-
Welcome
to BookAndReader! We LOVE books and hope you'll join us in sharing your favorites and experiences along with your love of reading with our community. Registering for our site is free and easy, just CLICK HERE!
Already a member and forgot your password? Click here.
Recently Purchased/Borrowed
- Thread starter murphyz
- Start date
RaVeN
New Member
SillyWabbit said:Take ASH, just think Xena. She swears and spits and fights. Wooah, yeah, great characterisation thereIt's possible to do a tough woman warrior without resorting to stupid clichés.
You bring up a good point. And I shouldn't be trying to defend it without reading it first, but to paraphrase a drippy wench I know; there's a reason there are so many cliches in the genre. People are comfortable with, and enjoy that type of read.
Sure, you have to be in the right mood and mind-set, but that's the reason I read them to begin with. We're not talking Hawking here.
Talking Hawking...I kinda like that.
Any way, if I want something outside the box, Mieville would be a fine example. But sometimes I like cliche, if it's done well.
RaVeN
direstraits
Well-Known Member
No I haven't Wabbit. If I pick up another Holdstock book it'll probably be the Celtica cycle books. I love Greek mythology...SillyWabbit said:Have you read the second and third Mythago books? What about the Celtica cycle? I really want to get around to reading those ones too
Anyway, I just came back with the following books:
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Five People you meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
Politics - A very short Introduction - Kenneth Minogue
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
PS, I Love You - Cecelia Ahern (this one's for the wife).
This is the first time in my memory that I got more than 3 books in one go without any one of them being scifi/fantasy!
ds
I remember that happening to me
When I started out reading books it was exclusively SF and Fantasy but as time went on my tastes started to broaden to other things. The ratio of SF/Fantasy books shrank until there were times when there would be none of them present on a particular book buying spree. I still do read those genres and would never give them up! But I read a lot of other things too now.
When I started out reading books it was exclusively SF and Fantasy but as time went on my tastes started to broaden to other things. The ratio of SF/Fantasy books shrank until there were times when there would be none of them present on a particular book buying spree. I still do read those genres and would never give them up! But I read a lot of other things too now.
Nosferatu Man
New Member
What do you think of Perdido Street Station, Mr. Straits? I'm just near the start of the 2nd Part and I'm loving it so far.
What do you think of The Da Vinci Code, Halo? One of my collegues at my new job has leant it to me and I'm really enjoying it. I read some really negative reviews on Amazon yesterday, though, and horribly enough I think they've affected me. I'm not enjoying the book as much now.
Mr. Wabbit, how's it going, dude? I read the very start of One Hundred Years of Solitude the other day and I think it sounds pretty amazing already. I'm planning on reading Perdido Street Station before I start on it properly, though.
What do you think of The Da Vinci Code, Halo? One of my collegues at my new job has leant it to me and I'm really enjoying it. I read some really negative reviews on Amazon yesterday, though, and horribly enough I think they've affected me. I'm not enjoying the book as much now.
Mr. Wabbit, how's it going, dude? I read the very start of One Hundred Years of Solitude the other day and I think it sounds pretty amazing already. I'm planning on reading Perdido Street Station before I start on it properly, though.
Nosferatu Man
New Member
Hehe, yeah. My Uncle said the Code'll make me think, but I haven't really thought any more than I usually would do with a book. I guess he meant because the concepts in the book are generally unlike what is usually known by the public, etc. but I think outside of the box anyway, so I'm pretty much in comfortable territory with Mr. Browns book.
Perdido has a dodgy end? Cool. I sort of think quite a bit of what I've read so far is pretty dodgy, but I love it! I've got a feeling that I'll love it even more second time through, and even more than that during the third and fourth times through.
Halo, I generally hate reviews, but I always look at them anyway because I need some sort of recommendation as to what to listen to, read, or watch next. What I hate, though, is people writing reviews on stuff they don't like. I want to read a review on something somebody loved, and see if I share similar tastes with the reviewer, etc. Then I'll judge whether I want to buy it after all, or not. I've only ever written two reviews: Tolkien's The Hobbit, and Slint's Spiderland. Unfortunately the Spiderland review didn't make the cut, and Amazon didn't put it on the site, but the guys at bol.com decided they liked my review and put it up. I love both of those works, and I hope the Hobbit review was pretty helpful to some people.
You could argue, I suppose, that reviews should be objective, but I disagree. I think art is completely subjective and if you love a piece of art, you should be allowed to let people know. But if you didn't like a piece of art, you should just move on and find something else that you think would be more your cup of tea. I get the impression, reading most negative reviews, that people have read or listened to something, knowing full well that they won't like it and they just want to get some basic information to base a slagging review on. I really hate that kind of behaviour. I don't want to rob people of the choice to write a negative review of something, but they do have the choice not to indulge in the art they won't like in the first place. (without trying to sound like a huge - and bad - cliché).
Perdido has a dodgy end? Cool. I sort of think quite a bit of what I've read so far is pretty dodgy, but I love it! I've got a feeling that I'll love it even more second time through, and even more than that during the third and fourth times through.
Halo, I generally hate reviews, but I always look at them anyway because I need some sort of recommendation as to what to listen to, read, or watch next. What I hate, though, is people writing reviews on stuff they don't like. I want to read a review on something somebody loved, and see if I share similar tastes with the reviewer, etc. Then I'll judge whether I want to buy it after all, or not. I've only ever written two reviews: Tolkien's The Hobbit, and Slint's Spiderland. Unfortunately the Spiderland review didn't make the cut, and Amazon didn't put it on the site, but the guys at bol.com decided they liked my review and put it up. I love both of those works, and I hope the Hobbit review was pretty helpful to some people.
You could argue, I suppose, that reviews should be objective, but I disagree. I think art is completely subjective and if you love a piece of art, you should be allowed to let people know. But if you didn't like a piece of art, you should just move on and find something else that you think would be more your cup of tea. I get the impression, reading most negative reviews, that people have read or listened to something, knowing full well that they won't like it and they just want to get some basic information to base a slagging review on. I really hate that kind of behaviour. I don't want to rob people of the choice to write a negative review of something, but they do have the choice not to indulge in the art they won't like in the first place. (without trying to sound like a huge - and bad - cliché).
direstraits
Well-Known Member
I almost fell off my chair when I read the "Mr Straits" part.Nosferatu Man said:
I'm not too far into it - been really busy at this moment, but I plan to swallow huge chunks of it in the plane later this week. I was really surprised at the descriptive style that Mieville used, and after coming off Mr Norrell, took some time to get used to. But once I did, though, I'm really enjoying it. It's like a grittier Warren Ellis (if you read comics trades).
I say read the Da Vinci and enjoy it. Admittedly I finished it before I knew of the 'bad' stuff written about it, but I enjoyed it very very much. It made me squint hard at the Last Supper, and I suppose that's a good thing.
ds
RaVeN
New Member
The only new book I've bought is Russka by Edward Rutherfurd, but this is the real reason I posted:
I finished PSS last week. It took me quite a while to get into it but I'm glad I kept at it. I could've done without 50 pages worth of discriptions on the world he built. To me, the names of locations were just confusing and distracting. But his overall descriptive style and layered story line are incomparable.
Given time, Mieville will produce a classic...if he hasn't all ready.
And Phil, I'm not sure if I agree of your assessment of the ending. I found it satisfying, considering the possibilities that he could've ended it with.
RaVeN
phil_t said:Perdido Street Station is fantastic right up to the kind-of dodgy ending, but I'll let you decide for yourself
I finished PSS last week. It took me quite a while to get into it but I'm glad I kept at it. I could've done without 50 pages worth of discriptions on the world he built. To me, the names of locations were just confusing and distracting. But his overall descriptive style and layered story line are incomparable.
Given time, Mieville will produce a classic...if he hasn't all ready.
And Phil, I'm not sure if I agree of your assessment of the ending. I found it satisfying, considering the possibilities that he could've ended it with.
RaVeN
I agree with Phil. That ending didn't make any sense to me when "you know who" was found out to have done "you know what" it was a big HUH? Where did that come from moment? Just was really jarring for me. It came out of nowhere and made no sense to me
Are you gonna read the Scar?
Are you gonna read the Scar?
Hi all - newbie here.
I'm currently reading 'Hitler and the art of aesthetics' by Frederic Spotts. Its a truly amazing book about how Hitler, having failed in his art career was absorbed by political life and tries to offer some explanation for his character and actions.
It makes a refershing change to read something that comes to a subject like this from a totally different angle rather than the 'Hitler was a genocidal maniac' that we are all too familiar with.
We all know what a truly awful peson he was but i think that this book is incredibly brave to try and answer some of the questions we all ask from a different perspective.
Also trying to get through, Bertrand Russells 'History of Western Philosphy' and Don Quixote but failing at the moment!
Lisa
I'm currently reading 'Hitler and the art of aesthetics' by Frederic Spotts. Its a truly amazing book about how Hitler, having failed in his art career was absorbed by political life and tries to offer some explanation for his character and actions.
It makes a refershing change to read something that comes to a subject like this from a totally different angle rather than the 'Hitler was a genocidal maniac' that we are all too familiar with.
We all know what a truly awful peson he was but i think that this book is incredibly brave to try and answer some of the questions we all ask from a different perspective.
Also trying to get through, Bertrand Russells 'History of Western Philosphy' and Don Quixote but failing at the moment!
Lisa
RaVeN
New Member
SillyWabbit said:I agree with Phil. That ending didn't make any sense to me when "you know who" was found out to have done "you know what" it was a big HUH? Where did that come from moment? Just was really jarring for me. It came out of nowhere and made no sense to me
Are you gonna read the Scar?
The author's style is pure fantasy grit taken from the headlines. From political overtones, to interracial relationships, to doing "you know what." The ending just made sense to me. Though I think the ending it's self can be interpreted in many different ways. Without there being a sequel, I think it's left up to the reader.
And yes, The Scar is waiting patiently on my shelf, next to Iron Council.
RaVeN
Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks -- Synopsis: Set in France before and during World War I, this is the story of a young Englishman who is impelled through a series of extreme experiences, including a traumatic love affair which tears apart the bourgeois French family with whom he lives. By the author of "The Girl at the Lion d'Or".
( actually got this a little while aog and am reading it right now. Taking a short break between the Sherlock Homes stories )
Die Trying by Lee Child -- Synopsis: Jack Reacher meets an attractive woman struggling along a Chicago street with her crutches. He stops to offer a steadying arm, and then they both turn to face twin handguns aimed at them. Reacher and the woman - who claims to be an FBI agent - are kidnapped and taken 2000 miles across America.
And... Solo by Jack Higgins. Errr it's a thriller type of book. Don't know too much what it is about.
( actually got this a little while aog and am reading it right now. Taking a short break between the Sherlock Homes stories )
Die Trying by Lee Child -- Synopsis: Jack Reacher meets an attractive woman struggling along a Chicago street with her crutches. He stops to offer a steadying arm, and then they both turn to face twin handguns aimed at them. Reacher and the woman - who claims to be an FBI agent - are kidnapped and taken 2000 miles across America.
And... Solo by Jack Higgins. Errr it's a thriller type of book. Don't know too much what it is about.
Ashlea
New Member
I was terribly bad at half price books today. I went in to see if they had any Pablo Neruda, and the poetry was all so nice and cheap. And then I took a quick run thru Fantasy, and found a few interesting things there too. So, $70 and 2 bags later, my TBR pile has doubled again.
Found a great poetry anthology called Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times. Very modern collection and poems with a lot of punch on a variety of topics. Link here
Found a great poetry anthology called Staying Alive: Real Poems for Unreal Times. Very modern collection and poems with a lot of punch on a variety of topics. Link here