Which book are you reading currently? #3

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Just foinished Pratchett's Going Postal; not bad, definoitely nopt bad but... not as good as I've come to expect from him

 

I've just bought 8 books (and I mean books not booklets) we have to read this semester. 6 German ones, 2 English ones. And they'll throw in a couple of Dutch ones for good measure no doubt.

I've started reading Die Blechtrommel by Günther Grass now.

And the Academic year hasn't even been officially opened.

 

Halfway through "Dissolution" by Richard Lee Byers. I have to say, it's a bit lame so far. It's like reading about pro wrestling. The main character comes up against a tough opponent and is almost killed but comes back at the last minute with a killer finishing move and wins. And I can hardly tell that it is not actually written by Salvatore because it seems to be in exactly the same style.

 

Re-reading Good Omens by messers Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
Had forgotten how good it is

 

Am reading the second book of the Sword of Truth series , by Terry Goodkind.
I must say its not bad at all.
Read one called Stormlight before that. Forgotten Realms Book by Ed Greenwood. About one of the Seven Sisters. Was quite cool.

 

actually saw more of pratchett than gaiman in that one ara

i'm starting the rite by richard lee byers, book 2 of the year of rogue dragons.

 

terry goodkind has some good stuff...it gets repetitive by the Pillars of Creation..last book of the series that i can remember...

I'm reading the second book of Salvatores Hunters blades trilogy..the lone drow i think it is...not sure and i dont have it with me atm

 

The Trilogy of Five, by Douglas Adams.

Re-read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, now reading the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

Adams is BRILLIANT. I very rarely smile when I read a book. Here I was laughing out loud, continuously, over several pages.

"So long, and thanks for all the fish..."

 

One of Robert B Parker's older books "Taming of a Sea Horse". For witty dialogue in a mystery novel, this guy is keen.

[ September 30, 2005, 21:56: Message edited by: Newfie ]

 

Jeff Grub's Warcraft book - The Last Guardian. Not bad.

 

98% of what is written today is very ho-hum kind of stuff. The really, really TOP SF writers are/were:

Roger Zelazny, now sadly died, who wrote (along with the Amber series mentioned earlier in this thread) such gems as 'Lord Demon', 'Lord of Light', 'A Night in the Lonesome October' (I think he wrote 'Jack of Shadows' too. Awesome writer.

Steven Brust. Try the first two books of a long series Jhereg, and Yendi. For a somewhat different style of writing set in the same world but an age earlier 'The Phoenix Guards' and 'Five Hundred Years After'. For something different go for the quirky 'To Reign in Hell' a story about the revolt of the angels in heaven.

Barry Hughart. He wrote only 3 books because he was so badly dealt with by his publisher, but they were superb. 'The Bridge of Birds' came from nowhere to win the world Fantasy award for the year. These were followed by 'The Story of the Stone' and 'Eight Skilled Gentlemen' all storis set in a fantastical 8th Century China.

Eric S. Nylund. Seems to have lost the plot recently, but three of his early works are excellent. 'Pawns Dream', 'A Game of Universe', and 'Dry Water' are three gems.

Tim Powers wrote three good ones. 'The Anubis Gates' may be his best, but I also liked 'On Stranger Tides' and 'The Drawing of the Dark'

Some of these books are less easy to get now, but if you look around you can find many of them. Believe me they are worth the effort.

Am I reading anything new now ? Well the children's author Garth Nix is currently writing a series of fantastical books, one for each day of the week - definitely childrens books, but good fun (begin with Mister Monday). He also wrote a less-for-children trilogy. They are 'Sabriel', 'Lirael', 'Abhorsen' - I enjoyed those too, all about magic, a series of waterfalls of death, each taking you deeper into death, and nasty necromancers.

ps. Just Read William Goldmans re-write of the Morgenstern classic 'The Princess Bride' and loved it in it's much condensed form. Recognise the name Morgenstern any of you readers of Zelazny's Amber series ?

 

woohoo, a fellow Nylund fan!

 

The Horse and his Boy by CS Lewis - Narnia is quite funky

 

just finished color of magic by pratchett. wasn't expecting it to be too good as it was his first discworld novel but i found it hilarious hell of a cliffhanger ending though

i have one more unread pratchett book but i'm going to temporarily end my 5-book pratchett run for now and start the Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers.

 

Just finished "Dissolution: - Part one of the War of the Spider Queen." by Richard Lee Byers It was pretty mediocre so I don't think I'll bother with the rest of the series unless I get really desperate. Reading about drow becomes really boring after a while.

 

I have finished "Guards! Guards!" by Pratchett. Thanks to the folks who recommended him to me, because I enjoyed the book, and will try something else from him in the future.
Now I started "Strange Confession" Anton Tchekov. Not sure if that is the proper English title though.
EDIT: Harbourboy, I was thinking this trilogy would be any good. I had in mind the kind of conspiracy and double game Bregan Daerthe - sp - constantly partakes in the whole struggle for power. I kind of liked his dialogues with other drow leaders. There is nothing of the sort in the book?

 

Just finished Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. Typically, for Brown, full of fabricated rubbish, but also a fantastic read. I strongly recommend it. I'm going to seek out more Brown works.

Just started Sharpes Battle by Bernard Cornwell.

 

Svyatoslav, if you like Drow and their evil schemes and double-crossing then I guess you would like the War of the Spider Queen. I just got a bit sick of having so many genetically evil characters in one book.

 

Volkhavaar by Tanith Lee. Like Terry Pratchett's Small Gods this book presents the idea that the quality of worship creates the god.

 

just finished the drawing of the dark by tim powers. awesome book i thought. bit of a lame ending though.

about to start the two swords by salvatore.