juldea: (roar!!!)
juldea ([personal profile] juldea) wrote2005-11-03 02:59 pm

Dragonlance...

I have such a freaking addictive personality. Now that I've restarted reading the Dragonlance books, I MUST READ THEM ALL. Even the 50 or so that have been published since I stopped collecting them. Faugh. At least I don't plan on buying all of those... just borrowing them from the library or something.

But why do I even have this urge? The series is total cheese! Most of the books are crap! I won't gain any respect for reading the entire series; I might even lose it from a few people!

I do this obsessive thing... Before the Dragonlance revival it was Wicked, and it's been Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Joss Whedon shows, Dashboard Confessional, A Song of Ice and Fire, Radiohead, MST3k - books, movies, TV, music, you name it. I get a glimmer of like for something and I dive head-first into the sea of fandom. I even collected the original Pokemon cartoon on tape for a while (I still have a few taking up space in boxes - should do something about them.)

It all started with the Babysitter's Club. I blame Ann Martin!!

[identity profile] rufinia.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
AAh, Babysitter's Club. I wonder if they ever got out of 8th grade?

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, a short Google brings me to Ann Martin's page and the Complete Babysitter's Club book checklist (http://www.scholastic.com/annmartin/bsc/babysitters.pdf), which includes the BSC Friends Forever Super Special 2: Graduation Day. That indicates they either took WAY too long to graduate 8th grade, or they were followed through high school. :)

Um, wow. The last BSC book to come out is called The Fire at Mary Anne's House. Maybe they all died a fiery death! Nah, probably can't expect that.

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Whoa... I was wrong!

This is why it is with mixed emotions I made the decision to write the final book in the BSC series, Graduation Day. As you can probably tell by the title, the girls are going to graduate from the eighth grade (after many years!).
http://www.scholastic.com/annmartin/letters/online1200.htm

[identity profile] skybabie.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Okay now I'm not to afraid to admit I believe I have the whole series of Babysitters Club books somewhere at my parents house.. :P

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
I had around 40 of them at my height of collecting, about 5-6th grade, but I gave them all away in 8th. I remember this because I brought the entire box of them to All-City Band practice, which was a group for kids under high school age, and I was one of the oldest ones there and wouldn't be around the next year. :) The box was empty by the end of practice...

[identity profile] skybabie.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 01:37 pm (UTC)(link)
... Thinking back to all of this it makes me realize how old I'm starting to feel :P... I doubt when my son hits 4th or 5th grade they will probably have no idea of the series even, it's starting to make me sad :) (Not that the books were that good, just how fast time seems to fly now).

I Feel Your Pain

[identity profile] fluttergrrl30.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:44 pm (UTC)(link)
I am very much the same way . . . it's just one of the many reasons I never tried drugs. Too good a chance I'd like it, then apply my weird-ass, bee-in-my-bonnet, must do it ALL personality quirk to the illicit substances . . . .

Re: I Feel Your Pain

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:49 pm (UTC)(link)
*nod* I definitely know what you mean. It's a good reason to stay clean!

[identity profile] eor1312.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
there are BSC books 1-117 at my parents house still. not to mention 1 Babysitters Little Sisters Book, which i didnt care for, 5, or so, Babysitters Club Mystery books, and of course, 11 or so superspecials.
i loved those crazy baby sitters. except mallory.

[identity profile] eor1312.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
not to mention when claudia kishis grandma died, i cried like she was my grandma.

[identity profile] rufinia.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 09:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, god, Mallory was frickin' annoying.

[identity profile] eor1312.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)
yea. jessie was ok because she was quiet and not around that much because of ballet practice and had sort of an interesting family story, but mallory was awful.

[identity profile] rufinia.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 02:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm the oldest of eight, and that's the ONLY character trait I have!"

"Oh yeah, and I wanna be blonde and skinny."
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] eor1312.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 04:08 pm (UTC)(link)
it would have been hard to be the oldest of all those kids but she had really nice parents, as far as i remember.

i hope you are feeling better today
(deleted comment)

[identity profile] eor1312.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
i constantly drink gatorade like it's a magical elixir. i love it.
tpau: (Default)

[personal profile] tpau 2005-11-03 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
oh god so did i! claudia was my favorite because she was of immigrant descent :)

[identity profile] eor1312.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 02:19 pm (UTC)(link)
i dont know why i was so attached to claudias grandma. claudia is who i thought was coolest, but i didnt like her best because i thought that in real life she was the least likely to be my friend.
i loved dawn and mary anne and when they became sisters my life was complete. dawn reminded me of myself, or who i wantd to be when i was cool and in junior high and old enough to babysit. mary anne was who i always wished i were. the quiet one.
tpau: (Default)

[personal profile] tpau 2005-11-04 02:22 pm (UTC)(link)
heh, mary anne is who i were with some Kristi thrown in. i wanted to be claudia :)

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Man. If I had that box, I would so re-read through them all the time. :)

Wow, the weirdest memory just came to me. The Disney vacation Super Special, where they met the two kids on the cruise, one of whom said something about, "Since our parents were k-" and Kristy was trying to brainstorm what word the girl could've been saying and thought, "Kicked? Kissed? No..."

Heh.

[identity profile] eor1312.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 02:22 pm (UTC)(link)
yea. they are at my parents house. ive been trying to decide to sell them for years, but i cant do it. not yet.

[identity profile] crimson5.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Some of the Dragonlance books were good, speaking from middle/early high school perspective...

Oh, and 50 is an underestimate. There are at least 15+ trilogy series before they even get to the original's kids as main characters for entire books.(not talking about the Tales stories where Palin gets his staff and meets Reorx) (talk about a gambling problem :P) Either way, I've got fond memories of many of those books. Stopped reading most of them a long time ago, just so disassociated with the original stories and characters.

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 09:02 pm (UTC)(link)
50 isn't an underestimate if you note that I said "50 or so since I last stopped collecting." The box under my bed isn't a small box, and it's ALL Dragonlance. :) I have many of those trilogies you mention...

And yes, from the perspective of me at 12 years old, they were great! But have you read them now? Most of the characters don't even have TWO dimensions, much less three. :)

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 09:04 pm (UTC)(link)
In regards to that last bit, because londo and I were discussing it the other day:

londo: Tanis is made up of angst and valor. That's it.
me: Just like Sturm!
londo: No, Sturm is just made up of angsty valor. Not quite the same thing.

I found it amusing. :)

[identity profile] crimson5.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 03:12 am (UTC)(link)
When I graduated high school, or shortly after, I sold ALL of my Dlance books to a book buyer. Was kinda sad when I did it, but I needed the cash/space, dont remember which. I've tried the occasional book or two if they looked specifically interesting. The only 2 series I really bought were the War of the Graygem, and War of Souls trilogy. Without spoiling, those books kinda gave me complete closure on the entire series. Not saying I thought the endings were great and all that, just that they completely finished the stories, ended all remaining interesting threads etc etc. I just have no interest in even looking at the new books.

As for Tanis. He was definately courageous. However, Valor is the wrong description of his bravery. I can't think of a better way or word to describe it though. Then again, my definitons and concepts of valor have been permenantly defined/(scarred?) by the Ultima games. (Computer, Richard Garriot, RPG) As I write this, I'm thinking the closest Ultima virtue would be Honor. Although he frequently failed in it. But don't hold me to that, it's been YEARS since I read that trilogy.

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 04:02 am (UTC)(link)
Well, I have no clue what your Ultima definitions are, so I can't really help there. :)

[identity profile] crimson5.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
You never played ULTIMA??????!!!!!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?

You my lady, have been deprived of one of the BEST RPG series to ever hit the market. I think at least half of the Ultima's redifined RPG's in terms of gameplay, graphics and music when released. IF you somehow end up trying to play them, I would recommend 5,6,7. The first 3 are irrelevant to the overall storyline, 8 was ok, but not so great I would recommend it. 9 just finishes the series, if you can find the required patches. (God they messed that release up) In addition to just being one of the better rpg games out there, Garriot placed a morality engine into his games. Without religion. Instead of using a religion backbone for morals, he created a system based on virtues. In addition, he examines some of the basic concepts of morality thru this system. Some of the in-game puzzles require you to actually understand his philosopy, at least well enough to solve the puzzle. For instance, finding the most humble person, in a city devoted to humility. Enough rambling I guess, just consider them to be decent primers on what a moral system should be based on, even if you disagree with his particular creation.

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 03:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Hon, don't you remember that I'm not much of a gamer? I haven't played a LOT of things...

Although I do remember watching my brother play some Ultima game that happened in an underground maze or something. Lots of stone and lava. Hmm.
ext_104661: (Default)

[identity profile] alexx-kay.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 09:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I MUST READ THEM ALL

To paraphrase Book: "No. You don't."

Not that I'm a particularly good example of practicing that preachin'...

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmm, Book should probably be on my list of people to accept advice from... :)

[identity profile] eustacia42.livejournal.com 2005-11-03 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
I guess I'd better not tell you, then, that Diana Gabaldon writes a seris called "Outlander" that will rock your balls off. Seriously. Time travel plus historical romance with a few choice juicy scenes? In Scotland? Oh baby.

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
Hmmm. I wonder if that's where [livejournal.com profile] outlander got her name...

[identity profile] rufinia.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)
And yes. It is.

[identity profile] eustacia42.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 10:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Judging from her profile and interests, I'd call that a big yes. ;)

[identity profile] rufinia.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 02:27 pm (UTC)(link)
LOVE them. Julia, I can leand you them if you want... I'm upgrading my copies.

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 03:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure... we need to hang out anyway, a book swap can happen. :)

[identity profile] rufinia.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 03:32 pm (UTC)(link)
You're not gonna be at Meville tomorrow, are you?

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 03:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Nope. Heading out of town again.

re: DragonLance

[identity profile] etherial.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 10:28 am (UTC)(link)
Margaret Weiss wrote the fiction for the Serenity Role Playing Game. I have her autograph. PTHBBBBBBTT!

Re: DragonLance

[identity profile] juldea.livejournal.com 2005-11-04 11:21 am (UTC)(link)
:P