The Outcast Library [Archive] - THE TOLKIEN FORUM

Kailita

05-15-2003, 07:43 PM

I read in the bathroom! :D I do lots of reading in the bathroom. :rolleyes: My brothers always have to kick me out so they can get their business done. :p

But I can't read in the car. One of the people cursed with car sickness. Yuck.

Anyways, cheers for the GOO Library Thread! Much funness! And Rhiannon is the perfect person to start this thread off, seeing as I envision her as the Queen and Supreme Ruler of all things literature.

The Hero and the Crown...the title sounds familiar, but I don't think I've ever read the book. Sounds somewhat like Crown/Court Duel by Sherwood Smith...but I'm probably just making things up. :rolleyes: I believe Rhian said in another thread that she liked books based on old fairy tales but changed to a different perspective. I do too! Those are some of my favorites! Ella Enchanted was great, and Just Ella was very good as well. I also read a retelling of Beauty and the Beast called Beauty, I believe...where Beauty has two sisters named Lionheart and Jeweltongue...

Rhiannon

05-15-2003, 08:20 PM

The Hero and the Crown...the title sounds familiar, but I don't think I've ever read the book. Sounds somewhat like Crown/Court Duel by Sherwood Smith...but I'm probably just making things up.

I wouldn't call them particularly similiar- the writing style is different, and Hero is first person. And personally, while I enjoyed Crown/Court Duel, I think Hero is ten times the better book- but I'm a McKinley fanatic.

I believe Rhian said in another thread that she liked books based on old fairy tales but changed to a different perspective. I do too! Those are some of my favorites! Ella Enchanted was great, and Just Ella was very good as well. I also read a retelling of Beauty and the Beast called Beauty, I believe...where Beauty has two sisters named Lionheart and Jeweltongue...

Nay, that's Rose Daughter, also by McKinley, and one of my most favorite books. (Beauty is by McKinley too, but a very different book).

The-Elf-Herself

05-15-2003, 10:04 PM

Yeah, I read in the bathroom, in the car, and I'd read while riding my bike if I could get away with it(which I can't, much to my chagrin). Oooooh! I just went to this incredible used book sale, when I got 18 books for under ten dollars. *sighs happily* They're all in good condition too. :D They include:

A Midsummer Night's Dream
As You Like It(my absolute FAVORITE Shakespeare play)
Macbeth
Hamlet
King Lear
-by Shakespeare

A Collection of Four Plays by Euripides(sp?)(dude, I love that name). Huzzah for Greek plays!

Congo
Jurassic Park: The Lost World
-Michael Crichton

The Genesis Wave Book 1
-John Vornholt

Star Trek: New Frontier
-Peter David

A book written by Isaac Asimov(don't feel like looking up the title)

THe other eight are wonderful too, I'm sure, but I don't feel like finding out their titles right now. Anyways, I'm just now getting through the plays, so you can understand how I might not have the most time for all those lovely fantasy novels Rhian.

Rhiannon

05-15-2003, 11:49 PM

Anyways, I'm just now getting through the plays, so you can understand how I might not have the most time for all those lovely fantasy novels Rhian.

Tch. The only one you're hurting is yourself!

I like Shakespeare (especially Macbeth- I'm going to go see my brother's girlfriend in a bunch of Shakespeare excerpts, including a scene as Lady Macbeth) I like it out loud, preferably on a stage ;)

Greek plays are good. One of my favorite (very outcasted) plays is Antigone- both the Greek tragedy by Sophocles, and the modern version by Jean Anouilh (my favorite playwright- French, unfortunately) that was written during the German occupation of France; it was our fall play last year and I was the costume mistress.

Dragon

05-16-2003, 04:54 AM

ick, call me blah, but I can't stand asimov

I love anne mccaffrey however. I've read the dragonriders of pern series, one called nameisha's ship, and all but one half a book of the acorna series..... I'm sure there's more, and I understand that the acornas were"co-written" but it matters not to me...

also, C.S. Freidman.... I read a book called "this alien shore" by him/her(not sure which, doesn't really matter) and I absolutely loved it....not for those who refuse to read thru cussing tho...

uhhh...stardust by neil gaiman (I think that's right) is almost quite possibly the best book I have ever read

elminster, not sure who its by....find it, read it, love it, awesomeness....

"prospero's children" and "dragon charmer" by jan seigel.....a little foreign to me, but wonderful in plot, and writing style

I should probably stop now and report back later.....do you guys want plots?....oh well, ask me if you do:rolleyes:

Rhiannon

05-16-2003, 05:31 AM

I dislike McCaffery- mostly from an overdose a few years ago, but while I was interested in the Pern world, the plots and characters didn't appeal to me much. And I can't help looking one shelf down from the solid 1 meter block of McCaffery books to the maybe two or three McKinley, McKillip, Marrillier, and Moon books and thinking that all that shelf space is going to the wrong writer.

I've heard a lot of good things about Neil Gaiman- I have his Coraline but haven't read it yet. I'm going to be reading American Gods sometime next year for an R'ville discussion, though. And isn't Stardust a graphic novel? If it's the one I'm thinking of I've been told it's really beautiful and I would love it.

I've only heard of one or two others off your list, so I know very little about them, I'm afraid.

YayGollum

05-16-2003, 09:36 AM

Ack! Argh! Stop that! Read my post, then toss summaries of the stories in here! Crazy people! Why would anyone care if they just saw the uninteresting titles or authors? Unless they already know what you're talking about.

Annushka

05-16-2003, 10:58 AM

I`m totally confused:( :confused: :eek: I have absolutely NO idea of all the books you talk about. Well except for Shakespeare, Sophocle and Asimov. That`s horrible. Which is worse I don`t where I can find them.

Anyway, I`ll tell you what I`m reading now. Haruki Murakami - The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. He`s Japanese and the novel is great. So far:D When I figure out what it`s about I`ll tell the plot.

The last thing I`ve read is <Veronica decides to die> by Paulo Coelho. That was an amasing book. About a young woman who commits suicide but survives it and is put in a mental clinic. And she finds out that her heart was damaged so in just one week she`ll die. She meets people who aren`t sick at all. They just ran away from different things. And the life in the clinic is much safer for them. They don`t have to pretend to be somebody else. They are absolutely free, can do everything they want cause they are already called insane. Anyway telling the story-line is pointless in this case cause it`s not important at all. If someone has read it I`ll be happy:) If not, read it. It`s not sentimental, pathetic or something.

The-Elf-Herself

05-16-2003, 04:44 PM

Aw, ruin all my fun why don't ya Yay? Hunh! I didn't want to toss into unwanted summaries, I figured that if people wanted to know they could just, maybe ask? It was an insane idea, but it just might have worked.:rolleyes: Especially considering all the books I have that are Outcastish. I dunno.

Yeah, Antigone is awesome! Except I had to wonder at her, she didn't have any self-preservation skils. I mean, sure it made a bold statement, but she didn't have to cme right out and claim what she did. Sneaking around would have gotten the job done much more effectively.

Okay, one of my favorite books of all time is Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. The usual little girl with a huge imagination has these crazy things happen to her that are maybe dreams, one by going down a rabbit hole and and the other by walking through a looking-glass. They're absolutely insane and have the craziest happenings and ideas, that's what makes them so much fun. I dislike all the movies made based on the books however, they never can manage to capture the craziness.

Favorite bits: the mock-turtle, the nutty store that turns into a stream and them back into a store, and using flamingoes as croquet mallets. Oh and how she has to walk away from the hill to get to it.

Rhiannon

05-16-2003, 05:48 PM

Yeah, Antigone is awesome! Except I had to wonder at her, she didn't have any self-preservation skils. I mean, sure it made a bold statement, but she didn't have to cme right out and claim what she did. Sneaking around would have gotten the job done much more effectively.

Have you read the Anouilh? The Chorus has some wonderful monologues, about the inevitability of tragedy. Antigone wasn't out for self-preservation; she had to be caught to that she could say what she would never have been able to say otherwise. Short play, easy to read, go seek it out! If you can't find it, PM me and I'll send you the monologue. You just can't go through life without having read it.

And Alice is great fun. Have you read The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde? It's an alternate universe Britain, completely crazy, and literature-obsessed- a riot, especially for biblio/anglophiles like me. And there are dodos.

Kailita

05-16-2003, 07:43 PM

Okies, I knew I was messing stuff up back there, thanks for setting me straight, Rhian. :rolleyes:

Macbeth is great. I was a witch in one performance of it, then we read it aloud in my english class last year and I got to be Lady Macbeth. That was fun. ;) "Out, damn spot!"

Shakespeare's pretty cool, but I'm a little burnt out with him at the moment, because we just finished reading Romeo and Juliet in my english class. Ugh. Some of it is great...cheers for Mercutio!...but I can't help but bristle at the whole love-at-first-sight deal and the way the two of them swoon over each other. One of the movies that does a modern remake of it (can't remember the producer, but it had Leonardo deCaprio and Claire Dainns (don't know about either of those spellings) in it...) really caught my interest though. I'm not a huge fan of any of the actors, and the beginning of it was just complete quirkiness, but the end...the end would just break the most cynical of hearts. (Well...maybe not Jam's...:rolleyes: ) Anyway, that was a movie, not a book, so I'll shut up before Yay yells at me. :rolleyes:

However, I will take one of Yay's suggestions here and ask if someone could please outline the story of Antigone for me? I've heard of it before...my english teacher mentioned it briefly in class yesterday...but I don't really know any of it that well. We've moved on to The Odyssey now...ugh. They battle, they offend the gods, they get trapped in the ocean for about a decade, they flirt around with minor goddesses...completely devoid of any character development or plot depth as far as I can see.

Rhiannon

05-16-2003, 09:12 PM

Antigone is a Greek myth, and is extremely complicated; let my know if I'm not being coherent.

In order for the story of Antigone to make sense, you need to know a little bit of backstory: the king (I've forgotten his name) was told by an oracle that his son would kill him and marry his wife, Jocasta (yo-cost-uh), so he gave the baby to some shepherds with orders to kill it by leaving it exposed on a mountain. Of course the baby was found and taken to the king of the neighboring country, who raised it as his own and named him Oedipus (ed-uh-****). When Oedipus was a young man he learned (from another oracle) of the curse on him, and not knowing he was adopted left home, because he loved his 'father'. On the road the young prince encounters the old king, and, not knowing they are father and son, get in to an argument about who should stand aside for who, and Oedipus kills him, frees the country from a sphinx that has been attacking the city, and they make him king, and he marries Queen Jocasta, not knowing that she's his mother.

Oedipus and Jocasta have four children- two sons, Polynieces (poly-knee-sees) and Eteocles (eht-uh-clees), and two daughters, Antigone (ann-tig-uhn-ee) and Ismene (is-may-knee). Then Oedipus discovered his crime, put out his eyes, and left his country to wander the earth, taking Antigone with him as his guide, and eventually died. Polynieces and Eteocles agreed to share the rulership of their father's country- one ruling for one year, and then the next. But when Eteocles' year was up, he refused to give up the throne to Polynieces; Polynieces went to six of the neighboring kingdoms, promising to give them some of his kingdom if they helped him destroy his brother. The seven gates of Thebes were attacked, but the kings were thrown back, and Polynieces and Eteocles died on each other's swords.

That is where the story of Antigone begins.

Oedipus' brother, Creon (kree-on) became king, and declared that Eteocles should be buried with full military honors, but that Polynieces should be left to rot in the field, and if anyone raised a hand to cover him, they would be put to death (the Greeks believed that if the body was not tended, the soul would wander the earth forever). But during the night someone covered the body with a thin layer of dirt, but the guards woke up before the task could be finished; the next night the person returned and the guards caught her- of course, it was Antigone. Despite the fact that she was his niece, and engaged to be married to his son Haemon (hay-mun), Creon still ordered that she should be put to death- closed up alive in a tomb and left, so that her blood should not be on his hands. Haemon pleaded with Creon, but he would not bend; at last Teirisis, the blind prophet, came down from the mountain to tell Creon that he should free Antigone and bury Polynieces (in the Anouilh version, the Chorus convinces him); so Creon goes to bury Polynieces, and then to free Antigone, but as they neared the tomb they heard Haemon's voice crying out from inside- Creon told them to open the tomb, quickly, but it was too late. Antigone had hung herself with her scarf, and Haemon, who had shut himself in the tomb with her, was grieving- Creon tried to speak to him, but Haemon drew his sword and tried to kill him. When he missed he turned the sword on himself and died.

A messenger was sent back to the city, and when the queen Eurydice (yur-rid-uh-see) was told that her son was dead, she went in to her chamber and slit her throat. Creon is left alone as king.

The-Elf-Herself

05-17-2003, 01:20 AM

Oooh, that book sounds interesting Rhian, I'll have to check it out.

Oh, when you stopped being burned out on Shakespeare Kai you should read As You Like It andTwelfth Night or What You Will. Two of the Bard's best comedies, both insanely complicated but fun.

Yeah, it's hard to break Jam's heart.:D :rolleyes: Only one movie has made me cry consistently. Disney's remake of Mighty Joe Young. I usually hate Disney, but this movie is so sad, poor gorilla. It's terrible. *sniff*

Dragon

05-17-2003, 01:23 AM

rhi.....summmm-ahhhhreee???? that was more like a nondescript retelling of the whole thing:rolleyes: oh wells

I dislike McCaffery- mostly from an overdose a few years ago, but while I was interested in the Pern world, the plots and characters didn't appeal to me much. And I can't help looking one shelf down from the solid 1 meter block of McCaffery books to the maybe two or three McKinley, McKillip, Marrillier, and Moon books and thinking that all that shelf space is going to the wrong writer.

well, different books r 4 different people I guess, which means more McKinley, McKillip, Marrillier, and Moon 4 u, and more McCaffrey 4 me:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: but yes....verymuchness of shelf space 4 McCaffrey

*humors yay*
I dont know if all the stardust books are like this, but the one my dad has is a ...uh....I guess you could call it a picture book....but it seems much too sophisticated 4 that...

in a small town, there is a teenage boy that wants to marry " the prettiest, smartest yadda yadda girl," so he takes her out one night and asks her to marry him...well, she thinks about it 4 a little while, and then they see a falling star...she says "if you go and bring me back that falling star, than I will marry you" knowing of course that he would never come back....well, he found the star, which was actually a young woman....she had a sprained ankle, or some sort of leg injury of the sort, and was extremely stubbornbut eventually, he somehow got her to come back w/ him, and by then, lots of odd things start happening, and they meet new people and whatnot

it has been a long time since I read it last, so I dont remember the rest fo the story from there, but the illustrations are tres, tres pretty, and the writing is nothing short of luscious

as 4 prospero's children.... I'll type what's on the back...

"It began ages past in fabled atlantis, when a mad, power-hungry queen forged a key to a door never meant to be opened by mortal man---its inception would hasten her own death and the extinction of her vainglorious race.For millenia the key lay forgotten beneath the waves, lost amid the ruins of what had been the most beautiful city on earth. But however jealously the sea hoards its secrets, sooner or later it yeilds them up. Now, in present-day Yorkshire, that time has come. And for young Fernanda Capel, life will never be the same again..."

like I said, a little foreign to me with the language/slang, being in yorkshire, and all, but understandable enough:rolleyes: ....how it starts out is, somehow, Fern's dad inherits a house because he is the last living relative of someone.... even though he is definately not closely related....well, that someone that the house belonged to happened to be the last known owner of "the" key...there is a struggle between good and evil, or so they would call themselves, and naturally, Fern is caught in the middle, closely followed by her younger brother, will....almost classic plot, but still interesingly laid out with a genious ending and a scarily captivating writing style

to tell you the truth, it was the sequel, "dragon charmer" which caught my eye, so I spent about 3 months searching for the first one, and both of them are good :rolleyes:

Kailita

05-17-2003, 01:44 AM

Originally posted by D
rhi.....summmm-ahhhhreee???? that was more like a nondescript retelling of the whole thing
No no no, that was exactly what I wanted to hear. :) Thanks for going through all that trouble of retelling it, Rhi. Even though it sounds horribly depressing. Didn't Antigone go down to Tartarus after she died, instead of remaining in Hades? I think I vaguely remember my teacher saying something about that. Those crazy Greeks...:rolleyes:

Mighty Joe Young, Jam? Heh, I saw that movie. It was pretty good. Almost made me cry when I thought he was dead, but I fought it. I try really hard not to cry during Disney movies, because then I feel really pathetic. :rolleyes:

Dare I ask for another summary? Heh...Jamish? I've heard of As You Like It...but I have no idea of what the story is. Could you help me out a bit, please...?

Let's see...books. Hmm. Well, one of the series that HobbitGirl and I were enthralled with for a while was Pullman's trilogy, "His Dark Materials". Very deep...a little over my head in some parts (then again, I was in 7th grade when I read it)...but a lot of fun. And the idea of dæmons is really cool...to think if you had an animal to share your soul with, what would it be...?

Dragon

05-17-2003, 01:47 AM

hmmm..... what does the funnny little ae thingy mean? is there a sound or something?

Kailita

05-17-2003, 01:53 AM

(Whoa, D, that was fast...:rolleyes: )

I'm not completely sure how the æ is pronounced...I've always pronounced like the hard a sound...(ie. maid, take...)

The-Elf-Herself

05-17-2003, 01:58 AM

Yeah, I know, I feel really dumb for crying, but I can't help it, so I try not to watch the movie.

Oh sure, here's a summary or the wonderful play known as As You Like It. I went the easy route and found a nifty summary online. Is rather specific, so if you want to enjoy the play in all it's newness and surprises, don't go here.

http://www.about-shakespeare.com/as_you_like_it.php

Kailita

05-17-2003, 02:13 AM

Ahh, thankies Jam. :D I thought that play sounded familiar. I did know the plot line after all, just couldn't remember it. :rolleyes: But the summary jolted my memory. Is that the play that has the speech of "Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind"? I loved that speech...poem...whatever it is. We had to memorize it in 8th grade. Very cynical...somewhat bitter...but cutting and deep. If Jam doesn't know it, I should post it for her...:rolleyes:

The-Elf-Herself

05-17-2003, 03:24 AM

Ah yes, sung by Amiens:

Blow, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh-ho, sing heigh-ho, unto the green holly.
Most friendship is faining, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh-ho the holly.
This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky
That dost no bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend rememb'red not.
Heigh-ho, sing, &c.

One of the many lovely ditties in this play. I like how Touchstone parodies Orlando's horribly written love poetry to Rosalind.:D This is one play where I like pretty much every single character, my favorites being Rosalind, Jaques, and Touchstone. Rosalind is the most interesting of Shakespeare's romantic heroines, so manipulative and witty and strong, yet also human; I only hope that we do this play next year in drama, I'd love to audition for her. Jaques is just great, he sort of reminds me of Eyore, but more sarcastic. Touchstone is the funniest, most cynical of all of Shakespeare's clowns. Even the "true and faithful love interest" Orlando isn't some simpering idiot(well, he couldn't be, since Rosalind ends up falling in love with him), but hold his own in sparring, both physical and verbal.

Gee, can ya tell I absolutely LOVE this play?:rolleyes: ;) :D

Rhiannon

05-17-2003, 04:34 AM

No no no, that was exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks for going through all that trouble of retelling it, Rhi. Even though it sounds horribly depressing. Didn't Antigone go down to Tartarus after she died, instead of remaining in Hades? I think I vaguely remember my teacher saying something about that. Those crazy Greeks...

You're welcome, Kaia (sorry, D. For it to make any sense you really have to hear the whole thing). I don't know anything about Tartarus vs. Hades- I've never heard anything about it. Both the Sophocles and the Anouilh plays are wonderful, especially read close together. And the performances we did of the Anouilh play were marvelous- we had a wonderful drama teacher, I loved her. My costumes were, of course, marvelous, and we had a lovely minimalist set.

My other favorite play is also by Jean Anouilh- Becket or The Honor of God. I don't have my copy so I can't write a good summary now, but it's about Thomas Becket, and the characters are fascinating, complex- it's a fantastic play. I'm dying to see it performed. I love theatre!

Let's see...books. Hmm. Well, one of the series that HobbitGirl and I were enthralled with for a while was Pullman's trilogy, "His Dark Materials". Very deep...a little over my head in some parts (then again, I was in 7th grade when I read it)...but a lot of fun. And the idea of dæmons is really cool...to think if you had an animal to share your soul with, what would it be...?

I loved the first book of His Dark Materials, enjoyed the second, but the third I really wanted to like, but I just felt attacked- Pullman has extremely negative views about religion, and maybe I had just read too many of his comments (he hates CS Lewis) before I read the last book, but I couldn't enjoy it because of that.

YayGollum

05-17-2003, 07:01 AM

Huh. Besides the Greek stuff, I finally ran into something I know about! That Stardust thing. I read it just because it was on some list of bookses that we'd get prizes for reading at school. I love that list. I read two books a day (since they were all made for high school types) and was the first to read all of them all four years. *basks in his imaginary glory* Anyways, that book was not that bad. Crazy characters. Scary magic.

Kailita

05-17-2003, 08:56 AM

Originally posted by Rhiannon
I loved the first book of His Dark Materials, enjoyed the second, but the third I really wanted to like, but I just felt attacked- Pullman has extremely negative views about religion, and maybe I had just read too many of his comments (he hates CS Lewis) before I read the last book, but I couldn't enjoy it because of that.
Ditto. Read the first one, loved it. Read the second one (which I actually saw before the first one...it looked cool, which was why I sought the first one out in the first place), liked it a lot, too. Read the third one...stopped somewhere between the halfway point and the end. (Got HobbitGirl to fill me in about what happened later.) Ugh. It was such a shame, too, because the writing style is great and the suspense was really building, and I loved the characters. But the sharp jabs against Christianity were just too strong, and the whole view of religion and God and the angels was very warped. Still, aside from those issues of content matter, it was good as a book, as far as plot/character development goes.

Since we've touched upon the subject of CS Lewis...has anyone else here read the Narnia books?

YayGollum

05-18-2003, 03:35 AM

I've read those. Too many times. Let me see here. I thinks it's --->

The Magician's Nephew ---> About some boy and some girl who get to some creepy other world where they wake up some evil witch who does all kinds of evil things back here, then in some other crazy world that's just being created. Cool characters ---> The magician. The uncle of the boy. A superly cool and weaselly dude. The cab guy and his horse aren't that bad, either.

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe ---> About two boys and two girls that get to that creepy other world way later and have to deal with some other witch who's taken advantage of the god leaving and takes over. Cool characters ---> This one Dwarf that hangs out with the witch, some giant.

The Horse And His Boy ---> About a horse and his boy, of course. It happens during that last story, but is way cooler. This is the only one that's actually about characters born in that other crazy world. It's mostly about a bunch of humans doing a bunch of evil things. I just like it for the cool characters. ---> The horse and his boy, but mostly the horse.

Prince Caspian ---> My least favorite. About those four kids in that creepy other world again when some boring prince dude needs some help with his evil uncle. Cool characters ---> Some giant mouse, some other Dwarf.

The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader ---> About some girl and two boys that show up at the other creepy world to help out the now grown up Prince Caspian out with some boring quest to find seven really lost people. Lots of craziness in there. Cool characters ---> The boy that gets to be a dragon, the giant mouse again, that one captain dude.

The Silver Chair ---> About some boy and some girl that show up at the creepy other world just to find one really lost guy that's been brainwashed by yet another witch. This might be my favorite. Cool characters ---> The giant owls, this one frog looking dude, and that Dwarf from Prince Caspian again.

The Last Battle ---> A very messed up book that's mostly about the end of the ceepy other world and lets everybody but one of the people that's been there before come back. Very weird. Lots of insane characters in this one. I wouldn't recommend it.

The-Elf-Herself

05-18-2003, 08:10 PM

I agree, the Last Battle was a really depressing book. My favorite was the Horse and His Boy, the horse is great and that other kingdom that the boy becomes a king of sounds much cooler than Narnia. I wish they had more information on it. Hmmm, you liked the Silver Chair, eh Yay? *Sees remarkable parallels between Yay and Puddleglum* Interesting... Who here doesn't like the little BBC movies made off the Chronicles of Narnia? Horrible things. *grumbles something about ruining Reepicheep, having him be a dumb human in mouse costume* Yuck!

Kailita

05-18-2003, 09:16 PM

I've always loved the Narnia books. I've grown up reading them...would probably recommend them for the 10-13 age group. I think I've read them all except The Horse and His Boy. The Silver Chair is a great one...probably one of my favorites...either that or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Reepicheep is great, I love him. And Puddleglum, too. Ick for stupid BBC movies. :o

How is The Last Battle depressing? It's all about Aslan leading his people into a glorious new land...

The-Elf-Herself

05-18-2003, 10:20 PM

:eek: Kai, you have to read The Horse and His Boy. It's great!

I thought it was depressing because it was the end and Narnia was destroyed and everyone who was there was in actuality dead in this world. It was pure craziness, reminded me of some of my weirder dreams. Oooops, I might have just ruined it for anyone who hasn't read the book, oh well.

Kailita

05-19-2003, 07:42 PM

The Narnia books are allegories of different aspects of the Christian life, principles, and beliefs. The Last Battle was symbolic of the end of the world and God taking His people to a new and better place. Not so depressing when you look at it in the right light. :)

The-Elf-Herself

05-19-2003, 07:54 PM

Nope, sorry, it's still a bummer of a way to end off a series. I'm not thinking of it in allegorical terms, I'm thinking of it in stark book terms. Having all of them die and then whoosh! Off to this crazy new place is not the best way to stop telling the story. This is my take on it, using a strictly literary perspective. Besides, they didn't even give you any more, it just stopped. I don't care if it's allegory, that's dirt. Oh well, maybe that's just me. I'm feeling contrary today and when that happens I like to argue opposite what anyone's saying, even if I agree with them. :D Sorry Kai. ;)

Kailita

05-19-2003, 07:57 PM

Heh...Jam = Mary the Contrary. Whatever floats your boat, Jamish. :rolleyes:

The-Elf-Herself

05-19-2003, 08:13 PM

Hey, I like that! :D All the greatest thinkers could be called contrary. Huzzah!

Anyways, one book I'd recommend to girl Outcasts is A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L'Engle. It's sort of in a series of books, but you can safely pop in and read the last two without needing enormous amounts of information and background. Wonderful book, resonates very deeply with me, very real characters. Go here:

Summary (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0440972329/reviews/002-2398330-5296026#04409723294000)

Lossengondiel

05-20-2003, 12:35 AM

My favorite books/series would be...

"The Copper Crown" and "The Throne of Scone" by Patricca Kennealy

"Harry Potter"

"The Lord of the Rings"

and any other various fantasy/science fiction

Oh yeah! I love "The Secret Garden"!

Rhiannon

05-20-2003, 06:50 AM

I was raised on Narnia (in this house it comes after George MacDonald's The Lost Princess and before The Lord of the Rings), and on the BBC movies, which I love (I also love the Rankin-Bass 'Return of the King', I'm not defending my taste here).

I was surprised the first time I encountered someone who hated the Narnia books because they felt like they were being beaten over the head with Christianity. It didn't even occur to me that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe had anything to do with Christianity until I was ten and an adult pointed it out. I'm dense that way. Symbolism tends to zing over my head. I'm out to hear a good story, and that's how I read. I enjoy learning about symbolism and things in class, and things it's really interesting, but I never find them on my own.

I didn't read as many books on my trip as I was hoping too- I only finished Watership Down, A Wizard of Earthsea, I Know This Much Is True (although that was the white whale of this year's reading list- 900 pages, and I read it in two days. I'm still reeling), and The Squire's Tale (which was great fun), and I started Rebecca but didn't get far before I started to feel sick- it was very very hot on the way back through Texas. 111 degrees at one point. Ack. But I will come and go on at length about those later, when I am coherent.

Dragon

05-20-2003, 10:43 PM

ACK! you didn't tell me you were going thru Texas!!!

oh wells:(

the wizard of earthsea=very goodness, did you read the rest of them? um, I think they're called The tombs of Atuan (the boringest) Tehanu.....and....something else... I'll check when I get home, but anyways, there's 4 of them...

the tombs of atuan has some wacky mind effect to it, you're reading, and it seems really REALLY slow for almost the whole book, then its fast 4 2 seconds, then its over....I guess it tricks you into thinking taht you're reading slower than you are, so whern you hit the end, you still think that there's way more left than there really is:rolleyes:

but anyways, its about .....well...a wizard in earthsea:rolleyes: his life, how he's the most powerfulest ever...or at least of the age..... the3 next books have him in them, but only one of them has him as the main character.... I think his name was Ged...:confused:

Rhiannon

05-21-2003, 03:17 AM

ACK! you didn't tell me you were going thru Texas!!!

Aw! Well, I'll be through again some day.

the wizard of earthsea=very goodness, did you read the rest of them?

No- I bought Le Guin's most recent, The Other Wind, because I recognized the name and it was on sale, but of course couldn't read it without having read any of the others, so I went and got A Wizard of Earthsea. I'm eager to read The Tombs of Atuan, but I haven't got a copy yet.

Anyway, books I read on my trip;

Watership Down by Richard Adams
I watched the animated movie of Watership Down as a child, and it terrified me. Truly traumatizing. So for several years I refused to read the book, even though my dad and brother and friends all told me I would love it. Finally when I was twelve I picked it up and gave it a try, but the first 80 pages were dull. I decided I didn't care about the rabbits and put it down. But it was voted for this months reading selection at the Readerville YARG, so I agreed to read it. And it was wonderful. The first 100 pages are dull, but things pick up after that as the rabbits develop as characters- and they don't do 'un-rabbity' things, either. The rabbit culture is very interesting as well, and I loved when the rabbits told stories, as well as the lupine language.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
This is another book that was fairly slow to start, and which I had made a false start on several months ago- I bought it, read 20 pages, was distracted by another book, and never picked it up again. I think what threw me is that because it is short (about 200 pages) I was expecting an easy read, but it's not- the writing is very dense and needs to be taken slowly, though it's very beautiful. It also didn't follow a specific, regulated sort of plot- that is, the whole thing wasn't building towards one climax. It focused more on the development of Ged, the main character, and how he gets from how he is as a boy, in the beginning, to the man he is at the end.

I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb
Yet another book that I started and didn't get in to, only this time it was due to sheer size- I checked out the hardback from the library, read fifteen pages, and couldn't get any farther. Later at a library sale (loooove library sales) I bought the trade paperback, and over two days at the end of the trip I absorbed all 900 pages of it. The writing is easy to read and follow, and has a strong voice to it- written in the first person- and the story covers several different things that are converging on the main character, Dominick; the book begins when his schizophrenic identical-twin brother cuts off his hand in a public library to protest the Persian Gulf War. The interconnected plot lines- Dom's feelings for his ex-wife, his girlfriend, his brother, step-father, and mother; his deceased grandfather's story; his brother's illness- are a little much to absorb and handle (especially in two days), but are not confusing- at first I thought the novel could definintly have done with some paring-down, but on reflection I think there is very little that could have been cut without losing some of the intensity of the book.

Dragon

05-21-2003, 03:50 AM

you know what? I think people go thru phases in their reading styles (reading ? types of writing styles) I mean, now, I proabably couldn't stand the wizard fo earthsea, but its weird that I still look at it as an awesome book....

neways, I figured out what the other earthsea book was; The farthest shore

traumatizing=not good, slow realization=a little better,

YayGollum

05-21-2003, 09:53 AM

Those other two things you talked about don't sound very fun. The Watership Down thing is. Yay for the seagull! Also, the cool little bits of rabbit mythology! Very cool! That psychic rabbit was creepy, though. I saw the movie. Pretty true to the book. Too bad it didn't have more of the rabbit mythology in it. oh well.

Rhiannon

05-21-2003, 07:47 PM

It was pretty true to the book, and it wasn't a bad movie, just very very very very scary to a six year old. Ack.

The-Elf-Herself

05-21-2003, 08:21 PM

Grrr! I can't find one stinkin' Robin Mckinley book in my local store and they only have two books by Donna Jo Napoli. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they don't carry the Enchanted Forest either and this is a stinkin' Barnes and Noble, fercryinoutloud!

Rhiannon

05-21-2003, 08:43 PM

OOOooooh! EVIL! I suggest you make an unholy fuss, they're just asking for it! *grrrr* You'd think they would at least have The Hero and the Crown. It did win the Newberry medal. Where did you look? McKinley has a lot of cross-appeal, so sometimes they have trouble shelving her- if there aren't any in the Fantasy/SF section, then they should be in the Teen or the YA or the Juvenile or whatever they call it, which they usually stick off in or next to the Children's section. Which Napoli's did you find?

Dragon

05-21-2003, 10:43 PM

speaking of rabbit mythology, has anyone read Perloo The Bold?

its about a lot of rabbit-like things and dog-lik-things in polotics and war and stuff, and its all revolving around this one rabbit thing (perloo) that doesn't want to be involved at all

I think its a childrens book, but it's still good:rolleyes: :D

The-Elf-Herself

05-22-2003, 03:47 AM

Some retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk and one of Beauty and the Beast. Not the ones I was looking for, I was thinking something more Zelish, I loved that book. *vows to return and make a huge fuss at the help desk*

Rhiannon

05-22-2003, 04:32 AM

I haven't read the Jack one, but Beast was good, though I liked Zel better.

Kailita

05-23-2003, 03:12 AM

Zel? Zel...? *Is captivated by the title and the receptive attitudes of Jam and Rhi towards the book...* Is this one that I should read? I've never even heard of it.

Rhiannon

05-23-2003, 05:00 AM

Yes, you should read Zel- my favorite of the Donna Jo Napoli books I've read (the others are Beast and Sirena- liked them both, but not as much). It's a remarkable re-telling of Repunzel.

The-Elf-Herself

05-24-2003, 12:00 AM

Oh yes, Zel is beautiful.

Okay, I went back to the bookstore today. Marched right up to the Help Desk and asked for Robin Mckinley books. Huzzah! I found them! Lovely stuff. Unfortunately, their selective of Donna Jo Napoli remains a desert. Ah well. I ended up buying three Discworld books and Beauty.

*Grins insanely and hops around in a new-book frenzy*

Rhiannon

05-25-2003, 08:01 PM

Beauty is one of the most wonderful books ever. I'm rejoicing because my little sister is finally reading it. Hurrah! And now, the books I bought over the weekend (hb = hard back, tp = trade paper, mm = mass market):

Antigone by Jean Anouilh (script) - I'm going to type up some excerpts from this, if no one objects.

Sophocles I - Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone by Sophocles (mm)

John Donne - Selected Poems (Thrift tp) - Love that Donne.

The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter (tp) - I have it already- excellent, dark, scary, gothic, atmospheric fairy tale retellings- but I got another copy to lend out.

Parsifal's Page by Gerald Morris (hb) - very humorous King Arthur retellings- I've only read his The Squire's Tale and The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf, but I loved them both.

Shadow of a Hero by Peter Dickinson (hb) - an excellent book- hard to summarize, though. Dickinson created a fictional European country, complete with history and language; you kind of need to read it to understand the concept, and I can't quote the cover because I left it at Rai's for her to read.

The Blue Hawk by Peter Dickinson (mm) - It's by Peter Dickinson. At the moment that's the extent of my knowledge.

The Boggart and The Boggart and the Monster by Susan Cooper (tp) - I read The Boggart a few years ago, just after it first came out, and loved it (of course I did, it's by Susan Cooper). Roughly, an American family accidentally brings a boggart- a primarily Scottish spirit that belongs to a place or family, if I have my definitions right- back to America with them and it wrecks havoc. I haven't read its sequal, The Boggart and the Monster, yet.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (mm)

Beasts by John Crowley (mm)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman (mm), which I split with Rai (the cost, not the book)

I also found The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, but since Rai had been looking specifically for it and I only found it by happy chance, I let her have it on the understanding that I will be borrowing it. A lot. And I found Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede, hb, Trina Schart Hyman dustcover, and Snow White & Rose Red: A Modern Fairy Tale by Regina Doman, but as the money was running low Rachel fronted the cost for both of them, but says they may live on my shelves.

The-Elf-Herself

06-02-2003, 03:41 AM

Oh, huzzah for Wordsworth! "The inward eye which is the bliss of solitude". *sighs* Hmmm, how do these other fairy tales stack up Rhian?

Rhiannon

06-02-2003, 03:46 AM

You would dislike the Angela Carter- very dark, grim, etc. Snow White and Rose Red was predictable but very enjoyable, because the characters were v. similar to my sister and I ;)

Dragon

06-18-2003, 04:42 AM

argh! I just finished the....6th (???) Acorna book, and I'm mad b/c she almost completely closed off the story, there's almost no way she can add to that.... they were really good books, too:( :( :(

now I'm reading neverwhere, by neil gaiman, its about this dude that becomes totally....unknown to the known world, and has to go live in the sewers n stuff w/ all sorts of wacky magical people that talk to rats, and runs around w/ a girl that can open any door and make it go to anywhere she want's, even rooms w/o doors, and......its cool:cool: awesome writer, neil gaiman(sp?):D :) :cool:

Rhiannon

06-18-2003, 08:30 PM

Ooh, Neil Gaiman, he's v. cool.

The-Elf-Herself

06-18-2003, 09:47 PM

Are the Acorna books good? They look interesting. That other book sounds really sweet.

Dragon

06-19-2003, 03:02 AM

yes, the acorna books are really good... it says they are by anne mccaffrey and elizabeth/margaret (depends on which book...:confused: ) but I dont think she wrote them at all, I think they're just using anne's name 4 publicity...:rolleyes:

the one by neil gaiman is sweet, its a really short, small book, but, 4 some reason I haven't finished it yet...:confused:

Rhiannon

06-19-2003, 03:32 AM

I burned out on Anne McCaffery pretty quickly when I was a pre-teen- It's her writing style. I'm very in to writing styles, it effects how I like the book very much. I like descriptive, lyrical writing, and vivid characters vs. a complicated plot and world (not that I don't love complicated plots and cool worlds- but I want descriptive writing and vivid characters with it). If I book has good writing and interesting characters, I can still love it even if the plot isn't really exciting/complicated or the world isn't big/complicated. But if a book has an interesting plot and/or a cool world, but the characters fall flat for me and I think the writing's dry, then I'm disappointed and it does nothing for me.

LOTR is an example of the best of both. So's The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. A lot of my other favorite books, though, fall under the beautiful/lyrical writing/vivid/memorable characters/thought provoking category, but are either a little bit plotless (or have uncomplicated plots and the books hinges on character development), or very surreal (which usually makes plot irrelevant).

The-Elf-Herself

06-30-2003, 05:01 AM

Oooh! Oooh! I forgot to mention Cold Comfort Farm! It's written by Stella Gibbons. It is SUCH and awesome book. I completely identify with the heroine and she's also the only book character that I resemble pretty closely. It's basically about this society girl in the Early Twentieth century London who's parents die(that doesn't matter, she didn't know them anyways, went to boarding school all the time). Anyways, she's bored with life in the city and besides, with a limited inheiritance can't afford it, so she decides to mooch off a set of relatives while writing a book. So she uses the excuse that she's collecting materials for this great novel. Anyways, she finally goes to this one bunch of relatives who are nuts and not in a good way, in a mad, crazy, jump-down-the-well kind of way. Basically she comes in and tidies everyone's lives up. That's her big thing, she doesn't like people in general, but hates to see anything untidy or uncivilized. That sounds remarkable prissy, but she's really cool and matter-of-fact about it, plus she happens to be extremely intelligent and has a good heart, so the changes she enact help the relatives keep their unique craziness, but at the same time stops the dangerous side of that. Sort of a sociological experiment. Since I'm very interesting in running sociological experiments myself(I play at a few informal ones right now), I really empathized with her, although my friends didn't like the character very much until they realized that I was very much like her and did note that she was incredibly successful at getting everything situated well. Anyways, great great GREAT book!

Rhiannon

07-01-2003, 06:36 AM

That sounds really interesting Jam- I'll have to look for that one.

Re: Classics, from the other thread, you either like a book or you don't. Sometimes the reading situation effects it, but the book itself doesn't change.

Sador

07-01-2003, 06:44 AM

I saw a made-for-TV version of Cold Comfort Farm a few years ago. British production and it was excellent. Never read the book.

Dragon

07-04-2003, 06:01 PM

I am reading a very good book right now called song of the lioness, by tamora peirce.

it starts out with these two twins complaining about the way of life their father has chosen for them the girl twin is sposed to go to a convent to learn how to be a lady, and the boy twin is s'posed 2 b a knight. The boy wants to be a sorcerer, and the girl wants to be a knight, so, the brother forges the dads handwriting, and fixes te letters so that they can do what they want. from the time they seperate, it follows the girl twin (who has to pretend to b a boy) through her stages of being a page, a squire, and then finally becomng a knight. she has to work twice as hard to be as good as all the boys, and eventually becomes better at most things than ....most of them. there is more to it then that, but.... if anyone were to read it, I would be giving something away....:rolleyes:

The-Elf-Herself

07-05-2003, 01:51 PM

Oh man, I just read Spindle's End Rhian! That book is INCREDIBLE! Thank you SO MUCH for recommending it to me. I wasted away the better part of the Fourth ignoring everyone with my nose in that book because I couldn't put it down. Much, MUCH better than those Blue Sword and Crown stories. Probably my favorite by Robin Mckinley.:D

Kailita

07-06-2003, 06:36 PM

Spindle's End? Spindle's End? *Is taken by surprise by Jam's gushings...attacks nearest library...*

Ahh, D has discovered Tamora Pierce, yes? My friend is absolutely obsessed with her books. If you like the Song of the Lioness series, then seek out the Wild Magic series (I think that's the series name...it might just be the first book :rolleyes: ) about Daine and her adventures, also written by Tamora Pierce. And then the Protector of the Small series about Kel (who is very much like Alanna), which is Mrs. Pierce at her best, I think. There's also the Circle of Magic series, but I didn't like that one as much.

Dragon

07-07-2003, 02:34 AM

ee! thanku K!!!!

*runs off 2 look 4 books!*

Rhiannon

07-07-2003, 08:02 AM

WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! JAM LOVES A ROBIN MCKINLEY! YAAAAAAAAY!!!!! *Rhian runs out and dances wildly in the street* YES YES YES! Spindle's End is pretty close to being my favorite McKinley, though picking a favorite is impossible, really- but it's the one I re-read most often.

Jam, I think you just need to look for McKinley's later books, then- Beauty, Hero, and Sword were actually her first three. I predict you will love Rose Daughter and Deerskin, and possibly Outlaws of Sherwood though maybe not. And her next book, Sunshine, coming out in October, is about a vampire. That will be interesting *loves McKinley, but not much for vampires*

I enjoyed the Lioness Quartet well enough, but I don't think it's great- I dislike Alanna as a character, really. I really enjoyed The Protector of the Small Quartet- I loved Kel- but I had a couple of problems with the last couple. So I enjoy Pierce but don't worship her.

While I was gone I worked on American Gods by Neil Gaiman- it is really something else. It's fascinating- and finished One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez- my first magical realism. Wow.

Dragon

07-07-2003, 05:40 PM

ooh, good, rhi, now u must read neverwhere!

Kailita

07-08-2003, 12:12 AM

Announcement, announcement...ahem...*clears throat*...

My friend has lent me Dealing With Dragons and says she has the whole series for me when I'm done!!! :D:D:D I can't start reading it just yet because of chores and business and packing for an upcoming vacation...but it is in my posession!!! :D:D:D

Ahem. That is all.

Rhiannon

07-08-2003, 12:17 AM

YAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!! *there is more wild dancing in the street as Rhian rejoices in the knowledge of a future Wrede convert* Man, I love biblievangalism.

Dragon

07-08-2003, 02:19 AM

YES!!!

*joins rhi in her dancing*:D

ummm...what is this word, rhi?--->biblievangalism

Rhiannon

07-08-2003, 04:45 AM

It's a combination of biblio = book; and evangelism = 'zealous preaching and dissemination of the gospel, as through missionary work', or 'militant zeal for a cause'.

That is, zealously and militantly pushing books on people :D

Dragon

07-08-2003, 04:53 PM

oh, ok, that's cool:rolleyes: :cool: :D :cool: :D :cool: :D :cool: :D :eek:

Rhiannon

07-16-2003, 11:19 PM

Wooo-hooo! Serious outpouring of biblio-joy at Chez Rhian.

My friend in the UK send me a signed (signed!) copy of Jasper Fforde's The Well of Lost Plots, the third book in the Thursday Next series, which isn't out in the states yet.

From a used bookseller in the UK, I got a book I have been longing for for years- it hideously out of print in the states, but apparently (duh, stupid Rhian) it's still in print in the UK. The Three Damosels by Vera Chapman (one of the founding members of the British Tolkien Society </trivia>) is an omnibus of her Arthurian trilogy- The Green Knight, The King's Damosel (which the animated move 'Quest for Camelot' was very very very very very very very loosely based on, and which is one of my very very very very very very very very favorite books), and King Arthur's Daughter- up until now I'd only been able to find The King's Damosel in an Arthurian anthology, and a battered paperback of King Arthur's Daughter by accident. I've never gotten to read The Green Knight before, so I'm in hog heaven, lemme tell you.

Sador

07-23-2003, 12:50 PM

I just finished reading "Stupid White Men" by Michael Moore. I particularly liked the way he describes George W.'s election swindle.
Nothing like the books you guys have been talking about, but I heartily recommend it to anyone old enough to vote(especially if they are American).
Have started reading "The True History Of The Kelly Gang". Not sure about it yet.

Dragon

07-23-2003, 04:06 PM

Wooo-hooo! Serious outpouring of biblio-joy at Chez Rhian.

french!!!french!!! ur not allowed 2 complain about french anymore rhi! that's just unfair!

grrarr.

I'm almost done w/ Mort, it's bugging me bc now that I'm so close, I cant read it....I just....cant....I dunno y:o :rolleyes: :eek: :confused:

Rhiannon

07-23-2003, 06:33 PM

Sorry D! That one's just habit...

I'm still reading Vera Chapman's Arthurian trilogy, though I'm now on the last book (King Arthur's Daughter).

I'm still reading Mark Doty's Still Life with Lemon and Oyster.

I'm still reading Irish Murdoch's The Green Knight.

I've started Jane Austen's Emma.

I've started Rudyard Kipling's Kim for next month's YA Reading Group discussion at Readerville.

And I need to start CS Lewis' Till We Have Faces for another online reading group.

And I need to get and read Seabiscuit for my real life reading group.

The-Elf-Herself

07-23-2003, 07:59 PM

Oh yeah, Seabiscuit. Going to have to read that one before I see the movie. Um, still working through Pratchett, also reading a Miss Marple mystery and a collection of short stories by Mark Twain. The last one is taking me forever, because I believe in savoring the writing of Twain. I'm also getting to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Rhiannon

07-23-2003, 10:07 PM

I finished King Arthur's Daughter...ah, lovely. And I'm a little further in to Kim.

Love that Twain. Though I need to have him aloud for him to be properly funny.

The-Elf-Herself

08-02-2003, 04:38 PM

Ah, went to Webster's used bookstore yesterday! Got:

The Song of Roland

Murder on the Orient Express

and for a friend's birthday present, a collection of scottish and english ballads.

Rhiannon

08-02-2003, 06:05 PM

Murder on the Orient Express is great; so is The Song of Roland (what translation did you get?) I read it in the bathroom ;) (that's how I read Shakespeare, too. Just keep it in there...)

I'm reading Kim by Rudyard Kipling for this months YARG discussion at Readerville; I should be reading Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis for another reading group; I need to buy and read Seabiscuit for my real life reading group, and on the side I just finished Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty the night before I left.

And I got new books while I was gone! We went to Half Price Books and I bought

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marrillier - hardback

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley - paperback, laminated by previous owner; I finally got my sister to read it, but she killed my copy. Had to have a new one ;)

The Complete Book of Heraldy by Stephen Slater - really big tradepaper. Huge awesome cool nifty heraldry reference book. It rocks.

Brewser's Concise Dictionary of Phrase & Fable - hardback; my favorite reference book. It's got the coolest stuff in it. Did you know that 'bonfire' comes from 'bone fire'?

And then I came home to a package from a friend of mine, who let me piggy-back on a book book order of hers;

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marrillier - hardback. Oops, well you can never have to many. Actually I've already lined up to send of of them to the friend of mine in the UK who send me the Fforde book.

The Riddle-Master Trilogy by Patricia McKillip - big tradepaper omnibus, with the Kinuko Y. Craft cover art. Ooooh. Yay, I no longer have to look at the ugly ugly ugly Darrell Sweet art on my old paperbacks!

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley - tradepaper; yeah, you can never have too many copies. And this one has the cover I prefer.

Eva Moves the Furniture</i> by Margot Livesy - hardback. I've heard it's [i]really good.

So, there goes another $40.

Talierin

08-02-2003, 07:48 PM

Now you have to look at the border on Riddle-Master and see if the birds on it are upsidedown! They are on my copy!

Rhiannon

08-02-2003, 10:41 PM

Yeah they are! That's too weird!

Talierin

08-02-2003, 11:56 PM

I think someone made a boo-boo at the printer's *rolls eyes*

Rhiannon

08-03-2003, 06:51 AM

Really, it's bizarre.

Rhiannon

10-11-2003, 07:47 AM

*Rhiannon gives her thread CPR*

Surely it's an outcasty type thing to be reading The Mabinogion, isn't it? What could be cooler or more outcasty than 13th century Welsh epics?

Kailita

10-11-2003, 09:21 AM

Mab...in...og...i...on...

*Struggles with pronunciation*

Welsh...it must be cool and Outcasted, then. ;) What's it about?

Rhiannon

10-13-2003, 03:05 AM

There are four branches to it, each telling a different story. The first one is about Pwyll and Rhiannon, the second is about Branwen, and the names of the other two fail me at the moment. But the common thread- the one person that's in all of the four- is Rhiannon's son. Other than that there's not real connection.

Kailita

10-13-2003, 03:19 AM

I love books inside of books that all tell different stories that link up somehow. :) That's so cool. That's how I want to write my books.

Froggum

10-15-2003, 10:42 PM

For the benefit of D, Tamora Pierce has another book out just this month called Trickster's Choice. A bit different in style, but very enjoyable.

Rhiannon

10-16-2003, 12:06 AM

I want to read that, but I'm not willing to pay for a hardback. I've heard a couple of people say they wished it had been better edited (which is what I said about the last two Harry Potters).

Froggum

10-17-2003, 12:51 AM

Umm... have you tired the library?

Rhiannon

10-17-2003, 09:05 AM

The YA section in the library here is 1/2 aisle. Very few new selections. I don't remember seeing any Tamora Pierce there at all (I don't go to the library much anymore. I have a sizable library of my own that I need to get read now...the books...they keep piling up...I've died and gone to heaven!)

spirit

10-17-2003, 12:48 PM

hi all!
i been away for a while so i hane not had a chance to visit the forum.
im bak now... :)

Kailita

10-18-2003, 01:32 AM

Better edited in what ways, Rhi?

I like Tamora Pierce all right, but she's not really one of my favorites. And I've got so many other books to read right now! Eesh!

I have (AT LAST) picked up Dealing with Dragons. :) I'm about halfway through. It's so quirky and simply written, but I really like it. The kind of story I would want to read to my ten year old daughter (if I ever have one) to get her anti-princess complex started early. ;)

Rhiannon

10-18-2003, 06:58 AM

Better edited in what ways, Rhi?

Unnecassary and repetitive elements removed, scenes tightened up, the general focus tightened up- I felt it could have been a good bit shorter without really losing too much (OVERWHELMING HARRY ANGST!)

HURRAH for Dealing With Dragons! Yay! *confetti* I love that book. A very very outcasty book :D

Kailita

10-19-2003, 01:01 AM

Originally posted by Rhiannon
(OVERWHELMING HARRY ANGST!)
Haha. ;) Yes, all the Poor-Me-I'm-So-Misunderstood-And-Underappreciated got old quickly. But I think she (JK Rowling) had a reason for all his mood swings besides teenage hormones...we'll see.

Dealing with Dragons. :D I love Morwen. None of this nonsense, please. :D

Rhiannon

10-19-2003, 06:02 AM

I adore Morwen. I've had a None of this nonesense, please sign on my door for years now :D

Dragon

10-20-2003, 12:18 AM

:)

have you just read the one?

because... there are 3 others, you know... all very good, quirky, fun, silly.... and logical in their own wacky ways

just finished a short string of books by terry pratchett (men at arms, Guards!Guards!, and Feet of clay, and then Reaper man) all very hilarious and witty (I adore his footnotes! they are the best!) with pretty good plot lines too, whihc would seem hard to acheive considering everything else, but it works

now reading Halo: The Fall Of Reach, it's the prequel to a video game (Halo) and is based on the game (the game isn't based on it) and so far, I have to say, it's written surprisingly well for something based on a game. I'm going through it a little slowly, but that's only because I don't understand military terms very well, but I think I may be learning. The characters are very well thought out, and the descriptions of actions and battle sequences are wonderfull

the game is awesome too, no matter how bad I am at it :(

stizzle

10-21-2003, 01:29 AM

ppppssshhh

doesnt even thank the person who baught the books and forced her to read them

...i told you theyre the best

the fall of reach is the best,its better to understand the game before you read it tho,i liked when i could go back to the game and see how everything fit together and be like whoa they did put that in the game,and that too,these people didnt missa thing,it has no flaws unlike star wars

good books good books

My_Precious

11-08-2003, 07:25 AM

I tried to find Macchiavelli's "The Prince" or books about it in my real library, and they don't have it... (It's from my Humanities class, we read a part of it in the textbook, and it interested me, but I cannot find it now):(
In addition to that, somebody tried to talk to me about russian history, and I realized I don't really know about my country's histotry (I know more about American History for sure). It saddens me so much. I need to read more, that's the bottom line.
I used to read all the time, not as much now. I need to stop rereading my books and read something fresh! *hurries off*

Kailita

11-08-2003, 07:04 PM

Originally posted by Dragon
have you just read the one?

because... there are 3 others, you know... all very good, quirky, fun, silly.... and logical in their own wacky ways
Yes, my friend lent me all four, I just haven't gotten the chance to get to the other three yet. ;)

Originally posted by My_Precious
I tried to find Macchiavelli's "The Prince" or books about it in my real library, and they don't have it... (It's from my Humanities class, we read a part of it in the textbook, and it interested me, but I cannot find it now)
Wow, I know that name! We read about Macchiavelli in AP European History...wasn't he Italian? He wrote a lot about power and politics...but that's all I really remember...:rolleyes:

Rhiannon

11-08-2003, 07:48 PM

I haven't read Macchiavelli, but my brother has...More vicarious reading from Rhi ;)

My_Precious

11-09-2003, 06:59 AM

Originally posted by Kailita
Yes, my friend lent me all four, I just haven't gotten the chance to get to the other three yet. ;)

Wow, I know that name! We read about Macchiavelli in AP European History...wasn't he Italian? He wrote a lot about power and politics...but that's all I really remember...:rolleyes:
Yes, in "The Prince" he talks about how to be the perfect ruler, which is not as pretty and noble according to him. The ruler has to be feared, be a miser, and have other not-so-worthy characteristics in order to be a good ruler and not get assassinated in his sleep. :) It sounds funny, but it actually makes a perfect sense if you think about it. Gotta find it...:mad:

Froggum

11-10-2003, 05:33 PM

I had to read it for an Early Modern European history class. Its really very interesting. Its not all bad, really. It just reflects the attitudes on absolute monarchy of the time. It was read by most of the monarchs of Europe of the day, and they used it. Hell, people use it today- businessmen, etc. You can probably buy it really cheap. Its a teeny little books- it'll only be a few bucks. I got mine used at my college bookstore for $1.50.

In other cool reading, Read Angels and Demons and The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. They're awesome. Not sci-fi or fantasy but absolutely awesome. It goes into ancient secret societies and religious symbology- really interesting and very well researched.

My_Precious

11-10-2003, 05:36 PM

Hmm, I didn't think about looking in my college bookstore. But then again, I go to a community (or junior) college, so our bookstore is rather tiny. :P

Froggum

11-10-2003, 08:37 PM

Like I said, it was for a class, so it HAD to be there. But its a cheap read. If you have to buy it. I'll bet you can get it on amazon for less thana buck. (of course, it'll probablycost you 3 bucks shipping.)

Kailita

11-11-2003, 02:09 AM

Hmm, I've never read Angels and Demons. The DaVinci Code...eh...I've heard some really strange things about that book. But I don't know if I want to go into that now...or at all...:rolleyes: I really don't need to hear any more about the "oppression" the Church inflicted...

Niirewen

11-23-2003, 10:29 PM

My mother read The DaVinci Code twice she loved it so much. I haven't read it yet but I plan to, I've heard it's very good. Our pastor is even using the book as a topic for the adult bible school class. Right now I'm reading East of Eden, have any of you read it?

Kailita

11-24-2003, 06:54 AM

Originally posted by Niirewen
My mother read The DaVinci Code twice she loved it so much. I haven't read it yet but I plan to, I've heard it's very good. Our pastor is even using the book as a topic for the adult bible school class.
Really? Interesting...
What's the class about?

Never read East of Eden. Is it good?

Dragon

11-24-2003, 11:17 PM

I think.... I think my mom got east of eden, but I'm not sure if she's read it yet...

I thin k she got it bc she read a review sumwhere taht said it was just plain awesome... I wouldn't know, I don't trust reviews...

Rhiannon

11-25-2003, 07:17 AM

It's a Steinbeck. Of course it's good.

Of course, it was also an evil-Oprah-book. We don't hold with Oprah's sticker-things, on account of they have gone on some icky books as well as messed up the covers of some nice books.

Dragon

11-26-2003, 05:10 AM

ah! yes! yeah, she has it then, I memba the oprah-ness.

I don't like oprah.

My mom is addicted and makes me stop playing video games at 4:00 so she can watch it

oprah makes me angry.

Niirewen

12-09-2003, 12:50 AM

Oh, yeah, it was on the Oprah list. Fortunately mine doesn't have an Oprah sticker. The Oprah list is evil- it makes the price of the book so much higher, which is annoying. But it is a good book. I finished reading it. Kailita- I'm not sure what the class is about exactly, I wanted to go to it but I'm forced to go to my youth sunday school calss (which I hate). But I do know the class is called Breaking The DaVinci Code and, since the book mixes fact and fiction, the purpose of the class is to discuss what is untrue in the book.. something to that effect. But I guess that answers your question well enough. :)

Kailita

12-10-2003, 05:26 AM

Hmm...that sounds really interesting, Niirewen.

We are now reading Antigone in English, which - unless my fevered mind just imagined it - Rhi outlined for me once. I forget what brought that about. Did you like the story, Rhi? It seems fairly depressing to me, though the themes behind the story are pretty powerful.

Talierin

12-10-2003, 06:10 AM

*cough* 5 lines or less on the sig, Kalita, thanks

Rhiannon

12-10-2003, 06:59 AM

Originally posted by Kailita
Hmm...that sounds really interesting, Niirewen.

We are now reading Antigone in English, which - unless my fevered mind just imagined it - Rhi outlined for me once. I forget what brought that about. Did you like the story, Rhi? It seems fairly depressing to me, though the themes behind the story are pretty powerful.

I did outline it for you...but now I can't remember why either! But I do like the sotry. Yes, it is depressing, but it's a tragedy- automatically everyone has to die ;) If you can, read Jean Anouilh's version, it's awesome!

Arebeth

12-11-2003, 08:16 PM

Originally posted by Rhiannon
If you can, read Jean Anouilh's version, it's awesome!

If you can, read it in the French version, it's even more awesome!:D :D

Well, you said it Rhi, it's a tragedy- but not my favourite one. (I'm more into Racine's tragedies in fact. I love Phèdre since I had to play it for French class) It's not bad either...just a little... I don't really like the main character, in fact, and i'm totally unable to explain why.

Rhiannon

12-11-2003, 08:24 PM

Don't like Antigone? Why? Because she (SPOILER) gives up Haemon, etc?

Dragon

12-13-2003, 06:37 PM

finally starting on The Hithchikers Guide To The Galaxy, and I got the whole set in one book for $15 at half price books (Gotta love H-PB:D ) all six books... I wonder how long it'll take me...:confused: :rolleyes: :)

Kailita

05-07-2004, 03:40 AM

Okay. So I started reading Return of the King for the first time, and outlined some of my favorite parts in the Outcast-Type Things Done thread. (Because, let's face it, it's pretty Outcasty to be on the Tolkien forum when you haven't even read all the books. :o:D)

BUT. One of the reasons why I haven't read RotK yet is because I've been busy finishing up a different book...which happens to be 600-something pages. Known as the first Wheel of Time book - The Eye of the World. And I loved it. Has anyone else read it? I was totally entranced by it and am probably going to start the second book after I finish RotK. (That is, if I don't love RotK so much that I read it twice in a row. ;))

Rhiannon

05-07-2004, 06:23 PM

I love the Wheel of Time series. Up until about book six. And then things started careening wildly out of control, the series went downhill, and I am still very bitter about the whole thing. I didn't bother to read the most recent one, since the only reason I kept reading the series was Nynaeve and Lan, and I hear they weren't in it at all.

Did I mention I'm bitter?

The-Elf-Herself

05-07-2004, 09:34 PM

I haven't read the Wheel of Time series, but I have just finished up the Riftwar saga by Raymond E. Feist, which was very good.

I have a question for anyone booksters in general: could you point me in the direction of a fairytale/fantasy/medievalesque tale with a chick as the main character that is actually worth reading? I've been searching fruitlessly for weeks for something new, but I have yet to find anything that I haven't read already.

Here's the list of what I know(and love) in this esteemed category:

Elske by Cynthia Voigt
Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
Zel by Donna Jo Napoli

I know there has to be more out there, but I have no idea where to look.

Kailita

05-08-2004, 07:48 AM

Jam, Jam, Jam...*dances about* Haven't seen you in a while. :)

I loved Midwife's Apprentice, Ella Enchanted (even though I hear they slaughtered it with the movie), and Zel. I could point you to my half-written novel manuscript...but it's amateur work and not finished yet. ;) Mmm...medieval chick-heroes...maybe Rhi could help you out.

Nynaeve and Lan? Nynaeve and Lan??!! They fade out? No! No no no! I loved both of them! Especially Lan...I liked him from the beginning. I had a hard time adjusting to Nynaeve...but once she changed from a one-dimensional bossy woman to a multi-faceted character, she grew on me. Egwene bugs the fluffums out of me. :mad: Grrr. But I love Mat and Rand, and I really love Perrin (he's my favorite ;)). Oh, it's so frustrating when authors start a really good series and then destroy it halfway through. :mad: Everybody I've talked to says that the first one is the best. But now that I'm finished with it, I really want to keep going...

Rhiannon

05-08-2004, 09:58 AM

aaaah, bloody thing randomly deleted my post!

*sulks*

Hurray! Kaia loves Nynaeve and Lan! It's worth going on just to get to the Nynaeve and Lan stuff in book...eight? nine? Then you can chunk it. The highlight of the series is right there.

Hm, Jam, let's see...let's see, let's see....

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley
The Forestwife by Theresa Tomlinson
Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede
The Angel and the Sword by Cecilia Holland
First Test by Tamora Pierce (Protector of the Small Quartet, bk one--skip the Lioness Quartet, this one can stand alone and is better).

That's all off the top of my head.

The-Elf-Herself

05-08-2004, 03:24 PM

Kai---> yeah, a friend of mine went to see the movie, they totally killed it, she wanted to throw things at the screen.

*coughs* Er, thanks for all the lovely recommendations, but do ye have any more Rhian? You already know my opinions on The Hero and the Crown(blech), I've read The Outlaws of Sherwood, I didn't like Just Ella(another annoying heroine who can't get over her own non-royal coolness :rolleyes: ). I shall check out the rest however. ;)

Rhiannon

05-08-2004, 08:13 PM

oh yeah--- AVOID THE MOVIE OF ELLA ENCHANTED AT ALL COSTS! It's terrible. Really, really, really terrible.

Sorry, Jam, I'm coming up with a blank right now. I'll have to take a closer look.

Ambartur

05-09-2004, 08:15 AM

Hey, Rhi! We meet again...Coincidence?

Have you read the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series? What can you tell me about it? My brother's been bugging me to read it, but I don't know if I can commit to reading three (or is it four now?) 1000 page books. Is it worth it?

Rhiannon

05-09-2004, 08:27 AM

Or Fate... ;)

I have not read The Song of Ice and Fire, though the name is familiar--several people on the forums at Readerville.com (my internet home) whose book tastes I trust love the series and are pining for the next book, so there's a very good chance that you're in for a good read. :)

Ambartur

05-09-2004, 08:37 AM

*double-takes Rhi* Did you just wink at me? ;)

Really? You should read it...Considering just how much you love to read/collect/hoard books, you would probably want to get them even if you find that you hate it after reading the first 7 pages. You could just keep them on your bookshelf to collect dust...

Rhiannon

05-09-2004, 07:56 PM

I? Wink? At you? Let's see... ;) Yes, it would seem that there is indeed a wink.

I have far too many books collecting dust in my room already...at least half of them that I haven't read yet! They are on my to-get list, though (which is also massive).

Beleg

05-09-2004, 08:13 PM

Elf, the only books that I like more then Tolkiens' is 'The Song of Fire and Ice' saga by George RR Martin. [In Fantasy genre] And among neutral Fantasy fans it is considered the best fantasy series ever. [Though it isn't complete yet, 3 huge books have released] So, I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone, everyone who'd like to have a peak at some classic literature. But beware of the rating, it's atleast R rated, and is one of the most gruesome books that I have read.
Martin has no regard for his hero's and he can axe them anything he likes [The story still moves amazingly well.]

The fourth book, I hope will be released this year.

Glad you liked Raymond E Feist's riftwar series.

Oh and I love Tad Williams! Amazing author.

Nynaeve and Lan stuff is in Book 6-7, If I recall correctly, just before the Seanchan [Sp?] capture Alatara.