What are you reading/last book you read

[kingkevzilla88]

I've just finished a giant monster novel, Ogre by Marc Alexander. A giant blob monster, called Ogre, attacks a small English village. A fun read, but the ending was anticlimactic with the thing evening killed off page.

[GojiDog]

Been reading a bunch of Star Wars expanded universe books lately.

I just finished Tales of the Empire and Tales of the New Republic.

[Zarm]

Been reading a bunch of Star Wars expanded universe books lately.

I just finished Tales of the Empire and Tales of the New Republic.

I really wish that some of those characters had more material in the EU; Tinian Iatt in particular.

[eabaker]

I just (literally, just now) finished reading King's Ransom (Ed McBain, 1959). I'd been meaning to read it for about twenty years, as it was the basis for one of my favorite movies, High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963).

This is on my short list of cases where the movie is, without question, far superior to the book.

I mean, it's a good book, for sure. I like McBain's approach in the 87th Precinct novels of writing about detective work as a collective action, rather than a narrative about a single protagonist, and that's an aspect that made his work especially appropriate for Japanese adaptation.

But relative to the movie, the book is superficial and artless, and its humanistic elements feel more forced.

Kurosawa and his writers also produced a much more interesting structure, splitting the narrative in two (with most of the book's action covered in the first half of the movie), going into a lot of detail about the police work, but holding back when it comes to the criminals, letting us understand them through the eyes of the other characters.

Solid little crime novel, but only the germ of an idea that would blossom elsewhere.

[Zarm]

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, the autobiography of Nabeel Qureshi- which is a fascinating read, and a major insight into the eastern Muslim psyche, and sheds a lot of light on the rather schizophrenic 'religion of peace'/'inspiration for terrorists' surface-read impressions of the faith that have been bouncing around western culture since 9/11. I have a much better understanding of why people can interpret the same work so differently, now; and of the tremendous societal pressures and foundations that keep Islam so foundational and unquestionable in the communities that have embraced it.

EDIT: And now shocked to discover that the author died just over a year ago, at age 34- the same age I'll be this year. I connected so much with his journey, with all the struggle and pain that he went through breaking from the traditions of his family; all the good work he was doing; this feels like a physical blow. Like I just lost a friend.

[Leviarex]

Started 'Pulse' last week after reading and enjoying the following short stories from 'Predator: If It Bleeds':

'Devil Dogs' by Tim Lebbon
'Stonewall's Last Stand' by Jeremy Robinson
'May Blood Pave My Way Home' by Weston Ochse

[Ivo-goji]

Currently reading a collection of Edgar Allan Poe works.

[Grievous]

Pounded In The Butt By My Own Butt by Chuck Tingle...

[kingkevzilla88]

Pounded In The Butt By My Own Butt by Chuck Tingle...

Wait, that's real! I thought it was a joke that someone made up.

[Grievous]

Wait, that's real! I thought it was a joke that someone made up.

Its no joke my friend...

Well...it kind of is...but it is real.

[MikeSTZillak]

"Four Past Midnight" by Stephen King

Finished "The Langoliers" and just started "Secret Garden, Secret Window".

[Leviarex]

In addition to 'Pulse', I'm also currently reading the following magazines:

Newsweek: The 1980s- As you can probably guess from the title, it's a special edition that covers the major pop cultural and news related events of the 80s.

Current issue of 'Prehistoric Times' (released on Dec. 10 of last year)- Takes a 100th anniversary look at Edgar Rice Burroughs' 'The Land That Time Forgot'.

Current issue of 'G-Fan'- Includes a glowing review of 'King Kong: Alive On Broadway' and a retrospective of 'Godzilla vs. Destroyah'.

[MandaSaurus]

Re-reading Killing the Rising Sun by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Fascinating stuff. Better than their last book, Killing the SS, which I really can't recommend...

[Leviarex]

Latest additions to my list:

'The Return Of Tarzan'
'Power Girl: Power Trip'
Issue# 288 of 'Famous Monsters Of Filmland'- Includes centennial tributes to Forry Ackerman from some of the people he inspired, and an interview with Bela Lugosi Jr. about his father's career as part of the 85th anniversary of 'Dracula' 31.

[kingkevzilla88]

I have just finished reading Them by william w johnstone. It's equal parts The Crazies, Invasion of The Body Snatchers, The Brain from Planet Arous, an Italian horror film from the 80s and ham-fisted social commentary. So over the top, dumb fun. The man's horror books are incredibly fun reads.

I've nearly finished reading The Cellar by Richard laymon, it's a more trashy version of the movie, Manhunter. I give my full thoughts on it, when I done reading it.

[MorgansTShirt]

I've begun reading the Gormenghast trilogy, and what an amazing book the first one is! It weaves together such wild gothic imagery and ghostly, esoteric metaphors, of which reading feels like actually traversing the mysterious castle and its dark soul itself!

Previously I had finished re-reading a few stories out of Robert Howard's Conan series. Howard clearly has a poetical spirit in him, charged with a wild ferocity of passion, but I think he too often repeats various themes, characters, and cliches, especially some overemphasis of combat and a lot of racial stereotypes and women who exist to be fetishized sex objects. In all fairness, he doesn't focus on the latter two things nearly as much as other authors of his time.

[JAGzilla]

I've been holding off because I intend to get to the show someday, but since the finale was apparently a mess, the heck with it. I'm in kind of a fantasy mood, lately, and I just found it on sale at Target... so I'm going to go ahead and start Game of Thrones.

[Maritonic]

I started re-reading Stephen King's IT. I read it about 10 years ago, so I'm due for a refresher.

[Rhedosaurus]

I read two books about the Ki-61 Hien "Swallow" fighter plane, codename Tony by the Allies.

I found out that more of them were destroyed on the ground via Allied airstrikes then were actually shot down by fighters.

I already knew that was a far more durable fighter plane then all other Japanese fighters at the time it entered service, but I was surprised that many people were made aces. It's a bit sombering how so few survived. But I saw two that caught my eye. Sgt. Susumu Kajinami, who returned to Japan as a 24 kill ace and Cap Nagao Shirai, who shot down 11 B-29's and 2 F6Fs.

Here's what the plane looked like.

[ScootaVaran]

I read two books about the Ki-61 Hien "Swallow" fighter plane, codename Tony by the Allies.

I found out that more of them were destroyed on the ground via Allied airstrikes then were actually shot down by fighters.

I already knew that was a far more durable fighter plane then all other Japanese fighters at the time it entered service, but I was surprised that many people were made aces. It's a bit sombering how so few survived. But I saw two that caught my eye. Sgt. Susumu Kajinami, who returned to Japan as a 24 kill ace and Cap Nagao Shirai, who shot down 11 B-29's and 2 F6Fs.

Here's what the plane looked like.

Yeah, the IJA fighters were always overshadowed by the their navy's counterpart in pop-culture. So it's always harder to find some good info on them.