Whats everyone reading?

[Kerrin]

I was hoping to say that I'm reading Surface Detail by Iain M Banks but the wife nipped out for 10 minutes earlier and the postman too the opportunity to stick a card through the door .

Cheers Rog, forgot that was out, thought it was next month. Ordered.

Just finished "Heartstone" by C J Sansom. I was a bit worried when I started it that it would suffer in comparison with "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet" which I read immediately beforehand. But whereas Sansom's writing is more workmanlike than David Mitchell's wonderfully poetic prose, it was nonetheless thoroughly enjoyable and a proper pageturner.

Reading the first volume of "Scott Pilgrim" and "The Flint Collection" at the moment.

[SmallBlueThing]

Since i never, ever, read straight science fiction, and have an absolute hatred of big fat books that come in trilogies, i thought id buy a big fat science fiction novel that's the first in a trilogy. Ahem.
So, after half an hour staring at the shelves in waterstones and becoming increasingly annoyed at the shitness of most things i picked up, i plumped for 'the reality dysfunction' by peter f hamilton. 1200 pages of a 'vast canvas of classic space opera', im forty pages in and am really enjoying it. Though being familiar with blitzspears, im seeing parallels already.
SBT

[Zarjazzer]

I really enjoyed Engines of the Apocalypse, non stop bonkers action, trying The Hunt for Voldorius a okay Wh40k book and then its The Amulet a Lovecraftian private eye story set in Glasgow!

[Robin Low]

Since i never, ever, read straight science fiction, and have an absolute hatred of big fat books that come in trilogies, i thought id buy a big fat science fiction novel that's the first in a trilogy. Ahem.
So, after half an hour staring at the shelves in waterstones and becoming increasingly annoyed at the shitness of most things i picked up, i plumped for 'the reality dysfunction' by peter f hamilton. 1200 pages of a 'vast canvas of classic space opera', im forty pages in and am really enjoying it. Though being familiar with blitzspears, im seeing parallels already.
SBT

Loved that series, and possibly enjoyed the two Commonwealth books even more. Avoid Misspent Youth unless you actively enjoy loathing every character in a book.

Regards

Robin

[Kerrin]

There's some pretty good horror mixed in with the space opera loveliness as well SBT.

Robin, you're spot on about Misspent Youth. Couldn't work out where Hamilton was coming from with that one.

[Mardroid]

At the moment I'm reading Priestess of the White by Trudi Caravan.

I haven't read all that much yet, so it's too early to say whether it's much good. I'm not over keen on the style, but it's not bad so far. The religious and magic system of the world is intriguing.

As far as GNs are concerned I picked up a crossover Spider-man and Red Sonia. I've yet to read it, and it's probably pure trash.

On the other hand, there's a well endowed red haired hottie in a chain-mail bikini...

[Mikey]

Yeah, another vote for the Reality Dysfunction (and the others!).Great scope and great fun and gets a bit nasty as Kerrin says. Please don't read this next bit SBT! (or any others who want to read it!) [spoiler]I was so disappointed with the ending of the Naked God. It just fizzled out! So if we're all just nice everything'll be fine?! And I really didn't think Joshua would've hung up his space boots so easily...[/spoiler] One of my all time favourite short stories (of all time) is 'Sonny's Edge' in 'A Second Chance at Eden', a collection set in the same universe. Chilling!

I just read Mr Screw On Head - it was lush! Really charming and funny and too damn short. I'm going to have to buy the Hellboy Trades, Mignola is great.

M.

[Kerrin]

I just read Mr Screw On Head - it was lush! Really charming and funny and too damn short. I'm going to have to buy the Hellboy Trades, Mignola is great.

Too damn short is too damn right Mikey. It does contain some great lines though. And lot's of beautifully dark Mignola art. Get the Hellboy trades, they're tremendous.

I agree about the Hamilton by the way. DON'T YOU DARE LOOK UNDER THOSE SPOILERS SBT!

Just got the new Iain M Banks Culture novel "Surface Detail", so far, so good.

[SmallBlueThing]

While spoilers dont appear on my phone under black boxes, i luckily has a very speedy scroll function, so i whizzed past!
Im really enjoying the reality dysfunction so far. Only about 200 pages in, but the characters, worlds, and tech are so well realised it feels like ive read two or three books already. The Ruin Ring especially, and the scavenging, was exactly the sort of scifi i hoped for when i bought it. Looking forward to spending another few months pootling through this world.
SBT

[noodles]

Just finished 'Life of Pi' -absolutely magical... Now going onto 'Captain Correlli's Mandolin'

Thats some fine reading right there. 'Life of Pi' is possibly my favourite book ever.

What else would you recommend?

Captain Corelli's Mandolin was beautifully visualised. I found it getting a bit dusty as I went through the final chapter -it was ssssoooooo sad! I kind of finally appreciated Kafka's comment of literature being the axe for the frozen sea within us and that's having survived the denoument of Iain Banks' 'Use of Weapons'!

Now reading Bertrand Russell 'History of Western Philosophy' (at about a page a month).

Just finished Alan Moore's 'Neonomicon' iss.3 which is turning out to be as distasteful as anything in 'Crossed -Family Values'. The latter has served to depress me even more than the original series.

[Roger Godpleton]

having another go at Finnegan's Wake. So far it's the shit, well worth the effort of sounding out all the words in a ludicrous leprechaun accent in my head.

[exilewood]

You should listen to Billy Joe Shaver whilst reading it & pretend thay you're Bob Dylan.

[HOO-HAA]

Just started John A Lindqvist's THE HARBOUR and Nancy Holzner's DEADTOWN (my first dabble in Urban Fantasy).

[Colin YNWA]

Just finished 'Life of Pi' -absolutely magical... Now going onto 'Captain Correlli's Mandolin'

Thats some fine reading right there. 'Life of Pi' is possibly my favourite book ever.

What else would you recommend?

Anything by Kurt Vonnegut or Paul Auster for starters.

[Dandontdare]

Just finished 'Life of Pi' -absolutely magical... Now going onto 'Captain Correlli's Mandolin'

Thats some fine reading right there. 'Life of Pi' is possibly my favourite book ever.

What else would you recommend?

Anything by Kurt Vonnegut or Paul Auster for starters.

And if Vonnegut & Auster float your boat, try some John Irving, especially A Prayer for Owen Meaney (one of my all time faves) and The World according to Garp.