Yes, we are in the Computer Age, after all... but you know, sometimes there is nothing better than actually sitting down with a good book - a quiet pleasure in a hectic world that will wisk you off to faraway lands or teach you things you never thought you'd know.

This topic is for the discussion of favorite books and authors. Who are your inspirations? What kinds of books do you most enjoy? And what is the last book you read that really captivated you?

This topic is for the discussion of the printed word with a focus on novels and fiction.

By Who is the (Knight_Hawk) on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - 09:33 am:

I am currently reading Salem's Lot as I have never read it before and had a copy lying around for years now.

I am waiting for the next book in the new Star Wars series called Legacy of the Force. It's a nine part series by 3 different authors taking place about 40 years after ROTJ. They're on book 7 now which is coming out later this month.

I'll desribe it later as I am at work at the moment.

By Houdini (Houdini) on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - 10:50 am:

I need to read more often for sure. The last actual book I read was the 7th Harry Potter book back in July.

It was a compelling story that brought a fitting end to the series, but much bothered me in the epilogue. In its attempt to answer some previously unanswered questions it aggravatingly left me with more questions.

I want to read Beowulf before it comes to the big screen because I want to the story from the authors eyes without the hindrance of interpretation by a director, producer and actors.

After I read it, then I'll go see the movie and compare.

By Who is the (Knight_Hawk) on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - 11:24 am:

Bryan Beowulf is a ancient story Wiki it I'm sure there is a translated book and all but it's not a work of recent fiction. It's supposedly a true story from several centuries ago. It's really out of the ordinary because it was several scrolls in length.

By Who is the (Knight_Hawk) on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - 11:28 am:

I just refreshed my memory by Wikipedia and It's actually a poem of some 3100 lines based on both historical events and legends. It was written around 700 AD and is considered an english epic.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 - 03:18 pm:

Beowulf is a classic and not all that long. You can read it here:

http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~beowulf/main.html

I am so into a movie night for seeing Beowulf, also.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 10:57 am:

Knight Hawk, what is Salem's Lot about?

I am currently working through the fifth of the Lone Wolf novelizations by Joe Grant called Hunting Wolf. This was the last book available in the USA of that series, but there has been a revival of the classic Lone Wolf series this year (we've been waiting 20 years for it) so hopefully some of these classics will be available in the USA for the first time.

By Warsmith (Knight_Hawk) on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 - 11:27 am:

You've never heard of Salem's Lot Sol???? ;) It's Stephen Kings 1975 book about a small town in Maine called Jeruselum's Lot that gets infested with Vampires. It's acctually not that bad and has quite a bit of suspense to it. There is of course only one Stephen King book that scared me and that was Cujo. Why only Cujo? Cause only Cujo was 100% possible being that it all stemmed from a rabid St Bernard and had nothing supernatural about it.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 09:51 am:

Yeah, Knight Hawk, amazingly I never heard of it. Would you believe that I haven't read any of Stephen King's books either? I have been told that I should read "It" if I read nothing else by the Master, but I've yet to do so

Also haven't read Harry Potter 7 yet.

I have started reading Moby Dick. I mean, what could be cooler than reading about the Great White Whale? I usually read a little every day on my lunch - but I have been recently distracted instead by the new White Dwarf magazine.

By Warsmith (Knight_Hawk) on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 01:17 pm:

Well I'm now trying to finish the second book in hte Horus Heresy series called False Gods. It's a bit of a slow read but it is interesting to see the 40K world when the Emporer was still alive and they were just starting to encounter the Chaos Gods.

By Sol Hawk (Sol) on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 10:33 am:

Have not read any of the 40K books, but this one sounds fascinating. Always was curious about the Emperor, exactly what he is, and how he came to be a living god. I wouldn't mind hearing a little about this story so far, if you would consider regailing us, Warsmith!

By Warsmith (Knight_Hawk) on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 11:26 am:

The series deals more with the great crusade to reunite the colonies and man. One of my favorite parts was in book one when they find a planet of spider like beings called Megarchnids that not only ambush the Marines but start picking them off one by one. Gave me an idea for a house army but I realized they would really be more like Tyranids. Currently I am at the part where Horus is near death after being stabbed with a Nurgle blade and is being tricked into worshoping the chaos gods.

What I really find interesting is the reasons why certain Primarchs turned traitor. Take Perturabo of the Iron Warriors, he fell because of his resentment towrds Rogal Dorn and the Imperial Fists and the fact that he felt he was being left behind whenever the others went out to fight while he and the Warriors stayed behind to build the defences.

Then there is the Primarch of the Thousand Sons Magnus. He didn't activily choose to go to Chaos as much as he was driven to it by the Emporer and Horus. Leman Russ of the Space Wolves was sent to bring Magnus before the Emporer but was convinced by Horus (not yet revieled as a traitor) to kill him instead. Magnus escaped and had no choice but to join Chaos.

Wikipedia is great init?