Books you're currently reading???

[Aliantha]

Sunday...we have a copy of Suzannah's Song you could borrow. Don't miss it. You'll love it. It was my favourite one of the dark tower series...well, kind of. Maybe not. They were all awesome although I found the first book a trudge. Ripped through the rest though.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Brianna

um---is most of the stuff ya'll read Sci-Fi? None of the above books for the past 5-6 posts rings any bells...

Don't worry about not recognising the ones I mentioned - Graham Masterton writes middle-of-the-road horror, although as I said he turns a thought-provoking phrase from time to time. Also I guess he lived in England for a while - for an American author he has included some valid British episodes. This always pleases me, which I know is a little sad.

The Dark Tower series is horror/ fantasy by Stephen King rather than sci-fi. Although it is rambling enough to create it's own genre...

The only name you should have picked up on was Pynchon (as in Gravity's Rainbow), but as I hadn't read any of his books until I saw Mason Dixon in the charity shop I'm hardly one to point the fingerer.

Originally Posted by Brianna

I'm reading the memoirs of Laetitia Pilkington--a Lady of the 18th C... Really fascinating--this woman is completely relatable to a modern day reader. I feel sort of secure knowing that nothing really ever changes in this world.

Sounds great! I will look out for it.

Originally Posted by Aliantha

Sunday...we have a copy of Suzannah's Song you could borrow. Don't miss it. You'll love it. It was my favourite one of the dark tower series...well, kind of. Maybe not. They were all awesome although I found the first book a trudge. Ripped through the rest though.

If it's not too much to send (it will count as printed papers, but any shipping from Oz to here costs the earth) and you can spare it I'd love to borrow it! I'll keep looking in the charity shop, but PM me if you think it's viable - I'm about to start cataloguing my books for sale on eBay so if there's anything I have you want I'm happy to return the favour.

I'm loving theDark Tower so far - about halfway through the book and have just had a good cry. I won't say why in case anyone else is intending to read it, but you'll know why.

[Cyclefrance]

Hi SG - I suppose I'm a selective Stephen King fan - loved 'The Stand' and have read a couple of others by him (titles are in the loft/attic as I write, sorry). For SciFi, though, I like surreal Mr Robert Rankin - but there's no way he is anything like Stephen King - Rankin's an acquired taste - more of the 'if you like Marmite, then maybe' ilk....

Currently reading my fifth Mark Billingham - crime novelist - stories are usually based in London. I never read crime novels so he can't be that bad - latest is called 'Lifeless' and is set in the world of the homeless and rough sleepers.

Next in line, post Billingham, is/will be 'Londonstani' - written by a young Asian, Gautam Malkani. Written in current Asian youth-speak - looks like being a good read - one for the plane next week. Initial page-flicking felt a bit like when I picked up 'Clockwork Orange' all those years ago, before it was well known, and read the first page. Iain E Banks 'Feersom Engin' is another in that mode that springs to mind.

Bought Lifeless and Londonstani as two of a 'buy two, get one free' offer at W H Smith. The freebie is a Rankin 'The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse'..... (well I did say he was surreal). It's set in Toy City (used to be Toy Town, but it grew bigger), and the hero's a private eye, named Eddie Bear (I think you're getting the picture) - I'll let you know in due course....