Tizzysawr: May I recommend reading the Dark Elf Trilogy first? I first tried to read The Crystal Shard about five years ago and just couldn't get into it. Fast forward to now, reading it with the whole background on Drizzt in my mind and better knowledge of what's happening and I'm quite enjoying it :)
Started The Crystal Shard after all. I don't have the Dark Elf Trilogy yet, but I did bought The Crystal Shard half a year ago. My reasoning was, it being the first book written bij Salvatore, I start reading where he started writing. So far, I like his style of writing, it captivates me.
I quit reading 'The blood of Java' (my translation) by Paul Koetsier. Not enough coleur locale, too vague. Seems like a book by someone who attempts to write a thriller taking place in Java, with only a superficial knowledge about the country. I don't like thrillers, but bought it to get to know the atmosphere of Indonesia better. In that respect, the book failed.
Another book I quit reading: 'Atlas shrugged' by Ayn Rand. It's a horrible book, making caricature's of those who opose the neo-liberal ideology. It's an easy read, but I can't read it without all the bad side-effects of this wretched ideology constantly flashing through my head and I abhor the thesis everyone should only think of their own interest 'and all will come for the best'. Look at what ruin neo-liberalism brought us to 30 years after the book was written and treated like a bible! Climate change, economical crisis, vast gap between the rich and the poor, destruction of the environment etc. etc. Enough! Time to flee back into fantasy worlds. I have a hard time maintaing the will to live in this wretched neo-liberal hell that Holland is becoming.