Kevin's Watch

Fininshed "Phantoms" yesterday.
Started Tim Allen's "I'm Not Really Here" today.
(a change of pace)

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. I bought it ages ago on Syl's recommendation, but never got beyond the first chapter. Now I have.

I just ordered the Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion omnibus by Dan Simmons, and The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake, so I'll start those soon.

Currently reading Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass by Carroll. I cant believe its a 'literary classic' - its just a girl falling asleep and dreaming of some weird animals talking and some riddles and rhymes. No plot, no humour, no narrative drive. And yes I'm bitter because I'm going to slog my way through it even though I'm not enjoying it, just so I can say that I've read it.

You've been warned - follow the White Rabbit at your peril!

Band of Brothers, then I'm going to rent the serires. (Never saw it.) Gonna' see what kind of writing chops this guy doing the screenplay for LFB has.

My current reading material is not even Sci-fi or Fantasy but instead is a collection of short stories from Louis L'Amour. His are the only western books I ever really enjoy.

SoulBiter

He's a great author. Perhaps one of the best western authors ever, not that his writing was limited to westerns.

My personal favourite of his was The Walking Drum, historical fiction set around 900AD. Truly excellent. I truly regret is that he died before starting work on the sequel which he planned for it.

Have you ever tried J.T Edson? Very different style, but almost as good, especially once you get into the characters.

Which collection are you reading?

--A

The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour - The Frontier Stories: Volume Two.

I have read many of his Novels. The Walking drum didnt sound familiar so I looked it up. Sure enough I havent read that one. I will put it on my 'must buy' list. Thanks for the tip!

I also dont think I have ever read any of J.T Edson's books. I will look them up.

SoulBiter

The Walking Drum is an outstanding book!

Yeah, it is.

Another great one is Last of the Breed about an american fighter pilot, part Sioux (I think) shot down by Russians and escaping from Siberia.

If you've never read J.T Edson, try starting at the beginning of one of his long-running and interconnected series. The books can all be read as stand alone stories, (easy reading), but they do follow a chronological order.

I recommend starting with The Floating Outfit series, and seeing how you like it.

Enjoy

--Avatar

onewyteduck, I love Ambrose. If you enjoy Band of Brothers and military history, or history in general, read some of his other books. Very good. Also, Jeff Shaara is really good (although Gods and Generals, the movie, was a horrible adaptation of his book).

As for me, I'm finishing up the Left Behind series, about to start Shaara's new one, The Last Man I think, its about WWI.

I'm reading THE BROTHERHOOD, a mystery by T.L. Schaefer. I reviewed her THE SUMMERLAND about a year ago, and while I was impressed by and enjoyed the story and the characters, the writing had some rough edges. Since then she has much improved her sense of what description details should be included and what left out, and the result is a new smoothness. The humanity is easier to feel, too.

SUMMERLAND was about Wicca, pro-Wicca viewpoint, and this one is about a cult of survivalists, anti-bigotry.

I'm currently reading JM Coetzee's latest novel, 'Elizabeth Costello'. If you've never read any Coetzee before, you should read at least one of his novels. His writing is so clear and meaningful, and with no wasted words. A joy to read.

Finished Elizabeth Costello, a series of lectures. It reads like Coetzee's retiring from writing novels, as it is all about death and more philosophy than fiction. Beautifully written and thought provoking.

I've begun 'A Tale of Two Cities' by Dickens. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ..."

"...it was an age of wisdom, it was an age of foolishness..."

Sorry, couldn''t resist.

--A

That reminds me of that hilarious scene in an episode of Cheers.

Frasier decides to widen the cultural horizons of Norm and Cliff and Paul by reading to them from A Tale of Two Cities.

He begins with those lines you guys quoted, and Cliff turns to Norm and says:

"Man, this Dickens fella sure liked to cover his butt, didn't he?"

Just started reading Gone With The Wind. I finally watched the movie a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, so my mother-in-law loaned me her copy of the book, which is excellent so far. After that, I'll probably borrow Scarlett from her.

I'd been meaning to watch the movie/read the book for a long time but never got around to it, so I'm glad I finally did have a chance to do so.

Encryptic wrote:Just started reading Gone With The Wind. I finally watched the movie a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, so my mother-in-law loaned me her copy of the book, which is excellent so far. After that, I'll probably borrow Scarlett from her.

I'd been meaning to watch the movie/read the book for a long time but never got around to it, so I'm glad I finally did have a chance to do so.

Great book! Wonderful movie! Enjoy.

Cybrweez wrote:onewyteduck, I love Ambrose. If you enjoy Band of Brothers and military history, or history in general, read some of his other books. Very good. Also, Jeff Shaara is really good (although Gods and Generals, the movie, was a horrible adaptation of his book).

As for me, I'm finishing up the Left Behind series, about to start Shaara's new one, The Last Man I think, its about WWI.

Just finished that last week. Really good. Put me on a WWI kick. Shaara is a very good author. Right now I'm waiting for Greg Iles new one "Blood Memory".

I lied. I read Runes after Left Behind, wow! I debated whether to wait for all to come out, glad I didn't! Plus, I couldn't wait 10 years anyway. But now the 3 years to Fatal Revenant will be tough.

Anyway, I'm starting a trilogy by Ted Dekker, first book is Black.

I'm reading Michael Moorcock's London Bone.