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[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Decided the read this series again, read it when i was in school bout 5 years ago, anyways pretty good yarn all about Giant Snake men, Mercenaries and war and what not. There 3 more after this that i'll probly get into if nothing good pops up, looking for Legends 1 and 2 to see if i cant dig out some new authors i will like.

 

[aidan]

 

[Night_Trekker]

Read more. At least it's not the godawful Road but come on, seriously?

:lol

The author highly recommends Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. He calls it "splatterpunk," and says that it and movies like Unforgiven may show that westerns were all about serial killers.

As often as Blood Meridian is claimed to be some sort of deconstructionist Western, that really isn't the intent of the novel. It's about a hell of a lot more than that.

I would also suggest it, by the way. Great, great book. QVT is borderline retarded if he can't recognize it as brilliant writing. There are opinions and then there are facts. It's a masterpiece on the same level as Moby Dick.

 

[Timbuktu]

Just read this on the train and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I must add that I've always been quite interested in detective fiction and the genre's history, so the book's history elements added to the experience for me. I can understand how some people might be put off by all the tangents Summerscale goes on whenever she found something she's interested in. I feel that as a non-fiction, she is not willing to make anything up about aspects of the characters or the case that she couldn't dig up in the British Library and so she filled in some gaps with elements that she could research. The murder case itself isn't that twisted (since it's real) and her revelations are not that surprising, but I was engrossed by all the aspects of her research, from the birth of the detective genre and forensics to the public's madeline mccann-like reaction at the time. It's not as good as David Simon's Homicide as a true crime book. it is obviously more distant and the characters a bit less human, but it is interesting to know how much and how little detectives have changed since their origins.

I guess if you really want a Victorian detective story, you are still better off with Wilkie Collins and the like. In fact, so much of those stories are inspired or fictionalized versions of the Road Hill case that this book would spoil 'The Moonstone' or 'The Woman in White' if you haven't read those yet.

 

[yonder]

Just about to start this:

 

[Anobyl]

Just started it.

 

[Dan]

 

[Karakand]

Gen Kill was a great read. Loved it aside from the excessive topography.

 

[Darkflight]

I recently recommended them to a friend, so I'm reading them again (for like the 10th time) at the same time he is so we can discuss them, which is difficult as I don't want to spoil anything.

Apologies for the crappy picture.

 

[Ryn]

Attempting to read The Watchman before the movie comes out. Kind of difficult trying to juggle a full schedule of school and work and a social life.

 

[AlternativeUlster]

I just finished all 80 issues of Fables and all 30 of Jack of Fables within 3 days. I am a little exhausted from it. While I loved March of the Wooden Soldiers when I first read it, the 2nd time through it wasn't as great and I think the newest arc in Fables is really boring and they are using a lot of Fables that I just don't even know of and I thought I used to be well versed in Grimm fairy tales and stuff of that kin. However Jack of Fables is never as good as Fables and this Bookburner arc is downright retarded. I think Bill Willingham is spreading himself too thin.

I am going to read this if I can find it:

 

[Charlatanized]

This is my first Philip Roth book, which I picked up because a friend of mine who lives out of town accidentally left it at my house. It's about an alternate American future in which Charles Lindbergh, an anti-semite, becomes president instead of F.D.R. being re-elected. Obviously political, but highly personal as well; I will say Roth can tell one hell of a story about American family life. The situations in the book, from political to familial, all have a great sense of reality. Almost through, & I'm pretty impressed.

Kerouac is my most beloved author--the one that just clicks for me like no other--& Buddhist philosophies have that same personal "click," but I'm really trudging here. There are moments where Jack is Jack, & those moments shine, but a lot of is an almost-evangelical historical recount. Kerouac said he wanted the book to be an American's introduction to Buddhism, but had it been my intro, I don't think it would have worked.

 

[Dan]

Gen Kill was a great read. Loved it aside from the excessive topography.

I'm only 10% through, but I'm enjoying it about as much as one can enjoy reading about real war. I just got around to watching the second half of the HBO miniseries, so I really wanted to get more of the story.

 

[purg3]

just picked it up a few days ago.

 

[Bowflex]

I am going to read this if I can find it:

Went to the website....My interested has been piqued. Tell me more about this.

 

[Siyou]

nearly done.... amazing!

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Dude, whats with the Sarah Jessica Parker pics, c'mon man!

 

[Haly]

 

[Replicant]

+

 

[Proc]

Just finished reading this today:

The dialogue can't be praised enough. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as David Boring, I still had a great time reading it.

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Finished Shadow of a Dark Queen, onto Rise of a Merchant Prince

And i brought these just now aswell

The Spook's Apprentice
Legends II: Dragon, Sword, and King
Legends II: Shadows, Gods, and Demons
Midnight Tides

Some different authors, hopefully they are good

 

[thomaser]

Last week, I read these two:

The Woman in the Dunes, by Kobo Abe. A strange and unsettling tale about a normal guy who finds himself trapped, and his attempts to cope and escape. Often billed as "kafkaesque", which is apt enough.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, by Haruki Murakami. Murakami talks about running, writing, and how those two parts of his life intertwine. A kind of small self-biography with lots of anectodes and life-lessons. Probably the least interesting of his works to me, but still nice to read.

Right now:

The Man Without Qualities, Vol.II, by Robert Musil. Centers around a small group of people in early 20th-century Vienna. Small focus, but still extremely broad in scope. Recommended for fans of Thomas Mann.

 

[bengraven]

I cannot fucking find the Graveyard book. Not in a book store (never available) or at my local library (always checked out since they received it last month).

 

[FnordChan]

Let me just get something out of the way: Mortal Sins by Eileen Wilks is a paranormal romance novel about a beautiful female cop with magic powers and her werewolf prince lover. That said, if they gave it a different cover and put it in a different section of the bookstore, no one would have any inkling that it was ever intended to be classified as anything other than urban fantasy, so I won't get too hung up on that. This is the fifth book in the series, which I learned about while looking for something in the vein of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series to read. It turns out that Wilks' Lupi novels aren't much like Butcher at all, but they are a fine take on the supernatural mystery genre, so good enough. In this latest novel our heroes are in rural North Carolina(!) where they're embroiled in werewolf politics, a child custody case, and in short order a series of mysterious murders with a moderately inexplicable magical edge. While I was glad to revisit the series - the characters are fun, the writing is breezy and entertaining, and it's always impressive to see a romance novel so plot driven that no one really has time for sex - this wasn't the highlight of the series or anything. Not bad at all, mind you, and I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't suggest starting here. Anyone interested in giving these books a go should check out Tempting Danger instead.

I'm currently about halfway through Ed McBain's The Heckler, the 12th book in his long-running 87th Precinct procedural series. The only other one I'd read, Shotgun, was the 23rd, so I guess this is a bit closer to the beginning; I picked up The Heckler basically at random from a used shop recently. Apparently this book is the first appearance of a recurring villain who has a plan that involves harassing business owners for to-be-revealed nefarious purposes. As in Shotgun, the proceedural aspect is very interesting, there's enough humor thrown in to keep things from getting grim, the cast of characters is likable, and as The Heckler was written in 1960 there's a nice period piece feel to it all. It also dates back to a time when novels often clocked in at 150 pages or so, making for a nice fast read. I'm thoroughly enjoying it and will be keeping any eye out for more 87th Precinct novels.

FnordChan

 

[Hari Seldon]

Just read this and the first sequel, pretty good, fictional story about Genghis Khan's upbringing:

 

[Stairs]

I just finished:

It's definitely not for the faint of heart.

 

[Vinci]

I'll be finishing a Darwin biography in the next day or two, then I'll go back to my Collected Sherlock Holmes and read it again from cover to cover 'cause Doyle kicks massive amounts of ass.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Right now:

The Man Without Qualities, Vol.II, by Robert Musil. Centers around a small group of people in early 20th-century Vienna. Small focus, but still extremely broad in scope. Recommended for fans of Thomas Mann.

I love this so much. So clever and engaging even when just about nothing is going on :lol

 

[Duck of Death]

Very good so far. Maybe a little too long with the narrative escalation taking a bit longer than it should, but the characters are terrific and the surprises and mystery are intriguing.

 

[AndresON777]

- Have 1 chapter left!!

http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/26860000/26864752.jpg[IMG]

- Just started this book, about 100pgs into it and loving every second of it!

[IMG]http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/34900000/34901301.jpg[MG]

- This will be the book I read after I am done with my current book.[/QUOTE]


perfect I didnt even have to look for the picture

But yeah this is the 2nd time in 1 month I read this

you catch a lot of stuff the 2nd time around...excellent graphic novel (my first pretty much)

 

[sazabirules]

This is an interesting read. The language spoken by Alex is intriguing and unique. I have no idea what hes talking about at times.

 

[leroidys]

Just finished

One of the best books I've ever read. Anyone else here read it?

Now starting

 

[Jeff-DSA]

Starting this tomorrow...

 

[Salazar]

This is an interesting read. The language spoken by Alex is intriguing and unique. I have no idea what hes talking about at times.

You should give at least the first volume of Burgess' autobiography a shot. 'Little Wilson and Big God'. He was a lying, vicious, arrogant, dissipated bastard, but so clever and so relentlessly interesting.

 

[Weapxn]

Veronika Decides to Die

The Trojan Women

Hedda Gabler

 

[Benjamin_MFF]

Maus is another first for me – I've never read a graphic novel before, and it too is unexpectedly good. I was completely engrossed in the story and only stopped reading because I had to(I'm about 100 pages in). Are there any other essential graphic novels I should check out? (Watchmen?)

This is a very good question that I feels deserves more attention.

I would recommend "Solanin". It is a slice of life tale about a 24 year old girl thinking about the next step in life.

Also found a damn good review of the book

Review
http://www.sleepisfortheweak.org/reviews/micros/solanin

 

[yonder]

This is a very good question that I feels deserves more attention.

I would recommend "Solanin". It is a slice of life tale about a 24 year old girl thinking about the next step in life.

Thanks for the recommendation! Looks very interesting; I'll check it out. Also, I finished Maus and loved every bit of it – one of the best books I've read in a while. Watchmen seems like something every fan of graphic novels have read, so I'll have a look at that, but please keep the recommendations coming for other graphic novels.

 

[Rei_Toei]

Monaldi & Sorti are making other historical novels look like child's play.

 

[Kawaii]

I'm liking it so far, i'm up to page 120 now.
Second Murakami book, I also read Kafka on the shore which I really liked.

 

[chase]

Nothing.

 

[Witchfinder General]

Just finished.

 

[JDS 1977]

and

 

[bengraven]

I need this thread when I'm in B-a-M or B&N next time. I'm always in there going "god, there's nothing to read".

 

[ItAintEasyBeinCheesy]

Finished all the Serpent War books, finishd 5 books in the month pretty good. Re-reading the Liveship books all 3 are massivly thick fuckers but still awesome books.