Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Literary Comfort.

You know, I love to read.
I think that's why I like this blog so much, as it allows me to release my inner writer, and while there is no Great Canadian Novel forthcoming from yours truly, it's a start.
But reading has always been one of my passions. ( I'll let you figure out what the others are..) I normally read one or two books at a time, sometimes three if I can cram another good one in there. I like to vary the style of what I read somewhat, so here are the last few books I have read. Most of these are "comfort books" meaning I've read them before, and usually do read them one or two times every six or seven months.
  1. The Bachman Books - By Stephen King, writing as Richard Bachman. Of the four books here, there is only one I don't like. It's called Roadwork, and I just can't get into it at all. However, the other ones are simply phenomenal. There's Rage, which is basically about a school shooting , but written from a more psychological point of view. Next is The Running Man. If they had made this movie instead of the piece of crap that Arnold stared in, it would have been a huge success, instead of just pathetic. And then there is my favorite, The Long Walk. I just can't get enough of this story. If I did have millions, and could make a movie, this would be it.
  2. The Princess Bride. - Yeah, that's right. The Fucking Princess Bride. You got a problem with that? Shut up and read it. It's a great book. I like the movie as well, and the book just makes the story better. Great reading material, excellent pacing and satirical observations.
  3. Dune. - 'Cause I'm a geek. Get over it. This is an excellent book. Herbert creates his own geopolitical universe and fills it with intrigue and allegories. A genetic messiah is nothing to laugh at. Hollywood shit all over this book, but see Bish for the straight scoop.
  4. Vampire$ - Another great book that Hollywood shit on. It's a mindless read, but I love the pacing and the characters. You'd have to read it to understand, and even then you probably won't.

And that's it so far.

I put The Princess Bride on there, even though I'm reading it right now, but I'm almost done. I'm going to have to go back to some of the suggestions that were left for me and start to check those out. Right now I also like to check out blogs, but most people I know don't update very often, so what can I do? But these books are a great example of what I read for comfort, to relax and escape. And that's what reading is about, isn't it?

Later.

1 comment:

  1. Dude. Princess Bride rocks. I have to read the book, now, too. Vampires$? Another one I'll have to check out.

    I've been all over the Vampire Gumshow line by Laurell K Hamilton, but after reading most of a recent book we picked up by accident - no vampires, just faeries and porn - I may be soured to her completely. You know, in the same way that The Firm and A Time To Kill made a good movie the the rest of Grisham's work shows he's filling out a contract. This Faerie book I just couldn't finish. It's crap, all disjointed scenes, leaps of faith, impossible physics and a plot more shallow than Doom3.

    I re-read
    - William Gibson
    - Katherine Kurtz (Deryni)
    - HGTTG
    - Larry Niven (Ringworld, Integral trees, mainly)

    I need to get some Isaac Asimov and Phillip K Dick. I don't have any! Well, maybe a few short story collections (incl I Robot), but nothing really excellent.

    I don't even have Do Robots Dream of Electric Sheep.

    And finally, what chu talkin' about not updating very often? Of the 4 blogs which aren't dead, specialized or irrelevant, which I update regularly (general, personal, techie/ranting and work), only the last one hasn't been updated recently, and only because I've been busy.

    And mine are all crap anyway. I'm the most boring person I know.

    Now, Joey, on the other hand, has no excuse.

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