2226 replies to this topic

[Warpechowski]

George R.R. Martin

[Four Aces]

I have just finished The Saint and the Templar Treasure by Leslie Charteris. I have been acquiring these old Saint series books thru various websites. I have also just finished A Celebration of Style, which is a biography of Cary Crant.

This week I have started two non-fiction books: (1) Rescuing DaVinci, this is the story of the rescuing and recovery of stolen art after World War Two by a group of US & Allied soldiers know as the "Monuments Men". It is an outstanding piece of work, and a good art reference. (2) The World Undone, this is a very readable history of World War One, a subject that seems to be no longer taught in history courses, other than a few paragraphs.

Cheers,

4A

[imjacks]

Currently reading Moonraker. Just finished Live And Let Die.

[Qwerty]

Currently reading Moonraker. Just finished Live And Let Die.

Recommend you add your reviews to the when you get a chance.

[Lazenby880]

A couple of days ago I finished re-reading Eric Ambler

[Tiin007]

Hawke by Ted Bell. His writing style has a nice fastness and flow to it. Nice adventure story.

[Qwerty]

I've just started reading 'Not Forgetting James Bond' by Syd Cain.

[Aussie21]

Almost finished reading Michael Crichton's Next, which is (as usual with Crichton's work) amazingly well done.

Gearing up for Double or Die.

[mrsbonds_ppk]

I am currently reading The Man With The Red Tattoo. I like it a lot. The Japanese theme and everthing is very cool. This is the first 007 novel i've ever read

[Kilroy6644]

I just finished the latest issue of National Geographic, and I'm about to start Kull: Exile Of Atlantis by Robert E. Howard.

[Number 6]

THE LOSERS


by Andy Diggle & Jock.

[killkenny kid]

I just picked up Thunderstruck by Erik Larson, today.

[*Gala*]

Am having to read "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe for school and will probably fall asleep doing it! Have had two weeks to do it and read only 2 pages... now I wonder how I'll finish the rest in 34 hours! *sighs*

[Qwerty]

The Man Who Heard Voices: Or, How M. Night Shyamalan Risked His Career on a Fairy Tale by Michael Bamberger.

I'm a huge fan of his films and was interested to hear about the story behind Lady in the Water.

[Qwerty]

QWERTY ... how many Agatha Christie books did you finally read???

Been reading other books lately. I still have around 10 left to read (which means I've read about 70).

[Icarus]

I've been mostly reading The Book of General Ignorance, a factoid book based off the comedy quiz show QI. There's some really quite interesting stuff in there, and it can sometimes almost make you believe that everything you think you know is wrong. There's the occasional fact that sometimes makes you think, "Hang on, surely that can't be right..." but it does back up its claims with evidence.

[DaveBond21]

One hit wonderland - by Tony Hawks (that's the British writer/comedian, not the skateboarder!)

[Byron]

One hit wonderland - by Tony Hawks (that's the British writer/comedian, not the skateboarder!)

The same Tony Hawks of Red Dwarf fame, including the "Backwards" episode?

[Agent 0015]

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides

[Joyce Carrington]

Kisscut by Karin Slaughter... ooh, I'll be sad when I'm finished.

[DaveBond21]

One hit wonderland - by Tony Hawks (that's the British writer/comedian, not the skateboarder!)


The same Tony Hawks of Red Dwarf fame, including the "Backwards" episode?

Yes, that's the one. He also wrote and sang the novelty rap song "Stutter Rap" in 1988.

[SilencedPPK]

I am currently reading, "I, Lucifer" by Glen Duncan. It's really interesting.

[Double-0-7]

The Secret - What Great Leaders Know and Do. By Ken Blanchard (of One Minute Manager fame).

[Qwerty]

Starting Double or Die

[trs007]

Just started NEXT, by Michael Crichton.

[Professor Dent]

I'm just starting Vince Flynn's Consent To Kill.

[Number 6]

I'm reading FELL #6 by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith.

[Roebuck]

Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Picked it up on spec, woefully ignorant of the reputation of either the book or it's author. A lot of mythology has got attached to Gravity's Rainbow over thirty-three years; in retrospect I was lucky to be able to read it 'uncontaminated' by any hype. The plot (PISCES, a Torchwood style wartime agency staffed by psychics and mad scientists, send an American lieutenant into Germany to investigate the special payload carried by a V2 rocket code numbered '00000') gets abandoned early on, the novel becoming a series of episodes that are in turn dark comedy, beautifully poetic and downright crude. There's no denying that an over reliance on vulgar schoolboy humour and it's excessive length are big weakpoints that have had a lot of readers saying ''life's too short''. If you are prepared to slog on with it though there's wonderful use of language and imagery, coupled with Pythonesque absurdity.

BTW However much Penguin paid Frank Miller to do the new cover, it was money for old rope.

[Harmsway]

IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

And anyway, I did re-read HANNIBAL RISING and ended up enjoying it quite a bit more. It's not in the same league as Harris' other novels and is remarkably different than any of the previous entries, but it's rather enjoyable and has a lot of interesting and fascinating details that connect to other entries. It should make for a fine film.

Speaking of the film, the final US Theatrical Trailer arrived, and I think it's actually pretty good (sure, it doesn't look like the greatest film ever made, but it looks to be a heck of a lot more engaging than RED DRAGON was): Hannibal Rising Trailer (in Quicktime).

[Loomis]

Well, it's a heck of an improvement on the teaser (which was incredibly underwhelming), although it blows at least one plot development I'd rather not have known about. Surprised that Hopkins' image is used - a bit of a cheat, surely?

Wondering whether to read the novel first. Even though this new trailer has persuaded me that the film may not be a total turkey after all, I do strongly suspect that it won't be a sufficiently strong or interesting piece of work in its own right to make it worthwhile viewing for those for whom the plot is already blown - barring, of course, a HANNIBAL-style change of ending. Then again, I'm pretty much signed up for anything that stars the gorgeous Gong Li, so perhaps that's an inducement to put the Harris book on the backburner and start with the celluloid version. Decisions, decisions....

BTW, talking of origin story flicks for iconic serial killers, I'm starting to get quite interested in the upcoming remake/reboot/retcon/whatever of HALLOWEEN (my favourite horror film, incidentally, and definitely a classic not to be messed with as far as I'm concerned, which makes my approval of Rob Zombie's new effort something of a surprise), largely because of the genius casting of Malcolm McDowell as Dr Loomis, arguably Donald Pleasence's best-known role. Thanks to his amazing work (okay, it was a long time ago, but still....) in the amazing films IF...., O LUCKY MAN! and A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, McDowell has always been one of my favourite actors, and I think he's hands down the most inspired choice to replace Pleasence. I also think he'd have made an excellent Bond back in the day.