Book it

For the record, I am a bookworm. I read just about everything I can get my hands on. Normally, this takes the from of fiction. More specifically it's usually sci-fi. However, there are the occasional exception. I'm currently reading 3 different books and none of them are sci-fi.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer

So far this has been an amazing read. In the past my choices of literature about WW2 were usually confined to stories about specific battles or operations. This book is something I would say everyone should read at some point in their lives just for the history that you wouldn't normally get from a textbook. More on this when I've finished it.

The Elder Gods by David and Leigh Eddings

I've only read one other book by these two and have found it near impossible to read anything David wrote solo. The other book they wrote, and I enjoyed immensely, was Redemption of Althalus. These are quick reads due to the simplistic writing style but the story and characters don't suffer for it. They are people(or gods) that you can identify with and understand. A similar example would be just about anything John Ringo writes. Very simple writing but solid story and fantastic characters. The Elder Gods is just book one in what is, so far, a three book series. Hopefully the continue through the series with the same success.


Battle Royale

Warning, this is not a book for the squeamish or easily offended. Some of my favorite authors are H.P. Lovecraft and Clive Barker so graphic violence or psychological suffering are par for the course with me. This import swiftly became one of my all-time favorites so I'm reading it yet again. The basic storyline is that there's an Asian country where the state has a mandatory 'Lord of the Flies' style program. They take a class of junior high students to an isolated area and force them to kill each other until only one is left. Phenomenal characters and just a great overall story. I highly recommend this book but with the above warning as my qualifier. Don't read it and then complain to me how it was too bloody or disturbing. If you liked the book, the movie was pretty good too. Not sure if it's available in the states or not(thank god for bittorrent).

Anyway, these are just what I'm reading right now. I'll probably have them all done before Sunday and move on to something else. For those interested, here's my list of favorite authors.

Robert Heinlein
Stephen King
Clive Barker
H.P. Lovecraft
David Wingrove(Chung Kuo series is incredible)
Ayn Rand
Anne Rice
George R. R. Martin(finish the series damnit)
J. R. R. Tolkien(duh)
Douglas Adams
Michael Moorcock
Frank Miller
J. Michael Straczynski
Neil Gaiman


Have fun people. Remember to put down the remote or Xbox control every now and then and go read.