Which Bond novel are you currently reading?

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  • Recently completed Goldfinger, and looking forward to the next one being Thunderball. I started several month ago with the goal of reading all Ian Fleming Bond's chronologically. Enjoying the similarities as well as contrasts with screenplay Bond's. Not sure whether to attack the Young James Bond series or other JB novels when finished with Ian Flemings. Any suggestions?
  • edited November 2012 Posts: 160
    In the middle of Dr. No. Read the Fleming ones in order and can't wait to finish Dr. No to finally read Goldfinger for the first time and then Thunderball for the first time.
    OHMSS and YOLT rank as some of my favourites (CR being my fave and Moonraker is in there too) so I can't wait to finally get my hands on Thunderball.
    Edit: Forgot to mention FRWL! Clearly one of the best!

    @socaljon3: I have the same question :-) Don't know if I should bother with non-Fleming books. Though I probably should give it a try. However, I have no real interest in young James Bond.. or is that a mistake?
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    To those who haven't given the young bond books a try please do as your missing out on some really well crafted writing that takes bond back to his roots well worth reading .
    Whilst I'm here how about Charlie Higson to write a new bond book for IFP views welcome !
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Higson may go back to Young Bond after his zombie series is completed. We can hope.
  • YOLT came in the post today. Still reading the new Reacher book though.
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    Posts: 1,874
    socaljon3 wrote:
    Recently completed Goldfinger, and looking forward to the next one being Thunderball. I started several month ago with the goal of reading all Ian Fleming Bond's chronologically. Enjoying the similarities as well as contrasts with screenplay Bond's. Not sure whether to attack the Young James Bond series or other JB novels when finished with Ian Flemings. Any suggestions?

    For Your Eyes Only comes between Goldfinger and Thunderball - which is my next Fleming, a great collection of short stories, with the excellent From A View To A Kill to start. Don't miss out the short story collections, some great little nuggets of Bond in there!
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Thanks @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7. I wonder if Fleming ever read comics? ;-)

  • DB5DB5
    Posts: 408
    socaljon3 wrote:
    Recently completed Goldfinger, and looking forward to the next one being Thunderball. I started several month ago with the goal of reading all Ian Fleming Bond's chronologically. Enjoying the similarities as well as contrasts with screenplay Bond's. Not sure whether to attack the Young James Bond series or other JB novels when finished with Ian Flemings. Any suggestions?

    For Your Eyes Only comes between Goldfinger and Thunderball - which is my next Fleming, a great collection of short stories, with the excellent From A View To A Kill to start. Don't miss out the short story collections, some great little nuggets of Bond in there!

    Agree with Lancaster, don't neglect the nine short stories by Fleming, especially "The Living Daylights." But after finishing Fleming I would strongly recommend Kingsley Amis' "Colonel Sun." By far the best Bond continuation novel!

  • It's that time of year for OHMSS surely. I like the late 60s hardback version with Bond skiing down the slopes and fireworks going off ahead.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    I'm currently reading Moonraker. This evening I finished the Monday section of the book.
  • DB5 wrote:
    socaljon3 wrote:
    Recently completed Goldfinger, and looking forward to the next one being Thunderball. I started several month ago with the goal of reading all Ian Fleming Bond's chronologically. Enjoying the similarities as well as contrasts with screenplay Bond's. Not sure whether to attack the Young James Bond series or other JB novels when finished with Ian Flemings. Any suggestions?

    For Your Eyes Only comes between Goldfinger and Thunderball - which is my next Fleming, a great collection of short stories, with the excellent From A View To A Kill to start. Don't miss out the short story collections, some great little nuggets of Bond in there!

    Agree with Lancaster, don't neglect the nine short stories by Fleming, especially "The Living Daylights." But after finishing Fleming I would strongly recommend Kingsley Amis' "Colonel Sun." By far the best Bond continuation novel!

  • Actually I am picking up the "For Your Eyes Only" short stories between Goldfinger & Thunderball. I've got the last ss remaining " The Hildebrand Rarity". You are correct Lancaster007, the short stories are not to be overlooked by JB novel fans. Great "little nuggets" as you put it, and nice break in the rutine of working through the full novels chronologically.
  • I'm re-reading Colonel Sun at the moment. After that, I think I'm going to revisit the Gardner books.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,789
    I'm re-reading Colonel Sun at the moment. After that, I think I'm going to revisit the Gardner books.
    I just finished Christopher Wood's TSWLM (pretty good), and I'm going to start Gardner (never read his work on Bond before).
  • chrisisall wrote:
    I just finished Christopher Wood's TSWLM (pretty good), and I'm going to start Gardner (never read his work on Bond before).
    Wood's stuff is surprisingly enjoyable, I think. Gardner's early work I quite enjoyed. Licensed Renewed remains one of my favorite reads.

  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    It's that time of year for OHMSS surely. I like the late 60s hardback version with Bond skiing down the slopes and fireworks going off ahead.

    Without a doubt. I ended up taking a break in NY during the damn hurricane and reverted to reading the only book I had taken, OHMSS. I think it's still probably my favourite Fleming. I particularly like the description of Blofeld being thin with long silver hair complete with green tinted contact lenses. I really wish there had been an incarnation of this ilk in the films. I recently purchased a hardback with Richard Chopping cover, it was a third edition.
  • DB5DB5
    Posts: 408
    socaljon3 wrote:
    Actually I am picking up the "For Your Eyes Only" short stories between Goldfinger & Thunderball. I've got the last ss remaining " The Hildebrand Rarity". You are correct Lancaster007, the short stories are not to be overlooked by JB novel fans. Great "little nuggets" as you put it, and nice break in the rutine of working through the full novels chronologically.

    In addition to the five FYEO short stories there are four more in "Octopussy and The Living Daylights." All nine short stories were also published under the title "Quantum of Solace."

  • Just finished The Man from Barbarossa and now reading For Special Services. Has anyone read the Young Bond series of books by Charlie Higson ?
  • Posts: 562
    Halfway through The Man With the Golden Gun at the moment. I'm enjoying it more this go 'round since watching Skyfall...
  • Thunderball...and so far I think it's one of the best.
  • Just started reading Casino Royale for the first time.
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    Just finished The Man from Barbarossa and now reading For Special Services. Has anyone read the Young Bond series of books by Charlie Higson ?
    Mrcoggins wrote:
    To those who haven't given the young bond books a try please do as your missing out on some really well crafted writing that takes bond back to his roots well worth reading .
    Whilst I'm here how about Charlie Higson to write a new bond book for IFP views welcome !

  • DB5DB5
    Posts: 408
    Totally agree about Higson, three chapters into "By Royal Command." Very well written!
  • Agent005 wrote:
    Halfway through The Man With the Golden Gun at the moment. I'm enjoying it more this go 'round since watching Skyfall...
    I truly enjoy that book. :)

  • edited November 2012 Posts: 32
    Mrcoggins wrote:
    Just finished The Man from Barbarossa and now reading For Special Services. Has anyone read the Young Bond series of books by Charlie Higson ?
    Mrcoggins wrote:
    To those who haven't given the young bond books a try please do as your missing out on some really well crafted writing that takes bond back to his roots well worth reading .
    Whilst I'm here how about Charlie Higson to write a new bond book for IFP views welcome !
    I will have to start reading the Young Bond book series then.
  • Posts: 116
    For Special Services
  • thunderball..then OHMSS..then YOLT
  • The one that has not been published yet
  • Dr. No. I only started reading Casino Royale about 3 months ago. I go through them pretty fast.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Quantum of Solace

    I love this little gem.

    Fleming writes; "the Government had a big export programme with Cuba for taking more Cuban sugar than they wanted"

    Does anyone notice parallels with the Bolivian "oil" and the U.K, in the movie? I.e. the speech from the Foreign Minister is a great little scene which explains the stance of the British and Americans. “Right and wrong doesn't even come into it.”
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