Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Introductions - tell us a little about yourself
Hello, everyone. I'm an obsessive reader living in Utah. I'm one of those nut jobs who reads 3-4 books at a time and never, ever is without a book hidden somewhere. Yes, books are my comfort blanket. I panic if I don't have one to fall back on in my rare down times. I love fantasy with a passion. I love to see how authors create their worlds when they roam free from "normal" rules of our world. It's like taking a small trip through someone's brain. It's art, to me, and I love it. It's hard for me to say my favorite authors. I recently read C.S. Friedman, specifically her Coldfire Triloy and LOVED it. I think I have a real thing for anti-heros. I also really enjoy George R.R. Martin, he just has to be mentioned (now lets all cross our fingers and hope he finishes his series someday before I die). I would be remiss if I didn't also mention Brent Weeks, Lynn Flewelling, Robin Hobb, oh and my new personal favorite: Steven Erikson. I think the Malazan series by Erikson is one of the best series ever. I have a crush on Erikson's brain. Anyone who can figure out a world that complex, realistic and gritty deserves accolades. I also thought the writing in The Name of the Wind was breathtaking. Rothfuss has great talent and I can't wait for the next book in that series.
Anyway, enough drooling over authors and books for me. I'm thrilled that I found this website. I had no idea it existed!! I'm excited to get to know all of you and share thoughts and ideas.
Hi Sarah, you sound like your going to be adding a lot of spice the boards here!
Welcome, Sarah. Lots of good stuff going on here. Great discussions. Famous authors. You'll feel right at home.
Thanks for the welcome :-)Reading anywhere, anytime and I get so into the book I don't hear anything going on around me. I'm not so bad since I'm an "adult" now but people can have a whole conversation about me, saying my name and everything, and I won't hear a word of it if I'm into a good book!
Yeah, that sounds very familiar. Although I have to admit while I no longer walk around with a book I still try to blend people out when I'm reading. Mostly because I've realized that so many people are simply rude and don't consider reading something where they shouldn't bother someone or interrupt without apologizing.
Welcome Sarah and Daniela!I hated leaving my books in class. I brought them with me there too in case I got a chance to read especially if I finished my assignment or homework early. I love meeting all you great people!
Sarah, what part of UT do you come from? I live in the Ogden area.
Hey all, I'm new to good reads and new to the group - hoping to find some new good books to read. Some of my favorites: LotR, Hobbit, Harry Potter, C.S. Lewis, Patrick Roghfus, Terry Prachett, Brandon Sanderson
Amelia wrote: "Welcome Sarah and Daniela!I hated leaving my books in class. I brought them with me there too in case I got a chance to read especially if I finished my assignment or homework early. I love m..."
Hi Amelia, thank you for the welcome.
Unfortunately we were never allowed to red in class, unless it was an assignment. I ended up writing letters (pre-email-days) in class and my teachers loved me for being so attentive and taking such massive notes. My friends loved the chatty letters *g*
Hey everyone. I am Nick. I'm largely into reading Fantasy novels (that are NOT based on video games lol). I've read many Dragonlance novels and a handful of Forgotten Realms novels. My all time favorite book is Homeland by R.A. Salvatore. And I'm currently reading Legends of the Dragonrealms by Richard A. Knaak.
Hi everyone. I'm Claudia, I'm German and I work at a publishing house (periodicals).I blame my grandmother for my being a book addict! Because when I was a little girl I used to spend a lot of my holidays with her. She had this old book of Grimm's Fairy Tales (actually, I think it was the only book I ever saw in her house... mmmh). And every night when she put me to bed, she would sit on a chair next to the bed, take the book out of a drawer and read to me...
20+ years later (ugh!): I still love books. And now I've rediscovered fantasy. (Started with Terry Pratchett and JRR Tolkien when I was about 18.)
I'm looking for anything good (I have a feeling that there's A LOT of it - I had no idea...) It doesn't really matter if it's old or new, a single book or a series. There is just one condition: I prefer books that make me laugh every now and then. Doesn't mean that I don't like serious or sad stories, but I need at least one funny and/or sarcastic character, someone who really makes me giggle... (I really liked the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishops, because it had that kind of humor.)
So, is there anything else I should read?
Ive just joined this group and this website. A little daunted to be honest. But I love fantasy books and hope to find out about more books here :D
There is a lot here Runetracey, but jump on in, the water's fine!
Runetracey wrote: "Ive just joined this group and this website. A little daunted to be honest. But I love fantasy books and hope to find out about more books here :D"No need to be daunted by the FBC, We are all types here, from world class authors, to English professors, to household managers, to high school students. Our common thread is our love for fantasy literature. We aren't very judgmental at all, except as to the quality (or not) of what we are discussing.
Hello, My name is Kendall and I am from Indianapolis. I am majoring in Literature and Linguistics at Ball State University. I have been a fantasy lover since I was a small child and watched Star Wars for the first time. From there I have moved on to Tolkien, of course, and Harry Potter. Now I am enjoying Ed Greenwood, R.A. Salvatore, Jim Butcher's Codex Alera, and many more. I look forward to rediscovering so classics with you, and hopefully adding some new favorites to our lists. I am always looking for new material. I love epic fantasies that cover several books. I love for stories to build on each other and never end. This summer I plan on finishing the Elminster stuff I have yet to read, and finish the last few Codex Alera novels. Anyone have a suggestion or two for what comes next?
Thanks for the welcome, feel a little easier at posting my thoughts :DCharles wrote: "Runetracey wrote: "Ive just joined this group and this website. A little daunted to be honest. But I love fantasy books and hope to find out about more books here :D"
No need to be daunted by the..."
Kendall wrote: "I am always looking for new material. I love epic fantasies that cover several books. I love for stories to build on each other and never end. This summer I plan on finishing the Elminster stuff I have yet to read, and finish the last few Codex Alera novels. Anyone have a suggestion or two for what comes next? "
Do you like books that are strong on characters and dialog, or more geared towards intricate plots and world-building?
If you like long series my first suggestion will always be Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan books. Space opera, really, but the focus is on the intrigue and adventure, and the science tends to be Clarke's Law magic. Her fantasy novel
The Curse of Chalion is extremely good, but the follow-ups are much weaker, and there are only two of them.
Dave Duncan has two 4-book series, the Man of His Word tetralogy followed up with A Handful of Men tetralogy. My personal favorite Duncan is the Seventh Sword trilogy.
Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series looks to have one book for each species and there are 17 species. They started out small, but the books are becoming steadily more epic. He also has a sort of a prequel series in the same universe that is a virtual retelling of the Three Musketeers, and lots of fun. It starts with The Phoenix Guards.
My other favorite authors include Tanya Huff and Lawrence Watt-Evans, and hopefully you will take the time to check out my own books as well.
Hello. I am from southern California. Stay at home mom and wife and over the last year became a reading addict. I've always enjoyed reading, but now it's a passion. And I have to admit that reading the Twilight Saga is what got me going. From there I started seeking out paranormal books, and moved on to urban fantasy. I've read a few fantasy and sci fi books since then, but my absolute favorite author in the fantasy genre is Peter V. Brett. Always looking for another good book to read so I am happy to have found this group to share my love of reading with others that also enjoy reading like I do and maybe find another author that interests me.
Dorsi wrote: "Okay, I am new to this club/group & somewhat this genre. I was reading a lot of paranormal books, some of which were pretty good. The more I read, the more I realize I am not a paranormal romance g..."I couldn't help but laugh when I read your post. Those are my feelings. I like romance, but the predictable outcome, and well, story get old real quick. I also loved the Fever series. I'm going to have to check out some of your favorite authors.
*waves*Of all people, I noticed Brandon Sanderson had joined this group, so I thought I'd check it out.
I think I'm home. :D
My name is Skye, and I'm a fantasy addict. I can't get enough of the stuff. :)
I cannot express how excited I am to find this many people who seem to like fantasy novels as much (or at least almost as much) as I do!
(You guys have a Forgotten Realms thread! There might be people here who won't look at me like I'm insane/sneezing when I talk about Vangerdahast! >.>)
Hi I'm Cory. I was just searching some groups out to find some ideas for books to put on my list. I'm a big fantasy fan and avidly read anything written by Jordan, Martin, Sanderson, Abercrombie, Erikson, Rothfuss, Lynch, Gaiman, among some others. Always looking for reccommendations!
Marc,I am a little inexperienced with Goodreads, but will you add me as a friend? I would love to check your stuff out. I am going to read Wheel of Time this summer. I have never read it before because it has always seemed a daunting task to start up. I am taking some time off for about three months, working on a writing project, and catching up on some books. Thanks for getting back to me, and I will make sure to check out the authors you suggested as well.
I'm reading the Belgariad series by David Eddings and I think it's great. I'm still looking book five, though.
I'm Lynn from southwest Idaho. I love SF and F! I'd bring home stacks of books in college and trade them in the next month. Speaking of school: I dropped out of college as a journalism major. A teacher told me to give up chasing that dream because I couldn't catch the typos as I wrote: this was back in the early 90's when Mac's were the only computers that weren't DOS based. When I got walking pneumonia I dropped out of school, then never went back. With a new husband I figured I'd just be a homemaker with no need for a degree: If I couldn't write, well nothing else really pulled at me if you know what I mean.
Several years later I had a set of dreams that was so captivating, so clear... and the weird part is that all you had to do was change the order and it made this amazing story. I considered writing one of my favorite authors, Terry Brooks, Tad Williams, Melanie Rawn... to give the story to them.
I finally sat down and began typing. It took one year to write the book - which was really two books in one. It has been quite a journey since then, but I now have one book published with the second debuting next month and a videogame based on the first book due to release this summer.
Welcome to the group Lynn ! That's a fascinating story of your journey to become a writer. I know what you mean by catching typos as I have done a Communications Editing course recently myself and found I wasn't the best at editing either. For you later to find the courage to write a novel makes a moving life change. Congratulations too and having the book released as a video game.
Hey everybody :)I'm 24 year old Bulgarian girl. Last 5 years I've been working in the HR field, currently as a recruiting manager and in the same time i managed to take my university degree. I live alone with my cat /white and very lazy one/, love rock music, ice cream and red flowers.
Some of my favorite fantasy authors - Steven Erikson, Neil Gaiman, Ursula K. Le Guin, Guy Gavriel Kay, George R.R. Martin, Sergei Lukyanenko and of course Terry Pratchett.
I'm new in Goodreads, but i think I'll like it here and my special congratulations for the founder of this group - it seems to be a very nice place.
Hi everyone!I'm Maggie, and I'm graduating with a degree in electrical engineering in less than a week.(hopefully.) Yikes! I don't know that I'm ready for this real world thing...
I'm really supposed to be studying for my finals right now, but of course, I am here instead, it seems like so much more fun :) Although, if anyone wanted to volunteer to write my final thesis, I would love them forever... :D
I LOVE fantasy, and I can't get enough of it. I was sent here from Janny Wurt's forum, to say all sorts of amazing things about her book up for discussion in July (it's amazing, in case you were wondering!! :P )
Hey Candle and Maggie, welcome. And I'm sorry Maggie I've done one thesis in my life and I never plan to do another. I actually had to swear off reading "my books" while in school which made me a very anti-social person during school breaks!
Welcome Candle ! I noticed your reading book 9 of Malazan Book of the Fallen so take it you will be participating in the discussion of Gardens of the Moon that Terence is leading.
Hi Maggie ! Great to see fans of Janny coming to the group.
Hi Maggie ! Great to see fans of Janny coming to the group.
JJ wrote: "Welcome Candle ! I noticed your reading book 9 of Malazan Book of the Fallen so take it you will be participating in the discussion of Gardens of the Moon that Terence is leading. Thank you, i surely will :)
Been away due to deadlines and family health, but really wanted to say welcome to everyone who's stopped in since I was here last! Have been keeping up with reading the messages, at least.Quite a diversity of readers here and that's what makes Goodreads....well...not just good, but great!
Hi! I'm Melanie and I live in the north of England and am just finishing up a degree in psychology. Always loved to read (and I'm slowly but surely compiling my own library! It's a very slow process though...) but it's only really the past couple of years that I've really gotten into fantasy for which I'm probably going to have to 'blame' Garth Nix and his Keys to the Kingdom series.Favourite authors include: Peter V. Brett, Trudi Canavan, Kristin Cashore, Alison Croggon, Robin Hobb, Garth Nix, Maria V. Snyder, Tolkien and Brent Weeks.
There are plenty of others I've only just started reading or whose books are halfway down my depressingly large 'to read' pile so this list is only sure to grow!
Hi Melanie. Nice to meet another Nix fan. I enjoy his 'Keys to the Kingdom' series, too, though I haven't read Superior Saturday yet, 'cause I heard it was a cliffhanger! His Abhorsen series is really good, too, and written a bit older.Welcome.
Yeah, I'm not totally up to date with them either - as you said they are written a little young and think I've outgrown the earlier ones at least. And I've read all the Abhorsen ones too! Definitely one of my favourite series and can't wait for the prequel/sequel or whatever it is! Thanks for the welcome :)
Hi, everyone, I'm A. F. Stewart.I love reading all types of fantasy books and I've been known to write a few myself.
I guess it's time for me to come out of hiding. My name's Matt, and Charles originally recruited me by dangling Janny in front of my face. I'm an aspiring author, but who on here isn't? In my real life, when I'm not wearing my superhero cape and saving the world, I work with a non-profit prison ministry.I enjoy many fantasy authors, some of whom are deep reads, and some of whom are fluffy throwbacks from my days of being the AD&D Dungeon Master. (Okay, okay. So I still DM. Sue me.)
In no particular order, here they are:
Janny Wurts
Robert Jordan
Brandon Sanderson
George R.R. Martin
Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Jack Whyte
R.A. Salvatore
Tad Williams
Steven Erikson
and, God help me, Stephen Donaldson (I hate Thomas Covenant, and have spent 8 books so far hoping he buys the farm on a permanent basis...)
I'm delighted to have found this discussion board, and I really look forward to the talks.
Matt wrote: "I guess it's time for me to come out of hiding. My name's Matt, and Charles originally recruited me by dangling Janny in front of my face. I'm an aspiring author, but who on here isn't? In my real ..."Oh, Great! Now I will get the blame for all the reckless havoc you will undoubtedly create. You guys watch out for this one. He's a loose cannon with a huge brain -- very dangerous!
Does he have trouble finding hats that fit? ; )Welcome to all the new folks!
Hi all.I'm Lauren and I'm 17. I just recently got into fantasy in the past few years and i started with fantasy romance. I still read a lot of fantasy romance, but have been branching out as of last year. Some of my favorites include the Inheritance Cycle, the Percy Jackson novels, the Phantom Tollbooth, the Mortal Instruments trilogy and Artemis Fowl. And my current very favorite is the Chronicles Of The Imaginarium Geography series. I'm hoping by joining this group, i can find some new favorites.
Hi Lauren - The Phantom Tollbooth - wow, almost nobody mentions this book! Norton Juster taught at my college, and by gosh, my hardback is signed.Welcome here.
Thank you for the recommendation. Looks like it will be a great summer read.
I remember "The Phantom Tollbooth"! I haven't thought about it in years. It was something like "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" or the Oz books. Wasn't there a sequel about math or something? I seem to recall wanting to get it & never did.
Hello! I'm Jia, and I'm from Singapore. I guess my first exposure to fantasy were the fairy tales that got heaped upon me when I was a kid. That probably explains why I have a soft spot for fairy-tale retellings.
I then moved on to the Xanth novels by Piers Anthony and The Belgariad by David Eddings when I turned 14. (I had a cousin who supplied me with whatever books he had). I wasn't choosy, so I read whatever I could get my hands on at that time. By the time I read the Lord of The Rings in my teens, I was hooked, and fantasy has been one of my favourite genres ever since.
Current favourite authors include (but are not limited to)
Jacqueline Carey
C.S. Friedman
George R.R. Martin
Neil Gaiman
Susanna Clarke
Tolkien
Orson Scott Card (I just finished his Ender Series, which is Sci-Fi, but I read "Enchantment" some years back and thought it was pretty good)
Hey guys! I love reading, my favorite type of books are the ones that stick with you and make you think or question something in your own life. Xenocide and Children of the Mind are prob my favorite Card books.
I try and read all types of Fantasy/Scifi. I can't wait to finish May's book and participate in the discussion sounds like fun :-)
Hi all, I'm Mike and I've been around Goodreads a little while now. I'd hate to try and pin down when I became a lover of Fantasy. When I read The Wizard of Oz might be a good place to start, but I loved Fantasy long before that really. Like many of you I also write, though I haven't been "writing" for a couple of years. I was in a situation that made it completely "impractical". I'm just now beginning to work toward publication again...God willing.
Favorite authors? How to list them all ? Tolkien ("of course" I suppose should go here), C. S. Lewis, Elizabeth Moon, Michael Moorcock, Roger Zelazny, just too many to mention. There are also older authors, Howard, Lovecraft the pulps were full of the proverbial "forgotten gems. Does anyone else remember Elizabeth H. Boyer or Elizabeth Willey(?). Then there's Jim Butcher of whom I'm a big fan. As I said, too many to list.
I'll look forward to comments and book suggestions from you all. Thanks.
Hello everyone, joined goodreads in April. I enjoy reading fantasy and SciFi; I think it began with "Alice in Wonderland" when I was a kid. I recently re-read other C.S Lewis and enjoyed it more as a grown-up.
I'll look forward to book suggestions and hope to find out about other fantasy authors from you, thanks.
Hi all, I never really introduced myself, just plunged in and posted.My mother bought me Whitefoot The Woodmouse when I was in second grade and I gobbled it down and finally came up for air after completing it. So I guess that was my first fantasy book, although Mother said I used to pester her to read Raggedy Ann and Andy books before I could read.
So my childhood consisted going to the library, checking out the six books they allowed, until I had read everything I was interested in reading and (subsequently) was allowed to use the adult library.
I'm retired, and work in my chosen field as a psychotherapist. I studied for years to be a Jungian analyst and spent a lot of time analyzing myths and archetypes in stories and legends as symbolic of psychological processes. (I resigned from training after I felt like I'd gotten everything I needed and wanted from it).
While I've read all my life, my reading has enjoyed a resurgence since joining Goodreads. I recently canceled my cable since I hardly ever watch TV any more, and can find anything I really want to watch on the internet.
I've always enjoyed fantasy and scifi -- reading Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, etc. years ago. But here I have found such wonderful worlds of fantasy and scifi that I'm in hog heaven and am gobbling up everything I can find as fast as I can. I'm currently embroiled in Janny Wurts' Mistwraith series and hate to put it down. Looking forward to reading Nation and David Burton's Second Coming for the June/July reads.
Hi everyone; I have read a variety of genres but just recently discovered the awesome world of fantasy. What I am puzzled about is some of the derision of Steve Erickson's, "Gardens Of The Moon". Whoever wrote that he " is a mediocre writer and does not bother editing his books is either oblivious to the facts or just does not like fantasy. At the local used book store, there are thousands of books and can not find even one written by him. If he is deemed a mediocre fantasy writer then I think there is no such thing as great fantasy. I have observed many reviews of that book and most are rated between 4 to 5 stars. I understand that opinions are a personal choice but to state that Steve Erickson can not write well is a gross representation of the facts. The book is very complex pertaining to the main plot and many subplots. Also there is at least one hundred characters in the book. Maybe some do not like deep and complicated books. I have no further reply to this post.
Brian wrote: "Hi everyone; I have read a variety of genres but just recently discovered the awesome world of fantasy. What I am puzzled about is some of the derision of Steve Erickson's, "Gardens Of The Moon". W..."
Welcome to the group Brian. There is currently a discussion on Gardens of the Moon, that you may wish to post your opinions to: Gardens of the Moon - discussion folder
Welcome to the group Brian. There is currently a discussion on Gardens of the Moon, that you may wish to post your opinions to: Gardens of the Moon - discussion folder
Hi everyone! I'm usually just a lurker, but since I've started to post comments in other threads, I figured I might as well introduce myself.My name is Dawn, I'm 27, a mechanical engineer and new mom of a wonderful five month old little boy (born on Christmas eve no less!).
I read my first fantasy novel during my Freshman year of college. I was never a big reader, but one day I picked up a roommates copy of The Sword of Shannara (Terry Brooks) out of boredom, read it, and have been hooked ever since.
My favorite authors, in no particular order, include Terry Brooks, Patrick Rothfuss, David Eddings, George R.R. Martin, Raymond E. Feist, Tad Williams, Robin Hobb, Robert Jordan, and Greg Keyes.
I tend to like long series. Usually I'll latch onto one author or another, read everything they have to read, and then move on to the next. I just started reading David Anthony Durham's Acacia series (only on the first book so far), it seems really promising!
To close, I guess I'll end with an odd (well not so odd to me, but my husband thinks it's weird) habit. I like to own every book I've ever read. Because of this, my book shelf is literally overflowing! What can I say, I just love my books. And I guess I secretly hope that some day I can talk my little guy into reading them too, and then we can have mommy-son book discussions :-)
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Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Name of the Wind (other topics)The Fault in Our Stars (other topics)
Prince of Fools (other topics)
The Whitefire Crossing (other topics)
To Ride Hell’s Chasm (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Michael J. Sullivan (other topics)Robin Hobb (other topics)
Patrick Rothfuss (other topics)
Daniel Abraham (other topics)
George R.R. Martin (other topics)
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I laughed out loud on this comment Daniela, my friend's from H.S. and college still make fun of me and my reading habits. Reading anywhere, anytime and I get so into the book I don't hear anything going on around me. I'm not so bad since I'm an "adult" now but people can have a whole conversation about me, saying my name and everything, and I won't hear a word of it if I'm into a good book!