New Year's Recommendation Meme

[rosa_cotton]

Stole from miss_kallahan.

Post this in your journal and have your friends recommend things to you for the new year!

Recommend a...
Book I Should Read:
Movie I Should See:
Band/CD I Should Listen To:
Website I Should Visit:
Skill I Should Learn:
Fandom I Should Join:
LJ User I Should Friend:
LJ Comm I Should Join:

Comments

[indes-elfwine.livejournal.com]

Book I Should Read: "The Magician's House" series by William Corlett
Fandom I Should Join: Merlin

[rosa-cotton.livejournal.com]

I have not heard of that book series. I'll have to check it out! Can't say I've heard of Merlin either. Is it about King Arthur?

[indes-elfwine.livejournal.com]

It's the treatment of the Arthur legend by the same guys who did Robin Hood, so it's tongue-in-cheek with pretty boys and awesome female characters. Basically King Uther outlawed magic when his son was a baby and it's punishable by death. Give it twenty years or so and an adorable teenaged Merlin comes to Camelot to learn from the aweesomely cranky old court physician Gaius how to control his spontaneous burts of magical powers so he doesn't end up burning on a stake.

Unfortunately, young Merlin is the noble well-intentioned but tactless sort who accidentally calls the crown prince a prat and ends up in the stocks. He then saves Arthur's life from an evil sorceress and as a dubious reward King Uther makes him Arthur's personal manservant. Neither are thrilled. :p

The King's ward Morgana has shown only glimpses of Morgan Lefay's evil awesomeness yet (like when she plotted to assasinate Uther because he killed her best friend's father, leaving her best friend heartbroken and orphaned) but she's smart, incredibly manipulative but also incredibly passionate and big-hearted at the same time. I don't ship her and Arthur but they have this incredibly funny banter thing going on that I enjoy.

Guinevere or "Gwen" is the blacksmith's daughter and Morgana's maideservant and confidante, strong and adorable and easily flustered but probably the sweetest character in the whole show. She's been pining after Merlin all season except for the episode when Lancelot showed up. Gwen/Merlin? I do ship. I know she has to marry Arthur eventually, but for now I like my sweet sunny servant ship more.

There is also a dragon who lives under the castle and occaisonally gives Merlin cryptic advice about him and Arthur being two halves of a greater whole and that it's his destiny to protect Arthur and mould him into the great King he needs to be.

Throw out everything you know about the Arthur legend and you will be charmed by it because it's a sweet funny wonderful little fantasy show with magic and unicorns and sidhe and Avalon beyond the lake. :)

The Magicians House is about three siblings, William, Mary and Alice. They go to live with their Uncle Jack and girlfriend Phoebe in the new house they've just bought, Golden House in Goldwater Valley. There is a timetravelling magician who is actually Phoebe's ancestor and his loyal talking animals, my favourite of which is Cinnabar the fox. He passes on his knowledge to the children and they use it to solve problems in their own time. I love those books.

[rosa-cotton.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for the summaries, Indes! They sound very interesting...

[wyntertwilight.livejournal.com]

Book I Should Read: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
Movie I Should See: Little Miss Sunshine, if you haven't already. It'll make you laugh and cry all in one.
Band/CD I Should Listen To: Explosions In The Sky, they make beautiful instrumental music, I think you'd like them.
Website I Should Visit: PostSecret
Fandom I Should Join: Supernatural

[rosa-cotton.livejournal.com]

I do intend to read Frankenstein someday! Explosions In The Sky, haven't heard of them, but being a fan of instrumental music I'll give them a try. That is a very unique website! Thanks for the recommendations. :)

[wyntertwilight.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! I figured it was the type of thing you'd appreciate :-)

[rosa-cotton.livejournal.com]

You are very good!