Barrayar is SO good, because Cordelia kicks SO much ass.

Shopping!

Oh, I loved Mary O'Hara's novels--My Friend Flicka, Thunderheart, and the third one, I memfault the name. They got increasingly mature and emotionally complex as they went. I also really liked her autobiography, which makes it clear she wrote the novels from experience.

Have we mentioned A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? Kara is probably a little young for that, though.

The Secret Garden, is one of my favorites, but she found the premise boring when I tried it about 6 months ago. I may give it another try in another 6 months. I do not know Thunderhead.

I loved Misty of Chincoteague and those stories, did not love Black Beauty as much. She loves horses though, so I'll

aidan (short break so Aidan could write his name)

try them all. I think A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a little old, but some of the others are too. I'll add it to the list for later.

I knew Thunderhead was the sequel to My Friend Flicka but neither Mom nor I realized they were part of a trilogy. I don't think I ever read the third book.

The third book is more about Thunderhead.

ETA: The third book is called Green Grass of Wyoming.

All three books have been made into movies. (I've only seen My Friend Flicka though.)

I think I liked Barrayar so much that the lack of Cordelia in the subsequent books (or the very small amount of Cordelia) made me sad

Yeah, that's fair. Cordelia's really only a main character in the first two, and after that they become Miles' books. (Except for Ethan of Athos, which is about Elli Quinn. I remember wanting to like it more than I did, which is a shame because Elli is awesome.)

Borders of Infinity has important continuity stuff in it, but I never really liked it until I'd read the whole series and then went back and read it to fill in the gaps. (Without it, the approximately umpty-jillion references to Dagoola IV went right over my head, but somehow I could never get through it until I already knew where the missing chunks of story were going to be filled in, if that makes sense.)

Except for Ethan of Athos, which is about Elli Quinn. I remember wanting to like it more than I did, which is a shame because Elli is awesome.

Is it really important to read it, then? Especially in order? It sounds like no.

Borders of Infinity has important continuity stuff in it, but I never really liked it until I'd read the whole series and then went back and read it to fill in the gaps.

The short stories? Again, does that mean I can skip them?

The short stories? Again, does that mean I can skip them?

I think some issues raised in the short stories are referenced in the later novels. I'd recommend reading them before you get to Komarr and A Civil Campaign.

The short stories are pretty important, in that they make some of Miles' later actions make more sense. Ethan of Athos, you can skip. In terms of continuity, all you need to know is that Elli has extensive medical treatment on Athos.