Introductions - tell us a little about yourself Showing 3,351-3,400 of 3,618

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Tom wrote: "Thanks Brenda! Burroughs was great for my early teenage years. Loved the imagination and action. I recently reread the Gods of Mars and it was harder to read, the dated language, repetitive action..."

Have I ever found this true?
Yes, they soon get tiresome these days. I am not even sure I have read them all. It's probably a good idea to NOT read the whole series from beginning to end every time. I've tried recently (couple years ago.....a collection of his books were available cheap on kindle) and just couldn't stick to it.
If I remember correctly.......each of the books are complete in themselves....just a few references to characters and situations in previous books.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Welcome, Nadia. You can also join previous discussions any time.
:)

[Nadia]

Thanks Brenda! It's going to take me a while to navigate them all, hehe.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

:D

I still haven't gone through them all, myself.

[Greg]

Welcome everyone!

[Nicholas]

Hello everyone! My name is Nick, I'm 24 and a lifelong resident of New Hampshire. I'm currently in school for Psychology, hoping to go into Social Work. I have been a member of Goodreads for three years now and a member of this group for almost as long, but I’ve failed to participate in any discussions (so far); I’m fairly shy at first and it takes a bit of coaxing to get me out of my shell, but I figured it’s about time I take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to meet people who are passionate about the same things that I am.

Originally I joined Goodreads because it offered me a place to catalog all of my books. I am a collector (albeit an ‘infant collector’ and my resources are limited, but I have an every growing collection of ~450 books that bring me great joy) and I love to be organized, so Goodreads provided that for me. It has morphed into a resource that allows me to discover new and exciting books, ranging across genre’s that I wouldn’t have expected to catch my interest (though I mainly stick to fantasy/sci-fi, and YA fantasy/paranormal) and most recently, introduce myself to others who share my joy.

Other than reading for pleasure and spending endless hours studying for school, I live only two miles from the beach so I make extensive use of that- like books, the ocean is calming and keeps me rooted, in balance, and offers a vast array of possibilities. I also love to play tennis. :)

Over the years I’ve struggled with Goodreads’ five star rating system. It seems pretty straight forward, but as I rate more and more books I realize that I have to keep going back to change old ratings, and books that I have rated at five stars- though they may be great, are not nearly on par with my absolute favorites. Alas, at the moment I have 6 star and 7 star shelves, and I’m sure more will grow from those.

I am a lover of words, and I find that the writing style of an author is as equally important to me as the storyline. I am not a fan of cliché novels, but if an author puts an interesting spin, or expertly writes a story that’s been told time and time again, I will most likely enjoy it. Patrick Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind essentially summarizes what I LOVE about books. It provides a fantastically engaging tale, a main character that I can completely relate to, and a writing style that is both intelligent and poetic.

My absolute favorite books:
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (and The Wise Man’s Fear)
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Game of Thrones by G. R. R. Martin
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
What Men Live By by Leo Tolstoy
The Republic by Plato

I’m currently in the process of reading:
Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan
Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb
Champion by Marie Lu

It’s nice to ‘meet’ you all, and I’m always looking for suggestions for new books and series, so if my favorites spark any ideas feel free to friend and message me!

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Welcome, Nick.
:D

The Name of the Wind is one of my favorites, as well.

And Robin Hobb's Farseer.

You'll have to look into some of Brandon Sanderson's writing. My favorite so far is The Stormlight Archive. The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. Of course, that series will be a long time finishing up.

[Mandy]

Hello!
My favorite, go-to fantasy series has to be Wheel of Time, though I do love Brandon Sanderson's work and have recently been introduced to the writings of Patrick Rothfuss.

And yes, I'm an author, but I'm not here to boost my book. I'm here as a reader.
Because I've been a reader far longer than I have been an author.
I love strong female characters, and am always on the search for a new heroine.

[Tom]

hi mandy,

welcome!

[Stacey]

Hello all thousands of you fantasy fans!

My reading life started with Alanna: The First Adventure in grade school, and I've been reading mostly scifi/fantasy ever since.

I have lots of favorite authors, and favorite books, and some of them change over time... Most important early influences have been:

Anne McCaffrey (Pern)
Alice Borchardt (The Silver Wolf)
Tamora Pierce (as previously mentioned)
Robin McKinley
Patrica A. McKillip (Riddlemaster of Hed)
J.R.R. Tolkein
Anne Bishop
Marion Zimmer Bradley

Recent favorites include:

Juliet Marillier
Lois McMaster Bujold
Deborah Harkness
Patricia Briggs
Kate Elliott
Martha Wells

Right now, I'm trying to expand my familiarity with the genres and sub-genres, and to add some diversity (authors and characters) to my reading experiences. On *this* list are:

Paolo Baciagalupi
N.K. Jemisin
Ancillary Justice (though this one's SciFi)

Is there a list for expanding diversity in reading fantasy? I'd be interested in adding more to that list of mine.

Happy reading!

[Anant]

Hello! I was always turned off by the Fantasy aisle in bookstores, as I wove my way through the crowd to the Spiritual/Psychology sections. :)

I am an avid reader of spiritual/self-help books. But, I've been feeling some burn-out lately from all the inner work, and wanted to read some fiction. Sci-fi had always interested me, and I started with Dune, which I absolutely loved. Because, not only was it engrossing, it had things I can relate to like the Bene Gesserits (meditation, conquering fear).

And also since the world was so well portrayed, it also got me interested in Fantasy (as Sci-fi and Fantasy were being clubbed together in most of the book lists).

Oh let me back up. I had read the Harry Potter series 6 years ago and thoroughly loved it! But, I had a kind of bias, I'm not sure, where I just saw all the other fat fantasy volumes and labeled them "pretenders"

Anyhoo, I'm glad the scales are falling away from my eyes now. I recently finished Elantris, and I appreciated the magic system and fast pace of the story, although it did not make pause in wonder.

Le Guin is an author I'm very interested in as she weaves in Taoist mysticism and Jungian symbolism into her work which is right up my alley. I loved Wizard of Earthsea - with all the Shadow work!! :D

Glad to be here and look forward to discussing more

Cheers,
Anant

[Tomislav]

Hi, everyone.

I am Tom from Croatia. I don't know how many more of you are from my country or from my part of Europe and the world, but you all need to know that we have a large and a devoted community of fantasy readers/lovers.

[Mandy]

Tom wrote: "hi mandy,

welcome!"
Thanks!

[Ashley]

Hi :) My name is Ashley and I, like everyone here I'm sure, love reading fantasy novels! I am slowly working my way through the genre, have a list of about a million things I want to read! So far in my brief journey through my reading list, I've really enjoyed novels by Robin Hobb and Brandon Sanderson. Definitely looking forward to being a part of this group!

[Tom]

Tomislav wrote: "Hi, everyone.

I am Tom from Croatia. I don't know how many more of you are from my country or from my part of Europe and the world, but you all need to know that we have a large and a devoted comm..."

Hi Tom,

Welcome!

Tom

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Oh...my.....
I am behind!
;)

Hi and welcome, Mandy, Stacey, Anant, Tomislav and Ashley.

There's something for everyone in fantasy, and I'm sure all of you will find lots of book recommends to add to your lists.
I have.

¦)

[Julia]

welcome welcome everyone new...i cant remember if i ever said hello myself lol but hello again everyone...just came back from wedding and honeymoon! YAY

[Stacey]

Thanks, Brenda! I look forward to snooping around.

Thanks and congratulations, Julia!

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Welcome anyone I missed. Goodreads stopped updating me.

[Deborah]

Hi, my name is Deborah and I am from the north Texas area. I am currently reading the Wheel of Time Series (book 8) and enjoying every bit of it. I really like epic fantasy and have a large collection of books by quite a few different authors. Can't say as I have a current favorite although I am really looking forward to the next book by Patrick Rothfuss.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Hi welcome.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Hi Deborah. Welcome to the Fantasy Book Club group.
:)

[Melissa]

Hi, I'm Melissa....I'm a retired Army brat, so I've lived up and down the southeastern seaboard, with a couple of stints in the MidWest and Germany. I've been reading fantasy (knowingly) since 6th grade when I came across "The Riddle Game" chapter from The Hobbit in a reader. My favorite authors are Joshua Palmatier, Mercedes Lackey, Patricia Briggs, Lisa Shearin and probably a lot more that I can't remember off the top of my head..... ;-)

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Hi Melissa, welcome.

[Melissa]

Thank you!

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Welcome, Melissa.
:)

[Melissa]

And thank you, too, Brenda.... ;-)

[Mandy]

Deborah wrote: "Hi, my name is Deborah and I am from the north Texas area. I am currently reading the Wheel of Time Series (book 8) and enjoying every bit of it. I really like epic fantasy and have a large collect..."

Love wheel of time!
Have you checked out Dragonmount (website) yet?

[Andrew✌️]

Deborah wrote: "Hi, my name is Deborah and I am from the north Texas area. I am currently reading the Wheel of Time Series (book 8) and enjoying every bit of it. I really like epic fantasy and have a large collect..."

I read the first book last week: great series! It will be a long journey but i think that deserves.

[Tim]

Hi,

My name is Tim and I am a Dev/server guy in England.

I Have always enjoyed reading fantasy although i sometimes wonder off to read something else for a little while (not for long). Currently reading Half a King but will probably finish today!

Recent favorites include:
Brandon Sanderson
RR Martin
Robin Hobb
Joe Abercrombie

Hope to speak to some of you soon :)

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Welcome.

[Melissa]

Hi, Tim! I'm new here, too.... ;-)

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Welcome, Tim.
:)

[Tim]

Thanks for the welcome guys :-D

[[deleted user]]

Hello, I am Sheabody Butter (yes, that's my real name)

I feel like an anomaly here as my reading repertoire has been grounded in reality. I read a lot of realistic fiction (as opposed to magical realism). In the past, novels were considered frivolous, and I still know some people who think reading novels is a not worth their time of day, as they serve no practical purpose, provide no useful or marketable tips. Novels by nomanclature are fictional, but the characters are believable, and their thoughts and feelings are genuine. People who lived in different historical periods faced different circumstantial challenges, but human thoughts and emotions are constant over time. Fantasy provides an escape from reality and entertainment, and requires suspension of disbelief. Having a big imagination can help people in times of strife. The mind is part of the body. Sometimes when one faces circumstantial difficulty, it is frustrating when the mind wants to wander outside of the body and free itself from the agony of the soul. Imagining a different reality can help people cope with their hardship. This is where fantasy can be useful, besides being entertaining, which is really what it does -- entertain. Life is not just about work and making money and responsibilities. All work and no play makes for a very dreary day!

[Tracey the Lizard Queen]

Hello, I'm Tracey. I live in the northeast of the UK and am obsessed fantasy. I love everything about it! I am currently reading She Who Waits by Daniel Polansky and really loving it. My favourite series include ASoIaF, The Blinding Knife, The Broken Empire, The Demon Cycle, The Faithful and the Fallen, Raven's Shadow, The Way of Kings and a whole bunch of others. My hobbies include reading (obviously), looking for cheap books, buying said cheap books, drinking lots of coffee and horseriding.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Hi Tracey. Have you learned to read on horseback? If not try audio books. Welcome.

:)

[Tracey the Lizard Queen]

Haha thanks, I haven't quite mastered that one yet! Glad to be apart of this group :-)

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Well...I haven't been on horseback for many, many years so you'd know best. Still think you'll enjoy it here at the madhouse err, I mean group.

[Greg]

Welcome everyone!

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Welcome, Sheabody and Tracey.
:)

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Well...I haven't been on horseback for many, many years so you'd know best. Still think you'll enjoy it here at the madhouse err, I mean group."

O o
___

[Trine]

Hi,

I'm new here - and new on GoodReads as well. I'm Danish with a university degree in Art History and I love both speculative and historical fiction.

Among my favroite authors are:
Elizabeth Bear (I met her just recently, she's a really cool and funny person)
Valente, Catherynne
Jacqueline Carey

I especially like strange and imginative fiction that doesn't reallt fit into established categories.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Welcome to Goodreads and our group, Trine!
:D

[Trine]

Thanks - I'm looking forward to the discussions.

[Bev]

Just a quick hello and a big hug and welcome to a fantastic group.

[Nagarue]

Hi, I am new here and in general have not posted any where to often, its frequently hard to find time to keep up with everything that is going on.

I am a long time fantasy fan and have a fare sized collection in PC Games, Movies, and Books. My interest in books has some cross over to Science Fiction and some movie related tie in's. It was in fact the move Star Wars that brought me to reading and that is another story of sorts.

I have found my way here in part because I have recently found a desire to rekindle an old flame of reading. I never fully gave it up but where once I read several books a month, for the last several years I have done a few a year, and the reasons for that are yet another long winded tale.

Most of the authors I love where from the mid 80 time period and several have also very sadly passed away. (Robert Jordan, Roger Zelazney, David Eddings, Fred Saberhagen, JRR Tolkien, the last is not from mid 80 but otherwise is in this category) These where all tier one authors for me along with several others who are still around but either do not write as often as they use to or are not quite up to the par for me that they once where or have finished off their greater works. (Raymond E Feist, Margret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Terry Brooks, JK Rowling).

In addition the time period had another large number of great authors that for me where tier two authors. (Ann Mcafrey, Piers Anthony, Glen Cook, Janny Wurts, Richard A Knaak, Melanie Rawn, Barbra Hambly, Gordon R Dickson, Elizabeth Boyer, Lawrence Watt Evans, R.A Salvatore) There are many others from the time period that I also kept up with. It is strange perhaps but it makes me a little giddy and nostalgic to think about how many great authors where all writing new work at the same time then also I find it very sad to think of how many have passed away.

My current list of authors that I keep up with has grown very short. (George RR Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Terry Brooks, and Raymond E Feist}. I actually have a large number of books I haven't gotten around to reading yet and am not really sure where to continue chipping away at it.

I am familiar with the names of many of the current popular fantasy authors and own a random book from some of them but the small excerpts I have read from some haven't pulled me in yet. I have read the first two books of Malazan series and like them. I have read In The Name of the Wind and while I think it was well written it didn't pull me in as much as it seems to do for most people. Currently I am reading Hard Magic by Larry Correia and happily finding it entertaining.

I'm not really sure where to start on the discussion boards but I would be interested in perhaps learning about some of the authors I haven't gotten into yet I would love to find some new tier one material it has been completely elusive for me in recent years in part I think because I love best the more heroic fantasy and these days seem to be more about the dark fantasy.

I did notice the current month book discussion on The Hero and the Crown and think I will read that next. I have actually owned A copy of this and The Blue Sword from way back but think I have never read them.

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

Welcome, Nagarue!

What great authors you've listed.

Just jump in wherever you have an interest.
:)

[Melissa]

Hey! I adore fantasy. I read more than JUST fantasy, but fantasy is my go to. The series I'm really into right now is the Magic series by Ilona Andrews.

I like: Patricia Briggs, Mercedes Lackey, Holly Lisle, Robin LaFeversand Vivian Vande Velde.

[Melora]

Hi,
I'm Melora, and I've lurked for a bit and suppose it is time to introduce myself. I live in North Carolina (but I'm really a Floridian) and have recently been dipping back into fantasy after a twenty year hiatus. (The sort of fantasy hiatus that included regular rereadings of LoTR, The Hobbit, LeGuin, plus Diana Wynne Jones, James Thurber, Lloyd Alexander, Joan Aiken, T.H. White, and all, for my kids.)

My siblings both got middle names from LoTR, so Tolkien was always a given, but I started reading quite a bit of fantasy in the late 70's. Favorites were Piers Anthony, Robert Aspirin, Robert Heinlein, Roger Zelazny, Christopher Stasheff, Douglas Adams, Katherine Kurtz, Patricia McKillip, Robin McKinley...


More recent authors I've enjoyed have been...
Martha Wells (I liked The Death of the Necromancer, and I have The Fall of Ile-Rein series in the TBR stack)
Terry Pratchett's Discworld
Barbara Hambly
Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastard series (Loved these!)
Anthony Ryan's Blood Song
Michael Sullivan's Riyria books were fun, though the sloppy editing made me cranky

I've just started Abercrombie's The Blade Itself, and I have Daniel Abraham's The Dragon's Path ready to go.

I'm looking forward to being introduced to more fun authors through this group! My only "dislikes" are first person narrations (though I loved Ursula LeGuin's Lavinia, so I'm open to having my opinion changed) and, I think, Urban Fantasy (though the only one I've read, actually, is Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid, which is also 1st person narration, so maybe I've closed that door prematurely!). I sort of want to try Robin Hobb, but I'm put off by the "Prince Chivalry" and "King Shrewd" in the plot description. I never see anyone comment on this, though, so maybe she is wonderful enough that I would forget about the goofy names?

This seems like a friendly group -- I've enjoyed the discussions I've seen here -- and I hope I'll be able to participate from time to time! Thanks!

ETA: I don't exactly mean that those names in Robin Hobbs's books are "goofy." Just that they Seem goofy, from the perspective of someone who has only read the Amazon plot summary!