Hi Janny,
You've got me thinking - have you ever found an audio version of a book to be useful or even good? Just curious.

posted by WillieD at 12:43 pm (EST) on May 12, 2008

Brilliant! Just finished The Silver Pigs and i really enjoyed it. Don't worry it wasn't an audio book. (I've never used an audio book.) When i got to page 50, i went online and ordered the next 3 books in the series. I could really tell i was going to enjoy it at that stage! Thanks a million again for the recommendation.
I think there is 16 books in the series, so, i'm going to be busy for a while.

posted by WillieD at 12:54 pm (EST) on May 2, 2008

Just finished rereading Stormwarden. Really enjoyed it again. My favourite character was Emien - i just loved watching his character progress.
I'm going to start the Silver Pigs tomorrow. So, i'll let you know how it goes.

posted by WillieD at 3:38 pm (EST) on Apr 28, 2008

Don't worry. i'll let you know.

posted by WillieD at 1:53 am (EST) on Apr 22, 2008

Good! I hope you like them!
Colleen McCullough has a series called the masters of rome. I've only read the first
two books in the series. They are the best i've read in historical fiction. They are
as accurate as i think anyone can get. Very complicated, more political than action.
It is very hard to figure out the names of the characters. It took me until the second book to start getting the names straight in my head! But that being the worst complaint, they are worth reading.
The first book is called 'The First Man in Rome' and follows Gaius Marius and Sulla.
The second book is 'The Grass Crown' and continues with Marius and Sulla when they come close to tearing Rome apart between them. Meanwhile, Caesar is only a kid and sets up the third book which will follow his story.
They definitely are not books you would fly through, i find i like to savour them and make them last.
By the way, 'The Silver Pigs' came in the post today. Hopefully i'll get a chance to start it during the week.
Enjoy the books
Willie

posted by WillieD at 1:58 pm (EST) on Apr 18, 2008

Under the Eagle is the first in Simon Scarrow's series. I don't know if it has a different name in America, but i'm sure you'll have no problems. You probably are back from the library at this stage anyway and figured it out for yourself!
Anyway, i'm waiting for the silver pigs to come - should get it before the end of the week. That gives me time to finish the book i'm reading. Did you ever read Colleen McCullough?
Regards
Willie

posted by WillieD at 2:36 am (EST) on Apr 17, 2008

Just being nosy really - was the short print run issue you mentioned on that GD thread, behind the US publishers difficulties with Stormed Fortress?

Have you seen the recent LT blog post about an Author Chat program?

Recomendations - I'm always open to new recommendations... though I've still plenty to work through!

posted by reading_fox at 6:16 am (EST) on Apr 15, 2008

"Sarah Zettel - she does some of the finest character driven SF, but if you haven't discovered her Isavalta series (fantasy) you are in for a real treat. Very fine characterization, and a well worked out backdrop of interlaced realities"

From long ago - but I've finally finished reading this. Thanks for the recommendation: I enjoyed it - slow but as you say well worked.

posted by reading_fox at 10:03 am (EST) on Apr 13, 2008

Hi Janny
Thanks a million for those recommendations. I just ordered the first Lindsey Davis book 'the Silver Pigs'. Barbara Hambly seems to be hard to get this side of the 'pond', but never fear i will track it down.
Regards
Willie
P.S. Simon Scarrow has a great series following a centurion and his optio. Set around AD42, the time of the invasion of Britain

posted by WillieD at 2:41 pm (EST) on Apr 10, 2008

Hi Janny.
I'm very new to Librarything and i'm amazed that such a thing exists! You can imagine my suprise when i saw that you were on it as well. Anyway, it's been a few years since i've read your books and i'm definitely feeling i should reread them as soon as possible. I mainly just wanted to wish you well and thanks for hours of enjoyment.
Regards
Willie

posted by WillieD at 3:37 pm (EST) on Apr 9, 2008

You were right, I enjoyed "Jerusalem Fire" - Starts quite brilliantly, then I wasnt so sure for a while in the middle, but then it went to the backstory of 2 characters and from then it was a great ride of a book, with things making more and more sense and with plenty to make me chew about in between reading sessions... I'll try to write a review once I have chewed some more :) I will definitively look her other books up.

It is good news that the Empire trilogy is out in french, I will have to get them for my best friend. I read the empire trilogy a few years back after a reread of the "magician" and following series, and I enjoyed them best of the lot. Especially the last one which I just remember as one of the most satisfying books ever, the "take on the world and win" story is just one that makes you cheer inside.

posted by iphigenie at 11:20 am (EST) on Apr 2, 2008

Wow.

Finished Mistwraith last night. Very impressed. Very curious about lots of details, time to start hunting down the rest of the series. How much of the backstory appears in the later works? I've had a quick skim through Paravia but I don't want to meet too many spoilers.
"You will see some of the "themes" of earlier novels handled in this series with a lot more power and depth" How true that is. I was lost in the depths, and I suspect will have to re-read many times to grasp it all.

I'm not an audio book person at all, though I have read some of the preview chapters on paravia - I'd expected the Mistwraith one to be at the start of the book rather than halfway through!

The rain held off over Easter, we got a plesant 1" of snow to build with instead.

"Got a loft full of instruments" !!! What sort? Do you play? - with horseriding skills you'd make a fine bard!

And to interupt your discussion with iphigenie, there's a "New Features" group which the LT staff use to promote additions to the site, and often blog posts too. Connection news is a few months old, tag mirror was disabled very quickly because it was so server intensive.

Thanks for Mistwraith it really was a stunning read
Fox.

posted by reading_fox at 7:34 am (EST) on Mar 26, 2008

The connection page I mentioned is called "connection news" and it is hidden on the menu line at the top of the "your profile" page. You can then see what books your connections have added, but also new reviews about books any of them own, things like that

I have no idea how long it has been here, I only saw it a week or two ago when wanting to check my tag mirror.

posted by iphigenie at 4:05 am (EST) on Mar 26, 2008

Hi again.

This comment feature is a bit hard to keep a track of! I wrote a long rambling thing, tried to tidy it up so it didnt take half the browser... I put my halfway-through-undertow answer back on my page, so i dont have others asking too ;)

First, I cannot agree with you more on not liking predictable, by-the-numbers plots. I guess most books are written for the "occasional reader", the people who read a book or two a month, and these people do not want to gamble with their reading (rightly so!). They want the comfort of the formula with only a twist of originality (or, in the case of thrillers, just try to up the intensity one level yet again). If I mistakenly pick one of those books I feel cheated. Talking-to-the-tv annoyed! I hate cliches and I would never pay to read something I think even I could write... we readers can be mean.

I hugely value originality (sometimes to the point of stupidity, some friends would say, since I tend to find mainstream success suspicious), and being surprised. It's very powerful, being surprised! You don't forget it. For example there is a book that will always be on my favorites list because of it, S. Tepper's "the family tree" - I will treasure that book for a very long time because I did not see it coming at all. But I keep putting off rereading it since i dont know how it will fare when you know the plot...

But sometimes predictable is good. For example when you as a reader see something coming that the author wants you to see - usually something dreadful - and you almost want to stop reading so you dont have to see it happen (Robin Hobb and George Martin do that a lot, and, closer to home, I had that a few times in the Wars of Light and Shadows too)...

But all in all after reading nearly a book a day for about 10 years, then still a few a week, I am a picky reader and surprise and originality are best - in plot, or topic, or style, or mixing things up, or turning cliches upside down.

PS: great news on the french translation! I'll keep an eye out for it and I can get my best-friend-from-school all eager about it! I got her hooked on fantasy and science fiction a few years ago and she always badgers me for suggestions, and the ones I make are never available in french.

PPS: You'll have to tell me more about places you remember in the southeast then! I have done the touristy things -darwin's house, various castles- but not much more. I plan to visit Rye as just from maps it looks like a nice estuary with lots of paths and besides I like the name (it's a bit too far but a walk from Rye to Sandwich just has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?)

posted by iphigenie at 7:50 pm (EST) on Mar 25, 2008

Yes, I figured you had listed only one per author as a choice, and probably have hundreds more. Only seeing the tip of the iceberg makes it hard to venture suggestions though.

I haven't had that many new great reading moments last year - lots of books that were perfectly fine but not many 'wow' moments.

Scanning all the books into LT made me reread quite a few old favorites (mostly in magical realism and space opera scifi this time around) and put a batch of others on my TBR pile.

Books I hadnt read before which I read in the past few months and which really hit the spot:
Pat Barker: 'regeneration', 'the eye in the door' and 'the ghost road'. I dont know why I picked them up, the cover blurb isnt particularly enticing and it seems a very gloomy and dull topic, but the books grabbed me and stayed with made me think and even made me look up some of the real characters fictionalised in it.

Fannie Flagg:'standing in the rainbow' and 'i cant wait to get to heaven'. They are very easy to read but such happy books, a bit sappy perhaps but the author clearly loves people and their foibles so much it makes you love people more just reading the books.

PS: I realise I didnt answer all your questions, I lived in the french part of Switzerland for half my life, that's where all the french books/french libraries mentions stem from. I have since moved to the UK. As for hiking, I did most of it around Switzerland (every other weekend in the summer) and quite a few walking holidays in France (corsica, the cevennes, the dordogne etc). In England I mostly covered the dales and moors around Yorkshire when I lived there, and now that I have moved to the southeast I havent done anything... I really should since I have sent my application for the 4 days of Nijmegen and hopefully I'll make the draw, but i ought to get some miles under my belt!

posted by iphigenie at 4:03 am (EST) on Mar 24, 2008

Thanks for the message and the suggestion - Someone had 'Jerusalem Fire' listed on bookmooch in the UK so I have already tried to snatch it. Hopefully I will get it next week. I am on a self imposed "book diet" where I cannot buy a new book unless I have either 1) read a book I own which I hadnt yet read, or 2) re-read 2 books I already own. But bookmooch books don't count, so I was thrilled to find it on bookmooch!

you ask what initially interested me in your inventory... it's quite mundane, really, like many people on LT curiosity made me look up authors I like that I could find on LT. Then I noticed that even though you listed only a small number of books there were a few significant ones in common (even more if you add my wishlist) so I figured I'd keep an eye on you. At the time the option was private watch but I recently discoved you could now have a public set of interesting libraries so switched to that. Interesting libraries sure make the "Connections News" page in LT fascinating.

As regards Kristine Smith I suspect many people picked up "code of conduct" when it got a lot of good reviews a few years back, and promptly got lost in it. I had not read her others and found it quite hard to get into. You get that nagging feeling that you ought to "get" more of what is going on... I went and found the previous books from the library and it was all far more enjoyable with a bit more context.

posted by iphigenie at 7:07 pm (EST) on Mar 23, 2008

Yes, the non-spoiler thread sounds like a good way to go about it.
People will be more likely to click when they see that it's you that posted to the old thread.

posted by clamairy at 2:48 pm (EST) on Mar 22, 2008

Oh, I think that is a most excellent idea! Go right ahead and post those links!
There are plenty of folks who will want to listen, those who've already read the book as well as those who haven't read it yet.
Thanks for thinking of us... seriously.

posted by clamairy at 12:22 pm (EST) on Mar 22, 2008

Well Mistwraith has me hooked at the moment, I'm already surprised by the twists, and just about keeeping track of who is where and related to whom. I'll post a full review when I 've finished it - I'll heed your warning about the pace of the ending!

I'm unlikely ot be in the US anytime soon, but if you ever manage to get a book signing tour in the UK or even Europe, I'd be honoured to meet you IRL. Till then virtual beers are great!

Cheers and Happy Easter

Fox.

posted by reading_fox at 5:43 pm (EST) on Mar 21, 2008

Almost a year already! Where does time go?! There's a 1 year aniversary thread somewhere on GD. I'll certainly join in beer drinking! I just hope I haven't distracted you from your writing, or the dedicated Paravians.

Mistborn - yes. Elantris had a exert in the back, a practise that I usually dislike*, but it worked this time! When I can find it: Brandon doesn't yet seem to be in UK real life bookshops, and I'm reluctant to use Amazon. Last time I tried that, fed up of waiting for Deliverer, I came away with an order for 7. However that included Mistwraith, which is likely to be my Easter reading ;-) and also Zettel's A Sorcerer's Treason from your recommendations.

What are you reading at the moment?

*Is this a publishers decision? or do authors get input on it?

posted by reading_fox at 5:37 am (EST) on Mar 20, 2008

Hi, thanks for responding. I have not posted even half of my library yet, so we may have a few more books in common!Also your about me blurb really speaks to the way I feel about our creative capabilities and what could happen if we could connect to them more in our daily life, if we weren't forced as children to fit into someone else's idea of what our life should be. I do love the fantasy genre and hope to write some stories and submit them to the appropriate publications. I will be watching your career. Ill be looking for some of your books on Amazon! Good night, Mary Beth

posted by mmignano11 at 10:50 pm (EST) on Mar 18, 2008

RYN: Apologies for not being clearer - I like reading, but I'm not so good at writing. I wasn't asking for recommendations, more expressing an interest in the books on your shelf. Many of them look very interesting!

posted by fairy-whispers at 12:37 am (EST) on Mar 14, 2008

Hi!

Yes, Dan Millman's book on energy and numbers. Its really interesting, his own version of numerology and their influence in our life's energy patterns based on experience and Pythagorean mysticism. I have always been drawn to patterns, cycles, fractals and how they appear in the world. Frankly, now I'd like to find more on the pure Pythagorean teachings.

Funny story, the book was recommended by a woman I met a few years ago who is a rather famous English medium. I found her fascinating and she mentioned this book, so I made a point of finding a copy. Then, it got lost it in my shuffling offices around. I stumbled across it recently and picked it again. I calculated the formula with my own info and then all the other people in my house (three others). It seems uncanny and quite accurate (and not very flattering sometimes...) but of course, I find this stuff hypnotic and I can practically read meaning into a rock on the beach. I guess you have to take it with a bit of humor and an open mind; just to give you an idea, here is what Dan's book says about my energy and life purpose...

"...those on this path are here to work through issues of perfectionism, emotional expression, and self-doubt in order to bring forward their inspiring vision of life's possibilities, while appreciating the innate perfection of the present moment..."

Ha - sounded familiar to me. Not a bad purpose, I suppose.

posted by villandry at 10:44 pm (EST) on Mar 12, 2008

I was so surprised (in a good way!) to get a comment from you. The reason I added you to my interesting libraries is because I am a big fan of your work. Since I love your writing so much, I figured I'd also check out some of the books you like to read. I have a huge tbr pile, but there are some books in your library I can't wait to get a look at!

Re my picture: Yes, it is beautiful at the moment, and for that reason has lasted a lot longer than most of my pics. I tend to change all my profile pics on the web to match my desktop. As you can see, I have waterfall theme at the moment.

Have a great day!

posted by fairy-whispers at 6:48 pm (EST) on Mar 10, 2008

Janny,

Thanks for the author recommendations--one thing reading some of the posts on this site has encouraged me to do (since I'm reorganizing anyway) is to make a separate pile of my books to be read. I've already filled one box just with sci fi/fantasy--oh, and two Emily Loring romances, just for a flash from the past (Loring frequently describes her heroines as being "gay," and she means happy!).

I do think Holly Lisle's ebook is valuable, despite the anti-college bit. I don't expect my education to come up in my fiction writing efforts (didn't discuss it when I met with an agent at a conference--just my query letter, which she liked a lot), either; I just think it was a good thing for me personally. Certainly the historical mystery I'm working on has required ongoing research, but I like to think that having the perspective and methods of evaluating what I read that I gained in studying the subject formally are useful, too. Just as Holly's experiences in nursing and in some harrowing personal challenges (she's pretty forthright in discussing them) have contributed to her writing. Aren't we all the sum of everything in our pasts?

I've got a fair number of Dick Francis mysteries and have read a couple of Ngaio Marsh's; I like Robert Parker's Spenser books a lot (very snappy dialog) and a current favorite is Elizabeth George, who writes the Inspector Lynley mysteries. The books are much more complex than the PBS Mystery series based on them; she delves into the psychology of her characters a lot while still giving things like forensic evidence and police procedure their due. Paradoxically, she's an American who writes British mysteries--and makes it work.

I'm playing hookey right now from a project . . . best get back to reading articles and writing test questions on Global Issues . . . sigh. It's a slog.

Elizabeth

posted by ejj1955 at 12:57 am (EST) on Mar 2, 2008

Janny,

I'm in the midst of massively reorganizing my books, so this seemed a serendipitous time to find this site and start cataloging my books. I used to have a database of them, but the computer died and then there was the flood of June 2006, in which I lost boxes of books not yet unpacked and the bottom shelf of every bookcase . . . still pretty traumatized when I think of that. One row of dictionaries; one row of Robert Jordan and Mercedes Lackey.

The survivors ended up in great messy piles in an upstairs bedroom, and I finally decided I can't stand any longer not knowing what I have and getting all the series together that belong together and maybe I'll want to use that room for something someday.

I'm a freelance writer/editor/proofreader/online bookseller. Most of my editorial career has been in reference works but naturally I want to write fiction! I have no desire to be famous but published and solvent would do it for me. Or, you know, fabulously wealthy from a string of bestsellers; I shall take what comes.

Cheers,
Elizabeth

posted by ejj1955 at 6:01 pm (EST) on Feb 26, 2008

I saw on one thread that you mentioned The Heaven Tree as a great book; as this trilogy is one of my all-time favorites, I had to come visit your page here! I also really like Pargeter's ("writing as Ellis Peters") Cadfael books, but The Heaven Tree is something beyond those.

I found this site today and can't stop reading threads . . . oh, dear.

posted by ejj1955 at 2:52 am (EST) on Feb 26, 2008

Hi Janny,

I love your "Cycle of Fire" trilogy. My copy of 'Keeper of the Keys' is falling apart from being read so many times. I tagged your library as one to watch because I thought thought that as I enjoy your books so much I might also enjoy some of the books you read.

posted by penga_librarian at 9:55 am (EST) on Feb 4, 2008

Daughter of the Forest arrived today! thank you once again for sending it to me.

Cheers,

Rune

posted by RuneFirestar at 10:39 am (EST) on Jan 22, 2008

Thank you sooo much!

Will make sure to let you know as soon as I get it!

cheers,

Rune

posted by RuneFirestar at 8:50 pm (EST) on Jan 15, 2008

no TBR pile for me. I don't buy books until I've read my last purchases, so I've jumped straight into Empire and am really enjoying it so far.

Don't know how I managed to get Mistwraith and Merior muddled. I've been looking out for a copy of Mistwraith for a couple of years now - but I can't seem to find it in my local bookshops. Not ordering online is one way to avoid a TBR pile.

Glad you ar enejoying LT!

posted by reading_fox at 7:15 am (EST) on Jan 10, 2008

Hi Janny,

I'm thrilled that you're thrilled. Mainly, I find your library interesting because I'm in the midst of reading To Ride Hell's Chasm and really enjoying it. It's the first of your books that I've tried although my boyfriend has been a fan of yours for some time. (By the way, can you tell us when we might see a US publishing of Stormed Fortress?)

More specifically, I see George R. R. Martin, who is a great favorite of mine, and other authors whose books I've been meaning to check out including C. J. Cherryh and Lois McMaster Bujold. Also, the titles The Discovery of King Arthur and The New View Over Atlantis immediately caught my eye as ones I might find interesting.

I recently came across the book on braiding by Jacqui Carey which you mentioned, and I thought it was really fascinating. It will probably find its way home with me at some point. I usually stick with knitting, but I always like to learn different ways to play with string.

Unfortunately, I have yet to figure out how to turn a cat into gold let alone get one to do anything else! ;) That book is one of three puzzle books by Christopher Manson whose clues are hidden in some wonderfully quirky stories and drawings.

Thanks for stopping by my library!

posted by lkmiller at 8:27 pm (EST) on Jan 4, 2008

Hi!

I have read Daughter of the Forest and loved it. Its such a beautiful story.
My copy however got lost when I moves from the states to the UK and I haven't been able to get another copy.

IF you liked that you might like Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey its not as long and complex but its a fairy tale retold with a touch of magic :)

posted by RuneFirestar at 8:21 pm (EST) on Jan 4, 2008

Hi Janny, must admit to being surprised to get a comment from you, but delighted as well.

One of the main reasons I selected you as an "Interesting Library" is that you are one of my Top 3 Authors EVA! (The other two are Guy Gavriel Kay and Lois McMaster Bujold FYI)

And while I dont own a copy of all of your books, I have many of them but have read all and been a fan from the beginning. Particularly a fan of the Wars of Light and Shadow series.

Always happy to discuss books and swap recommendations, its the best way to find new reading :)

posted by bluerose at 5:58 pm (EST) on Dec 31, 2007

Janny,

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your help. There is a man I know who handles intellectual property law and I will ask for his advice. I'm doing my best to see that this is done professionally and yet I can appreciate the lack of control over the behavior of others once it belongs to the world and not just me... I'm filled with excitement and half terrified at the same time. I can just do my best to take thorough notes and document... and be redundantly honest about my intentions. Most of the time, the people I speak with will not read or write in my language or any other... So the verbal and eye to eye understanding will be critical and promises to be fascinating. This one feels like its hijacked me on an adventure that likely doesn't end, ever. My dream is of course that it will succeed beyond expectations, though, the process of getting it birthed is my first focus now. Your advise means the world - anything that you learn about this kind of thing will be eagerly assimilated if you can share it! And I will let you know what I find out as well!

Joy and peace!
Iris

posted by villandry at 9:56 am (EST) on Dec 22, 2007

That's a logical approach with the library. There are quite a few in your list that I've had on mine too. I'm impressed with Sherwood Smith's Indy... and now there is Fox waiting too. (and CJ has been one of my favorites, though I slipped away from SF these last few years, not on purpose, really.)

I'll keep an eye on your list... Have a wonderful Holiday Janny!

Iris

posted by villandry at 2:29 pm (EST) on Dec 19, 2007

Hi Janny!

Can't wait to check into some of your recommendations. I have all your books, of course, though half my library is not entered here as there just isn't enough time yet. Right now, I'm up to my ears in mythic poetry and research for work in progress. I'm really enjoying Hearny's version of Beowulf... it's been 20 years or more since I thought about the story and it's remarkable... the ground covered is rather impressive, guess Hearny can't take credit for all that though.

I've been drooling over Stormed Fortress since it arrived from across the ocean nearly a month ago! But I KNOW that I will not put it down when I open it up... and life has been dealing me a full plate lately. I'm thinking, this coming weekend I will give up on everything else and lock myself up with it. You may hear this a lot, but I LOVE your writing - stories, characters, the way the plot unfolds with such incredible finesse. You are my favorite author (even replaced Oscar Wilde -the rascal -in my heart!) - I've really enjoyed all your books, even the older ones that I had to go looking for between WOLAS installments!

I'm sure there will be more to discuss as soon as I'm up to speed with Stormed Fortress. I've been ducking the chat notes on your website since I don't want to know any spoilers.... LOL. Can't wait to catch up on all that too.

Peace - have a good holiday!

Iris

posted by villandry at 8:08 pm (EST) on Dec 17, 2007

Hi Janny
It's so cool that we have books in common. It's so cool to hear from you here. BTW I just finished Stormed Fortress the other day and have to say congrats to the second author EVER to make me actually CRY...the first was Wilson Rawls who wrote Where the Red Fern Grows...great story, read it years ago.

anyway, recommendations???
well, you noticed I read a lot of different stuff but I noticed you have a King Arthur book by Geoffrey Ashe (awesome). If you want a good Arthur story pick up the Pendragon Cycle by Stephen R. Lawhead. The first book is called Taliesin. very good. He also wrote a book called Byzantium...not about King Arthur, but historical fiction and a stand alone novel that's really good.

I could wax on, and on, and on about other great books but that's a start.

do you have any recommendations? I'll read just about anything I can get my hands on. Love a good story.

thanks for the comment stop by anytime. I'll see you either here or on your other website.

Cheers
Sarah

posted by sarjah at 2:04 am (EST) on Nov 28, 2007

Hi Janny -

I just finished reading and reviewing To Ride Hell's Chasm. I really enjoyed it. I was impressed by the ending too. I had two major predictions neither of which was right, and yours was a more satisfying conclusion than either! I'm not sure if you're the kind of author that likes to read reviews but one of the things I mentioned as really unique was the horses. I liked how when reading it I could really visualize them all and I think also your illustrations helped with that too. Just out of curiosity, do you draw the pictures from your writing or do you write about what you draw? Or were Anja's team based on real horses you know?

Thanks for a great book!
L :)

posted by elbakerone at 9:50 am (EST) on Aug 2, 2007

Hi, Pondering amazon finds. Looking up Gladden Schrock, the absolute only thing I can find is "Letters from Alf." Is this a title you recognize/recommend? Thanks,d.

posted by dchaikin at 11:32 am (EST) on Jul 29, 2007

hmmm... my library only has one of your suggestions - A sporting chance; unusual methods of hunting, by Daniel P. Mannix (one copy in the system). Maybe I'll start there.

posted by dchaikin at 11:34 pm (EST) on Jul 15, 2007

Thanks for the Michell suggestion. I will try and take a look.

posted by dchaikin at 2:48 pm (EST) on Jul 14, 2007

Five favorites...

A River Runs Through It - Norman Maclean
Goodbye to a River - John Graves
Crime and Punishment - Dostoevsky
Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides

The 1st three were easy. I'm not sure this helps any because there isn't any fantasy there... possibly because I haven't read that much of it.

posted by dchaikin at 9:16 pm (EST) on Jul 12, 2007

RE: "So many books don't stretch enough to make me think! The ones I remember always do. "

I've got a pretty limited reading resume. There is so much out there I haven't read. So, I never know what to make of my own opinions on a book and whether they are valid. I saw a quote somewhere, by a major author, that was was something like: "We forget that for some people a hawk is just a hawk" I'm one of those people. As much as I try to look behind, around and between the words I still get to the end with only I only that story ... and few precious hints of something else. (unless someone else holds my hand and points out something I missed) So, I ponder those hints, and sometimes they make the book... make it stick.

I looked more closely at your library after your comments. They are almost all new to me (I counted.. I recognize only of 7 of the 49 authors listed... I've read five). Too many new ones, I don't know where to begin : )...

cheers,
d

posted by dchaikin at 10:33 pm (EST) on Jul 11, 2007

Hi,

This connection feature is kind of funny, I wasn't expecting a response from you :} I'm glad you're flattered. Your account is an unusual opportunity for me to see a high quality author's library (... well, theoretically, since there only 54 books entered. Are these favorites?).

By the way: I really enjoyed "To Ride Hell's Chasm," and I've been thinking about constantly since I finished it last night. I even gave up a rare chance to read a bit this morning because I'm not ready to start my next book yet - I'm still pondering this one and making it out. I'm looking forward to more in the discussion.

Cheers,
Dan

posted by dchaikin at 2:57 pm (EST) on Jul 11, 2007

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll start trying to hunt them down.

You may be pleased to know that LT lists a second book by Katie Waitman "The Divided". I know nothing else about it other than the information on LT. It hasn't recieved as high a rating as the Merro Tree, and less people own it. IF I manage to find it and read it I'll let you know!

posted by reading_fox at 12:50 pm (EST) on Jun 27, 2007