Books 2nd Edition, Foreword by m0r1arty Options

[Sostie]

Bill Drummond gets up to all kinds of interesting stuff damn him.
If you've not read it i recommend 'Bad Wisdom' by Drummond and Mark Manning off of Zodiac Mindwarp, about a trip to the north pole to sacrifice an icon of Elvis Presley, great chapter titles like - ' Nazi kung fu sex bitches with rottweilers' or 'The blind chainsaw fishermen of Finland' Genius!!

I've been holding out for one of the early editions of Bad Wisdom but they are so rare now I might just get the paperback. There is a chapter in "17" about the fake Finnish bands they created on the trip, recorded but sadly never released. He has boxes of the 7" singles at home. They must be worth a fortune.

[beatoswald]

That's my very favourite book.

It has to be up there for me too.

I might have to tackle that at some point. I understand that it's quite similar to We by Zamyatin, and I really like that book.

I'd never heard of Zamyatin or We before but after reading a little about him he's definately someone I'll look out for. In recent years I've taken to mostly buying books from second hand shops. Searching through endless copies of Tony Parsons (there is one in every charity shop) for hidden gems is an enjoyable hobby. I think I've got about fifteen different Philip K. Dick books this way. It's very rewarding and addictive.

[angle]

I've been holding out for one of the early editions of Bad Wisdom but they are so rare now I might just get the paperback. There is a chapter in "17" about the fake Finnish bands they created on the trip, recorded but sadly never released. He has boxes of the 7" singles at home. They must be worth a fortune.

they should put out limited edition Cd's from the masters just to stir interest then auction off the singles, *kerching*

[maian]

Read Let The Right One In after seeing the film and I was suitably impressed. The difference between the two forms is surprising and it was fun reading it and seeing why certain plot strands and characters had to be removed in order for the story to work as a film. All in all, I'd say that the book is a much richer and deeper offering than the film since it has a much larger world and can expand upon the histories of the characters and their relationships. I definitely felt that the finale benefited more emotional from the build up in the book that, for various reasons, isn't in the film.

It's a bit like L.A. Confidential, really. Both the source and the adaptation are brilliant, but they both make use of their respective mediums.

[maian]

Moby Dick

There really aren't words to describe it, or if there are, I can't think of them right now. A colossal work that is exciting, funny, intelligent, allusive, elusive and just gargantuan in its scope. Is it about whaling? Is it about writing? Is it about life? It's all these things and more. I loved it.

Most importantly, though, it's about being yourself.

Edit: Also, I remember reading recently that Timur Bekmembatov is directing a new version of Moby Dick. I hope it happens since not only is it the most unusual collision of source and filmmaker I've ever heard of, but I bet that he opens the film with Moby Dick, thereby completely ignoring one of the central conceits of the novel.

This post has been edited by maian: Apr 28 2009, 11:18 PM

[sweetbutinsane]

The Book Thief

Absolutely brilliant. I was hooked from beginning to end.

It also washed away the mental stain left by Twilight.

[mcraigclark]

The Book Thief

Absolutely brilliant. I was hooked from beginning to end.

It also washed away the mental stain left by Twilight.

I think this is one of the best young adult novels to come out in years.

[maian]

Read Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman in just over a day. After Moby Dick, which was a bit of an endeavour to finish, even though I did love it, this collection of Gaiman's short stories was just the right counterbalance. As with Smoke and Mirrors, the quality does vary from one to the next, the longer ones are pretty much always better than the one-page poems, but they are all hugely fun and imaginative. 'The Monarch of the Glen' was probably my favourite, though that's more because of the American Gods connection than anything else.

I've now started Gaiman's ''The Graveyard Book'', which is so far proving to be fun, creepy and sad.

[maian]

I've now started Gaiman's ''The Graveyard Book'', which is so far proving to be fun, creepy and sad.

Finished it at work (it was a very quiet shift). Brilliant, as usual. I love Gaiman's ability to mix darkness (the book opens with an entire family being stabbed to death) with whimsy without it being jarring or one outweighing the other. There's the usual mix of myths, dreams and humour and a fair degree of heart to it as well. A stronger overall effort than Coraline and up there with Neverwhere as one of his best. It's got some excellent names in it, too.

[maian]

Finished The Scar by China Mieville the other day, an undertaking so large that I took a break from it for a day to read another book (The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, which was okay). Set in the same universe of Bas-Lag that his 2001 novel, Perdido Street Station, was, this time Mieville sets his story aboard the floating pirate city of Armada, amidst a society comprised of castaways, exiles, prisoners and zealots.

The story unfolds after Bellis Coldwine escapes from New Crobuzon and tries to seek refuge in a colony under an assumed name. Along the way, she and the rest of the passengers of her ship are taken prisoner and released into the society of Armada. Bellis quickly finds herself caught up in a world of political in-fighting, thaumaturgy and extra-dimensional beings.

Mieville proves once again that he is one of the great contemporary writers of sci-fi. His complex and complicated worlds are a joy to dip into and he uses them to explore deeper, richer themes of existence, government and nationality whilst still managing to give the reader plenty of action, sex and excitement. Brilliant.

[Jessopjessopjess...]

Finished The Scar by China Mieville
Mieville proves once again that he is one of the great contemporary writers of sci-fi. His complex and complicated worlds are a joy to dip into and he uses them to explore deeper, richer themes of existence, government and nationality whilst still managing to give the reader plenty of action, sex and excitement. Brilliant.

Agreed. Perdido and The Scar are quite a pair. I still have dreams about the ability to slide through reality that the little statue gives. I wouldn't recommend Iron Council however, it was dull as fuck.

[maian]

Agreed. Perdido and The Scar are quite a pair. I still have dreams about the ability to slide through reality that the little statue gives. I wouldn't recommend Iron Council however, it was dull as fuck.

Well, it's already on my shelves so I'll have to give it a bash. I wasn't expecting it to match either of the previous books, though. That would be a very tall order.

His new one, The City and the City, sounds really good.

[Sir_Robin_the_br...]

Just finished The Damned United by David Peace. A smashing bit of fact-with-a-lot-of-fiction weaving and tons of swears. One of the best football books I have read (though I'll admit this is a small list)

I think I might move onto the Red Riding Quartet next.

[sweetbutinsane]

I finally got around to reading to reading A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan over half term. I really enjoyed them (especially The Tombs of Atuan) and would be reading The Farthest Shore right now if it wasn't for stupid exams.

[Ade]

Almost a quarter of the way through The End Of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas, and thoroughly hooked. Its various themes include homeopathy, theology, language and thought, plus quantum theory, and various other levels of physics that I don't fully understand. Oh, and a smattering of sex... it's all rather absorbing to say the least. I'll report back with a full verdict once I've finished it.

Finally finished. It was pretty darn good, I liked it.


Since it was recommended to me as a fan of Jasper Fforde, I've now started reading this:



Pulp detective noir satire based in Wales, funnily enough. Seems quite promising so far. I'm already looking forward to the other books in the series, Last Tango In Aberystwyth, The Unbearable Lightness Of Being In Aberystwyth and Don't Cry For Me Aberystwyth, if only for their titles. Be sure to tune in in January for my pre-requisite "I thoroughly enjoyed it" review.