The Official Book Thread

[iknowgungfu]

If you like the sound of it read the first one ...err... first

I tried to find Austrailian Amazon but when I googled it nothing came up!

[MIkes]

That's cos there ain't one.  Books down here are so expensive it's cheaper for me to get them from the UK amazon.

[Monty]

Just finished Or She Dies by Gregg Hurwitz and enjoyed every page. Great thriller with plenty of good twists.

I've also just picked up my copy of the new Dan Brown book The Lost Symbol.

[iknowgungfu]

I read the lost symbol and was left quite underwhelmed.  The atmosphere didn't grab me at all.  Angels and Demons was much better IMHO.  Has anyone read Jpod at all?  I found that book hilarious and it has a shed load of nerdy in jokes.  Which is nice.

[Monty]

I though Lost Symbol was alright but it left it so late to tell us why 'stopping it' was such a global disaster that it never quite had the urgency of his other books. I'd already guessed who he was long before the reveal too. I agree that A&D was better.

I loved Jpod. So very random. Some of the email stuff was really funny. Did you ever see any of the tv series made based on the book? I couldn't even get through the first episode. If you liked Jpod I would recommend checking out The Gum Thief, also by Coupland.

[iknowgungfu]

Yeah...Gum thief was good too.  I also read Hey Nostrodamus!  But that was a bt more seriuous, but still enjoyable.

[MIkes]

I was let down by Lost Symbol also, for the same reasons Monty was.  Exactly how does a president being a member of the Masons beat a president found guilty of banging on intern?

Ho hum.  SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!





I was actually piqued when Langdon died and was gutted when I found out he wasn't dead.  It could have been saved at that point.

Also, the world Robert Langdon lives in has some really inept security forces.  They keep getting shot, stabbed and having their necks broken .  Good thing they have all those historians to back them up.






END SPOILERS





I've just finsihed the Niel Gaiman anthology Smoke and MIrros.  Good, but IMO Fragile Things is a better compilation.  Snow, Glass and Blood and Shoggoth's Old Peculiar save the show though.

[MIkes]

Since December:

terry pratchett-unseen acedemicals. Classic pratchett, and one of his better recent disceorld efforts.

From hell- alan Moore. Great book, very atmospheric. And I love the design at the back.

The girl with the dragan tattoo-steig. Larsson. Good, great main character in lisbeth, but I don't what the huge deal is about.

On writing-Stephen king. Part memoir, part guide to creative writing. I only read thescind part, but I reckon this is a must for anyone who writes. Since Reading I set myself a howl of 1000 words a day and my output has gone through the roof.

part way through wolf hall by hilary mantel. Again, it's ok, but so far I think it won the booker just because it's hilary mantell.

[Sprite Machine]

I read a couple of books recently. Shock!

First was the sixth book (of three) of the Hitchhiker's Guide series, And Another Thing, which is written by Ei--Oi--Iya--- Eeyore something or other. Admittedly it's been a while since I read the Douglas Adams books and I'd forgotten a lot of what happened (like when did Arthur have a daughter?) but the style and wit is very much Adams'-esque, very dry, very silly, making the ridiculous seem normal. The story's interesting enough, although I don't think any of them are better than the first book. You start to think "how much further can they possibly take this series now?"

Next is a few years old, Making History by Stephen Fry, which he wrote in '96, I believe. It's a time-travelling thriller type of thing, written mostly in first-person but with some odd stylistic changes throughout. As it's Fry, the book is filled with information and Quite Interesting things that also happen to serve the plot. Like there's a chapter where the main character is trying to prove he isn't who people think he is by reciting his knowledge on a subject that he isn't supposed to know, and where a lesser writer might write "he reeled off a load of facts about European history", Fry actually writes out a load of facts into the dialogue. I mean, why not? There's a smattering of humour throughout the book too, but it's not an out-and-out comedy. The story is pretty damned gripping, particularly in part two, where you're not quite sure at first what has happened. Excellent, recommended.

[Bob Todd]

I've discovered Robin Hobb recently, and I've been reading my way through all her books. I've read Dragon Keeper, the Farseer trilogy, the Soldier Son trilogy, and I'm nearly finished with the Liveship Traders series. Got the Tawny Man trilogy to read after that. She's a cracking storyteller; even George R R Martin thinks so.

I've also been reading Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart. It's rather charming.

[raithrover]

Getting back into reading and managed to finish off quite a few books lately.

Today just completed The Corner. Have to say a remarkable book in so many ways and sadly still current today I'm sure. I'll have to track down the series on DVD.

[Monty]

I've just started getting into the Carson Ryder detective series by J.A.Kerley. Very cleverly created plots and some really strong characters. I'm only 2 books in so far but I'll be order a whole bunch more when I get paid.

Currently reading Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton. Only got through the first few chapters so the plot is just started to reveal itself but I'm liking it already.

[iknowgungfu]

I'm working my way through the Bourne Ultimatum.  It is good so far if a little heavy going at times.  SOmetimes I find the way Ludlam structures his sentances a little hard to digest.  Other times there is a lot of speech but no indication of who started the conversation....leading to muchos confusion.

I have noticed that a new Bourne cam eout on paperback recently and I was surprised seeing he seems to be in his twilight years (as an active spy/kickass dude) in this story.

[MIkes]

I'm working my way through the Bourne Ultimatum. .

Nooooooooooooooo! Don't do it to yourself!  The bourne ultimatu
 has to be one of the worst books I've attempted to read. Seriously, I got to the chapter where Ludlum fell in love with the word privissy and threw it against the wall before throwing it out. If you want a good action spy book pick up a tom Clancy with john Clarke in it, or day of the jackel.

Ahem, anyway, I've just finished thunderer by felix gilman. Picked it up mostly because I read in an interview he was in pretty muh the same position as me: English guy living abroad, same age, similar profession and found himself out of work for 6 months so decided to write. I wanted to see what he did and on one hand I wish I hadn't, cos it's so damn good!  Set in a fantasy living city ruled by mindless gods, the scope os amazing. I'll be getting the second in the series without question.

I also read the sandman comic by gaiman. Very good, good enough that I've ordered the next two already. I'm the meantime I'm starting on gallows thief by Bernard cornwell. I'm a huge cornwell fan, and this is set om London around the same time as the book I'm writig, so I'm looking forward to seeing bow he portrays life At the time.

[iknowgungfu]

I know what you are saying about Ultimatum.  But, having read the first two I need to see this through.  Then I've got the book that the film The Green Zone was (very loosely) based on to read.  I don't kno wif it will keep my interest though.

[MIkes]

Just finished Heart Shaped Box by joe hill. Great book, really enjoyed it, but I feel a little dissapointed. I was assured on the guardian books site that it was really scarey, and in short it wasn't. The first 20 pages or so were pretty creepy but that was it. But I have the collected ghost stories of mr James right here next, so hoepfully they'll creep me out.

Also nearly finished the dark knight returns by frank millar. Pretty good, although all the other comics I've read I've had to read twice to fully appeecaite them.

[MIkes]

Finished Batman Year One.  IMO better than the Dark Knight.

Am now working my way through MR james' ghost stories and loving them.  Perfect thing to read if you like Lovecraft.

I'm also rereading through a fantastic story by some guy called Michael Grey.... erm, re reading the first draft of the book I'm writing.  I took a long hard look and cut 20,000 words and now need a new endning.  And my knees feel weak.