The latest of many threads about books, including
Books and Reading,
Libraries, Books, and Bookstores,
and
Books.
173 thoughts on “Books and Reading, Part 2”
Comments are closed.
The latest of many threads about books, including
Books and Reading,
Libraries, Books, and Bookstores,
and
Books.
Comments are closed.
I just finished book 13 in a Series of Unfortunate Events. It was pretty cool.
WHEEEEEE!!!!!
One of my favorite books is Someplace to Be Flying by Charles de Lint.
A Series of Unfortunate Events is very good. It shall be abbreviated as ASOUE from now on.
I got a HUUUGE book on Dalà for the holidays…haven’t started it yet, but one of the authors is Robert Descharnes, and he was a good friend of Salvador’s, so it should be good…
1- I personally thought it was really bad. There were gaping plot holes between it and the rest of the books. I liked the Series of Unfortunate Events books until about the 10th one, when they started getting bad. Also, Lemony Snicket’s writing style gets tiresome.
I just reread Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow (from Bean’s viewpoint). I really like those books, and enjoyed them just as much the second time as the first.
Two old, neglected books that deserve more attention:
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. Gentle Victorian humor by a friend of Lewis Carroll’s. Heinlein fans may recall that this was Kip’s father’s favorite book in Have Spacesuit, Will Travel.
Zuleika Dobson, by Max Beerbohm. This one’s hard to describe. It’s like goofy Jane Austen, set at a mythical college at Oxford University, with a duke, a ghost, the most beautiful woman in the world, a pair of magic earrings, and even a Muse. Not for everybody, but a real treat for a few.
I love reading ASOUE just to try to catch every literary and pop culture reference in them. There are so many….
Has anyone read A Great and Terrible Beauty? I know, I know, it’s borderline chicklit. Bear with me here.
5- I thought it was fine, but I still don’t get why he defines the words every so often. Or when he uses phrases that are the same but with different meanings and I get very confused.
about ASOUE : I loved them when I was younger but as brave sir robin says, his writing style is monotonous.
The only thing I didn’t like about ASOUE was that a lot of stuff was never explained. Who are the woman with hair but no beard and the man with a beard but no hair? What is in the sugar bowl? What is the giant question mark on the Queequeg‘s radar that rescued/devoured the Quagmire triplets?
10- I completely agree. I’m currently reading the Unauthorized Autobiography… erm, the Pony Party. I tried to read the Beatrice Letters but they didn’t make any sense.
Exactly.
Read Chasing Vermeer. It is very Musilicious and ultimately fr00dy.
The problem with the Unfortunate Events books in general is that there are too many of them. They are fun to read, but they are too convoluted to follow the plot well. I had kind of lost interest in them by the time the last one came out, but I went to the bookstore before it opened and bought it early just for kicks.
We just got ASOUE#13 from the library. those books are pretty good as light, riding-in-the-car and just-passing-time reads, but there’s nothing really in-depth. they are interesting though. and humorous.
to all people who read the bl after asoue 13 reread it you’ll get it more.
5- yup. It was very annoying. He didn’t talk about their parents and the poisonous darts either. I liked all of them except for the 13th… I thought I would finally get explanations but he just left it off.
Sigh. It was like he didn’t feel like explaining any of it because it was already the 13th book. The End.
Urrgh. I want to read the Beatrice letters but my library doesn’t have it >
i read the unauthorized autobiography… whats the beatrice letters?
I’m not quite sure, but the cover had a shadow of Beatrice.
Spoiler Warning!
You know how at the end of The End you find out Beatrice was the Baudelaire’s mother? And you realize Lemony Snicket (but not really) was in love with her? Then, on the fourteenth chapter, in Beatrice’s entry into the book A serires of Unfortunate events, she writes, “D has built a boat and named it after me.” I think “D” is Lemony Snicket. Since his real name is Daniel…right(or so I think)? Ahh this is all so confuzzling.
I read all of ASOUE, including the unauthorize autobiography and th beatrice letters. I pretty much like the books, despite the unsatisfactory ending. the unauthorized autobiography is funny and has some information in it, but the beatrice letters s pretty useless. I’ve rea it at least 3 times and still can’t make any sense of it.
Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) is Jewish. Yay!
(19) Yeah, except he’s a;ways going on about how he wasn’t able to marry his true love and that she ended up marrying some one else.
Books Skipper Suggests
Over winter break, I’m re-reading the Tomarrow, When the War Began series by John Marsden. I suggest these books. They’re lots of fun. They are about some kids who go camping deep in the Australian bush, but when they come back, they find the country’s been invaded and their families taked prisoner. So they return to the bush and hide out, and then start to wage guerilla war against the invaders. Lots of fun action, plus it’s fun to read about how they accomplish stuff, seeing as they are just amateurs with only materials from farms (they live in a rural area) to use as weapons and explosives.
Another book that is on the similar guerilla-action strain is The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey. Incredibly well written and interesting. It’s about a group of environmental extremists in the southwest. They blow up bridges the are being built across canyons and stuff to stop the expansion across unspoiled lands. It’s especially good if you live in the southwest, because you can relate so well. It gives you a great appreciation for this land, no matter where you live.
Catch 22! Not for the faint of heart, but possibly my favorite book. It’s a novel about WWII. This book is at once hilarious and tragic. I cracked up laughing and cried in the same chapter. It’s really weird though; the protagonist doesn’t seem to be entirely sane, in fact none of the characters are particularly sane, and it isn’t told in chronological order. It just dort of jumps from event to event. But it’s really good. And funny.
7- I liked it and I don’t think it’s borderline chik lit at all.
As for ASOUE, I read the first and a bit of the second and stopped. I might like them now though. (It’s been 6 years since I last read one.)
Yup. And then she married the Baudelaire’s father I guess. Becuse in that diary entry, she said she had had her heart broken twice…hrrm.
Ebeth got King Lear for christmas. And cyrano de burgerbuger, which actually came from a bookstore that was closing in….dundee maybe? as she was passing through. Two dollars, dvd included. That’s right, we got the movie and the book! For $2! She also got Thud for 4 (it turned out to be autographed too, not that she’s overly excited about a scribble but it’s always kewl, y’know?
) and prisoner of zenda and timon of athens (both paperbacks-2. Hardcover was four) She had a headache and it was almost christmas, or she would have bought a LOT more. But there wasn’t too much left anyway
I have to read the book “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” in Lang. Arts. Anyone ever read it?
19- D for Dewey?
23- Yay!
26- I read it in , like sixth grade. It was pretty good, from what I can remember…
26 I’ve read it. Last year, when I read it, my language arts teacher said that it was “difficult.” I didn’t find it difficult. In fact, I thought it was easier than some books I’ve read.(like Walt Whitman’s poems-they made no sense to me) Anyway, I thought that it was really good.
No. 26 – I’ve read it, and I thought that it was pretty good. It’s not the kind of book I usually read (sci-fi, fantasy), but I liked it anyways. Very nice plot, and you get to know the characters pretty well. I had to read it for Lan. Arts too, but it was much better than some other books I’ve been forced to read.
A few weeks ago, I bought a book called The Wind Singer. I’ve only read the first few pages, but has anyone here read it? Did you like it?
That happens to me alot. last year with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and this year with A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court, the teacher says it’s hard but i dont think so, but then again, I finished The Goblet of Fire in a single day when i was in 3rd grade…
27- Oh wait, I just checked my book and it was “B” not “D” :p Maybe that’s the initial of their father…
Oh poor Dewey.
He had such a tragic death.
On a different topic, has anyone read Abarat? I have a rather interesting theory having to do with it.
32- Yes, that and its sequel. Loved them.
13- ah, yes, I liked that one
29- The Wind Singer is a great book. I really enjoyed it. Hmmm… I should reread that.
32- yay! Abarat! *bursts into song* oh woe is me o woe is me I used to have a hampster tree but it was eaten by a newt and now I have no cuddly fruit oh woe is me oh woe is me I used to have a hampster tree… I was caroling to collect money for charitiy with my friends and we were singing Oh christmas tree and, not knowing the words, I sang the Abarat ones instead ^_^. What’s your theory?
31- Bob Baudelaire? Brad? Bruce? Bill?
30-LOVE that book (conneticut yankee) Squees of joy.
Smallwood drones on about the difficulties of shakespeare. Get over it, i say. riet’s class is doing the cantebury tales. I’m SO jealous. And my skool’s supposed to be uber good. And i’m in honors. And yet she gets to do the good stuff. They did Le Mort D’Arthur too. (spleling?) While we get to do Lord of the Flies (joy…*hides under desk*) We do get to do P&P except it’s gonna suck because everybody’s gonna be like “aww, it’s so sweet, true love, etc, etc” *vomits* And smallwood’s not gonna point out that it’s satire and that she’s laughing at poor twits like them as they read. That really bugs me about P&P. She’s making fun of us all, only problem is that half of us are too thick to notice. So when people say “oh i love that book” you don’t know whether it’s actually going to be an interesting conversation or not.
Rereading Hogswatchnight. Hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha*nonstop laughing continues* Pratchett is amazing.
Also read CHotU three. Excellente as always.
Can’t wait for CHotMW.
And the Jan. Muse of course. Muse is always good reading.
Got my hands on the out of print Empire Novels by the grandmaster of sci fi, Isaac Asimov. Why did they stop printing these?? They’re awesome!
No. 32 – Yeah, I’ve read Abarat, but only the sequel. The library I go to had the second book, but not the first. (Typical. I bought the first book for my best freind for Christmas, and am currently begging her to let me read it after she’s finished.
)
34- What’s Abarat?
36- What’s CHotU?
36) Mark Twain is good in general!
36) I love Mark Twain in general!
‘pologies about that last 1 my comp. screwed up so it looked like it deleted my post! so i said somthing exactly like it.
I read 5 books yesterday, promptly after getting them. This is a bad sign.
AND WHAT IS WRONG WITH CHICKLIT?! it may be predictable, but sometimes routine is good! RAAAAAAR!
Good Chicklit-ish book:
13 Little Blue Envelopes By: Maureen Johnson.
39 – Abarat is a book about Candy Quakenbush and what happens when she accidentally slips into another world, Abarat. Abarat is made up of twenty five islands, each of them standing for a different hour of the day. The twenty fifth hour, or the Time out of Time, is ruled by evil Christopher Carrion, who wishes to make everywhere always midnight. Candy Quakenbush, I believe, tries to prevent this. There are going to be five books in this series. I’m not sure how the first one goes, but I read the second book and it was pretty good. And I also don’t know what CHotU is. Ebeth the Stalker, PLEASE EXPLAIN.
44) vatever. if i dont know it, it isn’t very popular (i know b/c i read almost every good book in the library) JK!
Cartoon History of the Universe peoples! Remember good ol’ Larry G? He was around a lot when cedar was.
i should read abarat…e~a just gave me a luvverly load of recomendations to procrastinate with as well…squeee…
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry is typical school literature. Nice message, historical, and not too hard to read. I didn’t like it much.
34- Sorry. My theory is
SPOILER WARNING!
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Okay. I’ll recount the evidence.
In the Prologue, the Fantomaya are bringing something to the Hereafter (our world). It seems to be somebody’s soul. Since Joephi says “She had a life of perfect love ahead of her, and it was stolen,” that leads me to believe that it was the soul of Princess Boa, who was deeply in love with Finnegan Hob. Why would they be bringing her to the Hereafter? Well, In chapter 8, Melissa Quackenbush remembers sitting in the truck, while it’s raining, and then having pure white light flood the vehicle. What does that have to do with anything? Let me draw your attention to Chapter 31, in which a conversation between Melissa’s mother and father is brought back from the past. Since Bill mentions Melissa being in some sort of “condition,” it seems as though she’s pregnant. Also, she’s in a car. Sound familiar?
So, my theory; I think the spirit of Princess Boa entered Melissa’s unborn child- Candy. That explains why she feels as though she’s been in the Abarat before, and why Christopher Carrion has a strange fascination with her.
END SPOILERS
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I know it sounds crazy, but my crazy theories have been right before, especially when it comes to book plots. Be warned!
7 – I’m surprisingly fond of those books, not sure why. I wish they were longer/more complicated thought. Such good characters, I think they’re wasted on the simplicity of the books. :/ And I wish they weren’t so annoyingly teen-fiction as well.
In another thread, some people mentioned that they really didn’t like Orson Scott Card’s Enchantment because it was ‘disturbing’. I was really curious about that, because I don’t remember anything about that book being even unsettling. So, Enchantment-haters, why is that book so awful? Just curious.
Because I’m on holiday from school, I’ve been re-reading just about all the books I own and am working my way through all of the Abhorsen books, which are really a load of fun. I’d forgotten how much fun reading is.
One of the good books I read recently was m or f? by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tebbetts. It was just hilarious, and my mom agreed (she’s a librarian).
5 ~ Those are two of my favourite books of all time, ever ever ever. xD Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind? They were so different from Ender’s Game, but I enjoyed them a lot.
It ate some of my post again. That second paragraph should read:
5 ~ Those are two of my favourite books of all time, ever ever ever. xD Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind? They were so different from Ender’s Game, but I enjoyed them a lot.
Oh my. It just hates me. Please don’t post all of these. Dx
5 ~ Those are two of my favourite books of all time, ever ever ever. xD Have you read Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind? They were so different from Ender’s Game, but I enjoyed them a lot.
50 – I ought to go check out all of the Ender books. I only ever read the first one.
52- No, I haven’t. I didn’t know there were any more Ender books. Are those sequels or what? I think I’ll read those.
(25 Ebeth) King Lear? Cool. There’s a great movie that’s based of that story, only it’s set in ancient China (I think China, anyway…perhaps Japan…:oops:). It’s called Ran. It is really good. My mum had me watch it before I saw the play King Lear.
(29) Yes, I read that a few years ago, and I’ve re-read it a few times since. I really like that book. There are two more in the series, Slaves of the Mastery and Firesong, but really, it’s more like The WInd Singer is a prologue to them, as opposed to a prequel. They’re not quite as weird and interesting, and they get a little depressing. But they’re pretty good.
(48) Yes, your theory is correct. I’m guessing you haven’t read the second one? It’s called Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War. Read it and you’ll see youe theory is pretty well confirmed. I hope you don’t mind me giving that away.
By the way, and news as to when the 3rd Abarat is coming out?
52- I’ve read all of the ender ones and the bean enders game and a bit of one of the bean ones. I liked the ender ones but didn’t especially enjoy the bean ones
50- yay for being the librarian’s daughter! (my mom’s a librarian too.)
48- I think that’s true.
My favorite book is the Bionicle Chronicles. It is about Bionicles trying to get the mask of life. My favorite part was when they were in the bohrok nest. It wasn’t very scary, but I liked it anyway.
This is probably going to sound pretty strange, but I’ve never read the Enders books. I’ve seen other people reading them, but somehow never got around to getting them myself. Are they good?
#48 – Sounds very similar to what I had been thinking, but I haven’t read the book in almost a year, so I’ve forgotten alot of it. Don’t trust my judgement, I’ll probably screw up the entire plot or something drastic like that.
50) yay 4 being related to a librarian!!!!!!!!!!!!!
52 ~ Yeah, they are sequels. Consider yourself warned, though. Really really different. xD
56 ~ The only Bean one I read was Ender’s Shadow. I did enjoy that one, though.
56 and 59 ~ Being related to a librarian is great, because she brings me books I wouldn’t have otherwise read. Is it the same with you?
48- Dude. I thought the sameexactthing.
Hmm. I really should check out the Ender books….my dad probably has them; he has so many sci-fi books, it’s mad…if not, off to the library!
61 ~ Yeah, my dad introduced me to them. xD
60- yeah, my mom brought me Abarat, actually. She also brought me the second Abarat in uncorrected advanced proof form. ^_^ hopefully the third will come out soon!
55- Whoa. I have to read the second one.
Musers, if you were only allowed to bring FIVE books with you, which ones would you bring? Series DO NOT count as one book and you can’t bring anything that hasn’t been published yet.
65 ~ Well, that excludes Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, then…
I would go around and ask everyone whose opinion I trust what their favourite, longest book was. I’d compile a list and take the five longest ones that sounded interesting.
What about a series that is in one book? I finally broke down a few months ago and bought the entire Narnia series in one huge volume…
67 – nope. Sorry.
65- Someplace to be Flying by Charles de Lint, and….. I need to think about the rest of them.
1- Time Stops for No Mouse
2- Skybreaker
3- Abarat
4- ?
5- ?
70: You’ve read TSFNM? Wow, I actually haven’t met anyone else who’s read that series…I like The Sands of Time best, actually.
5 books:
1st and 2nd H2G2 books
Gold (Asimov ultimate sci-fi collection)
(Do I have to count my school yearbooks for 6th and 7th grade as books? If I do, they take the other two slots. If not:
either my mom’s signed copy of I, Robot or a copy of The Gods Themselves
Science, Numbers, and I (this is a collection of Asimov essays, I found it in my house)
I don’t own all these books, though; I’d have to get copies of Gold and The Gods Themselves)
Today I went to the library. They didn’t have The Martian Chronicles(is that the name? the one by Bradbury), Animal Farm, or Three Men In A Boat, so I got:
Friday
Stranger in a Strange Land
For Us, The Living
Ender’s Shadow, and
The Ugly Little Boy instead.
58- Ender’s Game was well written but very violent from my perspective. I haven’t read the others (yet).
72 ~ I hope you enjoy Ender’s Shadow… Like I said, I really liked it.
I’m curious to hear your opinion!
71- My gosh, another Hermux Tantamoq fan? Until now, only a few of my classmates had read that book, and for the most part that was because I told them they should read it.
I hope Michael Hoeye comes out with another one, it would break out of the boring “trilogy” rut that most YA and kids’ fantasy writers have gotten into. A good title would be Time and Tide, or something along those lines.
Zallie’s List:
–Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman.
–Enchantment, Orson Scott Card.
–Sabriel, Garth Nix.
–A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Betty Smith.
–A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving.
71- I’ve read them too!
as for my list add abarat so now it reads
* Someplace to be Flying (Charles de Lint)
* Abarat (Clive Barker)
* The Golden Compass (Phillip Pullman)
* Coraline (Neil Gaiman)
* The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley)
There. it’s done. aaahh! so many decisions! so many books! Now all of you should go make lists. I want to read them.
Hmm… wait. would my journal or the booklet from my writing class count as books? this list is hard… very hard… aaah!
I lurve the Abhorsen series (but I HOPE it’s not a trilogy). Hermux Tantamoq is very good. I really like Robin McKinley, too. I read the first 2 Abarat books, and they are not bad. I also read the first Ender’s game, and although I thought it would be sort of weird (si-fi is not usually my favorite) it was excellent! I can’t find any others, though. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is amazing. A Great and Terrible Beauty is pretty goode. The Wind Singer, Slaves of The Mastery and Firesong were o.k.. I would have an awful time finding my favorite 5 books!!! I like Susan Cooper, though, now. I used to be really bored by her books, but not any more.
Bleh I despise Garth Nix
Please shorten your name. It’s clogging up the “Recent Comments” column.
72- The Martian Chronicles would indeed be the name. And would be one of the books I would bring. I’m pathetically attached to it. As for the rest…I must ponder…
76 – I almost included Golden Compass. I love that book to bits.
78 – why? which stuff of his have you read?
29-you wouldn’t believe the awesomeness of that book!!!!!!
73- is that the one with Bean? I’ve not read it.. I thought that _Ender’s Game_ was interesting, but not that gripping or something.. I think it was a bit too preachy for me, but I can’t remember.. I don’t know, it was a while ago..
Oh man. Erm…
H2g2 (the first one), Adams
Carpe Jugulum, Pratchett
Tale of two cities, Dickens
Ivanhoe, Scott
And oy. Something Asimov or P&P. Or possibly P&P instead of the pratchett. Or mebbe night watch instead of carpe jugulum. Jeeshers, this is hard. And what about the pickwick papers? Hornblower? (Lt. hornblower’s my fav). How about the three musketeers? I haven’t read that in a while but i loved it. The golden compass is amazing too.
I need to read the enders, but i want to read ender’s game first. Oh and next time i skip off to the library i’m getting someplace to be flying per e~a’s recommendation. And i still have cyrano de burgerburger and prisoner of zenda to read. Gaaaah….need more time offffffff….well there goes my hw for the first four days of skool. A book a day keeps the homework away, that’s what i say. I could do some intense nye reading all night but their running a marx brothers marathon, and i can’t miss that. It’s marx brothers. They’re so stupid they’re funny.
Ummmmm….
Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles -Julie Andrews
Haroun and the Sea of Stories -Salman Rushdie
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will update later
Have to re-read my Philip K Dick for school…
84 – goodness, i heart hornblower. have you seen the bbc series? they’re actually quite good.
A few of them, yeah. They are good
75 ~ You read A Tree Grows In Brooklyn? It’s been ages since I read that, but it’s such a good book!
76 ~ His Dark Materials was great. I once got a question to Phillip Pullman answered – I asked what age he intended his books for, and he said something along the lines of “For the age I was at the time, which was a rather tired forty-something year old.”
(72) Animal Farm? Uh. Why read Animal Farm? You’ll probably have to for school at some point anyway. It’s so…bleh. I mean, it’s well-written, and pretty interesting, but…I don’t like allegory very much.
(85) My friend loves that book(Haroun and the Sea of Stories). I want to read it. It looked wierd.
90) *gasp* You….. don’t like animal farm? I love it! The story is basically a big long essay about the way communism and tyranny works! It is amazing! *gags self to stop self from going on and on about Animal Farm*
I myself am amazed that nobody has yet mentioned Artemis Fowl.
I love that series so much that all my friends seem to think I am in love with Artemis. (Except for Jarom…. He’s as much as an Artemis Fowl geek as I am, so he gets it.) Artemis, Holly, Mulch, or Butler usually end up in my dreams after I read one right before bed. Even if I just see the cover.
…..Okay, I admit, most of my daydreams are adventures with Artemis…… (Or random other friends, or both)
But since you don’t know me in real life, I am fine telling you that. (Not like I would tell any of my friends or relations, I’ve seen enough rumors fly, twisted and bloated with untruth, to ever tell anything that might come back to bite me……)
Oh, and hint to Musers: If you want to get a book in a series early, order from Amazon. Whenever you do, it can come even a whole week early! We ordered the third Children of the Lamp book, it came a week and a half early, and I had time to loan it to my friend and his brother before it officially came out! Same with the Artemis Fowl book. The fifth one. We are definitely getting the last HP book from there. (Yes, ashamedly, I admit that I read the Harry Potter series. The first three are good. I don’t like the rest. But I just have to see if Harry gets killed in the last one……. *evilplotting*)
I like the Two Princesses of Bamarre and all those books by Gail Carson Levine. Spunky heroines. Much better than the fary tale versions.
Hmmmm…whatelsewhatelsewhatelse. Oh, yes. If you have read “My Side of the Mountain” never, ever, EVER read the second book. I hate it. I am not going to read the third.
I just read a crazy, awesome book called “The Secret of Castle Cant” by someone. I don’t have the book right here, so I don’t know who, exactly.
And, I am about to start the book Fablehaven. Has anyone read it here? Is it good?
Oh, and also, Fly By Night is really awesome. I love the way the chapters are named.
Oh, and GAPAS? Did you get my signature for the T-Shirts on the twenty-ninth? Just wondering.
I also love “The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha.” A marvellous book! (Gaaah, Marvelous, not Marvellous! I am having such troubles at keeping to the American spelling of things. I keep wanting to change to the British spelling. It is much prettier. I just know in the spelling bee soon I am going to get a word like “colour” or “splendour” or “marvellous”… And you must admit that “manoeuvre” looks much prettier than “maneuver,” and “theatre” is much nicer than “theater.” And I always end up spelling “aeroplane”….. ‘0.o At least I still have the ” thing, and not the ‘ or else my teachers would go bonkers!)
89 – i adore that book. i want to go back and read it now, actually, although it’s so sad sometimes.
92-It is sad… The way the author writes is just wonderful.
91-AF is great. I read the Half Moon investigations, but it
seemed to be aimed towards another, younger, age group. Maybe that is just me. But Artemis Fowl is magnificently…magnificent.
Is the Secret of Castle Cant about poisonous gum and people with different numbers of toes? That is all I can remember about the plotline, really, unless it is another book I am thinking about. It was pretty good, I think.
72: try to find the Empire Novels. They’re out of print, but really good!
91-I loved the first, the second wasn’t bad, the third i thought was terrible, the fourth wasn’t bad, and i haven’t read the fifth. But i like animal farm too
I stayed up all night reading tree grows in brooklyn. Not that i would’ve slept anyway, i was sick. Me+sick=no sleep. Except in the middle of the day, oddly.
I reread hogfather
i lurves that book. it’s so weird..
Hey everyone, I got this really pretty picture for Christmas and my mom says it’s from the book Dragon Singer/Dragonsinger. Has anyone heard of that/those book/s?
My sixth grade teacher read Coraline out loud to everyone and a couple of people got pretty freaked out.
76 – I’ve read all of those except Someplace to be Flying. They’re all EXTREMELYgreat books.
65 – Okay, my list:
1. Lireal by Garth Nix
2. Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
3. The Sight by David Clement-Davies
4. Artemis Fowl, the Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
5. Harry Potter and the Order of Pheonix by J.K. Rowling
96- Lirael is my favorite book my Garth Nix! And I’m reading The Sight right now! I haven’t finished it, yet.
(Coraline scares me, a little bit. But that’s ok. I’ll just reread it, while hiding under the bed.)
96- maybe we have similar taste? ^_^ you could try Someplace to be Flying, then and see if you like it as much as the others. Lirael is good. I always like re-reading the parts where she’s exploring the library and the tunnels and things.
96 – oh, Lirael is one of my favourites too. Dunno which one of the three I like best.
I like The Keys to the Kingdom. It’s about this asthmatic boy named Arthur, who finds out about 7 trustees (people who refused to obey The Will), who each guard a key and whose names include each day of the week. On each one of these days, Arthur has to get the key and a fragment of the will from each of these people. Right now, there is: Mister Monday; Grim Tuesday; Drowned Wendsday; Sir Thursday; and Lady Friday is coming soon.
Doesn’t anyone else who is a keys to the kingdom fan think they should make movies for the books? That would be awesome!
I am currently reading “Treasure Island”. I am almost done, I have approximately five to ten pages left. The plot line is fantastic. The writing literally put me to sleep.
I am reading this for a project at school, and I wanted to learn more about pirates.
96– isn’t Dragonsinger one of the Anne McCaffrey Dragonriders of Pern series? I thought those were okay, although the Harper Hall trilogy (which includes Dragonsinger, I believe), were the best..
I’ve heard of most of the stuff you’r all mentioning, but sadly have only read about half of it. I just read Flatland by Edwin A. Abott. I really liked it. You have to be open-minded though, because the main character is a two-dimensional square. First he tells you about his world, which he refers to as flatland. I had so much fun thinking about this. Then he ends up going to spaceland and this part is parellel to both Plato’s allegory of the cave and the story of Christ because that Sphere guy who takes him to spaceland or the third dimension is sort of like a savior who shows him another world which is sort of parellel to Christ. Here are a few of the other books I love: (not in any particular order)
Harry Potter
The Chronicles of Narnia (which reminds me — I’ve gotta get a hold of some of C.S. Lewis’s nonfiction, philosophy stuff)
A Series of Unfortuanate Events
Twilight
New Moon (sequel to Twilight)
A Great and Terrible Beuaty (I *heart* Kartik!)
Rebel Angels (sequel to AGATB)
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Speak
Catalyst
Violet Eyes
Silver Eyes (sequel to VE)
The Windsinger
Slaves of the Mastery (Sequel to TWS — that reminds me. I’ve gotta get a hold of Firesong some time soon)
Uglies
Pretties
Specials (sequel to Uglies and Pretties)
Midnighters 1 – the Secret Hour (Dess pwns — math rocks!)
Midnighters 2 – Touching Darkness (Dess still pwns and I *heart* Scott Westerfeld)
Midnighters 3 – Blue Noon (I mis *spoiler here* *cries*)
Squashed
Rules of the Road
Best Foot Forward
Backwater
That Summer
This Lullaby
The Princess Diaries
All American Girl
Bloody Jack
The Hollow Kingdom
That’s about it, I think.
Oops, I forgot to mention Artemis Fowl. Those are also very good books.
I liked Bloody Jack. Have you ever read Peeps (also by Scott Westerfield)?
98-Me too. And I love the Disreputable Dog.
I read the first 2 Dragonriders of Pern, but couldn’t find the last one. I’ll have to read the Harper Hall books.
103 – I’ve read some of those. I started andfinished the latest Artemis Fowl on News Years Eve/New Year’s Morning. I just started reading The Windsinger, and have heard alot about Twilight and New Moon, even though I have (sadly) not been to the library for several months. So, I’ll probably be carting home most of those books you just listed next time a make a trip there.
105 – The Disreputable Dog PWNS!!!!!!!!
103 – I’ve read some of those. I started andfinished the latest Artemis Fowl on News Years Eve/New Year’s Morning. I just started reading The Windsinger, and have heard alot about Twilight and New Moon, even though I have (sadly) not been to the library for several months. So, I’ll probably be carting home most of those books you just listed next time a make a trip there.
105 – The Disreputable Dog is sooooooo completely fr00dy!!!!!!!! I haven’t read the Dragonrider of Pern, but it sounds good!
Whoopsies! I’m sooooooo sorry for double posting that.
Gapas, I think something got screwed with my computer cuz the first time I tried posting it, the screen said that I already had. I changed it and clicked again. I’m sorry. 
Has anyoneone here read “The Fire Within” ? I finished the first two books awhile ago. What do you think of the third? I haven’t been able to get it yet. I also haven’t read the third of the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Comments?
The last book of the Bartimaeus Trilogy, I thought, was dissapointing and sad. But It was really funny, too, and it revealed more of Bartimaeus’ history, which I thought was interesting. I don’t know. The first was my favorite. But I really like the way the author writes, and his sense of humor.
Okay, I’ve just confirmed that Dragonsinger is from the Dragonriders of Pern. It turns out that my dad has the entire series. Thanx everybody!
I’ve read “The Fire Within”. I LOVED the books but the ending of the last book was sad.
I won’t tell you the ending since you haven’t read it.
I love the Bartimaeus Trilogy. Excellent character development, depth, dark humor (“For instance, there’s probably something invisible with lots of tentacles hovering behind your back right NOW.).
105- My cousin read it and she’s recommended it to me, but I dunno if I’ll ever pick it up, because I’m not interested in the subject of pirates. Well, besides POTC. Is it good?
Prarilius Canix (112),
I read the first book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy (The Amulet of Samarkand) while I was on vacation this fall and couldn’t put it down. I haven’t read the others yet. So, they’re good too?
Oh, I just saw the posts from Kiara and purplefinch about the Bartimaeus Trilogy. So, it sounds like the third one isn’t quite as good as the others. But interesting anyhow. So I’ll probably read it too.
I thought the third was the best. But w/e, i was younger and all that.
DY (116), So I just reread the others’ comments on Bartimaeus and NOW see that no one really said the third wasn’t as good. Purplefinch said it was disappointing and sad — but that’s not the same as “not as good.” I was jumping to conclusions. It could be poignant and very good!
I loved the Bartimaeus books. Well, the first two, because my mom doesn’t have the last in her library. But yeah. Very good books.
I’ve only read the first too. I liked them. Come to think of it, I read them both as uncorrected advanced proofs.
I am totally PSYCHED about the new Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, coming out on July 7 ( seventh book? 7/7/07? Get it? teehee teehee ). I had gotten the third copy of the sixth book WORLDWIDE.
120- No, it’s not July 7. Nobody has confirmed that, especially not JKR, and it’s also very unlikely to happen because Harry Potter 5 the Movie comes out July 13, and they’re too close together. Not going to happen. We (major HP freakazoids) think Halloween or possibly July 31st. And dude, it’s Deathly Hallows. Apparently, you’re not very up-to-date.
The third is very poignant. Excellent character development, and we get to unravel the mystery around Ptolemy, the only master Bartimaeus ever loved. Plus, we find out who was behind the Ramuthra conspiracy. Don’t let our comments discourage you, GAPA. Read ’em all! The Golem’s Eye, the second one, is particularly good.
My impressions of the books I took out from the library around post 72:
Ender’s Shadow- OK, I thought it was out of character when everything (about Demostethenes and Locke and stuff like that) was explained to Bean, not bad but not excellent, very slightly worse than Ender’s Game.
The Ugly Little Boy- I liked it. The end I didn’t expect until just before it happened, which either means I’m slow or it was unexpected or that I wasn’t looking for it. Probably the third. The best of the books I took out.
For Us, The Living- A rough draft, so unpolished and unfinished. Not the best Heinlein I’ve ever read(that would be The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, or maybe The Puppet Masters), a little below average but I only read the good Heinlein so it’s not bad, all things considered.
Stranger In A Strange Land- Very disappointing. This book is famous, it’s in We Didn’t Start The Fire, it’s what’s associated with Heinlein, I expect it to be my new favorite book, one of the best. It’s not. It’s probably the worst Heinlein I’ve ever read, but, as I’ve said, I only read his best books.
I haven’t read Friday yet. I may never. My mom says it’s bad.
Also, I got Animal Farm from a bookstore. It wasn’t as good as 1984 because there was no main character to become. It also was more depressing, in my opinion, because the guy in 1984 was aware of his society’s lies, but the animals failed to see it even when it was staring them in the face.
122- I extremely dislike the third one’s ending. I think my favorite one is the Golem’s Eye. The third one is good up until the ending.
120/121 – AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! *runs around screaming random Harry Potter facts and wearing Harry Pottter clothing and listening to Harry Potter music and reading all of the Harry Potter books at once*
Well, maybe I not quite that obsessed, but I’m really excited about the next book. I made my dad promise to let me go to one of the midnight thingies cuz it’s the last book. I’ll probably bring along all my other book-loving freinds. If the opening is on a schooolnight, I don’t care, I’m still going. Same for the next movies. I’ll probably feel dead tired the next day from the midnight opening and staying up all night to read it, but I’m sure I’ll still have a good time!
Anyone read Montmorency books? I don’t like that third one’s ending.
Bartimeus? Just discovered those recently. LOVED. The first one was the best, but then the first of a series often is…
123-Stranger in a strange land is a good book. i didn’t like it the first time i read it either, but when i re-read it i did. It’s just different.
and i hadn’t read any other heinlein at that point, so i didn’t really associate it with his other stuff, which was probably good.
Btw, e~a! i found someplace to be flying. It’s been really good so far! Only problem is it’s in teeny tiny print and i started reading it late at night, so i put it down for a while. But i’m liking it.
123 again-people often aren’t aware of what’s staring them in the face…
103-i used to love the princess diaries…at one point i had every book that was out. then i kind of fell off them. but i still have a nice collection. i may sell it on ebay or something *hinthint to musers who like princess diaries and don’t have any/many*
102-i loved the harper hall ones. the dragonriders were good too. I liked the first ones better though. I think she was getting too sci-fi-ish towards the end. And i like sci-fi, but it wasn’t a sci-fi story. At least not to me…
Still haven’t read cyrano de burgerburger. i did read the sequel to the lighting thief, which i read b/c i was in an RPG about it and figured i should know something about the book…also re-read Going Postal and started a medieval mystery thing from the book sale. Finished CHotMW…huzzah larry g! i thought the bit about the netherlands was really interesting (vol…4 i think?)
Lb has been really getting into the ender’s game series, but still hasn’t read ender’s game. Gaaaaah. I really don’t want to start in mid-series yet again. Speaking of which, i’ve restarted asimov’s stuff from the beginning. Well i will once i start reading anyway. I have far too many books to read right now. What a happy feeling it is, too.
Oh, and i missed book club. Forgot to read the book. I’m reading it now though. Seems violent. Mildly disgusting in parts too. But i’m not very far in, so i can’t really tell much about the plot yet. It seems all right so far. Next we’re reading Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gains. Know absolutely nothing about it…
Whew, what’s with my mile-long posts lately? I’m in a rambling mood today…
i cannot believe that i could have missed all these comments. i haven’t been on the blog for ages!!!!!!!*pies self* well, Orson Scott Card has the best series EVER! i loved every ender book and got punished from them cause i read them too much! speaker for the dead was a really not a sci-fi novel, more like a psychological novel or some thing. ( oh, i’m not new so don’t pie me).
The bartimeaus trilogy was really good. i liked how in the end he turned cool. Bartimeaus was just hilarious!
are new subscribers allowed? (quietly) I am already ducking pies.
Inkspell is good. Eragon is good. I am writing a book.
129 – ME TOOOOOOO!!!!! I luv writing, but I haven’t worked on my book much lately. Been spending too much time on MB. And yeah, new suscribers are allowed. Inkspell was GREAT, Eragon was pretty good, but it’s sequel got a bit boring after awhile.
Okay, I am now in the middle of reading Ender’s Game. I’m suprised I haven’t read it before. I also just checked out the third Bartimaeus book.
We recently read “The Wife’s Story” a short story by Ursula Le Guinn, in English. It is an amazing and well written story, even though it is only a few pages. The ending is also quite surprising. I would say more about it, but I don’t want to spoil it.
127- yay! Someplace to be Flying! once you get further along, tell me what you think. I love the crow girls!
Ooh! Me is starting book too! Well, trying anyways. It’s frickin’ cool. It has no title yet, but it shall rock your socks.
Ender’s game is REALLY GOOD. Being almost Double Digits, I am not proud of myself for reading it.
What’s wrong with reading it? And w00t for DD
I’ve been Double Digits for a few years, my B-day is like, next week. I should be doing my homework, but am instead alternating among MB and reading: Abhorsen, Dreamcatcher, Ptolmey’s Gate, Ender;s Game, Artemis Fowl, and also working on my story.
132-I read The Onion Girl, and I really liked it.
131-I read some of her books a while back. They were pretty good.
136=YOU’RE READING DREAMCATCHER! that book is the best!!!!!!!! i have been waiting for months for the sequel to come out, but no luck. what’s wrong with being un-dd and still reading enders game??? i say everyone should read the series! SIDENOTE- Orson Card meant Enders Game to be a prequel to Speaker for the Dead but it became like, his smash hit! (ironic)
My little sister just stole Ptolmey’s Gate.
I just reread Enchantment by Orson Scott Card and it is possibly my favourite book ever. So, so, so adorable and clever.
138- Well, I happen to like Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and Children of the Mind all better than Ender’s Game.
Just finished Ender’s Game. I now wish it wasn’t a weekend so I could go to the school library and check out Ender’s Shadow. I think that’s the only other book they have by Card, but dang, he’s a great writer! I hate the way Ender’s tricked.
Isn’t there ANYONE (at all) who likes The Keys to the Kingdom besides me?!
143 – I haven’t started it yet, but am going to check the first out next time I go to the library.
Keys to the Kingdom is good. Lady Fri. is coming out soon. I’m guessing that the Middle House is where all the observation is done. It’s the only place in the House whose responsibility is not clarified, and in the Lower House they just record.
i liked keys to the kingdom, but it got boring after a while. i would have to say that Speaker for the dead and enders shadow would be my favorite orson scott card books, but the other ones were just as good. 136-sorry, i got Dreamhunter and Dreamcatcher mixed up, dreamhunter was the one that i loved, i have never read dreamcatcher. is it good? 139- i do not like it when little sibling do thins like that!!!!!!!!
woops, spelled THINGS wrong!
I haven’t read Keys to the Kingdom before. What is it about?
jammin j – I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Welcome! *pies*
148 — this boy named arthur who gets this atlas thingie and then he gets transported to this other place and has really weird adventures. it’s very good, if you can get past all the weird rules the other place has.
146 — i loved ender’s shadow too!!!!! i didn’t like ender’s game ’cause ender was too perfect.
jammin j — does anyone besides me participate in the Mock Trials program thingummy? in case you’re wondering what this has to do with you, this year’s case is a cyberstalking case, and the victim’s screenname was jammin.
Currently, A. of O. is reading The Tiger in the Well, by Philip Pullman. it’s the third book in the Sally Lockhart series (1st is The Ruby in the Smoke — v. good, about opium :grin:)
146 – Dreamcatcher is a rather freaky and disturbing Stephen King novel, but I’m still enjoying reading it.
(especially when I’m hiding a flashlight under the covers at midnight and switching between two or three books I’m reading right now.) There’s a Recycling Center place somewhere around here and there were five or six brand new Stephen King hardbacks for $1 each! I got two that looked good. I pretty much read any book that isn’t historical. I’m sorry, I just don’t like those very much compared to scifi/horror/fantasy/whatever.
150-you still didn’t tell me what the book is about!
I AM NOT NEW!!!!
Has anyone read the Hungry City Chronicles? I haven’t, but they sound spiffiful.
who’s read someplace to be flying? I know ebeth liked it… I’m just curious as I love the book and want to know what people think of my suggestions.
I recently read The Onion Girl, but this Tuesday I am going to go to the library, and check out Someplace to be Flying. YAY!
I read Tiger in the Well, but not the others. It’s pretty good.
151 – Oopsies! Sorry jammin j. I haven’t finished it but so far it’s about an alien invasion and four freinds who play a really big part in it because they met some little kid called Duddits. The aliens are parasitic and act like cancer, killing their hosts. I haven’t figured out why the four freinds are special yet, but probably will soon. I’d reccomned it to anyone who likes Stephen King’s writing and enjoys freaky stories.
123-I absolutely loved Friday, but it’s not for everyone. As for Stranger, it’s good but if you didn’t get the uncut version you missed out on all of the best parts. I adore that book. I also recommend Number of the Beast and The Cat Who Walks Through Walls. For Us, The Living isn’t one of his best books but you can’t expect everything the man writes to be phenomenal. I would also suggest Starship Troopers and Red Planet–ST is one of the three classic Heinlein books: (Moon Is A Harsh Mistress and Stranger In A Strange Land). To me, it’s all good Heinlein, but there you have it. Stay away from JOB, though; it’s a little bit philosophical and harder to follow.
Has anyone read any of Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat books? They’re freaking AMAZING, in my opinion. Another Musish series I could suggest would be Tom Holt’s Paul Carpenter trilogy, starting with The Portable Door. And how does the blog feel about Spider Robinson? The Callahan books were a little too politically flavored, but it was actually possible to choke down The Free Lunch without gagging and vomiting over the book. I mean, come on. There is no “new Robert A. Heinlein” and there will never be. That’s the reason there IS a Robert A. Heinlein.
Before I comment I just want to say, yes I’m new. *pies self*
Anyway, I think that Ender’s game and Speaker for the Dead are so awsome that everyone should read them. They’re so sad and original. Also Eragon and Eldest are pretty nifty and such
*Pies Whoknows*
Welcome!!! I’ve read Ender’s Game, and I shall find Speaker For the Dead the next time I go to the library.
Hi guys. I need advice about a book club I’m starting for 4Th through 6Th graders at my work. I was thinking that I would read them one of the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander (specifically The Book of Three or The Black Cauldron), but I couldn’t remember how old I was when I read them. You guys are closer to 9-12 than I am. Have any of you read them and do you remember when or how you liked them?
Incidentally I’m also reading A Barrel of Laugh A Vale of Tears by Jules Feiffer in another book club, and it’s a great comic book. Musers would like it.
159-I read them a while ago, probably when i was 9-12ish. Don’t remember when. But yeah, i loved them. Still do.
159 – I loved the Book of Three! I read it to my bro and sis – in 4th and 6th grades – and the were clinging to every word I said and wanted to read the rest of the series. Go for it!
159- Read the Twenty-One Balloons (i can’t remeber the author), it is my favorite book. And it is very funny.
Is 21 Balloons the one where the guy crashes on an earthquake prone island where a bunch of families named after letters have started a society based on restaurants and shares of the diamond mine? If so, then I think I’ve read it, but I don’t remember the comedy. Sounds like a candidate for a re-read.
the pyradin chronicles were good, but i didn’t find them very original. i read them when i was 11, so thats the reason probably. lloyd alexander is a great author, has anyone read the vesper holly series? they were good but i only read two and my library dosen’t have any more(boohoo)
163- yes, it is, I’ve read it too. And the Prydain chronicles are a good choice I think. We gave The Book of Three to my ten year old cousin. Though it sort of depends if these kids are people who read because they want to or not. But I’d say they’d enjoy it. Oh, and I recomend Someplace to be Flying if you want something else to read (not for the book group, for you. It’s by Charles de Lint, one of my favorite authors.)
e~a, I read Someplace To Be Flying! It was excellent!
166- I’m glad you enjoyed it! Did you like the crow girls?
I loved the crow girls! They made me smile.
has anyone read crypted hunters its really good
168- me too. I think a good goal for myself would be to try to be more like them, to be carefree and whimsical, yet wise and knowing, at the same time.
iscomputer geek new? *pie war* *asphyxiates computergeek with pies* okay, my urge to kill is appeased! has anyone read Tricksters Choice? it is the best fnatasy/spy novel i have ever come across.
Orson Scott Card- Read Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow. Not bad, but violent. Know someone who’s reading Speaker for the Dead for English IRP (independent reading project). Will ask him once project is over his opinion. Not that he hasn’t already finished it, but I’ll wait just because I feel like it. I’m reading Caves Of Steel for my IRP because I realized I hadn’t read it. Good. I took out Martian Chronicles from the library. ‘Twas interesting. Also good.
4-6th grade books- Andrew Clements is good. So’s EL Konigsburg (spelling?) I stil reread them, I started around 4th gr. Do you think His Dark Materials is a good choice? The sixth graders maybe. They all could probably read it, but elements in the last book the younger kids might not get. And Harry Potter and Narnia, of course. I’m assuming they love to read.
Thread ressurection!!!
Has anyone here read “The Hungry City Chronicles,” by Philip Reeve. I read the first three, but I’m having a lot of trouble tracking down a copy of the fourth one. I was suprised when I read the first one. the whole storyline of the books is just really cool.