kid & adult magic books
Jul. 9th, 2003 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timepiececlockSo who read/ used to read L. J. Smith? I loved her "Secret Circle" books.
How about Lloyd Alexander's books: The Book of Three; The Black Cauldron; the High King?
Ursula LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea books?
The Redwall books with the talking animals of which there's 50 million and I only got through ten?
How about Lloyd Alexander's books: The Book of Three; The Black Cauldron; the High King?
Ursula LeGuin's Wizard of Earthsea books?
The Redwall books with the talking animals of which there's 50 million and I only got through ten?
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Date: 2003-07-09 11:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 11:40 am (UTC)Who HASN'T read the Earthsea books? Followed by "why the hell not?"
awww... now I'm getting all nostalgic
Date: 2003-07-09 11:45 am (UTC)I just got bored after they all started to blur together and I kept forgetting the names of crucial timeline characters from other books because they all sounded alike.
I never read L.J. Smith
Girl, you are missing out on a valuable source of teenage angst, romance, and life-threatening situations!
You should read the Dark Visions tirlogy first, because that was the first series of hers I read. It has psychic kids that are brought to this special "school" that actually is much more threatening. Plus, one of love interests is this totally Spike-ish dude who can never decide which he wants more: being evil or getting the girl.
Then, you should read Secret Circle trilogy. It's all about this coven of witches. This girl gets initated into them, but it people start dying and there's spells and fights. I didn't like the love interest in this one as much, he's more goodygoody, but the main girl was cool, and the subcharacters were cool.
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Date: 2003-07-09 11:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 11:50 am (UTC)How about Lloyd Alexander's books: The Book of Three; The Black Cauldron; the High King?
I did! I did!! I loved them.
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Date: 2003-07-09 11:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 12:05 pm (UTC)It's (scary low voice) "The Shadow".
He was origninally a pulp character from back in the 1930's-40's, asort of proto-batman type figure, then Orson Wells made a radio spin off.
This is from the Movie in the 1990's. it was very much like it's source material, when perhaps they sound have modernised it a bit..
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Date: 2003-07-09 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 12:32 pm (UTC)Yeah, Adam was kinda a whino. Did you read the Dark Visions series? Gabriel was cool. And somewhat evil.
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Date: 2003-07-09 12:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-09 12:37 pm (UTC)I read a few Redwall books, but in the end it just got so confusing because there were so many of them.
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Date: 2003-07-09 12:40 pm (UTC)Lloyd Alexander was a big formative part of my childhood (hell, we used to play it at lunch -- I was Henwen, to my everlasting shame), but IMO didn't wear quite as well when reread as a grownup.
Didn't read the Secret Circle, should I?
Read one Redwall and gave up. Talking animals rarely my thing.
How about Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising?
Mer
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Date: 2003-07-09 01:00 pm (UTC)I've only recently realized that Julian and Damon from those books were to me then what Spike is to me now.
Thanks for reminding me about how much I loved those characters. Now I'm feeling all nostalgic. :)
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Date: 2003-07-09 01:05 pm (UTC)Never read that, myself. What's it about?
Didn't read the Secret Circle, should I?
I liked it a lot in middle school. I had some very teen-romance elements, but the witchy stuff was pretty cool. Magic battles and ceremonies. I kept trying to think of ways to cross it in fanfic with The X Files (I hadn't discovered Buffy at the time) but could never think of a good way.
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Date: 2003-07-09 01:06 pm (UTC)I read a few Redwall books, but in the end it just got so confusing because there were so many of them. That's why I stopped.
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Date: 2003-07-09 01:07 pm (UTC)They are pretty cute, aren't they? That's what stuck in my head the most-- cuteness.
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Date: 2003-07-09 01:11 pm (UTC)I read most of them. Vampire Diaries was the only one I didn't, I think.
And her Forbidden Game series? I fell HARD for Julian. The end of the third book ripped me apart.
I had uber-Julian crushage. I was mad she chose the other guy, who was so Riley-esque. But then Julian was evil. But he loved her...
I've only recently realized that Julian and Damon from those books were to me then what Spike is to me now.
I know. Did you read Dark Visions? I remember Gabriel... he was SUCH a Spike character.
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Date: 2003-07-09 01:43 pm (UTC)Um, good and evil, mostly. And hard choices, and trust. And British holiday spots.
Its a series of 5 books, of which The Dark is Rising is technically the second. But Over Sea, Under Stone, is more of a prequel, and while it has its charms I don't think its nearly as good an introduction to the world. The next 4 books stand on its own without it perfectly well.
In Over Sea and Under Stone 3 young British holiday makers find a magic map to a magic treasure, more or less by accident, and then have to keep it safe.
In The Dark is Rising, young Will, the seventh son of a seventh son of a refreshingly functional family, discovers that he is an Old One, born to fight for the Light in the eternal battle with the Dark.
And then the complications set in. Partly in the actual battling, and partly in the juggling of his human loyalties and human relationships with this other role which is outside of time, and terribly important, and sometimes terribly harsh.
Each book corresponds roughly to a quest. The first takes place in and around Will's hometown. The second is in Cornwall, where he goes on vacation and meets the characters from Over Sea and Under Stone. The fourth and fifth are mostly set in Wales, where he goes to recouperate after an illness and then returns to.
I don't want to give away too much, because I really strongly recommend that you read them. All the characters, not just Will, are incredibly vivid. They're definitely young adult in length and size of print and lack of sex or cursing, but they're beautifully nuanced and not at all condescending.
Okay, end pimpage now.
Here's the whole< a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?">series, and here's just the first book (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=68V50ROP1L&isbn=0689829833&itm=1userid=68V50ROP1L&isbn=0020425651&itm=5).
Mer
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Date: 2003-07-09 01:56 pm (UTC)Did you ever read the Everworld series, by K. A. Applegate? It's one of those series with about 20 short serial books, and is only about 3 years old. I read the first 5 of them. It's all about these 5 seniors in high school who get pulled through a portal into 'Everworld', which is like a world made up with various gods and cultures from old mythology (of all cultures), who were banished from the regular world. Except Everyworld is being invaded by aliens, so you have the mythological gods and their people at war with the aliens. And the kids realize that when they go to sleep in Everworld, they're awake in the real world. It's very strange.
I really liked the books though because it was the first "young adult" series that I felt was actually written for teenagers and above, and not for 11-12-year-olds, as most YA books are. It was a lot like Buffy in that respect. Also, it had realism in the fact that Everworld was a psychotically dangerous place, and most mythological gods were not nice people, and things they did had far-reaching effects. Like when they sell their chemistry schoolbook to one of the alien species in return for food and a pocketknife made of indestructable metal that can cut into anything. That comes back to really bite them in the butts.
Just thinking about this is making me want to go read some more... too bad I have such a nasty fine at the library right now.
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Date: 2003-07-09 02:10 pm (UTC)Mer
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Date: 2003-07-09 02:12 pm (UTC)The Vampire Diaries were the first ones I read, and then Secret Circle.
Has Smith written anything since NW10 was supposed to come out? Or did she just drop out of the writing game altogether? I remember hearing that she had been quite ill and that had prevented the publication....
LJ
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Date: 2003-07-09 03:26 pm (UTC)It never seemed like she had finished it.
It certainly felt like unfinished mythology. I don't know why she never continued writing.
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Date: 2003-07-09 03:32 pm (UTC)Lloyd Alexander: I vaguely recall reading one of thee novels. I bought the omnibus edition a while back, but I haven't read it yet.
Earthsea: Yes, and I adore them.
Redwall: I read the first one last summer, and I wasn't impressed enough to continue through the rest.
Have you checked out
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Date: 2003-07-09 03:33 pm (UTC)"To everyone who has been enquiring about my next book, I would like to say thank you so much for your interest and support. I feel terrible about making my readers wait so long for the last Night World book, but I'm determined that the series will be finished. Right now I'm hoping to deliver Strange Fate to my publishers sometime in Spring 2003. Of course, it will then take a little time for the book to be put in print. Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who has given me sympathy and support in these last few years. This has been a difficult time for me in many ways. One of the hardest things for a family to face is the life-threatening illness of one of its younger members. But it can also bring the family closer together and teach them to appreciate each day as it comes. In my case, it has also shown me how many caring people there are who are interested in my books and who are patiently awaiting the last one. Their kindness, coming at a time when writing has been impossible for me, has been more of a comfort than they could know." -- L J Smith, 2002
From here: http://www.nightworld.net/passion/nw/sfnews.html
Hope it helps.
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Date: 2003-07-09 04:53 pm (UTC)Adam was lame. Poor Nick and his cousin the leather chick. I hearted them both. I thoroughly enjoyed the concept of the stories. Much later when I discovered online fanfic in college I looked through ff.net for Secret Circle but couldnt find some. If you've read the Vampire novels by LJ Smith, Echo Blackthorn had some KICK ASS Damien/Bonnie fic but it was lost back during the NC-17 ban. Those were the only LJ Smith books I read. I soon grew tired of her as themes and plots became cookie cutter in her novels. I stopped with the SC books in 9th grade.
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Date: 2003-07-09 05:20 pm (UTC)I'd recommend them highly, if only for Damon, who RULED those books with an iron fist. I've decided not to re-read them only because I don't want my childhood adoration of the series to be tainted by adulthood.
But then Julian was evil. But he loved her...
Yeah, and died for her and her friends! "You cannot save me from myself!" Yes, I actually remember lines from the book.
Did you read Dark Visions? I remember Gabriel... he was SUCH a Spike character.
Dude. How did I forget Gabriel? And what was awesome about those books was that the heroine actually chooses the Spike character over the Riley character. I remember sighing many a girlish sigh over that.
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Date: 2003-07-09 09:28 pm (UTC)I loved that. He was a "psychic vampire", with a troubled childhood, a vicious streak the size of the grand canyon, and the only thing that made him a better person was how he felt about her and how she made him better, and she chose him over the perfect golden boy! I loved that.
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Date: 2003-07-09 09:31 pm (UTC)The leather girl with the motorcycle? She was my favorite of the witches. I remember her flavor was lemon-scented candles... that still strikes me as a cool flavor.
Did you read all three books? It ends well.
I've never been able to find SC fanfic. I tried once, but couldn't. There seemed to be some Nightworld fanfic out there, but I could never keep the characters of that series sorted out in my head.
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Date: 2003-07-09 09:35 pm (UTC)Read the Dark Visions trilogy first, and then the Secret Circle trilogy.
Lloyd Alexander: I vaguely recall reading one of thee novels. I bought the omnibus edition a while back, but I haven't read it yet.
I remember reading them in sixth and seventh grade. They were a little young for me by then (I'd been reading Michael Crichton since 4th grade), more in writing style than in tone or content, but I still really enjoyed them. The last one, The High King, was my favorite.
Redwall: I read the first one last summer, and I wasn't impressed enough to continue through the rest.
It's a strange thing, reading those. I read a bunch at once, and then stopped completely and haven't felt a desire to pick up any more since.
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Date: 2003-07-09 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 08:13 am (UTC)Some of my favorite Young Adult Horror/Supernatural writers are Annette Curtis Klaus; she wrote the incredibly heart breaking Vampire novel Silver Kiss. She's written a werewolf novel also but if you can get your hands on Silver Kiss -- oh man. Lovely lovely book. I also heart hear Ann Hodgman's Children of the Night Werewolf Trilogy. Sadly they're out of print, but if you're interested they're trackable. Although authors are categorized as young adult/teen authors these books will speak to all adults. One last series of books that I would recommend for any supernatural/horror fan are the Diane Tregarde novels by Mercedes Lackey. Dinae Tregarde is a kick ass psychic investigater that's a little bit Buffy (BtVS) and a little bit Sara Pezzinni (Witchblade) with a hottie Vampire lover, not a Spike or Arucard but still charming and appealing. These series of books are also hard to find but if you can -- snatch em up. Mercedes Lackey -- that sell out bitca -- discontinued the series because they weren't making her any money. God I just want to bitch slap her. At any rate. Those are some of my recs. Definately worthwhile if you can locate them.
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Date: 2003-07-10 10:46 am (UTC)Did you ever read the Everworld books by K.A. Applegate? That's a YA series that was written for the older half of teenagers, I can tell you.
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Date: 2003-07-10 12:53 pm (UTC)Hmm doesn't sound familiar -- I read a lot of R.L. Stine when I was in middle school. Richie Tankersley Cusick is another of my favorite upper Young Adult bracket authors. She wrote the novelization of the Buffy movie way way back. Her books are def not kiddy teeny boppy grade.
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Date: 2003-07-10 12:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-07-10 01:00 pm (UTC)Thank you ANON!! That's exactly what I meant by cookie cutter plots. And that's why I grew to dislike Jenny in Secret Circle and "what's her face" in Vampire Diaries. Potentially strong characters were watered down by their over bearing, tragic soul mates -- ugh. Give it rest. I found that I enjoyed LJ Smith's secondary characters so much more than the whiny love struck couples that lead the story.
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Date: 2003-07-10 01:14 pm (UTC)Yeah -- that's what happened with me. By the time I was 14 I had lost my affections for YA Lit and focused more on meatier litrature -- especially since I had the opportunity to take cool elective English classes in my middle and high school that didn't rag on about Regents requisites. But I was always a book monger. That's one passion I have to thank my mom for sparking in me. She loved to read and there were always books around our apartment. I got my first library card when I was 6. *sigh* I hearted Frog and Toad. Still do. ^^ I was reading Stephen King and John Saul by the time I was 10 and started reading unabridged Jane Austen in 6th grade. I was helping to clean out the back closet of our classroom and saw all these weird old books. My teacher said that they were "classics" and that I would have to wait til I was in high school before I read them. I said -- "oh yeah?" And snuck a copy of Pride Prejudice home with me and was smitten immediately. Dickens followed Austen as did Twain and others and although I did struggle with the language my interest in classic lit brought me some attention and helped me a great deal in school. I probably would have never been placed in a "college bound" track if not for me capacity for reading.
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Date: 2003-07-10 01:16 pm (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-07-10 01:31 pm (UTC)Most of Applegate's books are for the younger of the YA set... the Animorph books, for example, and Young Jedi. But her Everworld books are a step up, for the older teen crowd, where there's a lot more violence, heavier implied sexuality, more complex character relationships, and the 17 year olds actually act like 17 year olds instead of stereotypical book teens.