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Books. What are you reading?

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 2:31 am
by Zombiezilla
I know it was asked before to make a section on these boards for books, then somebody mentioned maybe doing a thread dedicated to books. Now I see Staffan wanting to talk books, so maybe we should have a tread.

The Conquerer Worms - Brian Keene: Started reading this one a little while ago. Back in my pre-kids days I would have finished this thing in a couple of days. Fast read with TONS of fun and great characters. Basically it starts raining one day, and doesn't look like it's going to stop. Then the giant worms show up, and all Hell REALLY breaks loose!!!

The Terror - Dan Simmons: Back in my pre-kids days this one would have taken me forever to finish...so it's REALLY going slow. This isn't that it is a boring book, not by any means. It's just so dang in-depth and insanely researched that it is taking me a while to follow along. It takes place in the 1800 on the final voyage of the EMS Terror and the mystery of what happened to her on her trip to the North Pole. CREEPY stuff. If you have ever read Dan Simmons, you know how good he can be. This is the "Great" style of Simmons.

How about you?

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 3:30 am
by toxict35
Dan Simmons, you say? Looks like another shared interest; I've been hooked on his writing ever since first reading his Hyperion series. An absolutely great set of books. I'm sure you've read Carrion Comfort also?

Right now, I'm reading the Edgar Allen Poe Complete Tales & Poems book my daughter got for me last Christmas, and I just finished David Wellington's "Monster" trilogy (Monster Island, Monster Nation, and Monster Planet). Not bad for a zombie series, but a little over the top as far as the supernatural elements included go (were there really Scottish mummies?).

Didn't Brian Keene do some zombie books also?

Tony

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 3:47 am
by Mark M
The Complete Sherlock Holmes... By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Large book, been working on this one on and off for about a year now,
it's usually what I pickup to read when I want a break away from everything else! 8)

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 4:19 am
by john383
Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace" in a very good new translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokonsky.
At over 1200 pages it is a very long book, but I'm 160 deep and it's starting to pick up pace.
Nevertheless, I figure reading it will take me all through the winter months and maybe then some.

John

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 5:25 am
by Hooty
Nothing quite as intellectual as what my well read colleagues appear to be
reading. I'm going through an old collection of comic books that I had forgotten that I had. "House of Secrets", "Where Monststers Dwell" etc.
All from the 70's when I was a teen. It may not be great material, but, I'm enjoying the heck out of them! :D

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 6:19 am
by temperflash
Not bad for a zombie series, but a little over the top as far as the supernatural elements included go (were there really Scottish mummies?).
Apparently so.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/2856399.stm
Plus the naturally mummified remains found in peat bogs.

Only reading lately was a Stephen King short Story in Playboy. Forgot the title, about a guy telling a Priest about a Mute Hitch Hiker. Decent, reminds me of his early stuff, could be an old one.

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 6:26 am
by modeljunky
Hooty wrote:It may not be great material, but, I'm enjoying the heck out of them! :D
And thats all that matters.......
I have a never ending pile of comics that have to be read....

I just got done reading Stephen King's IT.....and now I'm onto something a bit lighter...Harry Harrisons The Stainless Steel Rat.....I picked up a bunch of Hard covers on Ebay last month for under $10...With shipping...

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 6:47 am
by The Harlequin
Mark M wrote:The Complete Sherlock Holmes... By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
SNAP! Hey Mark, if that's the one with all the short stories and the four novels combined into one......that's exactly what I've got going at the moment!!!! :shock:

Into The Hound of the Baskervilles at the moment. Been at the book for about two months.

Freaky.....

- The Harlequin

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 6:49 am
by Misellus
Dresden Files series by Jim Bucher. On book 8 now. I liked the tv show (sucks it was canceled) so I found the books. They're different than the show, especially the later ones. Really enjoying them.

The Stand by Stephen King (uncut version). 4th or 5th time reading this one, it's one I always go back to.

Just finished Dexter in the Dark, book 3 of the Dexter series. Waaaaay different than the previous ones. Enjoyable but a big departure with a supernatural tone. For those who like the show, read the books, Season 1 is essentially book 1, season 2 has similarities to book 2 but is very different, and I don't see book 3 being used as the basis for season 3 in any but the most general way.

M-

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 6:55 am
by Mark M
The Harlequin wrote:
Mark M wrote:The Complete Sherlock Holmes... By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
SNAP! Hey Mark, if that's the one with all the short stories and the four novels combined into one......that's exactly what I've got going at the moment!!!! :shock:

Into The Hound of the Baskervilles at the moment. Been at the book for about two months.

Freaky.....

- The Harlequin
That's the one.... Great stuff eh? 8)

I always liked the various Sherlock Holmes films i've seen many times
over since my youth, but I never actually read any of books... Found this
in a Bookstore last year on sale for like $15 and snapped it up. :smokin:

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 6:59 am
by The Harlequin
Mark M wrote: That's the one.... Great stuff eh? 8)

I always liked the various Sherlock Holmes films i've seen many times
over since my youth, but I never actually read any of books... Found this
in a Bookstore last year on sale for like $15 and snapped it up. :smokin:
I hear ya! Always loved Basil Rathbone in the role....or am I showing my age?

I've read most of the stories at some stage during my years, but this is the first time I've found them all in one volume. Gotta love it!

- The Harlequin

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 12:37 pm
by Zombiezilla
toxict35 wrote:Dan Simmons, you say? Looks like another shared interest; I've been hooked on his writing ever since first reading his Hyperion series. An absolutely great set of books. I'm sure you've read Carrion Comfort also?

Right now, I'm reading the Edgar Allen Poe Complete Tales & Poems book my daughter got for me last Christmas, and I just finished David Wellington's "Monster" trilogy (Monster Island, Monster Nation, and Monster Planet). Not bad for a zombie series, but a little over the top as far as the supernatural elements included go (were there really Scottish mummies?).

Didn't Brian Keene do some zombie books also?

Tony
When asked what my favorite books are, the answer for years has been:

Dan Simmons Carrion Comfort and Summer Of Night.
Anything written by Joe R. Lansdale

Carrion is a book I have made so many people read, and all of them have LOVED it. The fastest bigbook read out there, IMO.

Yes, Brian has a few zombie books it looks like. This is the first of his I have read. I fell out of serious reading for years and was surprised to see Brian had some books out. He and I used to post on some of the same boards years ago, when I was trying to be an author (and failing miserably).

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 12:39 pm
by Zombiezilla
Hooty wrote:Nothing quite as intellectual as what my well read colleagues appear to be
reading. I'm going through an old collection of comic books that I had forgotten that I had. "House of Secrets", "Where Monststers Dwell" etc.
All from the 70's when I was a teen. It may not be great material, but, I'm enjoying the heck out of them! :D
Well, my Marvel Essentials are always close at hand!

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 12:43 pm
by Zombiezilla
Mark M wrote:
The Harlequin wrote:
Mark M wrote:The Complete Sherlock Holmes... By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
SNAP! Hey Mark, if that's the one with all the short stories and the four novels combined into one......that's exactly what I've got going at the moment!!!! :shock:

Into The Hound of the Baskervilles at the moment. Been at the book for about two months.

Freaky.....

- The Harlequin
I've got the Holmes books, mine is a two volume paperback set. They've been sitting next to my bed for a few years and I keep wanting to pick them up and read them, but something always puts them off. I really need to read them.

That's the one.... Great stuff eh? 8)

I always liked the various Sherlock Holmes films i've seen many times
over since my youth, but I never actually read any of books... Found this
in a Bookstore last year on sale for like $15 and snapped it up. :smokin:

Posted: December 17th, 2007, 10:05 pm
by Monkeywiz
I used to read loads, but seem to have gotten out of the habit, but I heartily recommend anything my Iain M Banks if you like sci fi ( and even if you don't :P )

Posted: December 18th, 2007, 2:58 am
by DaveP
Just finished World War Z by Max Brooks and Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk (who also did Fight Club).

Posted: December 18th, 2007, 12:24 pm
by Zombiezilla
DaveP wrote:Just finished World War Z by Max Brooks and Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk (who also did Fight Club).
How is WWZ??? I've heard so many good things about it, and really want to pick it up, but I don't care to pay for the hardcover price and still have yet to see it arrive in paperback. If I never find the paperback, it the hardcover worth it?

Posted: December 18th, 2007, 12:35 pm
by Tim Fortuna
Just finished I am Legend again, going through the latest Mad Magazine and will probably hit the Dexter books I got for X-Mas last year.

Posted: December 18th, 2007, 1:58 pm
by DaveP
Zombiezilla -

I really enjoyed WWZ. The author is also fictional - a character who works for the government travelling the world documenting people's war experiences, from how the zombie war started to the aftermath and reconstruction. The book is a collection of his interviews.

The companion book The Zombie Survival Guide is equally well done. Everything you need to know to survive a zombie onslaught.

Dave

Posted: December 18th, 2007, 2:28 pm
by Zombiezilla
Cool, I'll pick it up then.

For those who don't know, Max Brooks, the author of World War Z is indeed the son of Mel Brooks.