Lesse. I finished Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy about a week or two ago, which was a really good story about not only the political upheavals but daily life, and the quest for a suitable boy (to marry) in (just) post independance India.
I then launched into Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials’ trilogy, set on a number of worlds, all connected by minute openings near the Northern Lights, including a world, similar to ours, but where the Biblical Fall was covered up, and the “Authority” still reigned supreme. I didn’t get into this one too well, I guess it was all just a touch too pseudo-religous for my taste.
I’ve jsut finished reading Pratchett’s Monstrous Regiment, which was hillarious, but since there are so many Pratchett fans here, I won’t give anything away. All I will say is that its a hillarious satirical look at wars, warfare and propaganda.
Hmmm… I need to find more books to read/devour/ravage.
Ahem – I do indeed read a lot of horror stuff. Aside from the occasional Amazon rec.'s (which are not totally reliable), I get recommendations from any number of places:
I have a big list of books I’m trying to fill - basically, it was a survey of horror authors printed in the Twilight Zone Magazine ages ago, maybe 1982 or 83 - surveying T.E.D. Klein, Karl Edward Wagner, and one or two other “authorities.” House on the Borderland was on it, Hanns Heinz Ewers’ books (which you’ll probably never see reprinted due to his political activities during WWII), basically about 40 or 50 books, plus loads of other info. I’ve gotten some of the titles but by no means all - doubt I have even half, but I’m still working on it.
The Bram Stoker Awards is the award given to outstanding works of horror fiction each year, kind of like the Oscars or the Hugo/Nebula’s. Google for their website.
Some booksellers who specialize in horror have lists and recommendations; I purchased one book from a vendor on ebay, who had published a list of authors they enjoy (Stephen Laws being one of several) who are not so popular in the US. One independent bookseller who has a remarkably wide selection is violetbooks (google for violet books fantasy horror and you should be able to pull it up - I’d do it, but don’t have time right now).
Last night, I found out that that Clegg guy has a recommendation list on Amazon - makes me curious if other notable horror personalities also maintain lists on Amazon.
Right now I’m in Death by Hollywood by Stephen Bochco, The Shelter Stones by Jean Arle, rereading Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins Oh, yeah, I’m also reading, if that’s the right word, Woe is I; The Grammrphobe’s Guide to Better English
Not that I have a problem often, but because I’m facinated by language.
Just finished Villa Incognito Also By Tom Robbins
Bibliocat, I loved that book, but after I read it and went to talk about it in an on-line group, I discovered that I had totally missed the point of what was going on.
I think it says something about a book that a reader can not get it and still enjoy it.
nisosbar, I’m sending you an e-mail with a horror site you might like, so as not to hijack this thread.
Last night I read King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography by Chris Crutcher, a YA writer. I laughed out loud in several places, which is really unusual for me. I’ve only read one of his other books (Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes) and it was pretty good too, so I’m going to get a few more.
Well, it’s been 2 weeks since I last posted to this thread, and now I have a whole books in current rotation:
A leap in the dark : the struggle to create the American republic by Ferling, John E.–A good, solid history of the American Revolution and the early days of the republic
God’s defenders : what they believe and why they are wrong Joshi, S. T.-- A tad rabid in its atheism for my tastes, this book puts the boot into several prominent Christian apologists.
** The meaning of everything : the story of the Oxford English dictionary**, Winchester, Simon–much more entertaining than his Krakatoa
True believers : the tragic inner life of sports fans, Queenan, Joe–Joe Queenan is one funny m-----f-----.
About halfway through Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock. It’s been awhile since I forgot I was reading while I was reading. This book is really working for me.
Boy did this series ever get better after the first one. If you read The Gunslinger and don’t think much of it, don’t give up. It gets substantially better.
I feel the same- I hated The Gunslinger- now I’m thinking of re-reading it. Took me two years to try the next in the series and I was hooked, Wastelands is my favorite too. Can’t wait for the next one, supposedly coming out in Nov (date yet anyone?)
Minor hijack: Smokin and Earl – are you reading the originals or the rewrites? King revised the DT books, you know. He said there is new text on every page of The Gunslinger.
It was the original, I didn’t realize he had revised it… is it worth reading the new version or should I re-try the old one? My problem with the first one was getting into the characters- but now that I have more background from the other books, I might enjoy it more.
I haven’t read the new one. What I’ve heard from others is that the rewrite is a more accessible than the original.
King admits that when he wrote The Gunslinger, he didn’t know where he was going with it. When it got popular (after being listed in Pet Sematary, which is where most people first heard of it), he was inspired to keep going.
So the rewrite fills in some gaps and brings it more in line with the whole Dark Tower thread that runs through so many of his books.
