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finished with thrillers for a bit, gone back to the Delderfield trilogy, book 2 of God Is An Englishman. Immediately lost myself in the complex characters and storylines in this superb storyteller's books.
I have been reading Chocolate by J Harris and feel I have to read it again to understand it but don't have the time. I need to start writing again. Has anyone else read it?
Didn't understand any of it. Not a clue what was going on? I did skip few lines here and there; then got lost. One day I will revisit it. With Dan Brown I can skip chapters and still get the story. Bad girl...
I felt like that about 'Everything is illuminated ' by Jonathan Safran Foer - just couldn't get it. However am now reading 'Extrememly Loud and Incredibly Close' by the same author and am loving it.
Maya: there's a very good film of "Chocolat", maybe you should start by watching the film and then revisit the book afterwards, it might make a bit more sense!
On the Joanne Harris front, I'm currently reading "Gentlemen and Players", and am absolutely addicted! It now joins "The Crow Road" on the list of Books I Really Wish I'd Written...
If you like Gaiman try reading his 'Fragile things' an anthology of short stories. They really are very good. I don't normally read short stories, but i'm glad i did.
I am currently reading The End of Mr Y, by Scarlett Thomas. I'm not too sure about it though.
I've read quite a bit in the last few days. I finished ' The Divine Comedy' which was sublime. It needs more than one read though. It's like trying to appreciate the roof of the Sistine Chapel from a picture in a book. It deserves close reading to fully understand all the references in it. I also read two books called "How not to write a novel", both of which were good in different ways. And then this morning I finished "Outliers - The story of success" by Malcolm Gladwell, which I found to be very thoughtful and a book that I'll keep coming back to from time to time.
New books just started - "Dying Inside" by Robert Silverberg and "The man in the high castle" by Philip K. Dick. Some nice deep sci-fi just to keep my thinking fresh.
i'm trying to read Master And Commander again... I am determined to read it... just like I was with Far Side of the World... although I do need another fantasy book so I can continue to write decent stuff for my book...
Has anyone read any of Malcolm Pryce's Aberystwyth novels (described as "Welsh noir")? I'm part way through Don't Cry For Me Aberystwyth and it's ... odd.
PS Why does " and ) produce ") - and what is the significance of the " marks at the side of the smiley? Is it a wiggly ear?!!
Going back up a bit, I can recommend another Neil Gaiman short story anthology, 'Smoke and Mirrors'. Some of it is slightly alarming but very memorable! I have just finished, 'The Testament of Gideon Mack' which I quite enjoyed. I started reading, 'The End of Mr Y' like Amanda, but couldn't get though it because I loathed the female protagonist!
Play Dead by Richard Montanaria, startling serial killer stuff, very well done. My only complaint so far, he used straightjacket instead of straitjacket, why? Is that an American way of describing it?
"Gods Behaving Badly", Chippy, going back to Feb? I think the title made that book. I remember reading somewhere that a debut author's agent said they seized on a book in the slush pile because of its title: "The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43", and the author has never looked back.
I'm reading my first Dean Koontz, nearly finished it: "Demon Seed". Not bad considering it was written a long time ago and since updated to bring the computer business up to date.
I haven't read a Stephen King yet (apart from "On Writing"). Can someone recommend one to me please?
Dwight: Try 'Bag of Bones'. I read On Writing and had never read a King before and Bag of Bones was recommended to me. Amazing book. The main character has writer's block on an extreme level and everything gets very strange. I could not put it down.
Been listening to 'Wicked' on audio book. Really enjoying it at the moment. Love how the writer moved through time with different characters and settings.
Pick any Stephen King from the shelf ... the newest collection of short stories, Just After Sunset, is brilliant. So is - now can I remember the title, Deva Key, something like that, set in the Florida Keys, very atmospheric and lots of twists.
Richard Montanaria has thrown me completely, he was doing so well and then he writes
Byrne's heart flew.
I mean ...
Thanks, I'll go for either Deva Key or Bag of Bones. Meanwhile the only Neil Gaiman I could find in the school library today was Coraline, which one of the Mum's was telling me is coming out as a 3D film next week!
I had a bad experience with Dean Koontz. I knew the book was 250 pages long and got to page 200-ish, to find it stuttering to a sort of halt. Ah, there's going to be a twist, I thought. I turned over to find a postscript from DK to say how he had updated the book what with the advances in cyberworld. Turned over again and found a publisher's note inviting me to now read the first 40 pages of DK's next book!!!
If there had been a door anywhere near I would have kicked the book through it. After quite a good story, the ending was flat and too easy.
Coraline came out on Friday Dwight. We went to see it in 3d and it was amazing! Very scary for a kids film though. Tell me how the book is, I really want to read it now.
that's it! Thanks, Emma, knew I was writing it wrong but memory was blank. Remember the story vividly ...
Dean Koontz has done some good work but some duff work as well. Some are disappointing. It's a shame he isn't consistent.
I have just started reading 'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella - it reminds me of the TV programme 'Samantha Who?' - which I love and want to know when they will release it on DVD in Britain
Finished 'The Man in the High Castle' by Philip K Dick today. It was pretty good but not quite as good as I expected it to be. I've now started 'Brooklyn', the latest from Colm Toibin.
Coraline, the book, is not too scary, Forget-me-not; it's written for children and I don't think you'll die of fright. But once these movie directors get their hands on something they have a way of jolting sensitive imaginations. I can imagine how it would scare. I'm halfway through.
Duma Key, yes that's the one. We have a shelf full - sorry, 2-3 shelves full - of Stephen King at our local library so I should get it all right.
Comments
What didn't you understand?
I loved 'American Gods', Chippy. An excellent book by an excellent writer. Gaiman is a real storyteller.
On the Joanne Harris front, I'm currently reading "Gentlemen and Players", and am absolutely addicted! It now joins "The Crow Road" on the list of Books I Really Wish I'd Written...
I am currently reading The End of Mr Y, by Scarlett Thomas. I'm not too sure about it though.
I've always wondered where he comes up with his ideas - maybe that is why I don't write fantasy...
I must get him to give me the latest Skullduggary Pleasant book.
New books just started - "Dying Inside" by Robert Silverberg and "The man in the high castle" by Philip K. Dick. Some nice deep sci-fi just to keep my thinking fresh.
PS Why does " and ) produce ") - and what is the significance of the " marks at the side of the smiley? Is it a wiggly ear?!!
I'm reading my first Dean Koontz, nearly finished it: "Demon Seed". Not bad considering it was written a long time ago and since updated to bring the computer business up to date.
I haven't read a Stephen King yet (apart from "On Writing"). Can someone recommend one to me please?
Jenny: " followed too quickly by ) gives a pleasantly puzzled face, altho normally it comes from ; foll by ) ;)
Been listening to 'Wicked' on audio book. Really enjoying it at the moment. Love how the writer moved through time with different characters and settings.
Richard Montanaria has thrown me completely, he was doing so well and then he writes
Byrne's heart flew.
I mean ...
Thanks, I'll go for either Deva Key or Bag of Bones. Meanwhile the only Neil Gaiman I could find in the school library today was Coraline, which one of the Mum's was telling me is coming out as a 3D film next week!
I had a bad experience with Dean Koontz. I knew the book was 250 pages long and got to page 200-ish, to find it stuttering to a sort of halt. Ah, there's going to be a twist, I thought. I turned over to find a postscript from DK to say how he had updated the book what with the advances in cyberworld. Turned over again and found a publisher's note inviting me to now read the first 40 pages of DK's next book!!!
If there had been a door anywhere near I would have kicked the book through it. After quite a good story, the ending was flat and too easy.
Coraline looks amazing.
Dean Koontz has done some good work but some duff work as well. Some are disappointing. It's a shame he isn't consistent.
Duma Key, yes that's the one. We have a shelf full - sorry, 2-3 shelves full - of Stephen King at our local library so I should get it all right.