BB: author suggestions? I'm OUT!!!
Desideria
I know many of you here will feel my pain. My pool of favorite authors
has been shrinking, as folks like Barbara Hambly and our own Jim
Hetley can't sell the books they've got waiting (and that I'm urgently
waiting for....).
I need some suggestions for new favorite authors, ones whose books I
can find at used bookstores, hopefully in large quantities ;-). As it
is, I am rereading and rereading and rereading books I read a short
time ago.
I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
I've tried and disliked Katherine Kurtz, Ngaio Marsh, Robin Hobb.
Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
Desideria
Denny Wheeler
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
But it's worth noting that she very much enjoyed (and is rereading)
the Miles Vorkosigan yarns.
-denny-
--
"...our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and
welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be
secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism:
'Our country--when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put
right.'" - Carl Schurz, in 1899
Ree
T.A. Barron....harder to find but REALLY good. Fantasy
Patricia Briggs....Excellent...Fantasy
Mary Daheim......Mystery
Barbara D'Amato.......wonderful.....Mystery
Charles DeLint of course.........Fantasy
Carole Nelson Douglas.......Mystery
Esther Friesner naturally.........Fantasy
Greg Iles.....WOW........Mystery
Johnathan Kellerman........psychologist who solves mysteries
Marian Keyes......comedy?.....hilarious Irish author...not myst or fant.
Madeleine L'engle....wonderful....Fantasy and other..bks have serenity.
Sharyn McCrumb........terrific historical mysteries
Robin McKinley.....terrific Fantasy/Fairy Tales
Margaret Maron......fabulous....Mystery
Barbara Michaels.....spooky suspense
Elizabeth Moon...excellent Fantasy
Marcia Muller.....can't put down....Mystery
Sara Paretsky.....very fun....Mystery
Dana Stabenow......amazing protagonists.......Mystery
Will that do for now? I know some of those will be "already knowns". I
can always ask Meaghan & Janet at work for more recommendations.
Ree
Ree
> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:01:29 -0800, Desideria
> <deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>> like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>
> But it's worth noting that she very much enjoyed (and is rereading)
> the Miles Vorkosigan yarns.
>
> -denny-
Well yeah. Those are hardly hard science fiction. So they fit into the
same mental space as a good fantasy in that the science (not that those
have any) does not block ones enjoyment of the story.
Ree
Desideria
Gives me a starting point!!!
I've read Patricia Briggs and really like her books with Mercy
Thompson, but not the others so much. Madeline L'Engle I read long ago
and really like. Sharyn McCrumb--you and I have discussed her at some
length ;-). Robin McKinley--I think I've read all of them. Barbara
Michaels/Barbara Mertz/Elizabeth Peters--I've read all, esp. the
Elizabeth Peters.
I'll look into the others, thanks! What can I purchase for you?
Desideria
Catherine Fiorello
Have you tried Diana Gabaldon?
--
Cathy F
Barry Gold
If you've already read the Miles Vorkosigan books, try the Familias
Regnant books by Elizabeth Moon. Look it up in Wikipedia to get the
list of books. Suggestion: skip the first two books, and start with
_Winning Colors_. If you like the rest of the series, _then_ go back
and read the first two for background.
And if you like those, you can go on to her Vatta's War books,
starting with _Trading in Danger_.
Other stuff I've enjoyed:
The Vlad stories by Steven Brust (start with Jhereg & Yendi)
The Company novels by Kage Baker (start with _In the Garden of Iden_)
Eleanor Arnason (sociological SF)
And, if you like fantasy and haven't read _Bridge of Birds_ (but
don't bother with any of the sequels). IMHO, this is the finest
piece of fantasy since Tolkein.
Also on my favorites list, _Tex and Molly in the Afterlife_ by
Richard Grant. Again, the sequels probably aren't worth bothering
with. Well, maybe _In the Land of Winter_, if you can stand the
middle part where horrible things(*) happen to the main character and
her daughter.
(*) Defined as Child Protective Services
I have some singleton books at home, that's about it for semi-reliable
authors. Nowhere near as many as there used to be.
Another useful thing if you have time: go to Amazon.com and create
yourself a userid. No need to even give them a credit card until/
unless you decide to buy from them. Then go to "my account" and
"improve my recommendations" and start rating books that you've read.
After you've done 100 or so, they'll get pretty good at recommending
books you're likely to enjoy.
--
Barry Gold, webmaster:
Alarums & Excursions, Xenofilkia: http://places.to/xeno
Conchord: http://www.conchord.org
Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc.: http://www.lasfsinc.org
Ree
Ginger ale is always good. Check out Dana Stabenow's Kate Shugak novels
first...she wrote those before the other series so there were more of
them last I checked...and Kate is really something else....wait'll you
see the scar across her throat!
Ree
Desideria
<cathy...@nospam.starbeast.net> wrote:
Not yet! Does she do fantasy or mystery?
Desideria
Desideria
Ah. Thanks!
>
> Also on my favorites list, _Tex and Molly in the Afterlife_ by
> Richard Grant. Again, the sequels probably aren't worth bothering
> with. Well, maybe _In the Land of Winter_, if you can stand the
> middle part where horrible things(*) happen to the main character and
> her daughter.
> (*) Defined as Child Protective Services
*snicker* I've read Miles, remember? Terrible things happen with Mark
especially, too. ;-)
>
>I have some singleton books at home, that's about it for semi-reliable
>authors. Nowhere near as many as there used to be.
>
>Another useful thing if you have time: go to Amazon.com and create
>yourself a userid. No need to even give them a credit card until/
>unless you decide to buy from them. Then go to "my account" and
>"improve my recommendations" and start rating books that you've read.
>After you've done 100 or so, they'll get pretty good at recommending
>books you're likely to enjoy
Huh. Okay--I can do that, especially as I already have the account
there!
Desideria
Bookwyrm
> Desideria <deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I know many of you here will feel my pain. My pool of favorite authors
>> has been shrinking, as folks like Barbara Hambly and our own Jim
>> Hetley can't sell the books they've got waiting (and that I'm urgently
>> waiting for....).
>>
>> I need some suggestions for new favorite authors, ones whose books I
>> can find at used bookstores, hopefully in large quantities ;-). As it
>> is, I am rereading and rereading and rereading books I read a short
>> time ago.
>>
>> I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
>> like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
>> long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>> like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>>
>> I've tried and disliked Katherine Kurtz, Ngaio Marsh, Robin Hobb.
>>
>> Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
>
> If you've already read the Miles Vorkosigan books, try the Familias
> Regnant books by Elizabeth Moon. Look it up in Wikipedia to get the
> list of books. Suggestion: skip the first two books, and start with
> _Winning Colors_. If you like the rest of the series, _then_ go back
> and read the first two for background.
>
> And if you like those, you can go on to her Vatta's War books,
> starting with _Trading in Danger_.
>
>
Elizabeth Moon also has the wonderful trilogy about Paksenarrion --
Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold.
Or just buy the single volume -- The Deed of Paksenarrion.
Strong female lead and saga worthy of Tolkein.
'wyrm
Catherine Fiorello
There's a bit a magic time travel, and sometimes a mystery to solve, but
it's mostly historical romance. But they are long, lush novels and I love
them.
--
Cathy F
Rowan Hawthorn
> Desideria wrote:
>> Hi, all!
>>
>> I know many of you here will feel my pain. My pool of favorite authors
>> has been shrinking, as folks like Barbara Hambly and our own Jim
>> Hetley can't sell the books they've got waiting (and that I'm urgently
>> waiting for....).
>>
>> I need some suggestions for new favorite authors, ones whose books I
>> can find at used bookstores, hopefully in large quantities ;-). As it
>> is, I am rereading and rereading and rereading books I read a short
>> time ago.
>>
>> I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
>> like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
>> long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>> like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>>
>> I've tried and disliked Katherine Kurtz, Ngaio Marsh, Robin Hobb.
>> Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
>>
>> Desideria
>
Seconded. Especially the Midnight Louie series. (If you're not familiar
with them, Louie is a hardboiled detective tomcat in Las Vegas.)
> Sharyn McCrumb........terrific historical mysteries
I particularly like her Nora Bonesteel novels.
Also:
Patricia McKillip -- Fantasy
Charlotte McLeod (aka Alisa Craig) -- Fun, "screwball" mysteries.
Elizabeth Scarborough -- I especially liked her "Tales From the Seashell
Archives" cycle
Rita Mae Brown -- the "Mrs. Murphy" Mystery series (Mrs. Murphy is also
a cat.)
Carolyn G. Hart -- I prefer her "Death On Demand" mysteries to the
"Henrie O." series, but YMMV.
Charlaine Harris -- I liked her "Aurora Teagarden" mysteries and her
"Shakespeare" series, as well as a couple of her one-shots that I've
read, but for the life of me, I can't get interested in the "Sookie
Stackhouse" series.
Of course, one of my favorite strong female characters is written by a
man: "Modesty Blaise", by Peter O'Donnell.
--
Rowan Hawthorn
"Occasionally, I'm callous and strange." - Willow Rosenberg, "Buffy the
Vampire Slayer"
Desideria
wrote:
I've read a bit of 'Paksenarrion' online, and it has somewhat grabbed
me, but not all the way. I'll go back and read more and see if I
change my mind!
Thanks, 'wyrm! How are you doing?
Desideria
Summer Storms
<cathy...@nospam.starbeast.net> wrote:
I will vouch for her books being wonderful. Note that I do *not* read
romance novels as a matter of course. Never cared for romance novels
at all. But I do love history, and stories about things that could
plausibly have happened, and I enjoy stories involving time travel.
Gabaldon's Outlander series is chock-full of great action, interesting
factual material woven into the background of the story, very lifelike
characters, and the romantic element is integrated so skillfully into
the plot that it is *never* gratuitous, nor does it ever smack of the
sickly-sweet stuff that turned me off the romance genre clear back in
my teens. Claire (the protagonist) is such a strong woman to begin
with, and being thrown two centuries into the past and having to deal
with living in a world in which women are not regarded as strong
people only serves to make her stronger. Jamie (the male lead) is
likewise a strong person in his own right, with an endearing
vulnerability about him in only those areas where it serves to make
him more human and more accessible. The obstacles the two of them come
up against - including, at times, each other - make for a stirring
sense of urgency that never diminishes, not even over the span of
several books (this is a series). Be sure to read them in the order of
their publication, for otherwise the story won't make sense. That
order is as follows: Outlander (1991) • Dragonfly in Amber (1992) •
Voyager (1994) • Drums of Autumn (1997) • The Fiery Cross (2001) • A
Breath of Snow and Ashes (2005)
Here is a link to the Amazon page for the first book in the series:
http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0440212561
Wikipedia on the first book (spoiler warning!):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outlander_
Finally, a good-sized sample, courtesy of Google Books:
http://tinyurl.com/6rpkno
___
(Remove dotty rant to reply.)
"Ignorance is an abuse of free will." - comedian Chris Bliss
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From #Callahans on Undernet (IRC):
<C_90> You don't know the hallucinatory properties of
Polish Sausage and a Beer and a shot while dancing
to Polka Bands.
<SummerStorms> Dude... I live in Cleveland.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Blogs:
http://summers-place.livejournal.com/
http://summerbythelakeside.blogspot.com/
Hubby's Blog for current events, sports, music & misc.:
Desideria
Yep. They're good, and a bit different.
>
>Also:
>Patricia McKillip -- Fantasy
Read 'em all. :-)
>Charlotte McLeod (aka Alisa Craig) -- Fun, "screwball" mysteries.
Ditto. I like the ones with Sara.
>Elizabeth Scarborough -- I especially liked her "Tales From the Seashell
>Archives" cycle
Own all her non-serious stuff. Next time I see her, I'll pass on your
praise. She has a website, btw, and sends out monthly newsletters. Let
me know if you'd like the website addie.
>Rita Mae Brown -- the "Mrs. Murphy" Mystery series (Mrs. Murphy is also
>a cat.)
Think I read a Sneakie Pie Brown mystery and didn't like it much, but
I'll give her another try.
>Carolyn G. Hart -- I prefer her "Death On Demand" mysteries to the
>"Henrie O." series, but YMMV.
>Charlaine Harris -- I liked her "Aurora Teagarden" mysteries and her
>"Shakespeare" series, as well as a couple of her one-shots that I've
>read, but for the life of me, I can't get interested in the "Sookie
>Stackhouse" series.
>
>Of course, one of my favorite strong female characters is written by a
>man: "Modesty Blaise", by Peter O'Donnell.
Thanks, Rowan! I'll give them a try. :-)
Desideria
Denny Wheeler
Ya know, I've never read any *good* hard SF in which the science
blocked my enjoyment of the story.
Of course, for me the primary factor in defining hard SF is "the
science is reasonably feasible given what we know now[1]."
See the paragraph headed 'Scientific rigor' in the Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_science_fiction
[1] 'now' being when the story was written.
And of course there's a lot of good speculative fiction which is
really neither fish nor fowl--the fantasy purist calls it SF, and the
SF purist calls it fantasy. I'd put most if not all of McCaffrey's
stories in that class, and some of Heinlein, notably _Glory Road_ and
_The Number of the Beast_. (_Job_ is, in my mind, clearly in the
'fantasy' genre--much more so than is _Glory Road_; after all,
everything that appears magic in it is the product of the advanced
science in Star's 20 Universes.)
Uncle Sky
Have you tried Karen Robards? She writes mysteries and I think she's good.
--
Uncle Sky
Tonnie
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
>like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
>long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
No fantasy hints from me - not really my kind of books, although I
loved Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy, and I read some Tanith Lee as
well.
>I've tried and disliked Katherine Kurtz, Ngaio Marsh, Robin Hobb.
>
>Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
But I do love mysteries, I don't really care for female lead
characters, nor for female writers. Just some names I enjoy(ed)
reading, I leave the research up to you <eg>:
Minette Walters
Faye Kellermann
Elizabeth George (especially the Lynley/Havers novels)
Ruth Rendell
Nicci French
Alex Kava
John Connolly
Ake Edwardson
Henning Mankell
Sue Grafton
Patricia Cornwell
Laurie R. King
P.D. James
Hmmm... a lot of women after all.
Have fun! An espresso please, strong and sweet ;o)
--
"Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but
hard to get out of."
D.J.
]like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
]long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
]like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
You might look up, in used book stores, stories about Jirel of
Joirey. Printed back in the 1950s, she was a strong female character
who had a small kingdom, and didn't see the need of a male king
sharing it with her.
D.J.
--
http://star.drivein-jim.net/ Starship deck plans
http://crestar.drivein-jim.net/ Oct, 2008 AD&D pages
The TheatrElf
news:vgmsg4dtbek55iaao...@4ax.com:
Robert B. Parker. He's best known for his SPENSER series, which
became a dreadful TV show SPENSER: FOR HIRE. But the books are
excellent. And one of his other series features Sunny Randall, a
former Boston police officer making her own way.
Parker is a great read; he's one of my top choices these days. I
also like James W. Hall.
--
}:-) Christopher Jahn
{:-( http://soflatheatre.blogspot.com/
MITCHELL! Even his name says, "Uh, is that a beer?"
Beth Jackson
Especially her "Miss Marple" stuff?
(:-)
And her "Tommy & Tuppence" stuff?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Canvas Canary"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(I love to paint, sing, am blonde & a bit flighty:)
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/canvascanary
*****************************
"Creative minds are seldom tidy." --Anon.
*****************************
"I'm out of bed, and dressed;
what more do you want?!" --Anon.
MargW
In the last month I've read and enjoyed the following:
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kid - lovely lyrical story - out soon
as a movie.
The Englishman's Boy - gritty historical about the Cypress Hills
massacre and early Hollywood - Guy Vanderhaeghe - very good
Sweetness in the Belly - Camilla Gibb - Giller Prize nominee - European
girl raised in Ethiopia and Ethiopian civil war - read it in three days
- very good
A Darker Justice - Sallie Bissell - 2nd in a series - reminded me of
Rita Mae Brown's fox hunting mystery. Am now looking for the first one
Uncle Tungsten - Oliver Saks - non-fiction autobiography of a scientific
boyhood - loved it
MargW
Beth Jackson
People" stuff?
Very cool. :-)
MargW
Oh, I forgot - Edith Partager (Ellis Peter's real name). Her
non-Cadfael mysteries/historicals are wonderful. Also her Detective
Felse/Inspector Felse mysteries under the Peter's name.
MargW
Ree
> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:38:28 -0500, Ree <ge...@teksavvy.com> wrote:
>
>> Denny Wheeler wrote:
>>> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:01:29 -0800, Desideria
>>> <deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>>>> like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>>> But it's worth noting that she very much enjoyed (and is rereading)
>>> the Miles Vorkosigan yarns.
>>>
>>> -denny-
>> Well yeah. Those are hardly hard science fiction. So they fit into the
>> same mental space as a good fantasy in that the science (not that those
>> have any) does not block ones enjoyment of the story.
>
> Ya know, I've never read any *good* hard SF in which the science
> blocked my enjoyment of the story.
Even in a well written story though, if you don't know what they are
talking about, it can really interrupt the flow of the story.
Especially if you have to understand what they are talking about to
follow the story.
>
> Of course, for me the primary factor in defining hard SF is "the
> science is reasonably feasible given what we know now[1]."
>
> See the paragraph headed 'Scientific rigor' in the Wikipedia entry:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_science_fiction
> [1] 'now' being when the story was written.
>
>
> And of course there's a lot of good speculative fiction which is
> really neither fish nor fowl--the fantasy purist calls it SF, and the
> SF purist calls it fantasy. I'd put most if not all of McCaffrey's
> stories in that class,
Yes, I would agree with them that Anne McCaffery's work is not SF in the
sense that there is no hard science there that you have to follow.
Still, it is more SF than it is fantasy because everything works by some
scientific principle rather than by "magic". Even if the author doesn't
always feel the need to explain the scientific principle in detail.
and some of Heinlein, notably _Glory Road_ and
> _The Number of the Beast_. (_Job_ is, in my mind, clearly in the
> 'fantasy' genre--much more so than is _Glory Road_; after all,
> everything that appears magic in it is the product of the advanced
> science in Star's 20 Universes.)
I wouldn't even TRY to define what Job is. Except very weird! A good
read but not one of my favourite Heinlein books.
Yeah, Glory Road, from what I can remember (very little, only read it
once) was indeed an advanced science appearing as magic thing so not
really fantasy. Just, like McCaffery's books, not having all the
science explained to us.
Ree
Saint Shaffer
the books of Pearl Buck. They were some of my first introductions to
writing from a mainly American perspective about live and people in
Asian nations, and their enjoyable qualities endure.
And you can get 'em for 40 cents at a thrift shop!
Barry Gold
>Have you tried Karen Robards? She writes mysteries and I think she's good.
If we're getting into mysteries, allow me to recommend the Elizabeth
Chase Mysteries by Martha C. Lawrence. Elizabeth Chase is a psychic
P.I. She gets "feelings" about some things, and has occasional
visions. Not really fantasy, but not standard mystery either. So
far, all of them have a zodiac sign in their name, and they are
in order by sign:
Murder in Scorpio
The Cold Heart of Capricorn
Aquarius Descending
Pisces Rising
Ashes of Aries
Allow me to also recommend _Sorcery and Cecilia_ if you haven't read
it: Fantasy, mystery, *and* Regency Romance equal to the best of
Georgette Heyer(@), all rolled into one grand adventure. I don't
recommend the first sequel, _The Grand Tour_. I haven't read the
second sequel, _The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After_, but people
have said good things about it.
Patricia Wrede has written some pretty decend stuff too, but you have
to avoid anything with dragons in the title, or in general anything
that's aimed at children -- they are dumbed down something awful. We
have a copy of the first edition of _Talking with Dragons_, and it was
pretty decent, but I understand they have re-released it to be
oversimplified like the rest of the series. Still, _Daughter of
Witches_ is pretty decent, and _The Magician's Ward_ is good fantasy
romance.
There's also the Swordspoint books by Ellen Kushner:
Swordspoint
The Privilege of the Sword
The Fall of the Kings
No overt fantasy elements, but there is a sort of fantastic feel to
these, set in a period with no king but nobles and a House of Lords
equivalent (and some politicking).
Don't read the last unless you like really dark tragedy(*). I abandoned
it about halfway through when it became clear that there was simply
_no way_ they were going to pull a happy ending out of this one. Even
the first two have rather ambiguous endings -- almost a "Fremen
ending": chop off the story and say, "It ends here".
(*) Tragedy in the classical sense: the bad ending is inevitable given
the characters involved.
(@) Well, maybe not quite the _best_. I wouldn't put this up against
_These Old Shades_ or _False Colors_, but it's easily the equal of
_Regency Buck_, _Friday's Child_, or _Lady of Quality_.
And speaking of Heyer, if you haven't discovered her writings, I
strongly recommend her Regency Romances. Head, shoulders, _and_
chest above any of the modern formula romances. Her only real
competition is Jane Austin. She also writes mysteries -- I'm not into
that as much, so I can't say if they're as good as her romances.
The Rocket Scientist
> Hi, all!
>
> I know many of you here will feel my pain. My pool of favorite authors
> has been shrinking, as folks like Barbara Hambly and our own Jim
> Hetley can't sell the books they've got waiting (and that I'm urgently
> waiting for....).
>
> can find at used bookstores, hopefully in large quantities ;-). As it
> is, I am rereading and rereading and rereading books I read a short
> time ago.
>
> like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
> like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>
>
> Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
>
> Desideria
You might enjoy Morgan Llywellyn, an American-born Irish author of
historical fantasy, historical fiction, and historical non-fiction.
Bill Sullivan
The Rocket Scientist
> Hi, all!
>
> I know many of you here will feel my pain. My pool of favorite authors
> has been shrinking, as folks like Barbara Hambly and our own Jim
> Hetley can't sell the books they've got waiting (and that I'm urgently
> waiting for....).
>
> I need some suggestions for new favorite authors, ones whose books I
> can find at used bookstores, hopefully in large quantities ;-). As it
> is, I am rereading and rereading and rereading books I read a short
> time ago.
>
> I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
> like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
> long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
> like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>
> I've tried and disliked Katherine Kurtz, Ngaio Marsh, Robin Hobb.
>
> Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
>
> Desideria
Oops! I forgot Naimi Novik and her excellent Temeraire series. Do
you like dragons?
Bill Sullivan
Joyce of Pendle
> Oh, I forgot - Edith Partager
<pedant mode> Pargeter </>
> (Ellis Peter's real name). Her non-Cadfael
> mysteries/historicals are wonderful. Also her Detective
> Felse/Inspector Felse mysteries under the Peter's name.
I find that some of her (Pargeter) books are utterly riveting, like
the _Heaven Tree_ trilogy, _A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury (which
makes sense of the Prince Hal/Hotspur story) _ and _Marriage of
Megotta_ (in which the *real* tragedy is that it too is a true
story). There is one (_Lost Children_ ?) that made sense of the
jibe "over sexed, over paid, and over here". Then there are others,
like _Most Loving Mere Folly_ that left me amazed that there might
be actual people like the characters described.
Ann Bridge also writes extremely well, and also has serious books
(describing her life in various British embassies from China to
Hungary to Spain) and light detective romances.
Elizabeth Cadell writes nice, light romances with interesting
characters in interesting settings across Europe (and perhaps New
England - it has been some time since I read them). This is not
mere "boy meets girl" stuff.
--
Joyce of Pendle.
--
"The spear in the Other's heart is in your own: you are he." -- Surak
http://www.flickr.com/photos/araqnid/
pendle atte boulsworth dotco_dotuk
MargW
> MargW wrote:
>
>
>> Oh, I forgot - Edith Partager
>
> <pedant mode> Pargeter </>
You're right of course - I didn't have the books in front of me
>
>> (Ellis Peter's real name). Her non-Cadfael
>> mysteries/historicals are wonderful. Also her Detective
>> Felse/Inspector Felse mysteries under the Peter's name.
>
> I find that some of her (Pargeter) books are utterly riveting, like
> the _Heaven Tree_ trilogy,
OHHHHH yes - I couldn't put them down.
_A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury (which
> makes sense of the Prince Hal/Hotspur story) _ and _Marriage of
> Megotta_ (in which the *real* tragedy is that it too is a true
> story).
I actually had trouble finishing that because, as you say, it is a real
story, and a heartwrenching tragedy.
There is one (_Lost Children_ ?) that made sense of the
> jibe "over sexed, over paid, and over here". Then there are others,
> like _Most Loving Mere Folly_ that left me amazed that there might
> be actual people like the characters described.
I'll have to look for those.
>
> Ann Bridge also writes extremely well, and also has serious books
> (describing her life in various British embassies from China to
> Hungary to Spain) and light detective romances.
>
> Elizabeth Cadell writes nice, light romances with interesting
> characters in interesting settings across Europe (and perhaps New
> England - it has been some time since I read them). This is not
> mere "boy meets girl" stuff.
>
MargW
Barry Gold
>Oops! I forgot Naimi Novik and her excellent Temeraire series. Do
>you like dragons?
I liked the first two, _His Majesty's Dragon_ and _Throne of Jade_.
I found Black Powder War boring, and haven't bothered with any of the
sequels after that.
Marten Kemp
The 'S' in 'SF' only needs plausible verisimilitude,
a fancy way of saying "convincing handwaving."
--
-- Marten Kemp
(Fix name and ISP to reply)
Joyce of Pendle
> Joyce of Pendle wrote:
> > MargW wrote:
> >
> >
> >> Oh, I forgot - Edith Partager
> >
> > <pedant mode> Pargeter </>
> You're right of course - I didn't have the books in front of me
I went and got them - and double checked my typing :-)
> >> (Ellis Peter's real name). Her non-Cadfael
> >> mysteries/historicals are wonderful. Also her Detective
> >> Felse/Inspector Felse mysteries under the Peter's name.
> >
> > I find that some of her (Pargeter) books are utterly riveting,
> > like the _Heaven Tree_ trilogy,
> OHHHHH yes - I couldn't put them down.
(4am and still reading!)
> > _A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury (which makes sense of the Prince
> > Hal/Hotspur story) _ and _Marriage of Megotta_ (in which the
> > *real* tragedy is that it too is a true story).
> I actually had trouble finishing that because, as you say, it is
> a real story, and a heartwrenching tragedy.
Yes :(( She also did a 4-vol series on the Welsh princes, which I
haven't got round to.
> > There is one (_Lost Children_ ?) that made sense of the
> > jibe "over sexed, over paid, and over here". Then there are
> > others, like _Most Loving Mere Folly_ that left me amazed that
> > there might be actual people like the characters described.
> I'll have to look for those.
I refuse to be blamed for _Mere Loving..._ (!!) but I would dearly
like to know whether these characters are drawn from life, or
whether they are caricatures. The book is technically well written,
but it puzzles me - not in a good way. I like books that puzzle me
with "Well, if he had done this instead of that, what difference
would it make" whereas _Mere Loving..._ is "Who are these people?"
(to me - YM will probably Y).
I also refuse to recommend _Rainbow's End_, though I've forgotten
why I disliked it. (I think probably Rainbow was one of those who
just needed killing. Don't want to know about such.) Some of the
other Felse books have plot holes, but WTF they are great reading.
Others are just splendid: _House of Green Turf_ and _Piper on the
Mountain_ and the ones set in India, and....
I'm sure that the artistic community in Josephine Tey's _To Love
and Be Wise_ is caricature, but the main characters are very
believable and interesting. I suppose her most famous book is
_Franchise Affair_. They are all among my favourites. Why did I
bother buying new (used) books?
Desideria
wrote:
>Restful and rich in detail, some really affordable old paperbacks are
>the books of Pearl Buck. They were some of my first introductions to
>writing from a mainly American perspective about live and people in
>Asian nations, and their enjoyable qualities endure.
>And you can get 'em for 40 cents at a thrift shop!
Ummm. Not sure she's my 'cup of tea', if you'll pardon the pun...but
I'll keep her in mind for an adventure sometime. ;-)
Desideria
Desideria
wrote:
Thanks, Uncle! I'll check that out.
Desideria
Desideria
>Uncle Sky <Uncl...@home.alone.invalid> wrote:
>>Have you tried Karen Robards? She writes mysteries and I think she's good.
>
>If we're getting into mysteries, allow me to recommend the Elizabeth
>Chase Mysteries by Martha C. Lawrence. Elizabeth Chase is a psychic
>P.I. She gets "feelings" about some things, and has occasional
>visions. Not really fantasy, but not standard mystery either. So
>far, all of them have a zodiac sign in their name, and they are
>in order by sign:
> Murder in Scorpio
> The Cold Heart of Capricorn
> Aquarius Descending
> Pisces Rising
> Ashes of Aries
>
>Allow me to also recommend _Sorcery and Cecilia_ if you haven't read
>it: Fantasy, mystery, *and* Regency Romance equal to the best of
>Georgette Heyer(@), all rolled into one grand adventure. I don't
>recommend the first sequel, _The Grand Tour_. I haven't read the
>second sequel, _The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After_, but people
>have said good things about it.
Did Martha C. Lawrence write "Sorcery and Cecilia"? If not, could you
give me the author's name please? :-)
>
>Patricia Wrede has written some pretty decend stuff too, but you have
>to avoid anything with dragons in the title, or in general anything
>that's aimed at children -- they are dumbed down something awful. We
>have a copy of the first edition of _Talking with Dragons_, and it was
>pretty decent, but I understand they have re-released it to be
>oversimplified like the rest of the series. Still, _Daughter of
>Witches_ is pretty decent, and _The Magician's Ward_ is good fantasy
>romance.
I think I've read some Patricia Wrede, but I don't remember what
exactly. I'll add her to the list. :-)
>
>There's also the Swordspoint books by Ellen Kushner:
> Swordspoint
> The Privilege of the Sword
> The Fall of the Kings
Cool! Thanks for the title of the first; I had wandered into the
second and it 'felt' like there should be some earlier book, but I
could NOT find any indication of it in the 'before story' portion of
the book. :-)
>No overt fantasy elements, but there is a sort of fantastic feel to
>these, set in a period with no king but nobles and a House of Lords
>equivalent (and some politicking).
>
>Don't read the last unless you like really dark tragedy(*). I abandoned
>it about halfway through when it became clear that there was simply
>_no way_ they were going to pull a happy ending out of this one. Even
>the first two have rather ambiguous endings -- almost a "Fremen
>ending": chop off the story and say, "It ends here".
>
>(*) Tragedy in the classical sense: the bad ending is inevitable given
>the characters involved.
>
>(@) Well, maybe not quite the _best_. I wouldn't put this up against
>_These Old Shades_ or _False Colors_, but it's easily the equal of
>_Regency Buck_, _Friday's Child_, or _Lady of Quality_.
>
>And speaking of Heyer, if you haven't discovered her writings, I
>strongly recommend her Regency Romances. Head, shoulders, _and_
>chest above any of the modern formula romances. Her only real
>competition is Jane Austin. She also writes mysteries -- I'm not into
>that as much, so I can't say if they're as good as her romances.
Hmmm. A lot of people are recommending her. I'm willing to consider
it, though I'm *quite* fond of my fantasy and mysteries...
Desideria
Desideria
wrote:
Great on Elizabeth George, as I've watched some of the Lynley
mysteries and wanted some background on them. Ruth Rendell I've read;
I loved the early ones but they are getting more and more twisted and
depressing, IMO. Inspector Wexford is my favorite--especially "Speaker
of Mandarin" with the nod to the "Green Monkey" story.
Seem to remember I read PD James, but not sure. I have my first Sue
Grafton here to try. Thanks for the time writing this, and enjoy that
espresso!!! (You want a Starbucks one? Heaven knows they're available
around here...)
Desideria
Desideria
Jackson) wrote:
>What about Agatha Christie?
>Especially her "Miss Marple" stuff?
>(:-)
>And her "Tommy & Tuppence" stuff?
Thanks--have read a good bit of Agatha Christie. Do you happen to know
the titles of all the 'Tommy and Tuppence' ones? I *do* like them.
Desideria
Wes Struebing
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Hi, all!
>
>I know many of you here will feel my pain. My pool of favorite authors
>has been shrinking, as folks like Barbara Hambly and our own Jim
>Hetley can't sell the books they've got waiting (and that I'm urgently
>waiting for....).
>
>I need some suggestions for new favorite authors, ones whose books I
>can find at used bookstores, hopefully in large quantities ;-). As it
>is, I am rereading and rereading and rereading books I read a short
>time ago.
>
>I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
>like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
>long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>
>I've tried and disliked Katherine Kurtz, Ngaio Marsh, Robin Hobb.
>
>Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
>
Oh, well, she's not in used bookstores, I don't think (she's still too
new), but I would HIGHLY recommend someone from you neck of the woods,
Kat Richardson.
She has a trio out right now, "Greywalker", "Poltergeist", and
"Underground" (found out a lot about the historical infrastructure of
Seattle in that last one...)
And I say this, completely unbiased( I met her and she is a neat lady,
too) ;-)
--
Wes Struebing
Jan. 20, 2009 - the end of an error
Desideria
Thanks. Denny tried to switch me on to Robert Parker, and I find that
his writing doesn't appeal to me for some reason. I like Sunny better
than Spenser (odd, 'cuz I loved 'Spenser' on TV with Robert Urich!),
but I don't like Sunny so much that I have searched out the stories
featuring her.
Desideria
Desideria
Jackson) wrote:
>What about the (imo, not-so-hard science-fiction) Zenna Henderson's "The
>People" stuff?
>
>Very cool. :-)
>
So happens that a certain Denny I know bought me that book as a
surprise.
Already read. :-)
Desideria
Desideria
wrote:
>On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:01:29 -0800, Desideria
><deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>]I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
>]like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
>]long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>]like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>
>You might look up, in used book stores, stories about Jirel of
>Joirey. Printed back in the 1950s, she was a strong female character
>who had a small kingdom, and didn't see the need of a male king
>sharing it with her.
>
>D.J.
C.L. Moore.
Yep. I read the *first* Jirel of Joiry, and found it...interesting.
Not bad, just definitely a product of its time. No problem with
looking into others, though.
Desideria
Wes Struebing
<snip>
Perhaps I missed her, but another author whose books you ought to be
able to find in quantity in used book stores (only because she is so
prolific) - assuming you enjoy some fantasy - is Mercedes Lackey.
Desideria
wrote:
I've looked over the histories, and have never quite been ready to
dive in. I've read all the Felse mysteries--long before I read
Cadfael, in fact! (Still remember "Black is the Colour")
Desideria
Desideria
Doesn't everyone? ;-)
Desideria
Wes Struebing
Jackson) wrote:
>What about the (imo, not-so-hard science-fiction) Zenna Henderson's "The
>People" stuff?
>
>Very cool. :-)
>
Excellent stuff. I'd recommend the stories, too!
Desideria
(smile)
Sweetie, I have *everything* she wrote except the Elvenbane books and
the 'Fortress' book, which I did not care for.
Some of her books I've read so often I practically have them
memorized. :-)
Desideria
Desideria
Cool! She sounds great--thanks. :-)
Desideria
Bookwyrm
> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:01:58 -0600, Bookwyrm <Book...@comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Elizabeth Moon also has the wonderful trilogy about Paksenarrion --
>> Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold.
>> Or just buy the single volume -- The Deed of Paksenarrion.
>> Strong female lead and saga worthy of Tolkein.
>>
>> 'wyrm
>
> I've read a bit of 'Paksenarrion' online, and it has somewhat grabbed
> me, but not all the way. I'll go back and read more and see if I
> change my mind!
>
> Thanks, 'wyrm! How are you doing?
>
Doing pretty good -- just had another PET scan this morning. (Am I
glowing in the dark yet?)
Another female author for you (mystery, in fact) is J.A. Jance. (In fact
she's 'local' to you, I believe.) I love her J.P. Beaumont books (male
cop -- set in Seattle), but you might enjoy her Joanna Brady (female
sheriff -- set in Arizona) ones.
'wyrm
Desideria
wrote:
Ah. I've read all of those, of course, and even met Jance and got her
autograph at the Dog House, while that was still around. ;-)
I like the "Hour of the Hunter" (two books in that 'series, so far),
and her new character--a former anchorwoman who got dumped by her
hubbie and her employer for being 'too old'. <g>
Desideria
Ree
Oh, if you haven't read her books you have to!!!!! They're all
wonderful!!!!
Ree
Ree
Somehow that made me think of another fantasy author from MY neck of the
woods...Tanya Huff. Wonderful weird sense of humour. And one of the
books takes place just north of the city I live in with some scenes
taking place here.
Ree
Ree
Denny Wheeler
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>Did Martha C. Lawrence write "Sorcery and Cecilia"? If not, could you
>give me the author's name please? :-)
Google is our friend, sweetie. And this below bit is from Amazon:
Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the
Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various
Magical Scandals in London and the Country
(Hardcover)
by Patricia C. Wrede
-denny-
--
"...our dignity, our free institutions and the peace and
welfare of this and coming generations of Americans will be
secure only as we cling to the watchword of true patriotism:
'Our country--when right to be kept right; when wrong to be put
right.'" - Carl Schurz, in 1899
Denny Wheeler
<pen...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> Oh, I forgot - Edith Partager
>
><pedant mode> Pargeter </>
>
>> (Ellis Peter's real name). Her non-Cadfael
>> mysteries/historicals are wonderful. Also her Detective
>> Felse/Inspector Felse mysteries under the Peter's name.
>
>I find that some of her (Pargeter) books are utterly riveting, like
>the _Heaven Tree_ trilogy, _A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury (which
>makes sense of the Prince Hal/Hotspur story) _ and _Marriage of
>Megotta_ (in which the *real* tragedy is that it too is a true
>story). There is one (_Lost Children_ ?) that made sense of the
>jibe "over sexed, over paid, and over here". Then there are others,
>like _Most Loving Mere Folly_ that left me amazed that there might
>be actual people like the characters described.
I haven't been able to find *any* of 'em used. I may have to break
down and buy new.
Denny Wheeler
wrote:
>
>Another female author for you (mystery, in fact) is J.A. Jance. (In fact
>she's 'local' to you, I believe.) I love her J.P. Beaumont books (male
>cop -- set in Seattle), but you might enjoy her Joanna Brady (female
>sheriff -- set in Arizona) ones.
Jance isn't at all news to either of us. I tend to like the Beaumont
stories better, Desi (I think) prefers the Brady ones. Of course,
there's the most recent Beaumont that I read, in which he works with
Joanna...
There are also the Arizona mysteries which aren't Brady--they're a bit
darker, almost John D. MacDonald dark.
Since you named a Seattle author, I'll name some more that you might
want to try.
Aaron Elkins, who created Gideon Oliver, the "skeleton detective".
Oliver's a forensic anthropologist who much prefers working with very
old bones, but who keeps having to deal with fairly recent ones. Good
characters, good mysteries. Elkins also has a couple books about
Chris Norgren, art museum curator. And with his wife, Charlotte
Elkins, has another series of mysteries.
Earl W. Emerson -- he's a Seattle firefighter; his primary series is
about Thomas Black, who's a P.I.--ex-cop, serious bicyclist.
My favorites of his are the quirky ones about Mac Fontana, the fire
chief in Staircase, WA (up in the mountains, east of
Seattle--fictional town). Fontana is very much his own man, and has
his demons and his...ahhh...attitudes.
He's also been writing non-series books, drawing on his knowledge of
firefighting. Very good suspense/mystery stuff.
Those two are enough to go on with. :)
Denny Wheeler
<rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Elizabeth Scarborough -- I especially liked her "Tales From the Seashell
>Archives" cycle
As Desi said--Annie's a nice lady. She lives in Port Townsend, WA,
and when we went there for the maritime music and Wooden Boat Festival
in 2007, Desi introduced me. Oh, and we went to Annie's favorite
ice-cream shop, "Elevated Ice Cream."
She's another who has books written but isn't a BIG selling writer, so
publishers are too busy looking for the next Rowling to 'bother' with
her stuff. (BOOO, hiss!!!! on that attitude)
Desideria
<den...@TANSTAAFL.zipcon.net.INVALID> wrote:
>On Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:40:29 -0800, Desideria
><deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>Did Martha C. Lawrence write "Sorcery and Cecilia"? If not, could you
>>give me the author's name please? :-)
>
>Google is our friend, sweetie. And this below bit is from Amazon:
>
>Sorcery and Cecelia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being the
>Correspondence of Two Young Ladies of Quality Regarding Various
>Magical Scandals in London and the Country
>(Hardcover)
>by Patricia C. Wrede
>-denny-
Ah. Thank you, ever so. ;-)
Desideria
<den...@TANSTAAFL.zipcon.net.INVALID> wrote:
>On Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:33:07 +0000 (GMT), Joyce of Pendle
><pen...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>>
>>> Oh, I forgot - Edith Partager
>>
>><pedant mode> Pargeter </>
>>
>>> (Ellis Peter's real name). Her non-Cadfael
>>> mysteries/historicals are wonderful. Also her Detective
>>> Felse/Inspector Felse mysteries under the Peter's name.
>>
>>I find that some of her (Pargeter) books are utterly riveting, like
>>the _Heaven Tree_ trilogy, _A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury (which
>>makes sense of the Prince Hal/Hotspur story) _ and _Marriage of
>>Megotta_ (in which the *real* tragedy is that it too is a true
>>story). There is one (_Lost Children_ ?) that made sense of the
>>jibe "over sexed, over paid, and over here". Then there are others,
>>like _Most Loving Mere Folly_ that left me amazed that there might
>>be actual people like the characters described.
>
>I haven't been able to find *any* of 'em used. I may have to break
>down and buy new.
>
>-denny-
Southcenter HPB has one of her historicals, dear. It's been on the
shelf for some time. Shall I pick it up for you/us? ;-)
Desideria
Canth
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
Can I add my voice to those recommending Ms Heyer. Not only is she an
excellent "people" author - her people are believable & well drawn -
but her historical accuracy is second to none. She knows her periods
extremely well. Her book "An Infamous Army" is considered one of the
best on the Battle of Waterloo ever written, so much so that when her
son entered Sandhurst (UK Army Officer's College), he found it on the
list of military texts as required reading.
If you want mysteries, I would also recommend Dorothy Sayers.
Canth
Then send him out for "Pilgrimage", "Holding Wonder", and "The
Anything Box". ZH wrote one of my most disturbing mental pictures,
that of a group of teachers & parents hunting through a yard full of
pebbles for the two which "look scared" (they used to be schoolyard
bullies).
Captain Jack
> Hi, all!
>
> I know many of you here will feel my pain. My pool of favorite authors
> has been shrinking, as folks like Barbara Hambly and our own Jim
> Hetley can't sell the books they've got waiting (and that I'm urgently
> waiting for....).
>
> I need some suggestions for new favorite authors, ones whose books I
> can find at used bookstores, hopefully in large quantities ;-). As it
> is, I am rereading and rereading and rereading books I read a short
> time ago.
>
> I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
> like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
> long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
> like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>
> I've tried and disliked Katherine Kurtz, Ngaio Marsh, Robin Hobb.
>
> Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
>
> Desideria
Like a little comedy mixed in with your fantasy? Try Piers Anthony or
Terry Pratchett.
The Cap'n
Joyce of Pendle
> MargW wrote:
> > Joyce of Pendle wrote:
> >> Oh, I forgot - Edith Partager
> ><pedant mode> Pargeter </>
> >> (Ellis Peter's real name). Her non-Cadfael
> >> mysteries/historicals are wonderful. Also her Detective
> >> Felse/Inspector Felse mysteries under the Peter's name.
> >I find that some of her (Pargeter) books are utterly riveting,
> >like the _Heaven Tree_ trilogy, _A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury
> >(which makes sense of the Prince Hal/Hotspur story) _ and
> >_Marriage of Megotta_ (in which the *real* tragedy is that it
> >too is a true story). There is one (_Lost Children_ ?) that made
> >sense of the jibe "over sexed, over paid, and over here". Then
> >there are others, like _Most Loving Mere Folly_ that left me
> >amazed that there might be actual people like the characters
> >described.
> I haven't been able to find *any* of 'em used. I may have to
> break down and buy new.
2301 results on Abe Books USA (but the odd one is _Silver Street
Woman_ by Les Savage Jr. as shown by the image). The others include
the _Brothers of Gwynedd_ collection.
Is thriftbooks.com of Auburn Washington near enough for you to
visit? Postage is a stinker.
Joyce.
--
Joyce of Pendle.
--
"The spear in the Other's heart is in your own: you are he." -- Surak
http://www.flickr.com/photos/araqnid/
pendle atte boulsworth dotco_dotuk
Desideria
wrote:
>Can I add my voice to those recommending Ms Heyer. Not only is she an
>excellent "people" author - her people are believable & well drawn -
>but her historical accuracy is second to none. She knows her periods
>extremely well. Her book "An Infamous Army" is considered one of the
>best on the Battle of Waterloo ever written, so much so that when her
>son entered Sandhurst (UK Army Officer's College), he found it on the
>list of military texts as required reading.
>
>If you want mysteries, I would also recommend Dorothy Sayers.
Lord Peter Wimsey? Yep! Read 'em! ;-)
Desideria
Desideria
Oh, yeah---gas at least stinks a bit less than it used to. Auburn's
about 15-30 minutes south of me, depending on when we go and what
route we take.
Desideria
Desideria
Read all the Xanth I can stand. I used to love those books, but the
puns have been stretching farther and farther...and Terry Pratchett's
a little too 'out there' for me. ;-) (there's fantasy and then there's
FANTASY...I like the sword/sorcery/dragon/urban fantasy stuff).
Desideria
Beth Jackson
>>What about Agatha Christie?
>>Especially her
>>"Miss Marple" stuff?
>>(:-)
>>And her
>>"Tommy & Tuppence" stuff?
Desideria:
>Thanks
>--have read a good bit
>of Agatha Christie.
Me too:)
The first real "intro" I had to her work was a *very* cool old (even
then;) libray-copy of an anthology of 13 of her short stories which I
checked-out (title: "13 for Luck":).
(That was back in the early-mid 1970s, when I was in (I think) my first
year of Advertising Art School in a small suburb of Nashville,
Tennessee.;)
I've liked her ever since; I actually managed to get a copy (again!) of
*the same edition*, IIRC, a few years ago (what an addition to my
home-library!;-D).
>Do you happen to know
>the titles of all the
>'Tommy and Tuppence' ones?
Gulp... {{:-\ Uhhh.... no; sorry, I don't.
<sudden "perk";
sotto voce(sp?:) comment,
almost to myself>
Hey...maybe they're listed on the 'Net somewhere...
(Hmm...:)
>I *do* like them.
So did/do I.
(Altho' for some reason, I think I like sweet little old
frail-but-brilliant lady, Miss Marple, even better. Maybe it's 'cause
she's -- imo anyway -- even more "unlikely" a "brilliant
detective-heroine" type.)
:)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Canvas Canary"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(I love to paint, sing, am blonde & a bit flighty:)
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/canvascanary
*****************************
"Creative minds are seldom tidy." --Anon.
*****************************
"I'm out of bed, and dressed;
what more do you want?!" --Anon.
Joyce of Pendle
> Desideria wrote:
> >Do you happen to know
> >the titles of all the
> >'Tommy and Tuppence' ones?
> Gulp... {{:-\ Uhhh.... no; sorry, I don't.
> <sudden "perk";
> sotto voce(sp?:) comment,
> almost to myself>
> Hey...maybe they're listed on the 'Net somewhere...
> (Hmm...:)
> >I *do* like them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_and_Tuppence
Unfortunately there aren't enough of them.
_The Secret Adversary_
_Partners in Crime_
_N or M?_
_By the Pricking of My Thumbs_
_Postern of Fate_
My google-fu is improving :-)
D.J.
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
]On Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:48:52 -0600, D.J. <jollca...@cableone.net>
]wrote:
]
]>On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:01:29 -0800, Desideria
]><deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
]>]I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
]>]like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
]>]long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
]>]like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
]>You might look up, in used book stores, stories about Jirel of
]>Joirey. Printed back in the 1950s, she was a strong female character
]>who had a small kingdom, and didn't see the need of a male king
]>sharing it with her.
]>
]>D.J.
]
]C.L. Moore.
]
]Yep. I read the *first* Jirel of Joiry, and found it...interesting.
]Not bad, just definitely a product of its time. No problem with
]looking into others, though.
Jirel was the first non-wimpy female character I encountered in
1950s science fiction/fantasy.
D.J.
--
http://star.drivein-jim.net/ Starship deck plans
http://crestar.drivein-jim.net/ Oct, 2008 AD&D pages
Rowan Hawthorn
> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:37:26 -0500, Rowan Hawthorn
> <rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Elizabeth Scarborough -- I especially liked her "Tales From the Seashell
>> Archives" cycle
>
> As Desi said--Annie's a nice lady. She lives in Port Townsend, WA,
> and when we went there for the maritime music and Wooden Boat Festival
> in 2007, Desi introduced me. Oh, and we went to Annie's favorite
> ice-cream shop, "Elevated Ice Cream."
>
> She's another who has books written but isn't a BIG selling writer, so
> publishers are too busy looking for the next Rowling to 'bother' with
> her stuff. (BOOO, hiss!!!! on that attitude)
Well, that explains why I haven't been able to find anything new of hers
recently except for the Acorna and Petaybee series', which for some
reason I find myself avoiding.
--
Rowan Hawthorn
"Occasionally, I'm callous and strange." - Willow Rosenberg, "Buffy the
Vampire Slayer"
MargW
> MargW wrote:
>> Joyce of Pendle wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> Oh, I forgot - Edith Partager
>>> <pedant mode> Pargeter </>
>
>
> I went and got them - and double checked my typing :-)
>
>>>> (Ellis Peter's real name). Her non-Cadfael
>>>> mysteries/historicals are wonderful. Also her Detective
>>>> Felse/Inspector Felse mysteries under the Peter's name.
>>> I find that some of her (Pargeter) books are utterly riveting,
>>> like the _Heaven Tree_ trilogy,
>
>
> (4am and still reading!)
>
>>> _A Bloody Field by Shrewsbury (which makes sense of the Prince
>>> Hal/Hotspur story) _ and _Marriage of Megotta_ (in which the
>>> *real* tragedy is that it too is a true story).
>
>> a real story, and a heartwrenching tragedy.
>
> Yes :(( She also did a 4-vol series on the Welsh princes, which I
> haven't got round to.
>
>>> There is one (_Lost Children_ ?) that made sense of the
>>> jibe "over sexed, over paid, and over here". Then there are
>>> others, like _Most Loving Mere Folly_ that left me amazed that
>>> there might be actual people like the characters described.
>
>
> I refuse to be blamed for _Mere Loving..._ (!!) but I would dearly
> like to know whether these characters are drawn from life, or
> whether they are caricatures. The book is technically well written,
> but it puzzles me - not in a good way. I like books that puzzle me
> with "Well, if he had done this instead of that, what difference
> would it make" whereas _Mere Loving..._ is "Who are these people?"
> (to me - YM will probably Y).
>
> I also refuse to recommend _Rainbow's End_, though I've forgotten
> why I disliked it. (I think probably Rainbow was one of those who
> just needed killing. Don't want to know about such.) Some of the
> other Felse books have plot holes, but WTF they are great reading.
> Others are just splendid: _House of Green Turf_ and _Piper on the
> Mountain_ and the ones set in India, and....
>
> I'm sure that the artistic community in Josephine Tey's _To Love
> and Be Wise_ is caricature, but the main characters are very
> believable and interesting. I suppose her most famous book is
> _Franchise Affair_. They are all among my favourites. Why did I
> bother buying new (used) books?
>
Oh, and I forgot to mention Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond and Nicolo series.
Plus for lighter reading, her 'Dolly/Johnson Johnson series' These
should all be available in used bookstores, although the Dolly books
tend to be hard to find.
For those of you who haven't read any of the Dolly books, Dolly is the
name of a boat owned by a short-sighted painter named Johnson Johnson.
He's sort of a trouble shooter for the British government - not quite
James Bond. Each book young female narrator who through no fault of her
own gets involved in a crime or espionage. The books were originally
published with title like "Dolly and the Singing Bird", "Dolly and the
Doctor Bird" - the bird in each case being the young woman.
Oh, and for more serious reading by Dunnett, try "King Hereafter", the
retelling of the Macbeth story - superb.
MargW
David
>On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:01:29 -0800, Desideria
><deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>]I tend to prefer women authors, or at least female lead characters. I
>]like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
>]long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>]like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
>
>You might look up, in used book stores, stories about Jirel of
>Joirey. Printed back in the 1950s, she was a strong female character
>who had a small kingdom, and didn't see the need of a male king
>sharing it with her.
>
>D.J.
C L Moore wrote those stories. Wonderful in my opinion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jirel_of_Joiry
--
David
No email replies please.
So I'm right. Period.
Anyone who believes different is retarded.
(Stolen from JJRussell, alt.funnytown)
(Originally posted by Jami JoAnne in alt.folklore.urban)
David
<deside...@gmail.com> typed furiously:
>On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 07:08:23 -0500, Canvas...@webtv.net (Beth
>Jackson) wrote:
>
>>What about Agatha Christie?
>>Especially her "Miss Marple" stuff?
>>(:-)
>>And her "Tommy & Tuppence" stuff?
>
>Thanks--have read a good bit of Agatha Christie. Do you happen to know
>the titles of all the 'Tommy and Tuppence' ones? I *do* like them.
>
http://uk.agathachristie.com/story-explorer/characters/tommy/
Tonnie
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Great on Elizabeth George, as I've watched some of the Lynley
>mysteries and wanted some background on them. Ruth Rendell I've read;
>I loved the early ones but they are getting more and more twisted and
>depressing, IMO. Inspector Wexford is my favorite--especially "Speaker
>of Mandarin" with the nod to the "Green Monkey" story.
I watched some Lynley on tv as well, not bad at all, but I really
prefer the books. Agree with what you say about Rendell, I love the
Wexford books.
Btw did you read inspector Morse?
>Seem to remember I read PD James, but not sure. I have my first Sue
>Grafton here to try. Thanks for the time writing this, and enjoy that
>espresso!!! (You want a Starbucks one? Heaven knows they're available
>around here...)
I know, I know, Starbucks was one of the best in Canada as well, so
that's fine. Thanks ;o))
--
A bachelor is a selfish, undeserving guy who has cheated some woman
out of a divorce.
Tonnie
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Any ideas? I will happily provide BOYCs for anyone who tries to help.
High noon - Nora Robert.
Police Lieutenant Phoebe MacNamara found her calling at an early age
when an unstable man broke into her family's home, trapping and
terrorising them for hours. Now she's Savannah's top hostage
negotiator, defusing powder-keg situations and has a talent for
knowing when to give in - and when to take action. It's satisfying
work - and sometimes those skills come in handy at home dealing with
her precocious seven-year-old, Carly, and her agoraphobic mother,
still traumatised by the break-in after all these years.
Didn't read it yet, new in our library.
--
"We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and
its only end." -Benjamin Disraeli
Beth Jackson
>>What about the
>>(imo,
>>not-so-hard science-fiction)
>>Zenna Henderson's
>>"The People" stuff?
>>
>>Very cool.
>>:-)
Desideria:
>So happens
>that a certain Denny I know
>bought me that book
>as a surprise.
Very cool "'certain Denny' that you know". :-)
>Already read.
>:-)
Ah... but didja know there was, IIRC, a sequel to that?
"No Different Flesh".
(--Unless that was *a part of* the title of the book "The People", i.e.
..
--In which case, pardon my goof{:->)
Matthew Russotto
Desideria <deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>I need some suggestions for new favorite authors, ones whose books I
>can find at used bookstores, hopefully in large quantities ;-). As it
>is, I am rereading and rereading and rereading books I read a short
>time ago.
>
>like books that drop you right into the action, rather than books with
>long leadins and descriptions. My favorite genre is fantasy (I do NOT
>like hard science fiction), followed by mystery.
If you haven't read Lois McMaster Bujold's "The Curse of Chalion",
it sounds like it would be right up your alley. It's a series of
which there are three books (I think) currently, though IMO they are
of declining quality.
--
It's times like these which make me glad my bank is Dial-a-Mattress
Joyce of Pendle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elswyth_Thane
There's the Williamsburg series, that starts in about 1770 and
continues until 1943ish. The family sends its menfolk to every war,
or gets over-run by war, right the way through. I identify
completely with them when I am reading. (I have the series.)
Then there's Tryst, which is about a girl who explores the house
her family is renting, finds and enters a locked room, and falls in
love with the young man whose study it is - without ever meeting
him. I fell in love with them both. I was going to buy the book
just now, but it is priced as a rarity.
Queen's Folly is about a man who does a favour for Queen Elizabeth
I. She gives him a portrait of herself, and he builds a house (QF)
to keep it in. The story is really about the house, I think, and
how it affects the family who lives in it until the "present day"
(it was written in 1937).
She wrote about 20 other books, most of which I've never seen. Some
of them are non-fiction.
Aramanth Dawe
up the first one, The Ghost and Mrs McClure, at my local library on
spec and wound up buying the lot! The main 'detecting duo' are
Penelope Thornton-McClure, a widow with a young son, and Jack Shepard,
a PI of the 'old, hard-boiled school' who just happened to be gunned
down in what is now Penelope's bookshop in 1949 when it was still a
construction site. Jack has haunted the shop ever since and chased
off most of the tenants, but he *likes* Penelope, especially once they
team up to solve their first mystery together. As you might guess
from the title, the book gives more than a nod to The Ghost and Mrs
Muir which is one of my favourite movies.
The 4 books so far published are
The Ghost and Mrs McClure
The Ghost and the Dead Deb
The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library
The Ghost and the Femme Fatale
Writing as Cleo Coyle, the author has also written the Coffee House
Mystery Series which is also fun. This series also includes recipes
for various types of coffee and snacks to go with it - not that I've
TRIED any, being very allergic to coffee. But I love recipes.
The website for both series is http://www.coffeehousemystery.com/
Az
Denny Wheeler
Jackson) wrote:
>Ah... but didja know there was, IIRC, a sequel to that?
>"No Different Flesh".
>(--Unless that was *a part of* the title of the book "The People", i.e.
Your memory is close. The two published earlier were:
_Holding Wonder_ and
_The People: No Different Flesh_
But *ALL* the People stories (I think there was one or two in "The
Anything Box") have been collected in the single volume:
_Ingathering: The Complete People Stories of Zenna Henderson_
(and that's the one I gave her. <smile>)
Denny Wheeler
wrote:
Only one she'd need is "The Anything Box"--the People are in the book
I gifted her: _Ingathering: the Complete People Stories of Zenna
Henderson_
Hell, _I_ need a copy of "The Anything Box".
Denny Wheeler
<rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Denny Wheeler wrote:
>> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:37:26 -0500, Rowan Hawthorn
>> <rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Elizabeth Scarborough -- I especially liked her "Tales From the Seashell
>>> Archives" cycle
>>
>> As Desi said--Annie's a nice lady. She lives in Port Townsend, WA,
>> and when we went there for the maritime music and Wooden Boat Festival
>> in 2007, Desi introduced me. Oh, and we went to Annie's favorite
>> ice-cream shop, "Elevated Ice Cream."
>>
>> She's another who has books written but isn't a BIG selling writer, so
>> publishers are too busy looking for the next Rowling to 'bother' with
>> her stuff. (BOOO, hiss!!!! on that attitude)
>
>Well, that explains why I haven't been able to find anything new of hers
>recently except for the Acorna and Petaybee series', which for some
>reason I find myself avoiding.
She's got 'em written. BTW, if you want to see a nice lady wax
ferocious, ask Annie Scarborough her opinion of Barnes & Noble. I'd
stand a bit back when so doing, though. The kindest term she has for
'em is "evil empire".
Denny Wheeler
Jackson) wrote:
(about the lady I fondly refer to as "Aunt Agatha")
>(Altho' for some reason, I think I like sweet little old
>frail-but-brilliant lady, Miss Marple, even better. Maybe it's 'cause
>she's -- imo anyway -- even more "unlikely" a "brilliant
>detective-heroine" type.)
>:)
My absolute 100% favorites of her stories are the quirkiest: those
featuring Harley Quin.
I tend to favor Poirot next, though it's very close between him and
the pride of St. Mary Mead.
Denny Wheeler
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Southcenter HPB has one of her historicals, dear. It's been on the
>shelf for some time. Shall I pick it up for you/us? ;-)
Silly question, sweetie.
Rowan Hawthorn
> On Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:30:02 -0500, Rowan Hawthorn
> <rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Denny Wheeler wrote:
>>> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:37:26 -0500, Rowan Hawthorn
>>> <rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Elizabeth Scarborough -- I especially liked her "Tales From the Seashell
>>>> Archives" cycle
>>> As Desi said--Annie's a nice lady. She lives in Port Townsend, WA,
>>> and when we went there for the maritime music and Wooden Boat Festival
>>> in 2007, Desi introduced me. Oh, and we went to Annie's favorite
>>> ice-cream shop, "Elevated Ice Cream."
>>>
>>> She's another who has books written but isn't a BIG selling writer, so
>>> publishers are too busy looking for the next Rowling to 'bother' with
>>> her stuff. (BOOO, hiss!!!! on that attitude)
>> Well, that explains why I haven't been able to find anything new of hers
>> recently except for the Acorna and Petaybee series', which for some
>> reason I find myself avoiding.
>
> She's got 'em written. BTW, if you want to see a nice lady wax
> ferocious, ask Annie Scarborough her opinion of Barnes & Noble. I'd
> stand a bit back when so doing, though. The kindest term she has for
> 'em is "evil empire".
>
Ooooo-kay... :-)
Y'know, that's funny, because we have a Barnes & Noble within a couple
miles of me, and I'm not really a big fan, either. I use it some
because it's convenient and has a lot of stuff, but my preference is the
Joseph-Beth on the other side of town. We have a bunch of small
independent places here, but they're either used books exclusively or
fairly inconvenient to get to.
Desideria
<rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Denny Wheeler wrote:
>> On Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:37:26 -0500, Rowan Hawthorn
>> <rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Elizabeth Scarborough -- I especially liked her "Tales From the Seashell
>>> Archives" cycle
>>
>> As Desi said--Annie's a nice lady. She lives in Port Townsend, WA,
>> and when we went there for the maritime music and Wooden Boat Festival
>> in 2007, Desi introduced me. Oh, and we went to Annie's favorite
>> ice-cream shop, "Elevated Ice Cream."
>>
>> She's another who has books written but isn't a BIG selling writer, so
>> publishers are too busy looking for the next Rowling to 'bother' with
>> her stuff. (BOOO, hiss!!!! on that attitude)
>
>Well, that explains why I haven't been able to find anything new of hers
>recently except for the Acorna and Petaybee series', which for some
>reason I find myself avoiding.
I devoured both of those quite quickly and happily, and there is a
newer 'Twins' book from Petaybee that I have to read.
BTW: Annie has said that she's looking into self-publishing. If you
want more info on her, or the website addie, etc. just email me (not
munged).
Desideria
Desideria
Jackson) wrote:
>Canary:
>
>>>What about Agatha Christie?
>>>Especially her
>>>"Miss Marple" stuff?
>>>(:-)
>>>And her
>>>"Tommy & Tuppence" stuff?
>
>Desideria:
>
>>Thanks
>>--have read a good bit
>>of Agatha Christie.
>
>Me too:)
>The first real "intro" I had to her work was a *very* cool old (even
>then;) libray-copy of an anthology of 13 of her short stories which I
>checked-out (title: "13 for Luck":).
>
13 IS my lucky number (Denny and I were both born on the 13th of our
respective months ;-).
>(That was back in the early-mid 1970s, when I was in (I think) my first
>year of Advertising Art School in a small suburb of Nashville,
>Tennessee.;)
>
>I've liked her ever since; I actually managed to get a copy (again!) of
>*the same edition*, IIRC, a few years ago (what an addition to my
>home-library!;-D).
>
>>Do you happen to know
>>the titles of all the
>>'Tommy and Tuppence' ones?
>
>Gulp... {{:-\ Uhhh.... no; sorry, I don't.
>
><sudden "perk";
>sotto voce(sp?:) comment,
>almost to myself>
>
>Hey...maybe they're listed on the 'Net somewhere...
>(Hmm...:)
Prob'ly, and a good idea!
>
>>I *do* like them.
>
>So did/do I.
>(Altho' for some reason, I think I like sweet little old
>frail-but-brilliant lady, Miss Marple, even better. Maybe it's 'cause
>she's -- imo anyway -- even more "unlikely" a "brilliant
>detective-heroine" type.)
>:)
Have YOU read any of Dorothy Gilman? The Mrs. Pollifax series is
wonderful, and I started reading her stuff with a terrific book
(non-series) called "The Tightrope Walker", which featured a
then-imaginary book as the centerpiece of the story.
I believe I've read every adult story she's written, and I plan to
search out the YA stuff, too.
Desideria
Desideria
<pen...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>Beth Jackson wrote:
>> Desideria wrote:
>
>> >Do you happen to know
>> >the titles of all the
>> >'Tommy and Tuppence' ones?
>
>> Gulp... {{:-\ Uhhh.... no; sorry, I don't.
>
>> <sudden "perk";
>> sotto voce(sp?:) comment,
>> almost to myself>
>
>> Hey...maybe they're listed on the 'Net somewhere...
>> (Hmm...:)
>
>> >I *do* like them.
>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_and_Tuppence
>
>Unfortunately there aren't enough of them.
>_The Secret Adversary_
>_Partners in Crime_
>_N or M?_
>_By the Pricking of My Thumbs_
>_Postern of Fate_
>
>My google-fu is improving :-)
Thanks, Joyce!
Desideria
Desideria
wrote:
>On Mon, 03 Nov 2008 18:43:05 -0800, Desideria
><deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Great on Elizabeth George, as I've watched some of the Lynley
>>mysteries and wanted some background on them. Ruth Rendell I've read;
>>I loved the early ones but they are getting more and more twisted and
>>depressing, IMO. Inspector Wexford is my favorite--especially "Speaker
>>of Mandarin" with the nod to the "Green Monkey" story.
>
>I watched some Lynley on tv as well, not bad at all, but I really
>prefer the books. Agree with what you say about Rendell, I love the
>Wexford books.
>Btw did you read inspector Morse?
Nope, not yet.
>
>>Seem to remember I read PD James, but not sure. I have my first Sue
>>Grafton here to try. Thanks for the time writing this, and enjoy that
>>espresso!!! (You want a Starbucks one? Heaven knows they're available
>>around here...)
>
>I know, I know, Starbucks was one of the best in Canada as well, so
>that's fine. Thanks ;o))
But this is where it started, as I recall. ;-)
Desideria
Desideria
<pen...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>Elswyth Thane wrote some lovely novels.
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elswyth_Thane
>
>
>There's the Williamsburg series, that starts in about 1770 and
>continues until 1943ish. The family sends its menfolk to every war,
>or gets over-run by war, right the way through. I identify
>completely with them when I am reading. (I have the series.)
>
>Then there's Tryst, which is about a girl who explores the house
>her family is renting, finds and enters a locked room, and falls in
>love with the young man whose study it is - without ever meeting
>him. I fell in love with them both. I was going to buy the book
>just now, but it is priced as a rarity.
>
>Queen's Folly is about a man who does a favour for Queen Elizabeth
>I. She gives him a portrait of herself, and he builds a house (QF)
>to keep it in. The story is really about the house, I think, and
>how it affects the family who lives in it until the "present day"
>(it was written in 1937).
>
>She wrote about 20 other books, most of which I've never seen. Some
>of them are non-fiction.
Thanks again, Joyce! (too bad some of her stuff is rare...)
Desideria
Desideria
wrote:
Huh. The 'Dolly' books DO sound like fun! ;-)
Desideria
Desideria
Yep, I own all three of them and I'm eagerly awaiting the 4th. I found
the first two quite enjoyable, but didn't like the 3rd one so
much--odd, as I have a thing for the big cats ;-).
Desideria
Desideria
Neat. I've never heard of these! And yes, I loved "Ghost and Mrs
Muir", too--heck of a love story ;-).
(and I had a great-aunt Lucrezia, too!)
Desideria
Desideria
<ma...@westnet.com.au> wrote:
Nancy Pickard has written a series of Eugenia Potter books that
feature cooking and recipes.
Desideria
Canth
<den...@TANSTAAFL.zipcon.net.INVALID> wrote:
>On Tue, 4 Nov 2008 08:17:10 -0500, Canvas...@webtv.net (Beth
>Jackson) wrote:
>
>>Ah... but didja know there was, IIRC, a sequel to that?
>>"No Different Flesh".
>>(--Unless that was *a part of* the title of the book "The People", i.e.
>
>Your memory is close. The two published earlier were:
>_Holding Wonder_ and
>_The People: No Different Flesh_
>
>But *ALL* the People stories (I think there was one or two in "The
>Anything Box") have been collected in the single volume:
>_Ingathering: The Complete People Stories of Zenna Henderson_
>(and that's the one I gave her. <smile>)
>
>-denny-
I have the four as separate books. They are sixties prints &
beginning to yellow as the acid promotes oxidation, and somewhat
loved. I sometimes wonder what they would fetch in an appropriate
market (financial considerations weigh a bit at the moment - the
global TLA for whom I work abolished my position last week.).
Both Holding Wonder & The Anything Box are mostly non-people stories,
so most would not be in your collection.
Denny Wheeler
It's Annie's belief that the difficulty 'lesser' authors have in
getting published is directly traceable to B&N and the other
megachains of booksellers.
Aramanth Dawe
Yes, I've read some of those, thanks to our local library system.
Az
Denny Wheeler
<deside...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>I know, I know, Starbucks was one of the best in Canada as well, so
>>that's fine. Thanks ;o))
>
>But this is where it started, as I recall. ;-)
Her Beautifulness recalls correctly.
Rowan Hawthorn
> On Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:39:29 -0500, Rowan Hawthorn
> <rowan_h...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>> She's got 'em written. BTW, if you want to see a nice lady wax
>>> ferocious, ask Annie Scarborough her opinion of Barnes & Noble. I'd
>>> stand a bit back when so doing, though. The kindest term she has for
>>> 'em is "evil empire".
>>>
>> Ooooo-kay... :-)
>>
>> Y'know, that's funny, because we have a Barnes & Noble within a couple
>> miles of me, and I'm not really a big fan, either. I use it some
>> because it's convenient and has a lot of stuff, but my preference is the
>> Joseph-Beth on the other side of town. We have a bunch of small
>> independent places here, but they're either used books exclusively or
>> fairly inconvenient to get to.
>
> It's Annie's belief that the difficulty 'lesser' authors have in
> getting published is directly traceable to B&N and the other
> megachains of booksellers.
>
> -denny-
I'm pretty sure she's right, too. I've said the same thing for years.
And of course, it's not just books, it's pretty much *any* consumer
products. Megachains are not interested in serving their customers,
they're interested in turning over a buck as fast as possible *today*,
and to hell with anything else. *Every* business needs to make a profit
in order to survive, but huge chains seem to be loaded with people who
not only don't know anything about the product they're selling beyond
what they can look up on a computer terminal, they don't even have any
interest in it.
I'm pretty sure that Jo-Beth has their problems, as well, but a couple
of years ago one of their people took nearly fifteen minutes to discuss
the "Buffy" series of novels, Simon's mishandling thereof, and the
possibility of maybe getting Amber Benson to do a signing of one of her
novels - and all that came out of me asking where one was located,
because I couldn't find it (it had been placed in the juvenile section,
since it turned out it was a "Young Adult": which was what set me off on
Simon's mishandling.) I don't really see that happening at the local B&N.