Books and Reading, 2009, Part 1

Continued from Books and Reading, 2008, Part 5.

Date: January 3, 2009

Author: Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Categories: Life, The Universe, Things We like

Comments RSS TrackBack 366 comments

1

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 15:55

Yeah! the start of a… a… Harry potterless AND Twilightless year…. *bursts into tears* is there no salvation?!?!

0
0
2

Vendaval

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 16:02

Can anyone suggest a good detective/mystery book?

0
0
3

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 16:18

2- The Sally Lockheart Mysteries were very good, however some of the plots revolve around opium so beware of that…

0
0
4

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 16:24

w00t! New thread!

2) Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Have you read John Grishom? I would recommend The Client. It has detective, mystery, murder, action, etc. Tis action packed fun!

0
0
5

Kokonilly

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 16:47

Does anybody know any tweenage-appropriate novels with adult writing? Similar to H2G2 or Terry Pratchett.

0
0
6

Nthanda the Laugher

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 17:12

I’ve probably suggested this before, but to all who are looking for a good book to read, I suggest Summerland, by Michael Chabon. It’s not as silly or sarcastic as H2G2 and the like, but it’s really good, very imaginative. Especially if you’re into mythology and folklore.
Another good one is The Bourne Identity, by Robert Ludlum. It’s very different (better, in my opinion) than the movies; much more complicated and psychological. The others in the series aren’t as good, but the first one’s awesome.
And, for anyone who like smexy/heroic vampires, read Vampire Knight. It’s a manga series (yes, I know) but I actually really enjoyed it, even though I’m not a big manga person.

Sooo…yeah. Hey, I just found out that my ancestors stayed at La Rochelle in the 1600s, at the time when the Three Musketeers is set. They were caught up in all the political stuff with the Huguenots and Catholics, just like in the book.

0
0
7

Zallie

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 17:29

.2 – The Amelia Peabody Mysteries are pretty enjoyable. They’re set in Egypt around the Victorian era, and deal with a lot of archeology-related crimes.

I wouldn’t call them detective novels per se, but Lois McMaster Bujold’s books about Miles Vorkosigan (and others) have a lot of interesting plot twists/mysterious characters/intrigue, which is, I assume, what you’re after anyway. Those books are really, really great and you should definitely read them.

.3 – Why would anyone need to beware of novels with opium in them?

.5 – Try Neil Gaiman. His books (minus American Gods) are generally more or less appropriate for younger readers. I think. It’s been a while, and I wasn’t very shockable as a child. Start with “Stardust” or “Neverwhere.”

0
0
8

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 18:01

7- Some of us beware the term opium because one of us dropped the term before that particular one knew the full value of opium and it’s relevance to heroine. Thats why.

0
0
9

oxlin

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 18:30

5- Freedom and Necessity by Steven Brust and Emma Bull, Juniper, Gentian and Rosemary by Pamela Dean, War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

0
0
10

YodaShmoda

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 18:59

Tamora Pierce. She is a very good author. I reccomend her books insanely. Especialy the Protector of the Small quartet.

0
0
11

Kokonilly

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 19:04

6, 7, 9 – Thanks!

0
0
12

Lizzie

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 20:05

2 – I really like Agatha Christie’s writing, if you want older British mysteries. Check out some of her Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot ones.
3 – I hated Sally Lockhart. Not sure why – I loved the Golden Compass series, but I hated pretty much everything else Pullman wrote. I may have been too young for them, though.
5 – I’m assuming you’ve read Isaac Asimov – if you haven’t, do. The Foundation series is wonderful, and I love his short stories. Neil Gaiman may be a bit too old, depending on what you’re comfortable with, but his books are really really good. Stardust and Neverwhere are more on the fantasy side of the spectrum, Anansi Boys and American Dreams are more “realistic,” and his short stories fall everywhere. Coraline is majorly creepy, and I haven’t read the Graveyard Book yet. Some of the Sandman imagery might be a bit too mature – again, it depends on with what you’re comfortable. Maybe also try the Robert Jordan books, although they get really long and repetitive and boring after the first four or so, or Dune? Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite writers, but her books are somewhat girly in nature.

To those of you interested in math, history, piracy, code-making and/or breaking, intrigue, etc, I’d suggest Neal Stephenson (though his language gets a bit, er, salty, and there is sex and other such Grown Up Things (like income tax) so beware). His books are beautifully crafted and engrossing.

0
0
13

Vendaval

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 22:40

3- Is that by Phillip Pullman? I’ll take a look.
Drugs are no issue. I think. I didn’t really understand post 8.

12- Thanks, I’ve read about all of her stories. I’ll look into Stephenson, even though income taxes are scary.

I guess I’m looking for more Sherlock Holmes than John Grishom, but I can’t phrase it correctly. I wish there were a pandora/netflix engine for books. I just read an article about the engine netflix uses to recommend movies, there’s a million dollar prize to whoever can change the code to better the results by 10%.

There’s a book whose title I can’t remember, I wanted to recommend it, but instead I’m just wondering if anyone else has read it. I think it was called The Purple Emperor, the plot consisted of a science fiction detective story, in which a man attempts to find a killer targeting the emperor. He’s got this mentor who’s a giant beetle, they talk of philosophy and sociology.

0
0
14

Kokonilly

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 23:27

12 – Thanks.

I’m not sure what I deem as ‘appropriate’. I’ve read The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, but at the recommendation of a friend (I later learned they were recommending the play) I read Wicked.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Don’t read Wicked. It is one of THE MOST inappropriate books I have ever read in my life. It burned my retinas. The mental images will scar you permanently, especially if you’re under 13, like I am.

0
0
15

Zallie

in January 3rd, 2009 @ 23:42

.8 – I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about, but your post did make me laugh. I do not think books that discuss opium are particularly objectionable (especially because opium is hard to find these days!), but that may just be me.

0
0
16

I-Man ((William II, Official Summary Writer's Secretary, whose job requirements include reposting the latest summary when someone is confused))

in January 4th, 2009 @ 08:33

14 – What if you just turned 13 a month ago, like me?

0
0
17

YodaShmoda

in January 4th, 2009 @ 10:29

14- Yeah Wicked. Not a good book. Even for over 13 year olds.
16- It realy depends on your confidence in your innocence. That book was…. uh gross. I started to read it and then WHOAH yeah… *shudders* If you don’t think you’d have a problem with it then go a head, just be forewarned.

0
0
18

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

in January 4th, 2009 @ 10:37

12- You know, they stole the ending from Pirates three from one of her books!

0
0
19

Nthanda the Laugher

in January 4th, 2009 @ 10:49

16–I was 16 when I read it, and even I was pretty grossed out by it. It also wasn’t all that great writing-wise, actually.

0
0
20

Zallie

in January 4th, 2009 @ 11:10

.14/16/17 – Wait a few years and read it again. It’s a really interesting concept, although I’m not a huge fan of the writing style and interpretations of the characters.

0
0
21

Kokonilly

in January 4th, 2009 @ 11:25

16 – Woah, no, don’t ever read it. If there was a movie portraying it exactly, to the letter, it would be rated R. Major R.

0
0
22

Lizzie

in January 4th, 2009 @ 11:50

I loved Wicked (book) – (trying to remember, it was a while ago) there were so many interesting points raised about society and expectations and religion and this and that, and the characters were detailed and multi-layered. It’s definitely not as happy-go-lucky as the musical, and it’s quite grim in places, but I don’t remember thinking it was that inappropriate.. But then again, I’m about five years older than a lot of you on here, and was reading Anne McCaffrey when I was a pre-teen.. Probably if you weren’t comfortable with Wicked, you should stay away from Stephenson / Gaiman / Kingsolver.

0
0
23

Kokonilly

in January 4th, 2009 @ 12:09

22 – It was really confusing. There were about three or so affairs, very… um, detailed encounters, and it was very very very confusing with all of the names.

0
0
24

POSOC

in January 4th, 2009 @ 12:29

22- Wicked struck me as… far more detailed in certain aspects than it really needed to be. Bear in mind I’ve also read Frank Herbert.

0
0
25

YodaShmoda

in January 4th, 2009 @ 13:36

23- It was also confusing if you watched the play first because the book didn’t really adhere to the play at all. I kept thinking all sorts of things that didn’t really happen and had to re-read a few parts.

0
0
26

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

in January 4th, 2009 @ 13:38

25- I did read the book first and I’m glad I did because I ended up likeing the play so much more!

0
0
27

Lizzie

in January 4th, 2009 @ 13:54

25 – er, it’s more like the play didn’t adhere to the book. The book came first, you know.

0
0
28

oxlin

in January 4th, 2009 @ 14:53

I was considering that sort of thing when recommending. I’m eighteen though so I don’t necessarily remember being thirteen. How old are you kokonilly? In addition to the books previously recommended I recommend The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown both by Robin McKinley The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley, A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer, Sorcery and Cecilia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer.

0
0
29

YodaShmoda

in January 4th, 2009 @ 15:44

27- Oh… um… yeah I meant that.
I am reading nothing at the moment. I’m having the hardest time with actualy sitting down and reading now a days. Which is weird seeing as I used to itch to get my hands on a book whenever I wasn’t holding one. *sigh* It’s one of my Non-book phases I guess. I get ’em when I’m under a lot of stress or really participating in a lot of things.
I’m going to read Inkheart though, just because I want to before the movie comes out. It’s suppossed to be good.

0
0
30

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 4th, 2009 @ 17:01

Kokonilly- Hmmm, that’s a hard one. I liked Summerland. Adding on to the concept of tales and ledgends, The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale, was good, too.
Also, The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer, as well as The Sea of Trolls. The House of the Scorpion was waaay better, but it has that opium thing going on, too. BE WARNED: The sequel to The Sea of Trolls is REALLY BAD. Stick with the first one.

Good story: The Dark Reflections Trilogy, by Kai Meyer. The ending made me SUPER MAD because it is almost exactly the same as the ending to Gemma Doyle. It made me angry the first time and even angrier the second.
Joshua Mowll’s books are good too, if only for the format and cool illustrations.
Another good story: The Pellinor series by Allison Croggon. The Naming (The Gift in Europe) is too much like Eragon (I actually had Cadvan and Brom confused for a while), but the next one, The Riddle, is spectacular. The Crow was super duper sad. The Singing, the last one, is due in March. The cover art looks crummy, but I guess I’ll get over it.

I’ll think of more to write soon!

0
0
31

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

in January 4th, 2009 @ 17:05

29- The stress thing happens to me when I haven’t read in awhile. Just go to the bookstore or the library or somthing. That’s the best cure!

0
0
32

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 4th, 2009 @ 17:07

SFTDP
29- Hmmm. I never liked Cornilia Funke’s books, I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s bad translation or something. (She’s German, right? That’s what I’ve always thought.)
Inkheart was a good book. It didn’t have great writing style, but I liked the story. She should have left it at that, but NOOO!! She just HAD to write another two. Inkspell made it too confusing, and the ending to Inkdeath was crummy.

SPOILER

WHY did they had to stay in Inkheart??? STUPID STUPID STUPID!!! Characters shouldn’t change their minds so quickly. Also, there should have been some punishment for staying in the Inkworld for too long. Alas.

END SPOILER

The movie should be even crummier than the books, as movies often are.

0
0
33

Zallie

in January 4th, 2009 @ 17:15

.28 (oxlin) – Aww, I loved The Seer and the Sword when I was little. Such a good book.

I’m going to agree with whoever recommended Summerland by Michael Chabon. His adult books are better, I’ve found, but Summerland was still really well told and very different from the plots of a lot of YA fantasy-type stuff.

0
0
34

POSOC

in January 4th, 2009 @ 17:16

I agree that Inkheart was the best in the series. Too much deus ex machina in the later ones, and the Adderhead never measured up to Capricorn in menace.

0
0
35

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 4th, 2009 @ 17:25

34- I agree. He never did anything in Inkspell, and was reduced to a weird fat old man in Inkdeath.

0
0
36

Alice

in January 4th, 2009 @ 17:45

30- I really didn’t care for the Dark Reflections trilogy. I think it lost a lot in translation, as did the author’s other books. I did like the premise, though.

0
0
37

Sweet Melpomene

in January 4th, 2009 @ 18:37

Inkheart: opinions? I’m so sorry if this was mentioned on a previous thread…

Also, so sorry if the following books contain “adult material” or “adult themes,” I’m horrible at judging how “age-appropriate” some books are; it’s so subjective.

Italo Calvino: If on a winter’s night a traveler
Mindblowing story about books, trying to read them, and secret societies who do strange things to them. Brilliantly done.

James Finn Garner: Politically Correct Bedtime Stories
Classic fairy tales redone, hilariously awesome.

William Goldman: The Princess Bride
Like the movie, only better. Seriously. Clever and funny on so many levels.

Philip K. Dick: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Classic Sci-Fi, brilliantly done. You can probably find the full thing online if you try hard enough. It’s like a weird social commentary set in the future.

I’d list more classic SF, but chances are you’ve heard of and/or read them.

Also, everything oxlin recommends, she’s always right.

H.P. Lovecraft, if you don’t mind lacking sleep for a while.

Fitzgerald: The Great Gatsby
Hero or victim of The American Dream?

Book to read only if you’re about to commit suicide:
Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. Seriously, never read this.

0
0
38

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 4th, 2009 @ 18:49

36- That’s why I put it under “good story” and not under “one of my fav books” or something like that.

“Lost in translation!!!” I have no idea where that’s from; it must be a movie or something.

0
0
39

Nthanda the Laugher

in January 4th, 2009 @ 21:51

37–I love the Princess Bride book! Yeah, seriously, it’s even better than the movie, if that’s possible.

I was also going to suggest anything and everything by Ray Bradbury, particularly his shorts stories (“I Sing the Body Electric” is one of my favorites) and his short book “The Homecoming”. Quite possibly one of my favorite authors of all time.

0
0
40

oxlin

in January 4th, 2009 @ 23:33

Currently I’m reading The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Becket. Kokonilly so far it might fit your criterea. It is quite a fun story, like Jane Austen with magic.

0
0
41

Brendan

in January 5th, 2009 @ 12:23

The revised edition…

50 REALLY GOOD BOOKS
These are in the order of which I came up with first, not quality, so number 42 might be better than number 18. Oh, and these are just 50 really good books, not the fifty best books, they are just some books I enjoyed. Fiction only.

1. Life of Pi
2. To Kill a Mockingbird
3. Johnny Tremain
4. Guards, Guards!
5. Harry Potter V
6. Howls Moving Castle
7. Harry Potter VII
8. The Lost Journals Of Ven Polypheme
9. Mister Monday
10. The Lightning Thief
11. The Sea Of Monsters
12. The Titanâ€™s Curse
13. Stormbreaker
14. Point Blank
15. Skeleton Key
16. Eagle Strike
17. Scorpia
18. Ark Angel
19. Snakehead
20. The Color of Magic
21. The Light Fantastic
22. The Devils Arithmetic
23. Lady Friday
24. The Eyre Affair
25. Lost In A Good Book
26. The Well Of Lost Plots
27. Something Rotten
28. First Among Sequels
29. The 13 And A Half Lives Of Captain Bluebear
30. Swordbird
31. Mostly Harmless
32. Superior Saturday
33. Framed
34. Going Postal
35. The Thief Lord
36. Nation
37. The Magician
38. So Long and Thanks For All the Fish
39. Drowned Wednesday
40. The Alchemyst
41. The Number Devil
42. Animal Farm
43. Whereâ€™s My Jetpack?
44. Grim Tuesday
45. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
46. The City Of Dreaming Books
47. Sir Thursday
48. The Battle of the Labyrinth
49. Rumo
50. Life, The Universe, and Everything

0
0
42

I-Man ((William II, Official Summary Writer's Secretary, whose job requirements include reposting the latest summary when someone is confused))

in January 5th, 2009 @ 13:02

41 – Sweet. There is actually a book called “So Long and Thanks for All the Fish”?

0
0
43

kiwimuncher

in January 5th, 2009 @ 15:22

17) Gross in what way? Bloody or other?

22-23) Oh never mind. That answered my question. I had been planning on reading it…… so that wo’t stop me.

39) Oh, I agree! I love the Princess Bride! I read ti too quickly though. One saturday afternoon, that’s all it took. And there I was, guilty that i’d wasted a whole day.

37) I know. I have problems with age appropriateness too in recommendations. In fact, UI was about to recommend a series here on MB a week ago, and then I realized that it had some parts that some people here would be uncomfortable with in them. So, I didn’t. That was after an interesting experience with a friend of mine that is in the 6th grade. But she’s fairly mature, so I had no idea until she told me about this one book she wasn’t allowed to read because of several *ahem* very discriptive scenes. I had never really realized now much younger she is then me before that moment and it surprised me. *shrug*

0
0
44

Kokonilly

in January 5th, 2009 @ 15:56

28 – 12.
42 ( ) – Yes, it’s H2G2. What a coinkydink that that was the 42nd post.

In 7th grade, we could choose a book to read for the whole year and I picked Princess Bride – I was the only one in my grade who read that! (I finished it in November.) It was so good, I’m glad I did. Most people got scared of it because it was so thick. I told them later to read it, but they still said no. Their loss.

0
0
45

YodaShmoda

in January 5th, 2009 @ 16:22

30- Oooo Goose Girl. That was a really good book. And then following that was Enna Burning and River Secerets. I only read the first two though.
31- I plan on doing that once I have my whole hectic schedual flattened out and knwo when I actualy have the time.
37- “Better than the movie”?!? I HAVE to get this book.
41- Hm. Seem’s I’ve read alot of those.

0
0
46

Zallie

in January 5th, 2009 @ 18:04

.41 – It would be helpful if you provided the authors as well, although I can guess as to most of them.

0
0
47

Sunrunner Bramblewood

in January 5th, 2009 @ 18:46

Really good series- the heir trilogy, by Cinda Williams Chima. They are, in order…
The Warrior Heir
The Wizard Heir
The Dragon Heir
I’m in the middle of the Dragon Heir right now- absolutely amazing. And, of course, anything by Terry Prachett. Although, I have to say that my favorites are probably The Truth, The Fifth Elephant, and Guards,Guards.

0
0
48

POSOC

in January 5th, 2009 @ 19:40

47- I must say, I agree with your favorites, having read those three and thoroughly enjoyed them all.

0
0
49

I-Man ((William II, Official Summary Writer's Secretary, whose job requirements include reposting the latest summary when someone is confused))

in January 6th, 2009 @ 18:13

41 – Oh, by the way I meant to ask you… you like the Keys to the Kingdom series?

0
0
50

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 6th, 2009 @ 18:37

Read Inkheart it has fairies, treasure, fire breathers and books that come to life! – it has a series. the next book is Inkspell and (the most recent book) Inkdeath!

* Made into a movie that (coincidently) comes out on my birthday

0
0
51

shadowfire

in January 6th, 2009 @ 19:19

I just read Animal Farm, good, but it was kind of sad. For those of you who don’t know about it, quoting my dad, “It’s basically the Bolshevik revolution taking place in a story about animals.”
His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman is good, although The Amber Spyglass made my cry at several points.
Inkheart: awesome. City of Ember: awesome, and the movie was great too.
Just about anything by Garth Nix, especially Sabriel/Lirael/Abhorsen, is good.

0
0
52

YodaShmoda

in January 6th, 2009 @ 19:36

50- I am reading it now. It’s good, really good, so far. I can’t wait to finish it! But then… I love finishing books but hate it at the same time.
Anyone get what I mean?

0
0
53

oxlin

in January 6th, 2009 @ 22:42

52- mm. I just finished Magicians and Mrs. Quent.

0
0
54

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 6th, 2009 @ 22:56

52- Yes, I guess so. But I always have another one of my favorites to read.
42- It’s the “fourth and final book in the trilogy,” according to Douglas Adams.
*pssst… it’s actually the fourth book out of five, but don’t tell anyone I told you that…* *slinks away*
And you got post 42! Nice!
Actually So Long and Thanks for All the Fish is my fav H2G2 book because it has a relatively satisfying ending.

0
0
55

Nthanda the Laugher

in January 6th, 2009 @ 23:18

Just reread the Supernaturalists, by Eoin Colfer. Made me cry again, as usual. I get so involved with book characters.

0
0
56

Alice

in January 6th, 2009 @ 23:47

Officially, I’m reading The Mill on the Floss still. But when I actually have free time in the library, I read Terry Pratchett and JS&MN. (Yes, simultaneously.)

0
0
57

Sweet Melpomene

in January 7th, 2009 @ 09:51

The third Abarat book is said to be coming out this Spring/Summer. Also, it’s supposed to have over 1800 pages. I am so excited. It took him long enough……

41- Nice list. -adds comments to some-
2. To Kill a Mockingbird: this is one of my least favourite books, ever.
9. Mister Monday: Garth Nix, yesyesyes. Read the Abhorsen trilogy!
45. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy: Yesyes, read all five+everything related!

39- Yay! Bradbury is so amazing. He holds a special place in my heart for writing the first actual-books I read. Ah, the joys of being nine and blowing through your father’s SF/F collection! Bradbury was followed by Tolkien was followed by Asimov, was followed by Heinlein.

I swear, he has nearly every Asimov book, ever. Even non-fiction. Still, for some reason, I stopped after reading the original Foundation trilogy, and haven’t really read the bigillion other books related to it.

0
0
58

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 10:04

I just finished The Name of this Book is Secret
and am waiting to read the sequel which is If You are Reading This it is Too Late.

– awesome books about spies and alchemists-

0
0
59

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 10:09

52. I completely get what you mean. I always feel sad at the end of books.

Anyway has anyone read the Little House series? They are really good but one of them is sad. Anyway Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote a book about when her husband was growing up called Farmer Boy.

0
0
60

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 10:10

52. Inkspell is possibly even better than Inkheart.
Keep reading!!

0
0
61

YodaShmoda

in January 7th, 2009 @ 10:42

59_Oh My Gosh I thought no one would ever ask!
I LOVE THOSE BOOKS!!!!! Whait which one did you think was sad? I loved Little House on Plum Creek. That one was my fave. And Farmer Boy was awsome too. I love Almonzo as a kid, he’s so sweet. And I love the setting of all of the books. the Time period more like. I also am really biased becuase she taught me how to read.

0
0
62

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

in January 7th, 2009 @ 10:53

Attention, welcoming committee! I think Fire faerie needs a pie.

0
0
63

Raynpho

in January 7th, 2009 @ 10:58

60, 62- But of course! Have a pie, or maybe a few, Fire faerie- *splats.* Welcome to MuseBlog!

Careful, they’re hot!

0
0
64

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:00

why thank you!

0
0
65

RoseQuartz/LadyG

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:02

*pies Fire faerie*

Hey, this is kinda unrelated, but do we have a pie yet?

0
0
66

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:02

61 SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER.
I don’t remember all the names of the books but i think the saddest ones were when Mary finds out she is blind and when their dog dies.

0
0
67

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:04

Has anyone read Marley and Me? *sniffle sniffle sob sob* SO SAD!!!!!!

0
0
68

YodaShmoda

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:13

66- Oh those parts were sad. But I don’t think it made the whole book sad.

0
0
69

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:23

63. Toss in a few key lime pies, and maybe a few blueberries.
my face is still pie free

0
0
70

Raynpho

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:24

66- I don’t think it was as much Mary finding out, as the reader did. That was sad, though it turned out okay in the end. And it’s not even one of those things where you can say SHE IS SUCH A STUPID AUTHOR, WHY WOULD SHE WRITE THAT, because it really happened, no? T.T

67- I haven’t, but I know exactly what happens, thanks to basically half my English class who felt the urge to blurt out the ending to the world. DX

0
0
71

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:43

[FFOTM, please post spoiler notices before revealing important information about books that others may not have read. –Admin.]

70’s answer to 66. I guess thats true. That part made me feel sad, but when their bulldog dies I was crying.

70’s answer to 67. Thats a bummer, but, it wasn’t much of a spoiler because most books about dogs and their owners end that way. Its still sad, all the same.

0
0
72

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 11:44

enough about sad parts in books.
Has anyone read Holes???

0
0
73

Cerulean Pyros

in January 7th, 2009 @ 12:38

*Pies Fire faerie of the Middle Earth with key lime pie*. Welcome! I’m very glad to meet you!

I’ve begun reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. The going is a bit slow, but it’s very interesting. I like how it hasn’t told exactly what the creature is yet. I’m guessing it is a giant squid, although I haven’t ruled out the possibility of an undersea machine yet. It definitely isn’t a giant narwhal like most of the characters seem to think.

Also, I’ve recently read the second Kiki Strike book. ( Kiki Strike and the Empress’s Tomb . ) It was quite good!

Spoiler. Kiki Strike and the Empress’s Tomb Spoiler.

I am stunned that Kiki is taking the throne. Livia and Sidonia aren’t going to stay in shadows for much longer…

0
0
74

Raynpho

in January 7th, 2009 @ 13:53

73- Oh, 20,000 Leagues is a really good book! I read it back in… fifth grade, I think. Wow. Jules Verne is a flamablamabous author. Just a minor hint, though you’ll probably find out soon enough- it’s not a giant squid.

I finished Great Expectations! I was actually kind of panicky & speed reading toward the end, because I’d negelcted it over winter break and needed to read 1/3 of the book in two days.
But it was pretty good!

SPOILER SPOILER GREAT EXPECTATIONS SPOILER
Concerning the two endings: the first one was infinitely better- the revised one was just too… convenient and stupid. Estella would never have gotten together with Pip, no matter how changed they both were after… 13 years, was it? I liked the idea of bachelor Pip much better. And little Pip was cute.

0
0
75

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

in January 7th, 2009 @ 14:17

49- not being directed at me, i’ll answer it anyways yes I love that series.

0
0
76

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

in January 7th, 2009 @ 15:38

73. Thank you for the warm (and sticky) welcome! Now let me just go and get a napkin…

74. SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT
I loved that book!!! And I finally remembered the convicts name.
Its Magwitch something. Anyway when I found out Magwitch was the benefactor I was SHOCKED. Did he steal the money or what?

I saw a movie version and it was good but had a sappy ending.
Estella goes of to marry Pip. Everything ends well. The end.
But the point of the story is that he was better of the way he was as a kid, and in the end he realizes that but his life is still miserable! Thats the moral of the book and the movie doesn’t tell you that.

0
0
77

YodaShmoda

in January 7th, 2009 @ 17:22

72- Yes. I found it very interesting. Not at the top of my list but… there.

0
0
78

Raynpho

in January 7th, 2009 @ 17:53

76- No, I think he got the money somewhere in Australia? I forget how.

0
0
79

RoseQuartz/LadyG

in January 7th, 2009 @ 18:15

Has anyone read Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen? The other two are The Search For The Red Dragon and The Indigo King. I didn’t like the last one as much as the first two, it was really weird and *spoiler* I hate that time travel stuff. It’s so confusing, and I can’t get my brain around it. *end spoiler*
72- I read it and hated it. It was soooo weird.

0
0
80

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

in January 7th, 2009 @ 19:54

78- No, it’s the convict. Just finished it. And the convict was in America for much of the story,

0
0
81

Alice

in January 7th, 2009 @ 20:22

59- For years my dad read those books to my sister and me as a bedtime story. We must have read them at least three times before I started reading them on my own. I still drag out my remaining pages sometimes and read my favorite bits.

SPOILER SPOILER GREAT EXPECTATIONS SPOILER SPOILER.
74- The revised ending was really weird and inconclusive. I read it, figured that Estella and Pip never met again, read the Notes that came after, read the ending three more times, and still could barely see how it indicated that Pip and Estella got together. Not that I wanted them to, so I was sort of refusing to see it, but still.
76- I knew Magwitch was the benefactor the whole time, and was just waiting for Pip to figure it out. -sigh- That’s what comes from reading too many Dickens-influenced books.
Oh, and his name is Abel Magwitch. Also known as…something else. I forget what.

0
0
82

Midnight Fiddler (she of 2 spzdk, 500 PiePoints and 30 Muszey points)

in January 7th, 2009 @ 21:00

59~ My mom read them to me when I was younger. There are also books about the other women in her family, I remember that her grandmother (great grandmother?) in Scotland was one of my favorites.

0
0
83

YodaShmoda

in January 7th, 2009 @ 21:07

82- there’s her mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and her daughter.

0
0
84

Raynpho

in January 7th, 2009 @ 21:13

SPOILER GREAT EXPECTATIONS SPOILER.
81- Well, I think it ended something like “And I took Estella’s hand in mine, and we would never part.” Yech. So it really was rather vague, but… implications. And I refuse to believe it happened, anyway.

Abel Magwitch, also known as “Uncle Provis.” Hehe.

Also, Handel cracked me up for no apparent reason.

Herbert: Your name is Philip? No, I don’t quite like that name. Hm. You were a blacksmith. Handel wrote a song about a blacksmith. I shall call you Handel!

Herbert Pocket was a great man.

0
0
85

Rainbowstar

in January 7th, 2009 @ 21:47

SPOILER WARRIORS LONG SHADOWS SPOILER.

I have a new theory. What if Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather are the children of Birchfall and Whitewing? Arguments for it:

-There’s quite a bit of evidence for BirchxWhite, which I will supply if anyone’s interested.
-Hollyleaf has green eyes, like Whitewing.
-Lionblaze is a golden tabby, which is a color similar to light brown, and Birchfall is light brown.
-Jayfeather is gray with blue eyes, like Birchfall’s uncle Ashfur.
-They could still be the prophesied three, because Whitewing is the daughter of Cloudtail, who is Firestar’s nephew, so they’d still be related to Firestar.
-At some point in Long Shadows, I think Birchfall says to Whitewing (or the other way around) “Think of the kits”. This could mean Hollyleaf, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather.

0
0
86

Alice

in January 7th, 2009 @ 21:50

84- I love Herbert.

0
0
87

Axa

in January 7th, 2009 @ 23:49

I’ve been tricked! I had no idea Great Expectations had two endings. Did Dickens ever actually publish the first one? I consulted wiki and I like that one much better, but I assume the Victorians wanted a happy endings so there we are.

I really think more people would appreciate Great Expectations if it wasn’t one of the first books read in freshman year (I believe that’s when you all read it? It was for me, at least).
Dickens does come off as dense I suppose, and maybe requires more concentration than the average 14 year old can muster. of course I would tell them to suck it up and deal with it but that’s just meeeee

Attention! I need some help with something…
Has anyone ever read a story about a young British boy who was on holiday with his mother at some beach side town and decided to swim through some sort of tunnel to the other side? I just remember that he had to train himself to hold his breath, and he was much improved but still nearly drowned in the tunnel…he ended up with blood all in his goggles. Does this ring any bells? I can’t think of the title for the life of my as I read it some five years ago…

Right now I’m reading “Genome” by Matt Ridely and “East of Eden” by Steinbeck when I get the chance. I’d like to travel to the Salinas Valley someday, what little of central California I’ve been in is beautiful, and his descriptions really remind me of it!

0
0
88

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

in January 8th, 2009 @ 11:38

GREAT EXPECTATIONS SPOILER!
84- That handel thing was hilarious. And he stuck with it too.
Some of my favorite scenes take place in Wemmiks house, with (sorry, can’t recall his name) the old guy and the little name tags that pop out of walls. It’s also just fun to imagine the architecture of his house.
87- We read Romeo and Juilet first, which I adored.

0
0
89

Raynpho

in January 8th, 2009 @ 14:29

87- Some copies have both endings, but the second one is published more often. Pity.

88- Oh yes, Wemmick and the Aged Parent were great too!
Aged P: What’s that you say, John?
Wemmick: Just nod at him, he likes that. *nods*

0
0
90

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

in January 8th, 2009 @ 15:15

And so pip does nothing but nod until Wemmik comes back!

0
0
91

public like a frog (34 wung points!)

in January 8th, 2009 @ 19:00

41-how remarkable! I have read 42 out of your 50 favorite books! Any opinions on oliver twist?

0
0
92

Alice

in January 8th, 2009 @ 19:22

91- I’ve never read Oliver Twist but I love the name.

0
0
93

Kokonilly

in January 8th, 2009 @ 19:37

We listened to a recording of Romeo and Juliet yesterday. It was SOOOO funny. Okay, so Romeo finds out he’s banished. His reaction:

“OH, OH, OH! I AM BANISH-ED! BANISH-ED!” *wails* *sobs* *cries* “BANISH-ED! OH, THIS IS A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH! HOW THE FLY MAY LOOK UPON JULIET, AND NOT I! OH, OH, BANISH-ED! WERE THAT YOU HAD POISON OR A DAGGER HERE, I WOULD KILL MYSELF! OH, OH, OH…! BANISHED!” *more waling and sobbing*

Or something to that effect. It was very hilarious.

0
0
94

Nthanda the Laugher

in January 8th, 2009 @ 20:48

72–Yeah, Holes is great. Definitely a classic. And the movie was one of the few that I think did the original book justice; probably b/c Sachar was the screenwriter.
73–Ooh, 20,000 Leagues is one of my faves. It’s one of the books that got me started writing; I used to read it about once a month.
87–That’s “Through the Tunnel” by Doris Lessing. I was really freaked out by that story, for some reason…probably because dying by drowning/suffocating is one of my particular fears…
And yes, I agree, people would probably like GE better if they read it after they’ve grown up a bit, maybe like Junior year. Although it sounds like everyone here likes it just fine

Meh…R&J wasn’t one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. We just read Hamlet, though, that was really good. Especially after watching the movie version w/ Kenneth Branaugh.

0
0
95

YodaShomda

in January 8th, 2009 @ 20:52

91- I tried reading it several time but I got so confuzzled at some ppoints. I’m going to try again after my starwars books and Inkheart and Great Expectaions.

0
0
96

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

in January 9th, 2009 @ 16:18

93- You should watch the 1960s version. Its a little uncomfortable to watch at times… (if you’ve seen it you’ll know what I mean) but its a lot of fun to laugh at!

0
0
97

public like a frog (34 wung points!)

in January 9th, 2009 @ 16:51

95-Yes. The story of “monks” was rather confusing, and some events were very contrived, (Sikes/toby burglaring oliver’s aunt’s house? With oliver? On oliver’s first burglary ever??????????? Very unlikely.)

0
0
98

Axa

in January 9th, 2009 @ 18:23

94) that’s it! thank you! yes it was quite traumatizing to read, .especially since i misunderstood while reading it and thought his eye had begun to bleed due to pressure or something.
I think about it a lot though…That feeling that now that you know about something, you just have to do it. I can really relate to that! (Well I still wouldn’t swim a tunnel, but you know)

0
0
99

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 9th, 2009 @ 18:29

I love Herbert. He’s amazing.

I love Huck Finn too. He’s great. I love the book because in the beginning it says:
Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.
By Order of the Author,
Per G. G., Chief of Ordnance.

This way, if my English teacher ever assigns an essay on it, I can say “I cannot do this essay, Mr. B. I don’t want to be prosecuted, banished, or shot!”

0
0
100

In which Vendaval quotes.

in January 9th, 2009 @ 19:44

93- Shakespeare is very funny if you can read it, annotations help.
I mean, câ€™mon, Shakespeare is a dirty old man. Heâ€™s just subtle.
“Banish-ed” is a favorite of mine too.

99- Twain is such a funny fellow.

0
0
101

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 9th, 2009 @ 20:27

72) Yeah, its a cute book.

99)

100) I love Cyrano De’ Berserac.(yah, I misspelled that) He’s so funny! Though at the end he’s an idiot. Alas.

0
0
102

Alice

in January 9th, 2009 @ 22:25

The Mill on the Floss is SO BORING. Ughhhh… And I have to read all of it by Monday.

0
0
103

Nthanda the Laugher

in January 9th, 2009 @ 23:44

96, re 93–or the Leonardo DiCaprio version. As I’ve probably said before, watching him recite Shakespeare (or rather, fail at reciting Shakespeare) is way worth the bad acting skills all around.
99–Oh, I know. I love Mark Twain.

Just began Wuthering Heights. First time.

0
0
104

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 10th, 2009 @ 10:10

cHEEZ! yay. Right now, I’m reading the 8th Pendragon book and then I’ll read Inkdeath, which I got from the library. Yah. Je m’ennuie. blah.
I’m most lilely going to have to find another classic to read pretty soon or dad is going to get on my back again for reading what he calls “junk”. *sigh* Perhaps a Dickens will appease him?

0
0
105

Queen Francois the First

in January 10th, 2009 @ 10:31

14- If you want to read somthing by Dickens try Great Expectations it’s really good. Another book I recomend (though not by Dickens) is Dewey. Has anyone else here read it?

0
0
106

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

in January 10th, 2009 @ 16:28

103- but its all screaming!

0
0
107

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 11th, 2009 @ 15:47

104- The Joy Luck Club is really good. I’m reading it for a book report for English. I like it because my favorite literature is the short story. Each chapter is kind of like a short story, but all of them are related.

0
0
108

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 11th, 2009 @ 15:49

SFTDP, but I’m beginning H2G2 again. I forgot how random it is.

Arthur’s just thinking “yellow” for the bulldozers. I LOL almost every time I read those books. But not the last one. The last one was really weird and stupid and pointless and sad. I liked the ultra smart H2G2 2nd edition, though.

0
0
109

Syllabub (Kysiri)

in January 11th, 2009 @ 16:14

This kid in my grade read all of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books.

0
0
110

Piggy

in January 11th, 2009 @ 17:40

107- What? The epitome of terrible ACT-like test excerpts? How can that actually be enjoyable?!

0
0
111

Piggy

in January 11th, 2009 @ 18:11

((SFTDP))
108- Umm… you mean HG2G?

0
0
112

YodaShmoda

in January 11th, 2009 @ 19:06

109- those are amazing…
104- PENDRAGON! gosh I love those books.

0
0
113

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

in January 11th, 2009 @ 19:13

I just read “Marked” from the House of Night Series. Loved it! I’m gonna read Vampire Acadamy soon. See a trend?

0
0
114

I-Man ((William II, Official Summary Writer's Secretary, whose job requirements include reposting the latest summary when someone is confused))

in January 11th, 2009 @ 20:01

OMG, I just started reading the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series yesterday and it is FUNNY!

0
0
115

Raynpho

in January 11th, 2009 @ 20:32

111- Huh. I never realized this, but I think it could work either way! Think about it:

HG2G would be Hitchhiker’s Guide to (2) the Galaxy,

but H2G2 could be Hitchhiker’s (2 h’s) Guide to the Galaxy (2 g’s)… does that make any sense at all? XD

Gosh, I hope I didn’t mess up any of that HTML.

We just finished Great Expectations, and we’re already onto a new book in school! D: It’s Things Fall Apart by… Chinua Achebe? I think. I’ve finished it already, it’s quite depressing.

0
0
116

Nthanda the Laugher

in January 11th, 2009 @ 22:56

115–Oh goodness, Things Fall Apart…not my favorite book.
Heh my History teacher logged on to the English department website, and on the yearly curriculum, he “updated” the information so that now it reads “Things Fall Apart: A Tale of Yams.”

0
0
117

Alice

in January 11th, 2009 @ 23:53

I finished The Mill on the Floss!!!!! I actually cared towards the end, and it made me cry…

0
0
118

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

in January 12th, 2009 @ 15:01

115- I had to type a 5 page paper on that. Probably my least favorite book, apart from Native Son and Guns Germs and Steel that is…

0
0
119

Kokonilly

in January 12th, 2009 @ 16:07

96 – YES! We are watching it as we read the book. Juliet’s dress was, ahem, too tight in the balcony scene… and Friar Lawrence punches Romeo in the face!
100 – Yes. And it’s actually not that hard to read.
101 – Really? We’re going ot read it.

I love Romeo and Juliet.

0
0
120

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

in January 12th, 2009 @ 16:38

119- Did you get to ummm… the wedding night yet? Cover your eyes, for there are *ahem* prime shots of Romeo.

0
0
121

Kokonilly

in January 12th, 2009 @ 16:48

119 – …No. But we’re looking forward to when Capulet chews out Juliet.

0
0
122

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 12th, 2009 @ 18:46

111, 115- I realized that… I think that H2G2 is more asthetically pleasing than HG2G. Just my opinon, but it makes me always type the wrong thing. And it could work both ways! Now I need to explain that to everyone….

0
0
123

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 12th, 2009 @ 18:53

SFTDP!!!
On Wikipedia it has my way. Yippeday!

0
0
124

Alice

in January 12th, 2009 @ 19:09

I’m reading I Capture the Castle, on the recommendation of a friend of mine, who has proved to have excellent taste in books. So far, it’s much better than I ever expected it to be.

0
0
125

MARFwarrior

in January 12th, 2009 @ 19:40

85- SPOILER LONG SHADOWS SPOILER.
i think they might be leafpool’ and crowfeathers kits. i also think sol killed ashfur. END OF SPOILER

0
0
126

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

in January 12th, 2009 @ 19:41

121- Yeah they basically throw temper tantrums at each other. ’tis good fun.

0
0
127

Tesseract

in January 12th, 2009 @ 20:59

118 – Guns, Germs, and Steel the book is rather tedious–I didn’t make it very far in at all–but the documentaries based on the books are excellent. My middle school SS teacher based a large part of her perceptive on Social Studies around Jared Diamond’s theory of geography, and I found the documentaries interesting enough to buy a copy.

We read The Old Man and the Sea over break. I found the style horrible for conversation, and strongly disliked the book at first, but as I got further into the book I started to appreciate it. I decided I like the book. Unfortunately, my English class is not one that has much discussion.

0
0
128

Rainbowstar

in January 12th, 2009 @ 21:19

SPOILER LONG SHADOWS SPOILER.
125 – Sol? It’s possible, I guess. I never thought of that. But he did know about the prophecy, so he wouldn’t want the Three (if they are the Three) to be in danger. And it’s unknown where he was when Ashfur died. Very suspicious…

0
0
129

oxlin

in January 13th, 2009 @ 11:52

124- I Capture the Castle is excellent.

0
0
130

YodaShmoda

in January 13th, 2009 @ 14:46

POSSIBLE INKHEART SPOILER.
So I finished it. It was good. I’m going to read the next ones soon. Maybe. I really liked Dustfinger , I think he was the most belivable character. He had his goal and becuase of that hi judgement was clouded. I don’t think he would have brougth Meegie and Co to Capricorn if he really belived he couldn’t get home. I don’t like Mo’s other name. It just irks me. Can’t they just call him Mo? And I love poor Faird. He’s just caught in the middle. Fawning over somone who doesn’t really like him.

0
0
131

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 13th, 2009 @ 17:09

130) It isn’t that Dustfinger doesn’t like him. Dustfinger likes Farid, it’s just one of those things where he acts like he doesn’t like Farid, but he actually does. I would explain further, but it seems like you’ve only read the first book and I don’t want to spoil anything without meaning to.

0
0
132

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 13th, 2009 @ 23:26

130- He gets another name in Inkspell. Dustfinger is my favorite character, too. I should say was. He was the best in Inkheart.

0
0
133

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 14th, 2009 @ 10:05

132) I know, he’s my favorite too. (hey, no spoilers! :wink:)

0
0
134

YodaShmoda

in January 14th, 2009 @ 13:31

131- Got it. That makes sence.
132- ANOTHER?!?!?! Goodness me.

0
0
135

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 14th, 2009 @ 20:30

133- I see no spoilers in that…. except… well I won’t give it away. I was not aware of the possible “spoiler” when I typed that.

0
0
136

kiwimuncher

in January 15th, 2009 @ 11:19

I am reading Inkdeath! Haven’t gotten very far into it though……

0
0
137

KaiYves (Delta V)

in January 15th, 2009 @ 18:35

My teacher lent me Kon-Tiki, which (since we got out of school early on account of snow) I proceeded to read for two hours straight. Great book.

0
0
138

Alice

in January 17th, 2009 @ 11:15

I went to the library the other day. I got:
Midnight is a Place (not as good as the Wolves Chronicles, but still good)
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation (I didn’t finish it last time I got it)
The Land of the Silver Apples (someone here said it wasn’t very good, but I thought I’d try it)
The New Policeman (on tape–I already read the book, but I wanted to hear the music they put in between chapters)

0
0
139

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 21st, 2009 @ 14:12

138) I have never heard of any of those books. How are they? *is curious* Right now, I’m stuck on “Southern Vampire Novels”. They’re really fun, although not necessarilly age appropriate. It depends on how mature you are though. *cough*

0
0
140

oxlin

in January 21st, 2009 @ 16:21

138- I’ve read Midnight is a Place but that was when I was in seventh or eighth grade (five to six years ago). I’ve heard of Octavian Nothing but not read it.

0
0
141

YodaShmoda

in January 21st, 2009 @ 17:03

Octavian Nothing. That’s suposed to be good. My best friend wants me to read it. But I have so many books piling up now. And I’m having troubles with reading too because I’m so stressed.

0
0
142

Fiocco: Know who he is?

in January 21st, 2009 @ 18:53

30- Aww I liked that one. it made me think, something that doesn’t usually happen with Fiction of that reading level.

Ok so I just finished the House of Night Series 1-3 and the Vampire Acadamey series 1&2. Any opinions? please post a spoiler notice first.

0
0
143

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 21st, 2009 @ 19:02

There’s a second Vampire Academy? Really? Hmmmmmmm. I don’t know whether to check it out or to just let it be with the first one…….

0
0
144

purplefinch

in January 21st, 2009 @ 19:34

Did the Vampire Academy involve water polo? B/c I think I may have read it a while ago. Also, I think I read The New Policeman.
Octavian Nothing was okay. I never really liked Cornelia Funke… I think she must have lost a lot in translation, or something.

I read (and liked) The Great Gatsby, but sometimes the attitudes of the characters (In this book and in some other older ones that I’ve been reading recently by various authors) are racist or sexist, and it’s annoying. Blech. And I wonder how “future generations” or whatever will look at the literature produced now… will it have weird stereotypes (and worse) that we would never think of as offensive?

I want to read I Capture the Castle.

I really liked that video version of Romeo and Juliet, although I agree about the dress + lack of clothes… I watched Hamlet by the same director a bit ago.

37- (going up to reply to Mel’s post, and realized that she mentioned the Great Gatsby too…) I love Italo Calvino… I read IOAWNAT, and started the one about the boy in the tree, which is… amazing (so far).

Belated pies to Fire faerie.

0
0
145

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 21st, 2009 @ 21:10

144) Water polo? Don’t think so……..

0
0
146

trust kokopelli

in January 24th, 2009 @ 09:18

41- Life of Pi didn’t have a very good plotline, but it was very well-written.

0
0
147

oxlin

in January 24th, 2009 @ 13:48

Has anyone read China MiÃ©ville’s Perdido Street Station? I really like the character the Weaver. It is spectacular.

0
0
148

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 24th, 2009 @ 20:31

147) No, I have not. What is it about?

Well, I went to the library today. I borrowed “The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (thanks to whoever recommended that) and “A Thousand splendid Suns”. I also went ahead and got on the list for the next Maximum Ride book that’s coming out soon. Gosh! Those lines get so LONG!

0
0
149

Rainbowstar (3 piepoints)

in January 25th, 2009 @ 11:23

SPOILER TWILIGHT SPOILER.
I read Twilight!
It was – better than I expected it to be, but not as good as everyone says it is. Bits of it, particularly the dance studio scene, were confusing, like I couldn’t figure out what was going on, and it seems like Bella has to be saved all the time. Also, I don’t think it’s emphasized enough that the Cullens are vampires. They’re kind of portrayed as just good-looking people who stay young forever and have cool powers. But it was surprisingly well-written, with more of a plot than I expected.

SPOILER NEW MOON SPOILER.
I’m currently reading New Moon, the sequel to Twilight, which is also . I got up to the part where Bella jumps off a cliff and is rescued by Jacob.

0
0
150

â˜¼Zinc the sorceressâ˜¼

in January 25th, 2009 @ 12:03

SPOILER TWILIGHT SAGA SPOILER.

149: When I first read it, I gave it a . Now, I give it a . They are extremely tedious and not that well written (like touch football.). Once you get over the initial ‘OMG that was fantastic’ which usually happens after you read a book, you can dissect it, and see if your feelings were what you really felt about the book. Some people do love it (Grape goes nuts when she sees a silver Volvo- she’s that bad) after they read the book again, but others, like me, do not. I also saw the great monologue talking about BD; I ‘ll post it.

A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

So apparantly a lot of Twilight fans are of the opinion that Breaking Dawn ruined the series. I having never read the series, have been asked to give my fair, unbiased opinion. So, here I go…
*reads Twilight*
Guh.
AAAUUUGGGHHH!
*asplosion*
-time passes-
So, Breaking Dawn did not ruiin the series.
Twilight did.

DO NOT LET YOUR FRIENDS READ TWILIGHT IF YOU VALUE THEIR SANITY.

Haha, that was fun. Excuse my ranting.

0
0
151

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 25th, 2009 @ 13:02

I liked Twilight. I don’t see what’s the big deal. Although, i do agree that the 4th book wasn’t the greatest. The others were awesome though! However, I suppose that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

0
0
152

Daisy*chain

in January 25th, 2009 @ 14:55

150- I can understand why you might not like it, but……
personally I am an absolute Twilight fanatic. My friend and I pride ourselves on being able to connect absolutely anything that someone says to Twilight (or the other books).
I think that Breaking Dawn is considered to be worse than the other books because its basically just a happy ending to the series. True, the others were better, but I still love all the books.
But that’s just me.

0
0
153

Kokonilly

in January 25th, 2009 @ 15:00

TWILIGHT! You know my opinion on Twilight.

0
0
154

Zallie

in January 25th, 2009 @ 17:46

.147 (oxlin) That book is on my to-read list! I’m trying to read 100 books this year, so I’ll probably get to it sometime this month.

0
0
155

Alice

in January 25th, 2009 @ 18:36

144- Octavian Nothing isn’t Cornelia Funke. It’s…M.T. Anderson, or something.
154- Hmm, 100 books a year doesn’t seem like many, but it is, isn’t it.

0
0
156

The Bookworm & Lurline (410 piepoints and three B-Day Points and 42 KAG Points!)

in January 25th, 2009 @ 18:53

155- Yes, M.T. Anderson!

0
0
157

YodaShmoda

in January 25th, 2009 @ 19:38

AH HA!
So I finished The Hunger Games. I thought it was amazing. Now I am reading Rebel Angels.
And kids are starting to hate me becuase I read too much. They’re all saying I have an unfiar advantage when it comes to the Homework pass that my teacher is giving out to the kid who reads the most. They say I got mutated so I can read fast, I think it’s absurd. You’ll be happy (or at least I am) to know that I am no longer streassed to the point of not being able to read. I think it’s all straigtened out. Even though I did accidently punch my best firend and now he hates me which you would htink would be stressful but somehow isn’t.
So far I really like Rebel Angels. Ofcourse I’m only twenty pages in. I’ve never liked Gemma though, just the magic idea.

0
0
158

purplefinch

in January 25th, 2009 @ 20:11

145-It must have been another vampire story, then, that I read. XD

147-I’m reading The Scar by him, actually. All the little details are well thought-out and inventive… So far it’s fantastic.

155/156-Oh, I didn’t mean that she wrote it… I was kind of switching subject mid-paragraph, I suppose. I meant:
Octavian Nothing was okay.
I never really liked Cornelia Funkeâ€¦ I think she must have lost a lot in translation, or something. (responding to the earlier conversation about her )

Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon is good, though I def. need to re-read it. It’s kind of an adventure story (and with mature bits, I guess), but extremely clever.

Working on a collection of Short Stories by Somerset Maugham… The Razor’s Edge was better. Much better.

0
0
159

Zallie

in January 25th, 2009 @ 20:38

.158 (purplefinch) – I actually wasn’t a fan of Gentlemen of the Road. It was well-written (Chabon never disappoints on that one) but I saw the plot twist coming and the characters always felt sort of distant to me. He tried so hard to create this historical world, but I never felt like the world meshed with the characters. They seemed very separate to me.

If you haven’t already, you should read Summerland (by Chabon as well). It’s really good! And, if you don’t mind ‘adult’ books, try the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. I love that one the best, although it might be a bit too old for you. I hated when people told me that when I was younger, but I don’t want to recommend something too shocking to anyone. It’s much more mature than Gentlemen of the Road for sure.

0
0
160

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in January 25th, 2009 @ 21:23

150-
My friend (A) is a Twilight freak. So much, that she got my other friend (B) to read it. Fortunatly, the other friend is like about it. She’s up to Eclipse so… yeah.
It’s so stupid. Every time someone says they haven’t read it A says, “Before I read Twilight, I thought it was stupid, too.” She says it OVER AND OVER AND OVER!!! Especially when the topic comes up at lunch. My other friend (C) read Twilight and hated it and I have never read it at all. So whenever we talk about Twilight at lunch, A says her signature line to me when I say “I’ve never read it and it seems dumb” and then C says “It IS dumb and I HAVE read it.” After that, A gets ashamed and changes the subject and I laugh quietly to myself.

0
0
161

Cat's Eye (10 wung points)

in January 25th, 2009 @ 22:46

157: Join the club! I got a lot of jaw-wagging directed at me when I read 10,000 pages per quarter last year, when we were only supposed to read 1,000. I can’t help it!! I’m a bookworm!! Gah!!

0
0
162

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 26th, 2009 @ 12:20

157) Don’t feel bad! Reading is awesome! I’ve been known as the ‘reader’ since first grade! I recall that my friend and I were known as the reading rainbow book club for years all throughout elementary and middle school. Now everyone just stares at me I’m some sort of alien, but it’s OK. NEver stop reading! Reading is AWesOME! Almost as awesome as cheese!

0
0
163

YodaShmoda

in January 26th, 2009 @ 14:18

160- Reminds e of my friends. Twilight is overrated and if I could do italics the is would be italicized.
161/162- It’s actualy getting funny. Because we have to take these ten question tests after every bok we read and kids are coming up to me saying “I’ll give you five dollars if you take a test for me” It’s like “Are you really willing to do that?” I just want to tell them to read the book themselves!

0
0
164

purplefinch

in January 28th, 2009 @ 11:15

159(Zallie)-That is true, though I thought it might have been done at least a little bit intentionally to add a different type of feeling to the book. Kind of breaking away from the cliche adventure-story writing style? I’m not sure…that’s one of the reasons I’m going to re-read it. But I agree that the kind of general feeling of the book was… cold.
Yeah, I want to read the rest of his books now (I’ve only read the one), even if just to compare.

I don’t really care about adult content, as long as it furthers the story line and isn’t there “just because”, you know?
What do other people think? I know that when I was younger I hated it, but now so many books that I read include those kinds of themes I don’t even really notice it anymore. Anyway, I figure that there are people my age engaging in those activities…reading about them isn’t going to do any harm. *sigh*

I loved The Scar. I think it’s some of the best fantasy I’ve read in a veryvery long time. It was kind of… steampunky-ish? creative and amazing. Anyway, I think it was set in the same world as Perdido Street Station.

0
0
165

YodaShmoda

in January 28th, 2009 @ 12:06

Does anyone after or during a book just lay back and put yourself in the book? I dunno like, decide that there could be an extra charactor stuck in there? If not a huge character than a minor one? I do.

0
0
166

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in January 28th, 2009 @ 21:38

163) People did stuff like that to me last semester in my environmental science class. I was always the curve breaker, so they would come up to me and try to bribe me to miss a few questions intentionally. They were just joking though. I think.

165) Sometimes, when I’m bored and have nothing to do except stare into space, I’ll just stick myself in a book and play it out. Quite interesting.

Well, I’ve officially started English with my Dad! Right now, we’re reading the Aenid. Unfortunately, I can’t spell it. *sigh* That’s problematic. Spelling never was my strong point…..

0
0
167

oxlin

in January 30th, 2009 @ 15:44

My favorite part of Perdido Street Station is the Weaver. I should read The Scar.

0
0
168

Vendaval

in January 31st, 2009 @ 14:35

Has anybody read Jarvis Clutch: Social Spy?
It’s written for middle school students, but I’ve just begun it and it has been extremely helpful for understanding social cognition.

0
0
169

MissSwann

in February 3rd, 2009 @ 17:20

I’m reading the A-List series. Exceptionally crappy, but like most crap reading, it draws you in and doesn’t let go.

But as for reading that actually matters, I recently read the Jane Austen Book Club. It’s fairly good.

0
0
170

YodaShmoda

in February 3rd, 2009 @ 18:30

Oh my gosh.
I just read Hunger Games, and it was amazing.
But not nearly as good as Speak, which was *cry* well enough to move me to tears. It was beautifuly written and I was in this stupor when people made me stop reading, it made me fail todays science test but it was well worth it.
And then The Five People You Meet in Heaven was amazing too. AT the end I cried, which didn’t work out well in the middle of Spanish class.

0
0
171

Piggy

in February 3rd, 2009 @ 21:14

After reading Fahrenheit 451, I’ve noticed that I’m not the same as I was before. It’s not that I’m misanthropic, per se, but I have begun to despise small talk and petty drama. The scenes in the parlor are horrifyingly similar to real life, and I don’t want to see the same outcome. Has anyone else read this book? What did they think of it, especially its relation to our current society?

0
0
172

Zallie

in February 3rd, 2009 @ 22:02

So, I’m reading 100 books in 2009. Here are the books I read in January. I need to read about 2 books a week to accomplish this, and I’m already a bit behind, haha.

January Books
1. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon
2. Gentlemen of the Road, Michael Chabon
3. â€˜Tis, Frank McCourt
4. The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac
5. Freakonomics, Steven Levitt
6. Down and Out in Paris and London, George Orwell

0
0
173

Tesseract

in February 3rd, 2009 @ 22:08

172 – I like that idea. I might try as well. I think I’m behind, though… does rereading count?

0
0
174

Zallie

in February 4th, 2009 @ 17:13

.Yeah, I’m going to count it, I think. All of mine have been new-reads so far, though.

0
0
175

Axa

in February 4th, 2009 @ 22:15

.171– Ray Bradbury was described by one of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut as such:

“The title refers to the kindling point of paper. That is how hot you have to get a book or a magazine before it bursts into flame. The leading male character makes his living burning printed matter. Nobody reads anymore. Many ordinary, rinky-dink homes like Rayâ€™s and mine have a room with floor-to-ceiling TV screens on all four walls, with one chair in the middle.
[. . .]
In any case, Ray was sure as heck prescient. Just as people with dysfunctional kidneys are getting perfect ones from hospitals nowadays, Americans with dysfunctional social lives, like the woman in Rayâ€™s book, are getting perfect ones from their TV sets. And around the clock!

Ray missed the boat about how many screens would be required for a successful people-transplant. One lousy little Sony can do the job, night and day. All it takes besides that is actors and actresses, telling the news, selling stuff, in soap operas or whatever, who treat whoever is watching even if nobody is watching, like family.”
– From bagombo snuff box

Farenheit 451 is excellent.

172– I was planning on doing that as well! I am miserably behind though, having started about five books and finished none…

0
0
176

muselover

in February 9th, 2009 @ 17:16

I finished Timeline a while ago. I liked it, but I thought Jurassic Park was better.

Also, has anyone read the Star Wars book Labyrinth of Evil? It was actually pretty good, in my opinion.

0
0
177

Alyss

in February 9th, 2009 @ 17:25

172- Not to brag, but I’m up to book # 23 in 2009, and I don’t feel like posting my list here.

Is anyone here a nerdfighter, or a fan of John Green?

(He wrote Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns, btw)

0
0
178

Zallie

in February 9th, 2009 @ 17:28

.175 – Oh, you can do it! I’m behind as well, but that’s because I’m in school full-time and in a production right now, so I haven’t had that much time. Post your monthly lists here with me!

0
0
179

Alice

in February 9th, 2009 @ 17:41

I dunno, let’s see what kind of list i can come up with:
1. The Mill on the Floss
2. Coraline
3. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing
4. The New Policeman
5. Midnight is a Place
6. I Capture the Castle
7. The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas
8. Running Out of Time*
9. Pure Dead Magic*
10. Macbeth
11. Maskerade
12. The Swan Maiden (in progress)

*My sister’s books that I picked up out of boredom while looking for something light.

Eh, I haven’t been reading that much, I guess.

0
0
180

Alyss

in February 9th, 2009 @ 18:41

Coraline was good
Octavian Nothing was not my favorite, but I’m expecting the second one to be better
Midnight is a Place was great
I capture the Castle was, again, great.
I LOVE PURE DEAD MAGIC!!! the entire series is hilarious!
Running out of time was Ok,

and how’s the Swan Maiden?

0
0
181

Rainbowstar (3 piepoints)

in February 9th, 2009 @ 19:17

I have revised my opinion of Twilight. Zinc, you were right about thinking a book is great right after you finish, but later realizing it wasn’t that good. I have discovered my true feelings about Twilight, and I now give it a .

By the way, I finished New Moon, which I found even more pointless and confusing than Twilight. I don’t think I’ll even read Eclipse or Breaking Dawn. Yes, I now see that Twilight, at least to my mind, is . *eats Twilight* Yuck. Tastes like those chalky little valentine candy hearts. *washes out taste with yummy Artemis Fowl books*

0
0
182

alvida-sama

in February 9th, 2009 @ 20:00

twilight was ok. but I am OBSESSED with agatha christie, douglas adams, random archealogical textbooks (copyright 1919) dug out from the bowels of my public library, and gerald morris. and manga, of course.

0
0
183

Alice

in February 9th, 2009 @ 20:02

180- -gape- I suppose it’s really not that unusual that you know those. I’m really only surprised that you know my sister’s books as well as mine.
Octavian Nothing was pretty good, I thought, only it got a little boring at times and it didn’t have as much political intrigue as I’d imagined. The “traitor to the nation” part is only ’cause he runs away.
I didn’t think Midnight is a Place was that good. Have you read Joan Aiken’s Wolves Chronicles?
Pure Dead Magic was surprisingly good, if a little bit like a great many other things I’d read. I really expected it to be awful.

0
0
184

Alice

in February 9th, 2009 @ 20:08

SFTDP.
The Swan Maiden is really rather good. I hadn’t expected much, since it came in a batch of fairly unremarkable books, and to be quite honest I wouldn’t say it’s exactly remarkable, but certainly enjoyable. I enjoy finding little bits that I know from fairy tales or other stories (ex. I find the Rassemblement bears a strong resemblance to whatever happened to Alexa/whatever her name was in The Stones Are Hatching).

0
0
185

Alyss

in February 9th, 2009 @ 20:25

SFTDP?
I haven’t read the Wolves Chronicles, and everyone tells me to, but I haven’t been able to find the first one. What’s it called?

Right now I’m reading the Uglies, Pretties series, which is pretty darn bad. It’s our book club book, and as I’m Co-President, I feel I’m required. Meh.

0
0
186

I-Man ((William II, Official Summary Writer's Secretary, whose job requirements include reposting the latest summary when someone is confused))

in February 9th, 2009 @ 20:37

I am reading The Book Thief for English and it is great.

0
0
187

Zallie

in February 9th, 2009 @ 21:55

.177 – Well, congratulations. You make excellent use of your free time.

183 – I loved the Wolves Chronicles when I was younger. I don’t think I have my copies anymore, but I always thought Dido was so great. I was her for Halloween once.

185 – You can start with The Wolves at Willoughby Chase, I think. (although reading them in order is not particularly important, I’ve found, as there are almost two or three separate sets of characters.

0
0
188

Alice

in February 9th, 2009 @ 22:50

187- Dido Twite is my hero.

0
0
189

trust kokopelli

in February 10th, 2009 @ 06:49

The wolves chronicles are good but… I’m just not that type. My type is modern day adventure and humor. (Think HG2G or Percy Jackson.)

0
0
190

bookgirl_me

in February 10th, 2009 @ 09:02

I hate the hunters in Percy Jackson. They’re all such wimps.

0
0
191

Alyss

in February 10th, 2009 @ 13:59

I AM IN LOVE WITH MARKUS ZUSAK!!!!!!

The Book Thief is great, and amazing and all, but to really appreciate his amazingness you have to read Fighting Ruben Wolf and Getting the Girl. The prose he uses is so poetic, it’s insane.

189- Have you read Un Lun Dun by China Mieville? It’s in that same vein, and quite good. And I’m assuming all Hitchikers have also read Dirk Gently’s Hollistic Detective Agency, another must read Adam’s series.
190- I completely agree. Teh first one was OK, and then the second one was just terrible. I didn’t even bother with the third.

0
0
192

Adeia

in February 10th, 2009 @ 14:35

all must read Sabriel by Garth Nix
it is awesome
I really should be working on my home work

0
0
193

public like a frog (34 wung points.)

in February 10th, 2009 @ 16:23

I have read the wolves chronicles, and remember them mainly as an interesting uchronia. Sabriel is indeed teh pwnage.

0
0
194

YodaShmoda

in February 10th, 2009 @ 18:21

Have you ever read a book you loved while reading and then thought back on it and realized you hated it?
I realized a few days ago that I love novels that are long versions of fairy tales, The Goose Girl and this other one that I read in 6th grade. It’s abou the tale with the brothers who turn into geese and then are turned back by their sister but the youngest still has a goose arm. I can’t remember the title and I loved that book to no end.

0
0
195

public like a frog (34 wung points.)

in February 10th, 2009 @ 18:43

194-not actually hated, but there are no end of books i enjoyed greatly a while ago and now dislike.

0
0
196

Tesseract

in February 10th, 2009 @ 19:55

I’m reading 1984 now. I started it back in April and found it incredibly hard to get through; now, for some reason, I’m enjoying it a lot. It may have something to do with having read Wuthering Heights recently. It’s easier in comparison.
Actually, I think I’ve started into a period of reading a lot of classics. Once I’ve finished 1984, I’m planning on reading The Great Gatsby and then Night. I’m also looking for a copy of The Importance of Being Earnest.

0
0
197

-*CTN*-

in February 10th, 2009 @ 20:09

189- Percy rocks. Demigods are cool.

0
0
198

Alice

in February 10th, 2009 @ 20:10

194- Fire and Hemlock.
OK, so I didn’t hate it, but I read and I was like, “Oh my god, best book ever!” and I finished it in one day and then I looked back and said to myself, “What on earth did I see in it?” Although looking back now I think, “Hey, that was actually a good book.”
On the other hand, there are books that I read some time ago and thought, “Meh,” and then reread and realized that they were brilliant.

I also like long versions of fairy tales, although The Goose Girl was actually pretty boring, I thought. More than that, though, I like books that take certain elements of fairy tales and weave them in with other elements to make something that it is original but has all the fairy-tale pieces.

0
0
199

-*CTN*-

in February 11th, 2009 @ 18:14

The Westing Game is about my favorite book just now. I’ve read it so many times now, but I’m still not bored.

0
0
200

Alyss

in February 11th, 2009 @ 19:00

The Westing Game is top on my list of younger books that I still reread frequently (others are inkheart and Eva Ibbotson’s books). It always seems fresh, and I love it

I really wish Abarat 3 would hurry up and be released, it’s annoying me to not know what happens!

0
0
201

-*CTN*-

in February 11th, 2009 @ 19:22

Inkheart is wonderful. Inkspell was great, and now I need to read Inkdeath. I wish there weren’t 100 people holding it at the local library…

0
0
202

Daisy*chain

in February 11th, 2009 @ 19:59

Inkdeath was very good too. I won’t spoil it for you, of course, CTN.
I can’t remember what Inkheart and Inkspell were about anymore. It was over a year between I read those two and Inkdeath. *rambles*

0
0
203

Alyss

in February 15th, 2009 @ 20:15

Inkdeath was good, but not as good as Inkheart. And it made me sad, for girlish reasons. But I think people will understand.

0
0
204

MissSwann

in February 16th, 2009 @ 10:41

I personally preferred Inkspell over Inkheart. Many disagree with me, but I just don’t know. I haven’t gotten the chance to read Inkdeath yet.

0
0
205

Raynpho

in February 16th, 2009 @ 11:50

Gah, I leave this thread for a month and there are a hundred new posts to ~~skim through~~ read over.

116- Haha, a Tale of Yams indeed. Actually, we had a yam party in English on Friday to celebrate our finishing of the book. The 1st Annual Yam Jam and/or Yamapalooza included yam rolls, yam chips, yam pancakes, yam cookies, yam fries, and candied yams! What can I say, our class is crazy.

Oh, someone actually took the effort to bring in a few kola nuts too, but we decided not to touch them after finding out that they’re high in carcinogens and caffeine, which may somewhat explain a couple things in the book… >.>

153- There, there, Nilly. *pats* Just take a DEEP breath, now.

185- Uglies/Pretties/Specials wasn’t all that bad. Though, looking back, (I read them two years ago)… I can rather see why you’d feel that way. Hmm. A bunch of his other books are somewhat freakishly surreal.

191- I really liked The Book Thief and The Messenger, are the two others really better? I’ve never read them, for some reason.

I read The Princess Bride the other day, it was getting rather annoying to hear Inigo Montoya references everywhere and not having a clue about them… it was pretty good, even if the ending, I thought, could have been better. At least there’s a sequel, though I haven’t read it yet. I really do not understand, though, why William Goldman’s name is so much more prominent than S. Morgenstern’s… does an abridger really get that much credit?
Has anyone read The Invention of Hugo Cabret? Wikipedia’s description fits it well, I think: “With 300 pictures between the book’s 526 pages, the book depends equally on its pictures as it does the actual words. Selznick himself has described the book as ‘not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all these things.'” It’s the size of Twilight, with 5 times the story in 1/3 of the words.

I re-read The Hero and the Crown a couple weeks ago, simply because it’s fantastic, and I think it gets better with a re-read. Classic medieval dragon-fighting heroine story? Yes please. I’m reading The Blue Sword for the first time, never got around to it the last time around. The first four pages are good. I think.

Wow, this is a long post.

0
0
206

MissSwann

in February 20th, 2009 @ 17:35

I started Scat by Carl Hiaasen last night. Subtly creepy with charm.

0
0
207

Thanks For All The Fish42

in February 20th, 2009 @ 20:39

Has anyone read The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
I hate it, but I want to see if it’s just me….

0
0
208

Zallie

in February 20th, 2009 @ 20:58

.207 – I read that book for a book-group in grade school. I think I liked it alright, although the book-group itself was pretty awful.

0
0
209

Luna the Lovely

in February 20th, 2009 @ 21:01

207–Hmmm, yes, I believe I did. 17th century witchcraft trial(s)? It’s been a long time, since grade school, so I don’t really remember it. I just remember the title,and I remember it being one fo the books my mom assigned me to read for history, when we were studying that time period. Sorry, really don’t remember if I liked it or if I disliked it.

0
0
210

Vendaval

in February 20th, 2009 @ 21:10

207- My younger brother hated it. I have not read it.

0
0
211

Midnight Fiddler (she of 2 spzdk, 500 PiePoints and 30 Muszey points)

in February 20th, 2009 @ 21:17

207~ I read it ages ago and remember really liking it.

Oh, that reminds me of another book I read, has anyone else read Witch Child? I read it ages ago, so I don’t remember all the details, but it was bout a girl who lived with her grandmother until she was accused of being a witch, she then goes to America. I think. At one point she was hiding her journal by tearing the pages out and sewing them into a quilt, and the sequel (Sorceress, I think it was called) was about someone finding those pages in the quilt and trying to figure out about her life, with flashbacks and suchlike. That probably made no sense, but they were good books.

0
0
212

Daisy*chain

in February 20th, 2009 @ 21:26

207- I have to read it for English. I hated it at first, and at middle. I only liked the ending, when Prudence spoke up for herself.

0
0
213

Thanks For All The Fish42

in February 20th, 2009 @ 21:39

It’s a bit late, but I was reading random parts of the thread and I wanted to say some of my favorites. (to find other people to talk about them with)

The Westing Game
Harry Potter Series
Twilight series (Yeah, I don’t care if I’m a boy)
The Dark Materials series(golden compass,etc.)
A Bold, Fresh Piece of Humanity
Unwind
The Host
Over Sea, Under Stone
The Series of Unfortunate Events
The book of Lost Things

Some of these books are less popular, but I wanted to find some people who also read them.

0
0
214

â˜¼Zinc the sorceressâ˜¼

in February 20th, 2009 @ 22:28

Haha, just found this comic about Twilight. Dialogue:
Bella: Like, hi! My name is Bella and I’m a special and unique snowflake and I’m so pretty and nerds are so lame! Plus, all the teachers and students at school think I’m sooo awesome!
Edward: Hello. I am Edward. I am a vampire. I have no personality and you and I are void of any actual chemistry.
Bella: Ooo, you’re pretty! We should be in love! Let us frolic!
Edward: Okay.
B&E: *frolic*
Random girl: *on phone* Okay, father? I lit the book on fire, but I don’t think that did the trick. I can feel it… watching me… look, would you please just come over and exorcise the thing? -please…?

0
0
215

Midnight Fiddler (she of 2 spzdk, 500 PiePoints and 30 Muszey points)

in February 20th, 2009 @ 22:40

213~ I’ve read The Westing Game. I remember liking it at the time, but not quite understanding the whole thing.

214~

0
0
216

Starfire (Just for now)

in February 21st, 2009 @ 09:42

Nobody’s recommended Lord Of The Rings. I am disappointed. Geeze, maybe I should stay on Cricket. There’s a LotR recommendation in GERMAN, for cloud’s sake! *grumbles*

0
0
217

MissSwann

in February 21st, 2009 @ 09:52

207- I did, it was all right… I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it…
213- Yay, someone who doesn’t hate Twilight!
214- I KNOW THAT COMIC! It’s under my favorties on DeviantArt because the frolicing panel makes me laugh so hard.

0
0
218

Raynpho

in February 21st, 2009 @ 18:34

207- I have… I even own it,come to think of it… I thought it was pretty good. *ponders* I liked Mercy.

214- Haha, I’ve seen that! There’s a sequel too, drawn after Breaking Dawn came out.

216- Hey, hey, there might not be a LotR recommendation… on this thread. But try checking the previous book threads, or any of the threads devoted to LotR/Tolkien.

0
0
219

MissSwann

in February 23rd, 2009 @ 15:18

216- I think that everyone assumes that everyone else has read it. A bit like Harry Potter; you don’t need to reccomend it. It’s a given.

I’m reading the new Clique book. Dylan, Kristen, Massie AND Layne all have a crush on the same guy!!! *omg* We all need mind candy sometimes.

0
0
220

â™¢RoseQuartzâ™¢ (10 wung points)

in February 23rd, 2009 @ 16:20

219- Aaaah, you SPOILER! I’ve not read it yet!

0
0
221

Alyss

in February 23rd, 2009 @ 17:19

205- Goldman is notable because in general he writes screenplays. He wrote All the President’s Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The sequel is not out yet, and I don’t expect it will be for quite a while. The 35th edition was supposed to come out last summer, but it didn’t. Disappointingly.
I did not enjoy The Invention of Hugo Cabret. It was a little too boring, and I think I was to old to get the full effect.

206- I saw that at the bookstore, and my mom said it was too easy

207- Hated that book! It’s one of the very select few that I couldn’t finish!

I did get my leather bound hard copy of the Hitchhiker’s Guide the other day, and that made me very happy

0
0
222

â™¢RoseQuartzâ™¢ (10 wung points)

in February 23rd, 2009 @ 17:32

221- My copy is all five bound together, and it’s so tattered that I’m ashamed of it.

0
0
223

Kokonilly

in February 23rd, 2009 @ 17:46

216 – *ahem* Nearly everyone here has read it. Nobody bothers to recommend it because everyone else has read it already. Don’t jump to conclusions. I presume you’re new. Hello!

Clique is one of the very few books I could never finish.

0
0
224

â™¢RoseQuartzâ™¢ (10 wung points)

in February 23rd, 2009 @ 17:57

223- They were stupid, but I decided I’d better learn about the lives of mean people. One of them is a character in one of my current novels.

0
0
225

Tesseract

in February 23rd, 2009 @ 19:26

211 – I bought and read Sorceress, not knowing it was a sequel. I liked the narrative during the flashbacks but hated the girl who was having the flashbacks… Also, the book didn’t make much sense at first, but that may have something to do with not having read the prequel.
224 – So accurate.

0
0
226

Cinnamoon

in February 23rd, 2009 @ 20:10

205- Because S Morgenstern never exsisted! Goldman just made all that up to make it more exciting. I couldn’t believe it when I heard it, but it makes sense. S Morgenstern, for example, is meant to live in Florin – which we know is not a real country. There is no original.

0
0
227

MissSwann

in February 24th, 2009 @ 15:23

220- At least I didn’t say WHICH guy. And the sitch with Claire/Cam… ah, I’ve said to much.

0
0
228

Friend of Kirsten Miller, awesome superspy

in February 27th, 2009 @ 18:44

My username is TRUE! She is using some of my ideas for her next book.

Read Kiki Strike it is a great Muse book!!!!!!

0
0
229

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in February 28th, 2009 @ 21:33

Wowsers! I haven’t been here in forever!

216) Yeah. You don’t even have to ask here. Everyone’s automatically read it. At least, most people. I can’t think of anyone who hasn’t. *brain hurts from thinking too hard*

Right now in English, we’re reading The Inferno, the first book in the Divine Comedy. Very interesting. That’s all I can say.
We just finished Cyrano de Bergerac. I LOVE that play! We got to see it live one time and it was awesome! Cyrano is just so fun! I mean, he’s so witty! And I love his nose insults! And I wish Roxane would have figured it out about Cyrano sooner.

0
0
230

MissSwann

in March 1st, 2009 @ 08:36

229- That’s the great thing about us.

Feed. Amazing book. Read it now! Similar to Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, only better.

0
0
231

kiwimuncher

in March 1st, 2009 @ 17:00

Uglies was good. Did you read the others? Pretty interesting series!

Feed? what’s it about? *is curious*

0
0
232

MissSwann

in March 1st, 2009 @ 17:05

231- I liked Pretties the best. But she should NOT have left David, even if Zane was a smexy muffin. Feed is great! It’s about the future, people have computer chips implanted in their brains and everything on a regular computer is now a part of their brain. You can order stuff from stores and chat with people and stuff… but then there’s this girl who doesn’t have the chip (or the Feed) and she’s really cool and unique… I’m not finished with it, but it’s highly reccomended for everyone here.

0
0
233

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in March 2nd, 2009 @ 08:05

232) Oooooooo. That sounds awesome!

Though about Zane. I mean, it makes since, because at the time that she fell in love with him, she didn’t remember her love for David. And, I mean, David was a jerk when he didn’t believe that her feelings for Zane were real. And just how he acted. I mean, Zane helped her to come back to herself and he practically died for her. That’s a big deal.

0
0
234

MissSwann

in March 2nd, 2009 @ 10:00

233- Still, if I were her, I would totally be all for David. I mean, he’s the sweetest guy, he’s madly in love with her, and he’s lived a life of exile in trying to escape from the horror of the lesions. Maybe it’s just me.

0
0
235

Alyss (the green one)

in March 2nd, 2009 @ 17:00

Uglies….urgh. I disliked that series, simply because Tally was so shallow. And the same thing happened in every book! I did read Extras, and it was soooo much better. Probably because Tally wasn’t in it until the very end.

Feed was OK, but I feel like it’s one of those books that takes multiple readings.

0
0
236

Peace_Pie_ The_Beatles_Rock!

in March 2nd, 2009 @ 17:17

I read Uglies and Pretties, and I liked Pretties better. And while everyone’s talking about David and Zane, I like David better. Zane is kind of a weirdo, and for some reason I got the idea that Tally barely knew him. I don’t know. . .
Also, I started reading Specials and it was kind of boring.

235- Tally is really shallow. I like Shay a lot better.

0
0
237

MissSwann (15 Warhol Points)

in March 2nd, 2009 @ 19:46

236- I gave up on Specials awhile ago, and I just finished finishing it. And Tally annoys me.

0
0
238

Cat's Meow

in March 2nd, 2009 @ 20:45

I’ve only read Uglies, but I want to get the rest of the series too.

Has anybody here read “I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have To Kill You”? I read it a while ago, and now the sequel has shown up at my school’s book fair.

0
0
239

Silver Lining

in March 4th, 2009 @ 19:31

Has anyone read Schooled by Gordon Korman? It’s really good. Short, but good. I reccomend it.

0
0
240

muselover

in March 5th, 2009 @ 17:36

I just read THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN. That is definitely the most compelling book I have ever read; I literally could not put it down. Has anyone else read it? Hang on, this is the MuseBlog, so everybody must have.

0
0
241

Luna the Lovely

in March 5th, 2009 @ 17:43

240–It’s sounds very familiar……I think maybe I have? I’m not sure….

0
0
242

Zallie

in March 5th, 2009 @ 18:22

. These are the books I read in February!

February Books

7. Richard III, William Shakespeare
8. Maggie Cassidy, Jack Kerouac
9. White Teeth, Zadie Smith
10. Proof: A Play, David Auburn
11. A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
12. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
13. Birdwing, Martin Rafe
14. My Huge Heart Still Has No Room For You, Robbie Q Telfer

I am still two books behind my ‘goal’ count, but I’m not particularly worried.

What did everyone else read this month?

0
0
243

MissSwann

in March 7th, 2009 @ 13:26

238- I haven’t, but should I? I wasn’t sure if I should because it looked a bit mindless, but I definitely will now (if that sentece made sense…)

0
0
244

â™¢RoseQuartzâ™¢ (10 wung points)

in March 7th, 2009 @ 15:33

238- That was a good book! The sequel’s named Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy, no?

0
0
245

muselover

in March 7th, 2009 @ 16:17

241- It’s Michael Crichton’s first novel. Michael Chrichton, who’s DEAD…*starts crying uncontrollably*

0
0
246

Luna the Lovely

in March 7th, 2009 @ 16:38

245–I’m not sure…..I can’t decide if I A) read it, B) started it and didn’t get into it [Last semester I started a couple of different books that involved unknown diseases infecting people, but never really got into ’em, so took ’em home over Christmas], or C) if it just sounds familiar cuz it’s on the cover of his other books. Y’know, “Author of the Andromeda Strain!!!!!!!!!” They do like to do things like that on book covers…..

0
0
247

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in March 7th, 2009 @ 20:14

Alas. I haven’t had as much time to read lately because of crazy school mess. But I’m currently reading “Hitch hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” in my spare moments. It’s really funny. I almost died of laughter in the middle of my French class when I read about the sperm whale.

0
0
248

Midnight Violet (previously Nthanda the Laugher)

in March 8th, 2009 @ 00:13

205–Well…there is no S. Morgenstern. William Goldman wrote The Princess Bride, and pretended like he was abridging this great classic. (I know because I thought the same thing you did when I first read it, and tried to find the “original” (unabridged) Princess Bride at the library )

242–A Clockwork Orange…*shudders*. You read some pretty heavy stuff.

Currently reading Three Musketeers for the gazillionth time. And The Fountainhead, which is awesome but kind of hard for me to get through.

0
0
249

Insane MLDM (24 coolpointz)

in March 8th, 2009 @ 00:56

I have got as far as Warriors: The New Prophecy #4 (inclusive).
I don’t know how it’s possoble be so addicted to a book where the characters are so slow. SPOILER WARRIORS INTO THE WILD and FIRE AND ICE SPOILER Like, I knew from the moment Ravenpaw said Redtail killed Oakheart that Tigerclaw killed Redtail. And in Fire and Ice, I instantly figured out when Graypool tells Fireheart about the ThunderClan kits that they were MIstyfoot and Stonefur. Still…
Me ♥ Warriors!

0
0
250

Alyss (the green one)

in March 8th, 2009 @ 11:49

242- Pretty sure this is just February…here goes

18- Don’t Let’s Go the the Dog’s Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
19- The Ear, the Eye and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
20- Everything is Illuminated, which was undeniably amazing.
Book #21 – Uglies by Scott Westerfield
22- Pretties, which was much worse than Uglies.
# 23- the Scarlet Pimpernel, which was much better than I expected it to be. Not that dry at all.
#24- Specials by Scott Westerfield.
25-The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
26-Extras
27-The Tenth Circle
28-The Luxe
29-Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
30- Rumors by Anna Godbersen
31-The Other Bolyn Girl
32- The Timer Travelers by Linda Buckley-Archer
33-The Time Thief by Linda Buckley-Archer

Comments? Reccomendations? Etc?

0
0
251

purplefinch

in March 8th, 2009 @ 12:18

The Broom of the System by David Foster Wallace… I don’t really know what to say. It was amazing, hilarious, confusing and strange. It has a fantastic title. I admit I heard of the author only because of his death, and I think I read the book almost to see if I could find… insight? (It sounds really shallow and nasty when you say it like that). And it was brilliant. But… I don’t know.

250-I want to read Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close!

I’ve been meaning to read The Princess Bride. And Chuck Palahniuk, and The Inferno. Except Chuck seems kind of…scary. Haha. But, no, I received a book of his when I had appendicitis, and I still haven’t read it.

How We are Hungry (did I mention it already on this thread?) by Dave Eggers. I love it. It’s a collection of short stories, and I think it might be one of the best books I’ve ever read. I’m giving it to my English teacher to borrow (because of a scene I started with Stephanie Meyer and Dave Eggers trapped in an elevator [bwahaha] and she had never heard of Dave Eggers, even though he was on the summer reading list) so I can’t wait to see what she thinks.

Reading Perdido Street Station, The Yiddish Policeman’s Union, The Stranger, Persuasion (I lovelovelove the BBC film… yes, I admit, I saw the film before reading the book…), and random books about Marie Antoinette. I’m somehow in the middle of them all, and don’t really have time to finish any of them.

I think there is a name for the problem that I have, and it just may be laziness. Also, novel-writing in the Books and Reading thread comment box.

0
0
252

Zallie

in March 8th, 2009 @ 12:51

.251 – Ugh, I really do not like Dave Eggers. Such a pretentious writer.

250 – I really liked Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight. It’s a really interesting perspective, I think, that isn’t often represented in books. Africa in general isn’t represented very well in literature, I think, which is a shame because African culture/history is so varied and fascinating.

0
0
253

Alice

in March 8th, 2009 @ 13:24

Hm. I can’t even remember what I read. I don’t think I can have read much. Or did I? I didn’t like 1984 but I knew I shouldn’t read for pleasure until it was over, so I basically didn’t read anything at all. I also went through a brief phase of “Let’s read light fluffy stuff!” which resulted in a lot of rereading.
I’m currently reading:
Pickwick Papers

0
0
254

MissSwann

in March 8th, 2009 @ 13:31

I reeeeeally want to read the Luxe and Cirque du Freak. Karen at school told me she would kill me if I didn’t.

0
0
255

shadowfire

in March 8th, 2009 @ 13:40

The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix-Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen. I know they’ve been suggested a lot already. Just read them, they’re spectacular.
For people who have read Inkdeath: Do you remember those three words… Heart, spell, death? Put “ink” in front of each of those…
Just wondering if anyone notices.

0
0
256

AthenianPsycho

in March 8th, 2009 @ 14:00

MAYBE SPOILER ON TWILIGHT.

Okay, so the books aren’t the greatest in the world. They’re just written with language that the average teenager finds easy to read, and this makes them popular. The movie SUCKED. But there is nothing really WRONG with the book. No one said it was wonderful. But it is not a bad book.

What really annoys me is that some people thing that ALL of twilight (book AND movie) suck, and they haven’t read or seen EITHER. They just think of it that way because it’s a popular vampire romance.

0
0
257

â™¢RoseQuartzâ™¢ (10 wung points)

in March 8th, 2009 @ 14:14

256- I read all the books. I haven’t seen the movie, but I will once it’s out on DVD. I still think they all suck.

0
0
258

purplefinch

in March 8th, 2009 @ 20:36

Yes, the Abhorsen Trilogy = love. I also read Across the Wall, which is wonderful.

253-What do you think of The Pickwick Papers? I want to read it…

252-Really? I always kind of interpreted his affectations and things as intentional… kind of poking fun at himself. But I don’t know…I haven’t read all of his books.
“Ooh, look at me, Iâ€™m Dave, Iâ€™m writing a book! With all my thoughts in it. La la la!” as he says. Or as he says his brother says…

0
0
259

shadowfire

in March 9th, 2009 @ 11:29

258-Across the Wall was also very good. The series NEEDS to continue.
Yet another book recomendation…
The Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu. I don’t currently have it with me, but I think I got the author’s name right. Futuristic novel, set in, Niger, I believe. Very good.
Also, the Midnighters series by Scott Westerfeld. Way better than Uglies/Pretties/Specials.

0
0
260

MissSwann

in March 9th, 2009 @ 18:49

256- THANK YOU! That’s EXACTLY how I feel!

0
0
261

Alyss (the green one)

in March 9th, 2009 @ 18:54

Abhorsen = <3

251- I know everyone raves about Everything is Illuminated, but it was only OK. Way different from the movie. Now, Incredibly Close was AMAZING. I would read it first. (part of it, for me, is that Illuminated has a lot of …less than appropriate material in it. Incredibly Close had close to none, and I connected more to the main character.)

253- Is the Pickwick Papers related to the.. WAIT!! I know what the Pickwick Papers are!!!! Dickens!! I need to read those…

254- Cirque de Freak was better than I expected ti to be, but WAY DIFFERENT than my expectations. What else did she write?

Midnighters = <3. lots of love.

I have currently gotten caught up in Michael Chrichton. Unfortunately, I am reading Jurassic Park and Timeling at the same time, which poses some problems. Anyone read Who Killed My Daughter by Lois Duncan? It’s the bookclub book and I’m debating reading it.

0
0
262

Zallie

in March 9th, 2009 @ 21:57

.256 – Hahah, no. Pretty much everyone says that the Twilight books are bad. Maybe they’re fun to read, but that doesn’t make them ‘good’ books.

0
0
263

muselover

in March 11th, 2009 @ 17:01

That’s funny, everyone I know who’s actually read it says that Twilight is one of the best books they have ever read.

0
0
264

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in March 11th, 2009 @ 17:25

255- Abhorsen trilogy rocked my socks off. I haven’t read it for three years though. I never actually bought it, I only got it from the library. Abhorsen (the book) is probably the main reason my username used to be Mogget’s Little Sister. I started writing a fanfic about him, too. I never got past the second chapter.

0
0
265

shadowfire

in March 11th, 2009 @ 20:52

264-I only have Sabriel, but have read all many times.
If you still have it somewhere, I would love to see I liked Mogget too.

0
0
266

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in March 11th, 2009 @ 22:07

265- I don’t think you want to see it. It’s really bad and not well thought out. If I was obsessed with Mogget again I would probably do a rewrite.

Have any of you read Un Lun Dun? I liked it. It’s not fantastic, but the ending made me laugh.

0
0
267

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in March 14th, 2009 @ 21:34

I must confess that one of my favorite writers right now Clement Davies. Has anyone here read books by him?

0
0
268

MissSwann

in March 15th, 2009 @ 07:47

Once again, I have NOTHING to read. I’m re-reading the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I’d forgotten how much I liked the movies to the books… it’s another situation where I’d advise all newcomers to the series to watch the movies before reading the books. They just don’t compare.

0
0
269

shadowfire

in March 15th, 2009 @ 11:50

I loved Un Lun Dun. Great book, and the pictures were creative.
Once again, I recommend Abarat, for anyone who still hasn’t read it. *urges*

0
0
270

Alice

in March 15th, 2009 @ 12:30

I’m going to read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde now!

0
0
271

MissSwann

in March 15th, 2009 @ 12:56

Abarat was good. Though, Candy was a dissapointingly undeveloped character. I don’t know; I could have used a bit more background work on her.

0
0
272

YodaShmoda

in March 15th, 2009 @ 13:12

251- Read Princess Bride! Oh, my, goodness. I loved this book insanley. Same as I love the movie. It’s just so perfect. I mean, it’s weird becuase like, it’s not on my top list of books, but somehow is one of my all time favorites at the same time. Same with the movie, not my on my list of favorites, but still one of my favorites. It’s confusing.
257- Agree’d Twilight was not good. While I was reading it, yes. It pulled me in really well. But afterwards, well afterwards it was like when you get hyped on sugar and find out later you were never really that awake. It kinda loses it coolness. Zallie put it well.

I recently read…. well alot of things, the more memorable being this Angels trilogy by Lurlene McDaniel: Angels Watching Over Me, Lifted Up by Angels, and Untill Angels Close my Eyes. Sappy love story, somthing I wouldn’t normally read, but somehow, I got into them. The ending of the seris could be veiwed as really stupid, but I thought it was good.

0
0
273

AthenianPsycho

in March 15th, 2009 @ 13:18

268- Go to B&N someday and read “survival of the sickest”. Or learn Russian and read “Two Captains”.

0
0
274

MissSwann

in March 15th, 2009 @ 13:37

My friend has an aunt who is, apparently, a famous Icelandic author.

0
0
275

YodaShmoda

in March 15th, 2009 @ 13:41

Now if we could only read Icelandic. My sister wants to move to Iceland. Then again she doens’t liek the cold.
Another really great book: The Hunger GAmes. I’m probably late on this and sombodies already reccomended it, but I loved it.

0
0
276

kiwimuncher

in March 15th, 2009 @ 13:52

270) I haven’t read that book before. Is it good? I mean, I suppose it is, since it’s a classic.

We just finished The Inferno in our English class! “Abandon hope all ye who enter here!”

0
0
277

MissSwann

in March 15th, 2009 @ 14:59

275- Stephenie Meyer liked that book.

0
0
278

AthenianPsycho

in March 22nd, 2009 @ 18:06

No one’s been here in a week…

0
0
279

Alice â™¥s stories of all kinds

in March 24th, 2009 @ 19:35

276- Not all classics are good. I don’t know about Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde though, because a page into it I decided that I couldn’t stand any more Victorian writing, and gave up.

I’m reading Titus Groan, with the intent of finishing it this time. It’s such a good book! All the characters are really unpleasant, except for Titus because he’s less than a year old so far, and Keda because she’s not really part of Gormenghast, but they’re all such good characters, and so well-developed, despite being unpleasant, that one becomes just as involved in their stories as if they were perfect angels.

0
0
280

Tesseract

in March 24th, 2009 @ 19:43

I just finished Starclimber. It’s very good, though not quite as good as the previous two in the series (Airborn and Skybreaker). I really like Kate. She’s such a strongminded and determined character. It’s refreshing how much of a contrast she is to, say, Bella Swan.
Matt’s jealously is starting to get a bit irritating, though. He absolutely has every reason to be jealous, but every time someone mentions anyone else Kate could possibly have any kind of relationship at all with his mind spins into overdrive.

0
0
281

MissSwann

in March 24th, 2009 @ 20:32

I’m reading Razzle by Ellen Wittlinger. Might I just say that she is an AMAZING author??? So creative and diverse. If you are in need of something moving that makes you think, read Parrotfish, by her. It made me look at certain people from whole new angles.

0
0
282

Alyss (the green one)

in March 25th, 2009 @ 18:16

I just finished The Red Necklace, and it was much better than Ithought it would be. It’s set during hte French Revolution, and it’s actually got a very compelling, unique storyline.

269-Abarat = love. Except I’m mad because they changed the release date of the third one from ‘spring 2009’ to ‘summer 2009’. So now I have to wait a whole nother season

Anyone read The Singing by Alison Croggon? I really want to!

I got The Harry Potter Lexicon the other day, and it is amazing

0
0
283

MissSwann

in March 25th, 2009 @ 18:33

Razzle’s (in the book Razzle) random facts are making me laugh my little arse off. She spews random facts at random times, most of them intended to make the listener rather uncomfortable.

RAZZLE’S FACTS:
-A pig’s orgasm lasts 30 minutes
-Marilyn Monroe was bornw ith 6 toes on each foot
-Dolphins, humans, and kangaroos are the only animals that have sex for fun
-Elvis didn’t have a belly button.

(Random and slightly PoPo)

0
0
284

Brendan

in March 26th, 2009 @ 20:47

91: ‘orribleoliver!!!!!
TerribleTwist!!!!
The worst book I have read yet!
Well, other than a short story I read when I was seven that had someone be dragged by a rope tied to a car. And it didn’t even have a discription of it Then it could have at least have been somewhat funny.

0
0
285

Alice

in March 27th, 2009 @ 18:07

.I went to Powell’s yesterday and got:
Gormenghast
Titus Alone
HMS Surprise
Hornblower and the Hotspur

I then wandered around feeling lost. I saw someone buying JS&MN and it made me happy.

0
0
286

Daisy*Chain

in March 27th, 2009 @ 18:21

I am reading The Lord of the Rings right now… I love it. *geek*

0
0
287

MissSwann

in March 27th, 2009 @ 19:07

I finished Razzle. Quite dissapointing. They never fell in love.

Likewise, I’ve started reading The Named, which seems to be pretty good, so far.

0
0
288

purplefinch

in March 29th, 2009 @ 06:43

285-I’d never heard of the Gormenghast series until you had mentioned them, but I googled them and the books seem really interesting…

I liked Oliver Twist. For some reason I thought it was a lot easier to get through that some of Dickens’ other books.

I read the Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and The Stranger, and for some reason I keep on thinking about them (especially both of their endings). When you can write like that (well, two completely different styles of writing…) and still have the, like, internal strength to kill your character at the end… it’s impressive. Well, impressive is the wrong word. But still…

0
0
289

Silver Lining

in March 29th, 2009 @ 10:57

Has anyone read A Mango-Shaped Space? I put it on hold from the library. It’s about a girl who has synesthesia.

0
0
290

MissSwann

in March 29th, 2009 @ 11:30

288- I’d never be able to kill my character. I’d feel like a piece of myself was being ripped away.

Heart on my Sleeve by Wittlinger is turning out to be a huge dissapointment. (No wonder it was 3.99 at B&N…)

0
0
291

purplefinch

in March 30th, 2009 @ 16:51

290-And that’s good too–I, on the other hand, am just not involved enough in my stories.

But it’s not just the ending of The Stranger … I don’t know. I probablly wasn’t mature enough to read it. It was brilliant and powerful and horrible.

On a lighter note, I was given Pride and Prejudice and Zombies , and this makes me very happy. Also, I have Infinite Jest, You Shall Know Our Velocity! and How We are Hungry on interlibrary loan.

0
0
292

Alyss (the green one)

in March 30th, 2009 @ 18:53

In the process of reading Michael Chrichton and Jodi Picoult. I am alternating, and it’s getting wierd. They’re quite and interesting combo…

REALLY wanted to get Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman when we were an b&N, but that would leave me with no money for my camera and fixing my iPod which I was stupid enough to drop but ANYWAY is it any good?

0
0
293

purplefinch

in March 30th, 2009 @ 19:48

292-Yes, Neverwhere is fantastic!

289-Yeah, I read it a while ago. I didn’t know very much about synesthesia, so it was intesting.

Which reminds me…
The Midnight Disease by Alice W. Flaherty. It’s about writing, and though the science-y bits get kind of boring, she’s funny and I actually enjoyed reading it (though I suspect if somebody else had written it, it would be as nice to read). So I would recomend it if you’re looking for books like that.

0
0
294

purplefinch

in March 30th, 2009 @ 19:49

Sorry, “wouldn’t be as nice to read”.

0
0
295

MissSwann

in March 30th, 2009 @ 20:05

I’m reading The Named by some bad British writer. It really kind of suckish. It’s so cliche it’s almost painful. Yet, I must read to the end, because if I don’t I will go insane.

0
0
296

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in April 2nd, 2009 @ 15:43

“Things fall Apart” is a very good book.

Where is you iyi-uwa?!

0
0
297

Alyss ( the green one)

in April 2nd, 2009 @ 17:51

295- And then you have to read the two sequels, because I believe the Named is a cliffhanger. They’re quite confusing, because you know how the narration changes in the first one? Well, I swear, in the third one no one speaks more than twice. It is so obnoxious (And they’re by Marianne Curley, by the way)

0
0
298

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in April 2nd, 2009 @ 19:02

282- I wish I had The Singing. I wanted to pre-order it on Amazon, but I decidied to get a video game instead (Not saying which one, because it might be obvious). I love that series, but the cover art for The Singing stinks. Really stinks. They must have gotten a different artist or something. The 1st book’s cover art was OK, the 2nd and 3rd’s were great, and the last… crummy.

285- Powell’s is the best place ever. ’nuff said. The rare book room is the best. I was sorely tempted to buy a signed copy of Eragon with my own money for $150, but I decided to wait until I move out of my parents’ house so they can’t criticize me.

0
0
299

Jakob Wonkychair

in April 4th, 2009 @ 11:58

I just started reading the Pendragon series. I got books 1 and 2 a couple of weeks ago and I think they’re really good. Now I want to get the other 8, but I don’t know when I’ll be able to…
298- Where is Powell’s?

0
0
300

Alice

in April 4th, 2009 @ 22:21

299- Powell’s is in Portland, Oregon.

298- I went up to the rare book room, but it was hard to concentrate, since my arms were already full of books. All the labels implied that it was art/music books, which would have been very interesting if I’d had room in my arms for another book. I’ll have to go there first next time we go.

I always get Powell’s gift certificates for Christmas, but I’m never sure what to buy, because I only want to buy really good books that I’ll like having in my library, and it’s impossible to tell which books are really good without reading them straight through.
I wish I could just live in Powell’s.

0
0
301

Jakob Wonkychair

in April 5th, 2009 @ 11:19

300-Ah. Too bad I live on the opposite side of the country in New Hampshire. Sigh.

0
0
302

Alice

in April 5th, 2009 @ 13:43

I finished Gormenghast. I can’t remember when the end of a book left me feeling quite so desolate. It had to have been a long time ago, because the last really good book I read was Little, Big, and that was quite a different feeling (though I cried plenty at the end of that, too).
SPOILER GORMENGHAST SPOILER.
It’s not the death of Fuschia that makes it so awful, or Flay, or the “Thing,” and it’s CERTAINLY not the death of Steerpike–I’ve been waiting for that for a book and a half. I think more than anything it’s the death of Gormenghast itself, because there will never be any more books about it–Titus Alone is different. And it’s an awful place, in a way, filled with awful characters, but it grows on you, and I don’t want it to be over. Why did Mervyn Peake have to go and die? Titus Awakes was going to have Gormenghast in it again, somehow, but he died before he could finish. But anyway, Gormenghast isn’t the same, so perhaps even if Mervyn Peake had lived, I would have been unhappy.

Oh god, my nose is all runny and my face hurts now. I hate crying. It gives me a headache and the salt stings.

0
0

302.1

oxlin

in April 27th, 2009 @ 20:03

ooh ooh! I just got Titus Alone! ooh. Is it good?

0
0

303

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in April 5th, 2009 @ 20:03

299) Yes. Pendragon is awesome. I have only one left to read and I want to strangle Barnes and Noble for not having it in paperback yet. And I was really tempted to buy it in hardback in all of its expensiveness. That’s how much I wanted to read it. *sob*

Hee. I just read Ninth Grade Slays. I haven’t read Eigth Grade Slays though because my silly library system doesn’t have it. Why would a llibrary have the second book in a series but not the first book? Doesn’t make since. Anyways. It made me laugh.

302) Oh gosh. I KNOW! It’s so bad when that happens! Especially if it happens in public! That happened to me when I was reading Watership Down for the first time. When Holly died at the end, I had to hide my face behind the book in the middle of class to keep people from realizing that I was bawling. That wasn’t as bad as when I read The Outsiders though. I’m glad I wasn’t in public for that. I wouldn’t have been able to survive that.

0
0
304

Alice

in April 6th, 2009 @ 16:29

303- Heh, one time I finished JS&MN in the middle of English class, and it was SO HARD not to let anyone know I was about to sob my eyes out.

0
0
305

Alice

in April 8th, 2009 @ 19:17

I’m almost done with Hornblower and the Hotspur. It’s quite good, but I don’t know if I’ll continue reading the series. Well, naturally I’ll keep reading, but I don’t think I’ll go rushing out to the library to get the next book. The British Navy is kind of depressing. They’re all so stiff.

0
0
306

ukipik

in April 20th, 2009 @ 11:37

good books? hmmm probably alexander and the great logistics of the macedonian army, and uqaaqtuanich inupiat.

0
0
307

Jakob Wonkychair

in April 20th, 2009 @ 12:07

303- You mean The Soldiers of Halla? (I’ve already memorized all the titles)

0
0
308

Beavo

in April 24th, 2009 @ 22:49

Has anyone ever read Give A Boy A Gun? It’s by the same guy who wrote The Wave… it’s a fictionally story about a school shooting told in quotes from the viewpoints of the people involved; the principal, teachers, emails from the shooters, neighbors, friends, etc..

It was really moving. It makes me want to go out and campaign for the banning of handguns and violent video games.

0
0
309

AthenianPsycho

in April 25th, 2009 @ 13:13

I finished reading The Count of Monte-Cristo, in Russian. I also watched the French 7-hour-long movie with English subtitles, so now I know it in three languages!!!

0
0

309.1

Jakob Wonkychair

in April 25th, 2009 @ 17:26

This thread is DEAAAAAAD! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! PEOPLES COME BACK TO THIS THREAD!
The first time I read it (in English) it seemed somewhat melancholy, but the second time I read it, it was really good. Maybe because I knew what happened to the characters…

0
0

310

Thanks For All The Fish42

in April 25th, 2009 @ 19:10

Does anyone else love Maximum Ride, like I do???

0
0

310.1

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in April 25th, 2009 @ 21:26

I do. I haven’t read the last one though. I signed up for it at my library like a month before it came out and I STILL haven’t gotten it yet. That tells you how far ahead people get on waiting lists at the library. *grumble* Ridiculous!

0
0
310.2

Tesseract

in April 28th, 2009 @ 19:47

I’ve read the first one and it was pretty good, although a little too bam-one-event-after-another for my taste. I’d probably read the rest of the series if I could find it, though.
There was one line that my friend and I found absolutely hilarious. Something like, “It was like BOOM! Only more like BA-BA-BOOOOOM!”

0
0

311

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in April 25th, 2009 @ 21:27

Right now, I’m reading Pride and Prejudice due to watching the play production of it last week. The play was good. The book’s good too. I’m just not in the mood to read it right now.

0
0
312

purplefinch

in April 26th, 2009 @ 20:49

Ooh, I love Pride and Prejudice. And, although I kind of hate to say it, I loved Pride and Prejudice and Zombies too. It was incredibly clever, and it made me laugh, although on some level there’s something wrong with it… XD

I liked Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey was okay… the main character in Emma annoyed me, and I didn’t feel like reading it, so I haven’t really read it yet.

Reading Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham, and it’s taking me about ten years, but I really like it.

0
0
313

oxlin

in April 27th, 2009 @ 21:20

Currently, I love Theodora Goss’s stories. She has links to some on her site. Go forth, google, then read.

0
0
314

Alice

in April 28th, 2009 @ 17:58

I’m reading H.M.S. Surprise at the expense of my homework, and because I saw the movie before I read any of the books, I am giving the differences and similarities between the two rather more contemplation than I should with any other book/movie combination, although naturally I am incredibly biased towards the books. I find no fault with the plot of the movie, for once, because it’s a cross between two or possibly more books, and it’s the very thing I enjoy doing–taking ideas and plot devices and meshing them together. Having got over the naval inconsistencies (the movie’s called Master and Commander, but he’s a post-captain with two epaulettes and a frigate), I turned to characters. They got Jack’s character well enough, but the two Stephens are very nearly completely different people. I have been dying to talk of this all day, but now I have sat down at the keyboard I am unable to phrase my thoughts properly. Blast.

0
0
315

Silver Lining

in April 28th, 2009 @ 18:22

Today I found an amazing picture book in the school library called The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg. It’s a series of 14 beautiful illustrations, each with a title and a caption. Truly gorgeous…

0
0

315.1

shadowfire

in April 28th, 2009 @ 20:09

I LOVE that book. In English last year, we had to write a short story and the teacher showed it to us.
Mine was written about the one in which you see a bedroom, with the window open. On the wall, there are white birds painted. It all looks perfectly normal, until you see that one of the birds is peeling itself off of the wall. The caption reads, “It all began when someone left the window open…”

0
0

316

Alice

in April 28th, 2009 @ 20:29

Cake. Out of three libraries and two bookstores in this town, there is not a single copy of The Mauritius Command. And my stupid, stupid principles will not allow me to skip straight from HMS Surprise to Desolation Island. So I won’t let myself finish the former until I have found the intervening book. I’m sure I can get it from across the river, but how often do I go across the river, really?

Did I ever mention the Benevolent Angels of Anti-Procrastination who watch over me and guide me?

It just occurred to me that I agreed to babysit on Saturday night, when I usually go out to the country with Mother.

0
0

316.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in April 29th, 2009 @ 23:54

Why don’t you order online? It usually comes in about 4-5 days.

0
0

316.1.1

Alice

in April 30th, 2009 @ 00:08

I ordered it on interlibrary loan, so it should be here soon. But I finished H.M.S. Surprise tonight, so I’m cast adrift without my nautical fiction for the time being.

I could read A Tale of Two Cities, and would be quite thrilled to do so if it weren’t for Ms. B’s unflagging enthusiasm and the fact that notes are required. A book loses all appeal when you know that if you don’t keep an inane sort of commentary going on paper, you’ll get marked down.

0
0

317

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in April 29th, 2009 @ 23:52

Has anyone read The Bean Trees? I just finished it for English. Taylor is the kind of person I would aspire to be. Actually, I kinda think I’m already halfway there.
Anyway, since The Bean Trees was a prequel, I want to read the original one now.

Have you all heard? A sequel and a prequel to the Abhorsen trilogy are being written! I’m super duper excited! When they come out, I just might change my name back to MLS in honor of the amazing event.
That reminds me, I really need to read those because I haven’t read them in–gosh, has it been two and a half years already? I never actaully got around to buying them so I don’t really know the story anymore.

Favorite books update:
Realistic: The Great Gatsby and The Bean Trees tie. I liked Gatsby because of the style and the character of Gatsby, and I like Bean Trees for the same reason (except the character is Taylor, of course). This is strange, because their characters are probably exact opposites.
Fantasy: The Bartimaus Trilogy, hands down. I love Bartimaus. He’s so funny! Runners up: The Dragonlance Series, for sheer epicness. I haven’t even read all of them. Also, the Pellinor Series because they’re my idea of a typical fantasy. They’re pretty good, but not so popular that it’s absurd.
Humor: HG2G! All of them!

I tend to go towards funny books as my favorites because I love to laugh. The best books can make me repeat lines over and over again just because they’re funny.

All of my friends like Twilight now. The last one watched the movie and loved it so she’s going to read the books. Fortunately, my German teacher is united against them with me. I don’t read love stories; that’s the only reason I haven’t read them. I probably would have by this time if they weren’t a love story.

My mom’s getting really mad at me so I’m going to stop posting now. Good night!

0
0
318

Rainbowstar and Serendipity (o.o)

in April 30th, 2009 @ 00:07

I’m reading the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series. I just finished the third book. It’s all right, although I sort of guessed that

SPOILER THE RESCUE SPOILER.
…………………………………………..
…………………………………..
………………………
………….
Metal Beak was Kludd.
………….
………………………
…………………………………..
…………………………………………..
END OF SPOILER.

0
0

318.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

in April 30th, 2009 @ 20:16

I had a really long post here, but my stupid laptop spontaneously moved back a page before I could submit it.
Here’s the main points because I don’t want to type the entire thing again.
– Authors should know when to stop a series
– I never read the third Warriors series because it’s redundant
– I outgrew Ga’Hoole because I started reading it in 5th grade and it’s been five years and she’s still writing the darn things (I think). There’s definitely more than 15 in the entire series.
– I started getting bored after book 8. The next three are medicore, but have a different story than the last seven and set up the storyline for book 12. 13 is completely different, I think. I never read it. Something about aggressive blue-eyed owls…?
– Dragonlance is awesome because the storyline varies AND it’s geared toward older readers so you can’t outgrow it.

0
0

319

Kokopelli52

in April 30th, 2009 @ 21:22

I simply LOVE Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, especially Lost in a Good Book.

Everyone in my class seems to be SO slow! We’re in sixth grade and some people (non-ESL) are still reading Junie B. Jones!

I like Beowulf. But some of it is kind of creepy with all the blood.

Has anyone here read Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Ji? It’s so sad…but true.

0
0
320

bookgirl_me

in May 1st, 2009 @ 04:39

315) I like that book a lot too. When I was little, I used to spend hours looking at the pictures. My favorite is “Mr Lindens Library”.

317) I adore the BartimÃ¤us trilogy. My book club gave it the austrian young readers prize last year, and Jonathan Stroud actually came to Austria and I got to meet him. It was awesome. Has anyone read his latest book ? I can’t find it here.

318.1) I agree with you. I hate it when authors extend their series/write such long series when the last books suck (Paolini, Rick Riordan, Rowling)

319) I did and liked it. Sad, but beautifully written all the same.

The old kingdom new books; I know, I’m so exited *jumps up and down* I love those books !!!

I read the first three books, then got swept up in a vampire frenzy and ended up disliking them (very) strongly, especially since I can’t stand arrogant guys.

Hornblower, H.M.S Surprise: I love those books, but the problem is that they’re very rare here, seeing that the market for nautical fiction in a land-locked country isâ€¦bad.

Pendragon)
I liked the first books, but the last one I read *tries to remember the name*, well, the eighth one, on SPOILER ~~veelox~~ Ibara, was really depressing and sad. It had a sort of fatalistic: You’re wrong, you know what to do but you can’t do it, you’re screwing up, and now that you have a master-plan it’s wrong and you lose.

Now I remember why I never come hereâ€¦ I miss english bookstores so much ! And american libraries. To be in a room full of english books that I haven’t all read alreadyâ€¦ Never mind me. I have a new religion, bookstore and library worship.

0
0
321

Armada

in May 1st, 2009 @ 12:58

319-Seriously? That’s kind of… Uhm. Yeh.

320- Raven rise (Pendragon#9) was just… strange. I couldn’t follow it, and there were a ton of thing happening which appeared to have to reason to/for them, and at the end it got all weird and religious, and…. yeah. If the last book isn’t absolutely amazing, I think a bunch of people are going to be annoyed.
When you say Rick Riordan, are you talking about the Percy Jackson books? I didn’t think there’re too many of them–there are only five books in the series, man! Pendragon has 10! How is five too many? That’s short for a series, actually.
I love the Bartimaeus trilogy, but the ending really annoyed me. It’s like, oh, yeah, we got tired of this, so we’re just going to blow up everyone except the narrator. Goodbye.

I just read these two really weird books, which I am ashamed to write the names of on here. They were…strange, good I guess in a weird way, and somewhat badly written, though the concept was interesting. I was disappointed when it turned out to be a kind of D&D fantasy and not something like Pratchett, but I guess not everyone can be Pratchett. It could have been more imaginative, but the main character was cool (though, seriously, person, pick a better name! Names have power! That one is just….embarassing!). Anyway, I have a crush on Pratchett’s Death, so I guess maybe I’m biased, though I’m not sure which way exactly. It was kind of annoying how the character in these books was, like invulnerable, that was sucky, but whatever. I guess, when you have a good concept, you have to run with it….

0
0
322

Kokopelli52

in May 1st, 2009 @ 22:32

Yes, seriously. Sometimes I have doubts as to whether they’re actually literate. Perhaps they just stare at the pictures.

320- Mmm… But I never knew there were Muslims in China. Even then.

If you have synesthesia try A Mango Shaped Space (I can’t remember the author). Or even if you don’t. I joined an online forum for synesthetes and they recommended that. It’s also sort of sad but good. I like A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchet. And Shakespeare is good too, especially Hamlet. I still like Jasper Fforde best though. I found he has another series: The Nursery Crime Division. All his books take place in a parallel yet oddly similar universe in which some people can jump into fiction and where someone mysterious is controlling entropy (the state of chaos).

0
0

322.1

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in May 2nd, 2009 @ 11:43

Yeah, Terry Pratchet was fun. Did you read the first one, The Wee Free Men ? That was hilarious. Ooch!

0
0

322.1.1

the Book Thief (awesome book, by the way)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 22:50

there’s a ton of them… and there all awesome.

the series a hat full of sky is in (along with the Wee Free Men and the Wintersmith) is part of a larger series… the discworld series I believe.

I liked a hat full of sky best in the trilogy.. the wintersmith was a bit on the hilarious yet depressing side

0
0

323

shadowfire

in May 1st, 2009 @ 22:49

Bartimaeus was good. I have yet to read 2 and 3, but I will get around to it.
New… Old Kingdom… books?*jumps for joy* When?
For a romance book with a plot(and interesting characters)(and anything happening besides fluffy romance) try Stardust. It’s very good, and there’s a movie of it too. Plus cool pictures, if you get a copy that has them.

0
0

323.1

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

in May 2nd, 2009 @ 11:42

Bartimaeus was fantastic! It made me laugh. Except for the end. That was simply not good at all. *doesn’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t say anything* But, for everyone that has read it, wasn’t it aweful?! *sob*

0
0

323.1.1

Alice

in May 2nd, 2009 @ 12:02

I had a weird reaction to the end.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY SPOILER.
On the one hand I was relieved because Nathaniel or Nicholas or John Mandrake or whatever his name was was so awful I was glad to see him dead, but on the other hand I found myself nearly crying because he was just starting to be a decent person when he died. I felt like the ending was really unfinished, like something more had to happen. When I read it I actually thought that maybe the author was planning to write a fourth book but hadn’t told anyone.

0
0

323.1.1.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra) (,=,)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 22:05

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY SPOILER.
I think that was the point, to have him die just when he was becoming decent. It wouldn’t have been very tragic if he died when he was like he was in the second one! Also, I felt it was right for Nathaniel to die and Kitty to live. Imagine if it was the other way around! Ugh! I also love Kitty’s line: “So much for your promises.” So sad!

0
0

323.1.1.1.1

Jakob Wonkychair

in May 4th, 2009 @ 11:49

323-323.1.1.1 SPOILER SPOILER STROUD BOOKS SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Well, he likes to surprise people in his books. Like in Heroes of the Valley, you think Trows are real, then they’re fake, then they’re real again. And you think that Svein is going to marry the youngest sister, but then he marries the middle one and calls the young one appallingly fey!
Anyway, it was sad that Nathaniel died, but at least Bartimaeus survived, and Nathaniel saved his life by freeing him and also helped bring the commoners and magicians together.

0
0

324

Armada

in May 2nd, 2009 @ 15:38

323.1.1- YES! EXACTLY!

0
0
325

Thanks For All The Fish42

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 16:33

I’m currently reading ‘The Mysterious Benefict Society.’ Im only a hundred pages in, and I want to know if anyone has read it. I like it so far.

0
0

325.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra) (,=,)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 22:15

You mean Benedict Society? If so, I’ve read it. It’s pretty typical trying-to-be-realistic-in-the-near-future-science-fiction type of thing. It might be better for younger people (I don’t know how old you are) than it is for people in high school because…it’s basically about a bunch of Mary Sues.
Summing that up, I didn’t like it.

0
0

325.1.1

Rainbowstar and Serendipity (o.o)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 22:23

Mary Sues? Sort of, I guess …

0
0
325.1.2

Thanks For All The Fish42

in May 4th, 2009 @ 17:10

Are you sure that you have the right book?

0
0

325.2

the Book Thief (awesome book, by the way)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 22:46

personally, I liked it alot… sure the characters could be better… but I loved the plot line and the writing is pretty good… descriptive.
if you like it, there’s a sequal.

0
0

325.2.1

the Book Thief (awesome book, by the way)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 22:56

SFTDP- I frogot to add… I do think it is WAY to young for high schoolers… I read it in fourth grade (or maybe it was fith….)

0
0

325.2.1.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra) (,=,)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 23:12

Fourth or fifth grade IS way too young for high schoolers. What was I reading then? Yes, Ga’Hoole… Island of the Blue Dolphins… that one Egyptian book I forgot what it was called… Artemis Fowl… all those types of books written for ages 10-12.

0
0

325.2.1.1.1

fireandhemlock1996

in May 4th, 2009 @ 03:00

Yay Ga’Hoole! I’ve got all the books, including the Guide Book to The Great Tree! Me loves Kathryn!

0
0

326

the Book Thief (awesome book, by the way)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 22:54

my favorite books include..

the book thief by Markus Zusack (no duh)
the messanger (same author)
annie on my mind by nancy garden
hitchhiker’s guides

a ton of other books i can’t remember right now… my favorite book changes depending on what i’ve read last.

0
0

326.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra) (,=,)

in May 3rd, 2009 @ 23:22

Goodnes, I HATED I am the Messenger. He has no motive for doing what he did!
SPOILER SPOILER I AM THE MESSENGER SPOILER
“Oh, noes, I’m randomly being mailed these cards, what do I do with them? I guess I’ll investigate…”
“Oh, noes, I have to kill someone! And the same card person randomly sent me a gun! Against all rational thought and without any motivation at all, instead of calling the police I’ll kill this guy!”
The killing of the guy should have at least been at the end. And, oh, what’s up with the end???
“It turns out that the guy randomly sending me the cards was not my father or anyone I know! It’s this random guy who freakishly knows everything about me! Whatever. Even though I investigated the cards, I am so not going to investigate this weird creepy stalker person becasue he led me on a self-enlightening journey.”
Yeah… no. Who is the guy supposed to be anyway? Marcas Zusak? I have no idea.
END SPOILER.
What saddens me was that The Book Thief was actaully pretty good, and that I am the Messenger was so crummy. Scratch that, what saddens me the most is that I am the Messenger had potential. It really did. If Marcus Zusak had spent a little more time on it and maybe made it longer, then it could have been a whole lot better.

0
0
326.2

bookgirl_me

in May 4th, 2009 @ 11:20

I actually like the messenger better than the book thief. It’s depressing, and insulting to Germans (not that anyone cares).

I liked death- I’m just so sick and tired of stories in the nazi times and all those people writing books about it, I mean- okay we should learn from the past, but let it lie eventually. This year we had WW2 in europe & Hitler as theme not only in history, but also in German and even a bit in biology. All the translations; no-one says words like the insults they mentioned. I needed he translations to figure out what it meant (yes, I surmised that it was an insult).

I’m just so fed up with people writing books about those times. Was he there ? No. There are plenty of people who lived back then-let them write those books. And what really gets me is that-realistically- what would he have done if he lived back then ? He would have kept his head down like everyone else.

I’m not trying to defend the people who lived back then- what they did was wrong, and thousands of innocent people died as consequence. I just think it’s wrong to hark back to it 24/7.

The messenger)
far-fetched, but I liked the idea of doing something anbd turning your life around just by paying attention to the people around you.

0
0

326.2.1

I-Man ((William II, OSW's Secretary))

in May 31st, 2009 @ 14:17

I liked them both.

0
0

327

fireandhemlock1996

in May 4th, 2009 @ 03:04

Ok, my favourite authors are:
Brian Jacques
DWJ
Tad Williams
Robert Jordan
Sharon Creech

My favourite books are:
The Westing Game
The Wandererer
The Redwall series
The Wheel of Time series
The Chrestomanci Chronicles
Sorrow, Memory, and Thorn trilogy (by Tad Williams)
Tailchaser

So, yeah. That’s it basically, but that’s just naming my favourites. I still have A LOT more books that I like, of course.

0
0

327.1

Thanks For All The Fish42

in May 4th, 2009 @ 17:11

LOVED the Westing Game!

0
0
327.2

oxlin

in May 4th, 2009 @ 21:35

Have you read anything by Patricia C. Wrede? or Pamela Dean?
Have you read The Blue Sword or The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley?
Have you read Firebirds edited by Sharyn November? (short stories)
Have you read The Faery Reel edited by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow? (more short stories)

0
0

328

Armada

in May 4th, 2009 @ 13:23

325.2.1.1- I don’t know about AF… It’s readable by younger kids, but I think that it’s not a book you grow out of by high school. Call me immature if you like, but I still appreciate the series now, and it has a different effect on me than it did when I first read it (I was eight, I think).

Redwall–Ugh. Don’t talk to me about Redwall. I hate Redwall. It’s all so…. I dunno, alternately depressing and cheesily jolly, and all the books are somewhat the same. And the villains are basically all the same, or at least all the same species, which I find somewhat racist, and Outcast of Redwall just confirmed that for me….
I used to like them a bunch when I was younger, though. There just got to be too many books in the series, I guess.

0
0

328.1

Enceladus and Nimly (*.*)

in May 4th, 2009 @ 14:52

I also hate Redwall. If most cats are bad in a book, then I don’t like it very much

0
0
328.2

kiwimuncher

in May 4th, 2009 @ 15:03

What?! I lurve rEdwall! Those books are so fun. I see what you’re saying, but that doesn’t ruint their awesomeness. Some of them have different plot twists. My favorite one was always the Bellmaker. Captain Slipp cracked me up.

0
0
328.3

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra) (,=,)

in May 4th, 2009 @ 20:19

Yeah, I still read Artemis Fowl because I want to know what happens, but if I had started it now, I would have dropped it.
I’ve never read Redwall.

0
0
328.4

fireandhemlock1996

in May 4th, 2009 @ 20:24

What! You don’t like Redwall? *runs away screaming* I like them anyway. Have you read his Castaways of the Flying Dutchman books? They’re real tear-bringers, at least for me.

0
0

329

Thanks For All The Fish42

in May 4th, 2009 @ 17:14

I don’t think that I’ll ever grow out of the “kid” written books with a good plot line. My dimensions(class for smart kids)(*yells at self for boasting*) class teacher read ‘The Mysterious Benedict Society,’ and she was in her late twenties! I guess I won’t really know until I grow up.
P.S. I’m in 7th grade.

0
0

329.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra) (,=,)

in May 4th, 2009 @ 20:31

I basically grew out of “kid” books the summer of seventh grade when I read His Dark Materials for the first time. I cried. But yeah, in 8th grade I read Sabriel and Dragons of Autumn Twilight for a Fantasy Fiction class, so maybe that’s when I grew out of them.
Hmm…then I think i was still reading Ga’Hoole only for the story, and I was obsessed with Harry Potter, and I think I read The Hobbit .
Which reminds me, I need to read that book again. I didn’t understand a word in middle school, so I might now. I actually have never read the series proper. *ducks pies from LOTR fans*

Completely unrelated: I love my English teacher this year. He’s not a depressed person like my English teacher last year was! Here’s my book list from last year:
Cry, the Beloved Country
Oedipus the King
Romeo and Juliet
Farenheit 451
Night
A comedy that was canceled due to time restraints.

And here’s our list from this year:
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Scarlet Letter
The Crucible
Huckleberry Finn
The Bean Trees
Our Town
The Catcher in the Rye (haven’t read yet)

Just look at the difference! ALL of the books in the first list are depressing, whereas only two or three in the second one are. Plus, there are less of them in the first list, which could be my lack of memory but probably is a larger poetry unit (which I really don’t like *ducks more pies*)
Again, I really like my English teacher this year. He’s super weird, vague, and out of it, but he’s funny, lighthearted, and picks books that I actually like.
END OF RANT

0
0

329.1.1

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra) (,=,)

in May 4th, 2009 @ 22:17

I forgot to add The Great Gatsby onto the second list.

0
0

330

Alice

in May 6th, 2009 @ 20:20

Last year, I read:
â€¢Short stories
â€¢Greek myths
â€¢Farewell to Manzanar
â€¢Romeo and Juliet
â€¢4 “independent novels”

This year, we read:
â€¢To Kill a Mockingbird
â€¢A Christmas Carol
â€¢Wuthering Heights
â€¢1984
â€¢Fahrenheit 451
â€¢A Tale of Two Cities

0
0
331

Alice

in May 6th, 2009 @ 20:32

Oh, I forgot. I also read The Mill on the Floss and Great Expectations, the latter being a summer novel and the former being an alternative to Wuthering Heights, which I finished early, and had already read besides.

0
0
332

I-Man ((William II, OSW's Secretary))

in May 8th, 2009 @ 15:17

My english teacher is not depressing, but what we read is:

*To kill a mockingbird
*The Old Man and the Sea
*Lord of the Flies
*Romeo and Juliet
*In Cold Blood
*Antigone
*A lesson before dying

0
0
333

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra) (,=,)

in May 8th, 2009 @ 22:00

I’m reading His Dark Materials again! Yayness! I love those books. They’re basically what got me into high fantasy.
My friend wants to read them, too. I love lending people books because then they can see how great the books you like are!

0
0
334

I-Man ((William II, OSW's Secretary))

in May 18th, 2009 @ 13:28

If anybody posts any Soldiers of Halla spoilers, I will [s]kill you[/s] ask the GAPAs to please delete your post.

0
0

Piggy on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???A very merry 'Blogiversary to you, Meow! I guess now you have to get permission for your MB life to continue using its pseudonym. Kidwise, the oldest…
Cat's Meow on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???It's been 18 years to the day since my first post on MuseBlog! My MB life is now a legal adult! Pleased to see all of you who have dropped in lately.…
Cat's Meow on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Also, happy early birthday! (according to the sidebar calendar)
Cat's Meow on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Wow, I'm glad you got to see the eclipse, but that housing situation sounds wild. How old are your kids now?
Cat's Meow on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???re: socializing in-person and making friends I can sincerely recommend Bumble BFF, trivia, and book clubs. I moved to my current city about 15 months…
Piggy on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Hello everyone! I've read all these comments the day (perhaps hour) they were posted, but never managed the gumption to reply to them, sadly ("sadly"…
gimanator on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Salutations! There's a little bit of explanation in the HG2MB (in particular an explanation for the email), but I think the 'blog has shifted a bit in…
gimanator on The Hare & Hedgepig, v. VINever fear, there's always some unexpected comestible about! How about one of these green pastry things? I think they're avocado flavored, but you nev…
gimanator on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???My, what a lovely flurry of activity here! Although I'm a little slow to reply to it, as usual. Funny to see our project as a sort of subject of paleo…
Robert Coontz (Administrator) on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Welcome back, Cat's Eye, and thank you for the fascinating update. (Fun factoid related to Life on the Mississippi: as Piggy noted, my great-great-gra…
Robert Coontz (Administrator) on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Hm. Not exactly. Maybe I'd better let Piggy explain.
Robert Coontz (Administrator) on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Sorry about that! We were besieged by spambots and had to do a lot of preliminary moderating before we could even see your posts. Welcome!
Cat's Eye on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Hello, all! I've had a busy few years since I last dropped in - published a book, wrote a sequel, endured a few rounds of COVID, and got top surgery!…
Sinusoidal Polyglot on Welcome, Neophytes!Hi! I’m new to MB. Can someone explain how this works? It is chaotic compared to CB (Chatterbox) the place I come from originally (tragically it is sh…
Sinusoidal on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Can someone create a guide on how MB works and how to use it and post and all that? What are the kinds of topics MB talks about?
Sinusoidal Polyglot on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Hi! Sinusoidal here! This is my first post on MuseBlog. I come from ChatterBox (See my posts there). If I’m not supposed to give my email, why is it r…
You can call me "Fitzy" on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???I sent a post a few weeks back, but I don't think it was approved. I stumbled across this place a few weeks ago and did some brief digging into it. It…
Piggy on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Hello friends! I've been trying to think of something meaningful to say for the last couple weeks, but nothing quoteworthy has come to mind. When peop…
You can call me "Fitzy" on The Hare & Hedgepig, v. VIAlas, I fear I am too late to assist with this food. Surely it must have spoiled by now? It's a shame. This is a lovely-looking spot, and quite cozy t…
You can call me "Fitzy" on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???I was never a user of this site. Never a user of any blogs or forums on the internet really. Never got the hang of the social internet, and ADD means…
ibcf on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Same problem has kept me away like a pool of flesh eating bacteria, ha. Never mind what I've had to show for myself since; the ignominy of the nonsens…
ZNZ on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???I'm not sure exactly how I ended up back here, but I was so pleasantly surprised to see posts as recent as these last! It makes me happy to think of y…
Piggy on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Well, today marks my 17th 'Blogiversary. Somehow that number, anything less than my current age, sounds too small, as though my self and my MuseBlog s…
Piggy on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???I ought to pick out some Twain to read myself. One of my half-treasured possessions is a dark green hardback set of his works published in the 1930s o…
gimanator on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Now that I'm here, I also have a long overdue thanks for the recommendation of Life on the Mississippi: it was the perfect suggestion. It had been a l…
gimanator on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???Goodness, that's an anagram I haven't seen in a long while! I've been watching for your resurfacing, Piggy. I even (briefly) wondered if the site outa…
Piggy on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???I've realized that since my employer finally made me take a company laptop a few months ago, after a few years of using my personal computer to work f…
Piggy on The Hare & Hedgepig, v. VIIf anyone has an appetite, the wungs are getting impatient at how long it's taking me to eat the loaf of pumpkin bread they've baked to match (in shap…
gimanator on Random Thread: Spring 2023 to ???I'm back for the latest dispatch! I was mistaken about two things: I thought this post would be about two months earlier and I thought I would have fi…
Piggy on The Hare & Hedgepig, v. VIOh dear, they've done milkshakes now. Where did that mop go....

MuseBlog

MB Calendar is Back!

Looking for Something?

Log in Here!

REALLY Random

Recent Comments

Categories

Our Places

Books and Reading, 2009, Part 1

Comments RSS TrackBack 366 comments

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

Vendaval

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

kiwimuncher (3 B-Day points) (50 Muszey points)

Kokonilly

Nthanda the Laugher

Zallie

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak!

oxlin

YodaShmoda

Kokonilly

Lizzie

Vendaval

Kokonilly

Zallie

I-Man ((William II, Official Summary Writer's Secretary, whose job requirements include reposting the latest summary when someone is confused))

YodaShmoda

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

Nthanda the Laugher

Zallie

Kokonilly

Lizzie

Kokonilly

POSOC

YodaShmoda

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

Lizzie

oxlin

YodaShmoda

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

greekgurl the Latin speaking geek freak

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

Zallie

POSOC

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

Alice

Sweet Melpomene

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

Nthanda the Laugher

oxlin

Brendan

I-Man ((William II, Official Summary Writer's Secretary, whose job requirements include reposting the latest summary when someone is confused))

kiwimuncher

Kokonilly

YodaShmoda

Zallie

Sunrunner Bramblewood

POSOC

I-Man ((William II, Official Summary Writer's Secretary, whose job requirements include reposting the latest summary when someone is confused))

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

shadowfire

YodaShmoda

oxlin

Cello-Playing Mathematician (AKA Kyra)

Nthanda the Laugher

Alice

Sweet Melpomene

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

YodaShmoda

Robert Coontz (Administrator)

Raynpho

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

RoseQuartz/LadyG

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

YodaShmoda

Fire faerie of the Middle Earth

Raynpho