# [May] What are you reading?



## Krug (May 1, 2004)

So what are you reading this month?

Right now, more Warhammer stuff, *Blood & Steel* by CL Werner.


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## Sniktch (May 1, 2004)

_The Sandman_ graphic novels by Gaiman, as my friend loans them to me.  Also a book on investing and the last 50 or so issues of Cerebus I've been holding until #300 came out.

Last book I read was _Neverwhere_ (Gaiman again) and before that _Perdido Street Station_ by Mieville.


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## Wombat (May 1, 2004)

Just finished re-reading the Earthsea books (all six).

Now taking my 4th pass at _War & Peace_.

After that... utterly unsure


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## Ao the Overkitty (May 1, 2004)

Just started reading "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown.


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## Cthulhu's Librarian (May 1, 2004)

_The Sandman: Endless Nights_, and the _Lonely Planet Guide to Belize_ (my Honeymoon starts in 31 days!)


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## Crothian (May 1, 2004)

I'm not sure...but I'm hoping to have time to read something not gaming related


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## NeuroZombie (May 1, 2004)

Ao the Overkitty said:
			
		

> Just started reading "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown.



LOVE that book!

I am currently reading the CODA version of the Star Trek RPG, and Ursula LeGuin's The Eye of the Heron.


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## Ao the Overkitty (May 1, 2004)

NeuroZombie said:
			
		

> LOVE that book!




I'm not far into it, but it is very good so far.  And it's not hard to see what all the fuss is about.  Usually I only read Dirk Pitt or virus books (Like Hot Zone or Cobra Event) when it comes to modern times novels, but this is a nice change of pace.


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## ConnorSB (May 1, 2004)

Devlin's Justice, book three of the Sword of Change books by Patricia Bray. Its a pretty decent trilogy, reminds me a lot of Mercedes Lackey books. The writing is similer, but the world and character focus is different. Not so much female empowerment, and a lot more "we are kinda Celtic but have tigers."

The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara, Book Three. I'm really tired of the Shannara series, but I'm reading this last book for a bit of closure. Stupid crazy series.

Mona Lisa Overdrive- William Gibson. Another good Gibson book. My only problem with him is taht I can't quite remember if I ever finished Neuromancer.

I want to pick up Neal Stevenson's Quicksilver, but I dont know if its in paperback yet, or whether I really want to pick up such a big book right now, given that I am reading a bunch of other books simultaniously.

Oh, and i'm trying to start the first book in the Black Company novels.

And as soon as my friend finishes reading the copy of Storm of Swords I lent her, I'm gonna reread it in preparation for A Feast for Crows.


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## Viking Bastard (May 1, 2004)

I'm finally readin' Storm of Sword by G.R.R Martin.

I've been puttin' it off for quite some time because that'll mean 
I'll have to start waiting for books that aren't out yet.

*SIGH*


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## Tiberius (May 2, 2004)

I plan on picking up Martin's A Storm of Swords this weekend.


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## Zappo (May 2, 2004)

Lots and lots of Terry Pratchett.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 2, 2004)

Zappo said:
			
		

> Lots and lots of Terry Pratchett.



 Gooooood. 

As for me, I'm reading the Stargate SG-1 d20 RPG book, _Reaper Man_ by Pratchett, and after that I'm going to dive into _Interesting Times_...also by Pratchett.


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## Psychotic Dreamer (May 2, 2004)

I'm planning to re-read either the first few Anita Blake books before they totally delved into deviant sex, the Area 51 series or The Lost Regiement series by William R. Forstchen.  Although on the last one I can't find my books any more and will need to reorder them.  Can't even remember which book is the first one in that series.


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## LightPhoenix (May 2, 2004)

I too just started reading The DeVinci Code.


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## Wombat (May 2, 2004)

Psychotic Dreamer, if you like the Anita Blake books, but want a little less weird sex, you might want to try Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series (starts with Storm Front) -- modern day wizard, helps solves crimes, etc.  I actually prefer Butcher to Hamilton, but that is more a minor matter of taste.  As a friend of mine says, "They pull from the same crowd, but Jim is for the boys and Laurel is for the girls, with a lot of crossover".  Kinda sums it up...


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## MacMathan (May 2, 2004)

I am rereading the G.R.R. Martin series and Gibson's Pattern Recognition.


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## takyris (May 2, 2004)

Just finished _The Alienist_, the 19th-century murder mystery, _Los Alamos_, a Manhatten Project murder mystery, _Wayfarer Redemption_, the first in some big honkin' series by Sara Douglass, and now am messing with _The Swordsman's Oath_, the second book in a series of which I read the first book quite some time ago and wasn't wowed -- but when I saw the second book in the used bookstore, I thought it was worth it to give it another shot.

_Wayfarer Redemption_ has issues.  I'll bring 'em up in another thread.


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## Psychotic Dreamer (May 2, 2004)

Wombat said:
			
		

> Psychotic Dreamer, if you like the Anita Blake books, but want a little less weird sex, you might want to try Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series (starts with Storm Front) -- modern day wizard, helps solves crimes, etc.  I actually prefer Butcher to Hamilton, but that is more a minor matter of taste.  As a friend of mine says, "They pull from the same crowd, but Jim is for the boys and Laurel is for the girls, with a lot of crossover".  Kinda sums it up...




Sounds interesting.  If my financial situation allows for it I'll be ordering this book either this week or next.  Probably get the first two books just to be safe.


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## Tetsubo (May 2, 2004)

The Politics Of Reality. A book of essays on feminist theory.


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## Swoop109 (May 2, 2004)

I just finished up Burroughs' first three John Carter of Mars books and seem to be heading into a pulp frenzy.
I recently lucked into a set of The Spider and Doc Savage reprints and plan on spending the next couple of weeks going through them. after that I plan on reading a Tarzan novel written by Joe Lansdale.


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## Hand of Evil (May 2, 2004)

*King of Foxes* by Raymond Feist


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## Hand of Evil (May 2, 2004)

Swoop109 said:
			
		

> I just finished up Burroughs' first three John Carter of Mars books and seem to be heading into a pulp frenzy.
> I recently lucked into a set of The Spider and Doc Savage reprints and plan on spending the next couple of weeks going through them. after that I plan on reading a Tarzan novel written by Joe Lansdale.




If you do not know about it you may want to try www.blackmask.com it has a lot of the pulp books as free E-books.  It also has a lot of other books too.


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## drnuncheon (May 2, 2004)

Finally getting around to _Wolves of the Calla_ by Steven King.  Mmm, Dark Tower.

J


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## GreyShadow (May 2, 2004)

The Hobbit.
Oh, and my FLM course books for work.


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## Maerdwyn (May 2, 2004)

Conan: The Coming of the Cimmerian


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## Andrew D. Gable (May 2, 2004)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, currently on "The Boscombe Valley Mystery".


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## Eosin the Red (May 2, 2004)

I am just finishing the Butlerian Jihad and I have the Alienist on my list. I am also working my way through An Encyclopedia of Demons and Faries.


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## Swoop109 (May 2, 2004)

Hand of Evil said:
			
		

> If you do not know about it you may want to try www.blackmask.com it has a lot of the pulp books as free E-books.  It also has a lot of other books too.



HoE, thanks for the link.  
Did not know about it, and now have it listed in my bookmarks. Again, thanks.


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## Cheiromancer (May 3, 2004)

Wombat said:
			
		

> Psychotic Dreamer, if you like the Anita Blake books, but want a little less weird sex, you might want to try Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series (starts with Storm Front) -- modern day wizard, helps solves crimes, etc.




I'm also a fan of Anita Blake, but you are right about the... _exotic_ bits in the later books.  Her take on werewolf culture is pretty fascinating.  I'll have to check out Butcher.

Thanks!



			
				Sniktch said:
			
		

> The Sandman graphic novels by Gaiman, as my friend loans them to me.




I Just finished them.  I was rationing myself to one a month, but I broke down near the end.    Really, I don't think there is anything by Gaiman that isn't superb.


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## Pants (May 3, 2004)

Viking Bastard said:
			
		

> I'm finally readin' Storm of Sword by G.R.R Martin.






			
				Tiberius said:
			
		

> I plan on picking up Martin's A Storm of Swords this weekend.



Prepare yourselves for a cursing, hair pulling experience.  

*sigh*
Kinda wish I could read it for the first time again.


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## Psychotic Dreamer (May 7, 2004)

Well I got the first two books in the Dresden Files series of novels by Jim Butcher, recomended by Wombat.  I read through about 2/3's of the first book, Storm Front, yesterday in a 4 hour sitting.  Haven't really torn through a book like that in a while.  Still have about 100 pages left.  Will finish that off today and then I will start on the second book.  Next Thursday when I get paid I will order the remaining 3 books and anxiously wait until August when the next book is supposed to be out.  I've quickly gotten hooked on Jim Butchers easy writing style.

If anyone has any suggestion on books in a similar style, please let me know.  Looking for modern, with supernatural being either common place or well known.  Like Anita Blake or the Dresden Files.  Thanks.

And thanks go to you Wombat for recomending these books to me.


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## Zappo (May 7, 2004)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> Gooooood.
> 
> As for me, I'm reading the Stargate SG-1 d20 RPG book, _Reaper Man_ by Pratchett, and after that I'm going to dive into _Interesting Times_...also by Pratchett.



_Reaper Man_ is one of the two books I purchased last time I went to the library (the other being _The Last Continent_); I've finished it yesterday and it's definitely one of the best. There's a bit where a character is having a very serious conversation with Death... going by memory...

 "Don't anyone ever try to challenge you?"
 "SOMETIMES I WILL ALLOW THEM TO CHALLENGE ME IN A GAME FOR THEIR LIVES"
 "Do they ever win?"
 "NO. ONE GUY MANAGED TO PURCHASE THREE STREETS AND ALL UTILITIES, THOUGH"


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## Datt (May 7, 2004)

The Saga of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.

I am about to finish the first book, The Magic of Recluce.  So far I really enjoy his writing style.  Although he does get on my nerves a bit when he says something like three times on one page.  I dont need to be reminded that the guy is cold because it is winter over and over.  But that hasn't happened very much to ruin the overall book.  I am looking forward to reading the other 10 or so.


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## Darmanicus (May 7, 2004)

Nearly finished Book 2 of the Tawny Man series: The Golden Fool, by Robin Hobb........it's been great.


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 7, 2004)

> Reaper Man is one of the two books I purchased last time I went to the library (the other being The Last Continent); I've finished it yesterday and it's definitely one of the best. There's a bit where a character is having a very serious conversation with Death... going by memory...
> 
> "Don't anyone ever try to challenge you?"
> "SOMETIMES I WILL ALLOW THEM TO CHALLENGE ME IN A GAME FOR THEIR LIVES"
> ...




I WAS THE BOOT. 

 That was great. And of course, Death of Rats is one of the best characters ever. 

I'm just about finished with Interesting Times now...then into A Hat Full of Sky.


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## Krug (May 9, 2004)

Richard Matheson's _I Am Legend_. very gripping horror.

Also finished Scott McCloud's _Understanding Comics_.

Oh and the *Midnight* HC.


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## Andrew D. Gable (May 9, 2004)

The White People and Other Stories, by Arthur Machen
Currently reading "The Great Return".  A nifty story where the Holy Grail is found in Wales.


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## Filby (May 9, 2004)

Cheiromancer said:
			
		

> I Just finished them.  I was rationing myself to one a month, but I broke down near the end.    Really, I don't think there is anything by Gaiman that isn't superb.




Hear, hear. I just finished the _Sandman_ canon myself -- read the whole series in about two months, I think. I can't say how beautiful it all was... words fail me.

For my part, I'm reading _Aztec_ by Gary Jennings. It's the first non-fantasy novel I've read in ages. Normally I hate historical fiction -- largely because much of it is just dry Victorian-era stuff -- but this non-traditional Mesoamerican material is really good reading as far as I'm concerned.


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## AuroraGyps (May 9, 2004)

Right now I'm reading Paula Volsky's The Gates of Twilight.  Before that were Lackey's The Black Swan & The Firebird.  Next, I'm not sure, but my mother is coming up at the end of May and she'll be bringing up a bunch of books... including the 20 or so BtVS & Angel novels she got at Goodwill 3 for $1.


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## drnuncheon (May 11, 2004)

Psychotic Dreamer said:
			
		

> If anyone has any suggestion on books in a similar style, please let me know. Looking for modern, with supernatural being either common place or well known. Like Anita Blake or the Dresden Files.



 Well, it's not quite the same, but you might try the 'Blood' books by Tanya Huff - I don't recall the order, but they're Blood Price, Blood Pact, Blood Trail, and two others.  A vampire teams up with a PI to fight supernatural crime.

 J


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## Tetsubo (May 12, 2004)

Life Itself. A book dealing with the structure of the living cell.


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## Krug (May 15, 2004)

Guns Germs and Steel. Might just start on Michael Connelly's latest though.


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## shady (May 15, 2004)

Ao the Overkitty said:
			
		

> Just started reading "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown.



 I read this on a long plane ride (London to San Francisco). I also bought and watched "Dreamcatcher" on DVD. I got off the plane thinking, "I've just read a really crap book and watched a really really crap film, and actually quite enjoyed both". 

 But I still can't work out why Damien Lewis in Dreamcatcher adopts an upper class English accent when he's possessed by the alien brain.


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## Crothian (May 15, 2004)

I started Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin, its a mystery and my parents really enjoy his books.


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## shady (May 15, 2004)

Anyhow -

 Dark Light - Ken MacCleod

 Decided to have a go at White Wolf (don't tend to read RPG novels normally, in fact if I get through these it will be a first) - Gehenna and whatever the first Demon: the Fallen one is (bought it today)

 Reading Terry Pratchett "Sourcery" to my daughter (she loves Pratchett, she likes Conan also, which is great, since I get to reread them).


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## theburningman (May 15, 2004)

Haven't read _The DaVinci Code_ yet because it's still in hardcover, so I picked up a paperback from an endcap at the local bookstore, one those "If you liked ____ then try ____." The book was _The Footprints of God_ by Greg Iles, who has become my favorite writer of thrillers.  Finished it in two nights, and I haven't done _that_ in a while.

Also just finished _Watership Down_ by Richard Adams and _Bag of Bones_ by Stephen King.

Now I'm trying out _The Sun Also Rises_ by Ernest Hemingway and _Master and Commander_ by Patrick O'Brian.


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## Pielorinho (May 17, 2004)

Yay vacation! I just got back from the beach, where I read more in one week than I'd read in the previous three months, including:

_Oscar and Lucinda_, an actual real live litrachur book.
_The Physiognomy_, about which I can only say, Gah!
_In a Sunburned Country_, Bill Bryson's very funny travel essays on Australia
Half of _A Walk in the Woods_, Bill Bryson's very funny (and obnoxiously anti-Southern) travel essays on the Appalachian Trail.
_Ombria in Shadow_, Patricia McKillip's lyrical fantasy novel and co-winner of the World Fantasy Award.

Time for me to get back to the library.
Daniel


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## barsoomcore (May 18, 2004)

_Sethra Lavode Sethra Lavode Sethra Lavode..._

I'm reading _Sethra Lavode_. Actually, I read it last night. 

I love Steven Brust. I love him more now. He's my favouritest of all writers.

_Sethra Lavode_. It's good. It's yummy. It's good for you, too. Puts hair on your chest, straw in your mattress and clean livin' on your face. Take two, they're small. Exceed recommended dosage. Don't call your doctor, cause he's reading it, too!

Nine out of seven doctors recommend _Sethra Lavode_.

Okay, can we get back to the weird sex? What book does that start in? I'll skip the earlier ones.


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## Halivar (May 18, 2004)

I've been wanting to pick up the first two books of _The Baroque Cycle_, Quicksilver and The Confusion, but they are $30 a pop and _really_ long. That's normally not a prob, I've got patience (I've read the _Dune_ series book to book six times... how's _that_ for patience), but I've never read historical fiction before. It's a lot of money and a lot of time just to find out if I like the genre. If you like _The Baroque Cycle_, what other sorts of series do you like?

 In the meantime, I'm curling up with _The Wheel of Time_ for my third go 'round. Oooh... Rand, Mat, and Perrin have just met Moiraine at Bel Tine. Can't wait to find out what happens next!


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 18, 2004)

Finished Pratchett's _A Hat Full of Sky_(great great book) and am now moving onto the Myth Inc. books.


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## Krug (May 18, 2004)

Lois McMaster Bujold's _The Curse of Chalion_. Pretty good so far.


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## Mog Elffoe (May 18, 2004)

I've just plowed through a bunch of David Gemmel's books--_Legend_, _First Chronicles of Druss the Legend_, _Legend of Deathwalker_, _White Wolf_, _Waylander_, & _In the Realm of the Wolf_--and enjoyed them for the most part.  Some events tend to repeat themselves, espeically the whole 'Alamo' situation.

I just started _Tomb_, by F. Paul Wilson yesterday on a friend's suggestion.  He says the Repairman Jack books are great and that's enough for me, but has anyone else tried them yet?  After I finish Tomb what should I read next?


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## Welverin (May 18, 2004)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> Finished Pratchett's _A Hat Full of Sky_(great great book) and am now moving onto the Myth Inc. books.




If the books are M.Y.T.H. INC. how are you going to read them?

I've been concentrating on the Exalted Player's Guide, which I'm almost done with. After that I think I'll focus on Myth-ion Improbable.


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## kingamy (May 18, 2004)

Prelude to Foundation by Asimov.

Good stuff, classic.


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## Mallus (May 18, 2004)

Pielorinho said:
			
		

> _Oscar and Lucinda_, an actual real live litrachur book.



Hey, I likes me some Peter Carey. Have you read _The Tax Collector_ or _The Strange Life of Tristan Smith_. They're crazy.

I've reading epic fantasy for the first time in a dog's age. Sean McMullen's _Voyage of the Shadowmoon_. I loved his _Greatwinter_ SF sequence, and I have to say, while I'll not entirely sure he isn't parodying fantasy novels in Shadowmoon, its a great fun read. Marvellously quip-y and fast-paced.

Also up: finish re-reading Bank's _Consider Phlebas_. Start Oe's _Nip the Buds, Shoot the Kid_ --how's that for a title? And buy Tony Daniel's _Superluminal_.


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## Sarigar (May 18, 2004)

Halfway through _Angels and Demons _ by Dan Brown.  I have not read _The DaVinci Code _ yet.  Good book so far.


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## Pielorinho (May 18, 2004)

Mallus said:
			
		

> Hey, I likes me some Peter Carey. Have you read _The Tax Collector_ or _The Strange Life of Tristan Smith_. They're crazy.



The only other book I've read by Carey is _Jack Maggs_, which was a whole lotta fun--reminded me of _The Fingersmith_, another novel about shady characters in Victorian England.  I'll check out these others.  Thanks for the recommendation!

_Oscar and Lucinda_ was dense and rich, and I wanted to throw the book against the wall at a certain point; anyone who's read it will know when .  It was worth reading, but my God, Carey's a mean sumbitch author!

Daniel


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## Morpheus (May 19, 2004)

_The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian_ by REH and I'll start reading _A Land Remembered_ by Patrick D. Smith in June when school is out.


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## Mister Underhill (May 19, 2004)

> I've been wanting to pick up the first two books of _The Baroque Cycle_



Halivar, I don't know if you have a Costco near you, but I picked up both books there for about half their retail price.  I recommend, however, that you try out _Cryptonomicon_ first to see if you dig Stephenson's style (or maybe you already know him).

I only recently began _Quicksilver.  _I hate to jump the gun with a review of a book that I've barely only started, so I'll just snip it right here...


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## Liminal Syzygy (May 20, 2004)

Currently on _The Golden Age_ by John C. Wright. Impressive stuff dripping with ideas on each page -- it's hard at time to wrap your head around what's happening. I did have a bit of trouble getting into it but past pg. 100 or so it's been smoother reading.


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## Pants (May 20, 2004)

Just finished Stephen King's _Eyes of the Dragon_ and am starting on _Salem's Lot_.  Yes, I'm on a King binge.


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## Tav_Behemoth (May 20, 2004)

_The Golden Age_ is definitely a wild ride, but not one to recommend to your  friends who aren't completely steeped in SF. As this link mentions, the author is a descendant of the Wright Brothers! BTW, when that page says _Publishers Weekly calls John C. Wright "this fledgling century's most important new SF talent_, that's my review they're talking about! Doing capsule reviews for PW is nice because your writing gets to reach a big audience, except that your name isn't on it...

Reading The Curse of Chalion  & _Paladin of Souls_, along with Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, made me think that most RPG games suffer from an over-abundance of gods; both authors do wonderful things with a very small pantheon.

I'm commenting on other folks' reads because my own are boring and will be for quite some time: Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin series. I'm on  _The Surgeon's Mate_ and it makes me infinitely happy that I have 13 more to go!


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## Halivar (May 20, 2004)

Pants said:
			
		

> Just finished Stephen King's _Eyes of the Dragon_



 A must read for fantasy fans, even if you don't like horror (which it isn't). It's actually the first fantasy book I ever read (back in '90, I think... I was only 10). Reading EotD made reading the _Dark Tower_ series that much more enjoyable, especially when they made mention in one of the books of Thomas chasing Flagg around Mid-World. Also makes _The Stand_ a must read, since 



Spoiler



it's the same bad guy in all three titles


.


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## Viking Bastard (May 20, 2004)

Really?

I didn't know The Dark Tower series had ties to any other of King's titles.


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## Liminal Syzygy (May 21, 2004)

Tav_Behemoth said:
			
		

> _Weekly calls John C. Wright "this fledgling century's most important new SF talent_, that's my review they're talking about! Doing capsule reviews for PW is nice because your writing gets to reach a big audience, except that your name isn't on it...




Very cool stuff. So what did you think of the arc as a whole? Is it definitely worth continuing?

And hey, I wouldn't call the Aubrey/Maturin series boring.   I read the first 10 myself years ago long before the movie.


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## Halivar (May 21, 2004)

Viking Bastard said:
			
		

> Really?
> 
> I didn't know The Dark Tower series had ties to any other of King's titles.



 So far as I know, only Eyes of the Dragon, The Stand, and in the latest installment, he brings in Salem's Lot. Uberkewl.


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## Andrew D. Gable (May 21, 2004)

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.  I like it.  Kinda a surrealist London.  How's his other books?

Good to know Footprints of God is good too.  I was looking at picking that up, maybe.


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## Pants (May 21, 2004)

Halivar said:
			
		

> A must read for fantasy fans, even if you don't like horror (which it isn't). It's actually the first fantasy book I ever read (back in '90, I think... I was only 10). Reading EotD made reading the _Dark Tower_ series that much more enjoyable, especially when they made mention in one of the books of Thomas chasing Flagg around Mid-World. Also makes _The Stand_ a must read, since
> 
> 
> 
> ...



It was a very good book, I highly recommend it.  It felt like King was trying to write in an almost 'faerie tale' way.  I think he succeeded and it really payed off.  Excellent book.



			
				Viking Bastard said:
			
		

> Really?
> 
> I didn't know The Dark Tower series had ties to any other of King's titles.



Lots of King's work ties in together in some ways.
_Insomnia_ also ties in quite a bit with the Dark Tower Books.  I've heard that _IT_ may also tie in (rather vaguely actually), although I have yet to read it.



			
				Halivar said:
			
		

> So far as I know, only Eyes of the Dragon, The Stand, and in the latest installment, he brings in Salem's Lot. Uberkewl.



Awesome.  You just listed all three King books that I have sitting in my bedroom.    

Started _Salem's Lot_ last night and man, King can really build up some damn creepy atmosphere.  Already I am enjoying _Salem's Lot_ more than _Insomnia_ and I'm only 100 or so pages in.


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## Decado (May 21, 2004)

I am on the 4th Anita Blake novel, _The Lunatic Cafe_. So far the series has been nothing but enjoyable. I think the setting and background of the novels would be great for an RPG campaign. 

Decado


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## Halivar (May 21, 2004)

Pants said:
			
		

> Lots of King's work ties in together in some ways.
> _Insomnia_ also ties in quite a bit with the Dark Tower Books.



 Dangit! Now I have to go read Insomnia! I tried several years ago, but man... it was so dry. I only got about 100 pages or so. I guess I'll have to try again.

 I also loved the shout-out to Harry Potter in the latest book. Very fun.


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## Viking Bastard (May 21, 2004)

Halivar said:
			
		

> So far as I know, only Eyes of the Dragon, The Stand, and in the latest installment, he brings in Salem's Lot. Uberkewl.





			
				Pants said:
			
		

> Lots of King's work ties in together in some ways.



I know a lot of his books tie into each other, like Cujo and The Dead 
Zone etc., I just didn't know that The Dark Tower did. In fact, I didn't 
know he had written any fantasy besides TDT.


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## Liminal Syzygy (May 23, 2004)

Andrew D. Gable said:
			
		

> Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.  I like it.  Kinda a surrealist London.  How's his other books?



I liked The Scar as much as PSS (it's set in the same Bas-Lag world). I'm looking forward to Iron Council quite a bit. I think it's supposed to be out in July. I didn't like King Rat as much as the Bas-Lag books -- it's really of a different genre -- but some people enjoyed it.


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## Crothian (May 23, 2004)

I'm rereading the Harry Potter books for the who knows how many times.  I usually do this when a new book in the series or movie is coming out.


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## CCamfield (May 23, 2004)

A History of the Ancient Near East... volume 2!   Reading about the Neo-Assyrians now, which is pretty interesting.  Nasty bunch.

... I need a good novel.  I've been reading some Greek mythology (Robert Graves' Greek Myths, skipping his wacky interpretations) but no novels recently.  I really want to get my hands on Midnight Tides, the latest Steven Erikson book, but I'm worried that if I get it, I'll try to re-read the whole series and I really shouldn't spend that much time on that...


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## Tetsubo (May 23, 2004)

Linguistics and your Language. 

Fascinating introduction to the study of language, especially English.


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## Abdomens (May 23, 2004)

I've just finished The End of Eternity by Isaac Asimov, and I'm now continuing the read-o-mania with Condemnation by Richard Baker, third installment in the WotSQ - series.

Besides that, I have to read some biology, because final exam is closing in  :\


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## Andrew D. Gable (May 24, 2004)

Now I've moved onto Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

I've now reached the point where I've read just about everything by the authors I really like, and am waiting for the next one in the series to come out... so now it's time for me to move on to authors I'm not familiar with, but whose stuff I've heard good things about.

I really liked Perdido Street Station, and will try to pick up Mieville's other stuff.  The Weaver was a really nifty critter.  And it seems the type of story that could make a pretty cool movie, too, with the varied characters and things.


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## Tav_Behemoth (May 24, 2004)

Cordo said:
			
		

> Very cool stuff. So what did you think of the arc as a whole? Is it definitely worth continuing?




Definitely! The advance copy I got from PW didn't mention that it was the start of a trilogy, so I almost wrote a very frustrated review before I realized there was more coming. You gotta see what's next!



			
				Cordo said:
			
		

> And hey, I wouldn't call the Aubrey/Maturin series boring.   I read the first 10 myself years ago long before the movie




I know there are some people who find maintopforegallant masts boring, but all I meant is that my answers to "What are you reading" are going to be the same for months to come. Bliss!


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## Ankh-Morpork Guard (May 24, 2004)

Welverin said:
			
		

> If the books are M.Y.T.H. INC. how are you going to read them?
> 
> I've been concentrating on the Exalted Player's Guide, which I'm almost done with. After that I think I'll focus on Myth-ion Improbable.



 My girlfriend read them a while ago, and she's giving the books to me in order. Great books. Though some of them aren't as good as the others...currently, Another Fine Myth is my favorite.


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## Welverin (May 25, 2004)

Ankh-Morpork Guard said:
			
		

> My girlfriend read them a while ago, and she's giving the books to me in order. Great books. Though some of them aren't as good as the others...currently, Another Fine Myth is my favorite.




I just finished reading the last two books, though Myth-ion Improbable actually takes place between books three and four.

I liked them both, though it took a bit for me to get familiar with the characters (it had been a while since I read the other books).


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## Liminal Syzygy (May 25, 2004)

Finished The Golden Age, and since I don't have access to book 2 here in Japan I've started on Midnight Tides, book 5 of Steven Erikson's A Tale of the Malazan, Book of the Fallen series.


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## Pielorinho (May 25, 2004)

At y'all's advice, I've finally started _The Phoenix Guards_, by Stephen Brust.  (It seems to be a prequel to his more famous set of books, but my library doesn't have the full series, so I figured the prequel would be a good standalone).  I'm loving it--thanks for the recommendation, folks!

Daniel


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## Sarigar (May 25, 2004)

I'm still trying to get through Danielewski's _House of Leaves_.  Been at it for over a year.  It's good, just dense, and very unusual.  Take a look at it in your local bookstore to see how unusual.


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## ghettognome (May 25, 2004)

I'm rereading Martin as well, hoping that his next book will actually come out sometime in this lifetime.


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## barsoomcore (May 25, 2004)

Pielorinho said:
			
		

> At y'all's advice, I've finally started _The Phoenix Guards_, by Stephen Brust.  (It seems to be a prequel to his more famous set of books, but my library doesn't have the full series, so I figured the prequel would be a good standalone).  I'm loving it--thanks for the recommendation, folks!



You'll enjoy it just fine, I THINK.

There's not a great deal of explanation about the world in it, so you might get confused. I think he pretty much assumes you're conversant with the Houses and Draegarans/Humans and sorcery and the Orb and Sethra Lavode and all that. You might not be, so there might be some confusing bits.

I DON'T recommend reading ALL of the Paarfi books before embarking on the Vlad stories. _The Phoenix Guard_ is good, but really, you want to have read at least up to _Taltos_ before reading _Five Hundred Years After_, and you should have read up to _Issola_ before talking _The Viscount of Adrilankha_ volumes. I think. Just to make sure everyone's getting introduced in the correct order. Even the ending of _The Phoenix Guard_ loses a little impact if you haven't at least read _Jhereg_. 

But have fun!


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## Viking Bastard (May 26, 2004)

ghettognome said:
			
		

> I'm rereading Martin as well, hoping that his next book will actually come out sometime in this lifetime.



I live in constant fear of Martin's death. I mean, LOOK AT HIM!! I *must* know 
how it all ties together and ends!

Why did I do this? It's all ENWorld's fault. I know better than to start reading 
books in a series that isn't finished. I never do that. But no, I was curious. 
Everybody here encouraging me to bloody pick it frickin' up.

I'm so weak.


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## Pielorinho (May 26, 2004)

Thanks, *barsoomcore*, for the information.  My wife actually put the book down a few months ago because the world was so incompletely explained; as I'm reading it for the language more than for the plot or world or characters, that doesn't present as much of a problem for me .  However, it would be nice to know what he's talking about on several fronts.  What's the orb?  How come everyone lives so long?  What's deathgate? and so forth.

Daniel


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## barsoomcore (May 27, 2004)

Keep in mind that none of the main characters are human. They're Dragaerans. Completely different. Though of course Dragaerans call THEMSELVES "human", so it gets confusing.



Go to Cracks And Shards for a VERY in-depth discussion of the world of Dragaera. Stay away from the Spoilers sections and you'll be fine.

Again, you really SHOULD read them in publication order. But I would never turn someone away from Paarfi.


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## Stone Angel (May 27, 2004)

Just finished a book called Withchunter by C.L. Werner. I plan to start on a book about the life and times of the wicked witch of the west, called Wicked. I will crack that open right after the Pacer game tonight.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone


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## Pants (May 27, 2004)

Finished _Salem's Lot_.  Awesome book BTW.

Started on _The Stand_.  As with King, it's starting slow.


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## Welverin (May 27, 2004)

barsoomcore said:
			
		

> Keep in mind that none of the main characters are human. They're Dragaerans. Completely different. Though of course Dragaerans call THEMSELVES "human", so it gets confusing.




Don't the humans call them elves, the friend I'm borrowing the books from has mentioned that.



> Again, you really SHOULD read them in publication order.




I was just going to ask what order you suggest reading them in.


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## Pielorinho (May 27, 2004)

Welverin said:
			
		

> Don't the humans call them elves, the friend I'm borrowing the books from has mentioned that.



At an important scene in the book, I guessed that Easterners were what we think of as humans; I was then thinking that the "humans" in the book were closer to elves.

I finished the book last night, and enjoyed it tremendously.  I'm going to see if the other libraries in our system have got the first books in the series; although I could follow the basic plot, the world itself sounds reasonably interesting, and I wasn't really able to figure it out.

Daniel


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## Piratecat (May 27, 2004)

I enjoyed the Phoenix Guards; it's a lot funnier when you know that he wrote it after the style of Dumas, who padded his books horribly because he got paid by the word.

"Why don't you tell me what you know?"

"I shall tell you what I know. For I know it, and I tell you I know it, so I shall tell you so that you know it as well."

"Then tell, good sir, so that we should know it together."

"Then tell you I shall, and I shall exult in the telling."

Etc., etc.

I've finished off a few classics this month: Treasure Island and Around the World in 80 Days. I reread the first Harry Potter book. I've also finished Patterson's "Kiss The Girls", I'm halfway through the superlative "Set this house in order" by Matt Ruff (which I can't recommend strongly enough) and I'm re-reading Westlake's "Don't Ask" (a comic heist novel where a hard-luck burglar named Dortmunder has to steal, and resteal, and re-re-steal the leg bone of a long-dead saint.)

I have two more new Dortmunder novels waiting for me when I finish this one.

As far as Stephen King is concerned, Black House (the inferior and somewhat disappointing sequel to The Talisman) also draws heavily on the Gunslinger books. Changes and rewrites a major character to do so, too, which irritated me more than a little.


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## Viking Bastard (May 27, 2004)

This Dortmunder intrigues me. Please tell me more.


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## Piratecat (May 27, 2004)

Viking Bastard said:
			
		

> This Dortmunder intrigues me. Please tell me more.




If you enjoy conman/teamwork stories (think Ocean's Eleven, only funnier) you'd really like these books. They're the best caper novels I've ever read, filled with wonderfully complex plot lines that somehow make complete sense. The books by Donald E. Westlake star a hapless thief named John Archibald Dortmunder and his cronies. Dortmunder is an extremely competent burglar and a master planner, but he also has _horrible_ luck. 

To quote from a web page I just googled:

_If you are unfamiliar with Dortmunder, he is a professional thief who specializes in making impossible jobs possible, like robbing a whole bank - - not just the money, the entire building; or retrieving buried bank loot from a town that has been turned into a reservoir (and the cash is now under six feet of ground under six feet of water). Dortmunder's plans are usually flawless. Unfortunately, his companions are not, and things go wrong in wonderfully unexpected ways._

NOVELS


The Hot Rock (1970), recently reprinted (The group steals, and re-steals, the Baloboma Emerald.)
Bank Shot (1972) (The group robs an entire bank.)
Jimmy the Kid (1974) (probably the worst of the collection; the group kidnaps a precocious child.)
Nobody's Perfect (1977) (Dortmunder and the gang steal a priceless painting so the owner can collect the insurance only to have everything go wrong.)
Why Me? (1983) (Dortmunder accidentally steals a famous gem, inciting a massive manhunt that has all of New York screaming for his head.)
Good Behaviour (1985) (After falling through the roof of a convent, Dortmunder agrees to help some nuns retrieve one of their Sisters. How do you steal back a nun?)
Drowned Hopes (1990) (The group tries to retrieve a fortune from a flooded reservoir.)
Don't Ask (1993) (The group hires on to steal a holy relic from an Eastern European consolate, but it's harder than it looks.)
What's The Worst That Could Happen? (1996) (After an egotistical businessman steals Dortmunder's lucky ring during a failed heist, Dortmunder vows to steal it back -- even if he has to rob every single one of the man's properties to do so.)
Bad News (2001) (Dortmunder and friends are hired to swap a corpse, and fall into a brilliant casino scam.)
The Road to Ruin (2004) (Dortmunder works to steal an antique car collection, not knowing that three other groups want the owner dead.)
Thieves Dozen (2004) (A collection fo short stories.)

I can't tell you how much I enjoy these, only partially because the gang reminds me of a gaming group.  "The Hot Rock" or "What's The Worst That Could Happen?" are two of my favorite books, and great places to start.


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## Viking Bastard (May 27, 2004)

Heh. Sounds like the Olsen Banden.

I just put it onto my list of authors whose name I will be looking out for.


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## Pielorinho (May 27, 2004)

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I enjoyed the Phoenix Guards; it's a lot funnier when you know that he wrote it after the style of Dumas, who padded his books horribly because he got paid by the word.



Yep; this was my favorite part, probably.  Although his fights are fun, my two favorite passages from the book were:

* A totally irrelevant history of the name of a minor geographical feature; although he never comes out and says it, by the end of the passage you realize that the feature's name translates as "FordFORDfordfordfordford Bridge."
* A priceless paean to brevity that appears two-thirds of the way through the book.  I rarely laugh aloud when reading to myself, but this gave me a huge fit of the giggles.  I imagine Brust was giggling even harder when he wrote it.

Westlake's novels sound great too; I'll look them up.  I've got a Jonathan Carroll book on the shelf at home next to a Peter Carey book.  If they prove to be too nutritious, I might set them aside for the Westlakes.

Daniel


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## barsoomcore (May 27, 2004)

Paarfi is a great talent. It's splendid of Mr. Brust to share him with us.

My favourite moment in the entire book, though, has to be Khaavren's response to Crionofenaar:

"We salute your desire to surrender."

"You think we mean to surrender?"

"Certainly. You perceive there are six of us and a thousand of you."

"And so?"

"Therefore, you perceive, you are outnumbered."

Now THAT'S a hero. 


I'm reading the Barsoom novels again and LOVING them. They move fast, they don't worry much about working out plot details (coincidence is your friend, people), and there's lots of swordfights. Plus big monsters and beautiful princesses with smart-alec slavegirls.

Smart-alec slavegirls are very important, I've decided.

Like you PC, I recently re-read _Treasure Island_ and was amazed. Haven't read that since I was like 8, I guess. It's phenomenal. Was just the inspiration I needed for wrapping up my Skull & Bones campaign last weekend.


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## Liminal Syzygy (May 28, 2004)

Speaking of _Treasure Island_, I'll never forget checking it out of Alderman Library (now home to Cthulhu's Librarian), opening it up, and seeing a dedication written in the front, something like "-For Pooky, Christmas 1899". Gave me the willies!


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## Pants (May 31, 2004)

Working on _The Stand_ and after only 200 pages, it is the most thoroughly depressing book I've read.  It also creeps me the hell out.  When I was reading the book late at night, in bed, with only one light and my nose suddenly started to run, my first thought was 'OH SH*T!'   

Looking forward to devouring Steven Erikson's _Garden's of the Moon_ when it is finally released in the US next month. Yay!


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## Blastin (May 31, 2004)

Just finished the four books in the "Ender" series by Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind). Of the four books, I read three of them in one day each. I haven't done that before ever Great science fiction books. 
 Gonna be listening to the Devinci code on tape driving to the beach in a week...
  Oh...somone mentioned House of Leaves...love that book. It is, hands down, the strangest book I have ever read. Lent it to a buddy and he actually got mad at me because he couldn't finish it for the nightmares it was giving him...


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## Krug (May 31, 2004)

Finished Connelly's *The Narrows* and thought it was all right. Not that much sleuthing work and heavy-handed at times.


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## Naxuul (May 31, 2004)

Pants said:
			
		

> Lots of King's work ties in together in some ways.
> _Insomnia_ also ties in quite a bit with the Dark Tower Books.  I've heard that _IT_ may also tie in (rather vaguely actually), although I have yet to read it.




I just finished Wolves of the Calla, the fifth Dark Tower book.. and the best so far. Which is saying alot considering how good the third and fourth were. The Dark Tower series connects to alot of Steven King books. *minor spoilers ahead* Eyes of the Dragon and The Stand have the obvious connectiong of Flagg, Salem's Lot has the connection of the priest, It is connected by many mentions of the Turtle... and i'm figuring It will also have a connection to the Crimson King, Insomnia has the connection of a multi-leveled universe and the big villain(who I hope isn't as silly in the Dark Tower), The Talisman/Black House have a connection to Mid World I think. Rose Madder, Bag of Bones, Desperation, The Regulators and From a Buick 8 are all supposed to be connected to it as well, but either those are super vague connections or they appear in the last two books. In a related note of the inter-connectivity of Stephen King novels, you can find quite a few references to It throughout his books.


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