My M-i-L watches the TV evangelists-one that she watches enjoyed the movie, becuase "it is all fiction-not one true word in the book or movie-it's a good story, that's all." Another one was highly offended by both the book and the movie. What I find interesting is that in the first book written about the main character, Angels and Demons, the Catholic Church is the innocent victim-in the DaVinci Code she is the perpretator of all nefarious deeds...Brown clearly just wanted to write thrillers, not necessarily attack the church. But we hear little mention of the first book. Mind you, it was as much a strain to the logic as the DVC...how he escapes so many death-assuring situations without super powers boggles the mind.

Thanks, Cindy, for looking those up for me. Now I'm anxious to reread Perrin's book to remind me of his other recommendations. I've read similar books by Eric Burns and Colin Wilson, as well as the Dirda you mentioned above. I like that sort better than the usual unembellished lists -- those try to be too all encompassing and are geared more toward the most popular -- dare I say, book-club-type -- stuff. Ahh, the mention of W.H. Hudson: I have a very low affinity for fantasy, but his Green Mansions, the love story of a naturalist and a bird girl named Rima, has been a favorite since I was a kid. It probably helped that I read it young before my taste congealed. I don't see it mentioned very often, but surely it is considered a classic. Cindy, the "Out of Print, Out of Mind" title they considered for their web site seems particularly apropos. I think I could remember that better than "Lost Books," which seems generic. However, so many books that were once out of print have now been resurrected. I've told this story so many times that I've probably told it here, so forgive me if you've read it before. But... When I was in high school, two years running (sophomore and junior years) my English and history teachers were dystopia obsessed, but they obviously didn't coordinate their lesson plans because I wound up assigned 1984 and Brave New World for three different classes. That was the beginning of my particular loathing of those popular books (the popularity hasn't abated either, apparently). But there was another book assigned for the same "dystopiathon" that I actually liked. It was about a fellow who went underground (in a network of caves, or something) in search of his lost father or uncle. In this underground place was a colonial remnant of the Roman Empire that had lived there since the empire dissolved, and they had developed a particularly nasty form of government. Does it ring any bells with you?

Astrokath, somehow your post slipped in stealthily between Annpan's and Carolyn's about their dads' gusto storytelling. It wasn't visible to me before today. It's a good thing that I like to reread threads or I would have missed your response entirely. 2004! Wow, it's been fourteen years since you began working at the bookshop. I remember when you first told us that you were considering taking the job, and all of us RPers told you to go for it. We thought it sounded great for you. We must have been right! :-) Kath, I like to associate books with particular people. I'm not sure why I recalled your Tess remark so vividly except it was amusing, although it was about a book I liked and you didn't. Of course I also link you with the Outlander books, the Morland Dynasty series (btw, I've read through the twentieth one; I think it's called The Winter Journey), and The Assassin's Cloak: An Anthology of the World's Greatest Diarists. The last one I frequently dip in and dip out. I remember now that you liked Leon Uris a lot. I often make note in my book logs who mentioned such-and-such books and authors. I also note who liked what or sometimes who didn't like something. I probably would see your name many times in my records.

I am just finishing up Bernard Cornwall's "War of the Wolf." The author is an historian and his excellent research shows in the detail. I recommend this to anyone who wants to get an idea of how "England" actually began. It is set in the time just after Alfred the Great, when warring kingdoms (Mercia, Wessex, Northumberland, etc.) vied for power in a land invaded by Danes, Saxons, Vikings, and Scots. King Alfred's dream was to unite the island under one language and one government. This book tells of the lengthy struggle that went into that effort, after much warfare. I usually would not choose to read books dealing with war, but I have an interest in Britain before the Norman invasion and this was satisfying to read, in all its complexity.