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Topic: Books You're Currently Reading?

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KALofKRYPTON

I'm up to the final (written by Fleming) Bond book 'Octopussy and the Living Daylights' - which is a collection of 4 shorter stories.

I finished 'The Man With The Golden Gun' last week, which was an enjoyable read and once again, quite the departure from what ended up on film.

I must say that I've enjoyed the series immensely and, should be able to appreciate the era appropriate language and attitudes, offers a brilliant insight in to one of pop cultures most recognisable characters.

PSN: KALofKRYPTON (so you can see how often I don't play anything!)

Twitter: @KALofKRYPTON (at your own risk, I don't care if you're offended)

"Fate: Protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise." - Cmdr William T. Riker

Th3solution

@Draco_V_Ecliptic I’m replying to your other inquiry here — as far as other high fantasy you might enjoy after Tolkien, it depends what you didn’t like about GRR Martin, but you might try Robin Hobb or Brandon Sanderson. Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy is a good starting point. Sanderson’s Mystborn trilogy or his Stormlight Archive (not complete yet) are good fantasy based books. Neither are classic high fantasy - elves, dwarfs, wizards, etc, but do have magic, swords and kings, dragons, etc.
I’ve not read them but Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time is pretty popular high fantasy if you’ve not read it. It’s insanely long (12 books or so?) and apparently drags a bit in the middle, but ends well.
Another shout would be for Patrick Rothfuss who has a fantasy / magic based series Kingkiller Chronicles which is quite enjoyable, but I have trouble recommending it because he hasn’t released the last book and shows no signs of ever finishing it, so I’ve all but given up on it.

Edited on by Th3solution

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

nessisonett

@Th3solution Oh don’t remind me about Kingkiller 3 taking so long, now I feel the need to cry in a corner 😂

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

Th3solution

@nessisonett Lol, Sanderson has pumped out like 20 books in the time Rothfuss has been working on 1. In his defense, he did release The Slow Regard for Silent Things in that time period, which was charming, but really just a short novella.
Apparently he made some deals for a Kingkiller Chronicles TV show, video game, and other things, but I haven’t heard anything lately.

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”

KALofKRYPTON

@Draco_V_Ecliptic
I've done The Wheel of Time.
Good, but as @Th3solution points out, books 5-7 do drag. Jordan was quite the master of not allowing his cast of protagonists to have much in the way of success and happiness; and this really manifests itself mid-way through.

The main series is 14 books as well as a single prequel novel (which I didn't read, but might someday). Brandon Sanderson finished the series after Jordan's death, writing/completing the final 3 books based on detailed outlines and some complete parts by Jordan.

Overall, it is a very satisfying ride. I would recommend it.

Today I finished the Ian Fleming written Bond books, which again, have been very satisfying reads. I've read many critics of Fleming's prose - and indeed the man himself, largely seeming to conflate the character to the author. Whether that's accurate or not, I don't know. Brilliant nooks though, most quite different from their celluloid namesakes and the depth of Bond's character has never been accurately depicted on screen.

PSN: KALofKRYPTON (so you can see how often I don't play anything!)

Twitter: @KALofKRYPTON (at your own risk, I don't care if you're offended)

"Fate: Protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise." - Cmdr William T. Riker

Black_Swordsman

@KALofKRYPTON I listened to a Bond story on Radio 4 a few years ago, quite enjoyable. Which would be a good Bond book to start with?

"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray

PSN: Draco_V_Ecliptic

KALofKRYPTON

@Draco_V_Ecliptic Go from the start, Casino Royale. Fleming wrote 14, a couple of which are collected shorts from varying publications and commissions.
I must say, there aren't any of them I didn't like. The lowest point I'd say, was the character Dr. No, and that's only because he skirts being a little cartoonish and like something from the films. There is on the whole a credulity and verisimilitude to the books that, despite the amazing feats and good fortune - is thrown off a little bit by Dr. No.

PSN: KALofKRYPTON (so you can see how often I don't play anything!)

Twitter: @KALofKRYPTON (at your own risk, I don't care if you're offended)

"Fate: Protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise." - Cmdr William T. Riker

nessisonett

@Draco_V_Ecliptic Yeah, I agree that starting with Casino Royale is best. As long as you keep an open mind and acknowledge that the books were written during a different time, with different attitudes, they’re great books to read. Live and Let Die can make for some rather uncomfortable reading at times but that was the attitude back in the day.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

RagingFire_Fox

Let's see... I myself have just finished up reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson and Impulse by Ellen Hopkins.

When it comes to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I've read the comic before give the first three books over Christmas. All I gotta say the book was so much better and set a more darker tone than the comic. But of course it's a book so way more detail and all.

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins focus on 3 teens who all in some way tried to end their lives. Ending up in a mental hospital all facing their own demons. You got Connor, the image of perfection yet tried to end it all with a bullet to the chest. Tony, a boy with a terrible childhood and did what he could to survive on the streets. Finally, Vanessa whose secrets make her turn to the blade for comfort. The book touches on different mental issues and how forgiveness and connecting to others can help. The books poem format makes the book quick to read through despite being over 600 pages.

All I wanna do is draw and play games

Black_Swordsman

What do people think of the Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions? Many of them have quite nice, luxurious covers and are printed on special paper.

"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray

PSN: Draco_V_Ecliptic

Oldiebutnoobie

Just finished my 4th read of a book called house of leaves by mark z danielewski
Bought it when i was 18 and still got it 22 years later! A difficult read but well worth it if anyone fancies it 😊

Oldiebutnoobie

RagingFire_Fox

@Oldiebutnoobie I am a reader/book collector. So I wouldn't mind getting it. Though lately I been trying to find apocalypse genre books myself.

All I wanna do is draw and play games

Black_Swordsman

Currently reading Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence, it's an intriguing and engaging read, with some flaws in the form where Lawrence tends to repeat certain words too much, I have the deluxe edition of the book though, and am very pleased with it.

"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray

PSN: Draco_V_Ecliptic

KALofKRYPTON

Following on from the immensely enjoyable Fleming written Bond books, I was gifted Time And Time Again by Ben Elton.

I wasn't going to read it as I'd started Popcorn a few years back and thought it was pretty bad, but I was unsure what to jump in to next (considering another run at Gene Wolfe's solar cycle) so a single novel was just the ticket.

It was surprisingly quite good. Elton's prose is somewhat basic for the most part, but the narrative is very well constructed and characterisations are decent.

A nice take on a time travel story. Worth a go if you ever come across it.

PSN: KALofKRYPTON (so you can see how often I don't play anything!)

Twitter: @KALofKRYPTON (at your own risk, I don't care if you're offended)

"Fate: Protects fools, little children, and ships named Enterprise." - Cmdr William T. Riker

Black_Swordsman

I'm re-reading Heart of Darkness by Conrad, a classic. Anyone else read it? Thoughts on the novella?
And I just finished Lady Chatterley's Lover by Lawrence, great book, the use of language in that one elevates it above his less-polished works that approach the mediocre in comparison to Lady C. Highly recommended, over 18's only though! (Due to all the profanity and whatnot that's peppered throughout the text).

Edited on by Black_Swordsman

"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray

PSN: Draco_V_Ecliptic

Black_Swordsman

@LN78 Yeah, The Secret Agent is probably my least favorite Conrad novel, I think that Heart of Darkness is awesome though, really an incredible book. I haven't heard the Orson Welles play but I think the novella blows Apocalypse Now out of the water.

Edited on by Black_Swordsman

"Man is the pie that bakes and eats himself, and the recipe is separation." - Alasdair Gray

PSN: Draco_V_Ecliptic

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