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Post by LivingDeadGirl on Dec 4, 2004 21:40:09 GMT -5
Right now I'm reading Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz....just started it so I haven't really formed an opinion about it yet.  |
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Post by Bartwald on Dec 5, 2004 5:59:54 GMT -5
It just came out in Poland, so there's a good chance I'll have to read it, too. That would be my first Koontz book!
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Post by Phoenix on Dec 6, 2004 10:12:36 GMT -5
It just came out in Poland, so there's a good chance I'll have to read it, too. That would be my first Koontz book! It's a much different style for him...I liked it though but I'm a Koontz fan. |
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Post by Fenril on Dec 6, 2004 13:22:46 GMT -5
I have never liked Koontz that much (read only Whispers and Servants of twilight... enjoyed them, but found them too naive for my tastes), so Odd Thomas didn't really get my attention.
I'm currently reading "Julia", by Peter Straub. Damn spooky book, and I'm only up to page 90 so far!
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Post by LivingDeadGirl on Dec 6, 2004 17:01:16 GMT -5
It's a much different style for him...I liked it though but I'm a Koontz fan. yeah, I'm about half way through it now & it IS some different than what he usually writes. Pretty good though. |
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Post by Bartwald on Dec 6, 2004 17:06:58 GMT -5
I'm currently reading "Julia", by Peter Straub. Damn spooky book, and I'm only up to page 90 so far! Spooky and pretty strange, too. Not my favourite Straub but I've read it two times and it always keeps me interested! |
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Post by Fenril on Dec 10, 2004 18:18:48 GMT -5
Finished "Julia" and I reiterate: damn spooky!
Ok, it's an early Straub novel (only his third, apparently) and it's not quite as good as his later work... it certainly pales in comparison to books like "Ghost Story".
Indeed, it's not for everyone (many people will find it confusing or find Julia herself too annoying)... even so, this has its share of memorable scenes. That, and one chilling (if a bit ambigous) ending.
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Post by Bartwald on Dec 10, 2004 18:28:53 GMT -5
Indeed, it's not for everyone (many people will find it confusing or find Julia herself too annoying)... even so, this has its share of memorable scenes. That, and one chilling (if a bit ambigous) ending. I like Julia so much for this ambiguity and lack of clarity in some scenes - that's why repeated readings are not boring at all in this case. Have you read Straub's Mr. X, Fenril? I got it on my shelf but can't get round to reading it - damn I need more free time! |
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Post by Fenril on Dec 10, 2004 18:39:05 GMT -5
Have you read Straub's Mr. X, Fenril? I got it on my shelf but can't get round to reading it - damn I need more free time! Hmm, no, altrough it did came in a list for the best Straub books. The list was from another horror group (this one in Mexico) and included: Ghost Story. Koko. The hellfire group. The blue rose. The throat. If you could see me now. Julia. Mr. X. Shadowland. Floating dragon. But so far I have only read a couple of those, I'm afraid. |
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Post by Bartwald on Dec 11, 2004 5:37:06 GMT -5
From what I've read so far I agree that Straub's best are:
Ghost Story.
Koko.
If you could see me now.
Shadowland.
Blue Rose is very good too but it's too short to compare it to the other ones above; plus, it's in fact a missing chapter in Straub's Vietnam story, so it's rather puzzling if you haven't read Koko first. Julia, as I said before, doesn't belong to my favourites but is a good book nevertheless. Floating Dragon is so far my greatest disappointment in Straub but, you know, I can't say I don't like it, either: it's quite powerful at times. Haven't read the other ones on the list.
Oh, and one more thing: I think Houses Without Doors, a collection of Straub's short stories and a novella, is one of the best horror collections out there!
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Post by Fenril on Dec 12, 2004 22:15:06 GMT -5
Blue Rose is very good too but it's too short to compare it to the other ones above; plus, it's in fact a missing chapter in Straub's Vietnam story, so it's rather puzzling if you haven't read Koko first. Well, I haven't read Koko yet and I had no trouble following it. I thought it was very, VERY disturbing in itself, trough I do agree it's kind of weird how they included that novella all by itself with the other books (I guess they were big fans of the Blue Rose, no?) Then it's settled: I'm definitely going to look for this one next. |
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Post by Bartwald on Dec 13, 2004 18:09:17 GMT -5
Well, I haven't read Koko yet and I had no trouble following it. I also had read it before Koko for the first time. Then I re-read it post-Koko and it gained a whole new meaning for me. Anyway, good luck with Houses Without Doors, Fenril - it's a thrilling ride! |
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Post by LivingDeadGirl on Dec 15, 2004 19:15:02 GMT -5
I finished "Odd Thomas" last night. It was ok, but not one of my favorites by him. Different from what he usually writes, I guess I was looking for more of the supernatural aspect that he usually writes. I almost got a Straub book today, Lost Boy Lost Girl....I think that's what it was called. But got another Koontz instead, Cold Fire.
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Post by Pulpmariachi on Dec 21, 2004 23:32:07 GMT -5
I was doing my annual Lord of the Rings reading, until I learned about Sarah Vowell. Vovell played Violet in what I think is the best film this year, The Incredibles, and I thought she was a little girl. Who would have known she's a 43 year old writer who writes commentary books?
I found out she was an author and checked out "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" and "Radio On." I finished Patriot and it was really good. I liked her comments about Tom Cruise, calling him not particularly a good-looking person and just average and how she didn't respect him till mag-no'li-a. It's all great stuff. I'm almost done with "Radio On," great stuff. She's a major Nirvana fan.
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Post by Bartwald on Dec 23, 2004 16:10:08 GMT -5
I liked her comments about Tom Cruise, calling him not particularly a good-looking person and just average and how she didn't respect him till mag-no'li-a. What other people does she mention in her books? Sounds really good - even though I like Tom Cruise and don't like Magnolia. Always fun to read stuff like this. |
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