The stories that stay

[dolorosa_12]

Thirty Day Book Meme Day 19: Still can't stop talking about it

I mean, most of the things I'm fannish about are books, and most of those books are old! In the case of some of my most beloved fandoms of the heart, I've been thinking and talking about those books for close to twenty-five years, and show no signs of stopping. I posted a not completely exhaustive list at the last friending meme I ran:

I'm both extremely multifannish, but extremely loyal to the fandoms in which I'm invested. Most of my fandoms are small, Yuletide-eligible book fandoms: Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials and Sally Lockhart Mysteries books, The Pagan Chronicles series by Catherine Jinks, Galax Arena and the Space Demons trilogy by Gillian Rubinstein, pretty much everything Victor Kelleher has ever written, the Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon, the Romanitas trilogy by Sophia McDougall, the books of Kate Elliott, Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology, Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle, S. A. Chakraborty's Daevabad series, Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy, The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton, Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver and Uprooted, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and a whole lot of mythology, folk tales and fairytales.

Talk to me about any of those books, and I'll keep talking!


20. Favorite cover.
21. Summer read.
22. Out of print.
23. Made to read at school.
24. Hooked me into reading.
25. Never finished it.
26. Should have sold more copies.
27. Want to be one of the characters.
28. Bought at my fave independent bookshop.
29. The one I have reread most often.
30. Would save if my house burned down.

Comments

[laurenthemself]

The Space Demons trilogy and Galax-Arena, but we never ever talk about Terra-Farma.

[merit]

People: it is so hard to signup for Yuletide, as I don't have enough fandoms.

Ah, if only~~ my favourites also deserve love

[schneefink]

In the past two or so years I'm reading a lot more books again, but most of them are tiny (if even existent) fandoms and I find it very hard to "be" in a fandom like that. (Also because every time I read a great book I'm reminded that there are more great books out there and rather than reread I look for the next one.) Makes me look forward to Yuletide even more ;)

[regshoe]

I completely agree about tiny fandoms—there's nothing like loving a really obscure old book and spending ages delving into what makes it so great and picking it apart, and I think small-to-nonexistent fandoms in some ways give you more room to do that. And then it's always such a nice surprise to find other people who love the book too!

[orcofnewyork]

I still remember picking up the first His Dark Materials book at a book fair the year it was first published in America and I have that copy to this day. Do you have a favorite scene in the series? Are there any concepts from the series you enjoy seeing as a fusion elements in fic like daemons or the subtle knife?

Please, please, please sell me on the rest of the Crown of Stars series by Kate Elliott! The first book I wanted to love so badly and many parts I really did, but the mixed black heroine experiencing most of the book in slavery and raped left me so uncomfortable (especially since the world wasn't our world and had no historical basis for that trope of black female suffering plus I'm a bookish mixed black reader myself). But I loved the world and I want to see how things shake out! But none of my other friends have read it so I have no one to say "don't worry, keep going, it gets amazing." (Please don't take this as a criticism of Elliott, I know the series is old and the awareness and culture of writing POC characters was very different than it is today!) Sell me! I want to embrace the rest of the world! <3

I could talk Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell for HOURS! It's definitely in my top five desert island books.