what book are you reading

[lego72]

hey Diva. From reading the posts in this thread I get the feeling that you do a lot of reading ;)

I started reading fantasy via David Eddings then moved on to Raymond E Fiest. Usually if I like an author I read everything they write (including interviews) until I stop liking them. My favourites are the ones that last (a fairly obvious point :))

This book is really sucking me in. Its much darker than anything I have read before in this genre and Georgie-boy doesn't mind throwing in a few taboo activities.

I'll most certainly be having a look at his other stuff so thanks for the info.

[Diva]

yeah, I read lots :) and I read pretty quickly too, so I go through a lot of books.

GRRM is a big medieval history buff, and he said that much of ASoIaF is inspired by (but NOT based directly on) the War of the Roses in England. That was Lancaster vs York. His book is Lannister vs Stark ;)

It is very well written, intricately plotted, very dark, and there is no 'happily ever after' endings for any of the books so far.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the short story, The Hedge Knight, is set about 100 years before the start of AGoT, when the Targaryens are still ruling Westeros. It makes it all rather interesting when you know what is going to happen in a few generations.

[lego72]

Has GRRM done any sci fi writing?

Also - has you read any Iain M Banks? His take on the far future is very refreshing, even for a tech junkie like myself.

[Drakin]

Schrodinger's Cat - Robert Anton Wilson

If you havent read illuminatus trilogy start there. If you have read it, get a hold of this one for more of the same but in a diagonal reverse motion from the previous starting point that happens to drag you into a different dimension with plenty of echos from the characters last outing in illuminatus.

"We are all just characters in a big novel and its just getting to the last few pages and the authors not sure on the ending......"

[ersatz]

^ fnord. if you don't see it it can't eat you.

[annie]

reading Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

oh and by the way, has anyone here read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenent: the Unbeliever? One of my friend recommened it to me a while ago, and i just rememberd i wanted to read it.

[hooptieride]

im reading A Clockwork Orange again for english... any1 know where i can get in on DVD?

[annie]

Originally posted by hooptieride
im reading A Clockwork Orange again for english... any1 know where i can get in on DVD?

to own or to loan
(hehe it rhymes)
...
i need sleep

[Diva]

Originally posted by annie
oh and by the way, has anyone here read The Chronicles of Thomas Covenent: the Unbeliever? One of my friend recommened it to me a while ago, and i just rememberd i wanted to read it.

tedious, depressing, boring. If you read it, be prepared for continual suicidal thoughts (as you can't kill off the main character, you will want to kill yourself).


Lego72 - I'm not sure if Martin has written any sci fi, I don't really read it. But you can check out his website which has a full list of what he has written

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/

[lego72]

Originally posted by Diva

Lego72 - I'm not sure if Martin has written any sci fi, I don't really read it. But you can check out his website which has a full list of what he has written

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/

Thanks Diva

[alcor]

Strip Tease - Carl Hiassen

This guys books are really funny (if a little similar) crime novels, all set in Florida.
Also reccommend 'sick Puppy' by same author.

Just read a book called 'Iced' (i forget the author's name)
It's a diary of a crackhead, and it left me feeling really depressed.
Well written though.

[berserk]

Originally posted by hooptieride
im reading A Clockwork Orange again for english... any1 know where i can get in on DVD?

Just go to the Valhalla(?) cinema near Sydney Uni. They'll show this movie at least once a week.

[dwarfthrower]

Reading Tom Clancy's The Bear & the Dragon very tiresome for the first half, starting to get OK toward the end.

[Kyle]

Originally posted by alcor
Strip Tease - Carl Hiassen

This guys books are really funny (if a little similar) crime novels, all set in Florida.
Also reccommend 'sick Puppy' by same author.

Just read a book called 'Iced' (i forget the author's name)
It's a diary of a crackhead, and it left me feeling really depressed.
Well written though.

I Like Carl Hiassen a lot, Lucky You is a great book.....right now i'm reading Dean Koontz's One Door Away From Heaven...it's actually really interesting....hard to explain though, basically it follows more than one person through their own kinda journeys, like this one little girl has a doped up mom who is always buying weird animals and coming into her bedroom late at night to tell her twisted bedtime stories, and a hitman father who believes aliens will come heal her of all of her ailments....arg...well i cant explain this book at all im finding out, but its good

[ShadowNemesis]

Originally posted by Kyle
I Like Carl Hiassen a lot, Lucky You is a great book.....right now i'm reading Dean Koontz's One Door Away From Heaven...it's actually really interesting

I totally agree with you there. My eldest daughter is reading it at the moment.

I'm reading "The House Of Thunder" by Dean Koontz. *again*
it has an ending that is something you never see coming through the entire book.

[NomadGnome]

The Tasmanian Babes Fiasco by John Birmingham

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a slightly skewed sense of humor. Ripper Read

:D :D :D :D ( 4 out of 5 on the Grin-o-Meter )

[sagit]

Originally posted by dwarfthrower
Reading Tom Clancy's The Bear & the Dragon very tiresome for the first half, starting to get OK toward the end.

it is a hard read for that first bit but does move along reasonably well from now on....

[mysterious-dr-x]

steven erikson - gardens on the moon
bill bryson - note from a small island
ken follet - eye of the needle
barrington j bayligh - eye of terror (this is shite, but i hate not finishing a book!)

[Buffy]

I read serveral different books at once.. I don't know why, but it happens a fair bit... at the moment Pirate has just introduced me to Clive Cussler so I'm reading through his collection.. onto Atlantis Found right now. They are strange books to me, I like the action and intrigue, but the misogynistic approach and rushed endings leave a bit to be desired. Cussler seems to base the Dirk Pitt character on his own fantastic view of himself too, which bugs me! Dude, you're a geeky guy that knows a lot about cars, planes, and boats, not a womanising, smooth talking, devastatingly handsome james bond type. The geeky guy thing is much more appealing anyway! :D
Also re-reading a lot of Eddings, and just started on Magician by Fiest for the gazillionth time. This was the first fantasy book I ever read when I was a wee lass, and its still my favourite. :)

[lego72]

Originally posted by Buffy
I read serveral different books at once.. I don't know why, but it happens a fair bit... at the moment Pirate has just introduced me to Clive Cussler so I'm reading through his collection.. onto Atlantis Found right now. They are strange books to me, I like the action and intrigue, but the misogynistic approach and rushed endings leave a bit to be desired. Cussler seems to base the Dirk Pitt character on his own fantastic view of himself too, which bugs me! Dude, you're a geeky guy that knows a lot about cars, planes, and boats, not a womanising, smooth talking, devastatingly handsome james bond type. The geeky guy thing is much more appealing anyway! :D
Also re-reading a lot of Eddings, and just started on Magician by Fiest for the gazillionth time. This was the first fantasy book I ever read when I was a wee lass, and its still my favourite. :)

Cussler is frightenly addictive reading. I find the stories so far out there that they become a great laugh more than anything. Good for when you don't want to think too hard about anything.

Also Magican is one of my favourites too. Graduated from Eddings to Fiest when I was getting into fantasy. :p

[annie]

omg i just finished the wizards first rule by terry goodkind
omg omg omg that is a good book
i cant wait for the second one to be available at the library :D

[hazza]

Originally posted by hooptieride
im reading A Clockwork Orange again for english... any1 know where i can get in on DVD?


i got it on divx if u want it desperatly

[Bostonmess]

Originally posted by lego72
Cussler is frightenly addictive reading. I find the stories so far out there that they become a great laugh more than anything. Good for when you don't want to think too hard about anything.

Also Magican is one of my favourites too. Graduated from Eddings to Fiest when I was getting into fantasy. :p

Oh yes. I love Magician and the rest of the Riftwar/Midkemia stuff. Aint read any for ages these days but I really enjoyed 'em when I was growing up, i.e. 23 and onwards :)

Currently reading The Empty Chair by Deaver, you know the Lincoln Rhyme stuff, like the Bone Collector. First fiction book I've read for ages, read Frank Skinners autobiography last month, it was ok. Some funny stuff in it.

[Diva]

Originally posted by annie
omg i just finished the wizards first rule by terry goodkind
omg omg omg that is a good book
i cant wait for the second one to be available at the library :D

the first four books are good.

the fifth (Soul of the Fire) is pretty awful

the sixth (Faith of the Fallen) is good

the seventh (Pillars of Creation) is average.

Sadly, the series had excellent potential but seems to have lost momentum.

It is still better than Robert Jordan though! ;)

[Diva]

If anyone wants to read an *excellent* fantasy series, you should try the Deverry Books by Katherine Kerr.

These are 3 series of 4 books each, all set in the same world and with some over lapping characters, but each series has *closure* (something some other fantasy authors should try). The books should be read in the following order:

The Deverry Books:
* Daggerspell
* Darkspell
* Dawnspell
* Dragonspell

The Westlands Cycle:
* A Time of Exile
* A Time of Omens
* A Time of War (Days of Blood and Fire)
* A Time of Justice (Days of Air and Darkness)

The Dragon Mage Cycle:
* The Red Wyvern
* The Black Raven
* The Fire Dragon
* The Gold Falcon (not yet published)

Of course, you don't have to read the 2nd or 3rd series if you don't want to, but they are all excellent.

[still life]

The Mageborn Traitor - Melanie Rawn

because The Ruins of Ambrai made my head hurt just enough for me to like it

[annie]

Originally posted by Diva
If anyone wants to read an *excellent* fantasy series, you should try the Deverry Books by Katherine Kerr.

These are 3 series of 4 books each, all set in the same world and with some over lapping characters, but each series has *closure* (something some other fantasy authors should try). The books should be read in the following order:

The Deverry Books:
* Daggerspell
* Darkspell
* Dawnspell
* Dragonspell

The Westlands Cycle:
* A Time of Exile
* A Time of Omens
* A Time of War (Days of Blood and Fire)
* A Time of Justice (Days of Air and Darkness)

The Dragon Mage Cycle:
* The Red Wyvern
* The Black Raven
* The Fire Dragon
* The Gold Falcon (not yet published)

Of course, you don't have to read the 2nd or 3rd series if you don't want to, but they are all excellent.

thanks diva,
im a sucker for a good fantasy novel

[Diva]

no probs :) One of the reasons I like Kerr is because there is closure after every few books.

I originally thought Goodkind's Sword of Truth series was going to be 4 - 5 books, and I think it would have been better if it had stopped there. Nothing to prevent him writing new adventures with the same characters. But if he isn't carefully he will end up with a story that is out of control, bogged down with minor characters and irrelevant details, which noone cares about.

That is what has happened with Wheel of Time - just check the rating and comments at Amazon for Jordan's latest book, Crossroads of Twilight. The story moves forward *two weeks* in nearly 700 pages. The font size is larger and the margins are wider than in the early books, not to mention hundreds of pages less, but the price of the books keeps going up. None but the most blindly dedicated fans thing that CoT was anything more than filler to sell books, and there is a large number of people who believe that he has lost control of the story - and possibly lost interest too. He plans to write several 'prequel' books before writing the next book after CoT.

[Tycho]

Nimitz Class and Kilo Class by Patrick Robinson... Both very good books I recommend...!!


Tycho

[edeity]

"Pattern Recognition" William Gibson.

Gibson is of course one of, possibly the greates post modern author. Pattern Recognition is set post september 11, about a year or two. i.e. now.

Awesome book, about all the shit i keep mumbling on about here. You know, post-modern art, memetics, media, advertising, technology, taking over the world. etc.

This guy is the shit. One of the few people on the planet I think may be as smart as me. Anyways, thats all. Gibson is beyond cool, he doesnt need action or adventure or anything funky. His stories are just uber.

[imp]

Originally posted by edeity
"Pattern Recognition" William Gibson.

Gibson is of course one of, possibly the greates post modern author. Pattern Recognition is set post september 11, about a year or two. i.e. now.

Awesome book, about all the shit i keep mumbling on about here. You know, post-modern art, memetics, media, advertising, technology, taking over the world. etc.

This guy is the shit. One of the few people on the planet I think may be as smart as me. Anyways, thats all. Gibson is beyond cool, he doesnt need action or adventure or anything funky. His stories are just uber.

I'm just finishing off Virtual Light. That's by William Gibson too I think. Great book. I've been so emmersed. I think i'll read Cryptonomicon again after this.:D

[edeity]

Virtual Light is good. Have a particular affinity to the "bright young things"

I quite liked his recent "All Tomorrows Parties", the ultra motivated, results delivery focused project manager/assasins. They are cool. I want to set up a company like that.

"Idoru" I found not quite as good. Found it funny he based a character on Chopper. The concepts behind were brilliant, particularly the attempt of a rock star to marry a purely digital marketing ai construct. I think he failed though in his execution. Wasnt quite up to the usual Gibson brilliance.

[annie]

Originally posted by Diva
no probs :) One of the reasons I like Kerr is because there is closure after every few books.

I originally thought Goodkind's Sword of Truth series was going to be 4 - 5 books, and I think it would have been better if it had stopped there. Nothing to prevent him writing new adventures with the same characters. But if he isn't carefully he will end up with a story that is out of control, bogged down with minor characters and irrelevant details, which noone cares about.

That is what has happened with Wheel of Time - just check the rating and comments at Amazon for Jordan's latest book, Crossroads of Twilight. The story moves forward *two weeks* in nearly 700 pages. The font size is larger and the margins are wider than in the early books, not to mention hundreds of pages less, but the price of the books keeps going up. None but the most blindly dedicated fans thing that CoT was anything more than filler to sell books, and there is a large number of people who believe that he has lost control of the story - and possibly lost interest too. He plans to write several 'prequel' books before writing the next book after CoT.

ive never been troubled by the size of most books, well hardly any books, unless its something for school, but i just use the size as an excuse to not read it, any back on track, i am actually daunted by the amount and size of the robert jordan books
i spose that i should just read the 1st one and figure it out myself, but i keep getting new books that i cant put down long enough to pick up one of his.
oh wells

[still life]

You guys might want to have a look at Greg Egan

His novel Diaspora in particular. A facinating look at where geek life could go

[StygiaN]

Just Finished: Misspent Youth by Peter Hamilton

Currently Reading: The Ultimate Aphrodisiac: A Brief History of World War III by Robert Barret

Next in line: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

[oracle]

Graham Hancock! Over the past 4 months I've read "Fingerprints of the Gods", "Heavens Mirror" and "Underworld"... All were excellent.

I'm currently waiting on an order from Amazon so I can start reading "From the Ashes of Angels: The Forbidden Legacy of a Fallen Race" by Andrew Collins and Richard Ward.

Ok, you got me... I'm a weirdo :rolleyes:

[ersatz]

Stupid White Men (Michael Moore)

[sagit]

"The Ambassador" by Morris West.

Its about a US Ambassador transferred to Vietnam (during the Vietnam War) and appears to involve "regime change".

Interestingly the book was actually written DURING the Vietnam War.

[BlueBoy]

Origin - Stephen Baxter

3rd in a series of books. The first two being 'Time' and 'Space'.

Recommended for any geek.

[RedMaN]

Originally posted by ersatz
Stupid White Men (Michael Moore)
Same here, lookin' for something else now....

[Shaneus]

The Brunching Shuttlecocks present The Book of Ratings


:D

[utopian]

that good is it?

[kleph]

I just finished Anthony Powells' autobiography "Keep the Ball Rolling" and am now enjoying the hell out of the "Best Cooking Stories of 2002."

[Reprobate]

i've finished Tom Clancy's "The Bear And The Dragon"... got Matthew Reilly's 'Temple' on the bedside, and 'The Lord Of The Rings' in the toilet. Though I could really go a bit of Terry Pratchett or Clive Cussler right about now.

[]-[Å®ÐRøçK]

Murder: 'What Dunit'

It's pretty much a book on weird and unusual ways people have committed murder throughout the ages...

It's pretty cool ;)

[Asmodeus]

SteelHeart - William C Deitz

good author.

The new laurell K hamilton is next

[imp]

Originally posted by ]-[Å®ÐRøçK
Murder: 'What Dunit'

It's pretty much a book on weird and unusual ways people have committed murder throughout the ages...

It's pretty cool ;)

Sounds pretty cool.
They had a copy of a book like that at High School. I'd go and read it at lunch.

Does it have a Jack the Ripper section?

[BlueBoy]

Prey by Michael Crichton.

Just started today. Very interesting concepts!

[Misao]

Programming with SOAP - o'relly publication

[sagit]

Originally posted by Misao
Programming with SOAP - o'relly publication

soap?

any particular fragrance or style?

:p

[]-[Å®ÐRøçK]

Originally posted by imp
Sounds pretty cool.
They had a copy of a book like that at High School. I'd go and read it at lunch.
Does it have a Jack the Ripper section?

It certainly does...but they pretty much fence sit on who they think he was ;(

[sagit]

Originally posted by Misao
Programming with SOAP - o'relly publication

have a quick peek at this:

http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,6206060%5E15316%5E%5Enbv%5E15306,00.html

[Elvis]

the new Lee Child book, 'Persuader'.


As soon as I finish that am onto the new David Gemmell book 'White Wolf'

[imp]

Originally posted by ]-[Å®ÐRøçK
It certainly does...but they pretty much fence sit on who they think he was ;(

Yeah I know.
It was the same in the one I read. It annoyed the shit out of me.
God Damnit! I'm reading the book, throw me a bone. :D

I said Bone.
I'm tempted to get myhands on a copy of this book again now. :p

[huwbacca]

Just about to finish

Sunset Express by Robert Crais

pretty good book if youre into crime (novels that is).

[FireHart]

Just finished the first 100 pages of The Fall Of Hyperion. A bloody good book.

[Diva]

last week while I was on hols, I read:

the first 2 historical mystery books by Candice Robb, which were pretty good. Just need to track down a few more (in the correct reading order)

The Apothecary Rose
The Lady Chappel

i also read

Anna's Book- Barbara Vine
Lion in the Valley - Elizabeth Peters
The Colour of Magic & The Light Fantastic (rereads) - Pterry
The Unadulterated Cat - Pterry

[Hater]

I am currently reading:
Band of Brothers, Stephen E Ambrose
The Wheel of Time (1st book), Robert Jordan, not enjoying it yet, but will stick with it, didn't like LOTR at first.

[flounder]

"The log from the sea of Cortez"
by John Steinbeck.
illuminating....:)

[locust]

Originally posted by Hater

The Wheel of Time (1st book), Robert Jordan, not enjoying it yet, but will stick with it, didn't like LOTR at first.
Ehehe Waste of Time. Isn't Jordan up to book 11 and still going?

I just finished Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. Starting Crichton's Airframe.

[locust]

Bleh, I just finished Airframe. Lightweight but fun.

[Diva]

Hater - if you don't like the first WoT book, then stop now! The series up to 10 books and still unfinished, but Jordan is going to do a few prequels now before continuing with the main characters. He has lost control of the plot, and I think lost interest in the story. His wife is his editor, so the books are bloated and full of repetitious description (like by the 10th book do we still need to know that Aes Sedai have ageless faces and icy stares? The exact description has been in every other book ffs)

If you want a *good* medieval style fantasy, then don't waste your time with Jordan. Try George RR Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire. The first 3 books are out, and make a natural story arc. They are A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords. The next book is due out at the end of the year I think, although he is still writing it. It is called A Feast for Crows, and will cover a 5 year period before the final 3 books complete the series. There should be no probs with reading the currently published books, as there is a sense of real closure at the end of the 3rd book (something Jordan has never actually managed to do) even though you know there are more books to come.

I'm still in the process of my 'Diskworld' reread, I'm up to Soul Music.

[annie]

just starting Tetrarch by Ian Irvine
i really like his work, and i think the View from the mirror quartet is really good

[lego72]

Originally posted by Diva
The series up to 10 books and still unfinished, but Jordan is going to do a few prequels now before continuing with the main characters.


I tried to get into WoT but gave up after the first 3 books. It just took too much time to read and I was wanting to get into something else.

Is WoT the kind of series you stop reading and pick up again after a few years, like The Days of our Lives? If so then I would be happy to start it knowing that I could finish it over 10 years.

[alcor]

No Logo - Naomi Klein

Very interesting read.
Not nearly as reactionary as you might expect.

[Mr Bigglesworth]

alcor, excellent book that.

Star Trek TNG: The Genesis Wave - part 3 (dont laugh)

I read part one and 2, but so long ago I cant remember what the fn thing is about.

[mrwest]

The Art of Deception by Kevin Mitnick

Very interesting read... all the network security products in the world wont save you from a skilled social engineer.

[imp]

Greg Egan - Axiomatic

[utopian]

Nearly finished "Insisting on the Impossible".

[watchmewatchyou]

Currently devouring The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice; now on Memnoch the Devil. I love her writing! Also just finished The Liveship Trader series by Robin Hobb.

[dozer]

Crichton's Travels, crosses borders between fiction and non I think, and found a cool service if anyones interested

http://www.soilandhealth.org/copyform.asp?bookcode=020311

[and3w]

"Snow Crash" Neal Stephenson (again & again, so many great ideas/facts/theories)
"Filth" Irvine Welsh
And "The Monkey Wrench Gang" Edward Abbey (seminal enviroprotest book..cool as fuk)

[and3w]

Originally posted by Kyle
I Like Carl Hiassen a lot, Lucky You is a great book.....right now i'm reading Dean Koontz's One Door Away From Heaven...it's actually really interesting....hard to explain though, basically it follows more than one person through their own kinda journeys, like this one little girl has a doped up mom who is always buying weird animals and coming into her bedroom late at night to tell her twisted bedtime stories, and a hitman father who believes aliens will come heal her of all of her ailments....arg...well i cant explain this book at all im finding out, but its good
Carl Hiason's "Stormy Weather" is his best IMHO.....dog's bollocks and funny as fuck

[watchmewatchyou]

I've read all of WoT, and it has gotten out of hand. Apparently he only planned ten books, but we're at ten now and there's no end in sight. For good quality fantasy I recommend Stephen Donaldson - so long as you don't mind a twisted story -, as someone above me did, Ian Irvine (read The View From The Mirror before the next series), Raymond E. Feist or Robin Hobb.

[locust]

Originally posted by imp
Greg Egan - Axiomatic
Egan = God.

(But I must confess I think there's a couple of weak stories in Axiomatic. Most people seem to disagree with me though)

[flounder]

The Long Green Shore- John Hepworth

[rickbitch]

The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the unbeliever.

AGAIN! I've read it prolly 15 times....

soon to start on the second chronicles.....

[annie]

Originally posted by rickbishop
The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the unbeliever.

AGAIN! I've read it prolly 15 times....

soon to start on the second chronicles.....

is that good? a friend of mine recommended it it to me, but i havnt got round to reading it

[Colonel Kurtz]

Wheel of time 10...whatever the fuck it's called

[MadMike]

Currently reading: Foucaults Pendulum by Umberto Eco (absolutely loving it after getting through that first chapter)

Next in line: Jennifer Government by Max Barry (have heard only good things about it, sitting on my bedside table waiting for me to get through Foucaults. :) )

[rickbitch]

Originally posted by annie
is that good? a friend of mine recommended it it to me, but i havnt got round to reading it

I read it years ago, when I was about 13, and about 2 years ago I found the first and second chronicles (three books each) in a "collectors edition". The first chronicles were in one book, and the second in another book (roughly 1200 pages each). The second chronicles is much better than the first, as in the first the main character is a bit annoying (FFS, GET SOME BALLS) but it's well worth the read.

[lego72]

reading Rainbow Six - Tom Clancy (in bed) and Inversions - Iain M Banks (everywhere else)

Tom is a little dry but I have to give something else apart from Sci Fi/Fantasy a go and Iain is bloody brillient

[and3w]

Still re-reading Snow Crash but I have a question for all you erudite people. I used to have a hardback book by a female author, circa 1963, about her experiences with poverty in coalmining/rural areas of (i think) Arkansaw (spl). She went and stayed with this group of what we would now call white trash but who were a truly poverty stricken and fukt over people. They lived up a sort of little valley and I can NOT remember the author/name of book so I've not even any idea how to google it.
Please help me as it is a superb book

[BlueBoy]

Originally posted by lego72
reading Rainbow Six - Tom Clancy (in bed) and Inversions - Iain M Banks (everywhere else)

Tom is a little dry but I have to give something else apart from Sci Fi/Fantasy a go and Iain is bloody brillient

Rainbow Six is probably one of his best books. Have you read any of the others?

[Diva]

Originally posted by watchmewatchyou
I've read all of WoT, and it has gotten out of hand. Apparently he only planned ten books, but we're at ten now and there's no end in sight. For good quality fantasy I recommend Stephen Donaldson - so long as you don't mind a twisted story -, as someone above me did, Ian Irvine (read The View From The Mirror before the next series), Raymond E. Feist or Robin Hobb.

After the publication of book #6 (Lord of Chaos), Jordan signed a 6 book contract. So by at least 1995 he was planning a 12 book series.

I can't stand Donaldson - I have tried to read Thomas Covenant and also The Mirror Of Her Dreams. I find his characters so irritating that I don't actually care what happens to them, and I find his writing style stiled and laboured. However, I know about as many people who have enjoyed his work as those of us who hate it (he is rather polarising I guess).

Robin Hobb is good, but I never liked Feist much either. I think he is pretty overrated, and the best work that 'Feist' has done is the 'Empire' series that was actually written by Janny Wurts.

[Delphius]

Well for those of you looking for some good non-fiction, and who are interested in some easy to read introductory theology/history, I reccomend pretty much anything written by Karen Armstrong.

The Battle for God is a good book that defines what religious fundamentalist movements are, and covers the history of many such movements over the course of ~2500 years. It covers the relevent movements in all of the major monotheistic religions (Christianity, Islam, & Judaism)

The History of God is another fascinating read by the same author.. This book is essentially a ~4000 year history of the evolution of the concept of God, once again focusing on the three major Judeo-based faiths. Im halfway through this book at the moment.

I also have in my posession Islam: A brief history and Mohammed: Biography of a prophet, once again by the same author. I look forward to delving into these books.

And to change the pace every now and then, I just bought and started working on the Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien.

[ShadowNemesis]

I just started reading "The Face" by Dean Koontz.

[oracle]

Hey Delphius, I'm interested in theology/theosophy/history, so I might have a look at that one... but I mainly like to look at myth and ledgend on a whole world bases, not just the major monotheistic religions.

Anyone here... even if your not into that sorta stuff, I would recommend reading any books by Graham Hancock. He'll show you that the humans 10,000 years ago were alot more advanced than we give them credit for. He just present the facts (like old detailed maps of Antartica before there was Ice on it!)

Also, I've almost finished "From the Ashes of Angels: The Forbidden Legacy of a Fallen Race" by Andrew Collins and Richard Ward. It's about Watchers and "Angels" and the Nephilim... Very interesting.

So, what's next on my list? "GNOSIS: The Nature & History of Gnosticism" by Kurt Rudolph. I'm looking forward to it.

[Whiskers]

Dostoevsky's 'The Karamazov Brothers'. I've been reading it for a while now, but I don't want to get to the end. I'm enjoying the journey way too much for that. :)

[ersatz]

Spares by Michael something

[lego72]

Originally posted by BlueBoy
Rainbow Six is probably one of his best books. Have you read any of the others?

hey BlueBoy - I haven't read any of his other stuff. If I want to read and not have to think too hard I usually grab the latest Clive Clusser. Tom seems to be soup'ed up version of Clive.

[NeXuS]

Robotech II - The Sentinels

Book 3 - Dark Powers.

Damn I love this series

[Something Fast]

Necroscope III

[and3w]

Nothing, right now, but these are books I would like to read:

A Complete List Of All the Things That Are Still Pending

A Treasury Of Poorly Understood Ideas

Backpacking For Agoraphobics

Eat, Run, Stay Fit, and Die Anyway

Fill Your Life With Croutons

How To Filet a Panda

How To Kill a Rat With an Oboe

How To Lease Out the Space Inside Your Nostrils

Marriage For One

Sport Fishing With Power Saws


Does anyone else have any books they would like to read but have never managed to find in a bookshop?
PS: if this is totally OT, should I start a new Thread? If it is I apologise and will do so

[BlueBoy]

Originally posted by lego72
hey BlueBoy - I haven't read any of his other stuff. If I want to read and not have to think too hard I usually grab the latest Clive Clusser. Tom seems to be soup'ed up version of Clive.

Haven't heard of him. I'll look him up.

[BlueBoy]

Currently zooming through Jennifer Government.

Great read. Highly recommended!

[flounder]

You are a ratbag Andy,and I say that in the nicest possible way.
I have always wanted to read
The electrocution of Benjamin Franklin.
Men are from earth, Women are from earth.
I must say the "How to Fillet a Panda" would be good. (is that the uncut version.?)
Shipbuilding- this would be riveting I reckon
:)

[and3w]

Originally posted by flounder
You are a ratbag Andy,and I say that in the nicest possible way.

I must say the "How to Fillet a Panda" would be good. (is that the uncut version.?)
Shipbuilding- this would be riveting I reckon
:)

<snigger>

what about:
Understanding People You'll Never Meet
Tremble Your Way To Fitness
The Stains In Your Shorts Can Indicate Your Future
The Lives Of Six Extremely Short Saints
or even (a personal oddesy to get this one)
The Intravenous Cookbook

I got you one:
The Piscine Murders (Detective flounders in murky waters to solve the murder, as he wrasse..l's with personal problem's with his Goby wife, who look's like an Angel but is infact a Puff..er)



:D :D

[and3w]

Men are from earth, Women are from earth.

I just happen to have this
:D

MEN ARE FROM EARTH, WOMEN ARE FROM EARTH


WOMEN PEAK IN ESTROGEN AND MEN LISTEN IN TESTOSTERONE RELATIONSHIPS
When a relationship ends, a woman will cry and pour her heart out to her girlfriends, and she will write a poem titled "All Men Are Idiots". Then she will get on with her life. A man has a little more trouble letting go. Six months after the break-up, at 3:00 a.m. on a Saturday night, he will call and say, "I just wanted to let you know you ruined my life, and I'll never forgive you, and I hate you. But I want you to know that there's always a chance for us." This is known as the "I Hate You / I Love You" drunken phone call, and 99% of all men have made one at least once. There are community colleges that offer courses to help men get over this need; alas, these classes rarely prove effective.

MATURITY
Women mature much faster than men. Most 17-year old females can function as adults. Most 17-year old males are still trading baseball cards and giving each other wedgies after gym class. This is why high school romances rarely work out.

HANDWRITING
To their credit, men do not decorate their penmanship. They just chicken-scratch. Women use scented, colored stationary and they dot their "i's" with circles and hearts. Women use ridiculously large oops in their "p's" and "g's". It is a royal pain in the arse to read a note from a woman. Even when she's dumping you, she'll put a smiley face at the end of the note.

COMEDY
Let's say a small group of men and women are in a room, watching television, and an episode of the Three Stooges comes on. Immediately, the men will get very excited; they will laugh uproariously, and even try to imitate the actions of Curly, man's favorite Stooge. The women will roll their eyes and groan and wait it out.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom -- a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of Dial soap, and a towel from the Holiday Inn. The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 437. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

GROCERIES
A woman makes a list of things she needs and then goes out to the store and buys these things. A man waits till the only items left in his fridge are half a lime and a beer. Then he goes grocery shopping. He buys everything that looks good. By the time a man reaches the checkout counter, his cart is packed tighter than the Clampett's car on Beverly Hillbillies. Of course, this will not stop him from going to the 10-items-or-less lane.

SHOES
When prepparing for work, a woman willput on a Mondi wool suit, then slip on Reebok sneakers. She will carry her dress shoes in a plastic bag from Saks. When a woman gets to work, she will put on her dress shoes. Five minutes later, she will kick them off because her feet are under the desk. A man will wear the same pair of shoes all day.

GOING OUT
When a man says he is ready to go out, it means he is ready to go out. When a woman says she is ready to go out, it means she WILL be ready to go out, as soon as she finds her earrings, finishes putting on her makeup.etc

CATS
Women love cats. Men say they love cats, but when women aren't looking, men kick cats.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and soccer games and romances and best friends and favorite foods and secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to: go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, get the mail. A man will dress up for weddings, & funerals.

LAUNDRY
Women do laundry every couple of days. A man will wear every article of clothing he owns, including his surgical pants that were hip about eight years ago, before he will do his laundry. When he is finally out of clothes, he will wear a dirty sweatshirt inside out, rent a U-Haul and take his mountain of clothes to the Laundrette. Men always expect to meet beautiful women at the Laundrette. This is a myth perpetuated by student union bar tales.

WEDDINGS
When reminiscing about weddings, women talk about "the ceremony". Men talk about "the stag night".

SOCKS
Men wear sensible socks. They wear standard white sweat socks. Women wear strange socks. Socks that are cut way below the ankles, that have pictures of clouds, that have a big fuzzy ball on the back.

EATING OUT
when the cheque comes, Mike, Dave, Rob and Jack will each throw in a £10 note, even though it's only for £22.50. None of them will have anything smaller, and none will actually admit they want change back. When the girls get their check, out come the pocket calculators.



MIRRORS
Men are vain; they will check themselves out in a mirror. Women are ridiculous; they will check out their reflections in any shiny surface: mirrors, spoons, store windows, Bobby Charltons's head.

MENOPAUSE
When a woman reaches menopause, she goes through a variety of complicated emotional, psychological, and biological changes. The nature and degree of these changes varies with the individual. Menopause in a man provokes a uniform reaction -- he buys aviator glasses, a snazzy Rubettes cap and leather driving gloves, and goes shopping for a Porsche.

THE TELEPHONE
Men see the telephone as a communication tool. They use the telephone to send short messages to other people. A woman can visit her girlfriend for two weeks, and upon returning home, she will call the same friend and they will talk for three hours.

DIRECTIONS
If a woman is out driving, and she finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings, she will stop at a petrol station and ask for directions. Men consider this to be a sign of weakness. Men will never stop and ask for directions. Men will drive in a circle for hours, all the while saying things like, "Looks like I've found a new way to get there." and, "I know I'm in the general neighborhood. I recognize that 7-11 store."

ADMITTING MISTAKES
Women will sometimes admit making a mistake. The last man who admitted he was wrong was General George Custer.

RICHARD GERE
Women like Richard Gere because he is sexy in a dangerous way. Men hate Richard Gere because he reminds them of that slick guy who works at the health club and dates only married women.

MADONNA
Same as above, but reversed. Same reason.

TOYS
Little girls love to play with toys. Then when they reach the age of 11 or 12, they lose interest. Men never grow out of their obsession with toys. As they get older, their toys simply become more expensive and silly and impractical. Examples of men's toys: little miniature TV's, Car phones, Complicated juicers and blenders, Graphic equalizers, Small robots that serve cocktails on command, Video games. Anything that blinks, beeps, and requires at least 6 "D" batteries to operate.

PLANTS
A woman asks a man to water her plants while she is on vacation. The man waters the plants. The woman comes home five or six days later to an apartment full of dead plants. No one knows why this happens.

CAMERAS
Men take photography very seriously. They'll shell out £1500 for state of the art equipment, and build dark rooms and take photography classes. Women purchase Kodak Instamatics. Of course, women always end up taking better pictures.

GARAGES
Women use garages to park their cars and store their lawnmowers. Men use garages for many things. They hang license plates in garages, they watch TV in garages, and they build useless lopsided benches in garages.

MOVIES
Every actress in the history of movies has had to do a nude scene. This is because every movie in the history of movies has been produced by a man. The only actor who has ever appeared nude in the movies is Richard Gere. This is another reason why men hate him.

JEWELRY
Women look nice when they wear jewelry. A man can get away with wearing one ring and that's it. Any more than that and he will look like a lounge singer named Vic.

Football Grounds
Simply put, men can always find their way around stadiums and arenas. The women usually end up following men.

TIME
When a woman says she'll be ready to go out in five more minutes, she's using the same meaning of time as when a man says the football game only has five minutes left. Neither of them is counting extra time, commercials, or replays.

CONVERSATION
Men need a good disagreement to get talking, e.g., "Wow, great movie.", "What are you, nuts? No REAL cop would have an Uzi that size.", "Well, maybe he got it because he knew about those Mafia guys", etc. Women, not having this problem, try to initiate conversations with men by saying something agreeable "That garden by the roadside looks lovely." "Mmhmm." Pause. "That was a good restaurant last night, wasn't it?" "Yeah." Pause. And so on.

FRIENDS
Women on a girls' night out talk the whole time. Men on a boys' night out say about twenty words all night, most of which are "Pass the crisps" or "Got any more beer?"

TOILETS
Men use toilets for purely biological reasons. Women use toilets as social lounges. Men in a toilets will never speak a word to each other. Women who've never met will leave a restroom giggling together like ol friends.

[flounder]

Is that the whole book?, or are they brief outlines of the chapters under those headings? Please advise.
It could be construed as insightful or controversial.
Back OT, I am re-reading "Bliss" by Peter Carey

[flounder]

Originally posted by BlueBoy
Rainbow Six is probably one of his best books. Have you read any of the others?
You could try
Without Remorse- Tom Clancy
lots of valuable tips on eradicating drug dealers.

[BlueBoy]

Originally posted by flounder
You could try
Without Remorse- Tom Clancy
lots of valuable tips on eradicating drug dealers.

Also a good John Clark novel :)

[flounder]

Originally posted by BlueBoy
Also a good John Clark novel :)

Yes, good old John Terence Kelly.
He got a presidential pardon in "Excecutive Orders" from Jack Ryan. Killed 15 druggies and a cop qualified him for the CIA.
This book has similarities with Sept 11th, planes into buildings, biological warfare etc. Personally I think Osama Bin Laden got a few ideas from it. Stranger things have happened.

[BlueBoy]

Originally posted by flounder
Yes, good old John Terence Kelly.
He got a presidential pardon in "Excecutive Orders" from Jack Ryan. Killed 15 druggies and a cop qualified him for the CIA.
This book has similarities with Sept 11th, planes into buildings, biological warfare etc. Personally I think Osama Bin Laden got a few ideas from it. Stranger things have happened.

Wouldn't surprise me, CNN even brought Clancy out when the planes ploughed into the WTC.

I think Clancy pick up on it as well. Red Rabbit was rubbish.

[Misao]

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
I've read it before, but it was lent to someone ... a hard book to find a copy of. Apparently the girl in the bookshop is doing a play of it, I have to see that!

[Diva]

Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich. I love Stephanie Plum the inept bounty hunter. The books are brilliantly funny, verging on high farce. And the characters are great :D

[and3w]

Beam me up, Scotty - Michael Guinzburg
One of the funniest books I have ever read, and so cool you need to be immersed in liquid nitrogen to warm up after reading it!!

(review from Amazon)

"Blistering thriller with a sting in the tale
Beam Me Up Scotty is a rip-roaring tale of crack houses, multiple murder, double-crosses and junkie revenge.

Written by a one-time private detective, bodyguard, chauffeur for the mob and short order cook turned noir writer, this strange and sometimes wonderful journey through America's underbelly has already made Guinzburg a national celebrity in France, where he was recently voted an all-time noir great, running a close second to James Elroy"

:D :cool: :D

[sagit]

struggling my way thru "networking essentials exam guide" at a very slow pace.

[rascuache]

For once i am not reading anything, which may be the reason why i am not a happy chappy most of the time.

Or maybe its because i finished neal stephensons cryptonomicon and have not been able to find anything that looks appealing ater that. who knows......

I really want to get my hands on a copy of hubert selby jnr's Requiem for a Dream

[and3w]

Originally posted by rascuache
For once i am not reading anything, which may be the reason why i am not a happy chappy most of the time.

Or maybe its because i finished neal stephensons cryptonomicon and have not been able to find anything that looks appealing ater that.

The Cryptonomicon really is that good a book isn't it..erudite and fast paced *and* funny...superb.

I have just finished 'The cold six thousand' by James Ellroy...another (although very different) fascinating mix of truth and fiction, this time mixing sixties culture, conspiracy theories and murder, written in Ellroys usual sparse but beautifully brutal language...suck it and see :cool:

[sagit]

Originally posted by rascuache
For once i am not reading anything, which may be the reason why i am not a happy chappy most of the time.
..


happy chiX0r you mean? :p

[/OT]

[FireHart]

Reading Althalus and Pratchett's Last Continent ATM. Althalus kicks goats bony ass! It's long and has a great story although it's a cliche.

[annie]

just finishing Northen Lights by Philip Pullman
very funky

[RedMaN]

After reading an article about how Keanu Reeves had to read two books before even being able to look at the original Matrix script, I immediately sought them out. Out Of Control (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0201483408/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/102-8473695-1333737) by Kevin Kelly and Simulcra and Simulation (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0472095218/qid=1056435215/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-8473695-1333737?v=glance&s=books) by Jean Baudrillard, are both two awesome books that explore the origins of simulations and machines. I have already finished the Badrillard book... did you know the book is actually featured in the first Matrix film? Near the begining, a guy turns up to buy some software from Neo and upon receiving the cash he goes back inside to retrieve the disk. If you look cloself, the book that contains the disks is the afore-mentioned title by Baudrillard.

[scathing]

I'm in the process of reading a couple of books (that I just leave lying in various rooms, and pick up if I'm in that room).

So I'm reading:

Frank Herbert - Dune

Michael Marshall Smith - Only Forward

Steven Erikson - Memories of Ice

[LisaJ]

Im reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...and no I didnt bash any little kids to get it...I went after rush hour...

[sperm]

Originally posted by LisaJ
Im reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...and no I didnt bash any little kids to get it...I went after rush hour...

Have you found out who gets bumped off yet ?

Ive got pretty strong ideas .....

[utopian]

Harry.

[alcor]

Just finished 'One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest', Ken Kesey's first novel.
I am sure most people have seen the excellent film adaptation, but the book is just superb.
I cannot recommend it enough.

Inspiring and insightful.

[rascuache]

When it rains it pours....

last time i posted here i wasnt reading anything except the job sections in newspapers

now, after buying sortius Neal Stephensons Snow Crash for his birthday, i am up to chapter 13 in it already

Its a great book , i'm enjoying it

Also i picked up Terry Pratchetts Truckers

This guy is a good author, funny books with nice insight

[Diva]

Originally posted by LisaJ
Im reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


me too!

*dancing happily* I read the first 288 pages last night, then Twist pinched it. We have a deal - he gets it during the day (while at uni and on long train trips), and I get it at night. But I'm a much faster reader than he is.

I've also promised to lend it out to people once I have finished it. Roddez and Medusa, my mum & brothers, and a couple of other people. I figure that more people who read it, the more I get my money's worth. (You know, the price per reading goes down even if it isn't just me reading it)

[BlueBoy]

Just started Good Omens.
Hella funny book! :)

[flounder]

Hooks Mountain- James McQueen

[alcor]

Been flicking thru 'The World's Most Dangerous Places' by Robert Young Pelton.

From the cover - 'The single best source for unclassified intelligence information' - U.S. Military deployment officer.

Its like a lonely planet guide for nutters.

V. cool.

[imp]

I'm re-reading the Red Dwarf series.

Just finished Red Dwarf (Infinity welcomes safe drivers) and now i'm onto Better than life. Only 2 more after that. I own all 4 books. I just wish i could erase my memory of the story/ending/plot. The books would be more exciting then :D

Then i think it's time I read the Hyperion set again.

/me goes into re-read mode.

[sagit]

Originally posted by imp
...

Then i think it's time I read the Hyperion set again.
...



The Via Hyperion readme, you mean? :D

me, i'm reading the latest atomic mag atm

[imp]

Originally posted by sagit
The Via Hyperion readme, you mean? :D

you uncultured swine. ;)

[sagit]

Originally posted by imp
you uncultured swine. ;)

tell you what. next time i'm over there, i'll stay with you (and bring charlies angels with me). that way you can tuck me into bed and read me Hyperion.

:p

[raidan]

Mentioned it in a previous comment, but what the hey-now.
Reading Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum". And I'm usually reading some part of Orwell's "Down And Out In Paris and London", over and over.

[annie]

reading Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings ( its the second book in the Belgariad [sp??])

ive already read Harry Potter, and i must say, yet another fine book from JK Rowling, although, i cant see many kids reading it, it seems to be more aimed at a higher age group... or maybe just just moi.

[midg3t]

Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon

it has a fancy website (http://www.cryptonomicon.com) (pity they used the diablo/diablo 2 font)

[Zan]

'Liberty' by Stephen Coonts.

and it's SHIT.

I'm only reading it cos I have nothing else to read - except www.bash.org :D

[ShadowNemesis]

Post Mortem & All That Remains by Patricia Cornwell

[Diva]

The King's Bishop by Candice Robb. Number 4 in a series of historcal mysteries. They are well written spy / thrillers, and very well historically researched. At the end of each book is an Author's Note, where she explains what was real, and what she made up. Often she takes a real event / person and changes it by a decade or so to fit her characters

John Thoresby, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor is the main patron, so most of the books revolve around his political dealings with the king or church mysteries.

[kleph]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.


there. i said it. i feel better.

[Zan]

I wanted that book, but I can't find a copy of the third one anywhere - and I have been told that I MUST read them in order.

So meh.

[geggle]

Out of the Flames: The Remarkable Story of a Fearless Scholar, a Fatal Heresy, and One of the Rarest Books in the World (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0767908368/qid=1057027306/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-8698399-1222217?v=glance&s=books&n=507846) by , Lawrence Goldstone (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Lawrence%20Goldstone/103-8698399-1222217) and Nancy Goldstone (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author=Nancy%20Goldstone/103-8698399-1222217).

Almost finished it - quite an interesting read, at least for me. This book is based around the "life" of a book written by Michael Servetus (http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/michaelservetus.html), and amongst other things touches briefly on the birth of the Unitarian church (http://www.unitarian.org.uk/) and other protestant movements of the period.

My next book shall be Harry Potter (http://www.harrypotter.com/): Order of the Phoenix (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/043935806X/103-8698399-1222217?vi=glance), should I actually be able to get hold of a copy.

[iaidoka]

imp. you said there is 4 red dwarf books.. whats the 4th?

1- infinity welcomes careful drivers
2- better than life
3- last human
4.... ????

anyway. book im reading

"Japan. A Reinterpretation" - Patrick Smith
Sort of stale comentary, thusfar about the postwar occupation and the political system america started to impliment, then abandoned in favor of speeding up japans economy due to the threat of the cold war etc etc yadda yadda yadda...

[Colonel Kurtz]

Soething cheap and tawdry from the bargain bin at the book store. Anything that looks like a thriller and costs $3 will get me every time. i can remember the story later, but not the title or author.

Me = Literary whore :D

[hazza]

A cold Heart - Johnathon Kellerman

[Diva]

Originally posted by kleph
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.


Twist & I read it last week - we tag teamed with it, so we read it on alternating days :D

It was really good. Fred & George - wow!! Ginny is tres cool. Neville is still firmly in place as my favourite character.

once a few more people have read it perhaps we should have a spoiler discussion thread, if enough people are interested.

Geggle - I got my copy at Dymocks. Not the big superstore, but lots of the smaller ones still have copies. Same with Angus & Robertson and Boarders.

I'm sending my copy in the 'borrowing' circuit now, so I feel like I got my money's work. You know, the more people who read it, the less it costs per reading ;)

[flounder]

Age and guile beat youth,innocence and a bad haircut.
by P.J.O'Rourke

[MaDHatteR]

Silver Tower - Dale Brown, The gospel @ccording to Cole - Rhonda Bartle and Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner (although I've stalled a little on the last two).

[Chrissy]

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

[Lujan]

Originally posted by MaDHatteR
Silver Tower - Dale Brown,

I brought this once while waiting for a train. (which reminds me, must open up a 2nd hand bookstore @ Town Hall and Central stations) Its not to bad, a little thin, I think it could have being a lot better.


Currently reading.

The 5th Elephant, a Discworld novel. By Terry Pratchett

[sagit]

Originally posted by MaDHatteR
Silver Tower - Dale Brown, ....


how many others of his have you read? I've finished Tin Man and cant quite remember which is next...

[Lujan]

Originally posted by sagit
how many others of his have you read? I've finished Tin Man and cant quite remember which is next...

I've read quite a few, This is the official site, which should have a reading order.

http://www.megafortress.com/

[sagit]

yep. been there many times. i've got "air force battle" , wings of fire and 2 of the dreamland books here. i'm sure theres one or two more in the other pile

[BlueBoy]

American Gods - Neil Gaiman.

Recommended.

[Silverback]

just finished reading Cloud of sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka. Very interesting. I wonder if it's based on fact or not?

[utopian]

Statics and Mechanics of Materials - Riley, Sturges, Morris.

[FireHart]

Finished Potter a few days ago. It was good but it wasnt the same. Rowling has improved her writing and yes, she has thus aimed it at older pupil. Dunno... Oh, and I now officially hate her. I realized while reading the book that she gave the copy to the papers before publishing it. It so focking obvious but I don't want to talk about it here. Could be some sort of spoiler

[astro]

http://www.zgeek.com/albums/uploads/godintheink.jpg

Kathryn Lomer - The god in the ink.

My mum gave me this book to read a little while ago. Kathryn Lomer is an old friend of my mum's, and this is her first novel, released in 2001. I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in reading something a little different / something from an author they haven't read before.

[Diva]

Originally posted by FireHart
Finished Potter a few days ago. It was good but it wasnt the same. Rowling has improved her writing and yes, she has thus aimed it at older pupil. Dunno...

actually, I think she writes them for her daughter who - amazing as it may seem - has actually gotten older every year too!

Oh, and I now officially hate her. I realized while reading the book that she gave the copy to the papers before publishing it. It so focking obvious but I don't want to talk about it here. Could be some sort of spoiler [/B]

I doubt she gave it to any newspaper. She is actually taking legal action against a paper that published spoilers before the official release date. And possibly against the bookstore that sold it to them, as every one of them had to sign a contract not to release before the official date. I don't see why you have to 'officially hate her' for that.

If you are talking about the fact that someone dies, she mentioned that in an interview the week before it was released, without actually going into details. That isn't the same as a paper publishing spoilers, and I know many people who were actually glad they knew that info before reading - they said it enhanced their enjoyment of the story, because they didn't know who it was.

[Hippy Vindalou]

Marching Powder, by Rusty Young.
Its very hard to put down. A true story of life in the worlds most bizzarre prison in Bolivia. Highly recommended.

[annie]

my english teacher gave me a book to read called a canticle for Leibowitz , and its by walter M. Miller Jr

He says its good, and in my opinion he has a good sense of taste, but he is an english teacher, and so i was wondering if anyone has read it and what they thought of it?
from his description it sounds good, but ive gotta finish another book before i can start on this so yeah... any comments??

[utopian]

Halfway through reading a book I picked up today.

"Surely you must be joking, Mr Feynman" by Richard Feynman.

He takes a very human approach to science. The book is less of an autobiography and more a compilation of his memories and funny anecdotes. It's set out in order of what has happened in his life. At the moment, I'm up to the part where he's talking about his experiences on the "Manhatten Project" at Los Alamos, New Mexico.

I recommend it for anyone who's interested in scientists, but not necessarily the science behind them.

[flounder]

I am reading "How to win friends and influence people"
by Dale S Carnegie:)

edit:Only joking, it would never work for me

[no_dice]

I just finished Harry Potter V, about to start A hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

[Diva]

Originally posted by annie
my english teacher gave me a book to read called a canticle for Leibowitz , and its by walter M. Miller Jr

He says its good, and in my opinion he has a good sense of taste, but he is an english teacher, and so i was wondering if anyone has read it and what they thought of it?


I haven't read it either, but it has been recommended to me by quite a few people. At least I know the author's name now, so thanks! :D

[Colonel Kurtz]

A Dick Francis Omnibus.....not even sure what the name of the particualrr book I'm reaing is...but I am enjoying it

[utopian]

Bought it yesterday and will start it soon. "Standing on the shoulders of giants" by Stephen Hawking.

It contains works by Newton, Einstein, Galileo, Kepler and Copernicus. As far as I'm concerned, it's the book for astrophysics and astronomy.

[BlueBoy]

Finishing up Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

[flounder]

Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut jr. (Again)

[utopian]

"The man who loved only numbers". It's a biography about a famous Hungarian mathematician named Paul Erdös.

[SOC]

Originally posted by no_dice
I just finished Harry Potter V, about to start A hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

I finished that a few days after it came out.

Since then I've read::

Billy, by Pamela Stevenson (on an 8-hour coach ride from London to Glasgow)
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (on a 10-hour coach trip back to London)

Am now reading Ash Wednesday, by Ethan Hawke (yes, THAT Ethan Hawke).

I can highly recommend all four books. And as an interesting sidenote, last week's Entertainment Weekly had an excellent review of the new Harry Potter book, by none other than Stephen King.

[annie]

i am now 1/2 way through A canticle for Leibowitz by walter m miller jr

i actually like it very much, however it is very very different to what i am used to reading

[Diva]

Annie, I have reserved that at my local library, so I'll hopefully be reading it next week myself ;)

[Tyfus]

Hunter S. Thompson - Songs of the Doomed [more notes on the dead of the American Dream]

and Kurt Vonnegut - Welcome to the Monkeyhouse

and some Dutch stuff that noone will ever know outside of Holland.

[annie]

Originally posted by Diva
Annie, I have reserved that at my local library, so I'll hopefully be reading it next week myself ;)

tell me if you like it, i certainly doo :P

[utopian]

Neil Gaiman - American Gods.

[BlueBoy]

Originally posted by utopian
Neil Gaiman - American Gods.

Copycat :)
How are you finding it?

Currently reading Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

[Tyfus]

Kurt Vonnegut - Galapagos
Larry Niven - Neutron Star

[druid]

Originally posted by BlueBoy
Copycat :)
How are you finding it?

Currently reading Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

Neverwhere wasn't half bad. Been reading American Gods on and off for a month now. It's my gf's favorite book so I thought I'd give it a go. She has good taste in things you know. ;)

[Scythe]

Stephen Hawking - The Universe in a Nutshell
Fritz Leiber - The First Book of Lankhmar
Frederick Forsyth - The Day of the Jackal
Greg Bear - Strength of Stones

In case you haven't noticed, I read a lot. :)


(Woohoo! Hundredth post!!)

[utopian]

American Gods is good, I'm about 60% of the way through it and it's beginning to introduce more "random" sub-plots that are making the book very interesting to read.

"Universe in a Nutshell" was very good, it uses diagrams to illustrate some of the more difficult points. Weatherman wants to borrow my copy of "Brief History", which can only lead to better discussions with him over a bowl of pasta.

[lego72]

finished the Songs of Ice and Fire trilogy, almost finished Ender's Game and started The Stand - Mr King.

[Scythe]

What's Ice and Fire like? I started to read it once, but got bogged down in all the heraldry and political manoeuvring.

[lego72]

Originally posted by Scythe
What's Ice and Fire like? I started to read it once, but got bogged down in all the heraldry and political manoeuvring.

Ice and Fire is the best fantasy series I have ever read. Magician (+ sequels) is great but this is like no other fantasy story. Its more "real", more medievil (sp?), more violent and bloody. Every page has a twist and story development, ie not a lot of padding. George RR Martin does stuff that I have never seen before (I can't tell you cos it might spoil the story).

my $2 worth

[Lina]

Life of Pi...just finished it last night. I loved it, the ending especially.

[Diva]

Scythe - I love a Song of Ice and Fire, but if you don't like all the politics, then perhaps it isn't for you. It is in fact one of the main features of the story - and it is very low in magic and other fantastical elements (although that increases a little more with each book)

[SOC]

Originally posted by Lina
Life of Pi...just finished it last night. I loved it, the ending especially.

I read that about a month ago - I loved it too, but my favourite bit was probably young Pi having to deal with the stupidity of the people who had a problem with him follwing 3 religions... oh, the hypocrisy!

I'm now reading (when I get the time) The Well of Lost Plots, the new Thursday next story by Jasper Fforde (the first two in the series - The Eyre Affair and Lost I A Good Book - are very highly recommended... Fforde is the new Douglas Adams).

[Chrissy]

Vernon God Little, kindly lent to me by MisterBishi

[dozer]

just finished jasper fforde's the ayre affair, now going to try trapped in a good book, a little strange and english but still interesting

[SOC]

Originally posted by dozer
just finished jasper fforde's the ayre affair, now going to try trapped in a good book, a little strange and english but still interesting

As I pointed out in my post 2 above yours, the books are called The Eyre Affair and Lost In a Good Book... but you did get the author's name right.:p

[dozer]

yeah i noticed that after my post, too lazy to edit, ah lost/trapped its all the same. read it cover to cover yesterday and i did enjoy it. i dont think jasper is the next adams tho thats a pretty big call. there are some holes in his time travel plot lines, maybe more will be revealed in the next one

[SOC]

Originally posted by dozer
yeah i noticed that after my post, too lazy to edit, ah lost/trapped its all the same. read it cover to cover yesterday and i did enjoy it. i dont think jasper is the next adams tho thats a pretty big call. there are some holes in his time travel plot lines, maybe more will be revealed in the next one

Time travel is an extremely inexact science - you'll *always* find plot holes in any time travel-related books/films (ie, the BTTF or Terminator trilogies) ... Fforde, thru Thursday's wayward ChronoGuard father, has fun and sends up the kind of paradoxes that always seem to crop up. And it's not just me who's dubbed him the new Douglas Adams - dozens of reviewers have also done so. I think he's a terrific writer with some wonderful fresh ideas and a good grasp of character and narrative. As I said earlier, I'm currently a third of the way thru his new one, The Well of Lost Plots (I actually have a signed copy!), and am looking forward to the next one. Check out his website (http://www.jasperfforde.com/) for more on him and the novels - it's a most informative site, too.

[Diva]

no, I don't think there are any plot holes in The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers. You think there might be, but then it is all wrapped up tightly at the end

it is an excellent book, with some time travel in it :D

[Tyfus]

Henri Lefebvre - The production of space

[Nandragon]

I just finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

I'm now reading a really weird book called Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.

it's about the horrible death of a 14yr old girl and her watching the lives of those she left behind. It's been riveting.

[reaperman]

Ice Station by Matthew Reilly. Have read 80 or so pages and loved every second of it.

[Andreb]

Richard Laymon, Dark Mountain.

My favourite of his was "Body Rides", followed by "In the Dark". But I've only read half of his books so far (the first half... no, jk).

Good late night reading.

[Diva]

I need to find an old marketing text book of mine, for an assignment I have to do, so I have been rummaging though the millions of books I have in storage at my parents place.

I didn't find the marketing book, but I did find all my Georgette Heyer mysteries, so that is what I'll be reading for the next week or so :D

[reaperman]

Now reading the first book of the Alexander series

[BlueBoy]

Syrup - Maxx Barry.

Very funny, very cynical look at marketing. :D

[sagit]

"Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets" - David Simon

[Afta Image]

In between books at the moment, but last one was Moby Dick, and trust me, if your tempted, dont waste your time....

[locust]

Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space.

[Tyfus]

Corporate communication for professionals

Gotta brush up on my communication skills while starting a PR-assault to save my house...

[Conny!]

Besides Programming and engineering texts...
The Asimov Chronicles - Isaac Asimov

[Talken]

Red Dragon
Harry Potter and th order of the Phoenix
O stands for outlaw
and a shit load of others that i can't remeber the titles of.:borg:

[ThreeChordMe]

Just finished:
Lake Wobegon Summer 1956 - by Garrison Keillor

In the Middle of:
Oranges are Not the Only Fruit - by Jeanette Winterson

Just started:
Toujours Provence - by Peter Mayle

[Asmodeus]

Finishing : Altered Carbon
Starting: Alternate Warriors & To Reign in Hell

[kleph]

Originally posted by Afta Image
In between books at the moment, but last one was Moby Dick, and trust me, if your tempted, dont waste your time....

good point. why burden your mind with one of the most important and compelling works in english literature? why trouble your brow with the questions it raises about man's place in the universe, the paradoxes about god and the power of nature?

currently i'm wading through a.c. bradley's exposition of shakespeare's tragedies but i don't know why i bother.

[Fuzzy Dice]

Heinlein's Stranger In A Strange Land.

followed by Methusela's Children, and then probably Starship Troopers again for the 12th time? The 15th? Something like that.
:P

I like Heinlein, he lays on the morals nice and thick. Sometimes I like what he says, sometimes I get to argue with a book.

[utopian]

Originally posted by kleph
good point. why burden your mind with one of the most important and compelling works in english literature? why trouble your brow with the questions it raises about man's place in the universe, the paradoxes about god and the power of nature?
I think he's trying to make the point that there weren't enough explosions, tanks, spaceships, aliens and nazis.

[oracle]

I borrowed a book off a friend for only a limited time, but already was reading another book. As a result I've been reading two book over the past week and a bit.

The first one (which I have just finished yesterday) is "Conversations about the End of Time." It was originally published in French (I think) and has been translated. It's in coversation format, interviewing different "intellectuals" about the perception of time, and how it affects us. The intellectuals were Umberto Eco, Stephen Jay Gould, Jean-Claude Carrière, and Jean Delumeau. Eco is really intriguing; the different perspective from which he views things is eye-opening to say the least.

The other book I'm reading (my friends one) is "Making the Gods Work For You" by Caroline W. Casey.

[Tyfus]

Philip K. Dick - Ubik

[Afta Image]

In defence of my Moby Dick comment, I would like to say its not that it does not have its moments, simply put, I found it more obsessed in the clever use of the English language than on the story or meaning. This combined with a tendency to go off on unnecessary tangents, a disappointing climax (as with most great epics) and being relatively hard setting for me to relate to (whaling in the 19th Century) were the reasons for my opinion.

My comments were no attack on anyone’s person, just my humble opinion ; ).

[Moga2]

im currently reading the second book in the Otherland seried by Tad Williams, some cool bits, also some boring bits.

[BlueBoy]

Just finished Cloud of Sparrows.

Reading the latest Atomic while I figure out what to read next.

[MisterBishi]

I've recently read:

Stupid White Men - Michael Moore
Porno - Irvine Welsh

Porno was cool, Stupid White Men was ok, but a bit "meh".

I'm now reading Downsize This, which is also by Michael Moore, and I'm enjoying it more than I did SWM.

[Whiskers]

The Bronze Horseman.

Author Paullina Simons

A love story set in WW2 Russia. I've heard it is pretty good...

[gingermeatboy]

Currently reading

Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

also read recently

Stupid White Men - Michael Moore
Dead Air - Iain Banks
Salmon of Doubt - Douglas Adams

[MisterBishi]

Gingermeatboy: Have you read any of Irvine Welsh's stuff? I had to read a lot of it twice to start with because a lot of the dialogue is written phonetically, in local dialect.

It was good but :p

[gingermeatboy]

I haven't actually! I'll need to make some of his stuff next on my looong list of books to read :) any recommendations as to the best ones?

I think i'd cope just reading it once over, with the dialect being my dialect :)

[MisterBishi]

I've only read Porno, which I couldn't put down for a few days.

I'm told Trainspotting is good but, having seen the film so many times, I don't think I'll bother.

[gingermeatboy]

cool, I'll add porno to my list :) which currently contains

Animal Farm - George Orwell
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
The Dice Man - Luke Rhinehart
Fast Food Nation - Eric Schlosser

as well as some others, but they can all be forgotten about for a while

[dozer]

maribou stork nightmares and glue were very good books, but also pretty depressing and shocking.

im halfway through glue atm

[MisterBishi]

Originally posted by gingermeatboy
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

Catch 22 was originally going to be called 'Catch 18', what a crappy phrase that would've been.

[gingermeatboy]

Originally posted by MisterBishi
Catch 22 was originally going to be called 'Catch 18', what a crappy phrase that would've been.

Ah, but if it had been called 'Catch 18' would you not be here writing, "it was going to be called 'Catch 22', what a crappy phrase that would have been."? :p

P.S. Woo! 100 posts! and it only took me 2 years and one month :banana:

[Tyfus]

J. P. Donleavy - The Destinies of Darcy Dancer, Gentleman

[kleph]

Originally posted by MisterBishi
I'm told Trainspotting is good but, having seen the film so many times, I don't think I'll bother.

all in all i'm glad they left out the dickcheese part at his brother's funeral.

[angel_b]

Originally posted by gingermeatboy
Ah, but if it had been called 'Catch 18' would you not be here writing, "it was going to be called 'Catch 22', what a crappy phrase that would have been."? :p

P.S. Woo! 100 posts! and it only took me 2 years and one month :banana:
And, in honour of your 100th post, irony was totally lost on you. :p

[deevil]

Family Matters - by Rohinton Mistry

[BlueBoy]

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas - Hunter S. Thomson.
I get strange looks on the train because I'm laughing so much. :D

[iaidoka]

Across the Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn
Foundation & Empire - Isaac Asimov

[pleed]

Picture issue # 247

[Colonel Kurtz]

Jimmy the hand - Raymond E Feist

[Hater]

No Logo - Naomi Klein,
The Great Hunt, Book Two of The Wheel of Time series - Robert Jordan,
American Empire - Harry Turtledove.

Enjoying them all
:D

[ersatz]

Just finished a swag of HP Lovecraft from gizmology, now onto Voyage by Stephen Baxter

[orangehead]

I'm reading The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. It's the final book in the His Dark Materials Trilogy.

[lego72]

Finished Rainbow 6 - Tom Clancy (for what is was I would have preferred to read anything by Clive Cussler with Dirk Pitt in it)

Half (re-)read The Stand - Stephen King (up to where the old woman wanders off and Harold gets to some funky stuff with the Evil woman (forget her name))

The Left Hand of Darkness - Ursula LeGuin. (The Wizard of Earthsea was fantablious)

Next, maybe The Battle for God - Karen Armstrong

[hazza]

The talisman - stephen king and peter straub

[druckfugged]

The Non Born King, 3rd in the saga of the exiles by Julian May. Also reading a book by a bloke called Bill Bryson which is funny but monotonous.

[lego72]

Originally posted by hazza
The talisman - stephen king and peter straub

I read this book years ago and just read the sequel called Black House. As always, Sir King still manages to scare the shit out of me...................

[lego72]

Originally posted by druckfugged
The Non Born King, 3rd in the saga of the exiles by Julian May.

Have you read any of the other books that are linked to this series?

[rascuache]

Neurotica by Sue Margolis

And bridget jones diary, again.

Right into that sort of comedy atm

[dozer]

i always wanted a golden torc, has anyone read diamond mask?

[lego72]

Originally posted by dozer
i always wanted a golden torc, has anyone read diamond mask?

I read all the books (5 + 4?) in this series. Great overall story. A little slow in places. But one of the best.

[and3w]

TIME - Stephen Baxter
Beam me up Scotty (again)...can't remember who by but funny as hell about rehab

[rosamund]

If Chins Could Kill - Bruce Campbell; for the second time.

Watchmen - Alan Moore; A fantastic graphic novel.

Though if Hollywood ever try and make a movie of Watchmen it will be the worst kind of shit, guaranteed.

[Tyfus]

Vladimir Vojnovitz (sp?) - Moskou 2042

[BlueBoy]

Originally posted by rosamund
If Chins Could Kill - Bruce Campbell; for the second time.

I was wondering if this was any good.

[Diva]

Originally posted by dozer
i always wanted a golden torc, has anyone read diamond mask?

I've read them all, Intervention is my favourite and Oncle Rogi is one of the best narrators ever. the Plioscene saga didn't really do it for me, although I liked it better on a recent reread. However, the Galactic Mileau books rock

[lego72]

Originally posted by Diva
I've read them all, Intervention is my favourite and Oncle Rogi is one of the best narrators ever. the Plioscene saga didn't really do it for me, although I liked it better on a recent reread. However, the Galactic Mileau books rock

The first 5 were good (a little slow in the 3rd and 4th books) but the Galactic books, I agree, were better.

Now reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight

[locust]

Quicksilver - Neal Stephenson.

[Lujan]

thw warning on my cigarette packet.

erm, I need more books, someone please please help.

I am currently re-reading all of Raymond E Feist's books. I hate him so much, he has such a boring way of writing, but at the same time, builds such strong characters that I can't ignore his work :(

**stamps foot and waits impatiently for George R R Martin to finish his new book**

[Drakin]

haha, Feist has the wierdest way of writing... he just skips huge bits and then goes into stupid amount of details on a hardly relevant part..


Have you tried any katherine kerr? deverry series..




(Currently reading Tad Williams - Otherland (Book1))

[Sambellina]

Originally posted by rascuache
Neurotica by Sue Margolis

And bridget jones diary, again.

Right into that sort of comedy atm

Rascuache, are you saying these two books are along the same comedy genre??

I'm going through a bored patch atm where I can't seem to find a book that excites me. Something funny would be just the thing to whet my palate.