Richy, I envy you and your Happy Potter book virginity. They only get better and better as the series goes on (though six is probably my personal favorite.) The first three films remain very faithful to the books and after that they really start (understandably) trimming them down.
I'm just getting into Prisoner of Azkaban, and I think I'm already seeing what you mean about them only getting better. Very nice. Looking forward to six, then. =)
Quite a bit this year (probably why I haven't been around much lately!):
A Prayer For Owen Meany - John Irving
Astounding book, fantastic use of language and narrative. Not really subtle; constantly draws your attention to how well written it is. Loved it.
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Exactly worth the hype. Beautiful book, starts out interesting and gimmicky, but as it develops, everything really coalesces into something beyond the gimmick. Highly recommended.
A Memory of Light - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
I've been reading the Wheel of Time series since 1993. It's finally done. I'm sorry Jordan didn't live to see it, but Sanderson did a good enough job keeping it together (he's not half the writer Jordan was). Absolutely non-stop action in this book, as you would expect. Planning on a full-series re-read soon.
Books of Blood - Clive Barker
A re-read here. Top notch horror shorts, of course. Barker's writing is so poetic, and his shorts are more straight up horror (his long fiction tends towards fantasy/horror).
Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson
Trying to fill the epic fantasy void left by the ending of Wheel of Time. About 150 pages in right now. The story is interesting, but Sanderson really isn't that good of a writer. I'd almost rather read pulp-y D&D books (pre-Salvatore Forgotten Realms I have a soft spot for). Hope it gets better.
Oh, and I completely agree about Harry Potter...I don't really start liking them until the third book.
I'm a big fan of Stephen King. Critics call him a "horror hack" but he made 6 million bucks writing it.
A lot of his books made it to the big screen....mostly the horror ones.
The Green Mile is prob my favorite (non-horror) book that was made into a movie. It was written in serial form and you had to wait to get the next installment.
His best work (IMHO) is the "Dark Tower" series starting with "The Dark Tower I, The Gunslinger".
It took him almost a lifetime to write it and there are still stories coming out of the original idea.
It's sort of a parallel universe story.
There has been talk of making a mini-series out of it or maybe an animated version.
You can check it out at: http://www.stephenking.com/darktower/book/
It is beyond me to try and understand any religion after having read all THE books and the books about THE books.
I would not dare go through a simplified book about any religion which assumes the author has an understanding of the religion in his/her lifetime when the practitioners of that same religion have not been able to come to an agreement in their own beliefs for hundreds of years, whether it be Christianity, Islam, Judaism or any other.
It is beyond me to try and understand any religion after having read all THE books and the books about THE books.
I would not dare go through a simplified book about any religion which assumes the author has an understanding of the religion in his/her lifetime when the practitioners of that same religion have not been able to come to an agreement in their own beliefs for hundreds of years, whether it be Christianity, Islam, Judaism or any other.
I reread my post and even though it was not my intention, I can see how easily it can come off as a slight to you. I was actually amused at the '(insert religion here) for dummies' and was commenting about the book and its author.
I'm actually re-reading The Seville Communion by Reverte. Someone gave it to me as a present knowing that I liked the author but not knowing that I'd already read it 10 years ago.
Reverte is a Spanish author I found around 2000 and quite admire. His individual books stand alone in beauty but lately he has become the contemporary equivalent of Dumas due to his Alatriste novels. And that is absolutely fine by me since I, personally, think his series will not only be looked back on as of equal quality to the d'Artagnan Romances but better.
The Ninth Gate is one of my favs by Polanski but it only hints at one of the other major angles of the story which is in the book.
I don't know if you've read the d'Artagnan Romances but if you have not, I would recommend reading them before reading The Club Dumas because, as the Reverte title suggest, Dumas' work plays a large role in the story.
That is a lot of work if you haven't read Dumas. If you want to experience Reverte, The Flanders Panel is good place to start.
Pretty nice. If I had been her editor, I think I would have wanted her to tone down some of the studying stuff. I understand that it's important to their academic lives, but not so important to the story, and it got a little monotonous and dreary for me. Maybe I'm off. Maye that'll grow on me.
The Half-Blood Prince.
Also very nice, better than Phoenix. Quite enjoyed it.
Yeah, it's kind of funny how reading the books does diminish the films some.
For example, I was just rewatching The Half-Blood Prince. When I got to the scene in which
Harry and Dumbledore are in the pensieve visiting the memory of Dumbledore's meeting with the young orphan, Tom Riddle,
I was pretty disappointed. They did that quite wrongly. I mean, it is a significant change, not unlike changing Han Solo's actions with Guido...probably worse. So, hmmmmmm.
Now I'm reading the final book and enjoying it.
I'm also reading Keith Richard's autobiography, Life. Pretty interesting. I'm maybe a little more than half way through. Recommend. At least, if you're interested in Richards, The Rolling Stones, or rock 'n' roll in general.
The Stepford Wives
Great book. I highly recommend it to people who care about having the perfect, happy, stereotypical, repetitive, unchanging, beautiful, flawless American life and family. Heartbreaking, gut wrenching, and thought provoking,
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
(still reading) Probably my favorite book by Hemingway. It's a wonderful collection of short stories.
A Farewell to Arms
Another great Hemingway book.
The Great Gatsby and Animal Farm (rereading)
Two of my favorite books of all time. They are also two books that stand the test of time.
I'm reading a book called The Butt. I only bought it so I could say "I'm reading the Butt" but it's not wry interesting. It's like Camus' L'Etranger but stupider.
I highly recommend it to people who care about having the perfect, happy, stereotypical, repetitive, unchanging, beautiful, flawless American life and family.
I'm just getting into Prisoner of Azkaban, and I think I'm already seeing what you mean about them only getting better. Very nice. Looking forward to six, then. =)
