*timidly raises her hand*

I like the new Books of Bayern covers too. I think that the old paintings were rather ugly, actually. I hate roughly drawn/painting people that look almost like sticks. I much prefer the people on the new covers, and ESPECIALLY like the cover for River Secrets.

Really, AJ? You seem to be in the minority, then, because most of the people I've spoken with like Enna Burning and River Secrets MUCH more than Forest Born, myself included. Razo was just such an electric character-- meaning that his personality drew me in. I like him so much.

I didn't dislike Forest Born. It was alright. I just felt that it had a little too much of the "GIRL POWER!" dynamic. Sure, it's good that they're going out and doing things for themselves, but bits just seemed to be out of stupidity! It annoyed me greatly. I did like Rin, though. And I didn't mind that Shannon Hale

DigoryKirke, yes, I've seen the Stardust movie. It was good British fun. I've yet to read the original novel.

ILoveFauns, I read the Tomorrow When The War Began series back in high-school. It was still being written at the time, so I had to wait patiently for the each book to be released. There's some strong content in the books but it's true and an honest portrayl of teenagers (the parts we love and the parts we hate). I really enjoyed the idea that the teenagers are put through their paces and have to survive a war on Australian soil. As I understand it, such as story hadn't been set here before. Quality writing, interesting characters and a good story - what's not to love? I haven't seen the movie but I've heard it's quite good.

I just felt that it had a little too much of the "GIRL POWER!" dynamic.

I actually liked that part Like you, I didn't dislike Forest Born, for me though I just didn't feel it had enough "oomph" as the other ones. I really must reread it though, as I honestly can hardly remember anything about it. And...I just realized it's been just over a year exactly since I read it!
Oh, and I think part of the reason I'm not crazy about the "new" Bayern covers is that I generally dislike book covers that have people's faces on them. I don't mind them when they're partially obscured, but the actual faces is extremely distracting and always gets in the way of how I want to picture the characters.

Right now I'm reading a fascinating nonfiction book by Maria Tatar, called Off With Their Heads! It's about fairy tales and the culture of childhood, analyzing folktales and all that. I also have one by the same author called Secrets Behind the Door, about Bluebeard, and I'm super excited to start that one as Fitcher's Bird (a variation of Bluebeard) is one of my favorite fairy tales.

I don't mind them when they're partially obscured, but the actual faces is extremely distracting and always gets in the way of how I want to picture the characters.

I actually like it when authors show me how their characters look, because I have a VERY hard time imagining people's looks. If I'm not shown a picture of how they look I either picture them (inadvertantly of course) as either cartoon characters of celebrities .

So my favourite actors and actresses nearly always find their way into my readings

I'm weird. . . I'm a NarniaWebber so it's okay.

Booky: Hunger Games spoiler

Spoiler

I don't think Collins quite trumps Rowling (Snape, Fred, Dobby, Hedwig, Remus, and Tonks!? ) but she certainly gave her a run for her money. Collins didn't have 7 books to introduce us to characters though.

Shantih: I have really high respect for Neil Gaiman. I read Stardust and I really loved it. He's a wonderful writer and the story was really wonderful. It had a lovely fantasy world and lovely characters. (Also, the short story "The Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse" by the wonderful Susanna Clarke is set in Wall, the town/world of Stardust) The movie was more or less a good adaptation.

I also read The Graveyard Book. I was less impressed. It was kind of in short story form and while Gaiman presented a very interesting and well-formed world, the story lagged due to its compartmentalization.

I finished Leepike Ridge and I really loved it. The story wasn't all that original and I didn't find Tom that well defined a character (though, realistically, what 11 year old boys are defined), but sheesh, ND Wilson can tell a story. I loved his writing style, the way he structured the story, and the way he worked his faith into the story so that it was natural. It wasn't in your face or pushy, but pulsed underneath the flow of the story. 100 Cupboards just became a huge priority.

I'm really interested in reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. There's a movie coming out soon based on it with Keira Knightley and Carrie Mulligan (who I really like). It's also a sort of distopian English boarding school-type story, which really appeals to me. Has anyone else heard of/read it?

I was planning to read Romeo and Juliet but all the library has is the poem-type story. Sigh, I just had to read LOTR again, but almost in the 2nd part of the first book!

silver the wanderer: lol. I am enjoying it more and more. but i am stuck at the part where they are in the house of Tom in the Old Forest.

I almost got stuck there too. But once you get into the second part of the first book, the pace picks up pretty quickly, I think.

I've been hearing a lot about The Hunger Games, but I've held off on reading them because the concept sounds violent, and I've heard there's a lot of violence in it. I'm okay with violence as long as it's not the "detailed descriptions of gross, unpleasant things" kind of violence. Can anyone tell me - is this the type of violence in The Hunger Games or is it more vague? I can handle vagueness...

I'm really interested in reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. There's a movie coming out soon based on it with Keira Knightley and Carrie Mulligan (who I really like). It's also a sort of distopian English boarding school-type story, which really appeals to me. Has anyone else heard of/read it?

Oh, thanks for reminding me! I want to read that book...yea, I'm really excited about the movie too! *puts book on to-read list* Although I should mention that if you've seen the trailer you'll notice that it's probably not exactly family-friendly. (don't know how the book is or if the movie's just like that or what... )

Silver...I haven't read The Hunger Games for a while. I wouldn't really call them violent. It never bothered me, at least Then again, I don't usually notice violence in books unless it's reallyreallyreally graphic. So, idk?

A dystopian English boarding-school? That just sounds odd! I mean the dystopian part. I just watched the Never Let Me Go trailer. It's not the type of movie I'd normally see but the premise sounds interesting, even if it seems to lean more towards romance than anything else.

I read Never Let Me Go a couple of years ago, I enjoyed it but I didn't think it was the best of Ishiguro's work. That being said, the trailer for the film looks amazing. As I recall, the scene you're referring to has been added in... sort of, I think. I remember those aspects being referred to in the book, but not really described.

Thanks for the Neil Gaiman recommendations, Kate. I'll see if I can pick another book of his up sometime soon

I nearly forgot to post about my recent find in here! This morning, I went to our library's monthly book sale, and I got a couple of good bargains.

I got a five volume compillation of humourous American writings, published in 1907 ($2.50 for the set!)

I got a 1941 compillation of the sonnets of Edna St. Vincent Millay for 50¢

And I got a paperback copy of Othello for 50¢

Altogether I got six books for $3.25. Not bad. . . not bad at all

@Kate: I think you'll like the 100 Cupboards trilogy. I don't think the villain is as well-done as she could have been, but the other characters and the storytelling are all done very well. The fact that N.D. Wilson has been hired to script the Great Divorce movie has me pretty excited.

Hunger Games is really violent, but not graphically so. There's no lengthy descriptions of the gore or anything.

Hmm, not sure if anyone else mentioned American Gods, Shantih, but if you're interested in Neil Gaiman, I'd give that a try. The story is fairly complex, with subplots all over the place and the main character is a bit vague, but I think it's probably the best of Gaiman's books that I've read. Though Good Omens is a close second.

Really, AJ? You seem to be in the minority, then, because most of the people I've spoken with like Enna Burning and River Secrets MUCH more than Forest Born, myself included.

I guess it's just me! What I really didn't like about Enna Burning was how the Enna / Isi relationship changed so much. I found it quite frightening in parts and I really didn't like the fire speech.

River Secrets ... I don't know. I think Razo's great, and I love some of the conversations he has with Talone, but he isn't Isi. I guess I just don't like Bayern so much from any other perspective! Forest Born's Rin appealed to me so much more. It's not that the others aren't as well written, or that the incidents are any less/more exciting; I think it really is how I relate to the main character ...

On the cover: if it was green, I'd be happy.

DigoryKirke, yes, I've seen the Stardust movie. It was good British fun. I've yet to read the original novel.

ILoveFauns, I read the Tomorrow When The War Began series back in high-school. It was still being written at the time, so I had to wait patiently for the each book to be released. There's some strong content in the books but it's true and an honest portrayl of teenagers (the parts we love and the parts we hate). I really enjoyed the idea that the teenagers are put through their paces and have to survive a war on Australian soil. As I understand it, such as story hadn't been set here before. Quality writing, interesting characters and a good story - what's not to love? I haven't seen the movie but I've heard it's quite good.

The movie only came out a couple of days ago. I have only read the first and second books. They are really good so far. We had to read the first one for english class(Only decent book we have ever had to read). Also ways ends up to be boring books like, som ekids making a cricket team. lol

Have you read all 7?

Shantih, you didn't like my Neil Gaiman recommendations?

iLoveFauns, yes, I've read all seven Tomorrow books. I know what you mean by having to read boring books in school. I think the only good books we read were LWW (overdone yes, but still good) and The Hobbit. Everything else was really depressing and angsty and rather boring.