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And Before ThatDecember 31, 2001
I get emails all the time from readers who want to know if I can recommend a good fantasy for them to read while they are (sigh) waiting for the next Ice and Fire book. There are lot of excellent fantasies out there, in point of fact. One of them is THE BONE DOLL’S TWIN by Lynn Flewelling. Engrossing, well written, tough minded, and peopled by characters you can believe in, this one kept me turning pages happily. I’m looking forward to her next. READINGS is a treat for booklovers, a collection of Michael Dirda’s columns from the pages of the WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD. Funny, anecdotal, and insightful, and pure delight for us lost souls bitten by the book collecting bug. This reminds me of another favorite author, humorist Calvin Trillin. Dirda does for books what Trillin did for food in ALICE, LET’S EAT and THIRD HELPINGS. Another, somewhat older, fantasy novel that’s worth a look is THE GRAND ELLIPSE by Paula Volsky, which recently lost the World Fantasy Award. Never mind, the competition was tough… the book remains a wonderful picaresque romp, a fantasy version of AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS by way of THE GREAT RACE, with more than a little flavor of Jack Vance thrown in for seasoning. Quite the fun read.
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