h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Indeed I have. As well as Smoke and Mirrors a collection of excellent short stories and Stardust a beautifully done fantasy Fairy novel and Coraline a rather dark children's story.

Neil Gaiman's Stardust was indeed a very cute story and managed not to be twee in the telling.
Just starting something by Liz Williams called The Poison Master. Thinking of getting into Bill Bryson's A Short Histoy of Nearly Everything next.

Having whipped through about 4 Sharpes in the last week, I'm now on Sharpe's Prey. Nearly finished the series

Also reading Morality For Beautiful Girls - 3rd in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, and just as good as the other 2 I've read.

I've just got back from a week in the UK, where I just handed over my salary to the nice lady at Waterstones in exchange for a suitcaseful of books. Now I just have to explain to the Gruesome Twosome why we have to live on rice and beans for the rest of the month!

Still reading "Flu" - got bogged down, but have to finish it cause somenone else wants it.

Also reading a highschool level text book sort of thing about the Holocaust camps and just finished another book about the Holocaust called "Night"

Monstrous Regiment , Terry Pratchett
The Player of Games, Iain M Banks
The Years of Rice and Salt, Kim Stanley Robinson
80 Not Out, Patrick Moore

About to start the new Iain M Banks, The Algebraist, even thought I haven't worked out how to pronounce it yet...

I've just finished a book called "The Frumious Bandersnatch" by Ed McBain. Apparently, one of a series of bokks he's written. Anyway, this one has made me firmly of the opinion that it, and the rest of the series, should be avoided like the plague. Unless it's a post-post-post-modern ironic twist, I can't see how it would be possible to write this badly, and get published. It was really crap. Hope no-one's unclear about my opinion of this book.

On the plus side, I have a nice, shiny copy of Banksie's The Algebraist* next to my bedside. Don't want to start it tonight, though, as I don't think I'll get any sleep if I do.


* Al-jeb-ray-ist is how I'm pronouncing it. Stress on 1st and 3rd syllables.

Inheritamce - Simon Brown (awesome! I began it in January, put it aside and then picked it up again. It's brilliant! )

The Real Michael Hutchence - Tina Hutchence and Patricia Glossop. Biography.

Thanks for the pronunciation tip RF! More or less what I'd concluded, but how often does one find oneself having to say such a word out loud?!
I now have a dilemma (well, not much of one really as you will see.) I've just received The Confusion and The System of the World via Amazon for my birthday, with a note saying that there's another parcel coming separately. I'm guessing that this will contain Quicksilver, as I suggested that my other half might like to get these for me. So, do I wait and see if it arrives soon and start that lot, or do I start on The Algebraist? I still have a couple of chapters of the Amin Malouf left.
Decisions decisions...

I've almost finished Lords and Ladies, by Terry Pratchett. It's a Dutch translation, sadly, although the name of the translator almost makes up for that: Venogopalan Ittekot.

After that I'm going to start in the third trilogy by Robin Hobb, with Fool's Errand. I'm hoping it will be as good as the assassin trilogy. I really liked the first person perspective. Authors don't use it enough (not in fantasy at least).

About halfway through The Algebraist now, by the aforementioned Iain M Banks.

A criticism I noted when buying this book (from a review in Amazon) was that it takes 100 pages just to set the scene. Well, yes, this is true, but it does so in a typically Banksian way, so your attention is never allowed to wander. And page 140 *really* got my attention!

I'm now up to the almost unputdownable stage, so may noty get much sleep tonight.

RF

Just finished: Long Way Round (MacGregor and Boorman) - makes me just wanna get on me boik an' roid, roid, roid

About to start: Around Alone (Emma Richards) - the good looking one of Britain's ace solo yachtswomen goes around the world. Alone. Does exactly what it says on the ti..cover, I mean cover. Ok it was a freebie from work but I'd have bought it anyway (actually I put in for two but they'd only supply one, even to those who didn't want it )

(Name drops) I used to work with Emma Richard's little sister. Nice lassie!

My company sponsors (and names) her boat, though I'm just and underling several hundred rugs down the ladder so I'll probably not ge the pleasure. Ah well.

If it's namedropping we're doing though, I had the same first boss as Black Sabbath (not at the same timw htough)

And now we return you, to your usual programme.

Just finished reading Bridget Jones:Edge of Reason (going to watch it on on on Friday!) I'm now reading Learning to Fly by Victoria Beckham.

still reading the guide

No Go the Bogeyman by Marina Warner, its a book about symbolism of monsters in children's fairy tales. Its research for my dissertation and is actually surprisingly interesting.

Finished The Algebraist at 2am last night. Ho yus. What a book! Go read. On e of Banks's finest.

RF

Reading Jane Eyre right now, just finished rereading The Black Tulip by Alexander Dumas. Wonderful story, and besides, I'm doing a project involving a musical based on the book.

Which reminds me: Nbcdnzr, in your last post you mentioned reading a Dutch translation. So I assume you know Dutch, and I'm wondering if you can help me translate a letter/email into Dutch. It has to do with the project I'm doing; the story takes place in Holland, and I'm doing research on the location. Just post a message on my space, U519947 .

Read Porterhouse Blue and nearly finished Blott On The Landscape - both Tom Sharpe - can't recall when I last laughed so much.