[MK Chris]

You can spell better when you're pissed than you can when you're not.

[foot-loose]

your right.

Sorry.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

I've never heard of this novel. Ill be checking it out though. Is it worth a read?

I'm only about 60 pages in so I will let you know. At the moment its hard to keep track of who is who.

[Yudster]

I think Kendra might be right. I spent an hour in Waterstones looking for something that made me want to read it - and ended up going home and re-reading my old classics. Maybe next time.

[Zoot]

I was sorting out all my old stuff the other week and came across my copy of George's Marvelous Medicine... Made my self a coffee and sat down with it, took me 45 mins to read, but it's so cool! Its odd though, it's about a little boy who plays with chemicals he finds all over the house and feeds them to his Grandmother - imagine if it was released now, It was cause such an uproar!
How things have changed...

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

Glue is proving an interesting read so far... if you like dogs legs cut off with bolt cutters.

[Yudster]

Sounds revolting. I like lots of different kinds of writing, but the common thing they all need to have for me is that they should entertain me. I wouldn't be entertained by what you describe Gaspode. Are you?!

[MK Chris]

I was sorting out all my old stuff the other week and came across my copy of George's Marvelous Medicine... Made my self a coffee and sat down with it, took me 45 mins to read, but it's so cool! Its odd though, it's about a little boy who plays with chemicals he finds all over the house and feeds them to his Grandmother - imagine if it was released now, It was cause such an uproar!
How things have changed...

Roald Dahl was an absolute legend, even in a world where the word 'legend' is much overused, he wrote some fantastic kids books (though I've never read his adult books); The Witches, George's Marvellous Medicine, Fantastic Mr Fox, The BFG, Danny the Champion of the World... the list just goes on and on.

[Zoot]

I was sorting out all my old stuff the other week and came across my copy of George's Marvelous Medicine... Made my self a coffee and sat down with it, took me 45 mins to read, but it's so cool! Its odd though, it's about a little boy who plays with chemicals he finds all over the house and feeds them to his Grandmother - imagine if it was released now, It was cause such an uproar!
How things have changed...

Roald Dahl was an absolute legend, even in a world where the word 'legend' is much overused, he wrote some fantastic kids books (though I've never read his adult books); The Witches, George's Marvellous Medicine, Fantastic Mr Fox, The BFG, Danny the Champion of the World... the list just goes on and on.

My mother actually bought me the Roald Dahl book box set for me for christmas last year. I'm putting them away so when I eventually have Kids they can grow up reading Roald Dahl just like I did.
Yea, the man was a genius.

I think my favourites were the BFG and the Twits...

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

Sounds revolting. I like lots of different kinds of writing, but the common thing they all need to have for me is that they should entertain me. I wouldn't be entertained by what you describe Gaspode. Are you?!

Its ok so far but I wouldn't go wild about it. As you say I like to read lots of stuff and have forced myself through some books but its not quite that bad yet. I love Pratchett and Catch 22 and A Tale of Two Cities but 1984 and The Catcher in the Rye were big disappointments.

I would class this as more in the Greg Iles, John Grisham, Frederick Forsyth mold of good books but not great.

[Yudster]

I've tried really hard to like Terry Pratchett - I think he writes brilliantly funny one-liners, but I just don't like his stories. Catch 22 is a brilliant book. The movie is good too, if you get a chance to see it. I'm persevering with my Dickens, I make myself read Dickens kind of like medicine every now and then - I know its good for me, but I really don't want to take it! I like his short stories better. As for the so called American classics, I'm with you, a lot of them are disappointing. Some of the post-war drama was brilliant though, I love Arthur Miller. Saw Death of a Salesman at the theatre the other week, fantastic. I'm going to go to the theatre more often, I've decided.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

Kendra - Did you ever read The Survivor?

Thats ace.

http://www.amazon.com/Survivor-Holocaus ... 1575661047

[DemonHorse]

Glue is proving an interesting read so far... if you like dogs legs cut off with bolt cutters.

Have you read Trainspotting by the same guy? That's a f**ked up book, made a good film too.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

I've seen the film but not read Trainspotting. This book mentions Renton and Spud and Begbie is in it also.

[Yudster]

Sounds like you are getting in touch with your inner lout, Gaspode. Still, it could be worse.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

my inner lout is well covered by my outer sloth.

[foot-loose]

I was given "The Last King of Scotland" (Giles Foden) and "The Cold War" (John Lewis Gaddis) for my birthday last week. Anyone read these?

(The Last King of Scotland has just been released in the cinema as well I think)

[Sidders]

My mother actually bought me the Roald Dahl book box set for me for christmas last year. I'm putting them away so when I eventually have Kids they can grow up reading Roald Dahl just like I did.
Yea, the man was a genius.

I think my favourites were the BFG and the Twits...

Matilda is my favourite.

[DemonHorse]

I've seen the film but not read Trainspotting. This book mentions Renton and Spud and Begbie is in it also.

Ahh after i'm done with hannibal rising and Dirk Gentlys Holistic detective agency, i might track it down

[Yudster]

This thread is rapidly turning into Gaspode and Demonhorse's Book Club. Premium rate phone in anyone?!

[Boboff]

Sounds revolting. I like lots of different kinds of writing, but the common thing they all need to have for me is that they should entertain me. I wouldn't be entertained by what you describe Gaspode. Are you?!

Its ok so far but I wouldn't go wild about it. As you say I like to read lots of stuff and have forced myself through some books but its not quite that bad yet. I love Pratchett and Catch 22 and A Tale of Two Cities but 1984 and The Catcher in the Rye were big disappointments.

I would class this as more in the Greg Iles, John Grisham, Frederick Forsyth mold of good books but not great.

It's an odd thing taste isn't it ?
See I couldn't read Catch 22, and terry Pratchet bores me to tears, I love Catcher in the Rye, and haven't bothered with 1984, John Grisham is excellent but Forsyth is trash, I really like Lee Child also, and all the Nick Horby stuff, John O'Farell is a very talented chap and I would really recomend him, very 30 something stuff but extremely funny and well observed.

[Ballbag]

*Bfb dons his half moon spectacles, sits back in his rocking chair, takes a puff on his pipe and crosses his legs*

I got into the stage a few years back where I decided that I needed to read all of the "clasically good/popular books" I used the BBC series The Big Read as a gauge of what I needed to get through.

There were some "classics" that I just couldn't abide, but I'm glad I read, Gormenghast, Catcher in the Rye, Hitchhikers guide, Brave new World...... but I did discover some greats, Lord of the Flies, 1984 (in my opinion it's very good), One Flew over the cuckoo's nest, watership down, the Godfather and possibly my favourite book(s) of all time, His Dark Materials. A truly excellent read.

Mrs Ballbag wont read it for it's religious connotations, but I suggest that if you haven't then go out there and get it.

[MK Chris]

One Flew over the cuckoo's nest

..which was also a fantastic film.

[Ballbag]

One Flew over the cuckoo's nest

..which was also a fantastic film.

Indeed, and that's often another reason behind my book choice..... if it's a good film, you know the book's going to be ace.

Plus it elevates you to the snobbish position whereby you can use the phrase "that so isn't how it happens in the book".

[DemonHorse]

Yes and the other classic that applies in most cases is "the book is so much better"