[Archived] Holiday Reading

[Exiled in Toronto]

*Blush*

[rebelmswar]

Book of Fate - Gash

Book of Lies - Gasher

Under the Dome = Tommyknockers + The Stand

[colin]

*Blush*

I'll recommend it to my sister. She's also up sh1t creek with it.

Cheers

[Exiled in Toronto]

I'll recommend it to my sister. She's also up sh1t creek with it.

Cheers

Thanks! Someone from Darwen ordered one this morning - was that her??

[colin]

Thanks! Someone from Darwen ordered one this morning - was that her??

No it's not her, but all the best with the sales anyway

[rebelmswar]

Twilight... It haunts me, it will not go away. My life has been damaged by this book in so many ways, it has been shortened by the reading of it.

I gave into the pressures of the universe and read this book, using the pretense of reading it to ensure that it was suitable for my daughter.

Manpoints are at an all time low, equal to my faith in editing, taste, and the populations judgment.

People actually thinking this was a good "book" sums up the worlds problems. This thing is not a book - it was a jumble of worlds with a dash of vampire and a full on load of festering pig crap. I have it mounted above my fireplace, bullet hole in prideful display, as a warning to anyone mentioning this tome of tripe in my presence again.

Wretched at best.

The words "glare" and "scowl" will never be the same for me, I never knew that a single word could be used so much, at least four times on every page. The words, in the end, became like "and" and "the," something that my mind subconsciously slipped over as it had became conditioned to its presence. After awhile it was no longer needed in there at all, as it should have been noted by the author in the forward that "All characters will have a scowl on their face at all times, and any look that they send anyone at all will be a glare. Any other look, or change in expression, will be noted." This would have saved pages and pages of text and trees in the end.

Baseball... Vampires playing baseball...

If all women were like the female protagonist then we would be extinct as a species. A bigger idiot has never blundered themselves onto a page. The darkly sinister, yet glowing in the sun?!?!?, Edward has become a symbol of sex. Why? He has the charisma of Kean and the dialogue of a corpse, well maybe that is what she was trying to do. If women of planet earth are looking for this in a man then I see no reason why they complain about their husbands. Talk to them less is obviously the cure for all matrimonial issues. Look like you are going to rip their throat out when they are angry with you and they will be submissive. Men, this is obviously the way forward. Throw in some glares too! "I'm Dangerous" "Stay away from me" "You smell tasty" is about all he has to say, in general variations of the theme. For someone that has lived that long he is awfully dull.

Dire.

I have never been close to suicide whilst reading a book before, but I was close (sorry tashor close, not there yet.) If I had left a note with just the word "Twilight" on it, the police would have understood.

[1864roverite]

Anyone got any of the books written by Lee Childs - characterises a bloke called Jack Reacher ? Read one in Tenerife last week and found it quite good.

if anyone has any others of the series of 10 let me know.

thanks

[colin]

I'm not sure if I've posted something similar before. If so-apologies.

Stuart Maconie has written a trio of books "Cider With Roadies;" "Adventures On The High Teas;" and "Pies And Prejudice."

They are all very lovely and warm and cuddly books with a lovely attitude to everything. But most of all I would direct you to "Pies And Prejudice."

Maconie was born in Wigan, he has a wonderful attitude to all things northern, not just the north west, but to the lots of things that we do up here that "they" don't down south. Like make decent chips, talk to each other at bus stops and drink pints of decent ale rather that fizzy urine with a slice of lime stuffed in the bottle.

There we go. You don't have to read "Pies & Prejudice" But you'll be a far happier and smiley person if you do.

Take it from me, it's brilliant.

[sparkspakespoke]

Anyone got any of the books written by Lee Childs - characterises a bloke called Jack Reacher ? Read one in Tenerife last week and found it quite good.

if anyone has any others of the series of 10 let me know.

thanks

Read all the Lee Child books apart from the latest obne, really easy to read and pretty addidctive!

[Cheeky Sidders]

Mrs Sidders bought me one of them there Kindles for my birthday so have been giving it a go. Bt sceptical at first but soon won over and wouldn't be without it now. Ideal for taking with you on trips and loads of books are cheap or even free!

Recently I have read...

The Basement by Stephen Leather - the story of a writer with definite autistic tendencies and who stalks celebrities who is also caught up in the hunt for a articularly nasty serial killer. Not bad with some clever dialogue and I missed the big twist. With hindsight, I can't believe I was so thick.

Insurrection by Robyn Young - first part of a trilogy about Robert the Bruce by the ridiculously popular author of the Brethren trilogy. Not read her earlier stuff but this was just tedious. I won't be bothering with the next two volumes.

The Man Who Would Be King - a re-read as I first read t a few years ago. Very differentto the marvellous film but still a cracking read, if somewhat short.

Outlaw by Angus Donald - a very different tale of Robin Hood and a cracking read. Okay, it's not great literature but it's not low brow crap like a Conn Iggulden book. I'd say fans of Simon Scarrow and Bernard Cornwell would be well suited.

Just started The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stig Larsson - so far so good and shaping up nicely.

[colin]

Cheeky,

The Stig is a bit like "The History Of Glue."

I picked it up while it was pi55ing down for two day on holiday. Thank heavens for rain.

Colin

[cn174]

Never thought I'd be writing in here!! but I've just read Blood, Sweat and Tears. To be honest I only downloaded it because it was free but it was good. I liked it that much I paid a whole £1.99 for the second book!

It is really a collection of blog posts of a fella who works for London Ambulance Service and his daily "adventures".

From amazon:

A beautifully written insight into the stresses, strains and successes of working for the London Ambulance service. Is there anyone who hasn't wondered about the state of the occupant of an ambulance, screaming along with its sirens on and blue lights flashing? Have you? And have you wondered about the other people inside the ambulance, maybe fighting to save the patient's life? Or have you considered that the ambulance may be another 'maternataxi' ordered by a woman who can't be bothered to book a real cab and who then complains she can't smoke on the way to hospital? And that the medical technician inside might just be desperate to get back home from a busy shift, to have a cup of tea and catch up with his blog? Meet Tom Reynolds. Tom is an Emergency Medical Technician who works for the London Ambulance Service in East London. He has kept a blog of his daily working life since 2003 and his award-winning writing is, by turn, moving, cynical, funny, heart-rending and compassionate. It is never less than compelling. From the tragic to the hilarious, from the heartwarming to the terrifying, the stories Tom tells give a fascinating - and at times alarming - picture of life in inner-city Britain, and the people who are paid to mop up after it.

[otto man]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield is well worth a read. It's a novel about the Spartan stand against the Persians at Thermopylae. A classic of it's genre, almost had me in tears...well actually If you're into historical novels. Give it a go. You'll love it!

Edited March 24, 2011 by otto man

[rebelmswar]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield is well worth a read. It's a novel about the Spartan stand against the Persians at Thermopylae. A classic of it's genre, almost had me in tears...well actually If you're into historical novels. Give it a go. You'll love it!

I thought it was very good indeed.

Gives a wonderful look at how they operate too. The part about young boys etc. kind of gave me the heebee jeebies though.

[roversmum]

Twilight... It haunts me, it will not go away. My life has been damaged by this book in so many ways, it has been shortened by the reading of it.

Brilliant! Thanks for that, rmw. Haven't been on this thread for a while and your review of Twilight was worth it, made me laugh and cheered me up no end, even forgot about Sam Allardyce for a few minutes.

[Cheeky Sidders]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield is well worth a read. It's a novel about the Spartan stand against the Persians at Thermopylae. A classic of it's genre, almost had me in tears...well actually If you're into historical novels. Give it a go. You'll love it!

I've been telling people to read this for years and have bought it for many. Everyone I know who has read it has loved it and been similarly moved. Even Mrs Sidders (heart of stone) was left with a tear in her eye. I really do believe it should be a legal requirement for all Euopean citizens to read it.

Edited March 25, 2011 by Cheeky Sidders

[Ozz]

Another sports book from me, this time a summers amble around northern cricket grounds. Harry Pearson is a pleasing humorist, and his books are a light easy read with many acute observations on his subject.

Slipless In Settle, by Harry Pearson.

[FourLaneBlue]

Harry Pearson is always excellent.

His "The Far Corner", about football in the North East, was a delight. As was ´A Tall Man in a Low Land: Some Time Among the Belgians´

[American]

Under the Dome = Tommyknockers + The Stand

First 80% of it was great, the last 20% was crap.

[Hannah]

Sure someone will have mentioned this already but I have just finished reading the girl with a dragon tattoo. It was brilliant, well written and gripping. I am now starting the next one in the trilogy.

[Cheeky Sidders]

Sure someone will have mentioned this already but I have just finished reading the girl with a dragon tattoo. It was brilliant, well written and gripping. I am now starting the next one in the trilogy.

Agree wholeheartedly although it I think it should have been wraped up a bit quicker after the Vanger mystery was resolved. I'll be picking up the next Blomqvist/Salander book over the summer but currently reading The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland. I read Company Of Liars by her a couple of years ago and thought it was great. So far so good with this one and even though less than 100 pages in there's been a man eaten alive by insects, a ritual sacrifice and a bit of ooh la la.

[rebelmswar]

First 80% of it was great, the last 20% was crap.

He just can't finish a book to save his life.

Should take some tips from his son, as "Heart Shaped Box" was great.

[sparkspakespoke]

He just can't finish a book to save his life.

Should take some tips from his son, as "Heart Shaped Box" was great.

Harsh, most of his books have great endings, christine, it and the dark half in particular. In under the dome you can see where he stopped 25 years ago and restarted.

I dont think the stand and tommy knockers is right, its too easy, just because of the alien thing. For me its more like a cross between needfull things [ perfect view of small town usa] and the stand.

[rebelmswar]

Harsh, most of his books have great endings, christine, it and the dark half in particular. In under the dome you can see where he stopped 25 years ago and restarted.

I dont think the stand and tommy knockers is right, its too easy, just because of the alien thing. For me its more like a cross between needfull things [ perfect view of small town usa] and the stand.

The end of Christine was well done I will admit.

The Dark Half, kinda. George didn't deserve to go down like that.

IT, The Stand, Tommyknockers, Long Walk, Road Work, Salems Lot, The Shining (oh my God, the ending) THE ENTIRE DARK TOWER SERIES - What a cop out, Dead Zone, Dreamcatcher ( I threw the book across the room) have all crap endings.

Thinner was one of his finer endings.

If course this is my opinion.

[sparkspakespoke]

The end of Christine was well done I will admit.

The Dark Half, kinda. George didn't deserve to go down like that.

IT, The Stand, Tommyknockers, Long Walk, Road Work, Salems Lot, The Shining (oh my God, the ending) THE ENTIRE DARK TOWER SERIES - What a cop out, Dead Zone, Dreamcatcher ( I threw the book across the room) have all crap endings.

Thinner was one of his finer endings.

If course this is my opinion.

I do know what you mean, he is a story teller and you get the sense he just doesnt want to stop telling the the story even if a book should have eneded 20 pages before.

That said I liked the endings to IT and The Stand. I agree with you on Dreamcatcher. Thinner had an awsome ending as did Cujo and Misery and the Mist were pretty well done.