I have the Lord of the Rings paperbacks I bought in the early '70s. Sadly, they could be poster children for the evils of high-acid paper. I recent bought new (but not movie-tie) versions thinking I'd reread them again. My originals are really too fragile to read. Will I get rid of them? Noooo. (Reason No. 312 why Ginger has too many books.)

E.W. Hildick's McGurk mysteries! I adored those books. I must've read six of them during one particularly bad illness, but they were all library books - not from the local library, from some remote one that had an amazing children's section - and I never found most of them for purchase. Although I have maybe two in a box somewhere. Those were so great!

Did anybody ever read the E.S.P. McGee books? I think in retrospect they were not so good, but I was addicted. I think there might have been six of them. Or four. I would read anything with the supernatural in it (distinctly remember "The Girl With the Silver Eyes" as a favorite) but horror? Nope. Read the backs of all the Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan books, but was never brave enough to read them.

Re: Lady of Hay and time travel ...

IIRC, it's more of a past-lives intertwining with present book than a time travel book. But I may be misremembering.

E.W. Hildick's McGurk mysteries! I adored those books.

Yay! I'm glad to have found someone else. Those alliterative titles amused me to no end. The only one I can remember right now is The Case of the Purloined Parrot.

I want to get the Edward Eager books, especially "Half Magic,"

I seem to remember this title, but can't quite remember what it was about. Off to amazon.

I seem to remember this title, but can't quite remember what it was about. Off to amazon.

You had to wish for twice as much of everything to get what you wanted. It was tricky.

Sounds like talking to my dad, actually.

I'm finally able to stop lurking and start posting (oddly enough, working full time makes it easier to post than staying at home with a three year old). So, going way back...

I saw Steven Brust's latest in the bookstore the other day and was intrigued. From the back cover, it looked a bit like a cross between Firefly and Hitchhiker's Guide.

Every couple of months someone on the Brust mailing list mentions Firefly, and it always makes me do a double take. It's just weird when fandoms intersect. In any case, I think that's a great description of that book (Sethra Lavode, I think) but I'd suggest you start at the beginning of the "Khaavren Romances" with Phoenix Guards, if you haven't already. If Firefly were written by Dumas (and didn't involve space), you'd have this particular Brust series.

On another note, I saw some discussion of Quicksilver but none on The Confusion. Has anyone finished it? I feel like I'm being punished for wishing Cryptonomicon would never end. And no one I know will commit to the damn trilogy in advance, so I am alone in my frustration.

I also liked Sethra Lavode (or shouda been "The Enchantress of Dzur Mountain", grr), but I really like SKZB's work and have since the start.

On another note, I saw some discussion of Quicksilver but none on The Confusion. Has anyone finished it? I feel like I'm being punished for wishing Cryptonomicon would never end. And no one I know will commit to the damn trilogy in advance, so I am alone in my frustration.

I've been trying to wait for Quicksilver in paper, and have been told that it probably won't be until October or November. I'm not sure I can wait that long. I have the same problem with LMB's The Paladin of Souls.

Yes, Ingram shows a pub date of October 2004, $15.95 on the paperback of Quicksilver, John.

And June 1 for the Da Vinci Code which rather surprises me as it is still selling in HC. Not that anyone asked, but I can't stop keeping track of the darn thing. Our libray system has 66 copies of it and it still has a waiting list of 30 or so. WTF?

I read everyones recommendations of kid and YA mysteries with real interest as it is an area I know little about and am always having to sell. Buffistas rock in so many ways!