DomJcg Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 Any lovers of Clive Cussler? Top Notch Adventure fare, not trying to be bigger than it is. Have recently read Night Probe and Atlantis Found and Inca Gold (one of the best) Have started reading Game of Thrones, about 30 percent of the way through, I hear book three is like 1300 pages, this one is 800 or so :/ I would have been put off for the length, but its just superb writing, and pretty grand fantasy.
dan-likes-trees Posted May 19, 2011 Posted May 19, 2011 His aunt was molested and she was just like uber nice to him, is what I thought. Wikipedia tells me otherwise. I just didn't think that made any sense. You should read American Psycho. It's probably absolute my favourite book. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I didn't pick up on it when I read it, someone told me a while ago and I totally couldn't remember reading it. Yeah indeed. Got American Psycho on my bookshelf, I'll delve in at some point.
jayseven Posted May 29, 2011 Author Posted May 29, 2011 Long shot - but does anyone have Consider Phlebas by Ian M. Banks they'd like to send me for free? Or would anyone like me to send any of the books I've read to them? maybe get a free library going, eh? :P
Daft Posted May 29, 2011 Posted May 29, 2011 Been meaning to pick up Consider Phlebas, too. Arrgh. Too little time. And when I do have time I can't be bothered. FML.
jayseven Posted May 29, 2011 Author Posted May 29, 2011 Well I'll probably buy it tomorrow if I get no word on here - be glad to shunt it your way when I'm done with it
dan-likes-trees Posted May 29, 2011 Posted May 29, 2011 Nearly bought one of his in stones the other day, but couldn't work out which book was the first in the series, fool. Almost finished Farenheit 451, which is alright, not as good as I'd hoped, my least fave of the big dystopias. Picking up for the ending, though I've found the rest of the book a bit simplistic / not very well drawn or detailed world / slightly irriatting main character / slightly unconvincing premise.
jayseven Posted May 30, 2011 Author Posted May 30, 2011 Consider Phlebas is the first in the culture series. Algebraist is completely stand-alone sci-fi. However, I have it on good word that the Culture stuff doesn't need to be read in order really. Shame about Farenheit 451 - considered it a few times but from what you say I'll just give it a miss.
dan-likes-trees Posted May 30, 2011 Posted May 30, 2011 Consider Phlebas is the first in the culture series. Algebraist is completely stand-alone sci-fi. However, I have it on good word that the Culture stuff doesn't need to be read in order really. Shame about Farenheit 451 - considered it a few times but from what you say I'll just give it a miss. Yeah, I'll have to get on that at some point. Been given my reading list for final year of my english degree, such a horrific amount of reading to do! Gonna read Oliver Twist next I think. And hmm, I'll let ya know if the end makes up for it. To be honest it took no time at all to read (big font and easy to read) so if you find a cheap copy at any point it's probably worth it, as it's generally praised by more intelligent people than me..
jayseven Posted May 30, 2011 Author Posted May 30, 2011 Dan; I'll take that as a veiled compliment :P if I see it cheap somewhere I'll consider it! Daft; I bought and now own the first 3 books in the culture series (not including the short story stuff). I'll be happy to send you the books as I read 'em! I know you've said you aren't in ownership of much free time currently but I don't mind shipping you The Algebraist if you want. Personally I read this first to just double-check the sci-fi Banks was something I'd be interested in. It's more complex narratively than Consider Phlebas seems to be so far, but maybe it just set my mind in order for the other culture stuff. To anyone else; does anyone seriously feel up for a share library? The best thing about reading good books is talking about them with people. We've had book clubs in the past but ultimately they won't work unless we share. I have some books I don't mind sending to people if they want them. Will compose a list of stuff in the coming week.
Daft Posted May 30, 2011 Posted May 30, 2011 Oooo, well after this Friday I will be on a march to catch up on some much needed reading. I'm sure I can send a few books your way in return. Keep it for a few weeks until I'm there, though. I'm quite excited, been ages since I read some proper SciFi (Just remembered the last SciFi book I read was Dune. I wish I could read it for the first time again). I just nabbed If On a Winter's Night a Traveller second hand for a couple pounds, too. Really need to stop buying more than I can read.
jayseven Posted June 5, 2011 Author Posted June 5, 2011 Just over half-way through Consider Phlebas and it's really fantastic. Cannot believe it was written 25ish years ago. Banks is good at not showing where the story is really going for a good few-hundred pages... Yeah. Just really enjoying it.
jayseven Posted June 9, 2011 Author Posted June 9, 2011 The other day I was reading a column in the free booklet that you can pick up at Odeon cinemas that waxed lyrical about J. J. Abram's (is there a h in there somewhere?) movie/mini-series conversion of Stephen King's Dark Tower series which is, y'know, cool and stuff but just not something I didn't know. Well there's supposedly an eighth book that King himself confirmed in march this year (after rumours for two years). It's due to be released next year, likely to co-incide with the movie. The book will not allegedly extend the series, rather fill in a gap between books 4 and 5... Which is both a massive shame and a huge relief. Not sure the ending should ever be messed with.
Ellmeister Posted June 14, 2011 Posted June 14, 2011 I've just finished reading The Dice Man, which was quite insightful and thought provoking book and had I read it before choosing my degree, I would have been much more inclined to study psychology or philosophy. Anyone else read this?
Paj! Posted June 15, 2011 Posted June 15, 2011 I never read books, which is a shame. Well not never, but rarely. I hate. Since I love books/books have stunned me in my life. I'm currently reading The Waves. I've tried twice before and never got past the first 12 pages but this time I'm on page 30. It's so fucking hard to read. But I'm more into it now. Obviously never read anything that challenges how to...take in a story like this. The structure is crazy. / Completely structured, but unlike anything I've ever seen before. It is of course brilliantly written. I hope I stick with it this time. I wonder if it's one that can really be read in small bursts every night or so (which I'm doing and finding tricky) or one you have to take time out of your day to read.
mike-zim Posted June 15, 2011 Posted June 15, 2011 Well, i love to read between exams. I am a trainee accountant so i have 2 exam sittings a year so i kinda study and take an exam for 3 months then read for three month. Rinse and repeat. Currently i am reading a book called FIRE by Kristin Cashore. It is a fantasy book but it is really getting good! I can also recommend David Eddings if you enjoy fantasy. The first book i read of his was Pawn of Prophecy and it was brilliant. i ended up reading the whole series of 5 books and am about to start the follow up series. Another good author is Trudi Canavan her black magic series is really good. I hate to say it but i did read the twilight saga and i must say the first 3 books are worth percerveing through as i really enjoyed the last book!
The fish Posted June 15, 2011 Posted June 15, 2011 Almost finished the remarkably good Epitaph for a Spy by Eric Ambler, and I've just restarted Bill Bryson's Notes from a Big Country. Both are highly recommended - the first for suspense, and the second for lolz.
jayseven Posted June 15, 2011 Author Posted June 15, 2011 Paj; tbf if you're not a big reader then you ought to start with something more bitesize, something that you can read 20 mins before bed (Time Traveler's Wife, for example). No point giving yourself a mountain to climb which will leave you giving up on books for months again.
Paj! Posted June 15, 2011 Posted June 15, 2011 Yeah but chains and whips excite me. And Time Traveller's Wife reminds me of the film, which I haven't seen, but never want to. [/no logic there or even relevance to anything.]
darksnowman Posted June 15, 2011 Posted June 15, 2011 The other day I was reading a column in the free booklet that you can pick up at Odeon cinemas that waxed lyrical about J. J. Abram's (is there a h in there somewhere?) movie/mini-series conversion of Stephen King's Dark Tower series which is, y'know, cool and stuff but just not something I didn't know. Well there's supposedly an eighth book that King himself confirmed in march this year (after rumours for two years). It's due to be released next year, likely to co-incide with the movie. The book will not allegedly extend the series, rather fill in a gap between books 4 and 5... Which is both a massive shame and a huge relief. Not sure the ending should ever be messed with. I was never too fussed with knowing what happened between Vol IV and V. Many real world years had passed, King himself had changed (his accident) and Vol V picks up with the ka-tet reaching the Calla. I just assumed they kept travelling and growing together in the interim. Seems a bit forced, imo, but I'll buy it and love it... however I hope he doesn't shoehorn that "do ya" and "if it does ya" stuff. Didn't feel right having that plonked into the revised version of the Gunslinger.
dan-likes-trees Posted June 15, 2011 Posted June 15, 2011 Yeah but chains and whips excite me. And Time Traveller's Wife reminds me of the film, which I haven't seen, but never want to. [/no logic there or even relevance to anything.] Don't think that, go against the cliche of shit film putting you off something! It really is very good. Dipping into Wind Up Bird Chronicle, which I've been reading for about 4 years on and off. I love it so much, something about Murakami's prose I find incredibly enjoyable to read, even though I've forgotten half the plot / characters. Love how long it's taken me to finish, i'm about 450 pages in.
mike-zim Posted June 16, 2011 Posted June 16, 2011 After watching Game of Thrones i think i will get the books. Alot of people say they are good.
The Bard Posted June 19, 2011 Posted June 19, 2011 After the fucking miasma of shit reading that was forced upon me during my degree, I've become a bit averse to fiction for the moment, and as a result I'm reading the fantastic "The Antichrist - A Criticism of Christianity" by Nietzsche. I know the god-hating it something a hangover from my teenage years, but its his facetious, derisive and plainly mocking style that makes it so entertaining to read. That and his mindblowing intellect. Gonna move on to King Lear after (which shamefully, I've never read)
Wesley Posted June 19, 2011 Posted June 19, 2011 Nearly bought one of his in stones the other day, but couldn't work out which book was the first in the series, fool. Almost finished Farenheit 451, which is alright, not as good as I'd hoped, my least fave of the big dystopias. Picking up for the ending, though I've found the rest of the book a bit simplistic / not very well drawn or detailed world / slightly irriatting main character / slightly unconvincing premise. I remember reading that a while back... wasn't that impressed with it to be honest. The fact that I'm struggling to remember a great deal about it apart from about three things tells you a lot.
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