I felt rather uncivilised compared to my girlfriend who reads a lot, now im worse than her, last month (first time ive read of my own accord, except for the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy many years ago) I read:

Digital Fortress & Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Dark Matter & Sleep No More - Greg Isles
Ice Station - Matthew Reilly
Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
Alphabet of Manliness - Maddox

and Ive just finished To Kill A Mocking-bird by Harper Lee, I enjoyed it *so* much I just thought id share.

I read it for GCSE English, and found it mildly entertaining compared to my other GCSE reading materials, however it was school work so there were many pages skipped.

I read it again, this time solely for pleasure, and really really enjoyed it.

Ive got a few more here im gunna get stuck into, starting with 1984, also: do androids dream of electric sheep, Brave New World, Neuromancer and the Da Vinci Code.

I feel rather gutted that I didnt realise how fun reading can actually be lol.

Paragon Lost: Dave Duncan - Dont bother, its a book where its grim and dreary for most of it then lightens up a little at the end, but not enough to save it.

Mercedes Lackey: Joust, Alta, Sanctuary. Trilogy now onto a fourth book Basically these constantly rate interesting although nothing much happens up to the end of the third book. Then it goes puff, a sort of damp squib that somehow still brings the building down, most of the city and takes out an army too.

I got a good pile from http://www.bookgiant.co.uk recently - ten random big voyager sci-fi/fantasy paperbacks in a bundle for £3 and three other hardbacks for £2.99 each (used to be Books on line - BOL)

Dan Browns books should be piled up into a huge bonfire. Git.

I just finished Excession by Iain M. Banks. Good but long winded and the plot is vague yet all over the place.

Now reading Against a Dark Background by him too. Again, its a case of why use 10 words when you can use 500? Struggling with this one.

Going through some Roald Dahl books as well,

Quote from: SeriousI got a good pile from http://www.bookgiant.co.uk recently - ten random big voyager sci-fi/fantasy paperbacks in a bundle for £3 and three other hardbacks for £2.99 each (used to be Books on line - BOL)

nice link

Quote from: sdpDan Browns books should be piled up into a huge bonfire. Git.

I think theyre quite good up until the end, Dan brown just sucks at endings, theyre predictable and boring.

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/%7Emyl/languagelog/archives/002467.html  

- That site is perhaps overly harsh but it makes the point imo.


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books I wanna read next;

Some Jasper Fforde - linky

Tunnels - linky

Quotealgebraists call homomorphism: the names have been changed, but the two books have the same structure,

Havent bothered with Dan Browns books. Quite a few things I know of like that though - such as every Scooby Doo episode ever. The last Eddings trilogy seemed like it at times but it was just different characters restating the same information from their own viewpoint.

OK, we know that the good guys are going to win, probably, (they dont really in my first book, you can hardly call 3.5 billion people being killed by man made genetically aimed plagues winning just cause you get those responsible) but it shouldnt be too easy. There needs to be risk, there needs to be change, a sense of movement, that things are happening, even if its behind the scenes.

Quote from: Serious

Quotealgebraists call homomorphism: the names have been changed, but the two books have the same structure,

Havent bothered with Dan Browns books. Quite a few things I know of like that though - such as every Scooby Doo episode ever. The last Eddings trilogy seemed like it at times but it was just different characters restating the same information from their own viewpoint.

OK, we know that the good guys are going to win, probably, (they dont really in my first book, you can hardly call 3.5 billion people being killed by man made genetically aimed plagues winning just cause you get those responsible) but it shouldnt be too easy. There needs to be risk, there needs to be change, a sense of movement, that things are happening, even if its behind the scenes.

As Ive said before id quite like to read your book (but i hate reading off a screen I get a headache after 15 mins) for the very reason people die. I know that sounds sadistic, but the link sdp posted about digital fortress being cheesy was right. (I agree with all the points made).

*possible spoiler for Dan Browns Angels and Demons*

For example in Angels and Demons, somebody manages to jump out of a helicoptor, which is high enough in the sky to be loaded with one of the biggest bombs ever made and not hurt the thousands of civilians stood below it, landing safely on the ground using only a piece of canvas sheet to slow him down. - absolute idiocy, he would of at least broke some bones? but no he just goes and shags some girl the next night. I remember literally throwing the book across the room once I finished it, the ending was so cheesy and impossible.

I was going to read Da Vinci Code, but now thinking about it, I dont think ill bother.

Currently reading this:

I love this guys writing, he has such an awesome grasp of deep time.

I dont read books, Im into whole series now....gone beyond the single book novel into massive reading marathons.
It started years ago with Asimovs foundation series.

A recently completed arc of not so closely connect novels was Stephen Baxters Time based novels.

Then theres the current span of World War by Harry turtledove, about an alternate world war II which is interupted by the invasion of conquering aliens, so the planet turns its fighting industry agains the aliens, who of course are much more technically advanced...most interesting read.

http://www.amazon.com/Balance-Alternate-History-Second-Worldwar/dp/0345388526/ref=pd_sim_b_2/102-4406325-9422527

Quote from: dogbertThen theres the current span of World War by Harry turtledove, about an alternate world war II which is interupted by the invasion of conquering aliens, so the planet turns its fighting industry agains the aliens, who of course are much more technically advanced...most interesting read.

http://www.amazon.com/Balance-Alternate-History-Second-Worldwar/dp/0345388526/ref=pd_sim_b_2/102-4406325-9422527

isnt that just Resistance: Fall of Man  

Righteous Men by Sam Bourne is good, i prefer to read non fiction though

Quote from: PuNkI read it for GCSE English,

now, Lord Of The Flies was a good book. i did that for my gcses.

The thing that annoys me about Dan Brown is the fact he gets such crap published and has made tons of money. There are 100s of better writers out there scraping by. On the up side his style, although cheesy, is clear and does stand out from others.

Id still go with the bonfire tho; from a technical viewpoint its piss poor writing.




 

[snip]

Dan Brown is enjoyably compelling trash though - it hardly claims to be high-brow literature.

If youve enjoyed the others you might as well read the DVC, its probably the best executed of the lot.

Its not exactly a taxing read either so youll be through it in a couple of days and away to discover new and interesting stuff.

As far as reading goes, my must current thing seems to be recovering alcoholic/addict books, not quite sure why, could be a sign. Dry  by Augusten Burroughs was a really good read I thought.

Just finished reading...

If Chins Could Kill - Confessions of a B Movie Actor : Bruce Campbell

Just about to start

Make Love*
*The Bruce Campbell Way!

In the middle of reading

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