Indexing Tactics & Tidbits - Janet Perlman

Indexing Tactics & Tidbits
Janet Perlman
Information Today Inc.
Copyright Date: March 2016
978-1573875257

The amazon.com product description:

In this highly-recommended reference for indexing professionals, master indexer Janet Perlman presents a treasure trove of practical, in-depth explanations and advice. The author pays homage to the Hans Wellisch classic, Indexing from A to Z, while bringing her own in-depth, conversational style and a multitude of fresh topics to the table.

Indexing Tactics & Tidbits provides answers and insights on such vital subjects as audience analysis, clients and contracts, computers and software, ethics and standards, index depth and length, index structure, periodical indexing, professional resources, quality and usability, work methods and strategies, and much more.

New and experienced indexers alike will appreciate this significant effort to address "everything you always wanted to know about indexing but were afraid to ask" by one of the preeminent indexers of our time. 

As crazy as it sounds, I really enjoy reading indexing reference works, so I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this one. I'd seen nothing but good comments about it on the indexing mailing lists when it first came out a couple of months ago, but had to wait until last week to get it.

Anyway, Indexing Tactics & Tidbits more than lived up to the reviews I'd seen. Well written and informative, the book covers a wide range of subjects much the same way that the Hans Wellisch book Indexing From A to Z does.

The topics she has chosen to cover are wide-ranging and useful, both for newer indexers and those who are more experienced at the job, and cover more than just the mechanics of the indexing process itself. There are numerous entries concerning office space, computers, and the business side of indexing as well. All of which I found very intriguing, and I am likely to be coming back to this book many times in the future.

There is another useful feature that I'd forgotten to mention before now. At the end of each entry is a "Notes" section which includes references to other indexing books and articles where you can find further information on any of the topics listed.

I have only one minor complaint. The book is too short! At the same time, I can't think of anything that she missed. My complaint stems more from the fact that I tend to read indexing books while traveling, and this one got read in about a day.

Definitely a well written book and one that I'm going to be keeping on my shelf for future reference (One of the first sections I'm planning to revisit is the one on "Websites For Indexers").

The Deed of Paksenarrion - Elizabeth Moon

The Deed Of Paksenarrion
Elizabeth Moon
Baen Books
Copyright: 1992
978-0671721046

Product Description copied from the chapters/indigo.ca website:

From the Publisher
The Finest Trilogy of the Decade -- in a Single Volume

Paksenarrion, yearning for adventure and glory, joins a mercenary company. Her chosen path will lead her on a holy quest that will bring down the gods'' wrath on her and test her to destruction.

From the Jacket
Never in our experience has a new author burst upon the sf/fantasy field to such immediate enthusiastic recognition as Elizabeth Moon with her fantasy trilogy, Sheepfarmer''s Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold. Now at last we are able to offer all six hundred thousand words of The Deed of Paksenarrion in a single trade edition. Note that because of its size the complete Deed of Paksenarrion will probably never be offered in a mass market edition.

The Deed of Paksenarrion has bee one of my favorite novels for years now. Like The Lord Of The Rings, it is one of those books where I've gone through multiple copies, although to be honest, I didn't wear out the copies completely for this one. Instead, I ended up donating one to the Science Fiction/Fantasy club at university, and then replacing my replacement copy because some of the pages turned out to be ripped.

Currently, I've got a paper copy and an e-book version as well - a great thing, because there's really no way I want to take a book this size camping! So, I was reading it on my Kobo. But, I'm not going to ramble about that! Instead, this is going to be yet another review of this book. It's at least the third one on my blog now, but it's been a few years since my last review (from 2011).

Elizabeth Moon has written up a wonderfully detailed world with a level of mud, rain and sweat that makes the books seem "real". It's not always the negative details though, but also details of food, history and customs that add depth to the books and the characters.

These days though, I'm finding it harder to review this book on it's own. When I think of it now, it comes gathered together with the Paladin's Legacy series of books that begins with Oath of Fealty, and even with the book of short stories, Deeds of Honor.

Unread Books 2016 - Fiction

After the past several years of running a mixed Unread Books list on my blog, last year I broke it up into some basic categories. I'm doing the same thing again this year, albeit a bit later in the year. Maybe it'll make it easier to keep the lists updated - and to find the books once I've read them. The plan is to have a fiction list, a primary sources list, a Tolkien list and a non-fiction list. Who knows, breaking the list up might even make it less intimidating!

The fiction list is generally the fastest growing, and in some ways, the scariest of the lists.

My Unread Fiction Books 2016:

1. Star Wars: X-Wing Omnibus 3 - Michael Stackpole (Graphic Novel)
2. A Flame In Hali - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Fantasy)
3. The Fall of Neskaya - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Fantasy)
4. Zandru's Forge - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross (Science Fiction)
5. Masters of Fantasy (Anthology)
6. Sword and Sorceress XV - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
7. Sword and Sorceress XIV - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
8. Sword and Sorceress X - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
9. Sword and Sorceress VI - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
10. Sword and Sorceress IX - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
11.  Rocket Ship Galileo - Robert Heinlein (Science Fiction)
12. Falls The Shadow - Sharon Kay Penman (History)
13. The Reckoning - Sharon Kay Penman (History)
14. Sword and Sorceress I - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradey (Anthology)
15. Sword and Sorceress V - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
16. Sword and Sorceress VII - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley (Anthology)
17. Against The Odds - Elizabeth Moon (Science Fiction)
18. Alexandria - Nick Bantock 
19. Morningstar - Nick Bantock 
20. Gryphon - Nick Bantock 
21. Lord of the Two Lands - Judith Tarr (Fantasy)
22. Variable Star - Robert Heinlein and Spider Robinson (Science Fiction)
23. Zoe's Tale - John Scalzi (Science Fiction)
24. The Forgetting Room - Nick Bantock 
25. The Venetian's Wife - Nick Bantock 
26. The Museum At Purgatory - Nick Bantock
27. Shadow Of The Swords - Kamran Pasha 
28. The Forest Laird - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)
29. American Vampire - Scott Snyder, Steven King (Graphic Novel)
30. A Game Of Thrones - George R. R. Martin (Fantasy, e-book)
31. Stray - Rachel Vincent (Fantasy, e-book)
32. Queen By Right - Anne Easter Smith (Historical Fiction)
33. Dreams of Joy - Lisa See (Historical Fiction)
34. Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire (Fantasy)
35. By Fire By Water - Mitchell James Kaplan (History)
36. Heaven To Wudang - Kylie Chan (Fantasy)
37. Stalking Darkness - Lynn Flewelling (Fantasy)
38. Traitor's Moon - Lynn Flewelling (Fantasy)
39. The Empire At War Vol 1  (Graphic Novel, Science Fiction)
40. The Empire At War Vol 2 (Graphic Novel, Science Fiction)
41.  The X Factor - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)
42. Star Gate - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)
43. Stargate SG1 Do No Harm - Karen Miller (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
44. Stargate SG1 Relativity - James Swallow (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
45. Stargate SG1 The Morpheus Factor - Ashley McConnell (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
46. Stargate SG1 The Cost of Honor - Sally Malcom (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
47. Stargate SG1 A Matter of Honor - Sally Malcolm (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
48. Stargate SG1 Roswell - Sonny Whitelaw and Jennifer Fallon (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction)
49. Stargate SG1 Alliances - Karen Miller (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction
50. Masks of the Outcasts - Andre Norton (Science Fiction)
51. Stargate SG1 The Price You Pay - Ashley McConnell (TV Tie-in, Science Fiction) 
52. The Renegade - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)
53. The Guardian - Jack Whyte (Historical Fiction)
54. Written In My Own Heart's Blood - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
55. An Echo In The Bone - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
56. A Breath Of Snow And Ashes - Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction)
57. In The Shadow Of The Banyan Tree - Vaddey Ratner
58. The Light Between The Oceans - M. L. Stedman
59. The Third Gate - Lincoln Child 
60. Equal Of The Sun - Anita Amirrezvani (Historical Fiction)
61. The Lake Of Dreams - Kim Edwards 
62. The Forest - Edward Rutherfurd (Historical Fiction) 
63. The Second Empress - Michelle Moran (Historical Fiction) 
64. The Book of Negroes - Lawrence Hill (Historical Fiction) 

Unread Books 2016 - Primary Sources

After the past several years of running a mixed Unread Books list on my blog, last year I broke it up into some basic categories. I'm doing the same thing again this year, albeit a bit later in the year. Maybe it'll make it easier to keep the lists updated - and to find the books once I've read them. The plan is to have a fiction list, a primary sources list, a Tolkien list and a non-fiction list. Who knows, breaking the list up might even make it less intimidating!

Unread Books 2016 - Primary Sources List:

1. The Histories - Herodotus - Non Fiction (History)
2. The Peloponnesian War - Thucydides - Non Fiction (History)
3. Greek Lives - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History, Biography)
4. Roman Lives - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History, Biography)
5. Beowulf - Trans. Seamus Heany - Poetry
6. Anthony And Cleopatra - Shakespeare - Fiction
7. Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare - Fiction
8. Richard III - Shakespeare - Fiction
9. The Comedy Of Errors - Shakespeare - Fiction
10. All's Well That Ends Well - Shakespeare - Fiction
11. Troilus And Cressida - Shakespeare - Fiction
12. Henry IV Part One - Shakespeare - Fiction
13. The Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer - Poetry
14. The Saga of Grettir The Strong - Fiction
15. The Conquest Of Gaul - Julius Caesar - Non Fiction (History)
16. Metamorphosis - Ovid - Poetry
17. Greek Lyric Poetry - Trans. Sherod Santos - Poetry
18. On Sparta - Plutarch - Non Fiction (History)
19. A History Of My Times - Xenophon - Non Fiction (History)
20.  Roman Poets Of The Early Empire - Poetry
21. Troilus And Criseyde - Geoffrey Chaucer - Poetry
22. Medieval English Prose For Women - Eds. Bella Millett & Jocelyn Wogan-Browne - Non Fiction 
23. Josephus - Non Fiction (History)
24. The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English - Non Fiction
25. The Life Of Christina Of Markayte - Trans. C. H. Talbot - Non Fiction
26. Lysistrata/The Clouds  - Aristophanes - Fiction (History, Play)
27. Pausanias Guide to Greece Volume One Translated by Peter Levy - Non Fiction (History) 
28. The Landmark Arrian - Non Fiction (History)
29. The Crusades A Reader - Ed. S. J. Allen and Emilie Amt - Non Fiction (History)
30. Women's Writing In Middle English - Ed. Alexandra Barratt - Non Fiction (History)
31. The Landmark Hellenika - Ed. Robert Strassler - Non Fiction (History)
32. Chronicles of the First Crusade - Ed. Christopher Tyerman - Non Fiction (History)
33. Everyman And Medieval Miracle Plays - Ed. A. C. Crawley - Non Fiction
34. Juvenal The Sixteen Satires - Trans. Peter Green - Poetry
35. Aeschylus II - Play
36. Euripides I - Play
37. Sophocles II - Play
38. Reading The Middle Ages - Ed. Barbara Rosenwein - Non Fiction (History)
39. The Song of Roland - Poetry
40. Rome And Italy - Livy - Non Fiction (History)
41. The Early History of Rome - Livy - Non Fiction (History)
42. Odes and Epodes - Horace - Poetry
43. Joinville And Villehardouin Chronicles of the First Crusade - Non Fiction (History)
44. The Book Of Contemplation: Islam and the Crusades - Usama Ibn Munqidh - Non Fiction (History)
45. The Book of Margery Kempe - Non Fiction (Autobiography)

Unread Books 2016 - Non Fiction

After the past several years of running a mixed Unread Books list on my blog, last year I broke it up into some basic categories. I'm doing the same thing again this year, albeit a bit later in the year. Maybe it'll make it easier to keep the lists updated - and to find the books once I've read them. The plan is to have a fiction list, a primary sources list, a Tolkien list and a non-fiction list. Who knows, breaking the list up might even make it less intimidating!

My Unread Books List 2016 - Non Fiction:

1. Women In Medieval Society - Ed. Susan Mosher Stuard (History)
2. The Lady In Medieval England 1000-1500 - Peter Coss (History)
3. The History of the World in 100 Objects - Neil MacGregor (History)
4. The Zero Mile Diet: A Year Round Guide To Growing Organic Food - Carolyn Herriot (Gardening)
5.  The Crusader States - Malcolm Barber (History)
6. Holy Warriors: A Modern History of the Crusades - Johnathan Phillips (History)
7. Alexander The Great - Philip Freeman (History, Biography)
8. The Rise And Fall of Ancient Egypt - Toby Wilkinson (History)
9. The Ruin of the Roman Empire: A New History - James J. O'Donnell (History)
10. Atlas of Medieval Europe (History)
11. The Axe and the Oath - Robert Fossier (History)
12. A Short History of the Middle Ages - Barbara Rosenwein (History)
13. The Grand Design - Steven Hawking 
14. The Last Apocalypse - James Reston Jr. (History)
15. Medieval Households - David Herlihy (History)
16. Special Sisters: Women In The European Middle Ages - Arthur Fredrick Ide (History)
17. Medieval Costume And Fashion - Herbert Norris (History)
18. Sex, Dissidence And Damnation: Minority Groups In The Middle Ages - Jeffrey Richards (History)
19. Daily Living In The Twelfth Century (History)
20. Cathedral, Forge And Waterwheel - Francis And Joseph Gies (History)
21. Medicine And Society In Later Medieval England - Caroline Rawcliffe (History)
22. Londinium - John Morris (History)
23. The Archaeology Of Roman Britain - R. G. Collingwood (History)
24. Londinium - John Morris (History)
25. The Archaeology Of Roman Britain - R. G. Collingwood (History)
26. Women in Early Medieval Europe 400-1100 - Lisa M. Bitel (History)
27. An Illustrated History of its First 12000 Years: Toronto edited by Ronald F. Williamson (History)
28. Becoming Modern In Toronto: The Industrial Exhibition - Keith Walden (History)
29. The Complete World Of The Dead Sea Scrolls - Phillip R. Davies, George J. Brooke and Phillip R. Callaway (History)
30. Dictionary Of Mythology
31. Hadrian - Anthony Everitt (Biography)
32. The Inheritance Of Rome - Chris Wickham (History)
33. The Ties That Bound - Barbara Hanawalt (History)
34. Making A Living In The Middle Ages - Christopher Dyer (History)
35. The Art Of Medieval Hunting - John Cummins (History)
36. Eleanor Of Aquitaine - Alison Weir (Biography)
37. Growing Up In Medieval London - Barbara Hanawalt (History)
38. The Lost Capital Of Byzantium - Steven Runciman (History)
39.  Readings In Medieval History - Patrick Geary (History)
40.  The Real Middle Earth - Brian Bates  (History)
41. Khubilai Khan's Lost Fleet: In Search of a Legendary Armada - James Delgado (History)
42. The Medieval World - Eds. Peter Linehan & Janet L. Nelson (History)
43. Europe And The Middle Ages - Edward Peters (History)
44. The Age of the Cathedrals - Georges Duby (History)
45. A History Of Private Life I (History)
46. A History Of Private Life II (History)
47. The Peasantries Of Europe - Ed. Tom Scott (History)
48. Law And Life of Rome - J. A. Crook (History)
49. The Temple And the Lodge - Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh
50. The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception - Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh
51. The Battle Of Salamis - Barry Strauss (History)
52. The Knights Templar - Piers Paul Read - Non Fiction (History)
53. The Lost Tomb Of Alexander The Great - Andrew Michael Chugg (History)
54. Rome And Jerusalem - Martin Goodman (History)
55. The History of Britain - Simon Schama (History)
56. Caesar - Adrian Goldworthy (History, Biography)
57. The Fall Of The Roman Empire - Peter Heather (History)
58. Xenophon's Retreat - Robin Waterfield (History)
59. Isabella - Alison Weir (History, Biography)
60. An Imperial Possession - David Mattingly (History)
61. The Peloponnesian War - Donald Kagan (History)
62. Augustus: The Life Of Rome's First Emperor - Anthony Everitt (History, Biography)
63. Cicero - Anthony Everitt (History, Biography)
64. God's War - Christopher Tyerman (History)
65. Life In A Medieval City - Francis and Joseph Gies (History)
66. Life In A Medieval Castle - Francis and Joseph Gies (History)
67.  Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson (Biography)
68. Armies Of Heaven - Jay Rubenstein (History)
69. Sea of Faith - Stepehen O'Shea (History)
70. Beyond Book Indexing - Ed. Dianne Brenner and Marilyn Rowland (Indexing)
71. The Medieval World Europe 1100-1350 - Friedrich Heer (History)
72. The City in the Greek and Roman World - E.J. Owens (History)
73. The Greek World After Alexander 323-30 B.C. - Graham Shipley (History)
74. A Great And Terrible King: Edward I And The Forging Of Britain - Mark Morris (History, Biography)
75. Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff (Biography, E-book, History)
76. Antony and Cleopatra - Adrian Goldsworthy (Biography, History)
77. Cleopatra A Biography - Duane W. Roller (History, Biography)
78. Cleopatra the Great The Woman Behind The Legend - Joann Fletcher (History, Biography)
79. Cleopatra The Search For The Last Queen Of Egypt - Zahi Hawass and Franck Goddio (History, Archaeology, Biography)
80. Cruelty and Civilization: The Roman Games - Roland Auguet (History)
81. Nova Scotia Shaped By The Sea - Lesley Choyce (History)
82. Ancient Cities - Charles Gates (History, Archaeology)
83. Getting In TTouch With Your Horse - Linda Tellington-Jones (Animals)
84. Greek Art and Archaeology - John Griffiths Pedley (History, Archaeology, Art)
85. Roman Art - Nancy H. Ramage and Andrew Ramage (History, Art, Archaeology)
86. Fighting For The Cross - Norman Housley (History)
87. The Middle Ages: Everyday Life In Medieval Europe - Jeffrey L. Singman (History)
88. A Medieval Miscelany - Judith Herrin (History)
89. Gothic Art: Glorious Visions - Michael Camille (History, Art)
90. Early Medieval Art - Lawrence Nees (History, Art)
91. Great Harry's Navy - Geoffrey Moorhouse (History)
92. Ghost On The Throne - James Romm (History)
93. Blueprint Crochet Sweaters - Robyn Chachula (Crochet)

Unread Books - Tolkien 2016

After the past several years of running a mixed Unread Books list on my blog, last year I broke it down into categories. I'm doing the same thing this year, albeit a bit later in the year. Maybe it'll make it easier to keep the lists updated - and to find the books once I've read them. The plan is to have a fiction list, a primary sources list, a Tolkien list and a non-fiction list. Who knows, breaking the list up might even make it less intimidating!

I'm a Tolkien collector - see the various Tolkien lists I have on my blog (here, here and here), but I've ended up buying the books faster than I can read them. There are unreviewed books on those lists that I have read, although they were read before I started All Booked Up.

 Unread Books 2016 - Tolkien List:

1. Hobbitus Ille - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction
2. The Annotated Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction
3. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Reader's Guide - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction
4. The History Of The Hobbit: Mr. Baggins - John Rateliff - Non Fiction
5. The History Of The Hobbit: Return To Bag-End - John Rateliff - Non Fiction
6.  Tolkien: A Celebration - Joseph Pearce - Non Fiction
7. The Battle For Middle-Earth - Bonnie Rutledge - Non Fiction
8. The Ring Of Words - Jeremy H. Marshall - Non Fiction
9. The Children of Hurin - J.R.R. Tolkien - Fiction
10. On Faerie Stories - Ed. Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
11. The Tolkien Legendarium - Ed. Carl Hostetter - Non Fiction
12. Splintered Light: Logos And Language In Middle-Earth - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
13. Green Suns and Faerie - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
14. The Fall of Arthur - Ed. Christopher Tolkien - Poetry
15. Beowulf - Ed. Christopher Tolkien - Fiction
16. The Art of The Hobbit - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction
17. Interrupted Music: The Making Of Middle-Earth - Verilyn Flieger - Non Fiction
18. Master of Middle Earth - Paul Koch - Non Fiction
19. A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings - Lin Carter - Non Fiction
20. A Tolkien Compass - Jared Lobdel - Non Fiction
21. J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century - Tom Shippey - Non Fiction
22. The Gospel According To Tolkien - Ralph Woods - Non Fiction
23. There And Back Again: J.R.R. Tolkien And The Origins of The Hobbit - Mark Atherton - Non Fiction
24. Tolkien: A Celebration - Joseph Pearce - Non Fiction 
25. The Story of Kullervo - Ed. Christopher Tolkien
26. The Art of the Lord of the Rings - Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull - Non Fiction 
27. Tolkien - Raymond Edwards - Non Fiction
28. Middle-Earth: Visions of a Modern Myth - Donato Giancola - Art 
29. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Secret Vice - Tolkien on Invented Languages - Ed. Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins