Books

[worlebird]

Originally posted by Garrett Fitzgerald:
Indeed. The concept of a universe that directly enforces ethical rules makes me want to start mining for fairy gold right now.

Hmm, interesting. I haven't read "Stealing the Elf King's Roses", but it sounds like I need to. Perhaps I'll get to it right after I finish William Gibson's "Burning Chrome".
A universe that directly enforces ethical rules? That doesn't sound very pleasant at all... Who would decide what those rules are? If the universe enforces them directly, how would individuals have any say as to what the standards are? Sounds very... totalitarian to me.

Originally posted by young reader:
*doesn't know whether to laugh or cry* WHen i was younger, i read a series by jane yolen-the Dragon Pit chronicles, i believe. Could never remember their name, though i always wanted to read the, or recomedn them, a bit bevause i loved them so much.

Yeah, that's a great trilogy. The first in particular - the other two get progressively weirder, but still good reads. The books are "Dragon's Blood", "Heart's Blood", and "A Sending of Dragons".

[edited to consolidate double-post. kli]

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

Originally posted by kli6:
Not only are all the stories immense fun, but she starts out with a terrific essay on Christmas stories in general (and laying out all the reasons why Miracle on 34th Street is a superior Christmas movie to It's a Wonderful Life: "... and poor George is still faced with embezzlement charges, which the last time I looked don't disappear just because you pay back the money...") and she ends with two lists of twelve stories and twelve movies to read/watch for Christmas.

Look, we're talking Divine Intervention here (not Divine Irregularity, which is something else entirely) -- anything can happen. :-)

Part of the reason the charges went away was in a deleted scene at the end. I can't find a reference to it at the moment, and I don't remember if it was ever filmed, or just scripted. (I sold the book, so I can't look it up. If I ever win the lottery, a trip to Borders to replace large chunks of my missing book and CD collection is high on the list.) Potter pulled up to the Bailey house, $8000 in hand, but couldn't make himself go in, because he knew he didn't belong as part of the celebration.
----
Unrelated note: is anyone else reading Guardians of Ga'Hoole? Some evil book pusher at Borders gave Ael a free promo copy, and she's completely hooked now. :-)

[wolf_wizard]

That sounds... interesting Kathy. I'm sorry, but I don't read holiday books during the holidays.

I was thinking of a different Merlin series then. You know Vashmata, that comment wasn't really apreciated. And I was just trying to place emphasis upon how shocking it was that you like books. And I believe how many times I read the books makes a difference because you can pick up more details than before in the 4,100 pages of HP that there are.

[Kathy Li]

Since it's Christmas time, I thought I should throw out a recommendation for Christmas-themed science fiction stories. I'm recommending the Connie Willis Miracle anthology.

Not only are all the stories immense fun, but she starts out with a terrific essay on Christmas stories in general (and laying out all the reasons why Miracle on 34th Street is a superior Christmas movie to It's a Wonderful Life: "... and poor George is still faced with embezzlement charges, which the last time I looked don't disappear just because you pay back the money...") and she ends with two lists of twelve stories and twelve movies to read/watch for Christmas.

It's a terrific book.

[vashmata]

oh, thirty two, BIG difference. The Merlin's Descendants books are by...*drumroll* Irene Radford.

Hmm... You don't say? Everyone here likes books... How peculiar it is that you can figure that out... I was having my suspicions, though.

[wolf_wizard]

No, I've read them 32 times. I've read Redwall, and Mistmantle, and MAYBE the Merlins Descendans books- who are they by?

I think that the majority of the people here like books, Vashmata.

[vashmata]

Has anyone read the Mistmantle series, the seven brothers series, the dragonvald series, the redwall series, the valdemar series, the magic kingdom <STRIKE>for sale</STRIKE> sold books, or the Merlin's Descendants series?

Ooh! my 100th post! cool. Well, I might as well make it a bit more interesting.

Wolfy, by now we've all noticed that you like them, since you read them each about 31 times.

I like books!*:Aside from anime and video games:*

[wolf_wizard]

I know the books well enough to realize that there are only 7 books because there are 7 years at Hogwarts. I was just saying that i'm going to miss the Harry Potter books. I'll still read them, but it isn't the same as if she was going to write more on teenage Ron, Harry, and Hermione. I think writers write for more than just money. Do you think that she initially intended to write the HP books so she could live really well? Because she kept writing them even in the beginning when almost no publisher liked her story enough to publish it. She is not writing anymore HP books because she feels there isn't much of the rest of their story to write about that would be interesting to people. If she only wrote until she was rich, then she would not have writen the 4,5,6,and 7th books.

Sorry, but in case you hadn't noticed I like the HP books.

[vashmata]

You should have known it from the beginning. She was poor, and only wrote a book so she could live better. That's why she isn't writing anything else. She decided to write 7 books, because there are 7 years at Hogwarts.

[wolf_wizard]

I think it's probably a good thing, because then you will know that the book is going to be really good, as you know that the author has been working on it for 20 years. plus, you must be really excited, and it's something to wait for. If I knew that AWOM was going to be the last YW book (which it isn't) I would want it to come out later, so the series had not ended so soon. I'm still quite unhappy the JK Rowling isn't going to write any more books.

Oh, Clara just posted before me. I really enjoyed the Artemis Fowl books as well.

[Clara]

Yah I read the series too. I really liked the first one, but after that they really got weird and It sure take Yolen a very long time to finish a book! Anyways a sugjestion to all, if you are looking for a laugh and a book that is easy to read try out the Artemis Fowl series. I love those books and they are really funny. By the way Young Reader you sort of lost me in your post after the first line, I recomend trying to keep to one thread becuase your readers can't follow your thoghts!

[Dragon Writer]

*doesn't know whether to laugh or cry* WHen i was younger, i read a series by jane yolen-the Dragon Pit chronicles, i believe. Could never remember their name, though i always wanted to read the, or recomedn them, a bit bevause i loved them so much. Stumble on another book by taht author, not so long ago, think i might recognize it, and what do you know? IT WAS HER! Really happy, i reread the series, everything is going great...and i get to the last book, and there's information about ANOTHER book...i was estatic. Then, it turns out it didn't exist. Horrified. Now, i find out it DOES exist-but won't be published till 2008 in the FALL. *Cries* and it's even worse then i thought! the last book was published first in 1987, it turns out! it's taken her TWENTY YEARS....It's still a wonderful series, but i don't know whether to laugh or cry. (I always was so frustrated that they called it a chronicles, then everyone said it was a trilogy)

[Kathy Li]

Guys, there's a Books FAQ. You might want to give it a look. It answers all sorts of things about the Door books and Stealing the Elf-King's Roses and even the Rihannsu novels.

Also, please be aware that the Door books are not young-adult/kids books. They were written for an adult audience and have things like sex and violence in them at an R-rated level. Just take a moment to consider if you really wanna go there. Not to mention they're mostly out of print and will require digging through used bookstores, libraries, and special orders to get your hands on 'em.

That said, if you do read the first one, you will find out who the author of the Manual is.

For stuff that's similar to YW (aka YA fantasy books), I'd actually recommend reading this entire thread through. You'll find a huge number of recommendations for other authors. My first recommendation would be Diana Wynne Jones and The Dark Lord of Derkholm, but everybody tastes are different. If you have to have more DD, I'd recommend going to the Raetian Tales website and downloading A Wind From the South, or hitting DD's blog, and finding the online version of "Parting Gifts." And if that's still not enough? Rush out to a local bookstore and find the Wizards, Inc. anthology, because DD's short story, "Theobroma" is out.

[Clara]

Yah I read a lot too. Once I was so into a series that I didn't stop reading for four days straight! And I read so much that for punishment if I do something wrong they say I cannot read! and is Stealing the Elf Kings Roses by DD? I want to start the Tamora Pierce series but I haven't had the time, and personly I would never read a book called the Grapes of Wrath. Sorry sounds just a bit to violent for me. Oh well, and Gerret is the Doors series by DD too?

[wolf_wizard]

Yeah, I've read all the Tamora Pierce books, and I like her style of writing a lot. I didn't know DD wrote other books, but I guess I ought to read the Door books now. I agree the beginning is the best place to start, if you can.