View Full Version : Books, Manga and Comics You Have Recently Read
We got posts on movies and music, so why not books?
Ive recently finished reading Another Note - The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases By Nisioisin, it was a cleverly put together book with a slightly cliched concept, which it used ultimately to create a brilliant plot twist.
Im currently reading the novelisation of Metal Gear Solid By Raymond Benson, hes seriously screwed up some of the most memorable sequences of MGS, and added terrible concepts of his own, complete with unnessesary references to MGS4 which appears to be simply butt kissing and displaying knowledge to show he did research.
SILENTKILLER
28-07-08, 04:05
Ive read the manga Monster Hunter Orage 04 and Naruto Chapter 410 as latest yet, friday release Naruto Chapter 411. Also still reading Miyamoto Musashi, a book about him with more than 1000 pages , small letters, very much to read ^^.
thezombiemessia
28-07-08, 08:45
I started a topic like this ages ago, but it failed miersably...very few people on this forum seemed to like the idea of books :P
Im currently reading H.P.Lovercrafts Necronomicon. Its basically the compilation of all of his best stories.
Absolutely amazing book, and a great find (œ20).
I also ordered Mass Effect: Revelations yesterday, and will be reading that next week. Hopefully ill have it done and out of the way in time for the release of Mass Effect: Ascension.
I dont read many comics or graphic novels to be honest, for me its mostly fiction and game related books. Currently reading One Good Turn - so far, so good.
Reading The Talisman by stephen king and peter straub. Very good so far, great road adventure between two worlds.
I started a topic like this ages ago, but it failed miersably...very few people on this forum seemed to like the idea of books :P
Whoops, sorry, didnt mean to steal your idea.
Recently read Shaman King Vol 1, its a pretty clever idea, the art style is a little too cutesy for me, but ShonenJump produce awesome manga.
The Spirit
28-07-08, 16:22
This month I read Dan Browns The Digital Fortress, quite intresting actually if your into hi-tech computer thrillers.
Having read The Da Vinci Code & now The Digital Fortress, I might check out his earlier works like The Deception Point & Angels & Demons.
Currently reading Disneys Speical Comic Vers1 in german with random stories of Uncle Scrooge & Donlad Duck for some comic relief :)
thezombiemessia
28-07-08, 19:43
Dante: Its ok, just joking around. I think my one died several months back.
The_Spirit:
What did you think of Dan Browns writing style?
Ive never been a huge fan of his work...i find it too American in the way everything is over-simplified and he often drags out the obvious.l
I read The Da Vinci Code, and realised that it stole a lot of inspiration from The Holy Blood & The Holy Grail, along with the main story arch of The Broken Sword series of games.
However, when i sat down and read Angels & Deamons (set and written before The Da Vinci Code), i was heavily impressed. It still had the American style of writing, but it still kept me reading and WANTING to read more.
I feel that if you truly did like Da Vinci Code, you will love Angels & Deamons...and even if you didnt like Da Vinci Code, you will probably still like Angels & Deamons.
The Spirit
28-07-08, 23:49
So far Ive read only 2-books of him, I think The Digital Fortress was his 1st attempt & to be honest it is pretty well written. As for The Da Vinci Code, it loaded you with so much information & in the end historically looking its all false, So I concentrated more how the main character Langdon & Sophie that how will get out of this whole mess. In my opinion I would most likely compare him to Micheal Bay, you know all hi-tech sepcial effects in his movies which hes good at, Dan Brown is the same in his books he drives you into his fantasy, gets a grip of you, entertain you & leave you away.
The Digital Fortress on the other hand gives you quite a bit of information about NSA (National Security Agency) that how have they been looking at peoples private stuff & monitoring our single move on the internet. People wont look the internet the same way after theyve read the book. It also provides you information about code breaking that how Julius Casar used to do it in the old days.
What I like about his writing is that he actually researches the material, then converts the relevant material to his own needs, educates to & the same time give you the feeling your in a thriller that the things might not be like this in real life. If you like readingbooks with hi-tech computer thriller I would definately recommend you to lend The Digital Fortress for a few days from your library, if it catches your attention then youll be finished within a week. If not then the subject might not intrest you at all. Thats what I think about it.
I believe that youll also enjoy Deception Point. I can remember buying it to go on holidays and I wasted a lot of spanish chill time on it. Damn book. But yes, it is also quite americanised, which I dont personally find such a bad thing (other than the spellings; they irritate me).
At the moment, Im reading Stephen Kings The Stand. It is extremely drawn out and annoying because of it, but for some reason I still cant put it down. The parts that are drawn out for a reason (a major part of the story) are all done brilliantly, however, which could be why I love it and can live with its faults. One question: Why a crow for the cover? I havent finished it yet, but thar be not much crowin in this land.
Randall Flagg takes on the form of a crow.
thezombiemessia
30-07-08, 13:00
One question: Why a crow for the cover? I havent finished it yet, but thar be not much crowin in this land.
Because the crow is a symbol of the bad man
Ryu Kazama
30-07-08, 13:48
Slowly going though a stash of comics that have been piling up for months. I didnt realise I was 20 issues behind in Amazing Spider-Man! Wasnt informed they started releasing them three times a month. So yeah, going through Amazing Spidey, Ultimate Spidey and some other random stuff.
Ah, thanks both. I just thought he was using his magic to know what they were planning, or reading Harold/Nadines mind. Darn crow, stinking up the innocent land of Boulder.
SILENTKILLER
30-07-08, 22:02
Started reading magazines about Exotic Fruits and other exotic stuff, gettin ready for the Games Convention holidays. Did u ever heard of Red Bananas ? No, me neither but they got em, n they look taaaaasty :d
I recently started reading Batman vs Predator comics 1-3 and there very interesting actually because the dark night finally becomes prey.
thezombiemessia
01-08-08, 10:56
My copy of Mass Effect: Revelation arrived today, so ill be reading that...at the same time as reading The Necronomicon, and Dreamweaver CS3 for Dummies (When my girlfriend is done with it).
Its been ages since Ive read anything, really~ But if I can recommend anything, maybe the Lain, Ailes Grises or Gunnm comics.Theyre quite smart and visually good. [Ive only read the first Gunnm series, though]
I got Marvel Zombies 2 collected edition today, ive got all of them now :), so ill be reading that some time this week.
Also got Hell House by Richard Matheson, I Am Legend was awesome, it practically sold this book to me.
I started a topic like this ages ago, but it failed miersably...very few people on this forum seemed to like the idea of books :P
Ah, my secret shame, I cant read, LOL!
No, I dont mean Im illiterate, I am quite well spoken with good punctuation, spelling and grammar with an excellent vocabulary, I just dont have the patience for it, I pick up a book read a few lines and Im bored, maybe I just havent found a book that has the potential to capture my interest.
I own plenty of books actually, but they are books relating to Computing and Programming, not fiction or novels and I only use them for reference.
This is the one thing in my life I would change given the opportunity, would remove my dependancy on the old Television and Games Consoles for mental stimulation, but Im not sure how to go about it.
Bannik, tell me a little about your likes and dislikes. Degree in literature and I read quite a lot, I might be able to point you to something you may like :)
The Spirit
04-08-08, 09:12
I started a topic like this ages ago, but it failed miersably...very few people on this forum seemed to like the idea of books :P
Ah, my secret shame, I cant read, LOL!
No, I dont mean Im illiterate, I am quite well spoken with good punctuation, spelling and grammar with an excellent vocabulary, I just dont have the patience for it, I pick up a book read a few lines and Im bored, maybe I just havent found a book that has the potential to capture my interest.
I own plenty of books actually, but they are books relating to Computing and Programming, not fiction or novels and I only use them for reference.
This is the one thing in my life I would change given the opportunity, would remove my dependancy on the old Television and Games Consoles for mental stimulation, but Im not sure how to go about it.
They way I see it , there are two reasons that the books dont capture your mind
01. Your more intrested in Computer magazines which usually have short texts, so in short your likely to finish short-stories rather than a book with 600 pages. It also shows your attention level keeps changing something you read but dont fninsh. ;)
or
02. Well youve too much to do (a part of growing up) & its hard to keep up with your old hobbies :)
I recently bought Dan Browns Angels & Demons. After that one more book of his to go Deception Point that is, then I wouldve read every novel written by Dan Brown ;)
Finished Metal Gear Solid by Raymond Benson last night. terrible novel, bad interpretations of characters, hackendeye lines and grossly changed plot elements.
I just started Hell House by Richard Matheson, couple of pages in and its pretty good so far.
thezombiemessia
05-08-08, 17:19
I just finished Mass Effect: Revelation...
Its actually really good. It fits perfectly with the games (being written by the same guy and all), and helps explain certain events and character actions throughout the game.
Im going to be ordering the second book at the end of the week with any luck.
Just finished The Stand. Amazing book, but that ending was a wee bit anti-climatic. Also, I didnt want Larry to die. He was just getting over his old habbits; vindictive wombat as he was.
Just ordered a collection of 5 books of SK off ebay. None of them are very popular, but Ill probably give recommendations depending on my opinions...if anyone wants me to. Heck, Ill do it anyway :p
SILENTKILLER
08-08-08, 13:52
Read Naruto Chapter 412 today, its gettin exciting there.
Read Naruto Chapter 412 today, its gettin exciting there.
Ye the-8-tails pwns =)
Got a couple of books today:
The Whisper Of Darkness - H.P. Lovecraft
The Loved Dead - H.P. Lovecraft
Spiral - Koji Suzuki
and Manga:
Bleach 13 and Trinity Blood 01
thezombiemessia
09-08-08, 09:53
Got a couple of books today:
The Whisper Of Darkness - H.P. Lovecraft
The Loved Dead - H.P. Lovecraft
Another fan of the Lovecraftian tales! W00t!
Im reading through the Necronomicon at the moment. The Loved Dead is an excellent book.
I recently finished Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I really enjoyed it, one of the better books Ive read.
The last graphic novel I read was The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, I was inspired to pick this up after watching The Dark Knight. Loved it.
Next up for me is The Watchmen.
Bump.
Ive been reading alot of manga lately:
D.Gray-Man Vols 4-6
Bleach Vols 13-16
Death Note 1-12. It was better before the time jump.
Death Note 1-12. It was better before the time jump.
Agreed. :evil:
Its not as smart as it was after volume 7 for some reason, it was like, no real effort was put in to it.
Death Note felt finished after said persons death. (Wouldnt want to spoil.) Going on afterwards just made it turn sour, seeing we had all been anticipating the climax around the end of book 7 ever since L first appeared in the first book.
Last thing I read was .hack//G.U.+ anyway. But that was a while ago, I havent read anything for some time.
Ryu Kazama
22-08-08, 13:58
Possible spoilers on Death Note below. If you havent seen/read it by now anyway then youre late! Hop to it people!
Ohhh, the pain. The pain!! I never read the Death Note manga (maybe one day) but watched the anime. Mr.Lawliet was awesome. I didnt mind the time-skip so much. It was still good but its one of those moments where you dont like the new people for they never did much. Saying that, they were still decent in their own right considering how young they were (compared to that person who was 27 or 28) even with most of the work done for them.
Possible spoilers on Death Note below. If you havent seen/read it by now anyway then youre late! Hop to it people!
Ohhh, the pain. The pain!! I never read the Death Note manga (maybe one day) but watched the anime. Mr.Lawliet was awesome. I didnt mind the time-skip so much. It was still good but its one of those moments where you dont like the new people for they never did much. Saying that, they were still decent in their own right considering how young they were (compared to that person who was 27 or 28) even with most of the work done for them.
I just didnt like the lack of effort towards the end, when you compare the ending to the cameras, the FBI agents and when Misa finds Light, all those things where well thought out, the end, unfortunately, was not, I did like Mello though, he was awesome.
And I fully recommend the manga, ive read them all (including the encyclopedia), its just as good as the anime, although very little (if any) detail is lost in the anime.
The Spirit
26-08-08, 07:07
Currently reading Angels & Demons by Dan Brown.
He has written 4-books so far (The Digital Fortress, Deception Point, Angels & Demons & The Da Vinci Code).
Funny thing about his books, its his third book that Im reading, one more left to go (Deception Point), is that all of his stories starts with a murder. And all 3-times they are assasinated from religious cults, oh well aslong as its intresting I dont mind reading it. Read up tp 70 pages so far, its the usual Dan Brown style so I know what Im into. ;)
Im currently reading Excel Saga, Devil May Cry, Inuyasha the ani-manga, Hobbit and the Soddit.
thezombiemessia
29-09-08, 18:36
I just finished reading Watchmen the graphic novel by Alan Moore.
It is an excellent piece of fiction, with a great storyline and really good artwork.
I just feel like it was all a little pointless. But i think that was the point...
*sighs*
Really worth getting, especially considering the mild twist on Super Hero conventions. Also worth reading if you plan on going to see the film.
thezombiemessia
05-01-09, 20:33
Got a few books over Christmas:
Horus Heresy Book 3, Tales of Beadle the Bard and House of Leaves.
Im reading through House of Leaves at the moment, and enjoying it incredibly...its a really hard to book to explain...but its worth looking into, especially if you like Lovecraft or Silent Hill.
Wow, missed this thread, wondered where it went.
I got a few books today:
Terminator 2 - Novelization of the film.
Alien - Another film Novelization.
The Television Late Night Horror Omnibus
Dark Horse - A fantasy novel from the Dungeons and Dragons universe.
The Digital Photography Handbook - Im considering it as a hobby.
Ive not read much lately, mostly manga, roughly 20 odd volumes since this thread disappeared.
thezombiemessia
05-01-09, 21:23
Alien - Another film Novelization.
If you can get your hands on it, it is worth getting the Alien Omnibus, which is a collection of the first 3 novelisations.
The first 3 are really good, and expand greatly on the Universe (its all official to). After that, its also worth looking into the Alien books by S.D.Perry...infact, almost all of the books set in the Alien universe are really worth reading.
If you can get your hands on it, it is worth getting the Alien Omnibus, which is a collection of the first 3 novelisations.
The first 3 are really good, and expand greatly on the Universe (its all official to). After that, its also worth looking into the Alien books by S.D.Perry...infact, almost all of the books set in the Alien universe are really worth reading.
Thanks, ill keep that in mind. :)
The one I got now is based on the screenplay, written by Alan Dean Foster.
thezombiemessia
05-01-09, 21:39
Yeah, the Omnibus has the same version in it as far as im aware.
Theyre all based on the original screenplay, before the films were edited down and made to fit certain standards (nudity, violence, etc).
Started reading Alien, very impressive, I was most impressed by the way it introduced the characters as they where sleeping, the insight given in to their personalities based upon an in universe concept that was simple enough to understand was extremely clever.
Also started reading World War Z by Max Brooks, very well written as to how he words things and gets his ideas across in a subtle yet brilliant way, especially when the cause of the childs infection at the start was described as being something unknown in the mud in the water, which opens up all kinds of theories and ideas compared to a more direct description, which would probably make it sound cheesy.
Zombie Fred
09-01-09, 08:24
I ve just finished reading through Alan Moores Watchmen a second time, and it s still today the very best of English literature I ve ever come across in a hero s comic book. He has always fascinated me in how he creates this stunning universe around him, with current themes on today s politics and censorship, it s truly remarkable.
I am looking forward to Zack Synder s adoption of the graphic novel, but I am still in doubt on whether it will catch the true message the comic was about. :)
Just finished reading The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski and today Ive started the sequel, Blood of Elves. Highly recommended even if you arent a massive fantasy fan, a must if youve played/planning to play The Witcher.
Zombie Fred
09-01-09, 10:46
Just finished reading The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski and today Ive started the sequel, Blood of Elves. Highly recommended even if you arent a massive fantasy fan, a must if youve played/planning to play The Witcher.
Ive been tempted buying The Witcher myself, seeing some influence from a few table-top role-play systems, so I think I might actually start on the novel and see if it makes me bite :)
I would also recommend, from myself, anyone here to read the Dark Tower series by Stephen kind, if they have the time for it.
Just about finished Come Out Tonight. Richard Laymon.
Next book The 4th Odd Thomas noval by Dean Koontz
Ive been considering The Dark Tower series, but the colloection is so expensive :(
Anyway, Im currently reading Stephen Kings Firestarter, which is very interesting and different to any other book that hes written (that I can think of).
Zombie Fred
14-01-09, 13:14
[quote=greenyxi]Ive been considering The Dark Tower series, but the colloection is so expensive :(
Its worth buying but you dont need to get all of them at once. You can just buy one at a time, once you finished reading. :) Take it from me; youre missing Kings best work he has ever produced in his life-time, so far, with some of the best memorable characters Ive ever come across.
Well, I was close to getting the 1st of the series when I was in Spain. The cover was all in english (including the back and blurb ), but it was sealed and I couldnt check the insides. I asked the girl at the counter if it was english (she was speaking english to someone else), and she said yes.
I bought it and it was spanish after all. I took it back and she accepted my receipt (she must have known it was partially her fault that I bought the wrong product).
Wasnt that a lovely story?
Yes. Well, prehaps.
The Dark Tower is really impressive, and it is some of Kings best work. The first book is a good introduction to the series, as it kind of snowballs after that into something much more fanatasy and horror orientated while keeping the western feel of The Gunslinger. Most impressive is how the series ties in with some of Kings other work.