Off The TBR Dragons of Autumn Twilight Read Along discussion
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1. Jason Aycock. I'm old (42). Grew up in Northwest Florida but now live in Kentucky. Married and have three kids (they keep me busy and tired). Fav seasons are Fall and Winter (bring on the snow!!!). Love to read and blog about books (obviously), travel, and eat good food. Studied History and Theology in college/grad school (and do nothing professionally with either). Work in an admin job for a Hospice organization.
2. Yes...offthetbr.wordpress.com. You can also find me on Twitter @Jasonats.
3. This series is the one that got me hooked on fantasy! Dragons of Autumn Twilight was my gateway book. I first read it back in middle school (1990 - 1991). I was hooked from then on, and quickly read through the Legends series and a bunch of other Dragonlance books. I re-read the Chronicles just after I got married (1999 - 2000). So it's been nearly 20 years since I read this book/series.
4. Raistlin is my fav character hands down.
5. First and foremost I just want to read this series again. It's been too long. Apart from that I want to see how well it holds up after 20 years..does it live up to the memory and nostalgia I have for it? Fantasy has experienced a lot of changes and I'm much older. How much does my age and the years that have gone by impact my reading of it? How does it hold up to social changes like increasing inclusion of women, minorities, and LGBGQ in fantasy? How does it hold up to trends in fantasy like the rise of Grimdark? The list goes on.
6. I don't know...we'll see as we go. I do hope to get to know all of you a little more!
First - Thanks very much to Jason for pulling this together. I'm very excited to participate in this read along. It's my first one, so be gentle. :) 1. Who are you?
Rob Hall. I'm older than Jason (48). Married with three daughters. Grew up in Michigan, but have been in Northeast Ohio for the past 15 years. Bachelors in Computer Information Systems from Western Michigan University (Go Broncos!) and a master's degree in Business Systems Administration from Baldwin-Wallace. I work for a large bank, mainly with Big Data -- Hadoop, Python, SAS, SQL. I'm a big hockey fan, you'll often find me at home games for the Cleveland Monsters, and I also follow the Columbus Blue Jackets pretty closely.
2. Do you have a blog? (feel free to post a link)
No, although I've thought about it. Too lazy, I guess. :)
3. Have you ever read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonlance Chronicles, or any of the other Dragonlance books before?
Yes, I've read the Chronicles annnd... hmm, the one with the Twins. Legends? Loved them both, and in fact they were my gateway drug into fantasy. I'm looking forward to revisiting the books, as I haven't read them since my high school days, lonnnng time ago. :)
4. If yes to 3 above who is your favorite character? (remember spoilers)
Raistlin by far.
5. What are your goals for this read-along?
To reread and see if the books hold up. And also to hopefully meet some like-minded folks for discussion.
6. Anything else you'd like us to know?
Hmm, nah, I guess. I can't think of anything.
1. Who are you?Nice to meet you, I am Beth. I am younger than Jason by 2 years at a wise 39. :) I grew up in Las Vegas Nevada and attended UNLV (go rebels) I have a degree in Landscape Architecture. I worked as an architect until the big crash in 2008. I designed parks and trail systems and rather a lot of Applebees. I am a married mother of 1 hellion. I know nothing about sportsball, but I did use to be a competitive swimmer and a powerlifter. I have an obsessive love of coffee, and I am quite fond of german cabbage. Cake > pie.
2. Do you have a blog? (feel free to post a link)
Yup. www.beforewegoblog.com
3. Have you ever read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonlance Chronicles, or any of the other Dragonlance books before?
I have not, I must have skipped it as my gateway drug was lord of the rings.
4. If yes to 3 above who is your favorite character? (remember spoilers) I cannot speak for Dragonlance, but Gimili is pretty awesome.
5. What are your goals for this read-along? It sounded like a lot of fun and I like to support Jason.
6. Anything else you'd like us to know?
I like piña coladas
And gettin' caught in the rain
And the feel of the ocean
And the taste of champagne...(I have a terrible sense of humor)
Hey all! Really looking forward to this read-along!1. I'm Calvin. I'm apparently the young one so far at 34. I grew up in the mid-atlantic and currently live in south central Pennsylvania. I'm married with two kids. I love reading, enjoying copious amounts of coffee, and tabletop gaming--though I rarely have enough time to enjoy gaming as much as I used to. Random fact: I've studied half a dozen dead languages, and I thoroughly enjoy discussions of diachronic grammar and the development of languages.
2. I don't have a blog. But I do review SFF for Fantasy Book Review (https://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/r...). I also host the Under a Pile of Books podcast (https://anchor.fm/pile-of-books)
3. I love Dragonlance! I've read a lot of the books. They weren't my gateway drug (that would be The Hobbit), but they are classics. It has, however, been over 15 years since I read them.
4. I recall Raistlin being my favorite--though that might have been more in the Twins trilogy. Fizban is endearing. So we'll say him.
5. I wanna have a great time and see how these hold up now that I'm much more engaged in the SFF community and have read more widely.
6. Hmmm...I don't know! lol
Hi. *waves* I'm going to be a rebel and not do a numbered list of answers. :) I'm 45 years old. I'm married with cats (no kids). My dad was in the Navy, so we moved every 2 to 4 years within the United States. I've lived in both Washingtons (both the state and DC) as well as Texas, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, and now Oregon to stay.
I read the Dragonlance Chronicles in high school (back when I first started reading fantasy), but I remember absolutely nothing about it, except that I really enjoyed it. I'm waiting on my library's ebook, so I'll probably get a late start (a week or so behind). My original omnibus copy is at my parents' house in Georgia, but it's probably not worth getting it mailed to me. If it's as enjoyable as I remember, I may just invest in the series again.
No blog for me. I've thought about it many times, but I decided to stick with Goodreads. I do enjoy following book bloggers though. And I don't have a favorite Dragonlance character, because I can't remember anything about it. It will be interesting to see if I remember anything. My book memory is like a goldfish (where I can easily forget what happened in a book I read two months ago), so I suspect this will be a "new" reading experience for me.
Jean ~ Kindle Queen wrote: "Hi. *waves* I'm going to be a rebel and not do a numbered list of answers. :) I'm 45 years old. I'm married with cats (no kids). My dad was in the Navy, so we moved every 2 to 4 years within the ..."
Hey! Oregonian here too. :)
Elizabeth wrote: "Hey! Oregonian here too. :)"Hey! Gotta love the Pacific Northwest! :)
I lived in SE Portland (near the Clackamas Town Center) for nearly five years. Now I'm down south in Salem. Oregon is definitely my favorite state out of the places I lived. :)
Hi! I’m probably not going to do a numbered list either, but let’s see if I can remember everything I’m supposed to answer... I’m Angela Boord. I’m 47, the mother of 9 kids aged 23-3, and I’m an indie fantasy writer. I published my first novel, Fortune’s Fool, in June 2019. I grew up in a small town in middle Tennessee and now I live in Mississippi, but we’ve moved around quite a bit. I’ve also lived in Knoxville, TN; Washington, DC; Portland, OR; the frozen wilds of upstate NY near Cooperstown, and St. Louis, MO. I have a degree in anthropology, but mostly what I’ve done with my life is homeschool my kids and read and write books... although I took a long break from writing for publication from about 2007-2017. (I did have some stories published from 2001-2007, and you can even still find a couple of them online.)
I have a website (angelaboord.com) but I’m usually too busy writing books to blog. (I would like to blog more often, though.) Instead I’m more active on Twitter @AngelaBoord.
I read the first Dragonlance books when I was in high school, back in the late 80’s. I’m pretty sure I read them enough times that the covers fell off. At the time I was playing D&D and learning how to write stories, and of course Raistlin was my favorite character(although I will admit a fondness for Tas.) I think that Raistlin probably had more influence on my writing than I give him credit for, and I’m curious to see how his character holds up to a re-read.
Other than that, I’m kind of along for the ride! I’m going to be heavily involved in revising a novel this month, and so my brain probably won’t be up for a lot of heavier fiction. I’m looking forward to Dragonlance as a fun break :-).
Hiya, all! 1. My name is Jodie, unless I'm on my blog or Twitter, in which case it's Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub.Sadly, I've discovered I'm not all that witty. I grew up in Utah (nope, not Mormon) but now live in northern Florida with my hubby, my 11 yr old son, and the toddler tornado. I love to read, blog about reading, and play D&D. I homeschool my kids and I'm currently in school myself with the end goal of going into book editing.
2. Indeed: wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog. on Twitter: @WS_BOOKCLUB
3. I've read most of the Dragonlance multiple times. I first read them in sixth grade and they turned me into a fantasy junkie.
4. I love Raistlin (who doesn't), and a character that doesn't show up right away. I'll tell you who when you meet them!
5. I reread the Chronicles every year (I am weird) and Jason rocks, so of course I had to join.
I just love talking about books, so any chance to do that makes me happy.
.
Angela, it's awesome to meet another homeschooler!
Hi all!Thanks to Jason for putting this together. I have so many memories of this series.
1. My name is Paul and I live in Sonoma County, Ca. I’m a 43 year old high school English teacher. This is my 21st year in the classroom. I have two little ones. 5 year old girl and 3 year old son.
2. My blog is PaulsPicks.Blog
3. Yes. I read them when I was in middle school when they came out.
4. T. Burrfoot :)
5. I just am happy I am a part of this. I don’t use GoodReads much at all, just to post my reviews.
6. Nada.
Hey Angela, where about in Tennessee? Most of my family is from Elizabethton and Johnson City.
Hi folks, I'm Jonny *waves*I'm a spritely 29 year old from Durham in the north east of England (lovely cathedral, if you ever get chance to visit) though I've been living a few miles up the road in Newcastle for a fair while now. I go by JonBob on Twitter and you can find me at @SFFjonbob. It's what my nana has called me since I was a kid because my middle name is Robert and without me really noticing it has slowly become my 'Internet Name'.
Until recently I was a professional poker player, but me and my girlfriend want to buy a house and I didn't think 'Professional Gambler' would look great on our mortgage application haha. So now I work for our wonderful National Health Service helping people access free healthcare.
I do have a blog. It's called Parsecs and Parchment , have a wander on over if you like science fiction and fantasy books.
I read Dragons of Autumn Twilight as a young teenager but, like Jean, I don't remember anything about it, so this is effectively a new read for me.
I don't really have any goals per se, I'd just like to have fun and meet some folks who geek out about fantasy books as much as I do.
Hallo everyone - I'm Anna in meatspace or imyril when online (GR, Litsy, Twitter, Instagram), which is a name I stole from an evil sorceress in a D&D campaign my friend ran at uni. What can I say, I'm a pushover for charismatic evildoers... we'll come back to that thought. I blog at There's Always Room For One More.I'm 41, from the UK - and in a weird coincidence, also from County Durham (best cathedral in the world ❤️) although I've lived in London for the last 20-odd years.
I studied Archaeology & Prehistory, then went to work in advertising (hey, it's all storytelling) and as of this year am working for a US software company specialising in project management.
I first read Dragonlance in my teens, doubling down on the fantasy addiction kicked off by Alanna, The Hobbit, Narnia, Prydain and Alan Garner (they all got to me before I was 8; Dragonlance wasn't a feature of my childhood libraries).
While I like to believe I ended up with a great deal of affection for most of the party, I was most intrigued by Kit (hey, remember how I have a thing for charismatic evildoers? I _also_ have a thing for warrior women. She was the perfect package ;)
I'm rereading for nostalgia and because I think it will be hella fun to do it as part of a big group - I remember finding my last reread a few years ago a bit frustrating, but I think tackling it in smaller chunks (interspersed with lots of SF for me as it's SciFiMonth) will let the considerable charm dominate. You may still have to put up with me chuntering about gender roles.
Thanks for organising this Jason!
Mod
So it seems most of us are older (older than 30 at least), and most of us have read the books before. There also seems to be an early fav character in Raistlin (not surprised) with votes for Kit and Tass as well.
Once again I'm really excited for this event. In part because we get to read the book, but in part because I'll get to know all of you a little better. I say it all the time on Twitter...I think this community of fantasy/sci-fi readers is amazing and fantastic and awesome. Thanks to all of you for joining, and thanks to everyone for being so supportive.
For anyone who hasn't posted an introduction and still wants to you can do so at any time! But no pressure if you don't want to.
I'm about to go make some boiled peanuts (it's the southern boy in me) but once I get that going I'll probably come back and set-up a post folder for week one.
1. Who are you?Hello I’m Erik (47 years old) originally from New York City, but I’ve lived in Texas and Puerto Rico I currently live in Western Massachusetts and have been here for the past twenty years. I’m married with three kids. Love reading and drinking coffee. I work as a TV news videographer.
2. Do you have a blog? (feel free to post a link)
I do have a blog;
https://genrebookreviewsblog.wordpres...
3. Have you ever read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonlance Chronicles, or any of the other Dragonlance books before?
I got into Dragonlance in middle school in the late 80’s. I loved playing D&D and the books were a way to get in the world when there was no one to play with. I’ve reread the series many times. I bet any therapist would say that it is a comfort read for me since I moved a lot it was one thing that remains the same and I would constantly go back to.
4. If yes to 3 above who is your favorite character? (remember spoilers)
Everyone loves Raistlin but my favorite was Sturm Brightblade his moral code is second to none.
5. What are your goals for this read-along?
My goals are to get to talk with other fans about a series that I’ve loved for a long time.
Hi everyone. I'm really excited about this readalong and so thanks to Jason for getting it pulled together. It feels like we've been talking about it on twitter for a year. In fact, I'm so excited that I got a head start and I'm already a third of the way through. Anyway, here are my answers1. Who are you?
I'm Dave Woolliscroft, fantasy author under D. P. Woolliscroft. I'm 44 and live in NJ but I'm engligh. I grew up in Nottingham (Robin Hood country), went to uni in Wales and then lived in Liverpool and London before marrying an american and getting dragged to the US. I spent six years living in DC before we ended up in Princeton, N. I published my first book in the spring of 2018, Kingshold, and I have released two more books in the series since then. The fourth book (but strangely numbered book 2.5) should be out early in the new year
2. Do you have a blog? (feel free to post a link)
I have a website www.dpwoolliscroft.com. I don't blog too much as it takes time away from writing but there is some good stuff on there. Also, I've been doing this feature called First, Last, Everything where anyone can tell me their first fantasy book, the last one they read and one that means everything to them. There have been some great entries and if anyone here wants to take part that would be excellent.
3. Have you ever read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonlance Chronicles, or any of the other Dragonlance books before?
Yep. read Chronicles and Legends back when i was a teenager in the late eighties. It inspired me to run a whole D&D campaign set in the dragonlance world though with completely different events.
4. If yes to 3 above who is your favorite character? (remember spoilers)
Different to everyone else, I think my favorite character was Tanis. In fact I definitely had a half elf ranger called Tanis in another D&D campaign. What can I say, I am attracted to rangers and leaders. But I did also find Raistlin to be super interesting and I also like Fizban.
5. What are your goals for this read-along?
I'm excited to see how the books hold up so many years after reading them. Also, since i started writing i find I read a book in a different way now, making note of craft and writing style. Already I'm noticing a lot of head hopping!
6. Anything else you'd like us to know?
Nope. that should do it.
Mod
Ya know, Dave, now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure that one of my characters in Neverwinter Nights was named Tanthalanthalasa. Which was totally not, in any way, an over-the-top play on Tanis' full name.It's been a real pleasure reading your intros, everyone! Like Jason, I've interacted with at least some of you on Twitter, but it's neat to get to know you a bit better.
Calvin. I always thought Tanis’ long name was hilarious. Felt like it could just go on forever.
Hi all! I just got back from a weekend getaway in Maine, so I'm catching up on everything, but it's so nice to meet everyone, and I am so excited to dive back into the world of Krynn for the first time in ages! Thank you so much to Jason for putting this together!1. Who are you? I'm Mary, 27, and from MA on the East Coast of the US. I live just outside of Salem, and I am insanely glad Halloween is over so I can finally go back to my favorite city. I teach yoga, practice witchcraft & Buddhism, hike mountains, obsess about space, and have two sister cats named after book characters (Lily & Grace).
2. Do you have a blog? I do! You can find me at https://marydrover.com/, and also on most social media under the same handle (@marydrover), though my bookstagram is @maryandthewords.
3. Have you ever read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonlance Chronicles, or any of the other Dragonlance books before? They were my very first fantasy books! My dad introduced them to me, and I still have his copies from the 80s (they smell amazing). I read them before LOTR, and so they were what really pushed me to explore further into the fantasy world.
4. If yes to 3 above who is your favorite character? Raistlin, hands down. I still vividly remember finding a recipe for the tea he drinks and trying it out (I was 13 or something at the time), and it was a horrible experience, but the things we do for those we love. I'm curious to see if he'll still remain my favorite this time around!
5. What are your goals for this read-along? To have as much fun as possible! Seriously, I love the DragonLance universe so much, and just the idea of reading along with others is so exciting, so I can't wait to actually get to doing it!
6. Anything else you'd like us to know? I'm participating in NaNoWriMo again this year, so I may be a basketcase, but also very happy to have Krynn to disappear into when I need a break.
Happy reading!
Hey Mary I was going n Salem for work last week. I had never been before. It was something else. A lot of fun.
Hey Mary! I used to live near Salem. It was always crazy in October!
I’m very excited to join in on this read-along! Don’t think I’ve ever participated in something like this. So here goes!1. I’m Tam (or Tamara - it rhymes with camera) and I live in northeast Massachusetts. At 51, I think I’m the “oldie” in the group so far. My undergrad degree is in history and I have a master’s in library science and I work as a law librarian in Boston. I love to travel and can often be found in NYC (which I don’t actually consider “travel” any more, plus I used to work there). I can be found on Twitter & Instagram as trunner01.
2. I don’t have a blog.
3. I’ve never read Dragons of Autumn Twilight.
4. N/A (see above)
5. My goals for the read-along are to, obviously, read the book (& probably add the series to my TBR) and to join in the conversation. I’m also interested to see who ends up as my favorite character...
6. I’ve known Calvin and his wife since they were grad school [fairly recent] newlyweds. So I guess that means about 10 years now. Which really makes me feel old.
Hello! 1. and 2. I'm Lisa and I blog at Way Too Fantasy. I'm 42, have a husband, no kids--just 3 cats! I have been reading Fantasy for what seems like forever.
3. Yes! Read the original trilogy back in high school. The omnibus edition which is the one I still have and will be rereading--this is a trip down nostalgia lane for me. :) I've always meant to read more Dragonlance but for some reason never got around to it. Maybe I'll pick up some of the other books after this readalong!
4. I love Raistlin. Just the turmoil of his character, the chaos, love him.
5. Goal is just to have fun revisiting this and also look at it with years more experience in the genre behind me. See how it holds up! Also, meet some other people who love this book.
6. Um.....my life is an open book, feel free to AMA haha. :)
I'm Karen, I don't blog (and use GR just to keep track of books), 46 from NE Florida and I work in aviation.I read the series back in '86 or so for the first time and have re-read it many times. I actually read it again last year but it had been years before that.
Raistlin and also Kitiara as she was rather independent and strong
Goal is to have fun seeing what other people who love the series think.
November is pretty busy work wise for me so I don't know how much I'll be able to participate (also, I'm the quiet one anyways).
Hey Mary, did you have a competition to name the cats?
Elizabeth wrote: "Hey Angela, where about in Tennessee? Most of my family is from Elizabethton and Johnson City."Beth! I'm from Winchester, which is a small town in middle Tennessee :-). About an hour or so south of Nashville.
Angela wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Hey Angela, where about in Tennessee? Most of my family is from Elizabethton and Johnson City."Beth! I'm from Winchester, which is a small town in middle Tennessee :-). About an..."
I have been to Nashville but never south. I miss the BBQ.
1. Who are you?Hello everyone from sunny Australia! (Well, looking out the window at the Melbourne weather, it’s sunny with lots of clouds. Go figure!) My name is Robert Mammone. I’m up there in the age stakes, pushing 50 (where has the time gone!). I’m a public servant by day, and occasional writer/reviewer etc by night.
I’ve written a couple of books and heaps of short horror fiction (check out the blog below for details if you’re interested).
I had a novel published last year – Rise of the Dominator – which is a Doctor Who related spin-off under license. I’ve also got a fantasy novella on Amazon – Only the Guilty Live, if you’re interested in that sort of thing.
You can follow me @DreadSinister on twitter for my rantings about Doctor Who. I also co-host the 42 to Doomsday podcast for all things Doctor Who related.
I’ve always loved reading fantasy, harking back to the late 70s when my library teacher read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to my class. And thanks to Jason for organizing this!
2. Do you have a blog? (feel free to post a link)
https://robertmammone.wordpress.com/
3. Have you ever read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonlance Chronicles, or any of the other Dragonlance books before?
I remember purchasing Dragons of Autumn Twilight one winter’s morning in a major regional town in central Victoria. My father and I had travelled up to an old gold mining town called Ballarat in early to mid1985. My parents were building a motel in the centre of the town and Dad wanted to attend the pouring of the foundations. At that time, those doing the work were represented by a now de-registered militant union that notoriously could and did stop the concrete pouring mid-stream if payments weren’t made to the union. None of that happened that day, much to my Dad’s relief and everything went off well. I ventured into town looking for books and came across the US first edition in paperback. Back then, publishing rules in Australia didn’t allow importation of non-Commonwealth books, so to see the US edition was strange (I assume the shop had them mailed in). I bought it, I read it, lost my mind at how good it was, and when we came back a week or two later, bought the second! The rest, as they say…
Back in the day, I read most of the Dragonlance books, especially the earlies by Weis and Hickman. My interest tailed off as it moved on to secondary characters and away from the main arc of the story. I was lucky enough to meet Margaret Weis and a signing in a bookstore I worked for in the mid-90s, here in Melbourne. She was with her daughter, I recall. I did ask her a question – not related to the DL series, but quizzing her on why she and Hickman had gone with *that* twist in the last Darksword book. ‘Because we wanted to’ was her pithy answer!
4. If yes to 3 above who is your favorite character? (remember spoilers)
Tanis and Raistlin – everyone loves Raistlin, but I have a soft spot for Tanis who seems to have a feet in both camps and is unsure of himself as a result.
5. What are your goals for this read-along?
Re-acquaint myself with the books and hear what others have to say about them!
6. Anything else you'd like us to know?
I hope we all have fun!
Please take a moment to introduce yourselves as well.
1. Who are you?
2. Do you have a blog? (feel free to post a link)
3. Have you ever read Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonlance Chronicles, or any of the other Dragonlance books before?
4. If yes to 3 above who is your favorite character? (remember spoilers)
5. What are your goals for this read-along?
6. Anything else you'd like us to know?
Below is the reading schedule for the event. I'll post some starter questions for each week's reading toward the end of each week. That should give us all time to finish the reading before everyone starts chatting about it. You may respond to my questions/topics or you may post your own. Just remember the rule about spoilers and don't mention something that happens later in the book or series please.
Schedule
Week 1 (11/3 – 11/9): The Old Man and Book 1 Chapters 1-10
Week 2 (11/10 – 11/16): Book 1 Chapters 11 – 22
Week 3 (11/17 – 11/23): Book 2 Chapters 1 – 10
Week 4 (11/24 – 11/30): Book 2 Chapters 11 – 15 and The Wedding: The Song of Huma