Mine. It arrived today. Anyone who has ever had their first novel published will know exactly how I feel, when it is in a physical form you can actually hold.
Congratulations! I had a relatively short essay that I read in a conference published in a small booklet - that felt cool enough (and by no means do I consider it legit publication)! I can't imagine how you feel. Savour the moment, kind sir.
I am currently reading First and Only by Dan Abnett. It is highly acclaimed and has a devout following. First and Only is the first instalment of a long saga set in the far future of the Warhammer 40'000 Universe. Its central hero is Commissar Colonel Ibram Gaunt of the Tanith First and Only also known as 'Gaunts Ghosts'. A very good read so far, Dan Abnett is one of my Favourite authors so I knew I'd enjoy it, but I have one slight problem. Gaunt is a great character, to be fair, but he is an 'awesome guy' straight from the start. This bothers me. I want to love this Character, and I assume I will. I just don't like the feeling Im the only bloke on the battlefield or in the trench systems that isn't worshipping the scorched earth he marches over. I prefer Heros to earn that from the reader. I've put the book down for a week now, because other duties have drawn my attentions. Yet I must continue and complete it before the long awaited next instalment of the Horus Heresy arrives from the slowest mail ordering service in the history of the internet. Amazon. *p'tur*. That Glorious book will be NEMESIS. Indeed.
Too late for joining in the Book CLub for the month, but I picked up The Road yesterday. Half-way in and I'm having to force myself to put it down. -V
You can still join in the discussion for the book club. It's always good to have more people join in. Besides, there are still a few more days left in July, so perhaps you'll be able to finish the book by then.
I've had Double Eagle sitting on my shelf for a few years now I think but I have never found the time to fit it in. Plus my brother didn't give it a good review. I know I shouldn't listen to others opinions...
Double Eagle is a bit different from some others. Takes place on one of the Sabbat Worlds, as I recall. I enjoyed it a great deal, personally
I do enjoy Dan Abnett a hell of lot. I really should give it a go. But you know how it is, you start a book, then buy three. And before you know it the shelves are swelling and I always say 'I will read that one, just as soon as I read that one, then that one' and so on. I do every few months do a marathon reading week session where Its just me a stack of books and a supply of tea and coffee. Guess its time for 'M.R.W. session#3 2010.'
I'm rereading James Patterson's "Maximum Ride" series. I saw that he'd expanded on the series when I went to the bookstore yesterday, so I decided to start rereading the series so I could actually finish it. I'm reading the first one again, which is called The Angel Experiment. Patterson wrote the series with kids in mind, so it's a bit juvenile, which is a bit annoying, but the narrator is humorous, and I like the pace.
I was the same way when I read that. Loved it. I finally finished the first book of A Song of Ice and Fire, and I am now on the second. And I say finally not because the book dragged but because I really, really wanted to know what happened, but the book was so long, it felt like forever before I could find out.
I'm reading 2 books at the moment. Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon and Jack Dee's autobiography - Thanks For Nothing. Both entertaining reads. Wonder Boys is about an author's struggle to finish a novel he's been working on. It's quite humorous even though it deals with adultory, drug use, and dead pets. Thanks For Nothing is really good. It's a collection of anecdotes from the jobs Jack Dee has done before he became a comedian.
Tore through The Roadover the weekend, and will be starting Lavinia by Ursula LeGuin today at lunch. Excellent book, The Road. A little strange to me at first, but gripping. -V
I've read about half of The Road, but I had to divert my attentions to a more urgently required read. To be honest I found it to be a little confusing especially with the format. Everybody I know that has read The Road refused to continue as this was off putting to them. I thought it was interestingly done, myself. And I'll say this quietly. A was a bit boring. I struggled to whip up any lust to open the cover until it became lost in a heap of new reads. If the film's anything to go by I don't think I try and re-read it any time soon.
Just starting Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon and re-reading for the 5th time or so Persuasion by Austen.
I can understand your finding the format a little off. Frankly, I had a tough go of it the first 10 or so pages due to the oddly sparse punctuation and such brief sentence structure. However, once I got a few more pages in, it was tough putting it down. I've not seen the film, nor will I, as films tend to ruin the books. I found it to be a good thought-provoking read though. V
I got put off by the way it was written, though I totally appreciate the reasons for it. Interesting enough, I guess I needed something a little faster in pace at the time. I cant knock it, I haven't read it all the way through. Yet
I am trying, once again, to get into M. John Harrison's Nova Swing. I don't know why this novel has caused me such tribulation. The previous novel, set in the same universe but at a different time, Light, was shear magic!
Just finished the The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy and moving on to Cities of the Plain by the same author.
I'm reading a collection of short stories called Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman. I'm about half way through, and so far, all of the tales have been enjoyable to read. I especially like the wedding story which is tucked away in the introduction at the start of the book. If you like short, odd, magical, at times hilarious, sometimes tragic, but always entertaining stories, then I can recommend this (well the first half of it any way.) Cheers, Ian.
Just finished reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Parts were good, sad, slightly clever I guess. But it kept building up to something that never came...it just whithered out. There was a twist at the end which was underplayed, unnecessary and lazily executed, and overall I just felt rather deflated when I discovered I'd reached the end. I felt like she'd written 600 pages, got in too deep, and wasn't sure how to end it! The whole subject, a bullied kid shooting up a school, was totally underplayed. We never learn why he was able to do it; yes, we know he was bullied badly, and he snapped, but how could a "loving, caring, sensitive" person come to be so cold? I know there are reasons, so why weren't they thoroughly explored? Also, the ending didn't make sense in parts...the character of Josie was a constant contradiction to herself. It just wasn't well thought out. Considering how much she's written, I expected more. This was my first Jodi Picoult read, and whilst her actual writing style was alot better than I was expecting, I read an extract in the back that sounded just like the one I'd just read. A mother, who encounters problems with her kids, and doesn't know how to connect. Picoult fed me all the themes, too - the characters constantly told me that they put on "masks" instead of letting me figure it out. Also, the book-club questions at the back sounded like they were for numpties who've not read a book before. I dunno. I enjoyed many parts of this book, but over all....it was just deflating. Time to read more Sarah Waters and remind myself that great female writers do exist, methinks.
I have that book, Ashleigh, as well as a few others by her. I generally feel the same way you do --I actually like her style of writing (there were parts of Nineteen Minutes that made me teary), and her plot twists were clever when I was a lot younger. If you dont like this one, definitely dont pick up another. She does have a habit of shoving themes down your throat, and of the books I've read by her (Nineteen Minutes, Plain Truth, and Second Chance --oh, and The Pact), she always has that last minute twist. When I read The Pact and Plain Truth I was delighted by the twists, but it became very tired. And I quit reading her books. xx I finished The Angel Experiment today and have moved on to School's Out Forever of the same series by James Patterson. I dont read a lot of James Patterson, but he's one of the authors I really like who writes books that have a lot of action. Particularly in this series, it starts fast and gets faster. I like it. I like realistic fiction but I also like sci-fi. But the greatest sin to me is an author who places unrealistic expectations in a realistic setting. It seems like the easy way out, to me. It bothers me that the places and time and people are realistic (except for the main characters), yet the minor characters who learn about the avian-hybrid kids are totally okay with it. The only other thing that bothers me is that the novels are narrated by a fourteen year old girl. James Patterson has written the narration brilliantly. Problem is, most people dont like to talk to fourteen year old girls. Overall a good series though; I like the pace and the style, and it raises some interesting questions. Minor character flaws are enough to make me irritated though. I wouldnt pick it up unless you're an avid Patterson or sci-fi / fantasy cross fan.
I´m starting to read Hearts in Atlantis. Watched the movie, and thought about reading the book. I really like Stephen´s work
This is one of his best collection of novella's. I love the way they are all tied into one another. Enjoy
