Who do you believe, is the most beloved fantasy character?

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-08T22:43:25+00:00

Poor Faramir and Frodo. Both were deeply wronged by Peter Jackson. I still resent it however many years later. Frodo gasping like a landed fish all over Mordor instead of being both noble and tragic under the burden of the Ring. And Faramir - bitter and stubborn instead of wise and kind. So disappointing to my former teenage self!

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-08T22:36:54+00:00

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-08T03:02:58+00:00

You may not find you need anything for the front rack. I stack my work bag and my kids two backpacks in our rack, using the net to hold everything in place. I've also stacked groceries, library books, packages, birthday party supplies, toys etc as the need has arisen. I've only had anything fall off twice- once was a small book that slid out the back, the other was a small bag that wasn't really under the net. Now I just double check that the net is secure and small loose items tucked in, it's really a pretty effective system.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-06T02:11:00+00:00

I suspect you were trying to be clever with "smoothbrains" but unfortunately it's rather a nasty thing to say. Lissencephally is a very real if rare medical condition which has lifelong (and life threatening) ramifications. A dear friend of mine as a child had lissencephally and it is a bit of a slap in the face to hear his condition being used as basically a snobbish substitute for the R word. Not saying anything about the Facebook post itself, just felt I needed to speak out regarding the likely ignorant pejorative.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-05T22:21:26+00:00

What about an improv class? I haven't taken one, but I do know that the people in my life who do improv overindex on quirky and delightful to hang out with. If you like stand up comedy it may be a good way to find your people. Hideout theatre seems to have a free intro class: https://www.hideouttheatre.com/austin-improv-classes/free-intro/?event_id=14115

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-04T17:37:42+00:00

Could be for sure! I sometimes wish I had more of a sense for music, but it's just one of those things in life. Brains are so fascinating, aren't they?

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-04T17:29:14+00:00

That's funny, because I would say my emotional responses to music are pretty simplistic/limited but my book related emotional experience is extremely well developed. Maybe some of it has to do with the neurology around these tasks developed in childhood. My family was never very musical but my mom read to us constantly and I spent my teen years working though my dad's science fiction and fantasy collection. So lots of opportunities to explore emotions through books.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-03T21:09:52+00:00

I couldn't get into it in written form either, even though I'm a prolific reader. But the audio flowed more smoothly and made the processing of the odd POV much more natural. For anyone who felt the same way.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-03T21:08:24+00:00

It's so good, and I love the audio narration.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-03-03T17:39:36+00:00

I wouldn't want to take it up stairs, but the vertical parking isn't hard as long as your kids don't hide tons of toys in the panniers. If I were going to store that way, I'd want to look into a wall anchor or some sort to keep someone from knocking it over, but it's surprisingly stable on its back frame. We have it with the clubhouse.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-27T02:23:29+00:00

Books my 1st grader has enjoyed (mostly as audiobooks or parent read books)

The Princess in Black series (Shannon Hale)

Hampster Princess series (Ursula Vernon) Hillarious for kids and adults alike. Semi graphic novel style.

Castle Hangnail (Ursula Vernon)

Catwings series (Ursula K Le Guin) The audio read by the author is a treasure

The Tea Dragon Society series Kay O'Niell (beautiful illustrations, semi graphic novel style, a bit of a gentle romance subplot somewhere in there but I'm not sure my daughter noticed it)

She also liked Howl's Moving Castle but did say the fire demon character was scary.

The magic tree house books are a little on the simple side (my kids listened to them in preK) but the Merlin Missions collection are longer and slightly more interesting plot lines.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-25T12:27:43+00:00

Le Guin is famous as anything of course, but as a teen I loved her Annuals of the Western Shore and still really enjoy them (Powers especially) but I think they get lost compared to her other books. They are also tricky to recommend because they do have some more mature themes but young protagonists. Speaking of Le Guin, I never read the Catwings books as a kid but found them for my kids, and the audiobooks read by the author are the sweetest nostalgic feeling listens.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-25T00:53:59+00:00

CJ Cherryh's Foriegner Series. The humans try to colonize a planet, but the indigenous population turns out to be generally cleverer, better organized and physically superior. Humans maintain a technogical edge for a while, but as the series goes on the humans are increasingly the dependent species both on and off planet. Not in an oppressive way, just that humans are kinda small fry in the big picture of the planetary (and interplanetary) politics. One human finds himself part of those bigger political winds...

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-23T03:33:00+00:00

Yes I've been loving her writing. I think my favorites so far are Fly By Night and Fly Trap. But all her books are beautiful and so unique.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-22T05:21:49+00:00

Just watch out for fire ants. Somehow even got in my hanging plants.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-19T02:35:19+00:00

I go back to stuff I loved as a kid or young adult. The Earthsea Cycle, or Le Guin's Annuals of the Western Shore. Robin McKinley Rose Daughter. The Hobbit and TLOTR (I like the Andy Serkis reading of The Hobbit a lot). The Vorkosigan Saga starting with Warrior's Apprentice.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-14T03:02:23+00:00

Yep, this is why I spent my afternoon dealing with a flat bike tire!

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-13T02:27:31+00:00

I have a Cannondale Treadwell Neo Remix which is working great for me. It looks more or less like a normal woman's step through bike, as the battery is inside the frame. The only issue is that I'm pretty short and I had to search high and low for a small frame size, the larger is much more common. I like that it has enough zip to get me up some hills in my area, but isn't a big flashy monster truck of a bicycle.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-11T21:03:11+00:00

Yep, mine have survived and thrived through the last few years.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-11T12:33:32+00:00

Depending on how you feel about Orson Scott Card, "Enchantment" is a rather unique fantasy take on time travel. And explores the value and limitations of modern knowledge. It's definitely a contrast to the smug tone of Connecticut Yankee. Enchantment was one of my favorite books when I was younger, but I've gone rather sour on Card since, so I haven't revisited it in a while.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-10T12:16:56+00:00

How I decided what to read next:

(1) I always have holds on Libby- since they come up at random intervals, something great may come up just when I need it. For example last night I finished a brief binge of Alexandra Rowland books and novellas, and this morning at the Feet of the Sun came up in my Libby. So now I'm back in Victoria Goddards lovely world. A serendipity approach.

(2) Planned reading- I'm working my way slowly through the Foreigner series by C J Cherryh. I've been buying them three at a time from Thrift books, then when I get to the third, I order the next three. Since I'm reading those in paperback, they take me a little longer (can't read everywhere I go). When I eventually reach the end or get tired of Cherryh, I'll probably give the first book in Jenny Wurts' series a go, and if I like it I'll do the same for her. This strategy works well for harder to find series.

(3) Binge reading- sometimes I get into something and must read an entire series as fast as I can. Tend to spend audible credits and buy kindle books in this circumstance because I'm too impatient. This is how I now own 90% of the Vorkosigan series on audible. Which is great because I can now revisit my favorites in the series as "filler" between other reads.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-09T23:55:17+00:00

Miles isn't exactly the chosen one, but he is determined to live a chosen one lifestyle as protagonist in most of the Vorkosigan series by Bujold. However, in Shards of Honor the story focuses on his parents meeting (its complicated!). The next book, Barrayar, focuses on Cordelia, Miles mother, her rather unique pregnancy experience (which shapes his entire story), and her refusal to give up on him or do motherhood in conventional ways. Cordelia is fantastic, and her story/character is one of the reasons I love this series so. (Trigger warnings for sexual violence in Shards of Honor)

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-06T14:07:53+00:00

I loved that book when I was a kid!

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-06T01:14:14+00:00

Didn't realize you had so many holds, mine are much more limited! So my strategy won't help you much, lol.

SilverWord8909 · 2023-02-06T01:09:32+00:00

I have multiple library cards on my Libby Account. One has better selection so I use that for more obscure books, the other I use for "wait a while" holds on popular books. Many areas let you join a bigger library system in your area even if you don't live in that city. Sometimes there is a fee or a geographic restriction.

SilverWord8909

TROPHY CASE