Point Blank, by Fern Michaels. Supposedly a thriller. After the first 75 pages, I just skimmed. It was one of the most badly-written novels I have ever read. The dialogue was unbearably awkward. I still have no idea who the protagonists were (some sort of vigilante group). And the plot was totally confusing. It revolved around the rescue of a little girl, but I'm not even sure what came of her at the end. After a while, she was hardly mentioned. What a waste of a few hours! (Okay, end of rant. )
Finished my 'complete collection' of C. M. Kornbluth, His Share of Glory. Now reading Gary Reagan's The Negroni: Drinking to La Dolce Vita, with Recipes & Lore (But I can't find a place for it on the challenge-list).
Realising that I have not read a book since March I decided to throw myself off a boat and try to swim to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. I have seven out of the 10 original Tale of the Malazan, Book of the Fallen books on my shelf and surrendered to the notion that I really need to find out how the nearly 10,000 page epic from Steven Erikson finishes. However it has been 5 years since I read the series, so back to book one, Gardens of the Moon. A 1/5 of the way through and I remember how much I enjoy his style but I am still daunted by how massive his universe is. Makes A Song of Ice and Fire look like Harry Potter. Hugo - how far will he go second time around?
I'm reading Apt Pupil right now. I figure it will be a bit before I make it to The Breathing Method. I broke in and started a book about President Gerald R. Ford the other night.
I am listening to Pathosis by Jason LaVelle. I thought it was going to be a killer spider book but it has turned Into a zombie story. Before that I listened Beyond the Ice Limit by Douglas Preston Lincoln Child. The best thing about the story was the alien life form.
Perhaps you are being a little sensitive to think you've been 'told off' - surely we are entitled to our opinions in forums without someone feeling chastised? I've seen much stronger opinions on every website, including this one, where discussion can become somewhat volatile. The person replying only offered her opinion. Although I do agree with her. Why not call a book a book? If you start that, you might as well continue to add adjectives to every product. For example we could say 'partly dead tree with 20% cloth book' or 'dead tree book once recycled', 'unsure of status of tree 'cos I bought it second hand book' or 'electronic, downloaded book' instead of ebook. What about 'dead cow shoes' or 'shorn live sheep slippers' as opposed to 'skinned dead sheep with wool still attached slippers'. Is an artwork an artwork or must we qualify it with 'cloth canvas background with 4% oil-paint and 50% glass by weight or 40% by volume artwork', or whatever it might be? What would we call sausages? 'Sheep intestine enclosing bits of dead beef or dead pig including ears, intestines, snout, live tree sawdust, dead tree sawdust, blood sausages', plus whatever else we don't know about that goes into a sausage. Good idea though to add the truth about McDonalds ice cream though for vegetarians ' cream, ice, stabiliser that may or may not have pig fat in it ice-cream cone'. Actually I'm starting to change my mind, as we can employ more people to cope with the longer orders. Maybe I'll call a shovel a spade and be done with it. Please feel free to offer your opinion and I will not consider it as being 'told off'. I'm quite prepared to hear your side and then change my opinion or stick boldly to my own.
She said my statement was ridiculous when it was not. All I said was that failing eyesight made it hard to read 'dead tree books'. The term is a common one and many people use it including many book lovers. It is a term many people on these forums use and it was in discussions here on Trekbbs I first saw the term being used. A quick search for 'dead tree books' shows that the term has been used on Trekbbs from at least 2008 (which I think is the furthest a search here can go back).
Oh, so being used before makes it ok? Hmm. Is it gospel if you read it in the newspaper. If you read my text through you will see that I finished with saying maybe I would call a shovel a spade and be done with it. I gave you a discussion - that is, comparing both sides and coming to a conclusion. My conclusion fell in with your thinking if you think about it. However, I'm changing my mind again if you reasoning is that it's been used in this site since whenever... Hmmm, I didn't realise that you had such a credible references. The responder only gave her opinion of your use of the term, she didn't say you were ridiculous and you seem to be in rather a stew because of legitimate feedback. I also looked up a credible source such as yours, 'the Urban dictionary', so I'm afraid it hasn't graduated to that slightly higher source, a touch away from Trekbbs. Please let me know ,if you feel so inclined, when it makes its way to a more quotable source. For now going around in circles does not appeal to me.
Well, I only responded to your direct comment in this thread. As I said we're going around in circles, only backing up our personal views without any rigour. I won't be responding to the thread as it's hardly worthy of further discussion on such a trivial turn of phrase. I had no idea you would be so sensitive to what I also regard as a ridiculous phrase.
So... anyway. About current reading. I'm on an Eighties nostalgia jag and am currently reading an Eric von Lustbader book called Ninja that I picked up at a used book sale the other day. About which I can only say, and I'm in the home stretch now, that Lustbader could write a decent action scene but mostly comes across as a frustrated writer of BDSM erotica who felt like he needed an excuse. I'm also reading East of Eden by Steinbeck. Which is amazing and in which I'm particularly struck by the character of Cathy Ames, one of the most perceptive and chilling portraits of sociopathy -- although he never calls it by that name -- that I've ever seen in fiction. Steinbeck books are regarded as classics for good reason. If you've never given this one a chance, do.
I have three books on the go at the moment 1) my DTB - just arrived in the post today. It is Into the Mountains by Pedro Algorta. This is the fifth book I have read about the Andes Survivors and the third one I have read that was actually written by one of the survivors I have previously read Nando Parrado's and Roberto Canessa's books. Another survivor Carlitos Paez has also written a book but it is only available in Spanish. 2) My audiobook is The Apples of Idunn: Book 1 of the Ragnarok Era by Matt Larkin, narrated by Michael Pauley. So far I am enjoying it. 3) My e-book read is Diabetes in Cats by Dr Gordon Roberts. My cat has recently been diagnosed with diabetes so I downloaded this book to learn more about feline diabetes.
I think the point was more the tone than the opinion. "Apt Pupil" is one of the creepiest things he ever wrote.
Pump Six and Other Stories by Paolo Bacigalupi. I don't know when I bought it or where, but I hate my own laissez-faire reading habits for having kept it from me all these years; brilliant writing, imaginative settings and stories that keep taking unexpected turns. DANG! another author to follow...
I have 4 of Paolo Bacigalupi books in my Audible collections but I have only read one of them, Ship Breaker. One of those I have is Pump Six and Other Stories, I might try to read either it or The Drowned Cities next month.
Working my way through the Dune saga again. Done with the prequels, which I quite enjoyed actually, and now getting stuck into Dune itself. A long way to go and I once again can't shake the feeling I'd be quite happy as a Fremen, living in a sietch and riding worms.
^ I've always felt a bit torn with that one. On the one hand, it was one of the first novels ever that dealt with the effects of industry on a complex and unique ecosystem. To some extent you might call at least vol. #1 an environmentalist novel. But I strongly disliked the importance of religion and how the religious leaders manipulated everyone ruthlessly, even their families. Atm I read The Adventure of the Naval Treaty (a Sherlock Holmes story) Very thrilling and the solution is rather unexpected.