(re-reading)Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Won't spoil the ending of HBP or DH, but you're quite right... great books.
Unfortunately I know a few spoilers from before I started reading them but that's alright. There's a lot I don't know about yet. I already bought my copy of Deathly Hallows and I get so excited when I look at it, but I have to be wary. I won't even read the backs of the books because I don't want any idea of what's coming next. That's one of my favourites from Stephen King. Really good book, in my opinion.
Yeah, Misery is excellent for a budding young writer. It warns you of the ever present dangers of being a novelist, such as raving fangirls. With axes.
Tipping The Velvet by Sarah Waters. Now I'm not usually one for romances, homo-eroticism, or historical novels...but this happens to be all three in one. However, after reading an amazing book called The Night Watch by Sarah Waters, I've fallen in love with this woman. She's got to be the best female writer i've ever experienced, and I love her work.
The Shield of Achilles - War, Peace and the Course of History An interesting take upon the evolution of a nation state dominated world into that of a market dominated one over the past 6 centuries. Did fall asleep reading it once though, make of that what you will The Wheel of Time Series Never got into them until recently, have been great fun so far!
I found the Wheel of Time series to be almost well written, but that over description gets deplorable at points, leaving you chanting "get on with it" all the time. Still, I enjoy his characters and his world very much so.
Couldn't agree more, the world has got me well and truly enthralled, but the descriptions within the book itself are simply immense.
I'm reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for the first time in three years. Although, I'm only on page 30 so I can't really say if I like it yet. Don't remember a lick about it.
The problem I've found with these novels of Mark Twain's is not the writing style at all, but instead the character of Tom Sawyer. American realism is one of my favorite genres of writing and I highly enjoy his work, but Tom was one of my most hated characters. I don't how you feel about him, but he was my only real drawback out of Twain's writing.
I read so much I started posting monthly updates of what I'm reading and what I read in the last month. Now, just past Memorial Day, it's time for an update. Currently reading: 1. He Is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson Short stories by other authors, celebrating the works of Richard Matheson. The stories were all either inspired by Richard Matheson works or were prequels/sequels to his works. I'm about half way through, and it's an excellent book! I'm going to give this a RECOMMENDED even before I've finished! (Note: This book can be a little expensive. It's relatively rare and has a Stephen King story in it, actually a collaboration between King and his son Joe Hill. I've seen the book online selling for close to $50. I got mine from the library... one of the last "intra-library" loans before New Jersey's intra-library system is shut down next month due to library budget cuts... sigh. The other, non-Stephen King stories make this book well worth the hunt though. They're excellent stories. If you're just looking for the Stephen King/Joe Hill story, it's also on the audio book "Road Rage," which also contains the Richard Matheson story it was based on.) 2. Driving Blind by Ray Bradbury. I just started that one. So far, it's good. (Short story collection.) 3. On audio book, I'm listening to The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood. The stories of survivors: a woman whose heart was pierced by a knitting needle and survived. The plane crash victims who had to eat their dead passengers. Etc. So far, an interesting book. I'll probably recommend it, but I only just started. May was a busy month. I read four books and listened to thirteen others on audio. The dates are the date I finished: Books read: American Liberalism by John McGowan 5/8/10 The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes 5/14/10 *RECOMMENDED! Convention: A Parable by Will Campbell 5/25/10 *RECOMMENDED! Audio books listened to: Lisey’s Story by Stephen King 5/4/10 The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer 5/9/10 Just After Sunset by Stephen King 5/15/10 *RECOMMENDED On Bullsheet (censored, not real title) by Harry G. Frankfort 5/16/10 The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 5/17/10 *RECOMMENDED Round the Bend by Nevil Shute 5/24/10 The Portable Atheist by Christopher Hitchens 5/24/10 The Regulators by Stephen King/Richard Bachman 5/28/10 Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 5/29/10 *RECOMMENDED How I Swapped Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman5/29/10 Road Rage by Matheson, King, Hill 5/29/10 Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich 5/29/10 “M” is for Magic by Neil Gaiman 5/31/10
I am currently reading East of Eden by Steinbeck. So far I love it (I'm 1/3 of the way into it). He creates such 3-D characters, unlike all of my characters who are flat as pancakes...
D is for Deadbeat, by Sue Grafton. I like her series. My main character in the new novel I'm working on is loosely based on Kinsey Millhone. (her main character)
Sue Grafton succeeds with first person writing where so many others fail. If you are compelled to write in first person, there's a great deal you can learn from her.
Finished Perdido Street Station by China Mieville. Wonderful book, I give it a 4.7/5 Just started The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie. No comment so far.
I'm ready 'The Da Vinci Code' - but I feel bad because I haven't actually read more of it in a while. It's good though, from what I've read so far anyway.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm still reading them the first time through, so no spoilers, please. Half-Blood Prince was really good.
Being my favorite of the seven books. Also, into what style or genre does Sue Grafton's books fall into?
They're detective novels. I'm currently listening to "B" is for Burglar on audio book. Their style is similar to the style made famous by Dashiell Hammet's Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon, with the protagonist detective making observations as she solves the mystery. If you like that type of writing, you might also consider the novels of Robert B. Parker. Another excellent series written in that style, but in the comedy genre, is the Stephenie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. They, too, are first-person narratives, but are comic parodies of crime/detective novels. If you're looking for a good first person novel of another genre, I recommend the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. They are more along the lines of dark fantasy. The quirky, funny character of Odd Thomas, who narrates the series, makes for a very good read. Odd Thomas, as you'll learn early in the first book, is a fry cook who, like the boy in the Sixth Sense, can see dead people. Charlie
