what are you reading?

Post by **Jedburgh** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:27 pm 0

WiteWulf wrote:Just finished Cryptonomicon and looking around for something new.

Head straight on to the Baroque Cycle, obv

Surfr · Post by **Surfr** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 4:34 pm 0

I'm currently reading Sea Harrier over the Falklands by Cmdr. Sharky Ward. Having read Vulcan 607 and Hostile Skies, this wraps up the air war in the Falklands me and all 3 have been very enjoyable reads. I can't get enough of modern day british pilot stories at the moment. Amongst those, I also read Tornado down (somewhat belatedly!).

Next in the pile is "It's not about the Bike" by Lance Armstrong, then Alfie by Gareth Thomas.

HGFB · Post by **HGFB** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:00 pm 0

I've just started reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series. Does it get any less weird than the first book? His writing style at age 19 is a bit... flowery.

merman · Post by **merman** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:39 pm 0

HGFB wrote:I've just started reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series. Does it get any less weird than the first book? His writing style at age 19 is a bit... flowery.

I've only read the first four (borrowed from the library) but it gets AWESOME. Seriously. And the way it links in with so many other King works is incredible.

Just read "Sacred Monsters - Behind the Mask of the Horror Actor" by Doug Bradley, aka the guy who played Pinhead in the Hellraiser movies. Fascinating glimpse into Doug's career and many of the famous actors who portrayed evil monsters/characters with masks.

craigt · Post by **craigt** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:07 am 0

I have just finished Song of Susannah (Dark Tower VI). The series has some seriously good twists in this and the previous book.

Personally, I think Gunslinger is the weekest book of the series (probably because it was one of this earlier books). Stick with it, though. Since the next book, Drawing of the Three, is excellent

My father-in-law recently gave me a collection of James Bond books, so i've just started on Dr. No.

merman wrote: I've only read the first four (borrowed from the library) but it gets AWESOME. Seriously. And the way it links in with so many other King works is incredible.

Wait until you read Wolves of the Calla. The end is a serious 'What the fu..!?' lost-style moment

HGFB · Post by **HGFB** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:12 am 0

Despite the flowery language I have enjoyed The Gunslinger and since I have a Â£20 book token for Smiths and a Â£5 off voucher I plan to buy the next 3 or 4 in the series.

HGFB · Post by **HGFB** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:20 pm 0

I just started reading Drawing of the Three this lunchtime. I'm not very far in but it already seems much less of a drug trip and more of a Stephen King book.

grue · Post by **grue** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:22 pm 0

Brian Lumley's Psychamok, final book of the Psychomech trilogy.

Next on the shelf: China Mieville's Un Lun Dun.

Mat · Post by **Mat** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:28 pm 0

After going through a Palahniuk binge, I'm currently reading a wonderfully trashy zombie novel, Monster Nation by David Wellington.
After that, I've got the hardback Fatal Revenant, Stephen Donaldson's latest. That's going to be a monster to read on the train :E

Regardinjg Palahniuk, I've read a load of his books one after the other; Choke, Invisible Monsters, Haunted, Lullaby, Diary and Survivor. All great stuff, and Haunted has possibly one of the most unsettling short stories I've ever read in it.
It's called guts, and it's not very nice.

RageMatrix · Post by **RageMatrix** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:06 pm 0

Mat wrote:After going through a Palahniuk binge, I'm currently reading a wonderfully trashy zombie novel, Monster Nation by David Wellington.
After that, I've got the hardback Fatal Revenant, Stephen Donaldson's latest. That's going to be a monster to read on the train :E

Regardinjg Palahniuk, I've read a load of his books one after the other; Choke, Invisible Monsters, Haunted, Lullaby, Diary and Survivor. All great stuff, and Haunted has possibly one of the most unsettling short stories I've ever read in it.
It's called guts, and it's not very nice.

Guts is vile. Thats the one where people faint at readings of it, innit?

Mat · Post by **Mat** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:17 pm 0

That's the nasty little fecker. It had me breaking out in a sweat and shifting about uneasily on the Southeastern to Hayes. I'm sure I got a few concerned looks as my pallour went south.
It's a fantastic story in that it lulls you into a false sense of security with the previous hilarious anecdotes then drops the bomb.

I've taken a rather sadistic pleasure in getting people at work to read it, and you can see when they get to the nasty part at as there's a visible physical change in their posture.

Highly recommended. Palahniuk's very own "Chuck, you CUNT" moment.

Tmuk · Post by **Tmuk** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 3:27 pm 0

I'm reading 'Elric of MelnibonÃ©' by Michael Moorcock. I've heard a lot of good things about the series, and decided that I liked Moorcock's style of writing having just finished 'The Black Corridor' which he also wrote.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:08 pm 0

How Life Imitates Chess, by Garry Kasparov.

Garry is outspoken against the current Russian government (not covered in this book), and was thrown in jail last month for a few days, for apparently protesting. He's one of the most renowned chessmasters too.

It's a book more about thought processes than it is about chess, but uses chess and chess competition throughout as examples (easily digested even if you don't play the game). Question your own mind and enhance it, essentially.

About 40% through and really enjoying it.

HGFB · Post by **HGFB** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:11 pm 0

I'm about 130 pages in The Drawing of the Three and I'm loving every minute. It's one of those books I encounter every now and again that I just don't want to put down until I've finished. This one nearly made me miss my train tonight.

In the intro to The Gunslinger King mentions that only a small portion of his fans have read the Dark Tower series. To be honest after reading the Gunslinger I can see how that happens. This first book while good reads more like a LSD trip than a Stephen King novel. I'm very pleased he didn't keep the same style for the second

kalmar · Post by **kalmar** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:15 pm 0

Mat wrote:Regardinjg Palahniuk, I've read a load of his books one after the other; Choke, Invisible Monsters, Haunted, Lullaby, Diary and Survivor.

Rant is his new one, I read that a couple of months ago. It's good too.

All great stuff, and Haunted has possibly one of the most unsettling short stories I've ever read in it.
It's called guts, and it's not very nice.

Christ yeah, I heard that read on Radio 4 and it made me feel slightly unwell.