What are you reading at the moment?

[Rudi von Starnberg]

Yeah, I agree with Cassidy. Once the world is established in The Blade Itself, the other books in the trilogy can run wild without spending too much time on setup.

The hardcover for Best Served Cold is beautiful, too. I don't often get books in hardcover either but it's just so lovely.

The question of

what the Bloody-Nine actually is... I wouldn't be so categorically certain as cassidy in saying it's just a split personality. I won't say more because the other books do touch upon this.

[cassidy]

Yeah, I agree with Cassidy. Once the world is established in The Blade Itself, the other books in the trilogy can run wild without spending too much time on setup.

The hardcover for Best Served Cold is beautiful, too. I don't often get books in hardcover either but it's just so lovely.

The question of

what the Bloody-Nine actually is... I wouldn't be so categorically certain as cassidy in saying it's just a split personality. I won't say more because the other books do touch upon this.

PM'd

[Silent Runner]

Got a few new books over the weekend.

American Skin – Ken Breun. After years of American style thrillers set in London and Ireland Ken Breun finally sets a book in America. 100 pages in and loving it. Very ‘American’ feel to it and some excellent characters.

Atomised – Micheal Hollbeq. I’m about 100 pages into this one as well but I’m not really sure what it’s about. 2 halfbrothers in modern France and their later 20th century lives. Pretty girl on the front and some serious praise on the back; interesting so far but I’d like more plot. I’ll stick with it.

The Hitman Diaries – Some guy. Read the first chapter. it’s OK but on the backburner for now.

Also got the first Jack Reicher and another Jason Starr novel but I haven’t opened them yet. Starr is always good so I’ll rip into that over the weekend.

And finally I’m flying through David Peace’s Tokyo:Year Zero. I started and gave up on this before but I’ve been making notes as I’ve been going through it the second time and I’m able to follow it. Bleak as bleak can be.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

Houellebecq is bananas. I still don't know what he's going on about. Good writer though, although he does suffer from fan-worship.

[Guest]

Houellebecq, I really like, but he isn't for everyone. Atomised is worth reading for the epilogue, which was absolutely stunning and justified the book.

Just finished Let the Right One in myself, needed something light before diving into 2666 by Roberto Bolano, which after reading and loving the Savage Detectives, is so far living up to my expectations.

[Laine]

Just about to finish The Road and then start on Let The Right One In. I've also got the complete Sherlock Holmes to look forward too.

I wanted to get The Stars My Destination yesterday but all the stupid bookshops on Charing Cross Road didn't have the fancy orange SF masterworks edition.

[cassidy]

Just finished Fevre Dream by Geroge RR Martin, and very entertaining it was too.

Just started Dead Until Dark, the first Sookie Stackhouse book.

[Scribblor]

Watching True Blood, which is based on the Stackhouse novels, I'd be expecting Twilight, but with more sex. The series is pretty entertaining though.

Haven't read Fevre Dream, but did enjoy Faerie Tale.

I'm currently reading Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's good, but like the first two, is taking me AGES to get through.

[cassidy]

Watching True Blood, which is based on the Stackhouse novels, I'd be expecting Twilight, but with more sex. The series is pretty entertaining though.

Haven't read Fevre Dream, but did enjoy Faerie Tale.

I'm currently reading Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's good, but like the first two, is taking me AGES to get through.

As I understand there's a hell of a lot more fantasy elements in the Stackhouse books, oh and more humour, less emo and less Mormon indoctrination

Only on page 2 though, so cant really comment.

Fevre dream is really quite good, excellent characters and Martin nails the period feel.

[Danster]

Well finished Seven Troop, by Andy Mcnab and will be off tonight to the library to get Foucault's Pendulum and Joe Hill's heart Shaped Box.

As I said to a friend of mine about Seven Troop:

Maybe I'm just an old softy but finished Seven Troop last night and felt slightly humbled/tearful/sad/wistful/melancholic about Mcnab and his whole life and persona.

The exploration of his own psyche through the experiences of others is very interesting and on closer examination shows up why Nick Stone is like Nick Stone and why Nick Stone novels are like they are too.

I don't think people give Mcnab enough credit for the emotion he brings to his books. There are very few thrillers that make me sit back, put the book down and bang my fist against the chair saying "Argh! Why did you let that happen!" Although I think he may have peaked with Liberation Day.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

Just about to finish The Road and then start on Let The Right One In. I've also got the complete Sherlock Holmes to look forward too.

I wanted to get The Stars My Destination yesterday but all the stupid bookshops on Charing Cross Road didn't have the fancy orange SF masterworks edition.

Oooooooh what made you choose that? Best SF ever!

Have you got a book of mine? I can't remember.

[Laine]

Oooooooh what made you choose that? Best SF ever!

Have you got a book of mine? I can't remember.

A recommendation from an ex. he can't write for shit but he reads some excellent books!

I have one of your books - We. I am reading it! I'm terrible for getting distracted by other books though.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

Oh god my top ten list of books has become fouled by an outbreak of SARS!

[Laine]

Oh god my top ten list of books has become fouled by an outbreak of SARS!

Haha! A lot of them are probably on his list too, though he was all smug when I told him I was reading We, 'Oh I told you about that, am I your book guru now?' I was like 'No you didn't, my mate Hoop lent it to me! Fuck you!'

Anyway, books, books, books!

[And]

Currently reading Falling man by Don De Lillo but have the god delusion and the salmon of doubt hanging around half finished too.

Not had time to read much lateky due to an obsession with the wire eating up my commute, now thats finished i can get back to the books.

[Looper]

I've been SHIT at reading recently, all my train journeys have been taken up reading comics on the iPhone. So I am reading something I suppose, still.

Last thing I read was the new Bernard Cornwell - Azincourt. I thought it was brilliant even though it's the male equivalent of those Marian Keyes/Celia Ahern shite but with fighting, vivid descriptions of decapitation and weapons rather then shopping and marriage mishaps. £3 in ASDA too fact fans.

[Disgraced Toblerone]

Just finished the second Amber series by Zelazny.

My God it's awful.

[Mr Cochese]

Have you read Lord Of Light by Zelazny? I can't speak for Amber, but Lord Of Light is amazing.

I'm reading Cloud Atlas now.

[Disgraced Toblerone]

Have you read Lord Of Light by Zelazny? I can't speak for Amber, but Lord Of Light is amazing.

The first cycle of Amber is very good. The second not.

[AK Bell]

Finished The Man In the High Castle today.

It was pretty good actually. K Dick has a sharp, minimalist prose that takes some getting used to but it worked. Is that the case with all his books, or is it just for this one to give it a more clipped Japanese speech pattern?

The story and world itself were great and kept me interested. But the ending was a tad unsatisfying as the threads didn't really come together as you'd expect. I mean, I got it the ending ...it was just a bit meh.

Got a new Nerd Trek book to read yesterday, TNG: Losing the Peace, so going to read that pulp before reading something more classy again.

[Laine]

Grrr! The big Borders on Oxford St didn't have the orange version of The Stars My Destination.

It's on amazon as the orange one but when I click it I get the old version.

Ooops, am being an idiot. Got it, but from marketplace it seems amazon itself doesn't have any.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

Finished The Man In the High Castle today.

It was pretty good actually. K Dick has a sharp, minimalist prose that takes some getting used to but it worked. Is that the case with all his books, or is it just for this one to give it a more clipped Japanese speech pattern?

The story and world itself were great and kept me interested. But the ending was a tad unsatisfying as the threads didn't really come together as you'd expect. I mean, I got it the ending ...it was just a bit meh.

Got a new Nerd Trek book to read yesterday, TNG: Losing the Peace, so going to read that pulp before reading something more classy again.

That's Dick through and through. Pick up A Scanner Darkly next.

[TarquinTheHappyMouse]

I just finished Best Served Cold, Abercrombie's newest book. A standalone book in the same setting as The First Law trilogy.

Unremittingly bleak, but with the occasional flashes of black humour and brilliantly written throughout (except for an awful sex scene or two, but then I haven't read any graphic sex scenes, ever, that were any good).

It's also got a lovely cover jacket:

Half way through this at the moment. IT's no 'First Law' but it's a great read all the same, very dry wit comes through every now and then.

[Floshenbarnical]

Well finished Seven Troop, by Andy Mcnab and will be off tonight to the library to get Foucault's Pendulum and Joe Hill's heart Shaped Box.

As I said to a friend of mine about Seven Troop:

Maybe I'm just an old softy but finished Seven Troop last night and felt slightly humbled/tearful/sad/wistful/melancholic about Mcnab and his whole life and persona.

The exploration of his own psyche through the experiences of others is very interesting and on closer examination shows up why Nick Stone is like Nick Stone and why Nick Stone novels are like they are too.

I don't think people give Mcnab enough credit for the emotion he brings to his books. There are very few thrillers that make me sit back, put the book down and bang my fist against the chair saying "Argh! Why did you let that happen!" Although I think he may have peaked with Liberation Day.

The Nick Stone books are some of the only thrillers that have stood out in my mind. Really well written, and full of emotion and brilliance.

[iwan_canobi]

I read Moby Dick whilst on holiday, it was possibly the hardest thing I've ever read. He goes off on tangents so much, I found that a lot of the chapters were purely informative, and have no bearing on the story. I guess thats the way it was intended to be written though, but I had to skip some pages that were describing the whales etc, as I know what they look like. I suppose in 1851 the majority of people wouldn't have a clue what one looked like!

The thing that kept me hooked though was Captain Ahab, he surrounds him with so much mystery, that any part that he was in I found myself waiting with bated breath to see what he would say. Good book, but I felt a little disappointed at the ending, it just kind of stops straight away.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

Oh, well done. I know loads of heavy readers who struggle with that.

I'm reading a collection of Hemmingway short stories and abridged novels (although I may skip those and get the real deals). I picked it up from a second hand shop, and the woman was concerned about a note somebody has scribbled in the front. No need, no need, I said. in beautiful, old world handwriting somebody has quoted:

C Leonard, 1961.

No man is an island entire of itself;

Every man is a piece of the continent;

A part of the main... Any man's death diminishes me; because I am involved in mankind; therefore never send to know for whome the bell tolls;

It tolls for thee.

really pumps you up.

[Sirloin]

After cleaning the spare room and finding it again, I am back reading The Ball Is Round by someone Goldblatt, which is very good.

[Talvalin]

Just finished "House Of Suns" by Alastair Reynolds which was good clean space operatic fun and now I'm attempting to beat my previous non-fiction record by reading more than two non-fiction books in the same year.

So far I've managed "Risk" and "Bad Science" this year, so if I can finish "The Tipping Point" then I've done it.

[Professor Puzzles]

'The Damned United.'

Considering I have no interest and little knowledge of football present or past, this book has really gripped me. I love how doomy and gloomy it is, plus it's set near my stomping ground.

[Belbo]

Started this yesterday.

Since the beginning of June I have been through The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Fellowship Of The Ring.

Gotta love a long commute.