[Boojum]

We need more literary threads here at UK420 says I, so here's one. What are you reading at the moment ? Watching The Romantics on BBC2 the other night whetted my appetite, so I'm reading a bit of poetry (but it's online/ebooks, which do my eyes in after a while, so it's only in short bursts). I'm waiting for my mate to remember to bring his copy of Iain M Banks latest, The Algebraist, which I'm REALLY looking forward to. In the meantime I'm going back over my Terry Pratchett books, cos I need to be taken out of myself and I find few authors manage to to that as well as Pratchett. Doing pretty much a book a day at the moment, in chronological order, I'm up to Jingo (one of my least favourite as it goes, but I'm still ripping through it and enjoying it - more resonance now than the first time I read it, what with all the shit that's going on in the world). Gotta say (no need to say how much I respect Pratchett's work, I've said it often enough), Sam Vimes, Carrott and Lord Vetinari are 3 of the greatest comic characters ever, on the one hand comic characatures, but on the other as human as any character you're likely to find, in terms of reflecting what it means to be human. Ah, fuck it, no need to say but I'll say it anyway, Terry Pratchett is a genius (I overuse the word, but I REALLY mean it in this instance), a man who understands story, comedy and the human condition better than I could ever hope to

So what are you reading at the moment, is it any good, and what's the best thing you've read recently (and why) ?

Words are beautiful, language is amazing, so go on, share



Edited to add and don't be shy, I PROMISE not to be condescending about certain authors attempts to rewrite history This is meant as a nice thread, I promise I'll behave

This post has been edited by Boojum: 23 January 2006 - 02:02 AM

[nav182]

American scream - Bill Hicks life story

easily my all time favourite comedian!

PS: Booj - thought you might appreciate this link http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/greek-m...y.php?deity=NYX

This post has been edited by nav182: 23 January 2006 - 02:10 AM

[Boojum]

Ah, The Wasp Factory, great (dark, twisted, but great) book, first Banks I ever read, got me hooked on him. Not read the latter (I got an embarassingly narrow reading taste). Any good ? Worth a go to someone who reads mostly dark shit ? (I'm always looking for new stuff to read, I just don't do mainstream and been narrowly reading horror so long, I dunno where to start)

Edited to add seena few Hicks books, not really into biographies, but Bill is one of my heroes so I may check out his bios.

This post has been edited by Boojum: 23 January 2006 - 02:11 AM

[Twelveways]

To be honest, I havent read a book in ages, about 10 months
I used to read all the time and constantly have at least one book on the go. Then the missus needed the bookcase for her college work and I packed up the books and never bothered with them or any new ones. I need to stop being so lazy and buy a new bookshelf...

I totally agree with you about Pratchett, I think some people are put off by the cartoony covers (I love them personally) and think they are kids books, but his perception and humour are cutting edge, I think the guys a genius.
I used to read anything, Ill try any genre (apart from romance ) and any author and once I started a book I couldnt put it down until I was finished.

I think Im gonna see if I can get any of Pratchetts newer ones and stop playing so much frigging computer games

Edited to say: The last book I read was 'Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' by Haruki Murakami, Hes the only Asian author I have read (apart from the Life of Pi but thats a different Asian) and I would like to try more if they are like him, Hard Boiled is good but not as good as his short stories, 'The Dancing Dwarf' I think is the name of his book, I dont know if psychadelia is possible in written words, if it is then Murukami does it brilliantly, one of his stories is a bout a guy who works in an elephant factory (one day he screws the ears on, the next the tusks...) and they are all a little bit twisted, quite humorous and they always get you thinking.

This post has been edited by Twelveways: 23 January 2006 - 02:18 AM

[Boojum]

Cool link Nav - I'm kinda into greek mythology (I got a copy of Robert Graves' Greek Myths, but I kinda keep over looking it cos it seems too much like study - been after a copy of The White Goddess for ages, though), I'm really into the idea of the fates, Neil Gaiman touches heavily on the myth in The Kindly Ones, one of the later episodes in The Sandman series. I'm not into religion, but I love myths and folklore - story as opposed to belief

[Boojum]

Quote

I think Im gonna see if I can get any of Pratchetts newer ones and stop playing so much frigging computer games

You should read Monstrous Regiment, Going Postal and Thud, back to Pratchett's best IMHO. Especially Thud, it's a really good book. Not least cos it's Sam Vimes & the watch again And the origin of trolls & dwarfs. Koom Valley. It's a hairs on the back of the neck job, like Hogfather & Lords & Ladies.

[Boojum]

One author I'd recommend to everyone here is Louis de Bernieres. Not Captain Corelli's Mandolin, his other stuff, The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts, Senor Viva and the Coca Lord and The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman.

[Twelveways]

Boojum, on Jan 23 2006, 02:49 AM, said:

You should read Monstrous Regiment, Going Postal and Thud, back to Pratchett's best IMHO. Especially Thud, it's a really good book. Not least cos it's Sam Vimes & the watch again And the origin of trolls & dwarfs. Koom Valley. It's a hairs on the back of the neck job, like Hogfather & Lords & Ladies.

I havent read any since Thief of Time, and I missed the Fifth Elephant too. Im gonna buy all the new ones on payday

[Church]

Thud is sat next to me, waiting to get read as soon as I can motivate myself into reading again!!! Aaaaah the Pratchett Tradition - 1 for Christmas, 1 for the Summer. Only books that I constantly find myself laughing out loud to. The Man is no Small God

The Darkness that Comes Before by R.Scott Bakker, and The Complete Robot by Asimov are in my bedroom next to the bed - both partially read. Have really struggled to maintain my concentration of late, so reading really has gone to pot (sic)

When I was reading a lot in the autumn I read the entire Sword of Truth series (so far as it's been written to date anyway) by Terry Goodkind. Fantasy writing of a very high level - I can't wait for the next instalment.

Of course, I could have just been a funny bugger, and written "The Writing on my Screen"

[Boojum]

Quote

Of course, I could have just been a funny bugger, and written "The Writing on my Screen"

I'm slipping, that didn't even occur to me


Edited to add depression kills my reading too, the only good thing about mania & insomnia is it gives me a chance to catch up

I reckon thud willfly by, once you get into it

This post has been edited by Boojum: 23 January 2006 - 03:02 AM

[Church]

Boojum, on Jan 23 2006, 03:29 AM, said:

I reckon thud willfly by, once you get into it

Once I finally open it, it'll be done in a day. Once in Terry's realm am there til the end

[Boojum]

Aaaahhhhhh, innit. I must confess, most times when I close the last page of a Pratchett book after the first reading, I feel like crying. Just a little bit. In a manly way . But I honestly do brush a tear away, it's like "Do I REALLY have to leave, can't I just have a few more pages." It's a living, breathing world, with characatures that are more real than most people I've met. THAT's where his genius lies, if you allow him, he'll engage you like few other writers.

Sorry, monopolising the thread, but it's 3:45am, you know what I'm like this time of night, least I'm only monopolising the one thread tonight


Gotta just put one more thing, I got banned from all the bookshops in Chester as a teenager (they were all owned by Waterstones) cos Terry was doing a signing & me and a mate decided to take a banana daquiri along (ook), but the bastard manager wouldn't let us in (no food or drink in the shop ), so we got in a massive row which ended up with me insulting him from there to Ankh-Morpork & back (how unlike me...).

"You'll never buy a book in this town again."