[wannabeactor]

you guys have to read john marsden's books. Soo good!! He relates to teenager and he's on you level. (i think i just turned hippy there)

Also Phillipa Gregory. The best fiction stories about the pommy kings and queens. (don't kill me yet you english people out there, im part english so cut me a little slack )

[Firefall]

Yes, Philippa Gregory writes some great stuff. I'm a history nut, particularly the English kings and queens, so I enjoy what I've read of her books...but they were the first books I ever read with actual sex in them, so I have to admit the first one I read gave me kind of a shock! lol :rolleyes:

[Quinn]

Re the Terry Goodkind books: I was obsessed for the first book but unfortunately the series went rapidly downhill after that. Wizard's First Rule should have been a stand-alone book, partly because Goodkind had solved the most important riddle -the love story- for us by the end.

I just read a book called The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which is about the legend of Dracula in Europe. I don't really go for vampire/horror (I've read none of Anne Rice's books, perhaps i'm missing out), but as I got the Historian for xmas I gave it a go and loved it! It's very rich in hisotrical detail and one of the things I loved most was traveling through the old cities of Europe - Kostova has a beautiful style of writing detail and mood.
Right now I'm reading Jane Eyre and it's taking over as my favourite Bronte book (used to be Wuthering Heights). Mr Rochester, another dark moody man with secrets. ;)

[Gemini]

I just read a book called The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which is about the legend of Dracula in Europe.
I recently read something very similar to that by Victor Kelleher, called Into the Dark, it's POV is one of the counts servants who enters dracula's service to save his sister's life. It's an interesting reworking of the tale IMO.

He seems to enjoy retelling old horror stories, because he also did one of Frankenstein, this time from the POV of the bride Frankenstein created for his monster. It's called Born of the Sea (http://www.penguin.com.au/authors/author-title-details.cfm?found=1&startrow=1&formTitle=&formAuthor=&formKeyword=&formISBN=&formCategory=All&formImprint=All&formCountry=All&formAudience=All&formMedia=All&formOrigin=All&formOrderBy=Title&SBN=0670040533%20%20%20&Author=Kelleher%20Victor) and is also an excellent read.

Basically i could recommend anything by Kelleher, beacuse i've never been disappionted by one of his books.

[MissMary]

I just read a book called The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which is about the legend of Dracula in Europe.

that is still on my "to read"-list (which is about 800 pages long). I got it for my birthday in september, and never found time to read it. I only read the first four chapters, and I really like her style, and like you said the descriptions of the cities are great. I also like the relationship between the girl and the father...
I should finish reading it...but first the is more Goethe, Lessing, Schiller, Shakespear, Arthur Miller, Ovid and Cicaro... oh how I love school...

[raindrops]

Has anybody read books from Philip Pullman? Along with alison, and Garth Nix, Philip Pullman is one of may fav. authors. His Dark Materials was amazing! If you want to dive into a really good series this is a GREAT one. Also the The Sally Lockhart quartet are very very good, although its more
historical thrillers, rather then fantasy

[cheese]

Yeah Phillip Pullman writes very good YA Fantasy..I read them about 3-4 years ago and would recommend it to anybody on this forum.

[StarLily]

i've read the dark materials and i highly highly recommend it for everyone! VERY GOOD

[Silver Serpent]

Yeah they are good-

I must admit i cried when i read the bit where Sally's husband Fred dies in the fire.They had only just admitted their feelings for eachother!Grrr.


have you noticed how alot of books take the same thread-

Darren Shan...teenage 'chosen one-powerful-Darren'.
Taken away from family.
Doesn't trust tutor/mentor at the time.
Grows to trust/love (father/son type love) mentor
Mentor dies
Teen hero overcomes evil
Hero dies bravely after saving all.


Alison's books so far.
Maerad...teen chosen one-powerful
No family.
Doesn't trust mentor at the time.
Grows to trust/love (!!!! :D !!!!) mentor/tutor
Mentor appears to die
Teen heroing overcomes evil
Mentor returns........
POSSIBLY-heroine tempted to 'the DARK side'?!

LOTR....young hero...chosen one.
barely any family
Wary of mentors (Aragorn and Gandalf)
Grows to trust and love mentors.
Gandalf (main mentor and adviser) appears to die.
hero begins to overcome evil.
Mentor returns.
Tempted to 'the DARK side'
Evil defeated.

There are others..i just can't remember any of them!lol :rolleyes: :D :mad:

[cheese]

Well lately I have been reading a lot of Robin Hobb...She is a great fantasy author and I recommend her Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies..It is a really good read.