Rage is part of the deal when you decide to read Brainless. There are parts that made me so mad I had to put it down and do something else for a while. Just don't go getting all 'splodey because of her.

I'm glad you like The Buddha and the Terrorist.

Hmm. I might have to leave it until I'm a slightly better Buddhist then.

The Buddha and the Terrorist was a fantastic little book - the story is a very old one about the Buddha meeting Angulimala, a mass-murdering terrorist of yore who killed people and chopped off their fingers. The story is about how violence cannot be stopped by more violence, but through peace and understanding. It has a lot of the most fundamental principles of Buddhism explained in it, and there was a very good foreward by Thomas Moore as well as an afterword that talked about the story's modern relevance. Highly recommend it as a quick but enlightening read. Thanks Craig!

I'm now reading Explorers of the New Century by Magnus Miles.

I didn't like the last third of Lunar Park. A little too Stephen Kingish for my taste, even if I can see, what Ellis wanted to say with it.

Now I'll read La nausée by Sartre.

Just started reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac the other day. Haven't got very far yet (I've been busy) but I think it's really good so far.

You're insane. You're probably not, but On the Road is one of the very few books that bored the Living Daylights out of me.

I didn't like it much either. Though I thought it started well.

No, you were right the first time.





Shame - I'm rather enjoying it at the minute. I'm only about 50 pages in so far, and I thought the beginning wasn't too good but it seems to have picked up a little and I'm starting to get into it now.

I've got Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to read afterwards (*squeals with excitement*) and then I'm ordering a couple of Chris Wooding books tonight. Most likely The Braided Path and Storm Thief.

Currently working my way through Ted Hughes' translation of The Oresteia by Aeschylus.

After a couple of months of reading bits here and there I finished Me:Moir Vol 1, Vic Reeves'/Jim Moir's autobiography. Truely fascinating stuff, the man has lead a strange life and it's very interesting to read about the inspirations for many of my favorite Reeves and Mortimer moments. It finishes just as he moved to London, which is a pretty big cliff hanger and leaves me hankering for Volume 2.

I've just been flipping through Mark Crick's Kafka's Soup. It's a small book, presenting 14 recipes written in the voices of famous authors. There's a recipe for Rich Chocolate Cake a la Irvine Welsh and I thought I'd share the first couple of paragraphs with you. It's cracking me up.

"Ah make ma way back thte shithole that ah call home, wi aw the gear ah need, bu ti kin barely move. Ma heid is throbbing like it's aboot tae burst, showering passers-by wi brain and bone, and ah'm so fuckin frail ma legs could snap as ah climb the stairs. Ah hope nae fucker's seen me coming back. Ah dinnae want to share any of this shite wi ma so-called friends.

Ah drop a packet of butter intae the pan and light the flame beneath it. As it melts, ah pour on the sugar, watching thw white grains dissolve intae the golden brown liquid. They're dissolving cleanly; it's good fuckin shite. Ma hands are shaking as as sprinkle the brown powder of the cocoa intae the pan and when ah drop in the bar of chocolate ah have th satisfaction of watching it melt straight away. This is a quality fuckin cook-up."

Crick lists all the ingredients, but you have to read the narratives to figure out how to make the dish. I think I'd have a hard time not acting out the character who's preparing the food. Anyway, it's a clever thing.

Okay, I should have guessed this would happen - I order a Chris Wooding book and every other book is pushed to one side while I read it. But to be fair, I've wanted this series for quite some time now. I'll finish On The Road once I've finished The Braided Path.

So what is this magical book all about? Well ...



So far, I'm about a third of the way through the first book, The Weavers of Saramyr, and I've been hooked from the very first chapter. Wooding is a genius when it comes to writing fantasy novels (he's written my favourite book and my second favourite book), and this one is no exception. The Braided Path Trilogy is his first "official" adult fantasy series, as the rest of his books have been published for the Young Adult market, and though there isn't much difference I can see the little changes already in the plot and the incredible descriptions of places or things, where you feel you are seeing things exactly as he pictured when he wrote about them. I would definitely recommend his books to anybody who loves fantasy.

If anyone's interested, all remaining copies of the Chuck Palahniuk documentary have been signed by the man himself and are being sold at no additional cost:

http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/store/documentary/




I'm still ploughing through The Historian, which is taking an age to read because I have to keep reading bloody text books and things.

The Universal Journalist by David Randall is the only interesting example, thus far, which is filled with amusing annecdotes.

WORLD WAR Z - Max Brooks

So much better than the highly enjoyable Zombie Survival Guide, mainly because it was almost an expansion on the best part of the Survival Guide...the stories about actual zombie attacks. Also, being in the format of interviews it had a lot more emotional impact. Great read. There are at least 20 or 30 good films to be made from that one book.

I finished The Time Traveler's Wife last week. An amazing book. It made me realise how extraordinary it is that humans are capable of such creativity as to invent fictional characters who, for all intents and purposes, exist as real people in your mind. Completely heartbreaking, the bittersweet nature of the whole tale only makes it more affecting.

I'm now for something completely different: Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds, a collection of 8 short stories set in his 'Revelation Space' universe. Rather than being superfluous, these stories feed into the vast universe previously explored in his three full-length Revelation Space novels and enrich the experience, exploring all the exotic branches of our future space-bound race, never failing to comment on humanity despite the most alien of situations.

In The Beginning...Was The Command Line by Neal Stephenson. If a book that is superficially about the history of computer operating systems sounds incredibly dull, you'd be wrong. A few years out of date but still a fantastic read. *Warning* - Mac users may be offended by some of it.

I picked that up the other day. I'm really loving it so far, very engrossing.

I LOVED World War Z! It's a great book. You're sight, Sostie, about the number of films you could make from it; each of those stories could be made feature-length. Brad Pitt's production company has bought the rights to it, so we can expect at least one film.

More revelation space shorts? Weren't Diamond Dogs and Turquise Days (?) set in it aswell?

I'm currently munching my way through Rise of Endymion, having finished Hyperion, Fall of Hyperion and Endymion. Lots of words, most of them very good. I'll give a slightly more meaningful comment when I've finished it.

I also heard today that he's releasing a book of 5 novellas, one of which 'Children of Helix' extends slightly the Helix peoples story from Rise of Endymion.

Yep, more of them!

I read these, but found the second disappointing and didn't continue the series.

It actually jumps right out of the story and starts again hundreds of years later. The events described in the first book are explained as being pretty much what is in Martin Silenus' Hyperion Cantos and not necassarily as true to reality as we believed. The main character and narrator is Raul Endymion, who is protector/disciple/lover of Brawne Lamias daughter Aenea who - without giving to much away - is what we were led to believe the Keats cybrid was intended to be in the first books (does that make sense). The book is written as a narrative by Raul who is circling a world in a 'Schrodinger Cat Box', just waiting for the random event that will release the cyanide and execute him. It's certainly very interesting with some but not all of the earlier books characters reprising roles (Lenar Hoyt, the Consuls Ship and the old Hawking Mat, Counsellor Albedo, Martin silenus and Paul Dure briefly). The 'happy' ending at the end of the first book certainly didn't go the way you might have expected it to and the Ousters are once again the nemesis of humanity and the TechnoCore is still lurking.

My only qualm would be that so far, certain things have occurred which I doubt are going to be explained in much detail, although I have been told that the end is a very definitive 'coming together' of the story so maybe I'm wrong. It's just that some elements seem to be a bit throwaway. Big deals are made of ancient artifacts and mysterious races that are then lost without even having been used or moved past without ever having been explained. Although maybe that's the point. There's a discussion at the start about heros and how you never hear where a 'hero' gets their hair cut. Maybe the idea is not to write a story where every part of it is important later, but where those things that seemed important at the time are mentioned, even if they later turn out to be nothing. It is after all a narrative by one of the characters present.

Man, I'd need to read them both again if I was to finish the series. Hyperion was extraordinary, but everything else is a blur. I started getting really confused so maybe I wasn't paying enough attention...

I've just finished The Weavers of Saramyr, the first book in The Braided Path trilogy after sitting reading for most of today. And *wow*.

I really wish I was excellent at reviews, but I'm not, and nothing I can say can possibly explain how incredible I think this book is. I've already explained the plot a few posts back, but looking back over it, it sounds so simple and there's so much more to it. And that's not including the twists and turns as the story progresses, most of which were quite shocking and I could never have even guessed about.

Then there's the characters, all so real yet all different and with rich and interesting back stories. The world and everything in it is so well thought out and described that it's hard to believe somebody could have just made it up.

Some of the things written really make you stop and think - about what life is really like, about men and women, about how you personally would react in this story and which side of the war you'd be on.

There's tangled love stories, dramatic fight scenes, gruelling journeys, seemingly impossible tasks and trials, difficult decisions, shocking twists and betrayals and some truly heart-breaking death scenes. All of this makes The Weavers of Saramyr an unmissable book, which is a gripping, exciting and amazing read from page one.

Like I said, Chris Wooding is a genius and I'd recommend this book to all those with a passion for reading fantasy novels. I know I certainly can't wait to get started on book two, The Skein of Lament, later tonight.

Finished reading Battle Royale last week. Vastly different ending to the film and on the whole, the book gives more context to The Program than is given in the film. There's much more of a political overtone to it. Also, it's not funny like the film, it's told much straighter. I'm awaiting delivery of the DVD to compare again, as I've not watched it in a while.

The only downside is that the translation isn't great, and it could use an editor. There's a lot of repetition in the narration, it switches between first and third person every couple of sentences, plus the recurring "that's right", which is obviously a translation of a Japanese expression but doesn't quite flow in the context when put into English.

It's a fantastic story, though, and well worth a read.

I'm nearly finished Alastair Reynolds's Galactic North

Anyone who invested significant portions of their lives to his immense Inhibitor series should read this collection, especially the titular story which describes the events after those novels up to 40,000 years in the future!

And more good news for the SF crowd, there is now a release date for Richard Morgan (Altered Carbon)'s latest, Black Man; 17 May 2007!



That's rather badly written and cheesey-sounding precis, but I can imagine the quality of the material in Morgan's hands...

Now I've seen the film, should I read The Prestige?

I'm gonna.

Try the Manga next...or maybe not. It's more than a little explicit. Certainly not reading on the journey into work material.




Not seen the film yet, but from what I have heard, and certainly what I've seen in the trailers, it is very different to the book. A pretty good read in its own right.

I'd highly recommend it. It's very, very different to the film both stylistically and some of the major plot points are handled very differently in the novel. It's a superb book and well worth a read.

I'm about halfway through World War Z now and I'm loving it. Very compelling and well written with each of the accounts giving the impression that the ''interviewees'' are different people. It has also offered up the only good reason I have ever heard for Britain having a monarchy, which I found strangely affecting.

In the last twelve days I have somehow managed to thunder through The Skein of Lament and The Ascendancy Veil despite thinking I had no time for reading, and at 6.15pm today I finished The Braided Path trilogy.

Even the brilliance of the first book couldn't prepare me for what was to come. It all got so deep; the plot, the emotions, everything. I kept on thinking "Okay, this is as far as it goes now, there can't be anything else to it" but then there was another complex layer beneath that which I would never have dreamed of. Both books kept me thinking and on my toes all the way through. Again, there were shock twists that I would never have guessed at in a million years.

The Skein of Lament was certainly the most action packed of the three, with the most of it dedicated to a large battle taking place. The story was split up between more characters and many new, interesting characters were added too. It was brilliant, and had me (mentally) on the edge of my seat.

The Ascendancy Veil ... Well, being the last of the series I can certainly say it done its job well. It was incredible, especially the last chapters. I haven't cried so much at a book for a long time - there were some really heart-breaking moments at the end. If I had to choose a favourite out of the three, then this would probably be it by the tiniest of fractions.

Overall, the series was quite simply the best fantasy series that I have read so far, and probably one of the best ones I will ever read. It was so beautifully written and imagined and a pleasure to read. As it went on, I began to see more of a difference between his young adult novels and this one, and personally I hope he does more adult novels. The others are all wonderful still, but The Braided Path was even better.

Again, I'd recommend the series to anybody who enjoys fantasy.

Now time to read On The Road, which I started but got distracted from ...

I bought Neil Gaiman's American Gods today, because of you lot.

We are a very good influence.

Finished World War Z the other day and have delved back into The Fourth Bear. I really need to stop book-jumping like this.

im studying english so i have to read a shitload of books... last one was Bleak House, which is fucking massive! It was good though... i just didnt have time to read it properly.

I've not seen the film, but the book is bloody brilliant - probably Christopher Priest's best.

Read the book, saw the film, then read some of the manga. The manga seemed to stick to the books story much more precisely, and is really very graphic. Bit much for me. I'd say the book is by far the best medium of the three.

I'm currently working through two books at the moment.

Raymond E Feist Into a Dark Realm - the latest release in his ongoing saga. Llike other recent efforts, it seems rushed, gramatically unsound and lacking in continuity. A shame as his earlier works are excellent.

Robin Hobb Assassins Apprentice. Start of the Farseer Trilogy and the first Hobb I've read. It's an excellent narrative of the main characters life - written in a similar style to Endymion and Rise of Endymion that I've just read with the narrator occasionally coming out of the story to expand on a point or make observations based on hindsight - and a gripping read. I've flown through the first 2 thirds of the book and it's impacting my work (my smoking breaks are getting longer and longer...).

I meant to add - JJJ - I've been eyeing Galactic North up a fair bit recently, glad to hear you recommend it.

Eye it no longer and grab a piece. Seven of the eight stories are fabulous, and easily up there with the best of Reynolds's stuff. Only one is slightly weak, and that is one of his earliest published stories. He has to be the most consistent SF writer I know which is quite a feat given his high work-rate.

I finished Pushing Ice for the second time yesterday. Man, I hope he returns to that universe. There is so much left to find out!

I agree totally, I was a little let down by the film after reading the book, I was looking forward to a nice show-down but all I got was a short maybe two minutes long dissapointment. Although it's still a brilliant film, it just could've been another fifteen minutes long.

The copy of the book that I have is perfectly fine in the translation/grammer front, the only niggle I have with the book is the opening chapter were you're introduced to all the characters, there's one hell of a lot of stuff to take in, the names alone are enough to make your brain hurt . Also it's not laid out very well, it's all this is X, his/her back story is Y.

Heh. I had to read Bleak House at A Level. Blargh.

Just finished Bill Bryson's The life and times of the Thunderbolt Kid.

It was typically humourous, heartwarming, funny, sentimental. But one thing that bothers me, is the constant reference to him bunking off school, being lazy "but I-just scraped through" attitude, Makes me quite pissy. 7/10 though.

Picked up a Nick Drake biog in the books pile upstairs at lunch. Ought to make decent plane reading if I get bored of les podcasts....

I recently finished The Meaning of Night by Michael Cox. It's a compelling read, but it's frustrating and flawed.

It's set in the Victorian era and written as a confession by the protagonist, Edward Glapthorn. According to the publishers' blurb, it took Cox 30 years of writing and research to complete and he really wants us to know it. It's presented as if compiled and annotated by a modern editor, full of smug little footnotes and latin quotations that seem to smugly annouce "just LOOK at how clever I am! Look at how much research I did!". But some of the textual comments and 'footnotes' are head-smackingly obvious - there's even a footnote explaining who Queen Victoria is.

The protagonist/narrator is the most frustrating element of the book. He's the only character who's fleshed out, while everyone else is a 2-dimensional cipher. Trouble is, Edward's a pompous, unpleasant, unlikeable character, consumed by petty bitterness. And the author doesn't do anything interesting with it. I was hoping for an unreliable narrator twist, that perhaps the other characters aren't the what Edward makes them out to be but it doesn't happen. It's a missed opportunity.

Is the author American per chance? Sounds like he needs a pencil or two removed from an orifice.

No, he's English - a Cambridge graduate or so it says on the blurb, what a show-off!.

Oh my! I have finally finished The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann.

It was a beautiful day in July, sitting on the beach that I started this book. I knew I was in for the long hall when I read this:

Not all in a minute, then, will the narrator be finished with the story of our Hans. The seven days of a week will not suffice, no, nor seven months either. Best not too soon make too plain how much mortal time must pass over his head while he sits spun round in his spell.

Finished The Fourth Bear during the week and it was wonderful, much like the rest of Fforde's stuff.

Back on The Wind-up Bird Chronicle now.

Just finished

Jasper Fforde's The Fourth Bear
My least favourite Fforde book so far - still very good though. Wednesday Next back in the new year. Woo-hoo

Harry Poter & The Half Blood Prince
Much as expected - an engrossing, enjoyable easy read. This and the last book should make great films. A bit disappointed by the actions of a certain character though.

Now reading John Robb's PUNK - An Oral History

Just used the last few quid in my bank account to preorder Richard Morgan's next book, Black Man, from Amazon for a frankly bargainous £6.50.

The Book of General Ignorance has just arrived from Amazon.

We all have four nostrils apparently.

I thought it was a bit too knowing at times, with those occasional references to ''the plot'' being a bit distracting. I did like the ''It was a daft excuse, but Mary accepted it, as should you'' joke.

Thursday's next adventure should be interesting, apparently it's more of a standalone book than the previous ones so it won't be the start of another great saga, though she still has to defeat Aornis and there was something in one of the otehr books about Thursday defeating three members of the Hades family.

You're more determined than me. It's too tedious for me.

Mann is my favorite author, that's where the determination comes from. And it does takes effort to plod on through it.