BoLs Book Club?

[Mr Mystery]

Hello my interwebular chums!

So, inspired by my love of reading, and a rather hearty book review in the wonderful Fortean Times, I'm wondering if anyone would like to form a book club/reading group here. Assuming of course there isn't one already.

To allow for various reading speeds, I suggest we set a book a month pace, as I'm confident most people can manage that, regardless of reading stamina or indeed available reading time.

And I'd like to start with 'Sword of Albion' by Mark Chadbourn. I read the aforementioned review concerning the final part of the trilogy, and I'm suitably enthused. Rather than blurb here, I recommend having a little sneaky peaky on Amazon. Premise is broadly similar to Marvel 1602, which I enjoyed immensely.

Let me know if anyone's interested!

[Psychosplodge]

Unless you let me do all the picking, I haven't got time to add other books to my "to read" pile.

Have fun though...

[DarkLink]

Holy ****, someone here is actually literate enough to read something other than the Black Library!?

Seriously though, I've got some books to recommend:


Mistborn: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Empire-Mistborn-Book-One/dp/0575089911/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367289954&sr=1-1&keywords=mistborn

Neo joins the crew of Ocean's Eleven in pulling a heist on the God Emperor ruling over noble slave holders in a quasi-post apocalyptic world (with magic, and maybe mid-1800's technology). And it works brilliantly. Also, when they say 'there's always another secret', they're not kidding.

Heroes Die: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heroes-Die-Acts-Caine-ebook/dp/B00BCK1A74/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367290041&sr=1-1&keywords=Heroes+die

Conan the Barbarian meets 1984, or maybe A Clockwork Orange. It's remarkably philosophical, too, considering the sheer amount of violence in the book.


American Gods: http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Gods-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0755322819/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367290059&sr=1-1&keywords=American+Gods

Question. Are you still a God if no one believes in you?

[eldargal]

Most of my reading for the past few years has been archaeology and lately art history related so when I read for pleasure the last thing I want to do is read philosophical works personally. So currently my reading pile looks like this:

Path of the Incubus.
Knight of the Blazing Sun
The Complete Chronicles of Conan
Death at Victoria Dock (one of the Australian Phryne Fisher series set in the 1920s. The TV series is running on Alibi)
A biography of Lucrezia Borgia
A bunch of art history books some of which are decent enough to be mostly pictures.

Short version: I won't be reading philosophical works.:p

[Mr Mystery]

Sounds like two other members so far :).

I'm not quite up to date on this month's purchases, so if we fancy doing the 'all read one book' thing, shall we start at the end of May?

EG. There's another very good review of a book in Fortean Times this month. It's called Interpreting The English Village, by Mick 'Time Team' Aston and Chris Gerrard. ISBN is 9781905119455. Look into it!

[DarkLink]

Hey, as long as the choice in books is better than the majority of the stuff I got stuck reading* in my english classes in college, I'm good to go.

*Who am I kidding. I skimmed just about everything other than the Metamorphosis and the Rime of the Ancient Mariner. And the Rime is the only one I actually liked. I couldn't stand Faulkner, or Love in the Time of Cholera.

Edit: actually, Plato's Republic was interesting, too.

[Psychosplodge]

I suggest either "The guns of the south"or "Without warning"

[Wolfshade]

I suggest either "The guns of the south"or "Without warning"

I suggest Mr. Tall by Roger Hargreaves

[Psychosplodge]

I suggest Mr. Tall by Roger Hargreaves

B!tch please, everyone knows Mr. Tickle is a far better read.

[Wolfshade]

Psh Mr Tickle is just about someone with impulse control, who would be had up for assault and would loose their job for misconduct, his problems are that of a mentally ill person and he needs to control his Id. Whereas Mr Tall is a hard hitting expose of what it is like to be discriminated based on your physical attributes, i.e. trying to survive in a world for the average hieght without access or concern for those who are outside the "average" build.

[Psychosplodge]

Yeah, But Mr. Tickle is far funnier.
Also I live in a world with too low counters, sinks, cash machines etc I want to escape it in my fiction, not be reminded of my daily struggle.

[Mr Mystery]

Which is the point of the book club, to recommend and share good reads, dumbass :p

[Brakkart]

Were I still in a job I'd be happy to join up to this as used to get through a couple novels a week reading on my breaks. Alas living on benefits means what pitiful amount of money i have that isn't eaten up by needed expenses tends to go to feed my plastic crack and comic book addictions. I will follow the thread with interest though and you might pick a book I already have.

As a suggestion for something to read I'd chuck in Watchmen by Alan Moore which while a comic book, is one of the most multi-faceted stories I've ever read. I re-read it at least once a year and have done so for almost 20 years now, still spot things I'd not noticed before in both the art and the dialogue. Also it has probably the best villain comeback line in all of literature!

[scadugenga]

Holy ****, someone here is actually literate enough to read something other than the Black Library!?

Seriously though, I've got some books to recommend:


Mistborn: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Empire-Mistborn-Book-One/dp/0575089911/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367289954&sr=1-1&keywords=mistborn

Neo joins the crew of Ocean's Eleven in pulling a heist on the God Emperor ruling over noble slave holders in a quasi-post apocalyptic world (with magic, and maybe mid-1800's technology). And it works brilliantly. Also, when they say 'there's always another secret', they're not kidding.

Heroes Die: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Heroes-Die-Acts-Caine-ebook/dp/B00BCK1A74/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367290041&sr=1-1&keywords=Heroes+die

Conan the Barbarian meets 1984, or maybe A Clockwork Orange. It's remarkably philosophical, too, considering the sheer amount of violence in the book.


American Gods: http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Gods-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0755322819/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367290059&sr=1-1&keywords=American+Gods

Question. Are you still a God if no one believes in you?


It's almost like necro-posting. ;)

Didn't we discuss these awhile back?

I'd be down for a "book club" esque event.

And don't forget Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan.

[DarkLink]

Yes, actually, I started a thread listing good books a year or two ago. Wasn't anything about a book club, though. And, yes, Altered Carbon is pretty awesome. Very similar in tone to Heroes Die, actually.

[scadugenga]

I remember good recommendations back and forth.

Though, to be honest--Morgan writes a good story, but doesn't have the combat training background to write amazing fight scenes like Stover.

[Wildeybeast]

Having gone hard core and read the whole of Ice and Fire since Christmas, I think I may have to take the next 5 months off reading.

[Mr Mystery]

Are you a Wildeybeast, or a Wussybeast? Wheel of Time man, chop chop!

[Wildeybeast]

If I had a nine to five job, I'd have a much more prolific reading rate for pleasure. As it is, I spend most of my time reading essays, though I did get half of The Republic read last night which made a nice change of pace.

[Psychosplodge]

Having gone hard core and read the whole of Ice and Fire since Christmas, I think I may have to take the next 5 months off reading.
And it's taken you that long? What are you a PE teacher?

[Wildeybeast]

No, one of the ones with actual marking and planning to do. :D