Easy Bookshelf

[Yca]

Caire: I read fanfiction too! I can't stand to part from my favourite characters from different fandoms, so I always come back to some fanfiction to keep the magic going (of course if they're well written...). I even write Harry Potter fanfiction *where's a ninja sign when you need one?*

Lith: OMG so many awesome sounding books! I could fill an entire year of reading just with your list

[Caireann]

oh, Yca, my kindred soul! :D
I am currently head over heels in HP fanfiction, so if you're writing in English, I'd love to read your stories as well :) PM me, I'd love to swap some good stories with you (and not scare half of the guild by it lol).

[Yca]

oh, Yca, my kindred soul!
I am currently head over heels in HP fanfiction, so if you're writing in English, I'd love to read your stories as well PM me, I'd love to swap some good stories with you (and not scare half of the guild by it lol).

You just opened Pandora's box I'll PM you the best site ever for HP ff and my latest one shot <3
Sent!!

[Aicha]

Oh, great thread!
Two of my favorite (fantasy) series lately are unfortunately unfinished.
Nontheless, I'll post them - with a warning. You will be annoyed when you can't continue reading halfway.

Patrick Rothfuss' The Kingkiller Chronicle I particularly liked how the author (largely) skipped over the traditional fantasy races, but added a pinch of fairy legend in there.

Another series I can't wait to continue is The Stormlight Archive by Brian Sanderson. There is just on book (The Way of Kings) out at this moment, and the second part has been postponed since the author got shanghaied to finish the Wheel of Time.
This one is quite far out as far as the fantasy setting goes, people riding giant lobster-like creature instead of horses for example...but I loved the intricate (and mysterious) magic system he came up with.

[Nihil]

Hi, Aicha, nice to meet you and your excellent taste in books!:D

If you enjoyed Stormlight Archive you should try out other books of this author. Elantris is a standalone novel and its pretty good. If you are looking for a series, I recommend Mistborn trilogy - not that long but worthwhile in my opinion

[Firik]

theres also peter v brett and his demon war saga, painted man is the first one, is very very good.
jim butcher has also done a fantasy series, codex alera the first book furies of caledron is kind of slow but if you keep at it, the other 5 in the series are well worth it.
mercedes lackley has just started an alternative history series secret world chronicles, first 2 are out atm, invasion been the first one and world divided the 2nd.
And for the fans of tolkien dennis l mckiernan has done a lot of books in his own world that read a fair bit like tolkien, might struggle to buy in the shops as they were first printed in 1984. the dark tide, shadows of doom and the darkest day are the books in the first trilogy



Firik

[Mehetabel]

I'm currently reading Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy and both enjoying it and disliking it at the same time!

I saw the move, The Golden Compass, when it came out and totally loved it. Because they never made the sequels I decided to get the books so I could find out how the story ended (it was driving me a bit nuts not knowing) and this is where it got complicated (for me). A few bits of the storyline in the first book made me want to find out a little bit about the author and that was probably a fatal mistake (at least while I was still reading the books). Philip Pullman, it turns out, has an aggressive dislike of religion and in real life he is extremely outspoken about it. One of his purposes in writing the Dark Materials trilogy was in retaliation to the Narnia books and their underlying Christian message that Pullman disliked so much. And so here we have a series where the heroes head off to kill "God" aka "The Authority". This is where the whole story becomes an oxymoron as the author, in an attempt to put across his OWN beliefs through the story, actually has to substantiate the ones he DOESN'T believe in in order to tear them down. His point is quite clear whilst reading the books but I probably made it worse for myself by finding out more about Pullman himself. This has caused me to overthink the books way too much.

Deep analysis aside, Pullman is a very very good author. His characters are extremely well developed, making it very easy to like/dislike them or even be scared of them. His imagination in developing the worlds in which the story is set results is very well fleshed out locations that are easy for the reader to feel a part of. I particularly loved that some of the first book is set in the waterways of the Cambridgeshire/Norfolk Fens where I live (although in a parallel world so slightly different).

[Garfunkle]

Margaret Atwood's - Oryx and Crake trilogy.

As far as I'm aware it's not actually a trilogy as she's not written the third book. But both Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood are outstanding. It also technically doesn't matter which order you want to read them in. Oryx and Crake was written first but the connection between the two is more in some crossover characters and the fact that they are based around the same event.

Well worth reading. I've also just started The Handmaid's Tale by the same author.

I don't read as much Fantasy as Lith does but if you like Science Fiction and haven't read them then have a stab at the Hyperion and Endymion novels by Dan Simmons. Can't recommend them enough and another vote for Lith's choice of Iain M. Banks although sadly he won't be writing any more novels due to recently announcing he has terminal cancer. His Culture novels are immensely enjoyable with A Player of Games being one of my favourites.

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is also highly recommended, I read over the course of about 10 years until he brought the last book out and lapped up every word.

A few others I'd recommend:

Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu
Cloud Atlas and Ghostwritten by David Mitchell (actually, any of his books are worth a read)
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (a book that actually unsettled me at times when reading)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

It also depends on what you like, but two of my favourite books of all time are On the Road by Jack Kerouac and Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut.

Also, for those that dabble in graphic novels/comic books (or even feeling brave enough to try) then I'd recommend:

Maus by Art Spiegelman
The Essex County Trilogy by Jeff Lemire
Locke & Key by Joe Hill (only 5 books out so far, with Omega currently in monthly format with the trade collection due in the summer)

I could probably recommmend more, but that'll do for now.

[Kharybdis]

Also, for those that dabble in graphic novels/comic books (or even feeling brave enough to try) then I'd recommend:

Maus by Art Spiegelman
The Essex County Trilogy by Jeff Lemire
Locke & Key by Joe Hill (only 5 books out so far, with Omega currently in monthly format with the trade collection due in the summer)

I could probably recommmend more, but that'll do for now.

No mention of Neil Gaiman's Sandman? Really...?

I am disappoint...

[Garfunkle]

No mention of Neil Gaiman's Sandman? Really...?

I am disappoint...

I stand ashamed, was actually the first comic book series that re-ignited my passion for comics. Also so good that it won an award from the World Fantasy Awards in a category of novels, the only comic book ever to do so.

I have no excuse for not mentioning it or recommending it.