What are you reading?

[DGMacphee]

I just finished "The Black Dahlia" by James Ellroy and didn't really like it. It was contrived,  predictable at times and the characters were boring. I really have no interest in tough guy detective stories, but I read it as part of my research for my game as the novel is set in LA in the late 40's.

I haven't read Black Dahlia, but I have read LA Confidential.

I liked it a lot, especially considering it traced the lives of three different detectives, instead of that one "tough guy" detective.

The movie was damn good too, and after reading the book I'm suprised that they even managed to convert it to film.

If they filmed it the way it was written, it would span several years and go for four or five hours.

It would also be 18+ rated.

[Dmitri]

Paradise lost - Milton; it's the most beautiful poem I've read yet (it's a good 300 pages long...)

[SSH]

Reading Dean Koontz's One door away from Heaven... good so far but not yet finished! Was reading Stephen Baxter's Evolution but it was too slow so gave up. I liked his Mammoth books, though.

Edit: oops, forgot that I read an excellent Ian Rankin short story collection in-between.

[Hobbes]

I'm going to read Neil Gaimans children's book Coraline and his short story collection Smoke and Mirrors (both of which have been sitting on my shelf untouched far too long. Strange, as Gaiman is my favorite author of all time, and I've read everything else he's written.

I never actually read something by Gaiman (although I have heard his name a zillion times by listening to Tori Amos ). Recently got myself Coraline and finished it in one single evening. That book is coool!

[Adamski]

Ho ho ho, some of my friends are studying Paradise Lost for their A Level English course... they have a sort of unbalanced haterid of it now

[veryweirdguy]

Those who enjoy Discworld should definitely read Good Omens, co-written with Neil Gaiman.  I personally think it's the best thing he's written, even if I don't know specifically which parts he wrote.  The humourous bits are pretty identifiable as Pratchett, but the story maintains an epic quality strangely untarnished (and indeed, enhanced) by the satirical medium.

I agree. Good Omens is one of my favourite books too. I've read it twice in the past two years.

[Rincewind]

Yes, I am also a huge fan of Terry Pratchetts wonderful books, and have gone through almost all of the Discworld ones. (Not the most recent ones, The Last Hero and onwards - I'll wait until they are released in pocket size here in sweden... )
I feel really honoured to have met the man at the Gothenburg Book-exhibition, where I got my copy of Good Omens and A Man At Arms signed... Joy! :

But besides Pratchett I read a lot of mystery/thriller novels and detective books, such as Agatha Cristie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and of course the Occult Series by Dennis Wheatley... Hehe...

I am also deeply entertained by the swedish author Bo Baldersson, who has been writing and publishing books under that pseudonym since 1968. And still, noone knows who he really is for certain... His books are basically ordinary murder mysteries, but with an outstanding and extraordinary sense of humour. The main character - The City Council(Don't know how to translate this correctly, his name is just referred to by his title - In swedish: "Stadsrådet") was elected to this title just because he had shoes that were too big, and is more amused by drinking lemonade and solving murders than he is of national politics...
By his side is the old schoolteacher and his brother-in-law: Adjunkt Persson; who unwillingly gets to follow and write down his crazy investigations...
Currently reading "Stadsrådets Klipp" by the very same author.

[Jimi]

You will probably think I'm sad, but I am waiting for the new Harry Potter book to come out. Its the only sort of book that entertains me.

[Ben]

I just finished Slaughterhouse Five but Kurt Vonnegut. I like the black humor in it, and the way the story is told in a somewhat random order..

I bought Ender's Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card a few days ago, but haven't started reading them yet.

[Las Naranjas]

* Las Naranjas gives Ben the Vonnegut gangsta sign.

[Hobbes]

Actually, I think a lot of people are waiting for Harry Potter 5 to come out?

*looks around*

I think?

*can't wait*

[remixor]

Vonnegut rules.  I didn't mention him since I haven't read anything recently, but now that he's been mentioned, I have to throw in my support, too.

Ben: S-H5 is awesome, probably his best book  One of the most amazing things about it to me was when I realized the whole thing was actually told IN the style of the alien book he describes IN the book.  Then when you read it again with that in mind, it's even cooler.

Other than that one, I can personally vouch for Player Piano, Timequake, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, Mother Night (another great one IMO), as well as God Bless You Dr. Kevorkian, which was a very short read in which Vonnegut has a series of near-death experinces and runs into many famous dead people such as Shakespeare, Newton, Hitler (who's brilliant apology to mankind is "I beg your pardon"), James Earl Ray, Mary Shelley.  This is a great one for an intro to Vonnegut, since it's so short.  I read the whole thing standing in the isle of a bookstore

[Evil]

AGS 101 ... I am now reading Armageddon Summer which sucks so far... And Goodnight Mr. Tom sucked too... But I do plan on reading Phils book soon. I hope I can find it at the library (doubt it) because his book costs to much money! :p... Read Enders Game... Good book, gonna be a good movie... Damned Sean Connery...  

[Las Naranjas]

And don't leave out the Sirens Of Titan remixor. It's also good for an introduction.

[Quickstrike]

... Read Enders Game... Good book, gonna be a good movie... Damned Sean Connery...  

What?  What did Connery do?

[Trapezoid]

More ladies than any of us could ever hope for.

[BruisedWeasel]

I haven't read much of anything lately except new age stuff. Wicca type books mostly. I haven't been able to shake my childhood fascination with withcraft. I read one self help book called Van Goe Blues which was complete bullshit. I think I got it for christmas. It's supposed to offer advice for depressed existantial artist types. If found it dry and stupid.

I also read through The Big Book of Knitting, The Ultimate Cross-Stitch Reference (or whatever it is), a large book of Grimm's Fairytales, another large book of American folk tales, Sewing 101 (gonna make me an apron )..

I think the last fictional book I read was Phil's, which I enjoyed immensly. He did a very good job using 200+ pages to tell us a guy was a loser. I also read The Golden Compass, The Silver Knife, and whatever that other book is fromt hat trilogy, I reread Mysts of Avalon, Winnie-ther-Poo, The Inkeeper's Song by Peter S. Beagle, and Magic Kingdom for Sale, Sold (about the only Terry Brooks book I enjoy).

I have yet to finish the gormengast trilogy. I'm still only halfway through the second book. It's very tough reading for me.

The only Gaiman thing I've read is Neverwhere. While I enjoyed the story, I found the writing atrocious. There were some very clumbsy sentances in there. I haven't read any Discworld. I once owned one of the novels, but I was still pretty young and didn't get into it.

[Pesty]

I haven't read much of anything lately except new age stuff. Wicca type books mostly. I haven't been able to shake my childhood fascination with withcraft. I read one self help book called Van Goe Blues which was complete bullshit. I think I got it for christmas. It's supposed to offer advice for depressed existantial artist types. If found it dry and stupid.

I also read through The Big Book of Knitting, The Ultimate Cross-Stitch Reference (or whatever it is), a large book of Grimm's Fairytales, another large book of American folk tales, Sewing 101 (gonna make me an apron )..

I think the last fictional book I read was Phil's, which I enjoyed immensly. He did a very good job using 200+ pages to tell us a guy was a loser. I also read The Golden Compass, The Silver Knife, and whatever that other book is fromt hat trilogy, I reread Mysts of Avalon, Winnie-ther-Poo, The Inkeeper's Song by Peter S. Beagle, and Magic Kingdom for Sale, Sold (about the only Terry Brooks book I enjoy).

I have yet to finish the gormengast trilogy. I'm still only halfway through the second book. It's very tough reading for me.

The only Gaiman thing I've read is Neverwhere. While I enjoyed the story, I found the writing atrocious. There were some very clumbsy sentances in there. I haven't read any Discworld. I once owned one of the novels, but I was still pretty young and didn't get into it.

The third book in "His Dark Materials" was "The Amber Spyglass". A great trilogy indeed.

I am glad to know that I'm not the only one who knits or is interested in knitting, even though I have not done it in months.

Yay for Vonnegut. Everyone who loves his work should read "Bluebeard". It's probably my third favorite next to "Sirens of Titan" and "Cat's Cradle".

[BruisedWeasel]

I don't knit yet. I keep dropping stitches and my tension is horribly uneven. I prefer to crochet, as I only have one needle to worry about and I find it easier to pick up a fallen stitch. I do agree: it is neat to find someone with similar interests here. I hope to learn at least the basic skills in knitting so I can add nice accents to my crochet pieces.

[Eero]

Hmm, I haven't read anything but Pratchett books and computer manuals for a long time.
BTW, has anyone played the "Black Dahlia" adventure game?