Do you read?

[mjmooney]

Buy a leather jacket, become a rabid fan of Sketchers shoes, and buy a Porsche.

Should sort you out.

I'd rather die.

[Rodders]

Have a free hand out to the poor, educate the masses Mike! Then demand they swap with you as soon as you want the book you've given them

I haven't bought any out of discipline in months because of this very problem. OK my to read list is substantially shorter - probably at about 30, but my book reading rate isn't great at the moment and that will take plenty long enough. Having just realised I wasted a bit of time on another Pratchett book ( Sourcery - quite amusing, but rather muddled ) it's back to the Age of Wonder, whilst my partner really wants to read The Never Ending Story as she got it me as a present. I've tried, but I'm just bored shitless after a chapter, possibly because I'm older than 12, who knows.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

I bought some book of a hobo once for a hand full of shrapnell, turned out to be some apocolyptic doomsday book wrote by some religious mentalists, in the perspective of a dull family, which basically told the tale of Russia wiping out the USA with a nuclear attack, then the world goes up in smoke. They walk about for a bit seeing all the destruction and asking where god is. Lose a bit of faith. Then an angel pops up and shows them the way into heaven and how they were chosen because they were, basically, a white middle class american family that went to church.

Moral of the story is don't buy shit from hobos.

[villa4europe]

I bought marvel civil war thinking it would be a great read, an hour later id finished

Ive never read a marvel comic before but watchmen is as good as anything ive ever read was expecting something half as good, but its not, its too fast and brief too many characters not enough depth, i felt as if it was a continuation of comics i hadnt read rather than the stand alone graphic novel i hoped it would be

[Chindie]

If you like the Watchmen, look out for Moore's other stuff, particularly V for Vendetta (although by all accounts that has dated badly, it's a comic of it's time, it was basically a critique of Thatcherism at heart, nothing like the film) and From Hell, which is quite different to the film as well. From Hell in particular is very, very well held, and should be available in a decent bookshop pretty easily. Last time I was in there, Waterstones in Brum City Centre had a copy.

Still reading the Acid House myself, about half way through the novella at the end with the brilliant title of 'A Smart word removed'. The book itself isn't bad, has some brilliant stories and some that are a tad meh. A couple are laugh out loud hilarious.

[villa4europe]

They do have a copy and graphic novels are 3 for 2 in there, i was tempted to get v, from hell and the one about the mice which is really a nazi germamy story, the £17 price tag and the artwork in from hell put me off though

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Maus is really good.

[mjmooney]

Have a free hand out to the poor, educate the masses Mike! Then demand they swap with you as soon as you want the book you've given them

I'm seriously thinking of either having a car boot sale or giving a load to charity. But I can't quite bring myself to do it just yet. One of our spare bedrooms is filled with my history books, some of which I've had since I was a kid, and they have powerful nostalgic value. But it's unlikely I'll read any of them again (especially with the logistical dilemma I outlined above).

It's back to the Age of Wonder

Finished that, excellent book.

Current reads: two John Steinbecks - "Cannery Row" and "The Log from the Sea of Cortez".

[ED]

Most people I know that read as much as you, write as well. Surely after that many books you must have had the 'I can write one better than that!' moment that turns most readers into writers as well?

[mjmooney]

Most people I know that read as much as you, write as well. Surely after that many books you must have had the 'I can write one better than that!' moment that turns most readers into writers as well?

Yes, I modestly think I can write a bit. And yes, I did make a start on a novel. But I decided it was shit, and stopped.

I may yet have another go - only trouble is, it takes up time that interferes with my reading.

[MrWeedMcGrass]

Most people I know that read as much as you, write as well. Surely after that many books you must have had the 'I can write one better than that!' moment that turns most readers into writers as well?

Yes, I modestly think I can write a bit. And yes, I did make a start on a novel. But I decided it was shit, and stopped.

I may yet have another go - only trouble is, it takes up time that interferes with my reading.

Any short stories for us? I'd be very interested

[mjmooney]

Most people I know that read as much as you, write as well. Surely after that many books you must have had the 'I can write one better than that!' moment that turns most readers into writers as well?

Yes, I modestly think I can write a bit. And yes, I did make a start on a novel. But I decided it was shit, and stopped.

I may yet have another go - only trouble is, it takes up time that interferes with my reading.

Any short stories for us? I'd be very interested

Hell no. Short stories are THE hardest thing to do well. Much harder than a novel.

[MrWeedMcGrass]

Most people I know that read as much as you, write as well. Surely after that many books you must have had the 'I can write one better than that!' moment that turns most readers into writers as well?

Yes, I modestly think I can write a bit. And yes, I did make a start on a novel. But I decided it was shit, and stopped.

I may yet have another go - only trouble is, it takes up time that interferes with my reading.

Any short stories for us? I'd be very interested

Hell no. Short stories are THE hardest thing to do well. Much harder than a novel.

Well , it's the opposite for me :winkold:

[aikenjhon]

i love reading subtitle of foreign films.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

Short stories are harder because you need to convey your ideas within a limited time frame. For example over the course of a day. For a short story to work really well it takes a **** load of practice and re-writes!

[MrWeedMcGrass]

Short stories are harder because you need to convey your ideas within a limited time frame. For example over the course of a day. For a short story to work really well it takes a **** load of practice and re-writes!

Well I find Novels/Novellas more difficult because everything from beginning to end has to make sense to the reader. I find doing dialogues and conversations difficult , i rather enjoy having bouts of descriptive word diarrhea :winkold:

The plot as well, you can base a short story around a single incident or a small setting of three to four characters.It is much easier to end a short story compared to a novel where the ending has to be well paced and all lose threads need to be tied up at the end.

I read a post somewhere where you mentioned something about a short story you had written a while ago. Do you have any of your stuff you can post here?

[leviramsey]

[b23avfc]

Shifting books, need room for stuff i havent read

The Complete Guitarist - Richard Chapman, foreword by Les Paul

*

These are a must for anybody training/ weight lifters:

A Portrait of Dorian Yates by Dorian Yates and Peter McGough

Blood and Guts by Dorian Yates and Bob Wolff

Pumping Iron - The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding by Charles Gaines and George Butler

Pm

[leviramsey]

A Portrait of Dorian Yates by Dorian Yates and Peter McGough

[mockingbird_franklin]

Just Finished Wil Self's The Butt, enjoyable read , well worth checking out

before that read the book of Dave by the same author, just as good but found the chapters full of Mokni slang hard going, but equally these supplied some of the best comedy.

both books I'd describe as comedic with dark undertones