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The Crystal Cave
The Crystal Cave: Book One of the Arthurian Saga | Mary Stewart
Born the bastard son of a Welsh princess, Myridden Emrys -- or as he would later be known, Merlin -- leads a perilous childhood, haunted by portents and visions. But destiny has great plans for this no-man's-son, taking him from prophesying before the High King Vortigern to the crowning of Uther Pendragon . . . and the conception of Arthur -- king for once and always.
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Nessavamusic
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Bailedbailed

DNF‘d after 120 pages. I‘m not liking the writing style and Merlin reads older than his age in the book and it keeps taking me out of the story. I think I would have enjoyed this more as a younger reader.

A #Roll100 pick off the TBR at least! This one was an old tbr pick as well.

PuddleJumper Awesome! 1y
49 likes1 comment
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Liatrek
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Pickpick

This has been on my to reread list forever and I finally had time to finish it again. I really love the relationship between Merlin and his father. I admit to skimming over some of the lengthy descriptions but overall still an enjoyable first stop in this trilogy.

Ruthiella I first read this as a teenager and have forever meant to give it a re-read! 3y
87 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Andrew65
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Can‘t have a #Wizardry theme, without Merlin! This is a classic Arthur series but there are so many.

#Haunted

Ruthiella Loved this book as a teen. I mean to reread it one of these days. 3y
CaitZ I also loved this series as a teen. I should add this to my TBR list 3y
Andrew65 @Ruthiella @CaitZ I‘m aiming to re-read this series at some point. 3y
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Crazeedi This was one of my all time favorite series. 3y
Crazeedi Actually I read many of her books as a teenager 3y
Andrew65 @Crazeedi It‘s definitely a popular series. 3y
Eggs Well done 👍🏼 3y
76 likes7 comments
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wideeyedreader
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Pickpick

I‘ve always been a little obsessed with Arthurian Legend, and this book was a treat to read! I greatly enjoyed it, and look forward to reading more of the series! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Allylu I loved this series. I read it a long time ago but still remember the feelings. 3y
31 likes1 comment
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VanessaCW
Mehso-so

I was a little disappointed with this book as I thought I would love it. Sadly, I thought it was quite tedious and a tad boring. It didn‘t engage me, probably because it is a bit dated. It is well written, though, and I can see that some people would enjoy it. I enjoy Mary Stewart‘s mystery suspense novels, but this one was not for me. We can‘t all like the same books!

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Ruthiella
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#20Series20Days Day Nineteen

I only have the first book in this Arthurian quartet by Mary Stewart. I read the first three as a teenager but I‘m pretty sure I didn‘t read the last book. I loved them when I was young and want to re-read to see if they hold up.😀

Andrew65 I own these but am yet to read them. (edited) 4y
LeahBergen @Andrew65 Me, too! 4y
thebluestocking I‘ve always wanted to read these. 💙 4y
Ruthiella @thebluestocking I hope they hold up to my teenage memories. 😬 4y
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KimM
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Pickpick

Classic take on the Arthurian legend. Magical ✨

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Lcsmcat
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Ruthiella One of these days I want to re-read this series. I read them back when I was a teenager... I‘m not even sure if I read The Last Enchantment or just started it? 4y
Nute Ah...you just mentioned on of my favorite fictional characters and settings!💕 4y
Lcsmcat @Ruthiella I need to read the rest of them. They‘re on my shelf, there‘s just so many books and so little time. 4y
Lcsmcat @Nute Have you read the Stewart trilogy? What‘s your favorite telling of the Arthurian legend? 4y
Klou 👏❤👏 awesome! 4y
39 likes5 comments
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Wife
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I‘m too tired to read. I‘m just going to sleep with my new books.

Bradleygirl Oof Crystal Cave is good 4y
BethM Crystal cave is awesome! My mom read is the series as kids! 4y
43 likes2 comments
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reading_rainbow
Pickpick

loved it! some may find this book slow but i thought it romantic and poetic. i took my time reading it as the names of places and locations was confusing to me at times but eventually started to come more easily, the authors note was helpful with that as well. i‘m eager to read the next one as this one ended with his prophesy of Arthur and what‘s to come ⚔️🛡🔮✨

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reading_rainbow
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“The white dragon of the Saxons and the red dragon of Ambrosius fighting it out,the red dragon looking not so clever to begin with, but winning in the end. then a bear coming out of Cornwall to sweep the field clear”

“A bear? you mean boar, surely; that‘s Cornwalls badge..”

“Artos was the word. you called him, Arthur..”

✨Merlin just had his first vision of Arthur✨👑 i LOVE Mary Stewart🖤🌿 i love this book

rubyslippersreads I need to reread this series. 4y
reading_rainbow @rubyslippersreads it‘s wonderful!✨ i know it‘s going to end up being a favorite of mine 4y
20 likes2 comments
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reading_rainbow
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😊💕

ulyssesartmiller Yes!!! Love this book! 4y
22 likes1 comment
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reading_rainbow
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" .. as if my life were a growing tree which burst to flower and leaf with him, and now has nothing more to do than yellow to the grave." ??

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reading_rainbow
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🌿🌙going down the Arthurian rabbit hole✨✨✨✨🌞🔮🗡🏰 I wasn‘t able to fully enjoy the last book i read because i kept thinking about this book lol so i‘m very excited about finally starting this

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wideeyedreader
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....and then these two from Thrift Books came in the mail too! I‘m rolling in books today!

9 likes1 stack add
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Kshakal
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brit91 Beautiful!😍😍😍 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💗💗💗 5y
OriginalCyn620 💙💙💙 5y
35 likes3 comments
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Andrew65
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DGRachel I love that book and Colin was adorable as Merlin. I kind of miss that TV show. 5y
Andrew65 @DGRachel That was a brilliant show, but felt the end of the final episode was a bit of a let down. 5y
DGRachel Agreed. I thought the show was kind of hit or miss and a little weird/campy at times, but I enjoyed it enough to buy all five seasons on Blu-ray. 😆 5y
TK-421 @DGRachel I have the whole series too but I haven‘t watched the final season yet 😳 5y
76 likes1 stack add4 comments
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EadieB
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KathyWheeler I love all those Mary Stewart Arthurian books. 5y
EadieB @KathyWheeler I have a lot of Mary Stewart‘s books but only read 5y
TK-421 That‘s awesome! Loved Colin Morgan as Merlin! 5y
Andrew65 Same quote I used. 👍 5y
EadieB @Andrew65 Great minds ....... 5y
53 likes1 stack add5 comments
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jenniferw88
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This has come up as a recommendation on my Kindle in time for #CrystalDays #WinterWonderland. @Cinfhen @TrishB

Cathythoughts Perfect timing ♥️👍🏻 6y
Cinfhen #BookKarma 🙌🏻❣️❄️ 6y
86 likes2 comments
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Lcsmcat
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Lcsmcat
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“Mithras, Apollo, Arthur, Christ - call him what you will,” I said. “What does it matter what men call the light? It is the same light, and men must live by it or die. I only know that God is the source of all the light which has lit the world, and that his purpose runs through the world and past each one of us like a great river, and we cannot check or turn it, but can only drink from it while living, and commit our bodies to it when we die.”

Lcsmcat Wisdom from Merlin. I wish more people felt this way about our different names for God. 6y
LauraBrook Me too!❤️ 6y
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Lcsmcat
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Pickpick

I should have listened to my mother and read this decades ago. Stewart tells a good story which enriched the Arthurian legend without deviating from the outlines we know. Highly recommended even if (like me) you‘re not much for fantasy.

Booksnchill Like your cover- mine isn‘t as psychodelic! 6y
Lcsmcat @Booksnchill That‘s the ‘70s for you! My copy is from 70 or 71. 6y
SledgeReader 😉Mother knows best??😆Loved this one in middle school.Are you going to read the others? 6y
Lcsmcat @SledgeReader Absolutely (I can admit this since I‘m a mom now.) I will definitely read the others, but I‘ll probably space them out and let each one marinate before I move to the next. 6y
Schlinkles Agreed! 6y
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Lcsmcat
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The feeling Merlin gets when he first sees “The Dance” is pretty close to how I felt when I visited Stonehenge in the ‘70s, before it was fenced. #stone #readingresolutions @Jess7

mklong How cool! I saw it in the late 90‘s and you couldn‘t get anywhere near it and all of my pictures have fencing in them. I know they are protecting it, but it was disappointing. 6y
KristinaRay Wow, that must have been amazing! The magic I felt just watching a documentary about Stonehenge was incredible, I can only imagine what it must have been like for you. 6y
Lcsmcat @Mklong @kristinaray It was late December and freezing cold (to this southern girl anyway) with the wind blowing across the Plain. I remember touching one of the standing stones, but mostly I remember how much awe I felt. I was 13 and had (inwardly) rolled my eyes at going to look at a bunch of rocks, but it blew me away. There‘s a photo somewhere at my mother‘s of me in front of one of the stones. I ought to look for it. 6y
73 likes3 comments
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Lcsmcat
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The #endpages of my current read are #bookmaps! #readingresolutions @Jess7

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Schlinkles
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Ready to lead Sci-Fi and Fantasy book club today.

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Schlinkles
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Pickpick

A rainy Saturday afternoon of finishing up a fun read. I‘ll be needing to get my hands on a copy of The Hollow Hills stat.

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Lcsmcat
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“But I have noticed this about ambitious men, or men in power— they fear even the slightest and least likely threat to it.”

ReadZenRites So true. 6y
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Lcsmcat
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My last several books have had pretty intense subject matter: WWI, WWII, the Armenian genocide, escaping North Korea, the seigle of Sarajevo. I decided I need a lighter read. I loved Mary Stewart‘s mystery/romance novels. My mother kept trying to get me to read the Arthurian novels, but being a typical adolescent, if she suggested it I wouldn‘t read it. Now I‘m diving in. Sorry Mom, you were right. 😀 #mountTBR

Eyelit Love that cover! 6y
AvidReader25 My Mom got me to read this one too! 6y
Lcsmcat @Eyelit It‘s a 1970 edition. Not my mom‘s copy, but a library sale find in a He same edition she had. 6y
46 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Schlinkles
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Book clubs are great for whittling down that pesky TBR list. This has been on mine for years...

Lylah Same here... 6y
Lcsmcat Me too. 6y
smilingshelves I love this series! 6y
33 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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RobinCFarrell
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Pickpick

Reading this book was a long time coming. The Arthurian mythos has always fascinated me and this take on Merlin has been floating around the top of my TBR for ages. After finishing it, I am deeply impressed and eager to continue the story as Mary Stewart tells it.

#thecrystalcave #marystewart #merlin #kingarthur #arthuriansaga #utherpendragon #swordinthestone

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Wandering_Resident
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I don‘t know why it‘s taken me so long to get to this book, but now that I‘ve started, I don‘t want to put t down! Her writing is beautiful and evocative, and her Merlin is a fascinating boy.

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Ladygodiva7
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Liatrek
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#riotgrams Day 19 This was one of my favorite books I read in school. I always loved the Arthur Legend and this starts with the life of Merlin.

tonyahoswalt This is one of my all-time favorites! 7y
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Coleen_Nieto
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I read this series as a teenager. I love stories about King Arthur. I haven't found any good books on this subject in a long time. Suggestions are most appreciated.
#kingarthur

GlassAsDiamonds If you‘re interested in non-fiction, this one is fascinating (and honourable mention for The Mists of Avalon but I‘m assuming you‘ve read that!!! 😊😊😊) 7y
Coleen_Nieto @GlassAsDiamonds thank you so much for the recommendation . I have read the mists of avalon and enjoyed it very much. My favorite I think is the unfinished one by John Steinbeck. Frustrating though because it's unfinished 7y
GlassAsDiamonds @Coleen_Nieto 😊😊😊 there‘s also the tagged but it also might be an unfinished triology (which would kill me and that I will never read because cliff hangers and I do NOT get on!) that is probably brilliant... I‘m sure there are others but for the life of me, I‘m struggling! 😊😊😊 Have you read Morte D‘ Arthur? (I haven‘t!) 7y
Coleen_Nieto I've read parts of Morte... I'll have to look for dragon queen, thank you! 7y
9 likes4 comments
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Coleen_Nieto
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1. Colorado
2. Fiction-general, historical
3. Just starting The Crystal Cave
4. Pizza
5. One dog Tank, but I'm getting another puppy on March 20th.
6. No questions right now :)

Kaye Nice to meet you. Thanks for replying. ♥️ 7y
Coleen_Nieto Nice to meet you too Kaye! 7y
5 likes2 comments
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tonyahoswalt
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#NYBirthdayGiveaway
@LazyOwl

The second series that I consider one of my all-time favorite fantasy series is the Merlin series by Mary Stewart, starting with The Crystal Cave.

LazyOwl Thanks for sharing 💕 7y
6 likes1 comment
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tomes4gnomes
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Congratulations @GrilledCheeseSamurai and thanks for generously hosting this #HipHobbinto2018 giveaway! I can‘t possibly choose one favorite fantasy novel. But I can choose five.

Jas16 Love this! 7y
TricksyTails Ooh I love The Crystal Cave!! 7y
GrilledCheeseSamurai Great picks! 😍 7y
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tomes4gnomes I FORGOT TO INCLUDE THE HOBBIT! 😣😫😩 Look away, I‘m hideous. @GrilledCheeseSamurai 7y
GrilledCheeseSamurai @tomes4gnomes Hahaha. That made me lol for realz. 👏😂👍 7y
tomes4gnomes @GrilledCheeseSamurai There, I fixed it. ✨😬 7y
tonyahoswalt The Crystal Cave is one of my all time favorites. 7y
tomes4gnomes @tonyahoswalt @TricksyTails Oh yes, isn‘t it fantastic? I first read it almost 30 years ago and fell in love with Mary Stewart and all things Arthurian. A few years ago I reread her whole Merlin series and I was just as smitten as my teenage self. I‘m always trying to get other fantasy fans to give them a try. 7y
75 likes8 comments
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Andrea4
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So on our 5hr walk through the neighbourhood for a local craft fair I hit up a free little library and scored! I thought since this was recommended to me by @mcipher not too long ago, I grabbed them and give them a try!

llwheeler Nice! 7y
mcipher Oooh! I hope you love them!! 7y
Andrea4 @llwheeler I thought you might appreciate this haul too! @mcipher Magic, Merlin, Arthur!! I'm beginning to wonder how I couldn't. Although, this would be the 2nd (maybe?) big trilogy I've ever read so hopefully it can keep my attention! 7y
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mcipher Honestly I never finished the trilogy. 😂 I‘m recommending it based on the first two. And I plan to re-read/read them all someday. 7y
llwheeler @Andrea4 It's been on my radar to check out someday 7y
Andrea4 @mcipher @llwheeler Well, we'll see when I get to them! 7y
11 likes6 comments
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LauraBrook
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And this, the final one from my haul yesterday. So excited to find those Dunnetts! And yes, I did buy two copies of Far Pavilions - one 2-volume, and this single edition - a friend and I are thinking of doing a slow group read, and at $2 a crack, it‘s hard to pass up. #booksale #hpb

silentrequiem I never did finish The Far Pavilions. Hmm. Maybe I'll dig out my copy again. 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I think Far Pavilions was my first adult chunkster book. It holds a special place in my heart! 👏🏻👏🏻📚📚 7y
Jabberwocky I actually just finished the Far Pavillions. Loved it, it's so worth the long slog. In hindsight though I probably would skip the last 100/200 pages if I read it again. 😅 7y
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LeahBergen I liked The Far Pavilions. And yay for Dunnett! 7y
[DELETED] 3803335244 Nice Haul!!! 7y
Readerann Aaaarrrghhh. I made myself stay away from the library sale last week and your posts are killing me! 😩 7y
LauraBrook @silentrequiem if you do dig it out, I‘m excited to see what you think! 7y
LauraBrook @BarbaraTheBibliophage Aww, that‘s sweet! I have high hopes. 7y
LauraBrook @Jaberwocky I thought someone finished reading it recently! Thanks for the tip about the end, I won‘t feel guilty for skimming. 7y
LauraBrook @LeahBergen Another vote for Pavilions, I love it! And I‘ve been low-key looking for Dunnetts for years, was happy to find a few and in good shape! 7y
LauraBrook @Readerann Now you have an excuse to go next time - what if you find some money in one of those books?! 7y
85 likes12 comments
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haileybean
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I haven‘t posted in awhile so here‘s a fun fact about me. I love Arthurian legends. I have heard about this series but have not read them. I found the box set at a used book store and had to scoop them up. 🤴🏻⚔️

Wife I read this series when I was about 12 years old. I felt so grown up. 7y
TrishB I read a looooong time ago too @Wife 7y
haileybean I haven‘t read them, but like every other unread book on my shelf I hope to get to them soon 😂 @Wife @TrishB 7y
16 likes3 comments
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Liatrek
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#friyayintro 1. Fort Worth Stock Yards
2. Sweaters and Boots
3. Apple Cider
4. Print
5. What's a book you had to read in school that became a favorite? Mines would be Mary Stewart the Crystal Cave. I always loved the Arthurian legend and this is my favorite tale of Merlin childhood.

AprilMae Probably Little House on the Praire. We read a chapter for a project and I knew I needed them all. 7y
LittleWonder Watership Down always has a place in my heart. ☺️ 7y
Lcsmcat Anything by Thomas Hardy, particularly 7y
See All 7 Comments
howjessicareads Another great question!! For me basically anything by Willa Cather or Edith Wharton. 7y
monkeygirlsmama I only recall having a couple of assigned books myself when in school, and none made my faves list. 7y
CindyMyLifeIsLit I read The Egg and I for a nonfiction book report and became an ardent Betty MacDonald fan! 7y
27 likes7 comments
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LeahBergen
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Merlin, the greatest magician of all time, was a #Slytherin.
#Characters2017

LibrarianRyan 🤓👍 7y
82 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Karionie
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Mehso-so

I really wanted to like this book, as I adored Merlin stories as a child, but I struggled even to finish it. It was terribly dry in places that it read more like a history textbook than a fantasy tale. Pass.

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Seshat
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Texreader Good ones!! 8y
37 likes1 stack add1 comment
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TheMorrigan
Pickpick

This is the best Arthurian saga series I have read (including The Mists of Avalon!). I first encountered it in the very early 1980's, as an ex-library second hand copy-which I treasure. If you love magic and myth and have any feeling for Arthur, trust me, you will love 'The Crystal Cave', and it's sequels, 'The Hollow Hills', 'The Last Enchantment' and 'The Wicked Day'

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DGRachel
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#readinschool Senior year of high school required reading. I loved this book so much. (Photo from Google because I no longer have my copy) #photoadaynov16

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Seshat
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#reccomendsday I decided to make it #wizardwednesday and go with this classic. It is a childhood favorite of mine and more historical fiction (in a very good way) than fantasy. It tells the story of Merlin's childhood.

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Seshat
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13 likes1 stack add