August's book?

[Stormy]

July is half over so please give August's book a little thought. The theme for August's book will be fantasy/sci fi (I have given up on democracy in the interest of expediancy) - it was a popular genre from the last poll so I figured a sensible choice. :)

It would be great if there were suggestions for stand alone books, rather than those that form part of a series. I know a lot of GOOD books in this genre are part of a larger series but I'm sure there's plenty out there that are not which I haven't already read. :hehe:

[Night Crawler]

Good genre choice Stormy, but a toughie as I can't think of a good stand alone book. Give me a few days though and I will root around my collection and see what I can come up with.

Ooops, just remembered I've haven't commented on Infidel yet. Will get on that tomorrow!

[zen]

it's hard to choose a stand alone book in this genre.. i'll do a little research.. :)

just a thought, i wonder if we would like to choose a book from this site - http://www.baen.com/library/

it would be a free download, so we wouldn't have to go buy a book some of us might not like... but i guess lots of us might not like to read a book on their monitors - i am just remembering comments from that thread i started asking about ebooks.. :)

[Stormy]

Zen are the books listed on that site ONLY e-books? If they are also available in print, that would be an ideal solution :)

Oh just to clarify - I include medieval fiction in this category as well if that helps :yes:

[redrobyn]

Oooh interested in this one my favourite genre just read a couple of good ones. Will get back to you.

[Stormy]

Thanks Robyn :)

[jillybeanz]

Mike Jefferies! That's the guy's name ... knew it would come back to me eventually.

Mike Jefferies writes stand-alone fantasy novels - and I just discovered when I googled him, that he's an Aussie. He might be a bit difficult to get hold of though. I read The Road to Underfall about 10 years ago and loved it.

Another stand-alone writer is David Gemmell. Wolf in Shadow- his book featuring Jon Shannow - was captivating.

[jillybeanz]

Review by Amazon customer;

Wolf in Shadow

I became an instant David Gemmell fan after reading the last book in his 'Stones of Power' series, and have not looked back since. Every single book he has written has more or less been fantastic. None however overshadow this classic book which I highly suggest to all who read this.
'Wolf in Shadow' takes place in the far-flung future where an accident has toppled the earth, nearly destroying life and turning most of the world into a wastland. It has also released the magical Sipstraasi stones back into the world. Civilisation has worked it's way up to horse and buggies, but there exists a great evil who has built a satanic army thirsting for dominance.

There also exists The Jerusalem Man, a noble gunslinger who walks the world searching for the city of the Bible. This is Jon Shannow, one of Gemmell's greatest creations. He is a good man, but a hardened violent one who's morality is edged with a murderous quickdraw. And when he meets with Abaddon, lord of Hell and the mysterious gaurdians of the Sipstraasi, it creates one of sci-fi's under-appreciated jewel's.

Gemmel, as he is known to do, writes a strong adventure book but lines it with deep philosophical debates on the nature of evil and morality, one of those rare books that'll keep you turning pages and thinking as well.

Just a great novel from a great writer.

[zen]

Wolf in Shadow aka The Jerusalem Man, is actually the first in a trilogy called The Sipstrassi Tales : Jon Shannow series, which is part of The Stones of Power series, making this book the third book of the Stones of Power.. altho a lot of lists make it a series of it's own.

David Gemmel is a prolific writer, and i have most all of his books in either ebook form or paper... like a lot of authors, some books can be read separately anyway..

i was going to do some research? lol.. i will have some time later today.. :)

SW.. yes, of course any of those books would be in paper too, i was just thinking of saving some dollars if any of those books were chosen. :) after buying the Stockman, i tend to think of these things! lol!!

not a lot of time up my sleeve this morning tho, i'm off to get a pink slip this morning - an e-safety check that is.. :D

[Stormy]

Zen the only reason why I asked is that I know there are a few books out there that have only been written for e-book form - generally by aspiring authors who haven't got a publishing company since anyone can publish online. :yes:

I don't mind reading stuff on the computer but I spend so much time on mine as it is....when I go read, I like to be off the PC. :hehe:

[zen]

SW... that link i gave is part of the Baen Books (publishing company) website, they are all established authors, not just aspiring online self publishers... if you'd been there and read the blurb you'd know.. :) they tend towards thinking if they give away some books for free, especially some that are part of a series, they will actually have more sales eventually - and it's worked so well, even some authors from other publishers have asked to put a book or three up for free as well - Mercedes Lackey is one of those, and if you've not heard of her or read anything by her, you are not a scifi/fantasy reader! she's been around for a long time.. as has Andre Norton, and she has free books listed there too.. or it might be that i am so old and have been reading books from this genre for so long, that i just know these authors.. :D

[kezabelle]

Hi Stormy - I need to extend a thankyou to you for taking on this bookclub. If you knew my hubby he could have warned you that I do that - come up with ideas then find I'm too busy to follow them through :hehe: I thought I'd be able to manage a book a month, but at the moment it just isn't happening... So, thanks again and I hope you aren't cursing me every time you try to organise another book, etc

[zen]

hmm.. i have just read the start to Wolf in Shadow.. i hope you can all prepare yourself for any scathing comments on religion i might make if this book is chosen.. :D or maybe i will just not take part, or maybe i could try to be good.. lol!

so far, i'm still seeing series instead of stand alone books..

[Stormy]

I will go have a look at that website when I get time to have a decent look around it. I've never heard of them as a publisher before which is why I asked. I've never heard of those authors before but then that's not surprising since I've not read a huge amount of sci-fi/fantasy books. Obviously you are familiar with the site/authors there so that is why I asked so that I wasn't trolling the library for books that are not available in print. :argh:

That's ok Kerrie but I'm having a "what's the point" moment right now. :blink:

[zen]

what's the point? yep.. been there.. on another site i was the Reader's Corner Hostess for a number of years.. a book club was suggested, lots of people expressed interest, some with enthusiasm! so i dutifully started one.. i gave up after maybe 4-5 books, there was only a few that took part, and then for the last book, there was no response at all, after they had chosen the book by poll.. so yes, what's the point to this i thought to myself, and gave up.. :)

Baen Books have been around for a long time.. i sometimes came across a book published by them in the Galaxy Bookshop in Sydney, but they are american, New York i think from memory.. they only publish scifi and fantasy.. Jim Baen is dead now, but his legacy lives on....

[kezabelle]

Well, Stormy, I'll try to get back to the books as soon as possible. My 'what's the point' moment is regarding housework when school holidays are on and hubby is working near home and popping in for food twice a day :hehe: I haven't read any sci-fi or fantasy in years so I'm more than happy to read one - just have no idea what to suggest!

[susiq]

Hi Stormy - I haven't been on for a couple of days.

Thanks for keeping this going. Everyone just needs to commit who has said they would. Well done on just choosing the genre rather than a poll.

While I usually read this genre, I will happily give it a go. So, as you can guess I can't recommend anything!

Zen, how are you going with a suggestion?

[Coffeebean]

I have not read any Sci-fi/Fantasy books before, but am looking forward to seeing what is selected and giving it a go.... I usually read biographies, so this will be good for me :-)

[zen]

i have been reading the Wolf in Shadow :D i looked through some of my collection, but most were in a series.. i was going to suggest Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglass Adams (Dirk Gently tries to solve the mysteries of the universe and the human soul) but it's the first in a series too.. it could just as easily be read on it's own tho?

[jillybeanz]

It is true that Wolf in Shadow has two books after it, but it still could be read on its own without the need to read the other two. (Actually one of them didn't tie in very strongly at all.)

I read the Mike Jefferies book thinking it was the only one but now see it was the first of a series. Well at least now I can find out what happened next! LOL

Soemone mentioned Mercedes Lackey, she is also quality ... but perhaps not to everyone's taste?

[Stormy]

Should have thought before - first in a series is probably fine. People who like it can continue, those who don't can just opt out. :yes:

[crashtestwoman]

Okay I've done a little research cause I feel slack, slack, slack for leaving everything up to Stormy and I've come up with a few fantasy/ sci fi books for us to choose from. :).

Twilightby MEYER STEPHANIE


In this exquisite fantasy, Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward must control the blood lust she arouses in him because--he's a vampire. This deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful novel captures the struggle between defying instincts and satisfying desires. $20 from Dymocks.

Tourmaline by Paul Park


Teenager Miranda Popescu is at the fulcrum of a deadly political and diplomatic battle between conjurers in an alternate fantasy world where "Roumania" is a leading European power. Miranda was hidden by her aunt in our world. An American couple adopted and raised her in their quiet Massachusetts college town, but she had been translated by magic back to her own world, and is at large, five years in the future. The mad Baroness Ceaucescu in Bucharest, and the sinister alchemist, the Elector of Ratisbon, who holds her true mother prisoner in Germany, are her enemies. This is the story of how Miranda, separated from her two best friends, Peter and Andromeda, who have been left behind in the forests of an alternate America - begins to grow into her own personality. And how Peter and Andromeda are shockingly changed in the process of making their way to Roumania to find Miranda again at the end of this book. The exciting second volume of this brand new fantasy series, "The Tourmaline" is not to be missed. $30 from Dymocks

Bareback by WHITFIELD K


Lola Galley is used to doing things she doesn't want. She certainly doesn't want to be assigned the case of Richard Ellaway, the man who, under a cold full moon, mutilated a good friend of hers. But being a bareback, what she wants and what she gets are seldom the same. For those born feet-first, life is comfortable, and one night a month they lock themselves in a secure room to fur up in peace. Barebacks, trapped in their human skin and drafted at eighteen into the Department for the Ongoing Regulation of Lycanthropic Activity, don't have it so easy. A full moon means patrolling the silent night in search of transformed citizens breaking the curfew. The rest of the month, Dorla agents mop up the after-effects of the trespasses, the fights and the maulings. Resignedly, she takes the case - but before Ellaway can be tried, her maimed friend is murdered. Lola wants justice. She'll settle for the truth. But in a divided world, asking for the truth may bring answers that you don't want to hear. $20 from Dymocks.

Now my two top choices would be Bareback and Twilight. They both seem really interesting fantasy without going seriously into the science fiction realm which I find terribly hard to read.
Anyhoo I'll give anything a go.:yes:

[zen]

not Twlight please.. i couldn't do another romance novel.. :D besides, aren't these young adult fiction?

The Tourmaline is actually the second book in the Roumania series.. isn't this young adult fiction too?

Bareback sounds interesting, a crime novel with werewolves! :)


has anyone read much of Douglas Adams? it's an older book, i wondered if you all might have read it already...

[kezabelle]

I actually read a lot of Douglas Adams when I was in high school Zen - Dirk Gently included :hehe: But isn't that the thing with sci-fi/fantasy? It seems to be both young adult and adult.

Maybe it would be easier to just take turns picking a book - a roster for who gets which month. It's obviously far too hard to make everyone happy (just like choosing dates for appointments or baptisms :hehe:). Yes, I realise that not everyone will like the choice, but I'm always happy to step outside my comfort zone and try something new, and if people aren't for that month, they can always skip it. It's certainly not fair that this seems to have fallen in Stormy's lap to organise each time (sorry!).

[Stormy]

Well Kerrie I don't really care but I thought that people wouldn't appreciate being dictated to as to what we were going to read each month. That's why I thought it would be good that someone different picked a book each month. :dk:

Believe me, I'm more than happy to pick a book and say that's it, whether you like it or not because it would be quicker to organise and a lot easier too. :hehe:

[kezabelle]

No Stormy - that's what I meant - each person has a month in which to pick a book and everyone else just has to go with it (then everyone will get a chance). So, if we maybe see who's still part of the group and happy to pick one, then allocate a person to each of the next few months. Saves everyone arguing over what to read. Also, some people are spending a bit of time researching and I'm sure they'd like it if they knew at least one of their books would be chosen at some point :hehe:

So, assuming everyone is happy with that... let me know if you'd like a chance to pick a book and I'll allocate you a month (Stormy you are more than welcome to do it if you'd like but I'm feeling guilty :)). First cab off the rank gets August! :D

[Stormy]

Kerrie I get a feeling that you're going to have to dictate a roster anyway. :hehe: Last time I asked who would like to pick a book they all passed the buck. :P

[susiq]

Hi Stormy/Kezza

I'm happy for either of you to choose a book monthly.

I am also happy with a roster.

I am also happy for someone just to say, we're reading this one!

I got to choose Last Man Standing.

While not everyone liked it, I though the whole idea of a bookclub was to step out of our comfort zone and read something new. Come on ladies, stop being shy and retiring - I know you're not like that!

Sci-Fi is not my genre so I'd love to volunteer this month again but am out of my depth!

[kezabelle]

Oh, I intend to dictate a roster... :D But, I loked at the members of the group and wasn't sure they were all still reading so thought I'd try this way. A few people have put some research in to the last few books so I'm sure they'll want a chance. If everyone is happy to argue about for two weeks each time though, I'll go with that - but I'm assuming they don't... :hehe: So, does that make you first cab Stormy? LMAO You haven't picked one yet have you? Hmmm.....

[jillybeanz]

I think that's a terrific idea. If we know a book title well in advance it gives heaps of leeway for getting the book in time. The last book I couldn't get at all, and the one before I got just in time for your reviews - you'd already read it!! LMAO

Plus it's very fair - we all get to pick something we like, and get to experience what others like.

Good call! :D

[kezabelle]

Still waiting for someone to actually say they want to choose a book...... :) don't leave it to me guys - I'll pick something on my bedside table and they're all still there for a good reason!

[jillybeanz]

:D

I was going to leave it at that but ... what the hey ... Wolf in Shadow.

Because it's got a bit more to offer than fantasy and the ladies who are not fantasy fiction readers might find it easier to take on.

But I won't be offended if someone has a better suggestion. Except if it's romance. Then I will be offended. Big time. LMAO

[kezabelle]

Sounds good - Wolf in Shadow by David Gemmell it is!

so that's August organised. If anyone wants to PM me to let me know you want to choose a book, please do so and I'll give you a month :)

[zen]

good!! i'm already about a quarter of the way through Wolf in Shadow.. :) i'll save the comment i was just about to make about the book till the discussion starts.. :)

i will take my turn to choose a book when it comes around, without any negative comments.. and i will at least try to go for any book chosen by anyone else when it's their turn to choose.. altho, romance will try me severely! :D

kezabelle - no, not really.. there are definite differences in books written for young adults, even tho young adults read the books written for adults without difficulty, depending of course, on how open minded their parents are i guess.. :)

[kezabelle]

Somethings will try me too Zen - especially the collection on my bedside table :hehe: As for the young adult vs adult comment - it's just an obsevration from my own SF/fantasy reading era many years ago. But, it's been a long, long time and I am much more mature now LMAO so I'll see how this one goes.

[susiq]

Yippee! A book has been chosen.

I'll try and track in down.

[jillybeanz]

I quite like some YA fiction too. Miss Kiki's recent recommendation - The messenger by Markus Zusak - was excellent reading, and that was in the YA section of the local liberry.

There is another Aussie author i remember too from YA who is a bit of fun ... Maureen McCarthy.

[zen]

oh yes, talking of young adult fiction.. i loved all the Harry Potter books! and i've bought the His Dark Materials trilogy after seeing the Golden Compass.. just haven't got around to reading them yet.. way too many books, way too little time...

[kezabelle]

Zen - is the Dark Materials trilogy related to the Golden Compass? The kids and I loved it so much I bought the DVD the other day (don't actually buy a lot of DVDs :))

[zen]

yes.. the movie was taken from the first book.. it was released in the states as the Golden Compass, but here it's called the Northern Lights.. i really don't understand why books end up with different titles in the USA.. ? happens to quite a few.. even Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, or the Philospher's Stone, depending on country.. happens to movies too i think..

i loved that movie so much.. we thought we would wait to buy it in case an extended, or collector's edition is released.. :)

[Coffeebean]

Looking forward to getting my copy of Wolf in shadow by David Gemmell :-)

[Stormy]

Well hoorah, you got it all sorted out while I was at work, good work. :D

I'll try and source a copy from the library...hopefully by the end of the next two weeks I've finished Swahili so I won't have a conflict of interest. :P

[zen]

well.. finished Wolf in Shadow.. now do i read the next book, or go back and read the first two before i go ahead.. :D i hope i remember it by the time we discuss it!

[susiq]

Well done Zen. I have just tracked it down in a library near me and will pick it up tomorrow.

I didn't think we had the next one chosen after this - or did I miss it?

[kezabelle]

No, the next one ahsn't been chosen yet :) I can't get Wolf in Shadow yet - it's on order from the library...

[Night Crawler]

Okay then. Will grab a copy when I have funds at the end of the month. Thanks for picking it ladies ladies. Cheers.

[Coffeebean]

How long do we have to read the August book?

[Stormy]

Coffee you will have the whole of August :)

[Coffeebean]

Ohhh that is great cause I am reading another book at the moment..... :)

[jaideii]

"Wolf in shadow by David Gemmell"

So this is the August book eh?

I've come in at the bottom end of the conversation and i'm glad because sci fi is way out of my usual reading genre...and i wouldn't even be able to suggest any! At the moment i'm reading, He'll Be OK : Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men! (Celia Lashlie) I read a lot of biographies and psychology type books so sci fi will be a change!

I've just gone to my library website and they don't have this book in their catalogue so i can't reserve it there! Grr...

I'm not sure how we go about discussing the books, after we've read them, but i'll keep an eye out for what happens in here...and hopefully i'll be able to grab a copy of this without it breaking the bank!:P

[jillybeanz]

How ironic! My own copy of Wolf in Shadow is packed away in our seatainer ... we knoweth not which box ... and I cannot track down a copy here!

I'd forgotten it was long out of print when I suggested it. Hope you are all able to find a copy! I'm going to have a squizz on eBay ...

[jillybeanz]

fyi

No copies on Oz eBay ... so I tracked one down at Booktopia.com.au for $16.35 including postage. And they accept payment by Paypal. Too easy.

[Stormy]

I just requested a copy from the library....will pick it up on Monday hopefully. :)

[jillybeanz]

Yes I saw that you were clever! Well done! No copies at our liberry her tho and indications of a slow booking if I choose to wait for them to find one. Boo hiss.

Still, $16 is not too bad PLUS i get the pleasure of a candy striped card in my mailbox announcing a parcel! Sweet! :jump:

[Night Crawler]

"Wolf in shadow by David Gemmell"

So this is the August book eh?

I've come in at the bottom end of the conversation and i'm glad because sci fi is way out of my usual reading genre...and i wouldn't even be able to suggest any! At the moment i'm reading, He'll Be OK : Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men! (Celia Lashlie) I read a lot of biographies and psychology type books so sci fi will be a change!

I've just gone to my library website and they don't have this book in their catalogue so i can't reserve it there! Grr...

I'm not sure how we go about discussing the books, after we've read them, but i'll keep an eye out for what happens in here...and hopefully i'll be able to grab a copy of this without it breaking the bank!:P

Quick FYI - This book is more Fantasy than Sci-Fi.

[Coffeebean]

Ohhhhh so the book is out of print? Now I understand why I had trouble tracking it down today....
Will try the second hand bookshop and if not there, will go to the library..... :)

[crashtestwoman]

I buy all my books from booktopia and love em but I must tell ya that if the book is out of print and they have to order it from the publishers it can take up to 4 or 5 weeks to get it. I order most of my series books from them when they are released in America so they are not technically released in Australia yet (usually 6 months later) and I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof waiting for them. Oh and they come in a bubble wrap bag that they drop at your door, so no pick up at the post office either. But I still love em and often buy half a dozen books at a time because it still only costs me $6 postage.

[jaideii]

I'd forgotten it was long out of print when I suggested it. Hope you are all able to find a copy! I'm going to have a squizz on eBay ...

You can still get it, i ordered it from my local bookshop - takes a week - but it'll be here in plenty of time! $19.99 for the new price.

I'm going against my resolve not to 'buy books' but i'm going to start giving my books away after i've read them. It's time.

[Stormy]

Good on you jadeii....I give a lot of mine away after I've finished reading. I got my copy from the library today and will start on it once I finish my current one. :)

[jaideii]

Quick FYI - This book is more Fantasy than Sci-Fi.

In that case i might really like it! C S Lewis would have to be one of my more favourite authors..as is Tolkein, Frank L Baum and Lloyd Alexander! :)

Can't wait till it arrives now!

[zen]

hmm... i don't want to give it all away just yet, but it's not really fantasy either... at least, not as those authors would have it, cept i've not read any Lloyd Alexander - just looked him up, he's a children's author? that's the one?

[kezabelle]

Wel, the library rang so i trotted off to claim my prize (the book :hehe:). i was amazed as i'd never actually seen a novel in A4 format... so, i arrived home and left it beside my bed for a night time gander.... opened the front cover and :blink: :blink: :uhno: It's in graphic format! ie, it's a comic LMAO

p.s. have only looked at first too pages and so far it's a Western :blink:

[susiq]

Kezza - that is too funny!

Can you review that one anyway and we'll see which one was the best!

[kezabelle]

Think it's the only option I have Susi! :) That's the only copy the libraries around here have.

[susiq]

Even funnier!

Saying that, I have had trouble tracking it down myself. The library that I found it at actually didn't have it. Got lost somewhere and they weren't too concerned.

I'm going to another library tomorrow who have it listed in the electronic catalogue so we'll see.

[zen]

p.s. have only looked at first too pages and so far it's a Western :blink:

i first thought of some of the early Clint Eastwood movies when i started reading it.. Pale Rider perhaps, or High Plains Drifter.. i was going to wait for the discussion to start, but it seems to be a hard book to find..

[jaideii]

hmm... i don't want to give it all away just yet, but it's not really fantasy either... at least, not as those authors would have it, cept i've not read any Lloyd Alexander - just looked him up, he's a children's author? that's the one?

Hi zen! I can't wait to read it! The bookshop hasn't rung yet but they did say seven days so no doubt it will take that!

Lloyd Alexander is basically a children's author, yeah, but he like CS Lewis has also written for adult literature as well. A lot of his writing is about Welsh mythology..

His most famous book is The Book of Three (from the Chronicles of Prydain which has 5 books in the series) He reminds me a bit of CS lewis in his genius for writing.

Even though the series, and the first one in it, the "Book of Three" is a children's book (and series) I absolutey LOVED it!

I first came across "The Book of Three" when i was at university studying literature, during my Education course...That particular book became part of my reading programs when i was teaching because it's courageous (good vs evil) as well as humorous! It really appeals to kids.

I soon read the others (but they weren't part of the reading program altho i always had them in the classroom library for extended reading)

I don't know if you can still get them now...I've had mine since the eighties.

It's a bit like the good vs evil theme in CS Lewis' books and it has characters that resemble Tolkeins books..if you liked any of their books, you'll love this series! It truly is brilliant and i really don't think he got the recognition the other authors enjoyed! (albeit, in their death!)

It's really funny, because i read a lot of kids books around that time, because i was to go out and teach obviously, and a lot of the stories have now become films ie The Hobbit, Iron Man, Chronicles of Narnia, Charlotte's Web etc...

They're great books for kids (or the kid in us!) anyway! :)

[jaideii]

p.s. have only looked at first too pages and so far it's a Western :blink:

:uhno:

Far out! It's a western????

Geepers, this is turning out to be a bit of a lucky dip...

[zen]

it's not actually a western, but has a lot in common with one, especially at the start...

Prydain rings a bell actually.. forget where from, i have a good impression tho.. i'll have a look next time i am in Borders.. after all, i have liked a fair few books written for children..

[Coffeebean]

I have ordered a copy....
Will arrive in the next few days YAY!!!
Hard to get one in a store..... but easy to order online :)

[Stormy]

Wel, the library rang so i trotted off to claim my prize (the book :hehe:). i was amazed as i'd never actually seen a novel in A4 format... so, i arrived home and left it beside my bed for a night time gander.... opened the front cover and :blink: :blink: :uhno: It's in graphic format! ie, it's a comic LMAO

p.s. have only looked at first too pages and so far it's a Western :blink:

A comic....I didn't even think they did novels in comic form. LMAO

At least it will be a super speedy read for you! :D

[kezabelle]

Read it last night Stormy! :D Not sure if it would have been my cup of tea or not - certainly back in my fantasy reading days I would have enjoyed it. Will have to track down a proper copy though and see how much of the story was included/left out. Took me less than an hour to read the comic!

[jaideii]

Prydain rings a bell actually.. forget where from, i have a good impression tho.

Have you heard of Taran? He's the main character who has an oracular pig he looks after called Hen Wen :-) I guess the best way he is described is as the "Assistant Pig Keeper"...

And like all good fantasies.. he also has a princess and a mentor :-)

Anyway, the series is pretty much about Taran..and the heroric acts he peforms to prove his self worth!

I must read it again, it's been a few years, and i've read it multiple times, mostly aloud - to kids! LOL

[zen]

Hen Wen rings a bell too.. maybe i've just read a review one time.. :)

[jaideii]

Hen Wen rings a bell too.. maybe i've just read a review one time.. :)

Maybe you've read the book? Or one of your kids have? It's been around for a long time! I wonder if you could get it from the library just to have a read? Dunno if you'd remember a name like that from a review? Well, i wouldn't anyway..lol

[zen]

i don't have kids. maybe i have read it a long long time ago.. wouldn't surprise me.. :)

[Coffeebean]

I've got my copy....
I ordered it from Dymocks.... only took 3 days to arrive. :)

[jillybeanz]

Well done CB! I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, but mail is hideously slow getting up here. The north of Australia is all uphill you know. :D

[Coffeebean]

LMAO :D
Did you order yours from Dymocks?

[jillybeanz]

No, from Booktopia. It was only $16 including post so i have a horrible feeling it might be s/hand and coming from very faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar away! like even overseas ...

I never even thought of Dymocks and I have an account set up with them. D'oh!

[Coffeebean]

But $16 is an excellent price!
I paid $19.99 plus postage....
I am sure it will arrive soon.
Booktopia is well respected.... perhaps you can email them and ask when it was posted, etc...

[Coffeebean]

I called Dymocks here as well as Angus & Robertson and neither had the book in stock and said it would take 2 weeks or so to arrive and I had to put a deposit on the book before they would order it etc....
So I went online to A & R and they said 10 days to arrive.
Dymocks said 2 to 3 days.... so I joined Dymocks and ordered it....
I was so surprised it arrived so quickly. They were true to their word. Would definitely use them again.

[zen]

Dymocks are good.. i have used them online for ebooks, altho they didn't have much of a range then, i should look again, they had only just started the ebook section that time..

so most of us either have the book now, or have it on order?

[Coffeebean]

That's true of many online sites.... They range is less than in store.
But still worth checking out!
Saved me from having to go from store to store looking for a book....

[ezmay]

i have my copy from the library. Started reading a few pages a night and im up to chapter 4. Not too bad so far, im not usually into fantasy/sci fi books but this is good so far

[jaideii]

Mine hasn't come in yet! It's taking longer than usual!! Aaww.

Went to the library tho, and got out 2 of David Gemmells books...

I got White Wolf which seems to one of the few of Gemmell's books that is not in a series!

Itseems Wolf in Shadow is a trilogy? In the Jon Shannow series.

Anyway, i got the last one, here right now, "Bloodstone" and wondered if i should wait to read that after i've read Wolf in Shadow? I've also ordered the middle book (if there's an order, does anyone know??) called The Last Guardian! But that won't be in till mid August!

For those who have read any of David Gemmell's books..would you say these books are from the Hero Fantasy genre?

Seems they're quite popular.....so glad we're doing this book, it's opened up my world of reading! (or will, when i've read these books LOL)

[jillybeanz]

Refresh Bloodstone for me please Jaide ... Just the blurb on the cover will do.

Wolf in Shadow is fine read on it's own. Of two that followed (if my cobwebby memory is telling me the truth) one fitted in with Wolf (finished the questionmarks off) but the other was only loosely connected and was a bit of a disappointment ... mostly about King Arthur as I recall. I thought one was called Sipstrassi something-or-other ...

[jaideii]

Refresh Bloodstone for me please Jaide ... Just the blurb on the cover will do. ...

Hi Jilly,

The blurb says, "The tyrannical rule of the Deacon and his Jerusalen Riders has unleashed upon the world a sea of bigotry and hatred, where Unbelievers and Mutants are massacred in the name of God and Peace. And the long - vanished Jerusalem Man is now considered a saint of the new order. To speak ill of his memory is heresay.

But when hte church in Pilgrim's Valley is burnt to the ground its congregation slaughtered, a roder appears and hunts down the killers. And word spreads - The Jerusalem man is back!"

It goes on..another 2 'paragraphs' on the back cover!

Want me to continue practising my typing skills and keep rewriting the rest of the blurb?? hehe

I'm going to check at the BS today to see if Wolf in Shadow is in, if it's not, i'm going to start reading Bloodstone...as gruesome as it sounds...

[jillybeanz]

Well that is the book that would ruin reading Wolf in Shadow. It wasn't bad either, as I recall!! But be patient ...

[jaideii]

Well that is the book that would ruin reading Wolf in Shadow. It wasn't bad either, as I recall!! But be patient ...

Changed my mind - going to be patient and read Wolf in Shadow first!

Looking forward to our first Book Club book! :)