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

Gosh did I have to restrain myself from ordering several Pamplemousse books from Amazon. They appear to have lots, and I'm kind of a completist.

I hope the library has one or some of them, because I'd like to check them out.

I'm still reading "Watchmen"; been too busy during the days and too crowded on the train ride home to do much reading over the last week.

Today's a day for Ulysses by Jamsey boy. Some days just have the feeling that nothing should be done, bar lounging around and chuckling at Ulysses and eating cake.

The one after that will probably be some of George Orwell's essays.

Michael Moorcock - The End of All Songs (last Dancers at the End of Time book).

I've given up on the inherited books and decided to focus on my own unread collection (150+ so far). I've started Cold Burial by Clive Powell-Williams, about a man who took his young cousin and another young man on an expedition into Canada's Barren Grounds. None of them survived.

Life is to short for Ulysses.

That just means you haven't got the joke!

I got the joke - but it's not funny. The unfunniest Irish Joke ever

Nah, you just didn't get it then. You only think you did.

As for the worst Irish joke, surely that must be Westlife. No, wait, Val Doonican. No, actually, Terry Wogan...OK, I'll stop or I could be typing for some time.

I've just been to the charidee shop, and I've now got another 3 books for my 'to do' list...

The diving bell and the butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby, for litarary poseur moments.
The world according to Clarkson by Jeremy Clarkson for modern realism.
Dawkins God by Alister McGrath for a bloody good laugh. My copy has underlining in...lots and lots of underlining!

I've read Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh. Really good, an epic tale of mathematical discovery, which encompassed lots of maths on the way. It was noticeable though how less and less got explained as the maths got more complicated. Guess it would just be too much for us mere mortals after some point.

Also Making Money by Terry Pratchett. He's got to be the most readable author going. Also pretty good.

Fermat's Last Theorem and The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly are both on my 'Not Read' list. I'll get round to them - eventually! Regarding how sci-fi writers can't predict what will happen, there's an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Picard refers to Fermat's Last Theorem still not being solved (some time in the 24th century, as I recall). I smile whenever I see that bit.

Currently reading Bess by Anne Beer, about the wife of Sir Walter Ralegh. Also reading The Talisman by Sir Walter Scott. I've downloaded the Project Gutenberg ebook of Quentin Durward, 'cos the copy we inherited was abridged and I wanted to read that.

just started (thanks to PC ) I Capture The Castle by Dodie smith

>>there's an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Picard refers to Fermat's Last Theorem still not being solved (some time in the 24th century, as I recall). I smile whenever I see that bit.<<

Having studied a lot of the number theory that goes towards proving Fermat's Last Theorem (or Wiles's Theorem as we should probably call it) I can confirm that it'd be rather tricky to include in a popular mathematics book.

I've not finished Big Bang yet, but I'm now also reading Sam & Max - Surfin' the Highway by Steve Purcell. It's a collection of all the comics that have appeared in print featuring the Freelance Police (don't ask - it's never properly explained). Generally quite insane.

Getting stuck into Jasper Fforde's "First among sequels".

MC

Snow - Orhan Pamuk

Seems pretty good so far

Read 'Century Rain', another SF novel by Alistair Reynolds. Really rather good. This is how epic SF should be.

Am nearly finished 'The Bourne Supremacy', which although the plots are wildly different, is quite similar to the films in the way the action sequences are superbly done and well thought out, and its emotional, erm, shallowness. One thing about it though is the absolutely *dreadful* use of italics which does the book no favours at all. They really jar, page after page.

Reading 'Shipwrecked at the Top of the World' by David Roberts.

Took Sho's (et al) advice and am reading "Vile Bodies". So far, so good.

I'm also trying to finish Watchmen, which I have liked very much!

Harlequin by Bernard Cornwell. Just started it so I'll let you know if it's any good.