Karsa Orlong

I've never listened to an audio book - I may have to give this one a go! Thanks for the link, Michelle Must've been someone impersonating me Thanks Kylie, it is a rather good book

Thank you, right back atcha! I shall put my thinking cap on. It doesn't get used much (before anyone else says it )

Thanks Brian, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

Book #86: The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells Instead of the usual blurb, here's the wonderful opening paragraph: 'No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. It is possible that the infusoria under the microscope do the same. No one gave a thought to the older worlds of space as sources of human danger, or thought of them only to dismiss the idea of life upon them as impossible or improbable. It is curious to recall some of the mental habits of those departed days. At most terrestrial men fancied there might be other men upon Mars, perhaps inferior to themselves and ready to welcome a missionary enterprise. Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.' So begins possibly the most famous - and certainly the most influential - story of an alien invasion of our planet. I doubt anyone is unaware of this story, even if they haven't read it. I find Wells's imagination quite staggering. When was the last time a tale of this sort was truly original, I wonder? I suspect it was in 1898, when this novel was first published (although I believe it was serialised the year before). I can't believe that any subsequent alien invasion story has not taken at least subtle clues from this work. Wells's nameless narrator (going one step further than the main protagonist of The Time Machine, who was never named but was at least called The Time Traveller) is at the heart of the matter from the moment the first Martian cylinder crashes to Earth on Horsell Common. Curious, he goes to the crash site and witnesses first-hand what unfolds there. Nights and days of genuine terror follow. Huge alien machines stalk the suburbs of London (I was on the edge of my seat when the story passed through my neck of the woods ) brandishing heat rays against the guns ranged against them. There's a sense of tension throughout the tale, and some truly memorable sequences of panic and destruction . . . It's quite strange, after seeing the adaptations and all the might of the military brought to bear on the Martians, to read the original story and see the people relying on artillery and cavalry. It's also quite funny in places. I had to laugh when the narrator tells of one of his brother's travelling companions, who would rather return to her home than travel to France - because the French might be worse than the Martians Some other amusing moments are more due to the language than genuine humour. Men in this novel seem to run around ejaculating a lot. Unwanted mental images, thank you Mr Wells! Having said that, I am always amazed at his writing style. You'd think it would be dated but - apart from the occasional instance mentioned above - his writing has lost none of its impact to me. I've read three of his novels now, and they all have a breathless pace, an impetus that drives the story, the ideas and the characters inevitably onwards. There's no hand-wringing or melodrama - he just gets on with it. There's something about it that feels fresh as a daisy, even over a century later. Sure, we know a hell of a lot more about Mars now, but I found it easy to get swept up in the story and, above all, the imagination. I would also be interested to learn more about the time during which he wrote his best work, just to find out what influenced him. It's easy to see some of the points he was trying to make, but I'm sure there is more there of which I am presently unaware. The man was a genius, completely single-minded in his approach. This is undoubtedly the last book I will finish in 2012. What a way to end the year. Brilliant. Absolutely bloody brilliant. 10/10

Thank you! And the same to you That is kind of horrid Tell me about it! I've had the first two books for over a decade and never read them. If I do like them, I'll get the rest for Kindle - one mammoth fantasy series on the shelf is more than enough

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOJlaD6k-s8

I don't know who came up with it, but it's just a way of differentiating between regular paper books and ebooks Okey-dokes I'll probably start the first one some time in the next month . . . maybe

That's enough lists for me, I think I doubt very much that I'll read as many books in 2013 as I have in 2012. I am going to try a few different things (like epic poems ), and my big fantasy task this year is to finally have a go at Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I also need to catch up with Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and Phil Rickman's Merrily Watkins series, as I've neglected them for a while. Plus there's Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books and John Steinbeck might get a look in, too. Oh hell, I think I'll just go with the flow Happy reading in 2013 everyone!

Oh, okay then Actually, I was considering that. Okay, I wasn't, not really Oh yeah, go right ahead

The problem I had was that very few of the ones I wanted to recommend were stand-alones, so it was difficult. Then there was the Orson Scott Card debacle Maybe I won't stick to sf/fantasy if we do another list Nothing new there, then

*jealous* I'll get the other two sooner or later . . . when I have some shelf space The only thing I'm not so happy with is that the spine seems quite weak, which is a shame. Probably not good for repeated reading.

Wishlist: Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood Hothouse - Brian Aldiss Leviathan Wakes - James S. A. Corey Sacred Treason - James Forrester World War Z - Max Brooks The Reapers Are the Angels - Alden Bell More Robert Silverberg Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan The Steel Remains - Richard Morgan Beowulf - Seamus Heaney translation Shadow And Betrayal: Book One of The Long Price - Daniel Abraham Absorption - John Meaney The Kings of Eternity - Eric Brown Prince of Thorns - Mark Lawrence Ancient Blades trilogy - David Chandler Stormlord Trilogy - Glenda Larke Rebels and Traitors - Lindsey Davis King of Ithaca - Glen Iliffe A Place Called Armageddon - C C Humphreys Among Others - Jo Walton The Quantum Thief - Hannu Rajaniemi Intrusion or The Star Fraction by Ken McLeod The Fallen Blade by Jon Courtenay Grimwood The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner Where Late the Sweet Birds Sing by Kate Wilhelm Unquenchable Fire by Rachel Pollack Slow River by Nicola Griffith Wasp by Eric Frank Russell The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe by D. G. Compton Doomsday Book by Connie Willis Synners by Pat Cadigan Sarah Canary by Karen Joy Fowler Jack Glass by Adam Roberts A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin The Age of Ra by James Lovegrove Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban Theft Of Swords: The Riyria Revelations by Michael J. Sullivan The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney Under Enemy Colours by Sean Thomas Russell Alif the Unseen by G Willow Wilson The Aylesford Skull by James P. Blaylock The Kingdom of Bones by Stephen Gallagher Echo City by Tim Lebbon Orbitsville by Bob Shaw Farlander by Col Buchanan Faith by John Love Shogun by James Clavell Malice by John Gwynne Ex Heroes by Peter Clines Into the Storm by Taylor Anderson Mr Midshipman Hornblower by C S Forrester The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe Killer of Men by Christian Cameron This Is the Way the World Ends by James Morrow Dead Men's Dust by Matt Hilton The Serene Invasion by Eric Brown Frankie's Challenge List 2013: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time by Mark Haddon Q&A by Vikas Swarup Marathon Man by William Goldman Beyond the Great Indoors by Ingvar Ambjørnsen Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Books purchased in 2013: Those highlighted in blue are the ones I've read since purchase. Jason and the Golden Fleece (The Argonautica) by Apollonius of Rhodes (translated by Richard Hunter) Traitor by Rory Clements Marathon Man by William Goldman (Amazon Marketplace, £2.80) The Middle Kingdom (Chung Kuo 3) by David Wingrove (Kindle sale price £1.19) The Kingdom of Bones by Stephen Gallagher HMS Surprise by Patrick O'Brian The Coldest War (Milkweed Tryptich Book 2) by Ian Tregillis The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian Necessary Evil (Milkweed Tryptich Book 3) by Ian Tregillis Leviathan Wakes (Expanse Series Book 1) by James S. A. Corey Orb Sceptre Throne (Malazan Empire Book 3) by Ian C. Esslemont Wasp by Eric Frank Russell Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir Winter King: The Dawn of Tudor England by Thomas Penn Blood Song (Raven's Shadow Book 1) by Anthony Ryan On Basilisk Station by David Weber (free on Kindle) The Honor of the Queen by David Weber (free on Kindle) The Thousand Names by Django Wexler (great name!) The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard The Bloody Crown of Conan by Robert E. Howard The Conquering Sword of Conan by Robert E. Howard The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell The Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane by Robert E. Howard The Warrior-Prophet by R. Scott Bakker The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Penman Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence The Fortune of War by Patrick O'Brien King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch Tatja Grimm's World by Vernor Vinge The Witling by Vernor Vinge The Peace War by Vernor Vinge Marooned in Realtime by Vernor Vinge Into the Deep by Ken Grimwood Blood and Bone by Ian C. Esslemont The Surgeon's Mate by Patrick O'Brian Red Country by Joe Abercrombie The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip The Riddle-Masters Game by Patricia A. McKillip The Red Knight by Miles Cameron Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson Emperor: The Death of Kings by Conn Iggulden Emperor: The Field of Swords by Conn Iggulden Emperor: The Gods of War by Conn Iggulden Emperor: The Blood of Gods by Conn Iggulden Noonshade by James Barclay Nightchild by James Barclay Elfsorrow by James Barclay Shadowheart by James Barclay Demonstorm by James Barclay Ravensoul by James Barclay Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds Absolution Gap by Alastair Reynolds The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds Diamond Dogs & Turquoise Days by Alastair Reynolds Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's Triumph by Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's Fortress by Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's Trafalgar by Bernard Cornwell Grunts by Mary Gentle Son of Heaven (Chung Kuo Book 1) by David Wingrove The Passage by Justin Cronin Lionheart by Sharon Penman The Mangle Street Murders By M. R. C. Kasasian The Queen's Man by Sharon Penman The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome Book 1) by Colleen McCullough Total: 82

Mount TBR: Read in 2013: 68 Abandoned in 2013: 0 Remaining: 74 Treebooks: Best Served Cold - Joe Abercrombie Red Country - Joe Abercrombie Jason and the Golden Fleece (The Argonautica) by Apollonius of Rhodes (translated by Richard Hunter) Stonemouth - Iain Banks The Darkness That Comes Before - R. Scott Bakker The Warrior-Prophet - R. Scott Bakker The Thousandfold Thought - R. Scott Bakker Dawnthief - James Barclay The Desert Spear - Peter V. Brett The Daylight War - Peter V. Brett Heat Wave by Richard Castle Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Traitor - Rory Clements A Cruel Wind - Glen Cook The Silver Spike - Glen Cook Bleak Seasons - Glen Cook She is the Darkness - Glen Cook Water Sleeps - Glen Cook Soldiers Live - Glen Cook Shadowline - Glen Cook The Last Kingdom - Bernard Cornwell The Black Dahlia - James Ellroy Stonewielder - Ian C. Esslemont Orb Sceptre Throne - Ian C. Esslemont Blood and Bone - Ian C. Esslemont The Kingdom of Bones - Stephen Gallagher Hero in the Shadows - David Gemmell The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend - David Gemmell The Legend of Deathwalker - David Gemmell Dark Moon - David Gemmell Echoes of the Great Song - David Gemmell White Wolf - David Gemmell The Swords of Night and Day - David Gemmell Marathon Man - William Goldman Into the Deep - Ken Grimwood Imperium - Robert Harris The Mad Ship - Robin Hobb Ship of Destiny - Robin Hobb The Iliad - Homer (translated by Robert Fagles) The Odyssey - Homer (translated by Robert Fagles) The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian - Robert E. Howard The Bloody Crown of Conan - Robert E. Howard The Conquering Sword of Conan - Robert E. Howard The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane - Robert E. Howard The Gates of Rome - Conn Iggulden The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan The Last Light of the Sun - Guy Gavriel Kay Prince of Thorns - Mark Lawrence King of Thorns - Mark Lawrence Darkly Dreaming Dexter - Jeff Lindsay The Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch Bring Up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel The Forgotten Beasts of Eld - Patricia A. McKillip The Riddle-Masters Game - Patricia A. McKillip The Dancers at the End of Time - Michael Moorcock Elric - Michael Moorcock Post Captain - Patrick O'Brian HMS Surprise - Patrick O'Brian The Mauritius Command - Patrick O'Brian Desolation Island - Patrick O'Brian The Fortune of War - Patrick O'Brian The Surgeon's Mate - Patrick O'Brian Heresy - S J Parris Prophecy - S J Parris Terminal World - Alastair Reynolds Wasp - Eric Frank Russell The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson The Coldest War - Ian Tregillis Necessary Evil - Ian Tregillis A Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Jules Verne From the Earth to the Moon - Jules Verne The Children of the Sky - Vernor Vinge A Deepness in the Sky - Vernor Vinge Tatja Grimm's World by Vernor Vinge The Witling by Vernor Vinge The Peace War by Vernor Vinge Marooned in Realtime by Vernor Vinge The First Men in the Moon - H. G. Wells The Invisible Man - H. G. Wells The Once and Future King by T. H. White Total treebooks on TBR: 81 Read in 2013: 49 Abandoned in 2013: 0 Ebooks: The Broken Sword - Poul Anderson The Technician - Neal Asher Zero Day - David Baldacci Noonshade by James Barclay Nightchild by James Barclay Elfsorrow by James Barclay Shadowheart by James Barclay Demonstorm by James Barclay Ravensoul by James Barclay Blood Rites - Jim Butcher The Red Knight - Miles Cameron Leviathan Wakes (Expanse Series Book 1) - James S. A. Corey Caliban's War - James S. A. Corey The Pale Horseman - Bernard Cornwell The Lords of the North - Bernard Cornwell Sword Song - Bernard Cornwell The Burning Land - Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's Triumph by Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's Fortress by Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's Trafalgar by Bernard Cornwell The Passage by Justin Cronin The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas The Crimson Petal and the White - Michel Faber Grunts - Mary Gentle The Great North Road - Peter F Hamilton Pompeii - Robert Harris The Strain - Chuck Hogan & Guillermo del Toro Emperor: The Death of Kings by Conn Iggulden Emperor: The Field of Swords by Conn Iggulden Emperor: The Gods of War by Conn Iggulden Emperor: The Blood of Gods by Conn Iggulden The Mangle Street Murders By M. R. C. Kasasian The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson Emperor of Thorns - Mark Lawrence Red Seas Under Red Skies - Scott Lynch The Mozart Conspiracy - Scott Mariani The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome Book 1) - Colleen McCullough The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Penman Lionheart by Sharon Penman The Queen's Man by Sharon Penman Mayhem - Sarah Pinborough Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds Absolution Gap by Alastair Reynolds The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds Diamond Dogs & Turquoise Days by Alastair Reynolds Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds The Cure of Souls - Phil Rickman The Lamp of the Wicked - Phil Rickman The Prayer of the Night Shepherd - Phil Rickman Curfew - Phil Rickman The Heresy of Doctor Dee - Phil Rickman The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss Blood Song (Raven's Shadow Book 1) - Anthony Ryan Kidnapped - Robert Louis Stevenson On Basilisk Station by David Weber The Thousand Names by Django Wexler Son of Heaven - David Wingrove Daylight on Iron Mountain - David Wingrove The Middle Kingdom - David Wingrove Total ebooks on TBR: 61 Read in 2013: 19 Abandoned in 2013: 0

Books read in 2013: January 1. Blood Rites (Dresden Files 6) by Jim Butcher 9/10 review 2. The Eye of the World (Wheel of Time Book 1) by Robert Jordan 7/10 review 3. The Iliad - Homer (translation by Robert Fagles) 10/10 review 4. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne 6/10 review 5. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay 9/10 review 6. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 10/10 review February 7. Traitor by Rory Clements 8/10 review 8. Marathon Man by William Goldman 9/10 review 9. The Heresy of Dr Dee by Phil Rickman 8/10 review 10. The First Men in the Moon by H. G. Wells 5/10 review 11. The Coldest War (Milkweed Tryptich Book 2) by Ian Tregillis 10/10 review 12. The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time Book 2) by Robert Jordan 6/10 review 13. The Kingdom of Bones by Stephen Gallagher 7/10 review March 14. Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian 8/10 review 15. Heresy by S. J. Parris 6/10 review 16. The Mozart Conspiracy (Ben Hope 2) by Scott Mariani 7/10 review 17. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson 5/10 review 18. Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds 7/10 review 19. A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 8/10 review April 20. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch 9/10 review 21. Stonemouth by Iain Banks 7/10 review 22. Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie 10/10 review 23. HMS Surprise by Patrick O'Brian 9/10 review 24. East of Eden by John Steinbeck 9/10 review May 25. Necessary Evil by Ian Tregillis 8/10 review 26. Leviathan Wakes (Expense Series Book 1) by James S. A. Corey 8/10 review 27. Wasp by Eric Frank Russell 7/10 review 28. A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge 10/10 review 29. The Cure of Souls (Merrily Watkins 4) by Phil Rickman 7/10 review June 30. The Children of the Sky by Vernor Vinge 6/10 review 31. Heroes Die (Acts of Caine Book 1) by Matthew Woodring Stover 5/10 review 32. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel 10/10 review 33. Prophecy by S. J. Parris 4/10 review 34. The Silver Spike by Glen Cook 7/10 review 35. The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy 9/10 review 36. From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne 3/10 review July 37. The Technician by Neal Asher 6/10 review 38. Blood Song (Raven's Shadow Book 1) by Anthony Ryan 9/10 review 39. The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian 9/10 review 40. The Thousand Names by Django Wexler 4/10 review 41. Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden 7/10 review 42. The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend by David Gemmell 9/10 review 43. The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing Book 1) by R. Scott Bakker 8/10 review August 44. On Basilisk Station by David Weber 2/10 review 45. The Warrior-Prophet (The Prince of Nothing Book 2) by R. Scott Bakker 9/10 review 46. The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian by Robert E. Howard 9/10 review 47. The Thousandfold Thought (The Prince of Nothing Book 3) by R. Scott Bakker 7/10 review 48. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 8/10 review 49. The Last Kingdom (The Warrior Chronicles Book 1) by Bernard Cornwell 9/10 review 50. The Odyssey - Homer, translation by Robert Fagles 9/10 review September 51. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 8/10 review 52. Pompeii by Robert Harris 8/10 review 53. The Pale Horseman (The Warrior Chronicles Book 2) by Bernard Cornwell 9/10 review 54. Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire Book 1) by Mark Lawrence 9/10 review 55. The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells 7/10 review 56. The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman 8/10 review October 57. King of Thorns (The Broken Empire Book 2) by Mark Lawrence 9/10 review 58. The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham 8/10 review 59. A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge 10/10 review 60. Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire Book 3) by Mark Lawrence 8/10 review 61. Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian 9/10 review 62. Bleak Seasons (Glittering Stone Book 1) by Glen Cook 6/10 review November 63. The Witling by Vernor Vinge 7/10 review 64. The Bloody Crown of Conan by Robert E. Howard 8/10 review 65. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake 4/10 review 66. Elric by Michael Moorcock 8/10 review 67. Red Country by Joe Abercrombie 10/10 review 68. The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chukc Hogan 5/10 review 69. The Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell 9/10 review 70. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien 9/10 review December 71. Mayhem by Sarah Pinborough 5/10 review 72. The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip 9/10 review 73. The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson 9/10 review 74. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson 8/10 review 75. The Legend of Deathwalker by David Gemmell 7/10 review 76. Into the Deep by Ken Grimwood 5/10 review 77. Tatja Grimm's World by Vernor Vinge 7/10 review

All things 2013: Books Read in 2013 Mount TBR Books Purchased in 2013 Wishlist Past Bookshelves: 2012 2011 2010

Aha, I do remember you saying you'd got them Tim, yes, but it was actually Tristan who first mentioned the particular hardback that I got for Christmas to me. You did draw my attention to the similar short story collection, though, which is now almost a 'must' for me *sob* Most of the historical fiction I read is set in the time of the Tudors or Ancient Rome, and mainly crime/mystery stories. GGK's really the only historical fantasy I've read, really. I agree, though, that Fingersmith was a different sort of book for me, regardless of the other stuff I read Loved the first half, hated the second I'll have to think about that - I nearly killed myself trying to find five titles for the last list Go on, you know you want to The Man in the Snow is a Kindle-only release, frankie. I'd recommend Martyr, though - it's the first book in the series and it's great fun, about a plot to assassinate Sir Francis Drake

Ooh, a cunning plan!

Was it you who first brought the H.G. Wells collection to my attention, Tim, or was it someone else? I know someone on here mentioned it to me

I enjoyed that book a lot. I have the sequel on the shelf, but it's so long since I read TPM that I might have to re-read it first to remind myself what was going on . . .

Book #85: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne Blurb: Professor Aronnax, his faithful servant, Conseil, and the Canadian harpooner, Ned Land, begin an extremely hazardous voyage to rid the seas of a little-known and terrifying sea monster. However, the "monster" turns out to be a giant submarine, commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo, by whom they are soon held captive. So begins not only one of the great adventure classics by Jules Verne, the 'Father of Science Fiction', but also a truly fantastic voyage from the lost city of Atlantis to the South Pole. Thoughts: When I first looked at the two hardbacks, above, on Christmas Day I was pretty certain that I'd start reading The War of the Worlds immediately. When I finally sat down and thought about reading, though, I turned straight to this one. It is the longest of the novels included in the Jules Verne hardback, and a story of which I have very fond memories from when my dad took me to see the James Mason/Kirk Douglas Disney adaptation at the cinema when I was a child. Apparently this hardback uses some of the earliest - and most faithful - translations of Verne's stories, but it doesn't actually give the names of the translators, as far as I can see. Whoever it was, the text reads very easily. Contrary to what the blurb says, I'd always thought Verne to be the grandfather of science fiction, with Wells as the father. There is a lot of similarity in the style of this story to those I have read so far of Wells's. It is a grand, rip-roaring adventure, with lots of mystery and action and, in Captain Nemo, one of the great - and possibly first - scientists-turned-criminal-masterminds. Shunning civilisation and seeking revenge, he casts a long shadow over this book, holding Pierre Aronnax and his friends hostage aboard the Nautilus as he traverses the seas. And the Nautilus - what a creation it is! Prowling the seas, mistaken for a monster, it is a work of genius, and almost a character in its own right. I had just one issue with the novel and it is probably due to the nature of its original publication, in that is was serialised in France over the course of some thirteen or fourteen months. As a result, I'd say a good 80% of the chapters follow something of a pattern: the Nautilus arrives in a particular area, they surface and have a look around, then they dive and - at this point - Verne, through Aronnax, launches into a long passage describing all the sea life about him as he watches through the saloon viewports. These sections are fine at first but, as they start to repeat, they really start to drag, becoming little more than lists of scientific names. Fortunately you don't miss out on anything by skimming these parts, which I tended to do in the end as I found them a tad tedious. Once past that, though, and back to the meat of the story, the writing is wonderful and, although there are really only four characters that are fleshed out in any sense, you don't get tired of their company. In fact, I found the final stages of the novel to be very exciting, and it kept me reading until 1am this morning because I was enjoying it so much and didn't want to leave it unfinished. So, in short, it's a thrilling story, beautifully told, but with just a few too many fish! 9/10

I am with these books as Nigel Tuffnell is with his guitars . . .

Yeah, I'm so happy with these that I'd very much like the Sherlock Holmes one to replace my decades-old edition

Nice! Toll the Hounds was the one I saw in the shop that first grabbed my interest and made me go and look him up Making me want to start another re-read . . .

I love that film I never really had any time for De Niro until I saw that, but it changed my opinion of him somewhat Alonzo Mosely, FBI! I watched My Week With Marilyn last night. 'Twas good