Read an interesting book lately? Recommend it.

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:09 pm

I'm re-reading Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham at the moment. Rather slowly...

Last "new" book I read was All Fun And Games Until Somebody Loses An Eye by Christopher Brookmyre, which comes recommended as a funny and entertaining bit of social / pop culture observation. Billed as 'what happens when iconically ordinary Scots are dumped into the middle of Hollywood plots.' Slower first section, but you'll get to the explosions quickly enough.

Most of Microserfs, which is a great book to read a few pages of any time you have a few minutes to kill.

Grandmaster Shockwaeve · Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:57 pm

I've started reading "The Varieties of Scientific Experience" by Carl Sagan, which just came out a few weeks ago.

I'm not sure how I feel about digging out and publishing everything a successful author ever touched, but in this case, based on the introduction Carl wrote, it was clearly intended to be done. And in this case, I'm very glad it was.

It's a transcript of the Gifford Lectures he gave in 1985 at the University of Glasgow. The subtitle is "A personal view of the search for God" and it's about the only writing I can tolerate on the subject. It's not a polemic in either direction. He's simply stating, as a scientist, the most important tenet he knows: follow the evidence. So simple, yet lost on so many.

From the introduction by his editor (and widow) Ann Druyan:

"His argument was not with God but with those who believed that our understanding of the sacred had been completed. Science's permanently revolutionary conviction that the search for truth never ends seemed to him the only approach with sufficient humility to be worthy of the universe that it revealed. The methodology of science, with its error-correcting mechanism for keeping us honest in spite of our chronic tendencies to project, to misunderstand, to deceive ourselves and others, seemed to him the height of spiritual discipline. If you are searching for sacred knowledge and not just a palliative for your fears, then train yourself to be a good skeptic."

Dead Man Wade · Post by **Dead Man Wade** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 6:53 am

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

It's the feel good Apocalyptic novel of the decade.

the_escaflowne_2k · Post by **the_escaflowne_2k** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 9:58 am

Originally posted by Denyer

Most of Microserfs, which is a great book to read a few pages of any time you have a few minutes to kill.

Have you read J-Pod yet? While not being quite as good as Microserfs (for me anyway) its still pretty good, only marred by a recurring thing Coupland seems to be adding to his stories recently,

[

SPOILER! (select to read)
]his casual use of death/murder doesn't sit well with me when reading his current stuff and sometimes seems out of place and unnecessary.[

]

still i liked it enough to read it in the one day and im happy enough with it to not mind having stumped up for the hardback signed copy.

Personally i just finished The Castle by Franz Kafka, t'was ok but nothing special i found, probably gonna re-read some Haruki Murakami next, as fund dont quite permit buying anything new till after the holidays.

Galvatron91 · Post by **Galvatron91** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 11:19 pm

Michael C. C. Adams: The Best War Ever: America and World War II It works to point out the myths that Americans are led to believe about World War II and comments on the dangers of elevating one event to such a high and lofty position in society. It examines how in order for WWII to be the best war ever, the "Good War," many of the horrific events abroad had to be omitted and the social tensions at home downplayed. If you enjoy military history, it is a quick read.

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:21 am

Originally posted by the_escaflowne_2k
Have you read J-Pod yet?

The last one I picked up was Girlfriend in a Coma, and delving into the back catalogue for Generation X. The latter was distinctly underwhelming -- we've been living that for years, so it doesn't feel at all revolutionary now, and the former was vaguely depressing and seemingly without point (from what I can actually remember, which isn't a great deal. Stuff about 'bursters' in supermarkets?)

Originally posted by Dead Man Wade
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

It's the feel good Apocalyptic novel of the decade.

Also very good for dipping into. I think the Workman hardcover I've got is one of the American editions that has extra footnotes and sentences to explain some of the British terms and concepts...

Also, I don't know whether the publisher's sample copy I've got is deliberately unguillotined or the page edges are supposed to be raggedly uneven.

Dead Man Wade · Post by **Dead Man Wade** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:49 am

Originally posted by Denyer
Also very good for dipping into. I think the Workman hardcover I've got is one of the American editions that has extra footnotes and sentences to explain some of the British terms and concepts...

Such as the footnotes explaining the original British monetary system (which was positively brilliant) or the 'firelighter', or are you referring to something else?

Post by **Denyer** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:15 am

http://www.lspace.org/books/apf/good-omens.html

Apparently the UK paperback that's on shelves now should be the same manuscript. It's the Gollancz original that lacks the extra material.

Don't know whether the decimalisation footnote was an addition; possibly.

Grandmaster Shockwaeve · Fri Dec 08, 2006 6:15 am

Originally posted by Denyer: Also, I don't know whether the publisher's sample copy I've got is deliberately unguillotined or the page edges are supposed to be raggedly uneven.

If you're talking about what I think you're talking about, it's fairly common in hardcovers, at least among US publishers.

Random Sweep · Post by **Random Sweep** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:25 am

White line fever. Lemmy's autobiography.

Lemmy is God

the_escaflowne_2k · Post by **the_escaflowne_2k** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:16 am

Originally posted by Denyer
The last one I picked up was Girlfriend in a Coma, and delving into the back catalogue for Generation X. The latter was distinctly underwhelming -- we've been living that for years, so it doesn't feel at all revolutionary now, and the former was vaguely depressing and seemingly without point (from what I can actually remember, which isn't a great deal. Stuff about 'bursters' in supermarkets?)

Haven't heard anything real positive about Girlfriend In A Coma, and haven't been tempted by it yet, as for Generation X, i also found it underwhelming, i think Micorserfs was his first really enjoyable book (Shampoo Planet isn't too bad mind but again lacks a point), and i have to admit that while i didn't like the premise of Hey Nostradamus it ended up being a lot more enjoyable than i thought it would be.

13thScorpio · Post by **13thScorpio** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 2:12 am

I have a book,little on the f'd up side,but good none the less.

Bloodtide by Melvin Burgess.

It's a good mix of Norse Mythology,sci-fi dredgery and double crosses,betreyal love,lust and all those other good things.Also a bit on the bloody side as aforementioned,a little f'd up.