The Long Result by John Brunner

Roald Vincent works as an official mediating the relationships between Earth and its two colonies while keeping an eye on the Alien Relations section as well. When Starhome, a colony, makes it's bid for independence by attempting a First Contact in an increasing atmosphere of anti-alien sentiments Roald is thrown into the middle of it.

Charming, slightly dated and very readable.

The Sholan Alliance by Lisanne Norman

1. Turning Point (1993)
2. Fortune's Wheel (1995)
3. Fire Margins (1996)
4. Razor's Edge (1997)
5. Dark Nadir (1999)
6. Stronghold Rising (2000)
7. Between Darkness and Light (2002)

Gah, this has so much going for it except for not being finished which is a CRIME I tell you. A CRIME.

First Contact novels. Carrie is a human girl on a colony planet that has been subjugated by an alien race and her twin sister Elise is a member of the resistance. Elise can get away with fighting the Valtegans because their telepathic link means that Carrie suffers the pain of any wounds.

Potential allies exist in the form of the Sholans who are searching for the people who attacked and destroyed two of their colonies. When Elise is killed, Carrie nearly dies but is saved when her mental link is to Elise is replaced by a mental contact with Kusac, a telepathic Sholan.

Personal Grooming Kit for Men

Failed to talk cricketk into buying the lip balm with the silver glitter in it but had much fun in the chemist yesterday. Oh the joy of finding new products!

Younger!

Smarter!

Cleaner!
Not only will you become more youthful and hygienic but it will increase your IQ. It comes with a mustache shaping attachment and a rotary ear and nose trimmer. Clearly there is a relationship between reducing manly hair and intelligence - there is a picture on the back of the box of a man smiling while rotary trimming his nose hair.