BritishBecca, well done on writing that piece of fiction, 85,000 words, sheesh, I'm lucky if I can make 400, my stories end up v short.

Verno, I don't really know what books am lookin for have a list of authors and books I want but the stores never have them, really annoys me how the fantasy section is just a tiny little blimp in a huge bookstore, am thinkin of joinin the sf&fantasy bookclub, they have a lot of the boooks I want, u know one of those ones that u have to subscribe to and def buy a book from one of their mags every couple of months.
I don't like orderin from Amazon for some reason or even lookin them up, it's all a bit of a hassle and once again the stuff I want is limited or takes 4 months to come and it's not even like I've got super wierd taste or anything.
Anyhoo, rant over am off, stayin at parents at mo and it's all a bit wierd.

Fear, I definitely recommend you take a look at Ebay, they have loads of good stuff. I found quite a few books that I wanted while on there.

You can get some of them for pennies as well. Which is a better deal than paying over the odds for book club stuff. Trust me, once they know your address and phone n.o the buggers never leave you alone.

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Originally posted by troikette:
'Closing Time', Heller's sequel to Catch 22. Not gripped so far.

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I found it awfully hard to get into 'Closing Time', I'm afraid I didn't finish it. I hate it when that happens.

Btw, I have not read Blackberry Farm either.

In case any of you care, and I'm sure you all do , the latest Lemony Snicket, (Grim Grotto, #11) is shaping up very nicely. I'm kinda hoping there'll be more than just the originally promised thirteen in the series, now!

He is so much better than JK Rowling.

I'll have to check Lemony Snicket out! Never read any.

Finished 'Dead Famous', which was excellent, brilliantly observed satire and a fab whodunnit as well.

Enjoyed the first chapter of Bag Of Bones by Stephen King last night.

thanx 4 the advice Verno, will check it out.
have any of u read Kushiel's Dart by Jaqueline Carey, it's bloody brilliant, wood do a brief synopsis but my brain's mush.

Is Bag of Bones any good then?
I love the old favourites Carrie and Firestarter, love the films to!

I thought Bag of Bones was an early incarnation of Santa Claus in Germany or somewhere?

Is that what the book's about?

I love Bag of Bones.

I didn't bring any books with me to Uni, still have that James Herbert one at home to finish.

The latest Doctor Who book, The Deadstone Memorial, is shaping up beautifully. I'm going to miss my beloved eighth Doctor when they regenerate him soon.

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Originally posted by britishbecca:
I thought Bag of Bones was an early incarnation of Santa Claus in Germany or somewhere?

Is that what the book's about?

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No, there was an author's quote in the chapter I read last night, referencing the title...I can't recall it completely right now.

Here's a little review from Amazon.com:
The hero, a thriller novelist, stirs up hell's angry shades while investigating his wife's death. It turns out she either had a dark secret herself or was onto some dread scandal lurking in Dark Score Lake. As in King's previous book, Wizard and Glass, the fabric of reality is thin and nosy narrators are in peril of plunging right out of this world and into a rather hostile otherworld.
Bag of Bones is a writer-haunted book, too. The spirits of Herman Melville and Ray Bradbury are deeply felt, and so are the tale's two romances. There is also good- humoured satire of the real bestseller book world--the hero complains that "the publicity process is like going to a sushi bar where you're the sushi." In its deep concerns with love, sprawling families, the writer's life, endangered children and good old-fashioned storytelling, the book resembles a John Irving novel. It is also absolutely classic Stephen King, packed with nifty turns of phrase, irreverent wit and lurid ghouls who grab you from beneath the bed while you cower under the covers. --Tim Appelo, Amazon.com

I'm really enjoying it so far

Good stuff.

My sis took me to the nearest book shop but we had to rush bcoz her b'friend wanted 2b back4 the football and I 4got my list, all I managed to get was the latest Kelley Armstrong 'Industrial Magic'

Anyone read this series, it's quite good, not as good as Anita Blake tho but i like them.

Finished my Doctor Who book. It was very very good.

I don't want them to regenerate him, damn it!

cheer up, it might go well

It could go brilliantly, Fear - I still don't want him to regenerate! I hate regenerations; always have. Peter Davison is my favourite Doctor, and I hated the later Tom Baker ones - but I still hate Logopolis, which is when Baker turns into Davison. Regenerations are sad!

i didnt get half of that tho

am gonna work on Terry Brooks 'The Word & The Void' soon nice big one to get me teeth stuck in2!

I just finished an Amelia Peabody book 'Children of the Storm' by Elizabeth Peters (detective fiction). Not the best book ever. I finished it. But won't read it or any other in the Amelia Peabody series again. Although, slightly unfairly, I took an immediate dislike to it (and the photograph of the author) so it was going to have to be really, REALLY good for me to like it. But, heigh ho, all books can't be good (and as Stephen King said in 'On Writing' the greatest thrill in an unpublished writer's reading life is reading a book and thinking 'hell, my writing's at least as good as this!' And it might not have been Stephen King).

I intend to read 'Towards the End of the Morning' by Michael Frayn next. That's bound to be good. Frayn's one of my favourite authors.

Hey Fear, just wanted to let you know that I've just finished Exquisite Corpse that you recommended and I thought it was really good. Very weird and totally unlike the books I normally read but very readable and totally gruesome but horny at the same time. I like a book that evokes emotions that are conflicting, it makes them more compelling. Thanks!

I think I remember someone saying that they found Terry Pratchett's enormous cast list of characters hard to handle. I think it's a great shame for anyone to miss out on the joy that is the Discworld...
So, I recommend one of the recent Pratchett's - "Monstrous Regiment". It focuses mainly on a smaller group and has some interesting things to say about war. I think Sam Vimes (and his crowd) is the only other player apart from the main people. (Sam Vimes is the best one. In the film, he'll be played by Richard Dean Anderson). It's a good book.

(I haven't read Frayn's book yet. I couldn't just leave a new Pratchett sitting there un-read. That would've been rude! Frayn's next on the list)

These are the last couple of books I read, 'Tietam Brown' by Mick Foley and 'Diary' by Chuck Palahniuk.
Two very different books but both enjoyable in their own way. Not to be read if you don't like sex and violence though !

You can read an extract from Tietam Brown here.

I am currently reading 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown. I thought I might as well see what all the fuss is about. It cracks along at a fair old pace and you couldn't accuse it of dragging. I've always been interested in religion, numerology etc so this is proving quite interesting.

Next on the list is 'Eleanor Rigby' by Doug Coupland.

I've just read an Andy McNab book, basically the same reason as you, to see what all the fuss was about. It was OK and quick reading too. In Thailand in a lot of hotels and hostels and shops they have book exchanges so you come out with a couple of books it's always easy to swap them for something else when you've finished. Saw it and thought what the hell. I wouldn't mind reading another of his books but I wouldn't go out and purposfully get one, just if it was lying about.

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Next on the list is 'Eleanor Rigby' by Doug Coupland.

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She died in the church and was buried along with her name.

See, told you the ending now. You don't have to bother reading it.

Last night I finished the dragonbone chair by Tad Williams. 912 pages, and although it hasn't left me as hugry for the rest of saga I still wouldn't mind knowing more. It is a good book and very descriptive. Williams captures the atmosphere of war very well too. unfortunately, he goes a little crazy on the unpronouncable names tho.

Still a very good book

Thanks a lot, Mickey.

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