Into the Forest discussion

I am just starting My Sister the Moon by Sue Harrison, the second book in the Ivory Carver trilogy. I highly recommend these books to anyone interested in First Nation/Native American history and mythology. The books take place during the last ice age and the author, who is an Anthropologist, uses many different Aboriginal myths in the story.

Jalilah wrote: "I am just starting My Sister the Moon by Sue Harrison, the second book in the Ivory Carver trilogy. I highly recommend these books to anyone interested in First Nation/..."

That series sounds really good, Jalilah, and I had not yet heard of it. Thanks for the recommendation!

I just finished Fifty Shades of Grey. I am now scarred for life. To recover I am reading some Terry Pratchett.

Insurgent and I'm loving the series :P

Greetings bibliophiles.

Momoh,

I deleted the comment asking for a reivew because it is doesn't belong in this thread. You are more than welcome, however, to post any request for a review or any infromation about your book in the folder for authors.

It's here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

You can give your book its own thread in that folder. Please do so. I will also add the book to our bookshelf.

And Momoh, please stop pretending that you're not the author of the book you keep mentioning. Saying that you're just finishing a book or that right now you're enjoying a book that you've written is pretty deceptive.

Chris wrote: "I just finished Fifty Shades of Grey. I am now scarred for life. To recover I am reading some Terry Pratchett."

Probably the first person to follow up 50 shades with Pratchett! Are you reading Raising Steam? ;)

Chris wrote: "I just finished Fifty Shades of Grey. I am now scarred for life. To recover I am reading some Terry Pratchett."

LOL Chris!
I must say I have not been tempted!

I read The Two Princesses of Bamarre earlier today, and it incorporates Seven League Boots. In it, the princess would use the boots until she was within seven leagues of where she was going, then put on normal boots for the rest of the trip. At a pivotal scene where time was very important, she got within five miles then had to rush the rest of the way on foot. It struck me how none of these characters seem to know trig! You'd think SOMEONE would realize they could take a step off to the left and a bit forward, then a step to the right and a bit forward and they'd be right there, but no! Even one more step in a straight line would have been preferable, so that they would have gone two miles past their target and saved themselves three miles of walking. Heroes often have no sense of logic.

I've moved on to Gaudy Night which I'm absolutely LOVING! I'm so glad my friend stopped me from reading this book first. I'd thought it was like most mystery series and could be read out of order, which is sort of true, but this particular book wouldn't be nearly so sigh-worthy (in the romantic sense) if this was my first introduction to the characters.

My Sister the Moon was excellent! I enjoyed it so much that I feel like reading the third book in the Trilogy Brother Wind straight away because it ends with quite a cliffhanger. As I already mentioned, it takes place during the Ice Age 7000 B.C. On the Aleutian Islands. The main story is based on an Aleut Sea Otter Legend, but Sue Harrison also uses other First Nation myths as well.

While I wait for Brother Wind to arrive, I have to finish some library books I have.
I don't think I'll read all of them, in fact I'm having a hard time getting into any of them because I'm still into the last book.
So if any if you could help me decide that would be appreciated!
I have:
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
Winter Tides by James P. Blaylock
The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!

As much as I don't want to be the only one in the Endicott group that participates this month, I'd recommend putting Winter Tides last on your list. Less spooky ghost story and more mentally disturbed murderer...

I've heard Lathe of Heaven is a good book but as a general rule, I usually want to like Le Guin's books more than I end up liking them, so I'd go with Rollrock Island.

Melanti wrote: "As much as I don't want to be the only one in the Endicott group that participates this month, I'd recommend putting Winter Tides last on your list. Less spooky ghost story and more ..."

I've been curious about Le Guin ever since I read Among Others. It is surprising that I enjoyed it as much as I did considering I'd hardly read any of the books she was constantly referring to!
But I think your suggestion is a good one! Neither Winter Tides nor Lathe of Heaven are what I'm in the mood for now. I actually started a few chapters of Rollrock Island before I started My Sister the Moon, but I had a hard time getting into it. When I looked at some of the reviews several readers mentioned that the first few chapters are very confusing but it eventually all comes together. Also that was right after I'd finished to Kill a Mockingbird! LOL very different style! I'll give the Brides of Rollrock a second chance.

I'm also totally looking forward to reading (or re-reading)The snow Queen!

HelenKrg wrote: "Gina wrote: "Crimen y castigo

Divergent

Destined


:)..."

Oh! yeah, there's been really bad reviews of the third book, but I'm reading the second book now. I finished Divergent in 4 days it was really addictive.

Greetings bibliophile.

Margaret wrote: "Gina wrote: "Crimen y castigo

Divergent

Destined


:)..."

Okay, yeah, I have heard about the brothers Karamazov.

Can you give me a short introduction to the book, please?

Greetings bibliophile.

Gina wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Gina wrote: "Crimen y castigo

Divergent

Destined
[bookcover:Dest..."

It's hard to give an introduction to The Brother's Karamazov! Okay, here's my attempt:

3 brothers: the first, Dmitri, charismatic, always getting into trouble, spends his money fast, loves his ladies, angers easily, sort of a modern-day party boy; the second, Ivan, always practical and rational, an atheist, very suppressed emotionally, in love with the same woman as Dmitri; last son, Alyosha, a young novitiate to become a priest in Russian Orthodox church, the hero of the novel, compassionate, a seeker of truth.

And then their father is murdered and all evidence points to Dmitri.

The novel is very philosophical and many chapters deal with seemingly separate philosophical questions about free will, compassion, the nature of God, etc.

Good luck if you decide to read it! It's one of my favorite novels, but quite difficult. Perhaps the most difficult novel I've read.

Margaret wrote: "Gina wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Gina wrote: "Crimen y castigo

Divergent

Destined
[b..."

Interesting, I'll add it to my to-read bookshelf.

Thanks for the introduction, it was pretty neat :)

Greetings.

Recently finished Cress whch has a Rapunzel theme and Cruel Beauty , a Beauty and the Beast story. I thought both were pretty good but neither blew me away.

Last night I read the original The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen. I had not read it before and must say that it is my favourite HCA tale. It not nearly as sad and melancholic as his other stories. I just started The Brides of Rollrock Island and am having a hard time getting into it.

I started The Golem and the Jinni this week; better late than never! At first I had trouble getting into it, but about a third of the way through something happened and now I have trouble putting it down! I'll look at the discussion from a few months ago once I'm finished.

I also started A Stranger in Olondria this week, and it had me enthralled from the beginning. If you like simple fantasy--as in not of the epic, world-ending kind--and lovely, poetic yet simple writing, than I recommend giving it a try. It's about a merchant's son who has dreamed his whole life of visiting Olondria, the land of literary legends and commerce, and when his father dies he finally gets his wish, but, of course, then stuff happens! It's nominated for the Nebula award, along with The Golem and the Jinni.

I also started Ovid's Metamorphoses a couple of days ago. Though I'm familiar with most of the tales so far, I'm enjoying re-reading them. My version is translated by Charles Martin, and it's quite good.

Margaret wrote: "I started The Golem and the Jinni this week; better late than never! At first I had trouble getting into it, but about a third of the way through something happened and now I have t..."

I'm glad you are enjoying it! It's never too late to share your impressions in the group read thread!
It was like that for me with The Brides of Rollrock Island. I practically gave up several times but now, although it's not quite as good as the Golem and the Jinni, I'm mesmerized.
I am curious if the author intended for it to be marked as YA,or if it's a mistake because IMO it's absolutely not! Although the sex scenes are not really graphic, I think most teens would have given up because of the slow confusing start.
I also really enjoyed HCA Snow Queen.

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I started The Golem and the Jinni this week; better late than never! At first I had trouble getting into it, but about a third of the way through something happened..."

I'll share my opinions when I finish!

I was confused about the labeling for The Brides of Rollrock Island. I'd read about Margo Lanagan online, and it seemed that she was always an adult writer, and an edgy one at that. But then Brides is labeled YA. I have a feeling this is a publisher thinking it would sell better in YA, and is not the author's choice. I haven't started it yet, but I'm glad to read you're enjoying it better now. I'll definitely read it before I go to the beach in the summer:)

Currently reading for a book club, and so far it's wonderful. Very emotional, mostly from the POV of a ten-year-old (view spoiler)[zombie (hide spoiler)] girl (view spoiler)[(who is very much a child -- but could also eat you alive, literally) (hide spoiler)].

Margaret wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I started The Golem and the Jinni this week; better late than never! At first I had trouble getting into it, but about a third of the way through so..."

The Brides of Rollrock Island unfortunately ended up only a 3 star read for me. Many of my favourite novels are told multiple points of view, but unfortunately in this case I found it too jolting to enjoy. It's absolutely not YA and not a romance and it had so much potential to be a dark twisted fairy tale, but the storytelling somehow did not work for me. That being said, its gotten excellent reviews, so obviously not everyone feels as I do.

and loving it :)

Greetings bibliophiles.

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I started The Golem and the Jinni this week; better late than never! At first I had trouble getting into it, but about a third of t..."

Good to know. I'm still going to read it, but I'll keep what you said in mind, and let you know if I agree!

I am reading a terrific book, not fairy tale related called Honor by Elif Shafak. Although I'd heard of the author, I found this book quite by chance at the library when the books I had ordered hadn't come in. I am so happy about that because I've discovered a new author who might become a favourite!

Melanti wrote: "Gina wrote: "Crimen y castigo


..."
Is that a Spanish edition of Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky I assume?

I haven't ..."

Yes it is :P

I'm currently reading In Winter's Shadow by Gillian Bradshaw which is third in a series about King Arthur. The only problem is that it's been a couple of years since I read the first two book of the trilogy so I'm struggling a bit to remember exactly what's happened so far and who everyone is. Granted, it's King Arthur, so the overall gist of the plot is the same, but she's added a couple of magical elements (Morgause is a witch) and she's using Welch versions of many of the names. Some are pretty similar (Kay is Cei, Bedivere is Bedwyr, Guinevere is Gwynhwyfar) but others are harder -- Gawain is Gwalchmai, Mordred is Medraut, etc.) I might have to print out a cheat sheet of Welch versus English names just to catch myself up!

I'm also reading Alice Hoffman's Here on Earth - which from the summary and first couple of chapters, I'm assuming is a modernized version of Wuthering Heights. I normally love Hoffman but those are some big literary shoes to fill! I guess I'll see if she's up to the challenge.

After finishing Honor which was a 5 star read for me, it may be hard to get into something else that is not as good. That's why I am hesitating starting Minions of the Moon and considering reading either Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends or Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The Book of Scary Urban Legends both by Jan Harold Brunvand

I just finished Sleep Donation, a novella set in the near-future where an epidemic of insomnia is spreading, and the protagonist works for a sleep donation organization. It's a very interesting concept, though I thought the protagonist was a bit flat.

I've also been reading The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge, and I'm really struggling with it. I'm about 150 pages in, but the characters just aren't coming alive to me. They're sort of turning into caricatures of people to me, but I've heard good reviews about it. I'm not sure whether to continue reading, or to move on. I only read about 20 pages at a time before I have to move on because I'm not enjoying it.

I had to put the last book I started down as well, Super Sad True Love Story. I thought I would like it because I like near-future dystopias, but the protagonist was so despicable I couldn't continue after the 1st chapter! A friend told me it gets better, but I couldn't continue. While I'm fine with protagonists I don't like, I often have trouble if they're people I would detest.

I decided to delve into the origins of "high fantasy" and am reading one of the first novels in that genre, William Morris' THE WELL AT THE WORLD'S END. In an earlier reading I hated all the heavy archaisms in the narration and dialogue, but I'm bearing up a little better this time.

Gene wrote: "I decided to delve into the origins of "high fantasy" and am reading one of the first novels in that genre, William Morris' THE WELL AT THE WORLD'S END. In an earlier reading I hated all the heavy ..."

I'm glad you posted this! I'd never heard of it, but I found The Well at the World's End free for the kindle, in case anyone else wants to read it.

Gene wrote: "I decided to delve into the origins of "high fantasy" and am reading one of the first novels in that genre, William Morris' THE WELL AT THE WORLD'S END. In an earlier reading I hated all the heavy ..."

Please let us know if you like it! I'm interested but I've heard mixed reviews.

I just put aside . Many people clearly love it, but it's not for me.

I'm about to start .

I'm also reading and liking it a lot.

Julia wrote: "I just put aside . Many people clearly love it, but it's not for .."

That is how I am feeling about what I am reading now Julia!
Minions of the Moon !
So many authors who's works I love like Terri Windling,Neil Gaiman and Charles De Lint praised this book, but it's just not my cup of tea!

After Minions of the Moon which does get better in the second half, I am starting a retelling of the Snow Queen, Cold Spell.
I also read a few Urban legends from Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends and was surprised that I was familiar with them!

I haven't known exactly what I'm in the mood for lately, so I've just been grabbing random stuff off Mt. TBR. Some of it has been very good, others quite awful.

Here on Earth disappointed me a bit since the characters just didn't have as much depth or well thought out motivations as those from Wuthering Heights.

I tried Cryptonomicon, but didn't get very far since I just don't like Stephenson's sense of humor... I guess it can sit on Mt. TBR a few more years.

Then there was Dark of the Moon which I just couldn't get into. Since it's the second in the omnibus and I didn't really care for the first one either, it's going into my donation pile unread.

The Labyrinth by Catherynne M. Valente - which is very dense but good. Not quite as good as her more recent stuff, IMO, especially since I prefer a bit more solid of a plot (rather than an anti-plot like she has here) but wonderful for a debut book.

After a streak of reading books that ended up being 3 star reads, the kind you like enough to continue with the hope they will get better, but end up feeling kind of meh, I am back reading something I know I'll like, Brother Wind, the third and last book of the The Ivory Carver Trilogy: Mother Earth Father Sky, My Sister the Moon, and Brother Wind. Without being overly descriptive Sue Harrison manages to transport me into prehistoric Alaska feeling like the characters are real.

Jalilah wrote: "After a streak of reading books that ended up being 3 star reads, the kind you like enough to continue with the hope they will get better but end up feeling kind of meh I am back reading something..."

Sounds like something to add to my list. Thanks

Kathy wrote: Sounds like something to add to my list. Thanksr..."

They were written in the 90s and not that easy to find. I had to order mine through an interlibrary loan. But they are worth it!

Jalilah wrote: "Kathy wrote: Sounds like something to add to my list. Thanksr..."

They were written in the 90s and not that easy to find. I had to order mine through an interlibrary loan. But they are worth it!"

Kathy did you end up reading Minions of the Moon? I am curious what you thought.

I didn't get Minions of the Moon started yet, but I have not given up. Still have a bit of time left in the month to do that. I'll let you know what I think. It just looks really different.

I'm reading To Say Nothing of the Dog now. It is very entertaining; a time-travel mystery with a comedy of errors.

Glad to read all of the commentary about Minions of the Moon. It seems too depressing for my current mood.

"Gene wrote: "I decided to delve into the origins of "high fantasy" and am reading one of the first novels in that genre, William Morris' THE WELL AT THE WORLD'S END. In an earlier reading I hated all the heavy ..."

Please let us know if you like it! I'm interested but I've heard mixed reviews."

There are some very interesting sections in WELL AT THE WORLD'S END-- as well as the previous WOOD BEYOND THE WORLD, which Lin Carter considered to be the first "adult otherworldly fantasy" in modern literature. (I think he relegated the ALICE books to children's lit.)

The archaisms in Morris are still problematic. I haven't read a lot of the real medieval epics, but I think Morris accurately reproduces the sound of the old epics, where pretty much everyone uses the same lingo and sounds the same.

There are some decent characterizations, particularly dealing with how the heroes court their ladies fair. Allegedly Morris had a thing for a married woman, so it seems like all his novels had both an "innocent good woman" and an "experienced not-so-good woman." He wrote his fantasies at about 60 and at the very least he was trying to work out his feelings in this format.

There isn't a lot of Tolkien's "faerie" here, though. Morris suggests a lot of magic behind the scenes but almost never shows anything; the strategy reminded me of some of the Romantic poems that took a similar distanced attitude, like Shelley's "Witch of Atlas." And though the heroes sometimes deal out sword-slinging death, a lot of conflicts are conveniently resolved offstage, particularly in WELL.

Leann wrote: "I'm reading To Say Nothing of the Dog now. It is very entertaining; a time-travel mystery with a comedy of errors. ..."

I loved this book!

Leann wrote: "I'm reading To Say Nothing of the Dog now. It is very entertaining; a time-travel mystery with a comedy of errors.

Glad to read all of the commentary about Minions of the Moon. It see..."

I looked this up and saw several of my goodreads friends gave it 5 stars, so I'll have to read it!
I hope my comments on Minions of the Moon did not influence you Leann! I was happy I finished it. It's interesting, but yes not very uplifting!

Gene wrote: ""Gene wrote: "I decided to delve into the origins of "high fantasy" and am reading one of the first novels in that genre, William Morris' THE WELL AT THE WORLD'S END. In an earlier reading I hated ..."

Thanks for the info!

Kathy wrote: "Leann wrote: "I'm reading To Say Nothing of the Dog now. It is very entertaining; a time-travel mystery with a comedy of errors. ..."

I loved this book!"

Me too! This whole series is fantastic.