The Filipino Group discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
F2F Book Discussions
>
F2F74: February 2018 | Fantasy
date
newest »
newest »
Hi Maria! I'm excited about this too! :) I'm usually just the lurking type and keep thoughts to my own, but I do hope I can attend (for the first time!!!) My answer to Week 1 Questions:
1. News of a Kidnapping by Jose Gabriel Marquez because (1) it has been sitting in my book shelf for a while and (2) too much watching Narcos on Netflix to battle sleepless nights breastfeeding.
2. When the story piques my curiosity, I read fantasy. But I reckon I'll be reading more especially when my kids request it at bedtime.
3. Top 5
1. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
2. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
3. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
4. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. Does the Twilight series count as fantasy? (sorry not sorry:) if it doesn't, then it's Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children series
4. Just one: Jose Dela Cruz a.k.a. Joseng Sisiw, the disputed author of Ibong Adarna
Hi maria. Good day. 1. Twelve kingdoms by fuyimi ono
2. I like fantasy genre. It fun reading it specially when it in series. I end up craving for more when i finish 1st and 2nd book in series.
3. Farseer trilogy, twelve kingdoms, liveship trilogy, iam number 4 series, fritz and the fool trilogy,
4. Robin hobb, fuyumi ono, pittacus lore.
I hope you will have good discussion in f2f. Happy reading.
Week 1 Questions:1. I will be reading The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Maybe The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner if I have the time.
2. I haven't really read much fantasy. I guess it's just a genre that has never sustained much interest in me.
3. I can only recommend Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay and Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges.
4. Again, I haven't read much fantasy so...
Here's a suggestion. There are Filipino writers doing fantasy. Try them.I write in the genre and it doesn't have to be me (before anybody says I am promoting myself, rest assured I am not. Have already breached 4 million KU reads globally in four months yesterday - for my 2 books).
But there are others. Help Filipino authors become global in their reach. Your support will boost their rankings and let them be more visible.
Thanks. Just my 2 centavos.
1. What book / books are you reading for this month? Why?I was thinking I'd read The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle. I got this book mainly because I wanted to read more books by authors of color, and because it speaks of magic in a setting that is not London (but in NYC). Plus it's a Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Award nominee.
2. Is fantasy a genre you've always read from? Why or why not?
Yes. Because it presents a world that's an escape from ours, one where people can dissaparate, and ride dragons and cast spells. But still depicting human emotions and conditions. I remember being peeved at my mom because whenever she would watch a fantasy movie (for example the Shape of Water) and I would ask her how it was, she would always say that it was good but it is not believable because she is in love with a mythical sea creature (or insert whatever fantasy element here). And I was like, the fantasy element doesn't make things less effective / less moving! They are still dealing with human experiences and emotions.
3. Your Top 5 fantasy books? For hard core fantasy fans, your top 5 series?
Top 5 Standalone Fantasy
a. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
b. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
c. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke
d. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
e. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Top 5 Fantasy Series
a. A Song of Ice and Fire Series by GRRM!
b. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling!
c. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
d. The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
e. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
4. Name 3 fantasy authors that you would like us to check out. Bookpushing is allowed!
I am going to pick those whom I've read at least 2 of their books. So that leaves me with just, Neil Gaiman and China Mieville. And both are excellent!
1. What book / books are you reading for this month? Why?I'm planning to read Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology. The hardback had never been available on our island. But since they are releasing a paperback version this March, I just might get hold of a physical copy before this month ends.
If I don't, I'll read Trigger Warning just to tide me over. It's been on my shelf quite long now and I still haven't gotten past half of it.
2. Is fantasy a genre you've always read from? Why or why not?
Yes. My mom and lola fed me fairy tales and alamats - so it's no surprise that my preference would lean towards this genre. I guess I always have had an overactive imagination, and reading fantasy just stimulates it more. I love the different worlds, the magic, the wonders I could do, the adventures I could go to. It's an escape, like they say. There is always that desire to be right there on the pages of the book you are reading.
3. Your Top 5 fantasy books? For hard core fantasy fans, your top 5 series?
I can't pick a top 5. I love too many fantasy books. These are just ones that readily came to mind.
The Simarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
The Lamb Among the Stars - Chris Walley
Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman (I love everything Gaiman and I shouldn't ever be made to pick one. :( But this is the first one of his work that I've ever read and made me an avid fan since then.)
4. Name 3 fantasy authors that you would like us to check out.
Neil Gaiman
H.P. Lovecraft
Frank Herbert
Week 1 Questions:1. I initially chose Harry Potter 6 but after having a meh reaction from somebody (ehem!), I had doubts. Everybody has already read and talked about it, and what else do I have to add to the conversations? So I went ahead and checked my books and saw that my other option is The Two Towers. Uhm ... I started HP last night. I will try my best to read one more from the late Ursula K. LeGuin.
2. I've read a lot of fantasy stories when I was a kid. I enjoyed them, but when I came of age, I lost my interest in them. Now, I prefer watching fantasy movies than reading them. Spoonfed world-building lol.
3. Harry Potter series, Tigana, The Graveyard Book, The Buried Giant, The Once and Future King.
4. I've read some nonfantasy Ursula K. LeGuin stuff so I think her fantasy books are potentially great.
Week 1 Questions:1. I'm thinking of reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik. I've read the blurb before and I'm curious what the deal with Dragon is. Plus, it has a good rating here in GR so maybe it's worth the read. If not Uprooted, maybe whatever fantasy book I'll get hold of on BBF book sale. Hahaha.
2. Fantasy has always been one of my go-to genres because I find it awesome how authors become so creative and imaginative in their world-building. Reality is already draining in itself so it's a good escape.
3. Top 5 fantasy books
a. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
b. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell - Susanna Clark
c. The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
d. Dwellers - Eliza Victoria
e. Matilda - Roald Dahl
Top 5 series
a. The Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
b. Harry Potter Series - JK Rowling
c. Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini
d. Cirque du Freak - Darren Shan
e. Dresden Files - Jim Butcher (although I'm already having second thoughts on this one, hehe)
4. JRR Tolkien because I consider him as the pioneer of the fantasy genre mainly because a lot of contemporary authors kind of patterned their works on LOTR.
Week 1 Questions:1. I already started on Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. I am not sure of my next choices, but I prefer reading a standalone, rather than a book from a series.
2. Every now and then, yes. I'm an eclectic reader, I read whichever suits my taste at the moment.
3. Forever King series by Molly Cochran and Warren Murphy
The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle
The Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens
Harry Potter by JK Rowling
4. Susan Cooper
Molly Cochran
Amanda Stevens
1. I am not reading a fantasy book at the moment. What I am reading belongs to the "magic realism" category.2. I rarely read fantasy nowadays. But if it wasn't for the fantasy genre, I would never be an avid reader.
3. Top Five Fantasy Books:
5. Percy Jackson and the Olympians Boxed Set by Rick Riordan
4.His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
3.The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis
2.The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
1. The Hobbit,The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion by J.R.R Tolkien
4. J.R.R Tolkien
Lloyd Alexander
C.S Lewis
Hi everyone, thank you for answering last week's Qs! I'm still processing all your posts (I intend to reply), so for the mean time, let me post this week's Qs. =)
Week 2 Questions1. On movie tie-ins of fantasy books: which book adaptation(s) is better than the book in your opinion? Which are disappointments? Let's include tv series adaptations, too.
2. What book captured your imagination the most? Like, the author painted a very vivid fantasy world, that you can’t help but imagine yourself immersed in it? As if that imaginary world is leaping out of the pages as you read.
3. Let’s talk about your favorite characters. Which hero or heroine would you like to be? From what book do you admire the villain (and who is he/she?), and why?
Week 1 Questions:1. What book / books are you reading for this month? Why?
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson. If I still have time, I plan to read A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar, Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay, The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin, and The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu.
2. Is fantasy a genre you've always read from? Why or why not?
Yes! When I was little, I had an older cousin who told me about Pilandok's adventures whenever we met, which was seldom. One adventure wove into another, so it was never-ending story. (I would later realize he was making some stuff up or adding his own twists to the lore.) He would dole out each chapter precisely, and I would act out the fantasy until the next time we met. Since then, I've been partial to fantasy.
3. Your Top 5 fantasy books? For hard core fantasy fans, your top 5 series?
a. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.
b. Abarat by Clive Barker. Blew my mind when I was in high school.
c. Tainaron: Mail from Another City by Leena Krohn. Strange and melancholic, imaginative and humane. Technically classified as New Weird, but I read it with a fantasy lens and Goodreads tags it as fantasy.
d. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. Reading about someone's pain through years of fantastic oppression, especially when this oppression locks their losses in a pattern, is a very painful punch in the gut. I bawled near the end.
e. The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Gordon Dahlquist. It's a fantasy steampunk sci-fi adventure mystery written in a Victorian hand. Overly bloated but totally justified by the style.
Series:
a. Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones. Huge soft spot for these books. Probably not as good now
b. Derkholm series by Diana Wynne Jones. It's basically DWJ making fun of, and having fun with, high fantasy and boarding school genres.
c. Everworld series by K.A. Applegate (and ghost writers). A human witch takes advantage when gods of different mythologies battle an alien insect god.
d. Bas-Lag books by China Mieville. Mieville does not care for precise wording, he only wants to give you a different experience. Technically not a series, but there's no more space to add Perdido Street Station and The Scar in my list above.
e. Tales of the Nine Charms by Erica Farber and J.R. Sansevere. It's fairly ordinary children's fantasy. However, the lack of a third book in what's supposed to be a trilogy - the authors parted ways in what seems to be really bad terms - and an effective cliffhanger, still keeps me awake at night.
As for comics:
a. Lucifer series by Mike Carey and various artists.
b. Thor: God of Thunder series by Jason Aaron and various artists.
c. Locke and Key series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.
d. Wonder Woman series by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang.
e. B.P.R.D. series by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, and various artists.
4. Name 3 fantasy authors that you would like us to check out. Bookpushing is allowed!
For now, only Leena Krohn and Kelly Link.
Week 1 Questions:1. What book / books are you reading for this month? Why?
~I'm going to read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children which you (Maria) gave to me years ago, haha!) I initially planned on reading China Mieville's Kraken but I chickened out (view spoiler)
2. Is fantasy a genre you've always read from? Why or why not?
~No. I think I have a problem with my imagination. I find it difficult to grasp imaginary creatures and imaginary worlds. I prefer to read contemporary fiction, but I do get to read some fantasy whenever the mood strikes, like when I'm not too stressed out that I can properly focus on what I'm reading. :)
3. Your Top 5 fantasy books? For hard core fantasy fans, your top 5 series?
~In no particular order:
Un Lun Dun
Perdido Street Station
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
A Game of Thrones
The Night Circus
4. Name 3 fantasy authors that you would like us to check out. Bookpushing is allowed! :D
~ China Mieville! (view spoiler) (Sorry, I don't know any others. Hee.)
Week 2 Questions1. On movie tie-ins of fantasy books: which book adaptation(s) is better than the book in your opinion? Which are disappointments? Let's include tv series adaptations, too.
~I can't think of any at the moment. (view spoiler)
2. What book captured your imagination the most? Like, the author painted a very vivid fantasy world, that you can’t help but imagine yourself immersed in it? As if that imaginary world is leaping out of the pages as you read.
~Huhu homaygosh it's gonna be Perdido Street Station because half-humans, half-bugs? Vodyanois? Moths with wide colorful wings? Ech.
3. Let’s talk about your favorite characters. Which hero or heroine would you like to be? From what book do you admire the villain (and who is he/she?), and why?
~For now, I'd like to be Deeba from Un Lun Dun because (view spoiler)
Week 1 Questions1. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. A thinly veiled HP fanfic. I'm all for it☺
2. Yes, the fantasy genre is one i have always read from. I read a lot of genre books because it is a gateway to new and exotic cultures that i like to read about.
3.
Top Novels
American Gods
His Dark Materials
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Pyramids
Watership Down
Wicked
Top Series
The Chronicles of Chrestomanci
The Chronicles of Narnia
Discworld
Harry Potter
A Wrinkle in Time Quintet
4. Authors
Diana Wynne Jones
Ursula K. Le Guin
Terry Pratchett
Week 2 Questions1. Game of Thrones
Though it cut out a lot of things, the series gives a more overall/holistic viewpoint to the story. I like the books but the shifting viewpoints can be confusing.😮
2. Discworld by Terry Pratchett
A comedic take on fantasy tropes.😂 The series is just so refreshing because it goes away from the serious, chosen one approach that many medieval fantasy worlds take.
3. Harry Potter
He is the quintessential coming of age hero for me and the stories were also published during my coming of age so his story really resonated with me☺
Hello there!I've been on GR for a while but I've never participated in any F2F activity. Will try this month.
Week 1 Questions:
1. What book / books are you reading for this month? Why?
-Blue Ocean Strategy: a marketing book
-Found in Translation: a book discussing the importance of translation in our day-to-day life
-Start with Why: popular business book
> I am reading these books because I needed a break from books that are too technical. I have an engineering background but I am currently moving into a different field. I guess reading these books that used to be outside my knowledge circle would be of great help.
2. Is fantasy a genre you've always read from? Why or why not?
-Not really. Though the first novel I ever read was a fantasy. I am not really a fan of fantasy but there are fantasy books that just catches my attention. For most parts, I would prefer YA suspense.
3. Your Top 5 fantasy books? For hard core fantasy fans, your top 5 series?
I don't have 5.
Here are the fantasy books I've read so far.
1. A Wrinkle in Time
2. Miss Peregrine Book 1
3. Darkness Concealed Book 1
4. Name 3 fantasy authors that you would like us to check out. Bookpushing is allowed! :D
Maybe try Madeleine L'Engle. I really don't know much
Anyway, for this month, so I may be able to join the discussions, I will try to read Alchemyst
Week 1 Questions1. I'm reading Elric of Melniboné because this is supposed to be a seminal work in the fantasy genre. I may read The Subtle Knife since I just finished La Belle Sauvage and it piqued my interest again in Pullman's trilogy.
2. Not always, I don't really seek out to read fantasy novels. I have to be in the mood to read them. I'm also notorious for having only read the first book in a series, haha. (I might do penance by completing His Dark Materials this year.)
3. I don't read a lot of fantasy but these are the ones I've enjoyed:
The Once and Future King
The Fellowship of the Ring
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Titus Groan
The Scar
4. Mervyn Peake - the Gormenghast world is so delightfully surreal!
Marina and Sergey Dyachenko - a Ukrainian couple whose works are usually in Russian and have won various Russian fantasy awards. The Scar was recently translated into English and I loved it. It has my kind of anti-hero: utterly, utterly flawed but with a good heart.
Lord Dunsany - The King of Elfland's Daughter was a surprise for me. I can't recommend it to readers who like their fantasy fast-paced. For one, it's very old-school but he writes so beautifully that you find yourself totally enveloped in the mystical world of Elfland. Trigger alert: don't read this if you love unicorns! Haha
Week 1 Questions:1. I am currently reading The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5) by Rick Riordan. Because I was carried away by last month's YA genre. LOLJK. Because I think it's about time to finish the series. I finished the 4th book 3.5 years ago.
2. It is one of the genres that I enjoy reading. I love their world-building and it's fun recalling numerous names of people and places.
3. A Song of Ice and Fire
Harry Potter
Perdido Street Station
Tigana
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
4. China Mieville
Week 2 Questions1. I am really trying to think of a movie that is better than the book, but there is no such luck. That is why I try very hard (as much as I could) to skip the movie versions. I was so disappointed when I saw The Seeker, a supposed movie adaptation of The Dark Is Rising. It has Ian McShane in that movie, for crying out loud!
2. I had plenty of that, there's a long list. To choose one is very unfair. hehehe
3. Daine, from The Immortals by Tamora Pierce, is totally cool and a very endearing character. I am not sure if they are ultimately villainous, but they did play the part:
Severus Snape
Jaime Lannister
Gollum
The Grinch
reply | flag *
Week 1 Questions1. I have just finished Love Letters to the Dead. I am going to start reading A Clash of Kings (I hope I can finish it before this month ends).
2. I read anything, and fantasy is definitely one of those... I love reading fantasy because of the different worlds I come to know and love...
3. I finished the following series: Harry Potter, The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, Twilight, Percy Jackson, and so many more...
4. I can't think of anyone you haven't known yet... hahaha
Week 2 Questions:1. I don't think I have had any experience where I thought the movie was better than the book. Sometimes they can be apples and oranges. But I do like what the showrunners are doing with GRRM's ASOIAF series. I think they are now doing things off-book but they are doing a pretty smart job of it. Aside from knowing which bits from the book to highlight, they also know how to write stuff of their own, stuff that make us even more invested in the characters. Which is why people who don't watch GoT are pissed when its GoT new season release month because GoT fans tend to go a little crazy. Okay fine, way crazy. That is how good the creators are.
As for let downs. The Percy Jackson adaptations felt too bland and generic. It's not that the book characters or the book's story is unique. It is your typical Chosen One on a Hero's Journey. But I wish they highlighted the fun, light and jokey banter aspect of the books because I think it is one of its strenghts. And having well rounded characters too. Instead the films are too concerned with the set pieces and action scenes.
2. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will always have a place in my heart.
3. Well, for the longest time I've wanted to be Hermione Granger because she is da best. The boys (and the house elves) would've been lost without her. And Dany. Because uhm, dragons. :D
As for villains, without repeating Mommy L's answers which I totally agree with,
Lord Asriel from His Dark Materials Trilogy because as I feel he is such a complex character that you can never really tell whether you should be on his team or not.
The Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair from JSMN - because he has a falir for hair, enchanted balls, enchanting people, and luxurious gift giving that will give Oprah a run for her money. XD
Happy Valentine's, everyone!Looking at your lists, and I'm thinking I have many books to add in my TBR list. =)
Anyway...
Thank you for participating on this thread! I hope you can still answer a couple more questions. =)
Week 3 Questions
1. It's the love month! So which couples/pairings (and from which books) do you think have an epic love story that matches the fantasy world they are in? Why do you think their romance is in epic proportions?
2. Give 2 love quotes from any of the fantasy books you love.
Week 3 Questions:1. Beren and Luthien from J.R.R Tolkien's epic fantasy book "The Silmarillion". Beren and Luthien's quest led them to nothing less than the most evil person in Tolkien's Middle-earth universe: Morgoth, the first Dark Lord. Their heroism and love were so admired that they set up the standard for all the other heroes and famous couples in Middle-earth.
2. " Neither rock, nor steel, nor the fires of Morgoth, nor all the powers of the Elf-kingdoms, shall keep me from the treasure that I desire. For Luthien, your daughter is the fairest of all the Children of the World." - Beren to Luthien's father Thingol.
"Luthien Tinuvel
more fair than mortal heart can tell
Though all to ruin fell the world
and were dissolved and backward hurled
yet were its making good, for this
the dusk, the dawn, the sea
that Luthien for a time should be"
- a poem from "The Silmarillion"
Week 3 Questions1. Wow! This is a hard question to answer without defaulting to Fantasy Romance or Fanfic. Most mainstream fantasy novels have love stories but they are typically secondary to the plot or concept so i can't think of any that are remarkable 😰
Week 3 QuestionsI'm short of any epic love team right now, but I just read When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears, the last book in The Goblin Wars, by Kersten Hamilton, and I was caught by Finn and Teagan's love and dedication to protect each other. It wasn't just the physical but the spiritual kind of devotion. Here's a snippet:
"I don't have the words," he said, 'to tell you how sorry I am about your da. About Mamie. About them all. If I were the saint Mamieo thought I was, I'd have been crying out to the Almighty from the moment I met you, asking the Creator of Creation to keep you safe. Bu I don't have words. All I've had from the beginning is my hands and my heart and my will to protect you." He caught her tear on his fingertip. "I wish to God I was a saint girl, and my prayers could end this now." He kissed the top of her head. "I'll be back."
Week 2 Questions1. I think movies/series adaptations will never be better than the book because once you read before watching, you already have the story painted in your head. Although I think Harry Potter movie series and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell tv series did justice to the novels.
2. The Chronicles of Narnia! (but they murdered the movie adaptation!!!)
3. It's hard to pick a favorite. Huhu
I have never hated a villain more than Dolores Umbridge and Joffrey Baratheon. I liked how they were portrayed because I hated them so much (effective yung pagkakagawa sa characters nila).
Week 3 Questions
1. Hmmm... I actually do not like it when fantasy novels inject romance between characters (which sadly, always happen). Feeling ko kasi nasiside track sila from their adventure when they fall in love. Hahahaha (uy, bitter si ate)
2. "Always" - Snape (insert ugly tears)
"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart" -The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
Week 2 Questions:1. I have never watched any movie adaptation better than the book.
2. J.R.R Tolkien's Middle-earth universe portrayed by The Hobbit,The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. The history, the characters, and the fictional languages really fascinated me.
3. Well, I would want to be like Frodo from 'The Lord of the Rings". Frodo is very inspiring because he was a small and gentle hobbit who was put in the middle of a grand war between good and evil.
On the other hand, I don't admire any villain from any book.
Hi! it’s my first time to join a forum here and a newbie too. 😊 So here it goes...Week 1 questions:
1. Just finished Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I plan on reading Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy and What Not To Do If You Turn Invisible by Ross Welford
2. I love fantasy movies but it only recently did I read fantasy. I’ve finished Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse Novels other than that wala pa ko nabasang iba. I do hope I can read all Harry Potter Books and try some Fantasy Authors too.
3. And because the only fantasy series I had read for now is Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse that would be my top fantasy series. No top fantasy books for now :(
4. Charlaine Harris is a must read guys. If you like supernatural world characters.
Thank you for sharing, everyone! (view spoiler)I'm seeing familiar titles from your comments, and some new ones as well.
I have no questions for this week na. But if you have questions for me, fire away. =P
For those who are available this coming Saturday, hope you can come (event invite has been sent last Monday)!
Thank you for participating! Please tell us what book you actually read for our Fantasy Month so that we can add the books in our group shelf over here. The books that are already on the shelf are the ones that we discussed last Saturday. It was a fun discussion, but fruit shakes, smoothies, and other drinks that need the use of a blender were not allowed, heh. And I'm pretty sure that TBR piles got higher.
Here I am chewing my own words. I did prefer reading a standalone, but I realized that I have a lot of unfinished series that I need to conclude.Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch
Bad News by Pseudonymous Bosch
Humbug: The Unwinding of Ebenezer Scrooge by Tony Bertauski
When the Stars Threw Down Their Spears by Kersten Hamilton
Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton
Habol on the last day of Fantasy month! :D (view spoiler)Week 1 Questions:
1. What book / books are you reading for this month? Why?
I had *planned* to read
but I got sidetracked by taking care of my newborn. Figured it's high time I read the second book in the late Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea Cycle. Will still read it this year.2. Is fantasy a genre you've always read from? Why or why not?
Yes, I read fantasy a lot. My husband is a fantasy reader so his recos influence me a lot. I find fantasy a welcome respite from "heavy" reading. It lets me escape once in a while.
3. Your Top 5 fantasy books? For hard core fantasy fans, your top 5 series?
In no particular order - I'm counting the series as just one book na ha.
1. The Lord of the Rings (pa rin) by JRR Tolkien
2. A Song of Ice and Fire (of course) by GRR Martin
3. The Harry Potter series (naman) by JK Rowling
4. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
5. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman
4. Name 3 fantasy authors that you would like us to check out. Bookpushing is allowed! :D
1. Ursula LeGuin
2. Neil Gaiman (really, whoever hasn't read him yet should disapparate haha)
3. Scott Lynch
Week 2 Questions
1. On movie tie-ins of fantasy books: which book adaptation(s) is better than the book in your opinion? Which are disappointments? Let's include tv series adaptations, too.
Not really better than the book but it was fantastic: I loved how they adapted the LOTR series and The Invention of Hugo Cabret. For TV series, siempre GOT! And, I love love loved the adaptation of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
On the other hand, the film adaptation of The Hobbit was a horror! It was such a simple and straightforward book so I couldn't understand why they did what they did.
2. What book captured your imagination the most? Like, the author painted a very vivid fantasy world, that you can’t help but imagine yourself immersed in it? As if that imaginary world is leaping out of the pages as you read.
The City and The City by China Mielville. This is a book I'd love to see adapted into a film.
3. Let’s talk about your favorite characters. Which hero or heroine would you like to be? From what book do you admire the villain (and who is he/she?), and why?
For some reason, Thistledown from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is my favorite villain. There is something about his wickedness and cunning that fascinated me. Also, and not to forget, I am a Lannister forevah!
For favorite character, that would have to be Snape. (Villain ba sya or hero? Whatever he is, he's my favorite. Always.)
Week 3 Questions
1. It's the love month! So which couples/pairings (and from which books) do you think have an epic love story that matches the fantasy world they are in? Why do you think their romance is in epic proportions?
Hmmm. I can't think of anyone! Haha.
2. Give 2 love quotes from any of the fantasy books you love.
Pass on this one. :D
Congrats on your F2F, sis! :)
Week 2 Questions:1. On movie tie-ins of fantasy books: which book adaptation(s) is better than the book in your opinion? Which are disappointments? Let's include tv series adaptations, too.
I think that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is way better than the book. I struggled to finish the book, because I found the confrontation near the climax to be too early in the book not to mention far too long. It felt like a shaggy dog story before Dumbledore gives Harry and Hermione a magical thingamajig in the hospital wing, and after he gives it, I chucked the book across the room because I didn't want to read the same shaggy dog story again. I liked the ending, but I seldom reread Prisoner. The film adaptation made the confrontation and the climax much easier to digest, and it gave a sense of fun and wonder that I think the book lacked. I might have to reread it, though, after watching LilyCReads's booktube review.
The film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a rushed mess. It's my favorite book in the series because even though the villain's plan was not foolproof, it greatly expanded the wizarding world. (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Qudditch Through the Ages simply HAD to be published after Goblet. Goblet made it necessary.) The film, on the other hand, is a claustrophobic thing that doesn't give you time to breathe. Maybe that's a commentary on being a teenager, but I don't want to give the Heyman and Kloves the benefit of the doubt.
2. What book captured your imagination the most? Like, the author painted a very vivid fantasy world, that you can’t help but imagine yourself immersed in it? As if that imaginary world is leaping out of the pages as you read.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
3. Let’s talk about your favorite characters. Which hero or heroine would you like to be? From what book do you admire the villain (and who is he/she?), and why?
Hero: Cat Chant from Charmed Life. He's patient. Maybe Sazed, too, from The Hero of Ages, because he's smart. As for comics, my fave is Kate Corrigan from the B.P.R.D. series. I don't necessarily want to be her, but I really admire her guts. She was first an academic, but she's so efficient at her job that she came to be in charge of B.P.R.D., and handled it when gigantic eldritch abominations were eating the world for years. Iron will personified.
Villain: Kirana (Tai Mora/mirror version) from Empire Ascendant. She's pretty good at what she does, which is my basic requirement for an effective villain. In order to save her people, she invades worlds, and in order to invade worlds, she has to kill her own people. She's basically caught in a genocidal catch-22. You can't help but root for her, especially when she's done really terrible (and exhausting) things to make sure her family reunites, only for her family to stay broken. It almost feels like she's not the villain at all.
Week 3 Questions:
1. It's the love month! So which couples/pairings (and from which books) do you think have an epic love story that matches the fantasy world they are in? Why do you think their romance is in epic proportions?
Maybe Christopher and Ganymede in Fear the Fantastic. (view spoiler)
Nothing's coming to me. I don't think I've enjoyed reading any romantic pairing in a fantasy book.
2. Give 2 love quotes from any of the fantasy books you love.
Yanassa shook her head and leaned forward to embrace her. "That was only proper," she said in Hanani's ear. "Any woman can face the world alone, but why should we have to?"
- a female version of bromance in The Shadowed Sun by N.K. Jemisin.
"I don't doubt your love," she said. "You are a man made for love, I think. Your eyes make me want to die, there's so much love in them. But it isn't real. Real love lasts years. It causes pain, and endures through it."
- from The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin.
Books finished:
The Traitor Baru Cormorant 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Tigana 1 out of 5 stars.
I have a wide range for my selection hehehe.Sorry for not answering the questions :(
Here's what I have for my reading queue:
1. A Wrinkle in Time Trilogy
2. The Hobbit
3. The Iliad and the Odyssey
Grabe. Adulting caught up with me. I’ve read the golden compass for February. Will try to amswer questions later...
Thanks! Books have been added.Also, I can't help but laugh at THAT 1-star rating. :D
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
The Filipino Group
Books mentioned in this topic
The Ballad of Black Tom (other topics)Fear the Fantastic (other topics)
Empire Ascendant (other topics)
The Shadowed Sun (other topics)
Charmed Life (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jeff Wheeler (other topics)Tamora Pierce (other topics)
V.E. Schwab (other topics)
Laini Taylor (other topics)
Robin Hobb (other topics)
More...
Our theme for the month is ... FANTASY! Pick any book (or books!) categorized as such. As long as it is tagged as fantasy here in GR, then go ahead and read that book! We'll be posting questions that will help guide the conversations on this thread. You may also ask questions if need be.
I am highly encouraging you to attend the F2F book discussion by the end of the month! Let's talk about that book you just read, fantasy books that you cannot forget, and anything mundane in between. It's been a while for me with books, so I'm excited about this!
---
F2F74 Book Discussion Details
Date: February 24, Saturday
Place:
Corner Tree Cafe
Jupiter St., Makati City
Time: 2 PM - 5 PM
---
Week 1 Questions:
1. What book / books are you reading for this month? Why?
2. Is fantasy a genre you've always read from? Why or why not?
3. Your Top 5 fantasy books? For hard core fantasy fans, your top 5 series?
4. Name 3 fantasy authors that you would like us to check out. Bookpushing is allowed! :D
---
Happy Reading!