***Group Read: The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

An invitation from ronincats in the 2009 Challenge group:

I invite all and sundry to join me for a group read of The Chronicles of Prydain, a five-book children's fantasy series loosely based on Welsh mythology. The books are The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Llyr, Taran Wanderer, and The High King, and are my very favorite children's fantasy series. I love how events throughout the five books are all woven together in inevitable but unforseen fashion. The second book was a Newbury Honor Book and the 5th won the Newbury Medal, but you will be unable to appreciate it without the first four. The schedule will start in January, on January 10 for the first book, and proceed at the rate of one per month through May 10. I look forward to sharing this with those of you who choose to join me.

I am ready and waiting!

Hopefully my books will be here soon so I can start. I'm so excited!

I've ordered the first book!

All my books finally came in so I'm ready to go! Gah, why is January so far away :P

I think that I have these books around here somewhere. I will get my girls to search when here for Christmas. They love these books, so I am excited!!
--BJ

#5: I agree, RebeccaAnn. Do you think we could take a vote to move January to December? It works for me!

>7 alcottacre:: The calendar, LT style, rearranged to serve our reading needs :)

If it were left up to me, I would probably bypass December every year - too much going on! Just skip to January and be done with it. I can celebrate Christmas whenever I want.

I could get rid of my fall finals that way too! While we're at it, can we eliminate May? :P

Actually, by the time we are through, I bet we have eliminated every month of the year for some reason or other!

I just figured December is such a hectic time for so many people, starting in January would allow more people to participate. I'm fine with changing the schedule though, as in a book every two or three weeks instead of a full month, if everyone is fine with that.

I think January is just fine, Roni. Allows the holidays to be over and done and everyone's lives to normalize (whatever that is!)

>13 alcottacre:: I agree. I'm just antsy because finals are over and I can finally read what I want again :)

I think there are also some people who are still trying to finish up the 2009 challenge as well who may be interested in joining the group read.

I've got this one starred...The Black Cauldron was always a favorite when I was little. I'd love to read the rest.

Help! I'm not sure my copy of the first book is going to arrive in time!

#17: I could type it up for you a chapter at a time until your book gets to you if you like.

Goody!! Got some early Christmas moolah and I'm going to pick up what I don't have next time I'm in town.

I'm in as long as the schedule stays the same -- got no room in December for even a kids' book (and no copies of The Book of Three are to be found in Danville; will have to order it). Also -- if the requirement changes so that I'll have to finish each title within two or three weeks, I can't do that. I'm a slow reader and would need the entire month.

Lloyd Alexander's always been a favorite and I have access to The Black Cauldron and The High King, so I hope it works out that I can join.

Sure, it looks like we are going with the original schedule, so welcome on board!

There are so many books to read, I'll put these on my list.

21: Hooray!

(Now to visit the public library's website and see if they have The Book of Three -- forgot about using them when I posted earlier)

Maybe this is obvious, but are we beginning the discussion of the first book on Jan 10 or are we planning to start reading the first book on Jan 10 and start discussing on Feb 10?

My plan was to start discussing on January 10. Is that doable, people? Remember, the first book is not very long or complex.

I think it's doable. May I suggest a separate spoiler thread for each book? I'll create them if you don't want to do it. If you take care of it, put *** in front of the thread name so it's sorted with the other group read threads when one clicks n "Topics".

#18 Stasia, I can't work out if you're serious or joking! ;) If you're serious, that's an incredibly kind offer - hopefully it won't come to that though!

That works fine for me. I was actually planning on that but then I thought, if we're just going to start reading on January 10 and start discussing on February 10, I'll have forgotten everything I've read!

I'm very excited for this group read!

#27: I was serious.

#29 In which case, that's extremely kind of you! I've requested the book from the library just in case though, so hopefully I should be sorted if the book doesn't turn up soon... ;o)

#30: Well, I hope you get your hands on a copy by some means or another! I would hate for you to miss out.

Oh awesome! I'm totally new to this whole LibraryThing System, and I've been plodding through my collection of books, slowly listing them all, and I actually realized I had The Book of Three! I remember loving The Black Cauldron animated movie as a child, and knew they were linked in some way but I didn't realize there was a whole series of them! The Book of Three was going to fly up my list of books to read in 2010 one way or the other, so I'm definitely going to participate! It'll be my first group read (not counting school reads, of course, blech).
I'm so excited, ahah.

Welcome to the group read, Hope! Glad to have you on board.

My copy of The Book of Three isn't scheduled to arrive until Jan4 so I may be just a bit behind...but I'll catch up.

>34 jasmyn9:: You can do it! Actually, looking at my copy, the books aren't long at all and the type is very big with large margins, so I bet it'll be a quick read :)

I'm in too! Thanks for not changing things--I've been trying to stay away from here till 2009 is over, and I was terrified when I saw how many posts there were already! I picked up The Book of Three from the library yesterday, so I'll be ready!

Oh, I wish I could join this group read, but I don't think I'll be able to get the books (the first at least) on time and I've got an exam coming up, but I'll probably be lurking and maybe joining in if I find the time. Good reading, everybody!

Sure, this isn't hard and fast! You can read them at any time during the whole 5 month period and start joining it. Hope you find the time!

Ooh, this sounds like fun! I'll have to order the books. Good thing my husband and I have the Amazon 2 day shipping for "free" (not really free since we pay yearly for it- but SO worth it). It serves my book addiction well. Though I don't know if I can read one book and then wait for the next month to read the next book. I usually read series books back to back.

Count me in for the first two anyway. Those are the only ones I have in my library atm. What a wonderful series -- what a great idea! Thank you.

Amy, I'm with you. Once I start, I like to keep going through. But you can do that and make your notes, and then come back into the group to discuss each book as it comes up. It seems, with so many different schedules and reading speeds, that the monthly schedule meets the most needs.

I'm going right now to pull my books off my shelf. Happy reading this week and I'll see everyone on next Sunday to start the discussion.

I thought I already posted here, guess not ;-)

Thanks to the 75 group of 2008 I learned about these books and lended them from the library. I liked them so much I needed to have my own copies and found them all last year, so I am ready!
Anita

I don't know how much discussing I will do, but I'm certainly going to read these along with y'all.

I know we have a copy of the Book of Three *somewhere*. If I can't find it in the kids bookcase (darn kids keep borrowing my books and not returning them), I'm going to have to start trying under the beds...

Oh, crikey. My Prydains are all at my mum's and I don't think I'm seeing her before Jan 10. No, wait: she's coming here on Thursday 7th, though that doesn't give much of a margin.

Fliss, if you want to borrow mine, shout - it's probably easier for me to push them through your letterbox than for Stasia to tappity-tap her way through, no?

I've made a spoiler thread for book discussions. It's here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/80785

#44 Thanks Rachael (and Stasia!), but Rock Road came through for me (unlike Waterstones.com, which has been pretty unimpressive of late - how long does it take to order a book from suppliers anyway - surely 1.5 months is taking the mick?!) - got Book of Three and read it yesterday, so I'm all ready to start discussing ;)

Still waiting! It looks like it will be here on Monday.

#46: I (and my fingers) are glad you got the book!

All the books got here this afternoon so I'll all set!

I think might try to pick up the first book this weekend at the library. I'm a fast reader, so we'll see if I can join in soon!

The first couple of books are very quick reads, so you should be able to join in quickly!

These are some of my favorite books, so I'd like to join in!

Please do!

Today I bought the first book so I'll try and get that read tonight so I can head over to the spoiler thread tomorrow. Between now and february I've gotta work on finding the second and third books :S

Well, what's another challenge but something else to do. I figured I'd do the Moby Dick, Anna Karenina, and Count of Monte Cristo challenges because they're on my shelves and I've "cheated" on exams for years by not reading the full versions. Here's something new to me, and, LOL--not nearly as long so fabulous to fill in the blanks! I'm in--although The Black Cauldron is on order for me. For some reason, it wasn't available when I was looking...

Oh, please do come in, the water is wonderful! Just come over to the spoiler thread whenever you get it!

Reminder: Tomorrow is the first of February already! We will start discussion of The Black Cauldron on February 10, Wednesday after next. See you on the spoiler thread then.

okay, I'm in. I've got my order of Book of Three on it's way and will start reading The Black Cauldron. I'm still working on finding a used copy of the third and fourth books.

I read the first of the 75 gig's group read: The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander entitled The Book of Three the other day. What a charming, warm, cozy little fantasy story. I loved it.
It is about the adventures of pig care giver in a "netherland" with all the bads, weirds, goods, evils, and all that other stuff. It is so wonderfully written that I could actually "see" what was going on as I was reading it.
I actually should have read this one in January I believe but just did not have enough time to do all of my January reads last month. So I am attempting to play catch-up this month. Which means (ohhhh, goody, goody), I get to read the second of this series: The Black Cauldron as soon as it arrives.
I really thought I did not like fantasy nor YA, but am finding that the more I read of it, the better I like it. These are really fun. I hope that a lot of you out there have joined this group read. It truly is enchanting.
hugs,
belva

Those of you yet waiting to get your books, do not let the time frame keep you from reading them. They are very doable within a short amount of time. I think it took me 2 hours + to read The Book of Three and I am yet awaiting The Black Cauldron and if it doesn't get here until March, 's'all right. I will just read it when it does arrive. I would hate for any of you to miss out on this wonderful reading experience.
These are every bit as good as Harry Potter; just much shorter and different.
belva

Reminder, March 10 is coming up soon. We start discussion of The Castle of Llyr this coming Wednesday, so this weekend is a good time to pull out your copy and get started.

>60 rainpebble:: Actually, Belva, I'd say that was damning with faint praise. ;-) Taken as a whole series, I think they're better, though individual books vary.

Discussion is now open on the spoiler thread on the High King and the series as a whole.
http://www.librarything.com/topic/80785