Thank you for your message re-Combining. It was a great help.I used to be able to do it, then, somehow, forgot and couldn't remember how I found out in the first place. Put it down to increasing old age. Thanks,again. F/H

postet av Foxhunter kl. 5:53 am (EST) den Sep 3, 2008

That's great! Thanks for letting me know, I'm very pleased.

postet av etcetera kl. 11:19 am (EST) den Aug 31, 2008

Thanks.
Really it's OK - it's just a few strained muscles. Not even a scrape on the hand I used to catch the fall, despite the gravel.
Going to ride with more caution for a while, but I know myself - it will subside ;-)

Buying a new bike is worse, but the timing is good - bikes are never cheaper than with the coming of winter, when the shops wants to replace the bikes with snowgear and stuff... so I hope to get a good deal. Should had bought one last autumn but decided I still wanted the old one. But facing a total refit of this one? Better buy a new...

Still, makes me smile when I think of the look on my colleagues faces when I told them "on gravel you have to go fast enough to ride through the skid". They think I'm crazy, lol.

postet av Busifer kl. 6:39 am (EST) den Aug 29, 2008

Thank you very much for the invitation reading_fox! It's a great group, just perfect for my interests, I'm so glad you included me :-)

all the best, Katherine

postet av katylit kl. 1:21 pm (EST) den Aug 21, 2008

yeah I got back just fine thanks :)

postet av RuneFirestar kl. 11:52 am (EST) den Aug 19, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't read the complete Faded Sun trilogy, and it's fairly high on my TBR pile. A friend lent me Kesrith, in amongst a bunch of very assorted books, as a way to introduce me to sci-fi and fantasy. Most of them were okay. But I really liked The Faded Sun world.

postet av walk2work kl. 3:13 pm (EST) den Aug 18, 2008

...but fun and entertaining fluff :-)
I also decided to tag at least the first one as humour, because of that. I can't possibly see anyone taking them for serious stuff!

I accepted the invitation, btw. Had no idea there was such a group. Thanks.

postet av Busifer kl. 3:03 pm (EST) den Aug 13, 2008

Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed Casteret's book. I thought your review hit the mark fairly well, but you must remember the book's French originals were written a long time ago when attitudes towards the natural world were for the most part very different. Englishmen, for instance, were still shooting tigers for fun. Taking a few geological curiosities would have been regarded as a suitable reward for the intrepid explorer, especially as underground photography was so difficult. On his physical courage, I imagine that anyone who survived the trenches of WW I felt himself to be invulnerable!

postet av gibbon kl. 4:31 pm (EST) den Aug 10, 2008

There's an article today on Tor.com's blog about Cherryh and the Atevi books.

http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_...

postet av fleela kl. 11:29 am (EST) den Aug 7, 2008

Thanks for clarifying the gender of P.D. James. Guess I could have checked out the author's profile, but it was getting late so I didn't investigate too deep. No problem on how long it takes - you have plenty of reviews I want to go back and look at anyway. Your library includes several authors I haven't read before, but have always had in the back of mind to check out one day. I should get some good direction on where to go from your comments. Thanks.

postet av exlibrismcp kl. 12:10 pm (EST) den Aug 6, 2008

Thank you, not only for answering my tagging question, but also for picking one of my most favorite authors. I may have read the book before but don't remember it clearly at all, so it will be sheer pleasure to read it again.

Elizabeth

postet av ejj1955 kl. 3:14 pm (EST) den Aug 5, 2008

Oh, you're most welcome!
I'm just so happy that you people had such a good day together.
:o)

postet av clamairy kl. 10:21 am (EST) den Aug 4, 2008

As far as I know there is only one Mcdonalds in waterloo. So I think we are safe. :)

Cheers again,

Rune

postet av RuneFirestar kl. 5:56 am (EST) den Jul 30, 2008

Scraped Knee Brigade. It's sort of silly (well, obviously) and hard to explain. There are a few books I group together because they feature young men in varying states of affliction. Sort of like a little boy with a scraped knee--I feel a strange urge to give 'em a bandaid and a kiss on the forehead. This is my sole evidence of maternal instinct so I try to cherish it for further analysis.

postet av meersan kl. 10:11 pm (EST) den Jul 29, 2008

You are a star!!

I hope to be in to waterloo by 10:30 so that's perfect! As to where to meet I'm thinking by McDonalds or something like that? right now mobiles are a bit of a problem for me cause mine got cut off. But if you can't find me just ask them to ask for me over the pa. I'm sure there are no other RuneFirestars likely to be about :P

postet av RuneFirestar kl. 11:39 am (EST) den Jul 29, 2008

Fox-ji,

Do you have any count of the number of people you have lured to LT? Tim should give you some sort of kickback...or maybe an engraved gold bookmark...

postet av MtnSk8tr kl. 2:49 am (EST) den Jul 26, 2008

Hee, I thought it looked like a fox but I didn't want to say so in case it was your Finnish spitz puppy or something... :)

postet av meersan kl. 12:46 pm (EST) den Jul 24, 2008

vroom! (I really should go to sleep...) Are those your dogs? Cute!!

postet av meersan kl. 5:39 am (EST) den Jul 24, 2008

I don't actually own Kil'n Time - although it's purported to be a sequel to Kil'n People, so it's in my catalog as a reminder/wish list as I enjoyed the first book. Although Amazon and various sites list the title with an ISBN and publish date of 2006, it doesn''t seem to actually exist as yet...at least, I've never found a copy for sale. I'm beginning to wonder if it's just an alternative title.

And yes, I "borrowed" my nickname from Pern.

Nerilka

postet av Nerilka kl. 1:19 pm (EST) den Jul 22, 2008

Is that a live fox on your profile page?

postet av rbott kl. 1:01 pm (EST) den Jul 20, 2008

Wow - cool - delighted to hear you liked it! R. M. Meluch has always written superb characters and well-worked, not predictable plots.

Her more recent Merrimack series is just pure fun, fast story with sensational casting.

I have tried to find everything she's done - it's all worth a look.

postet av JannyWurts kl. 9:49 am (EST) den Jul 15, 2008

Yeah I imagine the castle's popularity has soared since it was featured in the Harry Potter film. The HP connection was, I think one of the main reasons for visiting although I'm sure the "World's Largest Treehouse" was a large part of the attraction for my brother.

postet av Sodapop kl. 1:52 pm (EST) den Jul 12, 2008

Heya, I just read all the reviews of Gents, after writing mine. I had assumed that the book was set a decade or so earlier than it was published. That would presumably sort out what seemed to be factual errors to you (e.g. the wages)... although I also do have my doubts about the employment of THREE people at one set of loos any time this century!

postet av gemmation kl. 6:04 pm (EST) den Jul 8, 2008

OK that is just too bizarre! My son is in England at the moment, visiting my family, and my brother and his wife have taken him to Alnwick for the weekend.

postet av Sodapop kl. 6:48 pm (EST) den Jul 5, 2008

Thanks for the invite to the Fforde Ffans group!

:o)

postet av missylc kl. 11:24 am (EST) den Jul 2, 2008

You don't need a knowledge of sailing to read Llewellyn's books. They're set in the sailing world, but not full of arcana about the sport...very much like Francis when it comes to horses. Possibly the only exception is Sea Story (Great Circle), and even that's not hard to read. I guess the analogy I'd make is: where Francis would have a horse trainer trying to figure out why his horses aren't running well, Llewellyn would have a sailboat maker trying to figure out why a boat he made failed catastrophically in a medium wind, killing someone.

They have the same light, easy read tone as Francis books do.

One enjoyable thing about them is that most are set in a small sailing town in Britain so that, as you read a couple books, you start to recognize the supporting casts--Charlie Agutter, the main character of one book, is a background character in another, etc.

I guess I'll go ahead and give the rest of The Gap series a read then.

postet av TadAD kl. 6:26 am (EST) den Jun 26, 2008

By the way, since you seem a Dick Francis fan, have you tried Sam Llewellyn's books targeted at adults (he also writes for children)? They're about sailing rather than horse racing, but they have a similar feel and I found them very enjoyable. You can read them in pretty much any order though, if I remember correctly, Death Roll was his first.

postet av TadAD kl. 1:29 pm (EST) den Jun 25, 2008

Thanks for stopping by. Our libraries actually overlap even more than they do right now as I'm only about 20% of the way through listing my books...simply not enough time.

Thanks for the Janny Wurts recommendations. I read her Cycle of Fire stuff a long time ago and really enjoyed it, but I've never stopped back for more of her books. I'll give them a try.

postet av TadAD kl. 3:08 pm (EST) den Jun 13, 2008

It's Fictionwise. They are all ebooks. I could never imagine reading ebooks until I read a few on Netlibrary through our local library. I next bought the Outlander series from ereader. I plan to buy the paper version. I then found Fictionwise and really was hooked.

I'm in a historical romance phase and the prices can't be beat. I really like the company. They are not a publishing house but buy from small publishers with new and up and coming writers. They offer older books written by current popular authors and its often possible to get new bestseller for a 100% rebate. They offer a few free books and have a small free lending library. Anyone can purchase but if one reads a lot they offer a membeship which discounts all books 15%. I post reviews of their books on the site. The books are exact copies of paper editions. Once in a while I will purchase a novella and I tag it as such.

Probably wished you had not asked. I am disabled and our libraries are not always as accessble as they could be. I download audio and ebooks from Netlibrary and rent from booksfree (tagged netlib and bf) all of my owned books are tagged "own". I am slowly cataloging and thought I had another 400 or so to enter, but last night I upped it to a possible 600 when I found the computer books I share with my son amd remembered the cookbooks.

Bet you wish you never asked. Babbling comes from being alone so much.

I just love LT and this group is a great idea.

fran

postet av muzzie kl. 3:18 pm (EST) den May 23, 2008

Hello again,

In case you're interested, I asked Karen Miller about why she wrote The Accidental Sorcerer under a differrent name & here's her reply:

Hey Seanie! Well, basically it was because the Rogue Agent books don't quite fit stylistically with the other books. They're epic historical fantasy, and the RA books are standalones in a series, with a more modern backdrop. So it was decided to give them a different 'branding', to avoid muddling.

Take Care,
Seanie

postet av Seanie kl. 10:18 pm (EST) den May 11, 2008

Unfortunately, I've slept since reading Bad Luck and Trouble, but I recall reacting when Reacher wondered to himself how the other victims had been overpowered. If Child provided an explanation, then I must have missed it. Is it possible that Reacher was speculating to himself how events might have transpired?

As to Adam Hall's Quiller... On one hand, I always like to read a series in chronological order (chronological in terms of when stories take place, not necessarily when written) if possible (unless there's a good reason not to). I'm not sure that this is really necessary with the Quiller novels as they don't build much from story to story, especially given how little we ever really learn about Quiller (19 novels and we never learn his name...). The only things that "advance" from story to story are the "relationships" (and that's a tough word given the context) that he develops with the various control officers that he works with and the state of the world (the earliest books are firmly in the Cold War; the last book involves the Russian Mafiya). Given all that, my favorite novel in the series was probably Quiller (titled Northlight in some countries. Trying to rank the others would be somewhat of an exercise in futility as they are uniformly great books (just that some are ... er ... greater? ... than others).

The biggest caution that I alwasy give to new readers of the Quiller novels is to put aside their preconceived notions of how the story should be told to them and let Hall tell you the story the way Quiller wants to.

For more information on the Quiller novels (and to read a little-known Quiller short story by Adam Hall), check out The Unofficial Quiller Web Site.

Happy reading.

postet av MSWallack kl. 11:39 am (EST) den May 8, 2008

Hello!

Yep K.E. Mills & Karen Miller are the same person - Not sure why she's writing under a pseudonym already, The Accidental Sorcerer may be targeted to a younger audience I guess. I've just finished reading it & I loved it, There's an online discussion with the author herself meant to start today through the Voyager website which should be fun :)

postet av Seanie kl. 8:21 pm (EST) den Apr 30, 2008

thanks for the invite to the outdoors group. I do hike and try to hit my hammock at least once a week in the summer. What?! it's outside! : ) I don't bicycle, but I do have a couple of motorcycles and that's an outdoor activity, too.

cheers,

K

postet av Bookmarque kl. 9:25 am (EST) den Apr 23, 2008

I'm happy to be back. Yes, I haven't got to grips with the changes yet. It took me a while just to try and work out how to post my review. I need to explore a bit, I think. Well done, you, for keeping the game alive.

postet av InigoMontoya kl. 10:19 am (EST) den Apr 22, 2008

Hi. The prodigal daughter returns. It's been a lonnnnnnnnnng couple of weeks, I know, but between computer troubles and other tragedies, I've been out of action on the reading front. I finished my last reading challenge and just need to get up the creativity to write the review. Nice to be hear that the thread has kept going.

postet av InigoMontoya kl. 12:29 pm (EST) den Apr 21, 2008

To answer your question, no, it was nothing to do with Stormed Fortress - it happened a long time ago with Stormwarden - the book was published at Christmas time, sold out about instantly, and due to the timing of inventory, year end, holiday crush, nobody noticed. The decision was made NOT to reprint, until the second book came out....then the publisher "decided" a two book series ought to be a trilogy - I objected, since it wasn't written that way - and took another year to REWRITE the second half of the story to make their request fit the story....Stormwarden's performance was utterly forgotten, when they published Keeper of the Keys, finally, they only reprinted a tiny run of book I, and that killed the progress of the series...it was later recovered nicely when I re-sold the series, both here in the US and overseas. What resulted was a horrid delay in my career path....

Several times in the UK, when the bigger series sold out its hardback/trade paperback run, they opted not to reprint, but hold out for the mass market...so the books had lapses of about eight months from their new release. It does make it hard to keep momentum going.

The jury is still out with Stormed Fortress, over there - they've almost sold down the first run, remains to be seen what they do with it, after. It's a very very conservative climate, right now - and there is a warehouse crisis going on, where the distributor/retailer side will NOT warehouse books anymore - quite suddenly - it's a cheap cost cutting move, but now, they only order tiny amounts - what's being shelved basically. So the publisher is being asked to turn on a dime and take over that expense...and they have no space! It's a bloodbath, at the moment, with titles being pulped left and right, to make room for the ones that are justifying the warehouse space by sales....makes reprints harder than ever.

One understands it's a phase that will eventually work itself out...but survival in the meanwhile is the prick.

THANK YOU for pointing out the chat feature - I will go check it out right away.

When you are ready for more recommendations, I can happily give you a steer! There are a lot of great reads out there, a bit off the beaten track.

Best - Janny

postet av JannyWurts kl. 1:03 pm (EST) den Apr 15, 2008

Hey -- glad to hear you enjoyed Sarah Zettel! There's a string of other recs I could make, based on the fact you appreciated that read - if I'm hard to contain - yes - just ask. I do love to support that kind of quality.

For great characters and a way zippier pace, (I know you read SF) try R. M. Meluch's Tour of the Merrimack series - beginning with The Myriad. These are just plain old fashioned fun. I got a few great laughs at some of the twisty angles of view.

postet av JannyWurts kl. 11:17 am (EST) den Apr 13, 2008

Hi,
Thanks for the comment, but I do know about that ability. I don't actually use recommendations myself much (I've got enough unread and wishlist books already!), but I don't mind my wishlist books being included for recommendations. If I'm interested in a book enough to wishlist it, I'm also interested in recommendations that it might generate.

(On the other hand, when next I look at recommendations, I'll use a tag to exclude books that I've rated with one star - those that I didn't like. Most of those I've gotten rid of, and would put in a separate collection that I would exclude from recommendations.)

What I don't like about using a wishlist tag is that those books show up when other people look at my profile and see random books from my library. For some reason it bothers me that books I don't own show up there.

postet av rorrison kl. 5:15 am (EST) den Mar 31, 2008

Well that was easy - fait accompli, for now at least. Thank you ever so for the quick tip - you know I must have looked at that particular page half a dozen times but never picked up on the 'add to my favourites', so a thousand times I thank you.

I dare say the other timesinks offered will also be of benefit, so many thanks in advance for these too.

Having been a carnivore for the majority of my life I can only but agree with your comments, also on the avatars - then again, sometimes I believe that animals are nicer 'people' than we are.

As ever, take care of you and yours,

TheDaftTree

postet av TheOneTree kl. 10:24 am (EST) den Mar 30, 2008

FYI: Shejidan crashed last night. Guild aware & was on rooftop all night. They will not come down for a bath until problem is solved.

postet av MtnSk8tr kl. 12:18 pm (EST) den Mar 29, 2008

Thanks for letting me know, I looked at it once or twice and found it fascinating - I'm a bit lazy on the tags :(

Now I have noticed that books now have a status of "to read" or "currently reading" and I cant wait for when these are accessible from the main library lists and not just each book's page (so i can mark the 200 or so I need to read --shame--). Mostly I cannot wait for it to appear on the connections page since it would be interesting to see what people are reading and have on their tbr pile (or being able to ask your connections which book from your tbr pile you ought to read next, or see if you have tbr books in common... that's be fun)

You mentioned a group about new features, so I have now joined this in hope I will know when any of these happen. I can dream :)

postet av iphigenie kl. 8:22 am (EST) den Mar 29, 2008

My apologies, Reading_Fox, for not answering your question - yes I have read Mistwraith and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. Janny would have to be one of my favourite authors. I think there is only one book currently listed that I haven't read at least once.

The reason that my bare bones library has no comments, et cetera, is that I am still in the throes of loading it up onto LT. My Beloved presented me with this laptop on Christmas day last year and, in between working (disgusting hours), being with Beloved and other associated loved ones, reading (every chance I get) it all gets to be about loading up the library. Hopefully I will finish soon and begin tweaking. I still need to learn how to use LT and Blog and a squillion (yes, I know, not a word) other things coming into this century. I'd really like just to know how to mention who my favourite authors are in my profile. Sigh, it'll happen in it's own good time I dare say.

It's 2am, I'm for bed. As ever, take care.

postet av TheOneTree kl. 1:00 pm (EST) den Mar 28, 2008

Hello ReadingFox, very nice to hear from a fellow GDer.

On the sharing of similar books thingy, all I can say is you have great taste! lol.

And yes, although it's probably a bit lame, S.Donaldsons Thomas Covenant series was the very first series I ever read, it also happened to be the very first book I read after discovering there was such a thing as fantasy sf (this was soooo long ago now). I'd only read JRR Tolkiens Lord of the Rings prior to this. The One Tree book always struck me probably because of the natural order of all things - there should always be a balance, but most probably from the Tree in David & Leigh Eddings The Belgariad series, and most definately with the of Polgara the Sorceress.

Also, love your set-up of the tags - I started out doing my own thing in tags when I joined, and finally read up on what tags are 'supposed' to be used for and changed it all. I may jolly well change it all back now.

Enough rambling from me, take care.

postet av TheOneTree kl. 11:45 am (EST) den Mar 28, 2008

Hi Reading_Fox -

Oh, you have made my day, with your comment, as to how much you enjoyed Curse of the Mistwraith!!! This series needs its friends, with Britain just repackaging all of the series, and the US program tied up in suspension, in the crush and bloodbath of two mergers.

To answer a few of your questions: each successive volume will "reintroduce" the elements you need to move ahead...but not REPEAT them - you will see into the event through another character point of view - NOT - as a flashback. The action in this book does NOT ever "reverse" timeline - it is either simultaneous, or forward from the last scene. Rather, you will see into an old event from a new angle and it will ALWAYS deepen the understanding of it (or you will see the misunderstanding of it perpetuated by another's shortness of vision). Many of the things that look traditional will unveil and be - well, you will see! - the social interaction and political tensions were too much to put in all at once, and that will deepen and astonish you. Each time you read another volume, you could re-read the earlier ones - and see what you missed, and realize - it was already there, but for your own assumptions....therefore, this is an ongoing puzzle, you will ALWAYS see more, and nobody whos re-read, even ten times, stops seeing the depths and heights move outward. This is in the design.

Here's a little overview:
Curse of the Mistwraith sets the stage and establishes the "main conflict" in its first phase.
Ships of Merior/Warhost of Vastmark were designed to be ONE book, but size caused a split of the UK edition, and the American paperback - if you get the old US hardback, they are one volume, Ships of Merior. Plan to read these together, they cover the "second phase"

Alliance of Light is the third Arc, and it is in five volumes, but meant as ONE STORY. Prepare for the fact Fugitive Prince "restages" for what will culminate in one blow off your socks SEQUENCES of climactic events. Fugitive Prince and Grand Conspiracy set the foundations, Peril's Gate climbs it to the tipping point, and Traitor's Knot brings the convergence, and Stormed Fortress just plain explodes the rollercoaster ride to finish. Consider it, if you want, the "last two chapters" of Mistwraith....it won't let you off the hook by way of intensity.

The fourth Arc, Sword of the Canon will be two volumes, Initiate's Trial, and Destiny's Conflict.

The fifth Arc is projected to be one volume, and close out the series.

There's your road map - you can pass it to anyone, I don't mind in the least!
I am totally thrilled you enjoyed the ride - and very very hopeful what's in this series can become better known so we can begin to retrench and get a new US venue for it. It's supported now, in London and Australia/NZ, and also still pretty accessible on the used market on US Amazon. It sorely needs word of mouth by readers who KNOW that, like Erikson, they stage until things are set up, then unwind with a BANG....the twists and the staging take folks by surprise, and not familiar with my work, they don't realize unless they finish, that I never ever shrink from delivery of the payoff.

On the tips on the LT features - thank you so much! I will look them up - planning as you posted to get some interview links up, and a bio, and other little goodies.

If you think the beginning chapters of Mistwraith would be better as sampler recordings, I can do them - I felt? stuff from the heart of the story maybe was a better representation....it's a forest for the trees, thing.

I posted the audio links for Hell's Chasm in the nonspoiler, too.

Thanks again for sharing your delight!
Janny Wurts

postet av JannyWurts kl. 11:33 am (EST) den Mar 26, 2008

Reading_Fox -

Ah, that makes me happy, that you are enjoying Mistwraith! There is a glossary at the back, that should assist with any issues of complexity - just look up the name or term, if you have a sticky moment. All the books have this feature, updated to the ending point of the last volume, so there are no spoilers. There are also little tidbits of info with the definitions not included in the text, for the fun of it.

This series but definitely needs its friends, with no US venue at the moment. And Stormed Fortress makes such a crashing finish to Arc III, I feel, anyone starting the series now has a tremendous advantage, in having all the continuity available with no wait between volumes.

On travel your way - I have a free airfare in mileage good to go overseas....and I may just spend it to go to Europe. We are mulling this over. France has bought 3 volumes of the series for translation, and with London gearing up for the mass market edition of Stormed Fortress, a trip to some museums so my husband can look at paintings, and a stop to meet people in editorial who don't know me might just be a good idea....we are torn, between doing that, or going on a trip to Africa with a wildlife painter, to paint -- decisions!!! I will definitely let you know what we settle on...prerequisite, we have to get good cat care, as I have some older guys who have a few special needs. (ever seen a Bengal cat? We were blessed with two, given from our vet as waif rescues, and they are just AWESOME!!!! despite having only one eye.) I like dogs, too, have had some truly special ones, but not any at the moment. Three horses are enough.

Right now, I have just finished using Garage Band to make mp3 files, for free download, of some teaser chapters - my webguy will have them up in a few days, so you can have some audio clips of a few bits, for your commute. (I did an hour excerpt, from Mistwraith's chapter 4, and another 55 minute clip from Chapter 11.) My next project for this weekend is to do the first 3 chapters from To Ride Hell's Chasm. Meant to do this, years ago, but mastering another software inbetween all the other rumpus and creativity was a seesaw ride. I'd start, then not have any time for months, and forget Everything, then have to start over. Feels good to have made progress - I'd like to play with the music aspects, too, eventually. Got a loft full of instruments to make a racket on, anyhow.

Hope you are thriving - and that the rains you all are getting, over there, aren't putting too much of a dent in your hiking and biking.

Have a great Easter!

Janny

postet av JannyWurts kl. 11:51 am (EST) den Mar 22, 2008

Reading_Fox - you have distracted me, but only in a good way. And not significantly, with regard to the writing, which goes on, regardless. Starts of books are always a rocky road, getting everything launched Just Right. And this one is the start of a new arc, to boot.

Too bad on Mistborn - I just gave my copy away, I could have sent it to you...I cannot keep every book I buy. And I only save the ones I know I want to look at again. This one had a very interesting system of magic - original to say the least.

On excerpts - when the publisher puts the book together, there are "signatures" - set numbers of pages that fold, and are cut, when the book is complete. Therefore, sometimes when the text of a book falls short of filling up the last signature, there will be blank pages - often filled with ads or lists of other author's books, or, if you are lucky, an excerpt of a book of your own. I think this is a nice practice for paperbacks - but in a hardbound, when this occurred, I always try to take a stand and ask for appendix material, or maps, or more artwork to fill the space. That's what we did when there were extra pages in Fugitive Prince (I asked for a printing of the entire lyrics of a ballad mentioned in the novel) and in Traitor's Knot's US edition, we put in an appendix that answered some of the most frequently asked questions.

I really really hope you enjoy Mistwraith - it's a strange sort of book, in that, the expected will NOT happen. Like Hell's Chasm, it will take awhile to set up. By the halfway point, it will start to tip, and be warned - do NOT read the last two chapter sets with any interruptions pending...that would likely fry your brain. People who finish this book NEVER forget it. You will see some of the "themes" of earlier novels handled in this series with a lot more power and depth.

I am right now creating mp3 excerpts of readings of select chapters as teasers for download. So if you commute, you could have an audio file for part of it. (I will let you know which sections - I've recorded one already, but plan to try another before I upload to the website).

What am I reading now? Carol Berg's Breath and Bone. She's a writer (rare) who takes chances, shows the grittier edges of a character, and does the deeper look into both sides of a conflict. I really love her stuff. Her first trilogy is a gift in a world of vanilla fiction. I am liking this next series too - her longer series (D'Arnath) was not quite as well knit as the first trilogy, (it had some repetitious plot points) but was altogether readable.

I also just finished Sagittarius Command by R. M. Meluch, she's such rip roaring fun. Amazing she's so undiscovered. Her work, Jerusalem Fire had such depth it was astounding.

Hope you have a fine Easter! It's a pleasure to correspond with you, and I do look forward, someday to a REAL beer - though the virtual will do on Anniversary Day.

Best - Janny

postet av JannyWurts kl. 10:19 am (EST) den Mar 20, 2008

Thanks! I thought it fitting, since you introduced me to LT in the first place, and, here's my first year's anniversary just weeks away, and well - it's fun, I'm still here! I'd raise a beer to that in good company. The Green Dragon has provided a LOT of laughs - I lurk far more than I post, if you had not guessed.

I hope you are well - and obviously reading - I saw your post in finishing Elantris. Are you planning to go on to Mistborn?

postet av JannyWurts kl. 11:45 am (EST) den Mar 19, 2008

A friend and I were just talking about what terrible eye witnesses we would be, and here's further proof. Of course that's a fox and dog in your avi . . . duh! My excuse might be that I was wearing my glasses instead of my contacts and I don't see as well with them . . .

I'm mooching Janny's [Sorcerer's Legacy], hoping that it's a standalone and I haven't inadvertently picked something midway in a series. I checked her website and Amazon and I think I'm safe! (I try not to read too much on Amazon, as I don't want to read any spoilers beforehand.)

Looking forward to it!

postet av ejj1955 kl. 2:06 pm (EST) den Mar 14, 2008

I hadn't really thought about posting a review of a book I didn't actually finish, but I'll give it a whirl.

postet av Jenson_AKA_DL kl. 10:40 am (EST) den Mar 14, 2008

Hi,

Thanks! I do love Cherryh's books and have read nearly all of them. My LT library so far is pretty lopsided--I found this site as I was embarking on a reorganization of my books, and the first thing I did was pull out most of the sci fi/fantasy books (as they are so dear to my heart) and list those. My books have been piled haphazardly in an upstairs bedroom since my house was flooded in June 2006 (I lost several boxes of books and the bottom shelf of every bookcase on my ground floor, ugh), so I was delighted to find this site to help with the organization effort.

I happened on Janny's library because of the shared fantasy works, I think, but I've never read any of her work. However, LT also led me to BookMooch, and I've just mooched one of her books, so it's on its way to me!

The other thing this site prompted was to put all my "TBR" books in one place (well, in several boxes), and I was shocked to find out how much there is. I probably shouldn't get any new books for a year or two (ha! like that will stop me).

I love your avatar--is that your dog and cat? Very cute!

Cheers,
Elizabeth

postet av ejj1955 kl. 4:06 pm (EST) den Mar 13, 2008

Hi! Thanks for the invite. That group is actually one of the (several dozen) ones that I've got on "watch." I have this weird fear of joining too many groups. I know it's silly. I really ought to just go ahead and join them all, instead of being a lurker who occasionally participates. I'm so bad that I only just a couple of weeks ago finally "joined" GD. *sigh* I think part of my thinking is that by joining, I somehow commit myself to actually keeping up with all the threads - something that I'll never in my wildest dreams be able to do!

OK, yes, I'm neurotic. It's also early, and I'm always very wired from several cups of Tazo's aptly-named "Awake" tea right before I go into the classroom to teach.

Right. All that to say, "thanks," and I've already got my eye on you freaks (you cycling freaks, that is!) ;P

Cheers,
A very wired Dani

postet av philosojerk kl. 9:47 am (EST) den Mar 12, 2008

I've read a lot of Anne McCaffrey, especially when I was a little younger. I'll give the other two a try though. Summon the Keeper is the first in the Keeper Chronicles which I really liked, but she writes a lot of different types of things. The Blood Series is good if you're into more scary stuff for instance. Or the Valor series for more pure Science Fiction.

postet av sydaisy kl. 3:47 pm (EST) den Feb 14, 2008

Welcome to our group. I'm kind of curious as what cave as a verb means in your profile. If you want you can post about it, or just post a comment in my profile. Also have you tried Tanya Huff? Her writing is usually a good fantasy humor combination, especially the keeper chronicles.
Sydney

postet av sydaisy kl. 3:00 am (EST) den Feb 14, 2008

Reading Fox-ji,

One wishes to thank you again for pointing us towards LT! It's a real joy!

postet av MtnSk8tr kl. 5:09 pm (EST) den Jan 30, 2008

Thanks for the invite and for the book suggestions! I got Good Omens over Christmas - I'll have to move that up my TBR pile. :)

postet av StarGazer72 kl. 1:15 pm (EST) den Jan 25, 2008

I put them in for the anthologies/collections/magazines in order generally speaking. So if a story appears that is really common, like, say, Nightfall by Isaac Asimov, it will be put in each time.

Then when you sort by entry order for that publication, they appear in the correct order.

postet av bluetyson kl. 5:25 am (EST) den Jan 25, 2008

Yes, that's the one... by the bridge. I'm the reverse of you, not born here, but lived here most of my life.

I'm just off to buy some cider ;-)

postet av Tane kl. 12:30 pm (EST) den Jan 21, 2008

Nice review of Perdido Street Station. I had much the same feelings. One typo caught my eye. I think that should be "tome" not "tomb" when referring to a sizable book (:-{)}

postet av PghDragonMan kl. 1:38 pm (EST) den Jan 18, 2008

It is embarassing! I hesitated to even post on Shejidan about my LibraryThing participation until I DID have my Cherryh cataloged but I have poor impulse control. I sorta just started cataloging on the stuff nearest the computer and the Cherryh is nearer the bed.

postet av CyanDag kl. 11:11 am (EST) den Jan 16, 2008

You have reviewed a remarkable number of books,Reading_Fox. I look forward to reading them!

postet av stellarexplorer kl. 9:50 pm (EST) den Jan 12, 2008

I do much the same - go to a real brick and mortar store, buy a stack and read it through. My TBR pile is a short shelf, mostly because it could be a tremendous, tempting distraction!

Nice to see you're already enjoying Daughter -

It's particularly fun to see the shift in temper between LT readers and the general scrimmage. I expect to discover certain types of new authors much faster.

postet av JannyWurts kl. 2:50 pm (EST) den Jan 10, 2008

Hey reading_fox --

Sorry for the long delay getting back to you on the Niven/Pournelle question - I've been offline and busy w/ the holidays for a while now.

Yes, The Gripping Hand is an excellent sequel - although it's been many years since I've read it, so I can't recall too many details other than it takes what was excellent about the Mote in God's Eye and expands upon it, the well-developed and in-depth characterization, examination of military culture in space and the problems/opportunities that creates and alien contact/culture interactions with humans. I would definitely give it a go if you enjoyed the first book.

I'd also highly recommend the duology the Risen Empire and Killing of Worlds by Scott Westerfield if you enjoy interesting takes on military sci-fi. These two books were meant to be published as one, and I read them in a SFBC ed. as a omnibus edition and would recommend getting them both as they are really a cool look at what battles in space would be like considering the contingencies of distance and space.

Anyways - thanks for the invite as well - I really enjoyed the entre into fantasy that the pern books gave me, although i haven't kept up with the series since the son took over. Just started getting too out there for me at some point - although if a particular volume would be good to give a chance to, I'd be interested in hearing your recommendation.

postet av chani kl. 10:37 am (EST) den Jan 2, 2008

So glad they finally came!

The Elmore Leonard is very idiomatic, so if you need any translation services, just ask.

Hope you enjoy the books and best in 2008.

postet av littlegeek kl. 2:42 pm (EST) den Dec 30, 2007

RF-ji,
The CueCat is WONDERFUL! Works like a dream, straight out of the box. Very fun, very easy & saves a boatload of work, esp. for someone like me with a massive, unusual library. SQUEEEEE!

postet av MtnSk8tr kl. 2:34 am (EST) den Dec 27, 2007

RF-ji,

I don't know yet how well/easily the CueCat works as it just arrived yesterday & I haven't tried it yet. The quantum leap in # of books cataloged was simply from the search function, or going to other people's libraries & clicking on ones I own. However, even that was laborious as so many of mine are first or unusual editions, imported, or uncommon, so I've had to scan in a number of covers, edit LT info, tag the signed volumes, etc.

We have over 700+ climbing-related books -- not to mention the many hundreds of volumes on other subjects. I'm *barely* started: the project is obviously going to take many months, if not years. But, this is a totally cool site & I love it. Thanks for alerting me to it. We need to start another Shejidan thread on it, but I'm waiting until I have more of my books cataloged....which is also waiting until after the holidays.

I'm working both Christmas Day afternoon/night & NY Day afternoon/night. Bleh. Can't wait for the drunks, assaults, auto accidents, etc. Ugly, ugly, ugly.

postet av MtnSk8tr kl. 12:22 pm (EST) den Dec 22, 2007

I had considered trying a CueCat, & just ordered one because of your encouragement. We have so many books that it is probably the only way we'll ever get them all cataloged.

postet av MtnSk8tr kl. 1:13 pm (EST) den Dec 15, 2007

You asked a question in the Homeschool group about science. Were you just trying to stir things up, or did you want to have a conversation? There are a couple of answers there to your question. :)

postet av MrsLee kl. 11:16 am (EST) den Dec 15, 2007

Not so much "better things to do", but "too many things to do", LOL!

I have such a huge library, putting it here will take eons. We have nearly 700 volumes in our climbing library alone.

For now, I'm just ttrying to get the books entered, then will need to edit for edition, etc. Many of our mtneering books are 1st editions & signed.

I'm encouraging my husband to put the Spokane Mtneer's club library on LibaryThing. If he doesn't, I will. But, that will be a project for MONTHS from now.

postet av MtnSk8tr kl. 10:58 am (EST) den Dec 14, 2007

Hi,

My first thought about Patrick White was the same as thewordygecko -- there isn't really anyone you can say is "like" Patrick White. Peter Carey is a possibility, especially if it's the Australian and magic-realist aspects of White that attract your father. I saw an interview with him where he acknowledged White as one of his main inspirations. Maybe Illywhacker or Bliss - Oscar and Lucinda only if your father is really into the historical fiction side of things. (I haven't read True history of the Kelly gang). Or move backwards to Australian writers like Henry Lawson or Henry Handel Richardson (haven't read the latter) who influenced White.

A bit further off: if he is attracted by the "critical colonial epic" side of White, what about trying South African writers like Nadine Gordimer or J.M. Coetzee? Or even early Doris Lessing.

If his favourites are things like The Aunt's Story or Riders in the Chariot, he might be interested in Primo Levi.

postet av thorold kl. 4:20 am (EST) den Dec 14, 2007

Gidday Fox,

Patrick White is such an imaginative writer, with all the psychological blood and guts, that I hesitate to say anyone is like him! However, I wonder if your father might look at Peter Carey (my personal favourite is History of the Kelly Gang, but I hated Bliss; enjoyed Oscar and Lucinda; can't say anything about the others, but I feel he shares a similar spirit to White) or Alex Miller (Landscape of Farewell, Journey to the Stone Country). However, Miller really only shares the same gravity of attention to Australia, its indigenous peoples, and the landscape. Quite different style of writing, lacks the sarcasm. Michelle de Kretser's The Hamilton Case is very very good, if your father hasn't read it yet.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

Cheers

Sue

postet av thewordygecko kl. 8:57 pm (EST) den Dec 13, 2007

I recommend William Gaddis, The Recognitions, for your dad.

postet av etcetera kl. 5:51 pm (EST) den Dec 13, 2007

Thanks - you have a grand name as well.
Besotted

postet av bookbesotted kl. 2:38 pm (EST) den Nov 29, 2007

I stopped at N with the alphabet books because I moved to a new town and the library wasn't as convenient to get to. Not to mention it was small and I often had to wait a long time for books. =( I'll probably pick them up again soon as there is a branch of the Boston Public Library right next door to where I work. Its smaller then my town library but much for convenient. Plus its a larger organization and so I am bound to get books faster. I got those books from the library as they didn't interest me enough to buy them. Ya know?

I've seen Terry Pratchett in stores but don't think that I've looked all that much at his books. Are they worth the read? I have a new library card that is just begging to be used...much to the annoyance of the unread books on my bookshelf. I have to keep close watch on the card...else it might go missing...a victim of foul play. Although I have appeased my books somewhat by commuting into the city again. Longer commute + train = lots more reading time. Books like that.

postet av Irisheyz77 kl. 8:54 am (EST) den Nov 28, 2007

Thanks so much for answering my "spoiler" question on the Dresden books. And thanks for not saying too much. I knew he wouldn't get killed, but had been curious if he ever got out of the Curse of Damocles (spelling too), or if was forever overly paranoid about the Council trying to kill him over breaking rules. I would also assume that even if he was no longer cursed that he would still be wary of the Council, what with his history, it would be understandably and also would be a good plot line that an author would not want to waste.

Knowing that the "Curse" portion of the Dresden/Council relationship is taken care of in the first book, actually makes me more likely to read them too. ^_^

Thank you

postet av CursorsFury kl. 6:32 pm (EST) den Nov 27, 2007

Your description of Morgaine does ring a very distant, tinny bell. I think I must have read one of those books a loooooong time ago.

postet av MuseofIre kl. 7:45 pm (EST) den Nov 25, 2007

Oh, and here are a couple of possibly useful links about the Boulder Pledge, which I am trying to refrain from posting into certain people's comments thread as a pointed reminder of why spamming can be counter-productive...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulder_Ple...
http://bw.org/ube/boulder.html

postet av JulesJones kl. 6:23 pm (EST) den Nov 22, 2007

In answer to your question -- for a lot of people on LiveJournal, the obvious way to set up a group to discuss a common interest is to create a LiveJournal community. :-)
It's not just "because it's there", though. If you've already got an LJ, an LJ community is a very convenient way to follow a discussion group.

postet av JulesJones kl. 6:00 pm (EST) den Nov 22, 2007

Hi Reading Fox,

In answer to your comment/question -

Hunter of Worlds is the book that got me started on collecting Cherryh's works. The copyright is 1977, which puts it at one of her earliest works. According to Cherryh on her website, Hunter of Worlds is very, very far down the time line of the Alliance/Union Universe. It is a stand alone novel which I have read at least twice, utterly fascinating, although it is not one of her better-known works.

I have five more Foreigner books to read, but have used BookMooch to send for the first three of Chanur novels. Looks like the rest of '07 is going to be Cherryh year!

postet av Pandababy kl. 10:57 am (EST) den Nov 22, 2007

Yeah, so, I suck. I just realized I never replyed to your message from the end of October. I apologize!

Yeah, it looked like a try to me. What are ya gonna do I guess. Also, I don't remember which match it was now (NZ v France?), but there was a penalty awarded that seemed to me it could have easy been a penalty try. As you say, such is sport.

It was a good World Cup though. I think I was most disappointed with France. They beat some great teams, and eliminated NZ, then end up finishing fourth. Ouch.

postet av dodger kl. 11:46 pm (EST) den Nov 17, 2007

Yes, I know what you mean. Some good quotable passages that I come upon never make it into my comments because I'm too into a book to stop and mark them. I've actually gotten into the habit of keeping those little sticky tab things floating around the house, so that when I'm reading, I can quickly mark a spot without stopping. Then I just enter the quotes when I've finished a book and am writing the review. It's amazing how far neuroses can take you, eh? ;)

Cheers

postet av philosojerk kl. 9:46 am (EST) den Nov 15, 2007

Hi reading_fox,

Thanks for the note and adding me to your interesting libraries list. I'm going to pass on your invitation to join the McCaffrey group -- I like her early Pern works, but I lost interest in her later stuff.

Of Cherryh, besides the Fortress series, I have read Tree of Swords and Jewels and the sequel, whatever that was called, and the Faded Sun trilogy, which I really loved. I also read one of the Chanur series, I think, and something else, maybe Downbelow Station, which didn't really grab me. Morgaine sounds familiar, but I can't remember a thing about it.

Look forward to chatting with you again.

postet av MuseofIre kl. 2:31 pm (EST) den Nov 14, 2007

A little off-topic so I came here instead of posting in the thread, but I love that you brought up one of the many great rants from KSR's global warming trilogy. I don't have the rant on the WB, but a few of my faves are recorded in the "Comments" field for those books in my catalog. It really is a great series, and Frank has to be one of my all-time favorite fictional characters.

postet av philosojerk kl. 7:04 pm (EST) den Nov 13, 2007

Thanks for the invites, reading_fox! I joined the Fforde groups, but I think I'll continue to watch Pro and Con for a while. I'm enjoying the discussions there, but adding a useful comment would take more time than I have at the moment. :)

postet av Iralell kl. 9:23 am (EST) den Nov 13, 2007

Thanks for the note about the Weyr and Hold group. I'll go take a look.

PS: What kind of dogs are these? They're very cute. And wow! The ears on the little one! Looks very foxish.

postet av sandragon kl. 1:38 pm (EST) den Nov 11, 2007

No I have not read all of the Tolkien Books only the Trilogy, The Hobbit, The Sil,UT, Both vols. of The Lost Road...,and large parts of the reference books. I doubt I'll ever get through them all but am working on it! yes Gerald Durrel sense of humor seems to have gotten him through a whole lot of interesting predicaments. Of course you know that his brother was the other famous Durrel (Lawrence)tho I'm not ewven sure right now what he wrote. Of course he was one of the dinizens of [My Family, and other Animals].The touchstones aren't picking up on that on e But it's one of Geery Durrel's goodies.

postet av Vanye kl. 9:23 pm (EST) den Oct 31, 2007

I see that you seem to be a reader of Gerald Durrell! I have read most if not all of his works w/the exeption of the one you reviewed. I used to laugh myself silly when reading his stuff. When I was in college I used an excerpt from one of his books in an Oral Interpretation (Speech) class! I have always loved his sense of humor as well as his obvious concern for the animals & people w/whom he worked. Glad to find someone else who also appreciatesd this writer. 8^)

postet av Vanye kl. 5:10 pm (EST) den Oct 29, 2007

Robin McKinley and John Scalzi. It didn't exactly start out that way...

I thought I had all of McKinley's books, but then I found out she'd done a handful of kids' books, and had short stories in some anthologies that I hadn't heard of. All but one are out of print, so I spent a lot of time and not a little money getting them through abebooks and amazon booksellers and such.

And with Scalzi, well, I have almost all of his fiction - he's fairly new to the fiction scene, so it isn't that hard. Unfortunately, the ones I am missing are out of print, limited edition, and probably signed as well, so there's no chance of my getting a copy of Agent to the Stars (though they might be reprinting it) or Questions for a Soldier (not going to be reprinted, far as I know). He also has done a number of nonfiction books that I don't have, but I haven't decided yet if I care quite that much.

And when it comes down to it, I guess I have everything by Alan Revere, but those are reference books. And there's only 4 of them so far. Though I would like the new edition of Professional Goldsmithing, I heard he made substantial changes...

postet av bluesalamanders kl. 9:58 am (EST) den Oct 25, 2007

I love Oysterband. I've seen them twice at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, and we're hoping to see them at a regular concert next spring. A friend is supposed to be buying the tickets and I keep forgetting to ask if she has got them yet. Their last gig at the EFMF was memorable - they were the closing act on Saturday night and there was a massive lightning storm with torrential rain. Needless to say, the hill emptied pretty quickly, which was a pity because it was a great show. I stuck it out :)

postet av tardis kl. 5:37 pm (EST) den Oct 15, 2007

Thank you -- the haiku muse seemed to go into hiding when I wrote in pirate-speak, so I mostly resorted to word-play. Afterwards, I wrote "raccoons" just to make sure she hadn't been offended. Actually, I hadn't written any type of poetry for a very long time, so this was a lot of fun for me. Thanks again for the kind words.

postet av SilentInAWay kl. 11:19 pm (EST) den Oct 4, 2007

Unfortunately, I'm mostly a wanna-be caver. I've only been in a handful of caves, (heavily supervised; I definitely don't have the expertise to go down on my own!), and I live in a flat, caveless wasteland. Sigh. Someday, hopefully.

postet av xicanti kl. 12:12 am (EST) den Sep 29, 2007

"My least favourite are the vertical caves where you spend all day joining the dots on a piece of rope and then prussicking back out again having touched the sump. I prefer the opportunity to explore a bit."

Boy, do I agree with that! I did it once, decided there had to be more fun somewhere else! 8^}

THanks for inviting me to join your group...

postet av drneutron kl. 6:49 pm (EST) den Sep 28, 2007

What caves did you manage to visit that are relatively untouched? Although, I probably won't have heard of them.

A few of the guys at work got together in the mountains in West Virginia to explore a cave on private property that's had visitors, but only a very limited number. We drove about 4 hours, caved all day, then drove 4 hours home. It was a *long* day. After hitting Nutt cave a few times, we came across a couple of others on private property where access was also limited, and so were relatively untouched. None of these had names, per se, just the name of the property owner.

Nutt cave was neat because it had a really nice belly crawl at the entrance followed by a wade up an underground stream before you got to the big rooms and crystal structures. Really nice cave. Some of the others we hit were mainly mudholes with no major rooms and structures.

That was 15 years ago, though, so things are probably less unspoiled now...8^(

postet av drneutron kl. 11:54 am (EST) den Sep 28, 2007

Yes I'm based in Manchester :)
Had a quick look at the itenerary for the Literature Festival, but it all seems a bit "creative writing-y" if you know what I mean.

postet av wonderlake kl. 11:11 am (EST) den Sep 28, 2007

From the Go Review That Book group, The Lions of Al-Rassan is completely fine (i.e. unread and at home), although it might be a bit before I can get to it. I'm sorry that link didn't work... it worked fine when I posted it, but now when I click on it all I'm getting is one of my three current reads. Hrmph.

I've enjoyed the two Kay books I've read so far; which one have you read?

postet av fyrefly98 kl. 8:14 am (EST) den Sep 28, 2007

Unfortunetly we don't own an Aga

Sadly, nor do I now, but it was the one thing that made the house bearable when I was a child. (Ancient house with no central heating.)

What's the issue with Todd (Mccaffery)'s book that you haven't finished it? I haven't bought
it because in general I find different authors are poor at continuing an established series.
But I'm interested to know if that is the case this time?

Yes, pretty much - I shan't bother to buy any others by him.

postet av sarahemmm kl. 7:55 am (EST) den Sep 27, 2007

Hi, Foxy!

I see you too have a high proportion of 'unique' works - I do envy you the Aga and Indian
cookery books.

You'll see I have now catalogued all my Pern books, and can reasonably claim admittance to the Weyr & Hold group. I haven't managed to finish the book by Todd, though.

postet av sarahemmm kl. 2:41 am (EST) den Sep 27, 2007

When time came to choose a username, my mental process went something like this:

"Username? Okay. How about my name? Nah. How about one of my usual nicknames? Oh, come on, Danny, have some fun; be original! Okay. So, what's this site all about? Books. Uh huh, and what does that have to do with me? Well, I write books, I have books, and I read books. How about BookReader? No, probably already taken, too easy. What if I translated it? Yeah. Spanish? Libro leer-- leyendo--- ...okay, not into Spanish. French? No, I don't remember enough of that, either. Well, only one language left, so German it is. Buch... Leser, I think. Yeah. And, hey, in German, everything ends up becoming one word, so I have a one-word username! Yay!"

And thus did I become Buchleser.

...bet you weren't expecting that long of a reply, were you, Foxy? :)

postet av buchleser kl. 11:32 am (EST) den Sep 26, 2007

Reading Fox,

I read your Favorite Terry Pratchett Characters comment, and became curious to know if you work in mental health, or if that is more of a pastime.

postet av buchleser kl. 7:06 am (EST) den Sep 26, 2007

I believe I now know why my series sometimes show in a sensible order. LT has, sometime recently, changed its sort algorithm so that sorting by one column then by another doesn't lose the first sort, for entries which match equal on the second one. So if you had been looking at something in entry order before sorting my catalog by author, that would explain it. This topic has come up in Site talk: Series Order?.

postet av jimroberts kl. 4:55 am (EST) den Sep 25, 2007

Yes, Oswaldtwistle is a bit north of Manchester, next to Blackburn.

Starting from Hamburg, go south of the river. Now set off in any direction, just avoiding crossing the river, and you will soon be in Niedersachsen, aka Lower Saxony.

postet av jimroberts kl. 2:04 pm (EST) den Sep 20, 2007

How've you managed to get all the series' to come out in order without tagging them? Is it just carefully entereing in the correct order? (although of those we share your Inspector Morse books are higgelty pigglety).

I don't know! For the series I regarded as series when entering, I did try to enter in order, largely to simplify numbering them, which I've done in Comments, maybe you didn't display that column. But in the case of the ones tagged 'william brown', I know I put one of them in out of order, but it still shows up in the right place. When I look at a sorted series in my catalog, they show in reverse order. I wasn't really thinking of Morse or Perry Mason as series, they got entered higgeldy piggledy and don't have numbered comments.

despite reading widely I've never been good at spelling.

I'm not good at spelling either, but I installed a spell checker in Firefox so it doesn't show :-) I've looked at some more of your reviews - there are quite a lot of typos or misspellings, though it doesn't normally interfere with understanding. There are occasional missing words too though, which spell checking won't help with, like "can is carried through" in your review of Monstrous Regiment: "can be and is"?

Are you a visitor in Germany or native?

Not native, long-term resident. It came of looking for work outside London, which is great for a visit but not, IMO, somewhere to live.
Are you really in Manchester UK? When I was growing up in Oswaldtwistle, Manchester was The Big City A Long Way Away.

postet av jimroberts kl. 11:21 am (EST) den Sep 19, 2007

Re your review of Cities in Flight: "metasize"? Is that a word? Maybe "metastasize", though that doesn't seem quite apt either.
Does your invitation to criticise apply to your profile too? It's "separate', not 'seperate'. (But please don't criticize 'criticise'.)

I guess I should alter my profile to say more about accepting criticism.

ETA: you have typo "soem" in review of Science of Discworld.

Jim Roberts

postet av jimroberts kl. 10:01 am (EST) den Sep 19, 2007

Hello Reading Fox,

thank you for the comment. The book Morphy is talking about is O.J. Simpsons "If I did it". Where he hypothetically or not so hypothetically talks about the murder of his ex wife.

I have been in China since 2004 now... Married to a wonderful native 2 month ago. Hehe, ask your brother... there must be something about Chinese girls ;).

I work as marketing consultant for a Chinese online incoming tour operator (chinahighlights.com). Our office is in beautiful but small Guilin, South China (Guangxi Province). The city doesn't have the amenities of big cities like Beijing or Shanghai, but its clean and safe with fresh air and a lot of nature around.

I don't think I will be going to the Olympics next year... Prefer watching it comfortably in front of a big TV screen. I have seen to many big events in China... and if you experience the Chinese Holiday Time once or twice, you stay away from traveling in peak seasons....

postet av J_ipsen kl. 9:22 am (EST) den Sep 19, 2007

We get almost no rugby coverage here! Not even on an obscure cable channel. You can purchase individual matches on pay-per-view, but their $25 a game! If you’re a satellite subscriber you can buy a channel for $15 a month that carries a lot of the games (plus some football and even GAA). We used to have a cable channel called Fox Sports World which aired a lot of rugby (and football, and even Swedish and Finnish hockey) but they changed it to Fox Soccer Channel (a bittersweet change for me) and now it’s almost exclusively football programming. There is an Internet broadcast I can subscribe to for $15 a month, but they don’t archive any of the matches so I’d have to watch them live on my computer, and given the time differences I’d have to be in front of my computer at six or eight in the morning for a lot of matches!, which won’t happen. ;-)

However, despite the lack of coverage, rugby has some popularity. There are quite a few armature clubs and leagues across the nation; and the 2007 Churchill Cup (played in California) was broadcast on an obscure cable channel, and the crowd was decently large. Also, the Sevens did get some TV coverage, although it was only in the form of a highlights show shown a few times a week.

So for the most part I rely on a variety of Web sites and video clips, and I have a few past matches I’ve downloaded from file-sharing sites. Other than that, I have to travel to see any rugby!

postet av dodger kl. 8:05 pm (EST) den Sep 9, 2007

I presume we’re talking rugby? (Sport-wise my brain has been in Rugby WC mode!) England disposed of the US nicely, though I will say they probably should have beaten them by a bigger margin. The US isn’t a bad team though, considering it’s made up of armatures, and rugby is less than popular on this side of the Atlantic. I probably should be cheering for the US, even though they have the proverbial snowballs chance in hell, but I’d like to see Ireland, NZ, Australia, or Wales win, and I can deal England winning again. ;-)

Part of me wishes that I could have seen the Australia/Japan match: 91-3! It was probably boring to watch, but it’s not often you get to see a thumping like that.

postet av dodger kl. 5:13 pm (EST) den Sep 8, 2007

On my page you asked:

> How connected are you to Nimble publishing? owner?
> If so assuming that you like the response to Early Reviewer trial, will you be adding other books in a > similar vein to those in you catalog? I (and many other Lters) would love to be an Early Reviewer of > > Alaistair Reynolds's work or similar - as yet no titles in these fields have come up for review.

>Just curious

Yes, if the Early Reviewers trial works well, I will continue to add new books to ER, and some of them will be from genres that I personally enjoy. I would love to publish some science fiction, especially by the likes of Alastair Reynolds. Aspiring SF writers check out "Why Publish With Nimble Books" at my website. ;-)

postet av wfzimmerman kl. 12:29 pm (EST) den Sep 5, 2007

Hi!

A bookstore stocking an entire series depends on a couple of things.

1. Is the book even being printed at this time. -- There are a lot of series out there that only have one run of printings. Once those 300,000 or 500,000 or however many are printed, are gone, they are gone. No more to be found. BUT a lot of times, they will reissue "first in series" for a sequel coming out. Um, example -- Janet Evanovich -- she comes out with a new book every summer. So guaranteed, right before the next book comes out, the bookstore stocks up on all other books in the series to hook the new reader. It totally depends on the series.

2. Bookstores are there to make money. Period. End of story. If a series has ten books in the series and the first seven in the series has not sold a single copy in three years (that is called dead stock, btw) then they are going to pull those books off the shelves to make way for books that WILL sell. Book ten in the series just came out & the demand is high for it. They are going to have multiple copies to satisfy the demands of the customer. It is inventory control, plain & simple. Supply & Demand.

If you can't find a book in the series that you are looking for, ask a bookseller. They can very easily order it for you if it is available to order.

I hope that answered you questions!! Good luck!

postet av charlotteg kl. 11:54 am (EST) den Aug 24, 2007

Hi - thanks for looking at my library. I haven't really started on the sf books yet, which is why Pern books are not yet on. I think I have all of them, and reread them every so often. I also have some of AMcC's other books - A Stitch in Time and The Year of the Lucy being the ones I can recall off the top of my head. My aim is to have all the shelved books catalogued by Christmas, so do drop by again!

postet av sarahemmm kl. 11:47 am (EST) den Aug 21, 2007

> Shejidan, Cherryh's home site

Cherryh's site is great; can't wait for the new Cyteen book to come along.
I haven't checked out Shejidan yet, but I really, really should..

postet av wyrdchao kl. 6:31 am (EST) den Aug 21, 2007

Thanks for your interest in my library! Look like we're both Cherryh fans, too. Like you, I own everything in my catalog, and hesitate to review things without re-reading books.

I'm also thinking of starting a topic (either in the Non-fiction or the SF group), on your favorite books to re-read. I do this regularly and it seems like there might be some interest in that. Would you be interested in this, and do you have any preferences as far as which group it should be in?

postet av wyrdchao kl. 12:23 am (EST) den Aug 21, 2007

Hey, thanks for the invite to the German group. I was sitting in front of the computer yesterday desperately trying to remember my German so I could reply to my host mother in Berlin ... joining this group will help me catch up with the language again. And there are so many great German authors!

Thanks again.

-corey

postet av ichliebebueche kl. 10:55 am (EST) den Aug 16, 2007

thanks for the invite to the bird group. I am there.

Rubber stamp community: kind of like tupperware, a neighbor of mine hosts a party where we make handmade greeting cards with rubber stamps. She sells stamps, papers, tools, etc. etc. There is lots of interest in the USA - rubber stamping magazines, rubber stamps for sale on ebay, goes on and on but I enjoy it.

I like being retired. Looking forward to having LT stimulate broad reading experiences. I use the library more now, less buying books. My library probably represents my history more than my current interests.

postet av maggie1944 kl. 12:09 pm (EST) den Aug 14, 2007

Thanks for the HTML note.

I'm still working on Iron Council; I'm about a third of the way through. I'm really liking it, but it is another dark book so far. The darkness in Perdido Street Station was one of the things I liked about the book, but this one seems less dark in terms of gross descriptions, and more in terms of political idealogy. I should be done with it by tomorrow night; if you're interested, I can give you a little more info then?

postet av bibliophool kl. 12:17 pm (EST) den Aug 10, 2007

Thank you for the addition to your interesting libraries... Between those on the list, and yourself, I'm in admirable company. :) I hope to rejoin you all a bit more literally, on the terra firma of LT's groups, soon. It's been sadly missed of late (even if the lack is my own fault).

Unless my eyes deceive me, you've mastered the trick of typing comments in disappearing ink. :) Very neat. A bit like lemon juice, though - it leaves traces (and, until you half-char the thing on a light bulb, gives the atmosphere a slight lift).

Take care, and please eat an extra mouthful of brussels sprouts, of cheese, of pasta, for me...

Eurydice

postet av Eurydice kl. 2:59 am (EST) den Aug 9, 2007

Hiya, thanks for the invite! It does indeed sound like my kind of group :-)

Tis true we have Heffers, although strangely I don't seem to shop there very often. I should really start doing that - I used to love Blackwells when I lived in Oxford.

I don't go walking round here - my husband and I tried once and gave up because it was a flat arable desert. I get major hill cravings on a regular basis - all our holidays have to be somewhere with hills and we decamp to the Lake District about twice a year! I'm deeply jealous of your living in Manchester - I did my degree there and could see the edge of the Peak District from the top of my department. How I miss just being able to pop out for a walk! We're going to the lakes next week and I'm quite looking forward to purchasing the last two Wainwrights :-) They're worth a look if you ever visit the Lakes. And possibly even if you haven't, they're a work of art.

postet av LizT kl. 5:32 pm (EST) den Aug 8, 2007

Ello there, fox. *smile* what a charming bio you have.

Thank you thank you for leaVing me a comment whilst passing through the LT maze. Aren't comments delightful? I've often been teased on here by some other users for my obvious glee about comments, but it is because I am always entirely grateful to meet any kind of reader who shares the same sort of love I do for books. It really -is- harder to find some of your own ilk in the -real- world. At least that's been my experience. In any such case (I digress often), *ahem* It is an honor & a pleasure to make your acquaintence. :)

"We do share an ecletic mix of fantasy/sf/contempary/classic/reference works, so I've added you to my interesting libraries list. Of the 35 we share I think my favourite would be Good Omens, hotly contested by Jasper Ffordes' works, the least favourite is definetly Eco's pendulem which I really disliked."

Yes, yes we do! What an interesting combination of books we have in common... and, also like you, "Good Omens" is one of my absolute favourite novels! It is in fact one of the only books I reread every year, either from habit or the sheer bliss of dwelling, for just a bit, in Aziraphale's Used Book Store. *sighhhhh* What I wouldn't give to have a store like that!!! *big grin*

Much bliss & happy reading! ;)
~PandorasRequiem

postet av PandorasRequiem kl. 3:42 pm (EST) den Aug 6, 2007

Hello Reading Fox!

Thank you for your message! The picture on my profile has been taken in Berlin last summer. If you wanna read more about it, here's the official link:

http://www.land-of-ideas.org/CDA/printin...

Cheers,
Gio

postet av Gio kl. 5:59 am (EST) den Aug 6, 2007

Hey fox!
Thanks for the invites to both "Weyr & Hold" and "Revelstone" - will check in there when I can!
Hope to get more of my extensive SF/fantasy library online soon!
cheers
AtlantisGirl

postet av AtlantisGirl kl. 2:49 am (EST) den Jul 23, 2007

Thanks. Not trying to persuade anyone on religious issues, though. My hope is that people will keep their minds open to argument, much as John Stuart Mill suggests. Much appreciate your helpful suggestions as I'm brand new to this website.

John

postet av johnumana kl. 4:27 pm (EST) den Jul 19, 2007

RE:- Casteret, there are stacks of copies on Abebooks site, cheapest hardback from a British bookseller is £3.50 plus postage. There are cheaper Penguin and Dent paperbacks but I wouldn't advise them as the paper at that time was very poor quality and photographs didn't reproduce well on it. Not a caver myself, had rheumatic fever in 1940-41 for which there was then no treatment but bed rest and aspirin, it ruled out active sports in my youth and afterwards I was too busy. Heart trouble recurred three years ago and prevents me walking any distance, a great pity as I would have loved to explore Derbyshire with a relative who now lives in Hathersage.

postet av gibbon kl. 5:23 am (EST) den Jul 18, 2007

I came to you site by a devious route but I see that you ask for suggestions of caving books. As far as I can see I own the only copy (in the current 16 million) of Norbert Casteret's "Ten years under the earth". It was published in the 1940's by Readers' Union - fascinated me then and I still re-read bits sixty years on.

postet av gibbon kl. 7:20 am (EST) den Jul 17, 2007

Thanks. I've got so many on-going projects with my library, that I had kind of let that idea go. My library needs a major cleaning, but I haven't had time to really work on it much. At the moment I'm spending most of my time trying to merge my home excel sheet (~1800 books) and my LT library (exported to an excel sheet). But, my thoughts have evolved a little from thi