Tayla36's comments (member since Mar 20, 2009)

Tayla36's comments from the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club group.

The past few years, I have been frequenting Library book sales, so they are usually displayed with just the spine showing.

There is however, a bookstore that I frequent. It's an outlet store, so the books are inexpensive, but the Sci Fi and Fantasy is mixed in with all the other fiction. The cover art is usually helpful in allowing me to spot which books are fantasy or sci fi, and so influences which books I pick up to read the book flap. But I would not buy it if the story doesn't grab my attention.

So in answer to your question, cover art will make me pick up a book. but the cover art doesn't have much to do with my actually buying that book.

I know I watched Star Trek on TV every night when I was a kid. But as to books, I remember when I was in third grade, I was in an advanced reading group, and we read a book about a couple of boys that build a spaceship in their back yard and fly to the moon. That's the earliest sf book I remember.

The next one I remember, I was probably in eighth grade. I read all of the Walter Farley horse books, and one of the Island Stallion books had aliens in it.

In High School, I got into fantasy on my own by reading the hobbit and playing D&D. Then in 12th grade, one of my English electives was Sci Fi and Fantasy. We read 1984 and Farenheit 451.

I also remember going to the town library when I was in High School and reading everything they had by Isaac Asimov.

Stacie wrote: I'll always have these holes in my collection that I wish I could fill, books I wish I could revisit.

Have you tried Abe Books? (abebooks.com) They have access to used booksellers all over the world, although if the book is out of print it can get pricey.

Ron wrote: "Don't think of it as hoarding. Think of it as protective custody. Or adoption. Or blending families. Or . . ."

Ok. I have 1269 adopted children. I thought that was excessive until I saw a few comments from people with 3000-5000 books.

I have 1259 Fantasy and Sci Fi books. I know because I have them all listed on an Excel spreadsheet. I have to update it now because I bought 4 more today.

I have paperbacks and Hardbacks. And I would say that I probably have every sci fi and fantasy book that I have ever read going back to junior high when I started (30 years ago). I have gotten rid of duplicates, but I don't like letting go of books, even if I didn't like them on the first read through. Because I might read it again someday and like it. It took me three tries to get through the first Harry Potter novel.

I do get rid of my mother's books. she does not re-read them. She reads a lot of horror and crime dramas. I keep the Steven King, and some of the crime dramas like James Patterson, but other than that, I put them up on BookMooch.

I hardly ever buy a book for full price anymore. I would say that in the past three years, I have bought about 500 books, all at Library Books sales where you can get a hardback for a dollar and a paperback for fifty cents.
I also shop the bargin books table at regular book stores.
and i also shop online used bookstore (Abebook.com). That's a great way to complete series.

My books are pretty organized. I have 7 bookshelves in my basement/den with the fantasy and sci fi. And three bookshelves in my bedroom with the crime dramas that I want to read and the Steven King and a few misc stuff (a few biographies and memoirs, and a few gay romance). I also have a nice little collection of occult/new age books (Tarot, Reiki, Native American Medicine, Astrology). I do have a couple boxes of crime dramas and general fiction in the basement that I have to go through and see what I want to keep.

My Sci Fi and Fantasy books are my babies, and are very well loved and well organized. I suppose if I ever have to move, this might become a problem.

Steven wrote:The Vorkosigan series is a good one and one that I think is worth it.
I'll have to check out Douglas Niles. It could be good.


I listed all the Vorkosigan novels on my Bookmooch wishlist.

The Niles book was ok. It wasn't fantastic. I picked it up for a buck at a discount store, so I was satisfied with my purchase.
It was your classic good vs evil, with an evil god and and evil prince and his brother, the good prince. And the good mythical creatures and the evil mythical creatures (that Niles has made up his own names for instead of just calling them elves and dwarves and orcs)

I am glad I'm not the only one. I keep telling myself that I'm going to weed through the books that I haven't read in years and get rid of them somehow. I am a member of Bookmooch, and I have donated books before.

But my Sci Fi and Fantasy books are so precious to me, I don't know if I can part with them.

I'm hoping that when my nieces grow up (they are 6 now) they like Sci Fi and Fantasy, so I can give them to them.

I already had a decent collection of Sci Fi and Fantasy, that I've been reading since I was a teenager. Then about three years ago, I discovered that Libraries have used book sales.

Now I have over 500 books that I have to read, and getting more all the time.

I read Douglas Niles "Breach in the Watershed". Seems like a scenario right out of Dungeons and Dragons, that I used to play in High School. It was ok, I liked it. Now I just have to get my hands on the second book.

I am now reading "Young Miles" by Lois McMaster Bujold. It's an omnibus about her hero Miles Vorkosigan that I picked up at a Library book sale. I'm a few chapters into "Warriors Apprentice" and I already love Miles. I might have to get the whole series now.

You've already listed on of Crichton's.
I liked Timeline a lot

Timeline by Michael Crichton

Are books that were written as a tie-in to the movie being considered? Meaning that it was a movie first, and then a book.
I read "The Phantom Menace" by Terry Brooks before I ever saw the movie and liked it a lot. When I finally did get around to seeing the movie on video, I turned it off half-way through and sold the video at yard sale for 50 cents.

Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks

Oh, this sounds interesting.
I would read it.

I'm reading "Tigana" right now, and then I'll try to get into "To Say Nothing of the Dog".
After that, I had been working my way througth Dickson's "Childe Cycle" so I'll get back to that.

Oh, and at the begining of May, before I received my copies of "Tigana" and "...Dog" I read Joanne Bertin's "Dragon and Phoenix" which is a sequel to "The Last DragonLord" which has been one of my favorites, and I've read three or four times. I finally got the sequel through an online used book store.

Chris wrote So far, To Say Nothing of the Dog isn't grabbing me, so it may be December before I get thru that....I'm hoping Tigana will be more to my liking....

I read the first couple of pages of "...Dog" also. It seemed interesting, but not interesting enough to keep me from opening "Tigana". I'll probably get back to it after "Tigana"

I'm a readaholic too. I take a book everywhere.

I think the strangest place was a casino. Well really a slots parlor. My family wanted to go. When I ran out of money, I sat in the lounge with my free drink and read my book while they were still gambling.

So far, I've got no empathy for Brandin, either, but I'm only 170 pages in. All kinds of empathy for Alessan and Dianora.

And, yeah, I kinda thought the death wheel must be a horror, but reading the descprition gave me chills. I'm glad Tomasso escaped that fate.

Well, I just got through the first section of the book "Blade to my Soul" and I must say that I have no empathy or sympathy for Alberico yet. He's a tyrant. Haven't figured out exactly what a death wheel is yet, but it sounds like a horrible way to die, and he did it to women and children.

Have to see if this opinion of mine changes as I get further into the book

My first impressions. Sucked me right in. I read 100 pages into it the first time I opened it.

I'm excited about this book. And I know from Kay's "Fionavar Tapestry" that he's not shy about killing off main characters.

Chris wrote: That's another issue here. In the small country town there's only one used book store, and unless I get very lucky, I'll be limited to Tom Clancy or Louis L'Amour....


I got my used copy at Abebooks.com, which has access to used book sellers around the country. I got mine for $1.00 ($3.50 s&h)

Split Infinity, Piers Anthony