[Rheingold]

How I was one of the first people in the U.S. to read The Naming

One day, I was staying home from school because I was really sick. It was some time in February or March when I was in 8th grade. I was really depressed because I was missing an assembly instead of class, so I was just lying on the couch, listening to music. My mom went to a bookstore (it's this really awesome independently-owned coop; if you live anywhere near Chicago you should go, it's called 57th Street Books) that's really far away from here (like three fourths of Chicago north-south). When she came back, I was asleep, but the sound of the door woke me up, and she gave me a book. I was like, gee, thanks, because it looked really boring but then I realized that it wasn't a real cover because it was an advanced reading copy. A woman who works at that bookstore had given it to my mom when she found out that I was sick (we know everyone who works there really well). The title was The Naming. :D :)

I finished the book twice in the next two days, and I've been rereading it and the Riddle ever since (and it's only 8 to 10 days before I get the Crow in the mail from Amazon!!!) :)

Since then, I've seen it randomly on shelves I've been browsing, both at bookstores and the library, several times, and it's the kind of book that I would pick up and read No Matter What anyway, so I would have read it even if I hadn't gotten the copy early.

The End.

Thank you Alison!!!!

[Ollie]

umm ok well...hey i no the first book as "The Gift" so you no mayb i missed sumthin there....ahh well lol yeah i jus found itin the backend of mi skool library, blurb sounded interestin an i took things from there lol

[Rheingold]

It's the Gift everywhere except in the USA. Around the time the Gift was about to come out in the States, Ursula LeGuin was publishing a book called Gifts. They're very similar titles, and so, to avoid confusion, Alison's title was changed to the Naming.

But I think that they should just have published the Gift earlier, and kept the original title....:D

[zorobnice]

Hi there Alison, I have only recently joined this forum, looking for more books to read, and find out what others thought about it. I was in a book shop about 3 or 4 months ago, long before I had even heard of you (Sad hey). I bought a series of books and last night I needed to start a new book, went to my queue of unread books, and Lo and Behold, there was the Gift, I thought, how uncanny having only heard of you recently, the name did not jog my memory that I owned some of you books. I bought the first three. That is also one of the reasons I bought it was because in South Africa book shops are notorious for haveing on;y one or two of a series in stock. Almost never number one.

I must say I am thoroughly enjoying the book. Cadvan and Maered have just arrived at the first school, so I am excited to see what happens.

Thanks for making the effort of writing for us addicts.

[Seren]

I just found it by random chance in waterstones! Some of the best books I've ever read are my random chance from waterstones books. That was the Gift. I also nagged my flatmates into reading it, which I think they just did to keep me quiet, but they're hooked now too!

[Imelda]

I spend masses of time wandering around WH Smiths and Waterstones. Consequently, I spotted 'The Gift' and thought it was thick enough to last me more than a few hours. I also thought it had a pretty cover :D Then I looked at the price ... and since it was a pound more than most other books, and I'm a cheapskate, I put it back down ...

I finally bought it several months later when I'd bought everything else I could possibly be interested in and 'The Gift' was the only thing left.

I'm now glad I didn't buy it straightaway. 'The Riddle' was released sometime during the wait, so that meant it was there to buy when I speedily finished 'The Gift' and wanted more, more, more!:D

[writer7]

This is a good idea for a thread!:D I was just looking through a bookstore in (of course) the fantasy section when I saw "The Naming." I read the back and it sounded like my perfect book. I went to the library and got it and it WAS perfect!

[zorobnice]

I am half way through the Gift, and am loving it. must be one of the best "Chance" buys I have made. One of the big reasons for joining this forum was to find other authors so that I did not waste my time and money, which has happened in the past.

[Ollie]

no gd libraries round ur way then??

[alison]

Thanks, Zorobonice! It's nice to hear from everyone who responds so enthusiastically to the Pellinor books on the forum, I must say, as I struggle with the blank page and blank mind... ahem...I just remind myself it's part of the process. And that somehow I managed to write the other books, never quite believing that I would finish them...