Reading anything?

[Vik]

Women by Charles Bukowski. It's the only novel of his I haven't read yet, I'll be sad when it's done. Best writer ever.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!

Somethings from Stephen King.

While I read 'em out of order, the last two volumes in his "Dark Tower" series, or, I should say the prequel to his "Dark Tower" series: "The Long Road Home" and "Treachery."

There is also a graphic version of his "Dark Tower," but I haven't got around to starting that one as of yet.

The next three volumes, after volume 1,  in his "The Stand" in graphic format.

v.1.
v.2. American Nightmare
v.3. Soul Survivor
v.4. Hardcases

They remind me of the "Star Trek" films, because just as the even numbered films were suppose to be better than the odd numbered films, so I find the even numbered volumes to be better than the odd numbered volumes. For example, I find the horrors in volume 2 more realistic than the horrors in volume 1, so I like volume 2 better than volume 1.

Volume 3 has a good shootout between the good guys and the bad guys, which is depicted second by second, but it also has one of the worst characters I have ever found in one of King's novels. Mother Abigail, who is so good and so perfect, that she becomes ever more uninteresting and boring. A much better character is that Stephen King clone, Harold Lauder, who is so complex and complicated, that you never know what he is going to do next.

Mother Abigail does become more interesting in volume 4, as she begins to develop a sense of self-doubt.

But the problem with the whole series so far, is that there are too many extraneous events and characters that add little if anything to push the story forward. King also seems to have a problem of, once his characters leave the story, of not being able to bring them back in an effective manner.

I will credit King with being able to do one thing well, and that is being able to create a credible child character. As I have found most authors, though they were once all children, unable to create a credible child character if their life depended upon it.

Next time: another guidebook to cruise ships/cruise lines.

Next next time: A few somethings from Star Wars.

[Rev. Powell]

Pretentious analysis.  It's the kind of film criticism where you think "I'm glad the director didn't actually think like this guy, or his movies would have been unbelievably boring."

[alandhopewell]

    Found a copy of this at the DAV yesterday, read it years ago....for a quarter, why not?

[alandhopewell]

     I'm just finishing this....



     I was pleasantly suprised; rather than  being a literary gorefest, it was a fictional account of the Zombie War years, told through the eyes of the survivors.

[AndyC]

Picked up a copy of The Running Man, by Stephen King (as Richard Bachman). It's a very good book so far. I'm about a third of the way through, and it is nothing at all like the movie. The movie used the title, a couple of character names and the basic premise of a deadly game show in a dystopian future, and that's it. Suits me fine, because I always liked the movie, and I can also enjoy the book for what it is, without anything spoiled.

[JaseSF]

Speaking of Stephen King, I just started Pet Semetary. Haven't seen the movie yet either.

[AndyC]

Almost to the end of The Running Man. As Stephen King goes, it's a surprisingly tight little book, and a very easy read.

Found one other similarity to the movie. As the story progresses, Ben Richards meets people willing to stand up for their beliefs, becomes more of a revolutionary and starts getting public support. Of course, it's a little more complicated, and part of a whole journey of discovery. The Running Man (which is a nationwide manhunt in the book), gets Richards out of his little slum apartment and lets him see more of the big picture. At the same time, he's surprised at the qualities he finds within himself.

Oh, and one other similarity between book and movie - Richards is a smartass. Not the cheesy Arnie type of smartass, but a much more deadpan, subversive kind. There's a lot of contempt for authority in the Ben Richards of the book.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!

Kay Showker's "The Unofficial Guide to Cruises"

Another guidebook to cruise lines and cruise ships and part of the "Unofficial Guide" series, but, other than that, a book that totally escapes my mind as to what it was about.

So, let's have Jane Yolen's "Foiled," which is a much more memorable book, and a book that shows what an experienced authoress, almost 100 books to her credit, can do with the printed page.

Life in New York City. Check.
Life of a teenage girl in New York City. Check.
Life of a teenage girl in New York City who fences. Check.

Everything is down pat and realistic, and the heroine is so likable, you wish her to find some happiness, but you know she is destined to find only unhappiness.

The only thing I can wish for from this graphic novel is a better explanation as to how her foil and fencing mask allows her to see not only the people who live in New York City, but also the fae who live in an alternate New York City.

I haven't seen anymore, if this is meant to be a series, or whether it is just an one shot story.

Next time: a compare and contrast of two "Star Wars" graphic novels.
and next next time: a compare and contrast of two guidebooks to cruise ships.

[AndyC]

Reading Magnificent Desolation, by Buzz Aldrin. Interesting autobiography that starts on the morning of the Apollo 11 launch, with Aldrin suited up and waiting his turn to be strapped in. The first few chapters are his personal account of the mission, which is very interesting. I've just finished that part, which is kind of a setup for the bulk of the book, dealing with what happened to Buzz in the 40 years since. At this point in the book, the excitement has settled down, and Buzz is haunted by the thought that he's only 39 and he's just done the greatest thing he will ever do. He ponders this between sips of scotch.

[lester1/2jr]

[Vik]

Almost to the end of The Running Man. As Stephen King goes, it's a surprisingly tight little book, and a very easy read.

I read that about two years ago, I found it surprisingly good as well. Loved the ending.

Recently read 'The Men Who Stare at Goats', which was okay I guess. It felt kind of pointless. And 'Into the Wild' by Jon Krakauer which I really liked, even having seen Sean Penn's film first.

I went to a book convention last week and got a bunch of stuff for only 16 euros in total (the classics were particularely cheap):

H.P. Lovecraft - Collected stories: Volume one
Leo Tolstoy - The Death of Ivan Ilyich & Other Stories
Jules Verne - Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Jules Verne - Twenty Thousand Leages under the Sea
Mary Shelley - Frankenstein
Fyodor Dostoevsky - Death and Punishment
Isaac Asimov - Foundation
And a The Hills Have Eyes comic book.

I've read a couple of H.P. Lovecraft stories: Dagon, The Festival, The Hound, The Call of Cthulhu, and The Case of James Dexter Ward. I liked all of them, very atmospheric, though I find them hard to read at times.

Right now I'm about 1/4th through Foundation, which is really good so far.

[the Rev. J. Darkside]

I recently finished Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and How Few Remain, both very well researched books.

[indianasmith]

I got Stephen King's new book, 11/22/63, for my birthday and read it in three days.  It's the best thing he has written in years, and thoroughly enjoyable - even if he did give Dallas a bit of a rough treatment.  Then again, I live 50 miles from the place and ain't that fond of it myself!

[FatFreddysCat]

I'm in the middle of Roger Ebert's second collection of his most brutal bad revews, titled "YOUR MOVIE SUCKS."

After that I've got Stephen King's "11/22/63" on hold for me @ the library (I will be picking it up this afternoon sometime) and I got Ace Frehley's autobiography, "No Regrets," for Christmas yesterday.