Friendship and loyalty and humor - fan fiction, basically, but without the fan part

[Jessica]

So, my background for my question: in ye olden days of college (okay, about a decade ago), I used to read a lot of fan fiction. Eventually, I stopped reading it because I wasn't watching any of the source material anymore. But that style of fiction remains one of my very favorite.

Here, I think, is what I liked about my favorite stories. (This isn't an accurate description of all fan fiction at all - just the kind I liked to read.)

They were about people who liked each other immensely. Sometimes they were romance, and sometimes they weren't. I tended to like the not-romances a bit more, but either was fine. I just wanted characters who respected each other and delighted in being with each other.

Those characters talked to each other a lot, often wittily. The stories were often really funny, but the humor grew out of the characters, not at their expense.

People often got themselves in perilous situations, and the people they loved worried about them a lot, and moved heaven and earth to make things right.

Loyalty, generally, was a common theme. You know that scene at the end of first Lord of the Rings movie? Where Sam runs after Frodo's raft and makes the whole speech with: "I made a promise Mister Frodo, a promise. Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee. And I don't mean to." I very much like that kind of thing.

I think I prefer stories with interesting male characters? I imagine I would like stories with interesting female characters too, but I know I like interesting male characters.

The stories I liked tended to end on an upbeat note. Things might - or might not - get pretty dark in the middle, but, ultimately, everything would be okay in the end.

What should I read? I'm really excited to see the recommendations!

[Algernon (Darth Anyan)]

Please try Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay series. Its' a finished series, four books, starts with Retribution Falls.
It's about a crew of air pirates, mostly misfits and loners that come together and learn to depend on each other and to trust in the bonds they forge together. There is a lot of action, wonderful witty dialogue and even some stormy romance. The worldbuilding combines technology with magic (demonism) and the leader is the charismatic Captain Frey. A lot of readers have compared the series favorably with the space-western cult TV series Firefly by Joss Wheddon.

[Jessica]

Algernon wrote: "Please try Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay series. Its' a finished series, four books, starts with Retribution Falls.
It's about a crew of air pirates, mostly misfits and lone..."

Ooh, yes, that does sound good. I've got it on hold with the library now!

[Sarah]

Hopeless This book blew me away in a lot of ways. I started it at work when I had nothing to do and then finished it in one sitting.

Unspoken This is very witty and funny. It has a very interesting plot line, and it moves at a pretty quick pace.

The Raven Boys This is also witty. They characters are so deep and interesting. It's funny, and the plot involves loyal friends as well as a very interesting love interest.

[Jessica]

Sarah wrote: "Hopeless This book blew me away in a lot of ways. I started it at work when I had nothing to do and then finished it in one sitting.

Unspoken This is very witty an..."

Thanks! I've added Unspoken and the Raven Boys to my to-read list. YA hasn't been for me so much in the past, but I'm always willing to try new things.

[karen, future RA queen]

i assume you already know about Fangirl, but i feel like it should get a mention on this thread.

[Jessica]

I discovered Fangirl just a few days after posting this, actually. :)

Also, Algernon, thanks for suggesting Retribution Falls. I just finished it, and I liked it very much!

[Algernon (Darth Anyan)]

Happy to see it met with your approval.
Can I add another modern series in this case? It's by Ben Aaronovich and combines supernatural with murder investigations in London. A you officer discovers he has a native talent for magic, he gets a more experienced mentor and he has a crush on one of his colleagues. Rivers of London is the first one. I love the humor part and the easy friendship in the series.

[Jessica]

Thank you! Rivers of London is on my to-read list now.

[Sara]

Jessica, I tend to read fanfiction for the same reasons. I think you'll like Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden Series. The more recent books in the series have gotten distressingly plot-filled, thus crowding out the character interactions which got me hooked, but the earlier books are filled with people who like each other immensely (they're SF Romance, mostly). They're very comforting, because despite whatever dastardly problems crop up you know they'll end well.

I'd recommend you start with:

Local Custom
Scout's Progress
Mouse and Dragon
Conflict of Honors
Agent of Change
Carpe Diem

(There's about eight or nine other books in the series plus short stories, but this'll get you started.)

They follow the members of Clan Korval. The first three books I listed follow two brothers (half brothers? Cousins? I don't remember--they are very close and consider themselves cousins) as they meet their future wives and deal with the politics of the Liaden culture. The next three books (and on) focus on their children, and their children's children.

[Jessica]

Thank you, Sara! I've added the first one to my to-read list.

[Sara]

Jessica wrote: "Thank you, Sara! I've added the first one to my to-read list."

No problem! While the Liaden books do fit a lot of your criteria, I wouldn't classify them as especially witty. I've been trying to think of a book with witty dialogue and humor. I don't know whether you'd be interested in reading a regency romance, The Grand Sophy is a really fun read. Mind you, this is not a bodice-ripper. The romance is more cerebral than anything else (similar to Jane Austen); people getting to know each other, each realizing the other has admirable traits despite what first impressions might have indicated, etc.

Also, I think I can second Unspoken. I haven't read it yet (I'm trying to hold off until the rest of the trilogy is published, but I don't know if I can!) but I have read Sarah Rees Brennan's other books and her blog. She does drama and humor equally well, generally mixing the two to their best advantage, and there is a feeling of loyalty among the characters.

[Jessica]

Well, witty isn't a requirement, just, you know, a nice bonus. :) The character interactions are really what makes it.

I'll give Grand Sophy a try!

[Audrey]

Have you tried Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...