Book talk.

[william18]

I don't want to sound childis but the Redwall series is good.
Another good book is Ice Station by Matt Reily.
The Emperor serius by Conn Iggulden
The Edge chronicles are very refreshing books the are extremly bizzare.

[militant]

I am currently reading Lord of the Flies, I like it but it is pretty difficult to read in parts becasue of the long words but otherwise a awesome read

[static_ice]

I had to read Flies for school. The only book I liked reading in school was Kite Runner.

[william18]

I had to read Flies for school. The only book I liked reading in school was Kite Runner.

Artimus Fowl is good.. wait maybe thats only in Canadian schools.

[Skittles!]

This needs a really good bump for the 'newer' members which weren't here when this was around.

Alright, to start this thread again.
"The Man In the High Castle" by Philip Dick. Goodness this is a good book. So glad I just picked it up on my birthday last year.
"V for Vendetta" comic, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Doesn't need explaining, you should just read it.

[MeDeFe]

This needs a really good bump for the 'newer' members which weren't here when this was around.


"V for Vendetta" comic, by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Doesn't need explaining, you should just read it.

Confirmed, the graphic novel's simply great.

[Frito Bandito]

Almost anything by Arturo Perez-Reverte is worth reading.

I especially enjoyed the Nautical Chart FWIW I mostly listen to books in my car.

[PLAYER57832]

has any1 read the rangers apprentice series or the percy jackson and the olympians series?

Just read Percy Jackson,in fact. Its pretty decent.

Looking for the rangers series.

[Woodruff]

If you have time sit and read some books, then post here. Tell us about a good book, a bad book, an author you like, ect.
And please do it soon, I need some new reading material.

If you enjoy fantasy and you're in the mood for something SUPREMELY silly, try the "Castle Murders" series by John DeChancie. Great fun, but on the silly side.

Another series by an author that gets roundly pilloried (with good reason) is the "Blue Adept" series by Piers Anthony. As with his other series, he goes on with too many books in the series, but the first three are tremendous.

[jonesthecurl]

Piers Anthony is one of a large number of sf/fantasy authors who are really good when at their best, but fail massively often too.

[PLAYER57832]

Piers Anthony is one of a large number of sf/fantasy authors who are really good when at their best, but fail massively often too.

He's rather arrogant, too.

A good author, but have you read any of his "notes"? lol.

[b.k. barunt]

Best book i've ever read is "Sometimes a Great Notion" (a line from one of my favorite songs) by Ken Kesey. His other book, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", is also great. The movie version of Cuckoo's Nest was brilliant and won best picture, but the movie of Great Notion with Paul Newman really shit the bed.


Honibaz

[pimpdave]

I'm currently tearing through:



It's really good. Burrough is certainly adept within the genre of narrative history, and he's turning me into a fan. I can't wait for the movie, but this book is really top notch. While there are many books about the gangs and gangsters of the era, no book has really tied everything together to give a complete picture of the landscape at the time. Burrough not only achieves tying it all together, but also makes use of the recently (late 80s early 90s) released FBI files pertaining to the persons and cases, as well as his own research and interviews with those involved still among the living.

The film gets released 1 July 2009, so read the book first. And of course, go see the movie, because it's written and directed by Michael Mann, which means it will completely rule.

[muy_thaiguy]

Currently reading Vampire Earth series while waiting for the rest of the Wheel of Time series to come out, and it is an addicting series.

[jonesthecurl]

Best book i've ever read is "Sometimes a Great Notion" (a line from one of my favorite songs) by Ken Kesey. His other book, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", is also great. The movie version of Cuckoo's Nest was brilliant and won best picture, but the movie of Great Notion with Paul Newman really shit the bed.


Honibaz

I loved "Cuckoo", and despite that loved the movie too - maybe the only case where I thought the movie was worthy of the book. I've also seen it as a stage play, which was profoundly moving.
I have a copy of "Sometimes", which I picked up in a library sale but haven't got round to it yet.

I also love Tom Wolfe's Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, which was about Kesey rather than (obvioulsy) by him." Are you on the bus?"

[Woodruff]

Piers Anthony is one of a large number of sf/fantasy authors who are really good when at their best, but fail massively often too.

Yes, I agree...though I've never read a "first in the series" novel of his that was anything but tremendous...his biggest problem is that HE JUST DOESN'T KNOW WHEN TO STOP BEATING THE HORSE.

[neanderpaul14]

Piers Anthony is one of a large number of sf/fantasy authors who are really good when at their best, but fail massively often too.

Have you ever read his "Apprentice of the Adept" trilogy? This is some of his best work.

[b.k. barunt]

Best book i've ever read is "Sometimes a Great Notion" (a line from one of my favorite songs) by Ken Kesey. His other book, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", is also great. The movie version of Cuckoo's Nest was brilliant and won best picture, but the movie of Great Notion with Paul Newman really shit the bed.


Honibaz

I loved "Cuckoo", and despite that loved the movie too - maybe the only case where I thought the movie was worthy of the book. I've also seen it as a stage play, which was profoundly moving.
I have a copy of "Sometimes", which I picked up in a library sale but haven't got round to it yet.

I also love Tom Wolfe's Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, which was about Kesey rather than (obvioulsy) by him." Are you on the bus?"

"You're either on the bus or off the bus".


Oh the vibrations.
Honibaz

[kiddicus maximus]

Lately, I've been intrigued by Cormac McCarthy... author of No Country for Old Men. The Road is one of his better works, in my opinion. Depressing as hell, but well written.

[Lord and Master]

Neal Stephenson. Read everything this man writes, he's fucking amazing! Recommend you start with The Barock Cycle, which is a trilogy starting with "Quicksilver" then "The Confusion" and finally "The System of The World". I guess you'd pigeon-hole it as historical fiction but don't let that put you off, he's absolutely marvellous! "Cryptonomicon" is fabulous too BUT it's kind of an unofficial follow-up to the Barock Cycle so to gain maximum pleasure/minimum confusion you should read Cryptonomicon after the Cycle...
"Anathem" is a stand-alone novel, very hard-work for like 50/60 pages but then it all kind of clicks and makes sense and is well worth the trouble!
I'm gonna track down his other books 'cos am very definitely a huge fan of this author. Some people are just too talented, it's like if you were a budding author you shouldn't read any Neal Stephenson as you'd be completely humbled by the scope and brilliance of his work, realising that you may as well not bother writing as nothing you ever do will even come close to this man's scribblings...

[Gypsys Kiss]

I've currently got three books on the go.

The first is Murray Walkers autobiography. The guy is a legend, if you like your motorsport you may have heard of him. It may not be the best written book in the world, but its easy to read and, man, he has had a full life doing the stuff he loves.

Next is A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Its informative without being totally over your head. Its witty and scary, and considering hes american, he uses the word 'aluminium'. Ahhhhh, the vagaries of the English language. The good news is the Earth can and will repair itself. The bad news is it will take around sixty thousand years and not until it has got rid of the cause.

Lastly is The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. This is probably the most disturbing book I have read. So disturbing, in fact, that this is the third time I've read it and I've stopped my nephew from reading it till he's older.

[Skittles!]

Lastly is The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. This is probably the most disturbing book I have read. So disturbing, in fact, that this is the third time I've read it and I've stopped my nephew from reading it till he's older.

Oh, that sounds interesting. What's it about?

[Gypsys Kiss]

Lastly is The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. This is probably the most disturbing book I have read. So disturbing, in fact, that this is the third time I've read it and I've stopped my nephew from reading it till he's older.

Oh, that sounds interesting. What's it about?

I copied this from a review. I do not recomend reading any reviews before you read the book.

Published in 1984, The Wasp Factory is quite a grim and startling story about 16 year old Frank Cauldhame. It was the first ever book by Scottish author Iain Banks.

Frank's an odd character - seemingly highly intelligent from his first person narrative, but holds observance of some odd rituals. Frank lives with his father on a remote 'island' joined to the mainland and nearby town by a bridge.

In some ways, the isolation of Frank's home is a parallel with his own isolation from society. He holds court all over the island like a lone Lord Of The Flies, with 'Sacrifice Poles" and secret bunkers and his hidden wasp factory in the attic of the house. To pass the time, he holds fictional wars, one of which - himself versus a rabid rabbit - are described in gruesome detail. The Wasp Factory of the title is a strange contraption built around the face of a huge town hall clock face - Frank places a wasp inside it and uses it to divine future events.

[Skittles!]

Sounds good - I'm going to go take it out of the library if they have it. :]

[Lord and Master]

...A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson...and considering hes american, he uses the word 'aluminium'. Ahhhhh, the vagaries of the English language.

I hate to admit it, being a proud Englishman, but the American's are more correct to say "Aluminum" than we Brits are with our insistence on "Aluminium".
As the esteemed Mr Bryson explains, it's all to do with a pleasing symmetry in how the various chemical elements in certain groups end.