Reading Salmon of Doubt as my current book, I like it so far

I have finally read my first Harry Potter book! I am over ten years behind the rest of humanity! I rock! *headbangs*

I did like The Sorcerer's Stone. it's not a perfect book, but it is well-written, and the characters please me. I shall be reading the rest soon in a marathon of Harry Potteriness.

I also only read the first Harry Potter when everyone else had almost gotten over the mania again - I just didn't want to then have to join the ranks of those who wait breathlessly for the next volume to come out...

I wasn't actually too keen on the first HP, maybe I expected too much; I thought it was just a children's book, not more, not less. But I liked the second one a lot better (which I am presently "re-reading" by audiobook - Stephen Fry does do a good job).

Urasawa's Monster is just brilliant. Book 4 now. This will get costly!

Apathy (and others in the know... Emerald?), if you have any suggestions as to something similar that I might like - never mind the muffled, panicky cries of my wallet, just tell me!

quote:

Originally posted by Tismalleen:
Urasawa's Monster is just brilliant. Book 4 now. This will get costly!

i've got the first one but never gotten round to actually reading it. started too once, but didn't get far. not sure what the problem is, though i suspect i only picked it up because local has deal if you buy three manga.

on the comic front over the weekend i read ross campbell's water baby, the latest minx graphic novel, DC's manga format imprint, aimed at being more girl friendly. though i've read them all and they are all pretty universal reads, just means there is no one beating anyone up, and people actually having conversations. mostly a decent collection of books, though one or two have been less impressive. this one was good though.

and then i read the last book in the y: the last man series. which i had mixed feelings about. i've been reading this series since it first started, i have like the first 20 issues before i decided to switch to trades for various reasons, not least that they are less hassle. he still manages to shock with the turns of this one, but not sure i'm happy about that, and perhaps ends up being a little anti-climactic. but i'll now read the dedicated thread when i get a chance and see what other folk thought.

also finished the execution channel by ken macleod. an alternate near future thriller, where the UK is hit by a rapid series of terrorist attacks and everything goes a little bit mental. the ending comes out of left-field, even though it is set up in someways.

quote:

Originally posted by Graffalke the Chrono-Illogical Alchemist:
Reading Salmon of Doubt as my current book, I like it so far

Do you mean the extra bits and essays, or the cobbled together-possible next Dirk Gently book bit?

I love the extra bits, but I put off reading the Salmon of Doubt bit, because I knew there would be no more and that it wasn't finished. I figured that I would just get sucked in/interested in the story and bam! No more for me. and that's exactly what happened. *sigh*

I put off buying it for over a year and put off reading SoD for almost a year.

Tis—I haven't read Monster, so I'm not entirely sure what it'd compare to. what's it about?

quote:

Originally posted by Cassiopeia:
I also only read the first Harry Potter when everyone else had almost gotten over the mania again - I just didn't want to then have to join the ranks of those who wait breathlessly for the next volume to come out...

I wasn't actually too keen on the first HP, maybe I expected too much; I thought it was just a children's book, not more, not less. But I liked the second one a lot better (which I am presently "re-reading" by audiobook - Stephen Fry does do a good job).

I just finished the third one last night, and they are getting progressively more mature. still kinda Scooby-Doo, but more complex. less like an episodic tv show.

I have to say that i was in full on research mode for a while, only reading books on wars in modern history and looking for societal impacts, but after have a bad week decided to put down Napoleon and Wellington and took up Good Omens which sillypunk lent me. Nothing like like the ludicrousness of the ineffable super natural end of the world to end a funk, AND it's autographed!!! doesn't effect the story, but does effect whether i try to steal the book or not.

the plan is to re-read Spook Country today and tomorrow-ish.
if i can stay awake.

quote:

Originally posted by McApathy:
Tis—I haven't read Monster, so I'm not entirely sure what it'd compare to. what's it about?

I actually read something a bit spoilery about it before picking it up - it's only in Book 4 that I'm learning what I already know. I'll try to be careful here...

The main character is a young Japanese doctor in Germany. He saves a little boy's life, and 10 years later the boy returns in a dramatic way. And pretty soon after that the doctor's on the run, trying to stop something awful from happening. There, nice and obscure.

The style is realistic, and it's the characters that I find fascinating, and the subtle way people and situations are depicted. And the fact that it's a story of... morals, right and wrong, and all sorts of shades of grey in between, and guilt and forgiveness and redemption and whatnot. Closer to a psychological thriller/drama than action & adventure. (It's also a little sentimental, but not really sappy.)

I'm not sure why I always assumed manga to be mostly about... uh, child-like saucer-eyed dudes having various superpowers? Either that, or some icky Loli stuff. Pretty ignorant, eh. *hangs head in shame*

You read quite a lot of manga, don't you Mac? So what are your favourites?

anything i can get my hands on by warren ellis
wow he can shape a story ala dumas

quote:

Originally posted by green-robot:
the plan is to re-read Spook Country today and tomorrow-ish.
if i can stay awake.

why can't i get into this book? i just can't do it!

Second reading of The Stand. Awesome.
'Salem's Lot - 4/5. I liked it, but was not enthralled or anything.
Watchmen - following comments in white text due to spoilers: I thought Veidt's revelation as the mastermind behind the whole scheme was very clever. Makes enough sense. "I did it thirty-five minutes ago." I'll remember that. The only part that I felt needed more elaboration was the psychic that Veidt used as the center of his plan. Didn't get how he could make a monster out of the mental energy in the psychic's brain.

Reading Twilight, Looking Glass Wars and Storm Front(1st in the Dresden file series).

I remember reading somewhere on this board that they hated Looking Glass Wars but I am actually enjoying it. Most of it reminds me of a lot of other stuff but this is my book to read while jumping from one bus to another to and from work. At 5:30 am I'm not wanting to read something that is too terribly deep. But for that matter all that I am reading is not terribly deep.

I am trying to read entertaining stuff that will let me rise out of this empty nest syndrome I am going though. But that is something for another post not here. <sigh>

gave up on SC. i know, i know, i know. i will try again later.
reading Iduro now. love Iduro.

reading Damnation Game by Clive Barker

Genesis: The Scientific Quest for Life's Origin by Robert M Hazen

Kusamakura by Natsume Soseki, Venus in Furs by Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch and The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol.
Well, just bought them, so haven't got started on all of them just yet, but the novels are very short. The Soseki is beautiful.

re-reading American Gods. all the hoopla in other threads made me crave it.

quote:

Originally posted by Syme:
Kusamakura by Natsume Soseki, Venus in Furs by Leopold Von Sacher-Masoch and The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol.

Ooh you'll have to tell me what you think about Gogol's tales! I only read "The Nose" & "The Overcoat" & then read his unfinished novel Dead Souls because I loved the stories so much. I might look for some of his other prose at some point.

I just finished Bayou Folk & A Night in Acadie by Kate Chopin. I was reading some of the stories for the 3rd time or so, & still liked them.