Ouch, Amy. You're reading Where the Red Fern Grows. I'm sorry. I'll be praying for your tear ducts It's such a wonderful story, and I loved it when I read it in third grade, but I've never been able to read it again because it's so darn sad.

I've sworn off all books about dogs and cats. . . because they ALWAYS die in the end (e.g.

Actually I've already finished it . The link is to my review of it. And yes...

And yeah, I pretty much agree about this kind of book. You know what's coming. I was bracing myself for it the whole time.

Whenever I re-read Where the Red Fern Grows, I skip the last chapter.

DiGs, I suggest you read some of Jim Kjelgaard's dog stories. Or maybe Jack O'Brien. They don't kill off their canine heroes. (Of course, now that I've said that, you'll pick like the one book where they do... not that I know which book that might be, so I can't even warn you against it. ) They're not 'great literature' but they usually take place in wild places that are fun to read about. You could also read Meindert DeJong's Dirk's Dog, Bello which might be hard to find, but is quite good. *ponders* There's Scout by Julie Nye, not to be confused with the Scout series by Piet Prins (which is also good but rather different). And don't forget Albert Payson Terhune! His Lad books are the most popular. They're based on things that actually happened to him and his wife and his collies and as such there are some sad stories in there

Spoiler

Lady becomes roadkill! And if you don't want Lad to die, skip Lad of Sunnybank which ends with Lad dying at a ripe old age

Stay away from Helen Griffiths. Every time I read one of her books I wonder why I bothered. Soooooooo depressing.

Cat stories are hard to find. Of course, there is The Cat and Mrs. Carey and probably the only Helen Griffiths I'd recommend, Moshi Cat. And Mary Stolz has written a few but I think hers are usually bittersweet. (Typical of her work.)

*goes to see where the Terhune books are hiding* I need to visit the Place again.

Whenever I re-read Where the Red Fern Grows, I skip the last chapter.

haha! I do that too! that book is so sad..... I bawled when I first read it and was depressed for days......I don't like it much

I know. I liked the book in general but I hated that part. In fact, that's the problem I have with a lot of animal stories, true or fiction. Why do they always have to tell how the dog dies?
However, I would recommend The Summer of the Monkeys, by the same author, which is very funny and heartwarming. (With a happy ending! )
And for a true story, I'd recommend The Dog Who Rescues Cats by Philip Gonzalez (and someone I can't remember). A couple of the cats die over the course of the book, but the dog does not. (The dog did die a while ago, but the book was published while she was still alive, so you don't get the dying dog ending.)

I finally finished the Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke. Inkdeath was far beyond anything I could have ever wanted in a book. I walk away from this book feeling as if I've just closed the last page on a whole group of good friends. Wow. The plotline kept getting less and less intensive, but the characterization that Funke puts forth in that book was just mind-blowing. There have been very few books where I have been shaking with anxiety over the injustice, and brimming with hatred towards the greed and "evilness" of the villains.

But the thing I'm probably going to miss most, is the way that this entire series talks about books themselves. Such beautiful words.

I highly reccommend this book series to anybody who liked CoN and Harry Potter (although I must admit, where HP was second on my list of favourite series. . . it has now been bumped down to third )

Next on my list of books is "Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball," by Emily Brightwell. The Mrs. Jeffries books are really fun crime novels set in Victorian England, and the characterization is also really fun in those books as well. But as much as I love those books. . . Victorian England is going to seem like a bit of a "let-down" after visiting a world where fairies flutter through the same air which carries the songs of travelling minstrels. Where words get the respect that they deserve, and where I've left a couple of friends behind me.

^^ that's what I like about Inkheart and Inkspell - the way books are discussed and it makes those books seem like the books from which all other books come from! I love it!

I highly reccommend this book series to anybody who liked CoN and Harry Potter (although I must admit, where HP was second on my list of favourite series. . . it has now been bumped down to third )

Oh really? I might have to read it then. I read Inkheart, but it was a long time ago, and I never got around to the other two. I'll just have to put them next on my reading list. Right now, I'm in the middle of rereading the Chronicles. Then, I've got Warriors: Skyclan's Destiny sitting on my shelf waiting for me.

A friend of mine highly recommended the Inkheart series as well, DiGs. That, along with the Attolia series and LotR, are at the top of my to-read list. Harry Potter was done during the summer; hopefully I can get through on of the others during Christmas break.

I am currently reading LOTR Part One. Because most here in NW read that LOTR Trilogy, and I myself feel out of place because I haven't read the LOTR so, I decided to read them. I am in the part where Frodo meets some elves on their journey with Pippins and Sam. Well, hope I finish it soon!

Sandy, amidst the plethora of people here who have read LOTR, there are those of us here who haven't read it, and have no intention to do so (like me ). I was in a boat similar to you, where I thought, "Gee. . . everybody on NarniaWeb seems to talk about this. Perhaps I should read it too!"

So I tried, and then I felt guilty for not liking them at all. (Sort of like when I couldn't stand another second of Les Miserables). I did end up reading The Hobbit which is like the prequel to LOTR, but I didn't even like that very much.

So I guess I'm trying to say this: Don't feel bad if you don't like them. You're not alone (Even though it may seem like that on this site )

Its okay if there are some authors you just don't like, or are lukewarm about. I've always been sort of lukewarm about Jane Austen. They were okay (Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were the best), but they just weren't my kind of story.

I'm reading Jane Austen right now -- Sense and Sensibility. I really like her. Northanger Abbey is my favorite too! Not so much Persuasion though. I really like Emma. I'd say Emma is my second favorite.
I haven't read LOTR either, but I've always wanted to try them. None of my bookstores ever have them, haha.
I also like Bronte and Dickens. What does everyone else think of them?

~EJ