Whats everyone reading?

HOO-HAA · 20 April, 2011, 07:14:32 PM

Quote from: Keef Monkey on 20 April, 2011, 09:58:45 AM
After Blade Runner I've decided to stick with the dystopian cyberpunk theme and have started Jeff Somers' 'The Eternal Prison'.

Loved 'The Electric Church' and 'The Digital Plague' and only realized recently there were more! Nice. Think 'The Electric Church' is being made into a movie too if imdb is to be believed. Which it probably isn't.

I'll bet it is! Cyberpunk's the new black! New Bladerunner movies on the horizon! Tron!

(crosses fingers for latest manuscript submission)

Paul faplad Finch · 23 April, 2011, 12:41:50 PM

I'm on with the second (or 3rd and 4th, since I am apparently reading 2book omnibuses, although the individuals seem too slight to have been released on their own) Vampire Diaries book.

Same as with the first, it is very obviously aimed at teenage girls, but the horror quotient, although not particularly well written, does seem to be increasing as I head to the conclusion.

Reading this as a counterpoint to the (really rather good) tv version. Would probably have been a good idea to wait, and read it between seasons of the show rather than at the same time, because while it is massively different with wildly diverging storylines ([spoiler]the lead in the show is now dead in the books[/spoiler], although I suppose that could change)*,it is similar enough to cause a little bit of confusion if I let my mind wander.

As I say, content wise these books are most definitely not aimed at me so I can't really complain that I'm not getting much out of them, but on a purely technical level the writing is really rather poor as well. Characterisation is particularly bad; I find it hard to believe that these books were written by a woman, because all of the female characters are such airheaded bimbos, obsessed with hairstyles and boys. Feminism, thy name is most definitely not LJ Smith.

I could understand it if this was the start point from which the characters would then develop, but I'm coming to the big finish, half the cast are dead, the small town is about to be destroyed by some unthinkable evil (who will probably turn out to be a, like, really really hot guy) and the main girl is still obsessing over the fact that this one guy has really nice cheekbones.

I am giving these books far more consideration than they deserve aren't I?

*I realise just how unlikely it is that anyone on here is gonna read these books, I can't quite believe I'm reading them myself, but I spoilered that just on the mild off-chance.

Mardroid · 24 April, 2011, 06:03:48 AM

The Colorado Kid, by Stephen King.

A mystery novel, actually originally published for a Pulp publishing project a couple of years back. It's rather good so far. I'm a little aprehensive as it's already been made clear this early that [spoiler]this mystery will not be solved[/spoiler]. I wonder how satisfying the conclusion will be if that is the case. I don't need everyting to be spelled out, but I do hope King leaves food for thought.

It reads well anyway, and I love the three main characters.

House of Usher · 24 April, 2011, 09:11:51 AM

Quote from: House of Usher on 14 April, 2011, 06:39:38 PM
Lady Windermere's Fan (Oscar Wilde) and A Handful of Dust (Evelyn Waugh)

I am really enjoying A Handful of Dust. Great understated comedy. Vividly draws a picture of 1930s polite society, satirizing hypocrisy and fashionable behaviour. Evelyn Waugh has a very easy writing style and economy with words. There are not many very likeable characters - Brenda especially is horrible - but I absolutely love the Shameless Blonde. She's a fruitcake. I imagine her played by Victoria Tennant the way she appeared in L.A. Story.

(Lady Windermere's Fan, on the other hand, was a chore)

IAMTHESYSTEM · 24 April, 2011, 11:22:26 AM

Journey to the centre of the Earth by Jules Verne.

It's the parred down version re issued for a mere £3.99 from Waterstones.

House of Usher · 24 April, 2011, 11:27:45 AM

I got a copy of Around the World in Eighty Days from a charity shop yesterday.

IAMTHESYSTEM · 24 April, 2011, 11:35:15 AM

Well spotted Sir!

I must admit I haven't been to the local Charity shops for a while now. Must go and have a wander to find a joyous book bargain.

Picked up a much thumbed 'Diary of a Spaceperson' by that psychedelic genius of the seventies Chris Foss. Giant Robots and semi naked women. You just can't beat that combination.

House of Usher · 24 April, 2011, 12:40:17 PM

There was also a pristine copy of Moll Flanders with Alex Kingston on the cover, for £1.50, but I passed it up because I've got one already, albeit a different edition. There was a Penguin Popular Classics edition of Three Men in a Boat which I may go back for. Deborah looks in the charity shops once a week and she passed that one up too as she wasn't sure how much pleasure we'd get from it and if it's worth 99p when we can borrow it from the library for nothing.

She's currently reading The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton and not enjoying it very much.

Definitely Not Mister Pops · 24 April, 2011, 01:01:16 PM

It's been a few years since I read Three Men In A Boat, but I seem to remember enjoying it. I would recommend it

The Legendary Shark · 24 April, 2011, 01:25:58 PM

Three Men in a Boat is a great read - also the sequel, Three Men on the Bummel, is a great read too. Highly recommended.

SmallBlueThing · 24 April, 2011, 02:01:58 PM

I think i saw a film adaptation of 'three men in a bummel' in a little shop in soho, last time i was up there. Something like that, anyway.
SBT

The Legendary Shark · 24 April, 2011, 03:27:51 PM

Starring Arsen Vader, no doubt...

HOO-HAA · 25 April, 2011, 08:34:13 AM

Quote from: Mardroid on 24 April, 2011, 06:03:48 AM
The Colorado Kid, by Stephen King.

A mystery novel, actually originally published for a Pulp publishing project a couple of years back. It's rather good so far. I'm a little aprehensive as it's already been made clear this early that [spoiler]this mystery will not be solved[/spoiler]. I wonder how satisfying the conclusion will be if that is the case. I don't need everyting to be spelled out, but I do hope King leaves food for thought.

It reads well anyway, and I love the three main characters.

I've heard good things about that book. Is it the Hard Case Crime edition you have? They do great covers...

TordelBack · 25 April, 2011, 09:16:51 AM

It's a clear sign that the stress levels are at set to Elite when I turn to reading role-playing manuals for games that there's a 05% chance (d100, subtract Wisdom bonus from roll) of my ever playing, but I am greatly enjoying Hackmaster Basic from Kenzer Co, of Knights of the Dinner Table fame. I'm currently working through an illicitly purloined PDF because I'm basically a bad person, but will definitely be buying the hardcopy and at least the first setting book. It's a joy, a note-perfect evocation of the innocent fun of Basic D&D with the best bits of 1st-3rd Ed AD&D glued on, and as far as I can tell it actually works. The magic system is genuinely both amusing and exciting, the combat system is literally seamless, and the (totally new to me) shield rules look like being huge fun. A lovely balance of 'realistic' rules in the service of fast, simple play and mechanically rewarded roleplaying. I'm not so keen on the world, Kalamar/Tellene, which I could never get excited about when it was a D&D setting. Now if only wolves, bears and heir numerous variants didn't account for about half of all the listed monsters...

House of Usher · 25 April, 2011, 10:02:16 AM

Real world monsters always were pretty dull in fantasy role playing games. I'm sure I never used to make much use of them. My players might have encountered the occasional bear, wolf pack or lion when travelling between locations, but an evil knight, a pair of gnolls or some hobgoblin bandits were always more likely.