Read any good books this holiday?

[Tumbleweed]

Any Hiaasen fans?

 

Found a second hand copy of Sick Puppy at home - no recollection of buying it...nor any knowledge of his work...

 

 

Edited March 23, 2016 by Tumbleweed

[hboli4]

I had a couple of hours to kill on the airport and spent some time in Exclusive Books, wow but books are getting seriously expensive. Narrowed it down to 'I am Pilgrim' by Terry Hayes - which I ended up buying as at R170 it was half the price of the other book I was looking at (good read so far if you like 'thriller/spy' stuff) and 'The Mountain Shadow' by Gregory David Roberts (follow up to Shantaram).

 

I loved Shantaram and have read it at least 4 times - anybody read 'The Mountain Shadow'? Comments?

[Flippa]

Any Hiassen fans?

 

Found a second hand copy of Sick Puppy at home - no recollection of buying it...nor any knowledge of his work...

 

 

SickPuppy.jpg

 

I've read a couple of his, they're not too bad....

[Blackbeard]

Any Hiaasen fans?

 

Found a second hand copy of Sick Puppy at home - no recollection of buying it...nor any knowledge of his work...

 

 

SickPuppy.jpg

Meh....

[Tumbleweed]

Mentioned this guy over on the awesome thread...

 

It's a worthwhile read. Not a knock-your-socks-off kinda read, but that actually works for a character like Bertish. Like the casual way he goes about his big four dream - Waimea, Todo Santos, Mavericks and Peahi - although he's anything but casual in the water. That is hallowed. He throws in his motivational lessons kinda as an afterthought, like, "oh, ja..." He's more just-peachy than preachy. I liked the book.

 

 

This one was tough-going, probably a bit rigid in translation, but worth a read if you've any interest in the famous boy reporter or the socio-politico circumstances surrounding his creation (I don't think that - apart from beer, cheese, cycling and choccies - I will ever get the Belgians). Assouline's book is a great addition to any Tintin fan's collection of books about Herge...

 

 

...although it's no longer in mine as I gave it to my mate's hubby in Durbs just after I finished it, and he gave me this in turn. Unlike Assouline's sure-footed effort, Thompson's pace of writing is more akin to how Tintin trips through the books. He introduces the quirks of Herge's life like twists to the tale rather than points to push a thesis as Assouline does. Thompson's chapters end with cliffhangers. AN Wilson's quoted critique printed on the cover is spot-on...best read I've had for a while.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2016 by Tumbleweed

[Tumbleweed]

On my way home on Monday, I encountered Philani Dladla, the Pavement Bookworm, outside the Rosebank Gautrain station. He was drumming up interest in the Kingsmead Book Fair by selling some books.

 

I bought these...

 

 

Only realised later that I had already read the one on top, but I am looking forward to the one underneath it: The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam.

 

If you're wondering about what the Pavement Bookworm is about, read here: http://www.pavementbookworm.co.za/   

[Readsalot]

Finally! Got my new Neal Asher - I've been re-reading his Agent Cormac and other Polity novels (im)patiently while waiting for my favourite sci-fi writer. Want to know why you should read Neal Asher? This was one reviewer's reaction on Goodreads after reading one of his books:

 

"A STONKING GOOD READ!!!!!!!

A story for Star Wars fans who like to dangle there(sic) sexual organs around the rim of an industrial meat grinder, blindfolded and smothered in baby-oil whilst on roller-skates. "

 

http://i.imgur.com/5aHeXA6.jpg

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Good to see he has another one out.

 

Me, I'm reading GoT for the first full time. 

[Readsalot]

Good to see he has another one out.

 

Me, I'm reading GoT for the first full time. 

 

I am definitely not a George RR Martin fan. Tried reading his books years ago when he first started moving on from short stories and novellas to novels and I just couldn't get into it. I think that (like Tolkien) he is a great world-builder but a boring story-teller. Which is a pity, as fantasy is my favourite genre.  

 

Thank goodness fantasy is now probably the fastest-growing and most popular literary genre so there are dozens of choices to suit every taste. I am constantly updating my top-ten favourite list and have now resorted into dividing my fantasy into dark fantasy, light fantasy, epic fantasy, urban fantasy....

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

I am definitely not a George RR Martin fan. Tried reading his books years ago when he first started moving on from short stories and novellas to novels and I just couldn't get into it. I think that (like Tolkien) he is a great world-builder but a boring story-teller. Which is a pity, as fantasy is my favourite genre.  

 

Thank goodness fantasy is now probably the fastest-growing and most popular literary genre so there are dozens of choices to suit every taste. I am constantly updating my top-ten favourite list and have now resorted into dividing my fantasy into dark fantasy, light fantasy, epic fantasy, urban fantasy....

Yes, agreed on the last bit. But there's also so much shaite!

 

Re-read the Riftwar Saga not so long ago. Good to revisit them and now I'm going on to the other stuff. 

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Anybody into Terry Pratchett?

Read my first book by him, Guards, Guards!!!.

Bit weird, have a few others, not sure if I should try another before leaving his work.

[Gen]

I had a couple of hours to kill on the airport and spent some time in Exclusive Books, wow but books are getting seriously expensive. Narrowed it down to 'I am Pilgrim' by Terry Hayes - which I ended up buying as at R170 it was half the price of the other book I was looking at (good read so far if you like 'thriller/spy' stuff) and 'The Mountain Shadow' by Gregory David Roberts (follow up to Shantaram).

 

I loved Shantaram and have read it at least 4 times - anybody read 'The Mountain Shadow'? Comments?

I read I am Pilgrim in December. .really enjoyed it.. the follow up "Year of the Locust" is out soon.

[Readsalot]

Yes, agreed on the last bit. But there's also so much shaite!

 

Re-read the Riftwar Saga not so long ago. Good to revisit them and now I'm going on to the other stuff. 

 

 

Personally, I thought Riftwar and specifically Magician was his best work and after that Feist lost a bit of his focus and energy. I read a couple more sagas after Riftwar and then I lost interest. I heard his newest ones (Demonwar and Chaoswar) are pretty decent again but I just don't think I want to trudge through all the previous sagas again to catch up.

 

My favourites at the moment are Patrick Rothfuss (waiting for his third book to conclude his Kingkiller Chronicles), Jim Butcher (want him to get back to Dresden Files and stop mucking around with cyberpunk), Brent Weeks (I need the conclusion to The Lightbringer series!), Peter V Brett (must find out what is going to happen in the conclusion to the Demoncycle) and of course Brandon Sanderson needs to finish his Stormlight Archive - but at least Sanderson brought out two books already this year, so I'm trying to be patient with him.

[HeyYou]

I can't remember where I found this site and deal, but I found it some months ago and subscribed.

 

https://www.bookbub.com/home

 

Basically, you subscribe and they send you e-book deals every day. Very, very often the books are free, many are $0.99 and some a little more.

 

But for avid readers this is a fantastic site, with lots of e-books for free or cheap.

 

Enjoy!

 

Edit::::: No piracy, the books are available from reputable book dealers!!!

Edited May 18, 2016 by HeyYou

[Readsalot]

Anybody into Terry Pratchett?

Read my first book by him, Guards, Guards!!!.

Bit weird, have a few others, not sure if I should try another before leaving his work.

 

Terry Pratchett's books are all read to pieces by my family. Literally. They're falling apart, as whenever somebody is bored or feel like something light it's so easy to grab a favourite Discworld book and dive into it (like watching your favourite Friends episode - you know all the lines by heart and still laugh every time).

 

His books also contain a lot of satire, which makes them worth re-reading for me and of course it helps that I'm a huge fantasy fan. Guards, Guards! might not be the best book to start with, as it's the 8th Discworld book. 

 

If the Discworld books aren't really your cup of tea, you can try Good Omens which he wrote with Neil Gaiman, another favourite of mine.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

His early discworlds were, in my opinion, a bit strange. He got far more focus later on in the series, once the worlds were better formed and he had a more complete feeling of what he wanted to write. 

 

IMO.