Hydaelyn Role-Players
Favorite Books - Printable Version

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RE: Favorite Books - Goodfellow - 03-14-2014

It goes without saying (although I am saying it) that if I didn't arbitrarily limit entries, this list could become long enough to wrap around itself and break time. 

Dune by Frank Herbert above all else. I've read that book (and the main series) more times than anything else in my life.  That being said, if any of you speak fondly or even forgivingly of Brian Herbert's "additions" to the series, I'll call you mad and call down curses and poxes on your household. 

Also, any among you who have not read Johnathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke need to call in sick for the next few days so you can do exactly that. 

And I'm a little shocked not to see any Tolkien mentioned yet. 

RE: Favorite Books - TheLastCandle - 03-14-2014

Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast is, perhaps, my favorite of all time. Certainly my favorite of the "fantasy" genre. I'm also Very partial to the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan although, to be fair, I'm midway through it as I write this.

For lighter fare, I've always enjoyed the original DragonLance Chronicles trilogy, which was the series that introduced me to the fantasy genre. I still give it another read every now and then. It's always a pleasure to revisit that story, and I regard it as a true modern classic. Since you enjoy the Forgotten Realms books, you might find these refreshingly familiar as it, too, was a Dungeons & Dragons setting originally. However, the mythos differs from FR's enough for it to feel remarkably different.

A Song of Ice and Fire (the series on which the Game of Thrones TV series is based) is another great series. I will warn that the time between books is often PAINFUL, though. I enjoy the HBO series, but to be honest, it pales in comparison to the source material.

Edit: Because of the game we play, I focused too much on the fantasy genre! You've got to read Hemingway. The Sun Also Rises, The Old Man and the Sea, and A Farewell to Arms are absolute musts. J. D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is probably my favorite non-fantasy book of all time, along with Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Don't watch the film; read the book. Tongue

RE: Favorite Books - Illira - 03-14-2014

Ahhh! A BOOK THREAD.

*tries not to explode*

(03-14-2014, 07:54 AM)ExKage Wrote: Young Adult authors I enjoy: Tamora Pierce and Diane Duane
YUS. I grew up on Tamora Pierce, her books have always meant... alot to me. Her PotS series always struck a special cord with me. I also quite enjoyed Duane, though I really haven't read anything by her recently.

Other books!

Patricia Biggs! Her new Mercy Thompson book just came out so its on my mind. And while I'm on the subject of Urban Fantasy, Rachel Caine writes some pretty sweet stuff.

Traditional Fantasy! :
Jennifer Roberson. I LOVE her Karavans and Sword series.
Jacqueline Carey: I feel like I judged her Kushiel books by their covers for a long time, and thats why I didn't read them. But SO GLAD I eventually picked Kushiel's Dart. Epic politics, action, and very character driven.
Robin Hobb: Ship of Magic trilogy!
Kate Elliott, Juliet Marillier, Lynn Flewelling, Dawn Cook/Kim Harrison, Diana Wynne Jones,... And the list goes on.

Random other books... I'm a huge Dostoevsky fan (The Idiot is a particular favorite of mine...), Hemingway (A Farewell to Arms), Fitzgerald (His short story A Diamond as Big as the Ritz), Andrew Davidson's The Gargoyle, Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabbler

... And so many others. But these are what spring to mind.

RE: Favorite Books - Erik Mynhier - 03-14-2014

Havamal
Eddas
Anything by Douglas Adams

RE: Favorite Books - Evie - 03-14-2014

(03-14-2014, 07:06 PM)Illira Wrote: Jacqueline Carey: I feel like I judged her Kushiel books by their covers for a long time, and thats why I didn't read them. But SO GLAD I eventually picked Kushiel's Dart. Epic politics, action, and very character driven.

But the covers were exactly why I picked up the books! But I agree they are simply amazing.

RE: Favorite Books - Kage - 03-14-2014

(03-14-2014, 07:06 PM)Illira Wrote:
(03-14-2014, 07:54 AM)ExKage Wrote: Young Adult authors I enjoy: Tamora Pierce and Diane Duane
YUS. I grew up on Tamora Pierce, her books have always meant... alot to me. Her PotS series always struck a special cord with me. I also quite enjoyed Duane, though I really haven't read anything by her recently.
Same for me! PotS just resonates with me really well. Very much so. Duane put out the latest Young Wizards book I'd say... 2-3 years ago?

(03-14-2014, 07:06 PM)Erik Mynhier Wrote: Anything by Douglas Adams
THANK YOU!

RE: Favorite Books - Illira - 03-14-2014

(03-14-2014, 07:15 PM)Evie Wrote:
(03-14-2014, 07:06 PM)Illira Wrote: Jacqueline Carey: I feel like I judged her Kushiel books by their covers for a long time, and thats why I didn't read them. But SO GLAD I eventually picked Kushiel's Dart. Epic politics, action, and very character driven.

But the covers were exactly why I picked up the books! But I agree they are simply amazing.

They really are amazing :3

I think why the covers turned me off, was because, not having read the books, they like... gave off a vibe of just being like... red light district short stories. Which is totally not the case! No problem with them after reading the books, but on a self-perusal, they hadn't ever jumped out in the right way.

As context to those unfamiliar with Carey's books:
[Image: dart_sm.jpg] [Image: chosen_sm.jpg] and so on...

I'm quite good these days at not judging books by their covers...
Especially as I've been reading a decent amount of romance books these days. And... most of those covers are awful, lol.

And while on the subject! Suggested romance authors: Laura Kinsale, Loretta Chase, and Mary Balogh are usually full of great stuff. A good romance novel lives and dies by its characters. And I love character studies... so yeah. Big Grin

RE: Favorite Books - Illira - 03-14-2014

(03-14-2014, 07:16 PM)ExKage Wrote:
(03-14-2014, 07:06 PM)Illira Wrote:
(03-14-2014, 07:54 AM)ExKage Wrote: Young Adult authors I enjoy: Tamora Pierce and Diane Duane
YUS. I grew up on Tamora Pierce, her books have always meant... alot to me. Her PotS series always struck a special cord with me. I also quite enjoyed Duane, though I really haven't read anything by her recently.
Same for me! PotS just resonates with me really well. Very much so. Duane put out the latest Young Wizards book I'd say... 2-3 years ago?

The last book by her that I have on my shelf is Wizards at War, that was... 2005. Apparently she's only released one since then. So I guess I'm not so far behind, haha

RE: Favorite Books - Erik Mynhier - 03-14-2014

(03-14-2014, 07:16 PM)ExKage Wrote:
(03-14-2014, 07:06 PM)Illira Wrote:
(03-14-2014, 07:54 AM)ExKage Wrote: Young Adult authors I enjoy: Tamora Pierce and Diane Duane
YUS. I grew up on Tamora Pierce, her books have always meant... alot to me. Her PotS series always struck a special cord with me. I also quite enjoyed Duane, though I really haven't read anything by her recently.
Same for me! PotS just resonates with me really well. Very much so. Duane put out the latest Young Wizards book I'd say... 2-3 years ago?

(03-14-2014, 07:06 PM)Erik Mynhier Wrote: Anything by Douglas Adams
THANK YOU!

Which one is your favorite Kage?

RE: Favorite Books - Goodfellow - 03-14-2014

(03-14-2014, 07:40 PM)Erik Mynhier Wrote: Anything by Douglas Adams.

Oooh, good point.  I love The Hitchhiker's Guide, but there's some gold to be found in the Dirk Gently books and The Salmon of Doubt is one of my favorite avenues to losing my mind in the best way possible.

RE: Favorite Books - Rythulian - 03-14-2014

Quick list because I haven't read anything in a while. Also most of these are a series as opposed to a single book.

The Saga of Darren Shan by Darren Shan 
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket 
The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon


The last one isn't so much a favourite of mine because it's 'fun' and 'enjoyable'. It actually contains some pretty sensitive topic material. I personally found it interesting to read though.

Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim

RE: Favorite Books - Kage - 03-17-2014

(03-14-2014, 07:40 PM)Erik Mynhier Wrote:
(03-14-2014, 07:16 PM)ExKage Wrote:
(03-14-2014, 07:06 PM)Erik Mynhier Wrote: Anything by Douglas Adams
THANK YOU!

Which one is your favorite Kage?
It's most likely the cliché response but I do so very love reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series of books.

RE: Favorite Books - Steel Wolf - 03-17-2014

Favorite reads I've nom'd thus far...

The Dragon's Path - Daniel Abraham: Fantasy political intrigue WITHOUT the hackneyed idiocy of R.R. Martin's "And then he got beheaded" schtick.

Storm Front - Jim Butcher: A modern-day wizard in Chicago solving a murder case. New-level film noir goodness.

Black Blade Blues - J.A. Pitts: Another smart bit of fantasy mooshed into the modern world, this time with a young woman who inadvertently draws into an entire realm just behind our own. As you can see, I kinda dig on that sort of leitmotif. XD

I miss my Kindle...work has been too busy for me to read as voraciously as I'd like.  :c

RE: Favorite Books - Kage - 03-17-2014

(03-14-2014, 07:39 PM)Illira Wrote: The last book by her that I have on my shelf is Wizards at War, that was... 2005. Apparently she's only released one since then. So I guess I'm not so far behind, haha
Yup! Games Wizards Play (#10) should be around possibly end of 2014 or in 2015. I haven't been on tumblr or twitter recently to see what she's posting.

I've been thinking of getting into Dresden Files but alas... still never got the time ><

RE: Favorite Books - Evie - 03-17-2014

(03-17-2014, 09:24 AM)Steel Wolf Wrote: I miss my Kindle...work has been too busy for me to read as voraciously as I'd like.  :c

I've actually found myself purchasing books again despite having a kindle. I've had one for years, since the first generation. And it's been nice to not have to travel with a large stack of books...but it's been really nice to go back to the physical feel of a book in your hands....and then there's always the book smell. >.>