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Just over halfway through ... I'd forgotten how annoying "Selene" was.

I just started reading ebooks in the last month and I have to say I like them a lot, but they'll never completely replace paper for me. I, too, like to read in the bath and yeah, electronics don't work so well for that. But I really like the feature that the Kindle has (don't know of other e-readers do, though I'd assume so) where you can highlight stuff and then view everything you've highlighted in one place online. I've found that quite useful.

Isn't anthracite a kind of coal?

Ah, you're right, it is.

I like Shai as Black Widow better than Vin, myself. She's better at reading and manipulating people (and also spoilery reasons).

Speaking of spoilers though, the original post has a bit of a Towers of Midnight spoiler you might want to warn for.

I picked "other." I'd choose Forging!

In addition to Egewene going bonkers against the Seanchan, there was another group Of Aes Sedai on the lower levels that were attempting to fight back, as well as directing the Tower Guard. As for them fighting back, first of all, the Aes Sedai weren't all that successful in fighting back. Regardless, they can use the power to defend themselves

"To save her own life, or her Warder's, or the life of another sister"

I think that they could easily say that they were doing one of those two things. Also, they may have believed that there were Shadowspawn fighting them when they say the Raken.

Okay yeah, I suppose it's pretty reasonable for them to think their lives were in danger. And now I think of it, the Seanchan probably were actually trying to kill any Warders.

Ralkalest is the only one of those materials whose special property seems inherently magical, though. I've forgotten much of what I learned in chemistry, but a rock that burns, that's not too impossible, right? And using heat to harden something, that's fairly mundane too. But "can't be forged" is a property that is specifically connected to the magic system. That doesn't necessarily mean that it's Splinters, but it does suggest to me that it's magical in nature whereas the others aren't necessarily.

I really enjoyed it. I'm not quite sure if I'd go as far as to say new favorite magic system, because some of the others are really awesome to read about, but Forgery is definitely the magic system of Brandon's I'd pick to use myself.

Aside from the story itself, which I thought was very nicely plotted, I also really liked the discussion on art and craftsmanship that was worked in there--the idea that good craftsmanship in itself is a sort of artistic merit. I just personally really appreciated that.

I'm annoyed that it was short only in that I'd like to read more of this part of the world, these characters. The plotting itself was about perfect, it didn't feel like it was cut short at all, nor did it seem any longer than it needed to be.

The forging-of-people aspect has given me a renewed interest in finishing Dollhouse ...

That sounds quite good, McCullough.

Here's a nice autumn treat--Baked Sweet Acorn Squash

Take an acorn squash and cut it in half and scrape out the seeds, so you have two "bowls" made of the squash. Stab into the flesh of the squash with a knife or fork several times, making sure not to puncture the outer skin.

(Optional) take about 1/2 tsp of masala chai spices or pumpkin pie spices and rub into the inside of the squash.

Put a couple tablespoons of brown sugar into each squash-bowl and about a tablespoon of butter. Depending on what (if any) spices you used, you could also add a bit of maple syrup.

Put the squash-bowls into a baking dish and put about half an inch of water in the bottom.

Bake at 400F for an hour.

When they're done, the squash-bowls will be soft and there will be a pool of sugary liquid in them. Use a spoon to sort of mix it all together, and enjoy!

(note: I read something online suggesting to cover with aluminum foil (leaving a couple of vents) for the first half hour of cooking, but I haven't tried that myself yet.)

I'm not at this book in my reread yet, but I had a question about it. Was Egwene the only one who was fighting back during the Seanchan attack on the Tower? It seems like fighting back with the Power would go against the Third Oath, since the Seanchan were trying to capture, not kill, Aes Sedai. Though I suppose many of the other Aes Sedai wouldn't know what the Seanchan were trying to do.

I would like to announce that google image search still has some issues. I did a search for a'dam (a thing from WoT; I just was curious how others pictured it) and google gave me pictures of ... a dam.

I think, at first glance, 17thShard can seem a bit like everyone here a) knows what they're talking about and only talks about serious stuff all the time. Totally not the case, but I feel like that's the surface impression, and is maybe a bit intimidating? But I don't think we should change anything.

As far as a blog/tumblr presence for 17S, maybe post/link the main page news posts, featured theories column, etc. on a blog (as opposed to just publishing them here) so people can get introduced to the site that way?

er ... sunglass guy was meant to be a "b"

Hey, Tamzin! Don't feel alone, I'm a woman too. I think it's often assumed online that everyone's a guy unless otherwise specified, but that's really not the case anymore (I'm not sure how true it ever was).

Elsewhere, I was reading a discussion that proposed that different types of fan activity are seen as gendered--discussing character motiviations, writing fanfic, and yes, swooning over characters is seen as "fangirling" while keeping track of trivia, analyzing the worldbuilding, etc, are seen as more "fanboy" activities. I don't know that I agree with all the specifics there but I guess there does seem to be a stereotype of what female fans do vs what male fans do (which for the most part is completely wrong). I think this site as a whole is more geared towards the sort of discussion that falls into the male stereotype, so maybe that gave the impression that there were mostly guys here, but really that isn't the case!

I posted my initial thoughts here (not quite organized enough to be called a review), if anyone cares to read them.

(I'll avoid discussing the book in too much detail here until the actual release date)

Posted this on tumblr too, but--I really don't have a preference, other than something that isn't just in reference to Mistborn.

I just bought a copy at the Memphis B&N; there were two more copies on the shelf. I have read just a couple chapters and I'm really enjoying it so far.

I'm really enjoying my reread so far. I like reading about the characters when they're still so young and clueless and frightened--that's something I think Jordan did really well, his main characters aren't all-powerful simply because they're main characters (as seems to happen in some fantasy novels), they start out pretty normal.

...I think clothing is described in every chapter. Of every book...

Actually, I've come across a few chapters where it really isn't! I was surprised ;-)

(though, I'm only keeping track of actual descriptions, not every single time cloaks are mentioned)

There is a pretty in-depth article on clothing in WoT already, at the 13th Depository blog, and I'm not trying to reproduce or replace that, but rather to create a resource of all the actual descriptions from the text. So I probably won't include any drawings, as that would be my personal interpretation.

I can't confine myself within the parameters of the challenge because I've only read R.J.'s New Spring and will be re-reading it in a matter of days. I've challenged myself to read the entire R.J. WoT series this coming year and the sooner I start, the better. I feel completely awkward in that I'm one alone amongst few I know who haven't read R.J.! This totally sucks because I want to establish myself as someone who knows what she's talking about! I can't do that until I read the books.

Although I've read them all now, I came late to the WoT as well. Don't feel bad--you still get to experience the books for the first time!

I'm just starting my re-read, and I'd like to officially join too. One thing I'm doing in my reread--which I'm sure will mean I don't finish in time, but oh well--is as I'm going through the books, I'm keeping track of all the passages where clothing is described, to put together as a resource for costumers. I've heard a number of people express interest in something like that, but as far as I know, nothing quite like it exists yet.

Badali Jewelry is running a costume contest for costumes inspired by the works of Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Pat Rothfuss, and JRR Tolkien. I know I'm not the only cosplayer here, so if you've got a costume, head over to Badali Jewelry to enter! They're giving away some of their licensed jewelry as prizes :-)

Hi Brandon, I hope you don't mind me posting here again to ask a question on behalf of my sister, who's just started reading your books (she has read the first and second Mistborn novels). She asks "Why did you choose to make the protagonist of Mistborn a very broken young woman--arguably a characterization quite difficult to pull off without first-hand experience of abuse or womanhood?" I feel like you've talked about writing female characters in interviews before, but I had trouble finding anything I could link her to, so I figured I'd just post her whole question here.

Thank you again!

Hi Brandon, thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. Here are mine.

1. Is Honor the only one who created people on Roshar?

2. Since we generally don’t see inhabitants of your worlds refer to their planets by name, where do the names come from?

3. You said that a person can have more than one Shardblade--can they be dual-wielded?

4. You’ve already given some information about the origins of the custom of a safe hand (feminine arts being those that can be done one-handed) but why the word “safe?”

5. Shinovar seems more earthlike than the rest of Roshar; does this occur naturally or was it somehow changed to be that way?

6. Will we see illustrations of Shardplate and/or blades in the next Stormlight Archive book?

For the Parshendi question, should it be Jung rather than Yun? Carl Jung is the psychologist associated with the term "collective unconscious."

Wow. That is seriously one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I'm such a Loki fangirl, it's not even funny, and it's so strange to have my fandoms colliding! That is one seriously amazing costume, though. Props to you!

Thank you!

I've got to figure that even the best made mistcloaks will fray a bit after a year or two of leaping around the city at night. And you can't exactly pick one up on your weekly shopping trip if you're trying to keep your abilities a secret.

I'm sure that the really wealthy nobles could afford to keep their mistcloaks well groomed, but there were probably lesser nobles who had reasonably frayed ones.

Probably true, I just mean I've seen some fanart where they look like they're in tatters, which isn't how I personally envision them.

I like to think that in-universe, mistcloaks are made of a very narrow-woven fabric, rather than out of wider fabric cut into strips, so that finishing the edges/fraying is just less of an issue, but that's just my personal headcanon (and it may even be contradicted by the text, I don't remember for sure).