The Books Thread

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Re: The Books Thread

Postby DMt. » Tue Oct 16, 2012 9:48 am

The Shadow of the Wind, and

The Angel's Game

- both very engaging.

Wickedliespedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Ruiz_Zaf%C3%B3n
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby Dahls » Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:38 pm

Haven't picked up a book since late spring- early summer, so it's certainly overdue. Maybe I should listen to your wise recommendations then.
It looks interesting enough, I'll see if I can find it when I'm in the city later this week. :wink:


The last book I read was Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Also a exiting story, sort of semi-biographical "spin of yarn" adventurous tale.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shantaram_(novel)

Very entertaining, perhaps the best I read.
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby fish » Wed Oct 17, 2012 9:04 am

They all sound promising.
Maybe I should dust off my glasses and start reading again. :oops: :roll: :lol:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby Ian » Wed Oct 17, 2012 10:15 am

I haven't joined a library here yet. Hell, I haven't joined a video shop yet. :roll:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby Ian » Wed Nov 07, 2012 10:19 am

Hermione Granger and the Goblet of Fire. Essentially a rewrite of the official 4th book, with a minor change - Hermione casting a protection spell on Harry (without telling him) - altering the situation entirely when as a result the Goblet spits out her name instead of his. Really well written, engaging and gripping. I like it better than the official one! :lol:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby DMt. » Wed Dec 19, 2012 9:21 pm

Tom Rob Smith's

Child 44

The Secret Speech

Agent 6


first one set in Stalin's USSR, 2nd in Kruschev's, third one [largely] in McCarthyite USA.

All three have serious narrative power, a deep feeling for human suffering, a very sharp sense of the madness of beaurocracy and politics, and agonising moral dilemmas galore. The anti-hero, Leo Demidov, a Soviet war hero and [at first, anyway] a True Believer in Communism, is very well drawn, as are all the characters, and the whole set is basically the thriller raised to high literature.

Highly recommended, for those who can handle the bleakness... :shock:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby fish » Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:42 am

Bleakness is not my strong suit, but I like the genre and they sound intriguing.
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby DMt. » Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:37 pm

I remember saying, to the friend who recommended them, that it was a bit strange to so much enjoy being sent to Hell :T - but hey, that's good writing.
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby Ian » Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:32 am

Read an excellent novel-length Potter fan-fic called "Soul Thief" the other day. Any fan-fic that opens by killing Ron straight away can't be bad. :lol:
Seriously though, it was excellent. A terrific mix of love story, murder mystery and conspiracy thriller that gets more and more complex and intense as it goes on. And while I did peg the traitor in the Aurors ranks, the identity of the mastermind behind it was a surprise, and the motive was both clever, nasty and not a million miles away from something I've heard of happening in the real world. Very good. :D

Have just started re-reading Traveled So Far too. Excellent again so far. :D
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby DMt. » Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:17 pm

Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson - a wonderfully assured, even bravura, debut, and a story of redemptive love. A coke-addled porn star [yes, a rather nasty piece of work] crashes his car after a night on the toot, and is hideously burned. While he is recovering in hospital, and planning his suicide, a tattooed 'crazy-woman sculptor' begins to visit him and tell him stories of their encounters in previous lives...I devoured it at one sitting, was up 'til 3am, and several times had to stop and, er, blow my nose :oops:

If this brief precis makes it sound slushy or mawkish, watch out...it isn't. Some passages are not for weak stomachs :shock:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby Ian » Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:31 am

Where Spirits Dwell by Karina Machado. Accounts of "real life" ghost stories. Good book. Creepy. :shock:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby Ian » Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:00 am

Probably mentioned this this time last year, but just re-read the novel-length HP fanfic "Vox Corporis".

Truly magnificent. A brilliant character-driven love story, perfectly characterised and beautifully written. The length of it enables it to go through several mood changes - so much time is spent on Harry's blissfull peaceful summer spent with Hermione and her family that when the holidays end and it's back to the madness and conflict of Hogwarts it feels almost as jarring to us as it does to Harry - and the overall gentle tone makes the ferocious violence of the climax all the more shocking and effective. And I must confess, I did rather tear up in the penultimate chapter when Hermione finally woke up in hospital after being close to death. Your forum owner is a big girl, you know. :roll: :wink: Fantastic - infinitely better than the last two Rowling books and a crying shame Dan Radliffe and Emma Watson didn't get to make this instead of the likes of Half Blood Prince. :D :( :wink:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby DMt. » Tue Feb 26, 2013 2:34 pm

"...is a big girl" is 20th [or even 19th] - century thinking, Ian...men who aren't in touch with their feminine side are, as you must have noticed, very prone to macho posturing and acting-out.

I hear also that people [not just men] who can't or won't cry are statistically much more liable to episodes of extreme violence/self-harm. :shock:

The story sounds great, where is it to be found? Harry/Hermione is obviously a deep-rooted longing in the HP community, even I as a near-total noob felt it; JK Rowling is perhaps straining against the obvious, there.

[Later] OK, found it. I probably should have more context before starting it, but...ahh, what the hell. :wink:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby DMt. » Wed Feb 27, 2013 1:58 am

[Later still] Chapters: 68 - Words: 323,933...?

Lord GOD! :shock: :lol:
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Re: The Books Thread

Postby Ian » Wed Feb 27, 2013 10:13 am

:lol: Yes, it is a big one. :wink: You should take a look at Forever Knight - that's like 500,000 words +!

I think the sheer obviousness and already implicit depth in the Harry/Hermione friendship, coupled with the utter lack of depth Rowling put in the supposed relationships, coupled further still with the obvious onscreen chemistry between Dan and Emma (and their utter lack of it with the ones they were supposed to have it with!) has just made what we did get seem absurd, if not downright offensive. :(


I don't think anyone has ever accused me of being macho. :wink: :P
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