
Nekkid Vidmaster7 |

Vidmaster7 wrote:The books I remember reading way to much of as a kid was Goosebumps. After about 25 of them I had to quit they all start blending together. Oh and animorphs I used to really like animorphs. The books were a lot more intense then the series. I should go back and see if the author ever wrote an ending to them.I really loved animorphs. Sadly, they never translated the whole series, and this was before I was proficient enough to read english.
I never finished it either I should really go and see If I can find an anthology or something... Maybe some pants too.

lisamarlene |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

I adored Bunnicula. I've given the series a few times as gifts to children.
But the books I loved beyond reason that no other woman I know liked as a child were the Trixie Belden mysteries. Imagine Nancy Drew, but instead of being wealthy and perfectly poised, she was a tomboyish farmgirl who was always doing something wrong. I've tried to get my daughter interested in my collection, even pointing out that Trixie and her friends ride horses, but Hermione prefers Nancy Drew.
I've always loathed Nancy Drew.

Freehold DM |

Vidmaster7 wrote:.... It's funny the stories we think everyone knows or saw as a child to only find out later in life that it is just you. One of those for me is rikki tikki tavi.Out of curiosity, did you (or anyone else) read "Bunnicula"? What about "The Mouse and the Motorcycle"?
I read every book in the Bunnicula series.
I loved the Mouse And The Motorcycle so much I did a diorama for in...I want to say the 5th grade?

Freehold DM |

Our school library kind of sucked too. I got some books (mainly Hardy Boys and Boxcar Children) from the public library, which wasn't much better than the school, but a little. A lot of the books I just bought. I might ask my parents if a book was worth reading, to which they usually replied "Most books are worth reading at least once. If it looks interesting, buy it. If you don't like it, you can donate it to the library." So that's where a lot of my allowance went. I wound up keeping most of the books. I gave a few to friends who borrowed them and liked them a lot more than I did. Only a few got donated.
Boxcar Children is real?
I thought they made that up for Steven Universe.

Freehold DM |

In high school I really got into the Battletech books. As far as I know, I have all but one novel from before FASA folded. The one I know I'm missing is "The Sword and The Dagger". I think there is at least one anthology and one graphic novel. I don't have those. When WizKids bought the franchise and started Mechwarrior: Dark Age, I tried reading those books, but didn't like them. I think I read the first 6 or 7, and then gave up.
I didnt care much for the earlier Battletech books, but that may be largely due to the ugly nerd behavior of a the fans I knew save for one. I own all of the Dark Age series, will always love the Republic of the Sphere, and hope to have a tattoo from that series down my spine.

Freehold DM |

I never read much of the DnD novels. I had a friend who loved the Dragonlance books, and he tried to get me into them. But he would loan them to me in random order, so it didn't make any sense, and I just wasn't that interested in them. Years later I read some of the Drizzt books, and thought they were okay, but didn't seek out any others. Especially since that was about the same time that I was getting into the Honor Harrington books, and those are so good that I had no time for anything else.
Plus, I just generally prefer sci-fi over fantasy.
Dragonlance was the first D&D book I ever read. Time of the Twins.

Freehold DM |

Vidmaster7 wrote:"A guy in power armor fighting giant ant alien things" sounds a lot like Starship Troopers. Which was a MUCH better book than movie. Although the movie is fun to watch occasionally.Eddings book's not technically D&D books just fantasy. I couldn't get into dragon lance or forgotten realms.
As far as sci-fi goes I have been reading a ton of Orson scott card. I also really liked the book "armor" John Steakley which was about a guy in power armor fighting giant ant alien things. quite good.
I found the book dry. There is also a rarely seen anime of the series that was okay-ish, also quite dry.

Freehold DM |

Vidmaster7 wrote:The books I remember reading way to much of as a kid was Goosebumps. After about 25 of them I had to quit they all start blending together. Oh and animorphs I used to really like animorphs. The books were a lot more intense then the series. I should go back and see if the author ever wrote an ending to them.I really loved animorphs. Sadly, they never translated the whole series, and this was before I was proficient enough to read english.
it always upsets me to hear things are not being translated. The second part of Basilisk is only in French, as is the Front Mission manga I want.

Freehold DM |

I adored Bunnicula. I've given the series a few times as gifts to children.
But the books I loved beyond reason that no other woman I know liked as a child were the Trixie Belden mysteries. Imagine Nancy Drew, but instead of being wealthy and perfectly poised, she was a tomboyish farmgirl who was always doing something wrong. I've tried to get my daughter interested in my collection, even pointing out that Trixie and her friends ride horses, but Hermione prefers Nancy Drew.
I've always loathed Nancy Drew.
I love Nancy Drew. Read every book I could get my hands on as a kid.
Always thought the Hardy Boys were weird, although I loved the crossovers.

NobodysHome |

It's weird. My father had extreme opinions on cartoons (to the point of demanding we turn the TV off whenever a Road Runner cartoon came on), but he loved Rikki Tikki Tavi and Charlotte's Web, so we watched both of them whenever they were on. And yeah, Rikki Tikki Tavi always creeped me out. The snake was just too over-the-top.
And yes, I loved The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I grew up on Andre Norton and Anne McCafrey, as that was what my school library carried. Then my father got The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was 10, and I was hooked.

NobodysHome |
4 people marked this as a favorite. |

Speaking of COVID-19, I won't be running Strange Aeons tonight because I have to attend a school board meeting to speak out against reopening the schools.
AFTER the school board already announced that the schools were closed for the year and all the kids were getting P/NP grades.
You can't declare, "We're closed for the year," so that everyone makes plans accordingly, then say, "Whoops! Fooled you! Now we're re-opening!"
Even if it weren't stupid, it would still be appallingly poor decision-making.

Freehold DM |

It's weird. My father had extreme opinions on cartoons (to the point of demanding we turn the TV off whenever a Road Runner cartoon came on), but he loved Rikki Tikki Tavi and Charlotte's Web, so we watched both of them whenever they were on. And yeah, Rikki Tikki Tavi always creeped me out. The snake was just too over-the-top.
That's weird, re: Your dad.
And yes, I loved The Mouse and the Motorcycle. I grew up on Andre Norton and Anne McCafrey, as that was what my school library carried. Then my father got The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was 10, and I was hooked.
it seems The Mouse And The Motorcycle is a big hit in this thread.

Tequila Sunrise |

I never read much of the DnD novels. I had a friend who loved the Dragonlance books, and he tried to get me into them. But he would loan them to me in random order, so it didn't make any sense, and I just wasn't that interested in them. Years later I read some of the Drizzt books, and thought they were okay, but didn't seek out any others. Especially since that was about the same time that I was getting into the Honor Harrington books, and those are so good that I had no time for anything else.
Honestly you didn't miss much. Even when I read them as a kid, I knew every one of those D&D novels was candy -- and not the good kind, the stale sugar cookie kind. Except for DL Chronicles, but even those turned out to be flops when I tried to reread them as an adult.

Freehold DM |

Speaking of COVID-19, I won't be running Strange Aeons tonight because I have to attend a school board meeting to speak out against reopening the schools.
AFTER the school board already announced that the schools were closed for the year and all the kids were getting P/NP grades.
You can't declare, "We're closed for the year," so that everyone makes plans accordingly, then say, "Whoops! Fooled you! Now we're re-opening!"
Even if it weren't stupid, it would still be appallingly poor decision-making.

Freehold DM |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

gran rey de los mono wrote:I never read much of the DnD novels. I had a friend who loved the Dragonlance books, and he tried to get me into them. But he would loan them to me in random order, so it didn't make any sense, and I just wasn't that interested in them. Years later I read some of the Drizzt books, and thought they were okay, but didn't seek out any others. Especially since that was about the same time that I was getting into the Honor Harrington books, and those are so good that I had no time for anything else.Honestly you didn't miss much. Even when I read them as a kid, I knew every one of those D&D novels was candy -- and not the good kind, the stale sugar cookie kind. Except for DL Chronicles, but even those turned out to be flops when I tried to reread them as an adult.
shakes fist

gran rey de los mono |
gran rey de los mono wrote:Our school library kind of sucked too. I got some books (mainly Hardy Boys and Boxcar Children) from the public library, which wasn't much better than the school, but a little. A lot of the books I just bought. I might ask my parents if a book was worth reading, to which they usually replied "Most books are worth reading at least once. If it looks interesting, buy it. If you don't like it, you can donate it to the library." So that's where a lot of my allowance went. I wound up keeping most of the books. I gave a few to friends who borrowed them and liked them a lot more than I did. Only a few got donated.Boxcar Children is real?
I thought they made that up for Steven Universe.
Never watched Steven Universe, and what I've seen of the art style makes me not want to. But, yes, Boxcar Children is very real.

gran rey de los mono |
gran rey de los mono wrote:In high school I really got into the Battletech books. As far as I know, I have all but one novel from before FASA folded. The one I know I'm missing is "The Sword and The Dagger". I think there is at least one anthology and one graphic novel. I don't have those. When WizKids bought the franchise and started Mechwarrior: Dark Age, I tried reading those books, but didn't like them. I think I read the first 6 or 7, and then gave up.I didnt care much for the earlier Battletech books, but that may be largely due to the ugly nerd behavior of a the fans I knew save for one. I own all of the Dark Age series, will always love the Republic of the Sphere, and hope to have a tattoo from that series down my spine.
I wanted to like Dark Age, but there was something about them that didn't work for me.

gran rey de los mono |
gran rey de los mono wrote:I found the book dry. There is also a rarely seen anime of the series that was okay-ish, also quite dry.Vidmaster7 wrote:"A guy in power armor fighting giant ant alien things" sounds a lot like Starship Troopers. Which was a MUCH better book than movie. Although the movie is fun to watch occasionally.Eddings book's not technically D&D books just fantasy. I couldn't get into dragon lance or forgotten realms.
As far as sci-fi goes I have been reading a ton of Orson scott card. I also really liked the book "armor" John Steakley which was about a guy in power armor fighting giant ant alien things. quite good.
Roughnecks ? Yeah, it was okay.

Freehold DM |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Freehold DM wrote:Never watched Steven Universe, and what I've seen of the art style makes me not want to. But, yes, Boxcar Children is very real.gran rey de los mono wrote:Our school library kind of sucked too. I got some books (mainly Hardy Boys and Boxcar Children) from the public library, which wasn't much better than the school, but a little. A lot of the books I just bought. I might ask my parents if a book was worth reading, to which they usually replied "Most books are worth reading at least once. If it looks interesting, buy it. If you don't like it, you can donate it to the library." So that's where a lot of my allowance went. I wound up keeping most of the books. I gave a few to friends who borrowed them and liked them a lot more than I did. Only a few got donated.Boxcar Children is real?
I thought they made that up for Steven Universe.
Steven Universe is one of the most amazing shows I have ever seen. You are missing out, man.

Freehold DM |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Freehold DM wrote:Roughnecks ? Yeah, it was okay.gran rey de los mono wrote:I found the book dry. There is also a rarely seen anime of the series that was okay-ish, also quite dry.Vidmaster7 wrote:"A guy in power armor fighting giant ant alien things" sounds a lot like Starship Troopers. Which was a MUCH better book than movie. Although the movie is fun to watch occasionally.Eddings book's not technically D&D books just fantasy. I couldn't get into dragon lance or forgotten realms.
As far as sci-fi goes I have been reading a ton of Orson scott card. I also really liked the book "armor" John Steakley which was about a guy in power armor fighting giant ant alien things. quite good.
I loved Roughnecks, but no, I am talking about this.
I also own both computer animated specials. The first one is autographed by one of the troopers in the show.

Scintillae |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

gran rey de los mono wrote:Our school library kind of sucked too. I got some books (mainly Hardy Boys and Boxcar Children) from the public library, which wasn't much better than the school, but a little. A lot of the books I just bought. I might ask my parents if a book was worth reading, to which they usually replied "Most books are worth reading at least once. If it looks interesting, buy it. If you don't like it, you can donate it to the library." So that's where a lot of my allowance went. I wound up keeping most of the books. I gave a few to friends who borrowed them and liked them a lot more than I did. Only a few got donated.Boxcar Children is real?
I thought they made that up for Steven Universe.
Yep. Some of the first chapter books I ever received as presents, kicking off an expensive lifelong addiction. does a line of printer ink

Scintillae |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

I've got complicated feelings on Harry Potter since nostalgia goggles are still in full effect for a lot of it. I was just the right age when they came out and already reading constantly, but that was the first series I got to be an eager fan of, waiting for new books to come out, being able to talk to someone about having enjoyed the same thing. I mean, yeah, forums and fangroups were already a thing, but I was nine and not allowed to use the internet.
Even before the series had finished, I was picking flaws out of it, but I still liked the books too much to really loathe them. I've reread them all several times, and I still enjoy them, but less so than when I was in middle/high school.
But Rowling has been consistently chipping away at my already diminishing enjoyment, between her inability to just stop saying things on Twitter and just...Fantastic Beasts existing.
So I don't know. They're not excellent, but they were important.
...and I'm still going to say they're better than Game of Thrones.

Nylarthotep |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

I've got complicated feelings on Harry Potter since nostalgia goggles are still in full effect for a lot of it. I was just the right age when they came out and already reading constantly, but that was the first series I got to be an eager fan of, waiting for new books to come out, being able to talk to someone about having enjoyed the same thing. I mean, yeah, forums and fangroups were already a thing, but I was nine and not allowed to use the internet.
Even before the series had finished, I was picking flaws out of it, but I still liked the books too much to really loathe them. I've reread them all several times, and I still enjoy them, but less so than when I was in middle/high school.
But Rowling has been consistently chipping away at my already diminishing enjoyment, between her inability to just stop saying things on Twitter and just...Fantastic Beasts existing.
So I don't know. They're not excellent, but they were important.
...and I'm still going to say they're better than Game of Thrones.
I won't disagree about GOT. I loved the first book. Enjoyed the second. Slogged through the third and boycotted the fourth when it was clear he could not write himself out of a paper bag. Have boycotted the series as well.
However, it like HP is a great gateway for people to get into fantasy and cause studios to realize that they can make money on well produced fantasy storylines. I mean, we have people naming their kids after characters in the story (including the title Khaleesi (why yes, I want to sell my daughter off to a horse barbarian where he will rape her before she is 15) *face-palm*).
I guess my real point is - I support books that act as gateways to expand the fantasy/sci-fi genres' fanbase. I don't have to love them. I don't have to debate the merits or pick apart the flaws. I am ok with them existing because they mean that there are more dollars flowing into the genre, which means more authors get books out and more things for me to read (some I am sure will be bad, some will be excellent) and that is what matters.

NobodysHome |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |

I've got complicated feelings on Harry Potter since nostalgia goggles are still in full effect for a lot of it. I was just the right age when they came out and already reading constantly, but that was the first series I got to be an eager fan of, waiting for new books to come out, being able to talk to someone about having enjoyed the same thing. I mean, yeah, forums and fangroups were already a thing, but I was nine and not allowed to use the internet.
Even before the series had finished, I was picking flaws out of it, but I still liked the books too much to really loathe them. I've reread them all several times, and I still enjoy them, but less so than when I was in middle/high school.
But Rowling has been consistently chipping away at my already diminishing enjoyment, between her inability to just stop saying things on Twitter and just...Fantastic Beasts existing.
So I don't know. They're not excellent, but they were important.
...and I'm still going to say they're better than Game of Thrones.
I still don't get the hate, but yeah, they were one of the first series GothBard read aloud to Impus Major and I when he was wee, so I'll always have a fond spot in my heard for them. Along with the first Percy Jackson series.

lisamarlene |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

On a scale of Wince to Wow, how faithful are the Percy Jackson books to the mythology? Hermione's been reading the "Thunder Girls" series, which is sort of like a DC Superhero Girls for Norse goddesses, and they turned Valhalla into the high school cafeteria. Which is both painful and oddly appropriate. Don't even ask about the mall.

lisamarlene |

Oh, adding to the list, the Prydain Chronicles. They were assigned reading in junior high and I read them long before LOTR, so I loved them (hated how Disney bastardized it, couldn't get through the entire film), but of all the people I know who have actually heard of/read the series (including Whingey Wizzard), almost all of them hated it.
It could just be that I loved the English teacher who assigned it... she also had us read "the Westing Game" and Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca in class, not exactly typical... but I don't get the hate here either. WW says the books are just badly written and derivative, but he's a snob.

Freehold DM |

Freehold DM wrote:Yep. Some of the first chapter books I ever received as presents, kicking off an expensive lifelong addiction. does a line of printer inkgran rey de los mono wrote:Our school library kind of sucked too. I got some books (mainly Hardy Boys and Boxcar Children) from the public library, which wasn't much better than the school, but a little. A lot of the books I just bought. I might ask my parents if a book was worth reading, to which they usually replied "Most books are worth reading at least once. If it looks interesting, buy it. If you don't like it, you can donate it to the library." So that's where a lot of my allowance went. I wound up keeping most of the books. I gave a few to friends who borrowed them and liked them a lot more than I did. Only a few got donated.Boxcar Children is real?
I thought they made that up for Steven Universe.
wow.

Freehold DM |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |

Scintillae wrote:I've got complicated feelings on Harry Potter since nostalgia goggles are still in full effect for a lot of it. I was just the right age when they came out and already reading constantly, but that was the first series I got to be an eager fan of, waiting for new books to come out, being able to talk to someone about having enjoyed the same thing. I mean, yeah, forums and fangroups were already a thing, but I was nine and not allowed to use the internet.
Even before the series had finished, I was picking flaws out of it, but I still liked the books too much to really loathe them. I've reread them all several times, and I still enjoy them, but less so than when I was in middle/high school.
But Rowling has been consistently chipping away at my already diminishing enjoyment, between her inability to just stop saying things on Twitter and just...Fantastic Beasts existing.
So I don't know. They're not excellent, but they were important.
...and I'm still going to say they're better than Game of Thrones.
I won't disagree about GOT. I loved the first book. Enjoyed the second. Slogged through the third and boycotted the fourth when it was clear he could not write himself out of a paper bag. Have boycotted the series as well.
However, it like HP is a great gateway for people to get into fantasy and cause studios to realize that they can make money on well produced fantasy storylines. I mean, we have people naming their kids after characters in the story (including the title Khaleesi (why yes, I want to sell my daughter off to a horse barbarian where he will rape her before she is 15) *face-palm*).
I guess my real point is - I support books that act as gateways to expand the fantasy/sci-fi genres' fanbase. I don't have to love them. I don't have to debate the merits or pick apart the flaws. I am ok with them existing because they mean that there are more dollars flowing into the genre, which means more authors get books out and more things for me to read (some I...
clearly we disagree on most things here, but I do think Martin has written himself into a corner, and did not expect this series to become more popular than Wild Cards and his other pet projects. I love his work overall, and I feel his old man cantankerousness/ability to play the network game is keeping it from becoming better.

Freehold DM |

Oh, adding to the list, the Prydain Chronicles. They were assigned reading in junior high and I read them long before LOTR, so I loved them (hated how Disney bastardized it, couldn't get through the entire film), but of all the people I know who have actually heard of/read the series (including Whingey Wizzard), almost all of them hated it.
It could just be that I loved the English teacher who assigned it... she also had us read "the Westing Game" and Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca in class, not exactly typical... but I don't get the hate here either. WW says the books are just badly written and derivative, but he's a snob.
they tried to make me read that in elementary school, the class didnt get it.

Vanykrye |

The biggest problem with most people working from home...the number of times I have to tell people "It's your internet. You need to call your ISP."
Followed quickly by "A dozen people, all on the same ISP, are getting the exact same error message about an address not being resolved? But everyone else who is not with that provider has no issues? Yes, it's the ISP." Now convince Comcast that they're the ones who have the issue.

lisamarlene |

lisamarlene wrote:they tried to make me read that in elementary school, the class didnt get it.Oh, adding to the list, the Prydain Chronicles. They were assigned reading in junior high and I read them long before LOTR, so I loved them (hated how Disney bastardized it, couldn't get through the entire film), but of all the people I know who have actually heard of/read the series (including Whingey Wizzard), almost all of them hated it.
It could just be that I loved the English teacher who assigned it... she also had us read "the Westing Game" and Daphne DuMaurier's Rebecca in class, not exactly typical... but I don't get the hate here either. WW says the books are just badly written and derivative, but he's a snob.
Our classroom copies all had the ending removed and we had debates to discuss who we suspected and why. She was trying to teach us critical thinking.
This being rural northern Wisconsin, that was something of a fool's errand, but she gets points for the attempt.

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I've got complicated feelings on Harry Potter since nostalgia goggles are still in full effect for a lot of it. I was just the right age when they came out and already reading constantly, but that was the first series I got to be an eager fan of, waiting for new books to come out, being able to talk to someone about having enjoyed the same thing. I mean, yeah, forums and fangroups were already a thing, but I was nine and not allowed to use the internet.
Even before the series had finished, I was picking flaws out of it, but I still liked the books too much to really loathe them. I've reread them all several times, and I still enjoy them, but less so than when I was in middle/high school.
But Rowling has been consistently chipping away at my already diminishing enjoyment, between her inability to just stop saying things on Twitter and just...Fantastic Beasts existing.
So I don't know. They're not excellent, but they were important.
...and I'm still going to say they're better than Game of Thrones.
Well, all of this!