Heather's Library

Dragonriders of Pern: The Masterharper of Pern
by Anne McCaffrey

p.70 "Cortath?" he called out, racing across the vast courtyard as fast as he could toward the three bronzes who had landed to one side. He ducked in among the greens and blues, completely unaware that it was actually the greens and blues who were sensitive to those who might make good Impressions.
     Cortath is not here today.
     Robie stopped short, breathing hard as he realized that, indeed, his good friend was not there. "But I wanted to talk to him," he said, almost in tears with disappointment.
     I will tell him a harper boy regretted his absence.
     "I'm not a harper...yet," Robinton admitted, identifying the not-so-bright bronze as the one who had spoken to him. "Would you mind my talking to you? If you've got nothing better to do for a moment? May I ask your name?" And he executed a half bow to show he was being respectful.
     You may. I call myself Kilminth and my rider is S'bran. What is your name?
     As if you'll remember, said another dragon voice. It was the very dark bronze one. It is only a child.
     Who hears dragons when they speak, so I will talk to him while our riders are busy. It is nice to talk to a child who hears.
     He's not old enough to be Searched.
     Don't mind Calanuth, Kilminth told Robie in a somewhat supercilious tone. He's too young to have much sense.
     Oh, go curl up in the sun, and then Kilminth lowered his head down to Robinton.

p.95 "It doesn't cost any marks to be gracious, no matter where you are or what you're doing," his mother was always saying. "No singer of professional caliber would think of drowning out other singers" was another point she often made.

p.178 The Charter was first taught as a Teaching Ballad to the youngest children, and then with more detail as the students grew old enough to memorize its provisions and to understand the meaning of each clause. A holder was not doing his duty by his people to deny them this information.
     On the other hand, there was no provision made to punish holders who did not disseminate the information contained in the Charter. This was one of the shortcomings of the document. When Robinton had queried that in class, Master Washell had responded with a snort and then the notion that it must never have occurred to the writers of the charter that anyone would be denied such basic human rights.
     Robinton hoped that those who had learned their figures and letters under the previous holder would pass them on--however illicitly--to their children. Knowledge had a way of permeating any barriers set to exclude it. He could only hope that held true in Fax's hold.

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Dragonriders of Pern: The Dolphins of Pern
by Anne McCaffrey

p.11 "I swim good" Readis announced in a strong, loud voice. "I swim as good as any shipfish!'
     "That you do," his mother agreed equably.
     "Don't I know that as taught you?" Alemi replied cheerfully. "And I can swim that much better and still use a vest in a small boat."
     "An' in stormy weather," Readis added to prove that he knew the whole lesson on safety vests. "My mother made mine," he said proudly, puffing out his vested chest and grinning up at her. "With love in every stitch!"

p.122-123 Afo ecstatically reported the Nolly singing to them. Dolphins had songs of their own, which all the Tilleks had taught so well they were embedded in their memories, which they sang remembering the waters they had come from. Sometimes the songs were sad--from the times when many dolphins had died in nets that entangled them. Sometimes the sadness came from missing the mans, the Dunkirk, the Crossing of the Great Currents, the Swimming of the Whirlpool, or the finding of man things that got into the water and shouldn't stay there; the saving of mans in storms. There were many songs dolphins would sounds. Sometimes every pod would join in, weaving the sounds back and forth across the sea of Pern.
     That darktime many songs floated on the Great Currents.

Joan Abelove --
David Almond --
Laurie Halse Anderson --
Poul Anderson --
V. C. Andrews --
Katherine Applegate --
Kelley Armstrong --
Ameila Atwater-Rhodes --
Margaret Atwood --
Katherine Ayers --
Greg Bear --
Joanne Bertin --
Ambrose Bierce --
Isobel Bird --
Francesca Lia Block --
Ray Bradbury --
Libba Bray --
Terry Brooks --
Jimmy Buffett --
Meg Cabot --
Orson Scott Card --
Jack L. Chalker --
Kate Chopin --
Scott Ciencin --
Tom Clancy --
Steve Pieczenik --
Andrew Clements --
Bruce Coville --
Jane Yolen --
Michael Crichton --
Paula Danziger --
Ann M. Martin --
Gordon R. Dickson --
Antwone Fisher --
Diana Gabaldon --
Alan Grant --
Winston Groom --
Laurell K. Hamilton --
Robert A. Heinlein --
Catherine Ryan Hyde --
Terry Jones --
Howard and Susan Kaminsky --
M. E. Kerr --

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Berit Braeme
Michael Faber
D.S. Halacy, Jr.
Jeanne Watatsuki Houston and James D. Houston
Helen Kim

First of all...

Yay! 100th book post! :D

I promise that this'll be the last use of large, sparkly text I use...until the 200th post, and that could be awhile. :)



Dragonriders of Pern: The Renegades of Pern
by Anne McCaffrey

p.23-24 "We're honest traders, bringing good wares and news to isolated holds that can't always get to a Gather. We travel from inclination and choice. This is a broad and beautiful world we live in, Jayge, and we'll see as much of it as we can. We spend long enough in one place to make friends and understand different ways of doing things. That's far better, to my mind, than never moving out of one valley all your born days, and never hearing a new way of speaking or a new way of doing. Keeps the brain blood circulating; shifts ideas and opens eyes and hearts."

p.113 Armald, with a big frame and a threatening arrangement of thick features, was a good man to have at one's back, but he was not clever enough to spot menace unless it came at him, swinging sword or club.

p.162 "She deserved to be dropped down a smooth hole and left there."

p.261 "We could go have a look," the Masterharper suggested. "I'd like to find something myself! Wouldn't you?"
     "Not if I have to dig it out by myself," Piemur replied.
     "Would I ask you to do something I wouldn't do?" Master Robinton demanded, wide-eyed with an innocence that appeared remarkably genuine.
     "Frequently!" Fortunately, there're enough willing hands up at the Plateau, so I'll see that I have help."

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Dragonriders of Pern: Nerilka's Story
by Anne McCaffrey

p.129 "She's birthing," with such authority that I had to smother a snicker.
     Kindly, none of the men insulted him by looking. But we all heard the mare sink to the deep straw bedding. How clever of animals to improve on humans in this activity. We heard several grunts from the mare, no screams or long ululating cries, no weeping and complaining about her lot, or cursing the man who brought her to this condition.

p.166 He came to me every night, kind and thorough, until the morning when we both knew I had not yet conceived. I cannot tell you how relieved I was, that feeling overpowering any sense of failure that I had not immediately conceived for him, for it meant he must live another month at least. I would have that much more of his company to remember. I could no longer deny to myself that Alessan had always been important to me from the moment he had married my dear Suriana, just as Ruatha had been the haven denied me first by the circumstance of her death, and then by my parents' arbitrary decision at Gathertime. Now he was vital to my heart and soul in a way that I never could have anticipated in the wildest flight of fancy. I treasured every casual touch; sometimes, in the night, I would feel his questing hand, as if to reassure his sleeping self that I was still there. I cherished each word he spoke of approval for my management, my suggestions. I stored them up, as others might hoard marks or harvests, to strengthen me in the famine of his absence.

Dragonriders of Pern: The White Dragon
by Anne McCaffrey

p.40 "Do you realize," he asked, twirling the glass in his hand, "that there wasn't a drop of wine on board?"
     "Oh, no!" Lessa cried in a comic dismay. F'lar's laughter joined hers. "What a deprivation!"

p.68 "Got another explanation?" Menolly asked belligerently.
     "No, but that doesn't mean there isn't one," and Jaxom grinned at her.

p.78-79 Everyone was right willing to discuss his Lady Mother Gemma with him, but did they ever fumble and fight to find another subject if mentioned his unlamented father. Were they afraid to have him get ideas from his father's aggressive ways? Or was it merely courtesy not to talk about the dead unkindly? They certainly had no bar about discussing the living in destructive terms.

p.175 The subject of fire-lizard memory was discussed again; F'lar unwilling to concede that, unlike the dragons they otherwise resembled, the little creatures were capable of recall. Their tales might all be imaginary, the results of sun-dreams and insubstantial. To that Robinton replied that imagination relied on memory--without one, the other was impossible.

p.193 If anyone had told Jaxom that morning that he'd enjoy a comfortable dinner with the Benden Weyrleaders, he'd have told them to open their glow baskets.

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