ian
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Posts posted by ian
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Watched Daredevil on TV last weekend. It really was as bad as the reviews say it is, but it's nice to see for yourself!
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Let's hope Martin Freeman can squeeze filming in this year in the midst of his commitment to The Hobbit and its promotion!
Plus Benedict Cumberbatch being signed up to play an as yet un-named villian in the next Star Trek film
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Another series of books I need to read - I've only read Case Histories so far, but really enjoyed it
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Went to work early, just so I'd have an extra half hour of reading before starting work. This probably means I have a serious reading addiction!
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I know what you mean, Easy Reader. I struggled with A tale of two cities and the first few chapters of Pickwick Papers. I can add David Copperfield to my list of those I've already read - I picked up a copy at the library and flicking through it, realised I had already read it.
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I have loads of these kinds of questions especially when it comes to Harry Potter. I quite often think I will ask around on that one and then think I will be baffled by the answer so in the end I just put it down to magic.
How comes all these teachers and wizards keep putting blocking charms/spells over everything but Hermoine can break them ?? (which reminds me another reason I don't like to ask is my wording isn't very good)
One I thought of when watching Chamber of Secrets at the beginning of terms first years arrive by boat (after getting off the train) but where is the water they sail across the rest of the year? Which also leads me to why doesn't the train go right up to Hogwarts save the first years go by boat and everyone else go by those horse things you can only see if you have seen someone die??
I could go on.
Of course, the train used to go straight to Hogwarts, but the line was cut by Dr Beeching in the 60's
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I've finished my first book of 2012! "The Fifth Witness" by Michael Connelly. I've put a proper review elsewhere, but I gave it 4 out of 5. I now have two new books on the go - "11.22.63" by Stephen King, and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" which I'm reading to my daughter (and myself: I was probably 10 or 11 when I last read this, and I wanted to read it again!)
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Welcome!
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I'm not familiar with Elf anatomy - perhaps they have something to hold stuff on their bodies?
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"In tough times, crime is one of the few things that still pays, but even criminals are having to make cutbacks. So, for defence lawyer Mickey Haller, most of his new business is not about keeping people out of jail; it's about keeping a roof over their heads as the foreclosure business is booming.
Lisa Trammel has been a client of Mickey's for eight months, and so far he's stopped the bank from taking her house. But now the bank's CEO has been found beaten to death - and Lisa is about to be indicted for murder...."
My review.
I've read a number of Michael Connelly books in the past, but only one in this series (The Lincoln Lawyer) before. I didn't feel that I was disadvantaged by not having read the whole series to date. What I like about the writing here is that everything isn't black and white. Even the protaganist, Mickey Haller, isn't painted as a whiter than white defender of justice: he isn't above cutting a few corners or palying a few dirty tricks in court to get his verdict. The same goes for the accused, who is fairly unlikeable, but as the case progresses, you come to think she is innocent. Despite most of the book being taken up with the trial, there is still plenty of page turning action as well as well observed details of court procedure - I was hooked from the first page. The characters are believable because they all exist in grey areas.
If you've read any MC before then get this, as you will like it. If you haven't, still get it, as it's a good introduction
4/5
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I work in the technical dept of a Titanium foundry as a Metallurgist. My job is to check incoming orders and set out all the technical parameters and ensure we can (and do) meet the customer's requirements
Like most jobs, sometimes it's great and other days it's a slog!
Ian
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I've never kept a diary, although my wife does. I would imagine that if I was writing one knowing I'd have to read it out later would tend to make me edit what I was writing. And that pretty much defeats the object of writing the diary in the first place.
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75 DK books??!!! Heaven!
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I'd love to be Odd Thomas for a day!
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I read this many years ago - have to agree, it's an absolutely fantastic read. I liked how he explains some of the physics without dumbing it down and still manages to fit in a compelling story. Some other "hard" sci-fi writers should take notes!
And the ending is really unexpected!
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Now I know for sure that I've read: The Pickwick Papers, A Tale of Two Cities, A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist & Hard Times. I'm fairly sure I've read David Copperfield & Great Expectations, but that long ago, I might need to read them again to be sure.
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Happy New Year everyone!
I had two books for Christmas - And the first one I have started this year is Michael Connelly "The Fifth Witness". About a third of the way through, so I let you know what I think once I've finished. I intend to mark all my books read out of five this year.
My only "challenge" is to try to read all the Dickens I haven't so far read (and I have no idea at this point how many books that will ammount to)
Ian
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Finished "full dark, No stars". Pretty good, but not SK's best.
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I'd agree with Furnish, they are just good stories, and so appeal to both men and women.
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four - I've read most of the Bronte's sisters books (Jane Eyre probably being my favourite), plus most of Jane Austen. I've enjoyed them all.
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Decided it was too cold for sandwiches today at work, so- baked beans on toast.
yum!
Ian
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Thanks for merging the thread - I did look, but couldn't find one. And after I had tried very carefully not to add spoilers!
Still, I agree with a lot of the previous comments. The switch to 100 years after the initial events and to a whole new group of people is very disrupting to the flow of the book. I can fully understand why some people gave up on it. However, it was worth the effort once you are through that transition.
Ian
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I reckon I can just about fit one more book into 2011 - taking my total to 33 for the year. Nearly 3 a month! How on earth did I mangage that?
Book 33 = Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
Ian
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"Amy Harper Bellafonte is six years old and her mother thinks she's the most important person in the world. She is. Anthony Carter doesn't think he could ever be in a worse place than death row. He's wrong. FBI agent Brad Wolgast thinks something beyond imagination is coming. It is.
Unaware of each other's existance but bound together in ways none of them could have imagined, they are about to embark on a journey. An epic journey that will take them through a world transformed by man's darkest dreams, to the very heart of what it is to be human. And Beyond.
Becausesomething is coming. A tidal wave of darkness ready to engulf the world. And Amy is the only person who can stop it."
I picked up this book from our tea room here at work, knowing nothing more about it than the sleeve notes as above. At nearly 1000 pages long, I knew this was going to take some dedication to read. Without giving too much away (which is quite difficult), the story follows initially, a scientists investigations into prolonging mankinds lifespan. The military get involved, as they can see the potential of turning this work into a weapon. 12 death row inmates are chosen for experimentation. It's the job of FBI agent Wolgast to persuade these inmates to sign up to the experiments. Then, he is asked to pick up Amy, a six year old girl. He baulks at this, and goes on the run with her. Meanwhile at the secret base where the experiments are being carried out, something has gone wrong (naturally!) The drugs they have given the inmates have basically turned then into vampires. Of course they escape.
The action then jumps forward 100 or so years, to a small group of humans living in a walled compound to keep the hoards of vampires out.
That's enough plot spoiling from me!
I must admit that if I had realised from the start that this was a vampire book, I may not have bothered. But I have to say that this is a fantastic read, that reminds my very much of The Stand (in tone). Being such a long book, you really get to know the various people and care about what happens. My only criticism - it does take a while to get started and to explain itself. Then when the action shifts forward 100 years, you have a whole new cast of people to get to know, which I struggled with a bit. But once it got going, I found I couldn't put it down.
Warning, this is the first book of three apparently, so you will need to invest quite a bit of time!
Ian
Swapping lives with a character
in General Book Discussions
Posted
I wouldn't mind being Pop Larkin from The Darling buds series of books. All that food!