|
Post by paltogue on May 22, 2014 15:35:30 GMT
What are you reading other than gamebooks right now? Here are some things I've been reading lately:
1) The novelette at the start of The Screaming Spectre (HeroQuest). A fun little read, something I've been meaning to read for a while. Did Dave Morris do much else prose stuff (as opposed to gamebooks)? More of this kind of superficially straight-forward but actually fairly clever stuff would be fun to read. 2) Jack Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth. This has been on my shelf for quite a few years now and I've never actually read it. About half way through the first 'story' and it's quite good if rather weird (in a good way). My current bed-time read. 3) The new Penguin translation of The Arabian Nights. I've been reading this off and on over the past year or two, and it's brilliant and completely mad, so mystical and evocative, though there's just so much of it that it's more one to dip in and out of rather than read from start to finish. It's a whole fantasy world of genies, palaces, flying carpets and desert islands. 4) The Unofficial LEGO Technic Builder's Guide. This is a wonderful introduction to this complex side of LEGO which I know very little about. It's also a good intro to some basic physics stuff that I'd forgotten from GCSE level or never learned in the first place. Pulleys, levers, gears, complex engines, the lot.
|
|
|
Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 22, 2014 19:06:34 GMT
1) Pete Brown - Man Walks Into a Pub - a history of beer. Borrowed from my uncle who brews his own beer. 2) Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Selected Poetry - what is says on the tin! Something to pick up and read when I'm in the mood. 3) Bill Bryson - Notes from a Big Country - Bryson tackles the US 4) Anon. - The Anglo-Saxon World - a selection of Anglo-Saxon writings (incl. Beowulf). This period of writing was something I studied in my final year at Uni, so it is always nice to dip back in every now and then.
and then 3 which can be read in small bites...
5) James Chapman - Inside the TARDIS - an overview/guide/analysis of "Doctor Who" (1963-2013) 6) Philip Sandifer - TARDIS Eruditorum Vol. 4: Tom Baker and the Hinchcliffe Years - series of essays about the first 3 years of Tom Baker's time on "Doctor Who" 7) Lawrence Miles & Tat Wood - About Time Vol. 4: 1975-1979 Season 12-17 - a guide/analysis of Tom Baker's first 6 seasons on "Doctor Who"
|
|
|
Post by a moderator on May 22, 2014 21:35:00 GMT
1) Mary Stewart - Merlin of the Crystal Cave. First book of a trilogy retelling the Arthurian legends from Merlin's viewpoint. 2) Krish Kandiah - Paradoxology. An analysis of apparent self-contradictions in Christianity and what can be learned about God from a proper understanding of them. 3) John Wyndham - The Kraken Wakes. Rereading this classic SF/horror tale of invasion, as I'm doing a presentation on Wyndham for the local SF group. 4) 'Alan Partridge' - I, Partridge. The autobiography of Steve Coogan's most famous character. 5) Samuel R. Delany - Dhalgren. Book 66 on phobosweb.com's '100 SF Books You Must Read'. If James Joyce had written science fiction, it would probably have looked something like this. 6) James Goss & Steve Tribe - A History of the Universe in 100 Objects. A Doctor Who-based pastiche of Neil MacGregor's historical guide. 7) Andrew Motion - Silver. A sequel to Treasure Island. Hasn't got off to the best of starts, but I'm sticking with it. 8) Vernor Vinge - The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge. My current 'carry around to read when stuck in long queues' anthology.
Paltogue, as far as I'm aware, the bulk of Dave Morris' prose apart from novelettes in gamebooks consists of adaptations of episodes of TV series. There's also the three-part Chronicles of the Magi, which is essentially a novelisation of about the first half of Blood Sword.
|
|
|
Post by hynreck on May 23, 2014 15:41:30 GMT
You guys read lots of stuff at once... impressive, but then my time is often split up with other medium!
Currently finishing King's Doctor Sleep, and going through my Astérix collection, at #10 presently with Astérix Légionnaire.
After Dr. Sleep I'm going to have a go at Brennan's Curse of Frankenstein.
|
|
|
Post by The Editor (Alex B) on May 24, 2014 0:09:37 GMT
You guys read lots of stuff at once... impressive All of the titles I'm reading are non-fiction or poetry, stuff that can be read in small chunks when you have a spare moment. You don't need to keep some grand narrative in your mind. Thus I tend to rotate between titles depending on my mood and/or how much spare time I have.
|
|
|
Post by hynreck on May 27, 2014 13:36:56 GMT
That sounds reasonable. I do similar at times. But when it comes to novels or gamebooks, only one at once! ...it's bad enough that I watch lots of tv shows in parallel. I don't have much choices in the matter, but ideally, I'd do only one at once.
|
|
sylas
Baron
"Don't just adventure for treasure; treasure the adventure!"
Posts: 1,744
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy, Way of the Tiger
|
Post by sylas on Oct 2, 2014 17:22:09 GMT
Jon Green's 'You Are The Hero' when i have time and briskly revisiting all the FF titles starting with Warlock.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2015 21:32:13 GMT
I picked up the novel Mary Reilly by Valerie Martin. I own the movie so I thought I'd give the book a go. I don't know why, but I enjoy reading books with strong heroines.
|
|
|
Post by guest111 on Apr 14, 2016 8:13:43 GMT
I like "classic" reading , so right now i picked up to re-read Sherlock Holmes.
|
|
|
Post by offm on Jun 2, 2016 15:50:28 GMT
I like "classic" reading , so right now i picked up to re-read Sherlock Holmes. Yes i like the classics too, hopping to read Tom Sawyer any time soon.. and liked the THree Musketters , a must all that action and full of "ambiance", a little like Sherlock in it´s own way.
|
|
|
Post by offm on Aug 5, 2016 16:48:00 GMT
i will start vacations on mid August and the elected book now to read and what draws my attention is Alice Nightmare in Wonderland.
|
|
|
Post by offm on Sept 14, 2016 15:10:09 GMT
Sort of multitasked reading , so 3 stories draws my attention at the moment : Heart of Ice by Dave Morris (played once almost finished it on 1st try but didnt), The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy(just started) , and one Brazilian book about the Missing Malaysian Airplain that mistyriously disappeared some years ago named Voo Malaysia 370.
|
|
|
Post by lordomnibok on Sept 14, 2016 18:37:20 GMT
I recently read Hound of the Baskervilles, a very nicely written/structured piece of literature; I can see why it is so well loved. Prior to that, I probably haven't read anything other than gamebooks for about a year. I’m basically a gamebook addict.
|
|
vagsancho
Knight
Posts: 810
Favourite Gamebook Series: CRYPT OF THE SORCERER
|
Post by vagsancho on Sept 14, 2016 22:16:32 GMT
Philosophy... Always Philosophy... Sometimes i feel my brain as a black hole... However, I intend to read and to feel Slaves of the Abyss in the near times.
|
|
|
Post by lordomnibok on Sept 14, 2016 23:05:45 GMT
"In the near times" I intend to read revenge of the vampire. Its one of the few ff books I haven't read, and as Vault was such a classic I'm hoping for good things. Plus my girlfriend nearly decapitated me when she found out how much I had paid for it, so it had better be fairly decent. Gamebooks aside though, I wouldn't mind re-reading Waylander. It was my favourite book as a kid, along with TLOTR, so it might be nice to see how it measures up from an adult perspective
|
|
|
Post by philsadler on Sept 15, 2016 5:47:40 GMT
"In the near times" I intend to read revenge of the vampire. I Don't forget to go online and check out the various errors in it, otherwise the book may prove too much. By the way, it's still a classic.
|
|
|
Post by lordomnibok on Sept 15, 2016 7:16:37 GMT
[/quote]Don't forget to go online and check out the various errors in it, otherwise the book may prove too much. By the way, it's still a classic. [/quote]
It's good to hear you liked it. I checked out the 'game breaking' error, so thanks for the tip. As for the rest, I'm going to go it alone. I'll be patient and forgiving with its technical faults, as long as it is well crafted in other respects, which I imagine it will be. (whoops. I messed up that quote. I'll sort that out later)
|
|
|
Post by philsadler on Sept 15, 2016 7:35:06 GMT
[/quote]It's good to hear you liked it. I checked out the 'game breaking' error, so thanks for the tip. As for the rest, I'm going to go it alone. I'll be patient and forgiving with its technical faults, as long as it is well crafted in other respects, which I imagine it will be. (whoops. I messed up that quote. I'll sort that out later)[/quote] I loved it and it has some of the best illustrations ever. Pity about the cover which is just a rehash of the first, which itself was just a rehash of every stereotypical vampire ever.
|
|
|
Post by lordomnibok on Sept 15, 2016 17:30:31 GMT
Yes, McKenna is one of my favourite illustrators too. I take pains to avoid looking at the drawings until I reach the corresponding text, that way the artwork is a surprise and feels ‘of the moment,’ enhancing the atmosphere of each book. I wonder if many other people do this too? As McKenna was hired for this one, I may well agree with your sentiments when I start reading it tomorrow.
|
|
|
Post by philsadler on Sept 15, 2016 17:32:09 GMT
Yes. I've always done that too.
|
|
|
Post by offm on Feb 8, 2017 11:34:22 GMT
Start reading this Month: Fausto , Crime and punishment (Portuguese versions) , Expect to read soon: Of Mice and Men (English Version)
|
|
kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
|
Post by kieran on Feb 8, 2017 13:53:18 GMT
Excellent book
|
|
|
Post by offm on Jul 14, 2017 23:22:01 GMT
Strangely enough I got the book, second hand from a person named Kieran , odd but funny coincidence isn't it? Not read it yet read instead another classic I have been curious , since I saw the league of extraordinary gentleman, the strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde , been fascinated how easy is to understand the full story read it in 3 days Sent from my SUNSET2 using proboards
|
|
|
Post by offm on Oct 4, 2017 3:49:00 GMT
Started to read from mice and man, didn't like the main character cauterization characterization it he don't have no auto analisys of himself but like to criticise others , like the paternal figure towards Lenny but takes him the will to think by himself.
|
|
|
Post by guest111 on Nov 3, 2017 10:27:41 GMT
There are some interesting classics that report to that era but in a less pragmatic (and more funny) way than mice and men, you have to look up for them tough.
|
|
|
Post by paperexplorer on Nov 11, 2022 2:15:06 GMT
I just finished The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson
Not as campy as I expected, and tinged with dark moments but the whole cellar scene was a bit repetitive for mine
|
|
|
Post by petch on Nov 11, 2022 14:27:45 GMT
I've given up trying to get my little boy into gamebooks (I have tried, but much to my disappointment he is just not interested), but we are reading through Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series together. It's what his friends are into, and at least they are pacy, exciting and good fun to read as a family. He likes the different voices I give to each character - I read the head of MI6 with a dodgy Ray Winstone impression, and for some reason I've given Smithers (the Q-style gadget man) the voice of Vic & Bob's Mulligan & O'Hare.
I've also been trying to make my way through Raymond Carver's short stories and poems, which are almost all beautiful and at their best are deeply moving, but I need to take a break from them soon as I still need to read Shadow of the Giants and Secrets of Salamonis (not to mention JG's Ace Gamebooks which I still to my shame have not started!).
|
|
kieran
Baron
Posts: 2,547
Favourite Gamebook Series: Fighting Fantasy
|
Post by kieran on Nov 11, 2022 14:47:11 GMT
Finished Philip K Dick's Dr Bloodmoney earlier this week which I enjoyed a lot (admittedly I have never read a Philip K Dick book I didn't like - although Valis was a bit hard going). Now getting stuck into CS Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet which I'm also liking so far. On my Kindle, I'm doing my best to finish Charlotte Bronte's The Professor which is easily my least favourite Bronte book so far, and keeping with the Lewis theme I'm about halfway through Mere Christianity which is an easy read, but not particularly robust in its arguments imo.
|
|
|
Post by hallucination on Nov 13, 2022 21:20:37 GMT
Flannery O‘Connor short stories, A Good Man Is Hard To Find
|
|
|
Post by Peter on Nov 16, 2022 7:49:51 GMT
The Dune prequels. I am really enjoying them. Frank Herbert was a master at creating a believable culture. Even better, he weaved it into the story rather than explaining things as "asides". It is easy to picture the people going about their lives in a world where water is the most valuable commodity. Of course it would become the currency, the standard against which a person's value is measured.
I had forgotten how much influence the original book had on me when I first read it. Some of the concepts have stayed with me. Playing football or going on bush walks, I always drink as much as I need and never worry about "saving some for later", like the Fremen who insist that it does you no good while it's sitting in your stillsuit (or water bottle).
Highly recommended.
|
|