Whats everyone reading?

[TordelBack]

Reading the 18th (of 20.5) of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels, The Yellow Admiral.  I've been rationing my reading of this, for my money the greatest series of historical novels ever produced, but every time I pick one up I seem to hurtle through it and straight into the next one.  Even re-reading the early ones barely seems to slow progress.  O'Brian has been doing something similar for the past dozen books, freezing his characters in an endless largely ship-bound 1813  so that they don't run out of Napoleonic War, but with this installment they rejoin 'real' chronology as the end of the war finally looms.  Despite the early part of the book being about the politics and economics of the enclosure of commons, picking it up is like slipping into a deliciously warm bath.

If you've never tried one of these, do yourself a favour and at least read the first (and undoubtedly one of the best) Master and Commander, largely unrelated to the (fine) film version, and entirely self-contained.  A triumphant mixture of adventure, history and technical writing that really does skirt the borders between pure fun and genuine art.  

I can't believe I only two have two left (and an unfinished final volume) to read.

[Kerrin]

A resounding recommendation TB. I've been looking for something decent to get stuck into, I'll give them a try.

I've been rereading "The Third Policeman" by Flann O'Brien, and as is the case every time I treat myself to this most joyfully lyrical of books I'm delighted by the sheer exuberance of O'Brien's writing all over again.

I was lucky enough to find a copy of the Folio Society edition going for a song on eBay (completely misspelt ((this spellchecker thinks misspelt is misspelt)) listing), which as well as being beautifully bound and slip cased also has several excellent illustrations by David Eccles. I'm not a huge fan of illustrations in novels but these are wonderfully thought out and executed. If you are a fan of the book you could do worse than to search out a copy of this edition, it's a lovely thing to read and shelves very pleasingly.

[SmallBlueThing]

Titan, by ben bova. Which i borrowed from the library in an attempt not to further infuriate my wife by buying another book.
As usual with bova, it's a cross between hard science-porn and a rollicking character-led adventure. Several characters from earlier bova novels turn up, which was most welcome and a surprise, and events are referenced, but not so many that i feel lost by having only read two of them.
A robot pube sent to Titan goes haywire, while the polical machinations on the orbiting habitat above get interesting. Fascinating stuff.

SBT

[I, Cosh]

As usual with bova, it's a cross between hard science-porn
...
A robot pube sent to Titan goes haywire
...

Sounds like an eye-watering thrill ride!

[SmallBlueThing]

PROBE! i meant probe. Im sure i tapped probe out using my stick, but no, it says pube. Sigh.
SBT

[Emp]

I read pube and political and thought that it was probably right, politicians being  like they are.

[Mardroid]

Handling the Undead by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Excellent book!

Very melancholic take on the zombie formula. Very much a character-driven story that one would imagine would be difficult to translate to the big screen. However, at the World Horror Con last year, John confimred the rights to the movie had been picked up.

I just finished it last night. I agree, a great book. Part of me would have liked more answers, but on the other hand, maybe it's fitting we didn't.

Don't highlight if you haven't read or mind being spoiled:

[spoiler]Interesting that the 'caterpillars' were not what I thought they were! And the twist concerning Death...
 
The telepathy thing seemed a bit confused to me. I.e. being around the reliving causes a field where living people can read each others thoughts but not the reliving. BUT a couple of characters do communicate directly with the reliving... I suspect this is to do with a) level of psychic talent of the individual and b) how far forward the souls of the reliving can come, especially as they seem rather confused and afraid of The Fisher. I.e. it seems the reliving's souls are present but they obviously don't have the same level of control as they did in life, hence the robotic nature of the bodies responding to emotional stimulus, etc.

That's not really a criticism on my part though, I'm just not sure I fully understand it all.


Flora and Iva's thread didn't really end satisfactorily for me, but I understand that it wasn't meant to be an entirely happy ending. I suspect the point there was that life will go on as it always has, and nothing much has really changed. At least the main characters seemed to have some personal closure.[/spoiler]

A great alternative take on the zombie genre book. I highly recommend.

[House of Usher]

My partner has just finished reading The Time Traveller's Wife. She's been telling me bits of plot and reading bits aloud to me. I've spotted a minor plot hole that has nothing to do with time travel and everything to do with the predicament of [spoiler]waking up naked in the snow[/spoiler].

[terrence123]

Reading  "The Help" by Kathryn Stockard. It was very well written and a very moving book about a town in Mississippi in the 1960's. I would recommend it...

[Ignatzmonster]

Alternating between Constantine collections and chapters of Iain Sinclair's Lights Out For the Territories. Not intended as a project. Just happened to crave those two things at once. But it is now. It's amazing how the subject matter and the casts of characters overlap. Maps, Thatcher, disrespect towards history from the present, the meshing of crimes from differing timelines etc etc blah blah. Thank god I'm no longer a humanities student or I'd feel compelled to put out a monograph on the subject.

Sort of wandering blindly through the most recent collections. I picked up Milligan's Scab which shows promise but isn't putting a lot of weight behind the punches. That was kind of the reason I drifted off during Carey's years. I'm a Delano man at heart any suggestions for the later authors? Hows Diggle's run?

[Mrpepperami]

Re-reading Lucifer by mike Carey. One of the best set of graphic novels I have ever read. Also reading walking dead an sweet tooth

[gurnard]

Chew 2 and Amulet 2 both very entertaining and visually exciting.

[Albion]

Reading The complete Ro-Busters at the moment and loving it. It was one of my favourites when it was originally in Star Lord.

Next up will be Grandville then Chew book 2.

[HOO-HAA]

Just started on Andy Remic's KELL'S LEGEND. First fantasy novel I've read in over twenty years! So far, I'm loving it

[Roger Godpleton]

When she was good which is by far my favourite Philip Roth book. Blistering stuff.