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September 5, 2015 at 6:01 pm #5433
@Sarah
Oh, yes. Ehud, definitely. 🙂 He’s so funny and awesome. Yeah, that was when I figured it out too. But I thought that something was fishy with her for a while. I was on the same page with David on the unfounded suspicion.
The Peleg Chronicles are fiction set after the tower of babel dispersion. Very biblical and christian and TOTALLY awesome characters all around, though typos are generally a problem. Shield Bearer vs. shield “barer”. Stuff like that. But the first two books end on AWEFUL cliffhangers, so if you’re going to read one, read them all. 😉September 5, 2015 at 7:37 pm #5436Tatiana— I’m always glad to meet another Tolkienite!
I totally agree about Faramir. In fact I’ve just been reading the LOTR for the second time (complete time, that is— skimming doesn’t count) and I found myself falling in love with him all over again. Sometimes I just cannot choose who my favorite characters are, no matter how much I like one of them, because they are all different and they are all awesome!
I wish I had waited until I was a little older to read the LOTR for the first time. I read it first when I was nine, and I couldn’t properly appreciate it then, and then when I read it again when I was older I already knew how the story ended! But that doesn’t stop me from loving it.
I find myself having to divide the characters into categories of ‘hobbits’ ‘men’ ‘dwarves’ and ‘elves’ to make any sort of headway at all choosing favorite characters. I just choose my favorite character in that group, that way I don’t have to choose one all time favorite. 😛
But even that doesn’t always work, because Aragorn and Faramir are both men!
Anyway… thanks for your input.Oh, quick question. This is really odd, but is your name pronounced ‘Tati-ana’? Or is it ‘Tat-AIN-a?’ Tat-AIN-a Hromyk? (Hrom-ICK?)
Oh, and by the way, I thought of two more favorite books, both by the same author. ‘Rolf and the Viking Bow’ and ‘The Red Keep’ by Allen French. ‘Rolf and the Viking Bow’ I would categorize as a book likely to appeal to a very exclusive audience. Anyone who feels like they have the brain juice to decipher very archaic language and style will get the most out of this book, and it really is a fascinating story. It is set just as Christianity started coming to Iceland and driving out the superstition of the druid-like religion they had there.
‘The Red Keep’ is set in medieval Burgundy, France, and this book I would call a timeless classic for any audience. The style is good, the culture at that time is very well represented, and the story itself is spellbinding. Not only does it capture the rift between the different classes at that time in France and the raiding of the greedy robber barons, if I may be permitted to call them such, it is a beautiful love story (not mushy! Always a plus!) and a wonderful adventure with an intricate and intriguing main character. I highly recommend it.September 7, 2015 at 8:20 pm #5483Hello Kate! I do the division with the characters too! I actually believe I like every single character in the books, even the “bad” ones. They’re all important, they all have a part to play.
My name is pronounced “Tati-ANa”. There are other ways, but most people call me “Tati-ANa” or just “Tati”. And the last name is “HROM-ik”. Don’t worry, it’s not an odd question. In fact, I’d rather have you ask how to say it, then have you butcher the pronunciation, which has happened WAY too many times.
I remember two more books, as well!!! “The Giver” and the sequel “Son” by Lois Lowry, both really beautiful books. I found myself wondering what happened to the main characters after “The Giver” finished, so when I found out there was a sequel, I couldn’t wait to read it! And I most definitely do not regret it! “Son” was even better than “The Giver”. Bittersweet, of course, but aren’t they all?September 8, 2015 at 12:42 pm #5496Thanks for the pointers on pronunciation, Tatiana. I know what it’s like to have a name like that! I cannot tell you how many people mangle our last name— which in case you were wondering is pronounced ‘FLOR-noy’. The ‘Flour’ rhymes with ‘door’. 🙂
Yes, LoTR is full of fantastic characters. Ever single one is important. In my own opinion, I actually think Gollum is Tolkien’s crowning achievement in characterization. Even though you pity him and hate him as a reader, as writer you have to admire the job Tolkien did with him. At least, I have to. 😀
September 8, 2015 at 8:06 pm #5505Oh Wow! To all of you from like, a month or five ago, I am, exceedingly sorry at not having gotten back to you. I will proceed to try to catch up a bit, and reply. I’m so glad all of you have joined us!
@Sarah Hoven (I’m doing first and last names just in case any names repeat 🙂 )
How did you only read the first book? The cliff-hanger at the end gets to me every time I re-read it!
But I will say that the first was one of the best :). Interesting, I don’t know much about any of Dicken’s work except for A Tale of Two Cities.
@Hope Schmidt
Yes, I believe it! I have heard that the newer Percy Jackson’s weren’t as good, although I haven’t read them.
(to your second post (since I’ve been on))
I haven’t read the Michael Vey series, sounds interesting, though!
@Emma,
Thanks for awakening us! I admit it was my fault that this topic fell off the face of the forum and again I apologize. I really didn’t fall into a chasm filled with poisonous spiders and die. (at least, I don’t think I did.)
WOW! I love so many of those books! and many of the others I just all-out haven’t heard of.
OH! Don’t get me started on kid-books. I will list my all time favorite board book as being “Little Blue Truck” and now I will get off this stand before I make a speech on the subject…
@Rosey Mucklestone
YES! The last one… I agree, 1 star. I keep hoping they’ll write another continuation series and then hoping they don’t so they don’t end it like the last one… I love Viking Quest and Chuck Black’s series are A+. I am waiting expectantly for the third wars of the realm book to be out! Agggh.
@Tatiana Hromyk
I’m so glad you’ve joined us! Oh, Faramir. Good choice. I love almost all of your favorites! (The ones I don’t I’ve never heard of before so… 😉 ) And now I shall ditto your last comment. KP has helped me so much with my writing, even just subconsciously applying stuff, and looking later and realizing where I learned that technique… :)/
To both of you, Tatiana and Kate,
Thank you so very much for the name pronunciation clear-ups! I always feel terrible if I pronounce someone’s name wrong.I appear to be caught up on the latest news, here anyway, now. See ya later!
-Hannah
Wait…
Has anyone read any of the Redwall series?September 8, 2015 at 8:26 pm #5506Wow Hannah Lowe! Long time no see! Great to see you on here again.
Did you finish ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ yet? Did you like it? If you haven’t finished, do you think you’re going to like it?I… have not read the Redwall series. Who wrote it? What genre is it?
It’s really great to see you again. And no, I don’t think this topic fell into a chasm filled with poisonous spiders and die— unless all of us still on here are the poisonous spiders and this topic is the chasm.
Hey… that’s a thought.
September 8, 2015 at 8:44 pm #5509Kate,
I know! Super sorry about that!It’s great to be back on!
I am sad to say I have not, (let’s just say losing the bag it was in didn’t help- but that only delayed it like two days- the rest is just me being a terrible person and forgetting about it. Don’t ask me how. I actually don’t know.) YES! I am absolutely loving it now that I’ve figured out the writing style and I can’t wait for the end, yet at the same time I don’t want it to come.
Brian Jacques is the author, (last name pronounced “Jakes”,) and the “suggested reading age” is 4th-7th grade- but I’ve never paid attention to those- I know a 22 yr old who still loves them.:) The genre is fiction, and.. oh I’m afraid to give away too much, but I’ll tell you this, if you start them, beware of mole speech- it’s a bit like some of Tolkien’s languages- all the characters are animals- there are 22 books- they can all stand alone- they have WONDERFUL sub-plots- you should start on Mossflower -annnnd I’m gonna stop there or I’ll go on for days :D.
Ohhhh that is a thought! Or maybe… it’s reality… Okay… back from my creepy side. (don’t worry, you haven’t seen her at her worst….) 😀 Good to be back on!September 8, 2015 at 8:49 pm #5510What I want to know is if you’ve read the Redwall series. I’ve had some exposure to them, but never really read one. I’ve heard they’re good, but if I remember correctly, they are some very chunky books. Are they that worth it? If so, I might have to put it on my, “to read when I’m 80” list. I don’t think I can spare that much time.
I can’t wait till I’m 80!
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September 8, 2015 at 9:37 pm #5515@Daeus
I am on the Eighteenth of Twenty-Two books. Yes, they ARE pretty chunky but very worth your time! My brother has read all of them at least once, and between us we have the entire series (I’m only lacking the last one thanks to a good friend who was getting rid of them.) The last one was not written entirely in good Brian Jacques fashion as he died before he could finish it, but other than that you have my high rating on the first seventeen and the first half of the eighteenth for sure! They can stand on their own, but I am loving reading them all together. “Redwall” (the first one written, but still, read Mossflower first) does incorporate some stuff that is never mentioned again, but all-in-all it’s still Awesome! I go through the series and there are only two or three that I wouldn’t say were my “favorite” of the series… Just ask my family members. :). But yes, VERY worth the read, and it provides a great example of how well I want my books to turn out- beautiful plot lines, developed characters, and the best subplots I’ve ever read… I should probably stop now, or I’ll be here another few hours. I will allow you to read them for yourself and come to your own conclusions on Brian Jacques mastery of writing. 🙂 (and if you hate them I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry….)September 8, 2015 at 11:10 pm #5521I started reading the Redwall series (again, my younger brother gets them for his birthday and Christmas). I got through the first few chapters of “Redwall”, but I lost interest and never picked them up again. On the other hand, my younger brother LOVES them. He’s read some 3, 4, maybe even 5 times over. I must stress the fact that he does NOT enjoy reading! He’d rather play soccer or video games, but with this series, he can’t and won’t stop reading them. So for that reason, I will endorse them, and I will THINK about picking it up again. (I’ll need some serious encouragement and motivation, FYI). Thanks for mentioning the series, Kate! I’m always excited when my brother enjoys reading, so this allowed me to get some feeling out.
Gotta go. See you guys!September 8, 2015 at 11:18 pm #5522I wish I got as many books as my brother for holidays! I always ask for them, but don’t get them as often as I would like. Although, I did get a few this last Christmas. They were supposed to be for all three of us kids, but I ended up being the only one who read them. 🙂
We (I :)) received a collection of SEVEN Robert Louis Stevenson books (my favorites being “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and the “Black Arrow”) and the young adult version of “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand. If you have not read “Unbroken”, DO NOT WAIT. READ IT TODAY (or tomorrow… or whenever you get a chance). It’s a great story! I guarantee that you will cry. At least, I did.
OK, now I really have to go. “Goodbye, my dear friends… until our next meeting.”September 9, 2015 at 1:56 am #5524LORD OF THE FLIES, guys. READ IT. READ IT. I read it yesterday and I’m still impacted!!! I was supposed to get a chapter of my book written after finishing Lord of the Flies BUT I COULDN’T. I was way to impacted by the story. Read it!!!
September 9, 2015 at 9:31 am #5526@Hannah. Huzzah fellow kid-book fan. 😉 What are some of your favorites?
As to the subject of Redwall, I’ve accumulated quite a few of them due to garage sales and book swaps. And I’ve got to admit, I’ve never finished a single one, though I mean to eventually. Hannah , your description of them sounds quite favorable, and they have been interesting, so hopefully I will plug through the series sometime soon.
@The Happy Bookaholic, first off, fantastic username. Secondly, Lord of the Flies is a lovely book and I sincerely enjoyed it. I don’t know if it’s my favorite, just because there are so many other books I’m more familiar with and fond of, but I love the style and ideas it conveys. I’ve only read it once, but I remember really liking it.
September 9, 2015 at 11:16 am #5532Oh, Wow! Y’all are fast responders!
@Tatiana,
They are definitely good, although I do realize that some people have different preferences, and they don’t fit everyone’s reading taste. I would try Mossflower- if he has it- to start out on, it was one of my favorites (I realize I have pointed out Mossflower several times- but still, it’s good 😉 )
I have heard of exactly ONE of the books you mentioned in your second comment- but they sound cool!@The Happy Bookaholic,
I second Emma, Great username, as to “Lord of the Flies” I haven’t read it but have definitely heard about it, which is one of the few times I will get to say that on this topic…
@Emma,
😀 For little kid books here is a short list:
Little Blue Truck
The Baby Bee-Bee Bird
The Mitten
and many others that I can’t recall names to but their pictures are popping up in my head…
For more of Miscellaneous aged books:
Narnia
Little Women
AN OLD FASHIONED GIRL!!!!!!!!! (IDK how I forgot about that one earlier)
Redwall
Louis Walfrid Johnson’s Riverboat Adventure series and the other one whose name I can’t remember… (I don’t know where my memory went this morning…)
That’s about all for now. :).I definitely suggest you finish at least one Redwall- Mossflower, Mariel of Redwall, and Taggerung are some of the best of the best :). Brian Jacques was one of the master writers, in my opinion :).
September 10, 2015 at 3:20 am #5552@Hannah and @Emma, glad you like my username hahaha – it’s actually just Sarah. I didn’t realise that the username would be the given name. I thought it would be something like an instagram url or something. Well, at least people like it! It’s actually the name of my blog thehappybookaholic.wordpress.com so you might want to check that out. (Ooh self-advertising no shame eh?)
I was a little overwhelmed about Lord of the Flies that day so I didn’t mention any other books. But my other favourites are Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis, the Emily of New Moon trilogy by L.M. Montgomery and Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. I love love love Dickens novels and find them really awesome. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was lovely but I found other Austen novels kinda boring. As you can tell I read a lot of classics. But that’s because they’re ‘safe’ in my eyes. Right now I’m actually rather wary of picking up random books from the library, because modern books now almost always have lots of trash and vulgarities and stupid romance. I much prefer classic romance.
Sarah
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