Any good book reccomendations?

[Hilary]

Share your favorites here. ^^ I just finished mine and I am at a loss...  I like fantasy the most, though I'll read anything. In the meantime... *re-reads Call of the Wild for the nth time* 

[Netami]

Not really... Raymond E Feist stuff is all I've ever read beside token tolkein works.

[vulpesweasel]

All five of Richard Bach's The ferret Chronicles. Even if you aren't crazy about ferrets, they're real sweet. and Stephen King's The Stand.

[bill]

Any of King's short story collections are excellent.

[Hilary]

All five of Richard Bach's The ferret Chronicles. Even if you aren't crazy about ferrets, they're real sweet.

I love ferrets... they're super cute, plus once, an albino one climbed up the pants of this guy I really hated and bit him repeatedly. My heroes ever since. 

I've read a couple of Stephen King's books, but not his short stories. Good idea, I'll check both those and the Ferret Chronicles out.

[Supercheese]

Excellent-est: Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

Excellent-er: Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

[Vaguely Creepy]

Fantasy, you say?

I recommend the Keys to the Kingdom series and the Pendragon series (kind of fantasy, kind of sci-fi). Both are excellent. Also, I have a cousin who seems very fond of most of the books from the Dragon Lance franchise, as well as The Bartimaeus Trilogy, and I've found I usually like what he likes. Oh, and if you want a superb piece of fantasy, try Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked this Way Comes. His writing style is a little different, but he's a great author. (If you like Something Wicked..., you should check out his sci-fi books, too.) Also, try Cornelia Funke's Inkheart series and Dragon Rider.

There are also a few favorites of mine that are somewhat easier reads, but still very good: The Seventh Tower series, the Diadem series, the Deltora books, The Dark is Rising series, The Divide series, the Artemis Fowl books, and the A Wrinkle in Time series. Also, I've heard good things about the Eragon books. And if you're looking for a good fantasy comic, try the Bone series. Very unique, very entertaining.

Also, if you like humor, try the Outernet books. It's sci-fi, but it's still good. To be honest, the premise is similar to what I've heard about Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but I haven't read that yet, so I can't be sure. Try it out anyway, if you want.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

There's many variants of fantasy.

Sword and Sorcery: try almost any David Eddings book. I personally like reading the Belgariad, Mallorean, with two prequels and the Rivan Codex to book (13 books in total) but that's because I read fairly fast, so I tend to chew through them all... Other than that, well, Pern is an obvious chunk, by Anne McCaffrey. I'd suggest The Last Dragonlord and The Dragon and the Phoenix, only the latter needed a good editor, and didn't get one. L E Modesitt had a few good ones in the Recluce saga - which is mostly written in reverse, and the last couple are in third person present syntax - "he moves up agains the wall" sort of thing. Slightly odd, but catchy. As someone else mentioned, Robert Jordan, if you don't mind the fact he hasn't finished it yet, and the last couple have been turgid and huge...

If you start getting into comedy - parody and the like - you can never lose out by looking at Terry Pratchett. Tom Holt is another good one, although his ouevre varies rather more in quality - Terry is pretty much always great, although the first four or so books were a bit lower quality, before he hit his stride.

After that, I could probably list you some other stuff to read - move more into the Sci-Fi genre, however - space opera, that sort of thing.

As a final resort, you could always look at my reading list over the last year or two, and ask me about just about any book there. :-)

[Gullible]

I've just finished the Mortal Engines Series by Philip Reeve (Mortal Engines, Predator's Gold, Infernal Devices, and A Darkling Plain), and I would recommend them if you enjoy novels of the sci-fi/fantasy ilk.

[Miaka]

Garth Nix's Sabriel, Lirael, and The Abbhorsen are all good, as is Mister Monday by the same author.

the His Dark Materials is good(Golden Compass, Subtle Knife, Amber Spyglass), City of Embers, Gregor the Overlander, Haunted(by Meg Cabot), The Wizard of Earthsea(Ursula K. LeGuin) and Discworld is always good if you'd rather humor.

I think that's all I can think of for now, there will most liekly be more.

[Kitsune Ascendant]

if you like a little humor in your fantacy, try the xanth novels (piers anthony) or the diskworld novels (terry pratchet).

and while it's sci-fi, I really like the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy "trilogy":
the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
restraunt at the end of the universe
life, the universe, and everything
so long, and thanks for all the fish
mostly harmless

and of course, if you havent' already read it (shame on you if you haven't), there's the lord of the rings trilogy.

[Hilary]

I love the Keys to the Kingdom series, and I tried to get Pendragon from my library but the first one's always checked out.

The Bartimaeus Trilogy. Ohmigosh. That is my favorite. Series. Ever. No competition. I've made desktop backgounds for it, k? It is love.

Inkheart is great, and Dragon Rider, the Abhorsen series, the Artemis Fowl books, Eragon, and LOTR are right next to each other on my bookshelf, and His Dark Materials are just below them. ^^ Haunted was great, in fact, I loved that whole series.

The rest sound great, thanks so much to everybody. *makes a list on a scrap of paper and marches to the library*

[Tapewolf]

Here's a few more offbeat ones.  I think I was fifteen when I read most of these:

* A Fire Upon The Deep - Vernor Vinge  (Godlike artificial intelligences, dog-like creatures that are only intelligent in packs of four or more, and a pan-galactic internet service.  What more could you need?)

*'What Good Is a Glass Dagger?' - Larry Niven (short story)
Fantasy writing from a hard SF author - a short story about a werewolf with a glass dagger placed in his heart by a warlock.  Can be found in the collections 'Playgrounds of the Mind' and 'Flight of the Horse'.

* 'The Soft Weapon' - Larry Niven (short story)
An ancient weapon is found in a stasis field.  Can be found in 'Neutron Star'.

* "Wasp" - Eric Frank Russell
An insurgent from earth is sent alone to an alien world in order to try and distract the government from the earth invasion force.  Terry Pratchett wrote "I'd give anything to have written Wasp.  I can't imagine a funnier terrorist's handbook".  Dirac Angestun Gesept!*

I was about 25 when I read this, but it is one of my absolute favourites:

* "The Silver Wolf" - Alice Borchardt (Ann Rice' sister.. a charming yet dark book about a young female werewolf living around the time of Charlemagne.  There are two other books in the series, but I think this is the best one.)


* D.A.G. : Sirian Freedom Party

[bill]

Any of Scott Adams' buisness books are brilliant, try them out.

[Lysander]

The only books I'd ever read willingly, or without a requirement for school or something similar:
Dragonriders of Pern series
Ender's Game series
Mostly short stories, but the writing of Janus

I tried reading Ender's Shadow but for some reason hate it very much. Then again I have this little problem where I really don't like reading in general. It used to be a complete hate when it comes to reading, other than in games or basic online stuff, but being in this place has forced me to reduces such hatred.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Kitsune:

you missed "The Salmon of Doubt" in the H2G2 series. :-) Of course, it's not complete, but it's not too bad nonetheless.

Oh, yes. EFR. Tapewolf, do you know where your Eustace is? I've been looking for Phenackertiban, but haven't met him yet.... :-)

[bill]

The actual story part of Salmon isn't that good, but the short writings in it make it brilliant.

[bill]

I tried reading Ender's Shadow but for some reason hate it very much.

Felt the same way 'bout Xenocide. Speaker was a very nice book, though.

[Tapewolf]

Oh, yes. EFR. Tapewolf, do you know where your Eustace is? I've been looking for Phenackertiban, but haven't met him yet.... :-)

Holy God, pork and beans!  I haven't read that one for ages.  I'll have to try and get a copy of it.  'Next of Kin', wasn't it?  I mentioned  'Wasp' because it's currently in print in the Gollancz SF Masterworks set, I'm not sure about much of the other stuff.

Another good one for E.F.R. is 'With A Strange Device', but I'm pretty sure that's seriously out of print by now.  Somewhat out-of-date too, since it's very much a Cold War novel.  Gripping, though.

[Toric]

Lysander mentioned the Dragonriders of Pern series. It's a good series with a good setting. I particularly like the Dragonsong trilogy, but that's just my musical roots showing.

If you ever have a chance to read the Demonwars saga by R.A. Salvatore, go for it. It has a very interesting take on magic and elves.

[Sketchy boy]

Eon Coilfer's Artemis fowl books are fantasy mixed with a die hard atmousphere.  Its pretty futuristic/present.

[Suwako]

Eon Coilfer's Artemis fowl books are fantasy mixed with a die hard atmosphere.  Its pretty futuristic/present.

I read those to, well have read them. finished the forth book a week ago. Definitely good books.

I also like Christopher Paolini's 'Eragon'
and also the grown up and EMO infused 'Darren Shan' series by J.K. Rowling.

[Hilary]

* "The Silver Wolf" - Alice Borchardt (Ann Rice' sister.. a charming yet dark book about a young female werewolf living around the time of Charlemagne.  There are two other books in the series, but I think this is the best one.)

That's the one I just finished.  You're right though, I loved it.

I'm at the library now, and running around with this huge stack of books, attracting stares. Gotta love it. *scampers off in search of the newest suggestions*

[Vaguely Creepy]

I've got a few more for you, but they're mostly sci-fi:

Marco's Millions (sci-fi; series)
Mindwarp (sci-fi; series)
Pure Dead Magic (fantasy; series)
Heartlight (sci-fi)
Mirror Mirror (shortstories; fantasy/sci-fi/something else)

Also, I'd like to put particularly high recommendations on one of my childhood favorites: The Phantom Tollbooth, where jumping to conclusions has an entirely different meaning.

[bill]

Ooh, get "Freakonomics", by Levitt and Dubner. Awesome book.

[RJ]

Two of my more favourite authors are Bill Bryson and Scott Adams (the guy who does the Dilbert comic).

Bill Bryson does a mix of rather interesting books from travel to origins of languages and science, but his books all contain random and rather amusing facts that you never would have figured. I reccomend his Walk in the Woods and Made in America books.

Scott Adams writes humourous business-related books alongside his Dilbert comic. He combines the two to great effect in many of his books to show the lighter sides of big business, and how to find it in your own job. He tends to place a lot of anecdotes in his books, both from himself (the stories from when he worked in a bank never cease to amuse me), and from the public. I reccomend The Joy of Work and The Way of the Weasel.

I might as well mention one of my favourite writers from when I was younger- Tamora Pierce. I've always adored her more than J K Rowling when it comes to magic-based fiction. She has written a lot of series, with many memorable characters and plots. I've been a big fan of her Circle of Magic series, though there are many more series just as enjoyable. I think it was because of this series that got me so hooked on Naruto with some of the similarities.

Oh, and I also used to be quite a fan of the Dragonriders of Pern series as well, though I find the series to be a little tiresome in its extensive history. Enjoyable, none the less though.

[Rowne]

Well, for graphic novels, I'd say anything, ... anything by Grant Morrison.  Occasionally his works are just pseudo art-magick pap I admit but every now and then, he has this ability to allow comics to be astoundingly deep and this ability is second-to-none.

Stuff wot Morrison did.

Particular favourites there are Arkham Asylum (you'd have to read it to see why), We3 (it's just so damned beautiful) and Flex Mentallo (I shall defuse this bomb with the amazing power of my mind muscle!).

(Edit: Can't believe I forgot to mention I was talking about graphic novels.)

[Hilary]

Bill Bryson does a mix of rather interesting books from travel to origins of languages and science, but his books all contain random and rather amusing facts that you never would have figured.

I've read his A Brief History of the Universe. I liked it, entertaining and informative.

I might as well mention one of my favourite writers from when I was younger- Tamora Pierce.

Heh, before I read The Silver Wolf, I'd just finished with three of her series, the ones placed in Tortall. I <3 Numair... he's so sweet.

[Blazehawk]

Garth Nix's Sabriel, Lirael, and The Abbhorsen are all good, as is Mister Monday by the same author.

I thought I was the only one that liked the Sabriel series! Yay for other peoples that do...

One book I really loved was The Book of Atrus...yes, I'm a Myst fan.  There's another Myst book coming out shortly, not sure what it is about. I'm guessing probably Yeesha, or something related to her.

As for other books, I like most of R.A. Salvatore's, including the Cleric Quintet and The Dark Elf Trilogy.

I also liked the book Blade Runner was based off of (Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick).

I see other people also like Tamora Pierce and Raymond E. Feist as well.  I read Pierce's books all the time years ago. I still like Feist's Betrayal at Krondor. Interesting video game too.

[bill]

Two of my more favourite authors are Bill Bryson and Scott Adams (the guy who does the Dilbert comic).


Scott Adams writes humourous business-related books alongside his Dilbert comic. He combines the two to great effect in many of his books to show the lighter sides of big business, and how to find it in your own job. He tends to place a lot of anecdotes in his books, both from himself (the stories from when he worked in a bank never cease to amuse me), and from the public. I reccomend The Joy of Work and The Way of the Weasel.

Good man!