Recommendations Thread

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

Also if the Muskateers has got you going get going on reading your fellow Canadian Sebastian De Castell. He writes a sword fight better than any (and his third book is out this week)

[Gary]

Be aware that there are additional tales in The Musketeers saga. 20 Years After as well as The Man in the Iron Mask. I picked up an EBook featuring all of Dumas's works not long ago. Just need to find time to tackle it along with The Complete James Fenimore Cooper, The Complete Charles Dickens, The Complete Sir Walter Scott. Right now I'm working on the Complete Sherlock Holmes between other books.

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

until about 5 minutes ago i did not realize that The Count of Monte Cristo is about 1300 pages long. If I do read it it will be up there with my greatest reading accomplishments.

[Fannie]

I loved Les Trois Mousquetaires, but wasn't able to finish The Count of Monte Cristo. I tried 3 times, but never gotten to the middle of the book.

[Audrey, Queen of the Potato People]

I read The Count of Monte Cristo not too long ago. It's well done and holds up really well. It's been a while since I read The Three Musketeers, but I remember laughing a lot. These are stories meant to be savored, not rushed through to find out how they end.

[Alicia]

Hi everyone!

I need some help from you guys! I work as a teacher in high school. Me and the other language teachers are having a meeting next week to decide what new books to purchase for our students to read. Can you guys suggest some?

It would be best if the main character(s) are around the age of 13-18 years old.
Also good (but not super important) is if the characters deal with "problems" that teens can sort of relate to today (relationships, identity, etc.).

Grateful for all suggestions :)

[Ryan]

Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West

[Audrey, Queen of the Potato People]

Alicia wrote: "Hi everyone!

I need some help from you guys! I work as a teacher in high school. Me and the other language teachers are having a meeting next week to decide what new books to purchase for our stu..."

James Dashner's The 13th Reality series
Richard Paul Evans's Michael Vey series (AWESOME)
Percy Jackson series (Rick Riordan)
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine L'Engle)
(all sf/f, naturally)

[Freya, Dragon Rider]

I recall a friend of mine reading the Count of Monte Christo and while it seems to be a fat tome, she said it was pretty amazing. I read the Three Muskateers a number of years ago and I seem to remember enjoying it a fair bit - though I thought that D'Artagnan came across as a bit of an excitable puppy at first.

I often find myself following publishers and bookshops on facebook and discover lots of new books that sound interesting from the blog posts they write. This is the current one which has caught my interest (and will be adding some of these to my tbr list): 5 SFF books that treat mental illness with compassion (Alicia - not sure if any of these would be appropriate?)

Though Planetfall is already on my tbr list after hearing Emma Newman read an excerpt a year or so ago :)

[Fannie]

Bonjour groupe,

I'd like to have some recommendations for my son. He is a good reader and already a fan of fantasy/science fiction. He read The Hobbit (half with me half alone), but I am aiming for something a little bit easier than that since he wants to read alone and he is only 8.

Of course there's Harry Potter, but I am looking for other suggestions.

Thanks!

[Melanie]

Fannie wrote: "Bonjour groupe,

I'd like to have some recommendations for my son. He is a good reader and already a fan of fantasy/science fiction. He read The Hobbit (half with me half alone), but I am aiming fo..."


For a stand alone you can try: The Thirteenth Unicorn, The Graveyard Book, Charlotte's Web (be wary of sad ending), or any of the Roald Dahl books.

Some series worth checking out: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (just delightful at his age and there's like 40 of them), Into the Wild (again a very age appropriate series), or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
For a higher reading levels: Fablehaven, Redwall, and The Ruins of Gorlan.

[John]

Fannie wrote: "Bonjour groupe,

I'd like to have some recommendations for my son. He is a good reader and already a fan of fantasy/science fiction. He read The Hobbit (half with me half alone), but I am aiming fo..."

I really enjoyed the pyrdain chronicles by lloyd alexander when I was younger. The Chronicles of Narnia were also good. If you are looking for more recent books, the Ranger Apprentice Books by John Flanagan are pretty good.

[Fannie]

Thanks! I'll look into it. Will have to see what's available around here and translated.

[Lel]

When I was younger I really enjoyed The Dark Portal, might be worth reading it first though I remember it was a little dark.

Or any of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques.

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

Lel wrote: "When I was younger I really enjoyed The Dark Portal, might be worth reading it first though I remember it was a little dark.

Or any of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques."

I loved the Redwall books when I was young, though I don't remember them that well. I bought the first few second hand last year intending to read them again, but haven't got round to it yet.

[Nick]

Fannie wrote: "Bonjour groupe,

I'd like to have some recommendations for my son. He is a good reader and already a fan of fantasy/science fiction. He read The Hobbit (half with me half alone), but I am aiming fo..."

Bonjour et bienvenue!

There is a set of novels called the Bartimaeus sequence which are a little reminiscent of the Harry Potter books, but involving bound spirts and djinni's - They are very good. "His Dark Materials" is supposedly very good too though I haven't read that one myself.

I can also recommend the book "The Emerald Atlas" as quite a good kids fantasy; I assume the rest of the series is too though I haven't read them.

They might be a little too old for him at the moment, but another interesting kids series is an aussie series starting with "Tomorrow when the war began". It's more alternate history/near future than fantasy, about a bunch of kids who go camping out bush and discover when they come back that a war started while they were away and their town has been taken over.

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

Nick isn't that the plot to the movie Red Dawn lol. I liked Red Dawn (80s version) so I would likely enjoy it as well.

[Ryan]

Fannie wrote: "Bonjour groupe,

I'd like to have some recommendations for my son. He is a good reader and already a fan of fantasy/science fiction. He read The Hobbit (half with me half alone), but I am aiming fo..."

I recently read How to Train Your Dragon and it was very good. It's quite different to the animated movie adapted from it. I believe there's about a dozen books in the series.

[Nick]

I'm not sure to be honest ;) It was a popular series here in the early to mid 90's when I was growing up, but I never read any of them until fairly recently when I read the first one and quite enjoyed it.

Pretty sure it was made into a set of films as well. It was very influential but i'm not sure how it's seen (or if it's seen) in the rest of the world.

[Cupcakes & Machetes, Hybrid Creature]

The Hero and the Crown is great but I'm bad at judging what age kids should be before reading things. So maybe read it yourself and then decide?

[Jessica]

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

[Fannie]

Wow! Now I have a lot of idea. Thanks again. Between this and suggestions from friends he'll be okay until he's 10. :)

[Audrey, Queen of the Potato People]

Fannie wrote: "Bonjour groupe,

I'd like to have some recommendations for my son. He is a good reader and already a fan of fantasy/science fiction. He read The Hobbit (half with me half alone), but I am aiming fo..."

I highly recommend the Chronicles of Prydain and the Chronicles of Narnia. He might like The Ruins of Gorlan. The Phantom Tollbooth. The 13th Reality. Fablehaven. Percy Jackson.

At age 10-12 read The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus trilogy) and A Wrinkle in Time and The Prisoner of Cell 25.

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

Audrey wrote: "Fannie wrote: "Bonjour groupe,

I'd like to have some recommendations for my son. He is a good reader and already a fan of fantasy/science fiction. He read The Hobbit (half with me half alone), but..."

I'd recommend The Ruins of Gorlan to anyone, that's a good quick read!

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Lots of good suggestions above. Perhaps also The Wind Singer?

[Audrey, Queen of the Potato People]

My library does a "Reader's Choice" program a couple times a year. They nominate 25 books from all genres, and you rate each one you read, and then they have a drawing. The latest round of books is out. These are the SFF ones, which all look like urban fantasy. Heard of them? Like them?

The Girl with Ghost Eyes
Menagerie
Sorcerer to the Crown

I've found some really good books through this program, like Poison Study and Theft of Swords, and I've also found some clunkers.

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

I've heard of all but Menagerie, and want to read the two I've heard of!

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

I read Sorceror to the Crown. A slow burner but I enjoyed it. A bit of a lighter version of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell

[Lel]

Has anyone read any Neal Asher books? They look interesting but I have no idea where to start.

[Dawn]

Hi Lel,
Yes, I've read a few of Neil Asher's books. Hard core Sci-fi but very good if you like that sort of thing. Gridlinked was his first book about a tech enhanced secret agent but I actually started reading the Polity books 1-4 first since his main character from Gridlinked is actually introduced in book 3 Shadow of the Scorpions and I think book 4 The Technician is one of the best hard core Sci-fi books I've read but a bit gory in places. Books 1 Prador Moon reads a bit like a documentary but is fairly short so it makes a good introduction to the alien war that is a backdrop to all the books. Book 2 Hilldiggers was pretty much a stand alone read and I didn't enjoy it as much as the others so you may want to save that till last. Hope this helps

[Lel]

Thanks Dawn thats great! His books keep popping up but I had no idea really where to start. I find sometimes that in massive ongoing worlds that are made up of different trilogies that the first book doesnt always do the series justice.
I like the look of The Skinner.

[Dawn]

I haven't actually read The Skinner yet but you run into people affected by the Spatterjay virus in The Hilldiggers book and as something the Prador aliens used to gruesome effect in their war. Again, everything in this world is related. I really want to find time to read Dark Intelligence after being introduced to the Penny Royal AI in the book The Technician.

Lel wrote:the first book doesnt always do the series justice.

I totally agree. Having read his first book Gridlinked, I have to say, I didn't find it a particularly good read and was thankful I didn't start with this book or it may have put me off his work. His later books are far superior.

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

Do just a general question. I read Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde this year and really enjoyed the Victorian setting and the writing style as well.

So wondering if anyone has suggestions for books set in the time period and possibly also from the time period (not completely required though). I also enjoyed reading A Christmas Carol. I've hear Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell is quite good and have it on my shelf.

[Ryan]

I gave five stars to The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers. It's mostly set in that time and place.

[Milou]

I really enjoyed HG Wells' books, especially the island of Doctor Moreau. Staying with him, I adored The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma, in which Wells is one of the main characters. But people like Jack the Ripper, the Elephant Man and Bram Stoker also play a minor role.

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

Id recommend Dracula, Frankenstein and the picture of Dorian gray :)

[Nic, Wormhole Technician]

I would totally recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell, Lancer. It did a great job of capturing the victorian feel, with the added bonus of a modern day fantasy standard of writing. As Ryan recommended too, I really enjoyed The Anubis Gates but a lot of people in the group really struggled with it when it was BOTM.

[Milou]

What Kirsty said (though I haven't read Dorian gray yet, Dracula and Frankenstein are amazing). Also, Edgar Allan Poe (some stories better than others) and Sherlock Holmes. Anno Dracula was nice too. And The Monstrumologist is an all-time favourite (especially the second book is quite gory). And The Affinity Bridge is a fun quick read (and steampunk), though nothing special.

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

In the same vibe the two obvious Irish writers are there in Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker but also worth checking out Sheridan Le Fanu, who preceeded both and produced a lot of decent short stories and novellas

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

Good stuff, thanks everyone. I do have the Comolete Sherlock Holmes that I have yet to start ad well as Dracula. So I think I have a fairly good starting point. Much obliged!

[Nic, Wormhole Technician]

Just remembered another book, Lancer. It's called Slave of My Thirst (or Supping With Panthers in an earlier edition) and it's set around Dracula. It ties in Vampires with Jack the Ripper and is a little known gem. I recommend tracking it down!

[Andrew]

I'd just further recommend what is already mentioned--Jonathan Strang & Mr Norell, and Sherlock Holmes for sure.

I would also point out that Frankenstein was written a near century prior to Jekyll & Hyde, Sherlock, Dracula, etc. This would make it pre-Victorian. Ironically, I believe Jonathan Strange & Norell takes place during the reign of Edward, but it's style is far more Victorian than Edwardian. Not trying to to be pedantic ass or anything LOL The writing style does have a distinct difference. Frankenstein is a wonderful story with some beautiful messages, but it can be perceived as more of a chore than more contemporary works.

I'd like to check out Wells eventually!