Membrosister_ray

I am slowly writing reviews of my books. They will all be favorable to some degree, because I don't keep books I don't like and I don't want to waste time on most books I didn't like. For this reason, I don't rate books - if it's here, I obviously like at least part of it. I am not going to review anything in the Rosen "Coping" library I own, as well as very long fantasy series (Goodkind/Jordan/Tolkien/Rowling) for two reasons; one, they have been extensively covered by others and I have little to add about them, and two, the sheer length prohibits summary. Basically, if it's longer than a trilogy, unless the books are short or children's books, I'm unlikely to review it.

I am also tagging my books. Fiction written for adults is not labeled as such; only juvenile and young adult books are given a label for the target audience. Also, if the book is set in America or England, it is not tagged with a region. Obviously, fantasy and Sf don't get those unless they are actually set in a real place. Very long fantasy series have the bare minimum of tags for ease of classification as of now. This will change, but it takes time to chart the individual themes in the books. Realistic fiction is basically stories that could happen right now or in the present of the time they were written. Science fantasy is books that straddle fantasy and SF, usually mixing magic with science issues, but some blur the lines a bit more or are uncertain about their genre. Fantasy is usually set in other worlds and involves magical elements or clearly impossible things (animals speaking to humans in English or some other language like that). SF is possible things set in the future or what if type things. Historical fiction is realistic fiction that was set in the past of whenever it was written. Fiction is books I can't easily define or collections of stories with more than one genre. Magical realism is realistic fiction with some fantasy elements that are not treated as unusual in the place. I think of new tags all the time; thus they can never be considered to be complete. "Out of print" indicates the book is out of print, not just the edition I happen to own. "Series book" is a book in a sequence that is at least three books long and the books are directly related to each other in some way. "Compilation novel" is any collection of novel or novella type works that were published seperately and are together in this edition. "Got for free" is books I have either swapped for others or books I have gotten from cartons and such outside used bookstores.

If there is an author I own virtually all the books by, and do not have one of their books, unless the book is not in paperback yet, assume I read it and did not like it. I am still working my way through a few prodigious writers, and they are an exception, but there are very few. I do not own every book I have ever read, and my library is a work in progress. Some books I read as a child I still do not own, but would like to. I have only classified one book that I have read but do not own, and that's the only one that will ever be in that category.

I only buy paperbacks, for the most part. Hardcover books I buy if they have been out of print for years and do not look like they will be released in paperback, or I find for almost nothing. I try to get matching editions of series books as well - they must be all of the same type if they are in a series. If they are just individual books by the author this is not needed. (The exceptions are Faulkner and Graham Greene. The former is only collected in vintage mass market, the latter in the orange Puffin editions.)

Thirtysomething who spends far too much time reading and doing missing persons related things.

I will read almost anything, besides mysteries, math books, political books, and most true crime. (I have read a few true crime books, and all are about child abuse/children being killed/children killing. I suppose crimes committed against adults don't interest me.) My favorites are sf/fantasy (with a special love for dystopian/post-holocaust stories), classic literature (especially medieval stuff) and medical books.

You may also notice I have several books in my library that are supposedly true accounts, but are not. This is known by me - I have a hoax book collection, and the well-written ones wind up here. (If they are not well-written, but I can get them for free, I also add them.) Hoaxes and myths and bad science interest me immensely. I also have collections of Guinness Books and the Endless Quest books put out by TSR.