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

Teuchter... I have decided to do all the Sharpe books (in publication order, I've just taken posession of number 4) then I might try the Master & Commander stuff.

But in the meantime all those thoughts of Sean Bean and having heard a quip on the Archers this week (from Jennifer Aldridge about Greg: "fancy that! A gamekeeper with libido problems") I've decided that my next book will be Lady Chatterley's Lover.

I heard that Archers quote too and had a wee snigger. Poor old Greg!

There are 20 books in the Patrick O'Brian series - probably as many Sharpes too.

Have you read any of Bernard Cornwell's other stuff? I enjoyed his Arthurian Trilogy - might have another go at them again soon. He's also written about bowmen at the time of Crecy. (The Archers again)
I do love a bit of swash and lots of interesting historical detail.

I'm reading The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie. He's the one who used to hang around with Stephen Fry, remember? The books a rather good satire / thriller thing about terrorism and espionage and the arms trade (duh) and stuff.

Sho, Talking of Sean Bean, Gamekeepers and Sex, did you see him play Mellors in Lady Chatterly on TV, I've got the video , I once lent it to my sister in law who didn't like it because it had too much sex in it, duh, it's Lady Chatterly

Anyway I'm reading The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, I know it's a kids book but................ah who cares

I never saw Bean's gamekeeper, but I knew he'd played Mellors, which is what put me in mind to read it.

Seriously eyeing up Sharpe's Sword *snigger* and wondering if I could squeeze it in before I forget what is going on in Enigma.

Funny I've been listening to the soundtrack to the Sharpe TV series, My ex hubby has the entire Sharpe series in book and on video he was a big fan and so was I actually

Kushiel's Avatar - Jacqueline Carey
I'm deliberately taking my time with it because I want it to last, although I know that when I'm done I'll immediately want to go back and read the first in the trilogy again (K's Dart).

Finished Witches Abroad yesterday and will consult my desk drawer library for something else to keep me occupied at work. I think there's another Pratchett I haven't read in there somewhere...

I really enjoyed Cornwell's Grail Quest series (the one with the bowman as Teuchter mentioned above). Except that I was disappointed by the ending of the last one.

I am now reading White Mughals by William Dalrymple. Set in early 19thC Indian it's the story of James Kilpatrick and his Indian wife and the repercussions on British rule. Or at least I think it is, as I've only just started it!

Witches Abroad is great, second only to Maskerade in my opinion (but then again, how can I, being me, pass up a book that parodies Phantom of the Opera and lots of other musicals?)

I'm reading a book called The Book Nobody Read, which is about Copernicus' book On the Revolutions of the Heavens, in which he hypothesized the heliocentric universe. The author tracked down and looked closely at around 600 first and second editions of Copernicus' book and saw how many important astronomers and thinkers of the time read it, including lots of interesting annotations. It's a really interesting book so far.

Fermat's Last Thereom - good but have to engage brain!!

Cerebus: Latter Days

Mitsy - is that the Simon Singh one? I liked that; we mathematicians are weird types, though.

"The Remains of the Day" - Kazuo Ishiguro

I loved the film of Remains of the day it always makes me cry

The Origins of Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms, ed. by Steve Bassett.

Avebury - an archaeological and historical perspective.

Straw Dogs - a look at how wrong humanist and liberal (not political!) assumptions about mankind's place in the world is.

Ancient Traces - a look at the anomolies of archaeology, such as the mounting evidence that modern man is probably at least 40 million years old and not 1.5 million as orthodox science states. A lot of science is rather like religion - it's based on faith more than fact.

Saucer by Stephen Coonts.

Stephen Coonts is a former naval aviator who flew combat during the Vietnam War.

Iain Banks - Espedair Street


My first Banks - bought for me by a friend and I cannot put it down!!!

Good, innit?

I've not read it for about 10 years now, but I can still remember (and quote) bits from it.

RF

Truly, absolutely, incredibly brilliant

It's one of those books that you should never read on a train or tube, 'cos you'll keep giggling, or even laughing out loud.

Actually, scrub that, that makes it quite a good book to take on the tube and get a bit of space to yourself!

RF