Member: Nulla

Ah, Nulla. I sort of still envy you your willingness to get back into the fray at the end of the summer. We're having a moderately rough patch right this minute with a sick aunt and a sister-in-law preparing for hip replacement surgery and all my volunteer stuff coming due at the same time. It's fine though.
I have too many books to read right now, including two ARC's for here. I have to get them done because they're offering a couple that I really want in September. (I'm only moderately interested in the two I have. Oh well.)
S.E and Kokipy are the two to talk to about Cherryh. I haven't read any of the others set in the Alliance universe. I tried a Chanur and the first Atevi one instead and liked them. My main problem with her is her apparent fixation on internal monologues, as with Justin in Cyteen. I get it after the first time or five. If I don't get it, repetition isn't going to help me; it just makes me impatient.
I think I said that I tried to read Accelerando and put it aside. Now I think that it is not the Stross for a beginner, so I'll go back to another if I can only finish some of my current Mt. Bookpile. (I am truly loving Fifty Degrees Below. Magnas Gratias for KSR!)
The weekend is approaching! Rejoice and Enjoy!
Peggy

posted by LizzieD at 10:39 pm (EST) on Sep 16, 2009

I hope you are well. I never see your footprints at either place, and now I expect that you're back in school with less time to spend online. Hope you had a good summer!
We are well generally speaking. I'm reading less and buying more, I'm afraid. This is just a bad place for poor folks, but I'm loving it. Thank you again for setting me up here.

posted by LizzieD at 8:30 pm (EST) on Sep 11, 2009

Thanks, Nulla.
Whereas I just wait for my friends who are led from short stories to novels to clue me in on the next fabulous author!
P the LD

posted by LizzieD at 11:08 am (EST) on May 29, 2009

Of course, be my guest... ;- )

posted by AsYouKnow_Bob at 10:57 pm (EST) on May 25, 2009

I am so happy to hear this excellent news!

Downbelow Station would definitely be the next place to go in this world, cf. my previous comment May 13th. After that, it is debatable. Keep in mind that her books are not of a piece -- not all tales of inner psychological torment as in Cyteen, though that is a common theme. She is quite good with intricate politics.

The author herself is quite straightforward in her notion that she likes the idea of her books read as history, and like real history, one can jump in at any point and fill in gaps at another time. She is quite courteous to her readers in making her books self-contained despite existing in a wider universe. There is never pressure to read a particular next book.

As far as Alliance Space, it is a re-release of Merchanter's Luck and 40000 in Gehenna bound in one volume. Many feel that 40,000 is comparable in importance to Cyteen and DS in this universe; I'm not so sure. ML is a lovely but lighter story that I enjoyed a lot; it is one I might recommend to a non-SF reader.

The others in this universe can be read in any order; they include Rimrunners, Finity's End, Tripoint.

There are many others that are somewhat more distantly related to this universe (The Alliance/Union Universe) including the Faded Sun books, the Chanur novels, and numerous stand-alones.

Many enjoy the stand-alone Cuckoo's Egg. Her long and persistent Foreigner series is ongoing and very popular. The Morgaine novels are more fantasy-like and the first of these, Gate of Ivrel, was her first novel.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

posted by stellarexplorer at 10:31 pm (EST) on May 25, 2009

Hi, thanks for the "Interesting Libraries" linkage.

posted by AsYouKnow_Bob at 9:53 pm (EST) on May 24, 2009

I didn't actually see the dove, but I heard her clarion call.... and she was indeed LizzieD.

One thing that is great about Cherryh's writing is that while she presents very different perspectives in different books, and she is always fair to people and societies from their own point of view. The other foundational book in this world is Downbelow Station, which I would suggest reading next. Wonderful intricate politics well-handled, and a terrific female starship captain. In it, Union (the Cyteen folks) looks monstrous, as it is seen from Alliance eyes. Happy to discuss!

posted by stellarexplorer at 10:57 am (EST) on May 13, 2009

By all means, give it to the local library! I would really like to see book 4. Courage for the end of school! Stay with Cyteen; now that I'm about 2/3 through it, I wish it were a lot longer.
Peggy

posted by LizzieD at 5:40 pm (EST) on Apr 23, 2009

All right. Here's the thing with me and Cyteen. I read 200 pages and it was quite O.K. I read 27 more pages and it suddenly clicked with me. I don't think that it's going on my all-time favorite list, but I'm really flipping pages eagerly. I'll keep you informed of more than you probably want to know.
Off to read!
Peggy

posted by LizzieD at 4:44 pm (EST) on Apr 17, 2009

Well, hooray for the USPS! I sent it in the envelope that it came in and then feared that it might totally disintegrate before it got to you.
Enjoy!
And a blessed Eastertide to you too.
Peggy

posted by LizzieD at 7:12 pm (EST) on Apr 12, 2009

Will do ----- although I'm pretty sure that we're supposed to see Simon as a deeply conflicted character who lives in his head so much that he can't see beyond his own overwhelming needs..... or maybe he's just a twit. It's hard to say. Her other characters are quite satisfying to me.
Peggy

posted by LizzieD at 10:13 am (EST) on Apr 9, 2009

About Cherryh.... I don't know. I just saw her showing up in a lot of interesting places and asked some people. I thought (I think because of the cover of the only book of hers I owned) that she just wrote fantasy. Not so. I can't recommend Cyteen yet. Several people, including stellarexplorer have said that it's the best of her excellent stuff. I'll let you know in a month or two.
Meanwhile, I'm busy not reading my #*$@^%()^!!! ARC. Why I can't read titles here, I can't tell you, but I just finished Susan Hill's Risk so that I could be ready for the 4th one that I thought I was getting from here..... I got Risk, so I'll be giving it away too. I should be able to get the review in fairly quickly.
Incipient senility? Lord forfend.
I hope that work is satisfying since it's consuming your time.
Peggy

posted by LizzieD at 4:51 pm (EST) on Apr 8, 2009

Hey there. I'm always glad to see you back here or there or anywhere. Tell me, have you read C.J. Cherryh? (I don't see any in your library.) I've just found Cyteen, and although I can't stick to reading anything much for wanting to play around here, I think I'm going to enjoy it...... Some of the same kind of political stuff as the Honorverse. I'm still waiting for the science. Anyhow, I'm happy that stellaexplorer and you have checked out each other's libraries. I thought I was a fairly serious reader, but I'm finding that it ain't necessarily so.
Peace,
Peggy

posted by LizzieD at 10:52 am (EST) on Apr 8, 2009

I've added you too -- I'm away 'til Friday, but then I plan to have a more thorough look!

posted by stellarexplorer at 9:41 am (EST) on Apr 8, 2009

LizzieD sent me. Your library is very interesting, and I am astonished as well. I can count on one hand the number of libraries on whose weighted list of "Members With X's Books" mine appears!

posted by stellarexplorer at 12:44 am (EST) on Apr 8, 2009

Sure thing. The e-book is in a pdf format.

posted by cmtusa at 12:21 pm (EST) on Mar 25, 2009

Great. Send me your e-mail address (mine is mail@christophertusa.com) and I'll e-mail you the e-book.

Thanks again,

Chris

posted by cmtusa at 8:09 am (EST) on Mar 25, 2009

Hi,

Was wondering if you'd be interested in reviewing my new novel and posting your comments here as well as a few other book-related sites. Saw you liked Paris Trout, and I thought you might like my novel since it's also southern and a bit dark. I could e-mail you the novel in an e-book format if you'd like. Let me know if you're interested. Here's a link to a summary in case you're interested:

http://christophertusa.com/blog/?page_id...

Thanks,

Chris

posted by cmtusa at 9:18 am (EST) on Mar 23, 2009

Thank you again!!!!!
I am enjoying except that real life inteferes way too much. Did I mention that retirement is WONDERFUL??? JOYOUS??? FULFILLING??? SYBARITIC???
Peggy

posted by LizzieD at 11:02 am (EST) on Feb 25, 2009

It does grow. Is there such a thing as a benign cancer? I just listed the 14 books I've bought since Christmas. Good grief! (I bought *Spin Control* too, but haven't opened it yet.
Happy reading!

posted by LizzieD at 10:52 am (EST) on Feb 2, 2009

I just added some of my Pelican art history books and came over to see whether you own them. I shouldn't (own them) because I don't use them as they deserve, or rather, I should give them to some art student who would cherish them. Can't do it yet. I don't think that I ever told you that the Lumbee Indians (who aren't recognized by the feds as a tribe although they keep working on it) used to get truck loads of remaindered Penguin press books. They would then stamp them "Not for Resale," cut a one inch strip off the front cover, and sell them for 50 cents a book to cover the handling and the rental of the place to keep them. It was wonderful! Most of my classics collection and all of the art books came from them. Alas, no more.
While I was here, I saw that you did find a copy of *After Long Silence,* which I haven't reread but really liked. I also liked the way Tepper turned the whole thing into *Grass.*
And I wonder whether you've read and liked *Spin State*?
Hope things are going well for you. Retirement remains idyllic.
Peggy/Lizzie

posted by LizzieD at 8:51 pm (EST) on Feb 1, 2009

I'm blown away. I want to stay here most of the day, AND I'm not sure what sitting for 5 hours and then swimming 20 laps is doing to the old body.

posted by LizzieD at 11:24 pm (EST) on Jan 9, 2009

Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!! Oh my goodness!!! Are you sure that you want to do that? I'm so in love with this place that I would be over the moon to have a life membership. Think, Nulla, think - and if it happens, thank you. And if it doesn't, thank you for the lovely thought!

posted by LizzieD at 3:17 pm (EST) on Jan 8, 2009

--- and did I ever tell you that I was in college with Susie Newsome of *Bitter Blood* fame? (No reason that I should have.) Obviously, we were not more than acquaintances, and I remember her best when one of my real friends gently nudged her off her self-erected pedestal (or "pedal stool" according to an AP English student here in Lumpyton.)

posted by LizzieD at 12:23 pm (EST) on Jan 8, 2009

--- and I can put my CD's on here too? Good grief! I may never get up again. Meanwhile, I've had fun browsing in your library. Gee. We really do have a lot in common. (Just wait until I get around to listing my Pelican art books!)

posted by LizzieD at 12:16 pm (EST) on Jan 8, 2009

Oh. Here you are. It's too bad that I have a life now and can't spend all my time adding books, but I'm doing a fair job.

posted by LizzieD at 3:13 pm (EST) on Jan 7, 2009

My late dad served with the 209th Combat Engineers in the China-Burma-India theater, October 1943 - August 1945. His unit served under Col. Lewis A. Pick in construction of the Ledo (aka Stilwell, aka Burma) Road. General Stilwell deployed this unit from road-building directly into combat at the Myitkyina Air Strip and for the last three months of siege at the town of Myitkyina. I'm seeking to meet those who may have information about my dad's unit or the Myitkyina battles. Can you help?

posted by UncleVerbal at 2:37 pm (EST) on Jun 28, 2006