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> Reading anything good?

And wrong. Clearly.

We should make a group! TO THE FACEBOOK MOBILE/joke

Reading A Song of Ice and Fire spoiled me for lightweight silliness. I remember reading the first two trilogies (dragons and twins) then a series of bland rubbish compilations after that. I liked them at the time, but I was like 13 or something. The original trilogy was supposedly a recreation of the authors' gaming group's adventures.

Over the past month or so, I've been reading Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle. This consists of the volumes; Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World.

I got these I think two Christmases ago, because it had got to that time when family were asking if I wanted anything, and generally I don't, so I'd requested a load of sci-fi/fiction books. I wasn't particularly interested in the Baroque Cycle, because the 17th century setting didn't appeal in the slightest, but I had quite enjoyed Cryptonomicon, and had fond memories of Snow Crash and The Diamond Age, so I put them on my list.

I'm starting on the third book, and they've been fantastic. Covering the late 17th and early 18th Century, mixing swashbuckling, leaps of science, politics, wars, world travel, economics in equal measure, and with humour, maturity and word-craft that show up Snow Crash for the spotty faced teenage scribbling that it really is. Equal parts educational and entertaining- for example, I recently learned the reason our English word for "coin" bears no relation to the word in other languages and I know more about short selling stocks, and the perils of sea travel than I ever thought I'd need to- but I don't mind because it's been bloody good fun to read about it.

The thing that put me off starting on them, was that these are thick books, full of pages of small writing, not like some airy Maeve Binchy in 20pt font. It looked like a mountain to climb, so I demured for nearly two years. The density of the books only means that there is that much more enjoyment to get from reading them.

They're the best things I've read in years.

I've been reading Snow Crash on and off for about 2 years.  I like the story, but I can't seem to get in to it properly.  I heard the Barogue Cycle was even more of a struggle, but if you say it's BETTER than Snow Crash I may pick one up sometime.

I haven't read those, although sometimes in conversations in more geeky circles, it's *assumed* that everyone there has at least read Snow Crash.  I've just realized that erm, about a year ago, I started reading Cryptonomicon, after someone chanced upon it in a charity shop and expected me to like it.  Well, I did, the first two dozen pages made me really smile.  I liked it so much in fact that I "put it up for later" as I had a few other books on the go at the same time, and wanted to read it properly.  So, er, thanks Ace, for reminding me that I have a really good book that I need to get back to 

I had a couple of recent Terry Pratchett books for Xmas, that I quite enjoyed.  "Unseen Academicals" and "Nation".  The first one is his a fairly typical example of his Discworld fantasy series, and the latter is different, more of a Robinson Crusoe tale in a world closer to our own.  I enjoyed both a lot, neither would make my list of his best stories, but they were both well worth the time I invested in reading them.  I've still got another one, "Making Money" to read - I used to get one of his books every year for Xmas from my folks, but they forgot for a couple of years - and, so did I.  He peaked several years ago, I think, but I still enjoy his stuff very much indeed.  It's light and funny but always has some interesting point.

The only reason I bought Snow Crash was a review of it in AP that stuck in my mind, and 2 years ago going on holiday and thinking I should take a book with me.

Since then, I've got maybe 1/4 of the way through it.  I was thinking it was because I don't read much these days but I managed to polish off Screen Burn in short bursts in about a month, which is super fast for me.

I think my main problem was that things unfold quite slowly, it can be a chapter or two before anything of any real interest happens.

Recenty read Stephen King's latest two.  'Under The Dome' is one of his long eipc-type stories, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The one before was a collection of short stories, and that's when I like his writing the best.  They're odd, offbeat, creepy, romantic, funny and always touching, and while I'd guess (I don't pay attention) his popularity probaly means poor/sniffy/condescending reviews, I've always loved his writing and think the world will be a poorer place when he calls it a day.  Also reading 'The Ultimate History Of Video Games', which is very interesting, 'The Sprouts Of Wrath' by Robert Rankin, and 'The Spider With The Platinum Hair', which is a bio of one-time Bowie guitarist, Mick Ronson.

I found Cryptonomicon a bit of a chew at times, but the BC books, while denser, just seem easy to read. There's so much dry humour in them, and Half-Cocked Jack Shaftoe is a legend.

As I'm barging around face-palming forum vets I'll link up some stuff in here too: many years ago, while looking for something to read during a slow patch in a previous job, I saw this amongst the dusty tomes of my dad's library. That must be utter bunk, I thought, and entertaining for it. I was wrong: it was a portal into the realm of Clark Ashton Smith from which I have never fully returned.

I could write a mini-bio for the guy but you might as well find out for yourself: he was a friend and contemporary of H.P. Lovecraft and occasionally shared themes or styles. The linked site above contains all of his work: some pieces are still available in print but the Fantasy Masterworks compilation omits his prose poetry and sci-fi adventuring to deleterious effect.

My favourites are: From The Crypts Of Memory, The Shadows, The Mirror In The Hall Of Ebony and most of all The Passing Of Aphrodite. They're assorted prose poems but he wrote a multitude of poems and short stories of limitless imagination and with a delicate grasp of this language that renders a lot of other texts as clumsy and bland. In my opinion.

"Bow down: I am the emperor of dreams:
I crown me with the million-colored sun
Of secret worlds "

I am currently reading 32 Battalion: The Inside Story of South Africa's Elite Fighting Unit . It's pretty interesting if you like, you know, guns and that. I like guns and that these days.

Seriously, these guys were badass.

Oh, yes, I've got that, it's a fantabulous volume.  Loads of interesting stuff on 'classic' gaming history (mostly in the US, admittedly), that you wouldn't get just from e.g. reading Retrogamer or on your typical games forum.  I was very amused by the copyright case between Data East and, hmm, I forget the other party, regarding their karate games.  That might not sound amusing, but it's very richly written stuff.  It sounds like a dull tome, but you find yourself rattling through it in no time.
@Xeethra, cheers for the info on Ashton Smith - I'm quite a fan of Lovecraft, so that's really appealing to me.  But like you said, that cover does it no favours.  Looks like one of the lesser Fighting Fantasy books.

I am currently reading through the Bill Hicks 'Love All The People' book I got for Xmas.  He has the same birthday to me, and without trying to leech off his talent, there are some minor parallels in our lives, mostly when we're each still kids.  I now have an ambition to at least live to the age of 33.

Heh: I'm fond of the cover-art now. I collected the whole Panther series of Smith's works and the covers range from worse to fabulously atmospheric. And Lovecraft's 'The Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath' is still one of my favourite books. Best read in one sitting on a stormy afternoon.

I think two of the Big Three (Lovecraft and Smith, less so Howard) were influenced by the judo-practicing, body-building, Houdini-baiting ex-sailor and grand mad mystic William Hope Hodgson: 'The Night Land' is an astonishing, improbable, unbelieveable book. It's 500 pages long, written in pseudo-archaic phrasings that don't quite work but is staggering in the breadths of its imagination. 'The House on the Borderland' by the same author contains similarly breathtaking passages on time and space. Be warned, though, they are both heavy going.

I'm reading the second book in Stephen King's Dark Tower series.  "The Drawing of the Three."  "The Gunslinger" absolutely hooked me so im going to try to read all seven books.  After i finish this one though i think im going to read "Under the Dome"

Brilliant books, aren't they? I've read them too
The sheer volume of books I have at my mums is ludicrous. When I was 17 my dad and me went to a guys to buy some books as he advertised it in the local paper. When we arrived there were 10 boxes FULL of sci-fi and fantasy books-I made dad buy all the boxes for £50 as it was my birthday-that was one of the best days of my life. I read very fast so I'd read most of them in 2 months or so, I EAT books!

I'm currently in the middle of reading The Diary Of Anne Frank we didn't read it at school.  I love all things History. So far so good I'm loving it.

I never did get around to reading "And Another Thing..." - I started, but other things got in the way and now I'm not in the mood for it. So I've been powering through Chris Evans' autobiography, "It's Not What You Think", which is a rather good read, all told. Whether or not you like Evans or not, he's lead an interesting life, and tells it in a jovial, fun way, while happily and apologetically admitting to his own faults and failings.

Hollywood Hulk Hogan: very well ghost-written; you can imagine Hulk sat on a rocking chair with a tartan rug over his knees staring into the middle distance and relating the hazy stories of his life. It's ideally shaped for reading in short bursts...uh...in the smallest room.

The Molesworth Collection: fabulous, imaginative, wondrous books. Beautifully illustrated, endlessly quotable and still fresh over a half-century since inception. AS ANY FULE KNO.

Hm, I'm quite tempted to read the Hollywood Hulk Hogan book, but I'm also fearful of it being so full of bullshit that I'll give up.  He's known for being a very, erm, untruthful man.  If you enjoyed that then you might enjoy Bret Hart's book, which I thoroughly appreciated.  It's a mite long, but everything I've read in it chimes true with stuff I've read around the web about him, and it's impressively unflinching.

Such recommendations put me in mind of the Stewart Lee routine/rant about books. Toilet reading, eh? 

I am still reading The Baroque Cycle, plugging through The System of the World.