What are you currently reading?

[Emily :)]

I totally agree especially if it is something i really want.

[Hazel]

I spend a lot of time tracking down old out of print books I want to read (because I can;t just like the normal things :P )

[Emily :)]

old books are a lot of fun to read because they have a different way of talking and it is fun to try to figure out what they say.

[Allie]

I literally just started: (Graceling)

[Hazel]

Well I love classics, because there's something so much more wholesome about them. The language is just so rich it's like dessert!

@Ally, I've seen that book around, what's it about?

[Mara]

@ Hazel: someday you'll have to make a special trip to Portland just to visit Powell's. :) Glad to hear "Under the Eagle" is pretty good so far. Not surprised that it has some language; that's usually why I don't go near Adult books, but it can't have as much language as one of the YA books I just finished. (well, it probably can, but never mind). "Civvy clothes"?! That doesn't sound historical at all.

Finished and

Liked them both. "Matched" is really good; still just 3 stars, but they are very shining stars, and I'm very much looking forward to its sequel.

Now reading: Still not entirely certain how good this one will be. So far, the writing style is good, and I'm not getting annoyed with any of the characters, but my Reviewer's Gut is telling me that something will happen to ruin the story. Hopefully I'm wrong.

[Hazel]

I would love to go to Portland =) I've never gotten over to the West Coast but it's so beautiful over there!

Frankly, I have read YA books with just about as much language as this. If it wasn't for that, it would be an amazing book because there hasn't been any other "adult content" in it :P

[Emily :)]

i was just wondering what is YA books because i havent heard that before.

i am reading:

it is sooo good so far. tell myself just a few more pages before i go to sleep and then i end up reading two chapters. i love it.

[Hazel]

YA is just Young Adult I'm too lazy to write it out all the time ;)

[Emily :)]

i get it now thanks.

[Hazel]

I started reading: By the same author as "Under the Eagle" (this is his kids series though) I rarely dual real books by the same author but I'm trashed after yesterday and need to read something easy :P My mum and I went to a homeschool convention and they had lots of books to buy, though not as many as I wanted. I did get to meet some authors and got a book signed by Wayne Thomas Batson. I also bought Rosemary Sutcliff's books "Outcast" and "Knight's Fee" (a very good old copy, and I was excited because that's a very hard one to find) And also a copy of "Prisoner of Zenda" and that's a book I have been wanting to read for a while. I just have to finish reading all my library books first :P

[Allie]

Hazel wrote: "Well I love classics, because there's something so much more wholesome about them. The language is just so rich it's like dessert!

@Ally, I've seen that book around, what's it about?"

It's really good..... umm.... It's about like people with special 'powers' they are known as Graced and they have Greces.... Katsa (The main character) has a Grace of fighting.... and there's more to it..... here's the link.... Graceling

[Hazel]

Oh thanks Ally, I'll take a look at it soon, I know I've seen it at the library so I might get around to reading it eventually. I thought it was about faeries actually but it does sound interested =)

[Mara]

is getting better. However, I hope the Author doesn't turn Dr. Jekyll into too much of a villain, because I always liked him, and I don't want him to be a villain.

I think most everyone uses the YA abbreviation anymore. :) Librarians definitely do, even in verbal conversation.

[Hazel]

Sounds like an interesting book, Mara, I still have to read the original though. I think over the summer, I am going to have to read all the Stevenson's in my treasury that I have not read yet.

[Mara]

I'd definitely read Stevenson's original before reading this book, if only because it's nice to know who exactly Dr. Jekyll and some of the other characters are, though this is a "prequel" to "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Stevenson's story is a really quick read; I wish they would do a good movie version of it. Mr. Hyde isn't some giant ape-like monster; he's actually a really short, stalky young man. But anyway, I'm liking this "prequel" quite a bit.

[Hazel]

I know the story, I just haven't read the original yet. All of Stevenson's books are pretty quick reads and I do love his writing so much. I have such a long reading list this summer! I'm hoping to juggle all the books I want to read with the stuff I'm supposed to do :P First off though, is finishing my new novel!

[Allie]

I just started :

(Fire) It's the second Graceling....

[Emily :)]

Hey Mara i found a funny thing out. In "Pawn of Prophecy" the book i am reading there is a God with your name. :) i found that really interesting.

[Mara]

Really?! What's she the god of? I know there's a "Redwall" book that has a badger with my name (still not sure how I feel about that ;)

Finished: It was good. The writing style was kind of strange. It read like the narrator - Odile - was telling her story to someone verbally, rather than writing it down. But it worked somehow. The end was kind of abrupt - hopefully a sequel will come soon - and I'm still not sure that I like how the Author turned Jekyll into a weasely, manipulative person. And the Author totally ignored the whole purpose behind why Jekyll did the experiment in the first place: to separate evil from good.

Now reading: This might get two stars, just because some of the story structure itself is not terribly well developed.

[Emily :)]

Mara i dont think that the Gods in this series are Gods over a specific thing. Each God has their own group of people that they rule over and protect. those people follow them and waorship them. off the top of my head i couldnt tell you what your group is.

finished:


now reading:

[Hazel]

I was going to ask you, Emily, if you had ever read the "Warriors" series. I never did get around to reading those, but your story just reminded me of that.

[Hazel]

Oh yeah, and Mara, I just realized you're right about the badger ;) I haven't read any of those books in sooo long it's terrible. That is definitely a favorite series of my weird middle school years :P

[Mara]

I haven't yet read the "Redwall" book with Mara the Badger. ;) Hopefully she ends up being a good character? *cross fingers*

[Mara]

Just finished: Disliked it very much; the only reason it got two stars instead of just one is because the Author had wonderful descriptions.

Now reading:

[Hazel]

I think Mara was a pretty good character ;) If it's the one I'm thinking of... haha

I just started : last night. It's not bad so far, we'll see how it goes.

[Mara]

It doesn't have a young Watson and Moriarty, does it? That would be very hard to accept (for me) if it did.

Finished: Three stars. I liked it; the characters were good and when there was no romance, the story itself was good, too. But it felt more like a grunge story than dystopian.

Now reading: I like Gwen, but Cecily is a big-time brat. I hope she changes.

[Hazel]

I don't think it has Watson or Moriarty, but I haven't gotten to the part where he meets the villain so I don't know. At the moment, it's about at Three Stars.

[Emily :)]

i started them awhile ago when i finished the "Seekers" series or at least as far as i could go in that series. they are really good but i got some warnings that the second series in "Warriors" drops so i dont know.

Redwall is on my list of books to read and i hope i can get to them quick, they look right up my ally.

[Hazel]

Redwall is amazing, Brian Jacques is a master storyteller. His characters and writing style are just so so good I know you'll like them. There's also the Mistmantle series that's another animal based story and those are really good as well. I know a lot of animal books because I went through a stage when that's all I read ;)

[Emily :)]

I really like animal books because it gives you a chancce to imagine and step into the mind of an animal.

[Hazel]

The Mistmantle books are more kind of like "real" animals than Redwall, though they all have human like attributes. When you read Redwall I would suggest starting with "Martin the Warrior" it's not the first book chronologically, but I think it was one of the best and it's probably my favorite besides "Rakkety Tam" ;)

[Emily :)]

Great thanks Hazel.

[Mara]

The "Redwall" series wasn't published in chronological order anyway, so it probably doesn't matter too much if you start somewhere in the middle. It's nice reading them in chronological order, though, so you understand each character's heritage. But "Martin the Warrior" is a great one to start with, definitely. I think "Mossflower" was actually the first one I read.

Finished: Liked it. Cecily was a five-star brat and didn't much alter. Gwenhwyfar was awesome. And the book really makes you hate the English.

Now reading: The fad now seems to be trapping fairy tale creatures in our world. Michael Buckley was the inventor of this idea (The Sisters Grimm series) and he did a wonderful job. Then two new TV series cropped up which both totally stole from him - "Once Upon a Time" and "Grimm;" love them both. "Kill Me Softly" isn't the best story with fairytale characters being the modern world. So far, at least. I'm about 50 pages in, and already I'm not holding too high of hopes for it, which isn't a good sign.

[Hazel]

"Loamhedge" is actually the one I started with, but yes, it really doesn't matter which order you read them in. Though Martin the Warrior, Mossflower, and Legend of Luke are chronological in that order. But I think those are the ones that really matter reading in order, all the others, you'll pick up on eventually. It's a great summer series to read, Emily, because they are very addictive ;)

@Mara, I read the first "Sister's Grimm" book a long time ago but I never got around the reading the rest. I did like it though. I have noticed the trend ;) "Grimm" is a good show, and I liked "Once Upon a Time" when it first started, but I kind of lost interest in it when they killed off the Huntsman and the whole romantic problem with Snow White and the Prince just got annoying :P But it's definitely one of the better new shows on.

[Emily :)]

thanks guys now all i need to do is get to the library and find the books. :)

i never watiched "Once upon a Time" but it did always look interesting. since we were talking about Snow White it made me think of the new movie "Snow White and the Huntsman" it looks really good.

[Mara]

I ditched None of the characters were likable, it was slutty, it was full of language; it just didn't work. Hazel, did you ever get to the episode dealing with Red Riding Hood's story? The series picks up again when they start doing her story - and there's talk that they're bringing the Huntsman back in Season 2! Snow and Charming's romance problems do get very old. I would go see "Snow White and the Huntsman" if it didn't have Kerstin Stewart in it.

Now reading:

[Hazel]

I did see parts of that episode. And that was a good episode. I have continued to watch it, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I did at first.

I really kind of want to see "Snow White and the Huntsman" too. Kristen Stewart is regrettable, but I love the guy (and I can't remember his name) who played Thor ;) he just is such a great epic hero, every time I see him, I just think Beowulf. Another movie I really want to see is "Brave" even though I know it's going to be cliché, filled with kilt and bagpipe jokes and the title and theme were obviously ripped from "Braveheart" :P

[Mara]

I started to lose interest up until that point; now I think the series will get a bit better; especially if they bring the Huntsman back. ;)

There's something about that particular actor that reminds me just enough of Brad Pitt to ruin his acting for me. If Kristen Stewart were not in the movie, though, I could do it, but I dislike her even more than Keira Knightly. Since Pixar did "Brave," I think that the jokes will actually probably be funny. And I always wanted a Scottish princess movie. ;)

[Hazel]

Haha ;) Yeah, I'm very excited about "Brave". If you look up Itunes Trailers online, then you can go to the page they have for it and they have a couple funny little featurettes. The girl seems to be a perfect Scottish lass though which I'm happy about. ;)

[Hazel]

By the by, just finished Mara, you were right, this has got to be one of her absolutely best books, and I do love them all! There was just so much good about this that I really don't know what to write for a review, haha ;)

Now I'm just going to get back to reading Death Cloud

[Mara]

Isn't it simply wonderful? I just love the set up and the characters and all of the things that happen. When I write my story - "The Northland" - "Outcast" will definitely be my inspiration.

[Hazel]

It was too good for words and exactly what I needed. I seriously can't wait to hear more about your story. I was brainstorming for my Roman Britain one too and I think I have my general storyline now. It MIGHT be the next one I work on, but I don't know yet ;)

[Mara]

I hope it is the next one you work on; it sounds good, if only because it's in Roman-occupied Britain. ;)

Finished: It was a nice, short read. Good characters, well researched.

Now reading:

[Hazel]

Well I've got my main characters for it ;) An angsty centurion who lost his son in Britain and a Celtic chieftain's son, and he's angsty as well :P We'll see who wants to talk to me after I finish my current project ;)

[Mara]

Sounds like a wonderfully Sutcliff-ish setup. :)

So far, is very good. I like how each chapter switches bewteen the Romanov sisters. It seems like every story about them is always told from Anastasia's point of view; it's nice to have her sister narrate as well.

[Hazel]

Well I can't really help emulating her because she's my inspiration ;) But these characters keep coming to me and I don't want them to yet, gah!!

[Mara]

Rosemary is probably one of the best writers to emulate. That's why I'm putting off writing "The Northland" and "The Hunted," because I want to emulate her style, and right now I don't have the time to immerse myself in her books.

[Hazel]

Yeah, I know how you feel. I usually try to read things that go along with what I'm writing to keep the same voice and stuff. Doesn't always work though ;) I ordered several of her books from Powell's though and I got my copy of "Frontier Wolf" from England so I'm excited to get into that eventually =)

[Mara]

How much did "Frontier Wolf" cost?