Reading List

read 307 books since Jan '03

September 2010
Jonathan Living Seagull by Richard Bach	Fascinating little novella. Been on my list for six years. This should have been required reading in school. Took about 20 minutes to read but I'll probably be thinking about it in years to come.
The Space Merchants by CM Kornbluth	I didn't like the first part of this book, but as he arrives in the 'Chicken Little' factory it really began to pick up. Interesting read. It's fascinating that it introduced so many expressions into modern language, like 'R&D', soyaburger, or 'survey' as a verb.

August 2010
Can Robots Be Human? by Peter Cave	I read this book in one sitting, in The Drake on Woodlands Road. I was hoping for a lot more, but so much was glossed over and a lot of it was very tedious. He also misused the word paradox at almost every opportunity. Meh.
To Your Scattered Bodies Go by PJ Farmer	This has been on my list for a long time. I enjoyed it, will read the rest of the series.
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller	This was okay, I'd have preferred not to have jumped around in time quite so much - I wanted to hear more about some of the particular characters, but it was a decent post apocalyptic novel.

July 2010
A Fall of Moondust by Arthur Clarke	This was okay. A pretty tame plot.

May 2010
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett	I enjoyed this as much as the first, will continue to read the series.

April 2010
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester	Jaunting, interesting. Been on my list for almost five years. It was a decent book.
Beyond The Blue Event Horizon by Frederick Pohl	The second of the Heechee series. I enjoyed it, answered enough of my questions, while still leaving some intrigue.

March 2010
Gateway by Frederick Pohl	Enjoyed this book, read it over a day or so. I want to know more about the Heechee though. Will read the others in the series.
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett	I've been meaning to read the Discworld series for years. Enjoyed it, will read more I think.
It Looked Good on Paper by Bill Fawcett	Mentioned on slashdot. Christmas present from Hugh and Liz. I enjoyed it. Will try and look out for his other collections.

February 2010
The Call of Cthulhu by HP Lovecraft	Was expecting a lot more from this. Maybe I need to be Victorian.
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk	Reading as part of a new bookgroup. It was an okay book, kinda interesting, not quite sure what it was trying to say though. I could also have done without some of the repetition.
The Stand by Stephen King	Reading as part of a new bookgroup. Didn't realise it was so long. It was a decent book and it made me appreciate how good the film adaptation was.

December 2009
Do Polar Bears Get Lonely? by New Scientist	I love these books, I've read all the others but for some reason, I've not written them down here. If I could only read one type of book for the rest of my life, it'd be books like these - I have a penchant for science trivia.

November 2009
Deadly Friend by Diana Henstell	Just realised I've seen the movie of this, it was dire. Book is kinda interesting though, if a bit ridiculous. Not sure I liked the ending either. Meh. It was pretty much exactly what I expected. Nothing worthwhile here.

September 2009
Area 7 by Matthew Reilly	It's been a month of guility pleasures ;-)

August 2009
Supersense: Why We Believe The Unbelievable by Bruce M. Hood	Brights bookgroup selection. Meh, was pretty much what I expected. I hate the term 'SuperBright', plus I didn't agree with any of his examples, but then, I'm not superstitious. I would wear the cardigan.

July 2009
Origin by Stephen Baxter	I liked this, but didn't enjoy it as much as the previous two in the series. I like Stephen Baxter's hard science approach though, I'll read more.
Pastwatch by Scott Orson	I enjoyed this, particularly the last third.
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath	Interesting.
The Survivalist: The Nightmare Begins by Jerry Ahern	The second book in my hedonistic apocalypse-fest.
The Survivalist: Total War by Jerry Ahern	Bit of a trashy read, but I enjoyed it, read it over two days. I'm probably gonna work my way through the series.. Just googled.. Sheesh.. All twenty-six of them!

June 2009
God: The Failed Hypothesis by Victor J. Stenger	This was okay but nothing overly new presented, though I was interested to hear what he had to say about cosmic constants.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen	This was okay, pretty much what I expected/what it says on the tin. I particularly liked the beginning aboard the plane and the ending was well done I thought.
Prey by Michael Crichton	This was a bit of a trash novel, I enjoyed it though. The software stuff was a little preachy.. all night coding sessions are getting so cliche.
Watchmen by Alan Moore	Meh, heard so much about this graphic novel. It was really built up in my mind. I bought an original 1987 edition, but flicking through the pages it never really grabbed my attention.. it's been sitting on my shelf for almost five years. I read it in one sitting - I didn't like it all that much - it didn't seem to have much depth. Maybe I should read a critique. It'll be interesting to see how they handle the film though.
Dr Bloodmoney by Philip K Dick	This was a pretty strange novel. I didn't like it all that much, couldn't really care about the characters.

May 2009
Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland	I enjoyed this. Everything Coupland writes is quite unique.

April 2009
Heavy Weather by Bruce Sterling	Hmm.. this took me basically the whole month to read. I really didn't like it, ended up glazing over after every few pages. I'm not that interested in weather and the descriptions were so painfully verbose. There were a couple of precocious ideas and the smart rope and pursuit vehicles were interesting though.

March 2009
Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks	I enjoyed this. Always been meaning to read more Culture novels.
The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle	I liked this, though I wished I hadn't read any reviews, one gave away too much of the plot. The science aspect/explanations were interesting. Was fun to see Hoyle push his anti-big bang theory toward the end :-p Originally recommended by Dawkins in a lecture.

February 2009
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser	Fascinating book. Should have read this sooner, I think Edward recommended it in like 2003.
The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster	Slashdot recommendation. Interesting story, quite prescient for 1909.
Children of the Dust by Louise Lawrence	This was ok, very similar to Brother in the Land, though this one seemed a little more 'soppy', not that Brother in the Land wasn't.

January 2009
Brother in the Land by Robert E. 'Bob' Swindells
The Sound of Laughter by Peter Kay	Christmas present from Liz. I enjoyed the book, read it in just a few sittings, there was quite a bit of crossover from his stand-up material though.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman	Christmas present from Vikki, really enjoying it so far. Fascinating characters.
Descartes\' Secret Notebook by Amir D. Aczel	Borrowed from Dick Henry. Interesting, I didn't know much of Descartes life. The book was terribly overly romantic though.
Wish You Were Here by Mike Gayle	Borrowed this from Vik and read it in two sittings. It was certainly readable and I enjoyed it, but it's my least favourite of Gayle's work. It felt a little trite and the dialogue seemed pretty, for lack of a better word, malevolent.

December 2008
The Ringworld Engineers by Larry Niven	I enjoyed this. Always meant to read it after really enjoying Ringworld. Some fascinating imagery.
Earth by David Brin	I enjoyed this. Not quite sure I was happy with the last quarter of the novel nor the final resolution, but it has some interesting ideas. Not to mention the whole 'World Data Net', Brin describes this wonderfully, it was a pretty accurate prediction of the current state of our internet.
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell	Picked this up on a whim and really enjoyed it. I found one section a little hard to read (Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After - I'm sure I counted seventeen apostrophes in one sentence) but really enjoyed the world Sonmi-451 lived in - I'd like to see more of that. I'm not 100% sure I got the overall message of the book, the interconnected aspect, I might go read some critical reviews. Will try to read some more David Mitchell.
Temple by Matthew Riley	Didn't enjoy this anywhere near as much as Ice Station, the first Riley book I read. Far too over the top (not that Ice Station wasn't) and just didn't engage me. Hasn't put me off the author when I'm in the mood for something light though.

November 2008
Whit by Iain Banks	I liked this, Isis was a fascinating character. The ending seemed a little contrived, but it could have been worse.
Roderick by John Sladek	This was a strange book. I enjoyed it, there were some interesting ideas. The entire premise was a little shaky.. Roderick enroles in school - he has tank tracks, a square steel body and tries to convince everybody he is a robot - they all assume he's crazy and is a boy in a special iron lung.. then he starts to slowly replace parts of his body all the while trying to convince people he is a robot, but nobody believes him.. Also, there were numerous strange paragraphs of gibberish.. unconnected words and phrases.. I'm not sure if that was to illustrate his mental processes but it was very frustrating. Anyway, worth a read.

October 2008
Hell Island by Matthew Reilly	Meh, kept me entertained. Pretty much the definition of an airport novel.
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom	Great book. I'm gonna try to get hold of Tuesdays with Morrie.

September 2008
Ice Station by Matthew Reilly	This was an unbelievable, unrealistic, over the top, mindless novel, not the sort of thing I normally read. I loved it though :-)
Space by Stephen Baxter	I preferred Time to this book, but I still enjoyed it.
Wolves Eat Dogs by Martin Cruz Smith	I got this because I read (I think in slashdot) that it "deals extensively with radiation and radiation poisoning" - if I'd know it was part of a (I assume, from the synopsis) detective series I might not have bothered - I'll give it a try though. Just read it, meh, it was alright, not what I was looking for though.

August 2008
East of Eden by John Steinbeck	It took me a while to get through this - not quite sure why - it was a superb book, might even be up there in my top ten. One of the few fiction novels I'd consider reading again some day too.

July 2008
Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow	I liked this, will try to read more of his work.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling	Finally got around to reading the last in the series. The story was okay, the dialog was far too preachy and moral for my liking though.

June 2008
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow	Liked it. I plan to work my way through a good chunk of the bibliography.

May 2008
The Definitive Book of Body Language by Allan Pease	I was reading this for a small insight into some poker bluffing. It was okay, I guess I learned a lot of this information already elsewhere.
The Postman by David Brin	I enjoyed this, the idea behind the postman is fascinatingly complex. I'll get around to watching the movie soon I think.
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman	Not that bad. Nothing special though. The reason I read this entire series was to find out about the wheeled creatures Dawkins made a reference to. There wasn't much about them really. I definitely enjoyed the first book in the series more than the second or third.
Idlewild by Nick Sagan	I enjoyed this a lot. I'll definitely look out for the sequel. Reminds me a little bit of the Ender's Game series.
The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson	I enjoyed this, it's only my second Bryson book (the other was A Short History of Nearly Everything), so I haven't actually read his main staple, the travel books yet. Next on my list.
The Snow by Adam Roberts	This was a birthday present from Vikki. I chose it 'cause of the post apocalyptic aspect. I liked it.
The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman	It was okay, not much of plot though, it certainly feels like a bridge between the first and third in the trilogy. I'll read the third one next though.
Harrington on Hold \'em Expert Strategy for No Limit Tournaments, Vol. 2: Endgame by Dan Harrington	This was okay, my end game needed work. I think I'll go back and read Vol 1 before moving to Vol 3 though.

April 2008
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville	Slashdot recommendation - Got this back from Sandy after having left it at his flat for nearly a year. I'm trying to figure out where I left off, think I got it. Just finished, it was a good sci-fi book, some fascinating characters in that strange world
The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh	Somebody recommended this to me as 'a female version of Bukowski' - it's certainly not that. I did enjoy the writing, though the whole premise was a little tame.
Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle	I've read this before - it's one of my favourite Holmes stories. I read it again in preparation for the Literati bookgroup next month, still as enjoyable. Reminds me strongly of the old audiobook I had when I was very young, damn scary hound howling noises (and there seemed to be a lot more running away from the hound on the moors). The theme was Ride of the Valkyries.
The Bridge by Iain Banks	I enjoyed this a lot. I'll definitely read more of Iain Banks (as well as his sci-fi alter ego), I've only read The Wasp Factory to date, enjoyed that too.

March 2008
The Eye of Sibyl Other Stories by Philip K Dick	Some interesting ideas but left wanting as usual.
Just A Geek by Wil Wheaton	Interesting book, I'd like to read his other one, Dancing Barefoot.
Principles of Economics by Peter Navarro	This was a lecture series handout, it was interesting, I've added one of Navarro's books to my list.
Slant by Greg Bear	I enjoyed this book, some interesting ideas - like a network of toilets that diagnose public health concerns - although I kind of found the overall plot lacking a bit of substance. I figured out this was the sequel to Queens of Angels, haven't read that yet, will add it to my list.

February 2008
The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford and Other Stories by Philip K Dick
Half of a Yellow Sun by Douglas Adams	This was a present from my mum in Christmas 2007. I decided to read it as a change from a lot of technical stuff I've been reading recently. It was a great book, I felt completely drawn in from the very beginning - which I didn't expect from a book dealing with the Nigeria-Biafra war.

January 2008
Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich	Recommended by my mum, it was an interesting book. Really wants me to go look further at blackjack theory now.. :-p
Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski	Read this while I was boarding in France, it was a decent book. Was interesting to see his early years, though I prefered the weathered character.
The Darkness of Wallis Simpson by Rose Tremain	Novel for Dec bookgroup.
Miles and Me by Quincy Troupe	This was recommended alongside a number of other books (including The Dharma Bums and Unnberable Lightness of Being). I liked the novel. It was a little strange and I'm not quite sure what I think of Miles. However, I've gotten hold of two of his albums and plan to listen to them later.

December 2007
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Rainbow\'s End by Vinge Vernor	Interesting book. Nothing really new though. A little contrived at times.

November 2007
Harrington on Hold\'em: Volume I: Strategic Play by Dan Harrington	Decent poker book.
The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac	This was okay, was expecting something more Bukowski-like but this was mellow in comparison, I couldn't be less interested in Zen or meditation at this stage of my life.

October 2007
Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami	I enjoyed reading this book, but it annoyed me quite a bit. There were so many unanswered questions and things I'd like to have known. I'll still be reading some more of Murakami's stuff though.

September 2007
South of No North by Charles Bukowski	A few great shorts in this collection.
The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks	Fascinating book.
Little Green Book by Phil Gordon	Borrowed this from thinker. Not the best poker book I've read, the theories were fine, but I wasn't interested in reading a play-by-play account of how he'd play particular hands only for him to indicate his play would change 'depending on the table situation', obviously.

August 2007
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Forde	A recommendation from bigkev. I enjoyed the book, quite a surreal read.

July 2007
The 5th Horseman by James Patterson	Vikki's dad gave this to me a while ago. It's a bit of a trashy novel but I enjoyed it, read it very quickly as well - it's one of those Da Vinci style novels, 137 chapters..

June 2007
Time by Stephen Baxter	Read about it on Byte's booklist, sounds interesting.
Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut	This was okay.
If Chins Could Kill by Bruce Campbell	I love this guy. This was an excellent book.
Fluke by James Herbert	This is a small paperback Vikki got me for my birthday, I've been reading it when I'm in the sauna. Haven't read any James Herbert for at least seven or eight years..
Eccentrics by David Weeks	This, along with the Shakespeare tomb, is my 'bathroom book'. This was reasonably interesting. There was an interesting parallel between eccentrics in society and darwinism for the social organism.

May 2007
The Magic Goes Away by Larry Niven	This was an excellent book. I'd like to read the others in the trilogy. I almost read this in one sitting, partly in the park and then later in the pub. I was worried reading it out doors though, my copy is a present from Vik, a signed first edition. There are some interesting parallels to be drawn between mana and our current natural resources. 2007-05-04.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut	This is the meetup.com bookgroup book for June. I enjoyed the style.
The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney	This is the book for the Phoenix book group, May 2007. It was the 2006 Costa Book of the Year.. not sure who votes for that however.. It was a decent book, sometimes I felt that large parts could have been missed out completely though.
Time And Again by Jack Finney	This was a good book. I was expecting more science fiction, but still enjoyed it.

April 2007
The Divine Invasion by Philip K Dick	This was a fascinating premise.
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins	Found this again after having lost it for a while. It's inspired me to add a whole load of new books to my wish list so far. Superb book.
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby	I like this book. Read it in almost one sitting (cat nap in between) when I couldn't get to sleep whilst staying at my parents over Easter. I wasn't sure if I'd already read the book.. I've read the screenplay and watched the movie so I couldn't quite remember. I enjoyed reading it though, I like the style. I have his other novel 'How to be Good', Vikki got it for me, I'll read that soon.

March 2007
Love Eternally by Deborah Wright	This was Vikki's book that I found in the bathroom, I'm reading it on and off. Interesting idea, guy dies and becomes a ghost, has to learn what love truly is before he can 'pass on'.
Selling The Wheel by Jeff Cox	I like the way this was presented, with a story. Didn't get much from it though.

February 2007
Explorers of the New Century by Magnus Mills	This is the February sci-fi bookgroup novel, I enjoyed it.
Jennifer Government by Max Barry	This was a good book, I enjoyed it. The anti-virus virus was interesting. Was a birthday present from Vikki.
The Virgin Guide to Poker by Alex Tanner	The first in a series of books I plan to read before I go to my first live game on the 19th of this month.
Small Island by Andrea Levy	This is the Ottakar's bookgroup novel for Feb, I enjoyed it.
Stewie\'s Guide to World Domination by Steve Callaghan	This was a bit of a waste of time to be honest.
Why Don\'t Penguins Feet Freeze? by New Scientist	I enjoyed this - I plan to look out for the other compendiums of the Last Word column.

January 2007
S is for Silence by Sue Grafton	I recommended this to one of the bookgroups I'm in because we couldn't decide on anything else and this was a book I recently noticed had spent the most time (or a lot of time) in the New York Times Bestseller List this year. after: This book was okay, but I didn't realise it was part of a huge crime series, otherwise I wouldn't have recommended it. It was interesting, and made me want to know what happened, however there were a few moments that reminded me of The Three Investigators or the Secret Seven, things happened too easy or conveniently for the main character..
Post Office by Charles Bukowski	I'm glad I read Woman first. This novel didn't stir up the same feelings (and, hell, admiration) that Woman did. Though I enjoyed it.
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes	This is for January's Ottakar's bookgroup. - Just finished a few days before the group, this was an excellent book. It makes me want to read Doyle's autobiography (and more of Barnes' books).
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman	I read some great things about this trilogy as a whole (evolution creating a creature that utilizes seedpods for wheeled locomotion) looks good, enjoying this first book so far. Borrowed from my little sister. after: This was good, I'm looking forward to the next two in the trilogy.

December 2006
For a Breath I Tarry by Roger Zelazny	Excellent short story.
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien	This was a Christmas present from Vikki, she said it was one of her favourite books from school. It sounds like my favourite genre. Just finished it a few days after Vikki gave it to me, I enjoyed it. There were a couple of things that made me think, particularly, harvesting wheat, barley and other crops simply to keep the species from going extinct..
Climbing Mount Improbable by Richard Dawkins	Another good book of Dawkins'. The 'dance of the bees' and it's evolution were particularly interesting.

November 2006
Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov
So You Want to be a Wizard? by Diane Duane	I listened to the unabridged audio book of this. It was interesting to see how many similarities exist between it and the Harry Potter series. It wasn't bad, I would have preferred to have read it as the voices were quite annoying. I simply don't like Kitt's mexican accent and Fred sounded like a retired chain-smoking drag queen. Interesting ideas behind magic and wizardry though.
The Rest of the Robots by Isaac Asimov

October 2006
Put What Where?!: Over 2,000 Years of Bizarre Sex Advice by John Naish	This was recommended somewhere, Vikki bought me it as a birthday present. after: Does what it says on the tin, but this book was pointless. I shouldn't have bothered. I have no real interest in all the mistakes and fallacies previously made by non-scientists.
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About by Mil Millington	I've been subscribed to Mil's mailing list for a long while and bought this for Vikki, always meant to read it myself too. after: Enjoyed it. I didn't really click with Pel though..
Cal by Isaac Asimov
Frustration by Isaac Asimov
Left To Right by Isaac Asimov
The Instablity by Isaac Asimov
River Out of Eden by Richard Dawkins	Only the second of Dawkin's book that I've gotten around to reading (after the Blind Watchmaker). I'm going to track down The Selfish Gene and read that before getting his new book, The God Delusion. Fascinating writer.
Minority Report by Philip K Dick	Been meaning to read this for a while. Didn't realise it was so short. The book entitled Minority Report is actually a collection of his short stories. I've decided to list them here individually as I read them so I can keep track of which of his stories I've actually read. The book was okay. Meh.
Rautavaara\'s Case by Philip K Dick

September 2006
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami	This was the September 2006 bookgroup novel. I enjoyed it, very surreal. There were a few parts I'm not sure I understood. Thought it was a new novel (read it in one night, because I hadn't got around to it and the bookgroup was looming) but no, 1985.
The Perfect Store: Inside Ebay by Adam Cohen	This has been recommended in a list of 'books entrepreneurs should read', though I'd always planned to get around to reading this (along with a few other dotcom success stories). Coincidentally, I bought this on ebay.

August 2006
Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down by Stuart Payne	I enjoyed this book, it wasn't anything like I expected (I was expecting more of a story, this is actually notes of dunking biscuits, sitting down and the history of biscuits) - actually I'm not sure why it made my list - I've never heard of www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com. It was a 24th birthday present from Vikki. Got through it very quickly and learned some tea and sitting down related trivia.
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver	This is the August 2006 Ottakar's book group novel. Not bad, kept my attention.
Soul of a New Machine by Tracey Kidder	It was listed among a list somewhere of books all geeks should read. It's interesting. after: I liked this book, it's old now, written around the time I was born but still an interesting book. I feel like a learn a little about management too, mushroom management.
Ringworld by Larry Niven	Jamie recommended this, but it's a classic I've been meaning to read for ages, didn't realise it wasn't already on my wish list. Got it as a 24th birthday present from Vikki. after: Good book, the author uses the phrase ego-smashing to describe the view afforded by the ringworld to it's inhabitants at night. Fascinating idea, fascinating book.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki	One of those cult self-help books, the first of a bunch I plan to read. The book was kinda interesting although some of his advice included "Join the marines, or a religious order" to learn discipline and signing up to these pyramid style schemes to learn marketing. Hmm.. I've read he is a repetitive writer, so I read the abridged version and still thought it was repetitive.

July 2006
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka	This is the July 2006 Ottakars book group novel. Not sure what I thought of it. I think I liked it, it kept my attention either way.
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick	I liked this, interesting novel.
The Witches of Chiswick by Robert Rankin	This was a present from my dad at Christmas. The idea was interesting, but the writing was awful. Tedious nonsense, it seemed like Rankin was trying for a surreal Douglas Adams feel but I didn't think he pulled it off at all.

June 2006
All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses An Eye by Christopher Brookmyre	Emma bought me a signed copy of this last year because I love using the expression in the title. I hadn't got around to reading it yet, partly because I didn't really know what it was about. It is our bookgroup book this month. I loved it. I got to about page five and it reminded me of Jagged Alliance: female mercenary computer hacker, I thought 'cool'. It's also based on some characters from Lanarkshire and Glasgow, so I liked some of the local references.
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold	I think Vikki bought this as a present for me, she has read it already though. Looks interesting - it was mentioned in the foreword to one of my favourite books, The Time Traveller's Wife.
First Meetings in the Enderverse by Scott Orson Card	Vikki bought this for my 24th birthday. I love the Ender series so it was interesting to read the original short story and hear a bit more about Ender's parents. I couldn't get to sleep one night so read the whole thing in one sitting.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown	Where do I start with this. It's been on my list for more than two years. I'm surprised I hadn't got around to reading it yet. I enjoyed it, though I was expecting more contravesy after all I've heard about it. I'll be checking up on all the 'facts' soon.

May 2006
By His Bootstraps by Robert A Heinlein
The Algebraist by Iain M Banks
Under The Skin by Michel Faber	This was our bookgroup book this month. I liked this book.
How to Walk in High Heels by Camilla Morton	Vikki has left this in the bathroom, so I'm slowly reading it whenever I'm in there, ahem.

April 2006
21 Ways to Build a High Profit Business by Brian Tracey	Just a random choice in my effort to read a host of business books, this is common sense babble

March 2006
Player of Games by Iain M Banks	Good book, I think I've liked everything I've read of Banks' so far, will try to read more

February 2006
Alien 3 Screenplay by William Gibson	Didn't know he had even written this first rejected first draft, it was ok, far better story than the actual Alien 3 at least.
Women by Charles Bukowski	My first Bukowski book. Read this as part of the Ottakars book group. Really enjoyed it, I'm trying to get hold of some of his other novels and his poetry.

January 2006
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
The Last Question by Issac Asimov	Interesting short story, referenced in a slashdot article dealing with google and the singularity
How To Walk In High Heels by Camilla Morton
Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis	Referenced in a novel I read recently, can't remember which. Sounds good. after: I ended up reading this as the first book in the Ottakar's book group I joined, I enjoyed it.

December 2005
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K Dick
The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester	Recommended on the Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
Legend by David Gemmell	Recommended on the Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List

November 2005
Life of Pi by Yann Martel	Slashdot recommendation
Basic Rights: Information for Young People in Scotland by Bob Stead
The Dilbert Future by Scott Adams
The Time Traveler by Audrey Niffenegger	A present from Vikki, never heard of it before, but just started the first two chapters, it seems like I'll enjoy it. after: One of the best books I've ever read

October 2005
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

September 2005
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling
Girlfriend in a Coma by Douglas Coupland	23rd birthday present from Vikki

August 2005
Redrobe by Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Remix by Jon Courtenay Grimwood	Bought this on ebay after Edward recommended it (though it made its way onto my list before that)

July 2005
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Leguin	I enjoyed this. Had some interesting ideas. Time dilation, a clockwork device to keep your beer liquid in a world that was constantly frozen.. Multisexed individuals.. Fascinating.
Red Prophet by Scott Orson Card
Seventh Son by Scott Orson Card	Excellent book, looking forward to getting into this series, the main character is cool.
The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks	I enjoyed this book, very gothic, delightfully wicked, and nice twist. I'm making a point to read more of Iain Banks.

June 2005
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams	Bought this for Vikki to read before the movie comes out, thought I'd refresh my memory too
The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe by Douglas Adams	Bought this for Vikki to read before the movie comes out, thought I'd refresh my memory too
Cyborg by Martin Caidin	This is the book on which The Six Million Dollar Man was based. Should be interesting.
Super Toys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss
Robots and Empire by Issac Asimov	Bought this in Nantwich after James' wedding to read in the car on the way home. Battled through it a little, I find some of the dialogue frustrating. That is, unnecessarily aggresive and condescending.
I,Robot by Issac Asimov	Bought this in Nantwich after James' wedding to read in the car on the way home.
Linux Server Hacks by Rob Flickenger

May 2005
Hey Nostradamus by Douglas Coupland	Kimberly bought this for my Christmas, 2004
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
His 'n' Hers by Mike Gayle

April 2005
The Wizardry: Consulted by Rick Cook
The Wizardry: Compiled by Rick Cook
Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman
The Wizardry: Cursed by Rick Cook

March 2005
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Blood Music by Greg Bear	Referenced in wikipedia entry for grey goo. "The classic sci-fi novel about ecophagy."

February 2005
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson	Slashdot recommendation
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Mr. Commitment by Mike Gayle

January 2005
Without Remorse by Tom Clancy
The Straw Men by Michael Marshall Smith
Just One Look by Harlan Coben	Recommended by Emma, one of her favourite books.

December 2004
Against A Dark Background by Iain M Banks

November 2004
The Cuckoo's Egg by Clifford Stoll
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
The Island of Doctor Death by Gene Wolfe	Recommended on the Internet Top 100 SF/Fantasy List
Wizard's Bane by Rick Cook	Book 1 of the Wiz Biz series. Recommended by Jamie

October 2004
Last Chance To See by Douglas Adams
ASP.NET Database Programming by Jason Butler, Tony Caudill

September 2004
The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus

August 2004
Tik-Tok by John Sladek	Apparently a parody of Asimov's 3 Laws. Sounds fun.
Second Foundation by Issac Asimov
Foundation by Issac Asimov
Foundation and Empire by Issac Asimov

July 2004
Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu

June 2004
TAP by Greg Egan
Permutation City by Greg Egan

May 2004
Bill The Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison

April 2004
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
Shadow Puppets by Scott Orson Card	Last book in the excellent Ender series.
Ender's Shadow by Scott Orson Card
Shadow of the Hegemon by Scott Orson Card
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling	Elaine convinced me it would be a good idea to read these. I'm writing this after I've just finished the third book. The first two were okay, I went through with reading them because I like keeping up with popular literature. I did quite enjoy the thir
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

March 2004
The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams	Listened to this as an audio book. Was pretty weird, Norse gods? Hmmm..
The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison	Quite liked this, sort of a Dirk Gently in outer space.
Children of the Mind by Scott Orson Card
Thirty Something by Mike Gayle
Black Dog by Stephen F Booth	Another of Sarah's books, not bad either.

February 2004
The Surgeon by Terry Gerritsen	One of Sarah's books. Not too bad.

January 2004
Sudden Wealth by Robert Llewellyn

December 2003
Xenocide by Scott Orson Card	Excellent, really enjoying this series, must get the next one.
Ender's Game by Scott Orson Card	Excellent Book. I'm working my way though the series now.
Speaker for the Dead by Scott Orson Card
Flatland by Edwin A Abbott	Weird, but cool.
Just For Fun by Linus Torvalds	Borrowwed this from Richard at 2600, have wanted to read it for ages.
Excession by Iain M Banks	An excerpt from this book is on Martin Ling's website, got me interested. Just finished, excellent book. I'll need to look out for more Banks' novels.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

November 2003
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson	This is the book on which The Omega Man was (loosely, I hear) based. Just read it in one go, interesting idea, pretty different from The Omega Man, its got vampires in it for a start.
Spock vs Q by Cecelia Fannon
Red Dwarf: Better Than Life by Grant Naylor
Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers by Grant Naylor
Zodiac by Neal Stephenson
The Dilbert Principle by Scott Adams

October 2003
All Tomorrow's Parties by William Gibson	Third part of the bridge trilogy. Not really enjoying the trilogy as much as I have Gibson's other stuff..
Cyberpunk by Bruce Bethke
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey	Borrowed this from Avril, one of the classics I've got to read. Update: Read it, great book.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides	I'm reading this but I've a sneaking suspicion I read this sometime before I started recording what I'm reading...
Stealing The Network: How to Own The Box by	Amazon review was favourable, I like the idea of fictional stories carrying the reader to the technical ideas.

September 2003
Spares by Michael Marshall Smith
Microserfs by Douglas Coupland	I've heard so much about this book over the years, I should have read it long ago. If you're a geek you should read it, was enjoyable with some cool ideas and observations. One thing that bugged the hell out of me though: sometimes Coupland's use of lan
Idoru by William Gibson
Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson	Major7 recommended and loaned this book to me. Said it changed his life. I've read far too much psychology for this to be anything more than self-help business mangement nonsense.
My Legendary Girlfriend by Mike Gayle	Liked it, am looking for more of Mike Gayle's books after reading one I borrowed from Sarah (this one I borrowed from bigkev). Seems like light reading - I get through them very quickly, but some of the ideas are quite thought provoking. I just recommen
Plague Dogs by Richard Adams	By the guy who wrote Watership Down, good story, but I'm finding some of the author's style irritating. This might be on the 'current' list for a while, I'm only reading it when I'm in certain moods. (Done, took about a month, good book though).
A Midsummer-Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

August 2003
Red Star, Winter Orbit by William Gibson	Short story, but I'm noting it here so I don't read it again (only by about 2/3s of the way through this sitting did I realise I'd read it before and knew the ending).
Virtual Light by William Gibson
Sherlock Holmes and the case of The Empty House by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sherlock Holmes and the case of The Sussex Vampire by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Virtual Reality by Howard Rheingold	Waste of time. I read the first couple of chapters before realising the book was written in 1991, thus horribly out of date, but curses, I can't not read a whole book no matter what I think of it half way through. Goes on far too much, in a creepy way,
Dinner For Two by Mike Gayle	Good book, fun dialogue. Am going to look for more of his stuff. Borrowed from Sarah.
Sherlock Holmes and the case of The Disappearing Scientists by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro	I keep reading all these girly books belonging to Sarah and am enjoying them alot, its creeping me out a little.
Rim: A Novel of Virtual Reality by Alexander Besher
1984 by George Orwell	Read this ages ago, but felt like reading it again. Just finished, opinion doubleplusgood.

July 2003
The C++ Programming Language (3rd Ed) by Bjarne Stroustrup
Web 2027 by Stephen Baxter	Don't read this, its a bunch of recycled Neal Stephenson plots written by, what sounds like, the people responsible for Scooby Doo, probably with the assistance of Enid Blyton.
Tempest by William Shakespeare
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig	Excellent book, famous, has to be read. There is a sequel which I'll have to get hold of.
Computer Crimes & Capers by Issac Asimov	Waste of time, most ideas are preposterous.
The Difference Engine by William Gibson, Bruce Sterling	Was looking for a good cyberpunk book to escape into, this is set in the 19th century, good book, but not his usual metaverse stuff.

June 2003
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray	Popbook, had to be read.
Watership Down by Richard Adams
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Scottish Business Law by Chris Willett
Database Systems Management and Design 3rd Ed. by

May 2003
The Bonfire Of The Vanities by Tom Wolfe	Good novel.
Red Dwarf: Last Human by Doug Naylor	Fine, but if you've seen as much Red Dwarf as I have you'll know 90% of the content already.
Stupid White Men by Michael Moore

April 2003
Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan
Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing by Philip Greenspun	I borrowed this from Edward, its the big coffee table edition so I don't carry it around with me, giving me less opportunity to read it (which is why its taking so long). The author is really annoying me. He is proud of an email address he has had for 1
Paradox by John Meaney
What Women Want Men To Know by Barbara DeAngelis	Not the worst book of its type.
The History Of The Devil by Clive Barker
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
The Man Who Drew Cats by Michael Marshall Smith
To Receive Is Better by Michael Marshall Smith
Two Shot by Michael Marshall Smith
Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
More Tomorrow by Michael Marshall Smith
100 Linux Tips & Tricks by Patrick Lambert
The Dark Land by Michael Marshall Smith
Missed Connection by Michael Marshall Smith
Starship Troopers by Robert A Heinlein
The Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
Higher Mathematics by

March 2003
The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler	If I say I took nothing from this book I haven't read in a hundred related books I'd be accused of not understanding it, so I'll say nothing. It's a popbook, has to be read I suppose.
Farmer In The Sky by Robert A Heinlein	So boring, so mid-fifties, so "gee! thats swell pa!".
The Art Of Deception by Kevin Mitnick
PHP4 and MySQL Web Development by Laura Thomson	I'd recommend this for beginners.
Count Zero by William Gibson
Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson

February 2003
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Helliconia Winter by Brian Aldiss
Burning Chrome by William Gibson
Helliconia Summer by Brian Aldiss
O'Reilly's Learning Perl 3rd Edition by Randall L Schwartz

January 2003
Helliconia Spring by Brian Aldiss
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins	Excellent book, I keep recommending it. I'll need to buy a copy (I borrowed Edward's) just so I can lend it to people.
The Simolean Caper by Neal Stephenson
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson