Robert Louis Stevenson! He wrote Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Black Arrow and many more. You and I seem to like many of the same authors, and he's one of my favorites. Especially Kidnapped, I just love David and Alan!!! Alan's my absolute favorite fictional Scotsman ever (I've got favorite real Scotsmen, but that would be off topic. )!

Oh, goodness, Robert Louis Stevenson is very good. I love David and Alan, too! Great characters.

@ Lady Courage: Ah yes, we must. I must add (and I forgot to earlier) that the ending of A Tale of Two Cities was one that left me very deeply moved. Not that it was the ending and that the book was over, but,

I finished reading The Angel's Command, the sequel to Castaways of the Flying Dutchman today, and while I found the writing was better, in general I probably wouldn't read the book again for a while. There was some content issue I really didn't like all that much. Oh well.

And then I read a book on Birth Order, which was extremely informative.

Robert Louis Stevenson! He wrote Treasure Island, Kidnapped, The Black Arrow and many more. You and I seem to like many of the same authors, and he's one of my favorites. Especially Kidnapped, I just love David and Alan!!! Alan's my absolute favorite fictional Scotsman ever (I've got favorite real Scotsmen, but that would be off topic. )!

Narnian1993: I'm so sorry! How could I forget Stevenson?! I loved Treasure Island and The Black Arrow! And I just have to read Kidnapped, since I loved the 1995 adaptation so much!

And then I read a book on Birth Order, which was extremely informative.

Mind if I ask the title and author of your birth order book, ForeverFan? One of my cousins has been telling me how much I need to be reading a book on that topic and "informative" was her exact reason on why *I* need to explore that topic.

~Scarlet

FF, I wouldn't actually call Garm a short story... I think it was fairly long. But it was very interesting, and I think it was based on something that actually happened to the author.

*tires to recall what the content was in Angel's Command, but can't remember what it might have been*

I read Kevin Leman's The Birth Order Book several years ago. It was quite interesting. I read about the traits of firstborns and said "Check, check, check, check..."

One of the better YA fantasies I've come across lately.

Can you name some of them?

Jessica Day George's second sequel to Dragon Slippers is out now, and I got all three books from the library to enjoy the fun. I quite enjoyed Dragon Spear. It goes to an exotic location (at least for the majority of fantasy stories I've read). Naomi Novik mentioned it in passing, and John Christopher actually went there in his Fireball trilogy, but it still remains a vastly unexplored territory.

And, as a reminder of sorts--you get out of the Books! thread what you put in. If you say, "I read Skipping Christmas by John Gresham" and leave, the response will be different than if you say, "I just read Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and I love it! It's a fantastic story about shape shifters caught in a seemingly endless war and the writing is taunt with emotion and I couldn't put it down! Was anyone else impressed by

" (That's apples and oranges, yes, but I haven't read anything similar to Skipping Christmas and I can't think of another shape-shifter book/series that I've actually read off the top of my head... ) If you like a book, be passionate about it! Give info to lure other readers to the library to check out the sheer awesome that is the author's work. Don't be afraid to bring it up again ten or twenty pages later. Some recommendations take time.

Mel:

Ah, okay thanks! I'll try to check it out at some point...

Yes... I found both the first borns section and the middle childs sections to be helpful (as I'm a rather squashed up combination of both.

Scarlet Trefoil: The Birth Order book was the one Mel mentioned, by Dr. Kevin Leman. I would quickly say that I skipped a couple pages on the Birth Order and Marriage part because I saw there was a couple things that (while not bad) aren't exactly age appropriate for...young teens/etc. But other than that it was a pretty good book.

I picked up Joesph Conrad's Lord Jim last evening, it's alright although I'm finding it just a touch slow. I'm sure it will pick up though, I'm only on page 60 or so.

I read up on the company and apparently people were having trouble canceling their subscription after the first free month, and getting billed. Don't want that to happen to me.

Ooh, thanks for the warning. Funny how those things go, huh? Free offer! Oh darn, we can't cancel your service and will just have to keep billing you. Tough

I can't wait to hear what you think of the Anna Massey Rebecca, lys!

I love your booksale story, lys, and yours as well, arabesque. But you could have sped things up and gone in your pajames, ara . That would totally be me. I'm heading out on my lunch break to hit a sale today. I would go after work, but I have choir practice, and I don't want to wait till tomorrow night. All the good books will be gone! I hope I don't feel too rushed, though I guess that depends on the size of the sale.

What ruse?

Well, P&P is the accepted abbreviation for Pride and Prejudice around here, and it seemed a bit unfair for you to use it for another book; it was almost like you intentionally wanted to mislead people. I'm really sorry if I misread your intention

And speaking of Elisabeth Elliot, I need to read her books! I have a few of them. Maybe she will be my next nonfiction read, after I finish Yancey's book on prayer

And on the special features - my compliments to the originator of that brilliant idea!

I just want to clarify, that brilliant individual is not me! I'm not positive who it was; SFs date from before I was a moderator. Perhaps it was Earel Alquawen and stargazer jointly? I'm not sure who else moderated the Spare Oom in its earlier days. Oh, maybe Marrim too. But anyhow, yes, I love the SFs too!

Unseen Academicals — Pratchett does have fun titles, doesn't he? Let us know how it turns out, Booky!

The Hornblower books... sitting pretty amidst my enormous mount TBR (to be read)...

I didn't cry over the ending of A Tale of Two Cities (very few books actually move me to tears), but I certainly did feel it. What a bittersweet and beautiful ending.

I read Kevin Leman's The Birth Order Book several years ago. It was quite interesting. I read about the traits of firstborns and said "Check, check, check, check..."

DITTO!

If you like a book, be passionate about it! Give info to lure other readers to the library to check out the sheer awesome that is the author's work. Don't be afraid to bring it up again ten or twenty pages later. Some recommendations take time.

Double ditto. You're on a roll today, Mel! *high-five*

I finished The Wyvern Mystery and reviewed it here. Wasn't too impressed, but maybe his other books are better.

I started Wilkie Collins' Legacy of Cain last night, in honor of the current SF. It's going to be a good one, I think. I love how Collins takes a social/philosophical issue and builds his story around it. In this case, it's the age-old question of nature versus nurture. It will be fascinating to see which side is vindicated by the events of the story — or if Collins lands somewhere in the middle, leaving the reader to interpret according to his wont.

FF,

If we're all reading the same birth order book does that mean that none others exist, or were widely distributed?

You're on a roll today, Mel!

Is it a wheat roll or a sticky cinnamon roll?

I finally found the middle book for Brian Daley's Han Solo trilogy, and I'm trying to decide whether to reread the first one before diving into Han Solo's Revenge.

Are you referencing "Passion and Purity" by Elisabeth Elliot?

Absolutely right, Avra! Nice job. I'm assuming you've enjoyed it yourself?

Um, negative on that. I actually just recognized your spelling of Elisabeth.
Passion and Purity is on my wishlist though.

...it was almost like you intentionally wanted to mislead people. I'm really sorry if I misread your intention

Nope, I'm occasionally mischievious, but never devious ('cept at Christmas time). Okaaaaay, I'll forgive you. *blushes bright red* Actually, I was finding the incidence rather humorous...almost as good as the time on another board where a member thought I was Karen Kingsbury's cousin.

On Philip Yancey - WW, which one are you reading and have you read What's So Amazing About Grace? I haven't snagged any of my Dad's Yancey collection yet, but I intend to soon. Grace is his favorite, so I'm planning to start with that one.

Whoa - three of y'all have read Dr. Leman's birth order book? Then I suppose I should be sure to get it from the library so I can finish it. I started it at my grandparents' this summer, but was having a hard time "getting into it" - or maybe it was because Crimson Roses (Grace Livingston Hill) and A is for Apron(Nathalie Mornu) were also in my stack of reading material at that time?

Um, negative on that. I actually just recognized your spelling of Elisabeth.
Passion and Purity is on my wishlist though.

Well then, I hope you get to read it soon! Have you read Quest for Love? It's sort of the sequel to P&P, only instead of Elisabeth's journals, there are "love stories" from other folks - including the Stams and Taylors -that further help exemplify the purity and faith that Mrs. E is encouraging us to strive for.

~Scarlet

Sticky cinnamon, definitely, Mel. Those are the best

Wait Scarlet, you're NOT Karen Kingsbury's cousin???

I haven't read What's So Amazing About Grace yet, though I have it. I've read Yancey's The Jesus I Never Knew several years ago and though I don't remember much specifically from it, I did like it. The one I am reading now is called Prayer: Does it Really Make Any Difference? I would be enjoying it much more if Yancey had better theology when it comes to God's sovereignty . Yancey doesn't believe that God "personally" programs every lightning strike. He can't really have thought this through, though... if God doesn't control every lightning strike, every movement of every atom in the universe, then there is something outside His control. Call it chance, call it whatever; it means that God is not in complete control and there is something operating independently of Him. Not cool, Mr. Yancey

Now I am regretting not getting Leman's The New Birth Order Book at the library sale yesterday. I thought, "will I really reread this?" But now I am suffering book-collector regret. Alas.

Maybe it will still be there if I drop by tonight... *plots*

I don't think I've read anything by Elisabeth Elliott, Scarlet. Not any of her books, at least. I do know her story and that she is very well respected in the Christian world. So I'm looking forward to reading her thoughts

At the sale yesterday I bought 17 books for $9.75. They're a bit pricey for a library sale, no? A fair number of those were bought to list on my book-swap site, but here are the ones for me:

• Death in Kashmir by M. M. Kaye (this should make Val and — I think — Mel happy, right? I've heard so many good things about Kaye! And it's a pristine trade paperback )
• Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson (published in 1740, it tells the story of a serving maid who refuses the advances of her mistress' son; apparently it's supposed to be the first important English novel with a heroine who works for her living. Also, it was parodied by Henry Fielding in his book Shamela, which I will now need to find!)
• The New Atheist Crusaders and Their Unholy Grail by Becky Garrison (I don't know much about this author but this book supposedly refutes "pop culture" atheists like Dawkins and his ilk)
• The Big Over Easy: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde (a co-worker actually lent this to me, and I feel bad because I haven't been motivated to read it quickly. So now that I have my own copy I can procrastinate without guilt, woohoo!)
• The Man from the Broken Hills and Sackett by Louis L'Amour (because I promised Mel I would try a L'Amour book! They had a bunch of them and I was trying so hard to remember the titles Mel had suggested, but to no avail. I hope I judged these books well by their titles )
• The Jeeves Omnibus by P. G. Wodehouse (contains three books I already have separately, but it was hardback... perfect condition... not a wrinkle in the dustcover... so beautiful... can't resist... aaaaah!)
• Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight (believe it or not, I've never read this classic. I do think I will be bothered by the hyphen in the title, though)
• Nemesis and Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie (I don't have the first one. I am always a sucker for buying the second, even though I think I have it, just because I know they changed the title to And Then There Were None and I feel like I'm snatching up a limited edition when I get one called Ten Little Indians)
• In the Hall of the Dragon-King by Stephen Lawhead (a fantasy author I want to reread. I barely remember him from my teen years. Plus this one is the first of a trilogy, so a good place to start)

I have an hour for lunch. The library is ten minutes away from my work. Therefore I managed to find all these in forty minutes

*reads down ww's list of finds*
The M. M. Kaye does make me happy, though I haven't read that one. I've read a parody of Pamela and I'm kind of sorry I did... it's not the one you mentioned but you may want to be careful... Jasper Fford is funny, why procrastinate longer than necessary? I think I've read both of those Louis L'Amour books. They're probably what I'd consider average for his writing. You've never read Lassie Come-Home? I'm shocked. And what's wrong with the hyphen? It's not a statement, it's her name.

Death in Kashmir by M. M. Kaye (this should make Val and — I think — Mel happy, right? I've heard so many good things about Kaye! And it's a pristine trade paperback )

*is very happy* You have to post what you think after you read it, that's quite a good one. The action starts in right away!

Catching up from a few pages back:

Do you have a favourite of the three, malkah?

Perelandra is definitely my favorite; it moved me in a profound way on my first read. And the storyline is, to me, the most gripping in the trilogy:

Do you have a favorite?

And yes, Miss Cornelia is too funny.

Which are your favorites of the Anne series so far?

I got Northanger Abbey and Pride & Prejudice from the library...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!

Persuasion MIGHT be a good one to try as well. I say "might" because although I find it one of Austen's easier books to read, I know others who didn't connect with it at all. It certainly is a quieter story. Oh, and keep working at Austen--eventually your mind will adjust itself and you won't even notice the writing style anymore.

For my birthday my best friend gave me Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury. (The one with all the things you can take out and such). I was really excited when I opened the package and found out what it was, it looks like a good book!

Yay! I got that for Christmas last year and really enjoyed it! It's a beautiful book, and all the letters are a lot of fun to look at. The analysis of her different works is good for the most part--there's actually quite an interesting take on the 1940 adaptation of P&P. Hope you enjoy the book; I'd like to hear what you think of it!

But I started The Fellowship of the Ring on Tuesday for my annual reread. Rob Inglis' reading takes a little while to get used to, but I'm settling in with it. It's definitely going to be a long haul to listen to the entire book on audio CD, but worth it!

Did he do The Two Towers and Return of the King as well?

I am in need of a really mysterious book, slow books like Northanger Abbey... well, I lose interest quickly. But if I had a good mysterious book, I would like that.

Are you thinking actual mysteries? I'd be happy to suggest a few if you are, but if that isn't what you meant...

Does anyone have any suggestions on other good classic authors?? I'm at a loss as to what to read next!!!

I know 220chrisTian and Lady Courage have already given you plenty of excellent suggestions, but let me just add Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers) and Les Miserables. Les Mis is a lengthy classic (although if you've been reading Dickens and Tolkien, that shouldn't be a problem ) but it's an epic, intensely moving book that takes you over from start to finish. The sweeping portrayal of 1800s France and the living, breathing characters stay vividly in your mind long after the last page. I can't recommend it enough!

On What's So Amazing About Grace, I read that a couple of years ago. He made some good points, but I felt that he portrayed grace as too much like a sort of universal hug from God to humanity, constant forgiveness and overlooking of our sins. Grace is absolutely that, of course; it's only by God's forgiveness through the blood of Jesus that we are able to draw near to Him at all! But Mr. Yancey missed the other (and I believe equally important) dimension of grace; that it is the transforming power of Christ, sanctifying us from the inside out and enabling us to do His will. Without both sides of grace, the book felt incomplete. It's still worth a read, though.

Nice finds, wisewoman! It sounds like a good sale!

I'm still reading The Mill on the Floss, and enjoying it very much. It's quite a rollercoaster ride of a book, though, so I can't really offer any coherent thoughts at the moment.

Did you like the book?

I know you asked Kat ( This seems to always happen... I answer questions intended for her. But of course, she can still answer, I'm just... commenting...) but, I just wanted to mention that I've read the book too. (BYMPC) It was good--I didn't enjoy it quite as much as "Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends"... That was hilarious--Stephen is pretty funny. Anyone read that one?

I haven't read Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, but I would like to. The review in Timberdoodle makes it sound like a worthwhile read.

SnowAngel