I'm the one who'll read a cereal box at breakfast if that's all I have...

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What are you reading right now? What are some of your favorite books? Favorite authors? Come on, give me some recommendations. These three books are only going to last me for so long...

-- Lisa (lisa@selkie.net), July 10, 2000

Answers

*cough* No comment.

I've read Lawrence Block, but never any of his fiction. I read "Telling Lies for Fun and Profit", a fiction writer's manual, and found it to be entertaining as well as relatively informative. So he's on my list of authors to get around to sometime or another. And I HAVE read Pratchett. ;) Also Heinlein as well.

That's the one thing I really really miss about my first roommate in Ann Arbor: her book collection. Sharon was a hardcore sci-fi/fantasy reader, and through her I got most of my exposure to the genre. I mean, I always knew I loved that genre, but I just wasn't terribly widely read in it until Sharon. She had shelves upon shelves of books, so through her I read some Heinlein, the Hyperion books, my first taste of Misty Lackey (who i really think I've outgrown now, personally), even Asimov, although i think i borrowed more of his books from Hollingsworth later.

-- Lisa (lisa@selkie.net), July 10, 2000.


I'm trying to remember... is Feist the one who wrote "Faerie Tale"? That was extremely cool. His Magician books are on my list, along with tons of others... I'll get there eventually. ;)

I can't wait to get my hands on "Timeline". I went on a Michael Crichton kick a few summers ago (a few? aw damn, it was actually 1993...) and I've never fully recovered.

As far as Harry Potter goes, I'm resisting the urge to break down and buy 2 and 3 and then 4 for now. I'll stick with the first one for the time being. (And then I'll hit you up to borrow yours, Dawn. ;))

-- Lisa (lisa@selkie.net), July 10, 2000.


Ooh.. I've heard many many wonderful things about Emma Bull.

I finished The Talisman today and it was as wonderful as I remembered. I recognized several images and concepts that I've borrowed and adapted in my own work, both gaming and writing. ;)

Now it's time for me to stop goofing around and get to work. :)

-- Lisa (lisa@selkie.net), July 12, 2000.


Boy, you know how to wave bait under my nose:). Personal favorites include Christopher Stasheff (ANY of the Warlock series. And if you want to look at the direct inspiration for Miles, grab his The Spellbound Scholar.) E.E. Doc Smith. Heinlein. Raymond Chandler. Spider Robinson. Lawrence Block. Gordon R. Dickson. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Terry Pratchett!

How's that for a starter list?

-- Phil Ames (pames@mmind.net), July 10, 2000.


My absolute favorite is Raymond E. Feist. I've re-read all the Magician books, and the Empire books with Jaynie Wurts are just plain awesome. I think about the characters from the Empire books all the time. Currently I'm going through Lackey like soap operas. I've picked up a delightful interest in Crighton. "Timeline" is EXCELLENT. I'm turning into a fantasy reader, and haven't been able to get myself to read hard core sci-fi in a while.

I'm looking forward to the Harry Potter series. I've heard so much about them, we just ordered them from the Sci-fi Bookclub. They should get here just as I finish my current book...

-- Dawn Honhera (honhera@quixnet.net), July 10, 2000.



I finished-- The Road to Mars: A Post-Modem Novel by: Eric Idle and I /really/ liked it. Now I'm reading: Groucho: The Life and Times of Julius Henry Marx and I always love learning about the Marx brothers. I also have three books to read for school, but can only pronounce two of them. Heart of Darkness and Chronicle of a Death Foretold. That Chronicle book is really weird, but neato. So, those are my book ideas/choices and what I'm currently reading.

-- Jacqi McKinney (YQMasbath@phayze.com), July 11, 2000.

I just finished the first Harry Potter book (which I was driven to buy during the craze over the fourth book), and before that I read Sean Stewart's "Mockingbird," which was a pretty good read if you don't mind Stewart's drifting towards extreme darkness fairly often. You were talking about how you enjoy writing as an art, in one entry, and Stewart is great for that. He writes gorgeous, wonderful prose. Before that, I read Asimov's third robot novel (sorry, can't remember the name right now, but the chronology is in the front of Prelude to Foundation), and I'm almost surprised that I'm loving Asimov's stuff as much as I am. Today, I'll probably start Brust's "To Reign in Hell," if I have the time.

Recommendations? You absolutely _must_ read "War for the Oaks" by Emma Bull if you haven't, specially since you're all about Changeling. WftO is urban fantasy, and it's incredible. I also love "Freedom and Necessity" by Bull and Steven Brust, and I pretty much adore anything else either of them have written.

Hm, Pamela Dean is also a favorite; I especially love "Tam Lin" by her. 'Course, Tam Lin is one of Terri Windling's Fairy Tale series, and I love everything I've read in that series so far, especially Jane Yolen's "Briar Rose."

Aigh, I could go on all day, and I really shouldn't. I also like Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, Dan Simmons, and Connie Willis, and if there are any of those that you haven't read, lemmee know and I'll be glad to tell you which of their books I recommend.

Mwah, Shelly

-- Shelly Houghton (hought20@msu.edu), July 12, 2000.


Aigh, I forgot Bujold! Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series has eaten days and days of my time. Incredible stuff.

-- Shelly Houghton (hought20@msu.edu), July 12, 2000.

Is this the twilight zone? I've never heard of any of these books except the Harry Potter one, which you would have to be brain dead AND living under a rock in Nebraska to miss. I am currently reading "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" by the talented Mr. Bill Bryson. My favorite book would have to be "Summers With Juliet" by Bill Roorbach. I don't only read books by men named Bill, but "Summers.... is the most wonderful book in the world. Sounds like a love story, but isn't mushy, gushy or even very love storyish. If you haven't read it stop reading this forum and go out and get it. now.

-- Nancey (ndinardi@athm.org), July 13, 2000.

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