TSF Book Club
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Just finished John Birminghams Designated Targets, top read...although been struggling to find time to read it has taken me longer than usual.<br><br>
Love some of the modern day characters in the series too. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Mokey" data-cid="508749" data-time="1439671583"><p>
awkward promo dance<br><br>
Sooooooo anyway, my next book is out August 17, a full length Regency-set suspense called To Love a Hellion. (Regency is 1810-1820 England in case anyone wondered). If the lady in your life (or maybe you, cos you have EXCELLENT taste) is into lords and ladies/filthy smex/nasty villains/snarky banter...buy my book!<br><br>
You know you want to. Yep. :mail: :greeting:</p></blockquote>
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Title Mokes? -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="508752" data-time="1439672698">
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<p>Just finished John Birminghams Designated Targets, top read...although been struggling to find time to read it has taken me longer than usual.<br><br>
Love some of the modern day characters in the series too.</p>
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<p>I love that series, I could happily read it again.</p> -
<p>Just this minute finished Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. Starts in the not too distant future when something causes the moon to break up. An astronomer - who is not Neil deGrasse Tyson, OK? - realises that in a short time that means the planet is about to become a very dangerous place to be and so a plan is put in place to create an ark made up of a fleet of small craft to take some of us out to space. The book then spans 10,000 years into the future.</p>
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<p>As with all of his books it is surprisingly easy to read despite being full of hard science. It takes a bit of work nevertheless, nearly 900 pages. Loved it.</p> -
<p>No idea if it's been mentioned, probably has, but reading Flash Boys - Cracking the Money Code by Michael Lewis at the moment. Fascinating stuff, would recommend.</p>
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<p>Cheers JC, will check that out</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="508752" data-time="1439672698">
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<p>Just finished John Birminghams Designated Targets, top read...although been struggling to find time to read it has taken me longer than usual.<br><br>
Love some of the modern day characters in the series too.</p>
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<p>I'm just into book 2 of the Dave Hooper series and loving it. Read Book 1 in a night. Good mix of macabre action and humour in typical Birmingham style.</p>
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<p>Basically a middle aged loser becomes earths great super hero against legions of demons and dragons who suddenly appear from the underworld.</p>
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<p>Dave's a real lad and a bit of a fuck up who definitely enjoys the side effects of his super status - libido, drug and alcohol capacity, stamina but tries to do the right thing (sort of).</p>
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<p>He's an Everyman for the internet age.</p>
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<p>Would make a great movie</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JC" data-cid="511133" data-time="1440558683">
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<p>Just this minute finished Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. Starts in the not too distant future when something causes the moon to break up. An astronomer - who is not Neil deGrasse Tyson, OK? - realises that in a short time that means the planet is about to become a very dangerous place to be and so a plan is put in place to create an ark made up of a fleet of small craft to take some of us out to space. The book then spans 10,000 years into the future.</p>
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<p>As with all of his books it is surprisingly easy to read despite being full of hard science. It takes a bit of work nevertheless, nearly 900 pages. Loved it.</p>
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<p>Did you read Anathem? I love his stuff but I've never been so bored in my life so I've steered clear of Seveneves. Normally with his books they just fly past, but jeysus Anathem was a slog. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="511201" data-time="1440581660">
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<p>Gollum, did you ever read into thin air? What did you think? I read it last weekend .</p>
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<p>Yeah, really liked it. Made me want to never climb anything ever. Same with touching the void. Fuck. That.</p>
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<p>Sort of jaded since as Krakaur has since of got a reputation for given a 99% chance a boring thing happened v a 1% vhance a dramtic thing happened & no one really knows which, he always goes the bullshit option. Sort of spoils it a bit when "non fictioon" or "true accounts" are only "truish".</p>
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<p>Really looking forward to Everest coming out in a couple of months.</p>
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<p>I watched touching the void on sunday morning , I read the book over the weekend. Watching the movie and reading the book made me wonder aspect of mountaineering is enjoyable? Beck Wethers who suffered horribly on that trip is a motivational speaker now <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.badassoftheweek.com/weathers.html'>http://www.badassoftheweek.com/weathers.html</a></p>
<p>I read into the wild and where men win glory by Krakauer too, I'm not sure I believe 100% of into the wild and it was a bit average but where men win glory was a superb read although thats probably got traces of bullshit too.</p>
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<p>That film looks good, there was an earlier film thats rubbish and puts a decent amount of blame on Rob Hall <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_Thin_Air:_Death_on_Everest'>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_Thin_Air:_Death_on_Everest</a></p> -
<p>Yeah, Beck Wethers story was the one that put me off going anywhere near a fricking mountain.</p>
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<p>Into The Wild is the one where Krakaur has got a lot of (deserved) shit for flat out making it up in the most sensationalist way he could - helped by the "no one knows!" element. Its a shame as he carved out a nice nieche writing that stuff. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="511200" data-time="1440581010">
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<p>Did you read Anathem? I love his stuff but I've never been so bored in my life so I've steered clear of Seveneves. Normally with his books they just fly past, but jeysus Anathem was a slog. </p>
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<p>Yeah Gollum, it was hard work alright. I've been a fan since Snow Crash and generally look out for his books. So Anathem was a bit of a shock, way too dense and obscure, not at all like the Baroque Cycle books. I'm honestly not sure if I'd have bought Seveneves after that but Mrs JC got me it for my birthday. I picked it up on Saturday pm and finished it yesterday. Give it a shot.</p> -
<p>Cheers JC, sold then.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://deadline.com/2015/08/emperor-julius-caesar-marcus-brutus-lionsgate-conn-iggulden-1201506981/'>http://deadline.com/2015/08/emperor-julius-caesar-marcus-brutus-lionsgate-conn-iggulden-1201506981/</a></p>
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<p>As there's a lot of fans of this in this thread -</p>
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<p><strong><span style="font-size:12pt;">EXCLUSIVE</span></strong><span style="font-size:12pt;">: Move over, Katniss. Lionsgateâ€
s Summit Entertainment has found its next franchise hero: Julius Caesar. The company, whose franchise fare has included <em>Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games</em> and <em>Divergent</em>, has signed on with White Horse Pictures to co-produce <em>Emperor</em>, the first in what could be a trilogy of films about the rise of Julius Caesar and his best friend and eventual mortal enemy Marcus Brutus.<em><strong> Emperor will be based on the first two books written by Iggulden — The Gates Of Rome and The Field Of Swords</strong> — </em>that establish the relationship between Caesar (the great military leader) and Marcus (the great fighter) from boyhood. The books cover their rise to the top of the Roman Empire, and the political and romantic entanglements that culminate in that fatal encounter on the floor of the Roman Senate. The final novel covers the revenge taken on Caesarâ€s murderers by Octavius and Mark Antony.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">In the first film, Julius and Marcus bond at boyhood and grow into warriors who become politically ambitious and powerful enough to be regarded as threats by the establishment. <em>Emperor</em> becomes the first film for Nigel Sinclair and Guy East since they formed White Horse Pictures. They began work on the film several years ago when they ran Exclusive Media Group, and Sinclair will produce with Hollywood Gang Productions†Gianni Nunnari and Atmosphere Entertainmentâ€s Mark Canton, and Matt Jackson. East and William Broyles Jr will be exec producers with Tony To and Alex Brunner.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">A script is in by Broyles (<em>Cast Away</em> and <em>Apollo 13</em>), Stephen Harrigan (Hallmarkâ€s <em>Cleopatra</em>), Burr Steers (<em>Pride, Prejudice And Zombies</em>) and Ian Mackenzie Jeffers (<em>The Grey</em>). The fact-based tale has the kind of sexuality, political intrigue, battles and thirst for power evident in a series like HBOâ€s <em>Game Of Thrones</em>. It is high priority for Lionsgate/Summit, and they will search for a director straight away.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> “Weâ€re looking forward to working with an incredible creative team on <em>Emperor</em>, a great property based on a unique and compelling series of books,†said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-chairs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger after confirming the deal. “A fresh and inventive coming-of-age story about the young Julius Caesar and Brutus set amidst the drama, intrigue and passions of ancient Rome, we believe that <em>Emperor</em> will be a big, crowd-pleasing motion picture event for global audiences. It marks an exciting addition to a slate already loaded with franchises, potential franchises and other star-driven tentpole films.â€</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Said Sinclair: “Weâ€re thrilled to be working with Lionsgate on an epic motion picture event with the potential to create a new multi-picture franchise, and weâ€re delighted to have Mark, Gianni and Matt bringing to the film their experience in creating sweeping historical sagas of vision and scope.â€</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">Said Canton and Nunnari, who worked together on<em> 300</em>: “Combining the sweep of <em>300</em> with the intrigue of <em>Game of Thrones</em>, this is the part of the story of the mighty Julius Caesar that nobody knows – his emergence alongside Brutus as young powerhouses in Rome, a fresh and contemporary retelling of their rivalries, passions and jealousies, captured in a movie with breath-taking action, spectacular visual effects and epic scope.â€</span></p>
