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Ganked from indigoskynet.

NO, NO, WAIT! I know it's a meme, but this one's useful!


Once the shock of reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for thefifth time in a row wears off, some readers may be wondering what theycan read next. So why not start a meme of suggestions?


DA RULES:
1.You must copy and paste the directions, rules, and the list sofar into your blog and then add three (and only three) books to thelist.

2.These three books must NOT already be on the list sofar. They must be fantasy or science fictional in nature that those whoenjoyed Harry Potter may also enjoy. You must provide your name and alink to your blog and/or website so that people may contact you to askfor more information about the books, if they want. They must be booksthat you have actually read yourself.

3. You cannot recommend aseries; instead, recommend the first book in the series. TerryPratchett's Discworld would NOT be considered a series; but RobertJordan's Wheel of Time would. Use your best judgment about whetheryou're recommending a series or not.

4. You must label the booksas either YA (young adult, suitable for the younger fans of HarryPotter) or A (adult,suitable for the not-so-younger fans of HarryPotter). Please be clear about this. It will be understood thatanything labeled YA is also recommended for A.

5. If you are an author, you CANNOT recommend your own books. (You can however hound your friends into recommending your books.)

6. Providing a link to information about the books you are recommending is optional.



Patty Cryan [norda/booksbynight] recommends:

1. L.M. Boston - The Children of Green Knowe. Tolly experiences time travel and ancestral magic in an English country house. [YA, published in 1954]

2. Geraldine McCaughrean - The Stones Are Hatching. Phelim had always thought there must be more to magic than rabbits or handkerchiefs - that if it existed at all, it would be too large to palm or to hide up your sleeve. [YA, published in 2000]

3. James A. Owen - Here, There Be Dragons. Charles, Jack and John find themselves forcibly removed from wartorn Britain to a realm literally beyond imagination. [YA, published in 2006]

Steven E. McDonald (David Alexander McDonald), wyldemusick, recommends:

Alan Garner - The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen (YA) (It would be easy to just recommend all of Garner's books, really)
Samuel R. Delany - Neveryona (A) - although this is a quantum leap, simply because of the corners Chip thinks around when it comes to language; it's the start of a series of books
Roger Zelazny - Lord Of Light (A) - science fiction, but it's built on Hindu mythology and fantastic in every way


Mario Di Giacomo [mdg1] recommends:

Good Omens(A), by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Humorous fantasy, with a similar English mindset.
Lord Darcy (A), by Randall Garret. Short mystery stories set in a world where magic is part of society.
A Wizard of Earthsea (YA), by Ursula K. LeGuin. The ORIGINAL "wizarding school" book, as far as I know.

Alex Jay Berman [alexjay] recommends:
1.Alma Alexander's Worldweavers (YA)--about learning magic despite yourself; despite being a bust at being the seventh child of a seventh child, and what a Potterhead would call a "Muggle".
2. Diane Duane's So You Want to be a Wizard (YA)--a very up-to-date, very American take on the schooling of new wizards and their first clashes with Evil. Perhaps even better than the Potter books for young adults,as it offers a very good reason why Evil exists and continues to exist.(first in a trilogy)
3. Either Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow or Italo Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveler (very much A)--we've already got them hooked on the drug of reading with Potter; now it's time for them to start mainlining the hard stuff ...

Patricia Bray pbray
1. Diana Wynne Jones's Charmed Life (YA)
2. Susan Cooper's Over Sea, Under Stone (YA)
3. Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three (YA)

Patricia's picks are books that are marketed as YA, but that she first read and enjoyed as an adult. Much like the Harry Potter books, come to think of it.

Janni Lee Simner [janni] recommends:

1. Lene Kaaberbol's The Shamer's Daughter (YA)
2. Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword (YA)
3. Tamora Pierce's The Magic in the Weaving (Circle of Magic, Book 1) (YA)

(All books that are, one way or another, about learning magic.)

Joshua Palmatier [jpsorrow] recommends:
1. S.C. Butler's Reiffen's Choice (YA)
2. Jim Hines' Goblin Quest (YA)
3. Patricia Bray's The First Betrayal (A)

Indigo [indigoskynet/kismetropolis] recommends:
1. The Spiderwick Chronicles: Holly Lisle -- beautifully illustrated. first in the series.
2. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke [proviso: translated from German to English so the reading can get a touch bumpy. Also first in the series]
3. Artemis Fowl by Eowen Colfer: First in the series.




My selections:

Terry Pratchett's "Tifffany Aching" novels. "Wee Free Men" is the first one. It's set in the Discworld, but can be read as a series on its own. YA. Pratchett punnage and humour.

Um... "The Sheepherder's Daughter" by Elizabeth Moon? F. YA.

Robert Aspirin. "Phule's Company" SF. YA. Comedic. Weakish, due to Aspirin's setbacks.

RAVEN - Your daemon may be a member of the crow
family. You are intelligent, observant, and
gregarious. Just as a crow or raven picks shiny
objects out of the dirt, you pick up tidbits of
information or ideas and store them away. You
have a good sense of humour, but sometimes lose
patience with people who are antipathic to your
nature. You are swift to alert others when you
find the truth, and you have no tolerance for
those who would hide it.


What Is Your Daemon?
brought to you by Quizilla

Meme, grabbed from dawnmipb .  Also seen on quite a few LJs.

( Memeage starts... NOW! )

1. You have $10 and need to buy snacks at a gas station; what do you buy?
Grande bottle of spring water and probably a hot snack.

2. If you had to be reincarnated as some sort of sea-dwelling creature, what would you be?
Dolphin.  Or His Noodly Goodness the Pasta Monster.

3. Who's your favorite redhead?
dawnmipb

4. What do you order when you're at a pancake house?
Never been to a pancake house, actually.  Closest I have been is the place that overlooks the Careenage in Bridgetown.

5. Do you own any... naughty toys?
With enough imagination, everything can be a naughty toy.

6. Have you made out with anyone on your friends list?
Alas, no.

7. Describe your favorite pair of underwear:
One of my very baggy pair of boxers.  Such freedom to swing.

8. Describe the last time you were injured:
Bleh.  Does the weird pain that I get when I sleep on my hand count?

9. Are there any odd things that make you feel comfortable?
Heh.  Cleaning combs.

11. Tell me a weird story from your high school years:
I have no story weirder than the mystery of the missing #10.  Unless you want me to talk about the Roderick Walcott (brother of Derek) play "Malfinis".  Still think that Michael Cherrie will be a huge star one day.  Discovered that I liked acting.

12. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?
Basic TDMA phone. No wallpaper.  My phone company hates me because I'm likely to bolt to the first company that offers competition.

13. Soda?
  Coke, mostly. Mountain Dew sometimes.

14. Flavor of pudding?
Butterscotch.

15. What type of shirt are you wearing?
No shirt.

16. Prescription medication?
Salbutamol when needed.   Some weird blood pressure medication.

17. If you could use only one form of transportation for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Anything that allows me to read while someone else drives.

18. How many people are on your friends list?
More than one, less than infinity.

19. How many people on your list do you know in real life?
Hmmm.  Saw tuluum  and _judgement .  Spoke to triniyardie  once on the phone.
Have spoken to dawnmipb , jlsigman  and anonymous_sibyl  on IM.

20. What are you listening to right now?
Seeing that the radio station just switched to its overnight format of worship music, I'm putting on CDs.
First up: Roger Whittaker.  Yeah, I'm old.

21. Most recent movie you watched?
Final Fantasy: Advent Children.

22. Name 5 things you have with you at all times:
Credit card, bank card, keys, watch, cell phone.

23. Would you rather give or receive a foot massage?
Give, once the foot ain't crusty.

24. Name a teacher you had the hots for:
Hmmm. None of them were that hot.

25. What is a saying that you use a lot?
What the muddacunt is this?

26. What's one piece of advice that you think should be passed on to every child?
Read until you get sick of learning, then read some more.  

So should I add one, too?  Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

1. Open up the music player on your computer.
2. Set it to play your entire music collection.
3. Hit the shuffle command.
4. Tell us the title of the next twenty songs that show up (with their musicians), no matter how embarrassing. That's right, no skipping that Carpenters tune that will totally destroy your hip credibility. It's time for total musical honesty. Write it up in your blog or journal and link back to at least a couple of the other sites where you saw this.
5. If you get the same artist twice, you may skip the second (or third, or etc.) occurrences. You don't have to, but since randomness could mean you end up with a list of ten songs with five artists, you can if you'd like.
6. Tell a story about each song.

Ok. PC's down at the moment, so no "music player on PC" part. Portable mp3 player has tunes, though, so I'll use that. No iPod love, because it's a cheap "George" player. Lotta happy happy joy joy super fun happy Rich music here, because I don't need stress when i going to work.

So let's go with the tunes. 20, huh? (I'll tidy it later, it's a long entry)

1) Central Line: Walking on Sunshine (12 inch version) A song from the day when there were 12" vinyl singles. One of the first records I ever purchased with my own money. Great song to let your worries go to. Clasiic dance R&B/disco-ishh vibe.
Random song lyric
"I gotta get away, gotta do it now, got to walk in to the sun, ha ha"

2) Kirk Franklin and God's Property - Stomp. Again a pretty decent song, which is weird, because I usually loathe gospel and worship music. One of three songs named "Stomp" on my player. I think the rap by Salt of Salt and Pepa is the little extra that makes the song good. Driving bassline, another goodtime song. I wonder if Kirk Franklin pay the folk they money yet.
Random song lyrics:
"We at the church, we ain't going nowhere" "I promise the stomp, the whole stomp, and nothing but the stomp".

3) Stomp - Brothers Johnson. A LOT of Quincy Jones-produced stuff on my playlist, because I'm a huge Quincy Jones whore. HUGE party song back in the day. Serious bass guitar work. Pity the brothers fell out and don't tour anymore.
Random lyric:
"Ev'rybody take it to the top, we're gonna stomp
All night
In the neighbourhood, don't it feel good
Yes, we're gonna stomp
All night
Wanna party 'til the morning light"

4) Keep On - "D"Train
Pure inspirational funk of the early 80s from here. Party music again. Duo, with very distinctive vocals. And synth work and arrangements! I blurbing here.

http://music.yahoo.com/ar-312369-bio--D-Train

"D Train, an innovative duo that consisted of James "D-Train" Williams (vocals) and Hubert Eaves III (keyboards, bass, drums, arrangements, productions), recorded a clutch of electrified dance/R&B classics in the early '80s. From the release of their first single onward, Williams' voice was instantly recognizable for its power-packed, uplifting nature. Eaves' instrumental backing and production were extremely complementary to Williams' deliveries, punching out bold, intricate arrangements that were often livened up for the dancefloor by remixer extraordinaire Francois Kevorkian."

random lyric:
"Sky's the limit and you know the truth, keep on, keep pressing on"

5) Shame - Evelyn "Champagne" King (12 " version). Waaaay too much "GTA: Vice City" fun here. Tommy Vercetti is the man.

Music to dance to. Early 80s disco again. Sometimes I skip this, but not tonight. Nice cheesy sax, guitar and piano work, but it's REAL instruments. MASSIVE hit. Again happy happy joy joy music.
Random lyric:
"Wrapped in your arms is where I want to be"

6) The Secret Garden - Quincy Jones. Featuring James Ingram, El De Barge, Al B. Sure! and Barry White~~~~~~~~~~~~!
Serious change of pace here. Quincy producing here again. Major twenty toes, childmaking music here. Barry W sings and talks, but you don't need more, because you're Barry White, beeyatch, with the rumbling bass voice.
Random lyric:

"And I never wanted anyone

From the sexayer-than-she-thinks-she-is dawnmipb:

Your Birthdate: October 28

You have a Type A personality so big it makes other Type A's shrink away in shame. You never shy away from adversity - and you love to tackle impossible problems. Failure is not an option for you, and more than a few people are put off by your ego. You tend to be controlling, and you hate leaving anything up to chance. Your strength: Your bold approach to life Your weakness: You don't accept help Your power color: Bronze Your power symbol: Pyramid Your power month: October

Grabbed from tuluum, who got it from tuff517

Go to http://www.musicOutfitters.com

In the Search box, enter the year you graduated high school.
**The first item returned should be the 100 songs from that year. Cut and paste them into your journal.**

Bold the ones you like.
Underline your favorite.
Strike through the songs you loathe.
i left plain the ones i just didn't care about :P


1. Walk Like An Egyptian, Bangles
2. Alone, Heart
3. Shake You Down, Gregory Abbott
4. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), Whitney Houston
5. Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, Starship
6. C'est La Vie, Robbie Nevil
7. Here I Go Again, Whitesnake
8. The Way It Is, Bruce Hornsby and the Range
9. Shakedown, Bob Seger
10. Livin' On A Prayer, Bon Jovi
( Bigass meme, so cut here )

My year didn't suck mondo ass after all.