Help! am looking for new authors to try for summer holiday reading.

can any of you sci-fi/fantasy lovers suggest names/titles - as a guide I love Anne McCaffrey and MZB's Darkover series, also CJ Cherryh space sagas, also Heinlein, but can't stand anything with faeries, wizards etc, or terry pratchett and similar.

prefer my characters to be real, or living in an alternate universe, rather than imagined, if that makes sense

I'm a huge Feist fan too! Maybe he could have his own thread?

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[size=75]"Somehow, he felt, as he had never felt before, the want of a woman to sit facing him as he read a new book on pulmonary complaints." (Jean of Storms)

More fantasy than sci-fi but no fairies either.
Tamora Pierce, Kirsten Britain, Margaret Weiss & Tracy Hickman, David Eddings, Tad Williams. It's been ages since I read Sci-fi other than Anne McCaffrey.

I love Feist too- I bought Magician after it was on the BBC Big Read the day after my best friend recommended it, which I took as a sign! My favourite so far is the Daughter of the Empire series. As for other fantasy-type stuff, I like David and Leigh Eddings (tho most older editions only credit Mr Eddingds). The Sparhawk series was my favourite.

I've just finished reading The Big Over Easy by Jasper FForde- I finished it off on the plane yesterday and was desperately trying not to laugh!

I've just bought a load of Georgette Heyers (thanks to Catherine_S!), so I think that they'll be keeping me busy for the next while! I've got about halfway through The Convient Marriage so far.

The rest of my reading at the minute is for my dissertation, so histories of the British Labour Party- thrilling stuff!

Have just finished Well of lost plots by JFf, cant wait for the next one - but my pre-order on Amazon has been cancelled! Currently reading Gene by Stev Pavlou - a strange re-incarnation book - The Abbey Girls and All the wyers of Perrn, by Anne MacCafrey.

My daughter cant understand how I can read three at a time and not get confused.


BTW does anyone else have a bookcase in the bathroom?

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There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.

I would have if it would fit. I bought a bookcase in Argos at the beginning of the college year as the space in my flat wasn't enough. I'm wondering what to do with it now that I'm moving out. I don't think I can manage to take it home. I guess I'll just have to leave it here.

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Read all about my travels in South America...

Have just finished reading the Dragonlance Chronicles and am now on the first book of Legends. I'd forgotten how good they were, as this is my first re-read.

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Only 15 hardbacks to go!
Magic's never what you expect it to be, but it's often what you need

I can't fit a bookcase into my bathroom, or I'd have one in there. I do wish more people would realise the value of reading matter in the bathroom, it makes place seem so much friendlier.

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Carpe diem, carpe noctem, carpe pecuniam et exe, celerrime.
A certain edge when she spoke of Mrs Maynard, certainly, but, after all, not everyone could love Joey.
'Life,' said Marvin, 'don't talk to me about life!'

We did a sponsored read one half-term and I read 22 books. I was accused of making up the numbers by reading Mr Men books, because some people just didn't understand how I could have read so many otherise! I did have a list and there were no Mr Men books on there - quite a few chalets though

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“I have had too much experience of life to believe in the infallibility of doctors. Some of them are clever men and some of them are not, and half the time the best of them don’t know what is the matter with you.” ~ Miss Marple

What about the Deryni series by Katherine Kurtz. They can be a bit difficult to get hold of apart from Amazon, but worth it. An alternate celtic universe with believable magic.

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Kernow bys vykken! (Cornwall forever!)
http://www.middlescommonroom.co.uk

Currently about half-way through The Constant Princess and somewhat less far through Mary, a book about what the Virgin Mother was most likely to have been like.

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Grief is the price we pay for love.

Ooh, who is the Mary one by, Ronara? It sounds interesting.

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Read all about my travels in South America...

I remember reading those years ago, but never managed to get hold of all of them through the library and haven't seen them anywhere since. I really enjoyed them

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“I have had too much experience of life to believe in the infallibility of doctors. Some of them are clever men and some of them are not, and half the time the best of them don’t know what is the matter with you.” ~ Miss Marple

Have just finished the new Katie Fforde - Practically Perfect.

Great fun to read on the train ...

I was accused of lieing by my teacher when I brought back the library book I had bnorrowed the previous afternoon and said That I had read it, and could I have another one. I was reduced to tears by his scorn, and then he went through the book chapter by vchapter to make me tell the story. In the end he had to admit that I was right (but no apology!). My parents wrote a nasty letter to the headteacher about this - they said their problem to to confine me to only reading a book a day!

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There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who do not.

ditto!

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[size=75]"Somehow, he felt, as he had never felt before, the want of a woman to sit facing him as he read a new book on pulmonary complaints." (Jean of Storms)

I've just finished the new Georgia Nicholson book (Startled by his furry shorts) and laughed like a drain at it. Now I have to wander lonely as a clud until there is a new one

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"I've noticed very few people are scary once they've been poked in the eye" Temperance Brennan, Bones

Guy Gavriel Kay is another fantasy author along the lines of Anne McCaffrey and David Eddings. Try Tigana which is probably his best.

I just got a copy of David Eddings Crystal Gorge (out recently in paperback). My husband is probably going to talking to its cover until I have finished it!!

Beth

I'd suggest the 'Incarnations of Immortality' series by Piers Anthony. I was sent them as a present by a friend, and it was those that led me on to Anne McCaffrey. There are seven books in the series, and they're quite closely linked, so best read together.

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Friends bring out the beautiful things in each other that no one else looks hard enough to find

All this talk of reading makes me wish I was going to the UK this summer; I can't imagine anything nicer than walking into a big bookshop with the intention of spending a lot of money! We have one biggish bookshop here, with a (small) selection of books at high prices, so I tend to stock up in the UK and bring it all back. I haven't been there for 2 years now, so supplies are running low. All very sad really!

As for what I'm reading, it's 'Ladykiller' by Martina Cole, and it's horribly fascinating.

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When the going gets tough, the tough eat chocolate.