52+ in 2009

[lumineaux]

Quatrain by Sharon Shinn

Four medium-length stories set in four of Shinn's most popular worlds -- Samaria (the angels world), the 12th Kingdoms, the world of Castle Auburn, and the world of Heart of Gold.  They are all pleasant, readable stories.  I'm not sure whether someone unfamiliar with all four worlds would be able to appreciate the stories, though.
 

Heart of Gold by Sharon Shinn

This is a re-read for me.  For those of you who don't like social commentary in your stories, don't bother reading this;  it's as social-commentary-heavy as your average episode of the original Star Trek.  Two races -- gold-skinned and blue-skinned -- with radically different and equally imperfect social structures try to co-exist.  Now don't get me wrong, I like this book a lot.  I like Shinn's development of both cultures and I enjoy the social commentary aspect.  I think there's a solid story about people underneath the social commentary too.