Books! (a connect-the-dots puzzle)

[thanate]

Just finished re-reading Patricia McKillip's Riddle of Stars trilogy, and although I'm sure I read the whole thing sometime shortly after college, I have vivid memories of the middle book, Heir of Sea and Fire, from when I picked it up in the Longfellow Intermediate School library, and read it without realizing it was the second of something. I have the feeling my mind, at that age, was more the speed of The Changeling Sea than all the subtleties of riddlemastry. Although I'm not entirely sure of that. I'm also wondering what it is that actually has the ending I was remembering. And for some reason Raderele's very minor if somewhat ghastly barge journey upriver has tangled itself in my head with DWJones's The Spellcoats. Incidentally, both of the McKillip books are back in print, for those of you who haven't read them, although her next new one isn't out until November.

Meanwhile, I await the arrival of a couple more of Cathrynne M Valente's books-- the second half of The Orphan's Tales (which I have unaccountably failed to review, despite intending to several times. Suffice it to say that at least astormorray, saladmonkeylamb and leimon_malakoi must read them, because they are full of faerie tales and wild women and monsters, and they have evil hedgehogs in the second book.) and one of her others which may take a bit longer getting here.

And I once again present to your attention that Palimpsest is now available to be bought. (zagzagael-- it's classified as urban fantasy, if you're still looking...) And if you follow the link, it will take you to the author's journal entry which includes links to all the other fascinating book-related things which may be worth taking a look at, too. I am currently trying to convince myself that I do not in fact need to drive up to Delaware on Saturday evening to attend the closest-to-here part of the crazy launch tour schedule.

Comments

[uilos.livejournal.com]

!!!!!! New McKillip!!!! Thanks for the heads-up!

[thanate.livejournal.com]

Eventually, anyhow. ;) (do you have any of her early children's books? I just discovered there are two that I hadn't even heard of, let alone read...)

And if you like her, I would recommend Valente, as well, since it was reading some of her stuff that sent me back to go and re-read McKillip. I think they've got a somewhat similar voice; very lyrical and poetic, and full of intricately plotted mysterious happenings.

[thanate.livejournal.com]

ETA-- Ok, either I'm delusional, or amazon is lying to me. Hard to tell which... but the book I swear they were saying earlier wasn't getting released until november is actually out since *last* september...? Oh well. Don't know if you've read that one yet, but I seem to have missed it.

[uilos.livejournal.com]

The Bell at Sealey Head? Yeah, I've got that one. :)

Thanks for the tip on Valente - so much of what I like about McKillip is the voice. There's something that's both distancing and very intimate at the same time in the way she writes. The Changeling Sea is one of the books that I head straigh for when I need comfort reading.

I know she has one or two children's books, but I've never gotten around to picking them up. I should add them to my Amazon wish list so I remember they're out there when I'm looking to fill in some stuff for free shipping.

[thanate.livejournal.com]

I think I missed it because I was worrying about going to England when it came out. But hey, that means there's more for me now!

I don't think the kids books are still in print, although it wouldn't hurt to check... Ok, The House on Parchment Street (http://www.amazon.com/House-Parchment-Street-patricia-mckillip/dp/B000NZ3AFE/ref=sr_1_80?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235531560&sr=1-80), and The Night Gift (http://www.amazon.com/Night-Gift-Patricia-McKillip/dp/0689704704/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235531416&sr=1-30) are the two I haven't read, and they look to be pretty scarce at the moment.