Next 5 books on your list.

[Bêthberry]

As luck would have it, I am, as the saying goes, between books and have recently compiled a list of druthers. The Iron Dragon's Daughter looks promising (although what it promises!), so perhaps I will append it here as Book 1 of Next List. We have been allowed but five--a limit which is only fair, else we'll end up with the kind of lists Nick Hornby made famous: Books Bought and Books Read.

1. William Gibson, Pattern Recognition. Neuromancer was a blast out of this galaxy with its incredible feat of imagination so why not sign on for another trip.

2. In case comics don't make the cut as books, here's two: Alan Moore's and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta and Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man. Alas, poor Yorrick! Recommended.

3. William Morris, The Well at the World's End. Progenitors deserve recognition too. And, yes, some were there before Tolkien.

4. Octavia Butler, Kindred, because I've been meaning to read some of her work and her recent death made me wish I had acted on the intent sooner.

5. The rest of the Thomas Covenant Chronicles by Stephen R. Donaldson. Does a series count as one book? Fascinating exploration of fantasy and mind.

[Lush]

Mmmmm....

Kate Atkinson's One Good Turn, because she is a goddess.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, because I have to keep up with the Joneses.

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson, because he's pushing a fabulous concept.


Romantic Moods: Paranoia, Trauma, and Melancholy, 1790--1840, by Thomas Pfau, because he was my professor, and still is my friend, and even his most dry, academic thoughts are priceless.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, because I crave a story that has to do with love.

[Balin999]

To keep it short, any books written by Terry Pratchet.

[Folwren]

I've not heard of any that you all have listed. . .but that's alright.

My next five will be something as follows, I hope -

Nelson by I don't remember - because I would really like to learn about Horatio Nelson. He seems like an interesting chap and I love that time period.

The Unkown Shore by Patrick O'Brian - has to do with ships, which is fun.

Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickons - excellent book - I've read it before, but I want to read it again because it is excellent and it's been a few years.

Boys of '76 by I don't remember either - Interesting account of the Revolutionary War written by a man who lived in the Civil War period.

Might read Jane Eyre, too, by Charlotte Brontë, but I'm not certain. If not that, then maybe Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis. Because it's an excellent book and I didn't understand it last time I read it.

-- Folwren

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Lush

Mmmmm....

Kate Atkinson's One Good Turn, because she is a goddess.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, because I have to keep up with the Joneses.

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson, because he's pushing a fabulous concept.


Romantic Moods: Paranoia, Trauma, and Melancholy, 1790--1840, by Thomas Pfau, because he was my professor, and still is my friend, and even his most dry, academic thoughts are priceless.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, because I crave a story that has to do with love.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum was a 90% excellent novel - it falls down due to the appalling ending like so many other modern novels. Anyway, this got me so disappointed that I decided not to bother reading anything else by her - are her other books better? I started The Time Traveller's Wife last year but then didn't read any more - but it did look good.

Anyway, I don't do planning - especially not about what I'm going to read or watch - that's what I do for a living, planning things, so in my free time all is chaos. As far as what the next books I read goes, it might be Neil Gaiman's Stardust. Or it could be the Earthsea books, as I randomly read the first chapter again the other night - a consequence of being sat in Davem's chair and being near the book. His Dark Materials is another possibility as I think it needs a good re-reading by me. However, I might read Under The Greenwood Tree as I have a 2nd hand copy beside the bed, that I bought a couple of weeks ago. Yet another book that's been hanging around is one about Plath that I can't remember the title of. I think it's Ariel's Gift. Then I've got The Conjuror's Bird, which seems to be based on the voyages of Captain Cook, and I've still never read that and it caught my eye the other day, likewise The Farm. Alas, there are new books out that I fancy, like The Cloudspotters Guide and Never let me Go, and if I get into Waterstones with their pesky special offers I might end up adding to the book stack instead.

[zifnab]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

1. William Gibson, Pattern Recognition. Neuromancer was a blast out of this galaxy with its incredible feat of imagination so why not sign on for another trip.

Although I'm not a fan of most cyberpunk novels (Neuromancer/Cryptonomicon), I do respect Gibson's writing style and career. I have to admit though, that after meeting him at a signing, his name has now become a foul taste upon my tongue. 'Pattern Recognition' is still sitting on its proper spot on my shelf, unread, collecting dust. But at least his autograph is still intact.

I should probably try to finish the 'Sprawl trilogy'. The mans(Gibson) great, no matter what I think of him.

Originally Posted by Balin999

To keep it short, any books written by Terry Pratchet.

I've only read a few from his Disc World Series, earlier works. Enjoyable, but not as witty as I imagined. But very creative. My favorite would be his collaberation with Neal Gaimen in Good Omens.

And, you can never go wrong with a good comic!

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by zifnab

'Pattern Recognition' is still sitting on its proper spot on my shelf, unread, collecting dust. But at least his autograph is still intact.

Good plan. An autographed book in pristine condition always fetches a better price.

Originally Posted by Lushie

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, because I have to keep up with the Joneses.

Some of us who do the parental taxi thing pass time while waiting by reading and pass around the books we've brought. I've read Anita Diamant's The Red Tent this way and was really grabbed by the first page of Never Let Me Go. But drat the parent reading it hadn't finished it and took it away with her on holidays. I'm hoping it won't be the kind of book left behind at the cottage. The parent who raved about Diamant thought Ishiguro was really weird, but she isn't a Jones.

Pratchett's Witches Abound has to hold the record for most one liners worked into a plot. Unless there's another of his books which I haven't read that beats it.

Folwren, Child of the Seventh Age swears by Till We Have Faces. That's two recommendations I've heard in one week for it.

[Encaitare]

1. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (if I don't read it soon, I think my friend who lent it to me will kill me!)

2. To Reign in Hell: the Exile of Khan Noonien Singh by Greg Cox (hurrah for technically non-canon Star Trek!)

3. Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (it's been ages since I read Dune so I hope I remember what's going on...)

4. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clark (the title alone intrigues me)

5. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (something I really should have read already)

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Folwren, Child of the Seventh Age swears by Till We Have Faces. That's two recommendations I've heard in one week for it.

Must third the recommendation myself. I reread it for the first time in years less than a month ago (meaning the first time since I was probably old enough to appreciate it), and I'm inclined to think it Lewis's best fiction. His storytelling is deeper than the Narnia series, and less brow-beating with its moral points. The imaginary world, I thought, was very well-executed. It has the plausible feeling of having been really connected to Ancient Greece, while having no real historical basis. This book comes a lot closer to the Lord of the Rings, I felt, than Narnia did. (Mind you, I loved Narnia, but it is in way a Middle-Earth.)

[Firefoot]

All these books you're recommending - and my library doesn't have any of them.

On my list is the rest of the Ender's Game series - I've read the first two now and am waiting for the third to come back to the library. Excellent books. I've also been meaning to try out Terry Pratchett - I keep forgetting.

It seems like there should be more... *frowns at memory* I've hit several of them this summer - "This Present Darkness" by Frank Peretti and "Watership Down" are the two that come to mind (both thoroughly enjoyed). My next set of books will probably come from the books people have listed here.

[piosenniel]

Well, let's see...

*shuffles through the stack of books and magazines by her chair


1.) September’s issue of Fantasy&ScienceFiction

• It has a challenge proposed by Harlan Ellison – in all his long writing career he’s had only two ‘nubbins’ of story-ideas he’s been unable to transmogrify into full narrative. Three writers were engaged by the editor of F&SF, Gordon Van Gelder, to see what they could do with, as Ellison writes, “the idea that’s been tumbling in my mental bingo cage for at least forty years”. Very much looking forward to enjoying their efforts.

2.) A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin

• Book Four of A Song of Ice and Fire – am taking this camping. With the temptation of internet access removed, I plan to float about on the clear waters of Waldo Lake in my canoe, soaking up a few rays and stepping back into the Seven Kingdoms.

3.) The Book of Ballads – illustrated by Charles Vess

• Intro by Terry Windling on the history of ballads; 13 old ballads in the English, Scottish, and Irish tradition presented in their original lyrics, and then “reimagined in sequential-art form" by various fantasy writers and Charles Vess’ drawings. ‘The False Knight on the Road’ – Neil Gaiman; ‘Barbara Allen- - Midori Snyder; ‘Tam-Lin’ – Elaine Lee; ‘Twa Corbies’ – Charles de Lint; and many more delights.

4.) Peter and the Shadow Thieves – Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

• Hopefully as engaging an adventure as the first book, Peter and the Starcatchers.

5.) Tapping the Dream Tree – Charles de Lint

• A collection of stories about the fictional/magical town of Newford by a great storyteller of modern urban myth.

[zifnab]

Originally Posted by piosenniel

The Book of Ballads – illustrated by Charles Vess

• Intro by Terry Windling on the history of ballads; 13 old ballads in the English, Scottish, and Irish tradition presented in their original lyrics, and then “reimagined in sequential-art form" by various fantasy writers and Charles Vess’ drawings. ‘The False Knight on the Road’ – Neil Gaiman; ‘Barbara Allen- - Midori Snyder; ‘Tam-Lin’ – Elaine Lee; ‘Twa Corbies’ – Charles de Lint; and many more delights.

Hmmmmm, I seem to recall I have a small collection of those comics downstairs. I don't know if I have the nerve to look through all of them at the moment though, for it will surely imply 'cleaning'. I never really knew what they were, just some cool artwork and ended up buying them and then forgetting all about it.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by piosenniel

3.) The Book of Ballads – illustrated by Charles Vess

• Intro by Terry Windling on the history of ballads; 13 old ballads in the English, Scottish, and Irish tradition presented in their original lyrics, and then “reimagined in sequential-art form" by various fantasy writers and Charles Vess’ drawings. ‘The False Knight on the Road’ – Neil Gaiman; ‘Barbara Allen- - Midori Snyder; ‘Tam-Lin’ – Elaine Lee; ‘Twa Corbies’ – Charles de Lint; and many more delights.

Ooh, this sounds good! Not only does it involve Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, but it has Tam Lin in it! I'd probably never have heard of this if it wasn't for this post!

[Eruanna]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

2. In case comics don't make the cut as books, here's two: Alan Moore's and David Lloyd's V for Vendetta and Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man. Alas, poor Yorrick! Recommended.

I too loved V For Vendetta (I've recently purchased the dvd but am a bit scared to watch in case it's as awful as some say)

Y: The Last Man, also a great read.

I am presently reading 'Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell' by Susanna Clark. A very intriguing and enjoyable story.

I also have plans to re-read both 'The Hobbit' and 'The Silmarillion' before the end of the summer as I haven't read either for some time.

[Lush]

Well, I wrote my honours thesis on Atkinson's Human Croquet and Not the End of the World, and I have corresponded with her, and am in awe of her, so I am biased...

Her Case Histories was a bit of a departure, at least on the surface, and I hear that One Good Turn also is.

[Lush]

I read Jonathan Strange... this summer, and was breathless from it. I think she is planning more follow-ups. I certainly hope so!

It starts out slow, but it weaves a spell. You enter her mind and don't want to leave it. Ever.