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I finally finished the Inkheart Trilogy by Cornelia Funke. Inkdeath was far beyond anything I could have ever wanted in a book. I walk away from this book feeling as if I've just closed the last page on a whole group of good friends. Wow. The plotline kept getting less and less intensive, but the characterization that Funke puts forth in that book was just mind-blowing. There have been very few books where I have been shaking with anxiety over the injustice, and brimming with hatred towards the greed and "evilness" of the villains.

But the thing I'm probably going to miss most, is the way that this entire series talks about books themselves. Such beautiful words.

I highly reccommend this book series to anybody who liked CoN and Harry Potter (although I must admit, where HP was second on my list of favourite series. . . it has now been bumped down to third )

Next on my list of books is "Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball," by Emily Brightwell. The Mrs. Jeffries books are really fun crime novels set in Victorian England, and the characterization is also really fun in those books as well. But as much as I love those books. . . Victorian England is going to seem like a bit of a "let-down" after visiting a world where fairies flutter through the same air which carries the songs of travelling minstrels. Where words get the respect that they deserve, and where I've left a couple of friends behind me.

^^ that's what I like about Inkheart and Inkspell - the way books are discussed and it makes those books seem like the books from which all other books come from! I love it!

DiGoRyKiRkE wrote:I highly reccommend this book series to anybody who liked CoN and Harry Potter (although I must admit, where HP was second on my list of favourite series. . . it has now been bumped down to third )

Oh really? I might have to read it then. I read Inkheart, but it was a long time ago, and I never got around to the other two. I'll just have to put them next on my reading list. Right now, I'm in the middle of rereading the Chronicles. Then, I've got Warriors: Skyclan's Destiny sitting on my shelf waiting for me.

A friend of mine highly recommended the Inkheart series as well, DiGs. That, along with the Attolia series and LotR, are at the top of my to-read list. Harry Potter was done during the summer; hopefully I can get through on of the others during Christmas break.

I am currently reading LOTR Part One. Because most here in NW read that LOTR Trilogy, and I myself feel out of place because I haven't read the LOTR so, I decided to read them. I am in the part where Frodo meets some elves on their journey with Pippins and Sam. Well, hope I finish it soon!

Sandy, amidst the plethora of people here who have read LOTR, there are those of us here who haven't read it, and have no intention to do so (like me ). I was in a boat similar to you, where I thought, "Gee. . . everybody on NarniaWeb seems to talk about this. Perhaps I should read it too!"

So I tried, and then I felt guilty for not liking them at all. (Sort of like when I couldn't stand another second of Les Miserables). I did end up reading The Hobbit which is like the prequel to LOTR, but I didn't even like that very much.

So I guess I'm trying to say this: Don't feel bad if you don't like them. You're not alone (Even though it may seem like that on this site )

Its okay if there are some authors you just don't like, or are lukewarm about. I've always been sort of lukewarm about Jane Austen. They were okay (Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were the best), but they just weren't my kind of story.

I'm reading Jane Austen right now -- Sense and Sensibility. I really like her. Northanger Abbey is my favorite too! Not so much Persuasion though. I really like Emma. I'd say Emma is my second favorite.
I haven't read LOTR either, but I've always wanted to try them. None of my bookstores ever have them, haha.
I also like Bronte and Dickens. What does everyone else think of them?



~EJ

Mel wrote:Valia, I found the book my dad was talking about!

Cool! No, I don't think we looked at that specific book, but I'm glad you figured it out. Excellent work, Sergeant Mel!
Yes, I think you shall consider it rather the hardship to reread Knife/Spell Hunter. I'm glad you mostly enjoyed my recommendation! And if it makes you feel any better, I'm quite enjoying your other recommendation (Keys of the Kingdom).

*waves to Mara* Hey, there! I love the lolcats!

And Mara's comment to lys reminded me that I'd meant to say something about Briar Rose: I agree with lys about it. It had the potential to be a really good story and Yolen kind of just destroyed it by adding in modern and politically correct stuff.

I just tended to avoid animal stories at all; they never seemed to be happy stories. I still haven't read, prepare yourself, Charlotte's Web.

I'm glad you enjoyed Inkdeath, DiGs; is it better than Inkspell? I liked the first well enough, but the characters and their actions in the second drove me to no end of distraction (there were two, maybe three characters I actually liked/could stand in it), which is why I haven't bothered with the third.

I hope you enjoy LotR, sandy! It's not the end of the world if you don't, but they're lovely books. I encourage you to perservere, though, and make it all the way through if you can.

Why don't you like Persuasion, Eustace+Jill? I think that one is actually my favourite Austen.
I liked the only Bronte I've read (Jane Eyre), and the few Dickens I've read. Which are your favourites?

I've actually just finished the prologue on Superior Saturday. The series has been rather interesting; Nix is rather clever, though I don't agree with what I've seen of his deeper implications, as it were. I had a question, though, about the world/series: I've currently got a hold on Lord Sunday; if it was checked out by the same person I 'stole' 4-6 from, they've got their revenge on me. I checked the library site on Friday and it was in, but when I went to check it out a couple hours later, someone had already got to it.
Oh, and I'm number 11 on the hold list for Mockingjay. *grumbles* At least there are two copies ordered (they said if the hold list gets much longer, they'll order more).

Valia, I'm fairly certain that the Keys to the Kingdom series is set at least a few years in the future. There's a few scattered references to advanced technology on Earth and all the talk about bio warfare seems to fit with the idea of it taking place in the future.

Eustace+Jill, I really like Dickens, and what I've read of Bronte. (Except for The Professor which was kind of boring.) Shirley had some interesting ideas, but Jane Eyre was the best, and is one of my overall favorite books. One of very few romance stories I like. As for Dickens, I love him to pieces. A Tale of Two Cities is another one of my very favorites ever. Otherwise, I've read A Christmas Carol (best Christmas story ever), The Pickwick Papers (hilarious ), David Copperfield (good, but long), Great Expectations (has some interesting things in it), The Chimes (a strange little New Year's story), The Cricket on the Hearth (sweet), Oliver Twist (good but creepy in places), and Hard Times (an intriguing critique of education and industrial practices of the time.)

Virginia wrote:I'm glad you enjoyed Inkdeath, DiGs; is it better than Inkspell?

Well, here are my thoughts. Inkheart has a brilliant plot. The storyline works really well, and it's very vivid, but it lacks really good characterization. Inkspell's plot goes a bit downhill, but what we lose in plot we gain in characterization. By the end of that book, I'm in love with the characters a lot more than I am with the book itself. And in Inkdeath. . . nothing really happens But the characters are so believable that I felt everything that they did.

So let me put it like this: If you like Elinor, you'll be much more pleased with the way she is used in this book, then how she's used in Inkspell. Meggie seems to go on a bit of a backburner, but her father and his relationship to every other character in the book are bursted out all over the place. I won't say any more lest I spoil anything for anybody

I've just finished reading the Attolia series, and I have to say that I really, really, really enjoyed them. They may be the only books that I've read written about that general time period that I've actually liked.

The characters of Gen and Attolia were quite well done. I think I'm going to read them all over again now that I've finished them.

DigoryKirke, I understand you not reading Lord of the Rings. It's a great story and the characters are interesting but Tolkien's writing style is very dry and focuses on extraneous details. Still, you should try them, even just once.

Okay, I've heard so many great things about this "Attolia" series. What's the name of the first book, and who's the author? I might give them a try once I finish Mrs. Jeffries on the Ball.

DiGoRyKiRkE wrote:Sandy, amidst the plethora of people here who have read LOTR, there are those of us here who haven't read it, and have no intention to do so (like me ). I was in a boat similar to you, where I thought, "Gee. . . everybody on NarniaWeb seems to talk about this. Perhaps I should read it too!"

So I tried, and then I felt guilty for not liking them at all. (Sort of like when I couldn't stand another second of Les Miserables). I did end up reading The Hobbit which is like the prequel to LOTR, but I didn't even like that very much.

So I guess I'm trying to say this: Don't feel bad if you don't like them. You're not alone (Even though it may seem like that on this site )

Thanks! But I really am having a hard time on reading the LOTR because of lack of time management. The Part One has 2 books in one book! (hope you got what I just said). I am having a fun time reading it though, but sometimes I get so confused like, wait, who was talking again? Well. Thanks for the advice though.


Reading now the 4th Chapter of LOTR Part ONE! Hope to get halfway!!!