Just finished Shadow of a Giant

Not as good as the other books in the Wiggin series. Cop it if ya love the series, dont rush out if ya just sorta like it a little.

At 7/12/05 05:20 AM, Coop83 wrote: Yeah, when people get this deep in a hole, they usually try to dig upwards or stop digging.

To late.

At 7/12/05 06:51 AM, VirginLungs wrote: Hey guys i'm big into fantasy.

Anyone else here read David Gemmell book? I seriously think he is the best fantasy auther out. I think hes just a level above Eddings, Feist etc.

Just finished reading 'Legend' Great book. Druss is an amzing character!

I posted a review of the very same book about 10 pages ago. It's a good book, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that Gemmell is the best author of fantasy ever. He's good, but some of his competition include Tolkien (Legendary) and Terry Pratchett (Hilarious)

At 7/12/05 01:56 PM, Slightly_Crazy_Dude wrote: Noooooooooo. Tolkien is the greatest Fantasy novel writer >:D

See above.

But ive heard alot about his books. Theres a deal on his books on Play.com, 3 for a tenner i think, its worth checking out.

Off to play.com I go then.

My book was delivered today :) Think i'll start reading it at the weekend, when i have time. Yes iam naked in the pic below :O

Naked SCD?! OMGJISSM!

At 7/12/05 08:19 PM, FAB0L0US wrote:

At 7/12/05 05:20 AM, Coop83 wrote: Yeah, when people get this deep in a hole, they usually try to dig upwards or stop digging.

To late.

Just stop digging then.
/topic

At 7/12/05 01:56 PM, Slightly_Crazy_Dude wrote:

At 7/12/05 06:51 AM, VirginLungs wrote: Hey guys i'm big into fantasy.

As am i, and some others in this club.

Anyone else here read David Gemmell book? I seriously think he is the best fantasy auther out. I think hes just a level above Eddings, Feist etc.

Noooooooooo. Tolkien is the greatest Fantasy novel writer >:D But ive heard alot about his books. Theres a deal on his books on Play.com, 3 for a tenner i think, its worth checking out.

I mean 'out' as in living author. 3 for a tenner? thats a great deal. The books 'Waylander' and 'Sword In The Storm' are two great books and are the 1st books in the 'Rigante' and 'Drenai' series. I personally love those two series. :)

My book was delivered today :) Think i'll start reading it at the weekend, when i have time. Yes iam naked in the pic below :O

The author that wrote the book you have in your hand, is he good? I've seen alot of his work in the bookshop and was wondering if any of his stuff was worth buying?

At 7/13/05 11:05 PM, VirginLungs wrote:
I mean 'out' as in living author. 3 for a tenner? thats a great deal. The books 'Waylander' and 'Sword In The Storm' are two great books and are the 1st books in the 'Rigante' and 'Drenai' series. I personally love those two series. :)

Ok living author then....hmmmmm, i think its possible then maybe. But we all have our own opinions about that, but thats what makes this club cool. I looked up the deal, its actually a choice of 3 from 24 books for 15 quid, which i think is still a bargain, its not often you can get 3 for 15 pounds now a days.

The author that wrote the book you have in your hand, is he good? I've seen alot of his work in the bookshop and was wondering if any of his stuff was worth buying?

Ive only started reading his stuff, and thats because he was compared to Tolkien. His books are great, i finished the first a while back, and im starting the second, which starts off brilliantlty. Its fantasy in its finest form if you ask me. But i do say that quite alot nowadays, i seem to like alot of books by different authors.

At 7/14/05 10:39 AM, Slightly_Crazy_Dude wrote:

Ok living author then....hmmmmm, i think its possible then maybe. But we all have our own opinions about that, but thats what makes this club cool. I looked up the deal, its actually a choice of 3 from 24 books for 15 quid, which i think is still a bargain, its not often you can get 3 for 15 pounds now a days.

Yeah I was thinking of buying some books on E-Bay. I thinki'd rather spend 1.99 on a second hand book then 10 quid on book from the shop.

Anyone here a fan of Feist? I know hes aalot more popular in the US then England but I love his work too. I've read every single on of his boks. :)

If anyone is wondering the next book after 'Exiles Return' (which was great) is called 'Flight of the Nighthawks' and its the 1st book in the 'Darkwar' saga.

At 7/14/05 11:48 AM, VirginLungs wrote: Yeah I was thinking of buying some books on E-Bay. I thinki'd rather spend 1.99 on a second hand book then 10 quid on book from the shop.

I view my books as treasures in their own rights. I buy brand new all the time and read them, keeping them in as near to mint condition as possible. The only problem this leads to is the lack of space in my house for books.

At 7/14/05 05:12 PM, Mick_the_champion wrote: I can't stand second hand books, it's like using someone else's toothbrush.

I'll sound like a weird fuck saying this, but I like to have a connection with a book - it really gets into my head, you know. So it's got to be JUST MINE.

Amen to that

At 7/14/05 05:12 PM, Mick_the_champion wrote: I can't stand second hand books, it's like using someone else's toothbrush.

I'll sound like a weird fuck saying this, but I like to have a connection with a book - it really gets into my head, you know. So it's got to be JUST MINE.

I not sure if i've bought anything 2nd hand in my life so i'm not sure how i'd feel about the subject.. I'll have to see.

But I'm just thinkin, why but one great book for a tenner when I could buy five books instead?

At 7/14/05 05:12 PM, Mick_the_champion wrote: I can't stand second hand books, it's like using someone else's toothbrush.

You should stay out of libraries then :/

Anyho, i'm very fond of reading. I've read every Harry Potter and the Hitch Hikers Guide. I'm currently in progress off ifnishing Papillon. You've heard of that one don't you?

''Monseur, how long does a lifetime in prison last in France?'' Ehehe.

I'm very fascinated be the work of Terry Pratchett. The ones who havn't read any of his books, should. Discworld, anyone?

Blindness by José Saramago (Total Pages: 326)

A city is hit with an epidemic of ‘white blindness” which moves through rapidly. Authorities confine the blind to an empty mental hospital where the ‘criminal element’ holds everyone hostage. A select group come into power, steals all the food rations, and assault women. There is but one eye-witness to the horrors in the ward. One woman has not lost her sight, but chooses to remain with her husband, refusing to abandon him or the seven strangers with whom she came with. She leads this group through their new world, acting as their savior and protector.

An allegory of failure and bewilderment Blindness is a vivid expression of the horrors of the twentieth century. It is a representation of man’s worst temperaments and flaws, but also of man’s invigorating strength.

There are times where this book is hard to read not only because of the gruesome rape scenes but also because of the raw translation. The author does not have any quotations within the book as none of the spoken lines are quoted. Also, Saramago uses commas a lot and periods are few and far between. So it can seem that it is choppy at times, but it is a very unique style for a novel.

A very good book, from another Nobel Peace Prize winner, Blindness is a microcosm for the modern world and the prevalent apathetic nature of man.

Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis (Total Pages: 20

The youth of Los Angeles, in the early 80’s have experienced a world of nihilism too early. They are sucked into a setting full of sex, drugs and disaffection. One such youth is Clay, who returns from his East Coast College and reenters this city of untailored nihilism, where everyone’s morals are corrupt and the people he knows all drive Porches. While at home, he tries to rekindle his relationship with his girlfriend, Blair, and his best friend from high school, Julian, who now specializes in hustling and selling drugs. Soon, Clay’s holiday takes a turn for the worst and he suddenly finds himself suckered back into the lifestyle he can to resent.

This book was described as ‘Catcher in the Rye for the MTV generation’ by USA Today; however I found it to be far from that. Maybe I expected too much from this novel as I have loved Ellis’ other novels, but something about this book just made me cringe. The fact that the author uses the exact same lines in it as some of his other books makes one wonder if he is trying to tie them together, or if he was just lazy. For example, one chapter was exactly the same as one taken from American Psycho (while Less than Zero was written before, so it should be the other way around) and, while that chapter was only half a page long, I still found it irritating. Another thing was that the author seemed to want to write this book so that the reader would be depressed, as he never had any light hearted parts as he has done in his other works.

I would love to hear other’s take on this book, because I feel that the only reason I really didn’t enjoy it was because it was too depressing and lacked casual humor.

I would have to recommend this book to anyone who believes in non-conformity and loathes the ‘Hollywood’ scene. While I didn’t enjoy it, take my review with a grain of salt and please if anyone has a different view on this book, I would love to hear it.

At 7/14/05 07:16 PM, Frostbreath wrote: I'm very fascinated be the work of Terry Pratchett. The ones who havn't read any of his books, should. Discworld, anyone?

I'm THE authority on Pratchett around here. I believe him to be one of the funniest authors of the 20th and 21st centuries. Ask me any question you'd like, and I'll try and give a decent answer.

I buy only new books as well. Up till now I haven't bought that many books, only 9 in fact. I hope that one day, when I own a house of my own, I'll have a huge room filled with books I've bought and read. That day I can really call my self a fan of literature.

Anyway, has anyone here read any of Asimov's stuff? I've read a lot. That includes the Foundation series, three books of the Daniel Olivaw series and about ten-fifteen others. He certainly had a great talent.

At 7/16/05 08:59 AM, JackOfShadows wrote: Anyway, has anyone here read any of Asimov's stuff? I've read a lot. That includes the Foundation series, three books of the Daniel Olivaw series and about ten-fifteen others. He certainly had a great talent.

The late, great Isaac Asimov. Truly a great mind, when it came to sci-fi. I, Robot was one of his great books, but I don't really think it was his best.

Read every Asimov book I could find.

My personal favorite of his was his Robot Dreams collection of short stories. A good read. Makes ya think to. Greatly recommended.

At 7/16/05 05:50 PM, Coop83 wrote:

The late, great Isaac Asimov.

The man sure did have magnificent sideburns. Also he had a Ph.D in Biochemitry. In a lot of ways, he's my role model.

I, Robot was one of his great books

Man, I hate how the movies based on his books always suck.

but I don't really think it was his best.

Agreed.

At 7/17/05 05:33 AM, FAB0L0US wrote: Read every Asimov book I could find.

Same here.

My personal favorite of his was his Robot Dreams collection of short stories.

Didn't read it. I did read all of the other collections of Robot Stories.

Wow... I havent posted in here in a while... I've been buying books but havent had the chance to read any in a while... I've been super busy this past month with very little reading time :(

O well i'm gonna try to finish 3 Nights in August by Buzz Bissinger today...

I know alot of you will probably think i'm gay or what ever bringing this book up but what ever.

Harry Potter. Yeah I finished it. Has anyone else? I'm not going to spoil it (which is kinda pointless considering half the members already have)

I was a bit dissappoined with the book. There just wasn't alot happening in the book. It only really got interesting at the last 100 pages. I thought the whole "wizarding world at war" at thing was going to be cool. Like trolls wizards etc fighting but nothing like that really materialized.

Oh well :)

At 7/17/05 05:33 AM, FAB0L0US wrote: Read every Asimov book I could find.

My personal favorite of his was his Robot Dreams collection of short stories. A good read. Makes ya think to. Greatly recommended.

Read it, and own it. Tis a truelly great book. I especially love the Robot as Tormentor stories, theyre ace. Did you guys know Asimov actually invented/created the word Robotics? Tis true story fo sho.

At 7/17/05 11:42 AM, Slightly_Crazy_Dude wrote: Did you guys know Asimov actually invented/created the word Robotics? Tis true story fo sho.

Isn't that a derivative of the Czech word robota, meaning forced labour? Correct me if I'm wrong.

At 7/17/05 04:31 PM, Coop83 wrote:
Isn't that a derivative of the Czech word robota, meaning forced labour? Correct me if I'm wrong.

I have no idea mate, but its true. Robota sounds awfully similar aswell, maybe this Isaac dude made that up himself aswell.

At 7/17/05 05:07 PM, Slightly_Crazy_Dude wrote: I have no idea mate, but its true. Robota sounds awfully similar aswell, maybe this Isaac dude made that up himself aswell.

The dictionary doesn't give credit to Asimov, but it is 1979 old. Maybe a newer edition does, who knows?

At 7/17/05 04:31 PM, Coop83 wrote: Isn't that a derivative of the Czech word robota, meaning forced labour? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Yeah, it was already a word, but he is the man who used it in the context it is now. He was the one who referred to robots like the robots we know today, the goofy things that are all metal and look like us. Either that, or those funny arm welder things that make cars : )

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (Total Pages: 183)

(*Note: This book is very different from the mini-series on the sci-fi channel. If you liked the mini-series please pick this book up. If you hated the mini-series, give this book a chance because it was not done justice by the sci-fi channel.)

Before he became to greatest sorcerer in all of EarthSea, Ged was called ‘Sparrowhawk’ in his thoughtless youth. He was hungry for power and knowledge, and meddled with forces beyond his control. While studying magic on the Isle of Roke, he loosed a dreadful shadow upon the world. A Wizard of Earthsea is about this time, when Ged was irresponsible with the words of power, when he tamed a mighty dragon, and fought an enemy he had no way of destroying.

A Wizard of Earthsea is one of the best-loved fantasy novels of this time, with very good reason. It has been compared to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth and C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, because of the author’s development of the cultures that encompass the world, while also paying close attention to the characters. While it is a very short book, it is also as thorough as longer novels. This is because Le Guin is not as ‘long winded’ as some other authors and she gets to the point while still being descriptive (in fact it still surprises me that the book is so short because there is so much within it).

This book is a must read for fantasy lovers, as they will find a wonderful world within the pages of Earthsea. A world full of dragons, magic, and adventure, Le Guin makes her imagination of an archipelago world come to life.
Link

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (total pages: 180)

A young girl named Tenar is chosen as the new high priestess to the ancient powers of the earth, and everything is taken away from her: home, family, possessions, and even her name. Now known as Arha, the Eaten One, she is the guardian of the Tombs of Atuan. Her first test to protect the tombs occurs when a young wizard, Ged Sparrowhawk, comes to steal the tombs’ greatest treasure. But with him, Ged brings tales of a world that Tenar has never seen. Now she has to make a choice: betray everything she has ever known and help Ged, or remain a servant to the powers she was born to serve.

Another great book by Ursula K. Le Guin, The Tombs of Atuan continues the story of Ged where the previous book left off. However, this time he is not the main focus of the book. That belongs to Tenar, as she struggles with the world she thought she knew.

Again, if you like fantasy books that are full of detail, yet surprisingly short pick up this novel and join the millions of other readers world-wide who have loved the world of earthsea.

At 7/15/05 04:09 PM, Mick_the_champion wrote:

At 7/15/05 03:43 PM, Mick_the_champion wrote:

Are you a member of the Chuck Palahniuk boards? I just signed up today.

Nevermind that. I thought I joined it, but it costs...

Yeah, I am a cheap bastard, so I don't think that I will be signing up. However, feel free to leave reviews for any of his books here or by email. Also, if you recommend any authors that are similar to him that would be cool too.

-Joel-, I envy you. I envy you and your crazy book-a-day habit. It takes me weeks to finish a book, yet you seem to plow through them so effortlessly. Just so you know, there are lesser body parts that I'd part with just for that ability. I envy you. That having been said, you don't remember me, do you? I knew you when you were still going by your old -Boondock_Drunk- alias. How the hell have you been? I haven't run into you in almost a year now on this here BBS.

But just to get back on-topic, I'm now done with Rana Dasgupta's "Tokyo Cancelled" and honestly, it's a quick read. Not for me at 383 pages, mind you, but there's just something about beautifully written literature that keeps the pages turning. As I've probably mentioned before, "Tokyo Cancelled" is a contemporary version of "The Canterbury Tales". Thirteen strangers stranded in an airport in a foreign country set up the frame story and from there, each of them tells one story set within their country. Each story is told in the fantastical fashion of an Arabian tale, every single one of them incorporating elements of classic fairy tales or fables. Now, that's kind of a long, drawn-out description of the book's content, but let me tell you, Dasgupta has a way with words that I haven't seen since reading Keats in Lit 12. He is a master of modern metaphor and although The Vancouver Sun, in a recent review of his work, called the book 'overwritten', I personally feel that that accusation is false and that Dasgupta has a certain elegance to his prose, even if that elegance is derived from his writing's implicit simplicity. The stories are written in exactly the same way one would expect them to be told. Virtually monosyllabic dialogue, quick and sharp exposition and no wasting of time setting up a scene where only one or two lines need to be exchanged in order to propel the story forward. The story comes right at you, simply stated but no less effective because of it. Which is why it's so unexpected when the perfect analogy appears in his work. A television commercial is no longer a television commercial when it's "soliloquiz[ing] energetically" (p. 263) and in the ninth story, 'The Rendezvous in Istanbul', a story having to do with one of the protagonists being stranded at sea, Natalia's heart is now a "seabird" (p. 228) and clanging like "steel plates under a shipwright's mallet" (also p. 228). To some, I suppose it may seem 'overwritten', but I still maintain that all the imagery is appropriate to their respective stories. But that's what I love about this book. Simple and straight to the point, but still with respect paid to all the right literary devices. Unfortunately, a few of the stories are weaker than they should be. Or at least, they seem so next to wonderfully crafted stories such as 'The Changeling' or 'The Doll'. (Note to any automatonophobics out there: Avoid that last one.) But as a whole, "Tokyo Cancelled" is one of the rare books that I actually didn't regret spending almost twenty bucks on brand new. I fully recommend it and urge all the people here to give it a chance, even though to all the fantasy addicts here, it might seem somewhat lacking in detail. It's the best book I've read all year.

I'm onto a new book now, by the way. It's quite a shift away from "Tokyo Cancelled" too. I'm about two hundred pages in on a rather thin book by the name of "Rogues' Wedding" by Terry Griggs. Think Runaway Bride meets Homer's "Odyssey" (only much less epic), but with the bridegroom bookin' it -- sorry, couldn't resist. -- and all set in nineteenth century Ontario. It's not bad, but the analogies are. How am I supposed to take a line like "He could feel the eyes fixed on him like a gun's sight, the crosshairs dividing his face like a pie." (p. 153) seriously? Oh well, more on that when I finally finish the damn thing. I actually can't wait to get to the next book on my reading list. Just a little something I picked up earlier today at a small family-run business in town called La Collective for only $2.00. But I'll talk about that in my next post. Be back in a week. By then, hopefully, I'll have another book to talk about. Cheers.

At 7/19/05 02:16 AM, biteme2514 wrote: -Joel-, I envy you. I envy you and your crazy book-a-day habit. It takes me weeks to finish a book, yet you seem to plow through them so effortlessly. Just so you know, there are lesser body parts that I'd part with just for that ability. I envy you. That having been said, you don't remember me, do you? I knew you when you were still going by your old -Boondock_Drunk- alias. How the hell have you been? I haven't run into you in almost a year now on this here BBS.

I think we all envy Joel and his insatiable appetite for books. I'm onto my second month of The Two Towers and although I'm a lot closer to the completion of this than I was at this point in time through Fellowship, I'm still finding it a slog.

Yet another wonderful review from BiteMe.....but back in a week? Goddamn, thats a bit long, dont you think?

Coop, i would suggest getting rid of Two Towers if youre finding it a slog to read, thats just no good. You arent enjoying and as much as it pains me to say, you should move onto something else, something you havent read, or something that wont be so everwhelming to read.

To clear a few things up: Asimov didn't invent the word "robot", neither was he the first one to use it in the context we are used to. The word "robot" originates in a play by a Czech writer, Copec. The play told the story of a company which created robots. The word originates in the Czech word for "worker".

Asimov invented the word "robotics" when he mentioned the U.S. Robotics sompany in one of his stories. He didn't know that he invented a word untill much later. He just used a word that seemed natural to him. He is credited with being the first one to mention the word in the Oxford (if I'm not mistaken) dictionary.

At 7/19/05 09:03 AM, Slightly_Crazy_Dude wrote: Coop, i would suggest getting rid of Two Towers if youre finding it a slog to read, thats just no good. You arent enjoying and as much as it pains me to say, you should move onto something else, something you havent read, or something that wont be so everwhelming to read.

On the contrary. I am enjoying reading it and I'm glad I stuck at reading Fellowship. If I hadn't, I'd have never revisited Two Towers. I'm suffering from a lack of time to read at the moment, so, even though it's going to take me long to read, I'm going to carry on enjoying it. I'm just pining slightly for the way that I can read a discworld book in a matter of hours, as opposed to weeks for a Tolkien.