Timstar

American Horror Story: Asylum. Really good! far better then the first season already, which was by no means bad.

So will mine Also just found out there is one much closer to me then the Cambridge City library, getting my reservations sent there from now on!

I read all of Dan Brown's books in my teens, I enjoyed them at the time but not sure I will read them again. I have kept all of them until recently when I decided to get rid of The Lost Symbol as that was my least favourite. Will I read the new one? At some point... maybe.

I certainly could!

Hmm... an epic war fantasy... how is that 'trying different genres' going for you Steve? Great review Steve, I have the Collin's Classic version which I picked up new for £1 It seemed like quite a chore so i'm glad it isn't. What's next on the list?

Where abouts is that? I have lived in Bucks, Essex and Cambs and never had to pay for a reservation. I thought it was free nationally.

They do look awesome! I hate when they change the format half way through the series, nearly paperbacks these days seem to be the larger format. I would love to have all these but due to ongoing and worsening space issues I am thinking of just getting the kindle editions.

Up in the Air, it was quite good actually.

I wonder where from?

That does sound awesome! Can't wait to see 'em!

I think she will struggle to think of any... I don't often embarass myself

I'm sure you are! I don't think you will be disappointed, once you get into it it just flies by. Under The Dome is the next Stephen King on my list.

Yeah I understand that, luckily I have started two trilogies since the start of the year and both of them have the third book coming out in the next few months

Now started Moby Dick read by Frank Muller, it is really fantastic! Muller brings it alive in such an interesting and fast paced tone. I think I would struggle to get through the long winded descriptions and many story digressions if I read but this audio book allows me to enjoy every word. I would highly recommend this to everyone but especially to those or have struggled with it in the past. EDIT: Finished it now and it didn't waver, stayed brilliant and interesting throughout, Melville delivers it in a beautiful poetic-like prose and the narrator doesn't miss a beat of it. The only classic i've read (not that there has been tonnes) so far that gets 10/10.

Got one of my library reservations the other day. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss which I started last night. Being looking forward to this for a while In other news my Wife has joined the forum. Now I need to be careful with what I say . Feel free to say hi to her here

She is also in my profile picture

Some great authors in your lists Athena, I hope you enjoy the end of The Wheel of Time. I hoping to start it soon

It is very random, but I have never seen a particularly good cover for it. Seems to be be a lone man walking or a lone crow. Which are more suitable but nothing special. It really is!

Love that film! Like all Coen brothers films tbh.

Glad you're enjoying it, I was thinking of getting of the audiobook of this. It is read by Alfred Molina, which can't be bad.

I know someone who will be very proud!

Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein Synopsis His destiny is a galactic war of unlimited violence and destruction, in which he and his fellow troopers scour the metal-strewn emptiness of space to hunt down a terrifying enemy - an insect life form which threatens the very future of mankind. Review I know it is never a good or fair idea to compare books with films but in this case it was inevitable, I grew up watching Starship Troopers and must have seen it 15 times at least. I love it. It is, to me anyway, the perfect Sci-Fi film, so I was very much looking forward to reading it and couldn't believe I hadn't already. Unfortunately this attitude left me a bit disappointed, I think I was expecting too much. Not that it's a bad book, it's just not as good as it could be. It is told through the eyes of Starship Trooper Johnny Rico, from his idealistic enlistment in the mobile infantry of the future, through his rigorous training to the command of his own platoon of infantrymen. It is told as if we were reading Johnny's memoirs of the time. This style I loved as it gave a great insight into his mind and through that we learn about the world, he does not need to explain the world and situations direct as the people he is writing to already know it... if that makes sense. (I.e. A WWII veteran wouldn't explain the 20th Century world in his memoirs about WWII) The major aspect of the book that is completely left out of the film is the suits that they wear. They are summarised in one great paragraph: "Our suits give us better eyes, better ears, stronger backs, better legs, more intelligence, more firepower, greater endurance, less vulnerability. A suit isn't a space suit - although it can serve as one. it is not primarily armor - although the Knights of the Round Table were not armored as well as we are. It isn't a tank - but a single M.I. private could take on a squadron of those things and knock them off unassisted... ...Suited up, you look like a big steel gorilla, armed with gorilla-sized weapons. The real genius in the design is that you don't have to control the suit; you just wear it, like your clothes, like skin." The book started off really well, discussing his life and motivations for joining the army. Following onto the boot camp where it unfortunately lags... a lot. In the middle of the book Heinlein goes off on great tangents into the ethics of corporal and capital punishment, as well justification for the emancipation of those who serve in the military. It was irrelevant to the story and quite boring. Another aspect the book lacked on was supporting characters, Johnny never shows any true emotion to or even remembers his friends. Carl and Carmen are both there in the beginning then completely forgotten about until the very end. This is where the film was superior as it follows all three of them throughout the course making them tangible and lovable characters. The only exception in the book was the drill instructor Zim who was utilised to his full extent and every aspect of him is translated to screen. The battle scenes were quite good but definitely could have been better, he failed to show any real threat from the bugs. The suits made it too easy and the MI almost invulnerable. The film showed the opposite, the seemingly endless bugs that needed no weapons, vastly outnumbered the MI and cared not for their own safety, thus presenting real peril. Overall I felt a little deflated afterwards, though this is likely due to my overly high expectations, but I hope I managed to justify why I felt let down. I after reading the book and seeing the film so many times I still cannot figure what it is on the front cover of the edition I had (above). " C'mon you apes, you wan'ta live forever?" Overall 7/10

Thanks I hope I do too! I am aiming to keep it quite near the top of my list but it has already being bumped down by library books etc. Watch this space for more gems.

Great review Steve, to be honest that is exactly what I thought it would be like, and I think it will pick up once you get to know the characters more and the story develops. I'm glad you stuck with it, I shall have to do the same now!

I watched Wrong Turn 4: Bloody Beginnings followed by Watership Down, funnily enough the latter was more brutal.