May 20, 2008: Finished Spyglass, Earthsea, Mistborn, Dress your family, Test of the twins, and various others. I really need to start on Madame, and I will. I hit my reading wall a bit. I have had a nasty migraine the last week and a half and have not been able to read. I blame it partly on my ear infection and sinus infection, but also on my reading too much. I am realizing more and more that I am a person who does things much too intensely. I need to learn moderation and how to chill.
April 30,2008: Well I realize I am a slacker when it comes to posting everywhere I should. But I got really mad at Philip and “The Amber Spyglass” so I stopped reading that and got the new Fablehaven book (Grip of the Shadow Plague). I finished that two days ago and have been limping through Amber again. In a moment of lucidity I went to the book store and bought ”A Wizard of Earthsea” and am enjoying that. Other books on my nightstand in the to read or finish reading for the love of heaven category:
“Dune”
“The Assassin’s Aprentice” (I know Jake I should be done with this but she keeps frustrating me and i just can’t get into it. but you said it was good so i am going to keep trying.)
“Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim”
And that is it so far. Hopefully by Friday I’ll have those finished and I may have a comment or two about them. I looked for the books you all suggested but could not find them at Barnes & Noble. It doesn’t help that I refuse to ask for help finding books. I avoid the crazy bookstore carnies at all costs.
Sadly, I almost hit my reading wall again, or the dulrums as I like to call them and went back to staring at walls, but Ursula Le Guin got me out of that. Lets hope I can keep treading the waters of reading.
I go through stages/binges of reading. I am currently on a pretty hefty one so I thought I would keep track of the books I have read and my progress so that I don’t forget. It will also be nice to have proof that my life has not been completely wasted. If you have any suggestions of really good books let me know-currently more in the mood for fantasy/science fiction.
April 23:2008 Today I finished the Sublte Knife by Phillip Pullman. It started a little slow, got good in the middle, and then I hated the ending even thought it wasn’t really bad. I have to read the last one but since I have not liked any of the endings so far I am sure I will be dissappointed.
This week I read:
Red Seas under Red Skies, by Scott Lynch (a good sequel to the Locke Lamora Franchise)
Eclipse, by Stephanie Meyer (I liked this one too more than I care to admit)
Last week:
The Golden Compass, by Phillip Pullman
The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch
New Moon, by Stephanie Meyer
I recommend Parke Godwin. Firelord, Blessed Somethingorother (can’t remember), Sherwood, The Last Rainbow. He writes historical fantasy: Firelord is King Arthur, Blessed Somethingorother is Guenevere, Sherwood is Robin Hood, and The Last Rainbow is Saint Patrick. He also has one about Beowulf, but I didn’t like it nearly as much as the others.
If you want epic fantasy, try Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series.
Wewt thanks Dae!
Have you already given up on the Hobb trilogies?
I second Daeruin’s recommendations of Godwin. I’ve read Sherwood, The Tower of Beowulf, and Firelord. I liked them all, but Sherwood’s the one I still think about, even though I haven’t read it since high school.
I just remembered the name of that book: Blessed Exile. It takes place after Arthur’s death.
Dunno if maybe you’ve already read it, but I recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. It’s a fantasy, but a very unique one; it takes place in an alternate version of the early 19th century where the study of magic has been revived, Definitely a fantasy, but it also reads like historical fiction. Hard to describe it in a short space, but I thought it was awesome.
What did Phil do to upset you?