Timewaster's Guide Archive

You depfinitely want to read them at least once, just to say you did.  They are way better than the only other fantasy series I know of that long -L. Ron Hubbard's books. I only made it halfway through them and that was in high school before I developed the ability to stop reading awful things.
My husband has been listening to them on CD while he drives.  They are so long he can barely finish before they are due back.  And inter-library loan people get really irrritated if you are late.  They are great books.  He comes in all the time marvelling at the cool things he had forgotten about.
I think rereading them, while annoying and time-consuming is also essential because there is so much prophecy and so many characters show up once then are hugely important later.  It helps to go through again. I plan on doing so next summer.  Of course, depending on your reading speed you might want to start now.

One of the things I love about Alcatraz is the first person narration. My oldest son has Asperger's Syndrome, so we read novels to teach him about social conventions and situations.  He hates that.  But with Alcatraz he enjoys the story, and the humor, and we can ask him about the narrator's snarky comments to see if he understands those parts. It's a very enjoyable way to teach him.

I'm amazed at the number of people who are afraid of the results one way or another.  The scare tactics of both parties seem to be working.  No matter who wins, life goes on, and for the most part, will stay the same.  I got horribly negative ads for a state I haven't lived in for 3 years.  Evidentally when you get on the roles, you are on it forever.  They were so over the top, if I still lived in Nevada I would have voted the other way because of them.
I pity my sister who lives in Pennsylvania.  She has gotten robocalls from every single major candidate.  I like living in a small town in an ignored state.

1632 and 1633 are actually free e-books on the Baen Free Library website.

http://www.baen.com/library/

If you can't find em in a library, and don't mind reading on the computer, that's at least an option for the first two books in the series

Thanks for the link.  Generally I don't like reading on the computer, because the chair is uncomfortable and my children bug me, but there is getting to be a big list of things I want to read that way.  I may have to give in and find a more comfy chair.

I will have to go pester my librarians about Eric Flint.  Elmandr1, I think reading a lot of Neil Gaiman, coupled with Terry Pratchett, (Nightwatch is my favorite) could warp your brain, though Halloween is the right time for it.  I read the Graveyard Book recently.  Once you got over the idea of a bunch of ghosts raising a child it was really good.

I just finished By Schism Rent Asunder, the newest David Weber.  It is funny seeing him redo a book, Heirs of Empire, and turn it into a series.  I think he just got tired of starship battles and wanted good old-fashioned naval battles instead.

This was one of the most emotionally and intellectually satisfying books I've read in a long time.  It makes me feel that 95% of what I read is just filler, between the truly incredible books that make me think and feel and sometimes cry for an embarrassing length of time.
HoA felt very much like an Orson Scott Card novel to me, especially ones like Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide because there was a lot of philosophy that relates to LDS theology.  It is sort of sneaky, I don't think anyone not LDS would notice, and I don't think you get less from it, but I felt an added connection through ideas such as opposition, the relationship between agency and free will and others I can't remember right now because I finished a few days ago and my husband has the book now.
Of course, it could be just me reacting to things that resonate with my own personal philosophy?  But in either case it was an absolutely incredible book.