TSF Book Club

Cactus Jack

[quote name='taniwharugby']of which one? 
 
A song of Ice and Fire or Conquerer, given both I mentioned were book 1 <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' />[/QUOTE]The second Conquerer one is Lords Of The Bow from memory and if you are anything like me you wont want to have to wait for it after Wolf Of The Plains .

taniwharugby

Yeah if I like a book Ill rip through it and want the next one straight away...still waiting as I am getting the audio book version to go alongside the book (plus not yet finished Game of Thrones)

Chris B.

I see I've got "Catcher in the Rye" and "The Great Gatsby" side by side in a bookcase. <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Here's a sort of short Christmas list of some of the books I've most enjoyed in recent years: 
 
"No better death - the Great War diaries and letters of William G. Malone". I thought this was superb - I started collecting a few Gallipoli books a few years back, but this is easily my favourite. War, heroism, love story, family, disaster - and, bizarrely, given the provincial structures of the NZ (and ANZAC) army, it almost reads a bit like "The Hurricanes go to war". 
 
"Memoirs of a fox-hunting man" - Seigfried Sassoon. Also on a WW1 theme, this is the first of an autobiographical trilogy - and is really the calm before the storm. Growing up in privileged, pre-war England. Follows up with "Memoirs of an infantry officer" which is also good, but brutal. And "Sherston's Progress", which I didn't like. 
 
"In my father's shadow - a portrait of Justice Peter Mahon" - Sam Mahon. Not sure many would like this. Years ago, I read "Letters to Sam", which was a collection of Justice Mahon's letters to SM and others. They were quite light, clever and funny - including to Sam, who was starting a sort of hippy, artist life in North Canterbury (in fact in the village where I grew up). This book is a pretty dark counterpoint, Sam explaining plenty about why he didn't get on with his father. 
 
For science fiction fans, some older ones you might dig into: 
 
"Dancers at the end of time" trilogy by Michael Moorcock. Might need to hunt in a 2nd hand bookshop (for "An alien heat"). It's basically a morality play in which the people at the end of time with unlimited powers and zero morals meet Victorian England. Quite light and funny, but a bit out there. Starts out with a bit of blatant incest, but don't let that put you off...it's just setting the scene. <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
More recent, Julian May's "Intervention, Galactic Milieu, Saga of the Exiles" series. It's actually two interlinked series plus a prequel and properly, you should probably read Saga of the Exiles first - but, I liked the other series more and would probably start with Intervention - I don't think you'd miss much by doing so. 
 
A bit older - from the 1980s I think, but still in the bookshops - Stephen Donaldson's "First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant". More fantasy than fiction, and pretty dark - but, excellent nonetheless. Much better than the second chronicles - which are still OK and you'll have to read as well, though I'm still not entirely sure what happened at the end. <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
And finally, for everyone who hasn't tried them - P.G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves and Wooster" books. Probably the funniest books I've ever read. They're full of "in jokes", so you need to be a bit careful where you start. Probably the set of short stories in "Very good, Jeeves" is good place, in which they battle vicious swans, ex-headmasters, hot water bottles (armed only with a darning needle tied to a stick), and an aunt or two.

taniwharugby

[quote name='Chris B.'] 
More recent, Julian May's "Intervention, Galactic Milieu, Saga of the Exiles" series. It's actually two interlinked series plus a prequel and properly, you should probably read Saga of the Exiles first - but, I liked the other series more and would probably start with Intervention - I don't think you'd miss much by doing so.[/QUOTE] 
 
I have the set, find them hard going, but are still good books once you get into them, have the last one to go. 
 
Have also just finished Game of Thrones, I enjoyed it, and feel they did a cracking job with the series, felt they captured Tyrion Lannister perfectly, he is a brilliant character! Contrary to some comments in the TV Series thread, I didnt feel I missed much by watching the series having not read the book. 
 
Unfortunately, my requests from the library for Clash of Kings and Wolf of the Plains both arrived yesterday, so now I have to decide...the fact that Clash of Kings looks like a mammoth effort will probably sway me!

BartMan

[QUOTE]Stephen Donaldson's "First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant"[/QUOTE] 
 
have heard of these - what're they about?

Chris B.

[quote name='BartMan']have heard of these - what're they about?[/QUOTE] 
 
Funnily enough, given the author's name, redemption. 
 
They're pretty complex books, but basically starts out with a guy whose life has turned to crap - he's caught leprosy of all things, and it's gone downhill from there. Narnia-like, he gets transported to another land where he's instantly cured and also get's some pretty potent powers and status - but, being a bitter and cynical man, he doesn't believe in any of it, so wanders about behaving like a bastard. He gets caught up in a pretty clear-cut good vs evil "lord of the rings" type struggle, but he's really only dragged into his missions reluctantly - he's sceptical that it's happening and thinks the whole thing is a trap to lure him into letting his leprosy getting out of control. 
 
That probably doesn't sound very appealing, but there's lots of great settings and characters, but it's not light fantasy, it can be heavy going. Probably a bit slow moving and angst-ridden at times - but, good nonetheless. I probably need to re-read them to try to work out what happens in places (including the end).

Nepia

[quote name='Chris B.']I see I've got "Catcher in the Rye" and "The Great Gatsby" side by side in a bookcase. <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Here's a sort of short Christmas list of some of the books I've most enjoyed in recent years: 
 
"No better death - the Great War diaries and letters of William G. Malone". I thought this was superb - I started collecting a few Gallipoli books a few years back, but this is easily my favourite. War, heroism, love story, family, disaster - and, bizarrely, given the provincial structures of the NZ (and ANZAC) army, it almost reads a bit like "The Hurricanes go to war". 
[/QUOTE] 
Do you have sections on your bookshelf - i assume the section you're referring to is Overrated? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Malone's diaries are an interesting read - my MA was about NZ command structures - so have read a bunch of stuff in this area. 
 
I really want Peter Jackson to remake Chunuk Bair (Once on Chunuk Bair) as an actual movie and not as a filmed play.

Cactus Jack

[quote name='Nepia']Do you have sections on your bookshelf - i assume the section you're referring to is Overrated? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Malone's diaries are an interesting read - my MA was about NZ command structures - so have read a bunch of stuff in this area. 
 
I really want Peter Jackson to remake Chunuk Bair (Once on Chunuk Bair) as an actual movie and not as a filmed play.[/QUOTE]I was an extra in Once On Chunik Bair when I was posted at Trentham . We got to spend a couple of days continually pretending to get shot . Did my knees no good at all for what has to be one of the worst war films ever made .

Cactus Jack

In fact I would rather watch re-runs of Full House than sit through that movie again .

Voltron

agree with Nepia, Great Gatsby way over rated. Catcher in the Rye ok but not special. Certainly not worth the controversy it still dredges up when a school wants students to read it in the states. Tried to get through the modern libraries top 100 books of the 20th century but books like these put me off. Not a patch on Lolita though. Well written and kind of interesting if you can get past the kiddie fiddler aspect. I couldnt. Especially when you consider that the author, no matter what he says, is a kiddies fiddler. No one has that good an imagination. Ive never advocated censorship but this book changed my mind. I cant think of a reason why it needs to be read by anyone. 
 
Thomas Covenent ok but hard work. 
 
Catch 22. I know we've talked about on here before and some people not that keen but i still cant work out why. Cant say enough about it. 
 
Just finished re-reading Chickenhawk. Awesome, especially for anyone with even a passing interest in war.

Scorz

If you liked Chickenhawk, you'll like this one [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Once-Warrior-King-David-Donovan/dp/0345333160"]http://www.amazon.com/Once-Warrior-King-David-Donovan/dp/0345333160 
 
[/URL]My copy fell to bits, might even buy again!

Tim

[I]Lolita[/I] is a brilliant book that should be read by everyone. Try [I]Pnin [/I]if you something light from Nabakov.

jegga

If you liked Chickenhawk don't read his other book it's rubbish. 
 
If you like NZ military stories Howard Kippenbergers recollections are here [url]http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-KipInfa.html[/url] It's a great read, the retreats in Greece and Crete and then revenge in North Africa and the disaster at Cassino.

Nepia

[quote name='Voltron']agree with Nepia, Great Gatsby way over rated. Catcher in the Rye ok but not special. Certainly not worth the controversy it still dredges up when a school wants students to read it in the states. Tried to get through the modern libraries top 100 books of the 20th century but books like these put me off. Not a patch on Lolita though. Well written and kind of interesting if you can get past the kiddie fiddler aspect. I couldnt. Especially when you consider that the author, no matter what he says, is a kiddies fiddler. No one has that good an imagination. Ive never advocated censorship but this book changed my mind. I cant think of a reason why it needs to be read by anyone. 
 
Thomas Covenent ok but hard work. 
 
Catch 22. I know we've talked about on here before and some people not that keen [B]but i still cant work out why.[/B] Cant say enough about it. 
 
Just finished re-reading Chickenhawk. Awesome, especially for anyone with even a passing interest in war.[/QUOTE] 
Repetition - it is funny for a couple of chapters and then is tiresome (that's how I see it). 
 
I love Chickenhawk, read it as a child when I was Vietnam War crazy and it scared the bejesus out of me. Read it again as an adult and it's awesome, you're right. 
 
I've never read Lolita and now I don't know if I should - we've got one detractor and one supporter, but I suppose I'll have to read it to make up my own mind. If it's as crappy as Catcher in the Rye I'm making a voodoo doll of Tim (which will probably have to look like Dennis Wilson). 
 
Cactus: I just thought of it as a filmed play so I didn't think it was that bad - great story, terrible production values. 
 
Jegga: Spent many hours going through his papers at the library named after him in Waiouru. I also interviewed Sir Charles Bennett who was one of the commanders of the Maori Battalion before he died and it was great hearing first hand about 'some' aspects of the war.

Tim

Did you read the Yates book? Like it?

Voltron

Nepia - on Lolita, imagine an entire book which is one long seduction of a 12 year old girl. Except the bits where he graphically describes exactly what it is that attracts him to said 12 year old girl. Very well written, which just makes it worse. I have no interest in an in depth exploration of the things that he explores.

Chris B.

[quote name='Nepia']Do you have sections on your bookshelf - i assume the section you're referring to is Overrated? <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> 
 
Malone's diaries are an interesting read - my MA was about NZ command structures - so have read a bunch of stuff in this area. 
 
I really want Peter Jackson to remake Chunuk Bair (Once on Chunuk Bair) as an actual movie and not as a filmed play.[/QUOTE] 
 
Yeah there's some vague sorting of the bookshelves - I think this section is probably, "books you were supposed to read at school". I've got "To kill a mockingbird" yet to add to that shelf. 
 
I too want Jackson or someone to remake Chunuk Bair. I've not seen Cactus Jack's version, but it doesn't sound like it's what I want to see (CJ's avatar suggests he knows something about good movies). I think you could make a great movie out of Malone's story - but, I don't want to see some Hollywood version full of a whole lot of shit that didn't happen, because I hate phonies.... <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />

Nepia

[quote name='Tim']Did you read the Yates book? Like it?[/QUOTE] 
It's sitting on my desk, but I've been reading a book about commanders throughout history so haven't got round to it yet. I'll let you know when I do. 
 
Chris B: I felt that To Kill a Mockingbird actually did live up to the hype. 
 
Voltron: Sounds awful, I probably wont read it now.

red terror

[quote name='Voltron']agree with Nepia, Great Gatsby way over rated[/QUOTE] 
 
Context is required, as-in the era, the zeitgeist, the influence.. 
 
I hear the same thing about Citizen Kane. Waaaay overrated. No matter that so many of the groundbreaking influences have been endlessly copied by every filmmaker since, many audiences don't see any surprises, ergo, pfffffffffft, it's overrated. 
 
I hear the same people say the same thing about Colin Meads, who tell me, "waaay overrated, he's too small - he may have been good in the ancient era, but no way he could toe it with the big men in the professional modern era. Don't see what the big fuss is."

Voltron

Quite. And i know plenty of people who were never even born the last time Colin laced up his boots who will confidently assert that he is the greatest player of all time. 
 
Having no experience of the context of The Great Gatsby i'll have to defer to you on that one.

The Silver Fern

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