young adult fantasy

2013 Reading List – The Return of the King {2}

The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R Tolkien

The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R Tolkien

 

I am still suffering some severe Hobbit-fever.

history-middle-earthOf course January usually begins with Tolkien for me, and I’ve finished my yearly read of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. This year for the first time I’ve gone straight into further reading, and a few days ago I finished reading The Silmarillion for the first time in many, many years (and seemingly no less difficult than the first time I read it). Last year I painstakingly collected the massive 12-part-plus-index History of Middle Earth, plus the two-part History of the Hobbit to add to my collection. After checking out an article from the Tolkien Library on Recommended Reading Order I’ve decided to continue on with Unfinished Tales and The Book of Lost Tales part One and Two for this month.

2012 The Year in Reading and Other Bookish Things {0}

THE-HOBBIT-DWARVES

 “I am in fact, a hobbit in all but size” J.R.R Tolkien

I have been enjoying a rather Hobbity holiday. This is usually the time of the year I start reading Lord of the Rings, and watching the movies (my new Blu Ray boxed set this year) but I don’t always read The Hobbit before I start LOTR, in fact I will usually read it later. Having read it directly before I started Fellowship of the Ring I was able to enjoy it more as a prequel, more than usual in any case. I sometimes forget the references to Dale and the Mountain during Bilbo’s birthday party, the last chapter in The Lord of the Rings in which we are still allowed to be children.

Changeling by Philippa Gregory {0}

Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.     

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.    

Notions Unlimited Bookshop – Chelsea Beach Arcade {3}

Here stands our shining beacon of hope.  A specialist bookshop in Bayside Melbourne crammed full of the good stuff, with fantasy, science-fiction, horror, manga, paranormal, art books, classics and young adult titles.

So, come and sit on the couch. Mind the Tardis…

And remember…

They’ll lose their appetite for those pesky bookshop critics who go around braying of doom and gloom and the end of bookshops. And they make a fine  Zombie-lunch.

Chuck as General of the Zombie Army

Notions Unlimited is owned and operated by Chuck McKenzie, Horror author, bookseller, and reader.

Cinda Williams Chima – The Exiled Queen {0}

Spoiler Warning – Contains spoilers for Demon King and Exiled Queen


The second book in an epic fantasy series from Cinda Williams Chima. Adventure, magic, war and ambition conspire to throw together an unlikely group of companions in a struggle to save their world.

You can’t always run from danger…