The Cauldron

I haven't been keeping up with my mailings lately *blush*, but a package is coming your way soon, Val, which is going to include that book from WB (thanks, WB! - my last Poser inspiration was partially attributed to that book :) ).

I just finished Stephen King's, Lisey's Story , yesterday.  Pretty good, actually - the ending was more of a "ryle hira" conclusion, rather than big dramatics.  A recommended read!

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

Krinsel wrote:

 - my last Poser inspiration was partially attributed to that book :) ).

Did you post it?  I must have missed it.

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Avi is my family crest.

I looked for it last year after Ely mentioned it was one of her holiday favorites, but couldn't find it at the bookstore.  Last night, while food shopping, Christopher Moore's The Stupidest Angel was there in hardcover.  I started it, so far, it seems...like warped holiday humor!  

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

A friend lent me The Mists of Avalon a long time ago, the same time I lent her the SoA. She read them, but I never did pick up Mists, so I finally started it. It's pretty good, just kind of long, and a bit slow. So I am trying to finish that, then I have the books WB sent me to read, plus I just found out that the book I finished (and really enjoyed) a couple of weeks ago by Stephen King and Peter Straub, Black House, was the continuation of an earlier novel they wrote together, called The Talisman. I'm dying to start it too.

But I've put off Mist long enough, so I'll stick with it for now.

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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)

"Mists" was by far my favorite MZB book.  I read a few of the "prequels" that actually were written after it, but I always missed the character interactions of the "first" one.  Keep with it - once you get into the flow of the writing it gets really hard to put down (for me, anyway).  It was the inspiration behind my Horde character, Lafey's, name choice.

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

You could imagine my delight and surprise, when my nephew came over to our house this weekend.  I found a hardcover of "Rhapsody" on my kitchen table of the school library type (paperback with cardboard reinforced covers) that wasn't mine.  I asked him: "Is this yours?", and he said: "Yeah, I borrowed it from the library!" 

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

Wow, that's really cool! Where were these books when I had to write book reports and such? haha *sigh* Child of the 80's am I (well, late 80's and definitely 90's).

Anyway, I remember the first fantasy book I ever read was "If I Pay Thee Not in Gold" by Piers Anthony and Mercedes Lackey. It was really good. The first "real" adult book I had ever read, and I was probably 10 or so. My dad gave it to me. Go figure!

It's about Mazonia, a place where women have all the magic and men are the slaves.  The book focuses on one woman Xylina as she is growing up and trying to make her place in the city, and the dangerous quest she undertakes as a result of a debt to the Queen.  It has an Achmed-esque character in Ware, the demon.  He's pretty sarcastic and knowledgable and generally the beloved unlikable.  The only difference is that he lets his feelings be known, whereas Achmed keeps them under wraps.  Okay, that's all I'm going to say, lest I give something away!

So I started reading The Histirian by Elizabeth Kostova.  Thank you Val for sending it to me and K for sending it to her.  I thought I was not gonna get into it (having no idea what it was about and HATING history), but it's about VAMPIRES and I LOVE it!  I only wish my vacation was longer...

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Avi is my family crest.

I'm re-reading I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. Actually I'm listening to it as an audiobook on my iPod. I originally read it while I was in high school, but that was too long ago to remember any details.

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Avatar by me.

I'm currently reading Wuthering Heights, at the insistence of my roommate, who was shocked I'd never read it before.  It's not really my sort of book, at least not so far, but it's okay. I've been dying to reread Sunshine, by Robin McKinley (vampires WB, you should read it if you haven't before), but unfortunately I loaned my copy to a friend, who loaned it to another friend, so I'll just have to wait. I can't wait for my month long winter break, when I'll have ample time to read whatever I feel like reading, and not have to read anything for school. Oh, the joys of college, with greatly extended vacations.

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avatar by Eaving, used with permission

Hey there!  I'd like to get in on this books 'n' such topic.  First how I choose a book to read... I look at the cover art and if it looks interesting then I read the back cover to get a hint what it's about.  If that seems interesting or if it's not informative enough then I'll read a couple of pages.  If I haven't put down the book before it's time to go I'll buy it.

The reason I picked up the Rhapsody book is it reminded me of a book my friend had in his car called "By the Sword" by Mercedes Lackey.  Since then I've read all the Valdemar series books (except for the story compilations).  Those books are ones that I finish in 2 or 3 days because I can't put them down.

Since I read all of those books, I was looking for more to read.  I happened upon "Elvenbane" by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey at a Goodwill store. This happened to be another series in which I cannot put the books down.  I am currently waiting for the fourth book to come out as well as waiting for Elizabeth's "Assassin King".

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I just ordered The Emotion Machine: Commonsense Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of the Human Mind by Marvin Minsky. Hopefully it'll be here Friday.

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Avatar by me.

That sounds painful G! Good luck.

I've just started reading Gentlemen and Players which is alright so far. A diiferent sort of story for Joanne Harris; an intriguing thriller set in a private school. I'm not really sure which way it will go, but it's a nice read regardless.

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Avatar by me.

It did arrive today and it's quite interesting actually. But them I'm in to that sort of thing. The book delves into how the human brain works, or at least the author's theories of how in works, so that we can create artificial intelligences that are more human-like.

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Avatar by me.

At the moment I've been writing my own imagination away. I'm re-reading The Symphony of Ages in preparation for The Assassin King, (what??) but while I was hunting about and shall this forum, I caught interest and entered. While reading it over I shall your comment(what??) : The first "real" adult book I had ever read, and I was probably 10 or so." I couldn't help but reply.(what??) My first adult fantasy book was Song in the Silence, by Elizabeth Kerner, my dad bought it for me when I was 13.
^_^
Anyway, it's been so long since I've paid a visit in the Cauldron again, nice seeing everybody!

OK, slow down and read your posts, please, before hitting "post".  Most of this is incomprehensible...

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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

I've recently read a book called 'The Innocent Mage', by a lady named Karen Miller. I bought it a while back merely because of the cover; it really is a beautiful book. I didn't really read it, because the first chapter wasnt very appealing. But then a few days back I started up again and it really is one of the greatest books I have ever read. Now I'm waiting to find the sequel, 'Innocence Lost'.

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Avatar Art © Rhapsody - Yargh, that would be Thesa, the fiery Pirate Captain! =]

I tried so hard to enjoy The Mists of Avalon, since it is one of my best friend's favorites and one of Krinsel's favorites. I mean, usually I like the stuff either of them recommends. But I couldn't do it, or at least I haven't been able to so far. I'm well over half way through it, and I cannot get into it for some reason. I don't know why. Anyway, I laid it down for now. Maybe if I come back to it, I'll be in a different frame of mind, and I'll enjoy it more.

However, I did pick up the first book in Stephen King's series, The Dark Tower. I am loving it so far. My brother tried to get me to read it a long time ago, but I just never got around to it. I went and got the rest of the set from the used bookstore today. Can't wait to read them!

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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)

I liked the Forest House, but not the Mists. But it's been many years since I read them.

Hmm.. that below looks like someone using babelfish from Italian, or similar.. says two posts, is the other post comprehensible?

But back to books. At the moment I am rereading Red Mars, then hitting Green Mars and Blue Mars. I love that kind of Science Fiction, with a heavy dose of scientific realism (though the terraforming is slightly spiced, and he is of course patching up our knowledge of the red planet rather heavily).

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avatar drawn by me.

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

Don't worry about it Val.    I have to say that although I loved Mists of Avalon, I was at a different point in my life when I first read it.  My sister-in-law lent it to me when I was living alone with the two kids in a new house and new town, and my husband was temporarily living with his other sister while he was getting his work licensing requirements completed.  It was empowering for me at the time, when I needed a little "boost" in confidence to set up a new household for the entire family.  I don't know what I would think of it now, if I was reading it for the first time.

I picked up Michael Crichton's newest, "Next" , yesterday, for my oldest (who loved Jurassic Park), and am getting into it, myself.  Really creepy, so far...

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

I could never get into Mists either.

I'm currently reading the first book in the Troy Game trilogy by Sara Douglass. I really hate it (sorry, Eaving).  None of the characters are likeable, which is typical of a Sara Douglass book. But the characters are also flat and generally uninteresting.  And after slogging my way through the 6 Wayfarer Redemption books, I'm quite tired of Douglass's lackluster writing. Sigh. Elizabeth Haydon has spoiled me, I can no longer enjoy shoddy fantasy.

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avatar by Eaving, used with permission