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I finished up The Scorpio Races last ween and really enjoyed it. The titular races are races using Kelpies (or at least a variation of them).

I've started the audiobook of The Drowning Girl which was recommended by Neil Gaiman. I'm liking it so far though I'm only a couple of hours into it.

I'm almost done with The Amulet of Samarkand. The setting and the fact that there's footnotes is sort of reminding me of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, but the style and plot are completely different! It's a really fun book. I've been chuckling all along at the snarky, egotistical narrator.

Yes. I plan to read more in Connie Willis' series. What a great read!

Jalilah, you did influence me, but that's a good thing! So did you, Melanti, on Minions and on the Willis book. When I looked To Say Nothing of the Dog up, your review sold me.

Has anyone read Six-Gun Snow Whiteby Catherynne M. Valente? I'm starting it today. It's a revised Old West version of the fairy tale. Snow White is part Native American. It looks like it has potential to be a book I'll like.

I've read it. It wasn't my favorite Valente book.

It has parts that are the Coyote myth and parts that are Snow White, but those two parts never really meshed for me.

Margaret has also read it and she absolutely loved it.

Yes, I loved it! It's up for a Nebula Award for best novella.

I recently finished Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson on the kindle and The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan in print.

I enjoyed both, and both were the first time I had read anything by the authors. Shaman is about a paleolithic protegee of a shaman coming into his authority. I loved the history and the characters, though the plotting was a bit typical for a coming of age story so I was never really surprised. Robinson's prose in Shaman is simplistic, but I found that went well with the novel; a denser prose wouldn't have made sense considering the historical context. I'll probably read more by him if they pop up on a kindle daily deal, though I'm not sure I'd seek him out.

I equally enjoyed The Brides of Rollrock Island, though the two are completely different in style! Lanagan has a much denser prose, and she plops you in povs without any lead-in, which is jarring. But I thought the world creative and the characters at times heart-breaking. The novel tells of an island of selkie wives, and the witch who draws them from the seals. I'm looking forward to reading more by Lanagan. I have Tender Morsels, which looks like a snow white rose red retelling, judging by the cover.

I'm going on vacation this week, and I didn't want to start anything new before I left. But on vacation I thought I'd read Swim the Moon on my kindle, and when I get back Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I bought Jonathan Strange for my nephew for Christmas, and we agreed to both have it read by June so we could talk about it, but I've been a bad aunt and haven't read it yet!

Margaret wrote: "Yes, I loved it! It's up for a Nebula Award for best novella."

I liked "the Seven Dwarves" in this version, but I gave it three stars.

Margaret wrote: "I recently finished Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson on the kindle and The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan in print.

I enjoye..."

Glad you liked The Brides of Rollrock Island Margaret! Although I found parts hard to get into, my over all impression was favourable. It was indeed highly original!
But would you agree that it is definitely not YA?
I am delighted to find out that Swim the Moon is also about Selkies! I've ordered it.
Oh, and have a great trip!
For now I'll be reading Spindle's End by Robin McKinley.

Shomeret wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Yes, I loved it! It's up for a Nebula Award for best novella."

I liked "the Seven Dwarves" in this version, but I gave it three stars."

Just curious why Shomeret? I was considering it myself, but am not sure. I've never read anything by this author.

I have read books by this author previously and they were very different. Unlike many other readers, I haven't been a huge fan of Valente's earlier work. She has a tendency to provide an embarassment of riches when it comes to story lines and characters. She usually has enough material for 15 books between two covers and none of it is properly developed. My feeling is that Valente isn't interested in plot or character development. In Six-Gun Snow White she stuck to one story line, but it was all very superficial. It was original. She's always original, but she needs to do more with her material.

Jalilah wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I recently finished Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson on the kindle and The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan in..."

Yay! More Selkies! And I'm going to the beach:)

Yes, Brides didn't seem YA to me. I feel like the most harrowing parts were about (view spoiler)[ the suicides of the selkies, and also the essential rape of the selkies. But, the back of mine says "the razor edge of YA," and I could see it as a very subversive YA novel. If I had been the publisher/marketer, I would have put it in adult, but with YA being so popular I can see why they were trying to market it otherwise. (hide spoiler)]

Shomeret wrote: "I have read books by this author previously and they were very different. Unlike many other readers, I haven't been a huge fan of Valente's earlier work. She has a tendency to provide an embarass..."

Interesting perspective on Valente, Shomeret. And, even though she's one of my favorite writers, I agree that she packs too much into her novels. I usually have to take her novels slowly, and I can't read too many of her novels at the same time. However, I think she does have character development and plot. I will say her characters are often differing versions of the same person, if that makes sense. So Snow White could easily be Marya from Deathless or the girl from The Orphan Tales, just at different times and with different experiences.

Have you ever read Palimpsest? I would say it's her most character-driven novel, though not my favorite of hers.

I find her intriguing because of her subversive techniques in plotting and re-plotting fairy tales. She's very unique.

Jalilah, since you're reading The Arabian Nights you might want to try In the Night Garden, which uses the same techniques as The Arabian Nights, and was inspired by the story within a story frame. However, it does exactly what Shomeret describes and packs way too much into the two novels (it's a two novel series).

I just read a short story by Valente in Magic City: Recent Spellswhich is a re-print urban fantasy anthology. The story is called "A Voice Like A Hole" It read like Valente trying to write a Charles De Lint story. It deals with a De Lint type of protagonist and story line. It was also lovely stylistically, but I felt it was half-wattage in emotional intensity compared to De Lint. Still, it's definitely the best focused piece of writing I've ever seen from Valente.

I haven't read any of her short fiction yet - just novels and novellas and I do agree with them having enough ideas for a dozen novels.

Silently and Very Fast was a bit more focused than most of her work. It's been reprinted in a couple of her anthologies that would probably be easier to find than the original novella by itself.

Jalilah - I know you don't like science fiction much but it really does read more like fantasy than sci fi.

Margaret wrote: "I recently finished Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson on the kindle and The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan in print.

I enjoye..."

I LOVED Tender Morsels -- not only is it one of my favorite fairy tale retellings, but it's also one of my favorite books, period. I hope you will post when you've read it so you can share what you think! Haven't read "Brides" yet, though.

Shomeret wrote: "I have read books by this author previously and they were very different. Unlike many other readers, I haven't been a huge fan of Valente's earlier work. She has a tendency to provide an embarass..."

I've often heard Valente described that way, and that's in part why I am reluctant to read her. The other reason is she has just written so much, I don't know where to begin!
Magic city looks like it might be a good place to start.
Margaret, I was also considering In the Night Garden
Melanti your right! Because I don't generally like SF, I had never considered Silently Very Fast.

Have any of you read Deathless?

I started Spindle's End by Robin McKinley yesterday and enjoying it. It is very different from the other books of hers I've read!

Jalilah wrote: "Have any of you read Deathless?"

I've owned it years, but, no I haven't read it yet. Because its so dense, I really prefer to read her work in as close to a single sitting as possible (this goes doubly for In the Night Garden and its sequel) which means I endlessly put off her longer work and always save it for some future rainy day. Even her 100 page novellas can take me an entire day to get through.

Her kids' series might be a good place to start, too. The first one is The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

I'm almost done with the Endicott monthly read Swim the Moon by Paul Brandon and I absolutely love it. Very little action, but it has lovely prose and great atmosphere. I can practically hear the sound of the rain hitting the windows and the water lapping at the shore. And the music, of course! I want to sneak in to the back of some pub and listen to Richard play for awhile.

I've acquired Deathless recently, and will get around to reading it some time in the next few months = )

Shomeret wrote: "I just read a short story by Valente in Magic City: Recent Spellswhich is a re-print urban fantasy anthology. The story is called "A Voice Like A Hole" It read like Valente trying ..."

Replying to my own post, I finished Magic City and posted an excerpt of my blog review to GR with a link to the blog review at /review/show...

"A Voice Like a Hole" was first printed in Welcome to Bordertown. That's an anthology I have, maybe you too?

I really liked The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, but I haven't gotten around to reading other novels by Valente. The concept of Deathless seems promising.

In answer to the question I just finished Tanya Huff's The Silvered and quite liked it. Currently reading The Rosie Project.

No, I don't have any Bordertown anthologies.

I finally gave up on Spindle's End! Sorry Robin McKinley! And started Swim the Moon by Paul Brandon. It's much more what I'm in the mood to read now!

Jalilah wrote: "I finally gave up on Spindle's End! Sorry Robin McKinley! And started Swim the Moon by Paul Brandon. It's much more what I'm in the mood to ..."

I didn't much go for "Spindle's End," either. I had trouble staying engaged. I read the whole thing (I hardly ever abandon a book no matter how much I dislike it), but now I hardly remember anything from it!

I know I've read it but I don't have the faintest clue what Spindle's End is about (other than being a retelling of "Sleeping Beauty"), much less whether I liked it or not... I know I read it - but I also read Sherri Tepper's version at about the same time, and every time I think I've remembered something about McKinley's version, I later realize I'm thinking of Tepper's book. I really ought to reread it one of these days!

I checked out Carol Berg's The Spirit Lens a couple of weeks ago, and then got distracted by a different book. I just realized that it expires tomorrow -- and I don't know if that means midnight tonight or midnight tomorrow -- so I have somewhere between 16 and 40 hours left to read the last 2/3 of it! I really need to remember to read library books on time - especially e-books!

Jalilah wrote: "Shomeret wrote: "I have read books by this author previously and they were very different. Unlike many other readers, I haven't been a huge fan of Valente's earlier work. She has a tendency to pr..."

I've read Deathless and love it, but I think everyone knows by now Valente is one of my favorite authors! I think I remember that you prefer fantasy novels that take place in the "real" world, and if I'm remembering that correctly, Deathless would be a good one for you to read. It mixes Russian WWII history with folklore.

Lacey wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I finally gave up on Spindle's End! Sorry Robin McKinley! And started Swim the Moon by Paul Brandon. It's much more what I'm..."

Not keeping me engaged is exactly how I felt Lacey! I'm not sure exactly why. When I was reading it I had to force myself on and when I was not reading I felt no desire to continue! Why bother? I read these kind of books for pleasure! Too bad though because I usually like McKinley.

Margaret wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "Shomeret wrote: "I have read books by this author previously and they were very different. Unlike many other readers, I haven't been a huge fan of Valente's earlier work. She has ..."

Yes you know me now Margaret! I prefer novels that take place in our world with the magic more under the surface, so Deathless does seem the most appealing. This might have at least in part been the problem I had with Spindles end. The magic was just too over the top and unbelievable . It took place in another world but was not really IMO described well.

Julia wrote: ""A Voice Like a Hole" was first printed in Welcome to Bordertown. That's an anthology I have, maybe you too?

Elsewhere Will Shetterly and Finder by Emma Bull are the only Bordertown books I've read up to now. I liked both very much and would like to read more. Both authors made Bordertown seem like a real place!

Lacey wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I finally gave up on Spindle's End! Sorry Robin McKinley! And started Swim the Moon by Paul Brandon. It's much more what I'm..."

Melanti, do you, perhaps, remember the title of Sheri Tepper's version of Sleeping Beauty? The one you were reading at the same time as McKinley's Spindle's End? I would be very interested in reading Tepper's book. Thank you!
~Kimberly

Kimberly wrote: "Lacey wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "I finally gave up on Spindle's End! Sorry Robin McKinley! And started Swim the Moon by Paul Brandon. It's much..."

Tepper's is just called "Beauty."

Lacey

Kimberly wrote: "Melanti, do you, perhaps, remember the title of Sheri Tepper's version of Sleeping Beauty?"

Sure. It's Beauty.


So, I'm just not in the mood to read The Spirit Lens today, so I suppose I'll have to renew it after all. It's not bad by any means but it's not keeping my attention as well as her other books that I've read have.

I'm currently reading Jane Yolen's The Devil's Arithmetic which I'm really enjoying though I was sort of expecting another fairy tale interpretation like in her Briar Rose or even her "Granny Rumple" rather than a straight historical version.

I finished all four of William Morris' fantasy novels and would only recommend one, THE SUNDERING FLOOD, to modern readers-- and that's for readers who can put up with lots of archaic language.

I did quick re-reads of ARMAGEDDON 2419 AD-- the novel that spawned the "Buck Rogers" franchise-- and Farmer's THE OTHER LOG OF PHILEAS FOGG, in which both Fogg and Captain Nemo are alien-human hybrids fighting spy-games with one another.

Gene, is it bad that even though my friend's opinion of William Morris more or less agrees with yours, I'm still rather curious? He did sort of start the whole fantasy genre after all...

Nah, I think it's good to sample the seminal authors, even if they turn out not to be your thing. On a similar note, I'm glad I tried Cabell, though I don't imagine I'll ever re-read him.

Melanti wrote: "Kimberly wrote: "Melanti, do you, perhaps, remember the title of Sheri Tepper's version of Sleeping Beauty?"

Sure. It's Beauty.


So, I'm just not in the mood to read The Spirit Lens today, so I ..."

I definitely want to read Briar Rose. Everyone seems think it's excellent. Not sure about Beauty. Melanti, Lacey, Did you all really like it?

It was... Odd. I won't say I loved it but it certainly lingers in the mind! Have you read anything by Tepper before? If so, expect it to be much like those. Eco-awareness, feminism, and all those sorts of thing that she usually incorporates in her work.

Actually, it's sci-fi with time traveling and a semi-dystopian future, from what I recall, so with you not liking sci-fi, I wouldn't recommend it above all the other books I know you'd like reading more.

I did like Beauty, but I like most of what Sheri S. Tepper has written. I have another friend who likes retellings who HATED it, then another who counts it among her favorites! So it's a somewhat "different" book, and perhaps that makes it even more exciting to see what you think for yourself. :)

I read three or four of Sheri S. Tepper's books, maybe ten years ago, perhaps in a row, including Beauty. At that point, I decided enough.

One tiny bit that has stuck with me, that I think is from Beauty, is that the viewpoint character believes that everything negative in the world comes from too much horror: in reading, in movies, in television, in games.

I love Briar Rose and like The Devil's Arithmetic a lot.

I am just about to finish Doctor Who: Summer Falls and Other Stories and want to read a story or two of Eleven Doctors, Eleven Stories before I pass it on to a friend. Beyond that might be The Time Fetch.

This morning I finished Swim the Moon by Paul Brandon. It's a beautiful but melancholy book. If you like stories with Selkies this is fir you!
I'll be starting the second in Charles de Lint's Wildling series, Over My Head. I'm reading it now because my son is doing a school report on it. However I never really need any encouragement to read a De Lint book! This YA series, while it's not as strong as his Newford books, is still a fun enjoyable,read.
My son likes it even more than the Percy Jackson series and so do I!

Ooh, I was just browsing Amazon and came across a new release by Catherynne Valente. Not fiction this time, but a collection of essays.

Indistinguishable from Magic

Looks like it's about all sorts of fantasy and Sci-fi related subjects including half a dozen or so essays on fairy tales - which I'm very interested in reading given what she's done with her Fairyland books.


OOps, guess I could add what I'm actually reading instead of what I'm just thinking about buying. I started Giants of the Frost this afternoon which seems to have something to do with Norse mythology so far, but I'm not sure how much or to what extent since I'm not that familiar with it.

Melanti wrote: "Ooh, I was just browsing Amazon and came across a new release by Catherynne Valente. Not fiction this time, but a collection of essays.

Indistinguishable from Magic

Looks like it..."

I'm excited about that one too! I don't have it yet, though. And a very funky cover.

It does have a cool cover, doesn't it?

Hm. Looks like the majority of the essays were originally blog posts from her Livejournal... As a general rule I avoid author blogs cause I hate spoilers (and hate figuring out that an author whose work I like might be a jerk in real life) but if you read that regularly, you might have already read most of the book.

Rachel wrote: "I am halfway through Seven Tears Into the Sea and really enjoying it.
Would definitely recommend it!"

Oh! Another Selkie book! I'll have to read it!

I've just started Pantomime by Laura Lam. I'm liking it so far!

My last book was Night Broken.

I obviously need to brush up on my Norse mythology, because the only things that are all that familiar in Giants of the Frost are the parts that were included in all those recent Avengers/Thor/Marvel comic movies...

It's a rather slow moving book so far but good.

I'm just finishing Over My Head by Charles de Lint, the second book in his YA Wildling series. (The first book is Under My Skin) It is really, really good. I think De Lint is underrated and deserves to be better known. This is a YA series, so not as rich and in depth as his Adult novels, but it's still very well written, enjoyable and not at all dumbed down. This is no doubt the best teen novel I've read for a while. It's kind of the same style as the Percy Jackson series but IMO a lot better.

I really need to read De Lint. Is Forests of the Heart a good one to start with? I have that one on my bookshelf.

I finished Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell last night, and enjoyed it. I liked the prose style and history, and the characters were interesting if a little flat. Also, the ending disappointed me. It was worth reading, though, even if I don't think it lived up to the hype. I can see why so many love it, and it did offer an interesting counter-history to the Napoleonic Wars.

I also finished Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip, which is a short story collection. I enjoyed most of the stories, though some were only 'eh' to me. If you already like her, than you will enjoy it. She's an excellent writer. One of the short stories had folklore that I wasn't familiar with--the kelpie. A kelpie is a Scottish water spirit that takes shape as a horse. If you try and ride it, it takes you down into the water where you die. So, if you ever visit Scotland or live in Scotland, don't ride strange horses!

I'm going to start Wildwood tonight.

Margaret wrote: I really need to read De Lint. Is Forests of the Heart a good one to start with? I have that one on my bookshelf.

It's the one that I started with, Margaret, and it made me fall in love with Newford. and yes, it's a pretty good one to start with. They're all only loosely connected anyway, and are made to be read in any order, (there ARE a couple of exceptions, I admit) but that one more than most has fewer of the reoccurring characters.

I just read The Scorpio Races which features a race on semi-tamed Kelpies. It was quite good!

Margaret wrote: "I really need to read De Lint. Is Forests of the Heart a good one to start with? I have that one on my bookshelf.

I finished Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell last night, an..."

Margaret, I second Melanti suggestion that Forests of the Heart is a good Newford book to start with. Another Newford book that you can read without having read the others is Someplace to Be Flying. I think it's my personal favourite but so many of them are great. My first Newford book was Memory and Dream which is supposed to be #5 but I certainly did not feel I was missing anything, in fact that book got my hooked! The books I would not recommend starting with are Onion Girl and Widdershins but really all the Newford books are stand alone.

My favorite series are those that happen in the same world, but each contain their own story so can be read out of order. There's certainly plenty of epic series I enjoy, but I prefer when each novel is actually a novel instead of a continuation. I've read some of De Lint's Newford short stories in anthologies, and I've always liked them.

The Scorpio Races looks good! I'll have to check it out.