What are you reading tonight?

[Bruce Rioja]

Ha, yes, Lolita is incredible but hard to know how to start talking about it. Disgusting that someone could write so well in a second language.

I see what you did there. Next you'll be telling me you like Brasseye's paedogeddon is funny YOU FIEND!

Isn't Lolita about some young strumpet?

[TANGODANCER]

Talking of breakwaters (as in thebish's photo of the Brixham one in the Photo Thread) made me think of The Cobb breakwater at Lyme Regis, which in turn caused me to dig out this. A short story that might pass an idle hour for Sherlock Holmes fans.

http://www.dwiggie.com/derby/jimgm5.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Rjs37]

Recently finished off (well from what's currently been released) Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Stories series. Took me a while to get into the first book but flew straight through the rest. Well worth reading in my opinion, made learning a bit of Britain's history enjoyable - even though it takes a lot of liberties.

And now I've just started The Immortal Throne, a sequel to The City from Stella Gemmell (widowed wife of Fantasy author David Gemmell). It's slow going but I enjoyed the first so I'll stick with it.

Typically I tend to read books in the Fantasy genre, but I enjoyed the Saxon Stories more than I expected, so will definitely be keeping an eye out for more fictional history books in the future.

[Worthy4England]

Guessing you've done the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant? Well worth a read if not..

Might try the Saxon thingies...

[Rjs37]

I've not actually, I'll add it to my list, cheers. I've read through the likes of Song of Ice and Fire, Wheel of Time, Sword of Truth (and obv LOTR / Hobbit) and everything from David Gemmell so far. Brandon Sanderson's books are already on my list too.

And I'd definitely recommend the Saxon Stories if you like your Vikings . Do you remember seeing The Last Kingdom not so long ago on BBC? That covered the first two books in the series, though they condensed it a lot. Once you get past the 'growing up from a child' phase, then it gets good.

[Worthy4England]

Missed the Last Kingdom, might try and find it online. Covenant is a bit tough for first 100 or so pages, until he gets to the "Land" (IMHO) but then it's superb. Author is Stephen Donaldson. Done the Wheel of Time. Tried David Gemmill but struggled to get into them tbh.

[Gary the Enfield]

Missed the Last Kingdom, might try and find it online. Covenant is a bit tough for first 100 or so pages, until he gets to the "Land" (IMHO) but then it's superb. Author is Stephen Donaldson. Done the Wheel of Time. Tried David Gemmill but struggled to get into them tbh.

Definitely recommend Thomas Covenant, heavy going at times and he's a proper anti-hero. 12 volumes in all (a series of 4 trilogies)

If you like your Sci-Fi Donaldson also produced a Quintology? of books called The Gap series.

Worth checking out too.

[clapton is god]

Its a good 10-15yrs ago now since I read any fantasy, but I was big into it at one time. I could never get into the Covenant books although I tried several times. Instead I would recommend the Raymond Feist Magician set of books known as the Riftwar Saga, and they started as a trilogy and ended up about 10 deep.

[Gary the Enfield]

Its a good 10-15yrs ago now since I read any fantasy, but I was big into it at one time. I could never get into the Covenant books although I tried several times. Instead I would recommend the Raymond Feist Magician set of books known as the Riftwar Saga, and they started as a trilogy and ended up about 10 deep.

Good - oh. I'll take a look.

[Rjs37]

Thanks for the recommendations, looks like I've got plenty to be getting on with .

Not read any sci-fi for quite a while, I'll check it out if I like his Thomas Covenant series. Looks like he's got a couple more fantasy novellas (320 pages across both) coming out next month too.

[TANGODANCER]

I reserved the latest Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel, Make Me, at the Central Library about three months ago. I was number 100 or so on the list It's apparently so popular that there is still a massive waiting list. I finally got it yesterday. The hardback version is £20 to buy. Fair price for a textbook or nonfiction, but not for a novel I'll read once.

[Prufrock]

3.99 on Amazon. Delivered tomorrow.

[TANGODANCER]

3.99 on Amazon. Delivered tomorrow.

Aye, well see, the reason I mentioned the hardback price is because a family member (female) who may qualify as Jack Reacher's number one fan, has every single hardback version, including this one, in mint condition. I still own quite a lot of decent quality books, but very few are fiction.

[Prufrock]

I like a hardback, but can't justify the prices!

[LeverEnd]

I reserved the latest Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel, Make Me, at the Central Library about three months ago. I was number 100 or so on the list It's apparently so popular that there is still a massive waiting list. I finally got it yesterday. The hardback version is £20 to buy. Fair price for a textbook or nonfiction, but not for a novel I'll read once.

I got a 2nd hand HB copy on eBay for £2.81 including postage. You can have it if you like. In Bolton at weekend.

[TANGODANCER]

I reserved the latest Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel, Make Me, at the Central Library about three months ago. I was number 100 or so on the list It's apparently so popular that there is still a massive waiting list. I finally got it yesterday. The hardback version is £20 to buy. Fair price for a textbook or nonfiction, but not for a novel I'll read once.

I got a 2nd hand HB copy on eBay for £2.81 including postage. You can have it if you like. In Bolton at weekend.

Cheers L.E but I just finished it last night. Wife says (orders) I have to look at getting rid of books. Many thanks for the kind thought.

[LeverEnd]

I reserved the latest Lee Child's Jack Reacher novel, Make Me, at the Central Library about three months ago. I was number 100 or so on the list It's apparently so popular that there is still a massive waiting list. I finally got it yesterday. The hardback version is £20 to buy. Fair price for a textbook or nonfiction, but not for a novel I'll read once.

I got a 2nd hand HB copy on eBay for £2.81 including postage. You can have it if you like. In Bolton at weekend.

Cheers L.E but I just finished it last night. Wife says (orders) I have to look at getting rid of books. Many thanks for the kind thought.

No problem. I buy them.cheap off ebay and give them to local charity shops.

[LeverEnd]

It was better than the last one and enjoyable enough but it's a bit repetitive obviously.

Next up is Cormac McCarthys Suttree, one of the few of his I've not read. Early ones are a bit too dark and gloomy but I want to read them all because he's so incredibly talented.

[Rjs37]

Finished The Immortal Throne last week. Not as good as its predecessor and even that one was harder to get into than her husbands work.

A friend recommended The Girl with all the Gifts, so I gave that a shot and I've finished that too. Dystopian side of Sci Fi rather than anything space related. Found it to be an original take but don't really want to say anything that would spoil the early 'twist'. It's fairly short and definitely readable. I thought the pacing could have been better, many of the chapters were literally only 1-2 minutes long.

Its a good 10-15yrs ago now since I read any fantasy, but I was big into it at one time. I could never get into the Covenant books although I tried several times. Instead I would recommend the Raymond Feist Magician set of books known as the Riftwar Saga, and they started as a trilogy and ended up about 10 deep.

Just looked it up. After the various follow-up sagas etc, there's now around 30 books in that universe :O. Though that's now the end of it.

Having somehow never watched any of the films (either version), I'm going to start reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tonight. I've had the original trilogy on my Kindle for quite a while so thought I'd finally give them a read. I'll probably get back to reading Fantasy again after these.

[Gary the Enfield]

Finished The Immortal Throne last week. Not as good as its predecessor and even that one was harder to get into than her husbands work.

A friend recommended The Girl with all the Gifts, so I gave that a shot and I've finished that too. Dystopian side of Sci Fi rather than anything space related. Found it to be an original take but don't really want to say anything that would spoil the early 'twist'. It's fairly short and definitely readable. I thought the pacing could have been better, many of the chapters were literally only 1-2 minutes long.

Its a good 10-15yrs ago now since I read any fantasy, but I was big into it at one time. I could never get into the Covenant books although I tried several times. Instead I would recommend the Raymond Feist Magician set of books known as the Riftwar Saga, and they started as a trilogy and ended up about 10 deep.

Just looked it up. After the various follow-up sagas etc, there's now around 30 books in that universe :O. Though that's now the end of it.

Having somehow never watched any of the films (either version), I'm going to start reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo tonight. I've had the original trilogy on my Kindle for quite a while so thought I'd finally give them a read. I'll probably get back to reading Fantasy again after these.

There is a fourth book, not written by Larsson but in the style of. Missus just finished it and said it was better, if anything , than the previous three. There may be more by now but the book is 'The Girl in the Spider's Web' by David Lagercrantz

Same characters, new story.