Jilli, she's on my very short list of authors whom I buy in hardcover. Her other books are SF, mostly about Miles Vorkosigan. For those, I think you're best off starting with the two books focusing on his parents, Shards of Honorand Barrayar, which are collected in Cordelia's Honor. They're pretty self-contained as book and sequel, but the ones after that get increasingly arc'y and need to be read in order.

I have Paladin of Souls in my hot little hands!

I love being married to a librarian.

Kingsolver reading the book? Out loud? This I may have to hear for myself!

Yup. It's nice. You know she's getting the character's voices right! Oakland Lib has it.

There's something different about Kingsolver that I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's just because I'm not in my 20's and weeping over Animal Dreams any more. I love her, she's one of the few authors I buy in hardback, but the experience isn't so immediate any more.

cereal re King: I had to quit reading him after I read a short story back when about a person who's shot in the head, but not killed by it or hurt badly, and who can't stop him(her?)self from pushing a pencil into the hole, just because s/he can Shudder! I'm a wimp.

I second the Bujold. I stumbled across her Miles Vorkosigan books which I love for their twisted evil little hearts. I didn't know about Chalion until it was out in paperback, so perversely I'm waiting for the paperback of Paladin. I looooooved Chalion and I'm hearing people say Paladin is better. So, the waiting for the paperback is tested more and more each day.

Thank you to everyone who offered their opinions of the books I asked about. I really appreciate it.

Has anyone read this Mercedes Lackey? It's apparently the first in a new series of fantasy from Harlequin.

Is that Renee Zellweger on the cover??

sumi, I read it since I got a free review copy and didn't think too much of it. The premise could have been great (a land where things really do follow fairytale plots, and the heroine is a Cinderella-type who missed out on her prince), but she didn't do enough with it to make up for her usual wooden characterization.

That said, I still have the ARC kicking around & could send it to you, or anyone else who wants it. Let me know.

Sure looks like her, doesn't it?

I'm still immensely entertained that the cover art for Jennifer Roberson's Lady of the Glen looks just like Michael Praed in his Robin of Sherwood days.

Dani -- that's too bad. I don't like Lackey enough to want to read bad Lackey.

Also, I'm currently reading Title A thousand years over a hot stove : a history of American women told through food, recipes, and remembrances by Laura Schenone -- it's very interesting.