Steeeeve
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Posts posted by Steeeeve
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Just finished Abhorsen by Garth Nix. The final part of a trilogy. Probably not quite as epic feeling as something like His Dark Materials but still one of the best fantasy series I've read (not that I can say I've read many but...be quiet).
Such a satisfying ending.
And now going to read Trick or Treatment: Alternative Medicine on Trial by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst.
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The only magazine I buy is Empire. It's just a monthly treat. Waiting to see what's on the new cover.
Other than that I don't buy any. The ones that I find mental are the ones with collectibles or bits of a model you build up. The first one always costs 99p and then every other issure costs
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I don't really have a set amount to spend. I just see how much money I've got and try to budget. Having said that I got paid on Friday and have spent
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when it's hot out, I like to go reading in a nearby forest. On a bench or under a tree, whatever takes my fancy. I take my bike, some books and off I am. The lonely traveller. Perfect solitude. The way I like it.
I often read in my garden after work in the summer. Since there's nothign else out there it also removes the temptation of wasting time on the internet. As I am now. Oops.
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I actually work for a charity bookshop (sometimes) but I can't give any of my books away. I'll always find space for them.
I know as soon as I give one away I'll feel like reading it. Even if it's something I hate I'll hear someone talking about it and something I missed and feel like I should have another go at it.
Basically I just think up lame excuses for keeping them.
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Reading a thread in the Fantasy section reminded me of another one - The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper. I have all the books in one anthology. I read the first four but I was just so bored by the fifth one I couldn't be bothered to finish. The first one is great (Over Sea, Under Stone) but they just get more and more dull.
Clearly I'm in the minority. Of 44 reviews on amazon 42 are five-star, 1 is four-star and only 1 is one-star.
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I also try and take a book with me wherever I go. Even to the point of planning what to wear around my book. My winter jacket has a massive pocket that can take even large books.
I'm always annoyed when I can't wear it or can't carry a bag with me. The other night I had to dress kind of smart(ish) so just took a small book of MR James short stories with me in my pocket.
I can usually read if the tv is on or if music's playing but it takes me a while to get into it properly and I'm snapped out easily.
Work is the most annoying. I can read with the music on in the staff room but people still chat to me when I'm clearly trying to read. I wish I was less polite so I could tell them to shut their stupid faces but I can't.
I try to give them hints by not really replying or looking up but they don't seem to get it.
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Just finished Lirael by Garth Nix. It is amaaaazing. Just Abhorsen to be read to finish the trilogy but I think I might read something else in between. But what?!
Hohum.
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The first fantasy books I remember reading are Blade of the Poisoner and Master of Fiends by Douglas Hill. Wish I still had them to see if they're as good as I remember.
I was looking through the Point Horror on amazon to try and find one I remember. I couldn't find it but some of the covers are terrifying! But it was probably April Fools from the Point Horror series.
Sci-fi...I don't think I read any till last year (Time by Stephen Baxter). Does Robocop count?
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After going to town I am six books richer and
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Over the last couple of evenings have read 200 pages of Shutter Island. Really enjoying it so far and have about 80 pages left now. Will hopefully finish it tonight and then only 2 weeks before the film is released!
It's really fun isn't it? I think the ending lives up to the rest of the story too which in a book like that it often doesn't.
Maybe it's because I watch too many films but I found it quite cinematic so it should be interesting to see what the film's like.
This morning I've read another 50 pages of Lirael. It's soooooo good. Makes me squeak with excitement...that's not weird is it?
Payday today. Even though I only bought some last week I feel like taking a trip to Waterstones. Good bye money.
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Hooray! The second one is supposed to excellent, and I've had it on my TBR pile for a while. Maybe I'll read it with you.
It is excellent! Join frankie.
Lirael is already great. Going to read more now. Garth Nix is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.
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When I was at college nearly everyone in my psychology class had read "Sophies World" by Jostein Gardner and I kept hearing how good it was. I hated it!
Agreed. I couldn't get past the first 100 pages or so. I feel like if I had I might have enjoyed it and I want to go back to it one day but...I don't know. Just tell me an effing story! I enjoy reading about philosophy but when I buy a novel I don't want to just feel like I'm reading a "Philosophy for Beginners" textbook.
I've only read one page of a Twilight novel and it just seemed horrible to me. I feel like I could have written something better when I was 10 and I can't write for toffee.
Oh. Melmoth the Wanderer maybe? Not sure. I think I may have been too young when I tried to read that. I just have vague memories about getting annoyed that each character was described as going through hardships greater than any known to any other man ever.
It doesn't work when you say it for every character that suffers.
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Went to three libraries today, borrowed these from uni library:
- The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe (I just realised today that it's in the uni library collection!! Woo!!)
- The Collected Stories of Eudora Welty by Eudora Welty (see above)
- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
- The Code of the Woosters by P. G. Wodehouse
- Letters for Demian by Jorge Bucay
I read Kavalier & Clay recently. It's superb.
I write really rubbish reviews
I finished The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Quantum Genius by Graham Farmelo today (finally!!!) It's really good but whenever a book takes me longer than a week to read I feel like I'm doing badly. Damn this whole having to work for a living lark.
Going to start Lirael by Garth Nix shortly.
Also picked up The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie from work today. No real idea what they're like but they have pretty covers and cost me 50p each so I thought I'd give them a go.
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Oh, I hope you do read it, Steve! It's supposed to be very good, and I have it on my TBR pile as well. If I read it and enjoy it I will be sure to pester you.
I finished Coraline yesterday and really enjoyed it.
I'm glad you liked Coraline.
I'll do my best to get round to reading Stand on Zanzibar but if I do read it I feel like it won't be for quite a while. But I won't try to stop you pestering me
This morning I started Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane and I've just finished it. I am going to regret staying up to do that when I have to get up for work tomorrow...I mean today
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Read the first 100 pages of Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Think I'll continue with that till 9pm andthen carry on with the one I'm reading about Paul Dirac. It's all planned!
Also picked up:
Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
The Rest of the Robots - Isaac Asimov (still yet to read the rest of The Robots...if you see what I mean
)Stand on Zanzibar - John Brunner
I only have a very slight interest in that last one but it was going to get thrown out so I thought I'd have it for free. Will probably never read it
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I've now started Coraline by Neil Gaiman.
Oooh I read that a little while ago. Really enjoyed it...that's all I have to say really.
I hope you do to!
And if you don't, don't worry. It just means you have terrible taste
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^That's quite amazing
It's been slow going for me today. Reading The Strangest Man by Graham Farmelo. Very good but since it has quite a bit of science in it's taking me a long time to read a little. When I get halfway through I might read Shutter Island and then come back to it.
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I'd actually quite like one. I didn't think I would.
Mostly I just want to feel like I'm in the future!
I wonder how I'd feel about it though. There is something psychological about holding a book in your hand, seeng how far you've got and how much you have left to read.
Also in the author's note at the end of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon he mentions that he chose the font for a specific reason. I wonder if the font choice would be included when you download a book.
Maybe someone who has one could tell me. Or can you choose a font yourself?
And what about footnotes in a lot of non-fiction books. How are they accessed?
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Not entirely related to anything but
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/15/charlie-brooker-ebook-convert
It's Charlie Brooker's opinion on the e-book situation and he's always worth a read.
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Welcome Tristan! Even though I'm new myself.
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I'll move it up the TBR pile you are right about his films though, he just seems to have given up and only does it for the money, but he is a very funny guy
That's the sad thing though, he actually seems to think what he used to do isn't funny. Not so much in the book but in interviews he talks about how he used to get laughs and how tacky, or whatever, it was and then he explains why he thinks the stuff he does in The Pink Panther is better. Why Steve? WHY?!?!
Am reading that one at the moment. The preface and introduction, that is (haven't had much time). But interesting material nonetheless. Have you read that as well? They're contained in the Penguin Classics edition. Looking very much forward to the story itself.Oh, and welcome. Almost forgot..
I just wrote what I thought about it in the Classics section. It's definitely worth reading and I'm happy I did but it's not without its flaws (for me). There are plenty of people with more refined taste than me who love every bit of it so hopefully you'll enjoy it just as much.
And now I'll go and welcome you in your thread.
hello bumhead, oh sorry I mean Stevei do the typing out a post then deleting it thing too! totally get where you're coming from
Oops. Have I inadvertently given myself a nickname? I was always hoping it would be something like Ironfist.
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My only real complaint was though it held me for the first 3/4 by the climax I was starting to want it to end and it meant I took much longer reading the final 100 pages than the 300 or so beforehand, yet it is a classic, and the creation of a character that has become legendary in our society, that of Dracula. So well worth a read if you think you might like a classic, or if you like vampire novels and haven't read this one which bought the vampire novel to the masses.
Overall 8/10
I felt exactly the same. At first I really enjoyed it but by that last 100 pages or so I was getting quite bored and slightly annoyed by characters saying in two pages what they could have said in one paragraph.
I know people spoke differently back then and there were different rules of conduct but even so it just got a bit much for me.
Somebody else (I've lost the post now) mentioned being bored by the Lucy part ofthe story...ah Emmaline. I wasn't bored by it but the "She's better! She's worse. She's better! She's worse" aspect frustrated me a little.
Also the end is massively anti-climactic.
Maybe I've been raised on too many action films or more action oriented versions of the story. I loved Let the Right One In and The Strain.
But it was fascinating to read the "original". The most annoying thing was I had all the characters from the Coppola film in my head! Damn Keanu Reeves acting badly in my imagination.
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I have this on my TBR pile, is it any good?
Oh, hello btw
Hello!
It's fantastic. It seems when he's not appearing in disappointing films he's still really talented. It's very short. I read it in one evening and still had time to get through another short book so you don't need to devote a whole chunk of time to it.
He comes across as a guy you'd love to be friends with.
Your Book Activity Today - Thread 9
in General Book Discussions
Posted
Have you read the fourth book Across the Wall? I know it's not technically a sequel but I'll definitely be picking it up at some point so I can read more about that world.
Did you like it? I thought it was great. Short but it didn't really need to be longer. Comes a cross as a very nice and interesting guy. Shame he's making such cack movies nowadays.
I read a bit of Trick or Treatment on the train and bought History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell while I was out.
I also found the headquarters of The Magic Circle so I levelled up. I can now summon a Class 5 Lightning Storm!
It's in a really strange out of the way alley which is kind of perfect. I don't think you can go in though. I didn't try in case I encountered a mighty wizard.