A Book(s) Thread

[AGBF]

I just read a bunch of good books in a row:

Fantasy (all different sub-genres):

Among Thieves: A Tale of the Kin by Douglas Hulick Genre: Fantasy *
Sea of Shadows: Age of Legends by Kelley Armstrong Genre: Teen Fantasy (but very adult and unexpectedly dark for a teen story). *
Human Tales: Anthology Genre: Fantasy *
Dragon Path Series: Daniel Abraham Genre: Epic Fantasy *
Dying is My Business: Nickolas Kaufman Genre: Urban Fantasy
Generation V: ML Brennan Genre: Urban Fantasy
Blood Song: Anthony Ryan Genre: Fantasy *

Romance:

With Me series by Kristen Proby (first one is free on amazon) *
London Steampunk series Bec McMaster

* are the ones I really liked

This is really an impressive list, Gypsy!

BTW, did you read children's magic books growing up? I don't recall if we ever discussed it. But your love of fantasy makes me want to be sure you didn't miss the books by Edward Eager and E. Nesbitt. And did you ever read The Thirteenth is Magic? These are not young adult books, but really children's books (in my opinion), but I think people who love fantasy would probably love them. Or maybe they would have had to have encountered them as children. What do I know?

Deb

 

[Gypsy]

I average about a book a day Deb. It's an addiction.

I just got lucky and hit a good run the last few weeks. Sometimes it's like that. Sometimes its the reverse: everything I read ends up being disappointing. I did read a few more books than that, actually, but those weren't as good, so I didn't list them .

I don't think I have read these authors"Edward Eager and E. Nesbitt." And I have not read: "The Thirteenth is Magic."

I read a lot of Roald Dahl ( for example: James and the Giant Peach and the Witches) and things like the Bunnicula series. Loved them. So yes, I read 'urban' fantasy as a child, or rather stories with paranormal characters, but mostly those set in our own world, not those set in fantasy worlds.

I think my first true fantasy book... hmm. I'm not sure but I think I was an adult by the time I read 'true' fantasy like epic fantasy or high fantasy. Not till I met my husband (who loves those genres), I think.

 

[VRBeauty]

I love this idea! My personal signpost would include Mitford, Botswana, and England based on current literary loves, and I think I'd want to re-visit some of my childhood favorites to see which ones still capture my imagination now. Avonlea, Watership Down, the Sahara (as a stand-in for the Little Prince's planet) are all likely candidates... and where was the Wrinkle in Time series set?

BTW the photo came from the "A Mighty Girl" facebook feed. I'm really enjoying this feed, which features the accomplishments of girls and young women. A Mighty Girl also offers reading lists for young readers, which they characterize as "The world's largest collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident, and courageous girls," here: http://www.amightygirl.com/books.

 

[VRBeauty]

LOVED Louise Penny's "Still Life." It's her first book and the first in a series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec police. If I had to classify it I'd say it was an intellectual cozy mystery - maybe of P.D. James meets Sarah Graves? The writing is beautiful and the characters are interesting. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

 

[AGBF]

I just saw this thread was up top again and it made me realize how much I have meandered from the path of righteousness since the last time I posted in it!

The books I had ordered from Amazon didn't come on time, so I went off and read other things. I read the three books in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Series by Ellery Adams; another Fannie Flagg book, Can't Wait to Get to Heaven; and have now begun, The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. The Charmed Pie Shoppe Series are about as cozy as books come. Each one has a murder, but not only is there the mystery element, there is also magic. This is a new genre for me. I usually read "pure" mysteries except when I am reading classical magic books for children or Stephen King type books. On the other hand, recently I did read and enjoy Practical Magic. Maybe my tastes are more eclectic than I realized!

I heard about The Neverending Story either here or on my dog forum, I cannot recall which. Does anyone here recall mentioning it? Has anyone read it? I didn't think, at first, that I was going to like it. I forced myself to continue reading, telling myself that if it had been assigned in school I would have continued to read the darned book. I fairly soon began to enjoy it, convincing me that patience is a virtue.

Oh...and if you read the pie shoppe books, be prepared to want to start baking. One spends a lot of time in the kitchen with the most delicious pies you can imagine. Recipes included!

Deb/AGBF

 

[zoebartlett]

LOVED Louise Penny's "Still Life." It's her first book and the first in a series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec police. If I had to classify it I'd say it was an intellectual cozy mystery - maybe of P.D. James meets Sarah Graves? The writing is beautiful and the characters are interesting. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

I have that book and I started reading it but couldn't get into it. The characters seemed a bit too quirky. Granted, I didn't get very far, so I could be way off. Maybe I'll try again. I'm glad you liked it, VR.

Has anyone read The Migration of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd? I've only read the first 10 pages or so, but so far, so good. She also wrote The Secret Life of Bees, which I didn't like, so I was hesitant to pick this one up.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

LOVED Louise Penny's "Still Life." It's her first book and the first in a series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec police. If I had to classify it I'd say it was an intellectual cozy mystery - maybe of P.D. James meets Sarah Graves? The writing is beautiful and the characters are interesting. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

I have that book and I started reading it but couldn't get into it. The characters seemed a bit too quirky. Granted, I didn't get very far, so I could be way off. Maybe I'll try again. I'm glad you liked it, VR.

Has anyone read The Migration of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd? I've only read the first 10 pages or so, but so far, so good. She also wrote The Secret Life of Bees, which I didn't like, so I was hesitant to pick this one up.

I loved the Secret Life of Bees and wondered about reading other books by Sue Monk Kidd! Be sure to post what you think after you finish The Migration of Wings... I'll grab that book next.

I started the Book Thief but because I had recently watched the movie, was having a difficult time getting into the story (plus, I think I'm a bit worn out on young adult fiction)...so now, I'm reading a Stephen King book I found at the grocery store called Hearts In Atlantis.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I also forgot to recommend Rebecca and The Handmaid's Tale.

The Handmaids tail is an excelent book. Margaret Atwood is brilliant.

For some reason I was was put off when I considered reading The Handmaid's Tale and now I do not recall why. I have a vague recollection of feeling there was some anti-feminist sentiment in the book and that that had annoyed me. You two are making me want to read more about it. Does anyone have any idea what I might have read based on what he knows about the book?

Deb/AGBF

I had the same reaction. I actually found it repellant - and I don't recall, now, whether it was the story itself, the way it was told, or just that I didn't think it live up to the hype... or maybe the real reason was more personal than that? In any event, I haven't read a book by Margaret Atwood since.

I liked The Handmaid's Tale a lot! Since then, I've tried some of Atwood's other books and either found one kind of too weird and another was so boring that I didn't finish it...

 

[blackprophet]

I also forgot to recommend Rebecca and The Handmaid's Tale.

The Handmaids tail is an excelent book. Margaret Atwood is brilliant.

For some reason I was was put off when I considered reading The Handmaid's Tale and now I do not recall why. I have a vague recollection of feeling there was some anti-feminist sentiment in the book and that that had annoyed me. You two are making me want to read more about it. Does anyone have any idea what I might have read based on what he knows about the book?

Deb/AGBF

I had the same reaction. I actually found it repellant - and I don't recall, now, whether it was the story itself, the way it was told, or just that I didn't think it live up to the hype... or maybe the real reason was more personal than that? In any event, I haven't read a book by Margaret Atwood since.

I liked The Handmaid's Tale a lot! Since then, I've tried some of Atwood's other books and either found one kind of too weird and another was so boring that I didn't finish it...

All her books I've read are very different.

I just finished Machine of death (you can dl it for free here: http://machineofdeath.net/ebook)
Description is here: http://machineofdeath.net/about
Very interesting premise, and all of the short stories are written by different authors so you get very different spins on a common theme. Some were better than others but overall a really good book.

 

[VRBeauty]

LOVED Louise Penny's "Still Life." It's her first book and the first in a series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec police. If I had to classify it I'd say it was an intellectual cozy mystery - maybe of P.D. James meets Sarah Graves? The writing is beautiful and the characters are interesting. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

I have that book and I started reading it but couldn't get into it. The characters seemed a bit too quirky. Granted, I didn't get very far, so I could be way off. Maybe I'll try again. I'm glad you liked it, VR.

I guess I tend to be drawn to quirky characters. I loved The Shipping News and recommended it to a friend, and he also couldn't get into it because the characters were too strange.

 

[AGBF]

I finished The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. As I wrote above, I did, eventually "get into" the book (become absorbed by the story). Just now I went to its Amazon.com page to see what others thought of the book. The reviews were pretty spectacular. First, I should mention to Gypsy that is is fantasy in case she has not read it. Second, it is labelled as being for ages 10 and older on Amazon, so I guess it may, technically, be a children's book.

I kept comparing it to The Chronicles of Narnia as I read it. I read those books as a child and loved them. Having read those first and read those when I was very young probably automatically places them in a special category for me. At any rate, I did not find that The Neverending Story was as good as The Chronicles of Narnia. It was, however, reminiscent of them. In the book a human boy enters a magical world where he meets all kinds of creatures and has adventures before finding his way out again. There is also a moral message, as there is in The Chronicles of Narnia, which enriches the story and raises it above the level of some common video game-type adventure.

I never heard from any of you who had read this and still would like to!

Deb

 

[NOYFB]

I'm too lazy to read all of the responses, but I'm currently reading The Fault in Our Stars and I like it. I didn't even realize they were making it into a movie until about 2 hours after I downloaded it.

 

[LAJennifer]

Deb, I read The Neverending Story several years ago and enjoyed it very much. I wish I could find my copy (in a box in the basement somewhere).

I am a library hoarder. Right now I have:

The Night Circus on playaway (I listen to it as I fall asleep)
The Passage - both the book and I downloaded the audio version
Voodoo Histories, The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - I've read this one a few times, but I feel I need it with me all the time so I keep checking it out.
Anansi Boys also by Neil Gaiman
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
Smoke and Mirrors, short fictions by Neil Gaiman
365 Slow Cooker Suppers by Stephanie O'Dea
Creative Dreaming by Patricia Garfield
More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow-200 Brand-new, Budget-friendly, Slow-cooker Recipes By Stephanie O'Dea

 

[zoebartlett]

LOVED Louise Penny's "Still Life." It's her first book and the first in a series featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Quebec police. If I had to classify it I'd say it was an intellectual cozy mystery - maybe of P.D. James meets Sarah Graves? The writing is beautiful and the characters are interesting. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series.

I have that book and I started reading it but couldn't get into it. The characters seemed a bit too quirky. Granted, I didn't get very far, so I could be way off. Maybe I'll try again. I'm glad you liked it, VR.

Has anyone read The Migration of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd? I've only read the first 10 pages or so, but so far, so good. She also wrote The Secret Life of Bees, which I didn't like, so I was hesitant to pick this one up.

I loved the Secret Life of Bees and wondered about reading other books by Sue Monk Kidd! Be sure to post what you think after you finish The Migration of Wings... I'll grab that book next.

I started the Book Thief but because I had recently watched the movie, was having a difficult time getting into the story (plus, I think I'm a bit worn out on young adult fiction)...so now, I'm reading a Stephen King book I found at the grocery store called Hearts In Atlantis.

I haven't had much time to read lately but I'll post my review after reading the Migration of Wings. I want to read The Book Thief before seeing the movie.

What recommendations do YA fans have? I don't like fantasy usually, and it seems as though so many YA authors have jumped on the Twilight/Hunger Games bandwagon.

 

[Lorelei]

I have always enjoyed Tudor history and have been reading a few Philippa Gregory and found them to be excellent reads. I have read The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance. I particularly like the way she brings her characters to life and her use of human emotions is brilliant.

 

[aviastar]

I finished The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. As I wrote above, I did, eventually "get into" the book (become absorbed by the story). Just now I went to its Amazon.com page to see what others thought of the book. The reviews were pretty spectacular. First, I should mention to Gypsy that is is fantasy in case she has not read it. Second, it is labelled as being for ages 10 and older on Amazon, so I guess it may, technically, be a children's book.

I kept comparing it to The Chronicles of Narnia as I read it. I read those books as a child and loved them. Having read those first and read those when I was very young probably automatically places them in a special category for me. At any rate, I did not find that The Neverending Story was as good as The Chronicles of Narnia. It was, however, reminiscent of them. In the book a human boy enters a magical world where he meets all kinds of creatures and has adventures before finding his way out again. There is also a moral message, as there is in The Chronicles of Narnia, which enriches the story and raises it above the level of some common video game-type adventure.

I never heard from any of you who had read this and still would like to!

Deb

The Neverending Story has been on my To Read list for a long time; for people my age the movie is such a vivid part of my childhood that I have never quite moved to pick the book up, fearing that they will be drastically different. I'll move it up the list now!

I haven't had much time to read lately but I'll post my review after reading the Migration of Wings. I want to read The Book Thief before seeing the movie.

What recommendations do YA fans have? I don't like fantasy usually, and it seems as though so many YA authors have jumped on the Twilight/Hunger Games bandwagon.

I went through my books list and didn't find much that wasn't fantasy and/or dystopian in the YA genre. Some old titles, but some of my very favorites ever are the Woods Family Saga by Eileen Charboneauu; The Ghosts of Stony Clove is the first one. I believe they are recently available for Kindle, too.

I've also heard wonderful things about The Fault in our Stars, but can't give it a personal recommendation yet. I don't know if they can really be classified as YA ( I tend to think not) but several of Tracy Chevalier's book feature young female protagonists and she writes pretty straightforward historical fiction without any fantasy overtones.

If you are up for dipping a toe into a little mysticism that is not outright fantasy try The Thief, and subsequent sequels, by Megan Whalen Turner. One of my very favorite new finds, I wish this author had more books out.

I have always enjoyed Tudor history and have been reading a few Philippa Gregory and found them to be excellent reads. I have read The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance. I particularly like the way she brings her characters to life and her use of human emotions is brilliant.

I've read several of hers, too! I found The Other Boleyn Girl to be the best of the lot.

 

[AGBF]

I have always enjoyed Tudor history and have been reading a few Philippa Gregory and found them to be excellent reads. I have read The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance. I particularly like the way she brings her characters to life and her use of human emotions is brilliant.

I love history, too, and loved the PBS series, "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". I even got roped into watching the first two years of the far less accurate series, "The Tudors" and enjoyed the silly melodrama of that. I have been reluctant to read the books by Philippa Gregory, though. I am not sure why. There is something about their being fiction which has put me off. I wish I could figure out what it is!

Deb/AGBF
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

 

[AGBF]

The Neverending Story has been on my To Read list for a long time; for people my age the movie is such a vivid part of my childhood that I have never quite moved to pick the book up, fearing that they will be drastically different.

I had never heard of either the book or the movie until the past month. What was the movie like to your generation? Tell me more.

Deb

 

[aviastar]

The Neverending Story has been on my To Read list for a long time; for people my age the movie is such a vivid part of my childhood that I have never quite moved to pick the book up, fearing that they will be drastically different.

I had never heard of either the book or the movie until the past month. What was the movie like to your generation? Tell me more.

Deb

Oh gosh- it was this beautiful, terrifying fantasy adventure. The princess and the heroes (both of them) were all of relate able ages for me and my friends. We wore costume jewelry on our heads for years after to look like the Childlike Empress, we knew all the words to the theme song (and I still sing it whenever I hear or say the title!). I tell my dog she looks like a Luck Dragon; Falcor is on the short list of names for our next dog.

Maybe it was just me and my group of friends, but it was a staple of our role playing, fantasy repertoire.

 

[zoebartlett]

I remember reading Edward Eager's books and loving them.

I loved reading Cynthia Voight's and Lois Lowry's books when I was younger, and Meg Cabot not too long ago. I might check out Sarah Dessen's books soon. I think those are YA books I might like. I'm not very good at suspending disbelief, which is why I never got into supernatural stories.

 

[AGBF]

I remember reading Edward Eager's books and loving them.

I loved reading Cynthia Voight's and Lois Lowry's books when I was younger, and Meg Cabot not too long ago. I might check out Sarah Dessen's books soon. I think those are YA books I might like. I'm not very good at suspending disbelief, which is why I never got into supernatural stories.

I, also, have started to like Young Adult books. However, I prefer the books that are not fantasy. I think. As I think back, I recall that when I was (briefly) teaching English to middle school age children I used Tuck Everlasting in my teaching and loved it. I do believe that that is when I started to enjoy the Young Adult genre...the time when I was reintroduced to it, when I taught it.

Deb/AGBF

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I read The Neverending Story as a young girl, probably at 9 or 10. I think I did not understand a lot of the book then but I enjoyed it immensely. I always liked fantasy.

The Night Circus is a gorgeous book. I don't like most of the main characters (one of the contestants is particularly creepy in my opinion) but the secondary characters are all amazing. And, of course, the descriptions are so rich!

I am on a Sabatini binge right now. His books are all adventures and romances set in 17th and 18th century France, in the style of Dumas's The Three Musketeers. So, nothing particularly profound but entertaining. You know the rough around the edges but gallant and brave hero is going to fight duels, get involved in intrigue (in the side of right, of course) and get the girl in the end. The girl will be a delicate young noblewoman with a spine of steel and a heart of gold, who will distrust the hero until he proves himself, get kidnapped by the villain and stand up for what is good and right.

I am also rereading Sherlock Holmes, just for fun. After this, I should read something a bit more serious.

 

[AGBF]

I read The Neverending Story as a young girl, probably at 9 or 10. I think I did not understand a lot of the book then but I enjoyed it immensely. I always liked fantasy.

The Night Circus is a gorgeous book. I don't like most of the main characters (one of the contestants is particularly creepy in my opinion) but the secondary characters are all amazing. And, of course, the descriptions are so rich!

I am on a Sabatini binge right now. His books are all adventures and romances set in 17th and 18th century France, in the style of Dumas's The Three Musketeers. So, nothing particularly profound but entertaining. You know the rough around the edges but gallant and brave hero is going to fight duels, get involved in intrigue (in the side of right, of course) and get the girl in the end. The girl will be a delicate young noblewoman with a spine of steel and a heart of gold, who will distrust the hero until he proves himself, get kidnapped by the villain and stand up for what is good and right.

I am also rereading Sherlock Holmes, just for fun. After this, I should read something a bit more serious.

Well...I am now where you say you should soon be. I have picked up Crime and Punishment at long last. After all the talking about it. Actually, I have already read all sorts of notes about the author's life and the translation, which I somehow thought was the right thing to do, and have just started to read the first page. I'll let you know how I do! I hope I can read it!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

I have picked up Crime and Punishment at long last. After all the talking about it. Actually, I have already read all sorts of notes about the author's life and the translation, which I somehow thought was the right thing to do, and have just started to read the first page. I'll let you know how I do! I hope I can read it!

I said I would report in on my progress with Crime and Punishment. After all, I am not dragonfly, and I do not thrive on reading The Bible before breakfast, then The Iliad while on the train to work! I am more of an escape fiction type of gal!

That having been said, however, I have really been enjoying this book. Gypsy called it when she said that she thought I would like it because it was psychological. It isn't dry. I like picking it up to see what happens next. I am just past the halfway point and have really been paying attention to what I have been reading. In fact I even made a list of the characters' entire names inside the front cover because I didn't want to get confused by Dostoyevsky's habit of referring to someone at times by a first name, at times by a last name, at times by a nickname, and at times by by some combination of names!

I have further decided that later this year (after a break for some more escape fiction) I would like to read Chekhov's The Shooting Party. Somehow I read about it because I was reading Crime and Punishment.

Deb/AGBF

 

[Gypsy]

A lot of the literature I've read has been dry for me. Crime and Punishment is not one of them.

I'm glad you are enjoying it as well.

I too MUCH prefer escapist literature. In fact, that's pretty much all I read anymore.

 

[packrat]

Ohhh the Neverending Story! I have never read that, or the Princess Bride, tho they're favorite movies. I bought Neverending Story for the kids (ha, me!) to see.

I read Slaughterhouse Five last week. Managed to get thru it. Did not care for it. Now I am back to James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman etc.

Oh, I read A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams last week also and enjoyed it a lot, so I found another of her books at the library for when I'm done w/this stack I have now.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I just received a glowing recommendation for "The Murder of Hellen Jewett" by Patria Cline Cohen, about, well, the murder of Helen Jewett, a prostitute in 1830s New York. She researches Helen Jewett's life and origins, as well as that of the alleged killer (tried but not convicted), talks about the role of the press, specially the new sensational papers, and 1830s society. I downloaded it this morning and I can't wait to read it.

 

[aviastar]

Ohhh the Neverending Story! I have never read that, or the Princess Bride, tho they're favorite movies. I bought Neverending Story for the kids (ha, me!) to see.

I read Slaughterhouse Five last week. Managed to get thru it. Did not care for it. Now I am back to James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman etc.

Oh, I read A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams last week also and enjoyed it a lot, so I found another of her books at the library for when I'm done w/this stack I have now.

Read The Princess Bride! It's my favorite movie of all time and the book takes nothing away from it. They actually compliment each other, while the book, of course, has more back story. For instance, you will learn why Fezzik is threatened with being abandoned in Greenland (specifically, unemployed in Greenland).

It's a wonderful book.

 

[AGBF]

I read Slaughterhouse Five last week. Managed to get thru it. Did not care for it. Now I am back to James Patterson, Jonathan Kellerman etc.

I cannot remember which book by Kurt Vonnegut is which now and, if the truth be told, I cannot even remember any of the books! I only remember phrases from them and ideas.* But I absolutely loved each of them when I read it. I guess it is time for me to reread his books.

I remember discussing the books-or at least one of them-with Leonid. When I searched, however, I came up with only this. I wasn't even a part of this brief "discussion"!

Vonnegut...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/re-reading-kurt-vonnegut.20826/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/re-reading-kurt-vonnegut.20826/[/URL]

AGBF


*One phrase I never forgot was, "Alackaday and f*ck my luck". The mix of the ancient chivalrous and modern language had a definite ring to it.

 

[packrat]

I maybe just don't have the mind to appreciate Vonnegut. Slaughterhouse Five had "everything was beautiful and nothing hurt" and also "so it goes" So it goes was in there about 100 times. Alackaday and **** my luck sounds familiar, it probably was quoted in a Stephen King book and that's why I've heard it haha.