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

And Johnny Depp will be Martin - mark my words!


az

Interestingly, some people have said that it's Nick Hornsby stretching himself into litratcha a little, and I was going to get around to it. The last one of his I read was High Fidelity - which I think *was* quite good, at the level of structure and technique - but on the whole I steer well clear of LadAngstLit.

High Fidelity also has the great line:
'She says she likes Simple Minds, but I've been explaining to her why she's wrong.'

The book aout the stepsister by Gregory Maguire (Wicked) is Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. I read it a couple of years ago. It was engaging enough that I finished it, I think there were a few parts I didn't quite get (maybe, it's been awhile), and I remember thinking the ending was a clever twist. I haven't read Wicked, or his other book Mirror Mirror.

Currently I'm in the middle of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See and Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich.

ah, well i would highly recommend 'wicked', fantastic read. i am currently reading 'the taming of the shrew' which i am enjoying immensely, despite my lifelong aversion to shakespeare.

Just finished a book called The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty that I found very poorly written indeed, though the subject matter was interesting. Just too many times when the author writing in the first person seemed to know what other people said and did when he couldn't have possibly been there - that kind of stuff. Sloppy editing?

Have just started Tony Parson's Stories We Could Tell, which is kind of light and entertaining. No big shakes but so far okay.


az

ps
must say that the English section of my local bookshop in Seville is somewhat limited so I often buy stuff just because it looks *possibly readable and maybe good* - also that it's THERE.

Though I have noticed that since I started ordering books there they end up buying two of whatever I order and it ends up on the shelves. So lots of Lindsay Davis and Terry Pratchett now, when before there was next to nothing of their stuff.

I've finished The Long Firm by Jake Arnott. It really was rather good! I loved the way it wove in real-life characters eg Joe Meek, Jack 'The Hat' McVitie, Judy Garland (!!!), a thinly-disguised Kenneth Williams...and even a cameo from Alexei Sayle.

Currently reading:
Nicle and Dimed by Barbara Eherenreich - participative journalism doing low-wage jobs in the UK. There's a UK equivalent by Polly Toynbee, but this is far wittier (You'd expect Toynbee to be po-faced and worthy)

In My Pile
I discovered another Jake Arnott going cheap. I forget the title.
Number 9 Dream - David Mitchell (I really ought to get around to him)
Just Bought DNA's 'Last Chance to See' - also going cheap.
Venus as a Boy by Luke Sutherland

BUT:
I'm really looking for more inspiration. Any ideas? I need my bulbs lit.

>>Nicle and Dimed by Barbara Eherenreich - participative journalism doing low-wage jobs in the UK

Oops.
Nickle and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich - participative journalism doing low-wage jobs in the US

>You'd expect Toynbee to be po-faced and worthy<

Would I? I think I'd expect her to be right. Which in 'Hard Work' she was. Repeatedly.

Oh, I totally agrtee she was right. But Sensayuma's not her strong suit. Nickel and Dimed manages to get in all the political/econonic facts but also adds some additional incision and wit.

(Anyway...my favourite Grauniad journalist by far is Gary Younge)

Ok, just about to go *extremely* low brow.

Aquired this morning, Kid Eternity - a graphic novel I have an extremely large work load this week. I read and owned all the comics many years ago. Oh the memories!

I've just ordered I Capture The Castle on Edward's recommendation and I don't care if I hate it because it was only 2 quid!

I'm reading Clock Speed about supply chain management and it's but I need to get it finished before I attend a workshop on the subject next week.

In addition to that: Genesis II by someone I can't remember. Interesting enough (and topical - bird flu jumping to humans) but the writing is poo.

Also my bedtime book is The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. I'm trying to remember why I thought it was better than Tender is the Nigh, but failing at it.

I also found my copy of The Bonesetter's Daughter, which I mislaid while halfway through, so I'll be reading that soon.

Bedtime story for the Gruesome Twosome is Green Smoke by Rosemary Manning. I love it (a little girl meets a dragon while on holiday in Cornwall it's the first in a series of four)

100% success rate so far, magwitch

Favourite line from The Great Gatsby:

'I'll be the man smoking two cigarettes.'

>> Have just started to re-read (don't shoot me!) The Da Vinci Code in readiness for the film release in a couple of weeks. <<

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to shoot you.

Anyone looking for an interesting read at the moment could do worse than Kazuo Ishiguro's latest, Never Let Me Go. I found it entirely rivetting, and quite scary, and the way it's written...which you don't get at first...anyway, enough said. Go read it.

Currently on a slightly trashy book called Speak For England, by James Hawes (most famous for A White Merc With Fins) - OK, it ain't lichrachur, but it's a right rollicking read!

Then I'm heading for the snows of Siberia with The People's Act Of Love.

RF

I am rather hoping, Edward, that it is going to have a similar vibe to A Minor Apocalypse by Tadeus Knowicki. Excellent, excellent read, if you can find it...

Finally got a hold of Peter F Hamilton's "Judas Unchained".

Thing is, it's second in a series and I've totally forgotten who the characters are and what the plot twists were from the first book and I'm finding it hard going.

Deception Point by the ubiquitous Dan Brown. More a film script than a novel. Will be very popular with airport booksellers. Standard of writing: English GCSE/James Herbert. Coudn't put it down.

>> Standard of writing: English GCSE/James Herbert <<

Standard of research: couldn't even be bothered to check the internet. I just made shit up.

RF

..and I just have (found A Minor Apocalyse that is) am really going to enjoy rereading that at the weekend

A Minor Apocalypse

Is that a guitar chord ?