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

I read Reaper Man back in 2001, or '02... For now, I have run out of Pratchetts, i.e., I've read 'em all...

Nostromo by Joseph Conrad. Initially a bit slow but now the pace is picking up nicely.

Oh yes I've read Reaper Man. Actually, I'm very close to being in the same predicament you are adelaide. Once Monstrous Regiment comes out, i'll have read all the Disworld novels as well as Good Omens, which was my first exposure to Pratchett. My favorite stand alone book is definetly Small Gods, and probably my favorite series with in the Disc books are the ones involving the City Watch.

I *have to* read Tolkien's Silmarillion for a class at the U. I managed to get through the first 30 pages so far - it only took me a week. Can someone please say the word "drag" for me?

Y.

Drag.

Just started The Well Of Lost Plots by Jasper fforde. I know I should've read The Eyre Affair and Lost In A Good Book first, but this was the only one they had in the library. Will it matter?

RF

Just getting into Whit, Iain Banks

(Thanks RF)

You're welcome! Just listening to Internationalist. Oops, wrong thread.

RF

Monstrous Regiment is out - I've almost finished it

Whit was a good read, one of Banks' better ones, methinks. I ought to re-read some of them but there's always so much I haven't read, re-reading seems a waste. Having said that I've recently finished re-reading Good Omens, still brilliant.
Just started The Algebraist, still can't pronounce it!
And still waiting for Amazon to deliver Quicksilver so I can start the trilogy...

The newest Bill Bryson's Book

RF--
I hope you enjoy Well of Lost Plots. It's harder to understand without Lost in a Good Book, but then there's so much craziness going on in those books that it doesn't matter much (as long as you read Something Rotten last--it gives away a lot).

I am reading 'Mutant Message Down Under', which is a story about a middleaged American woman who went on walkabout with a tribe of aboriginies (having expected to be going for lunch with them, but ended up away for months). It's great for anyone prepared to listen to a 'New Age' message and is very interesting.
Regarding Iain Banks: I love all of his books, including his Iain M Banks scifi and 'Raw Spirit'. I am just waiting another few weeks until 'The Algebraist' is released in paperback, so don't spoil the surprise.

Raw Spirit indeed...what a book! Scots author with a penchant for whisky* is given money, *and expenses*, to drive around Scotland, drink malt whisky, and write about it! As all his friends said at the time:

"So, you'll be needing a hand with that, then?"

Yes, I too love the entire works of Iain Banks, with the possible exception of "The State Of The Art" which I found a bit patchy.

RF

* Don't they all?

"I am reading 'Mutant Message Down Under', which is a story about a middleaged American woman who went on walkabout with a tribe of aboriginies (having expected to be going for lunch with them, but ended up away for months). It's great for anyone prepared to listen to a 'New Age' message and is very interesting." - I've read this book several years ago, and I was truly fascinated by it.For some reason, I never managed to read the 'sequel'.

We get whisky in our bottles from about two months, Freddy

I love Ian Banks too. Last one of his I read was Dead Air, so I have a bit of catching up to do.

The latest one of his I've read was The Business, which I really enjoyed. If you like him you could try Ken Mcleod, he's a little bit similar to Banks's sci-fi.

(Dissenting message) Doesn't Iain Banks have something of a tendency to churn 'em out? I read 'The Business' recently and was underwhelmed. On the other hand, 'The Wasp Factory' was outstanding, 'The Bridge' rather good and 'The Crow Road' and 'Espedair St' at least readable. 'Whit' was, I fear, a misprint.

I have to say I am also an Iain Banks dissenter...

Just finished 'Dancing Bird' by Tanjas darke (Dutch/NZ woman, about the hard life she was led by two of the most heartless people anyone could have the misfortune to have as parents...)

Still reading the Holdstock. Anyone who hasn't read his novels, must rectify that immediately if not sooner!

Banks may well churn them out, but good luck to him. The books of his I've read, I've enjoyed, with the possible exception of Canal Dreams, I felt which was lacking something. I have to say I prefer his non-Sci-fi work.

I don't think there's always a binary choice between quality and quantity. Some of the biggest names in literature wrote quite a prodigious number of books and stories. Dickens churned them out week by week serialised in the popular press - but they his works still stand strong. I'm not making any grandiose claims for Banks, but I do think he's a pretty good entertaining writer.

Likewise, although I would agree about Canal Dreams. I enjoyed Whit, too, but Song of Stone didn't really grab me - a contract fulfilment exercise? Dead Air was pretty good.
The Sci-fi is intelligent, unlike an awful lot of so-called SF (put a picture of a weird spaceship and a well-endowed woman in bondage spacesuit on the front and some people will read anything). And I like the way he creates a continuity in the Culture, without repeating characters. My favourite is not a Culture one, though - Against a Dark Background.