SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hi there! I'm trying to find a fantasy book that I read back almost ten years ago when I was a pre-teen. I'm not sure if it was YA or just regular fantasy (though I'm leaning towards just regular old fantasy book)

The cover art on the edition I had looked like a bridge over a pond (maybe) that showed the real world on one side and the fantasy world reflected in it... maybe

The plot reminded me a lot of the Disney movie Enchanted. Someone (I think a female protagonist- princess?) finds/gets pushed through a portal to the real world... maybe in a pond or well? They were previously in a fantasy world (maybe medieval fantasy).

This book was "old" from my memory, but at 10 years old, the word "old" has many meanings. I think this book was published prior to the 2000's, maybe as early as 1960. My dad said he remembers it, but can't remember if he read it as a teen or an adult, and he's almost 50.

I know it's not a ton to go on, but if yall have any ideas (or just related titles) that could help.

The only thing that comes to mind is Stephen Donaldson's Mirror of Her Dreams - first published 1986, republished 2003. But in this one the young woman protagonist goes the other way -- from the modern world into the fantasy world (and she goes through a mirror). Doesn't sound like the one you are looking for, but might be of interest. There was a second book that followed this one called A Man Rides Through

The Mirror of Her Dreams

@John: This was the first book that came to my mind as well. But the cover I remember was a glass mirror - and like you said the girl went the other way round.

Yeah it’s not these... I have a feeling this book is REALLY famous, and I’m just blanking on the name.

Isabella wrote: "My dad said he remembers it, but can't remember if he read it as a teen or an adult, and he's almost 50."

Wow! Is he in an old folks home? Because dag, that’s old.

(Your dad is younger than my younger brother. :p)

Hahaha i’m just trying to give context to the publishing date. I’m 20.

John wrote: "The only thing that comes to mind is Stephen Donaldson's Mirror of Her Dreams - first published 1986, republished 2003. But in this one the young woman protagonist goes the other way -- from the ..."

First thing I thought of too

Amanda!!!!! YOU GOT IT! Omg thank you!

Wow... that was a lot quicker than most of the "lost book" searches around here -- one strike (mine) and then a home run.

Oh... and echoing Trike's comment, I'm 72 and not only still reading Fantasy and SF, I'm still writing it. :-)

My library has a copy of that, I think I might have to check it out.

Okay, call it what you will, but at first I was thinking of the 1900s not the 2000s. I am not that old, either! All of my grandparents were born in the 20th century.

Haha Karin.....3 of my grandparents were born in the 19th century. 1800s. One was only just born in the 20th. They’ve all been gone for more than 30 years.

Jacqueline wrote: "Haha Karin.....3 of my grandparents were born in the 19th century. 1800s. One was only just born in the 20th. They’ve all been gone for more than 30 years."

And if your age is correct, you are a bit younger than I am, but then I have cousins young enough to be my children and my dad's parents were born in 1903 & 1905.

I haven’t been on goodreads before this morning since probably around the time I read that book (maybe closer to 2011/2012) and it was mostly preteens in the groups I was in.

Y’all are the best!

And, Carrie, I would recommend it with a grain of salt, even I realized as a kid (having refreshed myself on the plot points today) that it wasn’t exceptionally well-written. Just an interesting concept that sparked an interest in my pre-teen self, especially because the cover art is so pretty.

Also, fun fact, since it’s coming up in this discussion, my great grandmother (who passed in 2013) was born on Black Thursday in 1929. She maintained, until the day she died, that she was cursed with bad financial issues from birth.

I am 55 in a couple of weeks and I was the cousin young enough to be my cousins child. In fact I didn’t play with my first cousins I played with their kids... my second cousins. They’re all around my age. Even though at family things I hang with my older first cousins more now. My Dad was a very late surprise for his mother in 1930. And I didn’t come along until my parents were well into their 30s. I’m an only child. Sort of. Long story. Adopted. Birth mother is only just in her 70s now (teen mum in the 60s who had her baby taken away). She had 4 other kids so I sort of went from being an only child to being the eldest of 5.

Dad’s Mother and Father and Mums Father were born in the 1870s/1880s and Mums Mum was born in 1900. Her husband was much older than her. Mum and dad were born in 1930. Hubbies Dad is nearly 91 and is still going. He was born in 1927. His wife was born closer to the 40s but she’s been gone for nearly 27 years now. Cancer got her early.

And as a correction my grandparents have all been dead for more than 40 years. 3 closer to 50 years. My parents have been gone for 17 and 21 years this week. They both died on my middle sons birthday 4 years apart. He’s 27 on Monday. And I’ve just realised why I’m a bit down this week. I always am around now but it’s a subconscious thing then I remember why and the sadness all makes sense.

I think it’s time to go and cheer myself up with some reading.

Jacqueline wrote: "I am 55 in a couple of weeks and I was the cousin young enough to be my cousins child. In fact I didn’t play with my first cousins I played with their kids... my second cousins. They’re all around ..."

Yes, do! I had my kids at an older age than my mother did, so don't have any the same age as those younger cousins.

My mother's sister, who is 9 years younger that she is, started her family over 8 years later than mine did, so her kids are 17, 19, 21.5 & over 23.5 years younger than I am. They either haven't had kids, have older step kids or little kids (one has two girls in the single digits--she had her first child at 35 just like I did).

But my mother had first cousins ranging in age from her mother's generation to mine (and a bit younger than me)--over 50 first cousins and they weren't Catholic.

My dad's parents are the older ones, but my youngest cousin on that child has a daughter who just turned 6. She started late, too.

I'm from a long line of women on my mother's side having their first child in their 30s, so my mother's parents were born in the 1880s, my father's parents in the 1890s and my parents were born in the 1920s and my husbands parents in the 1930s and his grandparents in the 1900s so no sets of inlaws were of the same decade (and didn't have much in common for that reason.

My husband, on the other hand had an aunt just a few years older than he was (I seem to remember the she was the one who became a nun who fell in love with a priest and they both forsook their vows to marry)

And I knew my great grandmother who was born in the 1870s and her twin brother who was a doctor (he actually delivered my older half-brother)

Families can be confusing can’t they lol

Dad’s parents were part of pioneering families who opened up the New England area of our state. Our farm is in that area so it’s like going home.

Didn’t get to start reading but I have All Systems Red sitting here for when I do. Hubby came home for lunch and expected to be fed. And now I have to go to the shop to get food for dinner (what is it with having to feed these people more than once a day lol). Putting that off at the moment though. Pretty in Pink is on. Pretty in Pink and Murderbot are more interesting than shops.

My god, what have I wrought?

These are all great.

😁

Crazy thing is that -- at my advanced age -- Goodreads discussions have recently inspired me to go back and re-read some of the books of my youth. Currently reading Rex Gordon's First on Mars, a 1956 equivalent of The Martian (found a dog-eared paperback of the first edition on Amazon, with the same cover art I remembered). And for something a bit more modern (1981) I am reading Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (for at least the fifth time in the last 30+ years). Also went back and read some old Poul Anderson... and seriously thinking about some vintage Ray Bradbury.