Whats everyone reading?

[Mikey]

From the very minute I began reading Titus Groan, I was hooked. The books spoke to me in a way that other books never had, or have since. The best way I've found to describe it to others is that it's grotesque baroque.

I loved it's use of language - it reflects what Gormenghast itself is, being slightly ponderous, portentious, sprawling and convoluted for apparently no good discernable reason. Mervyn Peake's other books aren't written with the same style, which reinforces my point.

Gormenghast is just about my favourite book, like, ever dude. I can quote passages from it an that and there's a certain incident which to me is so utterly tragic, it pulls at my heart everytime I think of it.

So, yeah, if you don't like it you can fuck right off, ye 'Bastard whelp of a whore rat!'

M.

[TordelBack]

Fascinating.  I could never get to grips with Gormenghast as a kid, although I  tried more than once.  Judging by the above comments from boarders whose opinions I at least occasionally permit to glance off my brain, I may have to schedule a new campaign.

In other news, my attempt to ration and thus prolong my consumption of Surface Detail is crumbling in the face of my increasingly rapt enjoyment one of the richest Banks novels in many years.  A splendidly fresh treatment of a pretty neglected subject in SF.  I suspect I'll end up finishing this off in a wasteful late night orgy (of reading).

[Paul faplad Finch]

Still trundling through the Horus Heresy (sci-fi), Vampire Diaries (fantasy) and Tempe Brennan (non-genre) series on rotation so nothing new to report.

However, a recent visit to the library to attempt to order some Hellblazer trades (no luck) saw me accosted by the two women who work there, both ever so keen to show me a new range of 'graphics' (not graphic novels, graphics, is this librarian speak or person who doesn't 'get' the medium speak?).

They seemed quite excited, and had apparantly discussed it amongst themselves at great length and decided that I would love these books. Seemingly based purely on the basis that I read comics, mind you. I didn't have the heart to say no.

Anyway, they are manga style (published by Tokyo Pop) and are based on games which I've never played. There is a sci-fi series called Starcraft and a fantasy one called Warcraft (possibly based on world of warcraft?) 

They seem to be collections of short stories rather than a continuing narrative, and I've only read a couple of the sci-fi ones so far but they seem kind of okay. Nothing mindlowing, and a little cliched maybe but certainly not offensive. Whether I'll go further than the 4 I picked up (first 2 from each genre) is a coin toss at the moment.

[Dark Jimbo]

From the very minute I began reading Titus Groan, I was hooked. The books spoke to me in a way that other books never had, or have since.

Same here, Mikey.

There aren't many books that have stayed with me so long after finishing it, or made me feel that I'm actually a more rounded person for having read it (pretentious wank, I know, but sadly true). I've never felt so invested in a cast of characters before or since, never cared about their plights quite so much as I did with these guys. When characters died, it seemed to matter.

I even embarked on a long term on-off project to draw every single one of the 50+ characters. http://darkjimbo.deviantart.com/gallery/182746

It's by no means a perfect book, by no means for everybody, and it asks a hell of a lot of the reader - it demands you put a bit of work in. By god it's worth the effort, though. There's simply nothing else like it - a law unto itself. As you say, even the rest of Peake's own work reads totally differently. Utterly unique.

[Ignatzmonster]

Great stuff Jimbo!! Just wish I could see Flay's knees.

However, a recent visit to the library to attempt to order some Hellblazer trades (no luck) saw me accosted by the two women who work there, both ever so keen to show me a new range of 'graphics' (not graphic novels, graphics, is this librarian speak or person who doesn't 'get' the medium speak?).

They seemed quite excited, and had apparantly discussed it amongst themselves at great length and decided that I would love these books. Seemingly based purely on the basis that I read comics, mind you. I didn't have the heart to say no.

Anyway, they are manga style (published by Tokyo Pop) and are based on games which I've never played. There is a sci-fi series called Starcraft and a fantasy one called Warcraft (possibly based on world of warcraft?) 

Took a look at that faux manga at the Tokyopop website. You are a much nicer and more tolerant man than me. Or those librarians were fuckin' smoking hot. Do love that stuff. Love football? Try jai alai!

[Paul faplad Finch]

Or those librarians were fuckin' smoking hot.

Nail. Head.  Well, one of them anyway. And the other has her own mumsy charms.

Nah, the truth is I'm just hardwired to never say no to people who think they are being helpful. It's why when I got my own house for the first time I had a cupboard filled with more net curtains than the wall had bricks.

[Mardroid]

It's okay. It's nice to be nice.

Manga isn't really my thing (although to be fair, I haven't read all that much to judge)  but I picked up Museum of Terror volume Three recently.

I read the first volume, Tomie, some while back and enjoyed it.

This is a selection of stories, (volume 1 had a few stories too, but they were all based on that strange young lady, Tomie) and as such, some are better than others, and the dialogue, or possibly the translation, is a bit... odd (although I understand what's going on). Most seem to fit into the subgenre (if there's such a thing) 'body horror' and as such come across a bit repetitive, but not bad. To be fair, I think the stories were initially printed separately as part of other anthologies.

The title given to this volume was The Long Hair which is rather inaccurate, that being just one small story in the volume. It's a messed up disturbing one though!

The art is good and not the over large eyed stereotypical style many associate with it. The horrific scenes really do look suitably horrific.

[Mikey]

I even embarked on a long term on-off project to draw every single one of the 50+ characters. http://darkjimbo.deviantart.com/gallery/182746

Nice work there Jimbo - I especially like Cora and Clarice. Funnily enough, when I first read the books I found myself sketching the characters and scenes whenever possible and I'm an unartistic wretch! It must be the rich description...

In other news, my attempt to ration and thus prolong my consumption of Surface Detail is crumbling in the face of my increasingly rapt enjoyment one of the richest Banks novels in many years.

Superb, isn't it?

M.

[Richmond Clements]

Quote from: TordelBack on March 26, 2011, 06:55:18 PM
In other news, my attempt to ration and thus prolong my consumption of Surface Detail is crumbling in the face of my increasingly rapt enjoyment one of the richest Banks novels in many years.

Superb, isn't it?

Dammit- I'm still at least two books away from it!

[Kerrin]

Dammit- I'm still at least two books away from it!

Are you quite mad sir?!

It's the best Culture book for ages and has one of the coolest ships yet. Total Culture geekfest.

[Eric Plumrose]

FALLEN, a 244-page novel by David Maine. My lazy-arse description: "It's a MEMENTOesque retelling of the Cain and Abel tale".

To my shame, I've read next to fuck-all literature. If it isn't in some kind of comic book format I'm unlikely to finish it, hence my preference for short story anthologies. Determined to actually finish the bastard and, thus far, I'm about half-way through and hoping to have it completed in a week or two.

[Richmond Clements]

Dammit- I'm still at least two books away from it!

Are you quite mad sir?!

It's the best Culture book for ages and has one of the coolest ships yet. Total Culture geekfest.

I know, I know- but review stuff is coming in thick and fast at the moment.

[satchmo]

Just read Jonathan Lethem's book of film criticism about John Carpenter's They Live. It's nice of them to write books just for me. Next they'll be doing a collection of all The Taxidermist stories or something 

It's a good laugh IF you really love the film, like what I do. It can be a bit full of itself with it's fancy talk and store bought britches but it's a perceptive look at one of my all time favourite films. And not a book I ever thought would exist!

[Tiplodocus]

Jonathan Lethem's book of film criticism about John Carpenter's They Live.

An entire book? I never cease to be amazed at how niche a niche can be.

[Tombo]

Lets see,

Words - Into the Out Of, by Alan Dean Foster.  Ancient African spirit/demon/things from another dimension try to destroy the world and its up to an elderly Massai wiseman, an American secret agent (FBI actually), and a tele-saleswoman(!?) to try and stop them.  First read it about twenty years ago and was pleased to discover I could get it print on demand through Waterstones.  The bit where the air hostess gets dragged into the toilet (the bowl, not the room) on a 747 still creeps me out.

After that I think I might give the first Ciaphas Cain trilogy another go, I got distracted twenty or so pages into the first book.

Graphic Novels - Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Vol.2, Eiji Otsuka and Housua Yamazaki.  Buddhist students track down the recently deceased and help grant their last wishes, for a profit if possible.  Covers everything from student suicides over lost love to WWII veterans wishing to apologise to comrades they killed.  Not afraid to mention Japan's bad behaviour in China in the 1930's and 40's either, which is rare.  The art is pretty gruesome as well, even in black and white - mop handle through zombie heads anyone?

On a trip to York today I saw the Origins trade paperback in the window of Oxfam, £6.99 don't mind if I do.  That made the coach trip home a lot easier.  Now I'm just waiting for Case Books 16 and 17 to show up.

On the Kindle - Rivers of London, Ben Aaronovich.  Newbie copper gets dragged into the murky world of magic in the Met.  Very funny (including a couple of gentle digs at Harry Potter and the Twishite, sorry Twilight books), and featuring some very sexy river goddesses.  Looking forward to the sequel in a month or so.