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anyone know about A Game Of Thrones by George RR Martin?
mom's being very nice and fetching it from the library for me today (i've got to do the dishes all weekend)... i need a fantasy to read so i asked a good friend and she recommended it...
right well our library is awful... their website says the book is there... so mom went to the library but couldn't find it...
so she went to the information desk and says that it's on their website but not on the shelf. Lady takes ages to look on her computer and then says that it doesn't say it's on the shelf!
She kind of push a little and said that she typed in Putney website and requested, but that's obviously not the way to do it.
So mom went back to the office after finding another book by George Martin...a title that she knows is in the library cos she saw it there!
She then tried an advanced search on the website which says she can specify the library - no titles!
oh well... i still have a book of his... its called Dream Songs... a collection of his short stories...
Due to how good his books are I have just read 'Persuader' by Lee Child in 2 or 3 days!! I have now read all of the Jack Reacher books - not in order but still...
just abandoned Michael Dibdin's Blood Rain. One reviewer on the back cover says he is the one author who makes you want to go out and buy each new book. Not on the basis of the half book I just read ... over written, too many long words - do we need peregrinations? - and despite being half way through, there is one body and a load of waffle about the detective going to Rome to see his dying mother rather than investigating the case... at that point I gave up and will not be reading Mr Dibdin again. Ever.
Re reading Stephen King's On Writing. Now that is a book worth reading...
I started Amulet by Roberto Bolano yesterday, and finished it today. Magnificent. I may have a new favourite writer, nearly. Pity he won't be writing any more. Still, he left plenty behind, thankfully.
i finished reading George RR Martin's short story The Hedge Knight and would still like to get A Game Of Thrones...but i doubt our library has any copies of the book... :rolleyes:
I'm reading 'Stephen King Goes to the Movies.' It contains five of his short stories which were made into movies. Before each story, SK gives his thoughts about the movie adaptation.
It includes The Shawshank Redemption, which is my fave movie. I read the story in Morgan Freeman's voice. That's what happens if you see the movie before reading the story, I suppose.
That sounds really cool bochok, is it good? What did he think of 'Stand by Me'?
I'm reading "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" about a doctor having twins, one has down's syndrome so he gives her away, telling his wife she died. The book follows them all up for the next 20 odd years.
I found it slow to get into, more because of her style than anything else, but I'm really enjoying it now.
I really enjoyed 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter' and it stayed with me for quite a time after. It's a book someone loaned me and I read it to be polite but it got my thumbs up.
Just finished reading 'How not to write a novel' by Howard Mittelmark & Sandra Newman. Not only informative but made me laugh or smile with every chapter.
Started a couple of new ones today. 'The Man called Thursday' by G K Chesterton - on audiobook in the car. First impressions, very good, reminded me a little of Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell (though obviously the Chesterton one came first seeing it was written in 1908). Then tonight I started 'Last Evenings on Earth' by the quite magnificent Roberto Bolano. So many wonderful books......
I listened to the Memory Keeper's Daughter on audio book and hated it. I just thought it was lacking.
Reading 'The Interpretation of Murder' at the mo and loving it. It has totally enthralled me and I'm finding the background info interesting. The reviews of it were mixed but I suppose it depends on personal taste. I really like it.
I am reading La's Orchestra Saves The World by Alexander McCall Smith. This book is an easy, enjoyable and decent read. It is a little frustrating in that I feel had Alexander spent just a little more time on the characters and plot we could have had an excellent little book rather than a good book that is an easy read.
McCall Smith is a prolific writer but also a very able writer and it does dissapoint me sometimes when I see where he could take the ok to the very good but clearly does not have the time to do the rewrites. The book is set in WW11 and is a one of not a series which is unusual for AMS. All in all a good book that is an enjoyable read and an easy read at that.
Finished reading both 'Celtika' and 'The Broken Kings' of Robert Holdstock's Merlin Codex. I have now started reading Peter Robinson's 'A Dedicated Man'. I love a good murder mystery at holiday time.
i started reading Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy the other night...i needed something to make me laugh...and well it did... i've read it before and its fun... did you know Douglas Adams worked on the Dr Who scripts at one point?
according to Internet Movie Database he worked on 9 episodes from 1978-1983...
Aegean, it is disappointing when you can see the potential in a book and it makes me wonder why the editor missed it. It's also good for the reader, though, wanting to do better themselves.
I am reading part 1 of a Templar trilogy, Brethren, by Robyn Young. Good, apart from the 'eyes' syndrome which spoil it.
Just finished "The Coming Storm" by Paul Russell. Highly recommended. It's about love and judgement. Probably regarded as a literary book, as it has a lot of punctuation, but not too many difficult words (numinous was the only word I looked up).
Jenny - June 23rd - would you believe Barbara Windsor is 72 - SEVENTY-TWO! - today.
I'm halfway through Anthony Horowitz's Scorpia; nothing like as good as his first Alex Rider story Stormbeaker which I have just finished. Stormbreaker was particularly useful as a transparent example of 'showing not telling'.
Isn't it awful: all my reading is in pursuit of my writing.
Emma - 'The Interpretation of Murder' at the mo and loving it.
I read this a while back . Took a bit of getting into cos its not really my usual type of thing, but enjoyed it in the long run.
Now reading "Not without my daughter" Betty Mahmoody (excellent) and a Sebastion Foulks thing which I can't remember the title of - so not sure if thats good or not ! :)
Sounds like you do a lot of reading, Probie. Top marks to you for that.
I don't like ciriticising Anthony Horowitz because he has done me such a big favour, as you'll see in a minute, but he told Stormbreaker from a single 3rd person viewpoint all the way. My novel is the same. But in Scorpia he switched to a mixture of single VP and author omniscience, and I don't think it works anything like as well in this kind of young adult adventure story. The mystery has been watered down: Alex's path of discovery.
But I was going to say that I met Stormbreaker at a crucial point in my writing development (I almost said 'writing career' - silly me ;) ), where my MS had been critiqued and slated for its viewpoint calamity. Horowitz showed me just how to do it. Instead of someone telling me how to do it, here was a purpose made example filled with 'showing'. I wrote out chunks of it - whole pages - and analysed how he had done it, what worked so well, etc. It has transformed my own book, and possibly made it feasible for an agent.
I wouldn't have said a lot of reading. When I have spurts I do...5 days solid my last one was. I haven't read in months. I would have the other day if I wasn't being attacked by bugs. Having said that, I have a lot of books I wish to read. I think once I've read all my books in my library I'll get my library card out. I think that's enough motivation.
I read Stormbreaker a while ago. So I can't really remember about how it was written or anything. I think the reason why I haven't read all of his series is because I read Robert Muchamore's series first and to me, it's more believable and more enjoyable to read.
This is what I tell everyone who asks: It's basically about children who are orphans get taken and put into training. At the end of a grueling 100 day training program where they learn martial arts, espionage and various other skills, they become Cherub agents. So basically, it's British children intelligence. Which is right up my street. The first book is CHERUB: The Recruit. I read it in the wrong order and read the second first. Still it was a really good read, and I'm now on the 10th?
I probably haven't explained it very well. But he also has a second series explaining how CHERUB began. I haven't read them yet, but I have the first two and a really cool poster that is on the back of my door.
It's simular to Alex Rider, but it's better in my opinion.
Gone sideways, leaving Brethren aside for the moment (Templars and all sorts) to read a Richard Montanari book, Merciless, which i got from the library yesterday. I didn't remember the blurb. I do remember the book ...
Daughter got Adriana Trigiani, Lucia, Lucia, from the shelves. She came down this morning clutching the book very tightly indeed and said "this is so lightweight if I didn't hold on to it, it would fly away." (You don't know how much I wish she was a writer!) overblown writing and endless dialogue explanations. I can't find the bit she read to me but if I give you this from her Acknowledgements, it will give you some idea of the writing of this 'International Bestseller' - one of her books is going to be made into a film and she is writing the screenplay -
And to my husband, Tim Stephenson, who puts up with more agita than ten men, your character and goodness still thrill me. As you lead me by the hand through parenthood, I am glad it is you who chose me. Thank you for our baby girl, who is lucky to have such a splendid papa.
Yuk.
Yes I did love Interpretation Of Murder actually. It was really good and looking at the Author's Note at the end you see that it has been very well researched!
Thank you Probie. If the Cherub books are better than Alex Rider, I must take a look. I'll try and start with the first one.
I don't suppose anyone knows who Anthony Horowitz's agent is, if he has one? Or better still, who represented him for Stormbreaker, 2001-2? I've been through the client lists of British agencies in WAYB 2009 without finding him mentioned. (Sorry, I can't offer a reward for information leading to the correct name ;).)
It's only my opinion Dwight...but I have read the entire Cherub series so far. I only read the first of the Alex Rider. I just want to make that clear!
Comments
mom's being very nice and fetching it from the library for me today (i've got to do the dishes all weekend)... i need a fantasy to read so i asked a good friend and she recommended it...
so she went to the information desk and says that it's on their website but not on the shelf. Lady takes ages to look on her computer and then says that it doesn't say it's on the shelf!
She kind of push a little and said that she typed in Putney website and requested, but that's obviously not the way to do it.
So mom went back to the office after finding another book by George Martin...a title that she knows is in the library cos she saw it there!
She then tried an advanced search on the website which says she can specify the library - no titles!
oh well... i still have a book of his... its called Dream Songs... a collection of his short stories...
Still reading Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Jeez, I really want to bitch slap that girl . . .
Re reading Stephen King's On Writing. Now that is a book worth reading...
You should be. Though if builds and builds so as you go on it just gets better and better.
Later - Ignore that. I'd seen it somewhere else and it seems it may have been a typo.
It includes The Shawshank Redemption, which is my fave movie. I read the story in Morgan Freeman's voice. That's what happens if you see the movie before reading the story, I suppose.
I'm reading "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" about a doctor having twins, one has down's syndrome so he gives her away, telling his wife she died. The book follows them all up for the next 20 odd years.
I found it slow to get into, more because of her style than anything else, but I'm really enjoying it now.
Just finished reading 'How not to write a novel' by Howard Mittelmark & Sandra Newman. Not only informative but made me laugh or smile with every chapter.
The five stories are:
1408
The Shawshank Redemption
The Mangler
Hearts in Atlantis
Children of the Corn
I wonder if there'll be another 'Goes to the Movies' book containing some of the other SK stories which have been made into films?
Reading 'The Interpretation of Murder' at the mo and loving it. It has totally enthralled me and I'm finding the background info interesting. The reviews of it were mixed but I suppose it depends on personal taste. I really like it.
McCall Smith is a prolific writer but also a very able writer and it does dissapoint me sometimes when I see where he could take the ok to the very good but clearly does not have the time to do the rewrites. The book is set in WW11 and is a one of not a series which is unusual for AMS. All in all a good book that is an enjoyable read and an easy read at that.
according to Internet Movie Database he worked on 9 episodes from 1978-1983...
I am reading part 1 of a Templar trilogy, Brethren, by Robyn Young. Good, apart from the 'eyes' syndrome which spoil it.
Based on a true story...and as historical crime fiction in the perfect genre for me at the moment
I'm halfway through Anthony Horowitz's Scorpia; nothing like as good as his first Alex Rider story Stormbeaker which I have just finished. Stormbreaker was particularly useful as a transparent example of 'showing not telling'.
Isn't it awful: all my reading is in pursuit of my writing.
I don't like the Alex Rider series much. I've only read Stormbreaker and I gave up midway in Point Blank. I for one prefer CHERUB.
However I'm still reading CHERUB: The General. By the time I've finished that, the next one will be out....
I read this a while back . Took a bit of getting into cos its not really my usual type of thing, but enjoyed it in the long run.
Now reading "Not without my daughter" Betty Mahmoody (excellent) and a Sebastion Foulks thing which I can't remember the title of - so not sure if thats good or not ! :)
I don't like ciriticising Anthony Horowitz because he has done me such a big favour, as you'll see in a minute, but he told Stormbreaker from a single 3rd person viewpoint all the way. My novel is the same. But in Scorpia he switched to a mixture of single VP and author omniscience, and I don't think it works anything like as well in this kind of young adult adventure story. The mystery has been watered down: Alex's path of discovery.
But I was going to say that I met Stormbreaker at a crucial point in my writing development (I almost said 'writing career' - silly me ;) ), where my MS had been critiqued and slated for its viewpoint calamity. Horowitz showed me just how to do it. Instead of someone telling me how to do it, here was a purpose made example filled with 'showing'. I wrote out chunks of it - whole pages - and analysed how he had done it, what worked so well, etc. It has transformed my own book, and possibly made it feasible for an agent.
I read Stormbreaker a while ago. So I can't really remember about how it was written or anything. I think the reason why I haven't read all of his series is because I read Robert Muchamore's series first and to me, it's more believable and more enjoyable to read.
I probably haven't explained it very well. But he also has a second series explaining how CHERUB began. I haven't read them yet, but I have the first two and a really cool poster that is on the back of my door.
It's simular to Alex Rider, but it's better in my opinion.
Daughter got Adriana Trigiani, Lucia, Lucia, from the shelves. She came down this morning clutching the book very tightly indeed and said "this is so lightweight if I didn't hold on to it, it would fly away." (You don't know how much I wish she was a writer!) overblown writing and endless dialogue explanations. I can't find the bit she read to me but if I give you this from her Acknowledgements, it will give you some idea of the writing of this 'International Bestseller' - one of her books is going to be made into a film and she is writing the screenplay -
And to my husband, Tim Stephenson, who puts up with more agita than ten men, your character and goodness still thrill me. As you lead me by the hand through parenthood, I am glad it is you who chose me. Thank you for our baby girl, who is lucky to have such a splendid papa.
Yuk.
Mr Toppit is looking more interesting anyhow.
I don't suppose anyone knows who Anthony Horowitz's agent is, if he has one? Or better still, who represented him for Stormbreaker, 2001-2? I've been through the client lists of British agencies in WAYB 2009 without finding him mentioned. (Sorry, I can't offer a reward for information leading to the correct name ;).)