The Cauldron

Just in case you check in from time to time, Ely...

I gave my mother-in-law (a former nun) the copy of The Stupidest Angel  that I bought a few weeks ago, over the weekend.  She said that she is loving it!   (Warped sense of humor and all - prolly why we get along so well! lol)

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

I'm currently reading Wicked, the story of Elphapa - the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz. It's a very different and adult take on the story and I must say I am really enjoying the quirky humour and subtle foreshadowing of what will come in it.

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Avatar by me.

I am currently reading book three of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I am really enjoying it a lot! I have two other books to pick up so I can send them along after this. Of course, there is TAK coming up too. I can't wait!

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Avie pic by me.
Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Jake: Hit it. ~ The Blues Brothers (1980)

Dy: I read The first three books of the Wayfarer Redemption series and thought it was okay... The Prophecy was way too straight-forward, the characters were all predictable, and overall there was nothing really to get too excited about.  Then I read the fourth book... I didn't really like it... I couldn't even get into it...  It seemed to belittle the first three books in its very existance. 

The Troy Game I found somewhat interesting, but I agree with your analysis of the characters.  I think only Cornelia (was it? ) interested me at all, and that was probably only because Sara Douglass switched point of view whenever the character was involved...  The second book is slightly more interesting, but that's only because it hits medieval era, which in my opinion is more fun than the period right after the Trojan war.

And I have to say that reading Elizabeth Haydon's work has really raised the bar for me as well...  A lot of people like Sara Douglass' work, and I keep telling them to read Rhapsody, but they don't.  I don't know why I can't convince people to read.. I need to get a little rebuttal book or something... c.c

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Anyway... the point I originally intened to make was I started reading the Anita Blake Vampire Slayer Series by Laurell K. Hamilton and was impressed by the first few books.  Then as time went on the series seemed to turn into... a lot of sex scenes with action as filler... A LOT!!  By the 11th book it seems she's having sex with someone every other chapter... It's slowly pushing me more and more away from the series... But the first few books were good and I grew attached to the characters.. I feel like such a sucker...

 

Once I finish the book I'm on, if the series holds me, I'll finish off the rest off the last few books, but otherwie, I'm going back to Juliet Marrilier's books.  I love the Irish and Celtic folklore involved ^^  The irst series was really good, and since there's two more out/coming out I figure I should jump back over.

Of course, everything goes on hold once I get The Assassin King.  I might pull an all nighter reading it if I can. ^^()

Getting into the Holiday spirit, I'm currently reading The Great Santa Search, the latest of Jeff Guinn's The Christmas Chronicles.  I have to say that I'm really enjoying it.

As for The Assassin King, don't expect me to be the first to start talking about it!  When I finally get my grubby hands on it, I want to take a  v e r y  slow time in savoring it - we've been waiting a long time for this one!

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

My mom's tried to get me to read the Mists of Avalon, but I haven't.  I'm a book snob of the worst kind and it takes me a while to warm up to some books.  It doesn't help either that my mom spoiled me with great literature at a young age, so I can't abide mediocre writing styles.
As for Sara Douglass, the only books I like written by her were the first three books of the Wayfarer Redemption series and her stand alone Beyond the Hanging Wall.  I think those are her only books that are well written.
I haven't had the chance to read anything because I've been busy with college which depresses me.  Reading is my number one past time; when I'm not reading my imagination feels drained.  But now that college is almost down for Christmas I'm going on a reading spree!

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"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
~Edgar Allan Poe
"Darest thou now O Soul, Walk out with me toward the unknown region, Where neither ground is for feet Nor any path to follow."
~Walt Whitman
~Avatar made by Me, madhatter.

I've just joined and this is my second posting so  I just want to recommend an author who doesn't seem to be very well known - Cecelia Dart Thornton. Anyone a fan - apart from me?  The Bitterbynde Trilogy is the most amazing set of books I've read - hard going but so emotional, fantastic and dripping with gaelic lore and even cupla focail as gaelige!
I've searched a long time for another author to live up to CDT and I think Elizabeth Haydon is doing a good job, think i'm becoming a bit of a fan - well obviously I am if i joined this forum.

Nice to meet you all

take care
Thowra

Welcome to ya! We would like to give you a proper welcome, so feel free to mosey on over to the Welcome section and post your very own thread.  And while you're moseying...check outThe Cauldron FAQ’s.

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Cork, Ireland

I've been sick, so the only thing I feel like doing after work is laying in bed and reading, which is why you guys haven't seen me here (or on WoW). I finished the third Dark Tower book (The Waste Lands) and am on book 4 (Wizards and Glass). I don't know why I waited so long to read these; I love them! Still sick, but at least I feel a little better today.

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Avie pic by me.
Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses.
Jake: Hit it. ~ The Blues Brothers (1980)

Oh, Val!  I hope you feel better real soon.  Being sick stinks, but at least you have your books.

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Avi is my family crest.

I'm currently reading The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, which I got from the Bargain Bin at B&N.  So far, so good - the story is centered on a (historical) mysterious manuscript known as the Hyperotomachia Poliphili.   Some more information on that book is here.

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

Sorry Val'! Sometimes I can get over my head when I try to write. Anyhow, I would also like to point out a couple of other novels (Also menstioned in Book Recommendations forum).

[Fantasy/Sci-Fi]
The Deed of Paksennarrion by Elizabeth Moon, has anybody else read this trilogy? Moon is a huge Sci-Fi author, and this is the only fantasy book I know that she wrote. Theres also The Faded Sun by C.J.Cherryh, my favorite sci-fi novel. C.J.Cherryh has written TONS of books, I lost count...

[Should I/Will I?]
- I was thinking about reading some of Sarah Douglas work, but now that I think about it, theres a lot of mix opinions on this trilogy, (which should had stayed a trilogy, if it wasn't for the publishing company looking for MONEY). Sad, I guess I'm spoiled by Haydon as well. And with me going to read yet another R.A.Salvatore novel (Which is starting to tire me after reading about soooo much about Drizzt) that he's become very predictable. All it seems about is: Evil Bad Guy tries to take/steal/destroy something or someone (Mostly likly a kingdom or a realm) and some hero rises up with some great power and cast him down in some way (The Crimson Shadow).
 I was also looking at George R.R.Martin novels, and I just might check them out from the Library first before I spend a penny on them.

[Fantasy]
My dad told me about this series: Shannara by Terry Brooks. I literally dragged myself through the first book: The Sword of Shannara, and squeezed down The Elfstone of Shannara, and The Wishsong of Shannara. Let's just say that Terry Brooks novels aren't my type of reading material. I sort-of enjoyed Raymond E. Fiest two books: Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master. But they are not as unpredictable as SOAs. I guess reading Fantasy all the time is bad for the mind after a while. It's as if I can pretty much predict what's going to happen in every book I pick up.

Yet another reason why I love Haydon so much, she keeps us thinking, and guessing!

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The instructor put's out a single chair in the middle of an empty room, and he says; "Explain to me how this chair is not here."
One student says: "Chair, what chair? I don't see a chair."

AVATAR BY ME

OMG!!! (and I don't use that phrase very much.) You've actually read the Deed of Paksenarrion? That is literally one of my all-time favorites, and that is saying something. I've probably read all one thousand pages of it at least eight times. Anyway, I thought it was about time to add my list of preferred books. Besides Deed, another adult fantasy I love is Queen of Camelot by Nancy McKenzie. It is a twist on the Aurthurian legend told from Guinevere's point of view and is absolutely beautiful. I think I alternated laughing, smiling, and crying my way through it. It's sequels are not as good but Queen stands alone very well. Another stand-alone with a less than good sequel is Green Rider by Kristin Britain. This could almost be young adult, but as was stated quite forcefully on another post somewhere, no one here has a problem with that. Anyway, this book has a great strong female main character with a fun and very original adventure. For those of you who like really original fantasy, Elantris is another good one by a newer author (something like Brandon Sanderson?). I know Dyansynos mentioned Sunshine by Robin McKinley which is an extraordinary book, but all of her books like the Blue Sword, Hero and the Crown, Spindle's End are just as fabulous. All except for Sunshine are more young adult but beautifully written with a style completely unique to McKinley.

And I have to defend Sara Douglass a bit because even though I hated the first Troy Game book, I've really enjoyed the others and will start the newest and last one soon.

But, don't worry, above all I love Haydon!!!

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"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." ~ C.S. Lewis

*Avatar by me (formerly adain_hwyfar)*

I'm reading Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, and so far, so good.  I'll update this when I finish it...

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

I decided to try a new sort of book. I found a book by one of my favorite celebrities, Ellen DeGeneres. I'm current ly reading her book titled The Funny Thing Is the sequal to her first book My Point...And Do I Have One.

Anyway, its a very funny book, Ellen pretty much points out funny things about life, as well as tips on how to find silence and how to be happy.

Its a short book only 177 pages, but its a good read all the same.

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"Now look what you've done, you monster. I told you never to play with the bottle labeled ‘Passion.' It's totally explosive stuff."- Aphrodite (Xena)



- Avatar done for me, by me.

Mother gave me a heap of mysteries/thrillers/crime books in Norwegian. Some of it is by Norwegian authors, which is allright, but alot of them are translated from English or Swedish - and it is no fun reading them, I cannot concentrate on the story because I spend all my energy translating them back as I read. Too many pet peeves about bad translators.. Grr! Anyway, none of the books have been worth mentioning so far.

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avatar drawn by me.

~If the future isn't bright, at least it's colourful~

I'm reading Dune by Frank Herbert, finally.  An all-time classic in sci-fi.  It's pretty good so far, but I have a feeling that the best is yet to come.

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"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream."
~Edgar Allan Poe
"Darest thou now O Soul, Walk out with me toward the unknown region, Where neither ground is for feet Nor any path to follow."
~Walt Whitman
~Avatar made by Me, madhatter.

First off congratulations to resimars417 for completing the Wayfarer Redemption series. I got as far Starman and I found getting to the end of that was a struggle because I just hated Axis so much as a character. No offence to anybody who loves the books but I just wanted to strangle him for leading Faraday on and then basically falling for another woman in the end. I didn't really like the Troy Game much either and when I got to the last book skipped to the last few chapters and read those. Though if you are looking for a good book by Sara Douglass try Threshold. It's all about a slave girl who has this magic where glass talks to her, and its very very good, I loved it. Some other good series are:

1. The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan, hard to get through at times but overall one of the best series I've ever read.

2. The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, by Patricia C. Wrede. I actually started reading the last one instead of the first by mistake but when I bought the other three I fell in love, its set in a land basically governed by fairy tells, like the princesses MUST look and act a certain way and such, and then story is about Princess Cimorene and how she rebels against this. A great series and I wish that the author would write more books in this world.

3. Crown Duel , by Sherwood Smith. I think I finished this book, which is actually two books in one, in about 2 dasy because I could just not put it down at all. I loved the main character Meliara and her blatant way of pretending not to care what anyone thought of her. I recomend it for eveyrone who loves adventure with a little bit of romance thrown in.

4. Artemis Fowl, Eion Colfer. Like Harry Potter, set in the modern world where unbeknownst to us fairies , pixies and magic do exist. The only series besides Elizabth Haydon's that has made me laugh out loud while reading, and it almost made me cry I was laughing so hard. Definetly a must read.

Those four definetly top my list of book series to read and it makes me sad that I've finished them because they were so good. Anyways I hope you guys like them.  

I finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan a few days ago, and it moved me so much, I needed a bit of time to let it settle in.  It is a beautiful but sad story of two "matched" friends in 19th century China, and how they live out their lives in situations that were chosen for them. 

Going along with some other suggestions, I'm now reading one of my mother's favorite stories, Green Darkness by Anya Seton.  All I will give away about this, is that it is a story about reincarnation...

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"No, they're not real, but thanks for noticing"! WoW Dwarf Female /silly
Avatar by Krinsel

I bought the script for the play Equus and read it before going to see it a week ago Friday.  It was really......odd.  It was written back in the 1970's by Peter Shaffer, and I don't know if I'm just missing something or what, but the whole play seemed very disjointed to me.

It's really dark and twisted, of course, but when I think about what I would think/feel/do in the shoes of the characters...their thoughts/feelings/actions that were expressed in the play didn't match up to mine, so I've been trying to figure out why, what's different, etc.

Although, when I saw it on stage, it made more sense than just reading it (but I was SO glad I had read the script beforehand) and while the play as a whole STILL seemed disjointed, the ending was PHENOMONAL.

Either way, I still recommend reading the play.  I think it's one of those stories that I will find something new every time I read/see it, and then by the time I die, I will understand it (hopefully)

I remember reading that...very ...creepy, to me, anyway.  Kinda made me uncomfortable.  I guess any reaction an author elicits is a "good" reaction then, huh?  I don't know if I am drawn to seeing it in play form...

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Avi is my family crest.