Yep, that's the same Peter David. He's done a lot of writing for Marvel, mostly on the Hulk, I think. I think I preferred Neil Gaiman's Marvel 1602 work better than this volume. The Fantastick Four section seemed especially flat to me. Although I did think naming the Namor the Sub-Mariner equivalent in the 1602-verse Numenor was a clever idea.

Finished The Shifter tonight. It's a fairly light fantasy, definitely an early YA book. Very interesting spin on magical healing though. In the story, healers are able to heal pretty much anything, but they're stuck with the injured person's pain inside of them. They have to transfer it into a metal called pynvium or the pain will eventually kill them, even if it's just a tiny amount. Nya, the heroine of the book, can heal, but she can't dump the pain inside pynvium. Instead, she can transfer it into other people. The island nation she lives in has been conquered by enemies, so she has to hide her power because the dictator that rules them would use her as a weapon. It's part of a series, so I'll probably look for the next one when it comes out.

one of my current favorite books is "Simon Bloom: Gravity Keeper" by Mattew Reisman! that book is awesome! of course it is totally fiction, but I love those kind of books!

I recently read Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse. We were supposed to read it in my World Religions class, but we never did, so I read it on my own.

I have to say, at first I found it to be a bit dry, but once I got into it, it got much better. In the end, I would have to say that it is one of the best books that I've ever read, right up there with Lord of the Flies, ( for those of you who like intense novels. ).

I also recently just reread the Tripod Trilogy, by John Cristopher. I had never read the last book as as a kid, so it was nice to see how it all wrapped up. I also found out that there was a prequel to the trilogy, so I've been reading that as well.

I also recently just reread the Tripod Trilogy, by John Cristopher. I had never read the last book as as a kid, so it was nice to see how it all wrapped up. I also found out that there was a prequel to the trilogy, so I've been reading that as well.

I read one of those when I was a kid. White Mountains I think it was called, really not sure now. I loved it, but I never did read the other two, or the prequel.

Aye, The White Mountains is first, followed by The City of Gold and Lead, and the last is The Pool of Fire. Although the series is aimed more towards a younger crowd than I, I still find the series intriguing, and worth rereading every now and again.

The last book I read was Utopia by Sir Thomas More. Some say it is the first fantasy novel- and I kind of agree, even though there were no dragons or unicorns. I especially like the second part. Interesting how he chose the name to mean both "no-place" (meaning that no place like that exists) and "ideal place" (which he seemed to believe). It may have inspired some of the ideals of socialism- though nowhere near as extreme as communism.

I'm reading this book right now and I'm very confused by this statement that Utopia could be the first fantasy novel. First, I'm not sure that I would call it fantasy at all--more political commentary--and second, aren't there far older works with all the elements of fantasy? I'm also currently reading both Beowulf and The Iliad and I would say that both contain far more elements of fantasy, especially Beowulf. Both were written down before Utopia. Perhaps it's the word 'novel' that makes the differentiation? I suppose you could exclude both Beowulf and The Iliad from the novel category since they were originally composed and received orally, but once they were written down, they surely become 'novels'? They aren't plays or dialogues anyway.

for all those who advised me to read the "Ranger's Apprentice" series by John Flanagan, I have begun reading "The Ruins Of Gorlan"! it is very well written (I haven't got very far, I will keep ya'll posted on what I think of it) and the plot is great (so far! )! thanks to all who told me it was a good series!

I just finished reading Dear John today and it was amazing.
I started on the first of the month. I read only two chapters a day too.
(excluding the first and today in which I read 3 ch, because of the prologue and epilogue).

it's the first Nicholas Sparks book I read,
although I have seen the four movies done on his books.
I plan on reading those 4 book some day, but up next is The Rescue, and it will be followed by The Guardian.

I went to the book swap yesterday and came back with two boxes of deliciousness.

3 books from Illustrated Junior Library (not cheap books, beautifully illustrated classics)
-The Little Lame Prince
-The Swiss Family Robinson
-Grimm's Fairy Tales

I also got a nice illustrated and hardcover editioln of The Wind in the Willows and a nice copy of The Five Little Peppers (and How They Grew) (also hardcover). Among these treasures for myself I found some nice children's books for my 3 yo. sister, American Girl books for my 10 yo. sister, and some fiction books for my 14 yo. sister. I also found a copy of Big Red which is a dog story I had to read for 6th grade and really liked... I was happy with my findings. I love my dump

I'm currently reading The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. First time. It's okay, but I feel like it's been a tad overrated, to my mind at least. I'm about half-ways through.

Ditto. I read it a few months ago for the first time; I mean, it's really neat that the diary was found and it's all real, but the content didn't impress me too much. I know that the diary was something personal to her and she had no idea it would be published, but around everyone is careful as to what they write in their diary because things are more effective in print. I might be acting a bit judgemental, though, so I will stand corrected if need be.

---

As for the rest of my reading list, I haven't gotten to reading much lately... I still am on the first three pages of Mansefield Park and the last time I picked it up was a few weeks ago, so I'll have to start from the beginning to get the whole thing. And then I still have the AoGG series left... I do have alot of reading left.

I agree about Anne Frank. I don't think it would be nearly as famous if she had lived through the war. Her worldview isn't especially Christian so I don't connect with a lot of what sounds profound...also, there are SO MANY stories and writings about WWII in which people do more than just hide (not that I blame her for that, or anything, I'd do the same thing ). Why aren't Sophie Scholl's writings more publicised, for instance?

In theory, I am still reading War and Peace. *ahem* I read some yesterday for the first time in forever...

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've been reading quite a few books recently, and trying to catch up on all my reviews. But more of that at the bottom of my post. First, to respond to the posts here.

hmm are you sure lys...? On the back it says BBC Video...this is the one I got http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/imag ... n_DVD2.jpg [/offtopic]

Oh dear, that is dreadfully confusing of them. It appears that the BBC acquired the video distribution rights to the recent ITV Austen films (Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park) so that they could release them alongside their own Sense & Sensibility, just as Masterpiece Theater bought the American TV distribution rights for all these adaptations. But no, the actual TV film was not made or aired by the BBC.

Hearkening back to page 40....

I snagged another Early Reviewers book on Library Thing.

Lucky! I've only snagged one of those, and I'm sure I've been trying for them as long as you have. Of course, I did get two Member Giveaways this winter, and I've yet to read either of them.

narnian1, I didn't particularly like A Tale of Two Cities either, but that is a gorgeous copy.

And now, Booky, I'm doubly jealous of you: I didn't get any bookish gift cards for Christmas. Nice finds! I'll be interested in hearing what you think about the books by Gaiman, Pratchett, and Farmer.

*adds himself to the list of people who are interested in G. R. R. Martin but refuse to read him until he finishes his series* And Kate, from what I've heard about it doesn't sound too much like you're describing—and I get annoyed by those ridiculously overcomplicated fantasy series as well. *cough*RobertJordan'sWheelofTime*cough*

(McKillip especially; recommendations welcomed — I've only read the Riddlemaster trilogy.)

[list=1]

The Bell at Sealey Head—my favorite after the Riddlemaster trilogy; delightful and warm and Austen-like[/*163qrqb9][*]The Alphabet of Thorn—some content in this one, and I'm not a fan of the two leads, but the plot is one of her strongest[/*163qrqb9][*]Winter Rose—well, read the review I've posted below [/*163qrqb9][*]Ombria in Shadow—I love the characters and setting of this one, not to mention the cover[/*163qrqb9][*]last but not least, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld—her first big success and one of her best; most similar in tone to Riddle-Master[/*163qrqb9][/list163qrqb9]

In the story, healers are able to heal pretty much anything, but they're stuck with the injured person's pain inside of them.

Oooh, I like that.

All right, now for the books that I've been reading recently:

• The Changeling Sea by Patricia McKillip - I enjoyed this, I have most of McKillip's work, but I don't think I'd agree with her assertion that it is "the most perfect thing I ever wrote." It is very good, of course, but I am not sure it even measures up to her better minor works. The main reason is the romance: it's a love triangle, which annoys me as usual, and I'm not crazy about the fate of the abandoned third party. More thoughts here.

• The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - A reread of an old favorite, but in a different and thankfully complete translation: the wonderful, elegant Wolf instead of the brutally condensed de Mattos. All the little details from the full version only serve to make the work richer, and while there are certain lines (especially in the dialogue) that I prefer in the de Mattos, overall Wolf reads much more smoothly and comes across as less melodramatic. As for the story itself, it's a winner. Review to be posted soon.

• The Wolf at the Door edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling - Even for a short story anthology, I found this to be rather weak. The only really strong entries were Neil Gaiman's "Instructions" (a delightful poem that tells you what to do if you stumble into fairyland), Gregory Maguire's "The Seven Stage a Comeback" (a clever entry detailing what happens to the seven dwarves after Snow White leaves them), and Patricia McKillip's retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" (an old favorite, and easily the best thing about the collection ). Not recommended, except perhaps as a library checkout if any of the stories I mentioned interest you. More thoughts on this reread in my complete review.

• Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip - A lovely way to start the new year. Of all the McKillips I've been reading recently, this one is by far my favorite (unless you count the "Twelve Dancing Princesses" short story, in which case it would be a close call). Her prose may be at its most beautiful here, which is very beautiful indeed where McKillip is concerned; was there ever a more beautiful description of a sunset than that of the Meliors sitting on their porch “watching the day slowly bloom into night”? The characterization was amazing as well—for once I wasn't bothered by the love triangle/quadrangle—and the glimpses we get of Faerieland were quite chilling. This one is a bit difficult and obscure, so I wouldn't recommend it for a starting point for McKillip newbies, and for me the first half was better than the second. Still, brilliant. If you're interested, and outline of the plot is here, as well as more of my gushings.

• Solstice Wood by Patricia McKillip - I know Booky liked this, but, well, he hadn't read Winter Rose. It is really quite abominable what McKillip does to the world that she created in her earlier work in this, the modern-day sequel. It's a much more straightforward book, but it also lacks its predecessor's beautiful, dreamy writing and air of danger. It is just too placid and friendly for my tastes, especially considering that it's supposed to follow up a far better novel. And the sexual content, while not incredibly offensive, was unnecessary. A lesser McKillip, and only worthwhile for her amazing exploration in one chapter of a widow's grief. Further grumblings here.

• Cotillion by Georgette Heyer - As this book is generally shelved in the Romance section, I'm guessing I would have gone for my whole life without having read it, were it not for the recommendations of ww and fellow LibraryThinger ChocolateMuse. I really enjoyed it! It's a fun, sparkling read, with great characters (I read Mr. Penicuick with Lionel Barrymore in mind, and Freddy's exclamations of "Dash it, Kit!" have randomly become part of my vocabulary) and surprising moral awareness. More than "just" a Regency romance, Cotillion will prompt me to seek out some of the author's work. Full review (which has proven surprisingly popular on LT) here.

• The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis - I just finished reading this aloud to my sister tonight. Wonderful, of course. It was my favorite of the Chronicles as a child, mostly because of all the magic—magic rings, jumping between worlds, words of power, even vague references to Atlantis and Morgana le Fay—it's pretty cool stuff, you've got to admit. What really get me now, though, are the scenes between Aslan and Digory, particularly those that involve the subject of his mother. I definitely teared up while reading this one, the second Chronicle to make me do so during this run-through (Ths Silver Chair was first). Review forthcoming.

Finally, I was able to catch up on my reviews backlog by posting some of Macbeth, The Screwtape Letters, and The Horse and His Boy. I didn't have any deep thoughts to share on the former, so I went for self-deprecatingly honest instead, while the two Lewis reviews may be my most divisive yet.

I'm done now! Apologies to anyone who had the courage to read through all of this; I know it is long (especially if you read the reviews as well ).

Like Aly, I'm technically reading W&P. Realistically, I've only got as far as Book Two and classes started back up again today.

lys, you don't know how much better I feel about not liking Solstice Wood now. If even you disliked it, I can't be too much blamed for it letting me give up on McKillip for a while, can I? And you agree that Winter Rose is a difficult book to understand at times? I think I definitely had the wrong introduction to McKillip.
As for Ysabo's parentage? I have no clue. I may have had half a clue once, but don't any more. What were your's and Mel's thoughts?

~LL~, I think some of the grammar mistakes and such depend on the edition of the book you have. I think Midnight Dancers was my least favourite too, though maybe not quite for the reason you mentioned. Also, keep in mind when the basic storyline is a fairy tale, it's hard to do too much with the plot that's a surprise. About WR, though: And, hey! You can still read War and Peace with us---I'm not anywhere near being done.

I started my Intro to Lit class today. It looks pretty basic---reading a number of short stories and plays, but mostly a lot of poetry. Looks like one of my favourite pieces won't be on the list , but hey, My Last Duchess is.

Sorry that is so scattered and random---I was going by memory on a couple of things and a bit wiped out after classes today. But I have been keeping on the thread---if I didn't respond to something that I should've, I apologize and assure you all that my memory, not my interest, failed me.

Edit: Forgot to say that the bits about the Napoleonic War in W&P desperately makes me want to reread JS&MN. I've already decided that if it gets hard to read that I shall pretend the Duke of Wellington and Jonathon Strange made it to the Russian front.

I agree about Anne Frank. I don't think it would be nearly as famous if she had lived through the war. Her worldview isn't especially Christian so I don't connect with a lot of what sounds profound...also, there are SO MANY stories and writings about WWII in which people do more than just hide (not that I blame her for that, or anything, I'd do the same thing ). Why aren't Sophie Scholl's writings more publicised, for instance?

Couldn't have said it better, Aly. =] The way she said things really didn't have a Christian view to it, and the way she spoke about her mom also bothered me. I mean, all preferences set aside, she's your mother for crying out loud. Anyways, yes...I do prefer other WWII literature over the Diary of Anne Frank.

Today I began reading more after abandoning it some, and picked up from Mansfield Park. I think it's safe to say that I fairly like it so far. But,

Spoiler

who is Dr. & Mrs. Grant, Admiral Crawford, and Miss and Mr. Crawford and where did they come from and what relation do they have to the main characters? For me, they just, like, randomly popped out of no where in the book so explanation would be appreciated so much...

Lucky! I've only snagged one of those, and I'm sure I've been trying for them as long as you have. Of course, I did get two Member Giveaways this winter, and I've yet to read either of them.

Not that lucky. All of the ones I've gotten so far have been pretty meh. Still haven't received the latest one. Hoping they didn't send me the ebook, because if they did, the spam filter ate it.

And now, Booky, I'm doubly jealous of you: I didn't get any bookish gift cards for Christmas. Nice finds! I'll be interested in hearing what you think about the books by Gaiman, Pratchett, and Farmer.

No book gift cards at all? You poor deprived bibliophile.

I know Booky liked this

I did say I disliked the ending.

I started my Intro to Lit class today. It looks pretty basic---reading a number of short stories and plays, but mostly a lot of poetry. Looks like one of my favourite pieces won't be on the list , but hey, My Last Duchess is.

I like that one. Creepy, but good. I'm afraid I probably won't like anything in my Lit course this semester. *rues the typo that got him in 20th Century American Novels instead of World Lit*

Currently reading The Lost Conspiracy by Frances Hardinge. I'm really liking this one. Political conspiracies, revenge cults, and people who can detach their senses from their bodies and send them all across their island. And for once the main character of a YA fantasy novel isn't the shiny sparkly superhero, instead she's the smart practical one keeping the girl with special powers alive.