2226 replies to this topic

[killkenny kid]

T.D. Jakes's Reposition Yourself.

[Qwerty]

Pop Goes The Weasel by James Patterson.

[Harmsway]

The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor

and

Lancelot by Walker Percy

[DaveBond21]

The News of the World Football Annual 2007-8.

[Joyce Carrington]

The first of the Joyce Carrington trilogy. Just started the second chapter, but I enjoyed the PTS!

Oh my! I'm quite flattered.

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last week.

Overall I'm quite disappointed - I would actually go so far as to say that this was the weakest of all seven. (Which is rather interesting considering Jo Rowling herself seems to think it's her best). There are many things I don't like, ranging from the low risk (though there were many casualties I would have loved to see one of the more important characters die), the bending of the rules (oh, but that spell doesn't work now, because blah blah blah), the slow and repititious middle, and the slightly 'easy' final battle, to the saccharine ending that almost made me dry heave.

One of the biggest problems, however, is, I fear, that Rowling left too many loose ends to tie up. There were still so many questions that needed answering that the whole book felt like one big exposition. There were dialogues and dialogues of explanations (quite boring) and even more subplots/family histories than ever. And it all felt so forced into it: now we need fifteen pages of Pensieve just to explain, here's the long tragic history so you understand, oh but Harry, it must have gone something like this. It was just too much, it became very confusing. I really don't get why the person who won the battle won the battle and the person who lost lost (but perhaps I should reread that section).

I would have loved to see the exposition cut down, even crammed into a nutshell, and more attention put into the quest for the Horcruxes. I had imagined this exciting thing with many ups and downs, and it all turned out rather dull.

Not to say that it wasn't still enjoyable and there were some great moments. My 'best line of the book award' goes to Mrs. Weasley, for her "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!". Hell yes.

[Arbogast777]

If seeing an old poster of Houdini or some such magician gets you a little bit excited, you'll love this...

[Cruiserweight]

There's not many words in this book to read but i like it anyway.

[DaveBond21]

Stephen King - Different Seasons

[Qwerty]

Roses are Red by James Patterson.

[Number 6]

THE BEAST HOUSE by Richard Laymon

[Kilroy6644]

The first Harry Potter book.

[*Gala*]

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard

...have to read it for my English class but I swear it's nowhere NEAR the caliber that dear old Hamlet is! There's humor but I still prefer Hamlet.

Edited by *Gala*, 06 October 2007 - 08:25 PM.

[Kilroy6644]

The first Harry Potter book.

Not a great fan.... read it to the kids they begged me to stop!! We all prefer Rouald Dahl and Tolkien here. (That is in my house not in Ed, JKR extrememly popular this side (perhaps all sides) of the Atlantic).

I wasn't at all interested in reading Harry Potter, but I have a couple of friends who kept bugging me until I finally caved. They're big fans. Mention Harry Potter and their eyes glaze over and they start drooling.

[sharpshooter]

Re reading SilverFin.

[Qwerty]

London Bridges by James Patterson.

[00Twelve]

Just finished Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. Fantastic mystery. I've heard it's considered by popular opinion to be arguably the best suspense novel ever written. I could understand that. If you've never picked this up, I highly suggest you check it out.

Right now, I'm starting Ashenden, by W. Somerset Maugham. Exciting so far...

[Number 6]

THE HOUSE by Bentley Little

[Santa]

My neighbour just lent me Marley & Me, so it looks like I'll be starting that this evening.

[killkenny kid]

Dreams from My Father - Barack Obama.

[*Gala*]

The first Harry Potter book.

Not a great fan.... read it to the kids they begged me to stop!! We all prefer Rouald Dahl and Tolkien here. (That is in my house not in Ed, JKR extrememly popular this side (perhaps all sides) of the Atlantic).

I wasn't at all interested in reading Harry Potter, but I have a couple of friends who kept bugging me until I finally caved. They're big fans. Mention Harry Potter and their eyes glaze over and they start drooling.

I take it that they see Rowling as the new Fleming?

I know what you mean, many people I know are similar about Harry Potter.

[Kilroy6644]

I take it that they see Rowling as the new Fleming?

I know what you mean, many people I know are similar about Harry Potter.

I don't know that they've ever read Fleming.

While I'm not as enraptured as they are, I have to admit, I'm enjoying it. It's a very quick read too, which is always nice.

Edited by Kilroy6644, 07 October 2007 - 06:37 PM.

[Kilroy6644]

Well, I finished Harry Potter and I've just started W.E.B. Griffin's "The Double Agents," mentioned in this thread.

[Santa]

My neighbour just lent me Marley & Me, so it looks like I'll be starting that this evening.

Sorry to quote myself but I did start this last night and couldn't put it down! It's a lovely read, although you probably need to be a dog lover to appreciate it. I eventually had to go to sleep about 2/3 of the way through, now I'm trying to think of excuses not to go out tonight so I can stay at home and finish it. Kilroy, I think you'd enjoy this, and not just because of the dog.

[Kilroy6644]

My neighbour just lent me Marley & Me, so it looks like I'll be starting that this evening.

Sorry to quote myself but I did start this last night and couldn't put it down! It's a lovely read, although you probably need to be a dog lover to appreciate it. I eventually had to go to sleep about 2/3 of the way through, now I'm trying to think of excuses not to go out tonight so I can stay at home and finish it. Kilroy, I think you'd enjoy this, and not just because of the dog.

I knew the title sounded familiar. When it first came out, they interviewed the author on a radio show I listen to. It sounded like a good book.

[Kilroy6644]

Well, I finished Harry Potter and I've just started W.E.B. Griffin's "The Double Agents," mentioned in this thread.

Just finished "The Double Agents," and am about 60 pages into "Harry Potter and The Chamber Of Secrets."

[james st.john smythe]

tiger force. its about these American soldiers who mental mental in Nam and killed loads of innocent villagers and stuff

[Santa]

My neighbour just lent me Marley & Me, so it looks like I'll be starting that this evening.

Sorry to quote myself but I did start this last night and couldn't put it down! It's a lovely read, although you probably need to be a dog lover to appreciate it. I eventually had to go to sleep about 2/3 of the way through, now I'm trying to think of excuses not to go out tonight so I can stay at home and finish it. Kilroy, I think you'd enjoy this, and not just because of the dog.

I knew the title sounded familiar. When it first came out, they interviewed the author on a radio show I listen to. It sounded like a good book.

I should add that I bawled my eyes out for about half an hour towards the end. Took me ages to finish because the pages were blurred with my tears. And then I insisted on throwing my arms around my poor, sleeping dog and promising him the world, including changing my will in his favour .

[Kilroy6644]

Finished the second Harry Potter, and I've started on Martin Cruz Smith's Stalin's Ghost.

[Agent 0015]

I just finished reading the Great Gatsby. One of the few books I liked that I read this year.

[DaveBond21]

"Up the Duff" by Kaz Cooke. Always funny to read, she is great.