What are your favorite books?

[Hazel]

You can brag all you want living up there. I never brag about Florida because frankly, I hate everything about it. I really want to know why people come here as a number one vacation spot. :P

[Mara]

Florida, I think, would be fun to visit. My parents used to do lots of diving there. I don't know too much about it, but I do know that my most favorite jousting team (Cavallo Equestrian Arts) is based out of Florida, so you can hold that over my head. ;)

[Hazel]

Haha ;) Yeah, I might like it if I enjoyed the ocean and stuff, but I hold the same kind of respect for it the sailors did and truthfully have no wish to swim in it. :P I like the mountains and fresh air and evergreen trees and we don't have any of that here.

[Mara]

I hold the same respect for the sea as well, which is why when I visit it, I stay on the beach. ;) Though the few times I've been shallow diving, I enjoyed it, but the mask made me feel claustrophobic, and I didn't like the idea of purposely strapping weights onto my waist so I would sink. It's like going on a zip-line; somehow purposely flinging oneself off of a platform and into air goes completely against what my brain tells me (but I do love zip-lines; I just have to get someone to shove me off, because I won't do it myself).

Mountains and evergreen is very addictive, I'll admit. Giant trees, thousands of mosses that look like miniature forests, hidden pools, freezing waterfalls, beautiful glades (that aren't so beautiful when one discovers how many ticks there are) - oh, and my favorite place: that place high up in the mountains where the tree line just ends, and there's nothing but stark white rocks and scrubby plants and a thick, mysterious fog silencing the world. I miss hiking.

[Hazel]

Haha, yeah, there is something very wrong about sinking yourself on purpose ;)

Och, you're tempting me!! I didn't want to leave the Carolinas when we went a couple years ago. I eventually really want to live up there. Those little mountain towns are so adorable. I think one of my favorite places in the world is Highlands, North Carolina.

[Mara]

I know; it's not nice of me to talk about the scenery. I was getting wistful. It's been a while since I've gone hiking into the high country. Wait until you get a chance to see the Olympic Mountains; you'll think you've stepped into a fantasy novel. The green scenery of the "Lord of the Rings" movies aren't just exclusive to New Zealand.

[Hazel]

Again, sounds lovely. Sometime I should post some pics from my trips on my blog. None of the East Coast is as beautiful as the West, but it is very green.

[Mara]

I have wanted to visit the East Coast because of the history. The Pacific Northwest has the scenery, but the East has the history.

[Hazel]

Yes, that is one reason I love it here. Not Florida though because what history we had got covered by swamp and progress. St Augustine is neat though, it's about the best place you could go here. I love going up to Virginia and all though. You can't go five miles there without stepping on some kind of battlefield.

[Emily :)]

i would love that i live in Kansas where it is hot adn dry. we recently had a drought with like no rain it got so annoying espcially around fourth of July.

i do that too i always have my mom drop me off at a Half Price Books. my B&N recently reorganized too and now it has more of my books. i recently went there with a friend and we looked for an hour in one row and came away with a huge list it was so fun.

[Hazel]

Ugh, I couldn't live where it never rains.

I'm so excited because tuesday is my birthday and I'm going on a spridh (shopping spree came from the Gaelic for raid you know ;) to a new bookstore I found. I'm hoping they will have lots of stuff. It's a used bookstore so I'm hoping to find some good things for lower prices.

[Emily :)]

happy belated birthday!!! sorry i am so late hope you had fun. did you find anything good?

i know it is hard sometimes but we have times when it rains a lot too.

[Hazel]

Haha thanks ;) Yeah I had a good birthday, but the used bookstore ended up being kind of lame, but I went to B&N instead and got several books I have been wanting for a long time. I also got a sign for my room that says "Do not annoy the writer. She may put you in a book a kill you " :P

[Emily :)]

haha thats hilarious i should get one and maybe my brothers wont annoy me so much. :)

[Hazel]

You can get them off Etsy ;) I know I love that sign. I still have to hang it up though.

[Mara]

Ah, Etsy - a very dangerous website for a person like myself. Maybe it's a good thing that I don't have a steady income . . .

[Hazel]

Oh yes, I know. But I so love buying people gifts off of it because you know you will always get something unique.

Right now I am trying to decide what to buy with an Amazon gift card. So many options!!

[Mara]

The only problem I find when I buy other people things from Etsy - I want to keep whatever it is I bought them. ;)

I know what I would get; it begins with "B." ;)

[Hazel]

Yes, I know what you mean ;)

I did buy one! (surprise surprise) but I also got a pair of spiffing boots that look a bit Victorian. Because I have quite a weakness for boots and I never have money to buy them :P

[Mara]

Oohh, what book did you buy? I have a new addition coming in the mail soon myself - the last book in the "Stravaganza" series by Mary Hoffman. I love $50 gift certificates - they can last a long time. :) I have a weakness for boots, too - shoes, actually, in general. I'll admit it - I have as girly an interest as shoes.

[Hazel]

this is the book. It sounds so good, read the excerpt you can find on here when you get the chance.

and these are the boots I bought : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004...

Actually, it's not just boots with me, I love all accessories. hats, scarves gloves. Which is good because my mom loves to knit and crochet and she would not have anyone to make things for otherwise haha ;)

[Emma]

I love Sense and Sensibility <3 :) x

[Mara]

Ooohh, love the boots - very steampunk/Neo-Victorian.

I like "Sense and Sensibility," but it probably is my least-favorite out of Jane Austen's book. I love Colonel Brandon, though.

[H]

I like true colors!

[Mara]

New favorite book/series: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. Oh my gosh, the series just keeps getting better and better!

[Emily :)]

What's it about?

[Mara]

It's a YA high fantasy series; much like "Game of Thrones" only a lot cleaner. There's four main protagonists, but really everyone is important in it (there's a lot of characters). And an evil king, of course, who wants to rule all of the three main kingdoms. There's a legend about four magic crystals that will grant untold power to the possessor, and King Gaius is trying to find them. And the four protagonists are part of a sort of prophecy (it's not an official prophecy). It's just a great series - very well thought out, tons of characters, lots of feels, and terrific world building.

[Hazel]

Nice to see people on this group again =) Falling Kingdoms really is good, I am still waiting to get through my library books before reading the new one, but I'm excited =)

[Emily :)]

That sounds awesome. :) I really like the Ranger's Apprentice series and I really like the H.I.V.E. series, though it might be somewhat kiddish.

[Hazel]

Ranger's Apprentice is awesome :) Have you read The False Prince ? You'd like those too, and the third one is coming out this month ee!! I can't wait =)

[Mara]

Oh yes, The False Prince is awesome. Can't wait for Book #3!

[Lyd's Archive (7/'15 to 6/'18)]

let me think.