Today after work, I went to the used bookstore. It used to be right near work, but it's far away from my new work. So sad. I bought all the Nevada Barr books they had (like, three), and a couple Steven Brust books (in the Yendi/Teckla/Jhereg series which I already have three or four of), a couple of books by Tanith Lee, a few other random things. $27 worth.

How about the Great Brain books? Those were really funny, plus illustrated by Mercer Mayer.

I loved those, but totally didn't get the whole Utah setting and the Catholics vs. Mormons stuff and all that.

I would read anything with the supernatural in it (distinctly remember "The Girl With the Silver Eyes" as a favorite)

Aww, I remember that one! And then she found people! That was my favorite.

And I LOVED Half Magic. Again with the "When I was 10, I didn't quite understand the setting becuase it was so historically far from me" bit, though. But that also made it special and interesting.

a couple of books by Tanith Lee

Which? People keep telling me to read Tanith Lee but I don't know where to start.

DH has read it -- says it is better than Quicksilver.

I like it better, too. At least, it was more entertaining. It took me ages to get through Quicksliver and about a week to read The Confusion. My problem is, now I think Quicksliver is actually a better book, but I don't really have a month to spend rereading it. I'll probably just do it anyway... I have until Sept. until the next one comes out. Grrr. Oh, and I was lucky enough to read them in hard cover because my library has them. The librarian almost fell over when I took them out, and asked if I knew George R R Martin. I'll have to check out the SF section again.

One was "Silver Metal Lover", and I forget the other--I've never really read much Tanith Lee, so I can't say if any of it is good! (Though I already read one of the Nevada Barr ones--the first one in the series!)

Which? People keep telling me to read Tanith Lee but I don't know where to start.

My favorites by her are the Blood Opera trillogy: Dark Dance, Personal Darkness, and Darkness, I. But then, I have a fondness for well-written vampire novels.

I saw Steven Brust's latest in the bookstore the other day and was intrigued. From the back cover, it looked a bit like a cross between Firefly and Hitchhiker's Guide.

Every couple of months someone on the Brust mailing list mentions Firefly, and it always makes me do a double take. It's just weird when fandoms intersect. In any case, I think that's a great description of that book (Sethra Lavode, I think) but I'd suggest you start at the beginning of the "Khaavren Romances" with Phoenix Guards, if you haven't already.

Hmm. I checked on Amazon, and the book I'm thinking of is Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille. It was in the new releases section, but it must be a reissue, since Amazon says it's from 1990.

If Firefly were written by Dumas (and didn't involve space), you'd have this particular Brust series.

Ooh, cool! (I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo now and loving it, though it's slow going because it's my bedtime book and I'm usually really tired these days...) Now I'm definitely intrigued.

Hmm. I checked on Amazon, and the book I'm thinking of is Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille. It was in the new releases section, but it must be a reissue, since Amazon says it's from 1990.

The 2003 edition is indeed an Tor/Orb reissue. I would have thought it was older, but I checked and it appears that yup, the Ace edition is 1990 (I'm AFB). Feng's is funky and fun, not one of his more dramatic (?) books. It isn't in his Vladiad or his Paarfiad, but is a stand-alone. I enjoyed it.

Hmm. I checked on Amazon, and the book I'm thinking of is Cowboy Feng's Space Bar and Grille. It was in the new releases section, but it must be a reissue, since Amazon says it's from 1990.

Oh, I read that recently. I didn't notice whether it was a reissue or not. I can - sort of - see the comparison to Firefly, though the tone is really not much alike. I quite liked it though.

Assuming I can find it, I'm happy to lend if someone wants it.

I though Feng fell apart resoundingly at the end. It left me feeling that the reveal was inconsistent with the narrator's behaviour, yet not interested enough to reread and doublecheck. Easily my least favourite Brust.

Which would you recommend first, ita? And the Firefly comparison was made knowing only what I could tell from the cover art and back-cover blurb, so I freely admit it could be erroneous.

Outside of his big series (Vlad and Paarfi, which are intertwined), I love The Sun The Moon & The Stars -- it's sort of Microserfs for artsies. And To Reign In Hell may be seen as a whole lot of work for one particular joke (Get thee behind me, Satan!) but I liked it a lot too.

I get a little impatient with the floweriness (florality?) of Paarfi, but adore Vlad to pieces, even though he changes (as does the tone) in the Vladdy books. Those I'd recommend reading in publication order.`