The B&B Book Review - The Bear and Badger

Kernowgaz

Gremill wrote:

I'm reading a book called 'The Hatching' which is as much fun as the title might suggest if you're into daft horror stories.

99p ?

Kernowgaz

Thank fuck I quoted

Gremill

Yes, worth every penny. Which I realise makes it sound shit, but it isn't.

It's made my skin crawl a few times already, which is an achievement. It's got all the classic genre characters, situations and set-ups and is just aching to be made into a film.

Aaroncupboard

Gremill wrote:

Yes, worth every penny. Which I realise makes it sound shit, but it isn't.

It's made my skin crawl a few times already, which is an achievement. It's got all the classic genre characters, situations and set-ups and is just aching to be made into a film.

Just started reading it myself too. Very enjoyable so far but it does seem to be jumping around a lot between characters. Glad I didn't pay full price but it certainly holding my attention and just like reading a semi-decent b-movie.

regmcfly

Been reading some horror recently. I've burned through too many of the classics so I'm looking at modern writers. Stephen King has talked highly of Paul Tremblay, so I'm reading "A Head Full of Ghosts" which is a demonic possession story wrapped in a more meta narrative (there is a character called Dr Navidson for all you meta fans.)

Tremblay has cited all his references and favourite possession tales at the back of the book (he talks about the film Take Shelter, interestingly enough, as a possession story) and has written a little mini essay on the politics of horror at the back. The novel is a slow burner, but the past few parts have sent a couple of chills up me, most notably a

Spoiler:

Not quite done yet, but it's well written and a fun one so far.

Brooks

tin_robot wrote:

I've spent the day off sick, so thought I'd finish off reading Ready Player One. I don't know whether it's because I'm not feeling well, but it irritated the life out of me.

No, it's legit fuckawful nerdwank. Some hate at length. (Consistently decent poddo btw.)

Gremill

Aaroncupboard wrote:

Gremill wrote:

Yes, worth every penny. Which I realise makes it sound shit, but it isn't.

It's made my skin crawl a few times already, which is an achievement. It's got all the classic genre characters, situations and set-ups and is just aching to be made into a film.

Just started reading it myself too. Very enjoyable so far but it does seem to be jumping around a lot between characters. Glad I didn't pay full price but it certainly holding my attention and just like reading a semi-decent b-movie.

That's a pretty good summation of it.

regmcfly

Brooks wrote:

tin_robot wrote:

I've spent the day off sick, so thought I'd finish off reading Ready Player One. I don't know whether it's because I'm not feeling well, but it irritated the life out of me.

No, it's legit fuckawful nerdwank. Some hate at length. (Consistently decent poddo btw.)

It's real nostalgiawankery. Says a lot that wil wheaton narrates the audio book. It's top tier garbage.

tin_robot

regmcfly wrote:

Brooks wrote:

tin_robot wrote:

I've spent the day off sick, so thought I'd finish off reading Ready Player One. I don't know whether it's because I'm not feeling well, but it irritated the life out of me.

No, it's legit fuckawful nerdwank. Some hate at length. (Consistently decent poddo btw.)

It's real nostalgiawankery. Says a lot that wil wheaton narrates the audio book. It's top tier garbage.

Thank God for that, I was seriously starting to think it was just me.

Thanks for the link Brooks - I shall have a listen over the weekend.

Gremill

Started reading Joe Hill's The Fireman, the 1st of his books that I've read and which is not what I expected at all. It's got the same lyrical bleakness of The Road, but in a more direct and less poetically abstract style. It's really burrowed into my head - I couldn't sleep the night I started it, it had disturbed me so much.

Really enjoying it.

pantyfire

I've just started it a couple of days back - It's OK so far.

Aaroncupboard

Finished The Hatching this morning. A very easy, enjoyable read and fairly good fun. Do not expect a work of literary art but as a b-movie creature feature as a novel it worked fairly well. My main criticism was the very abrupt ending that focused more on setting it up as a series rather than give any real closure to the events of the book.

ShabbyMcCrabby

tin_robot wrote:

regmcfly wrote:

Brooks wrote:

tin_robot wrote:

I've spent the day off sick, so thought I'd finish off reading Ready Player One. I don't know whether it's because I'm not feeling well, but it irritated the life out of me.

No, it's legit fuckawful nerdwank. Some hate at length. (Consistently decent poddo btw.)

It's real nostalgiawankery. Says a lot that wil wheaton narrates the audio book. It's top tier garbage.

Thank God for that, I was seriously starting to think it was just me. Thanks for the link Brooks - I shall have a listen over the weekend.

Yeah it's pretty terrible. I figured it would be light reading and enjoyable on that level but I found it just to be horribly lazy in it's characterisation and story telling. Spielberg might be able to meld it into something watchable.

Bollockoff

This month's book club read was King Lear and I've become pretty enamoured with it and can see why it's often considered his best.

And yet I know not how conceit may rob
The treasury of life, when life itself
Yields to the theft

Also makes me want to re-watch Ran.

Brooks

Rare request: A genuinely fucking terrifying piece of fiction, please.

Not lingering aura of dread or utter internalised depression, I want to be entirely nervous about turning the damn page.

I don't believe this really exists to my satisfaction but.

hylian_elf

Bollockoff wrote:

Also makes me want to re-watch Ran.

There was a limited run cinema release a few months back for a new remaster. I booked myself a ticket. And then sister decided to throw a barbecue and invite lots of people for that day and I couldn't say no. The things we do for family, eh?

Stopharage

Brooks wrote:

Rare request: A genuinely fucking terrifying piece of fiction, please. Not lingering aura of dread or utter internalised depression, I want to be entirely nervous about turning the damn page. I don't believe this really exists to my satisfaction but.

Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy?
Lost Girl by Adam Nevill was pretty oppressive and gave an unrelenting, negative vision of the future UK.

But I'd go for The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski. Genuinely terrifying. Don't think you'll find another book that better meets your brief.

Brooks

McCarthy ain't scary, I've done the lot.

I'll try the bird thing then.

davyK

Salem's Lot made me genuinely uneasy about being near a bedroom window.

Dark Soldier

So nobody getting on the new Partridge audiobook? got it downloading now.

FranticPea

Didn't realise that was a thing. Will sort for next week.

Gremill

I never got around to listening to the first audiobook, much to my shame.

Dark Soldier

Its also a basic ebook too.

regmcfly

Brooks wrote:

Rare request: A genuinely fucking terrifying piece of fiction, please.

Not lingering aura of dread or utter internalised depression, I want to be entirely nervous about turning the damn page.

I don't believe this really exists to my satisfaction but.

Give a Head Full Of Ghosts a shot. Me and mrs reg had wildly different interpretations, but Tremblay has fucking done his horror homework. One scene gave me actual fear

regmcfly

Just finished Born To Run, the old Springsteen book. A hell of a lotta 'panty dropping cheerleaders' But when he got into his own depression, game got rough. I could identify a lot

davyK

Audio books make me sleep. I'd love to be able to use them. If I try to in the evening I nod off. I'm getting old. Evening viewing of subtitled films do it too now. The reading tires me out!

FranticPea

Gremill wrote:

I never got around to listening to the first audiobook, much to my shame.

It's hilarious.

Gremill

FranticPea wrote:

Gremill wrote:

I never got around to listening to the first audiobook, much to my shame.

It's hilarious.

I read the book, so can imagine that the mirth multiplier of Partridge reading it must be significant.

TheDJR

Apologies for the fantasy post but I just started R. Scott Bakker's sixth book which I've been waiting years for, super excite.

Gremill

I've just started a new series by Tom Lloyd called 'Stranger of Tempest' which is quite Abercrombie-ish with a touch of Malazan. It's alright so far.

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