Warning! Here be SPOILERS for By the Sword!! Stop now if you haven't read it yet! Final warning!




Who's ready?

Another thrilling episode in the Repairman Jack saga! I enjoyed every syllable! It was an especially interesting experience reading Secret Histories immediately afterward and recognizing some of the things that have been in or around Jack's whole life.

Some of the things that stood out for me in By the Sword:

Glaeken and Jack finally meet! Woo-Hoo!

Poor Dawn! Out of the frying pan, into the fire, BACK into the frying pan!

The Lady. Now we know there is only one and she isn't "Mother Earth", at least not exactly. Maybe she is the truth behind that myth? I hope more will be explained soon. Like Jack, not knowing much is making me crazy.

Kenji.

Those darn Kickers aren't out of the picture yet and neither is the Lodge. I was kinda hoping a mini Black Wind would finish them off at the end - the Kickers at least.

Jack still hasn't told Gia the truth about her "accident". He has definitely put it off too long now. Gia's going to explode if he ever tells her!

Speaking of Gia - could her secret paintings be of the strange landscapes Glaeken and Rasalom once fought on? Glaeken describes them as surreal, iirc.

And of course, the sword. I think Jack was right to hang on to it. He couldn't have stopped the Black Wind without it and he might find himself in another situation one day where it is the only weapon that will work. I'm sure we'll find out eventually.

Can't wait for the next installment!

[COLOR="Blue"]Do you want us to let you know when we find typos and misprints in the books - especially the new ones?

I've been reading the new editions of the LaNague Chronicles (pb) and found some. Also found some in some of the new RJ novels (ltd edns). I haven't made note of any of them, but might be able to find them again.

Or just keep my eye out for future ones.

I've been an editor as well as writer in my life... :yikes:[/COLOR]

I saw in the current May newsletter that Jack was 14 in 1983. I then noted that I am 4 years older than Jack. Then I may have come across a possible nugget here. If I remember the Monroe incident happened in 1968 the same year of Jacks birth. I mean where was Jack actually born? Does he have a direct connection to Monroe himself. It would make some sense to me on why he was the chosen one. Sorry if I am rehashing a previous discussion or if my point is false lol.------Mark

Yeah, quick question.

Does anyone have a premiere date for the new season of SciFi's Eureka? I actually like that show, though I am not a fan of most of the "Made for SciFi" stuff.

Alas, I found out the final season of The Shield won't begin until September. Stupid writer's strike!

Been meaning to bring this up for ages.

Sisters of Mercy is one of my all time favorite groups. I grew up in dirty melodramatic goth clubs listening to them. What can i say?

They have a song called Ozymandias. Is there a connection?

I just discovered that Harvey Korman has passed away. He and Tim Conway never failed to make me laugh on the Carol Burnett Show and who can forget his turn as Hedley Lamarr. The afterlife just got funnier.

2006's The Holiday is on right now. I love that movie; true, I would have cast someone else in Jack Black's role (but I appreciate his bold move in doing this movie), but I loved the movie. It gets so much flak...and is a strong reminder about how so many other great romantic comedies come out and get even worse responses than this one.

So, what are some movies from the past eight years that you really like but seem to get universal flak, and really deserve to be better-remembered?

Here are a few for me. Raising a critical eyebrow at any of them? Good! That's the point - what do YOU think is a criminally underrated romantic comedy from the past eight years??

• Love Actually. Even though it seems pretty well-liked by those who have seen it, it deserves more fame and respect. The plot, the dialogue, the characters, and most of all, the actresses and actors - brilliant.
  
• Lost in Translation. Okay, so it's not really a romantic comedy, per se, but it is funny, and it is romantic...and what an amazingly different movie it is.
  
• The Last Holiday. You bet I think this underrated! Queen Latifah is charming and funny, and Gerard Depardieu is just magnetic (not to mention their scenes together in the movie are better than the "official" romance between her character and that of LL Cool J). And so it's a remake - this is an example of when remakes can be good.
  
• The Jane Austen Book Club. Such a great cast, and a nice, charming movie.
  
• Something New. There still aren't a whole lot of movies that address inter-racial romance, and to have one that does it in a fun, tasteful manner like this (especially with such magnetic stars as here) is a real treat.
  
• Elizabethtown. Wow, what a great movie! Orlando Bloom is such a great star, and this movie really showcases his qualities. I've always been a fan of Kirsten Dunst, but she really shines here. It's such a funny, sweet, charming, fresh film.
  
• Imagine Me & You. (I do.) A very cute, very charming little film that came and went and had something fresh and nice to say, and especially with its two romantic leading actresses. I also love the lack of the title at the beginning of the movie, and any sign of a certain song until a crucial scene. Another overlooked treat!
  

...well? If a 25-year-old (well, 26 next Wednesday) male who loves horror fiction and listens to heavy metal can talk about seven romantic comedies (so-called "chick flicks" - how I despise that term), I think a few of you can spill some of your own thoughts on other "romantic comedies" that deserve more/better credit!

Reading the my so-called life section again and stumbled across the news that there is an audio version of "Slasher" completed. Where we will be able to listen in?

I know you can download The Long Way Home from Amazon. Been there done that.

I just got an 80 gig iPod and am hoping to condense a good bit of my library to its hard drive.

So, am are any of the FPW books avail as e books?

[SPOILER]
Anya was eaten by the chew wasps, at least all of her but the skin. Why not, then, eat Oyv's tail? Is it also a map of pain?
[/SPOILER]:confused: Anyone?