What are you reading now... II!

[Rob McCow]

It's that time of year, so... The Hobbit!

[Jon Masters]

It's that time of year, so... The Hobbit!

So what has McCowsies got in its pocketssssssss ?

[Rob McCow]

No! You'll have to guess, Jon! Those are the rules!

[Stuart Wallis]

I think he's just pleased to see us...

[Paul Clement]

I'm reading Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens.

[Stuart Wallis]

That's k-n-i-c-k-e-r-l-e-s-s Nickleby by the well-known Duch author Darles Chikkens.

[SiHart]

After years of avoiding it, I'm reading The Da Vinci Code.

[Nyder]

It's actually quite good! Just wish I could remember the end!

[Stuart Wallis]

Well something must happen!

I've got a doorstop for a book at the moment - the 916-page Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson.

[Nyder]

Haunted Liverpool (Volume 1). Bring on the Scouse Nightmares!

[Rob McCow]

Midas World by Frederick Pohl.

[Paul Monk]

After years of avoiding it, I'm reading The Da Vinci Code.

I feel I should read it, if only to validate my own hatred of it.

[Alex]

I feel I should read it, if only to validate my own hatred of it.

The weird thing is that it's not as hideous as some (ie Mr Stewart Lee!) makes out. Yes, the writing is pretty lazy, and Brown lacks any real style, but the plot is interesting enough and I enjoyed the fact that a book that is basically quite blasphemous became such a hit. Of course there are many novels which deserve the acclaim (and sales figures) that it received, but there are many far worse novels out there which could have been torn apart.

I'm reading Lint by Steve Aylett at the moment and enjoying it a lot. A fake autobiography of a trashy sci-fi novelist from the fifties onwards, it's incredibly bizarre but also very funny too.

[Jeff]

I saw the movie so I don't need to read the book.. That's how it works right?

I'm currently not reading anything, but I have A Game of Thrones in my bag ready to start soon. Watched the first season of the show last year and figure I'll read the first book right before the second season starts as a bit of refresher and all.

[Stuart Wallis]

I saw the movie so I don't need to read the book.. That's how it works right?

Definately with Lord Of The Rings! Offhand the only book I've read that was more agonizing to read was, by coincidence, the Hobbit.

[Rob McCow]

Wha? The Hobbit is a marvellous read!

I'm reading 'The Greatest Show Off Earth' by Robert Rankin. Usual kind of stuff, very amusing.

[Stuart Wallis]

Wha? The Hobbit is a marvellous read!

I'm afraid we're going to have to disagree over that; I found the writing style incredibly patronising, the characters uniteresting and largely the same, and the plot drawn out. I do accept that I'm in something of a minority over Tolkein though.

[SiHart]

Today I'm starting Elisabeth Sladen's autobiography.

[Dirk Gently]

Would you like a tissue, Si?

[SiHart]

Tissues on standby, Tim.

[Rob McCow]

I finished 'The Greatest Show Off Earth' by Robert Rankin and I loved it, featuring as it did Abdullah the Flying Starfish from Uranus and the Dark Lord of all chickens, Sate-Hen. And Professor Merlin's Circus on board the SS Salamander. And the Edenites who live on the outside of Planet Earth. And the village of Bramfield. Yet it all came together and was tied up neatly at the end.

Next up may be The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula Le Guin. Ooo.

[Alex]

I'm reading Ghostwritten by David Mitchell, which I'm really enjoying. The only downside is that once I've finished it I'll have read everything by him, and so will have to wait ages until his next book...

[Stuart Wallis]

War And Peace. Wish me luck!

[Dirk Gently]

We'll see you in the Summer, if you're a quick reader.

[Rob McCow]

War and Peace is actually as great as you think it is. And it's probably about as long as seven or eight Doctor Who New Adventures... only a much lighter read.