Hallo!  Since I'm new here, I thought it would be nice to meet the regulars of this board, and a little about the kind of books you like best to read, and so forth.

I'll start.  I'm Ailanna, a nineteen year old addict...to fantasy books.  I adore young adult fantasy-- Lloyd Alexander, Patricia Wrede, Vivian Vande Velde, Diana Wynne Jones, Robin McKinley, Sherwood Smith, etc.  I read selectively in adult fantasy, choosing mostly things with 1) a great deal of swashbuckling and courtly intrigue, as in Teresa Edgerton's Goblin Moon and Paula Volsky's Illusion; 2) alternate history settings, particularly if they involve swashbuckling (are you seeing a pattern here?); and 3) fairy tale elements or retellings.  Or just very lovely writing.  I don't read much epic fantasy, and if it comes down to it, would far rather settle down with a Patricia McKillip or Dunsany than with a Robert Jordan or George R. R. Martin.

Other random stuff.  I'm a British lit major and a costuming minor, like cats (particularly mine), Kinuko Craft, Loreena McKennitt, Neil Gaiman, Jane Austen and Rossetti.  I never considered what I read strongly romantic and never touch anything straight romance except for Georgette Heyer, whose work I really enjoy, but I suppose it is as many of the books mentioned on this site are either things I am interested in or have liked.

Well, have at it!

I read the Liaden books this summer, too.  I really, really liked A Conflict of Honors; the rest were quite readable, but Val Con and Miri just didn't interest me as much as Priscilla and Shan.  There was something very Heyer-esque about it.

I've only lately begun to dip into space opera (because of the swashbuckling, of course) and I think my favorite of the few that I've read must be Debra Doyle and James MacDonald's The Price of the Stars.  I read straight through a literature lecture because I had made the mistake of starting it late the night before.

[quote author=Ailanna  link=1035300958/0#0 date=1035311758]I adore ... Sherwood Smith ... [/quote]

Hi Ailanna,

Have you read Sherwood Smith's space operas (co-written with Dave Trowbridge)?  The series is called The Exordium.  I began the first book, PHOENIX IN FLIGHT, this weekend, and couldn't get into it at all.  I liked bits and pieces, but found the overall book too grand in scope to interest me.  I suppose I prefer more intimate stories told from just one or two viewpoints.

Now that I know these books aren't keepers, I will have regained some serious real estate on my bookshelves.  (These were fairly thick books!)

Hi Ailanna and all

I'm a 48 yr. old bookaholic from the Pa. area.  I've been reading ...a long time and have a library of 10,000 or so books at home with at least 3,000 of them in my tbr pile.
I read all kinds of books.  I started out years ago with series, moved on to historical, cont. suspense and have become hooked on paranormal, vampire, werewolf etc.  I've always read sci fi fantasy.  I started out with Lackey, Hambly, Goodkind, Wrede, Tom Deitz  and Feist, obviously preferring fantasy to sci fi since they had some romance but not that rsf has come into being I'm tending to like sci fi more and more.  My favorite authors at the moment being...Wen Spencer, Julie E. Czerneda, Patricia Briggs, S. L. Viehl, Mark Sumner, Jim Butcher, Elizabeth Kerner, Bujold and the Liaden books too.
I work part time as a home nursing attendant.   My favorite hobbies are booking, reading, camping, and boating.  My least favorite books are horror (though I like Dean Koontz and LKH) and books without some kind of romance.   Since I love to read so much, I have to switch genres a lot.  

                           Linda

Alianna,

That is such a pretty name. I am new here, too, and I'm glad you posted this ice breaker thread.

I am 23 and live in hershey, pa with my husband who spoils me and supports my book habbit... Linda.. I am so glad you had "booking" listed as a hobby! YAY! I love these forums b/c I know I am not alone in my obsession. I am sending a manuscript to LUNA today, I love writing as much as I love reading.

I love romance, fantasy, mystery, and some fiction like Mario Puzo and Fannie Flagg. I love hundereds of Romance authors, and if I started listing them I would never stop. I honestly have not read as much fantasy, but I did more so growing up. I love Mercedes Lackey, Catherine Asaro, Terry Brooks, Deborah Hale, Kristain Britain, and the Dragon Lance series... I would love any suggestions you guys might have. I am going to look into stuff that I have already seen listed.. do you guys have any of those "must read" authors you could reccomend for Fantasy Romance... or SF Romance?

Oh, and I am always looking for clever ways to store books. I like having them out, but the bookcases are full to overflowing with shelves stacked with books in rows of 3 on their sides.... and piles, oh do I know about those piles of books about the house... ...... anyways what is a girl to do when there's limited space for books. When I move, I am going to have a 3 story library  .

Sincerely,

Laura T

Hello, all!

I'm new too.  (Chris Stevenson) I'm 54, male, and I live in Hemet California.  I'm ex-federal law enforcement and auto mechanic.  I write more SF and F than I read it at the present.  I have romance in all my SF and Fantasy books, and they are currently with my agent and being shopped around.  I've pubished two non-fiction books, 15 short stories in the slicks, radio plays, and over 300 articles and newspaper profiles.  I was past content editor at Sunset Publishing in Anaheim Calif, and expired member of the SFWA.  I have excerpts of my book PLANET JANITOR--CUSTODIAN OF THE STARS on my agent's website with an excerpt.  Triadaus Literary.

This is a great site, and I sure am glad I'm in company with writers and readers who enjoy relationships and romance among the stars or in a futuristic setting.  I just finished an Urban Fantasy entitled Felicity Fortune, and it's about the Roman Goddess of Luck (Fortuna) helping a mortal man out, who falls in love with her.

See you around

Chris Stevenson  aka Triceratops