Nimavenl - Nicole's Random Ramblings

“There are two types of writers: those who make you think and those who make you dream”  ~ Brian Aldiss In context: “There are two types of writers: those who make you think and those who make you dream” says Brian Aldiss, who made me dream for such a long time with his science-fiction books. In principle I believe that every human being on this planet has at least one good story to tell his neighbor. Paulo Coelho on How You Can Become a Better Writer | Time Magazine I've read my fair share of books - good ones, great ones, unforgettable ones, awful ones, tearjerkers, page-turners... Some books resonate with me more than others, some I remember better than others, some I simply can't put down. When it comes to my favourite writers, they all write books that fall into the 'can't put down' category. Because I want to know what happens next, on the next page and in the next chapter. All writers on my 'favourite writers' list write books that make me ...

Being of the Field by Traci Harding My rating: 5 of 5 stars There are some authors whose next book you simply must read no matter what, because you enjoy their work and the way their minds work. Traci Harding is one of those authors. I've been a fan of her writing and her thinking for over a decade now (fourteen-ish years? Seriously? Wow!) and while sometimes a character makes me wonder if maybe they're not too perfect (and good at almost everything to boot!), it is the story that keeps me coming back for more with every book. Traci Harding takes her readers on an amazing adventure that I hope will continue through many more books, stories, characters, countries, worlds and universes. I enjoyed getting to know Taren, Lucian, Zeven and the rest of the crew of AMIE. They were new characters yet felt like old friends - books two and three explained why that was, exactly. I actually squealed and couldn't stop smiling upon realising where these books were taking me. The ideas t...

I loved this quote when I read it! “Only a female could be as calculating and have the foresight that destiny requires,' the gypsy explained. 'Now fate is a man,' he went on, 'no planning, just go with the flow and see what tomorrow brings.” ― Traci Harding, The Dragon Queens

I love language and especially love reading books and stories that play with language or show the author's love for language. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is one such story. I'd known the story of Alice in Wonderland for years before actually sitting down to read the book as an adult. What struck me was not only how much I enjoyed the fun and craziness of Alice's adventures, but how much I enjoyed the author's way with words. The simple yet exquisite beauty of the words on the page as they come together into a whimsical whole is simply amazing to me. Source: Quote HD.com I also love tales set in magical or fantastical worlds like the amazing Anne Bishop's Black Jewels books or J. R. R. Tolkien's extremely intricate world of Middle Earth . Alternate realities are very interesting to explore as well, worlds that are similar to yet different from our own. I like how they often provide great insights into our own world and our own thinking, despite so...

I am trying to decide what to read next. Could do with a re-read of a loved book or series. Could read a new and inspiring book. Which one, though? I've just re-read J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Have also read several Laurell K. Hamilton books in the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series. I'm familiar with the worlds created by the authors and know the books and the characters. I am looking for a similarly familiar series to read or re-read. To explain 'similarly familiar' : I love stories about vampires, were-animals, dragons, aliens, magical worlds and such and know those genres. Whether one reads Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris or Stephenie Meyer, they are all writing about vampires and how these walking undead interact with humanity and with the world around them. Whether the vampires sparkle, fly, question organised religion or fall in love - the basics of vampirism (is that even a word?!) stay mostly the same and thus the story feels familiar. I like b...

Happened to visit The Voyager Blog today as I wanted to read a post by Anne Bishop about the world of the Black Jewels post-Twilight's Dawn . I love all of Anne Bishop's books and characters, however have to admit to a real fondness for Surreal and Marian. Jaenelle too is an amazing character, and Lucivar's ways of shoving life into submission are second to none. Well, perhaps Daemonar's when he grows up... Having read the post by Anne Bishop, I had a look around the blog and came across a few stories about books by Traci Harding . Traci is one of my all-time favourite story-tellers and Tory, the heroine from her The Ancient Future series is someone who has really helped shape who I am today. I used to re-read Traci's books every few months (now it's more like every year or so), and would be inspired by Tory time and time again. She's courageous and bold, smart and sassy, knows her way around ancient languages as well as a fighting arena, looks goo...

I'm a huge fan of Australian author Traci Harding. She's written quite a few books by now, has an online community dedicated to her work and the ideas that inspired her work, and would very easily qualify as "one of the authors who has inspired me the most". I came across her first book, The Ancient Future , some time in 2002. It looked like an interesting and entertaining story of a modern Australian woman, Tory Alexander, who accidentally goes back in time through a stone circle while on holiday in Britain, then finds herself in Wales some 1500 years ago where she meets and marries the love of her life, Prince Maelgwn Gwynedd. She becomes Queen of Gwynedd (in modern-day Wales), enforces new child- and female-friendly laws and teaches the ancient Britons a new way of fighting and with it, a new way of thinking. As the book unfolds, Tory learns that her coming to the 6th Century wasn't an accident but deliberate, and was orchestrated by Merlin - yes the Merlin...