Deena, has she read any of the Mary Poppins books? Because the books are some of my favorites.

Oooh! She might like Clive Barker's The Thief of Always. In fact, I'm positive she would like it. It's similar to Coraline in tone.

I picked up the vast maority of the Vorkosigan series from the library. If I'm going to read a series, I like to have as much of it my grimy little hands as possible. And I looked up Deb Grabien's Cruel Sister and saw my name in the dedication! I'm immortal!

I picked up the vast maority of the Vorkosigan series from the library. If I'm going to read a series, I like to have as much of it my grimy little hands as possible.

According to my notes, I made it through as far as The Vor Game, except I don't remember a damned thing about it. I remember Shards of Honor, Barrayar, and The Warrior's Apprentice, but I'll be damned if I can remember what happened in The Vor Game.

The Vor Game is the one where Gregor runs away and Miles meets the psycho blonde mercenary leader. It's where the Dendarii actually get adopted by ImpSec, basically because they can't keep Miles away from them, and at least this way Illyan has a leash on them.

It's where the Dendarii actually get adopted by ImpSec, basically because they can't keep Miles away from them, and at least this way Illyan has a leash on them.

Actually, I remember that outcome, but not the rest of it.

Hm. Will have to re-read.

Jilli, thank you for the reminder. I loved Mary Poppins. The books after the first were even more surreal, perhaps because I found them later than the first, and had seen the movie, so it became sort of normal.

Tep, if you only made it that far, they were just getting good! (I've been devouring them myself for the past couple of weeks, and HMOG I always forget just how addictive they get once you hit Brothers in Arms.)

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Absolutely! This was my favorite book for years, until I first read Ender's Game. So very very good.

I would also like to suggest anything and everything by Jerry Spinelli. Maniac Magee! Stargirl! Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush! Fourth Grade Rats! Crash! There's a Girl in my Hammerlock! Wringer! (which is a little darker, but still good.)

Basically, I love him. And I just discovered that Stargirl has a sequel, so I'm gonna go buy that and read it.

I put milk in my coffee this morning and realized I was thinking of a line from The Black Stallion as I often do when I put milk in my coffee but without really realizing why I thunk it. He watched the milk (or is it cream in the book?) eddy and swirl but did not drink. I don't know why this line got stuck in my head but there it stays.

It was probably milk. I see Alex as a milk-drinking boy. ( Can you see the old-fashioned rounded edge fridge and the glass milk bottle when you think this?)