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

Emperor: The Gates of Rome - Conn Iggulden

it's hysterically terrible history. the fiction's, imaginative (Caesar's born 14 years too early just for a start). the writing's not too bad, and I would get involved in the story if I didn't have a clue about the real one. Mostly it's just amusing me.

Just finished a series of books by Alexander McCall-Smith:

No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Tears of a Giraffe, Morality for Beautiful Girls and The Kalahari Typing School for Men.

Thoroughly enjoyed them all. Very gentle, well written and enough tension to keep you turning the pages to find out what happens.

My only quibble - 4 slim books, each priced £6.99 (tho' I did get a discount). The material could easily have made two decent sized books - at half the cost. A bit of greed there perhaps?

possibly not on his part - he probably just writes the books as he wants them to be. Then the publisher (I think) decides on the price. It is a bit annoying when I've read each one in around two hours - and they ARE wonderful, I've got my mum numbers four and five for her birthday. But I've paid the same price for some dross in my time, so I'm not too bothered.

“The Bell Jar“ by Sylvia Plath, first published in 1963
There are just a few pages left to read, and I can recommend it full heartedly, at least for women – I’m not sure if men are able to put themselves in the protagonist's place.

~kat~

I'm reading the latest Maggie O' Farrell book, The Distance Between Us. I'm halfway through and only boght it yesterday

"The Bell Jar" is good, but certain parts can drill into the head. I would recommend reading a biography of Sylvia Plath or some of her poetry first, just so you get a feel of her writing.

As for me -

"The Big U" - Neal Stephenson

I paid $20 (Canadian) for it - it's his first book, and it's been unpublished for a while. Pretty fun so far!

Katkodl - I absolutely loathed and detested the Bell Jar - I was worried about that so I read it a few times but still I dislike intensely.

But then, the whole thing abut Plath and Ted Hughes spoils it for me I think.

I've just finished reading the first 3 (in publication order) of the Sharpe novels, and am impatiently awaiting Mr. Amazon's next delivery so I can read some more of Sharpe buckling his swash. Or whatever.

Currently going through Return of the King and casting around for something else to read. Probably it will be Chocolat

That’s an interesting strategy of yours, Sho: reading books you don’t like several times. Apart from “The Bell Jar”, did you ever change your mind about a book you detested the first time after reading it a second time?

~kat~

Hmm. I think I would be inclined to re-read books I like rather than those I didn't! I read the Bell Jar a couple of years ago and it wouldn't be high on my list for another look. I'm not sure being female necessarily helps - I found it a bit irritating but maybe that was the point...

I read the Bell Jar and disliked it, and never went back to it. But then I did have to study her poems at A-level and pretty much detested them too.

Catcher in the Rye I also hated, but I did re-read that five years later just in case there was something "wrong" with me first time round as all teens are supposed to idolise it. Turns out that there's something wrong with the book. It's really quite dire.

Isn't it one of those rebelling-against-I-don't-know-what books? I never read it (and didn't want to) because my English teacher hated it and didn't want to study it in her class.

I don't like Dickens, and won't read Hardy-Mayor of Casterbridge put me off. Studied both of them in English-I did read the Eustace and Hilda series though, having read "The Go Between" in class
Have just finished Monstrous Regiment and Girl with A Pearl Earring-liked both of them. Not surprising considering that I like Pratchett and historical novels. Am also reading a bit of John Donne at the moment.

The natural history of religion

David Hume

sorry, Kat, been off site.

Well, I read The Bell Jar on the recommendation of lots of people. But I've always had a soft spot for Ted Hughes since I read Crow. I generally dislike his poetry (all the afterbirths hanging out of sheep's bottoms put me off) but I feel an affinity for a Yorkshireman - even one who went to live in Devon. And he got such flak, and now after the Birthday Letters it seems that he didn't deserve (most of) it.

So I re-read it. And again. Then once again. To be honest, I don't really have any sympathy or empathy for any of the characters. I think it's overwritten (which isn't really why I dislike it) but ... possibly I'm looking for it to be too brilliant. The brilliant poet/writer cut off in her prime is a lot to live up to.

I've also read The Catcher in the Rye lots of times looking for some redeming feature. The one good thing I have to say about that one is that I can empathise (and detest) the main character. I mostly read it now to work out why it prompted (apparently) the murder of John Lennon.

I didn't like Silas Marner when I studied it for O-level. But I read it (out of desparation when it was the only book in the caravan one wet holiday) again a year later, and I absolutely loved it. Each time (I tend to read books several times each) I love it a bit more. It really is a lovely story, it seems so simple, but it is beautifully written and just flows off the page. The only other one of Elliot's that I like is Adam Bede.

I persevere with The Silmarillion because i love LOTR so much that I can't believe i don't like it. But it's only the stile I don't like, so I think that maybe next time, or the time after, it will be fine.

and to get on topic: currently reading Enigma by Robert Harris. I love it (especially since I used to be in the Intelligence Corps - it's making me nostalgic for my army days!)

eek, yikes, sorry about that.

it seems to be my night for long postings.

Don't worry; I do that all the time! The little scrolly windows are very deceptive!

Now reading 'Boudicca' by Manda Scott

Life among the tribes circa AD30 - absolutely gripping - have difficulty putting it down and think about the characters all day when I should be concentrating on wo*k

I'm with you on the swash-buckling Sho! Have you tried any of Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey-Maturin novels? They've just made a film of the first two with Russell Crowe - Master and Commander. I'm stuck on the third one - HMS Surprise - they take a bit of concentration, all that stuff about mainsls and mizzens - I have to keep flicking back to the picture to see which bit of the rigging they're on about.

* wanders off dazedly, about Richard Sharpe

<-- Anyone read this one?

I'm reading a fictional book called The Children's War, and it's really long!! (Almost 1,200 pages. Big pages. With tiny print.) I can't seem to put it down though. It's one of those books that keeps pulling you back. If you're not averse to violence and/or dehumanization, and you don't mind spending a month on one book, I highly recommend it.

Charles Bukowski, Women.