The GF book thread

[Scouse Missionary]

Comics-wise Hellblazer 1-13 is superb. Agree with a lot of the above, but no Watchmen?! Watchmen is fucking superb. And more recently, We3 was pretty good.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by 05 Milan

Gaiman is a genius, the "Sandman"-series is the best I've ever read, and I've actually ploughed through a fair share for my young years. Can't see where the "up his own arse"-thing comes from TBH. I've never seen the subject of death and grieving handled so intelligently.

The Preacher was also very good, but still nowhere near "Sandman".

It was a completely prejudicial opinion based on very little. I'll give the first one a proper go on your recommendation.

[Paul]

I forgot to mention a book I recently finished called Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's a thriller (although the ending isn't very thrilling), but it contains some absolutely wonderful characters and dialogue. It's set in Barcelona just after the civil war and follows a boy's quest to uncover the secrets behind a strange book. A magical read.

[Roast Beef]

Preacher is good but gets a tad annoying. Plus he can only draw one type of face, so all the characters look a) slightly retarded b) related.

Powers by Brian Michael Bendis is great (likewise Torso).

100 Bullets is pretty damn good.

[Red EnZed]

Stray Toasters by Bill Sienkewicz is a sublimely trippy tale, beautifully executed in the style that Bill made his own and everyone copied. I think it's recently been re-issued in one volume - well worth hunting down. Frank Miller's Elektra Assassin and Daredevil re-tellings (also illustrated brilliantly by BS) are really a must have in any graphic novel collection. Anything by Moore - try getting hold of the unfinished Big Numbers (only 2 of them) and try to work out where it was going. If you don't have V For Vendetta and Watchmen then you're not really a comic fan! Not sure about Gaiman?? Try Violent Cases which is a short and easy read and a good starter for his style, or read Good Omens, and then tackle Sandman. Batman - Year One is easily the pick of the bunch of the 'new' Batman stories, Dark Knight Returns and Killing Joke follow closely for me, maybe Arkham Asylum, but all must-haves

[Uncle_Meat]

Originally Posted by Hermes

Mein Kampf - amazing to think that world leaders trusted Hitler when almost everything he went on to do was foretold in a book written by himself years earlier.

The problem being, have you ever actually tried to read Mein Kampf? It was indeed "My Struggle" to make it past the first couple of chapters...

Talk about turgid, bloaty and "going around the houses".



Say what you like about Neville Chamberlain, but I fear the old duffer would have died of boredom had tried to fully read and digest the contents of said book.

[Hermes]

Originally Posted by Uncle_Meat

The problem being, have you ever actually tried to read Mein Kampf? It was indeed "My Struggle" to make it past the first couple of chapters...

Talk about turgid, bloaty and "going around the houses".



Say what you like about Neville Chamberlain, but I fear the old duffer would have died of boredom had tried to fully read and digest the contents of said book.

Agreed. How could such a dynamic orator be such a boring writer?

Maybe it was ghost written.

[Tom R]

Originally Posted by Paul

I forgot to mention a book I recently finished called Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It's a thriller (although the ending isn't very thrilling), but it contains some absolutely wonderful characters and dialogue. It's set in Barcelona just after the civil war and follows a boy's quest to uncover the secrets behind a strange book. A magical read.

See, and book described as ''magical'' or ''inspiring'' or such other homo terms just turn me right off. I call them ''gay books''.
A boy called It, Angela's Ashes. All fucking shite. Kids dying. Nice, only a woman cold enjoy such misery.

A good book should either be fact based or have a good body count. Preferably both.

[Uncle_Meat]

Originally Posted by Hermes

Agreed. How could such a dynamic orator be such a boring writer?

Maybe it was ghost written.

Well, it was to an extent.

Dictated to (Heh..) , and no doubt embellished by Rudolf Hess whilst ol' Adolf was in nick in Landsberg, with the rest of the book finished off, still dictated to Hess, in an inn in (what a weird combination of words...) Berchtesgaden.

As for his oration, no matter what your political leanings (Me? I'm a bit of a leftie if anything..), you have to admit he was a brilliant orator. Insightful, rousing and brilliantly, especially for a Kraut, sarcastic.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Tom R

See, and book described as ''magical'' or ''inspiring'' or such other homo terms just turn me right off. I call them ''gay books''.
A boy called It, Angela's Ashes. All fucking shite. Kids dying. Nice, only a woman cold enjoy such misery.

A good book should either be fact based or have a good body count. Preferably both.

I know exactly what you mean, and this book was right out of character for me - but I loved it. Maybe I'm switching to the other bus.

[Hermes]

Originally Posted by Tom R

A good book should either be fact based or have a good body count. Preferably both.

Want to borrow Mein Kampf Tom? right up your street mate.

[Monkeywool]

Some woman was trying to tell me about a book she was reading called can you keep a secret today

needless to say it was purile women drivel about some stupid bint who thinks she is gonna die cos of turbulance and she tells some stranger all her secrets about everything ever...... needless to say this fella is her new boss and bessie mates bloke

i never wanted to hit a woman with a book so much in my life.

meanwhile i am reading return of the king again while I get my shit together and get my booklist for uni in sept.

[Hermes]

Originally Posted by MLB

Reading is for gays.

I've never heard that before, I thought Brighton was for gays.

[biggit]

Maus by Art Spiegelman is awesome - the Holocaust told from the POV of a survivors son.

Moore and Miller are the Gods for me - although apparently Miller's latest Batman tale will have the Dark Knight facing Bin Laden and his mates [shudder]

[El Rojo]

Atonement by Ian McEwan is absolutely astonishing, best book I've read in years.

Agree with the Ellroy fans - I got lost in American Tabloid and The Cold Six Thousand and could barely think about anything else when reading them. Can't wait for the final part of the trilogy

I ended up reading a load of non-fiction books after on JFK and Lee Harvey Oswald in an attempt to find some definitive answers on all those goings on, but they posed more questions than answers.
Libra, by Don Delillo is written in Lee Harvey Oswald's voice and is also fantastic.

Football wise, you can't go wrong with Morbo as metioned earlier. Ajax, The Dutch, The War by Simon Kuper looks at Ajax/Holland during the persecution of the Jews and the less than sterling role played by the club, another great read. Also going through Boys From The Mersey at the moment - it's written with a lot more wit and humour than the usual ex-Crew 'we ran them/they never turned up' book.

Started Pefume last night.......warped but impressive.

[Stu Monty]

Originally Posted by Red Avenger

Atonement by Ian McEwan is absolutely astonishing, best book I've read in years.

Agree with the Ellroy fans - I got lost in American Tabloid and The Cold Six Thousand and could barely think about anything else when reading them. Can't wait for the final part of the trilogy

I ended up reading a load of non-fiction books after on JFK and Lee Harvey Oswald in an attempt to find some definitive answers on all those goings on, but they posed more questions than answers.
Libra, by Don Delillo is written in Lee Harvey Oswald's voice and is also fantastic.

Football wise, you can't go wrong with Morbo as metioned earlier. Ajax, The Dutch, The War by Simon Kuper looks at Ajax/Holland during the persecution of the Jews and the less than sterling role played by the club, another great read. Also going through Boys From The Mersey at the moment - it's written with a lot more wit and humour than the usual ex-Crew 'we ran them/they never turned up' book.

Started Pefume last night.......warped but impressive.

That Simon Kuper book is an awesome read.

[Big Ig]

Originally Posted by aws

Stalingrad by Anthony Beaver is an amazing read.

That it is... quality.

[Paul]

I know loads of people who rave about Ian McEwan, yet I find it over-rated tosh. Am I alone in thinking he's not the greatest literary, yet populist author in the history of publishing?

[BatChainPuller]

Originally Posted by Paul

I know loads of people who rave about Ian McEwan, yet I find it over-rated tosh. Am I alone in thinking he's not the greatest literary, yet populist author in the history of publishing?

Sorry mate but you're completely wrong - Ian McEwan rules. Beautifully written with superb characterisation.

I read Shadow of the Wind recently too - well written, very easy to read, and atmospheric. Funny thing is that there is no real substance to it all. Difficult to say why, but I've rarely read a book that is all style but so little content. The gulf between that and Ian McEwan is vast - probably to do to with the characterisation. Shadow of the Wind is the pefect holiday book - enjoyable and totally undemanding.

Best book I've read recently is by Haruki Murakami, a real cracker. Touching the Void by Joe Simpson is worth reading if you're into mountaineering adventure type stuff - incredible survival story.