What Have You Been Reading Lately

[Keith]

Okay I thought I would start this thread up, as we have a lot of other culture type ones, and reading really should have one all of its own on any credible forum. I know it doesn't really class as media, I would say it can come under entertainment though, as I am sure reading still entertains people:whoo:

So just list what book you have just finished reading, and maybe give it a mark out of ten, and brief write up.

Super-Cannes - J.G. Ballard [2000] 8/10
Not as good as his master piece Crash which I read not that long ago, but still a very tight, atmospheric, and twisted thriller, with some beautifully constructed langauge, and normal strange collection of characters. Once it gathers mementum, it grips you right until the very last sentence.

I am now reading Andrea Levy's new novel The Long Song.

 

[Troy]

Excellent thread Keith and this is the right section for it as books are entertainment.

I am currently reading The King of Torts by John Grisham. Previously I have read three other Grisham novels and enjoyed them except for one which had a very abrupt ending. So far The King of Torts is okay at best. It is a legal thriller like all of his novels but it is all to obvious at the moment. The main character keeps winning more and more cases and gets more and more money and even though I still have a quarter of the book to go you know that he will lose it all and run away with the girl he loves. Disappointing so far and I would give it a 5/10.

 

[Troy]

I finished The King of Torts by John Grisham the other day and I was spot on with my prediction. He ends up going bust and runs away with the girl he loves. I hated one part where there was a court case going on and they built it up that there was no way the plantiff would lose, then they lost yet there was no explanation why. It went from it can't lose to the jury finding against them but he doesn't give any reasons.

Next I was planning on reading The Chamber also by John Grisham but after that book I don't know if I will.

 

[Troy]

The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry

I own all of Steve Berry's previous novels so as soon as this was released I bought it. Berry's genre is historical thrillers and this book is the seventh in the Cotton Malone series, he also has three stand alones novels. The Jefferson Key is set in the US and is about a group of well off families that have a huge amount of influence over the US and have had that influence since the 18th century. They are a group of four whose ancestors were pirates but they are now privateers. Malone, along with Cassiopeia Vitt, has to bring down this group and save his former boss. For me this is my favourite Steve Berry novel and one of the best books I have read recently. Fantastic concept and storyline and the ending is right. It leaves me wanting to read the next in the series. Highly recommend Steve Berry to anyone that likes thrillers and likes a bit of history.

9/10

 

[olga@wrestlingbooks]

I just finished Tymon's Flight by Mary Victoria. I read a lot of fantasy books and this one was very, very good. The author is quite interesting, she worked for WETA, Peter Jacksons company and worked in the film industry for ten years before she retired to start writing.
Really great books. Lots of religion and magic and the world itself, which exists in a massive tree (I know this sounds a bit dubious but it's very well done) is really interesting.

The book trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_vPvoJDH0w

her husband does the artwork on the book, brilliant.

 

[Troy]

Area 7 by Matthew Reilly

First book I have ever read by Matthew Reilly who is an Australian author. His style is action thriller and Area 7 read like a James Bond movie, fast paced action with an excess of explosions. It is the second in a series about a character called Shane Schofield but this book is good as a stand alone and I didn't feel like I had missed out on important plot points because I hadn't read the first book. The story for this is the President of the USA is going to a top secret military facility, called Area 7, and Schofield is part of his protective detail. Once there it becomes a battle zone and Schofield must do all he can to protect the President. I really enjoyed reading this, I am a huge James Bond fan so the style of writing worked for me. It was very easy to read and I will certainly be getting another of his books in the future.

8.5/10

Up next I have a Jack Higgins book to read then Gary Hart's biography.

 

[Troy]

The White House Connection by Jack Higgins

This is the first novel I have read by Jack Higgins and it is a spy thriller. The story is about a former IRA terrorist Sean Dillon and U.S. presidential aide who work together to stop an assassin who is hunting down members of a secretive Irish political group on the streets of New York. Throughout the story you also follow the story from the view of the assasin and the identity will surprise you at first but once you find out the reason why the assasin is doing it you start to cheer them on a bit. Overall I thought that this was an okay story, it wasn't very complex and was very predictable. Based on this I won't be going out of my way to read another Jack Higgins book.

3/10

I am currently about half way through Gary Hart's biography and so far it is fantastic.

 

[PegasusKid]

DeathCutch by Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman

This auto-biography was a very interesting book and followed brock from his amateur career through to his MMA triumphs and near death experience. It also sheds some light on the issues he encountered with WWE after his departure and his issues with NJW. I found it to be quite enjoyable and provides humour in certain occasions. it opens u the world of pro wrestling to show both the highs and lows of beign the face of a company and what happens when you turn your back on the man that made you.

8/10

 

[Troy]

I have read PlayBoy Gary Hart's biography, Jericho's second autobiography and Dustin Rhodes biography and I am working on reviews for all three of them to hopefully be posted next week.

I am currently re-reading some Jeffrey Archer novels that I own because I have run out of new material.

 

[John McHenry]

I've been reading Black Hats which has just been green lit to become a movie. It's by the same author as Road to Perdition.

Anyways the book is about Wyatt Earp in his 50's he lives in LA as a member of the LAPD but Doc Hollidays wife ask him to go to New York and check on her son whose in some trouble with boot legging and Al Capone.

The Wyatt Earp parts are great Al Capone meh

7/10

 

[Keith]

Well some interesting reads there by the sound of it, and some books I should check out.

 

[Troy]

I have read PlayBoy Gary Hart's biography, Jericho's second autobiography and Dustin Rhodes biography and I am working on reviews for all three of them to hopefully be posted next week.

Wow I am far behind on this. Eventually I will post reviews for all three of these books in the Wrestling Reviews section (plus the reviews for Nitro DVD, Greatest Cage match DVD, Chikara Season X, ROH Best in the World 2011, ROH Revolution USA & Canada, plus wrestling columns :/ ) I really need to clear this backlog so I can organise more DVDs.


After reading Area 7 by Matthew Reilly, review posted earlier in this thread, I have become addicted to his novels. I bought four more of his books, some of them were only $7 new!, and I enjoyed them all. I am reading books from both of his series and I haven't read his stand alone novels yet. I have read Ice Station, Area 7 and Scarecrow from the Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield series and Seven Ancient Wonders and The Six Sacred Stones from the Jack West Jr. series. Both series are fantastic but my favourite would be the Jack West Jr. series and not just because the main character is Australian I like the combination of action with history and it reminds me of Steve Berry but with faster paced action. Incredible stories and I need to get my hands on the next Jack West Jr. book so I can find out what happens next. I highly recommend both Matthew Reilly series. Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield is high paced James Bond action thriller and Jack West Jr is fast paced action thriller historical Indiana Jones.

 

[Kairi]

the overlook by michael connelly

 

[Kingslayer]

George R.R Martin ~ A Storm Of Swords

What else but A Song Of Ice And Fire? It's sweeping the world like a plague, except this plague infects the world with awesomeness. The show got me into it, I admit. I don't normally read, but Martin is a genius.

 

[Troy]

Matthew Reilly - 5 Greatest Warriors

This follows directly from where the 6 Sacred Stones left off. I like how he continued it on and the pace he keeps up is incredible. Great story and I enjoyed the way he wrapped it all up. One criticism was that it was pretty obvious who the 5th Greatest Warrior was just by reading the quotes he posts at the start of the book.