My birthday having only just passed, I'm in the middle of both The Salmon of Doubt and Hitchhiker: A Biography of Douglas Adams.

I'm only reading the two right now because I was exhausted after rereading A Tale of Two Cities, Fifth Business, Death of a Salesman, and The Great Gatsby in one week for my final exam in English.

To whoever suggested Terry Pratchett: I love you. Pratchett is an insane man... good, but insane.

*raises hand shyly* Here. I'm trying to get through it quickly and I'm already on page 500. I've been reading it since about 7:30 Saturday morning. It's a odd thing though; it's the first HP book I've read since I was introduced to LotR. Funny, somehow it's not as captivating as it was 2 years ago...

The reason I'm reading in such a rush is that I'm supposed to be reading A Tale of Two Cities and two other unimportant books, along with my fleeting attempt to finish the Unfinished Tales. Heh heh... that's ironic...

Happy days to all of you out there who are currently reading several books at once! I do this sometimes, but not always. And I too, am guilty before the fact of reading Harry Potter. I've ordered book 5 and will definitely read it in short order. Other recent reads: Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban (read it twice and enjoyed it so much, I purchased Pilgermann, also by Hoban, but have not started it yet.

Just finished Silmarillion, will probably read it again; reading Unfinished Tales, always reading Tolkien's Letters, constantly re-reading Lord of the Rings...

I noticed a couple of people who were Dune fans: I read those in the 80's and thoroughly enjoyed them, but slowly became disenchanted after the followups to God-Emperor of Dune and have not picked up the more recent Brian Herbert efforts. I've got one of them, but it is packed in the "going to read it someday" box (there are about 20 of those stored around here). I think Asimov was the first sci-fi beyond Star Trek novelizations I got into: Foundation captured my imagination thoroughly!

Other recent reads: A whole bunch of Toby Peters mysteries set in 1940's Hollywood, with Basil Rathbone and Errol Flynn and Howard Hughes, etc. as players in the stories. Great chewing gum and real hard boiled!

I'm sure I'm forgetting things, but that's how it is when you pour lots of fuel on a burned out brain! Bye for now!

Cheers,
Lyta

Other good fantasy books which come to my mind are:
Dune
Dragon Lance Chronicles
Xanth series

If you ever get them, enjoyment is guaranteed!

I'm still goin on my second run thru the LotR...but on the side I'm reading The Legend of Luke by Brian Jacques. The Redwall series, after all, was my first obsession...before I met the wonders of Tolkien. Ah...the wonders of Tolkien

Aha, Squatter of Amon Rudh, another I Claudius fan, exellent. I've just read Count Belisarius (could never find it in a library so finally had to buy it!) I can most definitely recomend it.

Lindril, loved the Salmon of Doubt, what do think about the Adams biography?

Much power to the Pratchett lovers (Does Glingleglinglefairy still post?).

Must confess (hangs head in shame) to buying Harry Potter 5 at midnight and finishing it at 8am, I know, I need help.

I too purchased Harry Potter 5 on Saturday. I'm about half way through....I don't seem to have the enthusiasm for it this time round...it is a big book, but quite repetitive.
I read "The Wee Free Men" by Terry Pratchett last week. Like "Maurice and His Educated Rodents" it is aimed at the "Harry Potter" market, I found it to be charming, funny and thoroughly engaging. I really like the sly sense of humour that comes through.
Still on with Tolkien of course, I am re-reading the Unfinished Tales.

Guess what! Today my world geo. teacher announced that we would be studding Britain this week!!! Yipee!! I actually got him going on the history and present times of Oxford and London!!! Maybe with some luck we can talk more about Oxford University tomarrow!!!! Cool hu?! we even get to read books on England and stuff!!! It's the first time I have been able to stay awake in that class!! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

OOh!! I love the Dragonlance Chronicles!!! An old english teacher reccomended them to me after she notaiced I was a Tolkien fan.. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]
I too have unfortunatly just finished the book a tale of two cities for my english final... I can truly stand up and admit I WOULD RATHER READ TOLKIEN THAN DICKENS ANY DAY!!! too bad my new english teacher is not a Tolkien fan... [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] *ponders how to convert her [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] *

Lucky Galad. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I suppose we're all Brits at heart.

Iarwain

Hm...other books...It's definitely going to be hard to fit all these in this summer, but hopefully I can do it! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
The Poem of the Cid
The Odyssey
The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
and the odd bit of Irish mythology/history.
I have a feeling that for World Lit next year I'll be reading alot more, so I'll update you all then. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Peace

I'm reading a bit less fantasy than the rest of you, and it's slightly fluffier...

-The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
Much better than the title implies...

-The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (Rebecca Wells)
A little depressing, but nonetheless a very good book.

-The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (Ann Brashares)
Sequel to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants; not quite as good, but if you liked the first one, read this one.

-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J.K. Rowling)
The first book I've read in a while that didn't have a girl as the lead...

-Abhorsen (Garth Nix)
Sequel to Sabriel and Lirael...I just started it tonight, so I have no comments yet.

Orual~*

I just finished Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross. Very challenging. I think I'll try something lighter next. I'm thinking about Churchill's history of WWII next.

The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill. An amazing book. Not incredibly well written, but the story is great, especially because it's true!

Hm. Lots of Sisterhoods, Oural. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

In my fit of laziness, I've decided to purchase my favorite film of all time. Gandhi. The thought of that has inspired me to read Tolstoy's writings on Civil Disobedience and Nonviolence, a book I know I will never finish for two reasons. A. I lack a real passion for Civil-Disobedience and cannot stand street protesters of the modern brand, and B. I've never been able to get past the first pages of a Tolstoy book, even though I've read several of his short stories...

Iarwain

Birdland- I've been meaning to read that, but first I have to buy it. I recently reread Angela's Ashes after watching the movie for the first time. They really captured the mood and atmosphere, and you really get to see (and hear) it very close to what it was. And the commentary on the dvd is great.

Right now I'm reading Bram Stoker's Dracula and I am loving it. Also, I'm going through some of my old Calvin and Hobbes comic books, particulary The Tenth Anniversary one.

Lady_Galadriel, I'm with you. I think reading Dickens is not an assignment it's a sentence. Fortunately the English teacher at our school who assigns Oliver Twisted also assigns The Hobbit and Edith Hamilton's Mythology to atone for Dickens.

Just a humble opinion...Dickens isn't all that bad. Just cumbersome whenever you want to be reading about Beren and Luthien or the like. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Peace

Maybe you didn't get a right Dickens book. I highly recommend 'A Christmas Carol' and 'The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club' (extremely hilarious).

I don't want to be impolite, but why do you discuss Dickens prose? He doesn't seem to have much to do with fantasy, does he?

I love Dickens. But anyway...

I shall definately read some of these fantasy books that I haven't gotten to yet.

My current reading:

Sword of Truth, by Terry Goodkind

Several books by Mercedes Lackey (I'm in love with Vanyel)

World without End by Sean Russell (Very interesting, I haven't finished yet)

The Farseer Trilogy (can't remember author.) (good books, but so depressing. Makes me want to cry.)

The book I was reading for awhile was the book my cousin wrote it's called "Do Dandelions Grow on the Moon?". It's a novel about this "princess" who wants to go on a adventure and does. It's really an exciting book! I've learned that well....my cousin writes good! I'm also starting the Dragon Lance books but I haven't got real far in it so when I'm done I'll come back and tell you all about it! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Yes, I found out today that one of the other english teachers does require the Hobbit to be read... I hope I have her for english next term!!

Dracula rocked!!! I loved that!

My english teacher also required us to read The Odessey. That was the one book we had to read, that I actually liked! I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading about mythology and the like.

i not reading any new book right now... but im re-reading sir gawain and the green knight.... by sir Tolkein
it's really great!!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Though I'm usually too busy for fiction...an internet friend wrote a wonderful book called "The Ring of Dark Elves"...Victoria Randall. I've really enjoyed it! It's based on Norse legend, the story of Sigurd Dragonslayer (and Odin and Brynhild, and a whole bunch of other good stuff!) [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Vicky fleshes it out wonderfully, and it's an easy yet very absorbing read! The author says.."I have tried to make the tale somewhat more accessible for modern readers who are unfamiliar with the opera." (Richard Wagner's..."The Ring of the Nibelung" ) Check it out! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I have just finished reading "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".

Why do people feel guilty about reading Harry Potter? I don't!

My all time favourite book is "A Tale of Two Cities" by Dickens, but I am at a loss of which book to read next.

I have this habit of buying books and never getting around to reading them! If I started reading all the books that I have bought and not read, I would probably be reading for a couple of years!

Rosolas, a suggestion.

Try "Great Expectations" if you haven't already. Long, but still good.

And about feeling guilty about HP. I don't. (I don't read HP either, but I will spare you my rant on the subject.)

Some books I forgot to mention.

The Chronicles of the Cheysuli. Very interesting read. Eight book series that centers on a shapeshifting race and their attempts to fulfill a prophecy.

The novels of Tiger and Del: Sword-Dancer, Sword-Singer, Sword-Maker, Sword-Breaker, Sword-Born, Sword-Sworn. (Those are the six books in order.) They follow the adventures of two people who use their sword-skills to settle disputes. Fun.

Both of the above series are by Jennifer Roberson.

The Exiles (Trilogy? Series?) by Melanie Rawn. Very good read, nice looong books.

The Stone and the Flute. Hans Bemman. A truly intriguing tale of a man named Listener (even though that's the last thing he ever does) and how he learns a lot of life lessons from a stone that is called the eye-stone and a magic silver flute.

I will probably be back with more.

[ July 09, 2003: Message edited by: Tinuviel of Denton ]

I think since the HP movies started coming out at the same time as the FotR release, some people thought that the two would be competing for fantasy fans. I don't think this has happened. It really shouldn't seem like a competition, but I suppose sometimes it can feel as though some enjoy comparing one to the other, which really shouldn't be done at all. They're two separate fantasy books and should be able to be enjoyed as such. But, because of all this 'competing' at the box offices and book sales, it can be easy for Tolkien fans to feel as though they'd be seen as traitors if they had a HP book in hand or were standing in line to see one of its movies. I finally finished Order of the Pheonix after 3 days of reading it.

Sorry, Tinuviel, but I got far less out of the book when I finished it. I had to read it for English class and hated every minute of it. Just wasn't my thing I guess, or maybe I just didn't like the thought of having to read it. I may go back some day when I have the time and take a second glance at it, just to see if I like it better without fear of failing an exam on the plot and characters.

Has anyone read the "Left Behind" series? I've heard they're excellent, but haven't gotten around to reading them yet. I'm also working on "The Sword and the Miracle" by Melvyn Bragg on my own time. I'd never heard of him before I found the book on a dusty shelf in my favorite bookshop, but the book looked intriguing so I took it off the shelf and bought it. Any fans of Bragg here? I've just started the book, but it seems quite good so far.

Left Behind is very good, but also very intense. I've read all but the latest, and the only reason I haven't read that is my mother hasn't finished (which is rather annoying, as the end of the last one I read was something of a cliffhanger). If you do read them, be warned. The usual "He/she's a main character, he/she'll be okay" does not apply. Some of the best characters die.

Anyway...

I liked Great Expectations, but maybe that's because I didn't have to read it.

I finally remembered the author of The Farseer Trilogy; Robin Hobb. The books are called Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin, and Assassin's Quest. They are so sad, but they are amazingly good. Most amazing, they don't borrow from Tolkien, at least not that I noticed.