though.
I did buy a copy of "Have Space Suit, Will Travel" by Robert Heinlein recently. I bought it off ebay for 99 cents. It is a well worn hardback, but does appear to be a first edition. Anyway, I read it quickly. I love the Heinlein juveniles!
I am currently reading "Shapechanger's Song" by Jennifer Roberson and the seventh Tarzan book - "Tarzan the Untamed." The Roberson book is mediocre, while this is one of the better Tarzan books. Tarzan vs. the Germans in Africa during WWI. Can't wait for the movie...
Originally posted by Kara Zor-El:
I've also been reading some different sorts of books than what I am use to. Some cheap fantasy with more of a romance edge to them and some more mainstream stories. I am looking for some recommendations though on what is the good fantasy and sci-fi genera's today.
Good fantasy...lets see for more Romanitic Fantasy you'll want to check out Elizabeth Hayden's "Symphony of the Ages" series or Lois Bujold's "Sharing Knife" series.
If you are looking for more Epic fantasy, then there are 3 modern writers to look into (none of these series are finished yet)
Stephen Erikson's "Malazan" books
Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series
George RR Martin's "Song of Icce and Fire" Series
Some other fantasy writers I have enjoyed include
Ian Irvine (currently reading his most recent series)
Russell Kickpatrick
Sara Douglass
Terry Brooks (more of a young adult writer, but still enjoyable)
Fred Saberhagen
Kate Elliott
One writer to avoid like the plague is Terry Goodkind. Most writer improve from book to book, he gets worse.
Currently reading McCarthy's The Road. Almost done.
Just finished the The Fellowship of the Ring, going to read The Two Towers next.
Ultra Jorge - You are reading some of my favourite ever books! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
I am currently reading (and LOVING!) a book by the Greek-Australian author Christos Tsiolkas called The Slap.
It came out last year (I think) and made somewhat of a splash on its debut - winning awards and getting lots of press and so on. And I believe it's now even being turned into a play.
The premise is killer IMO - Barkyard barbecue. Lots of people in attendance. Mixture of adults and children. One of the children is a badly-behaved brat and its overly-permissive parents barely do a thing to discipline it. Finally having enough, another adult delivers to the brat the eponymous *slap*. The fall-out begins.
A lot of people don't like this book and I can fully understand why. It is *very* adult - full of sex and drugs and promiscuity and swearing and nearly all of the characters are somewhat unlikeable... but gosh-darn if I can just not stop thinking about it, even long after I've put it down.
Tsiolkas' gift with the pen is outstanding IMO and his ability to bring these characters to life is *flawless*. I don't think I've ever read a book with as REAL-feeling people (the word "characters" just doesn't do them justice) in it.
I've still got about a 1/5 of the book to get through but I know it's going to be one that stays with me for a long time to come. Highly recommended.
P.S. I noticed there was some Agatha Christie discussion a few pages ago.
I was a big fan of hers in my teenage years and have been wanting to get some of those omnibus editions of her works so I can catch up on all the stories I missed out on.
Here's a link to a newspaper article listing her Top 10 mysteries...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/sep/15/top-10-agatha-christie-novels Somehow I've only managed to read two of them (
And Then There Were None and
Endless Night) but
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd has long been on my Must-Read list and this article does a fantastic job of keeping it at the top of that list!
You know its odd, despite all the reading I do, I've never read Agatha Christie. I never seem to get around to it.
I have to some day, I know I'm missing out.
I'm re-reading Isaac Asimov's classic Foundation trilogy for the first time in almost 30 years. I finished the first book this morning. The man was just so damed intelligent.
I'm about to start "Hocus Pocus" by Vonnegut. It's a new one for me, and I'm a fan of his work.
D'Shai by Joel Rosenburg. had Hour of the Octopus for years and couldn't find D'Shai. Found it and only read it twice. Been a couple of years so I'm going through it again.
Now reading book three of Lois McMaster Bujold's "sharing knife" series, called "Passage"
Not your typical fantasy fare, Bujold is a superb writer (with 4 hugo's to her credit). She has a very interesting take on magic in this series that works well. The cultural differences between the farmers and lakewalkers are well done, with tensions between the two being excellently portrayed.
However be forewarned, this book is classed a "romantic fantasy" and has more to do with the unlikely relationship between a Farmer woman and a Lakewalker man than it does with the slaying of hordes of evil-doers (though there is that too!)
Dedman, you're just a sucker for the romances
I'm reading "Ship of Magic" by Robin Hobb. Excellent book, a little tough to get into if your not a seafaring individual, but definetly worth it! I used to be stuck in the 'young-adult-vampire-drivel' category, but Dedman has gotten me completely hooked on a few different fantasy authors, and I can't thank him enough!
i'm reading the runelords....flew through numbers one and two, but number 3 is dragging.
i also read the furies of calderon but i liked runelords better.
funny, i started reading the time machine cause it was on my phone and i had nothing to read. kinda cool and a bit strange reading something in the second person...
I just finished reading "Dune," which I hadn't read in about 30 years. I thought the book was great all those years ago. I still think it is a pretty good read. Currently, I am reading the 8th Tarzan book - "Tarzan the Terrible." I am such a sucker for finishing a series, and there are 24 book in the Tarzan series. Luckily, Burroughs is always a pretty nice read.
Dedman, I might have to check out some of Bujold's work. Thanks for the tip!
Originally posted by Lance's realm:
Dedman, I might have to check out some of Bujold's work. Thanks for the tip!
No problem, its an excellent series. Her other fantasy novels are more stand-alone types but are really well written too. I haven't read her sci-fi stuff but with a writer of her quality, I expect it to be good as well.
I've moved on to a new Russell Kirkpatrick series "The Broken Man" the first book is called "Path of Revenge".
His writing is more epic in scale. I enjoyed his first series "Fire of Heaven" and this new one is turning out to be good as well.
I'm only a couple of hundred pages in, but I'm hooked!
Dandelion Wine by Bradbury. Its the essence of summer for kids boiled down into a novel. Very good.
Also reading Hotel Pastis by Peter Mayle.
I'm now on the final book of the "Broken Man" series.
Kirkpatrick is an awesome world builder, creating several distinct cultures and "mind-sets" in his books.
There's a revelation in this series which turns the events of his first series upside down and the series as a whole casts several characters in an entirely new light.
Excellent, engaging prose as well. This series has been keeping me away from my games and up late at night.
Bought and read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
Fun read.
I'm finally tackling Orson Scott Card's
Ender series. I'd only ever read the short version of "Ender's Game" before, but recently I was browsing through a table of remaindered books at a local discount store, and started flipping through
Shadow Puppets and got intruiged. So I picked up half a dozen of the books when I went to my local library to drop off a poster for "The Pirates of Penzance".
Originally posted by Lance's realm:
Ha! Too funny! I recently noticed that I don't seem to own a cope of Dune any longer (it might be merely misplaced) so I picked up a copy at a used book store recently. It is near the top of the stack of books I will soon read. Best science fiction book ever, IMHO.
There are plenty of people out there who agree, of course, but I've never considered any of the
Dune books to even be Frank Herbert's best work, let alone the best SF novel ever. When it comes to Herbert, I prefer his "Bureau of Sabotage" stories, especially the first novel in that setting,
Whipping Star.
Originally posted by Lance's realm:
I did buy a copy of "Have Space Suit, Will Travel" by Robert Heinlein recently. I bought it off ebay for 99 cents. It is a well worn hardback, but does appear to be a first edition. Anyway, I read it quickly. I love the Heinlein juveniles!
I recently purchased a couple of omnibus volumes of Heinlein juveniles from the Science Fiction Book Club, and enjoyed them quite a bit (I'd never read
Rocket Ship Galileo or
The Star Beast before), but I was a bit put off by the high number of proofreading errors in both volumes. Another case of over-reliance on spellcheck software, no doubt.
I Finished my last book and have moved on to another.
Now readsing "Toll the Hounds" by Steven Erikson, part od the "Malazan books of the Fallen" series
Not digging this book so far (I'm about 200 pages in). I think most of my problem (despite the book being well written) is the fact that I haven't read this series in a very long time, making it hard for me to get up to speed on things.
Let's see, recently I finished "The Bourne Identity." This is certainly the best spy thriller I have ever read. I first read this book many years ago, and proceeded to read many other Ludlum books - the funny thing is, I didn't like any of the others. Even the subsequent Bourne books were lame. I finally decided Ludlum wrote only one good book and his rep was built off of it. Oh, and my wife and I both hated the recent movie.
I finished the 9th Tarzan book, "Tarzan and the Golden Lion," which was pretty good.
I didn't seem to enjoy Dune nearly as much as I did when I was in my teens. Opinions change over time, I suppose.
I also bought one of the more expensive books I have purchased - Heinlein's "The Man Who Sold the Moon and Other Stories." I paid $1.80 for it. The thing is, I only bought it for one story. "Let There Be Light" hasn't been reprinted anywhere else that I can find, so I bought the book just for a 20 page story. I paid about 9 cents per page, so this is equivalent to paying $45 for a 500 page book. Still cheaper than comic books though....
I'm reading "I was told there'd be cake," a collection of essays by Sloane Crosley ... kinda like a female David Sedaris ... a couple of laugh out loud moments, including one reference to Smurfette's closet ...
I am currently reading "Raptor" by Gary Jennings. This man must have put a staggering amount of research into each of his historical novels. Can anyone recommend any other novelists who wrote historical fiction? Thanks!
The last new thing I read was "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter." Was surprisingly good, especially for those who happen to have read some Lincoln biographies.
Y'know, as I was composing my previous post I got to wondering if anyone has read any James Michener. Has anyone here read his books and care to venture an opinion/endorsement?
I just finished "Raptor," so now on to the 10th Tarzan book, "Tarzan and the Ant Men."
I just finished a Forgotten Realms novel, "Pool of Twilight," which was surprisingly good! I just started Heinlein's "Waldo & Magic Inc."
^^^ As a D&D geek I used to love those old Forgotten Realms books. I seem to remember thinking Pool of Twilight was one of my faves too.
I'm currently reading a book called Adverbs by (I think) Daniel Handler who was the author of those Lemony Snickets books. Though unlike that series, this book is for adults.
I'm enjoying it so far but it's a very hard book to describe. I'm about halfway through and there are no main characters (so far), no consistent location or time-period to the chapters and wildly varying tones (the most frequent being comedy and tragedy). If I had to pick one thing to say it was about I would say 'Love' in all it's many shapes and forms. It's a very different book but I love that about it and the author's skill with words and wordplay is simply excellent. It's got me interested in reading the Lemony Snickets books now too.
Blacula, "Pool of Twilight" is the third book in the trilogy. "Pool or Radiance" was ok, and "Pools of Darkness" was kind of a struggle to get through, but the third book was just so good! One of the few Forgotton Realms books not by Salvatore or Niles that I really enjoyed!
^ Gosh. I can't remember anything about that trilogy of books other than their names. And the covers. I think my brother had a poster of one them on his wall MANY years ago.
I really enjoyed most of those 'Forgotten Realms' books though. I read the 'Icewind Dale Triolgy' which was great but I was never a Drizzt fan so I quickly bored of all the follow-ups that focused on him. I remember 'The Curse of the Azure Bonds' trilogy being a lot of fun too. I liked a lot of those 'Harpers' books too but can't really remember who appeared in them or what they were about.
That series of books was so ubiquitous in bookshops once upon a time though. What ever happened to them?
PS I'm still reading and loving Adverbs. I don't think I've ever read a book like it in my life. VERY interestingly plotted/constructed. And it's very funny AND moving. I highly recommend it.
I'm currently reading Hammock Camping by Ed Speer and The Last Olympian by Riordan. Then it's on the latest Patricia Briggs novel.
A biography of Keith Richards, which I rushed through so I could finally donate it to my library.
Before that, it was "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", the Jane Austen/zombie mash-up novel by a guy whose name I can't recall. I expected to dislike it, but it was pretty funny.
I got to meet the author at C2E2, and he seemed like a decent guy. Said his next project will have a similar theme to his previous books but won't use historical or famous literary characters. They were passing out free copies of his latest, "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter", to people waiting in line and I got a copy of that and the zombie book signed.
After watching season 1 of Lost on Blu-ray (yes, I have a lot of catching up to do), I'm trying to find my old copies of A Wrinkle in Time and Watership Down -- books that Sawyer is seen reading on the beach.
Lost references a LOT of books that I'd like to read someday but haven't yet. Those are two examples. Another is Slaughterhouse-Five.
I read Slaughterhouse Five a few months ago--I highly recommend it! It was unlike anything else, and I liked it so much, I read a whole bunch of Vonegut's other books. I also recommend Breakfast of Champions (after Slaughterhouse Five).
Vonnegut strikes me as one of those "really cool at a certain point in your life but not as interesting if you read him at the wrong point" kind of authors. I've read a couple of his books, but I can't say I'm really a huge fan.
I kind of see what you're saying Eryk, and I've agreed with you on the past that both 'Lord of the Flies' and 'On the Road' definitely fall into that category.
But I don't think I'd go that far with Vonnegut. His books strike me as his own way at lashing out against his perceived social ills of the world, and his writing style shatters any normal narrative structure. I think you can kind of relate to Vonnegut at any point in your life in terms of age or circumstance. He definitely expresses a frustration with governments, popular culture and people in general, and if you're feeling more optimistic than pessimistic at the time you're reading him, you might be turned off. Despite that string of pessimism though, I think Vonnegut expresses some really beautiful ideas and characteristics about humanity in his works.
Obviously, I was in a more sentimental, existential state of mind when I read his works than you were.
So yeah, I guess you're right--your reaction to his work depends a lot on your mood at the time.
But I wouldn't rope it in with Lord of the Flies, which I think is really a book for teenagers.
I'm reading The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber. It's extremely gothic. An ethereal heroine, a Byronic hero, ghosts everywhere, and it's even set during the Jack the Ripper murders. It should be complete drivel, but I'm loving it. The author really knows the time period and there are little references to "true" ghost stories, which are fun easter eggs if you're into that stuff. It's also an interesting take on classical mythology, at least so far.
To be honest I've been so stuck in comics lately I haven't finished reading Winter Moon by Dean Koontz.
Originally posted by Arachne:
I'm reading The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber. It's extremely gothic. An ethereal heroine, a Byronic hero, ghosts everywhere, and it's even set during the Jack the Ripper murders. It should be complete drivel, but I'm loving it. The author really knows the time period and there are little references to "true" ghost stories, which are fun easter eggs if you're into that stuff. It's also an interesting take on classical mythology, at least so far.
I'm not really into those type of books but for some reason your description there has gotten me quite interested in reading it, Arachne. I might have to look for it next time I'm in need of a book to read.
Which will unfortunately probably be a long way away as I already have a massive pile waiting to be read next to my bed -
* The Name of the Rose
* Netherland
* Revolutionary Road
* The New York Trilogy
* Everything is Illuminated
* My Name is Red
* The Letters of Jessica Mitford
* Cloud Atlas
* A Brief History of Time
... and many more.
I'm reading "One Thousand White Women" by Jim Fergus for a book discussion group ... a fictional account of a "Brides for Indians" program back in the 1870's ... very clever story with a well-developed array of characters eager to give up their unhappy lives and take "savages" as their husbands to help ease U.S./Native American relations ...
i am re-reading the gathering storm by brandon sanderson/robert jordan. it gives me courage.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larson.
Stieg Larson unfortunately died after completing these three novels, so no more stories about the maddeningly strange Lisbeth Salander.
Lisbeth is a peculiar young woman, anti-social to the point of being considered retarded by some people, angry and extremely violent in her own or others' defense, with an extemely troubled past. But she's also a brilliant hacker and analyst with her own strict moral code. She works as a free-lance investigator for a Stockholm security company.
Mikael Blomkvist is an investigative journalist, working primarily on financial crime cases.
The two come together in the first book to investigate a 40-year old unsolved murder, and uncover sensational corporate crime along with a modern-day serial murderer.
The second novel finds Lisbeth implicated in three murders, and she goes on the run as she tries to solve the mystery and clear her name. Blomkvist believes her innocent and works the case from his own end. The two are plunged into the worlds of sex trafficking and Sweden's most hidden security agency.
The third book continues the story... I'm mid-way through it.
There's a movie out based on the first book. It's pretty faithful to the novel, although much less complicated, with fewer characters. Lisbeth and Mikael are very faithfully depicted.
Wow... Some really interesting books being read by everyone here.
I'm reading The Outline of the History of the World by H.G. Wells.
I liked the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo quite a bit (think I talked about it earlier on this thread), but never read the other two. Are you enjoying those, FC?
Maybe I'll check them out. I found Lisbeth to be a great character I wanted to read more about.
They're all real page turners. Lisbeth reminds me somewhat of the Secret Six characters; although she's not a villain, she's pretty wild and dangerous and a little nutty in her own way, and I adore her - on paper, I don't think I could handle her in person.
The final book (Hornet's Nest) I'm enjoying more than the middle one. There was a lot of Lisbeth's personal story uncovered in the middle book, but this third one has a nicely complex tangle of secret agency hijinks, spies spying on spies.
On April 3rd I posted that I was reading "Toll the Hounds".
I'm still reading it. Egads I've been busy
Just finished From Hell, With Love and now I'm burning though Terrific Garden Tonics. I'm also working through DIY plumbing and patio, decks and pool books as well.
"The Lion" by Nelson DeMille, "The Prince of Mist" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins ... the first book for diversion, the latter two YA books for "research," for lack of a better word ..."The Hunger Games" is surprisingly moving so far ... not what I expected ...
I am on page 400 (approximately) of the Mists of Avalon.
can anyone tell me if it's worth going more into ?
I like it, and at first I was excited it was 1000 pages cause then it would last a while but now .... it's a bit slow.
Just finished a book on the history of California punk rock. Not bad; especially since a lot of the folks interviewed are not afraid to look like complete morons.
Next up is probably a history/tribute to the Hammer film studio.
I finished reading The Great Gatsby, even though I was supposed to read it for the 11th Grade I never really read it a few days ago.
Last night I finished reading a British teen horror novel called Nobody's Child, and then I read a book called The Wave, it's based on this event that happened in California in 1969, when a high school teacher's attempt to teach his students about the Nazi Party lead to an experiment that got out of control.
I tried to read a little more of Interview With The Vampire, which I haven't finished since I started it... in 2007. The only Anne Rice novel I've ever finished is The Mummy.
I started re-reading a book by Christopher Pike called The Midnight Club. It's about five teenagers in a hospice for people their age, who get together at midnight to tell stories.
Originally posted by Sarcasm Kid:
I tried to read a little more of Interview With The Vampire, which I haven't finished since I started it... in 2007.
I can relate. I tried to read it over 10 years ago and could only get so far because I thought it was so laughably bad.
My brother's tried finishing the Witching Hour since last year, but he says Anne Rice spends whole chapters just describing parts of the house.
I finished The Midnight Club and started on another Pike book which I already read, but my parents bought me a copy (by mistake) for Christmas/my birthday. Monster.
At quarterback Jim Kline's party at the beginning of the school year, Angela Warner watches her best friend Mary Blanc arrive... with a loaded shotgun. Mary proceeds to murder football player Todd and cheerleader Kathy within six seconds and attempts to kill Jim before Angela and the police manage to stop her.
At the police station, Angela tries to learn why Mary has done what she did. And Mary tells Angela that the two she killed, and Jim, were no longer human. That they are, or are starting to become, monsters, who have already killed four people, and there may be more of them. Angela thinks Mary is crazy at first, but doing a little digging she learns Mary might not be crazy at all, but Angela fears she's becoming just like Jim and the others.
I finished that book as well.
I'm trying to read two others. Fall Into Darkness (which was made into a TV movie) and Witch.
The Hammer tribute book was OK. A little low on history and high on in-jokey humor, but there nice bits about Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
Next up is "Flowers of Evil", a collection of essays on modern Japanese horror films.
I'm reading In Search of the Woman Warrior by Richard J. Lane and Jay Wurts. I admit, I was a little put off when I realized it was written by two men, neither of whom seem to have scholarly backgrounds. The book's good, though. It discusses a lot of warrior women from myth, fiction and in real life. There's a lot of interesting stories in it. I'm not sure I like them shoving the women into four archetypes, but it's certainly better than shoving them into one archetype, which is more typical, I think. And the theories on how they represent a warriors journey are interesting.
I'm working on a biography of Mack Sennett and the Keystone/Triangle cast and crew. They had an major effect on the develop of comedy. As you might expect, there's more than enough tragedy here as well.
The prose style is stretching a bit to be off the wall, but instead its pretty dry.
I've been on a fiction reading binge. Mainly suspense fiction. The best of what I've read in the last couple of weeks:
Fantasy in Death by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts.) I love the
...in Death series. It's set in a fun, futuristic world (flying cars!) with lots of great characters and interesting mysteries. Eve and Roarke are one of best long term couples in serial fiction. (Comic writers should be forced to read this series before breaking up long term couples.) This one is about a computer gaming CEO killed while playing is top secret new game. It's a fun possible future of Geekdom. Eve, of course, thinks it's nuts. (Peabody, on the other hand, loves going undercover to a gaming con.)
Die for Me by Karen Rose. This one's not so fun, but it's a real page turner, none the less. By remarkable coincidence, it also involves computer gaming. In the present, this time. The killer in this is truly psycho; killing people with authentic historical methods. Fortunately, the book doesn't go into too much detail about the crimes. It could have gotten pretty gross. The hero and heroine (a homicide detective and an archaeologist brought in to help find the bodies and explain some of the methods the killer uses) are good, well rounded characters with solid back stories. Seeing them interact with their families is almost as good as seeing them solve the crime.
Dead Secret by Beverly Connor. I haven't finished this one, but I'm loving it. It's part of the Diane Fallon Forensic Investigation series about a forensic anthropologist running a museum and a crime lab. In this one, Diane and friends come across a decades old corpse while caving. They think it's simply caver who died in a tragic accident, but strange things start happening after the discovery. Starting with Diane and her friend getting stabbed at a funeral. Meanwhile, Diane receives a centuries old skeleton of contested ownership from England, supposedly that of a witch. I got this from the library, but they don't have all the books in the series, so I think I'm going to have to go on a book hunt when I'm finished this one.
And for something completely different --
Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce. This book got my attention with the description of a decrepit house with 11 thousand shifting rooms. I just love that sort of thing. It's a young adult book about 13 year old Flora, a young girl trying to find a way to tell her mother that she doesn't want to join the army on her fourteenth birthday (the legal age of adulthood -- where have I heard that before?) which is only a week away. Complicating things is the house. It's falling apart, and Flora and her family are forced to live in just a few rooms with no help to keep it up. Since her mother's always away, and her father's crazy, the upkeep is entirely up to Flora, so when she accidentally discovers their magical butler, who her mother banished years ago, Flora sets out to restore him with the help of her friend Udo and her dog. This book is cute, funny and extremely fast paced and action packed. It is sooo hard to put down. I was really surprised. The world is pretty fascinating, too. It combines all sorts of past cultures with some modern elements thrown in. It's pretty surreal. Flora's a great character. Short and a little chubby, but smart, sassy and determined to get things done.
Just read Keeper by Rucka - Good book.
Now reading The Hobbit
I finished Starship Troopers. It was fun.
Reading Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith currently. Pretty good.
STILL reading Return of the King. You guys warned me that the other LOR books didn't read as fast as the Hobbit.
Dev-Em, Hobbit is a good, fast and fun read. can't wait for the movie.
Finished the Hobbit. Reading a half hour or so at a time at lunch when I can. Great read, and looking forward to the movie(s) as well.
Gotta find what's next on the list.
waiting for y the last man volume 4 to be released.
meanwhile am burning through the walking dead.
i bought volumes 4 and 5 tpbs off of amazon and bought 3 to tide me over yet ... i've already finished it and now have to wait two days because of this labor day while 4 and 5 come.
so i have nothing to read at the moment.
any suggestions? looking for something similar.
thaaanks
Originally posted by Sarcasm Kid:
My brother's tried finishing the Witching Hour since last year, but he says Anne Rice spends whole chapters just describing parts of the house.
A couple a years ago I read Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Several times in the book he spends pages just listing the type of fish and sea plants the protagonist saw. :snore:
I just bought a bunch of books (non-fiction).
The one I just finished is "White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son" by Tim Wise. The book examines white privilege. Mr. Wise argues that 1) racism still exists, 2) that white privilege applies to all white people regardless of their economic status, 3) that white people need to acknowledge the privilege in order to combat racism, and 4) how the privilege actually hurts white people even as they benefit from it. He will make his point and then back it up with examples and personal anecdotes. The book is very straight forward and does not have a holier than thou attitude. Mr. Wise tells of some of his own mis-steps and when he was wrong. A couple of times he would write something to the effect "When will you..." but right after the "you" he would put in parentheses "will we".
The book does make you think.
I'm currently reading 'The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard'. A collection by Del Rey.
http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Storie...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1285772424&sr=1-1 I've never read much pulp fiction (or anything by Howard) before and I have to say... I'm *loving* it! Absolutely perfectly what I need to be reading right now in between all my boring Uni study.
None of the stories have been particularly scary so far (though I'm not very far into it and it's a big book) and it's very much in that old-school horror vein where only the wicked get punished and the good/virtuous people usually escape from their horrible circumstances relatively scot-free. But as a diverse collection of short mysterious adventure/thriller stories with spooky/creepy undertones and larger than life characters - it's excellent.
It's gotten me definitely interested in tracking down some of Howard's other works (especially Solomon Kane) and also learning more about the man. I can't believe he committed suicide at only 30. What a tragedy!
Has anyone else read much of Howard's work? Any recommendations?
Not much lately. The damn diabeties has made it so my eyes can see great from three feet away and further, but close up...? pure shite. So, I'm not used to the glasses yet.
Really miss reading.
I'm still chipping away at "Dust of Dreams" by Steven Erikson.
Feels like I've been reading it for ages. Seems like lately the only time I really get to read is when I go to bed. So, 20 or 30 pages a day is all i manage.
Really good book though, tons of character moments and its really densely plotted. Almost every detail matters!
I love the early 'Anita Blake' books by Laurel K. Hamilton (the ones before it became soft-porn) and 'The Dresden Files' series by Jim Butcher (the last one really shocked the *you-know-what* out of me).
Currently I am reading 'Let the right one in' on which the movie (2 movies with the same title actually) 'Let Me In' is based..... totally disturbing.
Just finished Devil May Care, the latest James Bond novel by Sebastian Faulks.
Read Dickens' "The Chimes" for the first time this afternoon. Let's just say there's no mystery as to why it's not as popular as "A Christmas Carol"...
Ghost of a Chance by Simon Green. The plots are see through thin, but the characters he creates are just phenomenal.
Just got A Hard Day's Knight by Simon Green. Loved it. Like I just said above, the plots are somewhat thin, but thats really okay, cause the characters and the depth of writing about those characters is freakin' outstanding.
Originally posted by Quislet, Esq.:
Originally posted by Sarcasm Kid:
[b] My brother's tried finishing the Witching Hour since last year, but he says Anne Rice spends whole chapters just describing parts of the house.
Once they start padding with worthless description its pretty much over for me. You want to give me a sense of the room, just a few details will give it to me because my mind will fill in the blanks. Unless its something very specific that the story hinges on, say it and get out.
Originally posted by Blacula:
I'm currently reading 'The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard'. A collection by Del Rey.
http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Storie...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1285772424&sr=1-1
I've never read much pulp fiction (or anything by Howard) before and I have to say... I'm *loving* it! Absolutely perfectly what I need to be reading right now in between all my boring Uni study.
None of the stories have been particularly scary so far (though I'm not very far into it and it's a big book) and it's very much in that old-school horror vein where only the wicked get punished and the good/virtuous people usually escape from their horrible circumstances relatively scot-free. But as a diverse collection of short mysterious adventure/thriller stories with spooky/creepy undertones and larger than life characters - it's excellent.
It's gotten me definitely interested in tracking down some of Howard's other works (especially Solomon Kane) and also learning more about the man. I can't believe he committed suicide at only 30. What a tragedy!
Has anyone else read much of Howard's work? Any recommendations? I always loved that old pulp stuff. Very fun. I liked a lot of the classics as well, such as Poe and Verne.
i just finished 'Changes' from the Dresden files
Just read the novelization of "The Wicker Man". Lot's of expansion on the themes and the characters, but of course the same end... poor Howie. LoL!
Gilded Latten Bones by Glen Cook. Its part of the Garrett series, which I have read for years.
I hate to say it but so many of my favorites are winding down now, it seems.
Piers Anthony seems to have abandoned anything except Xanth, which frankly doesn't have the old appeal. Robert Asprin... has died. Terry Pratchett has early onset Alzheimer. Louis L'Amour is dead. Robert B. Parker is dead. James Lee Burke seems to be winding up his Robicheaux series. Spider Robinson seems to have closed down Callahan's. Roger Zelazny, the Great One as I call him, is gone. J.A. Jance seems to have closed out JP Beaumont. Dick Francis is having help from his son, and while its good, it doesn't have that old feel.
But I have found one or two that I like. Simon Green is good and A. Martinez is doing some really fun stuff.
I go into the bookstore looking for new stuff in the Scifi/Fantasy and it seems that the overwhelming majority is fantasy romance vampire stuff for women and teen girls.
No one seems to want to put out any stuff thats just fun scifi any more. At least, nothing that seems like it's in my wheelhouse.
Right now, Posts, lol. Trying to find some that interest me so I can complete this damn challenge I set for myself.
Since my last post I have finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy and have also read...
The Colorado Kid
Pillars of the Earth (pretty good)
The Name of the Rose (great)
Currently reading The Alchemist (a bit too self-helpish for my tastes but not bad)
^ I hated
The Alchemist. What a disappointing book. Coelho is made out to be this incredible author (and I'm sure some of his other books are better) but I found that one to be so trite and ordinary and (not spoiling anything here Ultra Jorge) but it's BIG, IMPORTANT message is so weak and superficial it almost feels like it came from a bumper sticker!
A self-help children's book for someone who has never done a moment's introspection is probably a good way to describe that book. Ugh!
As far as shockingly pedestrian, bumper-sticker level philosophising and woefully-written, fictional self-help books go though, nothing can beat
The Celestine Prophecy for me. Easily the *worst* book I have ever read. I still cringe at the thought of it. Ugh x a milion!
The Name of the Rose looks fab though. That's been sitting on my shelf waiting to be read for about six months now. I need to get around to it one day soon. I've been putting it off hoping I'll forget the events of the movie and therefore be surprised by what happens in the book but I don't think it's working.
Guess I'll just have to go in spoiled.
Tell me Ultra Jorge - was the Latin a problem for you? I remember reading the first chapter or so a while ago and thinking that there were a few paragraphs that I just couldn't understand and wondered if I was even meant to.
---
The book I'm currently reading is called
The Tall Man by a journalist called Chloe Hooper. It's a true-life account of the death in custody of an Aboriginal man on Palm Island off Australia's east coast and the resulting court case of the policeman accused of his killing.
It won pretty much every Australian book award going a couple of years ago and it's not hard to see why - it's an incredibly good book. A very multi-layered one too. It doesn't just tell you the story of the doomed man and his alleged killer but also paints a very moving and intense portrait of the history of Aboriginal culture and identity in Australia and the problematic relationship that exists between the 'whitefella' and the 'blackfella' here today.
It's a somewhat sad and moving book but Hooper writes with a fairly light and easy-to-read prose so it never feels too heavy, and the story of the death, the riot that followed and the eventual court case is such an interesting one that the pages almost fly by.
Highly recommended.
I'm currently taking a little trip back in time with John Gardner's James Bond books. I get on kicks like that every once in a while.
And I am contemplating buying Rhino Ranch. It closes out the Last Picture Show series from Larry McMurtry. I say thinking about it because Dwayne's Depressed was so much of an end to the story I don't know if there's much more to say that wouldn't be very maudlin, akin to emotion porn for me. And I just ain't that deep. Ask anyone here.
Hey Blacula. Thanks for the heads up on the Alchemist. I was hoping it would get a bit deeper. Sadly though there are probably people who need this type of book. Certainly it's a simple fable and not much more.
The Name of the Rose I either could figure the Latin out myself (the gist of it) or would sometimes look it up. The toughest part of the book was the intense history regarding different orders of monks, heresies, and religious controversies of the middle ages. I had to wiki almost all of that so I can see how that played into the book.
Just started reading 2 books,
The Dude's Guide to Pregnancy which is a humourous look at pregnancy from a male perspective
and
Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven the sequel to his sci-fi classic Ringworld
I'm currently re-reading All-Star Squadron, and have started T. Jefferson Parker's the Renegades. He's a favorite author of mine.
Right now I'm reading Dark Prophecy: A Level 26 Thriller Featuring Steve Dark, the digi-novel version, on my iPad. Pretty great read so far and the best use yet of the iPad for interacting with the material you read. Every ebook should be done this way.
Let the Great World Spin - Colum McCann
Not two far into it and I have no idea where it's going... has something to do with someone walking a tight rope between the Twin Towers... not exactly light vacation reading but a couple of friends and I started a book group with this as our first book...
John Gardner's Scorpious, a James Bond thriller. Part of it is set in Hilton Head, SC. That may be the second time he used that setting, if I recall correctly. I think he used it one time before with the Nina Bloefeld story.
Currently reading Truman by David McCullough. I have Cleopatra: a Life by Stacy Schiff on deck.
Jazz: A History of America's Music by Geoffrey Ward & Ken Burns. It's the companion book to Burns' documentary.
What happens to my contribution to this particular thread if I CAN'T read?
Originally posted by future king:
What happens to my contribution to this particular thread if I CAN'T read?
future king...you know that person/machine who reads all these posts to you? Have them post what
they're reading.
Silly person from north of the border...
I am ashamed to say that I am not currently reading anything of note.
Can anyone recommend anything good for me start back on? There are so many choices when I walk into a Chapters/Indigo store nowadays!
My Mac Photoshop tutorials. Again.
One of these days I'm sure it'll all sink in...
I'm halfway thru "Just Kids"- this year's National Book Award winner by punk poet/musician Patti Smith & I highly recommend it.
It's an autobiography/biography of Smith & her dear, departed friend, the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
The story is ravenously compelling & Smith's spare prose is achingly beautiful. Sometimes, I have to stop & re-read a passage just to soak in the heart-rending perfection of it. Plus, it's so emotionally raw & honest, that I've found myself on the verge of tears more than once while reading it.
Even if you have no idea who Smith & Mapplethorpe are, this book is a must-read for any fan of fine literature.
Excel tutorials.
:rolleyes:
There is not enough caffeine on the entire planet to save my braincells. I fully expect them to melt from boredom and start dribbling out my ears by Thursday or Friday. But hey-- anything for a buck, right?
Here\'s a short article & an excerpt from "Just Kids".
Lately, not much. I occasionally get to read out of the big book of amber, but thats about it. Been to busy lately to read much.
I just finished Neil Gaimen's Neverwhere. I liked it a lot. Not the greatest book ever, but a really good enjoyable read.
Prior to that I had read "How The Other Half Lives:Studies Among the Tenements of New York" by Jacob Riis. This book was written in 1890 and was a sensation of the day exposing the actual conditions of the poor of New York. I think what made the book such a success and influence was the actual photographs included in the book. At times it seems like Mr. Riis is blaming the poor for a lot of their own ills, but the trust of the book is that it is the environment that shapes the people. And reading it with a modern day sensability, you can see some very obvious racism. The Italians are used to living in dirt and like it that way. The Germans are hard working and regimented. Black people love to gamble to the point of it being a compulsion. The Jews worship money. etc. The book is good for the photos and descriptions of tenament life.
For Christmas last year, my mother bought an anthology book of horror stories, 13 More Tales of Horror, it's a sequel to a anthology book called 13, and both stories focus more-or-less on stories aimed at teenagers. However, 13 More was published in England, so that's where all the stories take place.
I've three stories left to read in 13 More, but I've started re-reading some of the stories in 13, including a couple I haven't read so far even though I've owned the book for years.
One of the noteworthy stories that I find myself constantly re-reading in 13 is called "A Little Taste of Death" by Patricia Windsor. A teenage girl named Louey is spending the summer with her grandmother in the South (not the Deep South, but more like Georgia or South Caroline) while her parents go on an anniversary vacation. Louey reads an ad in the newspaper which brings her to remember an incident from her childhood. When she was younger and travelling with her mother on a train, a man gave her a red lollipop. Her mother told her to throw it away, but Louey kept it and tasted it. The ad in the paper is calling for anyone who had a similar experience to come to a meeting, it might be the difference between life and death.
Louey attends the meeting, and most of the people there, teenagers, are all talking about "changes" they are going through, supposedly brought on from eating the lollipops they were given. Louey, though, has no idea what they are talking about, and leaves as the group discusses committing suicide rather than submitting to these horrible changes. Subsequently, as the people who attended the group start showing up in the obituaries, Louey's finding it harder to control her temper around her grandmother, and begins dreaming about one of the boys she met at the group, Bobby Lee. This is adjacent to a vandal having trashed Gran's living room the night of the meeting, and heads to a climax when someone boils a dog on the kitchen stove.
Bobby Lee comes from Louey, intending to kill her as he did the others. But she simply tells him off. You see, she only had one lick of the red lollipop before her mother threw it away. So, she doesn't have to go with him, as she only had a little taste of death.
What compels me towards this story is how the reader is left to analyze and try to guess just what these "changes" are that have fallen those who ate and finished the lollipops.
I recently read the "Wizard of Earthsea" trilogy by Ursula K. LeGuin. It is supposed to be a classic among fantasy literature, but I thought it was really really dull.
I am just about finished with Shogun, which I haven't read in about 20 years or so. What a great story!
I re-read a two part Fear Street story called "Fear Hall". I didn't recall that much about it, only that it involved a girl whose boyfriend began killing guys whom her roommates had been going out with because he kept mistaking them for her.
The series is about Hope Mathis, her roommates Angel, Eden, and Jasmine, and her boyfriend Darryl. The first book shifts the narrative from Hope to her friends, as they try to convince Hope to turn Darryl in to the police after her murders two boys that Angel and Eden have gone out with. Darryl apparently mistook them for Hope and got insanely jealous. Throughout the first book, there are subtle hints that show that something is off with Hope and her friends. Three girls who live in the same dorm as Hope, Melanie, Marge, and Mary, are perceived as snobs by Hope and her roommates. They're usually seen staring at Hope, or one of her roommates, and speaking in hushed voices around her.
We also learn that Hope had grown up with a horribly abusive mother. Emotionally, that is. Probably because Hope had always been a bit chubby and her mother was thin. She once handcuffed herself to her daughter to stop her from seeing a boy.
We eventually learn that, Hope doesn't actually have any roommates, or a boyfriend. Angel, Eden, Jasmine, and Darryl are all split personalities that Hope developed as a result of her mother's treatment. The first three, actually. Darryl manifested after she learned that the aforementioned boy she went out with in high school only went out with her as a joke (although it's my belief her mother was the one who told her this). Whenever the narrative shifted, it was merely one of the other personalities becoming dominate. Hope actually killed those boys while Darryl was in control, although when he kills a second time it's seen through the Eden personality's eyes. Those times people were concerned about her, or the three Ms speaking in hushed tones or asking if Hope was alright, was because they saw her talking to herself or heard her arguing. Or she was acting like a different person or, from their perspective, she was referring to "Hope" as a different person.
In the first book, Darryl actually winds up killing the Eden personality. Those three had been trying to convince Hope to "break up" with Darryl, which could be interpreted as her mind trying to get a better control on her violent impulses, similar to the way some of Crazy Jane's personalities in Doom Patrol had been trying to fix Jane's splintered mind while the others were content with just acting as buffers and were afraid of merging.
The sad thing is, Hope doesn't even realize she's sick
The second book has Hope and her "friends" on the run after the police have labelled her the number-one suspect in the previous two murders. The narrative shifts between Hope, the Darryl personality, Melanie of the three Ms, and a new character named Chris who Hope begins seeing under a false name, "Karen". This book expands on Melanie and her friends and we see that they aren't that snobbish. Darryl begins targeting them because "he" is doing it to please Hope because they called her crazy, even though Hope doesn't want anything to do with "him". We also learn that, when Darryl first manifested, he "saved" Hope from her previous relationship by killing said boy, so this isn't actually a new thing for Hope.
I felt sad for Hope, in that the abuse she suffered from her mother was so bad her mind fractured to create a support group for herself, and that she'd been living with these split personalities for years without any help.
For an R.L. Stine book, this made me wonder, will a person go to hell for something their split personality committed. And, do split personalities have souls of their own?
I actually have read a couple of good ones over the past few months. One was "The Seven Percent Solution" by Nicholas Meyer. This one was a Sherlock Holmes story. (Used by permission.)
One of the best I have read lately was "Little Fuzzy" by H. Beam Piper. I read all 3 of Piper's Fuzzy books, but the first one was the best. At the center of the story is the age-old question, "What makes a person a person?" I highly recommend the first book!
I really enjoyed both of these.
I am currently reading a triad of William Gibson books. I thought Neuromancer was pretty dull. I am reading Count Zero now, and am quite bored. I don't know if I am even gonna try Mona Lisa Overdrive.
Just finished "Leaving Las Vegas". Very good, but pretty soul crushing. I was surprised how faithful the movie was to the parts it covered (about the last third of the book), but how little of Sera's story was in the film (which made the relationship that much more tragic).
"Count Zero" has become one of those books where I resolve to read at least one chapter each day so I will eventually get through it. I am now reading my very old copy of "The Wizard of Oz." Didja know in the book the slippers are not ruby, but rather are silver?
"Just Kids" by Patti Smith. It's her memories of her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe. My partner, David, and I have both had a love and admiration for the works of Smith and Mapplethorpe for years. One of my most prized possessions is a framed Mapplethorpe print of an iris that David bought me for my 30th birthday.
One of his nurses saw the print when she was at the house a few months ago. It started a long conversation about Mapplethorpe and Smith. The nurse later bought the book and gave it to David as a gift.
He has been taking it to his chemo sessions for a couple of months. About four weeks ago, I noticed that he was just pretending to read because he was holding the book upside down. I gently asked him about it. He admitted that he really can't read very well any more and asked me if I would read it to him. I agreed. At first I was a bit self conscious, because it is such a personal thing, and the cancer center is so public. But the book is beautifully written. We quickly got into the friendship, feelings, and memories of bygone days conveyed by Smith's words. We read a couple of chapters each week during chemo, and always end up with an audience of other patients and staff stopping by to listen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uK2FoKdEh4&feature=related
I just got on a James Bond kick, so I am reading the Ian Fleming novels. I finished "Live and Let Die" yesterday, and "Casino Royale" today. Currently working on "Moonraker."
Have now finished "Diamonds are Forever," and "From Russia With Love." These books are quite good, and go quick. Kinda like Funyuns.
Currently reading "Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead". Love William S. Burroughs.
Stay away from the arrows, Dave...
I just finished "Mona Lisa Overdrive" by William Gibson. I'd tell you what is was about, but I have no idea.
Just finished 'Ghost Story' book 13 in the Dresden Files. Just started reading My childhood copy of 'The Land of Oz' aka 'The Marvelous Land of Oz'. Had never noticed how creepy and disturbing many of the illustraions were before. Never thought about the fact that it is probably the first American novel to feature a Transsexual ... and in a children's book no less! Noticed that a poster above read 'The Wizard of Oz', and yes, I was aware that the slippers were silver and Dorothy's hair was blonde (not the biggest changes from the book!).
I recently finished reading the first Thomas Covenant trilogy. I have to say, I loved reading these 20 years ago. After reading them today, I found them...a little dull. I don't know if that means I have matured, or if they just didn't stand up to a second reading.
Currently, I am reading several books containing short stories while I wait for a copy of "Dance With Dragons" to become available from the library. One of the short stories I just read - Philip K. Dick's "The Father-thing" - was downright creepy. Brrr....
Got "Suerpgods" by Grant Morrison for my Birthday. Only just into the introduction, but it sounds like its going to be great.
finally came around to reading Bond of Brothers by Wes Yoder. my girlfriend had brought the book for me awhile back.
Originally posted by Jerry:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.
Winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal.
The inside jacket describes it as combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film. The New York Times review described it as a silent film on paper. It's a delightful story of a young orphan boy hiding in a train station, an old man who runs a toy shop, and a young girl. It's a mystery that evolves into a preoccupation with mechanical things that evolves into a celebration of film. Highly recommended for both the story and the innovative way it is told.
I just heard this will soon be released as a movie, directed by Scorsese. The title is being shortened to "Hugo" for the film, and it has some Oscar buzz.
I just finished "Gateway" by Frederick Pohl. This is one of the best books I have read in quite awhile. Actually, I think it is a very different science fiction story.
This is what I've read so far this year
Game of Thrones Jan 2011- Feb 2011
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Feb 2011-March 2011
The Book of Three March 2011
The Lost Symbol March 2011-April 2011
Stormwatch: Dresden Files April 2011
Captain Courageous May 2011
The Gunslinger June 2011-July2011
Fool Moon: Dresden Files July 2011
The Black Cauldron July 2011
Catch 22 July2011-August2011
The Adventures of Robin Hood Aug2011-Sept2011
Heart of Darkness Aug 2011
Grave Peril: Dresden Files Aug2011
Currently reading Ripley Underground and I am loving it. Also reading Ivanhoe...i am hating it. I thought Ivanhoe was going to interest me more. Thanks to the Adventures of Robin Hood and Ivanhoe I am caught up with the Anglo-Saxon hate for the Normans.
After reading all fourteen completed Dickens novels from May to September, I'm trying to make October an ALL-Gothic month.
So I started with Frankenstein, which is really disappointing so far.
I didn't care much for either Frankenstein or Dracula. Or Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, for that matter.
I am currently reading an old copy of Pinnochio that I own. Next up is Tom Sawyer, which I haven't read in a very long time. I vastly preferred it over Huck Finn.
There's bits of Frankenstein that I've really liked, but there's just so much melodramatic whining in it! I'd much rather watch the old Universal flicks with groovy stuff like "It's Alive!", "Fire Bad!", and the one-armed constable or burgermeister or whatever he was!
Wow that's alot of Dickens! (pun not intended). I read Tale of Two Cities...and there was a ton I liked...I just couldn't get into it. But good for you. I wish I liked the author more.
In between the second and third book of King's
Dark Tower series, Mom threw a Jodi Picoult book my way--
House Rules. It's about a young man with Aspergers syndrome who's been accused of a murder... and many of the symptoms of his disease make him look guilty in the eyes of law enforcement.
The chapters are each told by one of five characters: Jacob Hunt, the kid with Aspergers; His younger brother Theo; His mother, Emma; Rich, the local police Captain; and Oliver, an inexperienced lawyer who takes up Jacob's defense. The switching from person-to-person could have been clunky, but Picoult does a good job giving everyone their own voice. She put alot of research into Jacob's condition, but the story never feels bogged down by it. Indeed, there's tons of comic relief from Jacob's idiosyncracies and how others need to deal with them.
It's an enjoyable read. And now I'm back to King's DT with
The Waste Lands; Solunds promising
Went and read "Swiss Family Robinson" and "Moby Dick", then dug up some old Sherlock Holmes stories.
Also reading a lot of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple by Agatha Christie, and Perry Mason by Erle Stanley Gardner. Love trying to figure out whodunit.
The Five Find-Outers (and Dog) by Enid Blyton is another hilarious series. A kid's book, for sure, but I have a lot of fond memories of that.
Eryk, I am impressed that you could get through that much Dickens. I liked Great Expectations, but I was bored silly by A Tale of Two Cities and I could never even finish Oliver Twist.
IB, I have read every Sherlock Holmes story, but I have never read Swiss Family Robinson nor Moby Dick. What did you think of them?
Unfortunately, far too books are called classics because someone's English teacher/professor called it a classic, and the myth gets perpetuated. IMHO, of course.
The funny thing about Dickens is that with a lot of the books it would take me about half the book to really get into it, but by the end I'd be completely engrossed in the story. Some of the lesser known novels (like Dombey and Son) were actually a lot more interesting than some of the more widely read books.
I first read Moby Dick in high school, and it was a massive struggle to get through then, but I read it again in my 20s and really enjoyed it. It's probably about time that I should read it again.
I also read all of Sherlock Holmes awhile back, and have been going through the Poirot novels in order recently (I read some of them when I was a teen, but don't remember them that well). I've got a six hour drive twice a week right now, and the Audiobooks are pretty much the perfect length for the drive. I think once I run out of them, I'm going start the Nero Wolfe books.
I just finished Tom Sawyer. I have read several things by Twain, but for the most part, I just don't like it very much. Tom Sawyer is the exception, though, and is such a wonderful book it well deserves to be called a classic, and is one of the finest books I have ever read. I remember reading both it and Huck Finn many years ago, and while I loved Tom Sawyer, I did not care for Huck Finn. Still, that was a long time ago, and I am going to give it another chance.
Next up is a book I haven't read since grade school - Three Tales of My Father's Dragon.
This week I'm re-reading Wuthering Heights, an old favorite from High School. Seems to be holding up pretty well.
Swiss Family Robinson was interesting. I liked it as a child because of all the descriptions of interesting fauna on the island. I don't want to give any spoilers, but the decisions the family makes at the end are poignant and realistic.
As for Moby Dick, I remember hating that awful white whale when I was a kid. Now I can appreciate the deeper lesson behind it.
I loved Tom Sawyer, what a great character. I'm thinking of reading Huck Finn, too.
Right now I just got the paperback of Book 13 of the Wheel of Time - Towers of Midnight. So glad the plot is speeding up; many of the middle books were awfully slow-paced. Book 11 onwards really picked things up again.
So, this weekend I read Anne Bronte's Agnes Grey and now I'm reading Jane Eyre, which I'm pretty sure I've read before but don't really remember at all.
Anyway, once that's finished I'm planning to read Rebecca, which I've never read (but love the movie!).
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans.
Originally posted by lancesrealm:
IB, I have read every Sherlock Holmes story, but I have never read Swiss Family Robinson nor Moby Dick. What did you think of them?
Unfortunately, far too books are called classics because someone's English teacher/professor called it a classic, and the myth gets perpetuated. IMHO, of course.
Lance, I agree with you. Lord of the Rings, for example - I appreciate it for being a forerunner, and the plot was good, but the writing bored me silly.
Which of the Sherlock Holmes stories did you like best?
IB, I don't remember which of the stories I liked best. It has been quite awhile since I read them. I do remember that I liked the short stories much better than the novels, though.
And I completely agree with you about Lord of the Rings.
Lance, thank goodness! I'm getting tired of people telling me I should love LOTR just for being LOTR. I tried reading it, but when I got to the part where Tom Bombadil showed up, I just had to put it down.
I agree with you on Sherlock. Hound of the Baskervilles went on pretty long; the short stories are full of plot, though.
I actually prefer Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason to Sherlock Holmes. I'd say it's the writing style that causes my preference, though. I admire the Sherlock Holmes stories for their plot.
^ With LotR, except for the bit with the Barrow Wight, I found those opening chapters extremely hard-going and over-detailed/boring too (especially that Tom Bombadil part) - but it's almost immediately after that, when the four hobbits get to that town and meet Aragorn, that I think the book clicked into place and became completely un-put downable for me. After a while, I was so into the world, I couldn't get enough detail and could have read more than 3 comprehensive pages about the history of a specific plant (which I think we do get at some point).
I think some books are best read when you're ready to read them. I had tried to read LotR when I was a teenager and couldn't get more than a few pages in. I tried again in my late 20s just before the movies came out and I think that was the perfect age to do it.
I still think the writing of that book was beautiful/excellent but I did have some problems with the plot. And some of the characters bugged too.
That's exactly how I felt about the Wheel of Time series. It's hard to get invested in - 13 books are out, and the 14th (and final book) promises to be 1000 pages long.
I tried reading it when I was in elementary, but couldn't get past the first chapter. Tried again in junior year in high school and couldn't put it down. Even when the pacing of the stories slowed down in the middle books (books 6-10, especially 8 and 10) I stuck through it.
I may give LOTR another shot, if so.
I tried to read the Silmarillion a few months ago. I couldn't even begin to get through it.
I am currently reading the Foundation trilogy, which I have not read in maybe 20 years. The first 2 books were really good. The third one is probably just as good, but I am just getting a little tired of it.
I am also reading a book called Merlin's Bones by Saberhagen.
I am also reading a book called Great Soviet Short Stories. I usually read one of those short stories in between other books so it doesn't get old.
I have been having trouble reading fiction lately. While at the library today, I picked up books on the Russian Revolution, Byzantium, and World War I. I usually get books like these out of the childrens' area, so the books I have are geared towards maybe 12-yr-old kids. This means I can learn all I want about a subject, and not have to spend a week or two reading a 400 page book.
I remember liking LOTR well enough, but I didn't quite get the fanatical devotion that many of my friends seemed to have for it. Oddly enough, I remember really liking the Tom Bombadil segment, though.
High fantasy as a genre doesn't tend to do much for me, however.
Originally posted by lancesrealm:
I have been having trouble reading fiction lately. While at the library today, I picked up books on the Russian Revolution, Byzantium, and World War I. I usually get books like these out of the childrens' area, so the books I have are geared towards maybe 12-yr-old kids. This means I can learn all I want about a subject, and not have to spend a week or two reading a 400 page book.
I go through this phase every so often and tend to do like you do, and bury myself in some nice historiography. It's intellectually stimulating and you don't feel like you have to commit to characters and a plot that might not be doing it for you.
BTW, I'm a major, major, major fan of LOTR. So anyone who doesn't love it, I may be forced to slay you.
All kidding aside, I'm a big fan but know its not for everyone. I loved the Silmarillion so much that I read it like three times in one year; some parts almost moved me to tears. But I've been heavily invested in Tolkein's book since I was about 12 years old and have reread them so many times that they mean something to me beyond just what's on the page.
IB, I prefer Agathie Christie's stories to Sherlock Holmes too, mainly because her writing style is so geared towards drama that its a fun experience. I do like the Holmes novels, but I've never really given myself the chance to completely engulf myself in them--something I hope to do *one day*. Perhaps then I'll know once and for all how I measure the Holmes books against other detective genres.
I actually prefer Raymond Chandlier to both of them, BTW.
Pov, let me know how you like the Dark Tower novels. The fourth one, "Wizard and Glass" is my favorite of the seven. And the fifth one is also excellent.
Eryk, do you have a specific Dickens novel(s) you could recommend that is *not* one of his better kown works, but you found it to be one of the better ones? I enjoyed Tale of Two Cities quite a bit many years ago, and I liked Oliver Twist. I'm really open to all kinds of subject matter and genres; I'll read anything if it's of high quality.
Oh, BTW, I'm on the fourth book of the "A Song of Ice & Fire" books (the Game of Thrones novels). This is the best series of novels I've read in a long, long time. Maybe ever. I'm totally engrossed in them at the moment and enjoying every word.
I've avoided the thread here on LW because I have absolutely no knowledge of spoilers and don't want to risk a single one. Readers of this series know that each book is contained with tons and tons of shocks and twists that continually enhance the bigger picture.
Just curious, but how many books do you all read in a week?
I used to be a voracious reader, but ever since college (or was it high school?) I stopped reading fiction, except for the Legion and the Wheel of Time. Lack of time, maybe? Or maybe my hobbies just changed. I don't really know why.
I personally have forced myself *not* to be a fast reader anymore, as I felt I tended to miss things at times. I know my brother can read a novel in like 2 days, and that's way too fast for me.
So for me, it usually takes me about 2-3 weeks to read a book. Sometimes even a full month.
In the meantime, I read about 90 or so comics a month, plus National Geographic every month, plus Comics Buyers Guide every month and parts of the New York Times and Wall St. Journal every day. So I do a lot of reading, but it's many different things at once.
I had to force myself to slow down, too. I remember once, I speed-read five Hardy Boys books in 24 hours. Bad part was, I couldn't remember a single thing after. What a waste.
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
I enjoyed Tale of Two Cities quite a bit many years ago,....
was the book that turned the literary lights on for me. I can still remember that moment in my high school Junior English class when I "got it" and it felt like the world was suddenly so much bigger.
After class I asked the teacher for a list of other books like that one. She looked at me like she had many more important things to do, and suggested I go see another English teacher who already had a list made up. I don't think she had any idea that what had just happened to me was what good teachers hope to achieve.
IB, I manage to knock out maybe a book a week. My foreign language studies (which I am finding very interesting!) are eating into some of the time I used to spend reading.
Cobie - sorry, maybe I just didn't get LOTR. They are in the pile of books on my dresser, and I am going to reread them sometime within the next year or so. I did love The Hobbit, though. Oh, and I agree with you about Martin's Ice and Fire books. Absolutely wonderful, and they stand up to multiple rereadings. They all die at the end, by the way. (Kidding!) (Well, maybe I am, and maybe not! Bwahahahaha!)
Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
After reading all fourteen completed Dickens novels from May to September, I'm trying to make October an ALL-Gothic month.
So I started with Frankenstein, which is really disappointing so far.
I liked Dickens ever since we covered Oliver Twist all those years ago in high school. I didn't like Tale of Two Cities and couldn't even get through The Old Curiosity Shop. The remainder of his books I really enjoyed (I've read most if not all of them). I liked Bleak House and David Copperfield the best.
Once aspect of his work that is really nice is that there are no throwaway characters, EVERYONE is in someway significant in his books
Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac:
Just curious, but how many books do you all read in a week?
I usually only read in bed these days, so a 600 page novel will take me around a month to a month and a half to finish.
Of course some books I just can`t put down. The last Wheel of Time novel I read in 1 day
Originally posted by lancesrealm:
I tried to read the Silmarillion a few months ago. I couldn't even begin to get through it.
Thats my personal favorite of Tolkiens work, but definitely not for everyone. Many characters have similiar names which can make it difficult to track who is who. And while I love his overly descriptive style and gravitate towards that type of writer its really not for everyone.
I also disliked The Old Curiosity Shop, which just seemed like a complete mess to me.
I'd probably go with David Copperfield as his single best work, with Our Mutual Friend a close second. I also found Dombey and Son really powerful for a lesser known work, and also found Barnaby Rudge a nice surprise for one of his least known works.
I am sadly a speed reader myself. I fly through trades. It's horrible. and Expensive. How does one learn to 'slow down'?.
Which is why I love the Wheel of Time series LOL!! 1000 pages takes me a while. (This series is in all honesty by far my favorite )
I think it's really funny when everyone, even my waitress the other day (when i had it next to me at my table) say they make it to like book 8 and give up !!!
gah!! books 12 and 13 have been two of the best of the entire series !!! I've read them twice.
(I thought ten was allright and i think book 6 or 8 has the battle of dumais wells which is one of the best sequences of the entire series. IMO) Granted they do chug along for quite soem time, several books, (and maybe if it wasn't one of the only things i could get that i wanted to read when i was working in hong kong i might not have made it through)
... but i'm so glad i hung in there.
I can not wait for 14, and the release date keeps getting pushed back.
I'm currently in the middle of The fellowship of the rings, I am at the moment where they meet Aragorn. It's taken me quite some time to get here and I feel a bit embarassed to say I've never read the Tolkien books but i'm an avid fantasy reader!
I'm also half way through Just Kids, which i am savoring.
I started the Titus Groan series ... and it may be good, not sure yet but it makes The Wheel of Time Series look like it races along ... from what i've read so far. (it's slow and extremely descriptive IMHO). I was a little disappointed because the reviews are so kind, and the people at the book store exclaimed that i was going to love it. I'll have to dig it out one day and give it another go.
btw It's so nice to hear that other people read like crazy.
Legion World.
Originally posted by dedman:
Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac:
[b]Just curious, but how many books do you all read in a week?
Of course some books I just can`t put down. The last Wheel of Time novel I read in 1 day
[/b]Good to meet a fellow WOT fan, deddy. Gotta say I'm impressed - that's about a thousand pages in one day!
Originally posted by Power Boy:
Which is why I love the Wheel of Time series LOL!! 1000 pages takes me a while. (This series is in all honesty by far my favorite )
I think it's really funny when everyone, even my waitress the other day (when i had it next to me at my table) say they make it to like book 8 and give up !!!
gah!! books 12 and 13 have been two of the best of the entire series !!! I've read them twice.
(I thought ten was allright and i think book 6 or 8 has the battle of dumais wells which is one of the best sequences of the entire series. IMO) Granted they do chug along for quite soem time, several books, (and maybe if it wasn't one of the only things i could get that i wanted to read when i was working in hong kong i might not have made it through)
... but i'm so glad i hung in there.
I can not wait for 14, and the release date keeps getting pushed back.
And another fan! I gotta agree with ya Peebz - 11 to 13 were awesome, and almost worth the slowing down in books 8 and 10.
Book 6, Dumai's Wells, was epic, but one of my favorite battles still has to be the Cleansing in Book 9. But 11-13 are my fave books because so much happens in them.
Can't wait for 14 - I'll probably get the hardcover when it comes out, because I'll go nuts waiting for the paperback.
I just finished the Foundation trilogy. The first half of the third book (dealing with the defeat of the Mule) seemed to drag a bit, but the last half (dealing with the charming character Arkady) was really great! Arkady reminded me of Heinlein's Podkayne.
Anyway, I am currently reading Merlin's Bones by Saberhagen.
Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac:
And another fan! I gotta agree with ya Peebz - 11 to 13 were awesome, and almost worth the slowing down in books 8 and 10.
Book 6, Dumai's Wells, was epic, but one of my favorite battles still has to be the Cleansing in Book 9. But 11-13 are my fave books because so much happens in them.
Can't wait for 14 - I'll probably get the hardcover when it comes out, because I'll go nuts waiting for the paperback.[/QB]
ahhh I'm such a fool, I was actually thinking of the CLEANSING battle in fact!!
The Dumais Wells battle is also epic but I was thinking of the Cleansing Battle ... that was when I was exciting they were going to get sh%^ done!
I also enjoyed Birgitte's daring rescue of Elayne ... even thought it was only like one chapter long.
Lesson learned from Agatha Christie novels:
Usually, if there is a young lady with two potential romantic interests, the love triangle will resolve itself by one of the young men turning out to be a murderer.
very much like real life.
Peebs, seeing as you are a fan of epic fantasy (ugg, how i hate that term) have you read the Malazan series by Steven Erikson? 10 massive novels and the series is complete.
And in other news, the kindle my wife ordered me for my birthday has finally arrived. Now I can easily read at work when it is slow.
I have not .... Should I, I think I will look into it.
I like to read a lot, and I like for the world to be fleshed out, so a good long series is good for me. when i like a book, i want it to keep on going. and for some reason I like fantasy a lot better than science fiction, although I do like sci fi.
looks pretty good from wikipedia! Seems like the exact type of story i'd be interested in! thanks ded!
Originally posted by dedman:
Peebs, seeing as you are a fan of epic fantasy (ugg, how i hate that term) have you read the Malazan series by Steven Erikson? 10 massive novels and the series is complete.
And in other news, the kindle my wife ordered me for my birthday has finally arrived. Now I can easily read at work when it is slow.
I love my Kindle so much! Hope you bought a case/cover for it though.
I have a Sony EReader and the kindle's image quality is far superior. mine has glare, it's ok though.
Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
I love my Kindle so much! Hope you bought a case/cover for it though.
Yup, got a case too, one of the ones with a light in case I start bussing to work during the winter
Peebs, I'm mostly a genre reader too, sticking mostly to fantasy with a few other genres sprinkled in to keep things interesting.
Malazan Book of the Fallen will definitely keep you busy. Its pretty confusing at first, Erikson has a very large and complex world worked out and just drops you into the story with no explaination for anything. Its a series you really have to work at to understand (I was reading at about half my normal pace to make sure I didn't miss anything) but the payoff is awesome in the end.
I recently went through a spate of reading Australian fantasy writers, some really good stuff there too.
Originally posted by Power Boy:
Originally posted by Invisible Brainiac:
And another fan! I gotta agree with ya Peebz - 11 to 13 were awesome, and almost worth the slowing down in books 8 and 10.
Book 6, Dumai's Wells, was epic, but one of my favorite battles still has to be the Cleansing in Book 9. But 11-13 are my fave books because so much happens in them.
Can't wait for 14 - I'll probably get the hardcover when it comes out, because I'll go nuts waiting for the paperback.
The Dumais Wells battle is also epic but I was thinking of the Cleansing Battle ... that was when I was exciting they were going to get sh%^ done!
I also enjoyed Birgitte's daring rescue of Elayne ... even thought it was only like one chapter long.[/QB]Yeah, I loved the Cleansing because - look, something finally happens! And IMO it's always good when we get to see some Aes Sedai in action.
Mat's venture into the Tower of Ghenjei was great too
right now...nuthin' much.
Reading gets to be a pain now that I have to use glasses. I get headaches.
Religious Literacy by Stephen Prothero.
Basically a call for people to learn about various religions as religion and religious belief permeates and influences the world. According to the author, various studies have found that only half of American adults can name even one of the four gospels; most Americans cannot name the first book of the Bible; and 10% of Americans believe Joan of Arc was Noah's wife. This despite half of Americans identify as Protestant, a quarter as Catholis, and 10% as Christians of some stripe.
Supergods by Grant Morrison
This book recounts Morrison's development as a creator (and a human being), more or less chronologically. His life story was typical enough, although we can see that his activist father and the difficult conditions of the 1970s and Thatcher's Britain influenced his writing.
I didn't know that he had started out as an artist, as well as a musician.
Morrison's insights into and comments about comics of each era are very interesting. In some cases, it's his own viewpoint; in others, he offers the reader insider, behind-the-scenes information. It made me want to go back and reread the books he mentions.
His writing has reflected his personal mindset at a given time; he was heavily into drugs and drinking, which isn't a big revelation when you read some of his earlier works, like The Invisibles. Then he had a very mystical experience, and we got All-Star Superman....
More gossip would have been fun; Morrison lets out a few tidbits, but he's overall very much the gentleman and no doubt he pulls his punches when it comes to the publishers and his fellow creators. I certainly can't fault him for that.
His description of the Batman TV serials and movies was hilarious, as were some of his encounters at conventions and with fans.
Particularly interesting was his discussion of Iain Spence's Sekhmet Hypothesis (which I had never heard of), which links cycles in popular culture to sunspot cycles. According to Spence, we alternate between punk and hippie culture, to use contemporary terms. Morrison shows how this has played out in comic books, and claims that we are now embarking on a period of hippie culture: interest in the spiritual, peace, long hair, loose clothes,etc. - although he seems to apply the Sekhmet Hypothesis with a grain of salt.
The original content for this book was, according to an interview with Morrison, cut by half. I would really like to read the rest. Still, the 417 pages that did get published were fascinating and thought-provoking.
FC, you've sold me on Supergods. I had been aware of it for a while, but given my extreme ambivalence about Morrison's public image and works, it was always going to be a hard sell.
I still think he's a bit Bowie-esque, often using mystique to sell mediocrity. But like Bowie, he's offered plenty of good ideas (and plenty of bad ones, and plenty of ugly ones -- the killing of Darkstar being the worst offender IMO. Then again, it's the job of the EDITORS to tell him when he's off-base.)
Still, lifting the curtain to reveal the man behind it should make for an interesting read, to say the least.
Best of all, my library carries it.
Re: Dickens- my favorite's BLEAK HOUSE. Which I really need to reread sometime soon. There ought to be a word for the adjustment our 21st century brains have to make before enjoying 18th or 19th century literature. It takes me about 70-80 pages. So worth it once that 'snap' snaps, though.
I've tried WAR AND PEACE a half dozen times and haven't been able to crack that one, though.
Re: Christie-- For those that like her, but have exhausted her body of work, there's an author from New Zealand named Ngaio Marsh who has a similar style. Her main character is Roderick Alleyn. The first two have just become available on Nook. Maybe they're available on Kindle, too?
I just started rereading the Pliocine Exile, a four part series by Julian May. It'd been out of print for awhile, but was also recently made available on Nook.
It's sort of like Terra Nova, in that people from the near-future are traveling to the distant past. In May's book, it's mostly people who are unable to adjust when Earth makes contact with and joins an intergalactic federation kind of deal.
It starts slow, in fact the main characters don't really show up for quite a while. Once they do, though, it's a good sci-fi/fantasy combo. I love when combining the two genres is done successfully.
Before that, I finished OUT OF OZ, the last book in Gregory Maguire's reimagination of the Oz stories. It packed quite a punch, while leaving some perplexing questions open to interpretation. One neat thing the writer did was sprinkle names of songs and lines of songs from WICKED, the musical based on his initial entry in the series, throughout the book as lines of dialogue, or in narration. It's a good thing to read about a writer who appreciates adaptations of his work. In fact, he thought a couple of ideas that the adapters used for the musical version were ones he wished he'd come up with- like the origins of the Scarecrow and the Tin Man. You'd have to read other books in the series. This isn't one a reader could start with and comfortably tell what was important or even what was going on, I don't think.
I eagerly await the last WHEEL OF TIME book, as well. That's one I'll definitely download, though.
I read War and Peace when I was about 20, and it didn't do much for me. It's probably one of those books I should try to re-read.
I'm currently reading
The Quantum Prophecy: The Gathering by Michael Carroll, a super-hero novel -- the second of a trilogy -- that shows how fun, exciting, and worthwhile super-heroes can still be (for those of us not interested in DC or Marvel's current offerings).
My review can be found at my
blog .
Thanks, He Who. I may check it out.
Cliche' time: There's a bunch of this year's
National Geographics stockpiled in the break room at work. So I've been reading them a lot.
So far, the most interesting piece I've seen is about "Seed Banking" in an attempt to preserve food diversity around the world. The monoculture approach to having everyone everywhere focus on a few breeds of livestock or grain is routinely linked to crisis and famine a la' the Irish Potato Famine of the 19th Century. Reading about Melaku Worede, who's been instrumental in preserving species for the benefit of farmers in his native Ethiopia, has been awesome. I may have to name a planet after him in my fic. Or maybe even a whole solar system.
Well, I finished Supergods, and while I think it's a TREMENDOUS book, it left me more ambivalent about Grant Morrison than ever. But maybe that's the way it should be. Things are never simple with Morrison, literally and figuratively.
The book is at its best in the middle, covering Morrison's beloved Silver Age through the Widescreen era (Authority et al) at the end of the 90s.
The early chapters, covering the Golden Age and the anti-comics panic, seem to rush by, as by the author's own admission, this is well-trod territory.
The later chapters, starting with Morrison's unhappy dance with Marvel at the beginning of the new millenium and ending with Morrison taking over Action Comics, feel somehow compromised, as if Morrison was biting his tongue particularly hard so as not to offend the people involved with the corporation that he currently works for. I just don't buy that he unquestioningly approves of what might be called The Second Dark Age.
Still, there's a lot to recommend this book, as the story of Morrison the working-class hero whose dreams all come true, as a decidedly different kind of self-help book, and as an view-from-the-inside look at pop culture and its synergy with society.
I still believe that Morrison is better at TALKING ABOUT comics than WRITING comics, so I'd certainly be in favor of follow-ups to this book. This could be the start of a whole new branch to his career.
Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
Lesson learned from Agatha Christie novels:
Usually, if there is a young lady with two potential romantic interests, the love triangle will resolve itself by one of the young men turning out to be a murderer. Originally posted by Power Boy:
very much like real life.
Originally posted by cleome45:
Cliche' time: There's a bunch of this year's National Geographics stockpiled in the break room at work. So I've been reading them a lot.
So far, the most interesting piece I've seen is about "Seed Banking" in an attempt to preserve food diversity around the world. The monoculture approach to having everyone everywhere focus on a few breeds of livestock or grain is routinely linked to crisis and famine a la' the Irish Potato Famine of the 19th Century. Reading about Melaku Worede, who's been instrumental in preserving species for the benefit of farmers in his native Ethiopia, has been awesome. I may have to name a planet after him in my fic. Or maybe even a whole solar system.
That really was a fantastic article, wasnt it? One of those moments where I felt assured there really are a *few* truly smart people out there thinking ahead and making a difference.
I read it each month. Most months have at least a few good articles (or even pages with interesting facts) and great photographs.
Yeah, Cobie. It's funny that the radicalism of forty or fifty years ago (plant/animal diversity and the acknowledgment that widescale meat production isn't really an efficient way to nourish the globe) is
finally being normalized by mainstream mags like
NG.
In other news, I've been rereading a volume of Anton Chekhov's early works on my bus rides home. Even though the translation feels spotty and rough in places, it's still great stuff. Seasons have such force in these stories that they're almost characters in and of themselves. Great winter reading, always.
Sherlock Holmes fans should check out
The House of Silk , which is a pretty good contemporary attempt to write a Holmes novel.
There's a few bits that are a bit too "let's try to work in this element of the Holmes mythology", but overall it's really enjoyable.
Manuals on home building for CAD program I bought. It's slow, but you work a little while and suddenly, boom, the instructions make sense. Still, its' like it was written in dutch and badly translated to Swahili, and that was translated to english.
So awhile back I bought Ben Bova's Mars Trilogy on sale on audiobook, and have been going through the first book this week. I think I read part of it before back in the 90s when it came out, but my memory of it is kind of hazy, and I may just be mixing it up with Kim Stanley Robinson Red Mars, which I definitely read about the same period.
Anyway, as much as "Mars exploration" literature intrigues me, I've actually found parts of this risibly bad, with several bits of it literally making me laugh out loud at how cheesy some of the dialogue is. It's got that basic problem of trying so hard to be realistic that much of it actually comes off as pretty silly.
The basic plot of an international team of scientists exploring Mars would be far more interesting if the scientists didn't come off as incredible stereotypes of the cultures they were supposed to represent. It's cool to see some of the anachronistic plot bits, such as the mission being lead by those great superpowers of the future: the U.S., Japan, and the Soviet Union.
^^So, I finished reading all three (thus far) Ben Bova Mars books, and the sequels were a little bit better than the original, but still not that great. I may eventually get around to picking up other books in his "Grand Tour" series about the exploration of the solar system, but more because the premise fascinates me than because I think the stories are all that great.
I'm still working my way through "Supergods", which has been excellent, but I'm stalling out on the latest chapter because it's all about Flex Mentallo, which I haven't read yet. The Flex deluxe hardcover comes out soon, and I'm loathe to spoil it, but I don't want to skip too much ahead in Supergods as he really seems to be in flow regarding his "magic" phase.
Latest read: Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End. Which pretty much confirmed the fact that I don't really like Arthur C. Clarke's stuff.
I've only read 2001, which was quite good. I read it before seeing the movie, so I honestly have no idea how people are supposed to understand the last quarter of that film without it.
I've never actually read 2001, but I've always found the movie to be incredibly overrated. Maybe that would change if I read the book.
I have never seen the movie. I do remember liking the book, which I read in high school. I also rememebr reading Childhood's End, which I remember not liking much at all. I remember I didn't like the ending, although I don't remember it. I used to love Clarke's short stories, though. Much better than his books, IMHO.
Originally posted by Dave Hackett:
I've only read 2001, which was quite good. I read it before seeing the movie, so I honestly have no idea how people are supposed to understand the last quarter of that film without it.
Indeed! If not more ...
I have read the three sequels, 2010, 2061, and 3001, and enjoyed them. The 2010 movie doesn't do the book justice.
Just finished The Bride Wore Black Leather by Simon R. Green, and am re-reading Dead Beat by Butcher. I've just gotten the Side Jobs book but haven't started it yet.
Slow night on shift tonight so I finished up the "Lesser Key of Solomon"
Still working on Steven Kings "Mile 81"
Swamplandia... actually, I haven't started yet, but it's the new pick for my book club...
Let me know what you think of Swamplandia. I've had the audiobook in my Wishlist for awhile. It sounds interesting.
I just reread a collection of children's poems by Walter De La Mare. He's been a favorite of mine since I was a kid myself.
After that, I reread Mary Barile's
Cookbooks Worth Collecting. It was a gift from a pal who knew about my love affair with cooking ephemera, though real collectors would be horrified at seeing what I do to their beloved paper products. [points to sig line, which really needs an update, soon] A lot of encapsulated history of cooking and food in the U.S. from the 17th Century to the Present day. (Well, the present day that immediately preceded everyone and their Grandma being on the internet.
)
Now I'm rereading Willa Cather's
Death Comes For The Archbishop. I don't know what else to say in support of this novel. Except it's
WILLA freakin' CATHER and yes you should read it! Now! It's not as well known as some of her other work, but it rocks!
Willa Cather is magnificent!
Recent reads include The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins, often listed as the first detective novel in English. This book totally deserves all the praise it has received. I really enjoyed it.
Also, Daryl Gregory's Raising Stony Mayhall, a zombie novel about a family that discovers a zombie baby after the outbreak in 1968. Deciding to hide the baby, they are surprised when he actually starts to grow and develops into a bright, friendly young man. The novel definitely has a lot of interesting ideas, but I can't help but feel that it's going to do to zombies what whoever-ruined-vampires-my-making-them-sympathetic-characters-instead-of-evil-inhuman-monsters did to vampires.
I'm giving Northern Lights (the first book in the His Dark Materials trilogy) another go.
I couldn't get into it when I first tried to read it a number of years ago. But this time I'm really enjoying it. The author's imagination and creativity fairly leaps off the page.
I just hope I can stay into it when Uni starts up again this week and all the Law reading hits me.
Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
Let me know what you think of Swamplandia. I've had the audiobook in my Wishlist for awhile. It sounds interesting.
Just finished it... ultimately unsatisfying... halfway through the novel, the narrative shifts from first-person to third-person, and it continues to alternate for the remainder of the book... while the third-person chapters zip along nicely, the first-person chapters are repetitive and plodding, leading to an unexpected and unnecessary violent encounter for one of the lead characters... it wasn't until the last fifty pages that I felt invested in the story... and by that point, it was too late... shame given the premise...
Well, that'll be another book I can delete from my Wishlist! Thanks, Sharky!
Finally finished "Supergods", it was great. Sorely tempted to try "75 Years of DC Comics" by Levitz next. At the very least I'll have bulging biceps by the time I finish it, given that the book is 20 pounds or so.
Hmmm, been quite a while since I've posted here.
Recently I've read the following books -
Mile 81 by Steven King. Its about some children in Maine who discover something horrific and eventually overcome it
Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker. The novella that the Hellraiser movie was based on. I've read this before, quite a few years ago. I forgot how different the character of Kristie is in the book.
Currently reading Ethical Oil by Ezra Levant. I highly recommend this to anyone who has the slightest concern about Canada's "dirty oil". It raises many points I have put forth myself on "green" boards, except better expressed and expanded upon.
Also Hellbound Heart put me in the mood for more fantastique so I found a Barker book I haven't read before, "Imagica". If the tale continues the way it has so far it may surpass "Weaveworld" as my favorite Barker book.
Keep in mind that Levant is far from an objective observer on the matter though, having deep connections with both Harper and Sun Media. His position has it's fair share of critics.
I liked Imajica much more than Weaveworld, though it was probably about 1/4 too long.
@Dave...I work there and process the oilsand. I know what happens here, unlike the vast majority of protesters.
Levant is on the mark far more often than he is off it and for the most part I agree with him.
Currently reading Charlotte Bronte's The Professor. It's okay, but it's definitely no Jane Eyre.
I am going to give The Hunger Games another try... I picked it up a couple of years ago and couldn't get into it... with the movie coming out, I figure it's worth another look...
A People's History of the Supreme Court. I am up to the Brown decision.
I'm reading "Crash" by J.G. Ballard (which the Cronenberg movie was based on). It's equally disturbing and brilliant. It's hard to believe it was written before I was born as it doesn't read dated or like it isn't set in the present (except for the lack of cell phones, which could have short-circuited some of the plot).
I finished the Hunger Games and have started the sequel, .
Catching Fire...
Started the Chronicles of Prydain (aka the Black Cauldron)series again. Read them back in junior high and again in high school. It's been over 20 years now.
Great series. On the third book. Lloyd Alexander does an amazing job. I don't know how Disney messed this up. I would love to see Disney start from scratch with traditional animation and John Lasseter directing.
Each book translates perfectly into a movie. No changes needed. The scenes, pace and plot...perfect.
I once read that J.K. Rowling said that the Harry Potter series has some Chronicles of Prydain influences. I would agree.
Also just finished the 6th Dresden Files book (Blood Rites) and currently reading The Maltese Falcon.
Started Ender in Exile last night.
Nothing spectacular, but enjoyable enough to read.
Starting to re-read the Rachel Morgan books by Kim Harrison to refresh my memory before starting the last three that I haven't read.
The Company of the Dead by David J. Kowalski
April 1915: Dr. Wells, a time traveler, relaxes, believing he has altered the course of The Titanic just enough to avoid the iceberg. But 3 hours later, the ship hits another iceberg. Somehow, John Jacob Astor survives and Earth's timeline shifts.
April 2012: Major Joseph Kennedy, scion of the wealthy political clan, works for the Confederate Bureau of Investigation. However, he has clandestinely devoted his time and fortune to his own agenda, which is to restore Earth's original timeline. For his scheme, he must recruit Captain Lightholler, who has just brought The Titanic on her maiden voyage to the Japanese Protectorate of New York. He wonders if he should even exist, and he has a feeling that he's done all this before.
Europe is ruled by kings, Japan occupies New York and the west coast of North America, the Second Confederacy is allied with Germany, the Mexican Empire threatens and Quebec is free.
Throw in a few other time travelers, a mysterious journal rescued from the original Titanic's wreck, atomic weapons, Roswell, a psychopath running the CBI, ghost dancers, the Yakuza, T. S. Eliot and plots within plots and you've got a 750-page book that's very hard to put down.
"Night of the Living Trekkies"
It's zombies at a Star Trek convention. What's not to love here. So far it's just ramping up, but actually pretty good.
Originally posted by Dave Hackett:
Currently reading "Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead". Love William S. Burroughs.
I'm back to trying this for the third time. The last two times I've started this, I've lost the book for an extended period of time. Last weekend while looking for backpack to take camping, I found this in the bottom of the closet. Before that I'd left it at my in-laws over Christmas two years ago. Let's see if the book defies my attempts to read it once more.
The book you are reading sounds right up my alley FC.
I'll have to check it out!!
Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom
The author describes his book as the follow-up to Vance Packard's Hidden Persuaders. Lindstrom reviews a number of techniques that companies use to get us to buy their stuff. He still works in the industry, so I bet he's saving the best stuff for his clients!
I have read a number of books on the dirty tricks manufacturers use to get us to eat more junk and processed food, but this book was a good eye-opener to how manipulative other products can be - even marketing to you in the womb and targeting very young children. Scary! Given the way some of this stuff works to rewire our brains makes me wonder if future generations will even be able to choose whether or not to buy material goods.
Did you know that some brands of lip balm are addictive? That marketers understand nostalgia better than we do and use it to get us to buy more?
He did have some interesting things to say about grocery stores, using Whole Foods as an example, regarding how they work on our senses with their displays and set-ups. Fresh flowers at the entrance set the stage and make you think everything is fresh. One totally new thing to me: digital pricing, so the price can vary according to time of day or how many shoppers are in the store (for example, raising the price of snack foods in the evening).
Also an interesting chapter on Royal Families - the only brand with a 75-year marketing plan, according to Lindstrom. And I thought it was all about the hats!
I'm just about finished the Ender book so I downloaded "The Company of the Dead" to my Kindle a few minutes ago.
Thanks for the recommendation FC!
I read a sample on the Amazon site and it sounds even better than you described.
Hope you enjoy it! It's very complex, but I didn't want to put all the details into the review - it would take pages. When you finish, explain to me what happened to Lightholler - that one left me a bit confused.
For my book club... "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier... just started it last night... lovely use of language...
I read "Rebecca" a few months back. Completely awesome, Imo.
"Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis. I have made about 6-7 attempts to read it over many years to no avail. I always seem to get distracted. I found a receipt in it from a prior attempt in 2004. I have loads of time on the commuter bus, so 8th time's the charm.
I have some time on my hands this week, so I decided to finally sit down and read Max Brooks' zombie epic "World War Z". I'm about a quarter thru it so far, and it's pretty gripping and has a believability to it that I wasn't expecting.
It's told as a series of interviews post-apocalypse in such a way as we experience the story chronologically from the earliest stages all the way through. It includes perspectives from opportunists who found a way to underhandedly capitalize on the epidemic...to those who were there near the presumed ground zero...to government officials who handled the impending threat in an attempt more to assuage the masses rather than actually do much to combat it...to unexpected and logical ways the plague spreads...to simple but harrowing stories of survival.
And that's just a sample of what I've already read in less than 100 of 350-ish pages. We're barely into where the shit really hits the fan, and it's already a major page-turner!
My wife's had the book for over a year, and I always intended to get around to reading it. Well, the time is now, folks. If you're into the zombie subgenre or horror in general or just gripping reading told in an uncoventional manner, I can already tell you that "World War Z" is for YOU! It clearly deserves its reputation as a quality book.
EDIT: Oh yeah, first zombie work I know of that shows the global perspective!
LardLad, "World War Z" is a spectacular book!
Walking Dead fans need to read this book!
It is terrifying, because it shows exactly what a "zombie apocalypse" would be like if it really happened.
I can *totally* see myself being amongst the millions of people fleeing to northern Canada simply to avoid being eaten alive... and then realizing the only alternative is starving/freezing to death among the millions of refugees. Chilling stuff.
I'll admit, though, the chapters detailing the rebuilding of the military, economy, infrastructure, etc. were a bit "dry" for my tastes.
Apparently this will be a movie starring Brad Pitt sometime this coming December, but they are abandoning the "survivors tell their tales of survival" format in favor of a traditional action "Brad Pitt tries to prevent the zombie apocalypse" format...
Recent reads include Henry James's Portrait of a Lady, which started out kind of slow, got pretty good for awhile, slowed down a bit again, got interesting once more, then kind of annoyed me with the ambiguous ending.
Currently reading the Hugo-nominated space opera Leviathan Wakes. Fun read for the most part so far, but I'm reserving judgment until I get to the end.
Originally posted by Lard Lad:
I have some time on my hands this week, so I decided to finally sit down and read Max Brooks' zombie epic "World War Z". I'm about a quarter thru it so far, and it's pretty gripping and has a believability to it that I wasn't expecting.
It's told as a series of interviews post-apocalypse in such a way as we experience the story chronologically from the earliest stages all the way through. It includes perspectives from opportunists who found a way to underhandedly capitalize on the epidemic...to those who were there near the presumed ground zero...to government officials who handled the impending threat in an attempt more to assuage the masses rather than actually do much to combat it...to unexpected and logical ways the plague spreads...to simple but harrowing stories of survival.
And that's just a sample of what I've already read in less than 100 of 350-ish pages. We're barely into where the shit really hits the fan, and it's already a major page-turner!
My wife's had the book for over a year, and I always intended to get around to reading it. Well, the time is now, folks. If you're into the zombie subgenre or horror in general or just gripping reading told in an uncoventional manner, I can already tell you that "World War Z" is for YOU! It clearly deserves its reputation as a quality book.
EDIT: Oh yeah, first zombie work I know of that shows the global perspective!
Finished it. Enjoyed it and would definitely still recommend it, especially to my fellow zombie nuts.
After a while, though, I'd say that the format lost its novelty. Some pieces were a lot more captivating than others. Having everything being told in hindsight was kind of a suspense-killer, knowing that the narrator lives to tell the tale. And the purpose of many chapters was not to tell a story so much as to explain certain procedures and how certain things happened.
But there were stil many chilling, memorable moments. And, again, so many ideas were presented that made you realize that this was totally what would happen if there was ever a zombie apocalypse in real life. It was very well thought out and expertly crafted by Max Brooks.
Probably the one thought that occurred to me repeatedly as I read the book was that this was one of the very few works in the genre that painted the zombie apocalypse as a scenario in which mankind and its society would ultimately survive, albeit with its population severely decimated. That's not a spoiler. It's obvious if you read the back cover, the table of contents or even just the first few pages.
In pretty much every other "serious" zombie movie, comic book or whatever, survival seems either unlikely or impossible. In World War Z there's a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it's not so terribly, overwhelmingly bright. Taken alleghorically (as I think the book is meant to be on some level), that's kind of comforting, even as the book pulls pretty much no punches.
I liked WWZ as well. I thought, as you did, that there were some really good moments that could have been more dramatic if told 'in the moment.'
Max Brooks has obviously given the topic a lot of thought, and it really pays off here. I believe it will be a fun movie to watch, if it ever does get made/finished.
Also enjoyed his Survival Guide.
My wife has the Survival Guide as well. I intend to read that one at some point when the mood hits, as it did for WWZ. Again, I can't see any fan of the genre not benefitting from reading WWZ at some point.
Originally posted by Dev - Em:
"Night of the Living Trekkies"
It's zombies at a Star Trek convention. What's not to love here. So far it's just ramping up, but actually pretty good.
Finished this up today. It's a pretty easy read and moves quickly once things get really going.
It's a definite different take on the whole Zombie thing...what the difference is involves the cause (yep, you find out exactly what's behind it.)
The zombies are pretty standard, with one main difference, that works into the 'twist' above.
The convention setting makes for a fun distraction during all the carnage that happens. Leading to some fun jokes and quotes being thrown around. Some great stuff about Red Shirts...in a way that you would not expect.
I recommend it to people that really love the zombie genre, and want something just a little bit different, but very familiar.
Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
]
Currently reading the Hugo-nominated space opera Leviathan Wakes. Fun read for the most part so far, but I'm reserving judgment until I get to the end.
Finished this. The verdict: solid read, though I'm a little disappointed this apparently is among the best of the best in the current sci-fi field.
The basic plot is about an evil corporation that starts a war between Mars, Earth, and the Asteroid Belt in an attempt to distract everyone from their experiments with an alien zombie virus from beyond the solar system. The main characters, the survivors of a destroyed vessel that transports ice from Saturn to the Asteroid Belt and a Ceres-born detective searching for a missing girl who turns out to be tied into the evil plot, are fairly cliched though well-written. Nothing in it really stood out as "completely ass-kicking awesome" in my mind, however. Most of it could easily have been the plot of a cheesy SyFy movie.
Leviathan Wakes was quite readable and I agree that is was generally cliched. The one thing I did like was Holden the XO's belief that everyone should know everything and the tendency of that to cause a whole bunch of problems.
Right now I've started the Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher. Dresden is a Chicago-based wizard/detective. He's pretty much the standard down-on-his-heels private eye, except he doesn't seem to drink much and isn't much of a hit with the ladies, and the magic adds a nice touch.
The Stinson book on using the speed square for building rafters.
Originally posted by rickshaw1:
The Stinson book on using the speed square for building rafters.
That's not rickshaw code for "Viagra label" is it?
I have finished the book recommended by FC "Company of the Dead".
Great book, but I'm going to wait for FC to appear again before discussing it.
Right now I am reading the following:
Virus by Robin Cook
Night of Knives by Ian C Esselmont
Complete Wizard of Oz by Frank L Baum
I just finished "How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had it Coming" by Mike Brown. I thought it was a wonderful tale of how Brown discovered Eris and several other big objects at the edge of the solar system. I recommend it to anyone who has even a passing interest in astronomy.
^^I've thought about reading that for awhile, so I'll add it to my list!
I just finished "The Invisible Gorilla: and Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us." Pretty good read, but seemed a little repetitive at times.
Here is one of the videos, btw.
http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/videos.html
Well, I'm pretty much finished Virus and it reminded me of why I don't read Robin Cook.
His plot is ok, but his methods of writing leave no measure of suspense. He doesn't just foreshadow upcoming events, he completely telegraphs them.
In addition to that, there was not a single likeable character in the novel. Sure they all had a good quality or two, but they were all overwelmingly dislikeable, hateful, self involved asshats.
I've been forcing myself to finish it. Thank the stars I only have a couple of chapters to go!
Viridis, I tried your mailbox twice but it's full, so here's my question on Lightholler from Company of the Dead. The details are a bit murky now - I got the book from the library so don't have it here to re-check.
The team left Lightholler in New York City, then headed out west. Later, Lightholler showed up there. I thought he had gone off to die in NYC, or would just not have survived the timeline change. So I couldn't figure out how he was still in the picture.
I'm just going to throw the whole thing in spoilers tags....
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">
Do you mean when they got the machine working and made a pit stop in NYC on the way to get Wells?
Lightholler went off in NYC to save himself in the tunnel. The early part of the book where the masked person saved Lightholler from the kidnappers...that was future Lightholler.
During that encounter he was shot, but managed to make it back to the team before collapsing.
They took him with them to the past and when they arrived the machine started to overload.
Lightholler chose to go off to oblivion rather than die in the desert and stayed in the machine while the team left.
Many years later the machine reappears in Roswell with Lightholler still (alive) inside.
Kennedys now adult daughter expected this and was waiting with a medical team to save him.
At the very end of the book, back in our time, we see Wells in Vegas again. A limo with two old folks inside who have a strange conversation with him. The two old folks were Kennedys daughter and Lightholler.
Lightholler could continue to exist as the author had already established with Wells that someone could change the timeline and continue to exist in the new one.
</span></span>
I hope thats what had you wondering, but....
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">
Either the Author didn't do the research, or (way cooler idea) the timeline was not restored correctly.
Kennedy'd daughter sends Lightholler to Newfoundland in eastern Canada immediately after the Roswell crash to recover from his injuries.
Newfoundland didn't even vote to join Canada till the year after Roswell and didn't join till two years after.
</span></span>
Thanks, VL. That clears it up, somehow I missed part of that in reading. And a very good point about Newfoundland... maybe there will be a sequel?
Yeah I'm really hoping the dates there were on purpose. I've been considering writing Kowalski to find out for sure.
Since my last post I've finished the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Excellent modern day fairytale, but I had forgotten how different it is from the movie.
Night of Knifes I'm still reading. Really well written but I'm taking it slow. It adds quite a bit of back history to the Malazan series.
Sphere by Micheal Crichton. Typical Crichton fare with lots of pseudo-science and speculation.
Enjoyable enough of a read, though I blew through it pretty quick.
Just started Gears of War: Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss. This one is based on the Gears of War video games. Timeline wise it is set between the first and second games, with flashbacks to events before the first game. It is considered to be canon by the game creators.
So..I'm a big fan of the Gears games, but I really didn't expect much from this novel. I must say that thus far (I'm at 23% according to Kindle) I am pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, its not exactly high literature, however it is well written and the story is engaging. In terms of quality, I would rank it with the better Star Wars expanded universe novels.
And finally, I begun reading my book on Egyptian grammar and hieroglyphs again.
Reading Stephen King's 11/22/63, another time travel book. The last Stephen King I read was The Stand, and I just gave up about 2/3 of the way through, it just went on and on.
This one is much more to my liking. The main character, Jake Epping, is an English teacher who gets recruited by a dying friend to go back in time and prevent the assassination of JFK.
King writes charmingly but succinctly about the differences between the 1950s and today (the 50s smelled worse but tasted better). And of course, there's a love story. I shouldn't say "of course", this being Stephen King, but time travel stories seem to favour the time-crossed lovers dilemma.
It's a brick of a book, over 800 pages. Just part way through but it's a winner so far. King notes in an afterword that he tried to write this book in 1972, but the event was still too fresh, and he's glad he waited. So am I.
^ I haven't read much King (The Long Walk is the only one that springs to mind) but that one and his other recent one, Under the Dome, really appeal.
I haven't read a book in ages so since I'm on holidays I picked up a book on a whim - The Infinities by the Booker-prize winning author, John Banville. It was exactly the WRONG kind of book to get me back into reading!
It's not a long or overly-difficult read but I needed something punchy and interesting to respark my love of books and this one is just way too dry and maudlin. He's obviously a very gifted wordsmith but I am about 3/4 of the way through the book and NOTHING has happened. Just a family waking up and going about their morning business while thinking about each other and their lives. That's been it for about 200 pages! The only interesting hook so far is that some of the Greek Gods are manipulating things behind the scenes but none of that has really amounted to much yet either.
I'm thinking of finally starting on the Game of Thrones books next so hopefully they'll provide me with the excitement I crave.
Drift by MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. It's an easy read on a weighty topic. Rachel writes very much like she talks on her show. There's an easy and conversational wit. She explores the reasons that the United States has drifted from the founding father's ideas of no standing military, requiring approval of Congress for war, and limited Presidential powers to a permanent war footing. She makes her points in a way that appeals to the sensibilities of modern conservatives. It's well researched.
Last five books I've read: Dune, The Castle of Llyr(huge Prydain fan), Blood Rites (Dresden Files), Animal Farm, Death Masks (Dresden Files).
Currently reading Dead Beat (Dresden Files)
On deck: Taran Wanderer, The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian, and Autumn Twilight. All fantasy. Have never read any Conan works (except the comics) or the dragonlance stuff either.
Love the Dresden stuff, Jorge.
I am currently reading Larry Correia's stuff, the Grimnoir and the Monster Hunters. Trying to find them in order (a pet peeve personally of mine is not reading books in proper order, it can alter the perceptions of things and twist them into something the author didn't intend, I've noticed. but, its just one of mine, I don't think everyone feels that way, lol).
Really trying to find new authors to read, but it's very difficult considering I have particular tastes.
Originally posted by Fat Cramer:
Reading Stephen King's 11/22/63, another time travel book...
I *just* finished this last night, FC... I LOVED it. The last few pages choked me up. Story pages, I mean... LOL.
King's afterword was interesting in getting his sources and perspective.
Definitely a book I intend to reread someday.
That's next up for me. I can't remember if I posted about it but I loved 'Under the Dome'. IMO his best since Green Mile.
I'll ask Mrs. Ginny for that one next...
And I can't wait to hear your thoughts on 11/22/63...
Just back from 10 days in the trailer. As we crossed the border into the States I realised I hadn't packed a book. On our first re-supply stop options were limited, so I picked up "Game of Thrones". Only got a few chapters in, but it's been pretty good so far. It's certainly written in a very cinematic style, so I can see how it would easily be adapted to the HBO series (which I haven't seen). Hopefully I'll have more time to get to it over the summer.
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
That's next up for me. I can't remember if I posted about it but I loved 'Under the Dome'. IMO his best since Green Mile.
I'm about 300 pages deep into
Under the Dome (an inclination caused by a combination of a recent urge to read some King prose and your random recommendation) as we speak. A very suspenseful, engaging King work, thus far, highlighting his gift for creating a large cast of memorable characters. Thus far, trying to figure out what exactly is causing the Dome phenomenon is a real stumper, though secondary to watching various dominoes fall as they inevitably will.
My wife has all the Stephen King books and collections (except for the Dark Tower books which hold no interest for her). Prior to Dome, the only four King books I'd read were
The Stand,
The Shining,
Salem's Lot and
It. I enjoyed all four a great deal, so I'm not sure why I haven't partaken of a lot more with most of them so readily available.
More reports as they develop! I hope to read
11/22/63 soon after...if my mother-in-law ever finishes borrowing it.
Glad to hear you're reading it! The way King is able to introduce, develop and then just totally realize the characters is beyond fascinating, and he really does that well in Dome.
I don't want to spoil anything, but there is one recurring interaction between two characters that I found incredibly moving and by the end of the book I literally teared up. When you finish, I'll tell you who!
Meanwhile, I haven't hated a character like Jim Rennie in a longtime...and it's because he's such a realistic bastard. (As opposed to, say, Flagg or the Clown in It).
My favorite King books have now settled on Salem's Lot and Dolores Claiborne. The latter was so good that I can't really describe why. I've read about half of King's books, including a lot of the famous ones.
My fave is still It, followed by the first 7/8ths of the Stand (the ending left me feeling blah...)
The girl who Loved Tom Gordon is a great story, and not at all what I expected from a King book...but yet, everything that I love about him as a writer. Really surprised that it hasn't been turned into a movie.
11/22/63 is next on my list to read when I get a chance.
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
My favorite King books have now settled on Salem's Lot and Dolores Claiborne. The latter was so good that I can't really describe why. I've read about half of King's books, including a lot of the famous ones.
I think of the 4 I've read, it's a toss-up between
Salem's Lot and
The Shining for my faves. I love the other two as well, but these really benefit from their relative brevity, methinks. I mean, I love the immersive experience of the other two, but I generally find these shorter ones scarier and more taut.
Originally posted by Lard Lad:
I think of the 4 I've read, it's a toss-up between Salem's Lot and The Shining for my faves. I love the other two as well, but these really benefit from their relative brevity, methinks.
"Realative" is a good word there, as I think the Shining could still stand to be about 20% shorter than it was. Yes it has a slowly building sense of dread and gives us an exhaustive look at Jack's personality so we have a good perspective when we see him go unhinged, but I think you could still have pared it down a bit and still been just as effective.
Dave, I wouldn't change a thing about my experience reading The Shining. Maybe I'll feel differently if/when I reread it, but I found it deliciously creepy and suspenseful. To me, there were enough creepy things happening along the way to keep me turning the pages. And the slow build really worked for me.
It's soooooooo different from the Kubrick film!
I finally finished Under the Dome last night. Definitely a page-turner, even at 1,074 pages. If there's anything I can criticize, it's that the good guys are very, very good, and the bad guys are very, very bad. Also, in a way, the big cataclysm (that is admittedly foreshadowed aplenty) kinda robs us of some confrontations that I personally would have liked to have seen play out.
This book reminds me of Salem's Lot in that we have an entire town engulfed by a threat, and in the process we get to know many, many townspeople and see how their stories play out. Many characters have their own small or large arcs that play out.
Overall, it's a really cool concept hat King executes really well, imo. I don't think I'd put it up there with the best of what I've read of his works, but I really enjoyed reading it.
I could see, actually, the concept and characters working really well in a multi-season TV series. A lot of things happen in a really short period of time, but I could see them happening over a longer term with possibly a different ending. Apparently, though, Showtime is looking into making a mini-series out of it.
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
I don't want to spoil anything, but there is one recurring interaction between two characters that I found incredibly moving and by the end of the book I literally teared up. When you finish, I'll tell you who!
Yeah, I think I know who you mean: <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Ollie and the soldier, right? I enjoyed that, too, though I didn't tear up.</span></span>
Meanwhile, I haven't hated a character like Jim Rennie in a longtime...and it's because he's such a realistic bastard. (As opposed to, say, Flagg or the Clown in It).
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Bastard got off easy, I'd say!</span></span>
I would have enjoyed an epilogue or two, actually. Who knows? Maybe... <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Ollie might be the lead in a future novel?</span></span>
Originally posted by Dev - Em:
11/22/63 is next on my list to read when I get a chance.
Dev, my wife obtained that one from her mom (she'd only gotten three chapters in!), so it's next on my list. I may start that one as early as next week.
Originally posted by Dev - Em:
The girl who Loved Tom Gordon is a great story, and not at all what I expected from a King book...but yet, everything that I love about him as a writer. Really surprised that it hasn't been turned into a movie.
That one's intrigued me somewhat ever since I read an article about it and realized Tom Gordon was a then-current MLB pitcher when the book came out. Is there anything supernatural about the book? (There doesn't have to be to determine whether or not I'll read it, but I'm curious.)
I do not want to give too much away, but it might be the most straightforward novel he has written that I have read.
I used to really like King.
Now I do still enjoy his books, but his charm wore off for me when he started trying to shoehorn everything he wrote into the Dark Tower. Compounding that issue is the problems I have with his endings. Quite often he seems to just pull them out of his ass.
His short stories and novellas are another story (excuse the pun), most of those are great and very twilight zonish in how they end.
Originally posted by Lard Lad:
Originally posted by Cobalt Kid:
[b] I don't want to spoil anything, but there is one recurring interaction between two characters that I found incredibly moving and by the end of the book I literally teared up. When you finish, I'll tell you who!
Meanwhile, I haven't hated a character like Jim Rennie in a longtime...and it's because he's such a realistic bastard. (As opposed to, say, Flagg or the Clown in It).
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Bastard got off easy, I'd say!</span></span>
I would have enjoyed an epilogue or two, actually. Who knows? Maybe... <span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">Ollie might be the lead in a future novel?</span></span>[/b]Yeah, those two characters are who I meant. One of King's major strengths is making you truly care about a character, showing a relationship start, build and grow, and then using that relationship to make you FEEL something. That happened here for me in a big way!
Agree about Rennie! Thibidieu too!
<span class="spoiler_containter"><span class="spoiler_wording">Click Here For A Spoiler</span><span class="spoiler_text">King is always very realistic about villains getting a comeuppance though. It's not something I mind, actually, because there an honesty to it.
In fact, I agree a little with Deddy about King's endings. I've talked about this with my brother a lot over the years as he's also a fan. But we think its just a matter of how King views the world. He really sees true horror in realistic situations...and he sees those situations resolving in "kind of" realistic ways, even when they contain elements of the supernatural. It's an odd perspective, and hard to put into words, but I think that's the basis for it.</span></span>
Originally posted by Lard Lad:
This book reminds me of Salem's Lot in that we have an entire town engulfed by a threat, and in the process we get to know many, many townspeople and see how their stories play out. Many characters have their own small or large arcs that play out.
Overall, it's a really cool concept hat King executes really well, imo. I don't think I'd put it up there with the best of what I've read of his works, but I really enjoyed reading it.
I could see, actually, the concept and characters working really well in a multi-season TV series. A lot of things happen in a really short period of time, but I could see them happening over a longer term with possibly a different ending. Apparently, though, Showtime is looking into making a mini-series out of it.
Agree that I enjoyed it immensely but its not among his greatest novels. I do think its his best one since Green Mile though that I've read (so within the last 10 years or so).
The Salem's Lot similarity is one I also noticed. King does a great job with a big cast where everyone is intersecting. The Stand also being a prime example, though it doesn't have that small town quality that Dome & Lot have.
From what I understand, either HBO or Showtime are doing it as an ongoing series. It'll be in their usual 12 episode format (which how all the best shows on TV are done anyway). Brian K. Vaughn is actually the lead writer on this! So you can expect some quality there.
Originally posted by Viridis Lament:
I used to really like King.
Now I do still enjoy his books, but his charm wore off for me when he started trying to shoehorn everything he wrote into the Dark Tower. Compounding that issue is the problems I have with his endings. Quite often he seems to just pull them out of his ass.
His short stories and novellas are another story (excuse the pun), most of those are great and very twilight zonish in how they end.
I love his short stories too, Deddy. "Children of the Corn" is great--much better than all those movies that followed!
Freddy and Fredericka by Mark Helprin
This is a satirical novel about royalty, based on Charles and Diana. It's totally insane, but from what I've read of the royal family, the characterizations might actually be pretty close to fact.
Freddy is heir to the throne, he's an eccentric intellectual, but with a love for hard physical challenges. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet proven himself worthy of the throne, according to an ancient test involving falconry.
Fredericka is his beautiful wife. People adore her, although she's a bubblehead who cares only for fashion. She does have a photographic memory, though, and surprises Freddy at times with bits of arcane knowledge.
The prince and princess, because their behaviour has created a scandal in the press, are required to earn their right to the throne by achieving a quest. They will be parachuted into New Jersey, with no money and minimal clothing, and required to reconquer the American colony.
The book follows their misadventures for the year that they are in the States, meeting people equally strange. In the end, it's quite sympathetic to the two, as their true characters emerge amid the challenges. But the story never stops being insane.
Mark Helprin wrote the beautfully lyrical Winter's Tale (reviewed somewhere up-thread). This is quite a different story, but equally compelling.
Let's see, I have recently read:
Dangerous Marine Animals by Bruce Halstead
This was a fun read. I learned a lot about what animals to avoid. One doesn't encounter too many of these animals in Kentucky, but ya never know...
The Book of Scientific Anecdotes by Adrian Berry
This was a pretty fun read, if only to discover what a huge jerk Isaac Newton apparently was.
The Hobbit by duh. If you don't know I am not gonna tell you! Still a fun read.
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
This was a book my 6th grader read for school. He loved it...and so did I! Adam Gidwitz takes the Brothers Grimm and makes them even more bloody, if that's possible. The author has many humorous "Here's what's coming up next - maybe you should send the little kids off to bed!" interjections, along with a wonderful story and some wisdom thrown in. I would highly recommend this book to children of all ages!
Well, maybe not children who are too young. It is a little gruesome in some places, but thats the Brothers Grimm for ya...
Gonna try to read Spellbound by Larry Correia this weekend.
Since my last update I've read quite a few books...
I was reading the first Gears of War novel, since then I've completed the series (all five books). Great little series though I can't recommend them to anyone who hasn't played the games.
While on my videogame novel binge I also read "Bioshock: Rapture". A really interesting novel that ponders "what if" someone put Ayn Rand's philosophy into practice.
I also read the next two Wizard of Oz books.
The first 4 stories in "The Complete HP Lovecraft" (I'd give a review but it is to horrible to describe
) are also finished.
I also wasted some time reading a few books on SEO (search engine optimization) but they didn't offer any new information to me
And currently I have FINALLY gotten around to reading Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn novels.
I've finished the first and am 10% into the second. I'm really enjoying these books and Sanderson's magic system is both very unique and clearly defined.
I haven't posted in awhile, but wanted to mention my current obsession: Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century series.
Roughly, it's alt-history steampunk with zombies. It takes place in a world in which the American Civil War has raged on for 20 years, dirigibles are a major part of the transportation infrastructure, and an accident with a mining machine has caused a strange gas to flood the city of Seattle, turning it's inhabitants into the living dead and requiring
that the city be walled off to prevent its spread.
The first book, Boneshaker, concerns the teenage Zeke Wilkes who makes his way into the walled city of Seattle to find answers about his father (who invented the mining machine), and his mother, Briar Wilkes, who follows him into the city to retrieve him. Apparently it's soon to be made into a motion picture, which should be pretty awesome.
The second book, Clementine, is about an ex-slave and air pirate who is attempting to retrieve his ship that has been stolen from him. When it turns out that the stolen vesssel is carrying parts for a Union super-weapon, the captain ends up in an unlikely partnership with a past-her-prime Confederate spy.
The third book, Dreadnaught, is about a Confederate nurse trying to make her way cross country from Richmond to Seattle to see her estranged father before he dies. Traveling by dirigible, Mississippi River Boat, and Union War Train, she gets caught up in the front lines of the ongoing confrontation between North and South. Plus there's a Ranger from the Independent Republic of Texas and a couple of Mexican officials who are travelling to Utah to investigate the disappearance of a Mexican militia unit who have gone missing on a humanitarian trip Both of the border, with strange rumors that they've gone crazy and started engaging in cannibalism. The epic battle between Union and Confederate trains attempting to race each oher throigh the Provo Pass and its aftermath is not to be missed.
I've just begun the fourth book, Ganymede, which opens in a New Orleans brothel and apparently focuses on a dangerous submarine, and it promises to be another groovy addition to the series.
Highly recommended for fans of exciting adventure and action stories, strong characters (especially females), groovy steampunk technology, and zombies!
^ THOSE. BOOKS. SOUND. AMAZING!
What a crazy mish-mash of concepts but it sounds like it all really works. I love writers who are able to create a fully-fleshed, real-seeming universe for their characters to inhabit and this one sounds like she's been able to do it.
Never heard of the author or the books before but I'll definitely keep my eye out for them now.
Yeah, they're pretty nice on the world-building front, with each one pretty much a self-contained story but with the whole ongoing zombie-spread plot in the background tying them together. There's lots of nice references to real world figures in the background, which is cool for 19th Century American History buffs.
I'm a little annoyed at a fairly major continuity gaffe towards the beginning of Ganymede, where two characters are presented as meeting for the first time, when they clearly met in the last book, but, other than that, I've been really satisfied with them. The next book in the series, The Inexplicables, is coming out by the end of the year, and I'm really looking forward to it!
I'm reading the Brideshead Revisited. I wonder about the title.
Its a good read, very well written, easy, but, I wonder about the whole theme of unrequited love ... impossible love ... stuck in circumstances beyond your control. It dosn't seem like an adult would have a hard time in the situations that the main characters are in. Just tell people to frack off ... or don't ... but don't agonize and ruin your life over it. ya know.
Its a lot of himming and hawing ... and I'm not sure where or what the real plot is.
Julian May's Galactic Milieu.
It's part of a series that started with a human society that had become operant, with several mental abilities and having joined the bigger galaxy. Some do not fit well into that galaxy and take an "out" to go six million years into the past where instead of saber tooth and caveman society, they find Earth has been inhabited by operant aliens. May wrote three books on this then wrote
Intervention: which back in the present tells how humans came to be operant. This was followed by
Galatic Millieu, the three volume story of how we became a part of the bigger universe. It basically gives the backstory to the story already told.
Jack-the-Bodyless: I trudged honestly through the previous volumes but this one is a Masterpiece. In previous issues Julian May shows considerable knowledge of society building, biology, cosmos, physics, mystery, and weaving a non-linear story with clarity. She's an extremely smart individual but in this volume she finally was able to make me start to care about the characters, particularly Jack. May had written interesting characters but I didn't have an interest in the relationships until this volume.
Finished the next book in Galactic Milieu: Diamond Mask.
It was as good as Jack the Bodyless.
The next book is about Jack's and "Diamond Mask's" life together fighting the big bad.
Julian May would have been a great Legion writer. Very strong in science and philosophy, great at coherently weaving several story threads and her dozens of characters have distinct voices.
Originally posted by Eryk Davis Ester:
I haven't posted in awhile, but wanted to mention my current obsession: Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century series.
Roughly, it's alt-history steampunk with zombies. It takes place in a world in which the American Civil War has raged on for 20 years, dirigibles are a major part of the transportation infrastructure, and an accident with a mining machine has caused a strange gas to flood the city of Seattle, turning it's inhabitants into the living dead and requiring
that the city be walled off to prevent its spread.
The first book, Boneshaker, concerns the teenage Zeke Wilkes who makes his way into the walled city of Seattle to find answers about his father (who invented the mining machine), and his mother, Briar Wilkes, who follows him into the city to retrieve him. Apparently it's soon to be made into a motion picture, which should be pretty awesome.
The second book, Clementine, is about an ex-slave and air pirate who is attempting to retrieve his ship that has been stolen from him. When it turns out that the stolen vesssel is carrying parts for a Union super-weapon, the captain ends up in an unlikely partnership with a past-her-prime Confederate spy.
The third book, Dreadnaught, is about a Confederate nurse trying to make her way cross country from Richmond to Seattle to see her estranged father before he dies. Traveling by dirigible, Mississippi River Boat, and Union War Train, she gets caught up in the front lines of the ongoing confrontation between North and South. Plus there's a Ranger from the Independent Republic of Texas and a couple of Mexican officials who are travelling to Utah to investigate the disappearance of a Mexican militia unit who have gone missing on a humanitarian trip Both of the border, with strange rumors that they've gone crazy and started engaging in cannibalism. The epic battle between Union and Confederate trains attempting to race each oher throigh the Provo Pass and its aftermath is not to be missed.
I've just begun the fourth book, Ganymede, which opens in a New Orleans brothel and apparently focuses on a dangerous submarine, and it promises to be another groovy addition to the series.
Highly recommended for fans of exciting adventure and action stories, strong characters (especially females), groovy steampunk technology, and zombies!
Originally posted by Blacula:
^ THOSE. BOOKS. SOUND. AMAZING!
What a crazy mish-mash of concepts but it sounds like it all really works. I love writers who are able to create a fully-fleshed, real-seeming universe for their characters to inhabit and this one sounds like she's been able to do it.
Never heard of the author or the books before but I'll definitely keep my eye out for them now.
I echo Blacula's thoughts! These sound amazing! I'm really curious now!
^^I'm guessing you'd totally love it, Cobie!
I also predict that they are going to be super-huge in general whenever the Boneshaker movie comes out.
This is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for right now! World building, high adventure, cool characters and a general original / quirkiness.
I was looking in my basement..and came across my copy of "Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint." I had forgotten how much fun it was to read Danny Dunn!
Originally posted by lancesrealm:
I was looking in my basement..and came across my copy of "Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint." I had forgotten how much fun it was to read Danny Dunn!
I am missing like one or two of these books. I loved them as a kid. Collected a lot of them several years ago...need to finish them up. Time to start reading them to my son as well.
Currently reading The Divine Comedy again. I tend to indulge in it around Halloween. There's a discipline to reading something so intense and complex. You almost have to study it as opposed to simply reading it. But the visual imagery is so rewarding that it's well worth the effort.
I've found that listening to it being read aloud while following along with notes about each canto (which are almost essential as Dante used many popular references and people in the poem) is a highly enjoyable and clarifying way to make your way through Dante's journey. Canto, afterall, means "song" or "singing", so hearing it performed brings life to the words.
The Divine Comedy! It's not just for school reading!
For those interested, Barnes & Noble just posted a list of 9 American science fiction books from the 1950s. Here's the link:
http://bnreview.barnesandnoble.com/...ed-_-bn_review-_-121019_BR01_BNREVIEW-_-
I got less than a paragraph in and couldn't keep the work "pedantic" from pounding in my head.
Anyone care to give a brother a run down on which nine they are suggesting?
^ Sorry, I didn't take the time to read the whole thing either.
It's basically an article on
this two-volume set from the Library of America.
Included books are:
Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth, The Space Merchants
Theodore Sturgeon, More Than Human
Leigh Brackett, The Long Tomorrow
Richard Matheson, The Shrinking Man
Robert A. Heinlein, Double Star
Alfred Bester, The Stars My Destination
James Blish, A Case of Conscience
Algis Budrys, Who?
Fritz Leiber, The Big Time
Thanks! Much easier to google and see what to add to my reading list.
Charlotte Salomon (1917-1944): Life? Or Theatre?
I was prowling for art books on Saturday at the library and stumbled on it totally by accident. I had never heard of Salomon before, which is embarrassing.
It's almost a graphic novel, consisting of almost 800 gouache paintings, many with accompanying text or just dynamic text all by itself.
The story is semi-autobiographical, with both realistic and fantastic visual imagery in it. It's a style of fine art that eventually migrated to commercial art, so much of it still looks contemporary today.
Like a lot of artists I admire, Salomon was obsessed with giving her work the qualities of music (much of the accompanying text is from songs of the same period, or modern Classical works). She had a real talent for doing so.
I am absolutely mesmerized by this story. Salomon was an upper-class German Jew, so her life ended tragically and much too soon, in the gas chamber at Auschwitz. But the determination embodied in this work, given the circumstances she created it under, is amazing. (Don't think that all of it's grimness and pain, either. There are moments of romance and elation in there, and delight in both the urban and natural world.)
Read it! Read it! (Or at least search out some of the pages on the net.)
Kevin Hearne: Iron Druid series. Not as good as Butcher, but still fun.
Recently finished The Woman in White, which has pretty much confirmed my impression of the awesomeness of Wilkie Collins.
Just started re-reading The Count of Monte Cristo.
I find I really don't have the time/energy to read books (or comics) much anymore, which is really depressing because I used to be an avid reader.
But I did just manage to finish one and start another recently which I greatly enjoyed/am enjoying.
The one I just finished was actually a manga comic that I read online. I don't think I've ever read a manga before so the style was all new to me.
It was called
Spiral by Junji Ito.
Another site was listing the scariest books they'd ever read for Halloween and this one came up a couple of times so I thought I'd check it out. Now
The Ruins is still the scariest/most disturbing book I've ever read but this manga was definitely supremely creepy with some horrific imagery that I'm still trying to erase from my mind (the snail people and their fates... <shudder>).
But more than anything, it was an awesomely clever idea that was told in such a way that I really felt like I was reading a comics/manga master at work. Junji Ito has some extremely twisted ideas but he is very, very talented in how he expresses them.
To give a basic rundown of the plot - a small Japanese town starts experiencing weird/horrific 'Spiral'-related events which just build and build as the book goes on (there are about 20 issues, at about 30 pages each, making up the full story).
Before reading this you will not have realised how often the Spiral shape shows up in nature and design. And after reading this you will never be able to look at those shapes the same way again.
Here's a link to the comic if anyone wants to read it themself -
http://read.mangashare.com/Uzumaki/chapter-001/page001.html The other book that I've just started reading is
The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle. Now I am someone who is completely UNinterested in competitive cycling and until recently probably hadn't turned more than two thoughts to Lance Armstrong - but the whole recent news circus around his doping allegations and the idea that this 'celebrity saint' figure was actually a scheming, cunning fraud really intrigued me.
So I've recently read a bunch of really insightful, engaging news articles about the Cult of Lance and the whole messianic persona that he and the UCI created that then became too big for the sport to lose, and now I'm reading the inside story as told by someone who was right there on the inside during it all.
And let me just say that this is a really engaging and interesting book! Very easy to read and really eye-opening about what goes on in this sport. It definitely explains the mind-set that would lead someone to start taking performance-enhancing drugs, without at all trying to excuse it. But what it's really about, and what I find most fascinating, is power; and the desperate lengths some go to to get it. Lance comes across as a bullying control freak who behaves appallingly at times and was undoubtedly a key figure in this drugs network, but at the same time, I understand how much was on the line for him and why he told the lies he did, until the lies eventually got so big that he thought he had no choice but to keep telling them. Not that I'm excusing him. He ruined lives and cost people their careers and IMO definitely deserves a harsher penalty than losing a few of his multi-million dollar sponsors.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has a passing interest in this story, definitely not just cycling fans.
By chance, not by choice, two books on politics recently rose to the top of my reading list. Both were thought-provoking and I recommend them.
In The Price of Civilization, Jeffrey D. Sachs, an economist with 40 years' work around the world, asserts that America's economic decline stems from a moral crisis:"the decline of civic virtue among American's political and economic elite." He explores the problem and offers a pathway to regain prosperity.
Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope was written two years into his Senate tenure and two years before he became President. It's interesting to see the clear-eyed, feet-on-the-ground "hope"fulness in his worldview, which is something I dearly search for in would-be political leaders. There were many times while I was reading that I thought of Republican friends and noted that they would like what Obama was saying. This is quite a counterpoint to the Obama-caricature that so many of us are basing our opinions on.
My next book: Ardent Spirits by Reynolds Price.
Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye
This thick, 409-page book traces the history of You Know Who from his development in Siegel and Shuster's imaginations to the icon he is today. Along the way, it profiles many of the writers, artists, editors, entrepreneurs, and actors who contributed to the Superman legend over the decades.
Some interesting revelations:
--Most sources paint Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster as victims screwed over by DC's greed, and, while DC bought the rights to Superman dirt cheap (for $130!), Tye evenhandedly suggests they were at least partly responsible for their fate. Siegel was singlemindedly obsessed with getting what he felt was due him and was such an irritant, Jack Liebowitz (DC co-owner) labeled him an ingrate. Shuster followed Siegel's lead, allowing the latter to make decisions for both of them. Siegel and Shuster, however, were paid quite well until they sued National in 1947. They even got bylines, a rarity for comics creators in those days.
--Liebowitz and his partner, Harry Donnenfeld, were hardly angels. They had ties to the mob and basically screwed National's founder, Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, out of his company by first becoming his partners and then forcing his company into bankruptcy so he had no choice but to sell out to them.
--Almost all of Superman's early creators came from working class or immigrant Jewish backgrounds, and their experiences played a major role in shaping the development and world view of the character.
--Siegel's father died as a result of a robbery when Siegel was 17. The experience of losing his father was mirrored in several other early creators and shaped the destruction of Krypton/death of Jor-El motif.
--Siegel's second wife, Joanne, modeled for Lois Lane. Later, she lied about her age on her marriage certificate. Her new date of birth would have made her 12 at the time of the modeling!
--Siegel wrote a story in 1943 which predicted the eventual creation of kryptonite, although DC shelved the script at the time because they didn't want Superman to have a weakness.
--Several hallmarks of the legend (such as Superman flying instead of being able to leap 1/8 of a mile) were developed first on radio instead of in the comics.
There are many other fascinating revelations. Highly recommended.
Donenfeld wasn't just "mob-connected"...he was an outright mobster. He had deep ties to Frank Costello and Tamany Hall.
Distribution of news print has traditionally been a mob-fronted business. So the entire comic book industry had mob ties in the early day (on a publishing level). That remained that way all the way until at last the 70's.
He Who, if you liked that book, you'd probably enjoy Gerard Jones' "Men of Tomorrow", although it sounds like they both cover a lot of the same ground.
Thanks for the recommendation, Fanfie.
Yeah, I should have given same rec. Jones book is a fantastic source.
It's a topic I really love and have studied intensely.
Just snagged it for my kindle, thanks HWW.
I added Fanfie's rec to my wishlist, so if i like this book i'll pick up Men of Tomorrow next
I hope you enjoy it, Virie. I finished it a few days ago, and it remained a fascinating read from beginning to end.
From a writer's perspective, it's very interesting how Tye and his agent pitched the book to the publisher. Their pitch is revealed in the back of the book. (I won't give away spoilers.
)
I'm almost finished reading "Dead Island", a zombie book based on a video game. Fairly disappointing really. Soon as I am finished I'll be starting the book HWW recommended
I've been plowing through John Burdett's Bangkok series - Bangkok 8, Bangkok Tattoo, The Godfather of Kathmandu and Vulture Peak (only one left: Bangkok Haunts).
This is a marvelous detective series set in Thailand, featuring Sonchai Jitpleecheep, the son of an American G.I. and a Bangkok hooker. He's a detective with the Bangkok police and, since he's half farang, is given the cases involving foreigners. He works for a delightfully devious and corrupt Colonel Vikram and is assisted by the generally outrageous Lek, who is in the process of becoming female.
The plots tend to be similar: a prostitute or a foreigner is gruesomely murdered, and it's always complicated with people in high places, both domestic and foreign.
What is particularly fascinating is the running commentary from Sonchai as he contemplates the effect that globalism is having on his country, the ethics of running a whorehouse with his mother, Thailand's sex trade, drug consumption and trafficking and Buddhist philosophy. His life is complicated not only by being half foreign but also an "arhat", an altruistic and uncorruptible soul.
I picked up "Superman: The High-Flying History of America's Most Enduring Hero" by Larry Tye from the library. It is a fascinating read! Thanks for the recommendation!
I also was persuaded by some friends of mine to read "The Hunger Games," which was quite good as well.
Glad you liked the "Superman" book, lance.
I really, really did, so thanks for the recommendation!
One of the funniest parts was when I read about the woman who played Lois on the radio show. She was fired, then put on a wig, and went to the auditions to fill her job, and she got the part! (Again!) I was laughing out loud!
P. G. Woodhouse by Frances Donaldson
The comic writer, P.G. Woodhouse, was severely criticized during World War II for broadcasting a series of talks from Germany about his internment in a civilian prison camp. Wodehouse had been living in France when the Nazis moved in; he was sent to the camp. It was early in the war; the detainees had shelter, simple although limited food, received some packages and mail and were not required to do heavy labour. It could have been far worse, but it was still a prison camp.
Woodhouse consented to do five broadcasts from Germany about his experiences. He was a comedian with no interest in politics - and, according to Donaldson, quite naive - so his talks were funny. The British were enraged; he was denounced in Parliament as spreading Nazi propoganda. It might be like Oprah broadcasting for Al Queda today - an iconic figure yukking it up with the enemy.
I'd read about this incident and found it baffling, but this is the first time I read the details. Of course, Donaldson is very pro-Wodehouse, and she has her own interpretation - but she interviewed a wide range of people and read the editorials of the day as well and presents the full spectrum of opinion about Wodehouse's actions.
Of particular interest in this book are the transcripts of the actual broadcasts. They're pure Wodehouse. They have his comic style, making fun of the dreary prison routine, the food, the other prisoners and the Nazi guards and officers. Some of the harshness and fear are there as well, but I can see why people got so upset about the talks. He was eventually "rehabilitated" and the matter was closed, but he went to live in America (despite a contentious pre-war dispute with the IRS), so I guess feelings in Britain remained rather tender.
The book is a full biography, starting with Wodehouse's childhood through to his death, but the war years were what I found particularly interesting.
Thanks to the wonders of interlibrary loan, I have been steadily working my way through the Lord Peter Wimsey mystery series: the originals by Dorothy L. Sayers, and the authorized sequels by Jill Paton Walsh. I'm about halfway through A Presumption Of Death; the final volume, The Attenbury Emeralds, is already waiting for me at my local library.
After that: two recent short story collections in the 1632 series were recently released in paperback, and I picked them up a couple of weeks ago: Ring Of Fire III and Grantville Gazette VI.
After that: I've been thinking, it must be ten years since I last re-read The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings ...
While visiting my local library to return The Attenbury Emeralds, I spotted Captain Vorpatril's Alliance on the New Arrivals shelf; those 1632 books will have to wait a bit longer.
Just finished reading Barack Obama: The Story by David Maraniss.
The 600-page book traces the history of Obama's family--starting with his great-grandmother's suicide in Kansas in 1926 and his Kenyan family's history preceding the birth of his father in 1934. Obama himself isn't born until Chapter 7, and the book ends after his first visit to Kenya and before his arrival at Harvard Law School at age 25, so it doesn't describe his meteoric rise in politics or shed much light on his politics, if that's what you're looking for.
What it does offer is a series of revealing profiles of the family members who shaped Obama's life and a glimpse into how unlikely this person would be born at all, let alone become president of the United States. The overall theme of the book is being left and leaving, and finding and being found--Obama's quest for identity in the absence of his parents (one of whom he met only once, while the other lived on another continent during his high school and college years). Maraniss interviewed Obama's college friends, ex-girlfriends, and various relatives to get the story.
Worth reading, regardless of your politics.
Daunted by 600 pages as I am, I might pick up that book to see how it was fashioned. I like that it started two generations before he was born. What was "luck?" What were those subtle pieces that fit together?
Culture can be very subtle. I learned more about myself returning to my hometown than I think I ever would have discovered on the career path that had taken me to other places. Obviously not the same as President but in 110 years I have been until this last year the only college grad in my family and only the second to have what most would consider a "white collar" profession.
It was easy to think it was all "me" but there were so many influences (+ and -) I didn't realize as a kid that I can see as an adult who has returned to the old neighborhood and those I still no doubt see in a culturally filtered fashion.
Indeed, BB.
One of the fascinating parallels in the book is that, after his great-grandmother's suicide, Obama's grandfather (age eight at the time) and his great-uncle (age 10) were raised by their grandparents, just as Obama was raised by his own grandparents forty years later.
Obama's grandfather, Stan Dunham, was a very interesting character. He had a gift for gab and was a teller of tales (he claimed to have found his mother's body, but other sources dispute this). After marrying and becoming a father to his only child, Ann, he moved the family from Kansas to Texas, to Kansas again, to Washington, and then finally to Hawaii. After bouncing around from career to career (he wanted to be screenwriter at one point), Stan found his calling as a furniture salesman, but eventually gave that up to sell insurance--a job he hated but which paid better.
Ann Dunham, Obama's mother, arrived in Hawaii just after she graduated from high school and, during her first semester in college, met Barack Obama Sr., one of a generation of young Africans sent to college in the United States as part of a literacy effort.
Their entire relationship lasted less than a year--Barack II was born on August 4, 1961, and later that same month, Ann Dunham Obama took her newborn infant and fled back to Washington (the details on why are not clear, though considering how Barack Sr. treated his other wives, one can hazard a reasonable guess). Although Ann didn't file for divorce until their son was three, she apparently had nothing further to do with her husband. (He went on to Harvard and then back to Kenya).
The only time Barack Sr. met his son was during the winter of 1971-72, when he returned to Hawaii for a month-long visit.
One of the great things about the book is that it encourages the reader to think about his or her own family and the choices they made. I've been privileged to do a lot of family research over the last several years and have also discovered some interesting facts. Like you, BB, I'm the first person in my family to graduate from college, let alone grad school; however, my family did include one doctor and a Revolutionary War soldier.
I'm about a few chapters into The Great Gatsby--figured I should read it first before the movie comes out (which made it sound a lot more engaging than I would have given it credit for at first).
It's interesting so far, but I seem to have noticed a pattern: first person narrator, who has just enough personality/free-will to be uncomfortable about things but not much else, watches a lot of horrible rich people do horrible things while, for some reason, pretty girls keep revealing secrets about the other rich people that makes them even more horrible.
Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson.
Wilson wrote the Air series, last year's Mystic mini-series and Cairo, a graphic novel.
Alif the Unseen is her first novel and is a superb showcase of her talents and interests. Alif is a young computer hacker in a Middle Eastern city. He sets up secure systems for anyone who is at odds with the severely repressive government: Islamists, Communists, Feminists and people who just want their privacy. His government counterpart, known only as The Hand, is continually trying to break his systems - and one day succeeds. Alif is on the run with the full force of the government after him.
But this is G. Willow Wilson, so there are also Jinns and all sorts of mystical beings which coexsist with man in an unseen world. Alif escapes into this unseen world, dragging with him the girl next door, an American female convert to Islam, the head of the city's prestigious mosque and a very ancient book of magical tales. Unfortunately, The Hand also has allies in this unseen world, and they're not very nice creatures.
It's a book that's hard to put down, seamlessly blending medieval Arabic myths with computer programming, revolution and a good old-fashioned love story. If you've enjoyed her other works, you'll love this novel.
The Power Club by our very own Greg Gildersleeve aka He Who Wanders, Available as a Kindle book.
You have a unique super power. So do a few others. Your family has had to move to a special district for people with powers, even though the rest of your family are "ordinary" people. They don't say so, but you feel your family resents this. There are all sorts of unwritten rules and stifling restrictions in the district and your own mother says a lot of things the district does don't make sense.
You have enemies, some you know and some surprise you. You'd like to work with others to master your power, but nobody wants to work with you. To top it off, you're 12 years old.
This is Damon's story. Damon produces a dark field. While he's trying to develop this ability, he's also trying to develop his own identity, make friends and be a hero. Tall order for a 12 year old. "Being a hero isn't always about getting what you want", one of his friends tells him, and we watch Damon stumble and struggle through all sorts of mishaps, from school yard bullies to government coercion, and emerge a stronger and more mature person.
It's a captivating story. It's a long time since I've seen 12, but I cringed along with Damon at all the everyday difficulties facing a young adolescent and cheered when he succeeded.
What I found particularly interesting was the background to the story, the unnamed District with its somewhat mercurial and quietly threatening rules. It's never explained in detail, which makes it all the more ominous, effectively communicating what it must be like to live there. I would have liked to know more about how Damon's mother felt (although we get a good sense of her forced acceptance of the situation) and wondered if his father was so absent because of his job or because he couldn't deal with the everyday life at home in this strange place.
There's lots of material for a sequel, and Gildersleeve ends the book on a high note, but leaves the door open to continue the tale. I hope he does.
Finally, finally finished Wild Boys by William S. Burroughs. It's been a 5 year slog, including losing the book twice and setting it aside for various different reasons. It benefited from rereading from the beginning and doing it all in a short time span this time. Burroughs continues to fascinate me and despite his tendency to be a little too repetitious at times, the book has another great romp through his mind.
A Memory of Light ... the 14th book in the Wheel of Time series!
I'm on page 300!
For my book club I am reading:
Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman
It's a gay coming of age/first love story. It is set in the Italian Riviera. THe main protagonist is the 17 year old son of a professor. Each summer the professor has a graduate student spend the summer with his family. The first 2/3 of the book is full of teenage angst. The last 1/3 is less angsty. It's not a bad book, but it doesn't do anything for me.
Once that is finished, I have 3 books on deck: David McCullough's The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris; SHada (the novelization of a lost Dr Who episode); and Stephen Colbert's America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't. Not sure which to read next. I'm thinking of Stephen Colbert.
Greg Egan's Distress.
A master of 'hard' sci-fi, Egan introduces a future earth society with five distinct genders, on the throes of a massive scientific / cultural evolutionary leap forward.
Fun stuff, as are several of his other books, Permutation City and Quarantine. I really need to pick up some of his other books.
Pretty much anything by
Peter Hamilton is amazing space opera futurism at work, as well.
A Memory of Light ... the 14th book in the Wheel of Time series!
I'm on page 300!
I finished this.
I'm on the seventh Destroyermen book and am beginning to feel like it's trudging. I'll probably force myself through it but I think I've lost interest in most of the characters.
Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson.
Wilson wrote the Air series, last year's Mystic mini-series and Cairo, a graphic novel.
Alif the Unseen is her first novel and is a superb showcase of her talents and interests. Alif is a young computer hacker in a Middle Eastern city. He sets up secure systems for anyone who is at odds with the severely repressive government: Islamists, Communists, Feminists and people who just want their privacy. His government counterpart, known only as The Hand, is continually trying to break his systems - and one day succeeds. Alif is on the run with the full force of the government after him.
But this is G. Willow Wilson, so there are also Jinns and all sorts of mystical beings which coexsist with man in an unseen world. Alif escapes into this unseen world, dragging with him the girl next door, an American female convert to Islam, the head of the city's prestigious mosque and a very ancient book of magical tales. Unfortunately, The Hand also has allies in this unseen world, and they're not very nice creatures.
It's a book that's hard to put down, seamlessly blending medieval Arabic myths with computer programming, revolution and a good old-fashioned love story. If you've enjoyed her other works, you'll love this novel.
This sounds great--I've read and loved all of her works mentioned and really enjoy her unique voice. I had no idea Willow wrote a novel and am thrilled you reviewed it FC! Will definitely give it a try!
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Clay Jannon sees a help wanted sign in the window of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. Mr. Penumbra needs a clerk to mind the store overnight, Clay needs a job. It's not just any bookstore; there are used books for sale, but, high above these shelves, accessible only by sliding ladders, are books which are taken out and returned by mysterious clients.
This novel is about the intersection of physical books and computers. The author clearly loves both. There's a secret society of book readers who are trying to decode a centuries-old mystery on one side and the bright young brains of Google who are trying to decode everything on the other. Being a happy story, the two intersect and start working together. It's not stated, but the author is either mad crazy in love with Google, works for them or was hired by them to write this book; he makes Google sound like the most wonderful thing on Earth. When I read this, I wanted to buy the world a Coke. I wanted everyone to work for Google, which, as we all know, is not evil.
Regardless, it's a lively and happy story. The mysteries of the secret book cult gradually and satisfyingly unfold. Guy meets girl, tries to impress girl and (spoiler) eventually gets girl. We meet a lot of people who do very interesting things, but don't seem to have much in the way of character development. I'd say the book has become a best-seller more for its ideas than for its characters.
As a thought-provoking piece on books and, in a broader sense, ideas and where they're going in the computer age, Mr. Penumbra's is a worthwhile read.
It's very different from Alif the Unseen (reviewed above), which also deals with matters of book meets computer. Alif was more subtle, Mr. Penumbra's is a brassy love song to the bright and shiny tech future.
There was one section of dialogue between Clay and Kat, a Google employee, which I thought relevant to readers of futuristic stories:
“...Have you ever played Maximum Happy Imagination?â€
“Sounds like a Japanese game show.â€
Kat straightens her shoulders. “Okay, we're going to play. To start, imagine the future. The good future. No nuclear bombs. Pretend you're a science fiction writer.â€
Okay: “World government ...no cancer... hoverboards.â€
“Go further. What's the good future after that?â€
“Spaceships. Party on Mars.â€
“Further.â€
“Star Trek. Transporters. You can go anywhere.â€
“Further.â€
I pause a moment, then realize: “I can't.â€
Kat shakes her head. “It's really hard. And that's, what, a thousand years? What comes after that? What could possibly come after that? Imagination runs out. But it makes sense, right? We probably just imagine things based on what we already know, and we run out of analogies in the thirty-first century.â€
I'm trying hard to imagine an average day in the year 3012. I can't even come up with a half-decent scene. Will people live in buildings? Will they wear clothes. My imagination is almost physically straining. Fingers of thought are raking the space behind the cushions, looking for loose ideas, finding nothing.
“Personally, I think the big change is going to be our brains,†Kat says, tapping just above her ear, which is pink and cute. “I think we're going to find different ways to think, thanks to computers.
... “Each big idea like that is an operating system upgrade,†she says, smiling. Comfortable territory. “Writers are responsible for some of it. They say Shakespeare invented the internal monologue.â€
Oh, I am very familiar with the internal monologue.
“But I think the writers had their turn,†she says, “and now it's programmers who get to upgrade the human operating system.â€
I am definitely talking to a girl from Google.
Lightspeed Magazine edited by J. J. Adams
Just read my first issue of Lightspeed, which I'd heard about for a while. It was really quite impressive and well worth the money (I got a Kindle subscription, $2.99/month). You can read a lot of it on-line for free, but I like to support efforts like this.
The magazine offers a novella, a lengthy excerpt from an upcoming novel, four fantasy and four sci fi short stories, short interviews with the authors about these stories and two longer interviews which, in this case, were taken from the Geeks Guide to the Galaxy podcast and an article on an artist. Of the whole bunch, there was only one short story that I didn't enjoy. That's a much higher return than I get from most periodicals and anthologies.
The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway
I just finished reading this book and all the way through I thought it's the kind of book rickshaw1 (and many other LWers) would enjoy. Its male narrator (it's told first-person throughout) is involved in the dirty work of apocalyptic war cleanup, so he's a tough guy, yet with a crazy sense of humor and a wondrous way with words. One common complaint about tough-guy books is the misogyny that's often found. You won't find that here. Beyond all that, it's a commentary on war, society, and identity.
The book reads like a ninja; I won't explain what that means, but if you read it you'll see.
I loved Harkaway's use of language. Here's the opening of Chapter One, and he's just getting warmed up:
"The lights went out in the Nameless Bar just after nine. I was bent over the pool table with one hand in the bald patch behind the D, which Flynn the Barman claimed was beer, but which was the same size and shape as Mrs. Flynn the Barman's arse: nigh on a yard in the beam and formed like the cross-section of a cooking apple. The fluorescent over the table blinked out, then came back, and the glass-fronted fridge gave a low, lurching hum. The wiring buzzed--and then it was dark. A faint sheen of static danced on the TV on its shelf, and the green exit lamp sputtered by the door.
"I dropped my weight into the imprint of Mrs. Flynn the Barman's hams and played the shot anyway. The white ball whispered across the felt, came off two cushions, and clipped the eight cleanly into a side pocket. Doff, doff, tchk...glonk. It was perfect. On the other hand, I'd been aiming for the six. I'd given the game to Jim Hepsobah, and any time now when the power came back and everything was normal in the Nameless Bar, I'd pass the cue to my hero pal Gonzo, and Jim would beat him too.
"Any time now.
"Except that the lights stayed out, and the hollow glimmer of the TV set faded away. There was a small, quiet moment, the kind you just have time to notice, which makes you feel sad for no good reason. Then Flynn went out back, swearing like a billy-o--and if your man Billy-O ever met Flynn, if ever there was a cuss-off, a high noon kinduva thing with foul landuage, I know where my money'd be."
"Flynn hooked up the generator, which God help us was pig-powered."
And so it goes.
Harkaway acknowledges P.G. Wodehouse, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Alexandre Dumas as influences.
Cross-posting with the "What are you Watching" thread:
I'm currently almost finished with
Clash of Kings, the second volume in George R. R. Martin's
A Song of Ice and Fire series, being serialized on HBO as
Game of Thrones. I'm interested in getting the HBO series on DVD but am leery of spoilers. Can anyone tell me how the first two seasons synch up with the actual book series? I saw
Bleeding Cool has a preview for the third season. Any non-SPOILERy info is greatly appreciated.
"The 4-Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferriss... wishful thinking mostly, but some interesting points...
Cross-posting with the "What are you Watching" thread:
I'm currently almost finished with
Clash of Kings, the second volume in George R. R. Martin's
A Song of Ice and Fire series, being serialized on HBO as
Game of Thrones. I'm interested in getting the HBO series on DVD but am leery of spoilers. Can anyone tell me how the first two seasons synch up with the actual book series? I saw [i]Bleeding Cool" has a preview for the third season. Any non-SPOILERy info is greatly appreciated.
From what I understand, season 2 = book 2, but starting with season 3, it will take two seasons to do each book. This is a very good thing because too many important and awesome things will be left out.
I read all the GoT books last year Pov and became totally hooked. My siblings all love them too. It's probably one of the only "series" of books one truly loved, and the quality only gets better and better.
The show does a great job putting great actors into the right roles, and Martin is part of the writing team, so he's able to insert a few scenes into the show that are new but make total sense.
If you're reading the third book you are in for a treat. Oh man, there is at least one major shocker of a twist for one of the narrators though I guess you can say that about all of them. Book 3 is when Jon emerged as my favorite, second only to Tyrion (with Arra a close third).
I'm currently reading the first books in Clive Barker's "Arabat" trilogy.
Its about a young girl who makes her way into a mystical island world called Arabat. I'm only about 1/5th of the way through, so the story is just starting to pickup, and being a Barker story I'm not really clear on where its going to go.
Here's the wierd thing about it though (if you are familiar with Barker)....This is a young adult series and despite never straying from that format, it is easily recognized as one of his books.
If you're reading the third book you are in for a treat. Oh man, there is at least one major shocker of a twist for one of the narrators though I guess you can say that about all of them. Book 3 is when Jon emerged as my favorite, second only to Tyrion (with Arya a close third).
I'm down to my last 40 pages and am looking forward to book 4, A Feast For Crows!
I love how Martin takes characters I feel I should out-and-out HATE, and make them sympathetic at times, i.e. Jaime and The Hound.
Agreed on your three favorites, but my sympathetic favorite is Bran; When I get to the point of using a powerchair regularly, I shall call it Hodor.
And Sansa is the series' equivalent of TV Andrea, LOL.
Darth Plagues: Thank the good citizens of my community for internet renewal because it's taken me about a month to get through this library book. Hasn't grabbed my attention but I'm determined. I've got one more renewal available, lol.
I finished Arabat a few nights ago. Excellent young Adult story with all the usual elements of Barker's fantastique without the sex, swearing and violence.
Still two more books in this series (that I know of), I'll have to grab them soon.
I'm now reading "Maia and Icarus" by one of our very own LWers.
It's enjoyable so far, while it also seems to be geared towards the young adult set, I'm finding myself reading for far longer than I intend to because I am so drawn in.
I am also reading several new books on SEO and the latest Google engine updates...so far nothing groundbreaking for my methods of website optimization.
And on the magazine front I am still picking up "Advanced Photoshop" whenever the local store has it in...I find the magazine great in learning new ways to do things, plus the pack in disc makes it worth the purchase for the specialty fonts and stock photos alone
Just finished Trapped by Kevin Hearne. Lots of fun with Atticus O'Sullivan and crew.
I've started reading / rereading the works of Robert Louis Stevenson, since I feel he is a highly under appreciated writer (especially in the last 100 years or so) even though he's one of the most read authors ever.
I'm reading the "Suicide Club" three parter right now and its fantastic! One of the best stories I've read in an age. Prince Florizel, "borrowed" from Shakespeare is a fantastic character, and the premise is such a classic and simple suspense / noir type premise. Highly recommended.
I'm doing a lot of the short stories, then I'll read Jeckyl & Hyde, then end with Treasure Island.
If you're reading the third book you are in for a treat. Oh man, there is at least one major shocker of a twist for one of the narrators though I guess you can say that about all of them. Book 3 is when Jon emerged as my favorite, second only to Tyrion (with Arya a close third).
I'm down to my last 40 pages and am looking forward to book 4, A Feast For Crows!
I love how Martin takes characters I feel I should out-and-out HATE, and make them sympathetic at times, i.e. Jaime and The Hound.
Agreed on your three favorites, but my sympathetic favorite is Bran; When I get to the point of using a powerchair regularly, I shall call it Hodor.
And Sansa is the series' equivalent of TV Andrea, LOL.
So where you at now? I KNOW you had to have cheered at a certain death scene in book 3!
And totally agree about Martin getting you to like characters you should hate. My siblings all told me I'd eventually start to love Jamie and I said no way. Well, they were right--and I wanted him DEAD.
Another character I absolutely love is Davos. Hell, I love them all.
Also: amazing how the actress who plays Sansa is able to make her 1000 times more likable right?
And
on getting your Hoder!!
"Gore Vidal: Snapshots in History's Glare" - It's like a scrapbook of Vidal's life. He lived a fascinating life. It's been my coffee table book for months. I recently started flipping through it and got pulled in. Committed now to reading each word.
RLS is an awesome writer, one of my favorite writers of "Classic" books.
I'm now into another Brandon Sanderson book "Alloy of Law".
It takes place in the same world as his original Mistborn series, but is set well after the events of that trilogy.
In this stand-alone novel the people have guns, steam power and are just developing cars and electricity....but they still have all the magic from the earlier books too.
Still have a big backlog of books to read, but the last Wheel of Time book was finally released for Kindle, so yesterday I bought that, Dance for Dragons (GRR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire) and Crippled God (final book in Stephen Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series)
Too much to read, not enough time!
RLS is on my short list of writers that I want to a serious reading of!
If nothing else for RLS read his most well now books, Jekyll and Hyde and Treasure Island.
I'm finished Alloy of Law, I saw the "twist" coming a long way off in this book and oddly enough for Sanderson's Mistborn books, actually had it right.
So I've started "Memory of Light", the final book in the whell of time series. So far it seems to have the exceptional quality I've come to expect from the series even though the point I am at is still setting up the events for the remainder of the book
And before I start Dance of Dragons I am going the reread the other ICe and Fire books. I've come up with a new theory and need to see if it holds true before the reveal.
Finished Clive Barker's "Mister B. Gone". Not his best effort. The book is more interesting in premise than execution (There's a demon trapped in the book you're reading trying to convince you to burn it). The conceit grows old pretty fast, and the constant interruption of the narrative trying to convince/trick/cajole you keep falling flat. Probably the first Barker book I didn't really enjoy.
"Memory of Light" was as awesome all the way through as it started and was an excellent finish to the series.
And then my kindle died
I rolled over on top of it in my sleep and cracked the screen.
However, my ma-in-law has a broken one with an intact screen so I will attempt a repair before buying a new one.
In the meanwhile I managed to find a real book that was unread, so now I have returned to the world of Malazan, with a side-story called "Return of the Crimson Guard"
Since I became a Cub leader for my son's pack, I decided to read the Jungle Book, which a lot of the program is based around. It's actually been quit enjoyable, and not as "childish" as I expected.
Haven't been able to read anything lately except for a traffic ticket.
Currently reading The Three Musketeers.
Just finished reading Salamander, a true-crime book about the Mormon Murders in Utah back in the 1980s.
Honestly, it was pretty slow going, though forensics hounds would probably get a lot more out of it than I did. Given my own... issues with religion, it was hard for me to feel a lot of sympathy where the authors clearly meant me to. But again, other readers might not have this problem.
Now rereading Cookbooks Worth Collecting. Which is pretty much just what it says in the title. Lots of interesting trivia about U.S. history as reflected in what we cooked and ate. Some interesting and outright hilarious visuals, too. (Did you know that there used to be a company called Pebeco Toothpaste that made an, er, mint publishing a cookbook "based" on Gone With The Wind?)
I just finished Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. In it, Didion chronicles her first year of grieving after the 2003 death of her husband, John Dunne. At the same time, their daughter, Quintana Dunne, was in and out of a coma and various rehabilitation centers. My late partner, David, read all of Didion's books. Prior to his death, he encouraged me to read this one thinking that it may offer me some solace after his passing. I put it off until well into my second year of grieving. Glad I did. There is no arguing with Didion's talent as a writer. She captures the complications of the grieving process in raw detail and with much honesty. As such, she captures some of our common experiences. However, her noble attempts at hope and optimism fall short. She was in a dark and difficult place when she wrote this. The reader goes to those places with her.
There is an excerpt from Didion's book in one of the textbooks I teach from. I agree. It's powerful writing.
Last month I started reading a book called Lemons Never Lie, which I got from an eBay lot of 8 Hard Case Crime novels several years ago. (I read a few of these when I got the lot. One was great, but the others othe lot that I read were a mixed bag.) I revisited this particular previously unread one because I realized it was written by Richard Stark (a pen name for Donald Westlake), who wrote the Parker novels that Darwyn Cooke has been adapting so excellently in GN form at IDW.
I was especially excited when I realized that Lemons stars a supporting character (Alan Grofield) of Parker's who appeared in 2 of Cooke's adaptations and also showed the "after" of a relationship between Alan and his hostage who decided to run away with him during The Score.
Unfortunately, I got nearly 80 pages into the book and lost interest. It's painfully slow-moving and at that point, I still didn't know what the story's big plot thrust would be. There's some set-up and a little bit of suspense, but not enough to reel me in. Considering this was a third of the entire book, that's pretty disappointing.
I was really hot to read an actual Stark novel after enjoying Cooke's adaptations, but this is discouraging to make be read more. I know it's not a Parker novel and most likely not one of his best, but if Stark's style and pace here is in any way representative of his usual prose, I'll most likely stick with Cooke's interpretations.
I am currently reading "A Case for Solomon"
It is the true story of 4 year old Bobby Dunbar who went missing in Louisiana in 1912. He was found 8 months later with a peddler. He was returned to the Dunbar, but a woman from North Carolina claimed that the boy was actually her son Bruce.
One of the authors is the granddaughter of the boy.
A few posts ago I mentioned I had a theory for ASoIaF...so far in my re-read the evidence is slowly piling up, nothing to give direct confirmation. BUT thus far not a single word to contradict it either. Done some digging on fantheory sites as well, some people have put forth part of my idea but a major piece is missing from what they say.
I hope I'm right because it is awesome if true!
Deddy, my siblings and I also have a theory on ASoIaF. It involves the true parentage of a certain character.
Who? Jon Snow's mom?
Deddy, my siblings and I also have a theory on ASoIaF. It involves the true parentage of a certain character.
Mine is along those lines, but involves multiple characters...even if it turns out i'm wrong I'll post what i was thinking when i have enough evidence one way or the other
The Wake: a ten issue Vertigo by Snyder and Murphy.
Three issues in it appears a standard horror sci-fi, Ten Little Indians told in three parts; far past, present, future.
Pacing has been good, with the occasional bland filler splash probably to make sure the cliffhangers happen in the right spots. Each issue has been fairly full. It's based upon an alternate hypothesis for evolution and where that might lead. The theory may or may not be real, I'm no expert. I thought they approached it logically but I wouldn't know if the "facts" are real or made up so that the theory would seem logical. The setting is aquatic. I have personal experience with the science and I can say it is realistic and well depicted.
The past and the future quickly get lost so the part in the past may only be to set up the alternate theory of evolution and the future may only be the last issue cliffhanger foretold or the goal may be to actually get to that part of the story. By issue 3, we're not there yet.
The setting, the alternate theory are all fun. The science is fun. The story telling so far both cliche and loathsomely done; get all the best together then make them do dumb things to move the story along. The personalities I find both cliche and bland.
The pay-off will be the end-story. At a $30 for ten issues price tag, it's hard to recommend a mystery novel until after the entire read. Since I find so much cliche, before buying it, I'd recommend waiting to see if anyone tells you that the end was "fantastic," "the characters grew on me" and "all the clues were there you have to go back and look for them," then buy. If not but you like the setting, borrow someone's issues, you won't re-read this ever.
Recently read Neil Gaiman's "Ocean at the End of the Lane". Quick read, but packs a good punch. Really quite unsettling at points when touching on parental relationships and children's preceptions.
Also read the YA book the "Savage" by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean. Really good story about grief and rage and how they can impact children.
Peter David's Star Trek: New Frontier prose novels. I've finished the first four, which were really one long novel serialized in four novellas, and have started on the fifth, "Martyr."
The series is set during the same era as "Star Trek: TNG," but with different characters (although a few of them did appear on the TNG show in minor roles.)
So far, it's been great. I'm only a casual Trek fan, but I love Peter David. When he's giving it his all, no one can touch him. Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the Starship Excalibur is a total badass who makes Captain James T. Kirk look like a boy scout. There's plenty of well-done action to carry the talky bits. And PAD excels at his patented mixture of soap opera, sitcom, and adventure.
Ever since I started commuting on the train again, I've been reading like crazy. I fly through my monthly National Geographic and usually am doing a full length book or novel every 2-3 weeks. My tastes for some time have veered towards non-fiction with an intellectual / historical / sociological bent. When elements of true crime, Government and cover-ups / conspiracies / secret histories are added, it makes it all the more appealing.
Recently, I've been on a big "hard realistic conspiracy" binge (re: conspiracies that are not quite so far-fetched and can be supported with real data), so I reread the terrifying and incredible plausible Programmed to Kill: the Politics of Serial Murder which addresses a litany of things kept out of the press about serial killers, the foremost being they usually are never acting alone and often have ties to prostitution, child porn and human trafficking rings.
From there, I read the famous and incredible The Ultimate Evil, which was investigative journalist Maury Terry's highly praised expose on the Son of Sam which reveals what NY law enforcement officials and the Queens District Attorneys office have said for decades, that David Berkowitcz certainly did not act alone, and was part of a cult of killers. This was excellent, and I read the second edition rereleased in 1989, with added chapters that confirmed many theories the first time around as suspects and related parties ended up dead in between the editions.
Going for a lighter tone, I then spent many weeks reading from start to finish the masterful and seminal The People's History of the United States of America by Howard Zinn, which I agree should be required reading for every school kid. Though I've read pieces of it before in Grad School and other places, I've never read it start to finish. It was, as expected, nothing short of brilliant, on the level of the best of Chomsky and other incredibly insightful and intelligent writers. Zinn does not pull any punches, but everything he says is backed up entirely by facts, figures and an honest understanding of the history of my home country.
I also just read the biography on Steve Jobs, which my boss kept recommending I read. I went in with zero expectations and ended up loving every page of it. It gives a very accurate and non-biased look at Steve Jobs (and unflinchingly shows him when he was at his worst, which was often). It was one of the most fascinating biographies I've ever read, which is helped by Jobs leading one of the most interesting and exciting lives ever, all the more highlighted by many of Apple's later accomplishments happening in the recent past in my lifetime.
From here, I plan on reading Understanding the F-Word, a book by one of my favorites, David McGowan, which analyzes the connections between American business and European Fascism prior to WWII, and the subsequent recruitment of many Nazis and fascist-supporters by the USA (and allies) via the CIA, science & technologies and other ways. Ultimately, McGowan will show how the American Government has adopted many of the methods and tools used by Hitler's Germany and other fascist states (such as in South American, where the dictators were installed by none other than the CIA). Everything I've ever read by McGowan has been among the best stuff I've *ever* read.
^^^^
I think I'm going to go to a corner and curl up into a ball.
If it helps, know that I read strictly comic books in the evenings while my wife watches TV.
From here, I plan on reading Understanding the F-Word, a book by one of my favorites, David McGowan, which analyzes the connections between American business and European Fascism prior to WWII, and the subsequent recruitment of many Nazis and fascist-supporters by the USA (and allies) via the CIA, science & technologies and other ways. Ultimately, McGowan will show how the American Government has adopted many of the methods and tools used by Hitler's Germany and other fascist states (such as in South American, where the dictators were installed by none other than the CIA). Everything I've ever read by McGowan has been among the best stuff I've *ever* read.
I'll give this one a go. Thanks, Cobie.
Just started 11/22/63 by Stephen King. Involving Time travel and the JFK assassination. Also in the middle of Mercury, about Freddie. Both really good so far.
Storm Surge: the 8th book in the Destroyermen series, I've posted a couple reviews previously.
Taylor Anderson's writing continues to grow. To review: storms have tossed a US Destroyer and a Japanese Battleship into an alternate world and from there we meet the inhabitants of an Earth in which different species came to dominate.
Previous books have been marked with the "Americans" having distinct technological advantage and the antagonists marked superiority in numbers and in reproducing. But this is a naval story. Technology is going to win that every time except Anderson balances the books by continually having the Captain of the American Destroyer make stupid decision after stupid decision. He completely dumbs down his hero.
This is a theme for 7 books. Why read? The supporting characters of which there are a million I think, are interesting. Much like in the real war, there is a massive "arms" build-up requiring the different components of the ships' compliment to use and develop their skills in advanced ways. Anderson knows his naval logistics and weapons development so this part is all credible. He is not as clear as he should be in describing battle staging and development but again, the characters are heroic and at risk. There are so many characters of distinct personality that any reader will find two or three of any species on either side of the war, whose eye they will see through and others that they will adore and fear for. There are some the reader will absolutely attend their deaths, maybe even reread those paragraphs for the sheer joy of it. Other characters arrive through storms, perhaps from different eras, maybe even different realities, adding new dimensions to world politics as each book is released.
Andersons' major accomplishment in book 8, is to have the captain acknowledge set-backs due to his own personality and stupidity. His ability to do that legitimizes his leadership and makes credible that half a world would come to follow him as they attempt to defeat the raging hoards that keep coming.
Book 8 looks like it will wrap up one storyline but so many have been started. He might have made this ride a bit tiresome for new readers to even consider. Those that do not need an "end" will enjoy his alternative reality I think.
Rereading The Collected Stories and Poems of Dorothy Parker right now.
It's only her wit/sarcasm and attention to detail that makes so many of her totally thoughtless and/or utterly creepy characters bearable. "Little Curtis" and "Mr. Durant," for instance, feature some of the worst role models to come down the plank in the last century. It's not hard to imagine them graduating "off-screen" to serial killing and the like. She was a great, and highly underrated storyteller.
From here, I plan on reading Understanding the F-Word, a book by one of my favorites, David McGowan, which analyzes the connections between American business and European Fascism prior to WWII, and the subsequent recruitment of many Nazis and fascist-supporters by the USA (and allies) via the CIA, science & technologies and other ways. Ultimately, McGowan will show how the American Government has adopted many of the methods and tools used by Hitler's Germany and other fascist states (such as in South American, where the dictators were installed by none other than the CIA). Everything I've ever read by McGowan has been among the best stuff I've *ever* read.
I'll give this one a go. Thanks, Cobie.
Fanfie, just want to let you know that I purchased this via iBooks and somehow got a rough copy or something that had a lot of font / spacing errors. It wasn't actually distracting and the book was fantastic, but for some reason that happened. It was the first time I bought a book with my iPad online. Weird.
A great read though, nonetheless.
Thanks for the heads up, Cobie.
Finished the second graphic novel for "Fairest." Pretty book. Haven't decided yet if it was a great story or standard fair. Of course standard fair for the Fables line is great so what am I confused about?
1984 and Pension Heist
One is a scary story about an evil, dystopic society. The other is by George Orwell.
From here, I plan on reading Understanding the F-Word, a book by one of my favorites, David McGowan, which analyzes the connections between American business and European Fascism prior to WWII, and the subsequent recruitment of many Nazis and fascist-supporters by the USA (and allies) via the CIA, science & technologies and other ways. Ultimately, McGowan will show how the American Government has adopted many of the methods and tools used by Hitler's Germany and other fascist states (such as in South American, where the dictators were installed by none other than the CIA). Everything I've ever read by McGowan has been among the best stuff I've *ever* read.
I've not long finished Friendly Fire. It illustrated the ever shifting alliances of key nations in the run up to WWII. If nothing else, it reminds the reader that things aren't to be accepted at face value. Not only does every side have an agenda, but the means to achieving the goals of that agenda are more fluid than linear black and white histories would suggest.
http://www.amazon.com/Friendly-Fire-Secret-Between-Allies/dp/1840189967
Still slowly pushing through my reread of Song of Ice and Fire, also reading a ton of older comics lately and most importantly, reading the books for my second class engineering exams. After I've read them all, I'll start studying which one one seemseasiest for my first exam
Just finished Terry Pratchett's Truth, picked up form a 2nd hand bookstore. A quick read for the train this week.
Read five books in four days this weekend (they were relatively short and I had two long plane rides):
Graveyard Book (Gaiman)
Fortunately, the Milk (Gaiman)
Mind MGMT Vol. 1 (Kindt)
Slaughterhouse Five (Vonnegut)
Junky (William S. Burroughs)
Groovy.
Sounds like a really relaxing weekend. I'm pretty much stuck reading on trains at the moment
I picked up "Lucifer's Hammer" a few weeks ago, and have been reading it.
Been on a King kick recently... after finishing "Under the Dome", I wanted to read "The Shining" and the new sequel "Doctor Sleep" back-to-back, but "The Shining" was signed out... My trusty town librarian Ginny brought me "Needful Things" and "Duma Key" to fill my reading time until she gets the other book back. Good call.
"Needful Things" was good; not my favorite by King-- that would be "11/22/63"-- but creepy and fun. I'm thoroughly engrossed in "Duma Key" right now-- at just over 600 pages, it's probably the shortest King book I've read, and I'm halfway through it after a couple late nights reading. It's either ironic or serendipitous that I started it after watching an episode of
Ingenious minds on Discovery Science about Jon Sorkin, a chiropractor-turned-artist after having part of his brain removed. His frenetic need to create art echoed in the story King is telling... the protagonist becomes an accomplished artist after suffering a near-fatal accident in which he loses an arm and has a traumatic brain injury. The coincidence is eerie...
Very good read, as well, for all that. I think the Dark Tower books slipped another notch on my list of King faves.
I'm reading a book on Kim Philby. Oddly, I had seen a programme the night before on Philby, needed a new book in a hurry that morning, and that one was the first in the pile. I don't even remember buying it.
On King, I often found there was such a drop of quality between the build up and the endings, so I've not read any for quite some time. The Stand and It come to mind on that count. Needful Things was a bit better in that department though.
Trying to get through "Filth" by Irvine Welsh, but it's tough going. It's about an evil, racist cop trying to fish for his promotion without doing any real work on a seemingly racially motivated murder and playing vicious mind games with everyone around him. It's like Bad Lieutenant on crack. I've enjoyed other Welsh books, so I'm trying to wait for a payoff, but the book makes me feel like my soul needs a shower the deeper you get into this guy's head.
Nothing new lately. I'm running out of authors I like having new releases. We may never see another by Terry Pratchett. Green seems to have finished up both Nightside and the Droods, although I think there's one more there. Correia hasn't released Nemesis yet. Hearne doesn't seem to have anything on the horizon, and Butcher seems to want Skins Game to take forever.
I gotta find some new authors.
I'm currently reading
Arianna's Honor by Michelle Sodaro, who happens to be one of my teaching colleagues. In this fantasy, a young woman discovers a spoiled and pampered prince lost in a forest and ends up protecting him and teaching him what life is like outside of his castle.
Some scenes go on too long and some relationships are not wholly believable (in particular, the characters have modern names even though the setting swords and kings setting suggests a different era), but, fifteen chapters in, I've found myself being engaged with the characters and wanting to see how their adventure turns out. The story is tightly plotted with several unexpected but wholly logical twists and turns.
I'm currently reading Morrissey's autobiography, clevely titled "Autobiography." As someone already steeped in Moz-lore, I find it highly entertaining -- especially the score-settling with the other ex-members of the Smiths -- but I think this book is too insular to win him any converts, which is a shame. I'd still recommend it to any self-respecting Morrissey fan, loyal, lapsed, or otherwise.
Barnes & Noble published a list of 15 recommended
sci-fi books of 2013.
Finished "Filth", the ending was satisfying, though I ultimately could have done with about 100 pages less of how rotten the main character was and still got the point. I was a little disappointed that the one character I thought would escape his manipulation, didn't. But equally surprised at the revelations about what I thought was the book's weakest character. A well set up twist.
(Geez that all sounds pretty vague, but it's the kind of book where the end makes everything a potential spoiler).
I was in a rush and just picked the first book form the pile. Le Carre's The Looking Glass War.
It's a very good representation of an organisation that has long since lost it's function. It gets credit through a single resource, but has lost the organisational battle in every other area. When they try and rekindle old areas of expertise, it's a series of bureaucratical blunders, carelessness and incompetence. Perhaps the world has moved on. Perhaps they were always as bad, but in such details were lost in wartime.
But what is pushing the buttons in the background? Who is taking advantage of the situation? What's really going on?
Short, with some excellent characterisation. A nice step away form Le Carre's protagonist having the same semi-autobiographical aspects.
"Doc" by Mary Doria Russell.
Sitting around bored and having just learned the wonders of borrowing downloadable books from the local library, I thought of an old favorite of mine, "The Sparrow." That and Russell's follow-up are two of my favorite "first contact" books so I thought to look if she had followed them up.
Both big hits, strangely she hasn't even revisted Sci-Fi and has only written five books total. Her latest is "Doc."
It's about Doc Holiday, which has been done to death but she really seems to try to bring a real history to the characters. It's kind of neat reading about all these western characters I idolized as a boy but now from a real, non-superhero perspective. A couple chapters in, its be real interesting and reading off the computer hasn't been quite the eye challenge I thought it's be as the font is larger but the brightness is a problem, leaving me with blind spots as if I'd looked into the sun.
Tried "Inferno" by Dan Brown but I felt like I was reading the same book for the third time...
Been meaning to reading "The Panther" by Nelson DeMille -- for the longest time my favorite author -- but his last few books were terrible...
Last new thing was by Glen Cook. Wicked Bronze Ambition. Seemed kinda light on story considering what I am used to with the first books, but still a fun read. Seemed like a lot of threads were dropped in the middle of the book. Deadman, Garrett's lack of focus... Just wasn't up to the usual standards as far as I was concerned.
A William Gibson book, Zero History. While I'm not terribly attached to recurring characters generally, Gibson's stuff is still so immerse you know as much about the buttons on someone's jacket as you do about the plot.
Ever since I discovered
BookBub, I've been reading a
ton of books on my mini-tablet. I love it!
I've particularly enjoyed the
I Bring the Fire series (I'm currently starting Book 3) which involves Norse mythology brought to modern day and a retelling of more classic mythology with spins on the various characters. I find it quite interesting. Loki's really the star and he does not understand the Thor films at all, which makes me laugh and... yeah. I just dig 'em. I'm a bit mythology nerd about all kinds of myths, and I love turning things on their head. Plus the writer has a way of drawing you in that I love.
I've also been enjoying renewed use of a library and have read
Help Thanks Wow, the Hunger Games trilogy and am now onto
The Help, so that's been fun! I enjoy having and holding books, you know? Although being able to read in the dark with my tablet is pretty nice, too.
Got Skin Games two weeks ago by Butcher. Don't remember who here told me about him, but thank you. Right now, waiting for Kevin Hearne's Shattered and Larry Correia's MHI: Nemesis.
While I'm waiting, I reading Secret Histories books by Simon Greene
I'm trying to remember where I left off on all I've been reading, as I've been more of an avid reader in the last few months than ever before. Having the train commute every day has become kind of relaxing and pleasant when I've got a plethora of good books to read.
Working backwards, I just finished The Brothers Karamazov, which I've read at long last. It's really as brilliant as they say and I'm left kind of speechless on how I would describe it other than I think its something everyone should read eventually. I've been on a 19th Century Russian romance novel kick--a major hobby of mine back in college--and since this, along with War & Peace, are considered two of the pinnacles of the movement, it was a long overdue read.
What really got me back on the 19th Century Russian romance books was A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov, which is one of my favorite books of all time. This was the third time I'd reread it, which is something I almost never do as I'm not big on reading things more than once. But the prose is so biting and poignant, and the lead protagonist, Pechorin is so fascinating, that I can't help but become mesmerized again and again.
Prior to these, I read the non-fiction book Flash Boys about the new breed of Wall Street traders who utilize incredibly fast technology to make trades faster than can even be recorded--usually within a fraction of a fraction of a second. These high speed traders have, like so many times in the past with Wall Street, figured out a way to manipulate the markets and rip off people on levels that are unimaginable. Yet, most people hardly even understand what they're doing, including most of the rest of Wall Street. The book is by Michael Lewis who has done a lot of other great work, including "Money Ball", and its a really well written book that does its best to help you understand exactly what is going on with the financial markets in the last few years. Essential reading for anyone interested in global economics.
A few months back I also finally read Stephen King's It at long last, and was just honestly floored by how amazingly good it was. It was just good; it was fucking great. As a big time King fan, I can say I consider this to be among his best books and a contender for his very best (which I usually claim to be Dolores Claiborne) and a contender for my favorite (which I have always felt was Salem's Lot). There is simply no other author alive in the last 40 years who understands people as well as Stephen King. He can reach into the deepest, darkest parts of a character's soul and reveal things about them that you recognize in yourself which make you cringe and feel nauseous, yet then find things within these characters that show how they overcome their hang-ups and fears through bravery they never knew they had. It was just powerful stuff. And the ending--the final chapter, not the battle with It--is among the greatest endings I've ever read; I was in tears…literal tears, running down my cheeks. It takes a LOT for that to happen.
Before It, I could have sworn there was another book or two but I’m forgetting. I know at the start of the year I read the 10 trades of Scalped which were mind-blowingly good and I spoke about those in Gym’lls in the Vertigo thread. I also read From Hell, which I reviewed in Gym’lls, which may be the best comic book related thing I’ve read in the last few years…it was that good. Also the latest League of Extraordinary Gentlemen trade novella is perfect reading for a train ride (and as expected, was awesome).
Up next, I think I’m going to read War & Peace. My sister is also reading several Dostoyevsky books so she might pass them on to me while I’m on this kick, and I also want to read Schiller’s “The Robbers” which influenced the whole second half of the 19th Century literary movement and was a huge inspiration for Dostoyevsky.
I know at the start of the year I read the 10 trades of Scalped which were mind-blowingly good and I spoke about those in Gym’lls in the Vertigo thread.
Last I heard you were (maddeningly!) short the final trade. Did you get it and read it? If so, post on the Vertigo thread so we can talk!
Just read the first book in Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series, and it was pretty good. He's all famous for that Dresden Files business, but, despite having seen the few episodes of it that showed up on TV, I haven't actually read any of them yet!
Codex Alera's protagonist is the traditional medieval orphan kid who probably has some secret heritage, but that doesn't show up in the first book. Seems to be hoary old tradition, at this point, the fantasy novel orphan is *always* secretly the child of a tyrant prophecied to die at his son's hand or the last princess of Tir-Ahs-Lee or whatever. Yawn.
(Magician, by Raymond Feist, in addition to being one of the best fantasy novels of all time, IMO, has an orphan boy who goes through multiple books worth of adventure, and, spoiler alert!, his parentage is never addressed or even a factor. What a twist! A total red herring, and Chekov's gun just sits there on the mantle, completely unfired!)
Lardy, I did indeed find it--almost right after our conversation--and then read it! I can't believe I never posted about it! I can say I did not see the last arc going the way it did, though the ending was the noirish ending the series had to have.
Lardy, I did indeed find it--almost right after our conversation--and then read it! I can't believe I never posted about it! I can say I did not see the last arc going the way it did, though the ending was the noirish ending the series had to have.
Good! I was afraid you'd wait 'til, like, another year which is typically the frequency of your trade binges!
I actually just put in my big annual order of trades! I'm picking them up in Sept, which I kinda do to "make up for" not taking part of the DC event.
I put all 5 trades of Alan Moore's Promethea on there which I can't wait to read (among other things).
I've been picking up 1980s DC back issues, with the pennies that would have gone on DCNu had they been any good. Who knew Vibe broke free of the JLA shackles to shine in Blue Devil 13?
Just finished the first book in the third series by Kylie Chan. It's a pretty simple and it's like a Chinese god version of Twilight but for some reason I can't get enough of it. It has martial arts, Chinese demons and gods, and a pretty good pace. It’s really a lot like reading a comic. In fact I think it would make a great comic.
![[Linked Image]](http://img1.imagesbn.com/p/9780062329066_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG)
Currently reading The Three Musketeers.
Eryk, what were your thoughts? This is on my radar as I've been on a 19th century kick.
I'm actually taking a quick break from that kick to read 11/22/63 by Stephen King, and am about 1/4 into it. So far it's phenomenal.
Fun, though I don't think I liked it quite as well as The Count of Monte Cristo. I'll probably get around to reading the sequels eventually, though it seems like a huge investment of time.
Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding And The Meaning Of Things. By Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee.
The title pretty much explains it. I hope hoarding is one of those issues that a person likely doesn't have if she often worries about having it.
Well-written, but some of the cases were hard to read. Especially the animal hoarding chapter. So sad.
Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding And The Meaning Of Things. By Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee.
The title pretty much explains it. I hope hoarding is one of those issues that a person likely doesn't have if she often worries about having it.
Well-written, but some of the cases were hard to read. Especially the animal hoarding chapter. So sad.
Want a sharpie?
So I finished up the latest novel I've been reading, Charles Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities. As I believe I've mentioned before, I loved it in high school and picked up a new copy a few years ago, where it sat until two weeks ago when I remembered I had it, and wanted to include it in my ongoing "read great stuff on the train" lifestyle.
Long story short, it's even better than I remember. The novel is clearly a masterpiece and there's a very clear reason why it's been so beloved since publication. It is one of the greats, and while I haven't read Dickens extensively, it's certainly his best of what I have read.
Dickens does so much good here that it's hard to describe it all. He created deep, memorable characters who you can't help but invest in. His prose is colorful and memorable, even (for me) when it's digressing. The plot is brilliant from end to end, effortlessly blending the various characters together to raise tension and suspense, and make each forward motion more emotional. And on top of all that, there is an plethora of historical insight into the French Revolution (as well as general English and French life at the time).
The ending remains an amazing piece of literature, and I did indeed find myself shedding a tear. Knowing what was going to happen reflects on another important thing: Dickens "borrowed" the ending as it was a fairly stock trope of French Revolution fiction at the time, but it doesn't make it any less effective. As a master writer, it's all about how he presents the plot, characters and prose, echoing the notion that there may not be many new ideas but there are always new ways to tell them. And one way in which he does that is have Carton interact with another meek prisoner, having the two lend each other strength, which just emphasized for me how powerful the subsequent sequence is.
I find Sydney Carton to be a wonderful character, but I forgot how little he is in the book. More than that, I found myself enthralled by Mr. Lorry and Dr. Manette, the latter especially at the final third part of the book. Meanwhile, Dickens presents colorful, unique characters throughout that are anything but stock characters in the form of Jerry Cruncher, Ms. Pross, the spies and so many others. The Marquis and his brother are vile, horrible villains that do a great job at showing why the Revolution was inevitable and partially justified. But of course, of all the characters, the one that is perhaps singularly the most memorable is Madame Defarge, whose thirst for revenge is terrifying and oh so realistic. She is perhaps one of the great villains in literature, and that is amplified by the fact that I find my usage of the word “villain” to be perhaps too harsh and not fair. Her husband, too, is wonderfully complex.
Like any masterful piece of work that is regularly discussed in academia, the novel has its fair share of critics (as evidenced by something in the back of the book for more copy). To that I say: BAH! I dare anyone—critic or otherwise—to write a better novel and then I’ll I might consider criticism worthy of my attention. Dickens makes a ton of odd choices in the novel, with whole chapters veering off into different directions and the two main central characters, Lucy & Charles, being less developed and nuanced than the others. But that is what makes so unique and so very, very Dickens.
I’ve read a ton of books in the last 12 months, and most of them were books that I flat out LOVED (not just liked). This one fits right in there and may be at the top.
I've always loved a Tale of Two Cities, but I burned out a bit on it when I chose it for intensive study topic in University. Enough time has passed that I should re-visit it and re-kindle that relationship.
One thing to keep in mind with your "Digressions", is that novels at the time were published sequentially a chapter at a time (like comics!), so when the story took Dickens in to different places, he didn't have the luxury to post-edit these more organically into the novel, but the fact that he does tie it all in is even more impressive. Talk about working without a net!
Similarly, I think Carton evolved significantly from the early part of the book to the later. There are certainly personality traits shown and hinted at early that are abandoned later on, but that's a very minor quibble.
Yeah, knowing that beforehand definitely makes the read more rewarding and has always been one of the more fascinating aspects of Dickens work for me over the years. There's a cool website (forget where) that shows Dicken's work as originally published, and how it was presented in chapters. From a historical curiosity, it's very interesting to see.
Your commentary on Carton is dead-on. Even moreso, I think, is Stryver who starts out much more agreeable but ultimately evolves into a character that isn't very likable at all. And in a way that totally fits with the story and the character, which the reader can totally understand. It makes me think Dickens hadn't thought about where Stryver would up, which makes his minor role at the end, and generally annoying qualities, even more excellent.
As I recall, when I did my complete Dickens read a couple of years back, I actually tried to read some of the books in the chunks in which they were published in (so one serial chapter per day or something).
Okay, now I must read A Tale of Two Cities again. I still have the copy I read in high school, with margin notes ("personification") and a few words circled (probably words that were unfamiliar,.. "tumbrils" and "pecuniary"). Some sections were marked "S.P." and I don't recall what that meant.
I just finished "This Immortal" by Zelazny. First time I've ever read it.
Not his best, but that old Zelazny magic is there, no doubt about it.
Currently reading "The Haunting of Hill House". Good stuff.
Couldn't find anything to read so I'm re-reading The Sparrow. Figured it's been long enough I'd have forgotten a lot.
Still amazing. I'm really vested in the characters, they all have such unique and real personalities even the aliens. Russell's use of linguistices to describe alien culture is inspired.
I bought The Sparrow a few years ago but haven't yet read it. Must do so based on BB's recommendation.
I'm reading an online story called Sailor Nothing. It's not a Sailor Moon fan story, but it uses Sailor Moon as an inspiration.
It's about a girl who was a magical warrior called Sailor Salvation, with a talking cat named Dusty and an adviser named Magnificent Kamen. She fights monsters called the Yamiko. And she hates it. She just, she is so worn down and tired she basically quits.
But she still has her powers and the Yamiko keep coming. So she becomes Sailor Nothing.
I'm only on the second chapter but this looks to be a really good story. It is so in depth and well done. It's an old piece of fiction, from like 2001-2002, but the website is still up. And from my understanding, this is a pretty dark story, and it's going to get darker.
I've never read any of those manga stories. Is that the right word? I remember seeing even old guys with thick paperback novels of them on the trains in Japan. I should give it a try.
I bought The Sparrow a few years ago but haven't yet read it. Must do so based on BB's recommendation.
I always have trouble keeping track of who is who on message boards, can't identify without a face and voice but are you the one who sings? Or is that Rockhopper?
If music is an interest, you'll be hooked into The Sparrow rather quickly.
Just finished "The Leftovers" and enjoyed the hell out of it. The synopsis is that a percentage of the population just vanishes one day, and the rest of the world is left to deal with the result. Was it the rapture? Was it Aliens? Something else else else? The characters (and the reader) never find out, which is part of the narrative: that people just don't know. Several very different characters react in different ways, and in many ways it's a reflection on grief, frustration and the breakdown of North American social conventions (or the re-reinforcing of them).
There was an HBO series made from the book earlier this year, that I also really dug (though others certainly didn't). The series expands some minor characters, and completely changes others, but still addresses the same issues and keeps the same tone. It was a worthy adaptation.
I bought The Sparrow a few years ago but haven't yet read it. Must do so based on BB's recommendation.
I always have trouble keeping track of who is who on message boards, can't identify without a face and voice but are you the one who sings? Or is that Rockhopper?
If music is an interest, you'll be hooked into The Sparrow rather quickly.
Rocky and I both sing. Music is my profession, so I'd better start The Sparrow right away.
I've been looking up learning to speak/read latin. Not modern, but old, for things like text etc.
I've also been on the NASA site and re-reading the Garrett, P.I. novels by Glen Cook.
I've been looking up learning to speak/read latin. Not modern, but old, for things like text etc.
Latin is pretty easy to learn to speak. The vowels are consistent throughout.
Got'ne good sites to recommend, LT? I haven't had a lot of time this last couple of weeks, things have been hectic.
Rick, here's a Latin
pronuniciation guide.
Thank you. I'll add it to the sites i'm checking out.
EDE's post on the inane one word thread has me posting here.
About a month ago I was reading an article about how GIs in World War II who had been in serious combat were comforted by reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn". So, I got the book out of the library.
The novel was written in 1943 by Betty Smith. It focuses on the Nolan family and in particular the young daughter Francie. It starts in 1912. It also includes mother Katie Nolan's two sisters, Aunt Evey and Aunt Sissie. The Nolan's are poor mostly due to the father, Johnny, being a drunk. But despite this flaw, Johnny is presented as a sympathetic character who loves his family and does his best to provide for them. Similarly Aunt Sissie is described as loving men and not caring if they or she are married. But she is also shown to be loving and full of life. There is a little bit of humor (especially if you read between the lines), but it is mostly just a slice of life type of story. I got the sense that it is semi-autobiographical. The version I read had a bit of a biography of the author.
All in all it is a pleasant read. I do recommend it.
Currently reading David Cronenberg's novel "Consumed".
Cronenberg's my favourite director/screenwriter, so I was excited to get his stab at a novel for Xmas. So far it's like a super-distilled Cronenberg movie: sex, disease, cannibalism, technology fetish and flesh mutilation. All cranked up to a degree he would never get away with in film. Digging it so far and interested to see where it goes.
Been wanting to read the follow up to The Sparrow but the library didn't have a Kindle version so I tried the audio.
It's REALLY difficult to stay focused. The reader has an interesting voicing of the different characters, some even make me giggle but audio takes some getting used to. I keep falling asleep.
Wait David Cronenberg has written books?
That sounds terrifying in and of itself.
been breaking out my how to books lately. Brick masonry, decks and pools so far.
J.F. Lewis's redneck vampire series (at least, it reads redneck, which is a fun take to me).
The Radioactive Redhead, can't remember the two author's names though.
Death By Black Hole by De Grasse-Tyson. What a cliche for this board, huh? I've been picking at it for months. Always have to put it down and get off the bus or something just as it's getting good.
The Radioactive Redhead, can't remember the two author's names though.
Did a marriage counselor recommend this to you?
heheheheh. No, LT, don't need one of those. But handling the explosions is half the fun.
Just finished re-reading the last of Betancourt's Amber books. Funny thing is, I remember so much more interesting stuff from them that weren't in the actual books. I think my imagination filled in more than was there.
Currently bouncing between Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes and The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer.
Hey Scooter!
How is Book of Lies? I've always liked Meltzer much better as a novelist than an comic book writer. And I love me some conspiracy theories!
Hey Scooter!
How is Book of Lies? I've always liked Meltzer much better as a novelist than an comic book writer. And I love me some conspiracy theories!
Hey Cobie!
It's pretty decent so far. I was trying to read The Fifth Assassin first but put it down for BoL. I've been in that conspiracy/mystery mood.
I've been trying to finish a Star Trek novel since summer.
It's a "Lost Era" book that focuses on Rachel Garrett, the captain of the Enterprise-C, the one before Picard's. I bought it because she only appeared in one Star Trek episode and she died rather unceremoniously halfway through.
I used to love Star Trek novels because they added so much color and understanding to characters we got to know only through brief glimpses on television. However, sometimes the novels don't live up to expectations.
The first ST novel I read was The Price of the Phoenix by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. I was in my freshman year in high school when I read it, and it was not the slam-bang action fest I expected. In fact, it spends too much time exploring the relationship between the Kirk clone and the female Romulan commander from "The Enterprise Incident." I think it might qualify as fanfic today.
Oh gosh, I've probably read a hundred or more Star Trek novels!
Peter David's New Frontier books are fun, if perhaps a bit sexier than the average Star Trek fare. Almost all of the characters are originals (except for blink-and-you-missed-her Dr. Selar, from a few Next Generation episodes).
How Much for Just the Planet is a fun classic Trek book. Others I remember; The Vulcan Academy Murders, Black Fire, Strangers from the Sky and Spock's World.
For the Next Generation crew, Q-in-Law was amusing (and I hate Q...), and Dark Mirror was just amazing.
I'm even more of a fan of the Deep Space 9 characters than the others, so I tended to like those novels even more, with Fallen Heroes being the best of the batch, powerful and dark in places.
I was out of the habit by the time Voyager and Enterprise novels were being written, so I have no idea if any of them are any good. (Although I liked Enterprise, and I've got time at work to do some reading on breaks, so I should probably hit up a used book store and nab some!)
Star *Wars* novels have a few gems amidst the rubble as well, such as the Dark Force Rising trilogy, by Timothy Zahn. (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command) Great books, with some good characterization of the core characters, and a couple of memorable new characters.
I've only recently gotten into the Star Trek novels. The first one I read was a TNG novel called The Eyes of the Beholders. It's pretty solid and A.C. Crispin really captures the characters' voices.
I second Set's recommendation of the Zahn Star Wars novels. The Thrawn trilogy is fantastic and it's a shame they aren't adapting that for the new film.
I remember being so excited when the Star Wars novels first started coming out (finally, more Star Wars!), but after the initial Zahn trilogy (which were excellent), my interest in them fizzled out pretty quickly.
Still haven't made it all the way through Death. I did complete Book Of Ages, which was about Ben Franklin's sister Jane. Of course, there's a lot of Ben himself in there, too. Writer Jill Lepore makes a legitimate case for writing history and biography based as much on what's been lost to time and circumstance as what's been preserved.
I'm now reading Bacon's and Aphramor's Body Respect, which is also very good. Some of it retraces the steps made earlier in Bacon's Health At Every Size, but then it takes off in a much more global/universal direction-- as it discusses the need to see the limitations of "personal choice" when so much of our daily lives are steered by people and institutions much more powerful than mere individuals.
Three times ordered New Gods V1 and three times got V4. It was an interesting read but starting in the middle, quite confusing. Apparently something mixed up in the library database so I ordered V1 using the state link.
Just got it. Now I'm hoping to understand what a bunch of kids flying around in a car has to do with Gods in a far off someplace.
I enjoyed the Star Wars books but the library can be very inconsistent on which ones they get. I need to pick a series and read it through by on-line ordering instead of trying to find them on the shelves. Loved the Thrawn series and the yuuzhan vong.
I've only recently gotten into the Star Trek novels. The first one I read was a TNG novel called The Eyes of the Beholders. It's pretty solid and A.C. Crispin really captures the characters' voices.
I've gone back and re-read some recently, and am surprised by how little I remembered specifically. (As in, I'll remember a book for one of two reasons, I really liked it, or it was really terrible, but I never seem to be able to remember which looking at them again later, which makes my recommendations kind of dubious, since half of the books I 'remember' I am remembering because I hated them...)
Star Trek the First Adventure by Vonda McIntyre was great, for instance. Strangers from the Sky, meh. Black Fire was way less good than I remembered.
I'm currently rereading some of Peter David's New Frontiers Star Trek stuff (I own books 5 and 12, having lost a bunch of others, which I've re-ordered from Amazon and should have in a few days, to make this more of a re-read and less of a 'read those two books I have left.'). Peter David's characters are unique and fun, and he calls back such golden oldies as M'Ress and Arex, from the cartoon, and Dr. Selar, who showed up briefly on Next Generation.
One cool thing about the Star Trek novels is that there are quite a few female authors (which are rarer in 'generic' science fiction, it seems, at least since the heyday of Andre Norton, Anne McCaffery, Tanith Lee, etc.), and that they can use characters and concepts that would be too expensive / hard to do on a television or even movie budget, like the recurring character of Lt. Narrat, in a couple of novels, who is a Horta working in engineering!
I picked up an Aliens related book at a second hand bookstore a while back. I lasted about 40-50 pages.
There's been very little about the whole franchise I've really enjoyed beyond the movies (well, the first couple).
I picked up an Aliens related book at a second hand bookstore a while back. I lasted about 40-50 pages.
There's been very little about the whole franchise I've really enjoyed beyond the movies (well, the first couple).
Dark Horse has done a couple of Aliens vs. Predator runs that were *amazing.* (So much better than the AvP movies that followed!)
This one was, IMO, great, and had a bit 'iconic' (a predator marking a human survivor to honor her warrior spirit) enough that it crept into one of the terrible movies.
I picked up an Aliens related book at a second hand bookstore a while back. I lasted about 40-50 pages.
There's been very little about the whole franchise I've really enjoyed beyond the movies (well, the first couple).
I recommend Steve Bissette and Dave Dorman's "Aliens: Tribes".
Thanks for that Set. I got the very first Aliens comic years ago, and didn't think enough of it to get the second issue. I little dabble much later on (they had changed the character names due to the events of the third movie) didn't change my mind in the slightest. But, I've not seen any AVP ones.
Thanks for that Set. I got the very first Aliens comic years ago, and didn't think enough of it to get the second issue. I little dabble much later on (they had changed the character names due to the events of the third movie) didn't change my mind in the slightest. But, I've not seen any AVP ones.
I vaguely remember a pretty good Aliens comic from Dark Horse that came out before the third movie, that starred a grown-up Newt and an older war-scarred Hicks (and Newt's new boyfriend, who turned out to be a synthetic). But yeah, the third movie came along and killed off Newt and Hicks off-screen, which kind of pooched that storyline.
I recently re-read Grant Morrison's autobiography-cum-history-of-superheroes book Supergods.
Here's the review that convinced me to read it:
Supergods by Grant Morrison
This book recounts Morrison's development as a creator (and a human being), more or less chronologically. His life story was typical enough, although we can see that his activist father and the difficult conditions of the 1970s and Thatcher's Britain influenced his writing.
I didn't know that he had started out as an artist, as well as a musician.
Morrison's insights into and comments about comics of each era are very interesting. In some cases, it's his own viewpoint; in others, he offers the reader insider, behind-the-scenes information. It made me want to go back and reread the books he mentions.
His writing has reflected his personal mindset at a given time; he was heavily into drugs and drinking, which isn't a big revelation when you read some of his earlier works, like The Invisibles. Then he had a very mystical experience, and we got All-Star Superman....
More gossip would have been fun; Morrison lets out a few tidbits, but he's overall very much the gentleman and no doubt he pulls his punches when it comes to the publishers and his fellow creators. I certainly can't fault him for that.
His description of the Batman TV serials and movies was hilarious, as were some of his encounters at conventions and with fans.
Particularly interesting was his discussion of Iain Spence's Sekhmet Hypothesis (which I had never heard of), which links cycles in popular culture to sunspot cycles. According to Spence, we alternate between punk and hippie culture, to use contemporary terms. Morrison shows how this has played out in comic books, and claims that we are now embarking on a period of hippie culture: interest in the spiritual, peace, long hair, loose clothes,etc. - although he seems to apply the Sekhmet Hypothesis with a grain of salt.
The original content for this book was, according to an interview with Morrison, cut by half. I would really like to read the rest. Still, the 417 pages that did get published were fascinating and thought-provoking.
...here's my reply...
FC, you've sold me on Supergods. I had been aware of it for a while, but given my extreme ambivalence about Morrison's public image and works, it was always going to be a hard sell.
I still think he's a bit Bowie-esque, often using mystique to sell mediocrity. But like Bowie, he's offered plenty of good ideas (and plenty of bad ones, and plenty of ugly ones -- the killing of Darkstar being the worst offender IMO. Then again, it's the job of the EDITORS to tell him when he's off-base.)
Still, lifting the curtain to reveal the man behind it should make for an interesting read, to say the least.
Best of all, my library carries it.
...and here's my initial review.
Well, I finished Supergods, and while I think it's a TREMENDOUS book, it left me more ambivalent about Grant Morrison than ever. But maybe that's the way it should be. Things are never simple with Morrison, literally and figuratively.
The book is at its best in the middle, covering Morrison's beloved Silver Age through the Widescreen era (Authority et al) at the end of the 90s.
The early chapters, covering the Golden Age and the anti-comics panic, seem to rush by, as by the author's own admission, this is well-trod territory.
The later chapters, starting with Morrison's unhappy dance with Marvel at the beginning of the new millenium and ending with Morrison taking over Action Comics, feel somehow compromised, as if Morrison was biting his tongue particularly hard so as not to offend the people involved with the corporation that he currently works for. I just don't buy that he unquestioningly approves of what might be called The Second Dark Age.
Still, there's a lot to recommend this book, as the story of Morrison the working-class hero whose dreams all come true, as a decidedly different kind of self-help book, and as an view-from-the-inside look at pop culture and its synergy with society.
I still believe that Morrison is better at TALKING ABOUT comics than WRITING comics, so I'd certainly be in favor of follow-ups to this book. This could be the start of a whole new branch to his career.
My overall opinion was more favorable the second time around. It helped that Morrison has recently produced such gems as the Shazam one-shot that ties into Multiversity. So I'm a bit more charitable about the tongue-biting, except for the chapter about Identity Crisis, Infinite Crisis, and his own Final Crisis. That one stinks of B.S. worse than ever.
It's been rumored that Multiversity might be Morrison's last, last, LAST word on superheroes (and that this time he means it, maaaaan.) Certainly he's in the enviable position that he doesn't have to write them if he doesn't want to (unlike, say, poor Peter David, who obviously burned out on them years ago.) But I do hope he'll write at least one more non-sequential book in the same mould as Supergods.
I picked up Let it Bleed, Knots and Crosses, and Black and Blue by Ian Rankin in a charity shop recently (for £2 the lot - result!) so am really enjoying re-discovering the misty, murky and often murderous streets of Edinburgh with everyone's favourite cynical alcoholic Inspector Rerbus.
Regarding Supergods, there's a great follow-up interview with Rolling Stone, where he lets slip a little that he was overly generous (or at least held back the negatives) about Identity Crisis, et al, as he likes the people involved, and didn't want to slam them on such a wide stage. He has no compunctions about going after Millar though. Let me see if I can find it.
Here it is:
You were very kind to Brad Meltzer’s Identity Crisis in Supergods.
I was trying to be kind because I like Brad Meltzer. He's a nice guy. I have a lot of interesting conversations with him so I tried to focus on what I thought was good about it and there was actually quite a lot when I read it again. The first time I read it I was kind of outraged. I thought this was just… why? What the fuck is this, really? It wasn't even normal. It was outrageous. It was preposterous because of the Elongated Man with his arms wrapped several times around the corpse of his wife. I thought something is broken here. Something else else has gone so wrong in this image.
That plotline faced a lot of criticism, in part because people saw it as misogynistic.
It's hard to tell because most men try to avoid misogyny, really they do, in this world we live in today. It's hard for me to believe that a shy bespectacled college graduate like Brad Meltzer who's a novelist and a father is a really setting out to be weirdly misogynistic. But unfortunately when you're looking at this beloved character who's obviously been ass-raped on the Justice League satellite, even saying it kind of takes you to that dot dot dot where you don't know what else to say.
I had already read that interview, but maybe someone who hasn't read it before would be interested. Thanks, Dave.
And, yeah, if he want to bad-mouth Millar, I'm all for it.
I signed up for one of the online book services, Scribd, so I've been doing a bit more reading lately. I read a couple of newer Stephen King books, "11/23/63" and "Under the Dome."
I really liked "11/23/63" which felt like King put a lot of honest effort into, but "Under the Dome" was kind of a typical King potboiler and I labored to finish it. "11/23/63" probably benefited greatly from a small cast of characters and a change in primary venue from Maine to small town Texas in the early 60's and a reasonably interesting approach to time travel story involving the JFK assassination. "Under the Dome" felt like 60% "'Salem's Lot" with the other 40% made of bits of other King novels with a big dollop of "Animal Farm" thrown in.
On the other hand, I've been reading over "The Beatles: The BBC Archives: 1962 -1970" by Kevin Howlett. I am a big Beatles nerd, and this is a very thorough look at all the Beatles appearances on BBC radio and BBC television during their time together. They did a prodigious amount of work with the BBC at the start of their rise to fame, which has so far spawned two double disc sets of "live in the studio" music. There are a lot of transcriptions of interviews they gave as well, and it's pretty interesting to see the questions and answers becoming more serious as time went along and they proved not to be a flash-in-the-pan act. There are a lot of images of contracts and other documents and behind the scenes pictures (although unfortunately the resolution of the documents is pretty bad at smartphone size.
I had to go to Baltimore and back yesterday via train which gave me ample time to totally immerse myself in a great novel, which I was more than ready to do. So, on the recommendation of my younger brother and sister, I read in one day Ernest Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises. And I totally loved it, became totally immersed in the characters and setting, and found it to be very moving.
I've been prepping myself for Hemmingway for a few weeks, and so I was very prepared for his terse writing style and the "iceberg theory" approach to writing he helped invent. Having this in mind definitely helped me easily enjoy the writing style from the get-go.
I really loved the deep characters that Hemmingway presents, and I loved how the narrative moved and changed as the location changed throughout the story. I found the story to be very moving; there were sad elements throughout and you can't help but feel the tragedy that is always under the surface. But I thought there was a certain uplifting element to the ending too, as if Jake Barnes was stronger than he realized and was starting to understand that.
This is a Jazz Age classic and I can easily see why.
Just discovered Stephen King's son, Joe Hill. Whoa!!! Since Monday I have read Heart-Shaped Box, 20th Century Ghosts and just finished N0S4A2 at 6:00 am this morning. Some of the stories in Ghosts were rough but the ending novella, Voluntary Committal, was worth it alone. I'll be diving into Horns and Twittering from the Circus of the Dead as soon as I finish up his comic book collaboration with his dad, Road Rage, which also contains Richard Matheson's excellent Duel.
Has anyone ever read anything by Margaret Atwood? Spefically Blind Assassin? I'm curious about it but admittingly know little of the author.
Scooter, I've often wanted to check out Joe Hill's works. Based on your post I may do just that!
Has anyone ever read anything by Margaret Atwood? Spefically Blind Assassin? I'm curious about it but admittingly know little of the author.
I tried to read Oryx and Crake, the first in her MaddAddam series and couldn't get past the first few chapters. But I've not heard of Blind Assassin.
Scooter, I've often wanted to check out Joe Hill's works. Based on your post I may do just that!
Start with 20th Century Ghosts, his short story collection. It will give you a good taste of his style.
re: Joe Hill
I've never read any of his novels, but his IDW comic book series "Locke & Key" was pretty good. Well worth checking out.
Has anyone ever read anything by Margaret Atwood? Spefically Blind Assassin? I'm curious about it but admittingly know little of the author.
Eh. It's all right, I guess. But it's not a favorite of mine. That honor belongs to
CatsEye, with
The Edible Woman coming in second.
My feeling about Atwood is that she loves comics and SciFi, but for some reason... there's a condescending tone to her attempts at writing Science Fiction-- even when the themes are interesting.
She also breaks the mold for me in the sense that I'd rather read her novels than her short stories. With most fiction writers, it's the other way around. Because she spends a lot of time setting mood and going into detailed visuals, it takes time for her to establish characters and make them interesting. In a short story, she usually doesn't have enough space for it.
To any resident science fiction aficionados, do you guys have any recommendations for pulp sci fi novels like the John Carter novels or Doc Smiths's Lensman series?
Edmond Hamilton and Leigh Brackett!
Seriously, any John Carter fan should check out Brackett's Stark stories/novels!
Thanks, EDE! Those sound right up my alley.
re: Joe Hill
I've never read any of his novels, but his IDW comic book series "Locke & Key" was pretty good. Well worth checking out.
The first four collections are actually on my reading list right now! Assuming I can ever finish the awful The Circle that I'm trying to finish now.
Started "Into the Storm," the latest in the Destroyermen series by Taylor Anderson.
This series is getting long in the tooth and repetitive. Not sure I'll finish the read.
I listened to "The Guts" by Roddy Doyle on audio (Scribd did not have a text version.). It revisits the character Jimmy Rabitte who was introduced in the book "The Commitments" which was later turned into one of my favorite movies. It's really in a larger sense a sequel to all three of the original Barrytown trilogy (the others being "The Snapper" and "The Van."). This time the middle aged, married father is dealing with a diagnosis of intestinal cancer on top of worries about his job. That might not sound too funny but like the other books, Doyle's characters always keep a dark sense of humor about them. I don't know many native Irish but I assume Doyle knows what he's doing there. An interesting undercurrent is the way the post-Celtic Tiger Dublin during the recent global recession bleeds I to the narrative. The Rabitte's neighbors who looked slightly down on Jimmy's working class roots disappear in the middle of the night one step ahead of their home being foreclosed upon. There's a slightly caper-ish subplot with Jimmy and his sons fabricating a song to pass off as a lost work of an unremembered singer from the late 1920's that could have sunk the book if Jimmy's enthusiasm hadn't caught me up. I'd love to see it filmed especially if they could get Colm Meany to reprise the role of Jimmy's father as he did for the previous three films.
All year, I haven't read much beyond the papers, loan application documents, and gardening catalogs. But I'm trying to make up for it this summer.
I read Nadine Gordimer's Jump last month. Some good short stories in there, but the quality is uneven for her. In the title story, the characters never escape cardboard cut-out level. The tragedy never transcends what you'd get from a TV newsclip. Some of the others are pretty good, though. The world lost one hell of a writer when she passed on. I'd totally recommend July's People or Burgher's Daughter or Something Out There for you fiction fans.
Then I moved on to Doors To Madam Marie. A memoir by Odette Meyers of escaping the Nazis during the French occupation. The daughter of secular, working-class Jews in Paris, Odette was hidden in the French countryside and learned to "pass" as a Catholic peasant. She dealt with inner religious conflict for the rest of her life, which still left her more fortunate than most of her family. A few inexplicable typos in my copy, but still a good read.
Right now, I'm nearing the end of Chris Albertson's Bessie, a biography of Bessie Smith. I've been deliberately reading it at a very slow clip, because I know I'm going to hate getting to the end. I was already a fan of Smith's work, but her life was so fascinating-- warts and all. It might make a believer even out of Blues fans who only know the more modern-day stuff.
So as usual, I’ve been reading like crazy during my train commute and general travels for work, and I have a backlog of books I’ve read that I haven’t reviewed or talked about. Here are some general comments of a few.
I read a Dostoyevsky book I haven’t read before, Notes From the Underground, which my sister recommended for me. It’s his shortest novel at only 80 pages or so and famously features a member of the Russian poor during the 19th century, revealing the shame of living in such poverty that many must have felt. I have to say that I found this book incredibly difficult to read, much more so than any of Dostoyevsky’s works I’ve already read. At 80 pages it took me like two weeks and I’d often find myself totally overwhelmed by the dense prose, needed breaks after 15 minutes. The first half is purely psychological, with the narrator talking to the reader, and it’s a very difficult approach. I wonder how much has been lost in translation? It’s the first Russian Romance Era novel I’ve truly not wanted to finish, and the reason I did was I felt obligated given the tiny page count.
From there, I read Thomas Pychon’s The Crying of Lot 49 which is the first Pychon book I ever read. This also had a low page count, 150 pages or so, but I wanted to give myself a primer to see if I liked Pychon’s work enough to do a deeper dig. Ultimately I both liked it and disliked it for various reasons. On the one hand, the prose is just wonderful: it’s colorful, hilarious, witty, full of puns and irony and just both doesn’t take itself serious but has something meaningful to say. On the other hand, the general plotline is so ridiculous and such parody that its hard to become attached to the characters, especially the protagonist Oedipa Maas. There’s no doubt the book is full of deeper meanings and metaphors, and a lot of them you can spot easy or work out when you think about it after, but others you need a study group to decipher, and I think I was still recovering from Notes From the Underground to do that. The book did give a great view in the mid-60’s culture that was changing and I can see why Pychon began to have such a staggering effect on American Literature.
I then read William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury which was brilliant. This too was not an easy book to read though—it’s the kind of thing college courses spend two weeks on with stringent analysis. This makes three in a row that I did (so I now need a break). But the first chapter, which is perhaps a precursor to the post-modern movement, has a great stream of consciousness structure to it which Faulkner does incredibly well, and if you can read it in one sitting, it really has a great effect. The second chapter, featuring another member of the Compton Family, is much more difficult. It has all the difficulty of the first chapter but with little of the charm as it focuses on Quentin, a family member so depressed and distraught that he is obviously working to a sad end. I’m glad I read the book but I’ll certainly not be reading it another time. I do, however, want to read his Sanctuary, which I’ve been told is right up my alley.
Lastly, I’m currently reading Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop, which was recommended in this thread earlier by Cleome, and I seized an opportunity to grab it when I saw a used copy for a good price. Thus far, I’m simply loving it. In fact, I really needed this one, as I’m only at the halfway point and I already love it more than all the ones I’ve listed above. The prose is simply beautiful, and the story feels epic: both real yet almost mythical. The premise, featuring a French missionary Priest in the recently formed American territory of New Mexico, is not one that would come to mind as something interesting but Cather crafts multiple scenarios and characters that draw you right in and fascinate you. I will definitely read more Willa Cather after this.
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walker Miller Jr. 1960.
Supposed to be a sci-fi classic. Strikes me the type of book a bunch of penantist read so they can sit around a coffee shop imagining meaning. To each their own.
I was surprised by the Pythonesque/Pratchett humor shown in spots. I can't recall reading an American author with that patter, certainly not before Python.
Finished William S. Burroughs' "Exterminator!" and enjoyed it enough that I jumped right into "Cities of the Red Night", a book I had tried about ten years back but couldn't finish. This time I'm enjoying it much more and am savouring it. It's got a slightly more traditional structure than other Burroughs work, in that there's definitely some narratives (in chronological order even), but it still plays with structure in interesting ways, telling two seemingly separate stories that aren't so separate as you think.
Cobie, I'm so glad that you're enjoying the Cather book!
(I've just started re-reading Ursula LeGuin's
A Fisherman Of The Inland Sea. I've read a novel or two of hers, but it's her short story collections which I actually own.)
I am currently reading "The Islands of Boston Harbor" by Edward Rowe Snow. It was originally written in 1935, but this is an updated version. but not by the original author as he died in 1982. Lots of old photographs, which I love.
I am currently reading "The Islands of Boston Harbor" by Edward Rowe Snow. It was originally written in 1935, but this is an updated version. but not by the original author as he died in 1982. Lots of old photographs, which I love.
If you like old photographs, particularly of urban landscapes, do I have the website for you.
http://www.shorpy.com/I was googling to find anything about my end of town and came up with an AMAZING photo. 1909 and the resolution totally took me by surprise. You have to click the photo to get the full resolution. I can still see some of those buildings looking out my classroom window.
http://www.shorpy.com/node/10239
For pleasure, just finished rereading Elizabeth Hunter's Elemental Mysteries series and just started the new Sandman Slim novel Killing Pretty
I read a lot for research - just finished Heather Love's Looking Backwards and starting Sara Ahmed's Queer Phenomenology
This summer I have been reading celebrity autobiographies, for some reason.
“Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang” by Chelsea Handler
“The Wild Oats Project” by Robin Rinaldi
“Screw Everyone : Sleeping My Way to Monogamy” by Ophira Eisenberg
“Bossypants” by Tina Fey
“Born with Teeth” by Kate Mulgrew
“Not That Kind of Girl” by Lena Dunham
“Yes, Please” by Amy Poehler
It’s kind of been a waste of time.
Sci-fi of course.
Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick
Definitely worth the time of the Sci-Fi fan, if only to compare to which hit the big screen, which ones haven't (yet)...
I don't know the chicken and the egg of it, but even beyond all the adopted to screen stories, many of these have that Twilight Zone, ironic ending. Might that have been a bigger part of Sci-Fi in general?
I'm not a historian to tell if he was ahead of the game or part of the game, but this book has alternate history, which is so popular now, lot's of dystopian future type stuff like "The Days of Perky Pat." Almost too bizarre to describe, it has to have some meaning that I totally missed but it was amusing to say the least.
Two books by R.S. Belcher, Nightwise and Six-Gun Tarot, consumed all of my free time this past weekend - and it was time well spent, a while since I've been lost in a good book.
Nightwise is an urban fantasy with a protaganist described by the author as a sort-of Harry Dresden. However, Laytham Ballard is a rougher character, harder and colder. He's become a legendary wizard through skill, but also through disregard for other people. Now he's on the trail of a rather more depraved wizard, a Serbian guilty of war atrocities.
What interested me in the story - apart from the unfolding of the hunt for the Serbian - is Ballard's character. He's a bastard, but older now, he's become more reflective on what he's done to achieve his status and he tries to do more good than harm. The author also added a few nice tricks to make this a contemporary fantasy, such as a Twittermancer, an Akashic Hacker and a Wall Street money manager. The idea that money is really magic (all illusion!) was pretty interesting, although a side story. Also, no elves, which was refreshing.
The Six-Gun Tarot is a supernatural western, set in 1869 Nevada, in a town named Golgotha. The town, for reason which I won't spoil, attracts a variety of people with supernatural powers: a Sheriff who can't be killed, his deputy, half-breed (human/coyote), a banker's wife who is secretly a Daughter of Lilith, a mayor guarding Morman treasures, an angel who questions God's plan, the malcontent Lucifer and a young boy, escaping murder charges, who possesses a mystical jade eye. Then there's the monstrous thing under the mountain, a force which God Himself could not destroy - but which the people of Golgotha must face.
The development of the characters is well-paced; they're a bit stereotypical but nonetheless interesting. Some of the battles with the forces of evil went on a bit long for my taste, with repetitive attacks and repetitive gore. However, there were enough twists in the story to keep the action moving and one of the character's secret past was a big surprise to me (although there was a glaring hint, in hindsight).
This is the first in what I expect will be a series of Golgotha stories (there's a second volume, The Shotgun Arcana). Although the good guys obviously won this round, there were enough mysteries left lurking in volume 1 to incite me to read the next book.
Astro City: Life in the Big City for about the 50th time.
Astro City: Life in the Big City for about the 50th time.
I just reread that too!
Astro City: Life in the Big City for about the 50th time.
I just reread that too!
No doubt the boring Engineer in my but I flip through trying to find inconsistencies like a line saying "we were on 10th street) and sure enough, two stories past there will be art showing them on 10th st.
I wish there were an ap I could explore the neighborhoods.
Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables" again. My favorite novel (and Broadway play, which my wife and I have seen a bunch of times).
It's great if you've seen the musical, it's great if you haven't. It might be better if you haven't then you don't know where it's going to go. The tale is timeless in its exploration of the simple question, "What would you do if society has broken down and you could only live by what you yourself thought was 'right?"" (that's my takeaway)
I loved the book but not the musical (movie version). Fortunately this is the reading thread so I'm not being negative.
I loved the book but not the musical (movie version). Fortunately this is the reading thread so I'm not being negative.
I just love that you loved the book!!
Every iteration is a lesser version, like a copy of a copy. (although the stage play can be pretty awesome depending on who's in the show)
Finished "Cities of the Red Night" by Burroughs. WSB is probably my favourite author, but his stuff is certainly challenging as he doesn't hold back on content or structure. The book starts with two separate linear storylines, then slowly merges them, forgoes chronological order and eventually creates several realities, that conflict and converge, leaving the resolution up to the reader. Heady stuff.
I recently read Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King. An out and out pot-boiler, for sure, but it was damn entertaining. Somewhere along Under the Dome and certainly by 11/22/63, King found his mojo again.
I recently read Persepolis 2 after reading Persepolis for school in the spring. It's an autobiographical graphic novel about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and I thought it was really incredible. It's black and white and just... wow.
I also read another graphic novel, American Born Chinese, for the same class and really enjoyed it.
Lastly, I read my first manga novel, Naruto, at the behest of a 13 year old girl (long story) and found it interesting. I don't think it's for me, though, because I found the female character incredibly shallow and terrible. (Although, I feel weirdly invested and curious about what happens next, so we'll see!)
Next up: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr for book club!
I
Lastly, I read my first manga novel, Naruto, at the behest of a 13 year old girl (long story) and found it interesting. I don't think it's for me, though, because I found the female character incredibly shallow and terrible. (Although, I feel weirdly invested and curious about what happens next, so we'll see!)
I would recommend that you keep reading as the series gets better right until the "time skip". The characters become better developed and the word-building is really well done.
Re-read CJ Cherryh's 40,000 In Gehenna this week. We had a lot of downtime at work, so it took me about 2.5 days.
A colony is set up as a bulwark against a rival trans-planetary government. The colony is deliberately abandoned by a power called Union, in order to bog down the Alliance in trying to deal with subsequent fallout. The transplanted humans and a native, sentient, quasi-reptillian species called the Calibans evolve working relationships. As the former colony degrades and splits, it evolves into two factions which take the co-existent relationship two different ways. Then there's a conflict, with two Alliance researchers inadvertently pitted against one another as they study it.
You either like Cherryh or you don't. The world-building and character sketches are what's most interesting here. The battle itself is almost in there as an afterthought. But I still enjoy this book. As with any older sci-fi, not every advance we take for granted now could be worked into the story 3-4 decades ago. But Cherryh's style is "loose" enough so that you can sort of mentally pencil them in yourself without hurting anything.
"Stevie Nicks: Visions, Dreams, and Rumours" by Zoe Howe"
To my knowledge, this is the first book to focus on Nicks rather than on Fleetwood Mac as a whole. Not that the never-ending Mac saga doesn't get plenty of pages. The question about Nicks has always been, is she a self-absorbed space cadet or a flawed but talented person who cares deeply about other people? Howe's conclusion leans towards the latter, but this is no hagiography -- the author maintains a slight detachment from her subject, wittily puncturing the stranger-than-fiction bubble whenever necessary. An absolute must-read for Nicks fans, and I think it may even win her some converts.
I'm sort of picking at three different books at once right now. I think it's a bad habit borne of sitting at the computer with a dozen tabs open at once. Damn you, 21st Century! [shakes fist]
Studs Terkel's Hard Times, which interviews both famous and obscure Americans about their experiences during The Great Depression
The Collected Short Stories of Willa Cather. Her most famous is probably "Paul's Case," which I remember reading in an anthology that I kyped from my roommate in college. Short stories were always my go-to entertainment for trips to the Laundromat. Thank Dog, in those days, there weren't TVs competing for the customer's attention.
The earlier stories have a stilted, warmed-over Jamesian feel to them, but as time progressed, her style became more individualistic and the characters more interesting.
Also, I have a terrific giant paperback of Joan Miro's art that I scored late last year for three (!!!) bucks at the thrift shop. Miro is sometimes lumped in with the Surrealists, but I always feel like he should have had a genre all to himself. His bizarre combos of line, shapes and colors have a feel that's toy-like and menacing at the same time. Even the small pictures feel like a god's-eye view of a huge, chaotic carnival or musical, because they have such an amazing sense of motion. They're not for peaceful contemplation, because they make the eye move constantly.
Find Her, The Virgin in the Ice, The Brief History of the Dead, The Sixth Extinction and The Relic Master but I'm not inspired to finish any of them. Thinking of picking up something of Stephen King's to kickstart my reading again.
I got about half/two-thirds of the way through
Go Set A Watchman recently but never found the time/motivation to finish. I still want to finish
All the Light We Cannot See but have not picked it up in a few months. My book club is reading
The Boys in the Boat but I suspect I won't have time to get to it.
It's too bad because I'm the one that suggested it; I wanted to read it! I just need to find
time. (Where's Time Teller Lad when you need him?)
So I settled on The Fold by Peter Clines. Sort of a sci-fi/horror/mystery.
"The folks in Mike Erikson's small New England town would say he's just your average, everyday guy. And that's exactly how Mike likes it. Sure, the life he's chosen isn’t much of a challenge to someone with his unique gifts, but he’s content with his quiet and peaceful existence.
That is, until an old friend presents him with an irresistible mystery, one that Mike is uniquely qualified to solve: far out in the California desert, a team of DARPA scientists has invented a device they affectionately call the Albuquerque Door. Using a cryptic computer equation and magnetic fields to “fold” dimensions, it shrinks distances so that a traveler can travel hundreds of feet with a single step.
The invention promises to make mankind’s dreams of teleportation a reality. And, the scientists insist, traveling through the Door is completely safe.
Yet evidence is mounting that this miraculous machine isn’t quite what it seems—and that its creators are harboring a dangerous secret.
As his investigations draw him deeper into the puzzle, Mike begins to fear there’s only one answer that makes sense. And if he’s right, it may only be a matter of time before the project destroys…everything."
Just finished Stephen Baxter's Proxima (having read a few of his others, I found this to be quite similar. It was decent enough though. I'm now reading a history of Hammer films. It has piccies, so shouldn't take too long.
These days? A great many LP liner notes and tax preparation forms.
Finished Cline's The Fold two days ago and it was actually a pretty decent book. I like the character of Mike and the way Cline had of establishing how his eidetic memory worked. I enjoyed the book enough to pick up a previous one of the author's, 14, as it seems to tie into the ending of The Fold. Already well into enjoying that one too.
Read another amazing Willa Cather novel, A Lost Lady that was incredibly deep and moving, full of nuanced characters and commentary on the Midwest at the transition of when it was settled and the turn of the century. Cather is in a class all by herself when it comes to multi-layered characters who feel natural and not overly complex; it's likely due to her prose which feels so rich yet purposeful. She's really emerged as one of my favorite authors.
Also caught up on the last few months National Geographic which I always enjoy. One of the recent issues had a terrific long article on feminism in Saudia Arabia, which is a continuation of other great feminism in the Middle East articles. Nat Geo continues to be one of the best magazines around.
Up next: at long last I intend to reread War and Peace, about 15 years after the first time. I had to clean out my briefcase to fit it in, considering it's the size of a football.
Finally got around to reading Seduction of the Innocent by Fredric Wertham (1954) and It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis (1935).
So depressing. Nothing has really changed in the United States of America for at least the past eighty years.
I'm going through and reading books written/published the year I was born. Currently it's Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison. Or better known by the movie that was adapted from it, Soylent Green. Great novel so far (I just started it last night), great visual descriptions and not yet coming across as dated.
That's a fun idea. 58 was a great year for sci-fi movies, not sure about books. Wiki-ing
Oh! "Things Fall Apart," by Achebe, a favorite from Peace Corps days only now becoming "vogue" amongst the High School African Studies crowd here, thou. Only other one I recognize on the fiction list is "Exodus."
Sci-Fi, these are the only ones I found on a list for my year
25. _Non-Stop_ by Brian Aldiss [1958]
26. _A Case of Conscience_ by James Blish [1958]
27. _Have Space-Suit Will Travel_ by Robert A. Heinlein [1958]
Maybe I'll give them a try this summer. Great idea!
59 rocked!
28. _Time Out of Joint_ by Philip K. Dick [1959]
29. _Alas, Babylon_ by Pat Frank [1959]
30. _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ by Walter M. Miller [1959]
31. _The Sirens of Titan_ by Kurt Vonnegut [1959]
Too late for me to be a late baby? About 6 months late?
Right now I'm re-reading some favorites. Secret Histories by Simon Green, Iron Druid by Kevin Hearne. Dresden of course and that's about it.
I don't get a lot of time to read anymore or look for new authors anymore.
I was liking A. Lee Martinez's stuff, but it kinda played out for me.
Found a book about essentially an ahole vampire by J.F. Lewis, but it kinda played out for me as well.
Not really finding a lot of new stuff that excites the old noggin.
That's a fun idea. 58 was a great year for sci-fi movies, not sure about books. Wiki-ing
Oh! "Things Fall Apart," by Achebe, a favorite from Peace Corps days only now becoming "vogue" amongst the High School African Studies crowd here, thou. Only other one I recognize on the fiction list is "Exodus."
Sci-Fi, these are the only ones I found on a list for my year
25. _Non-Stop_ by Brian Aldiss [1958]
26. _A Case of Conscience_ by James Blish [1958]
27. _Have Space-Suit Will Travel_ by Robert A. Heinlein [1958]
Maybe I'll give them a try this summer. Great idea!
59 rocked!
28. _Time Out of Joint_ by Philip K. Dick [1959]
29. _Alas, Babylon_ by Pat Frank [1959]
30. _A Canticle for Leibowitz_ by Walter M. Miller [1959]
31. _The Sirens of Titan_ by Kurt Vonnegut [1959]
Too late for me to be a late baby? About 6 months late?
I won't tell anyone.
Make Room was a great start. Actually watched Soylent Green the other day when I was done. Lots of changes but both are good taken on their own. I would defintely recommend reading the book though.
Next up was Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49. Oh man was that bad! I haven't been able to read anything since, it just killed the mood.
66 had some pretty good sci-fi that I added to my list, beyond Make Room. These are the ones I'm thinking of reading through although I'll probably cull the list down a bit. There is a new Joe Hill out that I need to read after all.
Isaac Asimov – Fantastic Voyage
Ray Bradbury – S is for Space
Truman Capote – In Cold Blood
Agatha Christie – Third Girl
Philip K. Dick – Now Wait for Last Year, The Crack in Space and The Unteleported Man
Ian Fleming – Octopussy and The Living Daylights
Robert A. Heinlein – The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp – Conan the Adventurer
Daniel Keyes – Flowers for Algernon
Thomas Pynchon – The Crying of Lot 49
Rex Stout – Death of a Doxy
Jack Vance – The Eyes of the Overworld
Roger Zelazny – The Dream Master and This Immortal
Mikhail Bulgakov - The Master and Margarita
The last was written, never finished, well before 1966 but wasn't published until then and was actually the one that started me thinking of going through the books of that year.
Finally got around to starting The Martian.
Best. Opening. Sentence. Ever.
"I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this" was a standout.
Finally got around to starting The Martian.
Best. Opening. Sentence. Ever.
"I'm gonna have to science the shit out of this" was a standout.
My favorite book of 2015.
I just finished reading "In the Garden of the Beasts" by Erik Larson. He also wrote "The Devil in the White City".
"Garden" is about the first US Ambassador to Nazi Germany. Accompanying him is his wife, and grown son and daughter. The daughter is a bit flamboyant. Before going to Germany, she had been secretly married and was in the process of divorcing her husband. She had multiple affairs simultaneously. One with a Russian diplomat who was working for what would become the KGB and another who was the head of the Berlin Gestapo.
In the footnotes, was a joke that went around Berlin at the time, albeit not too loudly. At the Belgian border a huge number of rabbits appeared one day asking for political refuge. "The Gestapo wants to arrest all giraffes as enemies of the state." "But" replied the border guard "You're not giraffes." "We know that, but try explaining that to the Gestapo!"
I just re-read Wintersmith by Pratchett. And it reminded me why I had trouble buying and reading his last book. That means it's over. No more from him.
And lets face it, Pratchett was an amazing study of human character and faults and foibles while still able to bring about a sense of hope and renewal.
You can hold up the classics as the greats and thats fine, but this was an example of someone that knew the human condition on many more levels than most people will ever know.
I just finished reading "In the Garden of the Beasts" by Erik Larson. He also wrote "The Devil in the White City".
"Garden" is about the first US Ambassador to Nazi Germany. Accompanying him is his wife, and grown son and daughter. The daughter is a bit flamboyant. Before going to Germany, she had been secretly married and was in the process of divorcing her husband. She had multiple affairs simultaneously. One with a Russian diplomat who was working for what would become the KGB and another who was the head of the Berlin Gestapo.
In the footnotes, was a joke that went around Berlin at the time, albeit not too loudly. At the Belgian border a huge number of rabbits appeared one day asking for political refuge. "The Gestapo wants to arrest all giraffes as enemies of the state." "But" replied the border guard "You're not giraffes." "We know that, but try explaining that to the Gestapo!"
Our history and popular culture are starting to show some focus, belatedly, to the Soviet side of WWII. There's tons of stories to be mined there. A buddy and I were looking at stats from that war: 8 of 9 German soldiers killed in the war were killed on the EASTERN front. Shows a whole new balance to what occurred.
Reading about Nazis getting their butts kicked never gets old. Curious our literature doesn't have the same focus on the war in the Pacific. There doesn't seem to be the same bloodthirst to read stories about Japanese getting beat as there is with Nazis.
I just finished a reread of "The Golden Age" by Robinson, Smith and Ori. I really like how they mix Golden Age heroes and enemies into the near post WWII - beginning of Cold War era.
Barney Hoskyns's "Small Town Talk" is the most pleasureable non-fiction prose reading experience I've had in a long time. There is some overlap with Hoskyns's excellent 1992 biography of The Band, "Across the Great Divide", but both books are absolute must-reads IMHO. "Small Town Talk" is a panoramic look at the musicians coming in and out of Woodstock, NY, from the early 1960s to the present day. At the center of it all for most of the book is the legendarily fearsome rock manager Albert Grossman, a grizzly-bearish but complex man without whom we wouldn't have had the work of Bob Dylan, or The Band, or Todd Rundgren. At the end of the book, it's hard not to shed a tear as Hoskyns recounts the bittersweet final years of The Band's heart & soul, singer/drummer Levon Helm, culminating in the mysterious final deathbed conversation between Helm and his friend-turned-nemesis, guitarist/songwriter Robbie Robertson. To this Rundgren fangirl, the chapters on her fellow Philadelphian are a tonic, her hero coming of as someone whose lack of social graces is more than compensated for by his work ethic and his genuine maverick streak. I really hope Hosykns does a full-blown Rundgren biography one day. The only sour note is struck when Hoskyns recounts Rundgren's association with original Utopia keyboardist Jean-Yves Labat, whose side project M. Frog happens to be a favorite of Julian Cope, with whom Hoskyns has been feuding off and on for over 30 years. Hoskyns, to his discredit, simply can't resist taking a cheap shot at Cope, which is sad. And yet there is so much to recommend this book that I can overlook, if not forgive, this slight against another of my heroes.
True to my threat about ten pages back: now re-reading Nadine Gordimer's *Burger's Daughter* and it's been far too long. The title character grapples with young adulthood in apartheid South Africa. Her everyday observations and experiences always taking a backseat to the legacy of her Communist parents: both martyrs in the struggle against their own government.
Gordimer likes to mess with your head, in that she'll change from 1st to 2nd to 3rd person perspective and back, returning to events that have already transpired. They're rewritten, taken back, or painted in more fully, depending on the narration. It requires a lot of concentration, but that's appropriate given the complicated subject matter, I think.
I am now reading a biography of Belva Lockwod. Mrs. Lockwood ran for president of the US in 1884 & 1888. She was also the first woman to argue a case before the US Supreme Court.
I just finished Mental Floss' History of the U.S. It was an informative, entertaining overview of U.S. History.
I'm just about finished with "The Great Controversy," which I only read because I promised a friend who is a 7th Day Adventist that I would read it.
I think I have a deal with my daughter - if I read Harry Potter, she has to read one of my Heinlein books. We'll see what comes of that.
I recently bought a recliner, which I have in my bedroom. It has a reading lamp behind it, with bookcases on either side. It's my reading place.
One of the books beside my chair is the Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. I try to read one story out of it every day. They're typically not worth commenting on, however, I just read a story called Clever Gretel which is hands-down the funniest fairy tale I have ever read. It's quite short. Here's a link:
http://www.authorama.com/grimms-fairy-tales-26.htmlI actually finished "The Sign of Four" a few weeks back. I do so love Sherlock Holmes.
Also, I've been reading the complete Dick Tracy that IDW publishing is putting out. I just request a book through inter-library loan and wait for it to come in.
Reading place: porch swing. The day flies by. I bought porch plants so it doesn't look so hermity. I rock, I read. Cat comes near, I chase cat, read some more.
Saw a cover at the library that looked interesting. It was the, "first of a second trilogy," grrr. Whose idea was it, these trilogies? Now there's first, second, third.. trilogy. I don't like that person. Anyhow, I checked out the first book of the first trilogy.
It...was....a.....chore. Kept putting it down and picking it up. Two days before it was due, it got interesting. REALLY interesting. I went to renew it but SOME EVIL BASTARD had put a hold on it. Who puts a hold on a 12 year old book? Probably someone who got the same idea I did.
So, I had to turn it in without finishing. But I'm wise. KNOWING there's some person out there... one book behind me, I checked out the SECOND book in the first trilogy. I order the first book again using the stateside system, so now I am in possession of both books. Bwa Ha Ha!!!!
Being polite, I'll quickly finish the first, read the second so that whoever is behind me won't have to wait for it.
Oh the book? "Saga of the Seven Suns" Kevin Anderson (much better than his Star Wars books, which I've been told are hit or miss.
BB,
How much are the fines at your library? And how much longer did you need to finish the book?
Thought about that but I knew it had been put on hold so... felt a bit selfish keeping it. And with my poor attention span and summer projects, I'm not exactly tearing through my reading. Turning it back in seemed the more socialble thing.
Ordering it through the state, another copy of book 1 got to me within the week (today!) and I'm happily finishing it with the safe secure knowledge that I've got book 2 in my greedy little mitts and won't have to wait.
Yeah, and it's getting better with every chapter!
hmmm, wonder if that other reader is thinking about borrowing out book 3..... I think I've got a chore to do tomorrow.
Finished Burrough's "Place of Dead Roads". While the first book of the trilogy ("Cities of the Red Night") was a mash-up of Pirate and Hard-boiled private detective stories which ultimately evolve into a space adventure, this one was a Western/Time-Travel mash-up that unfolds into a space adventure. There's only one main character this time and he's (intentionally) less likable but oddly relatable. Burroughs continues to mediate on the idea that, as a species, humanity has to get off this planet as soon as possible if we are ever going to reach the next stage of evolution.
Doing a slow reading of Octavia Butler's "Bloodchild." An author I've had on my reading list for awhile, just getting around to it. Don't see much from her works being adapted to graphic format, just "Kindred," probably her most famous work. Her stories would adapt well I think. She paints a vivid image with few words and dialogue seems really a strong point, though I don't have a great sampling yet.
Re-read of "Monster Earth," a new-pulp anthology with local writer involvement. It's holding up really well, I like the concept, would like to see it in a movie.
Short description, Monsters are the WMDs. So it's a retelling of a few specific spots in history beginning with the Japanese invasion into China, with allusion to several more.
Most of the writing, top notch. A couple just a bit above "blogger." And the publishing leaves a lot to be desired, with errors as low as typos, reprinted sentences... but it's the read that matters.
Worth picking up.
Finished the third of Burroughs Red Night Trilogy "The Western Lands". It's the last full novel he ever wrote. It's markedly different from earlier works. It's almost devoid of Burroughs hallmark violent, often lethal, gay sex scenes and instead focuses on mortality or more precisely, how to reach immortality. The Western Lands are the far bank of the Nile that ancient Egyptians presumed you went to when you died (if your soul survives the journey), so Burroughs pulls in elements from across the trilogy as well as previous works to try and desperately work out the way there. It ends on a sad and somber note, and is a powerful, if bizarre, meditation on dying and legacy.
Making my way through a re-read of Gaiman's American Gods, in anticipation of the TV series. After that, I have Alan Moore's Jerusalem on tap (as daunting a brick as it is).
I've started the Moonstone, and by heavens it's a slog... a small type faced slog at that.
I have no doubt it gripped readers during it's serialisation. But I'm lacking a little patience getting through all the set up chapters. Collins does go to the trouble of having events told through multiple points of view, and is trying to make them all endearing. But I'm just a bit meh to it really... fingers crossed it will all pay off.
On the fifth book of Kevin Ansderson's Saga of the Seven Sons. Typical of almost any more than three book series I've read, it's just made up excuse after made up excuse to continue the series/$. There's a tendency to continue to add new characters and sub-plots until no one gets their due and he's following that trend.
His characters are good and there's a premise to his Universe that he really hasn't taken to advantage, mostly concentrating on the players within. Still, it's good.
I just finished Hamlet by Kent Shakespeare's cousin William.
I've started the Moonstone, and by heavens it's a slog... a small type faced slog at that.
I have no doubt it gripped readers during it's serialisation. But I'm lacking a little patience getting through all the set up chapters. Collins does go to the trouble of having events told through multiple points of view, and is trying to make them all endearing. But I'm just a bit meh to it really... fingers crossed it will all pay off.
I remember it being a slog to get through, though the basic plot is actually pretty good.
Yeah, I liked the plot. I've probably seen a few adaptations when I was a kid, that focused more on getting to the meat of it.
I can see the effort taken to give everyone a voice, and can easily imagine people of the day enjoying the instalments.
But science has shown that the world then rotated at a fraction of today's pace, and the that the people in it moved with similar tardiness. So could ya please just hurry it up?!
The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly.
By the way, I know this is a mere cookbook, but if you like trying out tasty food that's not dead flesh, this is a winner:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/881348.Fresh_from_the_Vegetarian_Slow_CookerI've tried about 1/4th to 1/3rd of the recipes here so far, and there haven't been too many clunkers. Most of them just need a little tinkering here and there. Like, I usually prefer less salt and sweetener in my food, and more garlic.
Also...
Slow-cooked zucchini is to be avoided at all costs. It ends up being reminiscent of dirty rubber soles, alas.
One thing about veggies in a slow cooker versus meat: they tend to overcook a lot more easily, and they're harder to salvage afterwards. So I rarely use the cooker unless I'm home to check up on the food occasionally. Unfortunately, when I'm going to a job, "Cook eight hours" ends up being "Cook ten hours. (Travel time, don'cha' know.)
Well, no technology's perfect, right?
But I appreciate that these recipes appear to have been tested before publication, at least. Too often, when I've tried stuff from online, it's obvious that someone pulled the whole thing from the, uh... part they sit on.
Slow-cooked zucchini is to be avoided at all costs. It ends up being reminiscent of dirty rubber soles, alas.
Is it too much to ask to get clean rubber soles to eat? - Tenzil Kem's Bismollians Like It Slow... Cooked Holiday Special.
Finished my re-read of American Gods in anticipation of the TV series. It's still a good read, relatively straight-forward and seems ready made for adaptation (as the book progresses though, I see the effects budget going up and up).
First I've heard of that. Some big names behind it. The trailer wasn't much help but anything Gaimen is worth a read and anything with Al Swearengen is worth at least one watch. Look forward to it.
Re-reading Fables. SO many subtle little nods to later events, that meant nothing at the time, it's fun again.
This post goes out to all the other Ladies of Legion World:
READ THIS BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Youll-Grow-Out-Jessi-Klein/dp/1455531189/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481849419&sr=1-1&keywords=jessi+klein+you%27ll+grow+out+of+it
I did, and I'm glad I did.
(And do please tell me after you've read it whether you were glad you did, or not glad. Either way, it's getting publicity, and there's no such thing as...et cetera.)
Maybe a good book for the book exchange at school?
Slow-cooked zucchini is to be avoided at all costs. It ends up being reminiscent of dirty rubber soles, alas.
Is it too much to ask to get clean rubber soles to eat? - Tenzil Kem's Bismollians Like It Slow... Cooked Holiday Special.
I've also just learned that raw, straight-from-the-bulk-bin split peas WILL NOT slow-cook properly, no matter how long you wait. In the future, I'll treat them like pintos, et al. and do a soak + pre-cook first.
I did salvage the soup, though. But it cost me a lot of precious time.
I'm about halfway through Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway. Doomsday, funny, British, clockworks, mechanical bees, espionage, mobsters...
Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez.
Again.
I just realized that I never plugged The Stockholm Octavo here. Let me rectify that. In 1791 Sweden, Emil Larsson is trying to find a wife. His boss at his Customs job insists that it's not proper for a bureaucrat his age to remain a bachelor. His good friend, the card-reader and tavern-owner, Mrs. Sparrow, helps him in his search. Soon they're both caught up in the intrigue linked to the Revolution in neighboring France, and the spillover conflict between two opposing factions in their own country.
Karen Englemann did a great job of juggling her large cast in this tale. The only criticism I really have is that a couple of the denouements at the end got a little far-fetched, as she was running out of time to wrap up the story. But if you love meaty historical fiction, this one's a winner.
Reading Chekhov again. Also a book of poetry from 18th Century Vietnam:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/807765.Spring_Essence
Just finished Norm MacDonald's book "Based on a True Story", which is presented as an autobiography, but is really a surrealist comedy send-up of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas mixed with a lot of "meta" scenarios that play like a distorted version of Norm's real life churned through B-movie cliches. It's incredibly funny, but not traditionally so, much like MacDonald himself, so your mileage may vary. I really dug it.
I'm reading Ross Macdonald hard boiled detective books on the train to work.
I always enjoy books, essays, & documentaries about how evil McDonald's is.
Finished the "Dream-Quest of Unknown Kaddath" by H.P. Lovecraft, which is essentially the story of one of Lovecraft's go-to characters, Randolph Carter, exploring the entire dream realm in search of the fabled city of the Old Gods so he can have them grant him access to the beautiful "Sunset city" of his dreams. Along the way he encounters locations and people from a lot of the previous stories in the "Dream Cycle". It's a bit of a tough read, with no chapter breaks, dialogue and very long paragraphs, so you are looking at block after block of monolithic text. The payoff is interesting, as it is highly sentimental about Boston and New England, and (like passages in his Charles Dexter Ward novel) is much more emotive than you'd expect given Lovecraft's reputation.
Got out John Lanchester's
The Debt To Pleasure for a re-read this week. For all of its rambling tone (and lots of run-ons... not the book for you if run-ons make you scream) it's super-fast to get through. That is, if you've ever been a fan of trendy food writing and/or travel memoirs. Those are really just the lure to get you into it, though. All kinds of other stuff is, uh... cooking just below the fancy-pants surface.
The narrator of the book, Tarquin Winot, is so damn unreliable that Lanchester pulls off the neat trick of forcing the reader to develop a parallel story in his/her head where Winot's view of the people around him is corrected to be more in line with what "reality" probably was. Winot, for all his intelligence, is (to say the least) one messed-up guy. You know if you met him in real life, you'd be frustrated as hell with his b.s. If you were lucky, that's all you'd end up feeling.
More details here, for the curious:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8050-4388-4Funnily enough, on our bookshelf this one's right next to Mark Kurlansky's
Edible Stories, which I can't get into at all. There's nothing wrong with it per se. But the writing style is a huge stumbling block for me. I just can't get past it to enjoy the various characters and settings. Maybe I should try again...?
"Coming Out to Play" by Robbie Rogers... autobiography of the first openly gay professional soccer player in the United States... heartbreaking (to a degree) account of how internalized homophobia can be fostered by otherwise loving parents... and while the author certainly made good strides in overcoming said internalized homophobia, there is still quite a bit present when themes of masculinity are interwoven... nonetheless, so far a compelling story...
Found a digest-sized collection of
Hans Erni's paintings for a dollar at someone's yard sale over the weekend. Been enjoying it, though technically I'm not really reading it, since the text is all in French.
Starting Alan Moore's "Jerusalem", which is pretty daunting as the book is enormous and I'm a notoriously slow reader. I suspect I'll just repost "Still reading 'Jerusalem'" here every few months for the rest of my life.
One of the 10 longest novels in English at time of publication according to wiki. I look forward to reading the review in my next incarnation
I just finished reading this list I apparently wrote on my phone and forgot about.
McCord
Macgruder
Liddy
Hunt
Dean
Mitchell
Ehrlichman
Colson
Haldeman
Baldwin
Macgregor
Larue
Krogh
Strachan
Stans
Sturgis
Sirica
For those who don't recognize, that's a list of Watergate conspirators, plus the judge who tried the burglars. Why did I write this? It's a mystery. I was less than 14 months old at the time of the break-in, so I'm pretty sure I wasn't involved. I have to admit that I can't account for my whereabouts on those dates, though.
Just finished Sue Grafton's
Q Is For Quarry a few days ago. (I found a used copy on the way to the doc's office. I'd had a premonition that I'd be stuck there for hours.) It was interesting. Millhone scours small desert towns with two retired cops in pursuit of a cold case where a teenage drifter was killed. Grafton works in some background on the detective and her own family life, or lack of it. (Resisting the urge to make the whole family into villains.) The ending was a little abrupt for my taste, though.
mr_cleome had
A Bullet For Your Thoughts lying around, so I picked that up next. I'm almost all the way through, but honestly: I'm just in it at this point to count the typos and plethora of misplaced commas. Dude, I know it's likely a vanity press, but for
's sake PROOFREAD! This is a mystery-thriller which mostly seems to exist so the author (Lawrence W. Erickson) can name-drop locales in my town of residence which wouldn't mean zip to anyone from anywhere else. The story itself has no elements which would make it distinctively part of this region (as opposed to, say, New York or LA)-- unless you count heroic amounts of rain, techies in suits, and coffee. The plot is standard industrial skullduggery boilerplate, with lots of explosions.
Same applies to his characters. Even the most interesting of the villains (sort of a redneck Ninja with a thing for singing cowboy tunes) sounds like he was probably lifted (or rejected) from a Tarrantino flick. Also, the dehumanized
femme fatale (aka "The Serpent"-- how original) is bi and purportedly runs around seducing everything in sight. (Off-camera.) I kept looking at the publishing date again to confirm I wasn't reading a "for men only" pulp novel from 1958. I wasn't.
The most believable thing that happens here is the P.I.'s painter girlfriend abandoning him for being a suicidal goon without the common sense to leave town when the bodies start to pile up. She could forgive him by story's end, I suppose.
Slugfest: Inside the Epic 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC
By Reed Tucker
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/reed-tucker/slugfest-tucker/Interesting book, well-researched, with plenty of actual quotations from the subjects. Focusing more on the corporate side of the two comics giants, it reveals why both companies make some of the dumb decisions they do. (Hint: Management sees their core industry as marketing and distribution, rather than, oh, say, art and storytelling.)
Also profiling many of the stable and properties of DC and Marvel, the book discusses many major turning points in the industry. A few examples: the defection of Jack Kirby, and later John Byrne, “Secret Wars” and “Crisis”, and the era of “event” comics, the creation of comic book shops and direct marketing, the cross-overs and Amalgam Comics of the 90’s, the “Cinematic Universes”.
DC Comics (which, the author points out, stands for Detective Comics Comics) was initially nonplussed by Marvel’s success. The creation of the black-and-yellow taxicab “checkerboard” covers was an attempt to more obviously brand their books, as some executives thought that those dumb kids were buying Marvel accidentally when all they really wanted was DC. It turns out DC was half-right: after the taxi-cab issues began appearing, DC’s sales plummeted.
Interestingly, Jim Shooter is mentioned as the 13-year-old ‘genius’ who began his career in comics at a very early age… but there is no mention anywhere in the book of the Legion of Super-Heroes. I guess the Legion is unnecessary in telling the story of DC. (Although
Supersnipe and
Brother Power the Geek do get references.)
Incidentally, both Marvel and DC are acutely aware that like cigarettes, their core business involves getting children hooked early, while still providing a products strong enough for teens and adults. They just haven’t figured out how to do it very well yet.
Uncle Fester: There must be SOME way to pick up that kind of money.
Gomez: I've got it! We'll invent something that costs a dime to make, sells for a dollar, and is habit-forming.
For those who don't recognize, that's a list of Watergate conspirators, plus the judge who tried the burglars. Why did I write this? It's a mystery. I was less than 14 months old at the time of the break-in, so I'm pretty sure I wasn't involved. I have to admit that I can't account for my whereabouts on those dates, though.
Investigator 1: Who could possibly have bugged this office? You'd have to be tiny to be able to get that wiretap in there!
Investigator 2: >gasp< You don't mean...
Investigator 1: But Baby Faced BFOB is supposed to be on
our side!
The most believable thing that happens here is the P.I.'s painter girlfriend abandoning him for being a suicidal goon without the common sense to leave town when the bodies start to pile up. She could forgive him by story's end, I suppose.
Gah! It's been over a month now and Cleome
still hasn't told us if she gets back with him at the end!
If only all the residents of murder prone English TV towns would move at the next death.
Slugfest: Inside the Epic 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC
That sounds interesting. I have to admit I get a little frustrated reading some of the historical commentaries as they often leave out lots of details. There's only so much you can fit in and make it coherent and life and industry isn't like that. Besides, leaving out the Legion... tsk...
Oh, I'm reading Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land.
Slugfest sounds fascinating. Looking at the Amazon page, I see it has an audiobook version. The only thing that gave me pause was the Associated Press blurb describing it as "the story of Marvel's David toppling DC's Goliath." But based on your description, I am going to assume that is the simplistic reading of whoever wrote that quote, rather than an accurate summation. That's an accurate description of the 60s and early 70s, but by the time of the DC implosion DC was definitely the underdog.
"Slugfest" does indeed sound like a good read. I'll keep it in mind as my Christmas present to myself.
[snip]
The most believable thing that happens here is the P.I.'s painter girlfriend abandoning him for being a suicidal goon without the common sense to leave town when the bodies start to pile up. She could forgive him by story's end, I suppose.
Gah! It's been over a month now and Cleome
still hasn't told us if she gets back with him at the end!
If only all the residents of murder prone English TV towns would move at the next death.
No, she does not.
Proof positive that she was the only character in the book who deserved a better story to appear in.
Audiobooks that I'm listening to feel more at home in this thread then be listening, so I'm going to post about them here. I'm almost finished with dragonfly in amber, the second book and Diana gabaldon's outlander series. While I enjoyed the first, it felt too long and dragged in places. Despite the fact that this one is longer, I enjoyed it more and zipped right through it.
I was also possibly surprised by how well structured it is. Ongoing series sometimes have a tendency to just become one long narrative, and the authors don't bother to provide any structure to the particular installment. The opening of the novel set up a new situation that raised many questions. Did novel peers to be on track to answer those by the end, and there were a number of storylines that were introduced and have concluded or are concluding in the same volume. I guess I'll see if she manages to maintain that is the series progresses, but it's nice here.
Coming here to write this caused me to remember that I had intended to listen to slugfest. Since I expect to finish dragon fly tonight? I will make that my next listen.
Just got From a Drood to a Kill.
Just finished Part One of Neil Gaiman's View From The Cheap Seats.
He spends a great deal of time discussing his particular approach to writing. Very interesting.
https://www.creativeprocess.info/new-blog-1/2016/6/11/these-are-not-our-faces
Again, posting audiobooks in the read thread instead of the listen.
Just finished World of Warcraft: War Crimes by Christie Golden, narrated by my favorite audiobook narrator, Scott Brick.
I’ve been playing WoW on-and-off for about a year. I’m finally starting to get a grasp on the basic shape of the narrative, and this is my first WoW novel.
It’s a fairly important one, because it’s a transition/prequel between two of the games’ expansions. I couldn’t have picked a better first novel. It’s the trial of one of the game’s main villains, and the testimony winds up covering the events of several years’ worth of game in a way that is both easy to digest and quite emotional, coming as personal accounts of people involved.
It’s more involved with character than plot, with most of the characters wrestling with questions of justice, hate, mercy, and such. It also delves into the idea of trials and coverage of atrocities being turned into entertainment. It also made the defendant unquestioningly guilty and unrepentant, making easy solutions difficult.
It was much better than a media tie-in has any right to be. I wouldn’t say it transcends the genre, but it’s one of the best examples of it I’ve read.
The narration was of course flawless. If you haven’t discovered Scott Brick, I would highly recommend the audiobook version of Tom de Haven’sIt’s Superman, one of the best Superman stories I’ve ever encountered in ANY genre.
I just started Madame Bovary last night. It's been standing silently on my shelf for years.
I recently finished Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. It won the National Book Award last year, and I kept finding it on various respected recommendation lists. Ward's lovely lyrical language unveils the souls and struggles of a southern Mississippi family, especially 13-year-old biracial Jojo and his in-and-out mom. I'll remember the feeling of this book for a long time.
I keep falling asleep early on in the audiobook version of the Midwich Cuckoos. Oddly, it's just about the time the main characters fall asleep too. Coincidence? Really?
Waiting for Moonbreaker by Simon R. Green.
I am currently trying to read Neo-Platonist philosophy by Plotinus. It feels good to get the brain working in ways it hasn't since college.
Feeling sad because I'm about to finish book nine of the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne, and it's the last one.
Garden catalogues... again.
(I really want to plant some rhubarb this year, but still trying to figure out when I'll have time to prime the space for it.)
I recently posed the following hypothetical to all my kids:
“What one book would you recommend all children read before the end of 12th grade?”
#1 Child: The Samurai: The Philosophy of Victory, by Robert T. Samuel
#2 Child: Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
#3 Child: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (wanted to say The Silmarillion, edited by Christopher Tolkien, but lost courage)
#4 Child: The Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu, and / or The Tao of Pooh, by Benjamin Hoff
#5 Child: The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
As for myself, it would be The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson, possibly the greatest one-hundred-and-one words ever written in the English language.
"A little boy planted a carrot seed.
His mother said, “I'm afraid it won't come up.”
His father said, “I'm afraid it won't come up.”
And his big brother said, “It won't come up.”
Every day the little boy pulled up the weeds around the seed and sprinkled the ground with water.
But nothing came up.
And nothing came up.
Everyone kept saying it wouldn't come up.
But still he pulled up the weeds around it every day and sprinkled the ground with water.
And then one day a carrot came up, just as the little boy had known it would."
Interesting topic, Klar. Being a visual person myself, I think I'd hand my niece or nephew a copy of
Thirteen. I'm sure their folks know all the classics, but that one's kind of off the beaten path and undeservedly so.
I was never much for Tolkien, but for sure I'd see that
Watership Down and
A Wrinkle In Time were on my list, too. Maybe Ellin Greene's & Trina Schart Hyman's
Clever Cooks would be there to help instill a love of fairy tales, food lore, and great childrens' art of course.
I just finished
Rope Of Gold by Josephine Herbst. It took all my self-control to not sit down and devour the whole thing in a couple of days. A really compelling read from an unjustly forgotten author.
In her lifetime, she was sometimes compared to Hemmingway, but despite their mutual love for writing fiction about the political movements of their day, I'm not really seeing it. Herbst's style has a certain detachment in what would be very emotional events IRL, but it's not as sparse and (to me) off-putting as E.H's has always been. Plus, when her saga moves to Cuba and the sugar strikes of the 1930s, she refrains from dropping the N-Word all over the place. I know, I know... changing styles and mores and all that. But Hemmingway's penchant for the word was one of the things which made me slam one of his books shut without bothering to finish the story in question.
There's quite a large cast of characters, bound by family and business ties. She drops some truly upsetting revelations and occasionally hilariously vulgar moments on the reader with little build-up or warning. This might bother some readers, but I found the occasional shock kept me on my toes. It's a long book, and was originally the end of a trilogy, but to me it went by in a flash. I know I'll be reading it again soon.
Her Wiki Bio
I've just started reading Great Esquire Fiction: The Finest Stories from the First Fifty Years. I probably bought the book shortly after it was published in 1983 and until now have never read it.
It's quite the who's who of 20th century American fiction writers. Erskine Caldwell, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck, Norman Mailer, Arthur Miller, John Cheever, Philip Roth, Bernard Malamud, Flannery O'Connor, Raymond Carver, Truman Capote, William Styron, Tim O'Brien, Richard Ford, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, and 21 others. The selection is heavy with male writers, as one might expect.
Re-reading Butcher's Dresden.
Now diving into Vera Brittain's Testament Of Youth again, for the first time in a long time. (Non-fiction about her life as a young woman and Army nurse during WWI.)
I've been reading/listening to a lot of trashy LGBT romances, since stuff at work is so heavy it's all I can really handle. Did you know that if you search Amazon for "transgender romance," the search engine apparently can't distinguish between, y'know, transgender romance, magical gender switch stories, and MPreg? True story.
The search engine needs to attend diversity & inclusion training, stat!
Just finished Willa Cather's O Pioneers!
Bad Times book 4: Helldorado by Batman writer Chuck Dixon.
I just finished Contact by Carl Sagan. Having only seen the film, I enjoyed this one quite a bit and appreciated the differences between them,
Night Fall by Simon R. Green. Wraps up two series, the Nightside and the Secret Histories.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
"Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work, and What They Mean," by Douglas Wolk. Originally published 11 years ago, I have no idea how it's managed to elude me until now. This is one of the best overviews of comics I've ever seen! Wolk includes some, but not all of, the obvious choices (Moore, Morrison, Los Bros Hernandez,) and takes a bazooka to all the snobs by including two Bronze Age classics: Jim Starlin's "Warlock" and the Marv Wolfman/Gene Colan/Tom Palmer "Tomb of Dracula." Best of all, Wolk is neither pseudo-ironic nor overly defensive about his tastes in comics (he affectionately refers to "Tomb of Dracula" as " the cheap, strong stuff.") I give this my highest possible recommendation!
Dark Sacred Night by Connelly.
I just finished Stephen King's Pet Sematary in preparation for the intriguing-looking movie remake that is released in a couple of weeks. this makes something like the sixth, seventh or eight King book I've read, all of which have been worthy reads. This one is good but is maybe the least of the ones I've read.
Like all of his books, Stephen King excels at character development and examination. I've said it before, but this seems hugely overlooked by most people, who write him off as simply a master of horror. It doesn't help that many of the film adaptations of his work don't pay enough attention to the characters and doing them justice toward their sources. Louis Creed is the central character, and the reader is in his head for much of the book without any first-person narration. His wife Rachel and their neighbor Jud Crandall are strong, believable supporting players, too. If you know anything about where the plot goes, probably via the original film, the book really informs Louis's fateful actions that give the story its particular horror signature.
One thing that surprised me is how well the book acts as a dissertation on death and people's attitudes, feelings and superstitions about it. Other than the character work, this is where the book succeeds as something more than just some schlocky horror pastiche, as the first film paints it. The views and reflections King presents about death are really well thought-out and make the reader think about his or her own views. Particularly memorable is Louis's frank discussion with his young daughter Ellie as she tries to comprehend the death of one of their family friends. And when the big death of the book hits, the reactions and coping or lack of coping hit like, well, a tractor trailer. It's very real and hard to read, even outside of the supernatural element.
Where the book fails somewhat is with its ending sequence. Unfortunately, the build-up and groundwork laid are superior to the finale, which should feel like the point where all the dividends pay off. Instead, King feels like he's rushing through it, and the finale doesn't resonate with all of the themes and character work we've experienced to that point. It basically degenerates into a slasher flick when we are expecting more of a layered evil than what we got. There's a hint that the evil is more than simply a twisted version of its former self, but not any more than that. I have to conclude that King was more interested in the journey than the destination, based on the evidence here. It's actually one of his shorter books, at 374 pages in my edition. I think it could have used more than 400 to give me the kind of ending I wanted and that it deserved.
So there you have it: a really good, well developed book with a truncated, unsatisfying ending. To be clear, it's not exactly the outcome that disappoints--I really don't expect happy endings in a King book--but that it didn't satisfy and pay off the way it should have in my opinion.
I'm still curious to learn more about the new film adaptation. It clearly features elements that weren't in the book, such as the masked children, but I can see where the book may have given the filmmakers the idea. The It movie worked well as both an adaptation and in incorporating some new ideas, so that's what I'm hoping for in the Pet Sematary re-make. That and a better ending. One possible plot change (regarding the major death being given to another character instead) I've heard about worries me, though. I'll see how the reviews go....
Good review, Lardy. You've reminded me of something Steve Bissette said about the same book: "I felt, when I first read it, as though King was going places that no horror author had before, to the point where it ended up scaring *King himself* too much to take it to its logical endpoint. Instead, he turned the story into a generic gore-fest."
I actually consider the original "Pet Semetary" movie to be one of the more watchable King adaptations, at least by the low standards of the time it was made (1989.) It's pure schlock, yes, but its decent for what it is. The possibility that the creative team on the new movie version might actually go where King didn't dare are quite intriguing.
Good review, Lardy. You've reminded me of something Steve Bissette said about the same book: "I felt, when I first read it, as though King was going places that no horror author had before, to the point where it ended up scaring *King himself* too much to take it to its logical endpoint. Instead, he turned the story into a generic gore-fest."
I actually consider the original "Pet Semetary" movie to be one of the more watchable King adaptations, at least by the low standards of the time it was made (1989.) It's pure schlock, yes, but its decent for what it is. The possibility that the creative team on the new movie version might actually go where King didn't dare are quite intriguing.
I've only seen the original movie once or twice and then not in a long, long time. As a now-reader of the book, one thing I feel is unfortunate about that one (and a mistake I feel is being repeated in the new one according to the casting list) is the omission of the neighbor Jud Crandall's wife Norma from the cast. Her presence and what happens to her really helps inform the themes from the book that I feel were developed so well.
Norma passes away due to heart disease around the book's middle.
Her storyline is such a perfect part of the book's progression and results in one of the best conversations in the book between Louis and daughter Ellie (that I referenced above). Maybe that conversation still happens, but Norma's influence on it gives the scene the perfect context.
It seems obvious that you haven't read the book. It's certainly not for everyone, I'll grant you, especially given the central event and the descriptions of events that surround it. Salem's Lot is one you like and features similar taboos that this one crosses, though this one undoubtedly feels more personal. But I like that the book makes me think about and question my own feelings about death in a way that no other book I've read has. I appreciate the book, especially for that.
We'll see if this new movie can add something in the ending that might resonate better than King's ending did. This one looks like its own animal with the creepy children in their animal masks. I feel this may be an expansion of how the book describes the path leading to and the titular site itself as being mysteriously well maintained by children over many generations. What I'm more worried about are the trailers' fairly clear implications that the central death may not be whom it is supposed to be. Maybe that person simply has more to do in the plot with the masked children, but it sure seems otherwise.
It seems obvious that you haven't read the book. It's certainly not for everyone, I'll grant you, especially given the central event and the descriptions of events that surround it. Salem's Lot is one you like and features similar taboos that this one crosses, though this one undoubtedly feels more personal. But I like that the book makes me think about and question my own feelings about death in a way that no other book I've read has. I appreciate the book, especially for that.
That is true, I haven't read the book. In that same interview with Bissette, he describes in detail the immediate repercussions of the central event, and I decided, "Nope, not the kind of thing I'd be able to handle reading." That said, we're talking about something I read and reacted to almost 25 years ago. Perhaps I might be able to handle it today. We shall see.
For Ann or anyone else familiar with the Pet Sematary book and/or the original film, I just read an interview with King that confirms what the trailer implies, that it is
the older child Ellie who dies, not the younger son Gage.
King speaks rather glowingly of the movie, so this would appear not to be a bad choice.The new film is also scoring 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, if that's worth anything.
Here's a somewhat spoilery
link to the Entertainment Weekly interview with King I refer to.
Regarding the ending sequence possibly being improved, the trailers seem to show much more interaction with the ghoul than was ever in the book or movie, certainly more than just the slasher elements. That's encouraging.
Thanks, Lardy.
I have to say, I'm not happy at all with that big plot change in the spoiler box.
I think it reeks of misogyny, intentional or not.
Forewarned and all that...
Thanks, Lardy.
I have to say, I'm not happy at all with that big plot change in the spoiler box.
I don't think it's about that. Though it hasn't been made explicit by any of the filmmakers or King,
I, and others reacting to it, think the change was made so that an older child actor could give more of a performance for what they have in mind. Toddler actors generally mug for the camera or come off disingenuously. So it would serve my hope that there's some more nuance to the ending than we ever got before.
We'll see if that's the case.....
Point well taken, Lardy. Although the child actor from the original adaptation was pretty damn scary. OTOH, yeah, he was the exception to the rule.
I have been reading a lot.
Just read Lanark by Alasdair Gray. Been wanting to read it for about a decade and finally got it. I recommend it.
The Hiro Matsuda story. One of the first Japanese Pro Wrestlers to wrestle in U.S. Great book. Really a man's man type of old school story. Most of it was about his adventures outside the ring.
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Same as Lanark I've been wanting to read it forever. I also recommend it.
The entire Witcher series. I heard they were good...and they are! Lots of fun!
The first 3 or 4 Mike Hammer books by Spillane. Oh boy...talk about a bygone era...as politically incorrect as you can imagine. They are a guilty pleasure for me.
The Jedi Academy Trilogy. Not a big fan of the latest SW films I decided to get my SW fix with the except Expanded Universe. There are tons of stories I never read in the EU. Working on many of the old DH comics as well.
Re-read Slaughterhouse Five. Many of the modern classics I read as a teenager or in college. I have totally different perspective on them now. Fun re-reading them.
Read the first 4 or 5 D'rizzt books. Much fun.
Master and the Margarita...great book. Probably my favorite out of all of these.
Lost City of Z. Another good book and a good film also.
Re-reading Butcher's Dresden.
Man, I miss this series. I know he's been coming out with comics...but I just can't get into the comics for some reason.
I just finished Stephen King's Pet Sematary in preparation for the intriguing-looking movie remake that is released in a couple of weeks. this makes something like the sixth, seventh or eight King book I've read, all of which have been worthy reads. This one is good but is maybe the least of the ones I've read.
Like all of his books, Stephen King excels at character development and examination. I've said it before, but this seems hugely overlooked by most people, who write him off as simply a master of horror. It doesn't help that many of the film adaptations of his work don't pay enough attention to the characters and doing them justice toward their sources. Louis Creed is the central character, and the reader is in his head for much of the book without any first-person narration. His wife Rachel and their neighbor Jud Crandall are strong, believable supporting players, too. If you know anything about where the plot goes, probably via the original film, the book really informs Louis's fateful actions that give the story its particular horror signature.
One thing that surprised me is how well the book acts as a dissertation on death and people's attitudes, feelings and superstitions about it. Other than the character work, this is where the book succeeds as something more than just some schlocky horror pastiche, as the first film paints it. The views and reflections King presents about death are really well thought-out and make the reader think about his or her own views. Particularly memorable is Louis's frank discussion with his young daughter Ellie as she tries to comprehend the death of one of their family friends. And when the big death of the book hits, the reactions and coping or lack of coping hit like, well, a tractor trailer. It's very real and hard to read, even outside of the supernatural element.
Where the book fails somewhat is with its ending sequence. Unfortunately, the build-up and groundwork laid are superior to the finale, which should feel like the point where all the dividends pay off. Instead, King feels like he's rushing through it, and the finale doesn't resonate with all of the themes and character work we've experienced to that point. It basically degenerates into a slasher flick when we are expecting more of a layered evil than what we got. There's a hint that the evil is more than simply a twisted version of its former self, but not any more than that. I have to conclude that King was more interested in the journey than the destination, based on the evidence here. It's actually one of his shorter books, at 374 pages in my edition. I think it could have used more than 400 to give me the kind of ending I wanted and that it deserved.
So there you have it: a really good, well developed book with a truncated, unsatisfying ending. To be clear, it's not exactly the outcome that disappoints--I really don't expect happy endings in a King book--but that it didn't satisfy and pay off the way it should have in my opinion.
I'm still curious to learn more about the new film adaptation. It clearly features elements that weren't in the book, such as the masked children, but I can see where the book may have given the filmmakers the idea. The It movie worked well as both an adaptation and in incorporating some new ideas, so that's what I'm hoping for in the Pet Sematary re-make. That and a better ending. One possible plot change (regarding the major death being given to another character instead) I've heard about worries me, though. I'll see how the reviews go....
I believe I've mentioned this elsewhere, but to my mind the first filmed version of Pet Semetary is perhaps one of the most faithful adaptations of King's work, and also one of the least successful. I think it's because the book is such a fantastic study of internalised grief that the movie, while hitting all the plot points more or less exactly, failed to convey any of the actual substance behind the book. Hopefully the new filmmakers try for a deeper dive.
I haven't read it in a long time, but remember the resolution being suitably creepy (OZ and all that) and not rushed. That last page epilogue I remember being pretty impactful without saying a whole lot. I think it may just be a matter of taste. The Shining, for example, I found overly verbose and could have been just as impactful both as a horror story and a character study with 20% fewer pages.
Again it's been a while since I revisited either, so maybe older me would have a different opinion.
I believe I've mentioned this elsewhere, but to my mind the first filmed version of Pet Semetary is perhaps one of the most faithful adaptations of King's work, and also one of the least successful. I think it's because the book is such a fantastic study of internalised grief that the movie, while hitting all the plot points more or less exactly, failed to convey any of the actual substance behind the book. Hopefully the new filmmakers try for a deeper dive.
I haven't read it in a long time, but remember the resolution being suitably creepy (OZ and all that) and not rushed. That last page epilogue I remember being pretty impactful without saying a whole lot. I think it may just be a matter of taste. The Shining, for example, I found overly verbose and could have been just as impactful both as a horror story and a character study with 20% fewer pages.
Again it's been a while since I revisited either, so maybe older me would have a different opinion.
It's not that the resolution isn't creepy, and it's definitely arguable whether or not it is truncated or perfectly effective. I know I've looked up some reviews, and many say the ending was perfect. It's my opinion, though, and I'll try to explain:
If you'll recall, at a crucial point in the book Jud relates the story of what happened with the one case of Pet Sematary resurrection of a person that he encountered in the past. To me, that story was creepy as hell, and it was a lot more nuanced than what we would get later in the book. Very little interaction with book's present-day ghoul was given. It just killed a number of our characters and tried for one more, With the exception of one bit of intriguing dialogue to connect this ghoul with the one from the past, that's basically all we get. Wouldn't it be creepier to have something at least similar to the case Jud related with more interaction and possibly a slower revelation that this one didn't come back right either before the bloodshed starts? To me this would feel like a bigger payoff, especially when you consider all the page time given to one character desperately trying to make his or her way back home, sensing something's terribly wrong, only to arrive and, well, be quickly disposed of. What we get is pretty much similar to the Kubrick version of the Shining, where a certain character arrives and then---* (Ironically, the Shining novel goes in a totally different direction with this plotline.)
The trailer already shows some promise in this direction with a number of vignettes, including
a scene of Louis bathing Ellie and brushing her hair, all clearly after she's been revived.
This already indicates I might be getting the kind of payoff I wanted in the book. Again, we'll see....
After putting it off for more than 3 years because I didn't want it to be over, I listened to The Shepherd's Crown, the final Discworld novel. I first discovered the Discworld in 1988 or 89, when only the first four books were published in the US. While I only made occasional detours into other Pratchett works, I have followed the series consistently since then. The only writer I can think of that I followed consistently for longer is Steven Brust. The final book brought me all kinds of feelings, and I have immediately started the series over from the beginning.
I've just finished A Very British Coup by Chris Mullen, published in 1982. Mullen was a journalist and later, after the book, a member of parliament for over a decade. I first knew about it from a TV version that I saw a snippet or two of. I wasn't that fond of it, as I was probably a bit naïve to appreciate it. I saw some of it again several years ago too. But it's one of those books and TV shows that you appreciate more, the more context you have for it. It's essentially the undermining of an elected leader by the vested interests in his own country. Flavours of it apply all over the world.
Interestingly, there's been long running rumours of exactly this sort of thing starting (if not going anywhere) in the 1970s here. Also, all of the horrid things the people in the book get up to are exactly the same things that their real life counterparts are up to now (and no doubt were then, and all the way back). So, nothing has really changed. Back when we had one of our parliamentarians-caught-taking-pennies-for-influence scandals, one politician said that it would surprise you how little difference it made who was in power, when it came to the decisions that were being made on the electorate's behalf. this book gives a peek behind the scenes.
A sequel has just been released. I heard a programme being sniffy about it being all of 190 pages, suggesting Mullen just churned it out. But A Very British Coup is only around 210 fat free pages. Quality, not quantity.
Comic Book Implosion by Keith Dallas and John Wells, art by Joe Staton. Twomorrows Publishing.
It bills itself as a history of the DC Explosion/Implosion, but as it begins it's narrative with the firing of Carmine Infantino, it seems at least so far to be more properly a history of the early years of Kahn/Levitz DC. Told primarily with excerpts from interviews or news publications of the day, it can almost be considered an oral history. Lots of fun, and it really makes me want to read some old comics. My earliest comics memories are of the late explosion/implosion, so it resonates particularly with me.
Sounds good BFoB...nips off and gets a copy... yay! sale! …
I've read a few articles, probably mostly from Twomorrows over the years. I recall reading that due to contracts, Gerry Conway was writing in all sorts of areas. This would have been because he was guaranteed a set number of books/ pages and after the implosion there would have only been so many left. I much preferred the JLD version of Vixen to the first attempt though.
Interesting. I hadn’t heard that and I haven’t gotten that far yet, but it makes sense.
Interesting. I hadn’t heard that and I haven’t gotten that far yet, but it makes sense.
Oops. I must remember that the title is "Reading" and not "READ"
But the butler did do it, albeit it led on by the blackmailing maid.
No harm no foul. In this case, I go in knowing the “twist ending.” :-)
I picked up a book for 20p in the library. It looked like an espionage book. Instead, it was some guy's emotionally stunted power fantasy character dressed up as a secret agent. I lasted 23 pages. Laughed. Read another 10 and gave up.
In that time our guy has survived 3 gunshot wounds and survived when everyone else around him dies; has survived lots of other injuries but feels he can go on for years; every shot he fires hits (despite serious injuries; has slept with countless women despite having zero personality and some deep psychological issues; lost both his parents; is the only man who is *allowed* to train for his special code name; quietly threatens people who are in awe of his abilities, despite his status being a complete secret and those abilities not being on show; feels agonising pain from wounds but "embraces it." And quite a bit more. The worst of Bond and Wayne. Dreadful.
I've finished two sci fi books by Emma Newman called Planetfall and After Atlas. They are in the first person, which I find more difficult to get into and it appears to be a trilogy (or more), which usually makes me groan.
The first deals with a group of Earthlings who have been guided by one of their own to another world. That was decades ago and those people wait for their Pathfinder to emerge from a giant plant/organic alien construct where they believe she's communing with god. So far, so sci fi. But the real stories are with the colonists. Newman reveals that there's a dark secret quite early on. It's one of a few and each of them unfolds organically like the tendrils of that alien city. It's done very naturally, and I can't recall any exposition dumps in the book. Newman has a very good grasp of the issues the central character is going through, in part shaped by those secrets. Her decisions, both good and bad, are powerfully written throughout.
The central character in the second book has plenty of issues of his own. In addition to a number of extra concerns, he's the son of one of those that left for another world in the first book. This one is more of a murder mystery in a world where everything is connected. There are overlapping themes with the first book, but they can be enjoyed perfectly well on their own which is a plus. Only the last couple of pages of each have left me a little meh. But it may all work out in the larger story.
Typically, the third book has been loaned out of the library by someone just a little ahead of me. They returned the second book just as I was returning the first. But I shall get it soon.
At a yard sale, I found two Nineties art criticism books from Yale University. I was only going to buy one (only a buck in my pocket), but it was the last hour of the sale and the proprietor insisted that I take both. Woo!
Anyway, one is
Modernity & Modernism: French Painting in the Nineteeth Century and the other is
Primitivism, Cubism, Abstraction: The Early Twentieth Century. Spellcheck, P R I M I T I V I S M is SO an actual word so eat me.
Of course, they are chock full of great-lookin' paintings and such so I looked at all those first before settling in to try and digest the criticism. That part's still going on about a month later.
Words with many syllables scare the little flower and make her sweat. (I bet you didn't even know that flowers could sweat.)
So far, my favorite part is a writer in one chapter breaking down what the young Picasso made for his works, versus what his less-famous colleagues did, versus what laborers and other workers made. It's weird... I went to college in the 1980s and even in the infamous Decade Of Greed, professors weren't real big on covering the nuts and bolts of what it means to try and make money as a
"Creative" in this FUBAR culture. So that part was really a breath of fresh air.
Great to see you Cleome!
...and the other is Primitivism, Cubism, Abstraction: The Early Twentieth Century.
I remember reading a few Early 20th century art books back when I was supposed to be studying something else. On the comics front, it gave me an idea about what Grant Morrison would be mining in the next issue of Doom Patrol if nothing else.
... professors weren't real big on covering the nuts and bolts of what it means to try and make money as a shudder "Creative" in this FUBAR culture. So that part was really a breath of fresh air.
Art that's utilitarian quite often gets a certain level of brownie points for me. The processes involved in the manufacturing are often interesting and show the huge amount of effort and cross disciplines involved in making them.
thoth, a few weeks ago I slipped into the local pizza joint for a quick single slice and a glass of iced tea. I ended up camping out there for a hour, drinking my own weight in tea. Because they had on that show where manly men hand-forge knives and then chop up huge slabs of meat with them or whatever. I was hypnotized watching the forges.
(I made sure I tipped the bartender well, at least.)
Just re-did Good Omens (as an adjunct to my discworld reread, coincidental to the miniseries) and enjoyed it quite a bit. My favorite part was at the end, where the group of tween boys didn’t gang-bang their tween female friend.
Note book on how to play guitar. It ain't goin well. only up to page 12 and it's been three months. Old fingers don't work so well.
Phew. So posted this: “I do love Good Omens, but only a couple of straight guys could write a book with the four horsemen in the midst of the AIDS crisis and think pestilence is outdated and needs to be replaced” to a Terry Pratchett group.
And apparently that’s a hystrionic attack on the writers, and a condemnation of the entire book, and indeed the entire lives of Neil Gaiman and STP?
Radicalized by Cory Doctorow: three novellas - Unauthorized Bread is set in the near future when you have to jailbreak your appliances (if you're poor) after the companies go bust - and the consequences. Model Minority tells the story of a Superman analogue who tangles with a bad cop and the Bruce Wayne character comes to the rescue. Radicalized is about white men getting even with the denial of health insurance. Red Masque is a cautionary tale of the wealthy sitting out the collapse of society in a survivalist compound.
Great ideas about a forseeable future. The stories are all about people's rights, how they fight back legally and illegally. Unauthorized Bread is quite funny; Model Minority should appeal to comic book fans as a Superman-in-the-real-world story; the final two stories are serious to dark - all very thought-provoking.
Hardcore Station by Jim Starlin - one guy with off-the-chart psychokinetic and mind-reading powers escapes from his criminal family. He's coerced into returning to Hardcore Station to solve the mystery of which of his criminal siblings - each with their own unique power - murdered his father. Very entertaining. As soon as I finished this, I ordered Volume 2, which appears to be about an entirely different set of shady characters.
Hardcore Station by Jim Starlin - one guy with off-the-chart psychokinetic and mind-reading powers escapes from his criminal family. He's coerced into returning to Hardcore Station to solve the mystery of which of his criminal siblings - each with their own unique power - murdered his father. Very entertaining. As soon as I finished this, I ordered Volume 2, which appears to be about an entirely different set of shady characters.
Starlin's writing prose?
More novellas than novels - first one is 176 pages - but all prose.
It is a day of quiet pleasure when our local library gets in its most recent copy of a Squirrel Girl TPB. Today I could sit for an hour-and-a-half at our local library and read through
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 9: Squirrels Fall Like Dominos[i], which collects [i]The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, volumes 32-36. (2015)
At this point, Doreen’s Justice Pals now consists of:
Koi Boi (Ken Shiga)
Brain Drain (formerly Werner Schmidt)
Chipmunk Hunk (Tomas Lara-Perez)
Mary Mahajan (his girlfriend)
Nancy Whitehead (Doreen’s roommate)
& introducing
Ms. Chloe, The Overnight Librarian(With occasional guest appearances by Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff) and Loki (Loki Laufeyson))
Sadly, it has been announced that this run of TUSG will be ending at volume 50. However, this means I will still have about three years of occasional TPBs left.
"Breaking the Frames," by Marc Singer (no, not the actor from "Beast Master" and "V")
This book is a call to arms for the rethinking and reinvention of comics criticism, and it is long, long, LONG overdue! Singer says exactly the sort of things that I've been saying for years, in one form or another, in these forums and on other web platforms.
In a nutshell, the author makes an airtight argument against both of the extremes that have produced the ever-more festering schism between academics and populists. He doesn't offer a "Third Way," nor do I think he should have tried to -- just making such a credible, impassioned case for the evolution of comics discourse is more than enough!
Not content to simply leave it at that, Singer turns over the middle-section of the book to his scalpel-sharp challenges to popular consensus in comics criticism: Umberto Eco, Silver Age Superman vs Post-Silver Age DC, Alan Moore, Alex Ross, Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, Marjane Satrapi, Kyle Baker, and Chris Ware are all worthy subjects for clear-eyed, objective analysis, but I have to admit I got a special type of schadenfreude from Singer's dead-on attack of Warren Ellis and John Cassaday's "Planetary." Ellis now truly stands revealed as the Emperor With No Clothes -- again, something I'd already been saying for years and years! Ahhh, vindication! I was literally jumping up and down and raising my fist triumphantly as I read those pages. Because Marc Singer is, among cultural commentators, a rock star!
I love this book!
In the post directly above this one, I reviewed an excellent book about comics titled, "Breaking the Frames."
I've just finished reading an earlier, and equally good, book by the same author: "Grant Morrison: Combining the Worlds of Contemporary Comics."
I don't agree with everything Singer says about Morrison, I particularly take issue with his dismissal of the timelier-than-ever "Marvel Boy" miniseries. Then there's some Morrison stuff he likes more than I do, such as "All Star Superman," which I find much inferior to "Flex Mentallo."
On the other hand, his glowingly insightful review of "7 Soldiers of Victory," which I still own all the trades of despite mixed feelings on previous reads, inspired me to re-read it for the first time in years.
I still think it's not perfect, but now I feel it's much, much better than I'd ever given it credit for.
And that's why I love these kinds of prose books. In an indirect way, they're like a civilized discussion of comics.
In the last week, Peace Talks and Battle Ground by Jim Butcher, and Ink and Sigil by Kevin Hearne. Sorry, not really a deep thinker here.
I picked up a footballer's autobiography on Friday because 1) I really needed to go for a walk 2) The supermarket was the only thing open and 3) they'd been pushing it all week on the radio station he now presents from. A station I occasionally tune into in place of the grimness of news channels. The first half of his footy career was fun as I remembered all the players he played with. It was interesting to hear more about them and the things that go on behind the scenes that impact sporting careers.
"Fast Fade," by Andrew Yule, originally published in 1989. This was one of the first books about filmmaking that I ever read. Yule's brisk prose propels the reader along with the seemingly unstoppable David Puttnam, from advertising in the 60s to film production in the 70s and into a triumphant first half of the 80s (Chariots of Fire, Local Hero, The Killing Fields, The Mission.) Then an ill-advised embrace of the challenge of beating Hollywood at its own game brings Puttnam's world crashing down around him. These days, everyone and their grandmother is knowledgeable about the ugly truth of Hollywood, but 30-plus years ago, it was pretty shocking to learn that Hollywood was (and, sadly, still remains) a glorified playpen for emotionally immature sleaze-balls. And although Puttnam appears to have come through in the long run with greater resilience (he ultimately became a politician,) there's no denying that this complex yet sympathetic and civic-minded go-getter was done in as much by his own forthrightness as by the sheer wrongness of Hollywood.
In the end, what really matters is that re-reading this book got me to want to watch the four films I mentioned above. In the near future, I'll be posting reviews of them in the So What Are You Watching Part 2 thread.
Great movies. I'm looking forward to your reviews.
Heinlein. Just about everything he wrote. I even bought a collection that contained the three short stories that he would not allow to be reprinted while he was alive. I had not read them before. I will not reread I will Fear No Evil or Job: A Comedy of Justice. I think they're awful.
File under Did Not Finish:
Grant Morrison's first work of prose fiction, "Luda."
I don't think I even got to page 100.
Grant, honey, I get it. You'll never forgive Mark Millar for stabbing you in the back.
But get over it already, sister! No need to frame it as a badly written Roman a Clef about rival drag queens with magical powers.
I mean I can kind of understand it. Like they accidentally created a monster. I won't be surprised if they have a battle in the Arctic Circle.
I mean I can kind of understand it. Like he accidentally created a monster. I won't be surprised if they have a battle in the Arctic Circle.
Ha ha ha. Dr. Frankenmorrison. Priceless.
When Men Children Clash!
I've popped Alan Moore's Illuminations on my imminent buy list. I've got a few books put aside for Festivus. So didn;t wnat another one. But it's not far away.
THEY I SHOULD'VE TYPED THEY
I didn't mean to misgender Morrison sorry just edited it.
THEY I SHOULD'VE TYPED THEY
I didn't mean to misgender Morrison sorry just edited it.
I'd not overly worry. From Morrison's wiki page:-
"Suddenly it was taken up by the fan press and I was awarded the label 'they/them'. I never asked for it. I come from a generation where that just doesn't matter, even being labelled at all is anathema to me. I can't live in a box. I'm going to let down anyone who sticks a label on me. It will drop off quite naturally."
I've been reading a lot of short stories. I had in my possession "A Treasury of Great Science Fiction," volume 1. I've had it so long I don't know how long I've had it. Maybe 40 years. I went ahead and bought volume 2.
Most of the stories were mediocre, but the were some standouts. Among these were Rebirth by John Wyndham, Pillar of Fire by Ray Bradbury, and The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester.
The best story, though, was a story that was just 10 pages. It was The Father-Thing by Phillip K. Dick. Really good!
Illuminations, a collection of Alan Moore's prose fiction, including the controversial What To Know About Thunderman.
I went straight to Thunderman (predictable on my part, I know LOL) I'm still digesting it, but my immediate impressions are that it's excessively judgemental and bitter, yet still a far better work of prose fiction than Grant Morrison's Luda, which still lies unfinished by me.
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions Hardcover
by Randall Munroe
Cimino: The Deer Hunter, Heaven's Gate, and the Price of a Vision, by Charles Elton.
A very good biography of the controversial, mysterious, elusive filmmaker Michael Cimino, who died in 2016.
And, yes, the author does address the questions about Cimino's rumored gender and sexuality issues.
