MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 1518 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Re: questions from a newbie by troll-+AT+-netcomuk.co.uk 2) Sorry, I couldn't resist... by "Lady Summersunshine" 3) Re: Somebody hit me. by Dave 4) Re: Holderkin Goddess??? by Flaime13 5) Usual briad stuff by Joleth9652 6) Re: How are you guys missing this? by "John E Morris" 7) Braid by "marty l. adkins" 8) Something resembling a braid... by Chris Manning 9) Braid (even including some obMisty, I think) by Niki Nibbe 10) Nightdancer? by Vonne 11) Fellowship Ring by "Ktara n'ha Sara" 12) Braid: silliness, reactions, and so on . . . by Danielle May Marrone 13) Re: Books / TLHM / Thanks by Elizabeth Hoffman 14) So that's how you do it! by Tifalheart-+AT+-webtv.net (April Hunt) 15) All kinds of stuff, not definable by "Tim & Tiffanie Gray" 16) Re: braid:lots and lots by Rainbow ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 22:57:23 GMT From: troll-+AT+-netcomuk.co.uk To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: questions from a newbie Message-ID: <199839225933226500-+AT+-netcomuk.co.uk> Welcome, Lady Katie! *A large troll pounces on the newcomer, bowling her over. A huge black war sheep then trots up and licks her face with a warm and wet tongue. The troll then hands the startled Lady Katie a warm lavender-scented sheep. 'Use this as a towel after the others have SPLOSHed you.' >I don't think a person has to be insane, though I think a lot of people >who commit suicide are (at least temporarily). Thankyou. I know I wasn't technically insane when I attempted it, I just didn't want to live anymore, and with(I thought)good reason at the time. On the shaych discussion: yes, I noticed that Vanyel and Tylendel were 'more than just extremely close friends' and it never bothered me. Maybe we trolls are more tolerant than some other peoples? *big troll grin* Seriously though, although I've never actually known any homosexual males here, I have a LOT of lesbian and bi female friends...maybe that has something to do with it. Wind to thy wings, salt water to thy hair, and chocolate sheep to thy larders... Muranog Shadowbane Troll Adept and his bondmate Sable, the giant black war sheep ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 01:23:09 GMT From: "Lady Summersunshine" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Sorry, I couldn't resist... Message-ID: <19980310012310.27433.qmail-+AT+-hotmail.com> Heyla listsibs.... Amber, who often goes as Stasia said: >That brings ME to a "reading" >question. Does anyone else get a >"feeling" when it comes to picking >up a book >Am I the only one who goes through >this? I know I'm not supposed to say this but, Me too! Me too! It gets so frustrating some times when I have a bunch of new books I want to read but I just have to re-read something first! Also, am I the only one who has to read certain book in groups? For example, if I read a book about elves, then the next book I read almost always has to have elves in it in somewhere. Also, ShadowWolf said: >Actually I have been known to read >the dictionary just for the heck of it. >Am I a reading addict or what?!!!! Ha! I thought my mom and I were the only people who did that! Glad to know I'm not completely insane...or at least I'm not alone in it ;-) Sorry for the fluffy post. I just couldn't resist, really, I did try. By the way have I mentioned recently how much I love this list? =) ObMisty: How important were the Trondi'irn? In the Gryphon trilogy they seem pretty necessary but Treyvan and Hydona went for years without one...? WTTW, *~*~*~*~*~*~* Lady of the Summer(aka Lisa) http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4474 Archivst of Fluff and keeper of the Official Web Page of the Fluffian Order: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Rampart/4991 ICQ #: 6924601 I'm available to help anyone who needs it with braiding in hotmail. *~*~*~*~*~*~* ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Mar 1998 19:42:34 -0600 From: Dave To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Somebody hit me. Message-ID: <35049A8A.53C-+AT+-aristotle.net> Isabel Kunkle wrote: > About other genres-I read sf if it's not 'hard'. I am also possibly the > only person to read gaming sourcebooks for entertainment. I love Gone Actually, no, you're not. Though I must admit it's been a few years since I picked mine up. I used to subscribe to Dungeon (and still have all the old issues) Just so I could read through the senarios. > Swearwords-Yes. Definitely. Shin'a'in and Pernese are my favorites, > though I also use Shadowrun and oaths concerning AD&D gods. I use a few odd swearwords, but the only ones I get odd looks for are "bloody" which wouldn't be odd at all if I lived in England still, and "Darkness!" or "Darkness take it." Which I don't remember where I came by. Re: suicide. My only grief with people having a "right" to suicide would be some freak who would get thier jollies by driving people to suicide, and there would be nothing that could be done to him. Dave Mc Lord of Dryer Lint ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 21:28:25 EST From: Flaime13 To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Holderkin Goddess??? Message-ID: In a message dated 3/8/98 6:54:07 PM US Mountain Standard Time, dprono-+AT+-planet.eon.net writes: << I was just beginning to re-read AotQ today, and i noticed that the Holderkin worship a Goddess. Does this seem strange to you? I mean, they are a patriarchial (sp?) society, so wouldn't they then follow a male God? Or am I missing something? Comments? Do not pass go, do not collect $200? ;) >> :::comments from the peanut gallery...::: Aye, the Holderkin worship a Goddess; she is submissive and I am assuming meant to be an example to ideal behaviour among Holderkin females.... Blessings, Flaimecat ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 21:40:40 EST From: Joleth9652 To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Usual briad stuff Message-ID: Okay, I won't get into the "I didn't know Vanyel was Sayach" argument, but most of you are misunderstanding him. (I sorta see what your'e saying, BTW, and it is a hard point to get across.) Books I've reread. Most of them. I don't own any books, but I visit the library every two weeks, and check out a minimum of 20 every time, and manage to read all but one or two which I get halfway through, decide are pointless, poorly written, or otherwise not worthwhile, and stop. I'm probably getting near my 100th time through the Hobbit, and I've read The Two Towers 74 times. (I'm not sure why I started keeping track.) It's been duct taped together, and fell apart again. I can now tell the stories quite well from memory. One boring Cross-Country bus trip, I told the entire story of the Hobbit to a few of my friends who hadn't read it. All of David Eddings books I've read many times, and most of Misty's. And Piers Anthony's Xanth series, Robert Asprin Thieves World and Myth saga, Conan books, elfquest, Dragonlance, Weis&Hickman, McCaffery, etc. I've read Robert Jordan, but I don't like his style very much, and it seems like if he can't think of a plot, he writes filler until inspiration strikes. I also like Orson Scott Card (he wrote the insult/sword- fighting engine for the Secret of Monkey Island video game, interesting tidbit of the day) I get that "I'm not in the mood to read this book" feeling all the time. More and more, now that I've used up all the good books in the library, and have to resort to checking out the mediocre ones if I want one with a surprise plot. I personally am almost entirely an escapist reader. I love mostly happy endings and having the good guys win. My favorite TV show is Xena, if that's any clue. Sword & Sorcery's great fun. Looking at all the responses to the insane/suicide thread, I'm amazed that so many Mistyphiles have been suicidal at one point or another. What doesa everyone think? Is it that widespread in the general population, or is it just that the people who like her writing enough to join a mailing list have a personality that makes them more susceptable to severe depression? _/o!eth ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 9 Mar 1998 23:41:36 -0500 From: "John E Morris" To: Subject: Re: How are you guys missing this? Message-ID: <01bd4bde$cf9c6cc0$76109cd1-+AT+-default> >Secondly, perhaps I wasn't real clear when I said "I didn't realize Van >was gay" -- which is why I wrote in to clarify. And no, you do not >"get" what I was saying. Your take ("the point is that Van's >homosexuality was relatively unimportant to the main storyline") is >completely off-base. That's not what either of us was trying to say. >(and I spent quite a while on my last post talking about Van and his >life and about how his father discriminates against him, etc., yet you >ignore this in your response.) You've had you're final say on this topic, so I trust you will not begrudge me mine. I will reiterate again that I do, indeed understand what you have been trying to say. Perhaps what I have not been as clear on as I could have been is that I simply do not agree with you. I think that such a simple dismissal of Vanyel's homosexuality is demeaning to the character as well as the authors intent. By saying that Vanyel seemed completely normal to you (and I believe the societal definition of normal, which is really what we are discussing here, is self-evident) you are denying a key facet of his psyche. Vanyel was not "normal" by any sense of the word. Not only was he a gay man in a world generally unnacepting of such things, he was the most powerful mage known to the citizens of Valdemar. These two key differences defined Van's self-percieved role in his society. Constantly, we are exposed to Vanyel's twin fears: that others feared him either because of his sexuality or his power. He was never really sure which it was. This internal struggle caused him to behave in a generally reclusive fashion; with the exception of a few close friends, Vanyel was effectively alone. With this in mind, the fact that one does not feel horror or shock when reading about Vanyel and Tylendel is irrelevant. Horror is not demanded. Recognition and thought, however, are. Without his homosexuality, Vanyel would be just another vanilla-colored hero in a long line of vanilla-colored heroes. His conflicts would not be nearly as profound; his differences, percieved or otherwise, would not be nearly as meaningful. In short, the fact that Vanyel Ashekevron was a homosexual made The Last Herald-Mage trilogy the effective and moving triptych that it was. Another small point - A gay, main character created by a mainstream author in a mainstream work is always important. Anyone who finds him or herself in the minority should be able to relate to this. Those of us who are persecuted and denied because of our differences celebrate and are strengthed by characters who embody those differences. To dismiss those small but oh-so-important differences dismisses and demeans those who might see in them a mirror of themselves and find comfort in that reflection. I sincerely hope that this will clarify my position adequately. I apologize if you feel that my prior posts have been marked by derision. I have detected a certain acerbic tinge to certain posts directed at me in the past few days, and am well-acquainted with the slow-burn, acid-churning sensations that accompany the reading of such messages. Perhaps, intentionally or unintentionally, I have thrown my dart a little closer to your dart this time. I pray whole-heartedly that I have ignored nothing germane to this issue, and have satisfied all parties as to my concerns. John E. Morris ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 00:37:44 -0500 From: "marty l. adkins" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Braid Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980310003744.00699ea4-+AT+-pop.mindspring.com> Typo--George McDonald wrote _The Light Princess_, as well as lots of other good stuff you might enjoy. The first Misty I ever read was the original Tarma and Kethry story in S&S III. A couple of years later, I saw the _Oath_ books in a bookstore, remembered the vivid emotional impact of the original, and had the good fortune to find them in the used section of the same store. _Children of the Night_ followed, then BtS, for which I paid full price [a major commitment in starving student days--hey, a major commitment any day]. The end was a bit confusing, until I read Arrows and TLHM, whereupon It All Became Clear. Rather than saying, "The rest is history," I prefer to think like [Robert] Browning: "The best is yet to be!" Some of Misty's more recent books have seemed somewhat rushed, but even her worst is far more compelling than most other authors' Pretty Good. A major tenet of my faith: Trust The Writer [especially Misty]. As for why I read, it's for the simplest reason of all: I have to. Sometimes it can be to learn about other places/people/times of history; sometimes it can be to escape from a particular problem or situation; sometimes it's to give yourself time to [re-]gain self-control. There was a time in my life when what I most wanted in the world was to be a book--of the right kind, so I could help/inspire others, without risking being hurt myself. As addictions go, reading is more socially acceptable than most. The generally improved vocabulary, grades, etc. are useful in obtaining scholarships and/or exempting classes. The only deleterious physical side-effects might be damaged eyesight [& that myopia could well be hereditary anyway] and an expanded waistline. Also, one has something to show for money spent, as opposed to money literally "to burn" on other addictions which poison others [yes, my parents both smoke; talk about "love the sinner; hate the sin"]. It's even something of a challenge to 1) find the books as cheaply as possible and 2) find room to store them. Both activities engender fun bragging rights. I was really glad when the "feeling books" thread came up; judging from the response, I wasn't the only one. These "feelings" can manifest in different ways at different times. There's sort of an itch at the back of the mind that only a specific book will satisfy. It might even be something you've never read before, and you might have to root around [or over or under] several shelves before finding it. When it's time to give gifts to family or friends, I stand in the middle of The Collection with a specific person in my mind [or do I mean heart?], and books and ideas come to me. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, I will get a sudden urge to go to a particular store; almost always, I will find books that have meaning for me, as if they had "called" me. Does anybody else have this happen? As with everything else, there is a price. In the grip of a particularly compelling book, the rest of the world disappears, and nothing matters but the printed page. Interruptions are annoyances to be dealt with quickly [notice I did not say as "politely"] as possible. I've been known to neglect family, friends, or skip classes when "the book comes upon me." That's one reason I tend to read less these days than I used to; it's hard to find large blocks of untrammeled time to immerse myself in a book. Some things are even more important than Finishing The Next Page; I don't like the price in relationships or self-respect if they're neglected. So, opportunities are fewer, but all the more prized when they do come. After all, it would be rather hypocritical [and stupid, and some other choice things] to shut people out of one's life, to spend more time reading Misty books about the importance of not shutting people out of one's life. I've been thinking about the people I read lately and how and why I read them, especially since the thread came up onlist. It's very important to me to know what I believe and why I believe it, so my follow-through is more meaningful and complete. I could list any number of authors: Andre Norton, Misty, Lois McMaster Bujold, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Georgette Heyer, Dorothy Sayers, Elizabeth Peters, Spider Robinson, Larry Niven, Charles de Lint, Christopher Stasheff, James Schmitz, Louisa May Alcott [don't let her prim reputation fool you; this is a woman whose father was fired from one of the more prestigious schools in Boston for teaching black kids in the same classroom as the white ones. She herself was something of a social radical, writing about equal rights and education for women and mutual responsibility and trust in relationships. Cornelia Meigs' Newbery-winning biography, _Invincible Louisa_ is very highly recommended]... A common thread with these people and others I read is that they have intelligence, integrity, and humor. I feel better about myself for admiring such admirable qualities, and I feel that I am a better person for having chosen to spend time with them. Since our choices shape who we become, perhaps I am. Comments, anyone? Note to Izzy about her sig: my husband the Proud Mundane's all-time favorite bumper sticker, actually spotted at a con: Psycho Amazon War-Bitch From Hell-- With An Attitude! Large, coffee-table shaped sheep bearing all their favorite books [and time in which to read them] to all listsibs from Jerrie M. Adkins ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 01:29:04 -0500 From: Chris Manning To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Something resembling a braid... Message-ID: <3504DDB0.3DFA-+AT+-voyager.net> Lady Summersunshine wrote: > > I know I'm not supposed to say this but, Me too! Me too! It gets so > frustrating some times when I have a bunch of new books I want to read > but I just have to re-read something first! Also, am I the only one who > has to read certain book in groups? For example, if I read a book about > elves, then the next book I read almost always has to have elves in it > in somewhere. > I also seem to have a habit of reading in groups as well, but, since I generally buy entire trilogies at a time, I'm not completely suprised (unfortunately for me... the local library doesn't have much). > ObMisty: How important were the Trondi'irn? In the Gryphon trilogy > they seem pretty necessary but Treyvan and Hydona went for years without > one...? > They were the people who tended to the Gryphons (pretty much like nurses for them, as they took care of the injured ones) And about the most read book... umm, I've only read each of the books I have once. (I have tried to read some books over, but for some reason, once I've read one, I can't seem to re-read it, though I have had them for about a little over 2 months) I do, however, complete a 300 page novel at about 20 hours. I've been working on slowing down so I don't forget what I've read -- Chris Manning - wtknleo at voyager dot net - ICQ UIN 5409788 Lunar - Phantasy Star - Magic Knight RayEarth Davis on EsperNet and LunarNet ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 09 Mar 1998 22:57:33 -0800 From: Niki Nibbe To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Braid (even including some obMisty, I think) Message-ID: <3504E45D.6BE2-+AT+-earthlink.net> I'm not going to quote everything Jerrie Adkins said, but I'd like to say "bravo." Very eloquent description of the book obsession (at least of mine ). You're right, reading is a more socially-acceptable obsession that some others (smoking, or drugs). But it can be an incredibly strong force. LOL for your description of dealing with interruptions quickly but not necessarily politely. I, too, have skipped classes, sleep, and other rather important responsibilities to finish a book. And it's a painful withdrawal-type sensation when there's a book you have to read, but you're required to do something else (like drive -- I've been known to pull over on my way to some place or another and read until it gets dark, then return home...or, if there's a well-lit coffeeshop nearby, I'll spend an absolute minimum amount of time driving until I can get my "fix.") And yeah, I, too, have been known to read the dictionary. Here's some food for thought, which obviously won't apply to everyone: in my massage school we talked a lot about emotional boundaries and the importance of being able to create boundaries around ourselves. And we talked about addictions as being surrogate boundaries. This rings some truth for me, personally: at lunch or whatever I absolutely must be reading something, even if it's the want-ads or the real estate brochure. Anything. So take this with a grain of salt -- either it's accurate for you, or it isn't. And I'll tell everyone my big Christmas present from my mome -- a whole wall of bookshelves! (She came over and helped me build them.) Most of my friends say "oh. how nice." They can't begin to comprehend how wonderful this is(I can take my books out of boxes, put them on shelves, and get more books to put in boxes!) And for whoever mentioned the suicide thread (oh, I found it -- Joleth), I'd like to say I found it interesting to see how many of us have at least given some serious thought to suicide. Though there are plenty of listsibs and lurkers who haven't spoken up, so perhaps it's a case of those who have had firsthand knowledge speaking up while the rest reserve comment...And if there is a preponderance of listsibs who have contemplated suicide, well, perhaps Misty draws us because she does a great job of portraying characters with self-doubts and very real problems; and these characters come to find love and support. And while I suspect everybody hungers for love and acceptance, perhaps those of us who become serious Misty fans feel a special connection to these characters. At least this is the case for me. Gives me some hope when reading these books.My only comment on the suicide contemplation thread is to respond to whoever mentioned feeling unable to commit suicide. In high school my life was very painful, and I definitely thought about suicide. But at the same time, it felt like there was some sort of deep, deep block or switch that could never allow me to follow through. Almost something outside of myself, or at least beyong my conscious control or grasp. My only obMisty, and it's a stretch: Thanks to those who're clarifying about Holderkins' God & Goddess. I have no idea where the textevd is. I scanned AoQ and AFall, and didn't see anything specific. I also remembered why I stopped jockeying for a "disciple of textevd" sig -- whenever I try to scan for quotes, I find myself rereading the whole darn thing! Like last night, I felt like I could use a good, cleansing cry, so I got caught up in Talia & Kris's trip to Ancar. Even though I just read it a few weeks ago, it never fails: I get a bit Misty throughout Talia's travails, but I always lose it at the exact same place -- when Selenay receives the packet from Rolan, and the broken arrows fall to the ground. Every time, I tell you. *sniff* So when I put the book down at 2 am...I decided I'll try to refrain from researching textevd unless I'm sure where the necessary quote is. Now, way OT: For those of you who've mentioned a fondness for Stephen Hawking -- I'm gonna go see him speak on Wednesday! One of the advantages of being in Pasadena -- he was at my school (Pasadena City College) last year, and he's at Caltech (for free) on Wednesday. Last time I spent the whole time taking notes -- he had so many great points! (Tho I didn't agree with all of them, but it's more fun that way anyway) I've got something to share on the euthanasia/doctor-assisted death thread, but I think this post has gotten long enough. If the topic's still alive in a few days, then I'll engage. WTTW Lady Niki ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 21:14:47 +1100 From: Vonne To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Nightdancer? Message-ID: <35051297.AC571437-+AT+-macquarie.matra.com.au> Heyla all, Just de-lurking after a long time. My email been kinda on the fritz. Can read your mails, but I can't send if my mail is too big. Quick question if I may - Is Nightdancer still on the list or in contact with anyone? If so - how are things going? Sorry this is so short, but if it gets to big it won't send. Wind to thy Wings Vonne Mindmate to Aka (Harpy Eagle) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 22:00:50 +1100 From: "Ktara n'ha Sara" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Fellowship Ring Message-ID: <35051D62.E8BE85F1-+AT+-macquarie.matra.com.au> Having sat in the shadows for some time, KTara suddenly notices that the restrictions placed on her by RL have loosened somewhat and with a joyous shout charges on all hooves on to the dance floor, somehow managing not to knock anyone flying. (KTara, by the way, is a rather petite Zebra Centaur) Have to go before it gets to big to send. Wind to thy Wings Vonne and Aka ICQ - 6818830 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 12:07:45 -0500 (EST) From: Danielle May Marrone To: Mercedes Lackey Fan List Subject: Braid: silliness, reactions, and so on . . . Message-ID: Niki wrote: <<<>>> I get a bit Misty throughout Talia's travails, but I always lose it at the exact same place <<<>>> Ha, get it! She gets a bit MISTY! *giggle* OK, that was silly. I wanted to say that I get always lose it when Kris dies in Talia's arms and they drag her a way. I wanted to know: What was your biggest reaction to a book and what book was it? Mine was at the end of Winds of Fury . . . before I finished reading the end the book wound up across the room with me giving it evil looks because I thought something had happened that actually hadn't (which I found out when I cautiously picked the book up and finished it). Those of you who said have read the dictionary made me feel OK about reading the Thesaurus. Thanks! And boy, when I'm involved in a book my mom could be right in my ear calling my name for 10 minutes before I'll notice somewhere in the back of my mind that someone is calling me. It takes a few more minutes to have that message come through to the front of my brain so I can answer. I've been known to say "What?" five minutes after my mom has given up. Ah, the power of a good book. I have come up with a solution (somewhat) to being able to get a reading fix AND take care of responsibilities. Get an anthology so you can finish a story and have closure, but not take tons of time doing so. This works great for study and paper breaks. Of course, you have to be careful not to start reading the next story otherwise your doomed. Fluffy Lambs to All. ARI ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 19:16:01 +0000 () From: Elizabeth Hoffman To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: Books / TLHM / Thanks Message-ID: Hi, Thanks to everyone who sent happy birthday messages, I didn't get to a computer that worked till today so this is overdue. Happy birthday to all the March people out there. The lack of contact from my parents was the result of Mum taking 2 years and 1 day off my age until reminded. I must admit that I told my " I'm trying not to be homophobic but it worries me" father that he wouldn't like Misty's books and why. This despite the fact that I found I could relate to Vanyel and didn't think of him as a "GAY" character but as a "REAL HERO / HUMAN BEING" character. The sexuality side was unimportant to me when I read the book which makes it all the more surprising that I realised that it would worry my father intensly, at least in part because he tries to overcome the response hes had trained into him. The thing I liked was that Vanyel is really human. The 3 gay blokes I know reletively well are all so different in personality that I couldn't write a composite character. One of them my grandmother wanted me to marry and has done since we were both born. Mutual distaste from an early age so I wasn't disappointed when I found he was gay. Even my 2 friends who went to the same school and are friends are totally unalike (attitude to life etc), its almost as though someone went out to stereotype destroy. Niki, I can really relate to the problems you had, that aspect of growing up hit me really late. I'm getting odd looks around here for turning down the so gracefully offered chance to go out with this guy who thinks you HAVE to sleep with your boyfriend how ever casual the relationship (like how many minutes ago did you first meet) is. I'm not lesbian, but with all my friends getting interested in boys years before me, I spent a couple of years wondering and waiting to see which I'd end up interested in. My parents generation wouldn't have wondered, horrible thought marry and then realise that your spouse is the wrong sex, yuck. Books er well I've got a few hundred, all read 90% reread at least once, most many more times. Other things to read, soppy love romances for relaxation as they always have happy endings and there aren't many plot lines so no mind is required. Georgette Heyer historical romances, science journals and childrens books. I read everything that came to hand from the cornflakes packet through to some of the most unsuitable adults books you can imagine. The first book I tried to read (not sucessful) was the Hobbit, at 4 by which stage my father had read the hobbit and I would guess must have been quite a way through the Lord of the Rings reading them to me. How old was everyone else when they first got into scifi / fantasy? Bye Liz ---------------------- Elizabeth Hoffman E.G.Hoffman-+AT+-soton.ac.uk ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 12:49:09 -0700 From: Tifalheart-+AT+-webtv.net (April Hunt) To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: So that's how you do it! Message-ID: <199803101949.LAA10591-+AT+-mailtod-131.iap.bryant.webtv.net> Hey, hi there everybody...just me checking in from RL from time to time... Ive been completely enthralled lately by the conversations floating around in the Halls... Ive even replied to some.... Here is my complete list of authors that I love for those of you who care...(mostly all of you) Anthony, Asprin, Asimov, Eddings, Jaques, MZBradly, McCaffrey, McKinely, Robinson, Lackey(suprise!),Fur(?e)y, Rawn, Pratchett, Goodkind, Williams, C.S.Lewis(thought I was the only dork that reads Narnia), Moorcock ,Tolkien, Alaxander(who wrote The Black Cauldron and the rest of the Prydain(if i recall the name correctly) series , Jordan, Moon, Hambly, (Coldfire trilogy highly reccomended), the dictonary, thesarus, and the medical encyclopedia(spelling is terrible still, Im just a tad dyslexic.(hehe only when i write, no troubles reading...I just love transposed letters i guess.) I might as well throw And Many More on here, or get a migrane from trying to envision my three bookcases(one almost whole wall of BOOKS) Im also very interested in all the discussion of Feeling your books, and most of the feelings described are shared by me...Just one question to add on~do any of you get estatic when you walk into a library or bookstore and it smells like books? I sure do, and have been that way ever since I was in third grade and discovered "reading" In particular I remember faintly 2 books I would always read in school, The girl with the silver eyes, and A wrinkle in time... Unlike most school girls I went straight from Nancy Drew and Baby sitters club at the ripe age of 12...What exactly drew me from those pre-adolecent books is I.Robot...by Asimov, which is probably the reason I can never read any other true Sci/Fi writing...sort of like having your first pizza Sicilian Deep Dish (Im sure I stole that line from Misty but which book? ARRRRGH!) Lucky lady Niki! Have fun!Im sure that if I wanted to drive for a day I could join you out there in Pasedena...sigh....too bad I still dont have my liscence yet....! soon, very soon... (though I may be very restricted as I do not see well at all~darn it im 21 and i need bifocals~though through the effort of wearing( since I was 5) corrective lenses, I am now at 20/20 vision with glasses for the first time in my life(they were worried that I would stay legaly blind...) Alright for you anime fans out there, here are two cool pages I found while surfing...check them out if you have time. http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/6301/ http://cephrio.anime.net/ both are owned by people whe I have had a little correspondance with! Yeah me, even if I have to do a double take every time I get mail and its not the Misty list... ObMisty...someone asked exactally what trondi'im do for the Gryphons, so I am going to go hunt up some Textevd right now...dont go anywhere, alright? I have no specific list or Textved, but I have just scanned the Black Gryphon...It seems that trondi'im are responsible for gryphons in many ways-Healing them, rewarding them for jobs well done, assigning them Hertasi servants, training them properly, or if that is beyond their capabilities, making sure the gryphs get the training they need. Also the trondi'im are responsibile for making sure that the gryphons are well treated by the commanding officers, and not used as beasts, and defending the gryphs against ill rumor...Also just being thier friend...and in the case of Amberdrake, feather painting and grooming too, though id imagine that this is one of the hertasi jobs seeing as gryphons have no clothes to steal and replace with better designed ones!hehehe... anyway all for now! April-Jeanne Riverwolf, Disciple of Textevd,Hall of MIST ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 14:47:33 -0000 From: "Tim & Tiffanie Gray" To: "Misty List" Subject: All kinds of stuff, not definable Message-ID: <01bd4c33$757532e0$LocalHost-+AT+-tiffanie> Okay, I am on digest for now, so I stole Izzy's format, since it was so well done and I'm inserting my answers (thanks Izzy) First Misty: Murder, Mayhem and Mystery (Love the Elven Harper), First Actual book was the Tarma and Kethry short story, then Oathbond. Reasons for reading-To duck out for a while, to learn something new, to see the world from someone else's point of view, to exercise my emotions, to exercise my imagination (the only kinds of exercise I like) Favorite character-Kory, he's wonderful, he's a Dax, need I say more? Second favorite? Vanyel Book I've read more times-Johnathon Livingston Seagull, about 25-30 times. Other Genres-SciFi, Romances, Action/Adventure, Horror if its like Di or Bloodlines, etc., I also like to read gaming source books, but I hate the fact that you never find out what happens to the people in them, a lot of other stuff, but I don't like Bios or Autobios, or non fiction in general. Swearwords- I also use Shadowrun and Things that my characters have said on occaision or some cute one on movie or TV. I never use ANY normal swearwords. (Think they're stupid) Reading in class-Used to all the time. Niki: >Ok, I'm going to try not to respond in like tone (All caps Is shouting, isn't >it?)...You obviously don't "understand what y'all are trying to get across." I >can't speak for...oh, dear, I've forgotten who had a similar experience >*sheepish grin*...but personally, my point was that it didn't matter. *giggle* It's a game of mine to guess which comments and how long it will take for John to jump on them, offended. It used to be Cennydd and Heather who were my game source, but Heather left and Cennydd has been suprising me lately. *grin* I must say, I'm right 4 out of 5 times! *grin* Many people have buttons that rest on hairtrigger bases. ShadowWolf: >Obmisty -- Can someone tell me if the traditions and beliefs in Sacred >Ground were accurate? Also, did they come from one nation or was it a >composite of Native American beliefs? I'm not sure about the traditions, they sounded like much that I've read in other places, but I know that a lot of the scenery was correct, I live in one of those neighborhoods with no sidewalks. John Morris: .. It's kind of like saying, "Gee, that Othello...I never knew he was black..." Uh, I didn't, until I saw part of it performed on TV...... Cennydd: >I have to say that I agree with John on this one. I am completely at a >loss to think how anyone (no matter how "innocent" or sheltered) could >possibly read the Last Herald Mage and not know that Vanyel was gay. I >mean, Misty makes if rather explicitly clear in the narration that >Tylendel is gay I think its not innocence or sheltering that interferes, but like Niki said, it didn't stand out as over-important to emoting with the story. I've gone over this a year or so with Cennydd, that I thought the story could have been just as emotional with Van being Hetero as Homo, but it would be a different story, and we agreed that we liked it the way it was. My other reasoning is, personally, I tend to speed read alot, especially if I'm really into the story and when I do so, I skip anything that isn't dialouge. I tend to miss out on details that way, but the emotion isn't broken up by long descriptive passages. I've often been most of the way through a book and finally relize that I've missed some vital piece of info and have to skim back to find it. If you weren't into sex and "icky kissing" stuff, you might skip right through it. Cennydd: >"I miss Oklahoma...although, come to think of it, I don't miss it right now since >we're heading into Tornado Season." Are you saying that YOU are Miss Oklahoma? *grin, giggle* Sorry, I couldn't resist.....I suppose we are heading into that season, but I hardly ever notice, what I do notice is that allergy season has started. The weather has been unseasonably warm except for a 3-day cold snap. Oh, and Cennydd, the comment about me being a squirrely, squirrel, still makes me giggle!!!!! Hugs and peaches to all, Dax the Eternal Goddess of Unicorns and Elves, Evangelist of Low Humor, Knight of Fluff Come visit me and see some of my art: http://members.wbs.net/homepages/d/a/k/dakorillon.html ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 10 Mar 1998 18:00:33 +0000 From: Rainbow To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: braid:lots and lots Message-ID: <4eHj2cAB$XB1IwqI-+AT+-leightons.demon.co.uk> Ana Wrote; >Ok, I still read the Saddle Club series, and the Thoroughbred >series, Yippee! I'm not the ONLY one! Wow...I liked the story with that racehorse who died...sweet...SC books have slowed down now... On the Vanyel is Shaych topic.... I actually worked out that he WAS shaych pretty quickly, but you can NEVER forget that he's human, trying to stuggle through life. I mean if you think about it, he is HUMAN, not 'normal' not 'shaych' he's just a human being... OK he could flatten the palace with his powers, but he didn't just get them, he suffered for them, losing 'Lendel, having the Gate's backlash, having to put up with having so much powers that he's second only to the King's Own... He's just Human and I think that's what Misty's trying to say, that Shaych (I love that word...) people are just like others, apart from a MINOR difference, and are NOT monsters, or idiots, or...you get the idea... It IS important to the plot, and the story just wouldn't HAPPEN if Van WASN'T Shay'a'chern. If Van was 'normal' (whatever 'normal' is...) then it wouldn't have such an impact on you...no I'm NOT talking about 'wow there's a shaych person in this book!' I mean 'look at all the hardships Vanyel has to go through just to be accepted!' I actually have a speech problem, cleft palete, so I'm not 'normal' but I'm human (well I was the last time I looked)...but I was bullied in primary school because of it, and so I'm saying that what I think people are saying, is not that they didn't notice or not that they were shocked, but that Vanyel is HUMAN like Savil, Randale, ect.... Plot developement: I think it's really clever how all the books tie in, I mean in Black Gryphon Ma'ar actually SAYS he'll be back, so Misty must have known she'd write about Leareth and Falconsbane...Also Firesong (I liked him...) she had to make sure that there WERE children for him to be descended from, and...you get the idea? Whose has the Friendship Ring at the moment? FallenAngel? Where's that new list for that story? Kenny? Anyone? OK...I'm rambling Bye! Rainbow 'And still the forest of the North guards Valdemar from harm- For Vanyel's dying curse is stronger far than mortal arm. And every year the Chosen come, despite the old advice- "All those who would be Magic's Pride must then pay Magic's Price" ' ~Magic's Price Written by Stefen Magic's Price 'Great Destinies generally involve Great Funerals' ~Elspeth quoting Vanyel >From the Storms Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 1518 **********************************