I finally found myself a copy of "Touch Blue" by Cynthia Lord I love that book. I have not read it in ages and it's better than I remembered

I think I've read that, but I'm getting the story mixed up in my head with Star Island Boy and Three of a Kind by Louise Dickinson Rich. If I remember correctly, Star Island Boy is also about a situation where an island took several foster kids in to keep their school going. I'm pretty sure that did actually happen somewhere along the Maine coast, and now I'm wondering if both authors were inspired by the same event or if it happened on multiple islands.

Rivulus: interesting! I have actually never read Star Island Boy, but I think I'll have to check it out! huh, maybe they were

I finally got my hands on a copy of Bridge to Terabithia with the movie cover and I got "Crocodile Tears" by Anthony Horowitz (8th book in the Alex Rider series) and I got a copy of "Maze of Bones" by Rick Riorden (first book in the 39 Clues series)

The Little White Horse is by Elizabeth Goudge, Mel? I thought it was by someone else. I've never read it, though, so...

[The Scent of Water will probably be] predictable and syrupy sweet with some lovely prose.

That actually was pretty close. It had a lot of sentimentality and strange, almost quasi-spiritual, connections between people and was horribly predictable in some parts. Interestingly enough, it was actually pretty overtly Christian at times. On one hand, that wasn't terribly surprising, but on the other I figured it was going to be this kind of mystical spirituality (I can't really think of how to describe it, but it was the sort of book where you expected someone to say that God was in nature and that it was better to try to find Him there than in church or something) and while it did have some of that, it also dealt with the weight of sin (and even more surprisingly, mainly the human sin nature) and obedience to God's will even when it's really hard. One of the characters even comes out and, with regard to following God's will, basically says that feelings are good, but that obedience and faithfulness are really what are needed and the feelings will follow after that. So, that was really nice.
On the other hand, it felt like some of the characters' stories were left hanging and unfinished. I felt like the theme/motif of the scent of water was kind of heavy-handed at times, and some of the coincidences/connections were pretty far-fetched. There were about ten or twelve characters whose stories were all connected (some more so than others) and so at least that many points-of-view through out the book, which got kind of confusing, as well as ending up being unevenly distributed (aka, some of the characters I really wanted to hear more about and some of them I just wanted to have them get on with it). I was actually pretty annoyed with main main character (she's very sentimental and got kind of odd ideas about finding/knowing people, and then I didn't at all like where her affections went. Oh, and there was also the whole thing with her being beautiful, "remarkably well-preserved" and able to turn heads everytime she entered a room even though she was 50+. Not impossible, just kind of unlikely and well, a bit cliche.) fairly early on, but I loved the story about one of the married couples as well as the few bits with the little boy; they certainly had some lovely bits of prose.
*coughs* That's kind of a long-winded ramble. I've been trying to process it all afternoon.

Now I've got to get back to trying to finish A Lady of Quality. I still only care about the two side characters.

So, I just got Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome from the library today. You guys were talking about it (I recall it was Valia and Mel who said it was enjoyable) and I wanted something good to read, so I checked it out. I've gotten to a bit in the first chapter, and I like it so far. I hope there's not too much sailboat/sailing vocabulary (like, naming of paraphernalia that makes me wonder "Now, what in the world is that? ) because that is a bit distracting, but the overall feel of the book seems pleasant. I enjoy this genre, so I'm looking forward to reading it.

I figured it was going to be this kind of mystical spirituality (I can't really think of how to describe it, but it was the sort of book where you expected someone to say that God was in nature and that it was better to try to find Him there than in church or something)

Yes. I think that's a typical feel in her writing. I don't think the Christianity was quite so overt in Little White Horse, either.

The question I don't think you answered is: would you recommend it to someone else?

I just got Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome from the library today.

Hurrah! And if the technicalities of the sailing are too much--I don't remember finding them so and even if your eyes were to glaze over--it shouldn't detract from your ability to follow the story.

I've just read Andrew Peterson's Monster in the Hollows, which is the third installment in his Wingfeather Saga.

Spoiler

After a growing suspicion that Esben was not, in fact, dead (a classic invoking of the: if there's no body, they're not dead clause ) -- in light of the fact that Nia was being courted, I figured he had to show up pretty soon--I was pleased to be right and not so pleased that he then got killed off almost immediately. *grumble grumble*

Other than that, I continue to be pleased with the slow, measured character growth and most of the random quirky-mish-mashy-ness that keeps this from being your run-of-the mill fantasy story.

T-o Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. My sister has been telling me to read this one for some time, so I will.
-The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien. I've only read FotR, but really need to read the rest. My sister is telling me to purge my mind of all the movies' influences and imagine the books for myself, so I'll try. ...
-Finish A Tale of Two Cities ...
-More Charles Spurgeon books.
-Finish The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

Highly dittos the recommendation for these, indeed! And then after you read TKaM, you simply must watch the old movie. (Or have you seen it already?)

Ah, Mel, I just picked up Monster in the Hollows a couple of days ago. I hope to get it read sometime this summer, but am now beginning Dekker's Circle Series (4 books), so we'll have to see.

I'm also enjoying The Narnian by Alan Jacobs. Not really anything of startling revelation that I haven't read before, but still, an interesting read. *always enjoys anything on CSL*

A book to revel in: The Heavens: Intimate Moments with your Majestic God. 'Tis written more like a devotional book, applying the glories of the created heavens to our lives. Beautiful and awe-inspiring.

I purchased the next two Dune books, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. I quite liked the first one (even though I honestly could not understand parts of it ), and am eager to read on ... until the series begins getting too strange, which I have been told it does eventually. But I will read until that happens, if it does for me.

Also picked up Ender's Shadow, and still want to still Speaker for the dead. I was fascinated by the first book (Ender's Game), and am curious to see what they will do with the upcoming movie. I'm really pleased about Asa Butterfield playing Ender! But that's for the Future Movies topic.

I did two used book hauls recently, and was pretty successful. In all, I got:

4 Redwall novels
Book 2 of Spiderwick
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield
Daughter of the Sea by Berlie Doherty
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A Coalition of Lions by Elizabeth Wein
Leepike Ridge by N.D. Wilson
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

That's probably the best two hauls I've ever made.

In other news, I am now one-third done with Howl's Moving Castle.

A Dune-themed question: Different articles online said that "Dune" is a trilogy. But at the used bookstore, they had... a lot of different Dune novels. Like... a lot. Way more than just three. Is it a trilogy or a book series?

~Riella

Ithilwen, I approve of just about every book on your list, and the rest I haven't read.

Is anyone familiar with G. P. Taylor? I remember reading an article or two about him back when he first burst on the scene, but I only just picked up Wormwood today, instead of the Doppleganger books and while it's nice to hear that he's the next C. S. Lewis and all that doesn't actually tell me anything.

I also picked up E. Wein's The Lion Hunter which is either before or after The Empty Kingdom. If it's before, I've read it before and a refresher course will be good, if it's after... then I finally finish the story.

Is anyone familiar with G. P. Taylor? I remember reading an article or two about him back when he first burst on the scene, but I only just picked up Wormwood today, instead of the Doppleganger books and while it's nice to hear that he's the next C. S. Lewis and all that doesn't actually tell me anything.

I read Shadowmancer years ago and was unimpressed enough that I probably wouldn't bother to read another book by him unless someone whose tastes I knew well specifically recommended it. I in general dislike the particular type of fantasy/Christian mix that it was, though, so that was a large part of my opinion of the book.

A Dune-themed question: Different articles online said that "Dune" is a trilogy. But at the used bookstore, they had... a lot of different Dune novels. Like... a lot. Way more than just three. Is it a trilogy or a book series?

I'm only at the beginning stages of getting to know the series, so this is all conjecture, but I'm wondering if Herbert wrote three as a trilogy, and then simply decided to do more. After his death, his son commissioned someone to write prequels (?), if I recall. fantasia's husband is a huge fan of the original three, so she might know more via him.

Is anyone familiar with G. P. Taylor?

Ahem. Yes. I'm with Rivulus. I was quite unimpressed. He is most definitely not the next CSL. His writing seemed forced and too contrived—not natural. The storyline, itself, was meh, but could have been much more interesting with better writing. I lost interest quickly. I made myself read Wormwood, hoping that the writing would improve ... to no avail. Save your time for better novels, if you want my humble opinion.

Ahem. Yes.

That would explain why he seems to have fallen off the 'map' so to speak, I suppose. Thanks for the input; I trust y'all's opinions! I'll take it back to the library, unread.

G.P. Taylor, having previously lived the occult life before he became a pastor, is well versed in the Enemy's lies, so the pervasive atmosphere of evil in his novels is incredibly real and well done. The story premises are good too but everything else - his writing etc. are beyond awful. He's not the next C.S. Lewis, he's not even the next Christopher Paolini. And we all know how much I luuuv the Inheritance Cycle, so that's saying something.

Ah, thanks for the background info, Warrior. Interesting. And, yes, I agree that the premise is very good, but, yep, the writing is just too horrible to get passed.

about Paolini and the Inheritance Cycle.

Good decision, Mel: you are missing nothing.

When I finish The Narnian (Alan Jacobs), which will be awhile yet, I've pulled out A Beautiful Mind, a biography of John Nash, by Sylvia Nasar, which I mentioned a few pages back after I found a lovely new copy at a booksale for only a buck!!! The film is very moving, so I'm curious to know how true to real life the movie was portrayed.

*wanders in, looking for some advice*
I've just about read every book in my house and now I have nothing to read (terrible calamaty for me) so I thought maybe this would be a good place to come for advice on good books to read. If anybody has anything to recomend, please do, cause I'm beginning to go crazy from lack of books to read

*wanders in, looking for some advice*
I've just about read every book in my house and now I have nothing to read (terrible calamaty for me) so I thought maybe this would be a good place to come for advice on good books to read. If anybody has anything to recomend, please do, cause I'm beginning to go crazy from lack of books to read

Have you read Howl's Moving Castle yet? Because I'm getting close to finishing it now, and it's amazing.

Till We Have Faces is another great one, and it's by C.S. Lewis.

I'm not sure which books you've read, or what kind of genre you're looking for...

~Riella