@Elanor: That is very true. I didn't really think of that before.

Concerning Eagle of the Ninth: Oh, there's girl characters? I saw the movie based on the book. (The Eagle. I think it came out just this year.) and there were no girl characters at all... but it's not surprising that the movie is a bit different from the book I guess...

Cottia is a relatively minor character who Marcus' next door neighbor while he lives with Uncle Aquila. She doesn't go on the quest and was cut out of the movie - to shorten it, I guess. It's kinda funny that one reviewer on IMDb said it was nice there were "No 'love interest' written in" when the book does have that!

That's interesting that they made a film of The Eagle of the Ninth. Was it any good?

I finally finished (ok, not really) the book I mentioned a few pages back: Murder in Amsterdam. As I mentioned, it was about a Dutch filmmaker named Theo van Gogh who was murdered by an Islamic extremist. The book is about the murder and "it's larger meaning".

I am normally a good reader and can pick up anything and read it with no problems, even books I'm not super wild about but not this book. I could not read more than a chapter or so without having to quit. I didn't understand the book: there'd be a little bit about van Gogh and then a bunch of interviews and back stories of other people, then more about van Gogh, then more interviews and stories and so on. I got totally bogged down and confused and didn't get what the book was driving it. I didn't understand it at all. I didn't get the connection between van Gogh's murder and the supposed "larger meaning".

I had to write a report on it for History class. It was the night before it was due: I had less than a paragraph done and I needed three pages. I'm only half way through the book. So I review a little bit in the first half and then skimmed a half dozen pages throughout the last half of the book. Then I basically just rambled on for three pages about why I disliked the book and sent it off to the professor. I got a 94%.

My feelings:

Just wanted to add that I agree with you Elanor about the Bleak House BBC, so many people rave about it but it wasn't my favourite one either. That's a very great effort to have read all of Dickens I know what you mean about the Mystery of Edwin Drood - I've read it a couple of times and it never ceases to annoy me that it isn't finished

Mmhm, I did really like it (especially Mr Woodcourt! ), but it just wasn't spectacular. It was a bit of an effort to read all of his books, but I really enjoyed it, and now I'm super glad I did!! And someday I'll probably make myself read Edwin Drood . .

@Elanor: That is very true. I didn't really think of that before.

Of course, I'm a big fan of Howl, so I'm very forgiving.

I just started to read The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson, and so far I like it a lot! Usually I get bored by the type of book where a princess wants to be a commoner, but I was intrigued by this book when I saw it was set in the roaring 20's. I also like how the love interest for the main character isn't your typical hero. He's always getting mad, and he's a bit older than her- without being /too/ much older. Has anyone else read this book?

And someday I'll probably make myself read Edwin Drood . .

I loooove Edwin Drood!
Okay, maybe I'm just a little bit biased. I've never actually read the book, but my school did that for our musical a little more than a month ago. The audience got to choose the ending each night. It was my very favoritest production thusfar! (For the record, I was Bazzard, who's a man in the book, but we turned it into a girl part.) Now I want to actually read the book sometime.

Ahem. Anyway, I finished reading The Throne of Fire, and I really enjoyed it! The ending left you wanting more, but it wasn't so much a cliffhanger as to keep you wallowing in misery until book three comes out.

Now I'm reading Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owen. I'm only on chapter one, but I'm loving his writing style already! It has a very Victorian London-y feel to it.

I just started to read The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson, and so far I like it a lot! Usually I get bored by the type of book where a princess wants to be a commoner, but I was intrigued by this book when I saw it was set in the roaring 20's. I also like how the love interest for the main character isn't your typical hero. He's always getting mad, and he's a bit older than her- without being /too/ much older. Has anyone else read this book?

No, I haven't! It sounds very interesting. I may look it up at the library. I've been thinking a bit of royalty since Prince William married Kate (used to be) Middleton, and wondering how it would be to live with all of that pomp and heavy tradition. I don't think I'd like it, so I can see how someone else might not.

Right now I'm reading The Problem of Pain and Perelandra by C.S. Lewis. Both are good. I've only read The Great Divorce and Surprised By Joy of Lewis' non-fiction (though TGD could be said to be more fiction-y, with all of the teaching therein I think of it as non-fiction), and The Problem of Pain is heavier than they are. I have to read over things a few times because I don't understand, just wrapping my mind around them. It's good, though; very good.

I started reading The Two Princesses of Bamarre but I don't know if I'll finish it or not, due to the sorcery. Too bad; it was sounding interesting.

Lu

Oh, that's a good book!
(Oh, and the sorcery is never anything but flying and manipulating clouds. There's nothing dark about it. And their powers don't come from a deal with any kind of supernatural being--its just the way they're born. Different people may have different standards, but I don't think there's anything especially offensive in Two Princesses.)
And due to our discussion of The Eagle, here is a link to a discussion of book vs. movie: (warning, there is a little bit of language)
http://chomiji.livejournal.com/284038.html

I'm currently reading Momo by Michael Ende, the author of The Neverending Story. It's a very thought-provoking book, a fantasy take on social commentary. Has anyone else read it? I'll share my thoughts when I'm finished.

Lady Haleth

And due to our discussion of The Eagle, here is a link to a discussion of book vs. movie: (warning, there is a little bit of language)
http://chomiji.livejournal.com/284038.html

Thanks for that - it was interesting. Does anyone know of any other Sutcliffe books that are good. The Eagle of the Ninth is the only one I've read.

Eowyn of Lantern_Waste, I might be tempted to ask, "Does anyone know of any Sutcliff books that aren't good?"

If you liked Eagle of the Ninth I'd recommend the companion book The Silver Branch, and also Frontier Wolf, The Lantern Bearers and Heather, Oak, and Olive. That's a sampling of my favourites from what she wrote about Roman-occupied Britain.

Witch's Brat is another of my favourites; it's set in Britain during the twelfth century and is a quiet little book about a boy who comes from very humble beginnings... and the place he makes for himself. I also like A Little Dog Like You, her tribute to a beloved pet chihuahua. I get all weepy just thinking about it.

I'm currently reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson. Good stuff and love the magic system created in the series.

I've been eying the Wheels of Time series for a while but have always been driven away by the sheer length and the reviews on how the author practically milked the series to death with pointless sequels. Can anyone recommend the series or give a more fair analysis?

I'm currently reading Quest for Love by Elisabeth Elliot, Raising Maidens of Virtue by Stacy McDonald, and Edge of Honor by Gilbert Morris.

Quest for Love is pretty good. I love reading Elisabeth Elliot's books, her writting style is easy to read and understand.

Edge of Honor is a typical Gilbert Morris book. Same basic story with different names and places, not worth buying IMHO.

As soon as I finish EOH, I'm planning to read my sister Scarlet's new Grace Livington Hill books. She says they're really good.
SnowAngel