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1st January 2008, 11:46 | #441 |
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Just finished 'Stealing Light' by Gary Gibson. Felt very similar in style and tone to Alastair Reynolds and Ken MacLeod. Quite an entertaining read about people squabbling over an interstellar derelict that might have a functioning FTL drive. The catch is the only race in the Galaxy with FTL isn't keen on anyone else getting it and they may have committed genocide to secure their technological stranglehold...
I'll be keeping an eye out to see what else he does as I really enjoyed this one.
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|O-bot|-fred 'fred is not dead, fred is resurrected!' "It is only in the tales humans tell, that the hunters win in the end." |
1st January 2008, 11:57 | #442 |
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Darwin Awards Omnibus. Damn people do some stupid shit.
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1st January 2008, 13:51 | #443 |
Architeuthis
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I was given 'The Mammoth Book of Best New Sci Fi #20' for Xmas. It's a short fiction anthology with some absolute crackers - in particular a story called 'Nightingale' by Alastair Reynolds. I can highly recommend this collection to fans of the short stuff.
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2nd January 2008, 04:26 | #444 | |
Huh?
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Anyways, can't wait to see the movie. |
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2nd January 2008, 09:17 | #445 |
Electric Boogaloo
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done quite a bit of reading in the last couple of weeks while sitting on the beach doing absolutely nothing!
The Camel Club - David Baldacci Good read although it sort of fell to bits at the end , like he was told to wrap it up or they would start killing kittens. Die Trying - Lee Child An interesting leading man in Jack Reacher , who knew military police were so rambo esc Thomas Mann - Death in Venice and im currently reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky which is fraptastic thus far Last edited by wugambino : 2nd January 2008 at 09:21. |
2nd January 2008, 10:38 | #446 |
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On The Edge, My Story:Richard Hammond. Not what I expected at all.
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2nd January 2008, 11:07 | #447 | |
SLUTS!!!!!!!
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He's even done one, The Enemy, set when Reacher was still an MP (just after Operation Just (Be)Cause in Panama)
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Slow internet is worse than no internet. It's like putting your penis in once and then being required to make out for 2 hours --Matt "The Oatmeal" Inman |
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3rd January 2008, 12:06 | #448 |
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currently re-reading Peter F Hamilton's NightsDawn trilogy. One of my favourites ever.
Books: The Reality Dysfunction The Neutronium Alchemist The Naked God Truely great series. They are thick books, but progress quite rapidly. |
3rd January 2008, 12:40 | #449 |
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Wing Leader, by 'Johnnie' Johnson (D.S.O., D.F.C.)
First person and sometimes hilarious account of Spitfire pilots in WWII. He mentions and praises every NZ Spitfire pilot (legends like Alan Deere) he flies with, so I'm going to see if can find any books on them - any suggestions welcome. |
3rd January 2008, 13:39 | #450 | |
Stuff
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My degree of sarcasm depends on your degree of stupidity. |
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3rd January 2008, 15:18 | #451 | |
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ɹǝʌo sᴉ ǝɯɐƃ ʎɥʇ |
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3rd January 2008, 16:03 | #452 | |
Min Sicker Reac
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Also reading Turning Back the Clock by Umberto Eco which I got for Christmas. |
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3rd January 2008, 23:25 | #453 |
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Lolita by Vladamir Nobokov
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7th January 2008, 15:55 | #454 |
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The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins
The Illuminatus! Trilogy - Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
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"Nothing is so smiple that it can't be screwed up." |
7th January 2008, 16:07 | #455 |
I have detailed files
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^^ The dolphin did it...
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7th January 2008, 16:23 | #456 |
Mrs Colin Farrell
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The Bear and the Dragon by Tom Clancy. Clancy can be a bit hit and miss with his writing style (Patriot Games anyone?) but so far I'm not finding this one to be too cringe-worthy.
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8th January 2008, 15:16 | #457 | |
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I liked this book a great deal, it is a VERY intresting look at company level armour engagements. |
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8th January 2008, 17:47 | #458 |
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Interesting combo there LordP :-)
Pixie
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Civilised is as civilised does and civilised people walk among us. |
8th January 2008, 19:56 | #459 | |
Your pants are like my pants
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Last edited by Rom : 8th January 2008 at 20:00. |
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8th January 2008, 20:18 | #460 |
Frag-muff
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I'm reading The Bourne Identity for the first time. It's a bloody good book; very different from and better than the movie, be that ever so great. The differences are more a matter of minor detail and period-related stuff than plot changes, though there are some biggies in that area. Just this first book would be a couple of films if they hadn't changed it though. It's bloody epic.
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Gaming/phone/computing platforms are not indicative of groinal/physical/cognitive impressiveness. |
8th January 2008, 21:05 | #461 |
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Actually there's a TV mini-series which is pretty faithful to the first book - it's staring Richard Chamberlain if I remember correctly. The films are a good retelling of the idea, but don't come anywhere near to the books in my opinion. All three of them are great (and I don't usually read that sort of stuff) with the last actually being the best myself.
Pixie
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Civilised is as civilised does and civilised people walk among us. |
8th January 2008, 21:40 | #462 |
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I hadn't actually considered the significance of the two until you mentioned it...
Saw the God Delusion in the Best Sellers section at the library, and the Illuminatis Trilogy in the Recently Returned section, and picked up both. Coincedence? Or Conspiracy? Hmmmmm.....
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"Nothing is so smiple that it can't be screwed up." |
8th January 2008, 22:53 | #463 |
Always itchy
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I've recently tried reading both Lolita and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
However, I've found I have a real mental block when it comes to reading books when I've already seen the movie. I'm certain Fear and Loathing is a good book, every says so, but so far all I can recall is 'drugs drugs drugs, drugs, drugdrugdrugs, drugs.' And Lolita's a slow-going story about a self-confesed, unashamed paedophile. So, to make sure I don't ruin any more books, I'm re-reading His Dark Material before seeing the movie. I'd forgotten (or didn't pick up on it the first time perhaps) how much hatred there is for The Church in The Subtle Knife. It's gonna be a ball of laffs when that movie gets made!
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4 7 2 3 9 8 5...1 4 2 9 7 8...14 16 22...36° |
9th January 2008, 01:00 | #464 |
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My two most recent reads were 'Lolita' and 'On the Edge: My Story' by Richard Hammond.
Lolita is an excellent, excellent piece of literature. It's beautifully written, even though the pacing is quite slow and deliberate. I think the slow pace is quite intentional though, and important to the feel of the novel as you reach the climax. A very good read despite there really being no sympathetic characters. On the Edge wasn't really what I was expecting either, but I did enjoy reading it. It's entirely about the crash, and Hammond's recovery from the serious brain injury he sustained. There are anecdotes from his childhood, and from when he started on Top Gear, but they're really there to help illustrate the backstory. A large chunk of the middle section is written by Mindy, his wife, who stayed with him in the hospital in the weeks after the accident. I found the book really interesting and quite moving, but it's probably quite a bit different from Jeremy Clarkson's books, for example. |
9th January 2008, 13:36 | #465 |
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A history of New Zealand - Micheal King
The Hollow Men - Nicky Hager Both are fascinating and are completely altering my view of the country I live in. I also read God Is Dead by Ron Currie Jr just before the holidays, which is quite good but you could really tell it's an USA citizen writing about the rest of the world. |
9th January 2008, 13:46 | #466 | |
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If you haven't read the book, the movie is not worth watching because you wouldn't have a fucking clue what's going on half the time. Also, did I mention it's shit? Currently reading "The Butlerian Jihad". What a crappy piece of writing O_o |
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11th January 2008, 14:52 | #467 |
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I've nearly finished The Reality Dysfunction. Man, I can't believe I've snobbed this guy! Couldn't put the damn thing down.
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11th January 2008, 15:18 | #468 |
My spoon is too big!
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Just finished the Howard Marks Book of Dope Stories, and The Fourth Estate by Geoffrey Archer.
Enjoyed both, particularly the former! |
11th January 2008, 15:19 | #469 | |
Mrs Colin Farrell
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11th January 2008, 15:20 | #470 | |
Mrs Colin Farrell
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11th January 2008, 15:34 | #471 |
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Peter F Hamilton
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11th January 2008, 15:46 | #472 | |
I have detailed files
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11th January 2008, 20:05 | #473 | |
Objection!
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11th January 2008, 22:39 | #474 | |
Fuck up Ashley
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19th January 2008, 04:22 | #475 |
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The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
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19th January 2008, 06:14 | #476 |
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Just finished: The forever war by Joe Haldeman
Now reading: A perfect spy by John LeCarre |
19th January 2008, 08:14 | #477 |
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Just finished Decline of the English Murder and other essays by George Orwell (mixed bag of mostly harsh and pessimistic critiques on a variety of subjects, not always, but mostly, interesting).
Now reading Necessary Illusions by Noam Chomsky - great for anyone interested in reading some well researched and insightful essays on media control of public opinion in so-called democratic societies. |
19th January 2008, 12:50 | #478 |
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Reading 1984. I don't read much and also a very slow reader (cause of the former), but I'm loving it so far - very throught provoking and each page I read I have to stop and have some deep thought
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Who's yer Daddy!?!! |
19th January 2008, 13:04 | #479 |
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^ good book.
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19th January 2008, 13:25 | #480 | |
A mariachi ogre snorkel
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