The GF book thread

[Paul]

 

I'd agree with that for Bubba alone..

 

Bubba's ace. The warehouse where he lives is mental.

[VladimirIlyich]

I'm going to read The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly next. I love the Harry Bosch character.

 

Read them all. Brilliant novels.

[Kevin D]

I finished Homicide: A year in the killing streets, a few days ago. It was excellent and very funny.

 

Warning! The following content is NOT WORK SAFE. Click the Show button to reveal.

It's been three days and I am still pissed off that Latonya Wallace's killer wasn't found. I am not entirely convinced it was the fish man, either.

[VladimirIlyich]

I finished Homicide: A year in the killing streets' date=' a few days ago. It was excellent and very funny.

 

[NSFW']It's been three days and I am still pissed off that Latonya Wallace's killer wasn't found. I am not entirely convinced it was the fish man, either.[/NSFW]

 

Bloody Forum Runner doesnt block out NSFW tags so i now know the ending.

[Kevin D]

No way am I taking the responsibility for that. In order of blame:

 

1) Whoever designed forum runner

2) Dave

3) You

4) Dave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)me.

[VladimirIlyich]

No way am I taking the responsibility for that. In order of blame:

 

1) Whoever designed forum runner

2) Dave

3) You

4) Dave.

 

5)me.

 

Dave's name appears twice so by order of being the largest party,blame Dave.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

http://authonomy.com/books/23915/verity/

 

A mate of mine has just got his first novel available on Kindle. I've not read it yet, but a few people whose opinion I trust reckon it's a good'un.

 

If you're into sci-fi, you could do worse than give it a read.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Read books online - Verity by Mark Bowman

 

A mate of mine has just got his first novel available on Kindle. I've not read it yet, but a few people whose opinion I trust reckon it's a good'un.

 

If you're into sci-fi, you could do worse than give it a read.

And this weekend it's free...

Verity (The Verity Trilogy) eBook: Mark Bowman: Amazon.co.uk: Books

 

What are you waiting for?

[Paulie Dangerously]

Just paid the 77p for it. Synopsis looks interesting and I'm coming to the bed of Feast for Crows so reckon I'll read that next.

 

Fair play to your mate Angry.

[Sut]

Waterstones' website is down for maintenance at the moment but they've put up a code for 10% off. It's TW3232 and needs to be used when it comes back online but by 11 o'clock next Wednesday.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Just read a stranger beside me about Ted bundy. That was one scary fucker. I've decided to read the riverman now written by the cop who got a confession from bundy its also the inspiration for silence of the lambs due to bundy assisting in the capture of another serial killer. I know other places have serial killers but fuck me America is one fucked up place.

[Paul]

I just want to give a short word of recommendation about John Connelly's Parker novels. The first couple of books are very gritty detective novels as Parker, a former cop and now PI, tracks a particularly nasty serial killer. However, the series slowly morphs into something more as the nature of evil is examined and the books introduce a supernatural element into the mix.

 

Parker himself is a great character: conflicted, sardonic and a slave to his urge to hunt down and destroy evil, whilst haunted by the murder of his own family before the books begin. However, the secondary characters are also brilliant with his close friends, the gay couple Louis and Angel, respectively a black hit man and an Hispanic ex-con, particularly intriguing and originally written.

 

In fact all the writing is brilliant with some non-intrusive passages about the metaphysical reflections of Parker particularly enjoyable as the series progresses. Research into the modern US setting (he's Irish, the author) as well as all sorts of religious, occult and arcane material is meticulous and the dialogue and brief "plot device" characters are never less than believable and entertaining.

 

I'm currently on the fourth novel in the series, The Black Angel, where things have become very fucking odd for Parker as he helps Louis deal with a personal issue that has profound implications for Parker's new family.

 

In short, these books are amazing and get better with each new one I read. I can't recommend them highly enough. Fucking brilliant stuff.

[Sugar Ape]

I just want to give a short word of recommendation about John Connelly's Parker novels. The first couple of books are very gritty detective novels as Parker' date=' a former cop and now PI, tracks a particularly nasty serial killer. However, the series slowly morphs into something more as the nature of evil is examined and the books introduce a supernatural element into the mix.

 

Parker himself is a great character: conflicted, sardonic and a slave to his urge to hunt down and destroy evil, whilst haunted by the murder of his own family before the books begin. However, the secondary characters are also brilliant with his close friends, the gay couple Louis and Angel, respectively a black hit man and an Hispanic ex-con, particularly intriguing and originally written.

 

In fact all the writing is brilliant with some non-intrusive passages about the metaphysical reflections of Parker particularly enjoyable as the series progresses. Research into the modern US setting (he's Irish, the author) as well as all sorts of religious, occult and arcane material is meticulous and the dialogue and brief "plot device" characters are never less than believable and entertaining.

 

I'm currently on the fourth novel in the series, The Black Angel, where things have become very fucking odd for Parker as he helps Louis deal with a personal issue that has profound implications for Parker's new family.

 

In short, these books are amazing and get better with each new one I read. I can't recommend them highly enough. Fucking brilliant stuff.[/quote']

 

I've mentioned to you on this thread before how much I love these books, agree with every word. They get better and better as the series goes on.

 

I read his latest The Wrath Of Angels when it was released last year and I'm not afraid to admit the supernatural elements in that book scared the shit out of me. One particular passage is possibly the most unsettling thing I've ever read.

 

Just a couple of small points though, I'm fairly sure Angel is described as being white in the books not Hispanic? And The Black Angel is the fifth book in the series I think not the fourth, just mentioning this in case you've missed one out by accident!

[Paul]

 

I've mentioned to you on this thread before how much I love these books' date=' agree with every word. They get better and better as the series goes on.

 

I read his latest The Wrath Of Angels when it was released last year and I'm not afraid to admit the supernatural elements in that book scared the shit out of me. One particular passage is possibly the most unsettling thing I've ever read.

 

Just a couple of small points though, I'm fairly sure Angel is described as being white in the books not Hispanic? And The Black Angel is the fifth book in the series I think not the fourth, just mentioning this in case you've missed one out by accident![/quote']

 

Angel's white? Didn't pick that up anywhere. Angel is a Spanish name and I'm sure it says he speaks Spanish on occasions. However, I'm not sure now you've said that. I'll keep my eye out for it now.

 

On it being the fifth book, I've deffo not missed any so I've probably just miscounted.

 

Edit - I've just found this:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Connollys-Charlie-Parker-stories-order/lm/R1FVW8O2U7TEQN

 

There's a short story that comes between The White Road and The Black Angel. Damn.

[Sugar Ape]

Angel's white? Didn't pick that up anywhere. Angel is a Spanish name and I'm sure it says he speaks Spanish on occasions. However, I'm not sure now you've said that. I'll keep my eye out for it now.

 

On it being the fifth book, I've deffo not missed any so I've probably just miscounted.

 

Edit - I've just found this:

 

Amazon.com: John Connolly's Charlie Parker stories (in order)

 

There's a short story that comes between The White Road and The Black Angel. Damn.

 

Just looked up the order of the books:

 

1 Every Dead Thing (1999)

2 Dark Hollow (2000)

3 The Killing Kind (2001)

4 The White Road (2002)

5 The Black Angel (2005)

6 The Unquiet (2007)

7 The Reapers (2008)

8 The Lovers (2009)

9 The Whisperers (2010)

10 The Burning Soul (2011)

11 The Wrath of Angels (2012)

 

Nocturnes ( 2004 ) is a collection of short horror stories, and they are very, very good in my opinion. It does include a Charlie Parker novella circa 100 pages if my memory is right and it introduces a very important character for the later books so it's definitely worth looking up.

 

Now you mention it I think I can remember Angel speaking Spanish on occasion, it says on Wiki he is white though, I thought I could remember it being mentioned. Not that I'm trying to be pedantic or anything I just couldn't recall him being Hispanic.

 

John Connolly (author) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The seventh book in the Charlie Parker series, The Reapers, was published in 2008. It differs from the earlier books in that the story is told from the point of view of Parker's close friends and allies in combat, Louis and Angel. Louis and Angel are an unlikely couple whose quibbles and good humour are sometimes the source of comic relief. Louis is an enigimatic, large black man who was a hired killer but who now seems to be in semiretirement; Angel is a small white man and ex-burglar.

[Paul]

 

Just looked up the order of the books:

 

1 Every Dead Thing (1999)

2 Dark Hollow (2000)

3 The Killing Kind (2001)

4 The White Road (2002)

5 The Black Angel (2005)

6 The Unquiet (2007)

7 The Reapers (2008)

8 The Lovers (2009)

9 The Whisperers (2010)

10 The Burning Soul (2011)

11 The Wrath of Angels (2012)

 

Nocturnes ( 2004 ) is a collection of short horror stories' date=' and they are very, very good in my opinion. It does include a Charlie Parker novella circa 100 pages if my memory is right and it introduces a very important character for the later books so it's definitely worth looking up.

 

Now you mention it I think I can remember Angel speaking Spanish on occasion, it says on Wiki he is white though, I thought I could remember it being mentioned. Not that I'm trying to be pedantic or anything I just couldn't recall him being Hispanic.

 

John Connolly (author) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Just reading The Reapers now (I'm fucking flying through these books; they're absolutely brilliant) and found this quotation about Angel:

 

"...possibly of Hispanic origin..."

 

That along with the name seem to indicate that he is Hispanic, but Connelly is clearly keeping things vague right now.

[Bobby Hundreds]

Gonna have to read those Charlie Parker books after I've finished metro 2033. Charlie Parker is just a great name.

[Sugar Ape]

Just reading The Reapers now (I'm fucking flying through these books; they're absolutely brilliant) and found this quotation about Angel:

 

"...possibly of Hispanic origin..."

 

That along with the name seem to indicate that he is Hispanic, but Connelly is clearly keeping things vague right now.

 

I can't recall that Hispanic bit, but I can definitely remember him being described as white in one of the books. Who knows, he wouldn't be the first author to change a few details during the course of a series.

 

They are great books aren't they; I've never really read anything else quite like them. James Lee Burke is probably the closest in that there is a supernatural element in a few of the Robicheaux books, but it's not as big a part of the series.

 

There used to be a forum on his website which was really good, but it closed down last year. You can still read some of the old threads here John's Forum - Index

and there is a part where he discusses his characters here Characters in which he says this about Parker, so you are probably right about keeping things vague:

 

14. Have you ever given a description of Charlie? What does he look like?

 

I've very consciously tried not to describe him, as I'm not entirely sure what he looks like myself. The closest I've come, I think, is at the start of The Killing Kind, where Parker is in the gym, and in Bad Men, when the cop Sharon Macy sees him in a bar and offers a brief description. That's it, though. I like the idea that people can decide for themselves how he should look.

[Paul]

Gonna have to read those Charlie Parker books after I've finished metro 2033. Charlie Parker is just a great name.

 

They're absolutely addictive mate. I don't think you'll regret it if you get started on them.

[Paulie Dangerously]

Well just finished A Dance with Dragons so now wondering that to do with my reading-life.

 

So many recommendations on here. Just going to do Verity which someone's mate wrote on here.

 

Think I'm going to give Song of Fire and Ice style fantasy worlds a miss for a while having read all 5 books on the bounce.

[Rico1304]

I've just started The God Delusion, it's very good.

 

Although I'm balancing it out with a John Connolly.

[Karl_b]

Just finished Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks, the first of The Culture novels. I thought it was a bit slow in parts and it's taken me longer to read it than I hoped but it had a really good ending and I'm definitely going to read more.

 

I'm a couple of hundred pages in to The Twelve, Justin Cronin's sequel to the excellent The Passage; brilliant so far. The story moves at a good pace and the characters are shaping up well.

[Paul]

 

I can't recall that Hispanic bit' date=' but I can definitely remember him being described as white in one of the books. Who knows, he wouldn't be the first author to change a few details during the course of a series.

 

[/quote']

 

Yep. I really like the way things just evolve or else are slowly revealed. Just found this in The Lovers: "Angel, on the other hand, who was small and white (or, as he liked to put it, 'white-ish')..."

 

These books have really got under my skin now. I love the way he keeps creating brilliant page turners whilst also maintaining a longer on-going story arc linked to who Charlie really is (don't tell me if you know) and how his friends fit into that. I wonder how far ahead he'd planned all this when he began to write the series.

 

It still keeps hitting me, even 8/9 books in, just how fucking well he writes, too. I love the fact that when he needs to mention an incident from a previous novel he does so naturally and with brevity, rather than in a clunky, laboured way like so many lesser writers would.

 

Can't stress highly enough how good these books are if anyone else is after a recommendation.

[Sugar Ape]

His talent for the supernatural can't be underestimated either. His short story collection ( Nocturnes ) has some great horror stories in there, but his last book had a passage in it which genuinely made my hairs stand on end.

 

It was just the most outright scary thing I've ever read and had me thinking about it for about a week.

 

I'd also recommend Bad Men if you can get a copy of it Paul, it's a stand alone novel but I think Parker makes an appearance in it and it has a similar feel to his Parker series. He has done a few young adult books as well which I've read but I've not been too impressed by them.

 

I'm also going to get this which looks like a very interesting read if you into the subject matter Books to Die For: Amazon.co.uk: John Connolly, Declan Burke: Books

[Paulie Dangerously]

Half way through the first Charlie Parker.

 

Wow. I owe someone a rep