My neighborhood in the building was consisting of many people connected to mafia back in that 1990s. With the time some of them left, some of them disappeared and some of them died in bloody scenes. Some are still there.

Just for the record, there was no 'murder' next door, just a shooting, and no one was shot. Whoever the criminals were probably shot in the air or something to scare people. And the police response was tremendous. If that had happened in Dallas we would've been lucky if the cops showed up at all.

Just finished reading Douglas Coupland's "The Gum Thief". Really enjoyed it, but I think more because of the style than the content. The story is kinda of funny and depressing and hopeful at the same time...but I recommend it. Reads like a train and is bound to touch you in some way or another.


http://www.amazon.com/Gum-Thief-Novel-D ... 1596911069

Oh, I recommend 'The Gum Thief' too! Read that one last summer. It's a really backwards look at the lives of everyday normal people, definitely agree that there is someone for everyone in that one.

I am about halfway through 'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts, and so far, it's fantastic.
It's a 'mostly autobiographical' novel, by a Melbourne author, who escaped from a 19 year prison sentence and fled through New Zealand to Bombay, India. I can't be bothered going into further gushing, but definitely check out the blurb on Amazon.

Any other tips Suga? I'm not too familiar with modern writers so I'd be happy if you could give me some tips. Nothing too girly or chick-lit-y, though. Not that that sounds like your taste in books...but we all have our guilty pleasures!


did you read J-Pod or Microserfs by Coupland? They look interesting enough.

Reading Andrezj Sapkowski's The Last Witch, the first novel dealing with the adventure of Geralt of Rivia aka The Witcher. I picked up an English translation (originally Polish) in Prague and I'm running through it...I'm pleasantly surprised really. It offers the same greyness and slightly 'off' world as the game, which isn't surprising seeing as the book is the original, but still.

Halfway through, loving almost everything so far, and reads like a train. Recommended (especially if you liked the game's vibe).

Does the protagonist get 'cards'?

Haha, no. He does spend quite some time with women, but all in all it's a rather less fratboyish approach.

I started reading Huxley's A Brave New World but dropped it soon after since i'm not a huge reader.

It was interesting though. It was basically an alternative world presented to the reader but without any narrative judgement from the author. So you were exposed to the differences between this world and ours and along the way you were free to pick and choose what you like / dislike without moral obligation.

A Brave New World is brilliant. I strongly suggest you get back at it. It's not the first, but certainly an early and important entry in the dystopian genre. And it's full of interesting concepts.

Agreed pick it back up as soon as possible I love those type of books. I have a couple of a hard to find (This perfect day by Ira Levin) stored away. I love loaning books to good people to read, but when I loan that book out I have to have a spare - too damn hard to find!

I've been reading the Dune series still - I am on book 4 and I am starting to enjoy it now that I am halfway through it. But book 4 definitely was hard to start.

I had also read through the Suki Stackhouse series which I really enjoyed and would totally tell you to read but then again it is a bit girly.

I also read the twilight series (including the 5th book which was unpublished and boring mostly), which I enjoyed but nowhere near the Suki Stackhouse series. I prefer it a bit more naughty I think.

Read several books by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman (random series I would pick up cheap at the half price book stores here).

I am looking forward to another book in the Wheel of Time series coming out even if not by the same author. I hear they are finishing that series in 3 books. Which I guess I am OK with considering I read like what 12 books in it already.

Being unemployed is good for getting a lot of reading done. Although I spend less time doing that than I did at first.

Hmm forgot about this thread.

Whilst in France I got through 4 Stephen King novels. Never been disappointed by any of his yet, but in particular I loved 'Liseys Story'. Also read 'Insomnia', 'The Dead Zone' and a book of his short storys called 'Everythings Eventual (1408). Currently on 'The Shining' now since it's such a classic; seen the film (and just laugh at the horrible quality of it) but actually really like the book. As always it gives a far deeper understanding of the characters and is far more absorbing than the film.

I must say The Green Mile is actually better as a film than a book though.

Oh Shiny, also read Twilight, not exactly good literature but I loved the books anyway, yet to read Midnight Sun though I have it saved on my pc.

Since we're all fantasy-type lovers here as well I strongly recommend the Eragon series, they're actually surprisingly epic.

And last but not least, I was surprised to find out Terry Pratchett released another Discworld novel so as soon as I'm done with The Shining I'll be reading that. Actually struggling to make myself finish The Shining first; Pratchett will always be my favourite author and (assuming his alzheimers hasn't interfered too much) I know this book will be amazing.

Wow Pev, I hope you meant the antiquated technical quality, because as a horror movie or thriller, The Shining pretty much is one of the best movies in the genre, ever. The way Kubrick brings together the desolation of the place, the declining mental health of Jack and the ability to 'see' things of the little boy and then catches it all in some iconic shots is just...wow. I still get goosebumps on the sequence of the kid riding his tricycle through the hallways, or the shot of the elevator. Not so much because of what it depicts, but because of the way it is done.

As for Twilight...I read the first two books ON A DARE (STRESSSSS) and while the first book was absolutely awful, demented teenage girl BS and horribly badly written at that, the second one was actually kind of OK. Well, better written mostly. The plot was still pretty lame.

I mean seriously, vampires who SPARKLE in daylight instead of going up in flames?! Really?! And the main character mentions in almost every freaking sentence how gorgeous the dude is....and of course she's 'special' and gets the attention of this Man-God even though she really is plain and normal BUT the dude can't understand her so gaaaaaah teenage girls fantasy overload.

The worst part of it all was that, when they finally got to the fighting scene at the end of the first book, THEY JUST GLOSS OVER IT!! All the focus is on the dude treating the girl's wounds while his pals are killing the shit out of the evil vampire in the background. So lame. A vague description of how they were 'taking care of bizzness' in the background, that's it. Bye bye climax.

/end rant

Don't worry OX if that is not bad enough all of the lead up to sex and then - what.... they just jump to the next day..... bullshit. I get that she is a morman and all but WTF. /sigh

Lol Ox and no, actually I don't just mean the technical quality. Though no horror movie scares me except Arachnophobia so that never helps but seriously, the woman and kid are appalling actors (the kid I'll let off on that count though), you get NO sense of what causes the insanity whatsoever and really, I don't feel the hotel came across as being as cut off as it actually is. To be honest I prefer the Simpsons version Not even Jack Nicholson can save that film.

The book on the other hand opens up all Jacks fears, explains about how his father treated him and how he is terrified of becoming his own father to Danny, gives far more insight into Dannys personality and the fact that he IS only a 5 year old who has no clue what goes on when he has 'the shining'.

As for Twilight yes, it isn't exactly the greatest plot, the final book (Breaking Dawn) really is just one tiny thing strung out over a lot of pages but it's easy reading, and not terrible. I'd never recommend a guy to read it though; to be honest it's surprising I enjoyed it, I'd usually shy away from romance novels (which at the end of the day is what the Twilight series is, they just have vampires added in for a bit of something different and took out the sex).

After The Shining and Pratchetts new book I'm going back to re-read the Eragon series though; it reads the way LotR should read (i.e. long, epic journey and big battles that DON'T put you to sleep ). Just need him to finish the final book now. Then I intend to get some classics from Waterstones. Or steal my parents complete works of Shakespeare, wanted to read that since I was 17.