I started reading the first city of ember but haven't finished it yet. I like some of Gail Carson Levine's books, like Ella Enchanted and Fariest. Really good books. And of course the chronicles! And The Hobbit is good. (I haven't read the Lord of the Rings yet.) I like A LOT of books!

Mara, I think I'd get too frustrated reading Believing in Narnia. It sounds like her intent is good, but she should have ensured her facts were right and done a more thorough job of editing before sending something like this to print.

Ahh, I hear talk of The Screwtape Letters. I hope y'all have seen the recent clips of the upcoming (Oct. 15) FotF radio theatre presentation.

However, I'm going to put in a word for Lewis' Space Trilogy. After the CoN, this is my favorite of his writings.

Hear, hear! And Amen! Do you have a favourite of the three, malkah?

Glenstorm, I like your reading list, although I haven't read some of those. Yes it surely is lengthy. *really appreciates Frances Schaeffer's books* And, like 220, I've been wanting to read City of God for a fair bit now, but just haven't pursued this goal as yet.

Arwenel, Watership Down is a favourite of mine too. I remember first reading it in University (many) years ago and falling in love with those dear characters and the gripping, poignant story.

*agrees with DiGs that Paradise Lost is a must-read* DiGs, that Old Wives Tales book sounds like fun: informative too!

Along with others here, I enjoyed The Odyssey more than The Iliad, which I found rather monotonous.

Mel, MEL, MEL!!! You are priceless! That picture is now my desktop wallpaper. I thought I saw Valia and DiGs hiding amongst the book piles, and probably a few others as well. Thanks for that special treat! And I love the fact that my mallorn leaf brooch is there. ( W4J: Lego people) Glenstorm, apparently the book-sorting party is at my place at some yet unknown appointed time. (How I wish!)

stargazer, that's great about the Ember series! The first is still and always will be my favourite, 'though the others are worth a read at some point (especially if they're half price! ).

Ooh yes, I dearly like Sproul's Reformed Theology. He explains these glorious truths so clearly and thoroughly.

*strongly encourages narnianjedi to pick up The LotR one of these years* Have you seen the movies? Good though they are, the book is better.

I'm reading through Suzanne Collins' newest book Catching Fire, and it's exciting enough, but there are a few things which occur that I don't feel are appropriate for the readership age ... or any age, for that matter. Plus, Katniss and Peeta

Spoiler

participate in some Quarterly Games, so I'm wondering if it's just going to be a kind of repeat of the first book ...

Picking up from where I left off this thread:

Lys, thanks for sharing that passage from Jane Eyre! I guess I had missed that part, skimming too fast to see how the book would end. It does give another view to Mr. Rochester's change of heart.

mar_girl,

[spoiler=Jane Eyre and a bit of Little Women]I basically ditto all you had said. =] Oh! Right! I had forgotten that St. John and Jane were cousins. Right, that would have been unusual, even with him just wanting to use her for his own purposes...
For the Little Women comparisions, those were mostly because Charlotte Bronte's style *sort of* reminded me of Louisa May Alcott's. And, the age differences between Jane and Mr. Rochester and Jo and Professor. Bhaer sort of reminded me of each other. But, otherwise, the books are unlike each other.
*laughs* Yes, Jo and Laurie should have ended up together... *sighs deeply*

Okkkaaayy, I started reading Northanger Abbey and I'm enjoying it immensely! Although it is a book needing absolute silence to fully understand. But I'm liking it, quite alot.

Have any of you read Jane Eyre? I've been curious what it was about.

Well, anyway...

I'm not sure how I missed so many pages again. It seems harder to lurk in the updated forum . So I dropped in to catch up a bit .

I just have to join with Digs and Johobbit in plugging Paradise Lost. It can seem a little daunting at first, but it really is brilliant. Though I can see why Blake was so bemused by Milton . Milton really seemed engrossed in developing Satan's character .

And I am glad I'm not the only one to find The Odyssey vastly more entertaining than The Iliad .

GB

Okkkaaayy, I started reading Northanger Abbey and I'm enjoying it immensely! Although it is a book needing absolute silence to fully understand. But I'm liking it, quite alot.

Have any of you read Jane Eyre? I've been curious what it was about.

I love "Northanger Abbey"! One of my top favorites by Jane Austen...I've always thought it was one of her funnier ones. Have you read any others by Jane Austen?

I've read "Jane Eyre" several times...and I'm one of the very "rare" people who doesn't like it. I much prefer "Wuthering Heights", which really confuses all my friends who are "Jane Eyre" fans.

aslanisthebest: I found that Emma was the easiest read (I've only read three books by Austen and though that one is not my favorite, it is the most interesting *wonders if that makes sense*). It was the story that changed around the most and stayed cliff-hanger-ish ( ) through the whole book.

Silvertongue, I like it alot. It's quite comical. No, I started to read Pride and Prejudice, but quit after the third chapter. I was really bored.

So..., you don't like Jane Eyre? Why? I have no earthly idea what it's about.

'm reading through Suzanne Collins' newest book Catching Fire, and it's exciting enough, but there are a few things which occur that I don't feel are appropriate for the readership age ... or any age, for that matter.

Spoiler

Plus, Katniss and Peeta participate in some Quarterly Games, so I'm wondering if it's just going to be a kind of repeat of the first book ...

I do wonder how on earth the Capital will ever be defeated, but I guess that is for us to find out in the final book, releasing in 2010. And ... it appears that The Hunger Games may be made into a film? Whoa, that could be disturbing—and very edge-of-your-seat—to watch.

Ooh, they're making a movie out of it?! Wow. I'm looking forwad to that, then
As soon as I get my paycheck I'm getting both The Hunger Games (already read it, GREAT), and the sequel, which I cannot WAIT to read!

Spoiler

This will sound sort of mean, but what really annoyed me is that he married Amy. I know Amy changed later on, but little facts like how she tried to call him what Jo did, and her character was just so different than Jo's it was really confusing how he and Amy decided they were for each other.
See, if he married Beth, I would have liked that so much better and it would have made some sense since in Part First it mentions a few times that Beth was his special pet. Of course, she died, so that would not be possible in that way. But, since I'm talking about changing the plot, I would have liked it if Beth stayed alive and married Laurie, but only if Lousia May Alcott really, really didn't want him to marry Jo, as it's mentioned many times that she didn't in some articles about her writing Little Women.
Otherwise, I'd have Jo and Laurie married because they just seem so right for each other.

Wow...well I don't really agree with you on that, Lys.

Spoiler

After reading LW for the first time, I WAS very very upset that Laurie and Jo didn't end up togethor, but the more times I've read it the more I realize it wouldn't have worked out so well between them. Maybe it wouldn't have been HORRIBLE, but I think the people they ended up with were perfect for them (except that the Professor was SO OLD! Grr...). I don't get why everyone hates Amy! *sighs* And I'm not sure how you think Beth should have ended up with Laurie. That would be just disastrous in my opinion.

Wow, this thread moves fast.

Okkkaaayy, I started reading Northanger Abbey and I'm enjoying it immensely! Although it is a book needing absolute silence to fully understand. But I'm liking it, quite alot.

Oh, neat! I mentioned on the last page that I just started Northanger Abbey. 😀 So far I'm on chapter 10 or so. I read some in the car on the way to our Grandparents house a few days ago. So far I'm enjoying it. 😀

220: I'm glad you enjoyed my opinion of PB Shelley. I actually think he can be a tolerable poet, but he was just too excited about being PB Shelley and he was a bit deluded on a lot of subjects.

greenleaf: Oh, thanks for the word on Alex Rider! Those books are kind of a guilty pleasure of mine.

Lady Courage: I didn't particularly enjoy The Last Man all that much, but if you really like Mary Shelley then it's an interesting read.

*Is also Elinor Dashwood*

Mel: Cute picture! You're really sorting away!

PELS: Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. It's about a girl named Jane ( ) who is an orphan and lives with her hateful aunt and then is sent to a terrible school. After she graduates, she becomes a governess to make her way in the world. She is employed by an Edward Rochester, but soon begins to suspect that everything in his home is not as it should be. The story is part romance, part redemption story, part gothic novel and is masterfully written by Charlotte Bronte. It was written partially to prove that a character doesn't need to be pretty to be likeable. Bronte certainly succeeded. I would recommend it in a flash.

I've been reading more of The Count of Monte Cristo. It's good so far. I was very happy when the guy I'm leading a Bible study with this year walked into my room, saw it on my bedside table and declared, "You're reading this? It's one of my favorites!" I love finding fellow bibliophiles in unexpected places.

I've also started Plato's Phaedo, but I can't say that I'm tearing through it. I kind of want Socrates to die already so they'll stop philosophying.

I like some of Gail Carson Levine's books, like Ella Enchanted

I really liked Ella Enchanted as well. It was MILES ahead of that movie, and was more than deserving of it's Newberry Medal Nomination. But I must say that my favourite work by Levine is one of her lesser known books called "Dave at night."

It tells the story of a young Jewish boy growing up in the big city. He's an orphan, living in squalor in one of the city orphanages, dealing with the bullies therein, and scraping by on the meager rations. The director of the orphanage and the bullies make for memorable villains. I won't give away any more of the plot, because it's such a nice little "coming of age" story.

I'm adding another book to my pile of current books. Not only am I reading my Old Wives Tales book, Poseidon's Steed (the seahorse book) and Inkdeath, but now I'm adding a book for school into the mix. We're reading one of Shakespeare's lesser known plays called Love's Labour's Lost. Has anybody read it before? I'm usually good with handling multiple books at one time, but I don't think I can juggle all of these at the same time. As much as I hate to do it, Inkdeath is going to have to go on the backburner until I can get a little more time on my hands.

We're reading one of Shakespeare's lesser known plays called Love's Labour's Lost. Has anybody read it before? I'm usually good with handling multiple books at one time, but I don't think I can juggle all of these at the same time. As much as I hate to do it, Inkdeath is going to have to go on the backburner until I can get a little more time on my hands.

My friend told me she read Love's Labour Lost, and [she said]it was really good. I'll have to ask her for a bit more detailed synopsis.
Good choice, putting Inkdeath away for now. With the Ink series, I have to focus on that one book because it can get confusing at times.

Pebbles, I've read Jane Eyre but I think Kate's explanation of it is better than I could explain. I'm with Silvertongue in not favouring it all that much, but I still think you should read it!

aslanisthebest: I found that Emma was the easiest read (I've only read three books by Austen and though that one is not my favorite, it is the most interesting *wonders if that makes sense*). It was the story that changed around the most and stayed cliff-hanger-ish ( ) through the whole book.

Ah, really? I'll have to check out Emma, it sounds pretty neat. Thanks! I just got Northanger Abby and Pride and Prejudice, so I hope I'll make it through that.

Wow...well I don't really agree with you on that, Lys.

*laughs* I'm pretty sure you mean "AitB" since I'm sure I wrote that spoiler.

I really liked Ella Enchanted as well. It was MILES ahead of that movie

Amen. The movie is so... ugh, frustrating. The book though, is wonderous!

Well, as I mentioned above, I got Northanger Abbey and Pride & Prejudice from the library. (They didn't have Emma, sadly.) It's my first time reading the former, and my try at re-reading the latter. I promise myself, I will get through them this time!
I don't know whether I have a right copy of Northanger Abbey, I saw another thicker version at the library, which had some letter-chapters after it (a good bulk of the book was that), but it said it was abridged so I definitely didn't want to get that. The one I got, I think is Volume I and II, I hope it's the whole version.
The version of P&P I got is perfect, it has the right, legible print unlike the other one I got which I had to strain my eyes to read, which added more headache to reading Jane Austen for the first time.

And, I got Fairest by Gail Carson Levine. It's pretty good so far!

I just recently read Madeline L'Engle's Time Quintet, (the first in the series being A Wrinkle in Time) i thought they were really good, more sci-fi than I'm used to (I'm more of a fantasy geek ), but I still liked it. Anyway, I need to read through this topic sometime and get some ideas for books to read, 'cause I've got a lot of free time on my hands right now (one of the few benefits of being unemployed)