Into the Forest discussion

Melanti wrote: "Here's a quote from the book I just finished ( The Thirteenth Tale ):

Do you know the feeling when you start reading a new book before the membrane of the last one has had time to close behind you..."

Glad you liked The Thirteenth Tale. I thought is was very good. The author's prose is gripping.

Monica wrote: "Glad you liked The Thirteenth Tale. I thought is was very good. The author's prose is gripping ..."

She's got a new one coming out in November. Bellman and Black (unless you're in the UK -- then you can get it in October).

I started a cozy murder-mystery this morning, (Unnatural Death: The Dawson Pedigree) and my copy was printed back in the 60's. It looked to be in fantastic shape for its age until I opened it, and the cover broke off in my hand! I guess it's a lot more fragile than it seemed at first. This is the first time I've had a book literally fall apart on me without provocation.

My other book is The Wings of a Falcon, which is the third book in the same series as Jackaroo. It's been really frustrating so far because the main character doesn't have a name - not even a nick-name - and is only referred to with pronouns like "he" or "him"! It's confusing and often unclear as to whether the "he" mentioned is the main character or the character talked about in the previous sentence... I really liked the first two books, though, so I"m going to try to keep reading. It should get less confusing once he gets a name!

Melanti wrote: "Here's a quote from the book I just finished ( The Thirteenth Tale ):

Do you know the feeling when you start reading a new book before the membrane of the last one has had time to close behind you..."

Great quote and I loved the book too.

I have added The Thirteenth Tale to my "to read list"!
I just finished Cybele's Secret and except for a few small details loved it. Here is my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I will be starting The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights today.

Jalilah wrote: "I have added The Thirteenth Tale to my "to read list"!

That's great, Jalilah! Let us know what you think of it when you read it.

Ever try a book because you think you ought to? For years I have been hearing about how great The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes is supposed to be. One gets the impression it is "cool" ,"in", after all, famous singers and rock stars have written songs about it, but for me it was yuck! I could not even finish it.

So now I am reading a real comfort read The Peach Keeper Southern (US) style Magical Realism.
Oh and I read the first few stories of The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights and look forward to reading more!

Jalilah wrote: "Ever try a book because you think you ought to? For years I have been hearing about how great The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes is supposed to be. One gets the impression it is "cool" ,"i..."

I like the Sandman! It's one of the few graphic novels I enjoy. But I can see how it's not for everyone.

Jalilah, I'm the same way. I love most of the rest of Gaiman but I just couldn't get in to the Sandman series. I did like The Dream Hunters when it got picked as the monthly read for the Endicott group, though. That one is a illustrated novella and not a graphic novel.

I haven't read much fairy tale related stuff this week... just The Godmother which I highly recommend NOT reading. The sequels are going straight into my donation box. I'm thinning out Mt. TBR the easy way this weekend!

I'm hoping to get to The Arabian Nights within the next day or two.

Jalilah,

When I read The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes, I didn't care for it either, but I've recently heard/ read something I don't rightly remember maybe, about the publishing order being messed up, or something.

Anybody else heard of this?

I'm reading Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch and really enjoying it.

I am reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane and my, it is good!
IMO it is Gaiman's best. It is one of those books you keep thinking about even when you are not reading it.

Julia,
Not sure about the Sandman, but I'd think if the issues were published out of order that they would have corrected it when printing the trade PB editions, if they considered it an issue.

Jalilah,
I loved The Ocean at the End of the Lane. except that it was over too soon! It was the right length of book for the story it told, but I still sad there wasn't more.

I'm about 3/4 done with Watership Down so far and loving it! I'm so sad that I never discovered this as a kid, cause I think I would have loved it even more then.

My other book (Since I accidentally left Watership Down at home) is Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse which is an anthology of post-apocalyptic fiction with a lot of really well-known contributors. It's pretty good so far.

I am really enjoying Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen Thanks Melanti for suggesting it! At first I thought it might be too childish as it is categorized as juvenile, but it is a universal story that would appeal to all ages. The main character Snow in Summer is 11 when the story starts so I guess that is why it is categorized that way, but it is told from multiple points of view. I find the writing to be very good!

I am reading Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht. When I finish will some of you be reading for our buddy read Forests of the Heart?

I'm trying to catch up on some science fiction reading at the moment.

I finished The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach yesterday, and it was fantastic. If any of you guys are sci-fi fans at all, I encourage you to give it a chance! It's a much better book than its summary makes it sound.

My current book is We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. It's one of the first dystopian novels. It's pretty good so far.

Jalilah, I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about Of Blood and Honey. I picked up a copy of that and the sequel, quite a while ago, but haven't read either yet.

And yes, going to be reading Forests of the Heart very soon. It should be a good break from all the dystopian lit I've been reading lately.

Finishing up Jamaica Inn and In the Shadow of the Banyan and then I hope to start Forests of the Heart

by Daphne du Maurier
by Vaddey Ratner
by Charles de Lint

Kathy wrote: "Finishing up Jamaica Inn and In the Shadow of the Banyan and then I hope to start Forests of the Heart

by Daphne du Maurier
[bookcover:..."

How are you liking In the Shadow of the Banyan, Kathy? I finished it earlier this year and enjoyed it.

My library just received xo Orpheus: Fifty New Myths which looks really interesting. Back cover states: "50 leading writers retell their favorite myths from around the world... " One more for my endless TBR list

Melanti wrote: "I'm trying to catch up on some science fiction reading at the moment.

I finished The Carpet Makers by Andreas Eschbach yesterday, and it was fantastic. If any of you guys are sci-fi fans at all..."

Of Blood and Honey is good, but quite dark and violent. The magical part is more in the background, as the story is set in Northern Ireland in the 70s and a large portion of the book is focused more on that conflict. I am no expert,but it seems Stina Leicht has done her homework and properly researched the history.

I nominated this book a few months ago and honestly now I am glad it did not win, as there is very little Fairy Tale in it, however I would still recommend it. I plan to read book #2.

I've gotten into way too many groups with interesting group reads. Here're the group reads I have for September:



I know it isn't quite as bad as it looks, but it's still intimidating to see them all together! Yet, even with all of those group reads, I keep reading other books instead!

I started The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen a few days ago and am about a quarter of the way through it.

And I started Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman this morning. It's another Bluebeard story - though in a very metaphorical way so far - mostly playing with the idea of a husband with a secret (murderous?) past that's suddenly revealed, and what you can do afterwords.

I started Andersen's complete tales too, but had to pause to read something else. Reading them all in a row is a bit depressing!

Margaret wrote: "I started Andersen's complete tales too, but had to pause to read something else. Reading them all in a row is a bit depressing!"

Yes, it can be. Especially the more well-known stories! I'm aiming for around a hundred pages one day per week. That way I can still get it done in a reasonable length of time (reading it was a New Year's resolution after all, and I've only got a couple of months left!) and I'll have plenty of time to read other things.

Though, really, if I want to avoid being depressed, I should NOT be reading Alice Hoffman. I love her books, but they're not something you should read if you want a happily ever after.

Melanti wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I started Andersen's complete tales too, but had to pause to read something else. Reading them all in a row is a bit depressing!"

Yes, it can be. Especially the more well-known s..."

Pretty much everything I end up reading is depressing too. I thought I would read Andersen in installments. Read a fourth, read a novel, then back to andersen. I should be done by the New Year as well. Right now I'm reading Myths of Origin by Valente, and theTao Te Ching, then I will be back to Andersen.

Margaret, the Tao Te Ching is one of the books of my heart, especially the translation by Jane English.

I'm retired now, but my students really were touched by Lao Tzu's philosophy.

Margaret wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Finishing up Jamaica Inn and In the Shadow of the Banyan and then I hope to start Forests of the Heart. . . "

Loved, loved Shadow of the Banyan

by Vaddey Ratner

Julia wrote: "Margaret, the Tao Te Ching is one of the books of my heart, especially the translation by Jane English.

I'm retired now, but my students really were touched by Lao Tz..."

I'm reading the translation by D.C. Lau. I'm really loving it. I'm going a little underlining crazy, and am making tons of notes. I picked it up because Ursula Le Guin, one of my favorite writers, lists it as one of her influences. If I adjunct again, I could see how it would be an excellent choice for class discussion.

Kathy wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Finishing up Jamaica Inn and In the Shadow of the Banyan and then I hope to start Forests of the Heart. . . "

Loved, loved Shadow of the Banyan

[bookcover:In the Sh..."

I think I cried at least 4 times:)

Margaret wrote: "I started Andersen's complete tales too, but had to pause to read something else. Reading them all in a row is a bit depressing!"

I also can't read all the HC Andersen stories straight through. As a child I did not like them much, but as an adult I learned to appreciate him. But just a few stories at a time!

Margaret wrote: "Julia wrote: "Margaret, the Tao Te Ching is one of the books of my heart, especially the translation by Jane English.

I'm retired now, but my students really were tou..."

Ursula Le Guin did her own translation of the Tao, which I just gave to a friend. It's not as poetic as the English translation, but Le Guin's very simplicity is charming.Lao Tzu : Tao Te Ching : A Book About the Way and the Power of the Way

Julia wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Julia wrote: "Margaret, the Tao Te Ching is one of the books of my heart, especially the translation by Jane English.

I'm retired now, but my student..."

It would be interesting to read both and compare the translations.

Margaret wrote: "Julia wrote: "Margaret, the Tao Te Ching is one of the books of my heart, especially the translation by Jane English.

I'm retired now, but my students really were tou..."

Margaret, I have read good things about Ursula K. Le Guin, but mixed opinions regarding her Earth Sea trilogy. Personally, I am not a big fan of epic fantasy, but am curious about her. Are there any particular novels of hers you could recommend besides the Earth Sea ones?
Thanks!

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Julia wrote: "Margaret, the Tao Te Ching is one of the books of my heart, especially the translation by Jane English.

I'm retired now, but my student..."

Yes! I do like her Earthsea books, but they're not my favorites. I think her social sci-fi is the best, and recommend The Dispossessed and The Left Hand of Darkness. The Dispossessed is my favorite, but I started with the Left Hand of Darkness, and I think besides Earthsea, that one is her most well known.

Lately I have been busy with my classes starting, so have not had much time to read. I still am reading Forests of the Heart, but wow, it is a great novel! I am actually loving it even more the second time around.

I'm just starting Mama Day. I love the narrator's voice so far and it's not as hard to follow as some of the reviews indicated.

I am rereading and studying The Laramie Project and The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later for a staged reading I am directing in a few weeks.

I have out Doll Bones, but I think I should be rereading instead Forests of the Heart.

Finally (!) getting to start The Ocean at the End of the Lane today. I figure I'll be finished with it this evening. My hard drive crashed on 9/2 which totally messed up my schedules (for work, family, and personal time). Hoping to get back on track with my reading this week.

I'm now at eight group and/or buddy reads for Sep-Oct; plus, I'm reading two additional novels (Pride and Prejudice and Ivanhoe) with my daughter for her Brit Lit I course (she's homeschooled 9th grader) in Sep-Oct. And I have a stack of another six novels checked out from the library. I love a challenge! :D

Hi all! I mostly lurk, but I have been around for a while and I have a question someone here may know an answer to:
I recently got back from Finland and I was wondering if there were any modern fairy tales (in English) that are based in Finnish mythology. Does anyone know of any? It is a pretty obscure question I realise.

Deborah wrote: "Hi all! I mostly lurk, but I have been around for a while and I have a question someone here may know an answer to:
I recently got back from Finland and I was wondering if there were any modern fai..."

Hi Deborah,
The book that immediately comes to mind is Troll: A Love Story , but you can also check out our book shelves. I was 5 other book listed there under Finland.

Leah wrote: "Finally (!) getting to start The Ocean at the End of the Lane today. I figure I'll be finished with it this evening. My hard drive crashed on 9/2 which totally messed up my schedules (for work, fam..."

I really enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane, in fact I like it the most of all Gaiman's novels I've read. Good for you to homeschool! I tried with my son when he is little and for us it did not work, but his best friend was homeschooled until 4th grade.

I just finished Forests of the Heart and must say I am blown away. I definitely loved it even more this time and have no idea what to read now! I guess i have what they call a "book hangover" . My copies of Robber Bride and Curse Dark as Gold are not in yet.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=book+h...

Decided to go for a Fantasy classic that I have not read yet, for The Last Unicorn

Jalilah wrote: "I guess i have what they call a 'book hangover'...Decided to go for a Fantasy classic that I have not read yet, for The Last Unicorn..."

The only hangover to look forward to. :D For me it hasn't happened but two or three times this year, though. I haven't received my copy of Forests of the Heart from library yet but looking forward to it. I did get a text yesterday that Robber Bride and Curse Dark as Gold are ready for pick up so I'll be starting Robber Bride tomorrow.

RE: The Last Unicorn - I'm interested to hear your reaction to this one. It's been on my to-read for years then my daughter picked up the new-ish graphic novel version The Last Unicorn) which reminded me that I really need to read the original. (By the way, I peeked at a few of the pages in the graphic novel and it was absolutely gorgeous!)

Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was just came in the mail, I'm supposed to read it by Wednesday for my RL book group.

I'm also reading A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story, which I'm enjoying, but finding it easy to pay attention to other things.

I hope you enjoy Bridge of Birds, Julia! I read it a couple of years back and liked it a lot. I've been meaning to re-read it soon, so I can read the sequels, but somehow I never find the time.

The Last Unicorn is also very good.

I'm currently reading Dave Duncan's The Hunters' Haunt which isn't exactly fairy tale related, but does have an Arabian Nights-ish format. It's not the most fantastic book in the world, but it's laid back and unpretentious which is what I was in the mood for.

My other book at the moment is Siddhartha, which is nearly a polar opposite for Hunter's Haunt.

Hopefully, once I'm done with these two, I'll be in the mood to get back to Curse Dark as Gold.

I just could not get into The Last Unicorn. I don't know exactly why. Maybe it was the wrong time, reading it right after Forests of the Heart, or maybe because I don't like straight fantasy. Anyway I put it on hold and am reading The Troll Bridge by Jane Yolen, while waiting for the group read books to arrive.

The Troll Bridge was okay, but nothing that moved me in a deep way. The idea of combining Twelve Dancing Princesses and Three Billy Goats Gruff and setting it in modern day Minnesota was good and it is a light fun read. I just started Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier as Robber Bride and Curse Dark as Gold are still "in transit".

I've recently discovered Jack Zipes; just finished reading The Irresistible Fairy Tale, and have just started his The Great Fairy Tale Tradition.

I'd love more recommendations for books like these!

I never have been able to read Hans Christian Anderson - they're all so depressing and sad. I know he was writing at a time that romanticized death, but I still can't get into them.

A week later I've given up on Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was. The characters, the plot, the book isn't working for me, for some reason. Maybe it's my mood.

I should probably be reading Forests of the Heart, but I borrowed Omens from the library and I'm supposed to return by Tuesday...

I enjoyed Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was, but I read it many years ago and I'm not sure what I would think of it now.

Becca, I haven't read all of Zipes by any means, but I did enjoy Fairy Tales and the Art of Subversion: The Classical Genre for Children and the Process of Civilization. I just glanced at my bookshelf to see my Zipes' books, and I have so many I haven't read!

Currently, I'm about halfway through The Robber Bride, and this may end up being my favorite Margaret Atwood. The characters are so well developed. I'm also halfway through Looking Backward and Chickamauga: Poems. Both are excellent, neither have anything to do with fairy tales:) I'm also picking through H.C. Andersen bit by bit.

Julia wrote: "A week later I've given up on Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was. The characters, the plot, the book isn't working for me, for some reason. Maybe it's my mood.

I should p..."

I have Bridge of Birds on my to read list, but I am not sure if I'll like it. Julia, believe it or not, I loved Forests of the Heart even more the second reading. I'd forgotten a lot anyway, but I must say I appreciated all the detail even more. Sometimes when I re-read I am more critical,enjoy less and find faults but not with this book. It remains 5 stars.

I am absolutely loving Juliet Marillier's The Beauty and the Beast re-telling Heart's Blood I think it is my favourite, both my favourite Mariller book and favourite re-telling. It takes place in Ireland during the Norman invasion.

Becca wrote: "I've recently discovered Jack Zipes; just finished reading The Irresistible Fairy Tale, and have just started his The Great Fairy Tale Tradition.

I'd love more recommendations for books like thes..."

Becca, I feel like you about Hans Christian Anderson. His tales are too sad. They used to upset my son when he was little. I stopped trying to read them to him.

I'm trying to finish off some of my "currently reading" books before starting anything new...

So I've got A Curse Dark As Gold which started off good, but I'm not liking as much about halfway through...
And The Robber Bride which started off very slowly, but the more I read it the more I like it.
The Magus, which I started back in March then got frustrated with. I started over from the begining in audio this time and am loving it this time around.
And lastly, The Innkeeper's Song -- which I loved teh start of but haven't touched in months.

Hopefully I'll get these wrapped up soon!