And the winners for June are...
There is a tie for first place between Mango: The Unlucky Monkey and The Heart-shaped Box.
Therefore second place goes to Mr Murder.
Congratulations to you all - and thanks for voting!
Monday 30 July 2007
Friday 27 July 2007
NEW DN TITLES
Early in January, we published a list of the 6 titles published by the Disresponsible Nodpots during 2006.
We are delighted to report that since then, there have been two more added to the list.
In March, the DNs brought out Wilkiestop - an exciting science fiction thriller, the first joint effort by Iserie Valult.
The following month, the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated Mango: The Unlucky Monkey by Mungo was published.
Both excellent additions to the list of titles already produced by the DNs.
Hopefully there will be more to come in 2007.
By the way, HAPPY DISRESPONSIBLE NODPOT DAY everyone!
We are delighted to report that since then, there have been two more added to the list.
In March, the DNs brought out Wilkiestop - an exciting science fiction thriller, the first joint effort by Iserie Valult.
The following month, the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated Mango: The Unlucky Monkey by Mungo was published.
Both excellent additions to the list of titles already produced by the DNs.
Hopefully there will be more to come in 2007.
By the way, HAPPY DISRESPONSIBLE NODPOT DAY everyone!
Thursday 26 July 2007
BEST READ JUNE - VOTE NOW
Don't forget tomorrow is the last day for voting for BEST READ JUNE.
So if you haven't already voted, vote today!
Thanks to those who have already voted.
So if you haven't already voted, vote today!
Thanks to those who have already voted.
Wednesday 25 July 2007
DISRESPONSIBLE NODPOT DAY
Devoted readers of this blog will no doubt have noticed that although we published June targets for the Nodpots, we never checked in with them to see how they went. Neither have we yet said anything about July aims and ambitions.
The reason for this is that the DNs, for reasons unknown, always have a summer slump, and we didn't want to embarrass them.
However, this Friday is Disresponsible Nodpot Day. It's a very special one too - the 10th anniversary of the society.
We'll be publishing a full report on the day, hopefully with photos, and get totally up to date with what the DNs are up to!
The reason for this is that the DNs, for reasons unknown, always have a summer slump, and we didn't want to embarrass them.
However, this Friday is Disresponsible Nodpot Day. It's a very special one too - the 10th anniversary of the society.
We'll be publishing a full report on the day, hopefully with photos, and get totally up to date with what the DNs are up to!
Monday 23 July 2007
BEST READ JUNE
Here are the candidates for BEST READ JUNE.
You have until next Friday, July 27th (and Disresponsible Nodpot Day) to vote - so get your votes in!
Here they are:
Mango: The Unlucky Monkey
Night without End
Fear is the Key
The Dark Crusader
Married under the Italian Sun
Mr Murder
The Bone Collector
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Partner
The Boy in Striped Pyjamas
Demon Seed
When Eight Bells Toll
Marley & Me
Heart-Shaped Box
The Good Guy
The Prestige
Plenty of good books there - so get voting!
You have until next Friday, July 27th (and Disresponsible Nodpot Day) to vote - so get your votes in!
Here they are:
Mango: The Unlucky Monkey
Night without End
Fear is the Key
The Dark Crusader
Married under the Italian Sun
Mr Murder
The Bone Collector
The Clan of the Cave Bear
The Partner
The Boy in Striped Pyjamas
Demon Seed
When Eight Bells Toll
Marley & Me
Heart-Shaped Box
The Good Guy
The Prestige
Plenty of good books there - so get voting!
Friday 20 July 2007
VALPOT'S BOOK PLEDGE 46-50
Here are the latest reviews from Valpot in her efforts to read 150 books this year. (The end of June should have seen her hit the 75 mark.)
46. Mr Murder by Dean Koontz
An exciting read from this great writer about a chilling villain determined to take his place in some one else's family, and when the family prove unco-operative, he decides to eliminate them. It's got all the ingredients for a good thriller - pace, fear, apparently unstoppable baddie, likable family, interesting origin of the assassin, and Dean's polished prose to tell the tale.
Rating: Good piece of fiction
47. St Thomas Aquinas
If you want a chronological fact-based biography of this saint, don't go for Chesterton's life of St Thomas. However, if you'd like an insight into how St Thomas thought or viewed the world, there is probably no better place to go. "Experts" on St Thomas have declared Chesterton's book the greatest ever written about the saint, and it probably would take a man of Chesterton's intellect to understand the intellect of St Thomas - and certainly he seems to understand him. The book is of course pure Chesterton - and therefore always worth reading.
Rating: Read for Chesterton, not for St Thomas
48. Heart-shaped Box
A scary tale about revenge - or is it? Nasty ghosts and wonderful dogs, and characters whose first impressions are definitely wrong. Enjoyed it very much.
Rating: Good piece of fiction
49. Fly By Night
Garth Nix recommended this children's tale by Frances Hardinge so I reserved it in the library, waiting some months before I got it, and in future, I will be hesitant about his recommendations. The plot probably isn't overly complicated but the plethora of characters and names make it difficult to keep track - and frankly I didn't care enough. The heroine is unlikeable, and I was a little irritated both by the setting (a sort of 18/19th century London, with references but no explanations to things like link boys which must confuse the average child? I only heard of them in G. Heyer) and by the anti-religion bias. The people believe in, and have shrines to, a whole range of gods and goddesses, called things like Goodman Woodberry Who Preserves Jam from Flies, but a few decades earlier some priests came along and said there was one god, the heart, but for some reason went around murdering and torturing everyone...so eventually everyone went back to the many gods again. But the heroine's father (dead, but obviously representing the author's view) said the gods were all children's fairy tales. The only redeeming feature was that the right people were bad - but if they hadn't been, their actions made no sense.
Rating: Almost Darren Shan
50. The Good Guy
Dean is such a good writer, every sentence is so well crafted. Unfortunately, this book held nothing new - in fact, strongly reminiscent of several of his other thrillers - and overall I thought the plot very poor, and contrived, and the end stupid. Very disappointing.
Rating: Readable
46. Mr Murder by Dean Koontz
An exciting read from this great writer about a chilling villain determined to take his place in some one else's family, and when the family prove unco-operative, he decides to eliminate them. It's got all the ingredients for a good thriller - pace, fear, apparently unstoppable baddie, likable family, interesting origin of the assassin, and Dean's polished prose to tell the tale.
Rating: Good piece of fiction
47. St Thomas Aquinas
If you want a chronological fact-based biography of this saint, don't go for Chesterton's life of St Thomas. However, if you'd like an insight into how St Thomas thought or viewed the world, there is probably no better place to go. "Experts" on St Thomas have declared Chesterton's book the greatest ever written about the saint, and it probably would take a man of Chesterton's intellect to understand the intellect of St Thomas - and certainly he seems to understand him. The book is of course pure Chesterton - and therefore always worth reading.
Rating: Read for Chesterton, not for St Thomas
48. Heart-shaped Box
A scary tale about revenge - or is it? Nasty ghosts and wonderful dogs, and characters whose first impressions are definitely wrong. Enjoyed it very much.
Rating: Good piece of fiction
49. Fly By Night
Garth Nix recommended this children's tale by Frances Hardinge so I reserved it in the library, waiting some months before I got it, and in future, I will be hesitant about his recommendations. The plot probably isn't overly complicated but the plethora of characters and names make it difficult to keep track - and frankly I didn't care enough. The heroine is unlikeable, and I was a little irritated both by the setting (a sort of 18/19th century London, with references but no explanations to things like link boys which must confuse the average child? I only heard of them in G. Heyer) and by the anti-religion bias. The people believe in, and have shrines to, a whole range of gods and goddesses, called things like Goodman Woodberry Who Preserves Jam from Flies, but a few decades earlier some priests came along and said there was one god, the heart, but for some reason went around murdering and torturing everyone...so eventually everyone went back to the many gods again. But the heroine's father (dead, but obviously representing the author's view) said the gods were all children's fairy tales. The only redeeming feature was that the right people were bad - but if they hadn't been, their actions made no sense.
Rating: Almost Darren Shan
50. The Good Guy
Dean is such a good writer, every sentence is so well crafted. Unfortunately, this book held nothing new - in fact, strongly reminiscent of several of his other thrillers - and overall I thought the plot very poor, and contrived, and the end stupid. Very disappointing.
Rating: Readable
Tuesday 17 July 2007
INKPOT'S BOOK PLEDGE 46 to 50
Here are Inkpot's reviews on books she read recently:
46. WHAT DREAMS MAY COME by Richard Matheson.
This is the third of Matheson’s books that I have read. It tells the story of a man who dies and discovers there is an afterlife, but cannot entirely enjoy it without his wife. It is about love and life after death. It is well written and interesting, but I found the main character irritating.
5/10 Readable
47. THE COFFIN DANCER by Jeffrey Deaver
This is the second Lincoln Rhyme book by Jeffrey Deaver. There was some novelty in reading it as, unlike The Bone Collector, I hadn’t a clue what it was about. I generally don’t like straight forward thrillers, but Deaver’s blend of science, good characters, horror and fast paced action kept me hooked from the start. Definitely one I would recommend.
8/10 I like it.
48. WHO CENSORED ROGER RABBIT? by Gary Wolf
When the movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, came out in 1988 I loved it so much I saw it twice in the cinema. I have seen it loads more times since then, and it has remained a firm favourite. I even have a Roger Rabbit duvet cover. When I learned that it was based on a book, I was dying to read it. What a mistake. The book has toons, Roger, Eddie Valiant, Baby Herman and Jessica Rabbit, but that is where the similarities end. Toons are just the same as people, they grow old and die. Jessica is sleazy and Roger isn’t particularly lovable – and he gets killed. The book tries hard to be a hardboiled thriller but doesn’t quite make it. I find it hard to understand how this book got published, let alone turned into such a fantastic film.
2/10 Darren Shan wannabe
49. STIR OF ECHOES by Richard Matheson
I caught the movie of this book a few years ago on late night TV. It was enjoyable, if not memorable. When I started reading the book, I thought I knew the story, but it soon became apparent that they had changed the movie somewhat from the book, with quite obvious reason. The book is about Tom Wallace who, after being hypnotised, discovers latent paranormal abilities. Now, in the movie this is only a start, but most of the book is taken up by how this impacts Tom’s life. The book is a thoughtful and interesting look into what impact developing physic powers would have on your family life. While it didn’t reach the heights of I am Legend or The Shrinking Man, it was an enjoyable read.
7/10 Not Bad
50. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury
Best friends Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway are like night and day, but they both get more than they bargained for when a mysterious carnival comes to town. Can they avoid the freaks and learn important lessons about themselves and life at the same time? Ray Bradbury is something of a guru in science fiction and fantasy. His writing is deeply layered and often poetic. I found this book interesting but it lost me when it got too caught up in philosophical arguments. 7/10 Not Bad.
46. WHAT DREAMS MAY COME by Richard Matheson.
This is the third of Matheson’s books that I have read. It tells the story of a man who dies and discovers there is an afterlife, but cannot entirely enjoy it without his wife. It is about love and life after death. It is well written and interesting, but I found the main character irritating.
5/10 Readable
47. THE COFFIN DANCER by Jeffrey Deaver
This is the second Lincoln Rhyme book by Jeffrey Deaver. There was some novelty in reading it as, unlike The Bone Collector, I hadn’t a clue what it was about. I generally don’t like straight forward thrillers, but Deaver’s blend of science, good characters, horror and fast paced action kept me hooked from the start. Definitely one I would recommend.
8/10 I like it.
48. WHO CENSORED ROGER RABBIT? by Gary Wolf
When the movie, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, came out in 1988 I loved it so much I saw it twice in the cinema. I have seen it loads more times since then, and it has remained a firm favourite. I even have a Roger Rabbit duvet cover. When I learned that it was based on a book, I was dying to read it. What a mistake. The book has toons, Roger, Eddie Valiant, Baby Herman and Jessica Rabbit, but that is where the similarities end. Toons are just the same as people, they grow old and die. Jessica is sleazy and Roger isn’t particularly lovable – and he gets killed. The book tries hard to be a hardboiled thriller but doesn’t quite make it. I find it hard to understand how this book got published, let alone turned into such a fantastic film.
2/10 Darren Shan wannabe
49. STIR OF ECHOES by Richard Matheson
I caught the movie of this book a few years ago on late night TV. It was enjoyable, if not memorable. When I started reading the book, I thought I knew the story, but it soon became apparent that they had changed the movie somewhat from the book, with quite obvious reason. The book is about Tom Wallace who, after being hypnotised, discovers latent paranormal abilities. Now, in the movie this is only a start, but most of the book is taken up by how this impacts Tom’s life. The book is a thoughtful and interesting look into what impact developing physic powers would have on your family life. While it didn’t reach the heights of I am Legend or The Shrinking Man, it was an enjoyable read.
7/10 Not Bad
50. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury
Best friends Jim Nightshade and Will Halloway are like night and day, but they both get more than they bargained for when a mysterious carnival comes to town. Can they avoid the freaks and learn important lessons about themselves and life at the same time? Ray Bradbury is something of a guru in science fiction and fantasy. His writing is deeply layered and often poetic. I found this book interesting but it lost me when it got too caught up in philosophical arguments. 7/10 Not Bad.
Monday 16 July 2007
MAY BEST READ
Apologies to all readers - technical difficulties have prevented regular updating of this site recently. Most have now been resolved, and we will do our best to sort out the remaining issues in the near future.
In the meantime, here are the results of the May BEST READ:
Congratulations to Inkpot - 7 Days in Hell received large support, and is indeed a worthy winner.
Second place goes to Iserie Valult, with their debut novel Wilkiestop.
In the meantime, here are the results of the May BEST READ:
Congratulations to Inkpot - 7 Days in Hell received large support, and is indeed a worthy winner.
Second place goes to Iserie Valult, with their debut novel Wilkiestop.
Friday 6 July 2007
LAST DAY TO VOTE FOR MAY BEST READ
Don't forget - today is the last day for votes for BEST READ MAY - so if you haven't yet voted, hurry up and let me know who you think should win!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
