tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post2939904541851548746..comments2024-03-27T03:15:55.367-04:00Comments on EPBOT: Book Review: The Last DragonslayerJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11888187687405622408noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-81954785233908102002014-10-30T00:42:23.975-04:002014-10-30T00:42:23.975-04:00I was not happy with the ending of "The Last ...I was not happy with the ending of "The Last Dragon Slayer" either, but I picked up the sequel anyway, and I liked it so much better. I felt like he abandoned the plot points that frustrated me in the last book and the story was more interesting and less confusing for it. It's called "Song of the Quarkbeast." I'd be interested to hear what you think if you get around to it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-40841300695124136112014-03-01T17:48:30.876-05:002014-03-01T17:48:30.876-05:00You should give Patrick Ness' "Chaos Walk...You should give Patrick Ness' "Chaos Walking Trilogy" a go! It needs its three books to span the entirety of the story and is heart-rending, engaging, deeply disturbing and encouraging at the same time. I was almost put-off by first-person narration and weird typefaces, but it makes sense and heightens the story after a short time. :-)ladidahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02659235163727164570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-5637702229280309102014-02-17T21:45:42.059-05:002014-02-17T21:45:42.059-05:00Super late on this comment, but The Magician and T...Super late on this comment, but The Magician and The Magician King are my favorite books! The second book definitely has aspects to it that more somber, but its a great story. Part of what I like about these books is the conflict I feel while reading them! They are challenging on an emotional level and an intellectual level - including questions that come up about what the books are trying to be. Third one comes out very very soon! Can't wait :)Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02713649709098176545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-1651760340284194472014-02-06T15:26:06.489-05:002014-02-06T15:26:06.489-05:00I keep meaning to recommend the book "Only A...I keep meaning to recommend the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Only-Dream-Koluratura-Kristy-McKenzie-ebook/dp/B00FZ4O5JS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391718276&sr=8-1&keywords=koluratura" rel="nofollow"> "Only A Dream (Koluratura)"</a> to you. A friend of mine wrote it, but it is really really fun. Its the first in a series, but the ending is not a terrible cliffhanger, just enough to make you want to read the next book.erinesosweethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11708935341378590163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-74051964175024145732014-02-05T21:51:02.092-05:002014-02-05T21:51:02.092-05:00Try The True Meaning of Smekday if you haven't...Try The True Meaning of Smekday if you haven't yet. The heroine is wonderful. Also, DO NOT MISS the Flavia DeLuce mystery series. And don't get it on audiobook - you'll miss hearing the wonderful prose in your own imagination.coffeeivhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16447631936343993789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-31655465895684735972014-02-05T12:34:04.863-05:002014-02-05T12:34:04.863-05:00**raises hand *** I used to read the phone book &a...**raises hand *** I used to read the phone book & look for funny & famous names when I was bored. :PAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-37792197647368720672014-02-02T16:54:01.462-05:002014-02-02T16:54:01.462-05:00Another one that absolutely loves the Thursday Nex...Another one that absolutely loves the Thursday Next series--as an English lit grad/future librarian, all the literary references were like a gift for sitting through endless English classes all those years. I think his nursery rhymes series is the only one I didn't really care for. I will add a small caveat about the Shades of Grey series, it is fantastic and inventive and funny without being so zany; however if you thought the world in Last Dragonslayer was awful, Shades of Grey is definitely worse, being a very oppressive dystopia along the lines of 1984. It's probably his most cynical and sarcastic/darkly humorous work. Not to put you off it at all, just don't go into it expecting a light-hearted romp. de Pizanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05964044612138432034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-63394474923058666912014-02-02T16:34:15.536-05:002014-02-02T16:34:15.536-05:00I saw Jasper Fforde at a book-signing, and he joke...I saw Jasper Fforde at a book-signing, and he joked he was trying to get the book company to bill his book with a tagline that said something like "Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde...now with 49 fewer shades."de Pizanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05964044612138432034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-29019980751512901992014-02-01T20:40:30.776-05:002014-02-01T20:40:30.776-05:00Squee! I'm so excited to hear about what you t...Squee! I'm so excited to hear about what you think of "The Raven Boys." Wait until you read "The Dream Thieves!" Things. Get. So. Much. Better. Maggie Stiefvater is one amazing writer. Terri M. Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11296162668396075134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-63084385626916729552014-02-01T11:36:25.932-05:002014-02-01T11:36:25.932-05:00I LOVE Jasper Fforde! He is my favorite author wit...I LOVE Jasper Fforde! He is my favorite author with The Fourth Bear being my favorite of his. My second favorite series of books after his would be the Peter Pan books that Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson cowrote, starting with Peter and the Starcatchers. Every chapter is a cliffhanger.Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-84155397210250865722014-02-01T00:11:32.149-05:002014-02-01T00:11:32.149-05:00I always love your book reviews, so I can't be...I always love your book reviews, so I can't believe I've never recommended you anything before! If you're looking for a good standalone, I'd suggest Doll Bones by Holly Black. It's definitely on the younger end of YA fiction (there are even pictures!) and a really quick read, but very thought-provoking with this creepy undertone that keeps you guessing. Or on the MUCH more mature side, Holly Black's Tithe is excellent as well. Fascinating take on a very dark, gritty faery world, but fair warning for anyone who might be bothered by it: definitely R-rated in every way imaginable. It technically has a sequel (Ironside) but it actually works perfectly well on its own.Julianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-6005404206523858152014-01-31T13:03:26.768-05:002014-01-31T13:03:26.768-05:00Add me to the pile of Fforde fans (ffans?) I actua...Add me to the pile of Fforde fans (ffans?) I actually liked the Eyre Affair less than The Well of Lost Plots, which is my favorite. I got my husband, an English teacher, hooked into it because I kept wandering in and interrupting his hockey game to ask him about references to some of the books he's taught. The books are so packed with meta-commentary about the form of fiction that he kept reading.<br /><br />I have been meaning to pick up Shades of Grey, so maybe that will be my next bookstore quest.<br />~EsselynAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-78699133025823979442014-01-31T00:08:28.590-05:002014-01-31T00:08:28.590-05:00I adore Jasper Fforde. Actually, I tried to convi...I adore Jasper Fforde. Actually, I tried to convince my husband that our second son should be named "Ford" because I was reading "Shades of Grey" while having the fertility treatments that led to his birth…as it is, I settled for reading the most recent "Thursday Next" after delivery.<br /><br />I'll admit that I'm most annoyed with Robin McKinley's Pegasus…I read it two years ago, it came to an abrupt end, and the sequel STILL isn't out. I think there should be rules about not publishing series books if you don't have the next one ready. *grrrr*Kaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11906948513655168308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-33609797493690664802014-01-30T22:04:07.494-05:002014-01-30T22:04:07.494-05:00ooohhh I can't wait until you review The Raven...ooohhh I can't wait until you review The Raven Boys! I thought I would at least enjoy reading it when I picked it up, but man! I loved it! And the sequel is equally great, but be warned - cliff hanger NATION! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08711710347456133483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-66930876837039184152014-01-30T21:17:13.845-05:002014-01-30T21:17:13.845-05:00it gets better! it really does. at least the secon...it gets better! it really does. at least the second one does. I know the book seems depressing (it's a very adult version of cs lewis) but the impression I got from the book was that magic isn't the easy answer that a lot of fantasy makes it out to be. even the ones who impose limits on their magic seem to forget this at times. I loved the series, can't wait for the final book in the trilogy, but I'm the kind of person who read old medical texts as a kid just for something, *anything* new to read... <br />~erin kristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-10141751421370542622014-01-30T21:10:13.740-05:002014-01-30T21:10:13.740-05:00if you're looking for zany-ness, then you need...if you're looking for zany-ness, then you need to check out christopher moore... he's my current favorite. I recommend starting with sacre bleu (especially if you love impressionist artists - it's a fanatsy set in France during that time period, and several of the characters are the artists themselves). his writing is a bit more on the adult side but he has this completely off the wall way of writing that just clicks for some reason.<br />~erin kristineAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-19201988889094951842014-01-30T20:30:02.596-05:002014-01-30T20:30:02.596-05:00Doh! I'll try again! Long time reader, frist t...Doh! I'll try again! Long time reader, frist time commenter! I've read a lot of the books you've recommended and thoroughly enjoyed them. From the description of this book I think you might enjoy an author i've read a lot from, Tom Holt. British, slightly more zany thanTerry Pratchett and most of his books are stand alone. Anyhoo, just thought I'd add my tuppence (2 cents?) worth to the literary contribution!Creative Crumbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12347582754636913054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-17966649654003830272014-01-30T20:12:39.495-05:002014-01-30T20:12:39.495-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Creative Crumbshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12347582754636913054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-70171316546962370642014-01-30T19:25:27.468-05:002014-01-30T19:25:27.468-05:00Have you ready Playing Tyler, by T.L. Costa? It is...Have you ready Playing Tyler, by T.L. Costa? It is a stand alone (at least so far ;) and I really enjoyed it.Manznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-19684392976638086842014-01-30T18:26:28.274-05:002014-01-30T18:26:28.274-05:00I'm reading the most current Thursday Next nov...I'm reading the most current Thursday Next novel now, and just finished Last Dragonslayer. We found as we were reading through the Next novels that Wikipedia was our friend if we didn't get a reference. We learned a lot! I will add my voice in support of Shades of Grey though. By far my favorite Fforde book. Really interesting idea, well thought out and implemented, with a healthy dose of the bizarre. I used the chapter intro quotes as my Facebook status updates while I was reading it, because they were just so quirky and funny. Wish he'd get on with that sequel! Fforde is actually the only author I ever went to see besides you Jen in the 20 years I lived in Austin! He is hilarious. My favorite story is how he named a character in the Next series with an unpronounceable mix of random letters, just to mess with the eventual audio book reader!Texpenguinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-15903386165074979382014-01-30T18:16:20.234-05:002014-01-30T18:16:20.234-05:00I read most of The Magicians, but about halfway th...I read most of The Magicians, but about halfway through Part 2, I gave up. It was miserably depressing and I don't read to be depressed. I can't even imagine reading the sequel!Texpenguinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-50393126284945760082014-01-30T16:49:59.784-05:002014-01-30T16:49:59.784-05:00Have you tried Fforde's "Shades of Grey?&...Have you tried Fforde's "Shades of Grey?" Not to be confused with "Fifty Shades of Gray," thankfully. I really like the Next series, but "Grey" was even better.Mad in Craftshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02398781941082120985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-63234168079171534272014-01-30T15:54:42.512-05:002014-01-30T15:54:42.512-05:00The Shiver trilogy is one of my absolute faves! So...The Shiver trilogy is one of my absolute faves! So beautifully written, so melancholic.<br />I love that it doesn't have a happy end for everyone. This sounds weird nur I am so fed up with Twilight-y books.<br />I also think the first book works really well as a standalone if you're not into series..Eva H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-71519645009747625212014-01-30T15:42:42.889-05:002014-01-30T15:42:42.889-05:00I'm going to triple the recommendation (is tha...I'm going to triple the recommendation (is that a correct way to say that, prob not, but I'm going to go with it) for Jasper Fforde's Shades of Gray, really my favorite of his books and one of the few dystopias I really enjoy.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16852595964346853515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1724594058209899258.post-5851744478317777652014-01-30T15:05:37.433-05:002014-01-30T15:05:37.433-05:00Emilie, I've read both and completely agree wi...Emilie, I've read both and completely agree with your unclear-line comment. I felt the same way after the second book but also really enjoyed it. I'm sure it says a lot about my feelings about the books that I can't actually remember what happened in the second book (i.e., not incredibly memorable), but I *do* remember highly recommending them both to my best friend after finishing the second. So, it was at least as good as the first. And I believe the third is due out sometime in the next few months. I'd say, "Go for it." I realize this is very non-specific, and I'm sure someone else will chime in with a better answer, but I wanted to add my $0.02.Lady Acenoreply@blogger.com