Couldn’t finish this one even though I loved it as a teenager. Sigh. Mellonia is so fucking boring and tragic I can’t take it. I’m leaving this as reaCouldn’t finish this one even though I loved it as a teenager. Sigh. Mellonia is so fucking boring and tragic I can’t take it. I’m leaving this as read though, I did finish it a long time ago. I just can’t now....more
Sweet wispy little story. I though I had read this previously but now I’m not sure. Very pretty descriptive writing and likable characters. Sad, sad eSweet wispy little story. I though I had read this previously but now I’m not sure. Very pretty descriptive writing and likable characters. Sad, sad ending. ...more
Takes place over a night in Lodi (Bastard’s Eve) in Midsummer, as Penric and Des and Blessed Chio search for a young man ridden by a demon. Delightful
Takes place over a night in Lodi (Bastard’s Eve) in Midsummer, as Penric and Des and Blessed Chio search for a young man ridden by a demon. After much wandering around Pen and Chio find the young man just in time. Really fun....more
Just finished listening to this. Jeremy Northam is a pretty good narrator, his Puddleglum was inspired and his Glimfeather was excellent as well. At tJust finished listening to this. Jeremy Northam is a pretty good narrator, his Puddleglum was inspired and his Glimfeather was excellent as well. At times Puddleglum made me laugh aloud. Some of his other voices weren’t as good, but on the whole I liked his narration. This book is another favourite from my childhood that I’ve read many times. I think of all of the Narnia books, this has the best representation of a young girl. Jill Pole is flawed but interesting, and I liked her growing friendship with Eustace. Eustace has changed quite a bit since the early days of The Voyage of the Dawntreader, he has grown a lot, and is no longer a self involved little prig. But my favourite character is definitely Puddleglum. Just lovely. ...more
I think this is still one of my favourite books in this series. I love that this is a pure adventure tale, some dicey situations but no big bad. A lovI think this is still one of my favourite books in this series. I love that this is a pure adventure tale, some dicey situations but no big bad. A lovely way to explore this world. I thought Derek Jacobi’s narration was ok but I preferred Vanessa Redgrave’s Reepicheep. ...more
I first read this when I was seven years old. It was my first “chapter book” as I called them and I was so proud of myself. I loved it so much I read I first read this when I was seven years old. It was my first “chapter book” as I called them and I was so proud of myself. I loved it so much I read it over and over again. I still love it. My father bought me my first copy of this. He was a reader and taught me to love books as well. He passed away two years ago and I miss him. As a child there was no problem so great that a book couldn’t take me away from it. I wish that was true now but listening to this audiobook narrated by Michael York helped bring some magic back into my life. ...more
This little book of short fiction is so beautiful I have no words. My copy is old. I bought it in 1989, a reprint as it was published 11 years earlierThis little book of short fiction is so beautiful I have no words. My copy is old. I bought it in 1989, a reprint as it was published 11 years earlier. This is not Science Fiction, set in an imaginary Eastern European country the stories range from 1050 to 1963. Le Guin writes of ancient tragedies, murder and war, of the innocence of children playing in a wood, of families, of love and of hate. She writes of simple things and gives them great meaning. She helps me to see in this dark time that things can be much worse than they are now (as I write in my beautiful, comfortable house full of books) and I tell myself I can get through this. I am fortunate and I shouldn’t complain, just get on with it and do my job. Her writing makes me hope for a time when things are better. This is why I read I guess. ...more
This was so much fun to read. A magic sword and a thirty-six year old widow join forces to obtain the widow’s inheritance and to keep her from being fThis was so much fun to read. A magic sword and a thirty-six year old widow join forces to obtain the widow’s inheritance and to keep her from being forcibly married to a relative who covets said inheritance. Sarkis and Halla are wonderful characters and I thought that was enough until I met Zale, a priest of the White Rat, and Brindle a gnole and his ox. There was romance and suspense and a great deal of humour. Awesome. ...more
This is a short novel written very early in Le Guin’s career. I believe it was written in the mid sixties. I don’t think it is as brilliant as some ofThis is a short novel written very early in Le Guin’s career. I believe it was written in the mid sixties. I don’t think it is as brilliant as some of her other novels, but her writing is so beautiful I have to give it four stars. Roccanon is on a planet doing an anthropological survey, with others from Hain. Their ship is attacked and all of the other members of the expedition are killed. Roccanon and some of the men who live on the planet travel south over the mountains to find the ansible belonging to the enemy so he can get a message back to the League of Worlds and get help. It’s a simple story, not long and not as gender bending as her later works. Her descriptive passages are gorgeous and as always she uses simple language in such a beautiful way. ...more
These books are so beautiful. This one I hadn’t read since I was very young and it was better than I remembered. Will is sent to Wales to recover fromThese books are so beautiful. This one I hadn’t read since I was very young and it was better than I remembered. Will is sent to Wales to recover from a long illness. The setting in the Welsh countryside is rigged and beautiful. Here Will meets a boy, Bran and his dog Cafall, they become friends and the two boys fulfill Will’s quest to find the harp of gold and waken the sleepers. I just finished this and I am left haunted by the ending both glorious and tragic. Just wonderful. ...more
What a fun book. I’m a huge Buffy fan and I just loved this. The little bits about the Indie kids at the beginnings of every chapter made me laugh andWhat a fun book. I’m a huge Buffy fan and I just loved this. The little bits about the Indie kids at the beginnings of every chapter made me laugh and provided a bit of comic relief in a story that could have been too much, too sad, too anxiety inducing, too real. I don’t deal with reality very well so I am so glad for this. ...more
Wow. I can only say wow. My heart is racing and I want to turn around and read this again. It starts off so slowly. It is very well written. Ann LeckiWow. I can only say wow. My heart is racing and I want to turn around and read this again. It starts off so slowly. It is very well written. Ann Leckie does some of the same things in this book that she did in Ancillary Justice, moving back and forward in time, a bit of gender bending. In some ways it’s confusing. I was a little lost at times ( this is why I need to reread it and soon), things you think are important turn out to be red herrings. And then in the final few pages everything fits together seamlessly, it all makes sense, it is very beautiful. I’ve not read any fantasy like this although Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea books stirred up some of the same feelings in me. “Here is a story I’ve heard.”...more
As always, achingly lovely. Guy Gabriel Kay writes about love, and loss in ways unlike anyone else. In this he writes about the futility of war, the sAs always, achingly lovely. Guy Gabriel Kay writes about love, and loss in ways unlike anyone else. In this he writes about the futility of war, the suffering it causes, how a persons life can change suddenly in ways not to be imagined. How you can love someone you have met only briefly and how they can change your life. ...more
This was unbelievably delightful. A fairy tale for grownups filled with wonder, cannibalistic tattoos, demons, deer people, a gnole. T. Kingfisher’s wThis was unbelievably delightful. A fairy tale for grownups filled with wonder, cannibalistic tattoos, demons, deer people, a gnole. T. Kingfisher’s world is enchanting to me. Slate, a forger charged with treason is joined by a demon-ridden paladin named Caliban; an assassin and former lover named Brenner; and a young scholar named Learned Edmund. They are on a suicide mission to Anuket City to find a way to save their people from the Clockwork Boys on their murderous rampage through the countryside.
There are elements of this story that reminded me of Lois McMaster Bujold’s World of the Five Gods which I adored with an added element of Steampunk. I’m so looking forward to reading the second half of this story. My biggest criticism of this might be simply that I want more....more
A lot of fun. Getting closer to having some questions answered. It took me a little longer to get through then I would have liked, mostly due to helpiA lot of fun. Getting closer to having some questions answered. It took me a little longer to get through then I would have liked, mostly due to helping my husband with a home renovation while trying to get my garden tidied up.
It looks like we have discovered the identity of the Faceless Man, Lesley May has her face back. Lady Tyburn has a heart to heart with Peter. We discover more magical books and artifacts. A lot of stuff gets blown up. All in all there is a lot going on in this and it is all very engaging.
November 21, 2020
Just loved this again. I can’t recommend the audiobook version of these novels enough. ...more
This was really fun. Often funny, sometimes sad. I did guess fairly quickly what ( or who) was killing the musicians but I enjoyed it very much. StillThis was really fun. Often funny, sometimes sad. I did guess fairly quickly what ( or who) was killing the musicians but I enjoyed it very much. Still really loving how the city of London is a character itself. I’ve been reading the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries and it is interesting to see the changes to London that 200 years have wrought as the St. Cyr books are set during the Regency. I also enjoy reading Peter’s struggles to learn magic, and his interactions with Nightingale.
October 29,2020
This was just wonderful. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s narration is so fantastic, his voice is fantastic and colourful. It just added a whole new dimension to this novel which I loved. I vaguely remembered the story and enjoyed it all over again. ...more
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