Suela, I was also disappointed by Abhorsen. The characters weren't done very well, and I got pretty tired of reading about everyone's magical powers by the end. Which was actually the same problem I had when I reread the Dark is Rising series recently. There's not much of a personal emotional journey for the characters; each battle is won or lost according to how magically powerful the characters are, which means there are no surprises, because we already know from the beginning how powerful they are. The Grey King and The Dark is Rising are the best of the bunch, IMO, because they show Bran and Will, respectively, coming to terms with their powers, rather than just showing them off.

The thing that made me maddest about Abhorsen, though, was the fact that Nicholas was able to come back from death, at the very end. Can anyone explain to me how that doesn't violate the most basic and most important tenet of Old Kingdom magic? And for what purpose, exactly? To be Lirael's romantic interest? Bah.

And for what purpose, exactly?

Oh, yeah. I saw that coming, and was disturbed. I didn't get it. Would have preferred the Dog.

But that was one of the flaws in Sabriel, too. The pairing-off thing.

IIRC, Lirael and Abhorsen were originally supposed to be one book, which got split up more-or-less at random when the publisher decided it would be too long. So some of the pacing issues may follow from that.

Agree with most of Consuela & Kate P's comments, but I love Lirael for the Clayr's Library alone.

turns out I haven't been to my local library in a year. A year ago I returned some books late. turns out they were a month late and I had over $20 in fines. I haven't done that since college. SO I paid the fine adn took out three books today. I think I will mark the due date in my calendar in bold.

I updated my bookcrossing list, geez I was far behind.

Lilty, I registered VH, so when you get it, if you could go to the site and say so, also, feel free to pass on once you are done with it. I will try to get it mailed this week.

Thanks so much, msbelle- I have one more book crossing book that I've got to release, too. This will jog my memory!

Too long without a post in literary...

I heard Michael Chabon speak last night at the DCJCC. He read a memoir story for about an hour, then answered questions and signed books (yay for signed copy of Kavalier and Clay, the BF got the Escapist. His talk was about golems and creation, and being Jewish and family. He was fantastic.

Has anyone read anything by his wife? Her first name is Ayelet...her last name should be easy to look up, if I were less lazy.

Edit: Ayelet Waldman

Deb is friends with his wife, actually.

yeah? Her books look fun, from what I just read on Amazon. I'm adding her to my list of authors to look into.

Chabon's new book, that he's hoping to finish this summer, sounds interesting. He was speaking to a Jewish audience last night, and the new book takes place in the 1940's, post WWII, and supposes that a large group of Jewish refugees settled in Alaska, making their community there. You could sort of hear the audience vaguely interested, and then he said "and the state of Israel was never formed," and there was this audible intake of breath.

So instead of Palestinians, they'd have Inuit, caribou and polar bears; instead of the desert, northern lights. OK, as fiction that sounds... really cool. I want to read Kavalier anyway. Too bad I have about 40 books in the TBR queue right now.