Thursday, June 30, 2011

The Devil Wears Prada



 
Book Menu for The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

ISBN of the edition I read: 0767914767 (trade paperback)

This fun novel was turned into a film starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.

Food mentioned in The Devil Wears Prada :
Cheez-its, 15
Coffee, 25, 27, 36, 52, 76, 98, 180
Tea, 29
   English Breakfast Tea, 30
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, 30
Turkey and Honey mustard sandwich wraps, 47
Green tea ice cream, 57
Spicy tuna rolls, 57
Seaweed salads, 57
Chocolate brownies, 58
Onion Soup, 60
Caesar Salad, 60
Smoothie, 62, 176
Turkey and brie croissant, 62
Lamb, 63
Veal marsala, 63
Sundried tomato and goat cheese pizza, 63
Panini, 63
New England Clam Chowder, 64
Burgers and fries, 70
Bagels, 73, 74, 169, 180
Whitefish and latkes, 73
Beer, 83
Doritos, 83
Snackwells, 83
Diet Coke, 83, 158, 161, 245
Sushi, 84
Hot chocolate, 87
Eggnog, 87
Waffles, 90
Bloody mary, 90
Cheese danish, 98, 135, 201
Pellegrino,100,  104, 113, 155, 309, 324, 339
Budweiser, 116
Indian food, 146
Ribeye and asparagus, 180
Chocolate scone, 155
Raisins, 158
Absolut and grapefruit juice, 161
Bacon cheeseburgers, 171
Sundae, 184
Latte, 201
Cheese-filled pastry, 201
Cream of broccoli with cheddar soup, 294
Strawberries, 309
Twix Bar, 309
Omlette, 316
Croissants, 316
Danishes, 316
Muffins, 316
Crepes, 316
Chocolate eclair, 320

Books and Authors mentioned in The Devil Wears Prada :
Walden / Henry David Thoreau,  1
Lolita / Vladimir Nabokov,  58
Leo Tolstoy, 58
Nicolai Gogol, 58
Anton Chekhov, 58
Harry Potter / J.K. Rowling, 79, 83-5

Magazines mentioned in The Devil Wears Prada :
Women's Wear Daily, 7
Chic, 10
New Yorker, 11, 28, 59, 77
Runway,  39
Vanity Fair, 141, 257
Seventeen, 353

Music mentioned in The Devil Wears Prada :
Almost Famous soundtrack, 29
"Don't Worry be Happy", 82
Grateful Dead, 83
"Material World" / Cindy Lauper, 102
"I'm too sexy", 103
Spice Girls, 128
"Every Rose has its Thorn", 163-4
Jeff Buckley, 282
Phish, 333

Movies mentioned in The Devil Wears Prada :
Sliver, 60
When Harry Met Sally, 87
Casablanca, 87
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 86
The American President, 92
Dirty Dancing, 194


Fashion designers mentioned in The Devil Wears Prada :
Gucci
Prada
Armani
Louis Vuitton
Hermes
(all are mentioned throughout the book)

Miscellaneous in The Devil Wears Prada  :
Scrabble, 73, 77, 182, 320

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Monday, June 27, 2011

The Lives of Christopher Chant

 
Book Menu for The Lives of Christopher Chant by Diana Wynne Jones


ISBN of edition I read: 0688163653 (trade paperback)

Food mentioned in The Lives of Christopher Chant :
Box of chocolates, 27
[Eggrolls], 147 ("spicy pancake-thing wrapped round hot heat and vegetables")
Sandwiches, 162
Toast and marmalade, 178
Tea, 206
Cakes, 206
Rice pudding, 229

Books mentioned in The Lives of Christopher Chant :
The Arabian Nights, 57

Sports mentioned in The Lives of Christopher Chant :
Cricket, 73

Great vocabulary in The Lives of Christopher Chant :
foreshortened, 1
vexatious, 11
tuffet, 16
scree, 29
contralto, 38
wallowed, 49
unexpurgated, 57
dray, 96
bumptious, 188

Discussion Questions for The Lives of Christopher Chant :
Do you think there is a place on earth like Series Ten?




Saturday, June 25, 2011

Summer Reading

 
Book Menu for Summer Reading by Hilma Wolitzer

ISBN of edition I read:  9780345485861 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in Summer Reading :
Lamb chops, 6
Mango mint iced tea, 10
Tea, 20, 35, 42, 144
Moroccan chicken stew, 38
Lamb curry, 38
Pad Thai, 38
Coconut Cream cake, 47
Mini pizzas, 51
Bite-sized burgers, 51
Fiona cake, 55
Chicken marbella, 70
Popcorn, 71
Coke, 71
Buttered bagels, 71
Mint juleps, 76
Poached salmon and truffled grits, 77
Pecan tartlets, 81
Cheese and fruit, 87
Grilled steaks and home fries, 96
Carrot cake, 96
Mineral water, 103
Fried olives, 103
Clam pie, 108
Cucumber wedges filled with salmon mousse, 119
Ice Tea, 137, 164
Gazpacho, 137
Lobster salad, 137
Fruit salad, 143
Banana bread, 144
Ice cream cones, 189
Empanadas with guacamole, 193
Margaritas, 193 

Books/Authors mentioned in Summer Reading :
Madame Bovary / Gustave Flaubert, front quote, 100, 131, 158, 174
Frankenstein / Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley , 6
Anthony Trollope, 9, 27, 38, 56
   Can You Forgive Her?, 6, 9, 74, 183
Jane Eyre / Charlotte Bronte, 12
Moll Flanders / Daniel Defoe, 13
The Little Engine that Could / Watty Piper, 15
Charles Dickens, 16
Henry James, 28
Philip Larkin (poet), 38
Anna Karenina / Leo Tolstoy, 40
Villette / Charlotte Brone, 56, 64
Frida, a Biography of Frida Kahlo / Hayden Herrera, 60
The Red and the Black / Stendhal, 109
Silas Marner / George Eliot,  109
Middlemarch  George Eliot 109
Grimm's fairy tales, 109, 203
Mrs. Bridge / Evan S. Connell, 137, 166, 194
Love in the Time of Cholera / Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 193
Virgina Woolf, 201
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone / J.K. Rowling, 201
The Joy of Cooking  / Irma S. Rombauer Becker, 201
Charlotte's Web / E.B. White, 225 

Magazines mentioned in Summer Reading :
Vanity Fair, 9
Hamptons, 9
Vogue, 129
W, 129
Architectural Digest, 129

Music mentioned in Summer Reading :
Bach's toccatas and fugues, 15
The Beatles, 21-22
   White Album, 70
Chet Baker, 38
Charlie Parker, 38
"The Heat is On", 45
"Make Me Say it Again, Girl", 45
"Windmills of My Mind", 32



Television mentioned in Summer Reading :
Sex and the City, 74
Bewitched, 117

Libraries mentioned in Summer Reading :
page 13: "Stephen taught painting and drawing at Macon, and Valerie was a reference librarian there. She was the beauty in the family, with her wild auburn hair, those unfashionable hips, and that wonderful pale skin--the complete opposite of anyone's idea of a librarian.

Page 13: Angela got to know Valerie first, in the stacks at the library, where they'd conspired to track down a line of verse a student had likely plagiarized...

page 37: [Angela] liked the generous and well-read volunteers at the little library, and the people at the farm stands, where she honored the protocol of not husking the corn or squeezing the tomatoes before purchase.

page 37: Once in a while she had lunch or walked to the beach at Maidstone Park in the early morning with one of the librarians.

page 44: Maybe she could look her up somewhere, online at Hank's or at the library, and even get to see her photograph, but the name was lost as she kneaded the meat and added the salt and garlic powder and ketchup and bread crumbs.

page 59: Anglea was in the East Hampton library, waiting for the reference librarian to get off the telephone and help her to research something on the computer.

page 108: The library had purged itself of books that had not been borrowed from their shelves since the previous Fisherman's Fair, and they were up for sale, bargains all, arranged loosely by category on tables around the lawn...

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Sabriel




Book Menu for Sabriel by Garth Nix

ISBN of edition I read: 0060575816 (trade paperback)

This is the first novel in the Abhorsen trilogy.  It is very dark and creepy but beautifully written. Also check out the Book Menu for the Sabriel sequel, Lirael.

Food mentioned in Sabriel:
Tea, 13, 33, 268
Toffee, 52
Dried fruit, 52
Pomegranates, 82
Wine, 83, 171
Hot chocolate, 98
Dried beef, 103, 127, 152-3
Biscuits, 103
Oatmeal, 148

Music mentioned in Sabriel:
Handbells, 4
Wind flutes (panpipes), 34

Great vocabulary in Sabriel :
fetid, 4
surreptitious, 1, 225
   surreptitiously, 174
Phosphorescent, 13
precariously, 13, 22, 145
crenellated, 22
redolent, 38
impervious, 65, 69
recalcitrant, 80
pallid, 92
quiescent, 92, 135
languid, 121
pinioned, 122
sinuous, 123
inimical, 123
propensity, 132
somnolence, 132
pavane, 139
ablutions, 144
miscreant, 149
reticence, 153
emanation, 173
incongruous, 203, 274
incipient, 220
ubiquitous, 224
cacophony, 273
irascible, 292
voracity, 301

Discussion questions for Sabriel:
Of everything that Sabriel learned at the school and from her father, what do you think was most important?

What is your opinion of how Sabriel handles her new responsibilities?

Which kind of necromancer would you rather be, one that raises the dead or one that binds them?

Did you find any examples of humor in this story?

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Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Halfway to the Sky

 
Book Menu for Halfway to the Sky by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

ISBN for edition I read: 0440418305 (paperback)

Food mentioned in Halfway to the Sky :
Raisins, 3
Hot chocolate, 7
Instant oatmeal, 7, 25
Tea, 7, 53
Chocolate bars, 7
   Snickers bars,  40
Apples, 7, 43
   Apple and peanut butter, 81
Sausages, pancakes, eggs, 14
Gorp (good old raisins and peanuts), 16
Chips, 43
Milk, 43, 74
Vanilla pudding, 53
 Pizza, 61, 87
Banana pancakes with nuts and whipped cream, 74
Orange juice, 74
Pop tart, 83
S'mores, 96
Granola, 104
Bread and cheese, 108
Strawberries, 108
Bacon sandwich, 117

Discussion questions for Halfway to the Sky :
Have you ever been on the Appalachian Trial? Describe the experience?
What would you miss most on a hike like this?  What would you like most?
What do you think would happen if you tried to run away in this way?
What are Dani's feeling towards Beagle?
What do you think happens to Beagle?
How does Dani's attitude change towards the Appalachian Trail, through hikers, her father and mother?
Do you think the character of Dani's mother is brought into the story too soon?



Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Snow in August

 
Book Menu for Snow in August by Pete Hamill

ISBN of edition I read: 0446675253 (trade paperback)


A library I formerly worked at selected Snow in August for its city-wide reading program.  I had never read this title nor others by Peter Hamill.  I am very glad I did.  It's a rich and thought provoking story that is perfect for group/classroom discussionsAlso, there are many programming opportunities with this book including baseball, Jewish mysticism, and World War II.

Food mentioned in Snow in August :
Tea, 8, 39, 64, 88, 133, 139                                   
Bacon and eggs, 8, 26
Clark Bars,31
Peanuts, 31, 265
Good & Plenty candy, 31, 211
Spaghetti, 36
Social Tea cookies, 39
Hot chocolate, 51, 54
Sugar buns, 84
Hamburgers, 84
Matzoh, 118, 193
Latkes, 187
Hershey bar, 195
Boxed chocolates, 201
Coffee, 206
Ice cream, 239
Pound cake, 249, 309
Cracker Jacks, 265
Cheese sandwiches, 275
Hot dogs, 277
Cotton candy, 278
Chicklets gum, 295
Iced tea, 309, 325
Grilled cheese sandwich, 325
French toast, 327
Apple Juice, 329
Potato salad, 339

Books/Authors mentioned in Snow in August :
Captain Marvel (comic books), 1, 2, 26
Jack London, 5, 9, 10
Robert Louis Stevenson,165
   Treasure Island, 9
Oliver Twist / Charles Dickens, 17, 23
Whiz Comics, 26
Crime does not Pay (comic books), 27, 347
The Spirit (comic books), 32
Batman (comic books), 32
Jungle (comic books), 32
The Three Musketeers / Alexandre Dumas, 58
Tiny Tim (comic books), 80
Superman (comic books), 118
Archie (comic books), 201
Honore de Balzac, 66, 83
Heinrich Heine, 66
Leo Tolstoy, 66
The Wizard of Oz / L. Frank Baum, 86
A.J. Cronin, 98
Franz Kafka, 101
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Arthur Conan Doyle, 165
The Count of Monte Cristo / Alexandre Dumas, 244, 331
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates / Howard Pyle, 292
The Adventures of Mark Twain / Mark Twain, 292
Captain Blood / Rafael Sabatini, 292
Rudyard Kipling, 334

Music mentioned in Snow in August :
Tommy Dorsey, 3
Sidney Bechet, 3
"Auld Lang Syne", 58
Benny Goodman, 90, 162
Glenn Miller, 90
Bing Crosby, 90, 160-1, 252
Buddy Clark, 90
Frank Sinatra, 90
Mozart
   Don Giovanni, 93, 98
Phantom of the Opera, 94
Antonin Dvorak, 96, 209, 268
Gustav Mahler, 96, 209
Bedrich Smetana, 96, 209
Count Basie, 154, 161-2
Duke Ellington, 154
Louis Armstrong, 154, 270
Roy Eldridge, 154
Gene Krupa, 154
Al Jolson
   "April Showers", 158
Les Brown, 158
Nat King Cole, 161
Perry Como, 161
Doris Day, 161
Ziggy Elman, 162
Ella Fitzgerald, 165
"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", 221, 341
"Cool water" (song), 221
"How are things in Glocca Morra?" (song), 221
Bix Beiderbecke, 256
Paul Whiteman, 256
"Sleepy Lagoon" / Harry James, 305
"Anniversary Song", 327

Movies mentioned in Snow in August :
The Four Feathers, 12
Gunga Din, 12
The Cask of Amontillado, 16
Oliver Twist, 17
Lost Horizon, 40
Tarzan, 80
Bride of Frankenstein, 85
Frankenstein, 85, 121
The Wizard of Oz, 86
They Died with their Boots On, 86
The Gang's all Here, 87
The Invisible Man, 123
The Adventures of Smilin' Jack, 152
13 Rue Madeleine, 211, 258
Casablanca, 257
Double Indemnity, 291
To Each his Own, 291
The Spiral Staircase, 291
Boomerang!, 296

Sports mentioned in Snow in August :
Baseball is a central subject in this novel, specifically Jackie Robinson the Brooklyn Dodgers of the 1940s.

What to read after Snow in August ?
The Golem's Mighty Swing (graphic novel) / James Sturm 

Libraries mentioned in Snow in August :
Page 5: This was like the great Arctic blizzards in the stories of Jack London that he read in the library on Garibaldi Street.

Page 191: Back in the parish, Michael hurried to see Rabbi Hirsch to brag about his Orchard Street adventure. It was like a story out of a library book: he said the magic words and--Open, Seama!--something amazing happened.

Page 268: He wanted to know everything about [Mahler and Smetana], but with the cast on his leg he still could not risk a trip to the library on Garibaldi Street, where there was a much larger encyclopedia.





Monday, June 13, 2011

The Breadwinner


Book Menu for The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

ISBN of edition I read: 0888994168

Food mentioned in The Breadwinner :
Tea, 10
Nan, 26
Dried apricots, 96
Dried fruits and nuts, 129
Peaches, 131
Plums, 131
Kebabs, 142

Famous people mentioned in The Breadwinner :
Alexander the Great, 11

Discussion Questions for The Breadwinner :
Describe Parvanna's relationship with Nooria?  Does it change?

Friday, June 10, 2011

The Gospel According to Larry

 
Book Menu for The Gospel According to Larry by Janet Tashjian

ISBN of the edition I read: 0440237920 (paperback)

I had the pleasure of meeting Janet Tashjian and working with her.  She visited a library I worked at and kept 75 teens completely engrossed while discussing and answering questions about this book and its sequel Vote for Larry.

Food mentioned in The Gospel According to Larry :
Ice cream, ix
Pizza, 10
Doritos, 12
Coke, 12
Cappuccinos, 25
Lasagna, 27, 32
Garlic bread, 32
Seltzer, 60
M&M's, 94
Enchiladas, 121
Salads, 121, 201
Poland Spring, 121
Ho Hos, 160
Mountain Dew, 167
Potato chips, 169
Ice-cream sandwiches, 201
Lemonade, 207
Fortune cookies, 207
Chinese takeout, 209

Books mentioned in The Gospel According to Larry :
Henry David Thoreau,47, 57, 67, 111
   Walden, viii, 216, 221
   Civil Disobedience, 7, 102
Biblical passages, 5, 39, 109, 143, 179, 197
1984 / George Orwell, 13
Harry Potter / J.K. Rowling, 18
Ralph Waldo Emerson , 67
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer / Mark Twain, 177

Magazine mentioned in The Gospel According to Larry :
MAD Magazine , 207

Music mentioned in The Gospel According to Larry :
Kurt Cobain, 12
Bach , 59
U2, 89, 111, 148
   The Joshua Tree, 91
   "Bad" (song), 122

Movies mentioned in The Gospel According to Larry :
Groundhog Day, 9
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, 72
The Exorcist, 207

Television mentioned in The Gospel According to Larry :
Monty Python , 10, 43
Survivor , 15
The Three Stooges, 43

Great vocabulary in The Gospel According to Larry :
unrequited, 19
unbridled, 11
cretin, 22
paltry, 23
zany, 32
juggernaut, 41
primordial, 56
apples with peanut butter, 61
innocuous, 70, 116
reverberating, 100
jettison, 123
discombobulated, 141
trajectory, 175
nebulous, 214

Libraries mentioned in The Gospel According to Larry :
Page 18: "Josh, get out there and get some fresh air, or so help me God, I'm bringing those math books back to the library!"  She'd boot me out the door kicking and screaming.

Pages: 44-45: If I got a new CD, I either traded for it or had to sell an old one. Same with books and videos (thank God for libraries).

Page 215: I spent several days in the library researching local writers, disc jockeys, anyone who might listen to my version of these events.

Miscellaneous in The Gospel According to Larry :
Bloomingdale's, 22, 26, 33, 79
Magic 8 Ball, 35
Ganesh statue, 60
Tarot cards, 75
Kurt Loder (journalist), 91
Woodstock, 112
Mean People Suck T-shirt, 226

Activities for The Gospel According to Larry :
  • Make a bouillabaisse mobile like the one described on page 103.
  • Have your own LarryFest!
  • Assemble and offer as a raffle or door prize the following: a Bloomingsdale's bag full of Larry's favorite things (small Ganesh statue, Magic 8 Ball, tarot cards, U2 CDs, copies of Walden, Civil Disobedience, and some of the nonperishable food items listed above).

Discussion questions for The Gospel According to Larry :
What would you change about Larry's website?  Have you ever launched your own website or blog?  Was it successful?

Which of Larry's "sermons" is your favorite?

Josh's vision is to contribute. How does he succeed or fail in his vision?

Why does Josh only have one friend?

Which music groups would you invite to a festival like LarryFest?

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Lirael



 
Book Menu for Lirael Garth Nix

ISBN of edition I read: 0060005424 (paperback)

This is the sequel to Sabriel

Food mentioned in Lirael:
Pears, 24
Chamomile tea, 271
Tea, 281
Cake, 281
Wine, 349
   Spiced wine, 349
   Mulled wine, 375
Ginger cakes, 403, 457
Apples, 477, 566
Blackberries, 504
Oatmeal, 566
Cinnamon cake, 566, 597
Grilled fish, dried tomatoes, biscuits, 581
Peaches, 668

Music mentioned in Lirael:
Bells, 8, 14, 52, 218, 222-3, 226, 370, 460
Panpipes, 319, 323, 423, 449, 534

Games mentioned in Lirael:
Cricket, 191-192, 194, 207, 274
Tennis, 269

Great vocabulary in Lirael:
sentient, 46
redolent, 51, 154, 226
incipient, 86, 540
surreptitiously, 95, 138, 502
inimical, 133, 479
riposted, 174
incendiary, 180
peremptory, 187
irascible, 195
desiccated, 211, 513
ensorceled, 226
muzzily, 231
gregarious, 262
innocuous, 267
portentously, 290
demonstrably, 338
fortuitous, 382
anomalies, 383
conciliatory, 387
enigmatically, 405
incandescent, 413
constabulary, 455
implacable, 553
ablutions, 596
askance, 597
incorrigible, 600
laboriously, 652
eddied, 657

Libraries mentioned in Lirael:
pages 73-77, 128, 185
All of chapter six

Questions for Lirael:
Why do you think Lirael hates talking to people?  Wouldn't it make her feel better?
Are there any stereotypes in this story?
What keeps Lirael and Sam going in their trials and challenges?
Do you think Garth Nix has an opinion on technology and progress?  If so, what is it?
How do you think the author perceives librarians?

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Thursday, June 2, 2011

Queen's Own Fool: A Novel of Mary Queen of Scots


Book Menu for Queen's Own Fool: A Novel of Mary Queen of Scots
by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris

ISBN of the edition I read: 0698119185 (trade paperback)

It's been a number of years since I read this novel but I remember loving every last word. I think I even wrote Jane Yolen a letter about it! This is rich and engaging historical fiction.

Food mentioned in Queen's Own Fool:
Apples, 27
Baguettes and cheese, 96, 241
Tea, 147
Comfits, 170
Caramelled or candied fruit, 200
Soupe de la Reine, 219
Veal Floury, 219
Mutton pies, 219
Raisins, 219
Dates, 219
Almonds, 219
Oatcakes, 286
Pastries, 290
Lorraine Soup, 314

Books/authors mentioned in Queen's Own Fool:
Mary Queen of France (poem),1
Mary Queen of Scots, (poem), 135, 251
L'Orlando Furioso, 33
Italian poems, 117
Pierre de Ronsard (poet), 164, 207

Great vocabulary in Queen's Own Fool:
dappled, 5
ague, 5
glowered, 13
adages, 17
florid, 20
ponderously, 24, 242-243
deftly, 27
puckish, 30
abject, 37
insolence, 38
parsimony, 44
harrumphed, 48
debaucheries, 52
petulantly, 66
   petulance, 208
emblazonment, 66
prattling, 75
pernicious, 83, 100, 105
chided, 91
discomfiture, 92
braying, 98
uproariously, 107, 201
mottled, 116
companionably, 139
perdition, 155
preen, 190
adamant, 198
recompense, 217
misbegotten, 221
abate, 234
dullards, 235
witheringly, 237
swarthy, 265
ostentatious, 268
pelted, 282
idolatrous, 284
awhirl, 302
complicity, 307
assailed, 306
mullioned, 309
sundered, 312
miasma, 315
postulant, 317
pallor, 328
abdicated, 330
chirrupy, 334
slatterns, 347
deferential, 353
peremptorily, 371

Miscellaneous in Queen's Own Fool:
Chess (game), 87-88, 106, 122, 131, 148, 176-177, 229, 337


Book's title mentioned on pages:
44:  "As for your duties--well, there are always fools at court. You will be above them all, of course, as you are to be the queen's own fool.

283: I looked up into the frowning features of John Knox.
       "I remember now," he said. "Yer the queen's own fool."

55, I could only guess that, as the queen's own fool, I was neither one of them nor one of their masters.

Libraries mentioned in Queen's Own Fool:
Page 78: Once I was skilled with my letters, I was determined to find at least one book in the queen's library filled with those sort of tales. And once I knew how to write, I would send word to Pierre about all that had happened since we took leave of one another...

My favorite passage from: Queen's Own Fool:
Page 80: I thought to myself: Once I know how to read, you shall not keep me from reading what I will. No one shall.

Discussion Questions for Queen's Own Fool:
What do you feel were Nicola's and the Queen's toughest decisions?
What, if any, are Nicola's faults?  What is her most important asset?
What lessons does Nicol learn?
What questions were left answered for you after finishing Queen's Own Fool?