Yet again i stooped to pick up a book from the shelf which caught my eye... a dangerous thing when Timna has a credit card calling from her wallet!!!!
"The Magicians' Guild" by Trudi Canavan rest in my hands. Tenderly i turn the cover over to read the blurb..... 1 minute later im in a cue at the counter that credit card laying on top...Grinning!!!

visit her web site too....www.spin.net.au/~trudi

Ps. Found Jo's book Circle of Nine trilogy... am going back to get it next payslip!

I have The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan on layby Timna!! Cannot wait to pick it up!

I also bought Circle of Nine a couple of days ago too!!! YAY!

Good work girls. Let's keep those recommendations coming. And let us know what you think of the books when you've read them.

Caiseal Mor's new book is coming out this month too "The King of Sleep" book two of The Watchers. He's a Sydney author and also with Simon & Schuster.

Im really enjoying Trudi's book! Its so catching...
I'll let you know when im finished!
Deb, did you have the book on layby before or after i told you about it? LOL just curious!
I havent heard of Mor! i'll look into it!
anyothers?

BEFORE!!!
Put it on layby a couple of weeks ago.

A couple of months ago I bought a book called "The Ill-Made Mute". It is by an australian author called Cecilia Dart-Thornton. It is a series call The Bitterbynde.
Havent read it yet, but I have heard it is pretty good.

Deb, I've heard the Ill Made Mute is fabulous as well but haven't read it yet. I seem to be going through a non-fiction phase, so am following my instincts there. Next book on my list is The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama!

I finished the Magicians' Guild and was so happy after it. The ending is just brill...Deb you'll see.
I cant wait for the next enstallment. Louise and everyone, you have to read it! It captures you so un aware in some areas. Love that!

Timna, thanks for that report. I'll add the "Magician's Guild" to my Christmas list. There's nothing quite like discovering a fabulous book, is there. Yet another of the simple pleasures of life!

Thanks Timna..
I will get it off layby as soon as I can after I have bought all the Christmas presents.

I definatly would.... its so worth it. I keep seeing it around the stores now. In some places they are right next to Destiny. I laugh and peole think im strange. Typical!

You should point out to the people standing nearby that both books are a great read Timna!! I do that sometimes if the people look stumped at what to buy.

I know of an author friend who was standing in a bookstore when someone was browsing in her section (historical) so she put her book in their hands and said "I can recommend this one". The lady was so pleased to be able to talk to the author she bought two copies and got the author to sign both. Not sure if I'm that brave just yet :), but give me time...

That would be rewarding for the author to beable to bring people to read your work...let alone buy it! I have recomended Destiny to one woman. she thanked me and bought it. This was at the beginning of July.

Thanks for that, Timna. I hope she enjoyed it! I do feel quite confident recommending one of my friend's books, but recommending my own? Maybe I just can't get past my upbringing where 'beating your own drum' was very much frowned upon. Still, here I am telling you guys excitedly about my book review! Go figure.

Did you see that the second book of the Illmade Mute is out now Timna??? I saw it in Big W this morning.It is called The Lady of the Sorrows.


deb

I saw it but i havent finished the first book yet.. am onto that now actually. It wasnt suppose to be out until January, but it saw it before chrissy... oh well, thats good for her readers.

Have you got Trudi's ook off layby yet Deb?

Not yet Timna...sob sob!
But I only have about $15 left to pay on it...I put other books in with it it too.
Won't be long now though. I am looking forward to getting it I can tell you!

deb

So not long... thats good. Make sure you read it first! lol.
Have you found the book yet Lou? Its good... perhaps when you have finished editing book two you will reward yourself with reading it.

The Magician's Guild is definitely on my 'soon to be read list'.

I read the first few chapters of The Ill-made Mute and I am very sorry to say it was not as good as I hoped. It is bogged down with description.This detracts from the pace.
I cannot get inside the head and heart of the main character because she seems to write from outside the character.
She uses all sorts of long, fancy words - trying to be poetic and literary maybe? - An example of this is a character 'expounded'...instead of something a little more simple yet strong in its visual feel.
Either she has a lot of razzle dazzle words as friends or she digs through her Thesaurus for the most fancy word she can come up with.
I do admit the book has a few gems of description that bring her world to my minds eye, but I just feel she goes overboard with it.

Just my opinion....

deb

Deb, isn't it interesting that some people love a book and other's just don't. I haven't read the Ill Made Mute yet, but I know what you mean about big words and too much description. Depending on the character whose viewpoint you're in, an extensive vocabulary can be something that defines their character. But if it's just the author showing off it's a bit lame. I was always told that you should go to your thesaurus looking for 'old friends you've forgotten' not new words you wouldn't normally use.

And when it comes to too much description, I just feel like saying "Get on with it!"

The way Dart-Thornton writes the book might be her 'voice' or 'style' but it was just too flowery for my tastes.
Others may love it and think it very poetic. I just wanted something to happen!!! I kept asking when is something going to happen? It jusmps around so much and I cannot follow where she is going with the story. (Maybe I am just thick!!! LOL.)

Now to another author I started to look at last night and I thinght "now this is better!!!"
Fiona McIntosh - Betrayal. (Another book published here in Australia.)
Right from the first paragraph chapter one, I could see the story. Boom action, and along rides into the picture The Chief Inquisitor, Goth. An ugly SOB, with just as ugly disposition. A woman he has tracked is to be 'bridled' and branded on all her 'womanly' bits (blush) so she won't breed any more Sentients. Excellent story so far.

deb

I know what you mean about the Ill Made Mute... i also have had trouble getting into it, and constantly got lost. There really is no key character or style... likeit jumps around from first person to third person (i havent noticed second person yet).... which is really irritating.
Thanks for the recommendation....im off to see if i can find her publish list... the name rings a bell.

Thanks Timna!
I thought it was just me. I can't follow the Ill-made Mute at all. Like you said it jumps from character to character and one idea to the next. And the poor main character is never really gone into that much. It needs more about what he is thinking, feeling, seeing.
I like to get inside the people I read about. Wear their skins...walk a mile in their shoes...or a league as the case may be.

This new one I am reading, Betrayal, has found a home in my heart allready and I am only up to page 48. I have smiled, chuckled with them and on page 45 (I think it was) I cried. Great stuff.

deb

I just finished reading Kim's book "Angel of Ruin" and it was great - really easy to get straight into the story and I was hooked after the first page. I'm looking forward to starting "The Resurrectionists" today (Another of her books). Fi

Fi, I totally agree. I loved Angel of Ruin. SO atmospheric and with such a delicious sense of expectation (and dread at times). Really good supernatural stuff.

Guys, my friend Richard Harland has just released "Ferren and the White Doctor", a young adult fantasy (with a purplish cover - I'm buying it today) and if it's anywhere near as good as "Ferren and the Angel" it will be brilliant. I loved that story!

Had to edit that last message - brain flicker - I typed witch doctor instead of white doctor. Hmmm, maybe some voodoo plot hatching inside my head...?