Thanks for the update, @dot! I took a quick look around and you got the novella title correct; I was going to see if I could get the library to order it, but it doesn't look like the October date is for a traditional publication, so the library system won't bite. I still need to read the Skyward books, but it's good to hear that Wax & Wayne 4 is high on the schedule currently.

I finished the selections from Idylls of the King. I wasn't overly enthused - maybe reading it out loud would've helped some - so I probably will pass on hunting out the missing poems (though, I did find a different copy of "Selections From" that my family had ).

Posted by: @valiantarcher

@snowangel, did you cave or did you get some vacuuming or dusting out of Chapter 4?    

I got them to dust my room. Now I need to make plans for chapter 5.  

I reread Hard Winter At Broken Arrow Crossing, it's so much fun to once again read old favorites. I started False Claims at the Little Stephen's Mine, but then I realized I need to finish library books that are due next week. However I do really want to read the Stuart Brannon books so that I can share them with my brothers.   So, I am currently reading False Claims at the Little Stephen's Mine, You Who? by Rachel Jankovic, and Andrew and the Firedrake by Douglas Wilson, latter two are library books. And I will just send the other library books back and get them another time.

SnowAngel

@valiantarcher Apparently the initial publication of Dawnshard is part of a kickstarter campaign. I'm not seeing anything on when it will be released outside of that. ☹️ The presumption seems to be before Stormlight 4 but nothing has been officially announced.

I was going to re-read The Thief and the rest of the Attolia series, but now that I've re-read Way of Kings I feel the need to keep reading Stormlight. 

@SnowAngel, I'm sure you'll come up with something.  

@Dot, ahh, disappointing! Hopefully Dawnshard will come out for non-kickstarters soon; though it'd be pretty tight to get it published between October and November.
I always have grand plans to reread things before new installments come out, but I don't know that I've ever succeeded.  

A friend is trying to get me to read Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge. I wasn't overly impressed by the only other book I read by her, but I'm sure someone here could give a passionate defense of the book/author.  

In July I finally set up the ebook borrowing app from my local library, which has helped curb my book-buying habit. It doesn't have a great selection unfortunately but I have been able to borrow some things I've been wanting to read for a while.

One of those was Gail Carson Levine's A Ceiling Made of Eggshells, about a young Jewish girl growing up in Spain during the time of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. I found it particularly interesting because I travelled to Spain last year and learnt a bit about the history of that time. It's very different from all the other books of hers I've read; this one's firmly based in fact. I enjoyed the history, but I felt the story meandered a bit. It took a long time for it to get going.

Recently I watched October Sky with my dad. Neither of us had heard of it before and we both loved it, so once I discovered it was based on Homer Hickam's own book, Rocket Boys, I knew I had to buy it. There are times when reading the book after seeing the film can wreck both but that isn't the case here. After seeing Sputnik in orbit, 'Sonny' and his friends are inspired to design and fly their own rockets. It's a great story, brilliantly written. And the film's pretty good too!

Rocket Boys is a great read, indeed, AJ! So, so interesting. I believe Homer Hickham is still living.

I am deep in the midst of "The Council of Elrond" in Fellowship, one of my favourite chapters in the entire book, as it informs the reader of so much, revealing, while creating even more intrigue and anticipation.

@ajaiken, I'm glad you enjoyed Rocket Boys! I watched October Sky a couple of times when I was younger, and finally read Rocket Boys a few years back - I agree that both stand pretty well, together and alone.  

 I just found out that Susanna Clarke has a new book coming out called Piranesi. I don't know much at all about it, but it's supposed to release soon and I've got a hold on it at the library (they've ordered the same number of copies as they did for Stormlight 4, and I'm only a space lower on the hold list). I've got a pretty good list at this point and I'm a bit afraid all my holds will come in at once, but so far, so good.

And is it news that the anagram for Rocket Boys is October Sky?!! Cool, eh?  

Now that you mention it, Jo, that does sound familiar - did October Sky start as a codename for the movie adaptation, but it fit and became the real name?

I feel like I need to add something else to this post for substance , so: Has anyone received Chapter 5 of The Silent Bells in the mail yet?

Posted by: @valiantarcher

I feel like I need to add something else to this post for substance , so: Has anyone received Chapter 5 of The Silent Bells in the mail yet?

Yep, although I haven't read it yet. I'm trying to finish a couple of library books first, I'm going to reward myself.  

So far this month I have read The Green Ember and The Black Star of Kingston by S.D. Smith and I also finished You Who? by Rachel Jankovic. The siblings are now passing The Green Ember around, it's been a big hit with them.

I'm listening to Alamo in the Ardennes by John C. McManus, so far very interesting and well written.

SnowAngel

Posted by: @valiantarcher

Has anyone received Chapter 5 of The Silent Bells in the mail yet?

I think I have, though I haven't opened it yet. No spoilers, but how were chapters 3&4? Good? Bad? Ugly?  

@johobbit, I did not know that about Rocket Boys/ October Sky. How cool is that? I really need to read that book sometime, I loved the movie, but as I'm fully aware, Hollywood often spices up movies and they're not nearly as accurate (or as good!) as the true story.

Posted by: @snowangel

So far this month I have read The Green Ember and The Black Star of Kingston by S.D. Smith

I missed the boat on getting some of the books from that series for free when the last book was released. I don't have Black Star, but I do have Green Ember, Ember Falling, and Ember Rising. But out of the entire series, I've only read Green Ember. I need to read the others.

The kids and I are currently reading The Door in the Wall. It's really good. I know I read it when I was a kid, but the only thing I remembered about it was that the cover of the book was highly inaccurate, and it is. Aside from that, I recall nothing, so it's fun to rediscover.  

Hello, I haven't visited here for a while.

I'm four chapters away from finishing my annual reading of Lord of the Rings, and I want to finish on or just before Hobbit Day, 22 September. 

Two years ago i was living in the North of England, and had finished it the day before Hobbit Day.

I took a day trip to Lake Windermere in the Lake District, where I had begun my first annual read, in August 2001, after hearing that Christopher Lee  had done this since the books were first printed. I took a packed lunch and the book in my backpack, and sat up on a green rolling hillside overlooking the lake, feeling it was so much like the Shire - and I was like a Hobbit!

I found in 2018 that the hillside fields were now fenced off, so I just took photos of where I thought it was. But the special feeling was there. 

This year I'm in my somewhat hobbity home, where I do gardening and walking. 

Sounds like a good plan, @snowangel! I haven't received mine yet, but I've decided there's no rhyme or reason anymore as to who gets these when.

@fantasia, no spoilers but no answer from me either - I still haven't read anything past Chapter 1 yet.  
I also read The Door in the Wall when I was a kid, and I remember the cover, but nothing really about the story. Glad to hear you're enjoying rereading it with your kids!

Enjoy finishing your LotR reread, coracle!  

I'm between library books at the moment (one of my holds has been "in transit" for four or five days - the library system isn't THAT big ), so it's time to pull a book ofF my shelf and give it a try. Unfortunately, nothing really looks interesting...

Posted by: @mel

@fantasia, I've been thinking about the American Girl books lately, so I'll start my list there.  

• Felicity series by Valerie Tripp (1776)
• Kaya series by Janet Shaw (1764)

I have searched my house and my parents house looking for my Felicity collection. I cannot find them anywhere. A double shame as they're apparently a hot commodity on the internet right now and certainly not in my budget. 

I've never read Kaya (she came out RIGHT after I was "too old" for these series), but I did find a very affordable set of those on amazon so I ordered them and they arrived yesterday. I'll have to read through them soon, and hopefully I will like them.  

Nearly finished with No Surrender By Chris Edmonds, then it's on to The Silent Bell chapter 5. My sisters have offered to dust and vaccuum my room in exchange for reading privileges.  

Picked the rest of the Green Ember series up from the library today, I called first dibs on Ember Falls, so I think I will be left alone to read as much as possible this weekend.   @valiantarcher, the Crown & Covenant series came in too, so that's on my reading list after the Green Ember series.

I'm also reading Courage Has No Color by Tanya Lee Stone, my younger brother read it, liked it, and recommend I read it.  

SnowAngel