The Book Thread

1st Official Post

    I will start reading the final volume of Peter V. Brett`s Demon Cycle this weekend. Really like these books.


    It seems, that Stephen R. Donaldson started a new trilogy. The first volume is out. Has anyone read it?

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

    Quote from Schrottrocker

    I just finished the first Narnia book and enjoyed it a lot! Now I'll have to dive into the works of C.S. Lewis...

    I have read all the seven Narnia books years ago. I loved the first four volumes. To the end it all gets a bit challenging and a bit preachy. But the books are all great non the less.

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

    Quote from Paperkate

    I've started re-reading the His Dark Materials series. I've not read Brett or Donaldson, but I really should. I do need to branch out while I wait for the next Patrick Rothfuss :)

    I am waiting for this one, too. The story of Kvothe is one of the finest works of fantasy, I have ever read. Although it is hard to wait for the sequel, you know, that it is well worth it....

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

    Like 1
    Quote from slowdancer

    I am waiting for this one, too. The story of Kvothe is one of the finest works of fantasy, I have ever read. Although it is hard to wait for the sequel, you know, that it is well worth it....

    I agree, it's an incredibly well-crafted story. I re-read Name of the Wind and Wise Man's Fear once a year, and every time I get something new out of them.


    Quote from StillCan'tDance

    I'm not a fantasy lover. I had my fill of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis when I was a child.


    I'm re-reading The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer right now. It's just delightful.

    It's been a very long time since I read that one, so long I don't even remember if I liked it or not :)

    • Official Post
    Quote from StillCan'tDance

    I'm re-reading The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer right now. It's just delightful.

    I liked that when I was young. Re-read it recently, still like it - but differently. Do you think children today still can relate to the story? I wonder if their world has changed too much from Tom Sawyer's or Emil's (from Emil And The Detectives) or other children's stories for them to understand. ("So why don't Hansel and Gretel use the GPS on their mobile, daddy?").

    Quote from martinus

    I liked that when I was young. Re-read it recently, still like it - but differently. Do you think children today still can relate to the story? I wonder if their world has changed too much from Tom Sawyer's or Emil's (from Emil And The Detectives) or other children's stories for them to understand. ("So why don't Hansel and Gretel use the GPS on their mobile, daddy?").

    I think children can relate to the story just fine. Young boys still muck about in rivers and get into fist-fights with their friends and try and get out of doing chores. The budding romance between Becky and Tom is not rooted in any specific era, either.


    I suppose an incredibly stupid child may ask the question about why Hansel And Gretel don't use their GPS but most children are too scared witless by the notion of a cannibal witch to bother with such comments.


    The world may change, but children don't.

    Is there a connection between the types of music some members of this board listen to, and the kinds of books they read?


    Even as a child, I never read Tolkien or Narnia books, they didn't interest me. Into adulthood, I've continued to struggle with sci-fi and fantasy literature. Various friends have lent me stuff but I've never got along with it. The closest I ever came was as a child I devoured the Dr Who novelisations, and in my teens enjoyed the Hitch Hikers books.


    Recently I've been re-reading an excellent book of interviews with Michael Gambon, very entertaining on the subject of acting. I've also been reading another non-fiction one, The Highland Clearances by John Prebble.

    Abandon all reason

    I can only speak for myself. I listen to prog music and read fantasy novels mostly. I was turned away from so called "good books" at school. We read Heinrich Böll and Günter Grass in our German course, Graham Greene in our English course and Albert Camus in our French course and analyzed the stuff beyond the point of what was bearable. As I always enjoyed reading, I moved over to sci-fi and fantasy, which I enjoyed very much without being forced to analyze the plot. Fantasy is a great genre, if you pick the right authors. There are not so many, who are great. My favourites are Tolkien, Donaldson, Rothfuss, Robin Hobb and Peter Brett. The Dark Tower novels by Stephen King are killer. Almost all his books are killer.


    I combine certain books with certain albums. I got The Lord Of The Rings for christmas in 1979 together with the album Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. I read the whole book in the week after christmas and listened to Rumours constantly while reading. I read the book again exactly one year later and had Making Movies by Dire Straits on the whole time. So every time, I listen to one of these albums today, I get instant memories of certain scenes from the book.

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

    Like 1
    Quote from FeelItComing

    I'm about to embark on James Joyce's Ulysses for only the second time. I warmed up with Portrait Of The Artist & Dubliners.

    At least you missed out "Finnegan's Wake" - a wise move! ^^


    "Ulysses" is great. It was also a big inspiration for U2's "Achtung Baby". I really like Portrait of the Artist too...you know, you may have inspired me to re-read Joyce. :thumbup:

    Stepping out the back way, hoping nobody sees...

    Edited once, last by OneForTheVine ().

    Like 1
    Quote from slowdancer

    I can only speak for myself. I listen to prog music and read fantasy novels mostly. I was turned away from so called "good books" at school. We read Heinrich Böll and Günter Grass in our German course, Graham Greene in our English course and Albert Camus in our French course and analyzed the stuff beyond the point of what was bearable. As I always enjoyed reading, I moved over to sci-fi and fantasy, which I enjoyed very much without being forced to analyze the plot. Fantasy is a great genre, if you pick the right authors. There are not so many, who are great. My favourites are Tolkien, Donaldson, Rothfuss, Robin Hobb and Peter Brett. The Dark Tower novels by Stephen King are killer. Almost all his books are killer.


    I combine certain books with certain albums. I got The Lord Of The Rings for christmas in 1979 together with the album Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. I read the whole book in the week after christmas and listened to Rumours constantly while reading. I read the book again exactly one year later and had Making Movies by Dire Straits on the whole time. So every time, I listen to one of these albums today, I get instant memories of certain scenes from the book.

    Like you I loved reading but didn't get along with the analysis in literature classes at school. But soon after, I grew to love a broad range of stuff - classics, modern, fiction and non-fiction - on my own terms.


    I tend to enjoy novels that play with the form, and take some kind of different approach from conventional narrative, some of my favourites being:


    A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess

    Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell

    Changing Places, David Lodge

    The Damned United, David Peace

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon

    The Rain Before It Falls, Jonathan Coe

    Accident, Nicholas Moseley


    As well as sci-fi and fantasy another genre I never got along with was crime fiction, until I started on Ian Rankin's Rebus novels, to which I became addicted. I love the intelligent plots which are often rich with social and political aspects. Plus Edinburgh's my favourite city and I enjoy recognising the various locations.

    Abandon all reason

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

    From the ones you mentioned, I do know Clockwork Orange. I read it in English and found it incredibly good. I also love the movie.


    Alan Sillitoe`s Loneliness of A Long Distance Runner also impressed me a lot.

    First we learned to walk on water.

    Then we tried something harder.

    - Red Seven -

    I'm currently reading Pigs Might Fly by Mark Blake. It's long been recognised as one of the most authoritative and well-written books on Pink Floyd. Having only just started reading it (I'm up to the Dark Side Of The Moon period) I have to agree.


    Today, Joe R Lansdale's Edge Of Dark Water arrived in the post for me. I'm looking forward to getting stuck into that.

    Quote from StillCan'tDance

    I'm currently reading Pigs Might Fly by Mark Blake. It's long been recognised as one of the most authoritative and well-written books on Pink Floyd. Having only just started reading it (I'm up to the Dark Side Of The Moon period) I have to agree.

    That's a great book - wait until you get to the part where they describe the WYWH tour stop in Pittsburgh. It still makes me laugh just to think about it. ^^

    Stepping out the back way, hoping nobody sees...

    Like 1