"Caddie Woodlawn" by Carol Ryrie Brink is one I always liked, although that's only one book, not a series.
There are also the books by Patricia Maclachlan ("Sarah Plain and Tall", etc), those are good too.

This past week I read Thoreasu's "Civil Disobedience and Other Essays" and Nietzsche's "Beyond Good & Evil". Thoreau is great and I never knew his works beyond his poetry. For fun I have sloly been reading Frank McCourt's "Teacher Man". He has a great narrative voice and it is easy to hear his Irish accent fall on your ears right off of the paper. I also highly reccomend his book "Tis" and "Angelas Ashes", and renting the movie does not count. Other recent reads are "The Best Stories of Dostoevsky", he is so funny. When I need to get away from some things I pick up my very worn copy of "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman.

Terry Pratchett's "guards! guards!" ... again. Discworld books always provide me with good light entertainment before sleep, especially after reading philosophy for my thesis all day.

After a break of a couple of weeks, where I read other books, I've really bit into The Mists of Avalon.
It is a book set in Arthurian times, told from the female point of view (versus most other Arthurian books, which tell more of battles from a young warrior or somthing)
It's very enjoyable so far.

At this moment I am cruising through Daring Book for Girls - for fun
and Fooled By Randomness for financial education of the markets.

and the pile of Wired mags are getting dusty.

Becky

"The Mists of Avalon" is one of my favourites too. I first read it in the early 1980s, having been introduced to it by one of my college professors in California. I've read it a couple of times, but it's been many years now and I'd love to read it again but I have such a huge stack of books beside my bed waiting to be read, I am sure I won't have enough time until I retire!

Another really good one by the same author (Marion Zimmer Bradley) is "The Firebrand", the story of Kassandra and the fall of Troy.

Currently I am reading Eric Clapton's autobiography, which I got for Christmas. I am a huge Clapton fan - if I was stranded on a desert island and could only listen to the music of one person/group, it would be Eric Clapton! I can't really comment on it yet as I am only halfway through it but it makes me really sad to read about his addictions and how they devastated his life; it is amazing he survived to tell about it.

I just finished, and will probabaly start again "Stand Proud". It's a western about an old cowboy on trial for murder, and it goes back and forth through his life, from the testimony of the "witnesses" back to the actual event. The ending was a huge suprise. I recommend it.

I loved "The Mists of Avalon", I'm a big fan of Arthurian. I have been in a non-reading slump lately, which is not at all like me , and your book, Rayven, sounds like one I would enjoy. I have just written it down and need to get to the library and kick-start the reading again, so I am going to make that first on my list.

The Mists of Avalon is definitely my favourite Arthurian book - like you JD, I love them.
My English teacher took one look at it and said 'I suppose that'll last you the whole term' (Term has only just started)
I replied with a cheerful 'Nope! A week at most '

For those of you who like Arthurian legend - have you tried Mary Stewart's series - "The Crystal Cave", "The Hollow Hills", "The Last Enchantment" and "The Wicked Day"?

The first three titles were originally a trilogy and then she added a fourth volume. It's been years since I read them but if my memory serves me correctly, the first three books are focused on Merlin but the fourth one is focused on Mordred. I particularly enjoyed the latter.

What a nice picture, Ella! Great to put a face to the name.

I just finished reading Pillars of the Earth. It was written in the 80's I think, but it's awesome. I would highly recommend it. It takes about 100 pages to get into, but then you're totally hooked.

Thanks, Optimist and welcome. Thanks for recommending a book. Could you tell us the author and a rough idea of what it is about? Thanks.

Optimist, did you know there is a sequel to "Pillars of the Earth" which was published last year? It's called "World Without End". I haven't read it yet (it's on my bedside table waiting). Ren, the author is Ken Follett.

MG, the series you mentioned above (Mary Stewart) is the series which got me hooked on reading Arthurian sagas, and afterwards historical fiction then fantasy. I have had a hankering to re-read that series recently, but will have to wait until I get around to ordering it on Amazon. Your post just reminded me it's on my 'to-do' list, thanks

MotherGoose, Have written down your Mary Stewart recommendation also, thank you! From rayven's Western to Arthurian, my kind of segue. I love the photo too, lioness. Sandy

Home to Harmony by Phippip Gulley.

Just re-read 'Case Histories' by Kate Atkinson. It's an intriguing book which takes three cold cases being investigated by a wonderfully drawn private detective, and weaves them together in a story which is sometimes gory, beautifully characterised, and totally enthralling. Highly recommended! There is a sequel too - 'One Good Turn' which is equally wonderful, and which also has the merit of being the only hard-backed book which my husband has ever taken away with him (he likes to travel light). Kate Atkinson is an author who is hard to categorise. She won the 1995 Whitbread Award for her first novel 'Behind the Scenes at the Museum' which was excellent.

I went to the second-hand bookshop yesterday and discovered that Mary Stewart added a fifth book to the "trilogy" I mentioned above. It's called "The Prince and the Pilgrim". I bought a secondhand paperback copy because that's all they had but I asked the owner (who I know well) to keep her eye out for a hardback copy as my other four books are hardback and I prefer it.

Quote:

---

Kate Atkinson is an author who is hard to categorise

---

Ireally like her too and devour all her works.
Mother Goose ,isn't it great to find a book you have been looking for ? Is that for your upcoming trip? Enjoy!

Quote:

---

Is that for your upcoming trip?

---

No, for my trip, I've packed the following books:

The Jane Austen Book Club (Karen Joy Fowler)
The Poet (Michael Connelly)
False Impression (Jeffrey Archer)

And I'm still reading Eric Calpton's autobiography.

Hi nice to meet others as interested in books as I am. I average about 4 books a week. The last book I read was " The Summerhouse" by Jude Deveraux. It's about 3 women who get a chance to go back in time and change 3 weeks of their lives. Such a good book. I had never read anything by her before but this book was so good that I'm going to try her other works.

Scarlet, the sequel to gone with the wind. I have never read the original. I would like to cause maybe this one would make more sense.

I just finished reading 'The Rose and The Beast Fairy Tales Retold' - Francesca Lia Block.