For all that you read, Decrepit, I have serious doubts about your self-proclaimed "muddleheadedness". Someone who reads that much simply cannot have that

Stephen King- On Writing.

It was one of my christmas presents. I've torn through the biogaraphy-ish bit, which was remarkably compelling, and I'm about to start the next section

I haven´t read much Stephen King, as in nothing... I understand though his books are far better than the movie adaptations.


As I´ve probably mentioned I´ve mostly read Enid Blyton´s books about the four kids and their dog.

I haven't read any of his books either, but it's at the top of pretty much every list of books on writing. And it reads a lot better than other books I have on the subject.

I too have never read a Stephen King novel. My mom read him, as has my brother. (I have no remembrance of my dad ever reading a novel-length book.) Contemporary horror isn't one of my preferred genres, though I understand he has published at least one fantasy novel.

As for myself, I thought to do a little 'lite' reading. Settled on David Eddings "The Belgariad", a series I've read possibly more times than any other books. This would have been its tenth reading. However, only a few pages beyond the prologue of book one, "Pawn of Prophecy," I realized it was too familiar and lost interest. (I last read it only two years ago.) I am now on page 135 of volume one of Henryk Sienkiewcz's two volume The Deluge. At 840 pages (for volume one alone) I'm gonna be at this a LONG time. I've read that Deluge is considered the best of Sienkiewcz's 'Trilogy'. We shall see about that. If it's anywhere near as good as its predecessor, "With Fire and Sword," it will be quite good indeed.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Dec 30 2015, 07:08 PM

I have read a ton of Stephen King novels in the past. Up until he got really famous, and decided he no longer needed an editor. Then his books went from being 250-350 pages to over a 1,000, and I stopped reading. It was the final one for me.

But back in the day, his books like Salems Lot, Christine, The Dead Zone, Night Shift (a short story anthology), the Stand were all excellent novels. So was It, it was just looong. His real strength is that he makes his characters - even the minor ones who only live for ten minutes - spring to full, three-dimensional life and practically leap off the page at you. That makes the horror work, because the plot is so well grounded in real and believable characters.

I am half way through Dead Zone on my e-reader at the moment. I knew nothing about the plot before I started and was very surprised to see the whole 1970's election work its way into the story. Though I guess I should not be. Men with power ambitions make a good antagonist.

This post has been edited by Winter Wolf: Dec 31 2015, 05:07 AM

Been reading some Dickens on my Kindle, since I picked them up for free. Read A Christmas Carol, which wasn't bad. Tried reading Oliver Twist but bailed after 76 pages, I just couldn't keep reading it. It was just pissing me off, and I really didn't give a damn about Oliver, in all honesty.

Edit: Read Great Expectations. I've decided I'm not going to bother reading any more Charles Dickens books. I've read three, and not really given a damn about the characters in any of them.

This post has been edited by Callidus Thorn: Jan 5 2016, 11:30 PM

I'm still slugging away at Henryk Sienkiewicz's "The Deluge, volume 1" in the W.S. Kuniczak English translation. Four hundred ninety-one pages down, some three hundred fifty to go, plus the nine hundred plus pages of volume two. I haven't yet acquired the concluding novel in 'the trilogy,' "Fire in the Steppe." As slow a reader as I am I reckon it's going to be quite some while before I order it.

Addendum: Now early Sunday morning, I checked prices for "Fire in the Steppe" at Amazon during a break from Banished last night. Yikes! Looks like I wouldn't be buying it any time soon.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jan 10 2016, 11:08 AM

At 0248 this morning, thanks to yet another poor sleep, I finished Henryk Sienkiewicz's "The Deluge, volume 1" in the W.S. Kuniczak English translation. Took me long enough. I started in on it just after Christmas. Granted, at 841 pages it's a long book. Still, my younger self might have finished it a week or two sooner. I've read that The Deluge is considered the best of Sienkiewicz's 'trilogy'. Judged solely on volume one, of the two I prefer book one, "With Fire and Sword."

I am now maybe ten pages intro volume two.

This post has been edited by Decrepit: Jan 26 2016, 09:23 AM

It´s awesome that you read so much, Decrepit. Saves your eyes from hours of screen time

Assassin's Creed Underworld by Oliver Bowden...

The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas

Started reading it this morning, one of the ones I downloaded some time back for free off Amazon, but never got around to reading. I started it this morning, and have been finding it far more compelling than I'd expected. It's proven to be quite difficult to put down.

CT, neat! Glad you are enjoying Dumas. I remember being quite enthralled by The Count of Monte Christo over half a century ago. It might have helped that I lived at the time on a street called 'Rue Alexandre Dumas' in St Germain en Laye - a suburb of Paris.

I bought a crapload of books recently; 13, I think. I now have the complete LOTR trilogy added with Children of Hurin, a couple of Tom Clancy's books (Threat Vector and Locked On), Blade Runner, a crapload of Dan Simmon's Hyperion series (up to Rise of Endymion, I think) and Isaac Asimov's I, Robot and Foundation. I also got a gift from one of my seniors; she gave me Robert Harris' an Officer and a Spy. Probably going to buy me some Star Wars books, if I can find them.

An eclectic gathering to be sure, but I'm loving them all. They be my babies mmmhmmmm

Right now I'm being enthralled by Dan Simmon; the surroundings he's written are giving me ideas for my own. The characters, I'm neutral regarding since I'm still getting to know them but at this point I'm having a blast reading the delightfully demonic Martin Silenus; he reminds me of Ylenno with his antics lol

A question for fellow Tolkien fans: How does The Lord of the Rings end for you? I have read the books, normally preluded by The Hobbit, many times. I of course always read the story-proper in its entirety. I have not, however, read the whole of the appendix since my first read-through back in the mid 1970s. That said, several bits of it are for me indispensable.

The first of these is A\I\(v): "Annals of the Kings and Rulers\Numenor\Here follows a part of the tale of Aragon and Arwen." Next comes the concluding few paragraphs of Appendix A, referencing the departure of Legolas and Gimli. I then jump to Appendix B "The Tale of Years" and read from the paragraph beginning "After the fall of the Dark Tower and the Passing of Sauron..." to its end, which includes Sam's departure, the deaths of Meriadoc and Peregrin, and these final two sentences:

"Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Anduin and so over the Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in Middle-earth of the Fellowship of the Ring".

I might or might not read more of the appendix during any given re-read, but for me this ends the tale.

I've never really gotten into the appendices, if I'm honest. I keep meaning to, but never get around to it. I've looked into a couple of them, but nothing more. I think next time I read The Lord of the Rings I'll have to make a point of reading them.


Well, I've finished The Three Musketeers, and I'm annoyed.

I was enjoying the book immensely, up until the point where the character frequently referred to as 'Milady', Dumas' pet monster, is imprisoned in England. At that point, the story took a swandive off a cliff, and took reason, logic, and even sanity with it. Off the top of my head, I cannot recall reading a book that has gone downhill so quickly.

I've still got The Man in the Iron Mask and The Count of Monte Cristo to read, and I'm about to start the latter, but I'm hoping they don't have the same problem.

This post has been edited by Callidus Thorn: Jan 31 2016, 12:08 PM

I have read the Appendices a few times, both after reading the books, and just for reference. I usually do not however, because it makes me feel too sad. That is the problem with every good series, be it books, television, or film. It is sad to see it over.

I just started re-reading a book this morning. I needed something to read, but the few remaining "new" books just didn't appeal to me at the moment. So I went digging and found "Deed of Paksenarrion," which I first read more than twenty years ago. I only read it once, but liked the female protagonist so much that she stuck in my mind all these years. Now I don't remember the story too well, so it feels like the first time again.

I remember that! Or maybe it was Sheep Farmer's Daughter? It was about the same character, how she started out. I remember liking it, and its gritty portrayal of a fantasy setting, which I had not seen much of at the time.

Today I finished Donald Kagan's four part History of the Peloponnesian War. It was good, even though I knew how it would end A good series for history buffs, or even just for those who want a good look at the political and social forces that drive people into wars, and prevent them from making peace. Especially notable is how every state is invariably effected by faction politics within its own ranks, and how individuals not only drive those factions, but inevitably put their own interests before those of their country (often to the detriment of their State). Finally, passions often rule state policy, be it arrogance and greed, to grief, fear, and hate. The way the Athenians executed their victorious generals after they had won the Battle of Arginusae is a prime example. Anyone who wants to write about city-states and empires would do well to read it and take notes.

This post has been edited by SubRosa: Feb 3 2016, 03:47 AM