Books

[Elder Math]

There should be absolutely nothing wrong with liking Rudyard Kipling. My favorite is called like Kim, or Kip. It's about a boy in the desert.

The biggest volume I ever carried around with me, or read would probably be one of Victor Hugo's books, either Les Miserables or The Hunchback of Notre Dame

[AlidaART]

Weirdly, I've always heard such wonderful things about Charles DeLint from people who have (in my opinion) wonderful taste in books, and yet I've never read a DeLint book that I particularly liked. In fact, I've only read half of two of his books (The Blue Girl and my advance copy of Little (Grrl) Lost). I did finish The Riddle of the Wren, and found that marginally more interesting but can hardly remember the plot.

It's not that the writing isn't good...it's just bland. It doesn't jump off the page, or sparkle, or draw me in. And the subject matter, while inventive, is often somehow cliche in ways that I can never quite explain, but definitely react to (usually by putting the book down and never returning).

(Unfortunately, I actually have to finish Little (Grrl) Lost so I can write a review for Sharon November, who gave me the advance copy for free.)

Anyway. Lately I've been spending a lot of time in the basement of the city library, where they keep the YA books. I've steadily gone through most of their collection of Margaret Mahy novels (The Tricksters and The Changeover are my favorites thus far), and am also starting in on the Joan Aiken that they've got. I still can't believe that the Wolves chronicles are out of print--they're fantastic! Though often rather grim.

[Elder Math]

The two you mentioned, where as I have to say I enjoyed The Blue Girl, are not his best books, however, some of your complaints will possibly always be there.

Charles DeLint is a very suttle writer, and oft times does not do climax all that well. Some people can forgive this for his ability to make the unreal seem real(which even if you disagree with me, I think he does very well). I ask that you keep in mind that he started doing short stories, and some say those are still his best works.

As such, anyone interested in trying out Charles DeLint would be best off reading "Dreams Underfoot" first, as that is a compilation of his first short stories and he is strangely serialized to the point that it helps to read them in order, although it isn't truly necessary.(On some books it may be, like "The Onion Girl")

As for the "cliche" I can't say what you honestly mean by that. I will leave it alone as I do not agree with that sentiment, even though I would agree that the two you mentioned are not his best.

[Birdhead]

Seriously, Alida, NOT the best de Lint you could have chosen. Try The Onion Girl or some of the short stories.

Here's an off-the-wall rec: one of the best books I read lately was Being Good, by Simon Blackburn. It's a nonfiction book on ethics, only about 100 pages, which summarises the history of ethics in philosophy and skims several areas of contemporary and recent thought on the issue. If you've ever thought about reading this kind of thing, or wanted to have a foundation from which to discuss some fairly serious issues, I highly recommend this book - it's short, highly readable, very worthwhile.

[AlidaART]

Well, okay, I thought the problem might be with The Blue Girl itself, since I really did enjoy Riddle of the Wren while I was reading it, so he can't be all bad.

Though I must say that I've never come across this purported ability of his to evoke the magical in the ordinary. In fact his writing generally seems downright ordinary, unlike many, many other authors I could mention, top among them Diana Wynne Jones, who can pretty much make you believe anything and grounds all of her fantasy in the real world--or at least, a version of it that has deceptively magical edges. I'll definitely try some of his other books, but right now he's batting 0 for 3 in my book, which isn't all that encouraging.

[Dragon Writer]

personally, i think some of the best books i've ever read by any author was sword of truth series by terry good kind...very psychologically involved when you want them to be, but filled with real life lessons that allow you to really think about them all you want, and characters that people whos death will hit you like that a best friend! (therefore we must hope the main ones never EVER die) and i LOVE the wizarding rules. *starts quoting* "people are stupid. they will believe anything, either because they WANT to believe it's true, or because they are AFRAID it is true." "the best intentions can cause the greatest harm." "passion rules reason." "deserve victory" "forgiveness is healing" and so on...*thinks these books rule*

[Kathy Li]

Originally posted by Garrett Fitzgerald:<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by kli6:
I had this great experience once where I was at a party that Neil Gaiman gave after World Fantasy convention...

Kathy, have I mentioned lately that I hate you? :-) I have to get by with things like meeting Adam Baldwin at a signing in Seattle, or holding the door for Stephen Hawking... </div>[quote]Oh. I guess I shouldn't mention then that it was a Guy Fawkes party at his house. We had a bonfire and everything and some of the fireworks almost killed Gene Wolfe (boy, he can move fast). It was a really great party. Last time I saw Mike Ford. (sniff)

William: love Asimov's robot books, but somehow I've never gotten around to the Foundation trilogy. It's a character flaw, I know.

Elder Math: I like Kipling's The Muse Among the Motors. Reminds me in some ways of Mike Ford. Or maybe vice versa. And if you like Kim, I would recommend checking out Laurie R. King's The Game.

[meteorite]

The main problem I had with Riddle of the Wren was that it seemed to be a setup for a series, or at least a sequel, which never materialized. Of Charles DeLint's books, I preferred Mulengro or Moonheart, or possibly Svaha. I also liked some of his Newford tales. His writing is uneven; when he is good, he is very very good, but when he is off, he is... uninspired. That seems to go for a lot of authors; sometimes you swear they put out a story just to satisfy an obligation or pay the bills, not because it would set them on fire from the inside if it didn't get out.

What kli6 said about The Game! Actually, Laurie R. King in general. I suppose it comes from living, if not in the same state, at least on the same continental shelf, and being able to occasionally bump into certain people *goes away grumbling about cons*

[Elder Math]

Of the newford tales...start with the short stories (DEAR GOD start with the short stories)because they are all good that i've read. These are "Dreams Underfoot", "Moonlight and Vine", and "Tapping the Dreaming Tree"...I think there is one more but I can't remember it's title.

As for full novels? Somewhere to be Flying I liked very much, as I did Moonheart, and Mulengro.

I liked "The Blue Girl" but read it after not having read any DeLint in a long time. I think I can see what you mentioned in that particular volume, and I have not ventured to fully read the Little [GRRL] Lost but have heard mixed things about it amongst his fans. Not a great sign with DeLint.

The problem with DeLint is clear once you look at his career. He started off doing short stories, and used the short stories to tell bigger stories within them. This was both a unique writing style and kept him in the game as he didn't burn himself out. When he writes novels you can see a little burnout hit him on some of his works.

[Dragon Writer]

reading this topic does a reading list good...and me horror! do you have any idea how gigantic my reading list has grown? true, this is partially because i walked through my school library and cataloged every single book in it i wanted to read for future reference, but still! *grins* I still love reading lists though... I'm currently in the middle of king of kevin crossley's arthur series, and things hoped for by andrew clements ok, i take it back...i finished things hoped for, and king of the middle march is going on hold yet AGAIN due to a book i just realized was non renewable!

[Dragon Writer]

*is in aberhorsen series* i wish robert jorden would right a new book...he might die within the next few years (disease) and he's still writing...which is great (i love his books) and i admire that he can still write...but the series is not only unended, despite being in eleven books, but there hasn't been a new one in FOREVER...(i also am worried he'll die with the series unfinished) ah well....aberhorsen books rules anyways.

[mysss]

The Abhorsen series? I'll just assume so for now... No kidding about the reading list thing, though I don't pay mine too much attention. I need to find Sabriel at this point, but I was a bit distracted and let a (currently unknown) probably large ammount of fines accumulate. $.25 a day is pretty ridiculous in my opinion... Oh well, I'm the one with fines now . *marks mental note to go to the library more distinctively*
[edit]*returns from internet search* Hmm... is it spelled differently somewhere, or do some people just misspell it? Well you get a few (thousand) more hits with "Abhorsen" so I'll assume I'm right until someone tells me different.

[Dragon Writer]

with the abhorsen thing, you're right...but i always have an urge to spell it differently. *Shrugs* you should DEFINATELY get sabriel...it's GREAT. Not exactly ESSENTIAL to the next two books, but a great read all the same, and something you'll want to have...(besides, it gives you a bit more backround on some of the characters. :P)

[Cress]

I have recently become somewhat obsessed with Scott Westerfield. The Uglies series was my god for a while, and I've just started Midnighters, which is also really good. So Yesterday was decent, and I really want to get my hands on Peeps, which one of my friends has but hasn't given me.
Does anyone here read Blue Bloods?

[mysss]

*facepalm* I actually meant to say Lirael, which I just got at the library(along with Abhorsen), ending a much-too-long period of book deprivation. I got it yesterday and then stayed up until 3:00 AM reading it XD.

Never heard of Blue Bloods, sorry, Cress.