I have just read....

[Emma]

Beautiful Bodies, by Laura Shane Cunningham.

I picked it up at Tescos (we love the Tesco book section ;) )

Six old friends are getting together to celebrate the pregnancy of one of the friends...the book starts out by describing the journey and the state of mind of each friend, and then weaves them all together as they arrive at their destinations and interact with one another. (*See* how I am not adding spoilers!). I mention this because I enjoyed the structure of the book as much as the content :)

I thought it was a lovely, gently funny and engaging study of how female friends 'get along' (or not!!). On the back it says it's a 'paean to the frailties and foibles of female friendship' Ooh, alliteration!

[Emma]

btw meant this thread as a place for other people's book reviews too....specially as I'm running out of books! Yikes!! :waycool:

[Forte]

"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold a tender, beautiful and suspense filled story told from the point of view of a murdered teenage girl. She watches her family (and her un-caught murderer) over several years from heaven until she can do without them and she feels at peace. It made me cry :tears: in a good way! :flower:

[Sparkles]

'Spellbound' by Jane Green (a very girly book I know). I usually really enjoy Green's books but this one I found predictable and disappointing. Normally her observation of people is pretty much spot on, but in this book she seemed to lose the heart of the story she was trying to mimic (as far as I’m aware this is another first for her, as she usually writes her own stories rather than rewriting others’). Maybe it’s just me, but I felt no satisfaction or glow upon finishing it :sad: .

[Stuart M]

...Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut

I had always thought this was "cult" science fiction, but on finally getting round to reading it, it turns out to be a slyly clever anti-war novel.

Vonnegut served in the US army in WWII, and ended up as a prisoner of war in Dresden. He got to see first hand the effects of that city's firebombing in 1945, when over 130,000 died in one night (more than either Hiroshima or Nagasaki...). The story is based on his own experiences.

Vonnegut's trick in the novel was inspired by Mary O'Hare, the wife of a buddy he visits in the 60s when he was collecting memories for the book. She berates him for writing it now, 20 years later. Now, she points out, he's misty-eyed about his wartime adventures, not the raw recruit who went to war. Vonnegut took her criticism on board: Billy Pilgrim, the US soldier who is the central character of the novel, is child-like throughout. This makes the whole thing much more powerful (the book's other title is "The Children's Crusade"). Not as funny as Catch-22, but more poinient. And at 150 pages, a much shorter read.

There is a science fiction element, but it's really more of a story-telling device than anything. Overall, I still prefer Catch-22, but this was still pretty good.

[Emma]

This girlie has read Slaughterhouse Five :wink:

(though I am ashamed to say I recall almost nothing about it...is that the one where there is a man in a zoo...or is that a figment of my fevered imagination?)

Have also read Spellbound, in one gulp, on the train home from Scotland..which come to think about it I also can't remember much about..

Lovely Bones is a different matter, I remember all about that one - great book. I have been told by more 'literary' friends that her other book 'Lucky' is even better. Though it's a memoir of a rape, which frankly has prevented me reading it so far :)

[Stuart M]

This girlie has read Slaughterhouse Five :wink:

(though I am ashamed to say I recall almost nothing about it...is that the one where there is a man in a zoo...or is that a figment of my fevered imagination?)

Aye...that's in the science fiction bits...which are of course a product of the character's fevered imagination in the novel... :what:

[Forte]

I have just read and hated... "Time's arrow" by Martin Amis. It is told backwards which is roiginal but gets a bit wearisome after a while. The main character was a doctor in concentration camps doing obscene experiments on the prisoners and so it was told weirdly in the sense that if it was backwards they were getting syringes taken outof their eyeballs etc and getting better... narrator was getting younger, too. I finished it but didn't like it... :mad:

[jivecat]

I have just read, and adored, The Crimson Petal and the White, by Michael Faber. It's a long read, 700+ pages, but thoroughly absorbing. Set in Victorian England, it chronicles the lives of a young prostitute and her wealthy, industrialist lover. Reminiscent of Charles Dickens and John Fowles, the atmosphere, culture and social conditions of London in the 1870s are evoked very effectively, with considerable research. This book is never dry and learned however: it's often extremely funny, totally unsqueamish in it's treatment of sex and creates very well-rounded characters. Written by a male author, I was impressed by how effectively he got inside the skin of his female characters: the sex scenes are, unusually, told from a woman's perspective (and are NOT titillating!) and he brings alive the feeling of being constricted inside the coccoon of sweaty clothing that must have been the daily reality for most Victorian women. Faber's also interested in charting the beginnings of the materialist, merchandising era as the fictional Rackham's perfume empire battles it out against Pear's, Rimmel et al.

I thought the ending was flawed, and that the characters had aspects to them that were referred to and left inexplicably undeveloped. The outcome does have a certain satisfying symmetry to it, however, and I felt bereft upon getting to the final page.

If anyone's in a book group I would certainly recommend this one. Loads to stimulate discussion, especially in an all-women group. Though it's definitely not Chick-Lit!

[Trish]

I have just read and hated... "Time's arrow" by Martin Amis. It is told backwards which is original but gets a bit wearisome after a while. The main character was a doctor in concentration camps doing obscene experiments on the prisoners and so it was told weirdly in the sense that if it was backwards they were getting syringes taken outof their eyeballs etc and getting better... narrator was getting younger, too. I finished it but didn't like it... :mad:

Yes I read that at university and hated it too! I think part of the reason I hated it was because it's so disturbing. You read the things that are happening backwards, as they are written in the book, then you reverse it in your head to see what the character is really doing, which then brings horrible images forth. I certainly wouldn't have chosen to read that one - although I guess it does force you to think about things that you might otherwise ignore as they are a bit too horrific!

[Stuart]

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I picked this up in the departure lounge at Gatwick when I went on holiday recently and found I could hardly put it down. I read the whole thing in about 3 days flat.

Without giving too much away, it is about two people trying to solve a murder in the Louvre by following a series of cryptic clues which appear to lead to the works of Leonardo Da Vinci.

[ToeTrampler]

[QUOTE=Stuart]The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown /[QUOTE]

I have just started this book and have to say I have been hooked from page 1. (Well it's page 21 actually but you know what I mean :D )

Just finished reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The basis of it is that after dying on his 83rd birthday while trying to save a little girl during a fairground ride accident, the story follows both sections of Eddies life and afterlife as he meets five significant people on his journey through heaven. Each of the five people have some link to Eddie’s life and play a role in explaining these (mostly unresolved) aspects of his life to him. A gem of a book and well worth a look. It is available from Ottakars and Amazon (haven’t seen it in Waterstones) and the first chapter can alsl be read on line at: http://www.albomfivepeople.com/fivepeopleexcerpt.htm

[Almost an Angel]

Ceclia Ahern PS I Love you - v. girly book but so so good - it really has you thinking about life, love etc... Bit of a sad topic I know but so well written. definately gets my recommendation.

Also read Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold - what an amazing book :waycool: I'll have to get hold of the other one - that's the second time I've been told her other book is very good too.

Currently devouring The curious incident of the dog in the night time - but not very far through it - that pesky work stuff keeps getting in the way.

[Alex P]

RE: Ceclia Ahern PS I Love you - I also loved this book - it had me laughing out loud (the chapter where they were hiding under the sheet in the nightclub) - it also had me sobbing my heart out on numerous occassions!!

I agree it was a sad topic - however - it was a captivating read. I highly recommend it

[Alex P]

Ceclia Ahern PS I Love you - v. girly book but so so good - it really has you thinking about life, love etc... Bit of a sad topic I know but so well written. definately gets my recommendation.

Also read Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold - what an amazing book :waycool: I'll have to get hold of the other one - that's the second time I've been told her other book is very good too.

Currently devouring The curious incident of the dog in the night time - but not very far through it - that pesky work stuff keeps getting in the way.
RE: Ceclia Ahern PS I Love you - I also loved this book - it had me laughing out loud (the chapter where they were hiding under the sheet in the nightclub) - it also had me sobbing my heart out on numerous occassions!!

Another author you might enjoy is Maggie O'Farrell - I recently finished 'My Lovers Lover' and it is definately a storyline with a difference!!

[Sal]

"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold a tender, beautiful and suspense filled story told from the point of view of a murdered teenage girl. She watches her family (and her un-caught murderer) over several years from heaven until she can do without them and she feels at peace. It made me cry :tears: in a good way! :flower:

I read that and loved it too. So much so, that I read another book of hers - Lucky. You have to be feeling quite strong to read it, as it is the amazing tru story of the author's rape and the repercussions. However, I found it a very inspiring and interesting read.

[DangerousCurves]

I can thoroughly recommend "The Lovely Bones" too - very compelling read.

I've just finished "The Amateur Marriage" by Anne Tyler. Its about a mismatched couple who marry after a highly charged WW2 romance - and then actually get to know each other. I read it on a friend's recommendation and was highly dubious at first since I don't do romantic fiction - but this was more an observation of people, their frailties and contradictions rather then slushy rubbish. I greaty enjoyed it and found it a real page turner! :nice:

[Rougeforever]

I've just finished "The Amateur Marriage" by Anne Tyler..... I greaty enjoyed it and found it a real page turner! :nice:

I love Anne Tyler, if you enjoyed this one, try some of her others (and there are plenty!). They all have a gentle, observational quality about them.

The book I'm reading at the moment (The Song Reader - Lisa Tucker) reminds me of her writing (which is why, I guess, I'm enjoying it !)

[Stuart M]

...Oh Play That Thing, by Roddy Doyle.

This is the sequel to "A Star Called Henry", where Doyle told the story of Irish independence through the eyes of one of the people fighting in/for it, Henry Smart.

In this book, Henry has fled Ireland (where he's under a death sentence from his former commanders) to America. When he realises that New York isn't quite far enough away from Ireland, he flees further to Chicago, where he ends up being Louis Armstrong's bagman. As you do.

Roddy Doyle is the bloke currently saddled with the title "Ireland's Greatest Living Writer", plus one Booker Prize win, which probably explains the middling reviews for this book from the literati. However, if you read it just as a "rollicking adventure yarn" set in Prohibition era USA, it's great fun. And anyone who's read The Commitments will know how good Doyle is at getting the music into his writing. Jazz, and Satchmo in particular, comes alive on the page here.

[Bangers & Mash]

The Diary of Anne Frank...

I'm not really much of a reader, but I visited the Anne Frank house last weekend and was inspired to buy the diary.

This book was a fascinating insight into life in occupied Holland through the eyes of a Jewish teenager in hiding. It is a diary that Anne Frank kept whilst she, her family and some other Jewish friends were holed up in the annex of her fathers business for 3 years or so. For her age, her writing is very good (helped probably by the translator who translated her diary from German to English).

Despite its circumstances, the book is highly entertaining and even hilarious in places. It is also very disturbing in that it recounts in real terms what happened during the occupation and what went through the minds of not only the Jews in hiding, but also the rest of the population who were not in hiding.

Whilst reading the diary, I was deeply moved by what Anne and her peers endured in hiding, but I was surprised to find myself feeling that they were, at times, better off and safer than many of the non-Jews of the time.

I would thoroughly recommend this book anyone - followed up with a visit to the Anne Frank house.

[Stuart]

The Diary of Anne Frank...

I'm not really much of a reader, but I visited the Anne Frank house last weekend and was inspired to buy the diary.

This book was a fascinating insight into life in occupied Holland through the eyes of a Jewish teenager in hiding. It is a diary that Anne Frank kept whilst she, her family and some other Jewish friends were holed up in the annex of her fathers business for 3 years or so. For her age, her writing is very good (helped probably by the translator who translated her diary from German to English).

Despite its circumstances, the book is highly entertaining and even hilarious in places. It is also very disturbing in that it recounts in real terms what happened during the occupation and what went through the minds of not only the Jews in hiding, but also the rest of the population who were not in hiding.

Whilst reading the diary, I was deeply moved by what Anne and her peers endured in hiding, but I was surprised to find myself feeling that they were, at times, better off and safer than many of the non-Jews of the time.

I would thoroughly recommend this book anyone - followed up with a visit to the Anne Frank house.


:yeah:

I was inspired to go out and read it after visiting the house as well.

[Dreadful Scathe]

I've just finished reading Mark Twains - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - first time ive read it since i was a teenager - brilliant book, and a very interesting historical time to read about.

I'm now going to start George RR Martins fantasy books as they come highly recommended. I have 4 of them to read :)

[Minnie M]

Save them for bedtime stories for Baby Smurf :whistle: or are you just getting in training :)

Seriously though - I love those fantasy tales :clap:

[Dreadful Scathe]

ill write my own books for the baby Smurf ;). "there was once a very well behaved little smurf who didnt answer back to his parents...etc..."

[Stuart M]

Noticed that there are a few fantasy readers on the Forum. I was lucky enough over Christmas to get a copy of "The Runes of the Earth", which is the first part of "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant", by Stephen Donaldson. This is going to be a 4 part saga to round off the entire Covenant cycle. To be fair to Donaldson, it doesn't read like a stretching out of the Covenant concept: he says he planned it while he was writing the Second Chronicles, and looking back I now recognise some of the loose ends (including a couple of obvious aspects which go right back to the start of the thing - namely Covenant's son, and his wife's wedding ring....).

Once the story gets going, it's awesome - Donaldson is a wonderfully intense writer. There's about 100 pages of setup, plus the precis of the first 2 chronicles to wade through first though. Awaiting the second part as eagerly as a Harry Potter fan...

[philsmove]

Raw Spirit by Ian Banks :worthy:

It’s meant to be about whiskey but is really about, what it is like to be a successful, rich author

For those of you who hate people in BMW’s and other flashy things please don’t read this book
Not only does he have a BMW M4 he also has a 911 :drool: as well as a Defender 110 and a VFR800. He are also introduces us to the joys of a 1965 Mark II Jag

We learn how to invent the words most expensive cocktail

And are given an insight to, The Wasp Factory and Complicity

He also confesses despite several attempts and thousands of miles never to have seen the Corrievrecken, which, for those of you who have never seen it, is an awe-inspiring site

If you love Scotland you should enjoy this book

[Clive Long]

"Spanish Steps" by Tim Moore

Tedious, repetitive rubbish (now what does that remind you of ? :whistle: )

Makes line-dancing seem a worthwhile past-time.

Gave up half-way through the book.

I would write more but I can't be bothered.

Clive

[mick]

High Society by Ben Elton. Nearly As good as Irvine Welsh.

[philsmove]

The Kindness of Strangers Kate Adie

No need to review this book it already been done for me by themymble from Tunbridge Wells

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/075531073X/customer-reviews/026-7897809-3945254

Non the less it’s difficult is decide, with an autobiography, how truthful the writer is being

Her description of Northern Ireland tie up with my own experiences
So I guess her stories of Tiananmen square are true

Defiantly a good read

[mick]

Pompeii by Robert Harris. OK but not as good as Fatherland.

[latinlover]

Pompeii by Robert Harris. OK but not as good as Fatherland.

I'm glad to find something about which I can agree with you ,Mick! :cheers: (ref Eric Prydz£"!$££^(*&^976! :eek: )
I was excited about the prospect of Pompeii , having seen a whole south bank show dedicated to it,but was very disappointed.
I've just read Harris' "Archangel" , which is well up to the standard set by "Fatherland" - I have yet to read "Enigma"
:cheers:

[Stuart]

There is a BBC adaptation of "Archangel" due on soon. Hopefully it will be better than both the film versions of "Fatherland" and "Enigma".

[mick]

I'm glad to find something about which I can agree with you ,Mick! :cheers: (ref Eric Prydz£"!$££^(*&^976! :eek: )
I was excited about the prospect of Pompeii , having seen a whole south bank show dedicated to it,but was very disappointed.
I've just read Harris' "Archangel" , which is well up to the standard set by "Fatherland" - I have yet to read "Enigma"
:cheers:
I liked Enigma. All the stuff about Turing is immensely interesting.
I am going to read Cloud Atlas next, after Da Vinci Code, which I am keeping for a trip to Portugal in March.

[Winnie]

My friends and I do a book swap on a regular basis. The most recent books I've read: Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones" and Mitch Albom's "Five People You Meet In Heaven."

Like others in the book club, I found both books well-written, haunting and difficult to put down. I rarely find stimulating books these days, so book swapping is a fantastic and inexpensive way to share what you enjoy. :nice:

I'm now giving Doris Pilkington's "Follow The Rabbit-Proof Fence" a try. Has anyone seen the film?

[Nessa]

Noticed that there are a few fantasy readers on the Forum. I was lucky enough over Christmas to get a copy of "The Runes of the Earth", which is the first part of "The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant", by Stephen Donaldson. ....*snip*....
Glad to hear that you liked it so much.
I read the First and Second Chronicles back in High School, enjoyed them even more in my late twenties and was quite excited to see new Chronicles coming out.
I must confess to having been wary about reading it though because of what you said - the fear of it being a dragged out and painful rehash of the previous writings. Thanks for putting my fears to rest. Now if only I could borrow your copy..... :sad:
Have you ever read "Reave the Just", a collection of Donaldson's short stories? Each one of them thoroughly original, :devil: and with a nasty sting in the tale......

[Stuart]

Himalaya by Michael Palin

I enjoyed this very much, as I have all of the books that he has written.

I actually prefer the books he writes to the TV series that he makes. With the books he is able to go into more depth about the people that he meets and the places visited. There is a very surreal moment where he is describing attending some religious ritual in South West China, while at the same time trying to follow the Rugby World Cup final.

[ElaineB]

Blackberry wine by Joanne Harris. I enjoyed it so much that I was sorry to finish it!

Elaine

[John S]

Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris. I enjoyed it so much that I was sorry to finish it!

Elaine
It's a strange mixture of reality and not-quite-magic, similar in style to a couple of her other books I've read - and enjoyed more, I have to say ("Chocolat" and "Holy Fools"). She's half-French, which is why so many of her books have a French theme.

I've just finished a few books (don't get out much these days, obviously!):

"Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger, set in North Dakota, story of a family's search for their son/brother, who has escaped from jail (I'll say no more as it's a wonderful book and I can thoroughly recommend it.) Hmm, there's a bit of not-quite-magic in it too, theme developing?

"The Fiddler's Leg" by Ann Lingard, set in Glasgow's West End about a crippled violinist and the women in his life (I was disappointed in this, didn't really like or believe the characters, couldn't empathise with them and was quite glad it was a short book!)

"Bitter Fruit" by Achmat Dangor, set in post-apartheid South Africa. Excellent story about a family struggling (and failing) to come to terms with the new society they are in.

[Aleks]

Blackberry wine by Joanne Harris. I enjoyed it so much that I was sorry to finish it!

Elaine

I read that straight after 'Chocolat" and was hooked....but then really disappointed by '5 quarters of the/an Orange' and haven't bothered with her books since. Maybe I should give 'Holy Fools' a try.

[mick]

I read Da Vinci Code.
Can only say to read it yourself and make up your own mind about it.

A bit like The Bible Code. How accurate is it.

By the way, I would be interested to know if anyone out there has read The Celestine Prophecy.

[Clive Long]

I know this is stretching the rules to breaking but I want to suggest some books to read that I haven't even read yet.

This is for the boys.

Listening to David Baddiel (a prize North London pr*t if ever there is one) on Radio 4 "Open Book". He was surprisingly quite funny and gave a list of books for a man (all men?) struggling to understand anything about wimmin

The site link is: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/openbook/openbook.shtml

The books that got the thumbs up from the huskily-voiced Mariella F were:

15) Stone Diaries - Carol Shields
Publisher: Fourth Estate
ISBN: 1857022254

16) Happenstance - Carol Shields
Publisher: Fourth Estate
ISBN: 1841154687

17) Larry's Party - Carol Shields
Publisher: Fourth Estate
ISBN: 1857027051

22) Four Letters of Love - Niall Williams
Publisher: Macmillan
ISBN: 0330352695

23) Girlfriend 44 - Mark Barrowcliffe
Publisher: Headline
ISBN: 0747268142

So .... I'm going to buy a few and report back if I have learned anything.

Clive

[Katie]

I have just read some of the myths in 'Metamorphoses'. It can be quite heavy going but the joy of the book is that you can pick the parts that interest you. The story of how 'Echo' got her name and 'Narcissus' was especially beautiful...yet so sad.

[Almost an Angel]

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picolt it's a novel not a biography but rasies some serious questions.

It's about a girl who tries to get medical emancipation from her parents.
She was conceived deliberately by her parents to help her seriously ill sister, and from the first moments of her life is used as a donor for her sister (stem cells, blood, bonemarrow etc). The book highlights some of the issues regarding medical ethics of using siblings as donors from the donors view.

V good - I couldn't put it down. It's written from the view of the main characters and swaps throughout amongst them which only further draws you into the story.

[Stuart]

I have just finished "23 Days in July" by John Wilcockson.

This is the inside account of Lance Armstrong's record breaking sixth win in Tour de France last year, so if you aren't particularly interested in cycling and "Le Tour" it probably won't appeal to you. Also if you wanted to know more about Lance Armstrong's fight back from near fatal cancer, this book doesn't really go into much detail about this (I can recomend his book "It's not about the bike", in my view one of the best sporting autobiographies ever written, if you want to know more about his fight against illness).

However I found it a fascinating account about the sheer effort and planning involved in competing in "Le Tour".

[mick]

Just finished "The Fall" by Albert Camus, but I've no idea what it was about.

[Dreadful Scathe]

I read Da Vinci Code.
Can only say to read it yourself and make up your own mind about it.

A bit like The Bible Code. How accurate is it.

By the way, I would be interested to know if anyone out there has read The Celestine Prophecy.
Read the Celestine prophecy - its quite interesting, worth a read. Its actually similar in some ways to the Da Vinci Code which Im nearly finished reading - it has quite flat characters and a conspiracy theory. In fact the Da Vinci Code is very like Harry Potter without the wizards and not as intelligently written :).

[Clive Long]

Girlfriend 44 by Mark Barrowcliffe

It's the first one from my "Baddiel" list.

I found this book entertaining and amusing in a male "chick-lit" kinda way.

Although I haven't led the life of Harry and Gerrard in the book (think "Men Behaving Badly" territory), I think among all the jokes and adolescent cleverness, Mr. B has conveyed the values, thoughts and behaviour of a lot of metropolitan young men. In fact I felt quite chilled when I read some of it. Chilled, because it made me scratch below a lot of the PC thoughts I try to have.

For example, pg. 178
"it's amazing to me that if you talk without pausing that people will believe you, and it's also amazing to me that I have the need to do this"
pg.24
" She'd said he (Gerrard) was a controlling, inflexible green Nazi whose belief in a perfect past made him resent anyone enjoying the present or having any hopes for the future. By way of an afterthought she told him he had the spiritual depth of a fruit machine and that she had received more sexual satisfaction from her last hernia operation. It wasn't what she said that surprised me, far from it, I would have gone a little further myself.... Like me, Farley was interested ... "

If you don't find the above mildly funny DON'T READ THIS BOOK.

Girls, if you find a copy at your local charity shop and want an insight to the minds of some males, pick it up. However, it probably won't tell you anything you wouldn't be able to work out within 30 minutes of meeting Mr. Not-Right.

Clive

[mick]

Read the Celestine prophecy - its quite interesting, worth a read. Its actually similar in some ways to the Da Vinci Code which Im nearly finished reading - it has quite flat characters and a conspiracy theory. In fact the Da Vinci Code is very like Harry Potter without the wizards and not as intelligently written :).

I thought Celestine Prophecy was in a different league to Da Vinci Code.
Recently read 11 minutes by Paulo Coelho; I find all his books interesting and am reading "I Am Charlotte Simmons" by Tom Wolfe.

[Rhythm King]

Read the Da Vinci code and followed it with Angels and Demons and Deception Point, all of which were entertaining. I have also just read The Rule of Four, which is best described as The Secret History by Donna Tart meets The Da Vinci Code, as it's a about a group of students decoding an old book, with fatal consequences.

[Chicklet]

This weekend I was mostly reading David Baddiel's The Secret Purposes (in between drooling at Jonathan Edwards on the screen commentating on the Athletics (I would start a thread about the Athletics but fear I would be posting comments to myself :tears: )

...anyway, fab book, beautifully written, loved it....semi-biographical novel set mostly on the Isle of Man at the start of WW2 when it was used as an internment camp for (mostly German,Jewish) "aliens" (that's aliens only, no Smurfs were mentioned AT ALL!)..yes I have a soft spot for books that will give me an insight into the workings of organised religions, and yes I have an even softer spot :innocent: for Mr Baddiel but I am confident that I would have enjoyed this book without either er, spots.

If you enjoyed the "feel" of Enigma.....I believe you will enjoy this...be delighted to hear if anyone else did already (see what I did there LOL).

Next I will be reading this, based mostly on RK's "meets" here, loved both of these so looking forward to it..


I have also just read The Rule of Four, which is best described as The Secret History by Donna Tart meets The Da Vinci Code, as it's a about a group of students decoding an old book, with fatal consequences.

PS anyone else find the Secret History kinda crept up on them?? While I was reading it I just wanted to get on and see what happened but then for the next month or so, elements and images kept popping back into my head...

[jivecat]

PS anyone else find the Secret History kinda crept up on them?? While I was reading it I just wanted to get on and see what happened but then for the next month or so, elements and images kept popping back into my head...

I've read "The Secret History" 3 times, and enjoyed it more each time. It seemed as though I'd missed bits on previous readings, though that may be because I'm such a lazy, slapdash reader. The description of the intense cold winter really resonated with me, as did the mysterious, hinted-at relationships between the group of students. The latest time I read it it was the evocation of drugged-up half-baked hippy student life that amused me!

[Ballroom queen]

I've just read all the Number 1 Ladies ' detective agency series, by Alexander McCall Smith. Anyone who has been to Africa will LOVE them, and even if you haven't they are still fab.

[LMC]

In fact the Da Vinci Code is very like Harry Potter without the wizards and not as intelligently written :).

:yeah:

Umberto Eco did the Knights Templar much better in Foucault's Pendulum. Shame that FP itself is practically unreadable, whereas DVC kept me amused on the train over a couple of days.

Currently wading my way through Cornwell's Sharpe series - easy reading for hot days.

[Gadget]

I've just finished the latest one in Laurell K Hamiltion's "Anita Blake" series - Incubus Dreams. To be truthfull, she's turned what was a good gothic/fantasy who-dunnit style series into pornography with charicters developed over the series. :( It should be in the "adult" section rather than the "sci-fi" section of the book shop IMHO.
It's still well written with a wicked sense of humor, but seems rushed and not thought out as well as the others. (well, the plot anyway... I'm sure that the sex scenes were well thought out :devil: )

[Purple Sparkler]

...Psalm 71 (doing Bible in a Year programme of reading).

And the Media Jobs section of the Guardian.

The above really being my excuse to tell you all that you must read lots of Neil Gaiman and Diana Wynne Jones. I am equally excited about 'Anansi Boys' (Gaiman's follow-up to the quite quite brilliant 'American Gods') coming out this year as I am about the new Harry Potter. But anyone in London must- I repeat MUST- read 'Neverwhere'. It will make travelling by tube unbelievably exciting. Well, it did for me, anyway.

With DWJ, I recommend: 'Year of the Griffin', 'Deep Secret', 'Howl's Moving Castle' (for anyone who likes kids' books on the sly), and 'The Dark Lord of Derkholm' (for nifty taking the mickey out of fantasy novels).

[Divissima]

I've just finished the latest one in Laurell K Hamiltion's "Anita Blake" series - Incubus Dreams. To be truthfull, she's turned what was a good gothic/fantasy who-dunnit style series into pornography with charicters developed over the series. :( It should be in the "adult" section rather than the "sci-fi" section of the book shop IMHO.I read a few of these after you recommended them so highly, Gadget. I started with the first two in the series, then skipped forward to one of the most recent - and was a bit surprised by the sudden appearance of a lot of fairly graphic sex scenes (kind of inter-species - human/vampire/werewolf - sci-fi porn :sick: ).... A bit like fanfic, but by the original author.

[Sparkles]

So THAT's why your avatar is screaming... :rolleyes:

Have just read 'Having a Lovely Time' and am nearly finished 'Camberwell Beauty' both by Jenny Eclair.
She's a very funny author and writes as she speaks - and some of her observations are so harsh that you almost feel you can't laugh at them (notice I said almost!).
She wrote them in the reverse order to that in which I read them, and IMO it shows as HALT is much more sophisticated and more enjoyable to read; I'm struggling a bit with CB purely because I don't like any of the characters, but that doesn't mean it isn't a really good book!
Behind the comedy there are plenty of dark under-tones in her novels - and if she writes another one it'll definitely go on my 'to read' list.
S. x

[Divissima]

So THAT's why your avatar is screaming... :rolleyes:Actually, the avatar is screaming 'cos I've got slightly over two months to go and I still haven't sorted out the flowers, the invitations, the decorations, the accommodation.... :eek: :eek:

[Purple Sparkler]

Actually, the avatar is screaming 'cos I've got slightly over two months to go and I still haven't sorted out the flowers, the invitations, the decorations, the accommodation.... :eek: :eek:

Invitations you can design and print yourself if you have a computer. Easy.

*stops herself*

I am now going to resist the temptation to hijack this thread and turn it into a discussion of weddings (fun as that would be). See how good I am?

So, where were we? Oh yes. Books. :innocent:

[David Bailey]

I read a few of these after you recommended them so highly, Gadget. I started with the first two in the series, then skipped forward to one of the most recent - and was a bit surprised by the sudden appearance of a lot of fairly graphic sex scenes (kind of inter-species - human/vampire/werewolf - sci-fi porn :sick: ).... A bit like fanfic, but by the original author.
I agree the series has gone downhill, the books just got too similar and bloated. They're still readable, but to be honest I skip over the "sex" pages ( :what: never thought I'd say that!)

I do like her Merry Gentle series though, more development and character involvement in each book. And not so much "spending 100 pages talking about having sex, then another 50 pages describing it, then another 100 pages talking about it afterwards" of the Anita Blake series :)

[Sheepman]

I so rarely find time to read books for "pleasure", but have tried to do so recently. The latest one was Forever Today, by Deborah Wearing. The 4 word review on the front says "Harrowing, haunting and heartening." It certainly is that, and I think it is a book so powerful that it can change lives.

Following this, I'm trying to tackle "Phantoms In The Brain" by V. S. Ramachandran. "One of the most accessible neurological books of our generation."

Both books are far from easy going in places, but I think the effort is well rewarded.

Greg

[David Franklin]

I read a few of these after you recommended them so highly, Gadget. I started with the first two in the series, then skipped forward to one of the most recent - and was a bit surprised by the sudden appearance of a lot of fairly graphic sex scenes (kind of inter-species - human/vampire/werewolf - sci-fi porn :sick: ).... A bit like fanfic, but by the original author.Don't know if you gathered, but 10 books into the series, LKH introduced the "arduer" is a very blatent plot device to allow as many sex scenes as possible. LKH "runs" (in a loose sense) an official website with discussion board. It has been very entertainmening over the last year, as the "fans" have gradually voiced greater and greater disapppointment, while Laurelll has explained "when people tell me there's too much sex, that just makes me determined to put even more in the next book". It's finally reached complete meltdown - not often you see such blatant dislike between an author and her (ex-)fans. There are some interesting reviews on amazon etc. following the whole mess...


I agree the series has gone downhill, the books just got too similar and bloated. They're still readable, but to be honest I skip over the "sex" pages ( never thought I'd say that!)Skipping the "sex" pages isn't a huge hardship; the problem is there's very little book left after you do so. And more frustratingly, there is no continuity anymore - there were some big developments in book 11 (Cerulean Sins) that were just completely forgotten in book 12 (Incubus Dreams). So it's hard to care what happens anymore, because it will all be ignored in the next book anyhow.

You may also find this parody of Anita Blake's blog (http://www.livejournal.com/users/blakesblog/) amusing... You'll probably need to go back a bit - it started as straight parody but has started having a half sensible plot (unlike ID...)


I do like her Merry Gentle series though, more development and character involvement in each book. And not so much "spending 100 pages talking about having sex, then another 50 pages describing it, then another 100 pages talking about it afterwards" of the Anita Blake series Slightly less angsting, true. But apparently there's a pretty distasteful four-way in Book 4 (out in US)...

[Gadget]

I do like her Merry Gentle series though, more development and character involvement in each book.Really? I thought that the Gentle series was the start of the decline of Anita Blake and I (vainly) hoped that this would be the 'sexual outlet' that could keep Anita on-track. Unfortunatly not. {I did find Merry a lot more sexual than expected; perhaps I'm just innocent and nieve? :innocent:.}

and a big :yeah: to David Franklin

[jockey]

Just finished "The Fall" by Albert Camus, but I've no idea what it was about.
I find that absurd.. :D

[jockey]

Sadly (you will think) since I studied Social and Political Pholosophy at Uni I have barely been interested in novels; my new flatmate (who is between his first and second years at Sussex, also Philosophy) tells me he has had the same experience.
However, prior to that I used to read a novel a week; some of my favourites were: War and Peace (Tolstoy)
And Quiet Flows The Don (Sholokov)
Steppenwolf (Hesse)
Anything by Graham Greene

Nowadays I like nothing better than to read an entry in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy (masterpieces of erudition and economy with comprehensive bibliographies) or essays by Bertrand Russell, Orwell, or Readiongs such as The Mind Brain Identity Theory (ed, Borst). What a perfect bore!
Does anyone remember the tv reviews done by Martin Amis in the Observer (I think it was) and Clive James - utterly brilliant!
Maybe I should try some of your recommendations and get myself back into reading novels; theres always Sartre - a novelist and a pholosopher, perfectomondo!
Maybe I should shut up.

[Clive Long]

<< snip >>
Does anyone remember the tv reviews done by Martin Amis in the Observer (I think it was) and Clive James - utterly brilliant!
:yeah: :yeah: :yeah:
I used to possess a paper-back (long since lost) containing a few, selected Clive James articles and book reviews. There was something about his writing style that was incisive and amusing without being down-right nasty. And he didn't just review the material, he also put it in context - for example challenging the version of the truth in fawning biographies (hagiographies? help me here ESG) and self-justifying autobiogs. I vaguely remember a review of the official biography of Leonid Brezhnev by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. A (poorly-remembered) fragment ... "birds fell dead from the trees from the excitement caused by the prose ... "


Maybe I should shut up.
Maybe you should, but I think there are very many other people who should shut up before you.

[Sheepman]

The History Of Love by Nicole Krauss (Penguin)

The sleeve notes say a "tale brimming with laughter", I certainly didn't find anything to laugh about, as I ploughed my way slowly through it, getting Irritated by the main character, annoyed with the style of writing, and frustrated with it apparently being a book about books and authors.

But my patience was rewarded, finally I got to the stage where I wanted to keep turning the pages, and the last 50 or so were devoured in one go.

There is just one other book that has made me react in the way this eventually did, and that's the other book I mentioned here (Forever Today) The strength and power which runs through that book can also be found here. Which of these 2 books is true and the other fiction? I'm not sure that it really matters.

If you have ever been in love, this book will speak to you, if you are in love, perhaps it can give you a confirmation, a tangible sense of what it is that you have. And if you have lost love, then don't read this without a large box of tissues!

Greg

[Sparkles]

I find that absurd.. :D
Why should you?
I read 'The Catcher in the Rye' ages ago and to this day I still don't get it.
Maybe someone here can explain it to me?

[Clive Long]

Four Letters of Love, Niall Williams

This is a beautiful book.

Each sentence is rich with imagery. I sense it is a very "Irish" book - although I haven't read any other Irish writers :confused: :rolleyes:

What I think I mean by that is every thought, every description, every intention is conveyed in a richly textured language that relates to the land, the sea and the seasons. Williams chooses the unusual word and phrase that makes you "see" what he has written.

Let me stick me finger in a few random pages and copy ...

"Months passed. We moved into a trembling spring as if against our will. My studies had improved dramatically, and as Masters and Brothers alike changed their tone, moving like whispering statues around the knowledge of my tragedy, the schooldays passed more easily. The thrilling promise of the season, all the light flickering noons and afternoons of April and May gave way to an uncertain summer."



"Nothing in my life has prepared me for this.To love you. It is hardly even what I think of as loving. I have to see you. I feel a compulsion like fire inside my skin. Do you understand? Do you know what this is like? .... I am going mad. I am. ... And your kiss is like sweet fire. Like this unreachable sweet, sweet ache deep inside me. How trite and stupid it all sounds. God, I cannot write it. I cannot even get near it. O Isabel. Isabel, is a bel. Please. I want. I want ...
Please please please write to me write to me please
N."

[Whitebeard]

..... and Clive James - utterly brilliant!
Yes, fantastic and a joy at the time. Then I saw the bloke on TV and that pricked the bubble.

[DangerousCurves]

I'd like to recommend "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell to fellow bibliophiles.

The book is very unusual in structure - it follows six lives which interlock. It opens with extracts from a diary written by a 19th Century attorney travelling on a sailing ship from Australia to America, and then breaks off mid story, indeed midsentence to cut to the next section, written in a completely different style, taking the form of a series of letters written in the 1930's. As the reader becomes engrossed in the second story, the narrator almost casually refers to a diary which he has been reading written by a 19th Century attorney travelling on a sailing ship etc etc....

This second story is interupted by a third, itself interupted by a fourth and so on. The final story is set way into the future, and each story references those before it.

Each new section is written in a very different style - it genuinely feels like you have picked up another book. However, the book as a whole is immensely satisfying and achieves great unity, not least due to the common themes that run through the very different tales focusing on humanity's "will to power" and where that could lead us.

I'd be interested to hear what anyone else who read it thought of it. I think its one of the best and most original works that I've read in a while. :wink:

[Baby Peaches]

Ceclia Ahern PS I Love you - v. girly book but so so good - it really has you thinking about life, love etc... Bit of a sad topic I know but so well written. definately gets my recommendation.

Currently devouring The curious incident of the dog in the night time - but not very far through it - that pesky work stuff keeps getting in the way.


If you liked the first one PS I Love You (must admit have not read yet, can't find it) then I think you will really like her next book Where Rainbows End. I couldn't put it down. A real girlie book but I ended myself laughing one minute and bawled my eyes out the next. Superb! :clap:

As for The curious incident of the dog in the night time, I just can't seem to get into this one. Will give it another go!

[Tessalicious]

I'd like to recommend "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell to fellow bibliophiles.

The book is very unusual in structure - it follows six lives which interlock. It opens with extracts from a diary written by a 19th Century attorney travelling on a sailing ship from Australia to America, and then breaks off mid story, indeed midsentence to cut to the next section, written in a completely different style, taking the form of a series of letters written in the 1930's. As the reader becomes engrossed in the second story, the narrator almost casually refers to a diary which he has been reading written by a 19th Century attorney travelling on a sailing ship etc etc....

This second story is interupted by a third, itself interupted by a fourth and so on. The final story is set way into the future, and each story references those before it.

Each new section is written in a very different style - it genuinely feels like you have picked up another book. However, the book as a whole is immensely satisfying and achieves great unity, not least due to the common themes that run through the very different tales focusing on humanity's "will to power" and where that could lead us.

I'd be interested to hear what anyone else who read it thought of it. I think its one of the best and most original works that I've read in a while. :wink:I agree, this is a very thought-provoking and intelligently written novel (unfortunately I rushed through the last section because Harry Potter was out so I think I spoilt the end for myself :blush: ). But it was very clever how the stories relate, the themes of reincarnation and persecution through different ages were intriguing. Definitely one to recommend, but I would suggest if you are not a fast reader or don't have a good memory, take some time out specifically to read it - otherwise it would be quite easy to get lost in each of the different storylines and lose track of what happened in the others!

[LMC]

I'd like to recommend "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell to fellow bibliophiles.

< snips, 'cos the rest is only just up there ^^^ >

I'd be interested to hear what anyone else who read it thought of it. I think its one of the best and most original works that I've read in a while. :wink:
Eeerie, I was going to post about this one 'anyway'.

One of those books which you can read at so many different levels: for enjoyment but also very thought-provoking. At some points, the consistency of human nature through the timescale of the stories is depressing (timescale unspecified, but at least "hundreds of years"). Depressing, because of the themes of desire for power, sacrifice of truth to egotism, greed, amongst others. But ultimately, I actually found the book very uplifting - showing how love, imagination, and creativity cannot be wholly or permanently suppressed and demonstrating the importance of and our constant hunger for human interaction - at whatever level.

There's not many books that I finish and then start reading all over again, to make sure I didn't miss anything - but this is one of them. The six interlinked stories are, on the surface, stories. But some of the underlying connections and themes are not immediately obvious on a first reading: I'm sure that they were there but if you don't know what's coming they could be easily missed.

Highly recommended.

[Angelina]

Da Vinci Code
Actually read it in March 2005 and have been doing the trail ever since, whilst holidaying in April in Paris we visited all the attractions including the louve! :wink:

On the way home from the ceroc competition last weekend we called to see Rosslyn Chapel it was amazing

i can give it uo honest! :what:

[philsmove]

Just reading “Adrian Mole and the weapons of mass destruction”

He is is trouble for selling Train Spotting by Irving Welsh to a 75 year old railway enthusiast

But I’m gutted to discover our hero confesses to not understanding the rules of Mornington crescent

And no he still has not got it away with Pandora (but then I have not finished the book yet )

[Trousers]

I just finished 'Going Postal' another Pratchett book.

I can hear the groans and I agree there is a limit to the amount of Terry Pratchett one can consume. But I haven't read a Pratchett for over 3 years and I just couldn't resist the title after spending a year and a half working in the states and Canada (Going Postal is the term given to 'Disgruntled' workers ((most often Postal Workers)) that crack under stress and strain of the job or life in general and decided one day to take their guns to work and settle a few scores!)

But back to the book - Yes its Pratchett - Yes its a Disk World Novel - Yes Carrot makes a fleeting cameo appearance - but boy is it funny. Ankh Morpork gets Mail! I'll say no more.

I tittered quite happily in the pub reading this and whilst at work on night shift and found the humour uplifting and the story engaging.

If you like Pratchett or you used to and got tired of it like me you will love this. If you are new to Pratchetts fantastic sense of humour ask your friends for their old ones you really do need to start the Pratchett ride from the beginning rather than leaping in at novel 30 or what ever it is now.

[Clive Long]

I just finished 'Going Postal' another Pratchett book.
<< snip >>

Never having read Pratchett, can you capture what it is about his stories that have made him a global phenomenon (da, daaaah, da, da-da)?

I must admit his smiley-bearded-West-country-weekend-organic-farmer look puts me right off.


Clive

[Tessalicious]

The appeal is along the lines of:

-Ridiculous settings for the stories, that serve as a complete release from real-life (which is why I haven't felt the need to read Terry Pratchett since joining the forum)

-Characters that are more like characatures of people you're really glad you don't know anymore, that have developed through the series but are still very recognisable in each book

-Rolling storylines aren't too complex for 'five-minutes-here-and-there' reading but still feel satisfying at the end

and of course

-Extremely British sarcastic wit that even DavidJames would struggle to imitate

Unfortunately, I haven't got the early ones to lend you, but try them, and see what you think.

[El Salsero Gringo]

Ridiculous settings for the stories, that serve as a complete release from real-life (which is why I haven't felt the need to read Terry Pratchett since joining the forum)hehehehe

[LMC]

Unfortunately, I haven't got the early ones to lend you, but try them, and see what you think.
I have, having only recently started to read Pratchett. Good fun on the train, I'll loan them to you/Clive. "Monty Python does fantasy" maybe? Or think Douglas Adams with less intelligence meets Tom Sharpe with less toilet humour.

[David Bailey]

The appeal is along the lines of:
{ snip accurate list }
To me, his main appeal now is that he puts current situations into fantasy settings. He also, especially in his most recent books, makes serious and powerful points about issues like racism (Jingo), religious fanaticism (Small Gods), unfettered capitalism (Going Postal) and so on.

Obviously, he's got a left-ish, humanist, British bias, but that suits me exactly.


-Extremely British sarcastic wit that even DavidJames would struggle to imitate
Where do you think I got that from in the first place? 15 years of Pratchett-reading has an effect, you know.


Unfortunately, I haven't got the early ones to lend you, but try them, and see what you think.
I've got 'em all, but I'd recommend not reading the first two, they only start rolling when he started creating his own plots rather than satirising standard fantasy plots.

[LMC]

I've got 'em all, but I'd recommend not reading the first two, they only start rolling when he started creating his own plots rather than satirising standard fantasy plots.
I reckon 'Mort' (#4) was the first really original one. I've only just finished Pyramids (which I think is #7?) so can't comment on the later ones - but will look forward to 'em on the basis of what DJ said. Unless they are likely to give me a social conscience, in which case they'll be straight down to the charity shop :non-existent deadpan smiley:

[Tessalicious]

To me, his main appeal now is that he puts current situations into fantasy settings. He also, especially in his most recent books, makes serious and powerful points about issues like racism (Jingo), religious fanaticism (Small Gods), unfettered capitalism (Going Postal) and so on.Absolutely - althought sometimes he takes the allegory a little too far (can't think of the example I mean right now, and my supervisor is looking at me funny so I'm not going to look it up).
Where do you think I got that from in the first place? 15 years of Pratchett-reading has an effect, you know.I was wondering why it sounded so familiar...
I've got 'em all, but I'd recommend not reading the first two, they only start rolling when he started creating his own plots rather than satirising standard fantasy plots.Well in that case I think I've got all the best ones, except the last few anyway. My favourites being Soul Music (obviously) and Hogfather.

In fact I might even come to the Halloween Party tonight as Susan Sto-Helit, just to be topical.

[Little Monkey]

Hmmm, yes, I used to think Terry Pratchett was just for geeks.... I've never been into books of this genre before, but after reading one (think the first one I read was 'Hogfather') I was hooked. They're brilliant! Hmmm, maybe I've turned into a geek?

I've read one extremely entertaining and bizarre book recently, called 'Emotionally Weird' by Kate Atkinson. It's set (mostly) in Dundee in the 70s, but is also several stories being told at the same time, so you never quite know what's coming next. All of a sudden you find yourself reading a story written by a character in a story told by one of the main characters... Uh, did that make sense? A tad confusing to start with, but I soon got into it, and really enjoyed it. The language is rich, the characters are bizarre, and the plot(s) are quite frankly weird - and very funny.

LM

[Lynn]

I read a Pratchett novel every so often - I usually buy one at airports - the only time I buy 'new' books (which owing to my dancing trips means I've bought more than the usual number the past year). Some have clicked with me more than others, and I like the shift in focus from the different groups of characters (wizards, watch, Death and family etc) while still retaining consistency. I find them quite re-readable as well (always a plus with me as I read a lot).

Just read 'Moving Pictures' (bought en route to BFG).

[Gus]

Just finshed The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. I must admit that Messr Strobe'ls semi-sanctimonious style did grate a bit, but I found the evidence presented surprisingly strong .. and as a Christian I'm supposed to already believe this stuff. Warning, do no read the section describing the physical trauma caused by cruxification either immediatly before, after or ceratinly not during a meal ... a bit graffic:sick:

Got me wondering, I would love to read a book that presents the same for the Muslim, Hindu or Jewish faiths. Any recommendations?

[Stuart]

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian.

I was inspired to read this after seeing the film and I really enjoyed it. I'll have to try and work my way through the other 19 books in the series now.

[LMC]

The Insider - Piers Morgan's diary of his NOTW and Mirror years.

He's obviously a very bright guy - and has a conscience. But it's quite disturbing how he deliberately ignored said conscience for the sake of sellign papers. For all Morgan is very frank about his failings and has a nice line in self-deprecation, it's obvious it's still with an eye to making him look good - "I behaved badly, but hey, I'm admitting it so I must still be a good guy".

I think he would be a very interesting person to have lunch with - but a nice guy? - I don't think so...

As a book, it was a fascinating insight into how the tabloids work and some very funny insights into the cult of celebrity - and what some 'celebrities' are really like. Terribly cynical - sometimes hilariously, sometimes wincingly and no holds barred - a good read.

[Jive Brummie]

Not a big reader but have just finished a true crime book called "The Law Killers"...about the many murders that have taken place in Dundee over the years that all seem to somehow involve one of Dundee's most notable monuments...the Law hill.

A tad disturbing to say the least but very interesting...well, at least to those who live in/around Dundee anyway.

JB x x

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

Recently:

The diary of rachel Corrie
Spining into butter- Rebecca Gilman
Julie Birchill is away- Tim Fountain
(I had a weird thing for politically related plays all of a sudden)

Currently reading:

Silent Engine- Julian Garner
The memory of Water and five kinds of silence- Shelagh Stephenson
The Vagina Monologues- Eve Ensler
.I'll finish reading them this week.

Also looking at Plays in one act, edited by Daniel Halpern

And have bought Duck by Stella Feehily and Arthur Millers The Crucible, i'll read after them, then back to the book shop

[LMC]

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke)

At nearly 1000 pages, it takes some commitment - but worth the effort IMO. Harry Potter for grown ups: an alternative England in the 1800s has many amateur magicians, but they are all theoretical - until a couple of Yorkshire men track down Mr Norrell - England's last practising magician. The story comes in three main sections: 1) After proving his practical magical abilities, Mr Norrell moves to London, offering his services to the Government in the war (Napoleonic) effort. Unfortunately, no-one wants to know until he raises the young fiance of one of the ministers from the dead - but has to call on assistance from someone who causes even more problems. 2) The story gets really interesting when Jonathan Strange, a "natural" magician, becomes Mr Norrell's apprentice. 3) Competition between the two magicians and the fallout from Mr Norrell's resurrection brings matters to a crisis - will magic ever fully return to England?

To be honest, I didn't find any of the major characters particularly 'sympathetic' - I wished some of the more minor characters had bigger roles. But the concept was a bit different and nicely done. The writing is Dickensian in style: quite understated, occasionally tries too hard and ends up being pretentious. Extensive footnotes give a nice little "backstory" but are occasionally a distraction. However, after a slowish start, it's quite a gripping yarn. And if you don't like the book in it's primary purpose, it will make a fantastic doorstop.

[LMC]

44 Scotland Street (Alexander McCall)

Yes, he of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, which I adore (can't remember whether they've been reviewed on here, will check when I have some time!)

44 Scotland Street is completely different from that series. For a start, it's set in Edinburgh, not Botswana. But the "treatment" is very similar - slightly old-fashioned, understated, sympathetic, funny, sometimes tragic.

The story centres around the inhabitants of an Edinburgh house which has been converted into apartments - particularly Pat, a 20-year old girl on her second gap year (for reasons never made quite clear - but they aren't nice).

AM freely admits that the book was inspired by Maupin's Tales of the City - which I read years ago and enjoyed - so I enjoyed this. A nice, gentle, easy, comforting read, with enough 'meat' so that your brain doesn't quite shrivel up whilst reading it.

[David Bailey]

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (Susanna Clarke)

At nearly 1000 pages, it takes some commitment - but worth the effort IMO.

I'm sorry, I normally love this stuff, but I just didn't get into it at all. I waded through 700+ pages, simply because I'm stubborn as hell, but I really couldn't face finishing it. It's still on my shelf, and I don't even feel a slight "How did it end?" compulsion, I've always got better things to do with 2 hours of my time.

OK, it didn't help that, like you say, the characters are unsympathetic - I really didn't care much what happened to them. But even so, I wasn't impressed with it.

[David Franklin]

I'm sorry, I normally love this stuff, but I just didn't get into it at all. I waded through 700+ pages, simply because I'm stubborn as hell, but I really couldn't face finishing it. It's still on my shelf, and I don't even feel a slight "How did it end?" compulsion, I've always got better things to do with 2 hours of my time.:yeah: A couple of people whose opinions I respect raved about it, but it just didn't do it for me.


OK, it didn't help that, like you say, the characters are unsympathetic - I really didn't care much what happened to them. But even so, I wasn't impressed with it.:yeah: (again) Definitely failed the eight deadly words (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Deadly_Words) ("I don't care what happens to those people") test for me.

[WittyBird]

The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. Belle De Jour

I really don't think you need me to tell you what its about!

Personally I don't believe she has ever been a call girl. Very funny and insightful book though, made me laugh all the way through it. Filthy and couldn't put it down :grin:

[philsmove]

The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl. Belle De Jour



Enjoyed the first third then she seemed to repeat herself

So it joined the unfinished pile

[Chicklet]

AM freely admits that the book was inspired by Maupin's Tales of the City - which I read years ago and enjoyed - so I enjoyed this. A nice, gentle, easy, comforting read, with enough 'meat' so that your brain doesn't quite shrivel up whilst reading it.

Interesting, I have Scotland Street in my "pile" and hadn't picked up that this was the inspiration. Have you read the whole series?? If not, I really would recommend the rest of them, the revelations and twists in the lives are fascinating, I re-read the whole lot every three years or so.

Also in the pile for this month is " The Source" by James Michener - anyone a fan of his??

[Missy D]

My sisters 'Chat' magazine:rofl: :rofl:

[dee]

Pizza Hut leaflet, i was shocked at all the good deals :what:
I especially like the part about the "Meal Deal" you can even get a litre of pop free :eek:

But the best read was "at my sister's local chinese", very interesting and tasty dishes :drool:

[WittyBird]

Pizza Hut leaflet, i was shocked at all the good deals :what:
I especially like the part about the "Meal Deal" you can even get a litre of pop free :eek:

But the best read was "at my sister's local chinese", very interesting and tasty dishes :drool:
:rolleyes: stop it :rofl:

[Tessalicious]

Watching the English (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0340818859/026-3600908-4818849) by Kate Fox

This book is great if the way people act and think is at all interesting to you - written about the ingrained characteristics, attitudes, quirks and reflexes of English people and society, and with a lot of very entertaining observations and asides. You will hardly be able to read a page without thinking 'Oh, yes, I do that' or even 'I thought I was the only one!' :blush:

[LMC]

Wheel of Time series - Robert Jordan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time)

My sister is a big fan and raves about them - so thought I'd give 'em a go. But am I going to regret getting stuck into this lot? Especially if I can't even be bothered to write about them and use a Wiki link instead?

The first book was OK - derivative, but fine for reading on the train. I also have books 2 & 3, but could get pricey if I "have to have" the whole set (up to 11 now and will be 12 eventually, plus prequels, spin-offs, other "how much money can I screw out of this concept" publications... )

Comments from anyone else who has read more of them than I have?

[David Franklin]

Wheel of Time series - Robert Jordan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time)

My sister is a big fan and raves about them - so thought I'd give 'em a go. But am I going to regret getting stuck into this lot? Especially if I can't even be bothered to write about them and use a Wiki link instead?

The first book was OK - derivative, but fine for reading on the train. I also have books 2 & 3, but could get pricey if I "have to have" the whole set (up to 11 now and will be 12 eventually, plus prequels, spin-offs, other "how much money can I screw out of this concept" publications... )

Comments from anyone else who has read more of them than I have?Not read a one. But I am reliably informed they are the literary version of "Zeno's paradox" - once RJ realised he had a sure fire money spinner, each book only covers half as much development as the one before, ensuring that the series will never end. There are, of course, hard core fans who worship every page, but most others have given up on the series reaching completion for many many more years...

[Tessalicious]

Wheel of Time series - Robert Jordan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wheel_of_Time)

My sister is a big fan and raves about them - so thought I'd give 'em a go. But am I going to regret getting stuck into this lot? Especially if I can't even be bothered to write about them and use a Wiki link instead?

The first book was OK - derivative, but fine for reading on the train. I also have books 2 & 3, but could get pricey if I "have to have" the whole set (up to 11 now and will be 12 eventually, plus prequels, spin-offs, other "how much money can I screw out of this concept" publications... )

Comments from anyone else who has read more of them than I have?Book 1 isn't that good a representation of the series - it's my least favourite of all the ones I've read (I got to book 9 before my library of fantasy/sci-fi books dried up, and only bought book 10 after this, due to poor-studentage).

I personally really enjoyed the ideas behind them but just found them a bit more heavy-going than they deserved - I'm quite a fast reader, but one of the books took me nearly a month during the summer holidays to finish! Plus, their release is far too infrequent to be able to buy them as they come out and still remember what happened in the last book - even the 17-page Glossary at the back doesn't help that much, because the stories are so complex, with so many sidelines that might be important later. :rolleyes:

My recommendation with this lot would be, once they've all come out in paperback, club together with a few interested people to buy the set and read them with reasonably little space in between each book. That way, you can enjoy the good points of the books (character development, weaving storylines, great setting etc) without either forking out tons of cash or waiting so long you forget the story.

[LMC]

Thanks for WoT feedback - I can borrow most of 'em from my sister :D

Memoirs of a Geisha (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0099771519/qid=1135069868/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/026-8050534-3665231)- Arthur Golden*

Fascinating insight into a very "alien" culture - Japan between the wars and up to the early 1950s. Amazon review linked above is spot-on IMO. Given the level of detail of early training/experiences, I felt the ending was a bit rushed. But this book is definitely a "keeper", I'm sure I'll be re-reading it in the future.

*Yes I've done a lot of reading recently... 2 x 11 hour flights to and from the US & a bad back stopping me dancing :sad: I also usually have at least 2 books on the go at once.

[Clive Long]

Thanks for WoT feedback - I can borrow most of 'em from my sister :D

Memoirs of a Geisha (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0099771519/qid=1135069868/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/026-8050534-3665231)- Arthur Golden*

<< snip >>

I liked the way this book conveyed the rigours and cruelties involved in this way of life. I liked the description of the ambiguity in the relationships between the Geisha, her patron and her other customers.

Have you seen the promos for the film? It looks beautiful and "close" to episodes I vaguely remember from the book.

The Japanese are supposed to be boycotting the film because the title-role actrees (Ziyi Zhang?) is Chinese (no love lost between those countries, still)

Anyone want to see the film in the cold, post-Xmas new year?

Clive

[LMC]

It is Ziyi Zhang. Michelle Yeoh, who plays Mameha, the heroine - Sayuri's - mentor (Older Sister) is also Chinese. Both actresses appeared in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and work well on screen together - but it does seem a shame that "big name" actresses were more important than getting the nationality right.

Having said that, I'd be up for seeing the film - another MFG + Chinese meal in the New Year perhaps? (before KatieR departs :tears: )

I agree on the ambiguities. More on the actual dance/tea ceremony training and the philosophies would have been interesting too - in my recollection, there was more detail on the importance of the tea ceremony rituals in Shogun (the book, not the TV series)!

I would have liked more on the adjustment to her new role at the end of the book (even that's a slight spoiler so don't want to say any more than that).

[David Bailey]

Revelation Space, by Alastair Reynolds. Space opera, in the style of Banks / Hamilton, but very well done. The first book of a trilogy, and yes I was indeed sad enough to buy all three in advance...

[philsmove]

I

Anyone want to see the film in the cold, post-Xmas new year?

Clive

definatly but in Bristol

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4503454.stm

[Tessalicious]

God's Debris (http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/godsdebris/) by Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert but absolutely nothing like it).

I downloaded this free copy of this book yesterday, and I would definitely recommend it as a one-sitting read. Think of it as a sort of cross between Sophie's World and the Matrix in presenting an alternative view of the world through the lessons of one who knows to one who doesn't. Probably not a good choice for anyone with strongly pious views, but for all of you who like to "have your perceptions challenged", this certainly does that :really: .

I'll stop babbling now and let you try it and judge for yourselves, but I'd love to hear other's views on the concepts in this one.

Oh, and if you need more persuading than the general challenge, there's even a page or two that tells you how to form perfect relationships...

[ducasi]

God's Debris by Scott Adams Yes, it's a fascinating read, though I really should have another read of it to refresh my memory of it...

I think though that a proper discussion of it deserves a new thread. (I've been meaning to create one for a while...)

[Lounge Lizard]

Just read books 1 to 3 of The Emperor series by Conn Iggulden, Book 4 will be next as it was released jan 06
peter

[Crazy Russian]

Well... I have just read the collected stories by Anton Chekhov and "Trainspotting" for the fifth consecutive time. Listen people who have "Trainspotting" in English? Could you send me it, please? :) That is one of my favourite books. I have turned upside-down all the Internet but I didn't find it. Damn!:) My e-mail is wildamberguitar@mail.ru. Oki?

[Minnie M]

Well... I have just read the collected stories by Anton Chekhov and "Trainspotting" for the fifth consecutive time. Listen people who have "Trainspotting" in English? Could you send me it, please? :) That is one of my favourite books. I have turned upside-down all the Internet but I didn't find it. Damn!:) My e-mail is wildamberguitar@mail.ru. Oki?
Welcome Crazy Russian :flower:

Are you REALLY in Russia :really:

[Crazy Russian]

2 Minnie M.
Really. :) There is nothing to surprize.:) The temperature in our city is 28' below zero cent. scale now.:) So do you have '"Trainspotting"?:)

[Crazy Russian]

You know, I decided to improve my English significantly. I associated with one girl from the USA. She told me that the best way to boost the level of my English was to read original books. Well, it is "Trainspotting" that is the book I want to read first of all.:)

[Angelina]

Angels and Demons
by Dan Brown

I managed to find time to read this last week wilst suffering with a nasty bug:(

It was very difficault to put down - some similarities to the Da Vinci Code, but the interesting twists kept me hooked!
Makes me want to visit Rome!

p.s. im all better now! :clap:

[Piglet]

"Dead Simple" by Peter James

Brilliant first chapter and this is the quickest I've read a book in ages - took me a week (but it was a busy week). Want to get my hands on more of his books now for sure.

[Nessa]

Book 1 isn't that good a representation of the series - it's my least favourite of all the ones I've read (I got to book 9 before my library of fantasy/sci-fi books dried up, and only bought book 10 after this, due to poor-studentage).
That's funny!
I actually liked book 1 best - I felt it stood well alone, it started quickly and was a real page turner. I felt a lot of sympathy with the characters, and liked the fact that not only did time pass, but the characters changed a lot in their exposure to the larger world.
With the furthur books, I loved the ideas, the characters, the situations - but it all moves too slowly! By the 5th book I was ready for closure :sick: And I don't think I've read anything past book 8 or 9.
When book 12 comes out, I'll take a couple weeks off work, find a comfy chair and a good supply of chocolate biscuits and that nice camembert I just discovered, and re-read the lot!

[Nessa]

Well... I have just read the collected stories by Anton Chekhov and "Trainspotting" for the fifth consecutive time. Listen people who have "Trainspotting" in English? Could you send me it, please? :) That is one of my favourite books. I have turned upside-down all the Internet but I didn't find it. Damn!:) My e-mail is wildamberguitar@mail.ru. Oki?Um... Crazy...

I wonder if anyone has got around to explaining to you - Trainspotting wasn't WRITTEN in English?

It's some bizzare phonetic representation of as broad (and foul) a Scots accent as possible - using the regular English alphabet sure but totally incomprehensible as written English.

You have to read it out loud to make any sense of it and... well.. you wouldn't really want to do that with anyone around.

Unless everyone around you already knows you are Crazy... ?


Disclaimer - I only read 3 pages, and that many years ago. I've had more exposure to the accent since then and possibly would find it easier to understand. But MY GODS! it was hard to read......

[ducasi]

It's some bizzare phonetic representation of as broad (and foul) a Scots accent as possible - using the regular English alphabet sure but totally incomprehensible as written English. Ha! You should try reading "How Late It Was, How Late", by James Kelman.

That's pure Glaswegian, has the word "f*ck" once or twice in most sentences, and even for a "native" like me, was hard going at times...

Can't remember anything else about it...

[Nessa]

Ha! You should try reading "How Late It Was, How Late", by James Kelman.

That's pure Glaswegian, has the word "f*ck" once or twice in most sentences, and even for a "native" like me, was hard going at times...

Can't remember anything else about it...Hmm.. sounds like I'll definitely have to cast my eyes over a page or two - or get a "native" to read it out for me!

Put it this way - when it came to dancing in some of the Scottish venues, I had to work on faith a lot. ie a strange man would come up, say something incomprehensible, put out his hand and smile. And I'd take the hand and say "great!" or something like.
....COUNTING on the odds that they were asking me to dance.

However it's equally possibly they could have been saying "What you say we blow this popsicle stand, toots, my Harley's outside" and I was just nodding like an idiot :rofl:

[Stuart M]

I wonder if anyone has got around to explaining to you - Trainspotting wasn't WRITTEN in English?

It's some bizzare phonetic representation of as broad (and foul) a Scots accent as possible - using the regular English alphabet sure but totally incomprehensible as written English.

You have to read it out loud to make any sense of it and... well.. you wouldn't really want to do that with anyone around.

Unless everyone around you already knows you are Crazy... ?

Hang on...this is coming from a country where most vowels get 'streangld it burth'...? :whistle:

[Northants Girly]

Angels and Demons
by Dan Brown

I managed to find time to read this last week wilst suffering with a nasty bug:(

It was very difficault to put down - some similarities to the Da Vinci Code, but the interesting twists kept me hooked!
Makes me want to visit Rome!
I read this before Xmas too - really enjoyed it.
Gonna read the Da Vinci Code next I think :cool:

[Dreadful Scathe]

After laughing at the nonsense that was the Da Vinci Code and on the anti-recommendation of a friend, I am currently reading Dan Browns "Digital Fortress". It is hilarious, I'd recommend it to all IT people if they want a laugh.
If you thought the characters and the situations in the Da Vince Code were bad, wait till you get a load of this. :) His main character - "a gorgeous blonde with an IQ of 170" somehow comes across as "a gorgeous empty headed bimbo who couldnt count to 170" whenever she opens her mouth :) Worth a laugh!

[ducasi]

:yeah:

You're so right DS. I've read both and couldn't put them down – I had to read on to see just how bad it was going to get. :rofl:

[philsmove]

somehow comes across as "a gorgeous empty headed bimbo who couldnt count to 170"

I’m not fussy can she dance

[Dreadful Scathe]

I’m not fussy can she dance
Its a fictional book kermit. :)

[Piglet]

Can highly recommend "Surviving with Wolves" by Misha Defonseca

It's her true story, and on the flycover:

"Misha Defonseca was only 7 years old when her Jewish parents were taken by the Nazis. To keep her safe she was given a new name and a new home with strangers, but no one would tell her what had happened to her mother and father, only that they had been sent East. Desperate to find them, she set out on a journey that would take her all over Europe. An extraordinary first-person account of wartime courage and determination."

It's hard to believe what this girl went through to try and find her parents and it's a wonder that she survived. I think "mind over matter" definitely worked for her in her situation.

(I cried at the end)

[BeeBee]

Ha! You should try reading "How Late It Was, How Late", by James Kelman.

That's pure Glaswegian, has the word "f*ck" once or twice in most sentences, and even for a "native" like me, was hard going at times

I would recommend 'Buddah Da' which is written in Glaswegian also, though with far fewer sweary words :nice: . A great wee story of a family man who 'finds' Buddhism (sp?), and the concequences on his wife and teenage child. Told from each person's perspective it weaves a humourous and sometimes tough tale with an honesty that warms the heart. I loved it, and was really sad to finish it. Go on, give it a go! :flower:

lx

(Piglet - I cried in the middle of this book! :) )

[Stuart]

I've just finished "The National Army Museum Book of the Turkish Front 1914-18".

It wasn't the easiest book to read, but I stuck with it because my great-grandfather fought and died in the Middle East during the First World War. We knew where and when he died but not the circumstances. The book contained an account of the battle (First Battle of Gaza) where he died.

[ducasi]

I would recommend 'Buddah Da' ... Go on, give it a go! :flower: Was hoping to catch you tonight to see if you'd brought it along with you, but you weren't there! :(

Maybe see you Saturday. :)

(On-topic bit... I haven't read anything recently... Been too busy writing! Better get back to my blog! :rolleyes:)

[drathzel]

I am reading 'The Celestine Prophesy' again, only cuz its such a fascinating book that you need all your concentration to read it and i felt it deserved another read.

I have just finished Apartment 3b By Patricia Scanlan. It didnt end the way i wanted it to, if anyone has read this book please tell me and possibly give me your oppinion on why it ended like it did. It is a silly Chick Lit but i still felt quite peeved with the ending.

[Aleks]

I am reading 'The Celestine Prophesy' .

Have you read The Tenth Insight yet?

[drathzel]

Have you read The Tenth Insight yet?

No but i have bought it and i wanted to read TCP again before reading the 10th so i could get all the stuff i may need out of it before i move on:flower:

[Missy D]

Look its me posting on here!:eek:

I am reading! (not the chat magazine, take a break, pizza hut menu but a proper book.

Its called 'We need to talk about Kevin' by Lionel Shriver. Cant really comment about it yet as I have only read a few pages. Give me year or so and i will post my thoughts on it.

[dee]

And i'm reading 'Horse care and Riding' by Susan McBane. It's full of information from buying a horse to illnessess even horses in labour :what: I have even learnt how to do a 'quick release' knot.

[philsmove]

......, I am currently reading Dan Browns "Digital Fortress". It is hilarious, .......Worth a laugh!

its 4am and i'ave just finished it:rofl:

[The Passion Harem]

Just finished 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden (not seen the film) and 'A Confederacy of Dunces' by John Kennedy Toole before that, two wonderful books.

[Rhythm King]

Just finished 'Memoirs of a Geisha' by Arthur Golden (not seen the film)

I read this recently and I did enjoy it. I have seen the film too and very unusually I've come to the conclusion that I think I preferred the film to the book - normally it's the other way around. I would now like to see the film again though, as there was a lot of background detail about little things, like the significance of colours of collars and so forth, and I'd like to see if this is reflected in the film.

Recently, I have also read "To Kill A Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. This is one of those classics that I'd never got around to reading, although most of my friends seem to have read it as children. I thoroughly recommend it, if you've never read it. (Embarrassing confession - it never occurred to me that "Scout" was a girl until about 8 pages in :blush: )

[linny lou!]

ive just read Immoral by Brian Freeman. i only bought this book to pass the time on the monotonous journey from inverness to Edinburgh and actually ended up liking it.:clap: its basically a murder mystery involving a twisted,ice maiden type teenager (nooo not mee this time :D) and how she minipulates every1 in her path and fakes her own murder!(genius :waycool: ) oh and she manages to get her mother to stab her new husband to death! yes yes i was very impressed lol :respect:

[LMC]

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picolt it's a novel not a biography but rasies some serious questions.

It's about a girl who tries to get medical emancipation from her parents.
She was conceived deliberately by her parents to help her seriously ill sister, and from the first moments of her life is used as a donor for her sister (stem cells, blood, bonemarrow etc). The book highlights some of the issues regarding medical ethics of using siblings as donors from the donors view.

V good - I couldn't put it down. It's written from the view of the main characters and swaps throughout amongst them which only further draws you into the story.
I just read this. Generally, I've been avoiding the recent rash of "Oh, what a terrible awful childhood I had" books (altho' as Almost an Angel says, this one is not actually biographical) but we now have a work book club so I could borrow My Sister's Keeper for free :D

Synopsis as above. I found Anna, the "heroine" unrealistic, mainly because all Jodi Picoult's characters 'speak' in the same way - I didn't get a sense that someone different was speaking, just that the story was being continued from someone else's point of view.

I must admit, I read the book with the preconception that "Anna is right" - she was 'designed' to help her sister: as a small child she had no choice, and as an older child/young teenager, emotional blackmail from her parents comes into play - the "last straw" being her parents' assumption that they have the right (and she has no say) about donation of one of her kidneys to her sister.

Despite my preconceptions the book was better - i.e. less sensationalist and more sympathetic - than I had expected from the synopsis on the back. Although I found the "saminess" of the characters irritating (a 13 year old girl does not communicate in the same way as her older teenager brother or adults in their 30s and 40s), the moral and ethical dilemmas are clearly presented and there's never any sense that there will be a 'right' or a 'wrong' answer.

The ending was a bit of a cop out though - trying not to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it and might want to, I felt it was a 'Gordian knot' solution.

[Dizzy]

I have just read The Labyrinthe by Kate Moss (no, not the supermodel). It is basically a story along the same lines as The Da Vinci Code where a woman finds a cave while excavating and finds 2 bodies and the story goes on the discover her ancestors and the story of the hunt for the holy grail.

I found the story itself quite enjoyable and liked the fact that the book kept skipping generations to tell the story of the characters from the past as well as the modern day ones but I did find that the book was extremely slow. As the story pogressed, I did feel that I had to read more and more but as the book ended, I felt the story anticlimaxed and came away feeling a bit disheartened.

[Missy D]

I got bored with reading 'We need to talk about Kevin' so cannot comment on that one yet.

I have just finished reading 'The Sexual Life of Catherine M by Catherine Millet. This book is the autobiography of Catherine herself. She spent many years in singles bars in Paris where she had sex with many men without regret. I thought the book was well written and very honest. Its not the kind of thing that a woman would normally write which is probably why I just couldnt put it down. Well done Catherine Millet:respect:

[LMC]

Special time-saving Dual purpose review (may also be used as a template for your very own best-seller, pseudonym recommended to avoid embarrassment)

Brain rotting train reading in (insert chosen pastel colour here) cover.

* = delete as applicable

(insert supposedly witty/zetigeist* title here)
is about 20/30*-something
fat/thin*
gorgeous-but-doesn't-know-it [ glamorous TV/PR/advertising/publishing/music industry* executive ] / put upon dogsbody in dead end random office job*
(insert trendy/ridiculous* name here)
who has a dysfunctional/so-fabulous-that-heroine-has-no-excuse-to-be-so-f***witted* family
and lives with funny flatmate(s)/cute pet/ [ dead/irresponsible* friend/sibling/ex* ]'s disgustingly precocious "adorable" kid*

Our heroine undergoes various traumatic vicissitudes - falls in love with someone completely unsuitable/her gorgeous but emotionally stunted boss* and suddenly realises that she is suffering from realistic self-perception, diagnosed as low self-esteem, in addition to which, she has to cope with (select one or more of following):
suspected terminal illness of sibling/gay best friend
being left by bastard boyfriend/husband
obtaining an odd/interesting* job for which she is qualified in exactly no way whatsoever by some staggeringly unlikely set of co-incidences
being unfairly sacked
moving into a flat with one or more people who are weird enough to be in Big Brother
getting a pimple on her chin
addiction to something sexy
eating too much and having to buy clothes in a double-figure clothing size
constant delays on the Northern Line

and spends lots of time indulgently (select one or more of following):
crying/drinking excessively with amusing best friends/obsessing about her unhealthy lifestyle/worrying about her overdraft/eating way too much chocolate*

but is still amusingly witty and, of course, gorgeous.

Through the investment of quality time in one or more of the activities listed above, and via'
one or more steamy sex scenes/interludes of coyly described bucket-inducing lurve-making*

our heroine matures into someone who could just about reasonably be compared favourably with an socially functional 14-year old and is rewarded by living happily ever after (despite arguing constantly through the previous 250 pages) with gorgeous and used-to-be-emotionally-stunted-but-has-been-saved-by-love-of-good-woman boss (who turns out to be a millionaire of course)/male best friend who has appeared throughout the book/some other modern Mr Darcy clone*.

The above book was (copy Daily Mail review extract from back cover of chosen chick-lit)

The above raises the following profound questions:

Why oh why is this rubbish so feckin' addictive :blush:?
Who actually buys these books brand new so they can end up at 3 for a quid in my local charity shop?
Why don't they just print the damn things in chocolate so you can at least eat the book after reading it?

[David Franklin]

[the heroine] is about 20/30*-something
fat/thin*
gorgeous-but-doesn't-know-it [ glamorous TV/PR/advertising/publishing/music industry* executive ] / put upon dogsbody in dead end random office job*
(insert trendy/ridiculous* name here)
~snip~
suspected terminal illness of sibling/gay best friend
being left by bastard boyfriend/husband
obtaining an odd/interesting* job for which she is qualified in exactly no way

If that isn't a book by Jane Green, it should be!

Anyone here read Bookends by the same? Would have hugely enjoyed it anyway, but it's set in a bookshop in West End Lane pretty much where I used to live, and (surprise, surprise) there was a bookshop not entirely dissimilar to the one in the story approx 50 yards down the road. Where, in real life my mum did poetry readings, and, um, tried to set me up with one of the staff. Who managed to let me know that she actually had a girlfriend. Fortunately, I did not recognize myself in the book...

[LMC]

Jane Green is one of the "better" chick lit authors IMO - she is at least *really* funny sometimes. I enjoyed Bookends and it wasn't actually a boomerang (= goes straight back to the charity shop after reading): like most of the better ones it will probably go to my sister :D

I'm currently re-reading Philip K. Dick's short story collections - now back in print, hooray (my ex kept them :mad: ) So many sci fi blockbusters are based on his stories or novels - BladeRunner (novel: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep), Total Recall, Minority Report, Paycheck (all short stories) immediately spring to mind and there are others. Unfortunately, the films, in general, actually miss the point in some ways: most of the stories feature normal middle-aged people (not young and gorgeous) who are actually sometimes rather small-minded and dull - who end up in extraordinary situations. Sometimes the characters are reacting to the stress of change, sometimes their peculiar situations are status quo. "Humanity" is accurately pictured IMO, but being short stories, they don't really go into character - they explore themes. There is a pervasive sense of paranoia throughout all - many were written in the McCarthy era. But many make you think - PKD is a philosopher as much as a sci fi writer.

One of the ones which really sends shivers down my spine appears in the second book of the collection (conveniently called Second Variety), which I haven't got handy right now. The story hinges on an exploratory mission to Mars following nuclear holocaust (many of PKD's short stories are set in a post-holocaust era). The explorers are most annoyed to find that the Martians have used everything on the planet (minerals, water, organic matter) - just leaving dust and empty cities. It becomes apparent that the Martians have emigrated to another planet, and at the end of the story, the explorers discover where... Amazing that a story written 50 years ago is still so relevant today - as many of them are. Highly recommended reading.

[Sparkles]

Jane Green is one of the "better" chick lit authors IMO - she is at least *really* funny sometimes. I enjoyed Bookends and it wasn't actually a boomerang (= goes straight back to the charity shop after reading): like most of the better ones it will probably go to my sister :D

Have just finished reading "Life Swap" by same.
Have to say I was hugely disappointed. Like you, I've thought that Jane Green is one of the "better" chick lit authors, but IMO this book fails to deliver.
There's too much pre-amble to the 'Life Swap' and then when it does take place nothing much happens...

If you, like me, enjoyed "Mr Maybe" and thought that this would be more of the same, think again!

I think I have read all Jane Green's books now, and this was by far the worst - sorry Jane!

[Dreadful Scathe]

She spent many years in singles bars in Paris where she had sex with many men without regret.

Well, that would save her money in hotel rooms I suppose but still, I didnt realise they were quite THAT open on Paris.


It is basically a story along the same lines as The Da Vinci Code

It'll be pish then ? :)


There's too much pre-amble

Too much standing around? :)

[mrs_warwick]

A Town Like Alice, Neville Shute

Girl meets boy, thinks boy has died, find out he lives, goes to Australia to look for him.

The English girl (Jean) meets the Australian boy (Joe) when both are under the control of the Japanese in Malaysia during the 2nd World War. She thinks he dies at the hands of the Japanese, but when she returns to Malaysia some years after the war ended, she discovers that he is still alive. She goes to Australia to find him, starting her search in Alice Springs (the Alice of the title).

A beautiful book, with evocative descriptions. No great car chases, no complicated technical or scientific details to keep up with (unlike the other book I've just read, Cross Bones by Kathy Reichs). Just a simple love story beautifully told.

[LMC]

I have pretty much a complete set of Neville Shute's books, picked up second hand before they were back in print. If you liked A Town like Alice (also one of my favourites) then Pastoral and The Far Country are possibly the next ones of his that you might want to read (think they are both back in print now) :nice:

[mrs_warwick]

I have pretty much a complete set of Neville Shute's books, picked up second hand before they were back in print. If you liked A Town like Alice (also one of my favourites) then Pastoral and The Far Country are possibly the next ones of his that you might want to read (think they are both back in print now) :nice:

I shall be looking out for them.
I have to say, the only reason I bought Town like Alice is that a local church were having an everything must go, books 1p each sale.
I splashed out and spent 10p!

[DavidY]

I Know You Got Soul by Jeremy Clarkson :blush: :wink:

Jeremy Clarkson writing about 21 machines "with that certain something".

Despite his Top Gear background, only 3 of the machines mentioned are cars -and it's not all about fast machinery (the Hoover Dam for instance is notoriously stationary). Lots of interesting historical snippets and Clarkson does write with an amusing style IMO.

Bought it at the airport on Saturday and it was ideal for a flight, (if you don't mind a few descriptions of plane crashes :eek: ) because it's the sort of book you can just dip in and out of.

[straycat]

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.

This is one of the most wildly imaginative books I've ever read. A very dark fantasy of sorts, with elements of horror, beautifully written. There's enough ideas in one chapter of this book to fuel four or five standard novels, and you get the feeling that such love and devotion has been expended on creating the characters and settings... it's extraordinary. As an example - a set of characters makes an appearance for a couple of chapters who in most other books would be throwaways - but by the time their part in the story came to an end, I was so intrigued by them that I wanted the author to write another book just based around them...

The sequels are great too (The Scar and Iron Council)

[azande]

Agree with Perdido Station and The Scar, but I didn't enjoy that much Iron Council, I couldn't get myself interested in one of the main character, can't even remember his name now, Judah's lover, and that spoiled the book for me.

[straycat]

but I didn't enjoy that much Iron Council, I couldn't get myself interested in one of the main character, can't even remember his name now, Judah's lover, and that spoiled the book for me.

I can understand that - Cutter is very hard to sympathise with - but in a way, because he just acted for much of the book as a passive observer, I didn't mind too much. It is very different in style from the other two books. I loved Judah's character and story though, together with the whole concept of Iron Council & its journey... which is what made the book for me.

Certainly not as well-liked as the first two though, and it's my personal least favourite of the three - although I do love them all.

[Beowulf]

Well going by the recommendations above I have just purchased Perdido Street Station and have just started it. I'm only a couple of chapters in but already I see it has promise.

and the best thing? I got it on Amazon market place for £2.70 ;) when I've finished it I'll let you know what I thought !!

[jiveaddicted]

I Know You Got Soul by Jeremy Clarkson :blush: :wink:

Jeremy Clarkson writing about 21 machines "with that certain something".

Despite his Top Gear background, only 3 of the machines mentioned are cars -and it's not all about fast machinery (the Hoover Dam for instance is notoriously stationary). Lots of interesting historical snippets and Clarkson does write with an amusing style IMO.

Bought it at the airport on Saturday and it was ideal for a flight, (if you don't mind a few descriptions of plane crashes :eek: ) because it's the sort of book you can just dip in and out of.

Read this a couple of months ago very good i also read another of his books it was basically his little rants about various things. Laugh out loud funny. i belive its called the world according to clarkson not positive tho.

[Crazy Russian]

‘War and peace’ by Leo Tolstoy.

I think that it is one of the greatest novels ever. :respect:

By the way, have you read Dostoevsky? I wonder to know your opinion. :)

[Warwick]

‘War and peace’ by Leo Tolstoy.

I think that it is one of the greatest novels ever. :respect:

By the way, have you read Dostoevsky? I wonder to know your opinion. :)

What translation did you read? I'd like to find a good English version. I read it in Russian and had to slog so hard that I missed most of the story.

[Crazy Russian]

What translation did you read? I'd like to find a good English version. I read it in Russian and had to slog so hard that I missed most of the story.

Hi!

I am Russian, so I’ve read the book in Russian. :grin:

Yeah, finding good English translation is really a problem. Many translators consider that it is very difficult to translate Russian books into English.

I know only one e-library: http://www.gutenberg.org/

Try to find there…

By the way, ‘War and peace’ is the favourite book of Nicole Kidman. (She said it herself.) Natasha Rostova is her favourite character.

By the way, Nicole also loves Dostoevsky and Chekhov. :respect:

[Warwick]

Hi!
Chekhov. :respect:

I have a lot of time for Chekhov. His stuff translates well. Translation is easier too. I was happy to read his work.

[philsmove]

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

Bill Bryson

:clap: ::rofl: : :worthy:

:cheers:

[Crazy Russian]

You know, I downloaded the book from Gutenberg e-library. I think that the translation is very bad. :sad: Try to find the book in ‘normal’ library, not e-one.

Or alternatively read it in French. I’m 100 cent sure that the French translation is very good. Good luck. :cheers:

[detomo]

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf for a local book club :confused::(. May have been ground-breaking in its time but hasn't aged well :what:

[straycat]

I put aside book four of Song of Ice & Fire (was giving me insomnia) for a while and have just finished The Time Traveller's Wife, which people have been on at me to read for a while. Loved it. Great book.

[LemonCake]

Lord of Light by Robert Zelazny (sp?). Very good, been reading it on the bus/train. Not read much SF before but might try some more based on that experience.

Also re-read Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark TeaTime of the Soul. Restarted and for the first time actually finished Brave New World. Very good, if worrying! Might try and make it to the end of 1984 next.

Anyone looking for a good read could do worse than 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (I think). Delightful stuff.

[Blueshoes]

Captain Corelli's mandolin. Absolutely superb.

:respect:

[Barry Shnikov]

Lord of Light by Robert Zelazny (sp?). Very good, been reading it on the bus/train. Not read much SF before but might try some more based on that experience.

Oooh, be careful. Lord of Light is one of SF's outstanding books by a terrific writer. 95% of SF can't hold a candle to it.

Recommendations: Gateway, by Frederik Pohl; Ringworld by Larry Niven; the short stories of James Tiptree Jr (pen name of Alice Sheldon) in particular 'And I awoke and found me here on the cold hill's side', 'Forever to a Hudson Bay blanket', 'Houston, Houston, do you read?', and 'Love is the plan, the plan is death'; The mote in God's eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle; To your scattered bodies go by Philip Jose Farmer; The battle circle trilogy by Piers Anthony; Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner; The Ophiuchi hotline by John Varley; Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke; Engine summer by John Crowley. Top recommendation: Gateway

[Barry Shnikov]

In last couple of weeks have read A bend in the river by VS Naipaul; Miss Smilla's feeling for snow by Peter Hoeg; Moon palace by Paul Auster. Liked the VS Naipaul best and was cross with Miss Smilla as I felt the book seemed to be in one genre and then turned into another genre.

[Barry Shnikov]

Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian.

I was inspired to read this after seeing the film and I really enjoyed it. I'll have to try and work my way through the other 19 books in the series now.

...well worth it!

[LMC]

*dusts thread*

Iain Banks / Iain M Banks (first prize for least obscure nom de plume?)

I don't really know why I've never read any Banks before this year. I've managed to work my way through several now though (the trains have been pretty bad :rolleyes: ). Mainly the sci-fi - enjoyed Against a Dark Background and Player of Games particularly. Thought the ending of The Business was a bit weak so am not tempted to try any of his other non-genre novels - unless anyone can recommend a good one?

[philsmove]

unless anyone can recommend a good one?

Crow Road

And if your in the right mood The Wasp Factory (but please don’t ask me what the right mood is) its not light reading

[mrs_warwick]

Crow Road

And if your in the right mood The Wasp Factory (but please don’t ask me what the right mood is) its not light reading

I have read the Crow Road, after seeing the TV adaptation, and enjoyed it enough to re-read recently. I have at least one other, can't remember which one. It was very dark, haven't been desperate enough for something to read that I'm prepared to pick it up again!

[straycat]

Crow Road

And if your in the right mood The Wasp Factory (but please don’t ask me what the right mood is) its not light reading

Crow Road is wonderful.
Espedair Street is another favourite of mine.
The Wasp Factory - was unusual :really: (very good, but very twisted)
Complicity - also very good, also very twisted - extremely grim, but one of his best books, I think.
Whit - one of his most cheerful books - loads of fun.

Oh - and avoid A Song of Stone like the plague. I hated it :mad:

[Beowulf]

I have just read..

Programming ASP.NET

the characters are two dimensional and there's no plot to speak of. :rolleyes:

[Dreadful Scathe]

I have just read..

Programming ASP.NET

the characters are two dimensional and there's no plot to speak of. :rolleyes:
Theres an evil corporate bad guy in there though :)

[DianaS]

I have just started to read the Artists Way by Julia Cameron. It's snowing here and it arrived this morning so I've made my journey through the first chapter... It's arrival was very well timed as I couldn't get into work. i'd love to hear from any one else who has read this book. could you send me a pm?
Di de Di

[Alice]

I have just read A Harlot's Progress by David

It's based on Hogarth's prints of London in the 1730s. Very clever style of narration (unreliable narrator, lots of hallucinations, dreams etc) and some stunning language:awe: :respect: :respect: :respect:

Just started a book by Alice Walker which I'm very much enjoying:) Anyone else come across her before?

[Stuart M]

*dusts thread*

Iain Banks / Iain M Banks (first prize for least obscure nom de plume?)

I don't really know why I've never read any Banks before this year. I've managed to work my way through several now though (the trains have been pretty bad :rolleyes: ). Mainly the sci-fi - enjoyed Against a Dark Background and Player of Games particularly. Thought the ending of The Business was a bit weak so am not tempted to try any of his other non-genre novels - unless anyone can recommend a good one?
I you enjoyed the sci-fi, I would recommend Alistair Reynolds' Revelation Space. More space opera, bit slow to start but in my imagination's cinema screen it makes for some amazing visuals.

[Gav]

I've just finished "Everville" by Clive Barker.
I'm a big fan of Clive Barkers and I was looking forward to this sequel to "The Great and Secret Show".
The book starts by going back before the earlier book to explain why it's set in Everville and to give a bit more background to what's happening.
Then it comes back to the point that The Great and Secret show left off and picks up the old characters.

One of Clive Barkers best attributes is that he makes his fantasy and horror almost believable, however, that's where he has failed with Everville. He lost that little edge that made his stories seem real.
Worse than that, the book doesn't end, it just fizzles out.
I've read almost everything that Clive Barker has offered and this is the first time I've ever been disappointed.:sad:

I'm going to re-read "Sacrament" next, because it's been so long that I can't remember much of it. :grin:

[Katie Kicks Ass]

The bad mothers handbook. Slightly predictable.

[StokeBloke]

The bad mothers handbook. Slightly predictable.
The World According to Clarkson. Slightly predictable.

[Mezzosoprano]

The Bloodline of the Holy Grail (Laurence Gardiner) and the Second Messiah (Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas)... both interesting and there's nothing I like better than a religious mystery..... but not exactly light reading... going to go back to Pratchett for a while!! Has anybody else read Labirynth (can't remember who wrote it but Kate Mose/Moss comes to mind)?

[Beowulf]

Posted 9th-September-2006, 02:13 PM


Well going by the recommendations above I have just purchased Perdido Street Station and have just started it. I'm only a couple of chapters in but already I see it has promise.

and the best thing? I got it on Amazon market place for £2.70 ;) when I've finished it I'll let you know what I thought !!

erm.. I have just finished reading this :blush: (it's the long words like thauma...(reads it phonetically) th..au..ma..tu..r..g..y .. thaumaturgy that give me the biggest problems :wink: )

Actually I started it, then lost the book, found the book, restarted, lost it again :rolleyes: , found it again recently and, over a couple of days finished it.. (EVENTUALLY!)

It's pretty good, although I did think it left too much hanging at the end, it's obviously the first book in an ongoing series, so I can forgive it for that. I love the mix of science and magic, clockwork calculating engines, battery powered magical devices. Very cool.

So I guess I'll have to get the next book in the series.. expect a review of that one sometime around August :rolleyes: :whistle:

[Beowulf]

So I guess I'll have to get the next book in the series.. expect a review of that one sometime around August :rolleyes: :whistle:

just as an after thought.. what IS the next book in the series? :confused:

[Barry Shnikov]

Bad luck and trouble, by Lee Child

[jiveaddicted]

Bad luck and trouble, by Lee Child

Thats on my shopping list for this weekend i had to read the hard way in a single sitting as it would not allow me to put it down!!!

Have just recently finished The Vanished Man by Jeffery Deaver which was excellent.

M :nice:

[straycat]

just as an after thought.. what IS the next book in the series? :confused:

Next one... is The Scar.

Don't expect to see anything from the last one resolved though. They don't share any characters, although the book centres on one of Isaac's former lovers (she gets exactly one mention in Perdido)

After that there's Grey Council, which is set some years after The Scar.

The Scar is my favourite of the three, but all three are excellent. Grey Council is the least popular though - I'd say it's certainly the least accessible of the three, but all three share the same wild imagination, and intricate characterisation and plotting. Very curious about what he's going to do next.

[straycat]

Just finished re-reading Bill Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy (last read them around the time the third book came out) - even better on a second reading.

[jiveknight]

The Bloodline of the Holy Grail (Laurence Gardiner) and the Second Messiah (Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas)... both interesting and there's nothing I like better than a religious mystery..... but not exactly light reading... going to go back to Pratchett for a while!! Has anybody else read Labirynth (can't remember who wrote it but Kate Mose/Moss comes to mind)?

Have you read "Rule by Secrecy" by Jim Marrs? Includes some similar stuff although I can't strictly speaking declare it here as I'm still reading it...:D

[Rhythm King]

I just wrote a long reply with reviews of two books here and it hasn't flipping posted - grrr! :angry:

[firefly]

Just finished re-reading Bill Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy (last read them around the time the third book came out) - even better on a second reading.

Sorry to be pedantic but I think it might be Philip Pullman; isn't Bill Pullman an actor? (Independance Day springs to mind)

[LMC]

Independence Day even (sorry, couldn't resist the pedantry there :wink: ) - but you're right :nice:

Currently re-reading Tad Williams Otherland quadrilogy (or whatever the word for it is). Great 'near-future' conspiracy theory stuff with LOTR-type plot. Much better on the second reading as the multiple-strand storylines/what's real/what's not were occasionally confusing first time round.

[straycat]

Sorry to be pedantic but I think it might be Philip Pullman; isn't Bill Pullman an actor? (Independance Day springs to mind)

:blush: Ho hum. Maybe I should start proofreading my posts or something :whistle:

[firefly]

Independence Day even (sorry, couldn't resist the pedantry there :wink: ) - but you're right :nice:


Urgh, that was how I spelled it originally then thought it didn't look right. Maybe I need to start using a spellchecker :sick:

Thread hijack over...I've just read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, and Susanna Clarke's The Ladies of Grace Adieu, set in the same world as Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell.

[Mezzosoprano]

This should be "I have just Re-read"

Jane Austen :

Northanger Abbey - man what an annoying little person Catherine is... what on earth are those men chasing her for?

Mansfield Park - Fanny Price.... boring!!

Persuasion - Anne Elliot is a proper heroine... far more interesting and almost my favourite who is......

cliffhanger moment.....

Elizabeth Bennett - I like that girl..bet she would have done a mean Tango!

[Beowulf]

So I guess I'll have to get the next book in the series.. expect a review of that one sometime around August :rolleyes: :whistle:

Have just finished "The Scar" by China Miéville. Hmm, Book one (perdido street station) was interesting, book 2 was interesting too.. but both of them seemed to end leaving you a bit unsatisfied.

I don't know if it's just me, but both stories seemed to end leaving a lot up in the air. Not going to put any spoilers here for people who have not read them but you have the unresolved story of the heroes from the first book. It's barely mentioned in the second book (I think they are mentioned in passing but nothing is resolved)

Then at the end of the second book, after building up and up to get the main characters to the place named in the title of the book.. they, well.. again I can't say too much but those of you who have read it will understand.

Is book three the same? what about his collection of short stories? do any of these fill in the gaps? I did enjoy reading the books but at the end I was sort of left with a feeling of "oh? is that it??" at the end.

[straycat]

Have just finished "The Scar" by China Miéville. Hmm, Book one (perdido street station) was interesting, book 2 was interesting too.. but both of them seemed to end leaving you a bit unsatisfied.

...

Is book three the same? what about his collection of short stories? do any of these fill in the gaps? I did enjoy reading the books but at the end I was sort of left with a feeling of "oh? is that it??" at the end.

Erm - yes. 'Fraid so. Kinda. He seems to have a habit of resolving the main storylines while leaving the character stories a little up in the air. Although (trying not to spoil anything here) - in some very strange ways, Iron Council does it the other way around :whistle:

Haven't read the short stories.

Iron Council does give you a little more info on certain characters who cropped up in Perdido, but I don't think you get anything more on the characters from The Scar. It's ... a little different from the other two - it feels a touch more distanced from its characters in some hard-to-fathom way. The incredible imagination and attention to detail remain though, and I was utterly riveted from start to finish.

[Barnsley Bomber]

i have just read a series of books by stephen king called the dark tower. although not a huge fan of stephen king a really enjoyed these books. there is seven in total, starting with the gunslinger

there not horrors but kinda sci-fi thrillers. if you like the his dark materials trilogy or the lord of the rings then you'll love this.

i enjoyed these books more than they other trilogies.

by the way what would you call seven books if three is a trilogy.

[Mythical]

by the way what would you call seven books if three is a trilogy.

A Septology, I guess :confused: or a series?

I love Stephen King books. I haven't read the dark tower series but my Grandma has the whole lot, so I may borrow it from her when I go home.
My favourite is Christine - I wish my Beetle would fix itself like her.....I already know he's a stubborn old git, so his personality would likely come as little surprise!

[Stuart M]

by the way what would you call seven books if three is a trilogy.


A heptalogy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heptalogy)

.....

[Barnsley Bomber]

thanks for helping me clear that up. now i can sound really interesting and intelligent when i say ive just read a hepology:clap:

[Gav]

The First Casualty - Ben Elton

Just finished this one.

For a little context, I had read one other Ben Elton book, This Other Eden. I thought the book was a big pile of poo, written like a teenager. The structure was textbook, sentence construction was lame and use of language was pretty juvenile.

I read this one because DT insisted that his later books are better and she was right.
His style has developed considerably and it's one of the better books that I've read lately.
It's set in WW1 and follows an ex-police officers secret investigation in and out of the trenches. I won't spoil the book for everyone, but it's a million times better than I was expecting.
Thanks DT. :awe:
I may even read more of his later books. :what:

[Dreadful Scathe]

thanks for helping me clear that up. now i can sound really interesting and intelligent when i say ive just read a hepology:clap:

Just don't drop your T whilst saying it or you won't look intelligent :whistle:

I've only read one Decology, can anyone guess which one.

[Chicklet]

I've only read one Decology, can anyone guess which one.

It can only be Hercule Smurf in :

The Mysterious Smurf at Styles
The Murder of Roger Smurf
Smurfery Dickery Dock
Murder on the Smurf
Appointment with Smurf
The SMF Murders
Peril at End Smurf
Dead Smurf's Folly
The Pale Smurf
Lord Smurfware Dies

[rubyred]

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

[Mini Mac]

Carrie by Stephen King

i personally find the book a lot more chilling than the film.:eek:

I want to read Misery next.

[johnnyman]

DEVIL MAY CARE by Sebastina Faulks and are starting to read Eric Clapton's biography.

DEVIL MAY CARE is an authorised James Bond adventure. Pretty good and gritty. Seems more like a Bond film posing as a novel rather than a novel per se, but very entertaining.

best
johnnyman

[Mini Mac]

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

This book is amazing and is suited to ages 16 and above for both boys and girls. A story about love and fantasy. Bella is age 17 and is moving to forks in the usa to live with her dad, she quickly befriends a boy called Edward who is much more than he seems.

This book has become a phenonomal hit with teenagers all around the world, the film is being released in november 2008 and a new sequel to it. Breaking Dawn is on sale now.

They're are three other sequels.

New Moon
Eclipse
and Breaking Dawn.

I have started chapter 3 of New Moon and am already on tenterhooks!:eek:

[Dreadful Scathe]

onlu just spotted your reply le Chic


It can only be Hercule Smurf in :

The Mysterious Smurf at Styles
The Murder of Roger Smurf
Smurfery Dickery Dock
Murder on the Smurf
Appointment with Smurf
The SMF Murders
Peril at End Smurf
Dead Smurf's Folly
The Pale Smurf
Lord Smurfware Dies

Ahh Hercule is begging to be re-written in a high pitched voice...

...but no "Invasion Earth" was the decology

[DQueen]

Chasing Harry Winston - Lauren Weisberger
Its the third book from the author of the Devil Wear's Prada. Not exactly a masterpiece but good chick lit!

[Cruella]

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon

I've just started this one! I loved 'The curious incident of the dog in the night time' by the same author, so have high hopes for this too.

'My life on a plate' by India Knight is a good light read for any of you married/divorced women aged 35 plus. You'll really relate to the character and humour.

[rubyred]

I've just started this one! I loved 'The curious incident of the dog in the night time' by the same author, so have high hopes for this too.


I loved ' Curious Incident ..' too, let me know what you think of this one lol :flower:

[jive-vee]

I loved ' Curious Incident ..' too, let me know what you think of this one lol :flower:

Ooh yeah I quite liked this one. The last book I read and loved was The Time Traveller's Wife - sobbed in places. :blush:

[straycat]

The Terror by Dan Simmons

I've been a long-time fan of Dan Simmons (Hyperion being compulsory reading for any self-respective scifi fan) - and love this one.

It's about Sir John Franklin's doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic to find the Northwest passage (for those that haven't heard of this, he took two ships, the Erebus and the Terror. Neither were ever found, and rescue parties failed to find any survivors, though they did eventually find clues as to the fates of some of the crew)

The Terror joins the expedition after the ships have been stuck in the ice for nearly two years, and adds an unusual horror element to the story - they've encountered some kind of Inuit elemental spirit, and it is out on the ice stalking the crew, picking them off at its leisure. The combination of historical fiction / horror novel is an odd one, but Dan Simmons really does make it work phenomenally well - and he's researched both the expedition, and the harsh facts of survival in the Arctic very very thoroughly. Had me hooked from start to finish.

[Limpy Tink]

...The last book I read and loved was The Time Traveller's Wife - sobbed in places. :blush:

Tiggerbabe recently put me on to this one - and I loved it. Confusing to get your head around initially, but sooo worth sticking with. A love story with a twist - "sobbed" was an understatement in my case, I was a right off :tears: My boys didn't know what to do with me.. they even had to get their own tea, cos I just couldn't put it down :blush:

[rubyred]

Tiggerbabe recently put me on to this one - and I loved it. Confusing to get your head around initially, but sooo worth sticking with. A love story with a twist - "sobbed" was an understatement in my case, I was a right off :tears: My boys didn't know what to do with me.. they even had to get their own tea, cos I just couldn't put it down :blush:


I've got to get reading this one then, I like a good cry:doh:Mind you when I go to the pictures :popcorn:and :tears: at a film and then say, ' oooohhhh that was lovely', my friend thinks I am strange:rolleyes:

[jeanie]

Carrie by Stephen King

i personally find the book a lot more chilling than the film.:eek:

I want to read Misery next.
T'is more chilling than film - especially if you've seen the film first....

[jeanie]

Have just finished the Hannibal Lecture omnibus (again) and it's so much more gruesome than the films. Just starting Hannibal Rising, bit boring at the moment as he's just a kid.

[Nessiemonster]

The last book I read and loved was The Time Traveller's Wife - sobbed in places. :blush:


Tiggerbabe recently put me on to this one - and I loved it. Confusing to get your head around initially, but sooo worth sticking with. A love story with a twist - "sobbed" was an understatement in my case, I was a right off :tears: My boys didn't know what to do with me.. they even had to get their own tea, cos I just couldn't put it down :blush:

I've just finished reading that too - fantastic book that I couldn't put down. (I must be a hard woman though as it didn't make me cry. :blush:)

Before that I read The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which I just didn't get, though I'm glad I read it.

Another one I'd recommend is An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears (?). It takes a while to get into the way of writing, but it's another one with a great twist and was totally gripping.

Oh, and The Savage Garden is another one worth a read - so good I started it in the morning and couldn't go to sleep that night until I'd finished it!!

:flower:

[Barry Shnikov]

onlu just spotted your reply le Chic



Ahh Hercule is begging to be re-written in a high pitched voice...

...but no "Invasion Earth" was the decology

You're kidding! The saga written (wink wink) by L. Ron Hubbard? How on earth did you manage that? :worthy:

[Barry Shnikov]

Have just finished the Hannibal Lecture omnibus (again) and it's so much more gruesome than the films. Just starting Hannibal Rising, bit boring at the moment as he's just a kid.

Hannibal Lecture? That sounds like a risky place to learn...

[Barry Shnikov]

Just finished:
Climbing Mount Improbable - Richard Dawkins (re-read)
Foundations of astronomy - Various (re-read)
The moat around Murcheson's Eye - Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle (re-read)

Currently:
The Law Society's Conveyancing Handbook(suprisingly interesting - but 2,000 pages)
A biography of young Stalin by Simon Sebag Montefiore
Brightness falls from the air - James Tiptree Jr.
And working through the nine volume Forsyte Saga, I'm on book 4; and Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon (the very same book I bought when it first came out and was the trendy underground book to read; but I still haven't finished it, though only 80 pages to go).

When I re-started Gravity's Rainbow last year, it took me back to my time at University when we had a banana breakfast after finals, which I modelled closely on Pirate Prentice's banana breakfast in the second chapter. I made real croissants, folks, yes that's flour and water and yeast folded over a sheet of butter, and again, and again, and again, and again, until there are hundreds of layers. Quite good, though I say so myself.

Ahem. Well, guess who's bored?:blush:

[Beowulf]

I have just read ...

.. A BOOK ! :wink:

Actually I had more than one on the go at once.. one was easy going and quite fun.. the other a bit heavier.

"The man who loved only Numbers" - Paul Hoffman. It's the biography of Paul Erdos (pronounced AIRDISH)and his mathematical genius. Genuinely funny and touching in places and a bloody good read.

and

"Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension" - Michio Kaku .

Even managed to make my head hurt at times. Have to say it was a bit "dumbed down" in places though. Still quite fun to read.

Am currently a couple of chapters into "Mathematics in Western Culture" by Morris Kline. Interesting so far.. can't really say much about it yet though.

[Barry Shnikov]

Am currently a couple of chapters into "Mathematics in Western Culture" by Morris Kline. Interesting so far.. can't really say much about it yet though.

That should be a short book. Unless he defines culture r-e-a-l-l-y widely.:rolleyes:

As has been pointed out many times, people who would be mortified at the suggestion that they weren't familiar with the writings of Aphra Behn would be happy to boast that they have no idea why pi is an important number.

[philsmove]

Not reading anything at the moment
But looking out of the window I think I might re read

Rain by W. Somerset Maugham

:sad:

[whitetiger1518]

Taking refuge in the Blandings set by P G Wodehouse , and rereading the Inspector Appleby series by Michael Innes.

Whitetiger

[firefly]

The last book I read and loved was The Time Traveller's Wife - sobbed in places. :blush:


Tiggerbabe recently put me on to this one - and I loved it. Confusing to get your head around initially, but sooo worth sticking with. A love story with a twist - "sobbed" was an understatement in my case, I was a right off :tears: My boys didn't know what to do with me.. they even had to get their own tea, cos I just couldn't put it down :blush:


I've just finished reading that too - fantastic book that I couldn't put down. (I must be a hard woman though as it didn't make me cry. :blush:)



I've just finished reading The Time Traveller's Wife, partly as a result of the recommendations on this thread, and I'm afraid I was a right-off as well :blush:
I told my husband he should definitely read it too, but after hearing my reaction he seems strangely reluctant :rolleyes:

[Gav]

Perfectly Dead by Iain McDowall.
and just to make sure that I don't read it again or that DT doesn't accidentally pick it up, I've burnt it.
What a load of unadulterated cr4p.
Trouble is, I kept reading it hoping it was going to get better. What a mug!

[Toasti]

The Pop-Up Karma Sutra Zero Gravity edition... :wink:

Excuse the Red Dwarf-ism, it's just Beowulf reminded me of one my favourite Lister lines.


I have just read ...

.. A BOOK ! :wink:

[philsmove]

Eric Clapton’s autobiography

It does not have a Title but may be

“What to do if you earn more money than you know what to do with”

It’s amazing he is still alive, ten thousand quid a day on drugs :naughty:

[Stuart M]

The Stornoway Way, by Kevin MacNeil

Charts the life of one Robert Stornoway, not the real name of the hero of this book, native of the town he adopts the name of. A failed busker, alcoholic, and pithy speaker of uncomfortable truths. He relates his life story to MacNeil. Some fantastic lines like:

I knew I had to leave Lewis when I got to the point where I was recognising the sheep I counted when trying to fall asleep.
The author is first and foremost a poet, and this comes through well in the writing. Good stuff.

[scarface]

Eric Clapton’s autobiography

It does not have a Title but may be

“What to do if you earn more money than you know what to do with”

It’s amazing he is still alive, ten thousand quid a day on drugs :naughty:
Try reading Slash from Guns & Roses autobiography... how the hell is he still alive??

[Stuart]

Kasztner's Train by Anna Porter.

The true story of a man who led efforts to save approximately 20,000 Jews in Hungary towards the end of the second world war. After the war he was vilified in a libel trial in Israel because he did so by negotiating with the Germans and was eventually murdered. He was vindicated posthumously by the Israeli Supreme Court.

[Barry Shnikov]

Fell off the Ulysses wagon for a couple of days and read the His dark materials trilogy by Philip Pullmann. Quite enjoyable but boy, the plotting of the last book was dense.

I've never really liked the six-protagonists-and-we-will-visit-them-in-rotation style of story telling. It's bad enough in The Lord of the Rings when we visit Frodo, then Aragorn, then Pippin and Merry by turns.

BTW finished ths 'young Stalin' biography - what an astonishing life he led. Unbelievable. Reading the book - providing you can stomach his utter disregard for human life and limb - would be an excellent way to recommend the terrorist lifestyle. And of course he ended up as one of the two single most powerful men in the world - the other being Mao. (Who was even more slimy than Stalin, and as it turns out even more murderous, though the difference between tens of millions and tens of millions is somewhat academic.)

[Beowulf]

... A Book !!

:wink:

Actually have just finished "The Dreaming Void" by Peter F. Hamilton

set some 1500ish years after the events in Pandora's Star/Judas unchained books.

Although tech in the books has advanced considerably from the previous books (well it would after 1500 years) some references to characters from the previous books are made.. and some actually make a reappearance !

True old school space opera on an epic scale.. if I have any (slight) negative comments it's a bit "samey" to his other books.

Well worth a read and a real page turner. I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel (The Temporal Void) to come out in paperback.. I can't fit a hardback in my jacket pocket !!

[scarface]

The Daily Star,

What a transformation a new manager (Harry Rednap) has made in one day to my football team (spurs):respect:

[Beowulf]

Partly due to the "Without God" thread.. but mostly because it was next on my list of e-books to read on my PDA (shortly after "Robot Visions" by Isaac Asimov) I have just read

"Hell Is the Absence of God" - Ted Chiang

An interesting novella and winner of both the Hugo and Nebula awards (although I'd say it's more Fantasy than Sci-fi) set in a world where the existence of God, heaven and hell isn't in doubt.. Angels make frequent visits to earth and wreak (some would say) random acts (some benevolent some malevolent) upon the populace.

Just because it's a fact that God exists there are still people who refuse to be religious. the main protagonist of the story is one such person.. that is, until his wife is killed during an angelic visitation and "Taken up" to heaven.

Although he hates God/the angels for what they did to him/ his wife he starts an unlikely mission.. to learn to love god regardless so that he may join his beloved wife in the hereafter.

Delightfully twisted.. at some times it seems very pro-Christianity but there's a sharp edge lurking under the soft fluffy exterior. The journey the main 3 characters take during the course of this short story is a thought provoking one.

As it's a short story it's hard to come by unless you purchase an anthology in which it's published.. however for those of you with PDA's you can download it (as I did) from here Fictionwise eBooks (http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook4145.htm?cache) for a nominal fee.

[Dreadful Scathe]

I've never really liked the six-protagonists-and-we-will-visit-them-in-rotation style of story telling. It's bad enough in The Lord of the Rings when we visit Frodo, then Aragorn, then Pippin and Merry by turns.

George RR Martin does this in "The Song of Ice and Fire" series, in fact in a VERY pronounced way - each chapter is titled with the characters name. But it is BRILLIANT, especially when you assume so much from one persons point of view and change your opinion completely on reading the other persons chapter.


You're kidding! The saga written (wink wink) by L. Ron Hubbard? How on earth did you manage that? :worthy:

I had lots of spare time :) and its very good in places (probably read it about 20 years ago though, no doubt my opinions on it would be different now). It is also very disturbing in places. I also liked L.Rons "FEAR" a, for a change, short book. I'd have to say it was excellent. Dark but excellent.

[Astro]

Better Late than Never MY STORY

by Len Goodman

Ebury Press 2008

This is an auto biography by the Head Judge on Strictly Come Dancing and also the USA version, Dancing with the Stars.

It's a great read, especially for dancers.

He talks about teaching in his dance school and competing.

Sounds like a catty world, the dance world - forumites are saints in comparrison, take note DTS. :D

There's also chapters on SCD.

Plus his childhood and personal life.

[Gav]

Propellerhead by Antony Woodward.

This is Antony Woodward's account of events earlier in his life that led to his love of flying microlights.
He admits that while all the events happened and all the quotes were said, they may not have happened in that order or by the same person. Names have been changed to protect people's pilot licences.

I have to admit that I also have a passion for flying, so maybe I'm biased, but this is a funny and interesting story. Assuming it is true just makes it even funnier.

The book tracks his progress from wanting to learn to fly (like his friend has) to 'pull' all the way through to a Eureka moment of self-discovery.

WARNING: For people with partners interested in flying and planes - Keep them away from this book. While reading it I found out where the nearest airfield is, the price of getting my licence and the cost of buying and keeping a microlight.
If I had a bit more spare time, I probably would've bought one by now. :D

[Double Trouble]

If I had a bit more spare time, I probably would've bought one by now. :D

A fool and his money are soon parted.:rolleyes:

[Gav]

Many years ago I read the six Dune books (several times) and absolutely loved them. I remember when Frank Herbert died and his son said he was working on finishing off some unfinished stuff his father was working on, but forgot all about it.

I was in a bookshop the other week and I came across one of them. It seems he's been busy. Collaborating with Kevin J Anderson, Brian Herbert has published 6 prequels, 2 sequels and an inbetweenie (filling in the gaps between the first 2 original books).

Anyway, I've read the first one - The Butlerian Jihad and the second - The Machine Crusade. Brilliantly done IMO. They've managed to keep a similar style to Frank's original works and tied the stories in nicely. There's a few twists to keep you guessing; I found myself more than once thinking "I can see where this is leading to" (thinking about the original stories), only for it to swing wildly in the opposite direction, but still link up nicely.

Great books and I'm looking forward to reading the whole series (so far) from end to end.
Next - The Battle of Corrin.

[Trousers]

Many years ago I read the six Dune books . . . . . . .

I read all those too. Enjoyed the first one like nothing on Earth. The second one rocked. The third was pretty good. The fourth was ok. . . . . Anyone see the trend?

By book 6 they were rubbish.
In the knowledge that they were rubbish I have only revisited the first two and not for years n years n years.

Shame how that happens.

Happened with Patrick Tilley and the Amtrack Wars multilogy. Great first book but they just wane the more you read.

[Trousers]

I have just read . . . . .

The Wikipedia entry for Chernobyl.

Cue the really sober sad looking emoticon.

I've worked on Nuclear power jobs and had nightmares in response to that work. This is just so shocking and sad a read.

I know Wikipedia is the worlds major consumer of Salt Pinches but the details about the incident are stunning.


Take a few minutes and read it, it is worth it.

[Beowulf]

"Matter" by Iain M. Banks.

SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW

Firstly let me just say this isn't a bad book.. despite what I say in my review that follows I still enjoyed reading it.. just, sadly, not as much as I could have done.

ok.. It's a Culture novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Culture). Yes Culture with a capital C. unfortunately most of the action takes place outside of the culture on a backwards "planet" (or should I perhaps say IN a backwards "planet" :wink: ) The story centres on a Feudal early industrial race of "humans" called the Sarl that live inside a giant artificial "planet" (I keep putting "planet" in quotes for reasons that will be apparent if you read the book) who are at war with their neighbours. It's for the most part a tale of greed for power. Both from within the Sarl themselves, their neighbours and the Superior Alien Race that "mentors" them. Everyone wants power and are prepared to go to brutal lengths to get it. After a thrilling start depicting the rise to power of one of the main protagonists and the forced exile of our "hero" and rightful heir the novel sort of slows down and chuggs for the vast bulk of the book (and it's a fairly thick book) though various side storys and people meeting up, forming alliances but with no real action again until literally the last 70 or so pages.

I found the ending quite unsatisfying. the action is thick and fast but sketched rather than painted. At times it feels more like a summary of events rather than a true narrative of the events as they progress. It's almost like football scores at times.. "Aliens 3 - Culture united 1"

As a Culture novel I feel it's somewhat lacking. It gives an insight into the Culture society .. how they "uplift" people from other societies and give them all the benefits a Culture citizen can expect.. but often at a cost (in duty rather than monetary) The main Culture heroine spends most of the book with her Special Circumstances equipped "improvements" disabled so you really don't get to marvel in the true "godlike" powers of a fully equipped Culture SC operative until the brief moment at the close of the tale. Only two mentions of the amusingly named Culture ships.. my favourite being "Lightly Seared On The Reality Grill"

if you're a fan of Bank's Culture novels by all means read this one. if you've not read any before this isn't one to start off with. I'd suggest "Consider Phlebas" instead.

one other thing.. at the end of the book.. after the bloody and apocalyptic ending there's a glossary.. AFTER the glossary there's the epilogue .. I thought this was a rather odd order to have these in.. but hey ho! There's also a couple of introductory chapters of "Consider Phlebas" and an interesting interview with Iain himself.

I say.. out of 10.. this ranks a 6 or a 7 max.

[philsmove]

"Matter" by Iain M. Banks.
.

I love Iain Banks, but for some reason cannot get "into " Iain M banks, am I alone in this :confused:

[Shadow Dancer]

I have just finished 'Breaking Dawn' by Stephenie Meyer. The final published book of the Twilight Saga. Absolutely stunning. The entire saga is a must read to anyone who is interested in the fantasy genre of stories.

I am now currently reading 'The Host' by Stephenie Meyer. Not that far into it yet but it seems like a good story for far.

[straycat]

"Matter" by Iain M. Banks.

SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW

Firstly let me just say this isn't a bad book..

Yeah - I finished this a week or so ago. I quite liked it... but 'quite liked' is a pretty poor rating considering how much I normally enjoy Banks (apart from A Song of Stone, which I roundly hated).

I enjoyed a lot of it, and particularly loved the idea of the Shellworlds, and the various details about 'em...
I think it was partly the characters which spoiled it for me - I didn't find any of them particularly engaging, so pretty much without exception, their ultimate fates didn't really impact on me very much. This is very unusual for a Banks novel, as his characters are normally a strong point.

Ultimately - quite fun, but doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Player of Games, Use of Weapons, Excession, Complicity etc.

[Beowulf]

Yeah - I finished this a week or so ago. I quite liked it... but 'quite liked' is a pretty poor rating considering how much I normally enjoy Banks (apart from A Song of Stone, which I roundly hated).

Ultimately - quite fun, but doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Player of Games, Use of Weapons, Excession, Complicity etc.

:yeah: As I said. I read it and it wasn't a bad book.. I just didn't enjoy it as well as the others you listed. I guess it's hard to be brilliant all the time ;)

Am currently waiting for the next Peter F. Hamilton book "The Temporal Void" to be released in Paperback. Am currently reading Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy.. just finishing the last chapter and a bit of "Northern Lights"

[straycat]

Currently re-reading Anno Dracula, by Kim Newman.

This is something of an oddity, and sadly out of print at the moment, although one can pick up copies of it on Amazon. It's one of my favourite 'fantasy' novels, and in terms of vampire novels, it's my absolute favourite.

It's an alternative history story, set in a Victorian London where Van Helsing et al made some fairly fatal mistakes in dealing with Dracula... who has now achieved many of his power-seeking aims, become the power behind the throne, and has made London a safe haven for vampires, who have, as the story begins, become a major part of London's social and political scenes, not to mention just about evey aspect of day-to-day life. The book chiefly follows the adventures of an agent for the Crown, Charles Beauregard, who is assigned to track down the murderer responsible for killing a number of vampire prostitutes in Whitechapel.

Into the mix, Newman manages to throw just about every single significant historical and fictional character of the period, not to mention just about every single popular vampire character ever created.... so the likes of Oscar Wilde, Gilbert & Sullivan, Fu Manchu, Raffles, Mycroft Holmes, Dr Jekyll, Moriarty et al are amongst a huge array of characters signifying in some way in the plot.

This could have been an unholy mess, but it's all done with such skill, and woven into an excellent plot headed up by such great characters, that the result is an absolute joy to read. Despite the vampire basis of the plot, it's more pseudo-historical thriller than horror novel, and I recommend it unreservedly.

[Dreadful Scathe]

oooh sounds interesting - if only i had the time to read, otherwise busy just now. You read any Brian Lumley ? his Necroscope series was an interesting take on vampires and other supernatural stuff...

Its been a month since i looked at it, but i was reading Terry Prachetts "Nation", good so far.

[Gav]

oooh sounds interesting - if only i had the time to read, otherwise busy just now. You read any Brian Lumley ? his Necroscope series was an interesting take on vampires and other supernatural stuff...

I read one of his books a while back. I picked up one of the Psychomech books whilst waiting for a flight and loved it, but I never managed to find the other books of the series. I also read some of his "Elysia" fantasy books which were equally gripping and difficult to find.
Never read the Necroscope books though, maybe I should give it a try.

[Gav]

I'm currently reading H.P. Lovecraft's Necronomicon.
It's a collection of his "Best Weird Tales".

He's often cited as an influence by the best known horror and fantasy writers, so I thought it was about time I read some.

The majority of the short stories were written for the pulp magazines of the 20s and 30s, therefore the language is somewhat dated, but not un-readably so.
I came across a quote I liked today whilst reading in the park:

"Common sense", I assured my friend with some warmth, "is merely a stupid absence of imagination and mental flexibility".

[Jay Jay]

Someone recommended that I read and learn 'The Secret'. I bought it this morning and have to say have nearly finished it already. Has anyone else read it and what are your thoughts?

[philsmove]

I am only half way through

But The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson, first book in the Millennium Trilogy is living up to its excellent reviews

[straycat]

I am only half way through

But The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson, first book in the Millennium Trilogy is living up to its excellent reviews

Just finished the third one. Thoroughly enjoyed the series, although I'd say #1 is the best of the three.

Although I did begin to wonder whether Mr Larsson was getting any kickbacks from Apple for all the product placement throughout the book...

[Gav]

Although I did begin to wonder whether Mr Larsson was getting any kickbacks from Apple for all the product placement throughout the book...

His estate might be, but he's been dead for more than 5 years so don't hold your breath for his next project! :D

[DJ Andy]

I have just finished reading 'Victory Of Eagles' - the fifth book of Naomi Novik's alternative history/fantasy 'Temeraire' series.

Set in the Napoleonic era, Britain and France are at war, not just on land and at sea, but also in the air, thanks to the Aviator Corps who do battle aboard dragons.
Well researched attention to period detail, use of real historical characters, and a feeling for nineteenth century language and social mores anchor the action in a very plausible world.
For example, the main character (who is of noble birth) becomes a social outcast because a position in the Aviator Corps is not one for a 'gentleman'.

The author also has fun with the names of the various dragon breeds.
The British have Yellow Reapers, Longwings, Winchesters and Regal Coppers, whilst the French have Grand and Petit Chevaliers, Flamme-De-Gloires, and Fleur De Nuits.

Book Six is due out this summer, and I'm looking forward to it!

[philsmove]

Just finished the third one. Thoroughly enjoyed the series, although I'd say #1 is the best of the three.

...

I finished the last one in the early hours of this morning:sleep:
Of the three I liked the second one best
The third was a bit predictable but impossible to put down non the less

Any one count the number of cups of coffee drunk

[gamebird]

Just finished the third one. Thoroughly enjoyed the series, although I'd say #1 is the best of the three.

Although I did begin to wonder whether Mr Larsson was getting any kickbacks from Apple for all the product placement throughout the book...

I wondered that too (yes, apart form the fact that he's dead Gav) - and kickbaks from Ikea, Bill's pan pizza and the seven-eleven too - lots of product placement and (as far as I'm concerned) unnecessary specifics all the way through.

I'm also onto the third book and also reckon the first is the best.

[Prian]

"Unseen Academicals" Terry Pratchett. Not the best, but for me a huge improvement on the Tiffany Aching stories. The Watch, Wizzards/Rincewind and the Witches are my faves.

I know there is at least one Sir Terence fan on here. Are there others? Is there, or is it worth starting a dedicated discworld thread?


Prian
"The Turtle Moves"

[philsmove]

Is there, or is it worth starting a dedicated discworld thread?

May be we could have a thread on "Which Digital Iconograph"