I might, when I get round to reading the others, skip that one til' the end. Recently watched the film so the story is pretty fresh, and it seems a bit too Prisoner Of Zenda. Then again, if it's anything like the first I could miss out on some actual history education.

It's told in two parts, set several years apart. I've been trying to read the books in the order they were published, as I'm guessing that's the way Fraser intended them to be read, but the latest editions have been reordered chronologically - something to watch out for!

Good work. I'm about halfway through.

I recently finished The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds. Reynolds is one of the best SF authors out there, but this addition to the 'Revelation Space' universe seems like filler. After the excellent stand-alone novels 'Century Rain' and 'Pushing Ice', and mind-blowing 'Galactic North' short story collection, this new book seems superfluous. There is nowhere near the same scope and grandeur of previous work, and the story is a straightforward SF soap opera with none of the time-bending narratives of something like 'Chasm City'. Even his style seems to have taken a downturn; there are some very cheesy similies, and his usually crisp description is a little bland here. Unfortunately I think Reynolds's interest in the Demarchist people of the Glitter Band on which the book focuses, is much less than his other imagined cultures like the Ultras or Conjoiners. We learn virtually nothing new about the RS universe, which in comparison to 'Galactic North', is frustrating. Definitely Reynolds's weakest contribution to his excellent canon.

Just finished Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. It's an account of her journey through the grieving process beginning with her husband's death. Didion's talent is exceptional, considering that it's an ordinary and common subject made compelling. Very personal and inspiring stuff in there.

Just started on The Chronicles of Narnia again. Normally I start then only get as far as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and then get distracted, but now I'm up to the Horse and his Boy and quite enjoying it.

I am currently reading The Naked Jape by Jimmy Carr and Lucy Greaves, and I must say it's pretty damn interesting. As a joke book about what jokes are, how they work, etc., it could have quite easily became very dull very quickly, thankfully it is written in such a tone that keeps it entertaining and informative.

I just finished The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Thanks muchly to Craig, Rachel and Ade for the recommendation. I heartily enjoyed it. It had everything I love in a book! It was funny, clever, well-written, interesting plots without being ridiculous, likeable characters and well-paced. I've just started Lost in a Good Book and I'm looking forward to more of the same.

Ohh, it gets sooooo much better, petal. Glad to see you've enjoyed it so much.

^ Next on my list after I finish A Dirty Job, which is absolutely marvelous so far. I cracked up repeatedly last night...

Indeed, the first four book series is one of the most satisfying I've read in quite some time. I just hope he manages to keep up the quality with the 'standalone' books from now on.

I'm currently reading The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard after picking it up on a whim from a seconf-hand book shop. Best £3 I've ever spent. A great, pulpy thriller with great dialogue, characters and a breathtaking pace.

Yay! Ade and Ed are right, too. The books get better.



Yay! Everyone should read Christopher Moore. His books are amazing.


I'm re-reading The Golden Compass now.

I'm most of the way through god Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens. He has the potential for some excellent insight and critique of the flaws of religion, based on a superb knowledge of sacred texts, but sometimes he can stray into what I'd define as 'Michael Moore' territory - a little too much satire and taking jabs at religion and the religious when his textual critique, supported by historical facts, is more than enough to show up the fallacies of the three major world monotheist religions, in particular. However, it was clearly intended to be a commentary book and he is certainly very funny. I waver between head-nodding at some of it and not neccessarily agreeing with other parts.

Absorbing read.

Couldn't find anything along these lines. But then I didn't look very hard to be truthful.

So what are you reading at the moment? Why did you pick it up? How are you finding it thus far?

I'm currently reading "The Devil's Knot: The True Story Of The West Memphis Three" by Mara Leveritt. I've been after this for awhile, because the case has interested me in a long time. Mainly thanks to the Paradise Lost documentaries and awareness of it brought up by elements of the Rock genre.

I'm roughly a third through it and although I'm engrossed in it, I can't say that I'm enjoying reading this book, given it's dark and horrific subject. The reason for the book's being is a triple homicide of three 8 year old boys from a small, sleepy town in Arkansas. The boys were beaten senseless and mutilated. With the crime scene meticulously cleaned of any concrete evidence, the local police department are pressurised into resolving this case as soon as possible. But straight away, they ignore all other possibilities and go with the idea that the murder is cult related (By Satanists). While there was no evidence whatsoever to prove this, the God fearing locals all believe it to be the most likely. All they need is someone or some people to fit the part. Three teenage boys unwillingly oblige. Why? Because they dye their hair black. Listen to Metallica, Pink Floyd and U2. One of them has a book on White Witchcraft etc.

The book manages (and does it very well) to stay objectional. There are times when you are "What the fuck?!" and you can't believe that a bastard offspring of the Salem Witch Trials was allowed to happen in our time, right in the heart of the United States. But then there are times when you think "Well maybe.." But at this stage of the book, it's hard to say which way I will feel about the outcome.

Merged with original 'Books' thread.

Look harder next time, Riot Boy!

Just finished The Horse and His Boy today (read the whole lot, bar the first chapter, this afternoon). Now onto Prince Caspian!

I've just finished re-reading The Kraken Wakes for the umteenth time.

Although it is a bit rushed towards the end, the initial build up still makes the hair stand up on the back of the neck. Wyndham was very good at that . . .

A couple of weeks ago I read Tracy Quan's Diary of a Manhattan Callgirl, which, after Belle de Jour's Diary of a London Callgirl was a letdown. That its a fictional diary probably detracts from its power, added to which the central character, Nancy is generally unlikeable - the only people given rounded, likeable personalities are those we rarely see - The Brothel Madam, and clients. Almost bar none the mentioned hookers are all vile in their own ways.
Nancy's backstory Her decision to become a prostitute at ten, sexually active at thirteen with no emotional attachment to her partners and hooking soon after seemed ridiculously controlled and far too clinical for me - I usually can't bear it if characters detach themselves fully from situations, it seems unnatural most of the time.
I wouldn't really reccommend it - read Belle de Jour, seeing as she actually knows what she's talking about.

I bought another three books to add to the ever-growing pile of 'still haven't read' titles. I'm such a sucker for Waterstones' 3-for-2 offers.

Raymond E. Feist - 'Flight Of The Nighthawks' (that's now seven Feist titles to get through)
John Connolly - 'The Book Of Lost Things'
Stephen King - 'Cell'


Other than taking the sleeve plaudits at face value, I have absolutely no idea if any of these are truly any good (apart from Feist, who is one of my fave fantasy fiction authors). Anybody here read either of the other two?

I read this and really liked it. As a Fforde ffan, I bet you will too. It's got some of the same referential elements, but it's much darker.

Oooh, sounds good. I shall look into that one.

I finished god Is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens - a very engaging and thought-provoking read for anyone who is interested in the changing attitudes towards religion. I didn't agree with all of his views, but he is a well-read and well-researched writer and puts his ideas forward in a way that makes them accessible.

I then ploughed through A Brief History of the Dead that Craig sent me - I really loved the overall concept of this novel. It's about how the people who have died don't go on to a true afterlife until everyone who remembered them in the living world has also died. Nice interweaving of multiple characters and a subtley near-future setting were plus points for me, although I wasn't hugely into the ending - I felt he dragged out Laura's death too much.

Am now reading Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.

This is next on my list, as a result of Craig's recommendation. It's not going to make me cry or anything, is it?

This was my complaint too. "Following some marbles...flip, flip, flip...still following some marbles"

Glad you like it though!

Well, would you look at that...

Had a bit of a reading spree this afternoon. Finished Prince Caspian and have almost finished The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which is my favourite of the series so far. It has a ship. And pirates. And rum. What did you expect?

Edited for spelling reading as "reeding".

aw you've just brought back childhood memories i used to love those books

I remember reading those with my mum at bedtime when I was tiny, I think we got upto The Silver Chair before we stopped (I'm not sure if we read it or not, I was far to small to still remember any of them frankly). I think after that we changed to The Hobbit and never went back.

Aaah, nostalgia.

I loved all the Narnia books. I had every single one.


Aye, it was a bit tedious after the fifth page of it!

Same with me. Though I did learn very early on in life that they had a Christian message and that put me right off them. I read them a few years ago and they're not bad, but hardly great.

Finished "The Devil's Knot". Sometimes, It's good to read a book that can make you angry for the right reasons. And sometimes, the best horror novels are the ones that are factual. This does both. But given the tragedy, the horror and the darkness of the subject matter, there are shards of light at the end. Given the situation that the accused parties have found themselves in, hope still remains.

I like all the Narnia books bar the Magicians Nephew, which is a bit rough if you want to read them all in order. I tried reading them again recently and found them very old fashioned. I know they were written and set some time ago, but they haven't aged well in my opinion.

Just started American Gods now, having finally finished Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.

And read Black Man a couple of weeks back. Greatly enjoyed its noir-esque writing style and the way the scope of the story expands towards the end of the book. Very enjoyable and nice to be reading one-off books again, rather than trilogies and such.

I am starting to read Terry Goodkinds Sword of Truth series again in preperation for the final book being released in November. Although my books won't be with me when I move next week so after Wizards First Rule I'll have to wait till August.

Maybe I can squeeze a couple n my case...hmmm

Again, I got sick of them reading them the first time. I think I've read 1-7 and it looks like there is another 5 to go yet. I can't believe it's actually going to end... I thought that was one story that would go on forever.

I love them, one of the only long fantasy series' to have kept me interested, there was only one book I though was a bit pointless, then there was room for it to have had some purpose and it wasn't used, which was a bit disappointing, but otherwise I rate them all.

I've just finished reading that and I was very impressed. Lots of dark takes on fairytales and the like. I think that you will like.

Not heard great things about Cell, but I haven't read it yet either.

I am reading The Perfect Storm - the true story of the sinking of the Andrea Gail. It is quite, quite captivating. The fact that it is written as a rather detached retelling of the story - facts filled in with probabilities - makes it all the more gripping in my mind. The descriptions of the weather is so matter of fact, but yet so tense.

i'm currently dipping into 365 WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD. Some fascinating info and good things to do.

Thanks very muches for the votes of positivitity. Lord knows when I'll get around to reading it, but there you go.

I've managed to blissfully ignore any reference to Christianity (well, except for the "Sons of Adam" thing) through knowing nothing much about the religion, so I think I missed the message.

However, I noticed (and this is only to be expected from me) the words "Kraken" and "World's End" at the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I finished it last night, and it definitely is my favourite of the five that I've read so far (and not because of what I said above). I am rather sad though that Edmund and Lucy won't be back. Lucy was my favourite.

You know, I don't think I mentioned it on here for fear of having orcs sent after me, but I really didn't enjoy The Lord of the Rings books. I really liked the films, and so was expecting the books to be incredible, but I found them rather tedious and only got partway through The Two Towers before giving up. I might try them again, but not in the near future.

I'm going to have to plough through Harry Potter after I'm done with Narnia, as I haven't read any of the books for about two years. Here's hoping Deathly Hallows is better than Half-Blood Prince. It really felt to me like J.K. had just grabbed a random fan-fiction writer and told them to do the book for her.

I can see why you wouldn't like the Lord of The Rings books compared to the films. They're quite plodding in terms of pace and the prose tends to get bogged down in the description and this is often detrimental to the plot. I read them before the first film and enjoyed them but I tried to re-read them since and I couldn't get through them at all.

Songs! Songs! So many dreadful songs!

Yeah. It could have really done without them.

Tolkien wrote all wrong. I love the books, but find Fellowship a struggle since the films.

Nasty elves wroted them, they burns our earses!



Indeed. As a Professor of English Language and Literature, he just didn't have a clue how to write.

Wink. Nudge. Eh.

A background that certainly had its advantages, like cribbing Old English to give the impression you've created a whole new language.

The crafty ol' bugger.

Not quite fair. He did use Old English for the language of the Rohirrim, but he did invent in more or less detail several languages, most notably Sindarin (which was aesthetically modelled on Welsh) and Quenya (Finnish).

I'd agree his prose style is uneven and at times clunky, but as a work of imagination I'd say The Lord of the Rings, and the myths and legends that lie behind it, has few equals.

Definitely. It's a hugely ambitious work and he did an amazing job at crafting an entire world and several cultures, it's just a shame that, at times, his efforts to create that world get in the way of the actual plot.

Yeah, I agree that the story itself and Middle-earth are just incredible (and Gollum, of course). Some bits of the books I quite liked, and when it got to the action it was great. I can't even remember what it was now that made me find the books boring, but I'm thinking it was along the lines of too much walking.

After reading this:



I've picked up a copy and it's the next thing on my reading list after I finish Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler, which is excellent but the plot seems a bit more muddled than The Big Sleep. No less arresting a story, though.

Finished The Silver Chair this morning.

Now onto The Last Battle, and I'll have finally read the Chronicles of Narnia.

Just a scant handful of pages left in A Dirty Job, and I have no idea where it's going. I love it when good books do that...