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What are you reading at the moment? (Part 4) |
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#401 |
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 3,084
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Hi Sue_C, how would you say American Gods compares to Stardust? I loved Stardust but I know his writing style is unusual to say the least! What about it made it less enjoyable than Stardust? I have America Gods on my reader but I've had too many books out of the library to read my own for ages.
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#402 |
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,147
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I've shelved The Night Circus for now and have started on The Child Thief by Brom, I'm about twenty pages in and it's wonderful. It's a retelling of Peter Pan but very dark, I definitely wouldn't be reading it to my kids as a bedtime story.
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#403 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 916
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Quote:
Hi Sue_C, how would you say American Gods compares to Stardust? I loved Stardust but I know his writing style is unusual to say the least! What about it made it less enjoyable than Stardust? I have America Gods on my reader but I've had too many books out of the library to read my own for ages.
I did enjoy American Gods and I do think that it's worth a read. I personally found it a more difficult read than Neverwhere & Stardust, it may be a cultural thing as I'm not a great expert on the USA geographically, nor really lifestyle wise apart from TV programmes! I soon became totally lost somewhere in America and a better knowledge of Norse mythology would have been an advantage too. The basic premise to the book is that immigrants to the USA over hundreds or even thousands of years brought their old gods and belief systems with them and now the old gods are battling for supremacy between themselves and also against the new gods of commercialism, tv, internet etc. Gods need believers to survive and be strong (a Terry Pratchett theme too). Added into the mix is mystery, murder, quirky characters and some love interest (I think, from memory). Stardust and Neverwhere both have quite a light and "romantic" feel to them, even when horrible things happen. American Gods feels darker and is less straightforward. I think that Stardust is an archetypal fairytale and it's easy to read because it follows that pattern. Neverwhere is about falling between the cracks and again, it's simpler than American Gods. It appealed to me because I enjoy books about London. I loved the characterisation of place names, there really is an Angel called Islington, Blackfriars are monks, Old Bailey is an old man who likes rooftops. I was hooked from the start, American Gods took a long time to get into. Well, I hope that makes sense. Another enjoyable Neil Gaiman read is Anansi Boys by the way. |
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#404 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 3,084
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Quote:
Hi Lowri, oh dear I'm going to have to think about this now! So, in no particular order,
I did enjoy American Gods and I do think that it's worth a read. I personally found it a more difficult read than Neverwhere & Stardust, it may be a cultural thing as I'm not a great expert on the USA geographically, nor really lifestyle wise apart from TV programmes! I soon became totally lost somewhere in America and a better knowledge of Norse mythology would have been an advantage too. The basic premise to the book is that immigrants to the USA over hundreds or even thousands of years brought their old gods and belief systems with them and now the old gods are battling for supremacy between themselves and also against the new gods of commercialism, tv, internet etc. Gods need believers to survive and be strong (a Terry Pratchett theme too). Added into the mix is mystery, murder, quirky characters and some love interest (I think, from memory). Stardust and Neverwhere both have quite a light and "romantic" feel to them, even when horrible things happen. American Gods feels darker and is less straightforward. I think that Stardust is an archetypal fairytale and it's easy to read because it follows that pattern. Neverwhere is about falling between the cracks and again, it's simpler than American Gods. It appealed to me because I enjoy books about London. I loved the characterisation of place names, there really is an Angel called Islington, Blackfriars are monks, Old Bailey is an old man who likes rooftops. I was hooked from the start, American Gods took a long time to get into. Well, I hope that makes sense. Another enjoyable Neil Gaiman read is Anansi Boys by the way. I'm not a big fan of London and I only know a little more about it than America! So I don't know if Neverwhere is for me but I do prefer a book which doesn't require several days to understand! Anansi Boys sounds very weird indeed (but I don't know why I find that surprising!) |
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#405 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Northern England
Posts: 2,596
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Just started reading 'The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas' by John Boyne.
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#406 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Planet Mongo.
Posts: 19,548
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Anno Dracula by Kim Newman and Every Dead Thing by John Connolly.
I often have more than one book on the go and the former is a physical book and the latter on the eReader
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#407 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: South Wales
Posts: 4,681
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Never Forget Dunblane - mick north -
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#408 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 23,683
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Just started Kind of Cruel by Sophie Hannah.
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#409 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Evening 🚶Morning Light
Posts: 816,941
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Out Of The Blue, Into The Black - John Spencer
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#410 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,031
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I'm giving 'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo a read again. I love it
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#411 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 3,084
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Quote:
Just started reading 'The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas' by John Boyne.
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#412 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 13,059
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Quote:
Incidently, I actually enjoy the Stardust film more than the book (very very unusual for me, often I won't even watch a film of book I like a lot); I think it's a bit more lighthearted, humourous and the plot is deeper and better constructed IMO.
It probably helped that both Ben Barnes and Charlie Cox are hot. |
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#413 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 7,916
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Quote:
Anno Dracula by Kim Newman and Every Dead Thing by John Connolly.
I often have more than one book on the go and the former is a physical book and the latter on the eReader ![]() |
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#414 |
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: West Midlands
Posts: 3,084
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For what it's worth, I agree. I found the book a struggle to be honest.
It probably helped that both Ben Barnes and Charlie Cox are hot. ![]() *whistles innocently*
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#415 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Up North.
Posts: 21,867
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Just finished "Before I Go To Sleep" by SJ Watson.
I enjoyed it, but felt it was slow to start and the conclusion felt a little rushed. But I still enjoyed it
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#416 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: bristol
Posts: 888
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How are you finding Every dead thing? I have had my eye on the charlie parker series, but not tempted yet.
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#417 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 7,916
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They are worth a read,every dead thing is quite hard going,it kind of takes you all round the houses and all the storytelling is a bit much,but its worth it in the end,and the rest are easier to get in to,I think maybe John Connolly realised he didn't need to write quite so much to get Charlie Parker's story across in the latter books
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#418 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,031
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Just started Night Shift by Stephen King, I've really got to stop reading Stephen King I think I'm addicted.
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#419 |
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Northern England
Posts: 2,596
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[quote=DJames99;60443793]Just started Night Shift by Stephen King, I've really got to stop reading Stephen King I think I'm addicted.[/QUOTE]
Same here - strand me on a desert island with a couple of trunk loads of his books and I would be perfectly happy! |
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#420 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 8,861
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Mark Leigh - Dick Long: Sexual saviour of the Universe
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#421 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: exeter
Posts: 14,622
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Onto Mockinjay, may as well get this Hunger Games thing over.
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#422 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,467
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Renegade - The Lives and Tales of Mark E Smith: The lead singer of The Fall's memoir. It's a very entertaining read.
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#423 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: U.K.
Posts: 2,632
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Quote:
How are you finding Every dead thing? I have had my eye on the charlie parker series, but not tempted yet.
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#424 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 18
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#425 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 2,147
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Quote:
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