Off Topic: Read any good books lately?

I re-read The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists last winter - shockingly relevant still today. I read Animal Farm a couple of years ago (I'd seen the cartoon - and the porno!). Really easy read, and written by a man who knew and loved his history. Written whilst Stalin was still alive, wasn't it?

 

A bit off on a tangent, but has anyone read Puckoon by Spike Milligan. I read it when I was about 15 and thought it the funniest book I had ever read. I will have to dig it out of the many boxes of books I have in the garage and read it again to see if 15 year old me was right.

 

Ha! Do you mean the one shot over here?

 

Loved that book, I still have a copy somewhere, will have to dig it out

 

Never read any as far as I know, what genera?

 

Ha, my old Kiwi girlfriend had that and was always raving about it. I must get round to reading it.

 

Same as Feist...same down to earth approach to fantasy if you know what I mean.

Another 20 books for you to explore lol...

He's dead now. Died quite young.

 

Never used to read that kind of book, only started reading Feist because someone gave me a copy of "Magician", after that I just had to carry on.
Will have a look on Amazon for the Gemmel series

 

Feist and Gemmel: I'll add them to my list.

 

Just ordered a copy of The Orchard Keeper by Cormack Mcarthy, going to be spectacular.

 

If you are looking for recommendations @donga darko my fav book ever is Wait until Spring Bandini by John Fante.

 

Cheers. I'll check it out.

 

If you read Feist and get to the Servant of the Empire books you will find out where R R Martin nicked his Daenerys character from.

 

My gut says you'd enjoy the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant DD...

 

Those 3 are among my favourites...those and the Serpent War Saga.

 

The Rift Wars at least explain how the Japanese ended up on Earth

I haven't read GoTs but have watched the series, I believe Martin has stolen many things from Feist and just put them in a slightly different setting.

Do you see many similarity's or is it just me?

 

@donga darko I'd love to hear what you think, I've read it about 10 times.

 

Ha yes ...but tbf...naming Feist, Gemmel and Martin etc..they all basically just took African, Greek, *****l, Celtic or English folklore or history...

I give Gemmel his due he by the end just started doing alternative versions of historical figures which I actually enjoyed

 

Other than Martin has anyone got a more recent fantasy writer they like..each time I try a new one it's now a twilight teen ****.

As we've discussed D it'll always be referential but I like a new twist.

Same with Crime stuff....hated the fact it got so formulaic that I'd guessed it 6 chapters in.

 

My main point of comparison between Feist and Martin is Daenerys, and in a way the whole concept of GoTs.
Daenerys story and the Empire story are so alike.
Two great houses lose their head, in one the next in line is a young girl who has to be recalled from a convent, in the other its is a young girl who is sold into slavery.
Both have to marry men they don't want to in order to protect themselves.
Both use their marriage to strengthen their position.
Both lose their husbands yet prosper from it.
Both start to regain power by giving slaves freedom and employing men who have lost their "house"
Both take on a lover who is forbidden/beneath them.
Both have the same aim, to rise their house to the top and sit on the (iron) throne uniting all the houses.

I know the ending of the Empire, I can see GoTs going a similar way but, with more protagonists there are more options.