At last I've finished The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco. It was a fantastic book but I'd recommend it for serious daytime reading as opposed to last thing at night before bed, otherwise it takes forever to get through and you can end up a bit lost. Still a great book none the less.

I just read Lockpick Pornography by Joey Comeau (from the A Softer World webcomics like the one in my sig) for free on the internet... it was weird, and awesome in a totally nihilistic homosexual kinda way.

http://www.lockpickbook.net/lockpick_2nd_ed.pdf

Read it there.

Ozzy Osbourne's autobiography "I am Ozzy"

Very good! I read a review of people saying it was all like a big episode of the Osbournes and there was barely anything about Black Sabbath or his solo career
Well, the first 4 chapters are about Black Sabbath. And up to the end of the book he is still talking about his solo career as the main topic. He barely mentions his everyday life with his family, only specific events that have stood out for him and how drugs and alcohol were ruining his family life
I think whoever made that review hadn't read the book at all!

9/10

senor monkey rock

At last I've finished The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco. It was a fantastic book but I'd recommend it for serious daytime reading as opposed to last thing at night before bed, otherwise it takes forever to get through and you can end up a bit lost. Still a great book none the less.

I had the same problem with his Foucault's Pendulum. Very heavy going and I still haven't finished it. I need to start again. One day . . .
 
Just finished re-reading The Fifth Elephant. A fine read, as are all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. I now need to find something else. The office lending club has a copy of Bernhard Schlink's The Reader. In English, of course. I think I'll give that a go.
 

The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy - 10/10


Going to be picking up The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe on monday and get through that too.

I finally finished Polgara the Sorceress and The Hidden City and enjoyed them both immensly. Nice to finally read the final book from The Tamuli.

Currently reading Empress by Karen Miller. So far I'm enjoying it a lot more than her Kingmaker, Kingbreaker books. After this I have no more to read, I really need more money

ChesterChestertonPhD

Unmotivated

Finally finished 'Homicide: A Life on the Killing Streets' by David Simon...it's a wopper!  Great stuff though, you really love these guys by the end if it.  Highly recommend!

You mofo!  Snap! 

Yeah its bloody good work by Mr. Simon, and indeed by the gentlemen and ladies he documents.  So many intertwining stories, so much detail, so many hardcore characters, so much information and life lessons.

It seems crazy that the whole thing is real.  A few questions spring to mind based on that:

1. Although Simon mentions in the epilogue that he got legal permission to use the detectives, lawyers etc real names, he also says that he uses the real names of the victims, witnesses and criminals.  Surely they did not all give him permission...so how come he was allowed to do that?  And did he not consider it unethical to give the witnesses real names...which surely must have put them in potential danger? 

2.  Drink driving must be taken far less seriously in some parts of America, judging by how openly Simon writes of the detectives boozing it up and then motoring off?

 
I think in the states, after a certain amount of time all victims, witnesses etc are freely released to the public.  it's only if someone goes into the something like the witness protection act that they're held back...I think, dont quote me on that.
 
As for the drink driving...haha, well, he dose mention at the end that there were some complications with detectives being disciplined and such, and i suppose they could always deny it, the only proof they really have is written words.  I did like in the epilogue where Simon mentions at one point he had to chase a criminal and body search them himself...quite comical.
 
 
On the reading front though, as a total change to 'Homicide' just finished 'The Invisible Man' by H.G Wells, which is an absolute rollocking read!  Cant recommend it enough.  Despite being over 200 years old, it's not at all dated (apart from some dialogue), and becomes genuinely quite menacing.  There's also some great moments when he first becomes invisible and starts playing all sorts of pranks on people in Oxford St etc. 

Can pick it up dirt cheap on Amazon.

Recently read:

Fallen by Lauren Kate - more of a teenage book but it was ok, bit like twilight but with angels instead - 6/10

The Charlemange Pursuit by Steve Berry - quite good, on the lines of The Da vinci code or Adept, apparently it is one of a series but it's the first one by him I've read so will be doing some investigating about the others - 8/10

Next book is Bloodline by Mark Billingham

Joe Sacco - Palestine.

9/10

Fantastically realised series of testimonies. It's tough to get into as you have to learn the terminology and history of the Intifada right back to the 1948 resettlements, but once you get into it the book flies by. He also embraces the flaws of himself and the interviewees, quite often protraying their moral ambiguity to all so the reader doesn't automatically take a pro-Palestinian stance without questioning the text. Even then after the more recent events with Hamas and the wall it makes you oddly aware of how out of date even this book has become.
 
edit: then as a lighter relief I immediately re-read The Killing Joke by Alan Moore. Also 9/10.

The stand full edition- Steven king

10/10

is a brilliant book, Im really starting to get into more and more of his stuff :)

Last book I read finished was Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, I loved the film but since reading the book I love the story even more. I recommend it to anyone else who has seen and loved the film but not read the book yet. 10/10.

Before that I read Where's Bin Laden... It's like Where's Wally but with a twist . 9/10 just because of the laughs!!

Bloodline by Mark Billingham - 7/10 - another Thorne centred story, quite good but a bit formulaic.

The millenium Trilogy (The Girl with the dragon tattoo, The girl who played with fire and The girl who kicked the hornets nest) - 10/10!!  Excellent books!!  All 3 were well written and dealt with some interesting topics.  Would definitely reccommend them.

Well I've laid on a treat for myself. Just acquired The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell and Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. 2 for £7 in Sainsbiry's. Two books by two of my favourite authors, for which I would happily have paid full price. Just need to make time to read them now.

Dennis Lehane - Shutter Island

10/10
  Absolutely loved it, its rare I get into a book as much as I did with this but the story just draws all of your attention, honestly wasn't expecting the ending. Would highly recommend to anyone!

Elephants on Acid by Alex Boese.

9/10

Extremely good read, very interesting.    

V For Vendetta
Excellent read. Will watch the film again tonight.

Narrow Dog to Carcassonne

6/10

I didn't actually finish it, which is nothing against the story it just didn't 'grab' me.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich - Tolstoy

8/10

Great bit of potted Tolstoy, hardly as relevatory as his other work though.

Finally finished The Burning Land. I do like a good historical novel and Bernard Cornwell does them as well as anyone in the game. This latest outing for Uhtred of Bebbanburg didn't grip me quite as hard as earlier ones. Maybe I'm just older and more tired and have my mind on other things. Still well worth 8 out of 10. We're promised at least one more outing for the lad as well, so I'll be looking forward to that.

Batman: Year One 9/10

  Great read, the first step towards 'reinventing' Batman and you can tell Chris Nolan took A LOT of influence for his Batman films