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

I tried reading Neil Gaiman (American Gods) once, but I couldn't get into it. I also felt I had read it several years earlier, which was odd, because it was a new book at the time I read it. Hmm. The only book by NG I've been able to read and re-read is Good Omens, but I think that's more Pratchett than Gaiman.

s! s!
~Wes

s -

Gaiman writes a lot of different stuff.. but mostly fairytale type stuff.. For instance, I loved Stardust and Neverwhere.. (I'd especially reccommend Neverwhere). I haven't read American Gods yet, though.. (Gotta order it from [Unsuitable link removed by Moderator])

I enjoy Pratchett too, but I can't get into it as well as I could Gaiman.. Funny.



Many s and More s,
Peter

What are Stardust and Neverwhere about? Perhaps I should check them out before the library locks down. Once I finish Sophie's World I'll be looking for a few stand-alone books before I launch into another series.

Well, if you can't get into Pratchett there's just no hope for you. Tale some dried frog pills, you'll feel better.

ies and ies
~Wes

Ack! Sorry! Been afk, unfortunately..
Stardust is about this town, which is on one side of a wall, and Faerie is on the other. There are always guards to keep people out of Faerie, but once a year they have a faire. So anyway this guy is half human half fey, and he ends up going on a quest for this stupid girl Victoria, to find a fallen star.. and that's just the beginning.

Neverwhere is based on a underground London, beneath the one you know and love. One day Richard (? cant remember the character's name) helps a bleeding girl and is sucked into London Below, to go on adventures and generally look stupid in the beginning, and we go from there...

if you're going to read them, I'm not going to completely ruin it!

*laugh* I mean on that "following a series" sort of way.. I have read Pratchett, I just don't love it, sorry.

Many s and a few s thrown in for flavor,
Peter

Well, if you don't love the Pratchett books, at least love the characters. Especially the Librarian! (You know, I just realized that OOK has 3/4 of the letters of the word "book". Hmm. Means nothing, but fun.)

Well, American Gods sounds nothing like those two. I'll have to get them Friday. Any other authors you like that I might not have read? The books on my "favorite book list" are pretty much all I've encountered, at least in fantasy. Oh well. ALL books are my favorite books. Except for the ones that aren't.

Especially enthusiastic s and s, because I've communicated with Leeta in the last hour....
~Wes

I do love the Librarian! I think he's mad cool. And I absolutely loved Maskerade (ack! theatre geek showing!) I do like Terry Pratchett, I just don't love it.. Or at least I haven't read enough of it to remember stuff about it.

Hum.. What've I read lately? Wilbur Smith is alright, but that's cross-genre again.. You've exhausted my repertoire of fantasy, doll.. I'm gonna have to start reading up..

OOO is Leeta the girl? Rockin'!

Big s and Many Fantasy s
-Pete

Yup, Leeta's the girl. THE girl. The whole original purpose of the "Happiness" journal entry. And it's always especially pleasant to read her emails...

Oh...Wilbur Smith. I've shelved a lot of his books...he's one of *those* authors, the ones that have a full shelf or two all to themselves (like Louis L'amour, Piers Anthony, Isaac Asimov, Erle Stanley Gardner....). I didn't think he looked too interesting, but them I'm going by cover art. Yes, you *can* judge a book by its cover. I do it all the time...

Must be going now, I've got to check my email...

~Wes

Auw, how sweet! That's hecka cute.. (I got some bubbles from Englander, and now I'm addicted..)

Yah, the cover art is carp (intentional misspelling), but the Seventh Scroll is pretty hoopy, that's the one I've read.

I judge books by their covers quite often as well.. However some have some pretty cool covers but the books are carp.

Enjoy your email, Wes!

s and s,
cass

Carp? What? Ohhh.... Say no more!

I made a stupid mistake today. For some reason, I can never plan ahead when it comes to books. "Well, I still haven't finished it. Good for another few days. And I can always get something at the library." Never mind that the book has only fifty pages left and the library is closed for Independence Day....so now I'm stuck here with nothing to read but some role-playing sourcebooks. And I've already re-read those a million times.

And as for cover art being , I'll heartily agree. Especially books made for large print. The covers on there are the worst! I guess they figure the readers can't see it well enough anyway, no use making any special effort. I found one book in the library (a western) that depicts a guy reacting to being shot. If you cover up the gaping wound in his torso (not hard with a thumb) it looks exactly as if he were in Swan Ranch. (Like Swan Lake but different.)

In great need of a and in even greater need of a ,
~Wes

Many s for Wes!
Ouchies.. Stuck without a book is a bad place to be..
You'll be proud of me! I got Good Omens and Hogfather! Of course, I also got American Gods, but eh. I really need to just pay the library back and start borrowing books again.. But there's no library close enough to my house..

for carp! I love it!

My friend Amae wants me to ask you: HOW exactly did curiosity kill the cat? We're working and it's getting to the end of our shift.. Therefore insanity has set in..

I don't read much in large print.. But I know what you're talking about.. ...Swan Ranch.. it speaks for itself..

Anywho, I've been checking my messages all day.. Hopefully soon I can get started on my book..

s and s,
Cass

And then when I got back to the library on Friday, both Neverwhere and Stardust were checked out. But I managed to get a hold on them...there's a start.

Good Omens...very funny, I take it off my shelf to laugh at it every so often. Hogfather...funniest when you read the other Susan/Death books first, but still good all the time.

Since the Gaiman books were both out, I had to find another one. Shelving Heinlen, see a book whose title I recognize. "Stranger in a Strange Land." Vidmaster recommended it to me a while ago in another post. Everybody I talk to seems to have a very high opinion of it, but I just don't know. I'm over halfway done already, getting to the parts about Fosterites. (I don't know why, but I realized I've been assuming you've read it. Bad Wes! Don't do that in the future...)

Frankly, I don't see anything special about the book. It does what it says on the jacket, taking every (well, not ALL of them) aspect of Western civilization and examining it from the point of view of a totally neutral visitor. But still, it's not exceptional. Perhaps there's something I'm missing.

I think curiosity killed the cat to make sure the cat couldn't squeal about what crimes it saw curiosity committing. Sure, it sounds weird, but when you put it in the context of smilies it all makes sense.

~>~>=~>
~>=
~>
~>
~>~>=

I think there's a lesson in there for all of us.

s and s,
~Wes

Auw... Darn! hehe.. Good books.

I'm already stuck in Good Omens, and I've only gotten about 25 pages in (light reading before bedtime).. It reminds me (Not too sure why) of another book I've read called Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore.. In fact I reccommend all of Christopher Moore's books if you can find them.. He's sort of a local author so I know we have him, but I don't know if he's famous outside of Cali.

I've actually not read ANY Heinlen as far as I know.. Let me know what you think of it and if it's worth a look..

Uhm, I don't think I got enough sleep to understand those smilies.. I'll have to take a second look in a bit.

-pete, the sleepy bean

Christopher Moore...I've never heard of him--or shelved him, which amounts to the same thing. I'll check when I go back tomorrow.

I finished Stranger after staying up till 2:30 last night. Heh. In the last third I started to understand why everyone thought it was so good (not that I shared their opinons, but I understood it). It's worth reading for the thoughts it raises and its humor, but the ending stinks. Just stinks. Like a (not "fish") heap. The rest is fine, though.

s and s,
~Wes

He's v. good.. I find him funny anyway. Lots of nifty imagery and jokes.

Hum, may have to theck it out then.. heap eh? Gotta watch out for that carp...

Stayed home today and just slept in.. it was beautiful..

s and s,
Cass

Today I checked out the two Christopher Moore books the library had on the shelf--Coyote Blue and Practical Demonkeeping. Demonkeeping sounded interesting, so I started it first. That was about 7:30 PM. Now it's 1 AM and I've spent most of the intervening time reading, which puts me roughly four-fifths of the way through. You're right, he does read a lot like Neil Gaiman (American Gods, at least) but more interesting.

s and s,
~Wes

That's 'cos Christopher Moore rocks!
There's also Island of the Sequined Love Nun..

-pete

I didn't find "Island", but I nabbed "Bloodsucking Fiends" while I was shelving. Skipped Coyote Blue to read it....hilarious! It makes me giggle out loud when I read it...something I haven't done since Dirk Gently. It makes me think that I, too, could be an author--the plots just seem so simple and easy (and crazy), yet the books are still very good.

s and s,
~Wes

I'm glad you liked him!

I've not yet read the Gently novels.. eek.

Hey, if you want to write, write! I don't have the imagination for that..

-pete

You wouldn't happen to know what year he was born in, would you? See, there was a bit of a mix-up at the library. I went to the catalog to see what books of his we had, and found two different Christopher Moores. One was born in 1946 and had written Coyote Blue. The other was born in 1957 and had written Bloodsucking Fiends, Practical Demonkeeping, and Lamb. Your tax dollars at work!

s and s,
~Wes

*goes to check*
Not in the back of the book...
*checks the 'net*
Erm. I think I am going to have to vote for 1957 'cos he said he was "orphaned recently" and that he was "41 when he was orphaned" (check www.chrismoore.com for the exact wording.. It's under "Read this, Kill Your Dad")
Of course, it fits right in with Chris that he would be mysterious..

s and s,
pete