The Book Thread

[nonamethanks]

Ahhh I love all those types of stories! I reread Farewell My Lovely recently when I was having a go at writing a noir/detective short story and it was as good as I remembered which is always a relief. If you're after good crime/heist books I'd check out any of Richard Stark's 'Parker' books, he's such a great anti-hero character and a total bastard...but you root for him.

I'm currently reading Gotham Central: In The Line Of Duty then I'm gonna read Solaris

Awesome books! So are the gotham central books. Have you read The Killer series by Matz (http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Killer-Volume-Luc-Jacamon/dp/1932386440/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341186499&sr=1-1) and Blacksad? I really recommend them both.

I'm about to read The Green River Killer graphic novel which is written by the son of one of the main investigators on the case. Then I'm gonna read My Friend Dahmer.

Oh, read this the other day. More awesomeness: Cow Boy http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cow-Boy-Nate-Cosby/dp/1936393670/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341186740&sr=1-1

[xneilbombx]

No, hadn't heard of the Killer, it sounds like my kinda story though *adds it to my out of control 'to-read' list*

[nonamethanks]

Ha, I know what you mean. Mine's the same. Too much good stuff. The Killer is really good though. The guy who writes it (Matz) is French and I think it was published in French first and then Archaia picked it up and got the translation done. Apparently Matz is the Frank Miller/Ed Brubaker/big-name crime writer in France.

[WTFItsCiaran]

I finished reading The Passage by Justin Cronin during the week. Haven't got so into a book in a long time, and it's probably the biggest book I've read. Absolutely loved it and the sequel is out in October so I thankfully don't have too long to wait.

Recommend it if you're into a end of the world/apocalypse style thing. A lot, lot more to it then that though.

[funtasticrich]

Fucking love the shit out of The Passage, can't wait for The Twelve to come out

[Loula]

I'm reading "the garden of Eden" by hemingway and hoooly shit it's weird. I love everything I've read by him before so hopefully I'll get into it a bit more.

[Hedges]

I finally started on A Game of Thrones last week. I'm not very far into it but I think this series is going to keep me going til the new season starts on TV probably.

[tromboner]

I've just finished Reamde by Neal Stephenson, a cracking 1100 page snapshot of the way the world works today, wrapped up in an international thriller involving MMORPGs, jihadists, Chinese hackers, survivalists and MI6. I literally could not stop reading it for a week.

[97jambar]

I've been making the most of the summer holidays to catch up on the reading I never have time to do during term time. Finally got round to both The Great Gatsby and The Perks of Being A Wallflower yesterday. Thought Gatsby was a great book but Perks... was a bit over-earnest; at 26 I'm not really the target audience though. Not really seeing Emma Watson as Sam so it'll be interesting to see how the film version pans out. I enjoyed Imperial Bedrooms by Bret Easton Ellis this week as well, even if the murderous swings and roundabouts did get a bit silly.

About halfway through Generation A by Douglas Coupland now. I've been putting off reading it for a while as I'll be pretty much done with Coupland's back catalogue once I'm finished. Seems good so far but he is becoming a bit reliant on the multiple narrative voices, using them to string out his writing without very much actually happening.

[North]

I downloaded a load of Mark Twain onto my kindle yesterday (most of which was free). I forgot how great a writer he was, particularly enjoying Huck finn at the moment, and it reminded me how crackers it is that everyone still dismisses them (that and Tom Sawyer) as kids stories. Really poignant anti-slavery/racism tales both of them.

[alexandra]

Been struggling to get in to any books for a while. But currently reading How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers, it's a collection of short stories, and it is fantastic. I think I'm a little i love with him.

Plus look how beautiful the cover is:

[Careen]

I'm now reading Pet Sematary by Stephen concurrently with A Prayer For Owen Meany. I can't imagine being one of those ignorant coozes that doesn't read!

[dtszine]

Been struggling to get in to any books for a while. But currently reading How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers, it's a collection of short stories, and it is fantastic. I think I'm a little i love with him.

Plus look how beautiful the cover is:

He is brilliant. I recommend 'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius' and 'What Is The What?'. Two of the best books I've ever read.

[Matthew A]

I'm half-way through the former. It's alright. I'm not really sure what his point is, yet I'm undoubtedly sure there is some complex idea behind the narrative, being Dave Eggars and all. I suppose that thought is ruining my enjoyment somewhat, but I'm generally underwhelmed so far.

[97jambar]

I read it a few weeks ago and wasn't as impressed as I'd expected to be. It seems to be held in very high regard and, personally, I didn't particularly think it deserved to be.

[Careen]

It's just one of those hipster books like The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Naked Lunch. Something that looks really cool and clever on your bookshelf.

[Boy Named Dark]

Reading Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy for the first time since I was 13. Forgot how much I enjoy reading Douglas Adams prose.

[Bassmonger]

Where as when I finally read it at about 24, I thought it was utter cack, with the odd amusing bit. Though it did open my eyes to how unoriginal a lot of so-called funny people at university were.

[Matthew A]

Reading The Dark Stuff by Nick Kent. Rockstars who take too many drugs and get too drunk. Probably my second favourite reading subject, and Kent's writing style is brilliant; amizingly cynical, cutting analysis of characters and events.

[North]

Being a WW2 history nerd, i've just finished "Sealing Their Fate: The Twenty-two Days that Decided World War II" by David Downing. It's a pretty cool book that concentrates on the 22 days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbour, which also coincided with the Nazis getting beaten back from Moscow, Rommel getting frustrated in N.Africa, and obviously the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour and other.
It's quite a frightening read in that it shows how fucking utterly incompetent all the higher officers were, and that if it wasnt for utter stupidity and pride then the war would've been over by the end of 1941.

[Richie]

It's just one of those hipster books like The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Naked Lunch. Something that looks really cool and clever on your bookshelf.

I hope you mean that wink. TULoB is one of my favourite books eva.

[Matthew A]

Some dickhead has words from that bok tattoo'd on him too.

[Richie]

Some dickhead has words from that bok tattoo'd on him too.

Doubtless. Some dickhead made a whole reality TV show culture out of some words from 1984, doesn't stop it being a great book.

[r-o-s-s]

Can anyone recommend any free or cheap e-books that will work with iBooks? Open to any suggestions really.

[Danph]

i'd download the kindle app, as it's better, and the just google for torrents/mediafire links of the books you want with file endings from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_e-book_formats.