Cyteen - C. J. Cherryh

OK, first real post.

So many authors out there... I've noticed Cherryh's books in bookstores for as long as I've been reading outside the children's section (a little less than 20 years). Mostly, I've bypassed her books until now because the covers of the Chanur books tend to have cat people on them. For some reason, this kept me from reading any of her books. Well, you know what they say about judging a book by it's cover. So, after recently looking around for a new author to start on, I picked Cherryh, and after a little more looking around it seemed like her most notable book was Cyteen (plus no cat people!).

After reading, I'd have to say I'm thoroughly impressed. The book was a very political sci-fi story, similar in complexity to the Dune books. Unlike Dune, the technology was at least somewhat believable, which is always a plus for me. At times, it could be a little hard to follow, but I feel like that was my problem and not the book. It also seems to be set in a very interesting and well developed universe. The book stood by itself, but reading two of her earlier books 40,000 in Gehenna and Downbelow Station might have made reading it even more interesting (or so I've heard from Amazon reviews, etc.). Those two books are going to be read sometime soon.

I'd have a hard time recommending this to people who are not into political sci-fi books already, but it's now one of my favorites. This books a keeper, I'm sure that I'll pick it up again in a few years. The characters and the way the author pulled things together are what will bring me back - complex characters dealing with complex issues. It's definitely the type of book where I enjoyed what was happening almost more than I wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

Overall, Cyteen gets a solid "excellent" on a scale of terrible to excellent.

First

The title makes it pretty clear what this blog is for.
Specifically, I'm doing this both to provide a short of review of recently finished books and to help me to keep track of what I've read and what I liked about it. I'm going to give a short blurb about the book and try to hit the below categories in some form.

• Why did I read it?
  
• Would I recommend it to someone? AND what type of person I would recommend it to?
• Would I read it again (AKA, is it staying on my bookshelf or is it going on paperbackswap)? AND why?
• What did I like or hate (without giving away what the book is about)?

Just to make it clear. I read mostly sci-fi and fantasy with a smattering of other things. If that's not up your alley... sorry!