Book Hauls!

[vivek]

Hi Nesacat,

I like Shantaram.It's like a fairy tale set in the Mumbai underworld.It's a pretty good read but took me nearly a month to read due to it's sheer size.The author has potrayed Mumbai and and it's many faces very well.The story does get very violent in at certain points but all in all i found it worth the time.oh yeah and the good guy wins in the end...i love those types of endings

[Simple Simon]

Just splashed out on a few books from Amazon, should be arriving in the next few days.

• 1 of: Grave Peril (Dresden Case Files)
• 1 of: Toll the Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen)
• 1 of: Summer Knight (Dresden Case Files)
• 1 of: Dead Beat (Dresden Case Files)
• 1 of: Death Masks (Dresden Case Files)
• 1 of: The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow & Thorn)

Can't wait to get stuck into them, I've mostly been just doing rereads for the last few months due to lack of money but I've started a job placement from my course so funds are looking good at the moment.

[Fahim]

Originally Posted by Simple Simon

Just splashed out on a few books from Amazon, should be arriving in the next few days.

• 1 of: Grave Peril (Dresden Case Files)
• 1 of: Toll the Hounds (Malazan Book of the Fallen)
• 1 of: Summer Knight (Dresden Case Files)
• 1 of: Dead Beat (Dresden Case Files)
• 1 of: Death Masks (Dresden Case Files)
• 1 of: The Dragonbone Chair (Memory, Sorrow & Thorn)

You'll enjoy the Dresden's immensely They get better and better as you get into the series and my only gripe is that I'll have to wait another 10 years or so to finish the series

[D_Davis]

Originally Posted by Nesacat

I meant that I was wary of books that were all caught up in masheeny jargon. They seem to work on the assumption that you do have some knowledge to start with already and are familiar and comfortable in that world.

I am too. I do not like techy sci-fi, much. I am more into the SF of humanity, and the effects of technology on the human psyche. I like my SF to explore what it means to be human in the face of things that are not, or books that examine humanity by extrapolation. I do like abstract ideas, such as the stuff by Rudy Rucker for example, but he doesn't really deal with machines as anything more than MacGuffins to get his plots and ideas rolling.

[D_Davis]

Empire of the Sun (newer trade)
The Atrocity Exhibition (newer, annotated version) - Ballard
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Octopussy
For Your Eyes Only
Live and Let Die
Diamonds are Forever - Flemming (completing my set of the new Penguin trades - very nice editions)
New Worlds - Moorcock ed.
Extra (Ordinary) People - Joanna Russ - never heard of this, but it sounds fascinating
A Stanislaw Reader

[Theo Hart]

The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing

I bought this little do-dad on the clearance rack, only five bucks, not expecting that much, maybe a few good ideas here and there.

This book has actually turned out to be the salvation of my imagination. Hey... that's catchy...

Anyhoo, it's keeping me on task and heading toward the goal of a completed manuscript that doesn't suck!

Silas Marner

A classic. Therefore, it's as unresponsive and slow moving as a tortoise on Vicodin. It's classic in the same way that a decomposing body is "classic."

Have to read it, though... Must read it... Grade depends on it... *sigh*

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by D_Davis

Empire of the Sun (newer trade)
The Atrocity Exhibition (newer, annotated version) - Ballard
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Octopussy
For Your Eyes Only
Live and Let Die
Diamonds are Forever - Flemming (completing my set of the new Penguin trades - very nice editions)
New Worlds - Moorcock ed.
Extra (Ordinary) People - Joanna Russ - never heard of this, but it sounds fascinating
A Stanislaw Reader

Heh i didnt know you enjoyed spy books or it is only Fleming ?

I have Octopussy in anthology called Best short spy novels. Didnt know if it was alright to read it first since it is one of the later Bond stories.

Do you think i can read it without it spoiling earlier books like Casino Royal?

[D_Davis]

Originally Posted by Connavar

Heh i didnt know you enjoyed spy books or it is only Fleming ?

I have Octopussy in anthology called Best short spy novels. Didnt know if it was alright to read it first since it is one of the later Bond stories.

Do you think i can read it without it spoiling earlier books like Casino Royal?

I am quite picky with my spy/detective/mystery fiction.

I like em short, and sweet.

I've only read one Flemming before - Diamonds are Forever, and I really liked it. I am not a fan of the Bond films, at all, and I was shocked at how different the tone of the books are in regards to narrative and character. I have a friend who adores the Bond books, and he has encouraged me to read them in order, as he says that Flemming builds Bond in a very interesting and rewarding manner.

The local used book store has received remainder stock of these new Penguin trades, and they are only $5 each. Quite a bargain.

As far as other stuff (kind of?) like this goes, I really only read Hammett, Chandler, the Hap and Leonard books (Joe R. Lansdale), and Charlie Huston (especially the Joe Pitt books - brilliant).

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by D_Davis

I am quite picky with my spy/detective/mystery fiction.

I like em short, and sweet.

I've only read one Flemming before - Diamonds are Forever, and I really liked it. I am not a fan of the Bond films, at all, and I was shocked at how different the tone of the books are in regards to narrative and character. I have a friend who adores the Bond books, and he has encouraged me to read them in order, as he says that Flemming builds Bond in a very interesting and rewarding manner.

The local used book store has received remainder stock of these new Penguin trades, and they are only $5 each. Quite a bargain.

As far as other stuff (kind of?) like this goes, I really only read Hammett, Chandler, the Hap and Leonard books (Joe R. Lansdale), and Charlie Huston (especially the Joe Pitt books - brilliant).

Im not a big fan of Bond movies either except some Moore,Connery movies cause of the actors not the movies. The same with Craig

Im a big fan of spy genre. Frederick Forsyth is a master read him if you havent. The Day of The Jackal isnt long and its what if Bond was an assasin.

Thats why i want to read Bond books really, for my love for the genre and i have seen book fans say how much different he is in the books.

Nice taste you have in hardboiled detective crime. Didnt like Hammett much but i like Chandler,Ross Macdonald,John D Macdonald,Lehane,John Connolly.

If you want read Noir with criminal or other characters who arent PI or cops read Richard Starks cool Parker series. Its so interesting world and one of the best characters in fiction. Its also very short like 150-200 since most of the books are from the 60s.

[D_Davis]

When I was reading Diamonds are Forever, I could not imagine how they ever imagined the film Bond from the book Bond. At first I didn't like the book because I was trying to read it with the tone of the films in mind. However, I soon realized that the books are far more hardboiled in nature. Bond is much grittier, meaner, and rougher. Once I realized that I should be reading it like a hardboiled noir, and not some fantastic super-spy thriller it made a lot more sense and I really liked it.

Thanks for the recs man, sounds like some good stuff. I'll add some to my wish list.

I've heard that Day of the Jackal is quite good.

I should also add Elmore Leonard to the list of similar authors I enjoy. Rum Punch is a brilliant book, endlessly entertaining. And Connolly as well, although I've only read The Poet, but I do have a couple of his other books to get to.

There is also a Chinese author I've been meaning to check out by the name of Wang Shuo.

[Connavar]

Originally Posted by D_Davis

When I was reading Diamonds are Forever, I could not imagine how they ever imagined the film Bond from the book Bond. At first I didn't like the book because I was trying to read it with the tone of the films in mind. However, I soon realized that the books are far more hardboiled in nature. Bond is much grittier, meaner, and rougher. Once I realized that I should be reading it like a hardboiled noir, and not some fantastic super-spy thriller it made a lot more sense and I really liked it.

Thanks for the recs man, sounds like some good stuff. I'll add some to my wish list.

I've heard that Day of the Jackal is quite good.

I should also add Elmore Leonard to the list of similar authors I enjoy. Rum Punch is a brilliant book, endlessly entertaining. And Connolly as well, although I've only read The Poet, but I do have a couple of his other books to get to.

There is also a Chinese author I've been meaning to check out by the name of Wang Shuo.

I read Elmore Leonard for the first time not so long ago. He is very good. Both funny and hardboiled. Stick was a good book of his.

About Bond i heard from the fans of the books how tough he was, he even has a scar. I doubt the player in the movies is like that.

By the way try Barry Eisler too if you like spy novels. His series about Japanese american assassin is very good.

Chinese author ? Let me know what you think.

About The Poet it was written by Michael Connelly not John Connolly. He is an Irish author that writes American hardboiled crime. He is very good. One of few modern crime writers that have almost Chandler like stylized,quality prose.

I have read more ten books by Michael Connelly. He writes police procedural that gets noirish at times with Harry Bosch series.

[D_Davis]

Ah, the old Connolly mix up!




John Connolly sounds cool - I'll check his stuff out, thanks!

I have a Wang Shuo novel called, Playing For Thrills. It's a detective/murder-mystery. Stephen King says "Call it China noir...if you can imagine Raymond Chandler crossed with Bruce Lee, or Richard Brautigan crossed with John Woo."

Sounds good to me!

Barry Eisler, the Rain series looks pretty cool.

[D_Davis]

Have you read Stephen King's The Colorado Kid, part of the Hard Case Crime series? It's pretty cool.

[Connavar]

Wow i must have Wang Shou novel now :P

I buy alot Hard Case Crime. Best looking paperback books at best price i have seen !

I see no need to buy Stephen King as a crime writer when i can buy books by Donald E. Westlake, Lawrence Block,Cornell Woolrich,Max Allan Collins,Ken Bruen,Jason Starr and so on.

[Talysia]

Just had a nice surprise - my sister just came to visit, and she brought Terry Pratchett's Going Postal and Making Money for me to read. We usually exchange books with each other, sharing the same taste in books (thank goodness).