Fantasy Book Club discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
Group business and info
>
Introductions - tell us a little about yourself
Hi there. I've been lurking for awhile, but I figure I ought to introduce myself if I ever want to join in on the threads... So... I'm 30 years old and have been a long time fantasy fan thanks to my father who is heavily into both sci-fi and fantasy. I didn't read much for pleasure when I was younger, though, so I got most of my exposure thought movies and cartoons and TV and things. I still remember the cheesy Hobbit cartoon with fondness :)
I didn't really start reading for myself until I started commuting to work on the train, which was in college... and back then I was heavily into vampires and horror stories, though I did read some fantasy - which I generally found repetitive and cliche. I don't even remember the titles of most of what I read back then...
But then came Harry Potter, which I absolutely fell in love with, and, since then, I've become a pretty voracious reader of primarily fantasy with the occasional foray into other forms of speculative and/or comedic fiction... But most of what I've read has been more modern stuff. I'm rather out of the loop when it comes to most of the 'standards' or 'classics'. I've never read any GRRM, Jordon, Goodkind, Brooks... no Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms...
Actually, for awhile I was hesitant to get into reading fantasy primarily because of these giant tomes, or series with 25+ books... I didn't know where to start with the series, and was intimidated by the size of the tomes. I didn't read LotR for the longest time - but finally gave in when the movies were coming out... (I had read The Hobbit in high school and liked it... but just balked at the size of LotR. When I finally did read it, it was in the trilogy format. I have, somewhat, gotten over my fear of large books and, in some cases, series... but if I'm lukewarm about the notion of a book, then length is a turn off... )
Harry Potter, the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett (I started with Wyrd Sisters and expanded from there), and The Ultimate Dragon Saga by Graham Edwards are what brought me back into the literary fantasy fold... Now I read a fair mix of adult, young adult, and even some kids series... as well as some fab graphic novels. So aside from the above three, here are some of my favorites (from love to like enough to recommend, in a vague sort of order):
Kids and YA:
John Flanagan ~Ranger's Apprentice (starts with The Ruins of Gorlan)
Holly Black ~Tithe A Modern Faerie Tale
Garth Nix ~The Abhorsen Trilogy Box Set
Garth Nix ~Keys to the Kingdom (Mister Monday)
Sam Enthoven ~The Black Tattoo
Herbie Brennan ~Faerie Wars Chronicles
Melissa Marr ~Wicked Lovely
Brandon Mull ~Fablehaven
Adult:
Neil Gamain ~Neverwhere A Novel
Neil Gamain ~American Gods
Neil Gamain ~Sandman Series (The Sandman Vol. 1 Preludes and Nocturnes)
Susanna Clarke ~Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Gail Z Martin ~Chronicles of the Necromancer (The Summoner Book One in the Chronicles of the Necromancer)
Justina Robson ~Quantum Gravity series (which is sort of a fantasy/sci-fi blend and starts with Keeping It Real)
Stephen King ~The Dark Tower Boxed Set (good series... but that ending? Eesh... )
Jim Butcher ~Dresden Files
Simon R Green ~Nightside Series (Something from the Nightside)
Weis & Hickman ~Deathgate Cycle (one of the few 'classics' in my repertoire)
Other Graphic Novels:
Bill Willingham ~Fables (Fables Legends in Exile)
Mike Carey ~Lucifer (Lucifer, Book 01 Devil in the Gateway)
Ted Naifeh ~Courtney Crumrin (Courtney Crumrin, Vol. 1 Courtney Crumrin & The Night Things)
Serena Valentino ~Nightmares & Fairy Tales (Nightmares and Fairy Tales Once Upon a Time)
I'm currently reading Dark Haven (book three of Chronicles of the Necromancer) and plan on reading The Crown Conspiracy next...
Welcome to the group (or at least to the threads portion of it :-)), Blackrose. Sorry to hear book length is a turnoff for you, but there are still a lot of great, shorter books out there. Sounds like you enjoy both Gaiman and Pratchett, so [Book: Good Omens] is one I would definitely recommend. It's coming up as our book of the month in May. You might also try Zelazny's [Book: A Night in the Lonesome October], or [Book: Bring me the Head of Prince Charming]. Look forward to talking to you in the future.
Thanks for the welcome :)I have actually read 'Good Omens', and I did like it. I knew I was bound to forget one or two while making my list... :> I've been meaning to reread it, tho, so it seems like it'll be a good time for it...
Thanks for the recommendations - I'll look into them. :>
Jed wrote: "As a child, I was deeply scarred by reading the Hobbit. It was so utterly tedious (like the Dune series after book 1 and The Garden of the Moon and Name of the Wind all of which I despised). Then I..."Welcom Jed - Glad to see you "stuck with it" and finally found something in the genre you love!
blackrose wrote: "I have actually read 'Good Omens', and I did like it. ..."Welcome, and sorry you didn't like that one blackrose - I actually thought it was very entertaining - and actully Lol'd on multiple occassions in it. Glad to see you have Crown Conspiracy on your TBR - I'm lookng forward to a lively discussion on it!
Welcome, blackrose......another good Gaiman to try out is Anansi Boys. It's related to American Gods through one of the main characters, but has a different style altogether. It's more comical in nature....
Robin wrote: "blackrose wrote: "I have actually read 'Good Omens', and I did like it. ..."Welcome, and sorry you didn't like that one blackrose - I actually thought it was very entertaining - and actully Lol..."
Thanks for the welcome... I seem to have been unclear. I did like 'Good Omens', else I wouldn't want to reread it. I like to try and guess which parts are Gaiman's influence and which seem to be Pratchett's... (I tend to think Gaiman does more of the overall set-up and details, and Pratchett the more humorous character stuff - but, then, I just think those are their individual fortes... )
Chris wrote: "Welcome, blackrose......another good Gaiman to try out is Anansi Boys... "
Thanks for the welcome and the recommendation. I have read Anansi Boys. I liked it - how could you not love Mr. Nancy and his kids - but I preferred the philosophy of American Gods, in general, and I think I was expecting something more along those lines... Still, I agree it was a good read.
I think I've actually read most of Gaiman's work, except for some of his kids stories... (but I am anxiously awaiting the release of The Graveyard Book in paperback.)
Which reminds me - while I think the stories in Fragile Things Short Fictions and Wonders are sort of hit and miss, I still recommend giving it a read for the hits. Especially 'A Study in Emerald' (which you can also read for free through his blog. There are some other short stories and things there, too. 'I, Cthulhu' is another good one.
Thanks again for the welcome... and hello Carole :>
Welcome to the ever-growing group, Carole :-).
Let me add my welcome to the list, Carole and Blackrose.
Elise wrote: "Robin wrote: "OK, here's where I'm at. I LOVED the following:Martin - Song of Ice and Fire
Rothfuss - Name of the Wind
Lynch - Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas...
Keyes - Thorn and Bone Series ..."
Just ordered the Crown Conspiracy from Amazon. I look forward to it!
Jed wrote: "As a child, I was deeply scarred by reading the Hobbit. It was so utterly tedious (like the Dune series after book 1 and The Garden of the Moon and Name of the Wind all of which I despised). Then I..."Thanks for the book ideas. I'm so glad someone else sees Locke Lamora the way I do. I did Tolkein, so I feel I've covered "the motley little band of mixed race/profession on a quest" novel and have no wish to repeat. I also get really turned off by the 1000 years of darkness cured by the Proficied Hero.
I completely agree with you about Dune. And I was hoping Gardens of the Moon would be similar to George Martin. It certainly seems to be at first glance.
Now I really loved Name of the Wind, but there is no action. I think I really loved the concept of a hero of biblical, legendary status living as this mild mannered innkeeper in this tiny village in the middle of nowhere, but at night he's battling super creepy spider monsters in secret. I'm in. I want to know just how he got there, and what his last heroic act is gonna be.
I would really love you to try Greg Keyes. You follow about 2-4 characters. He ends nearly every chapter with a cliff hanger, and then you move to one of the other characters, which also ends in a cliff hanger, and so on. The pattern creates this driving force and you just devour the pages. Description is just what's necessary to put a nice image in your head. No OCD-style describe every tree down to the last detail. The action is good. The creatures are different. Religions are well developed. The magic is not traditional wizard magic, but closer to manipulating the physical laws of his world. I think it might work for you.
Robin wrote: "Just ordered the Crown Conspiracy from Amazon. I look forward to it!..."Glad to hear it! I was wiered out for a minute because Robin is not a common name and when I saw youre post - I was like What the heck - I didn't order TCC from Amazon ;-)
Hi all, I've been a memeber since Nov. I am a huge fanatasy fan, jsut check my cloud. My favorite authors are Tolkein, Robert Jordan, Joe Abercrombie, and R.A. Salvatore. When I was much younger I also enjoyed Piers Anthony alot. I've been trying to get into Tad Williams but I'm having trouble, something about his style bothers me, but eventualy i'm gonna give war of the flowers a try.
I suppose if I'm posting instead of lurking, I had better introduce myself.I'm just the typical SAHM/escapist reader. From Southern AZ.
I read a really eclectic mix of sci fi, fantasy, young adult...mixed in with classics and other random stuff. My fantasy favorites (at the moment) are Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, Wheel of Time, The Last Unicorn, Gregor the Overlander, Wicked Lovely, Orson Scott Card (everything--the fantasy, the sci fi, the political rants...)
You know that saying about how I have so many things on my to do list that I can never die? That's my 'to read' list.
Welcome aboard Ari and Shannon. Ari, did you get started in fantasy with the Xanth books? They were pretty much my introduction to the genre many, many years ago :-). Shannon, I'm curious about Brandon Sanderson. Were you a fan of his before it was announced that he would be finishing the Wheel of Time series? Prior to that announcement I don't know many people who had ever even heard of him. Heh.
I was, actually. I came across Elantris from a review of an ARC and have hurried out for each of his books as they've been published. Of course, I was immediately delighted when he was announced to finish Wheel of Time.
Welcome Carole, Ari, and Shannon.....good to see some Jordan fans coming in..i'm sure we'll have lots to talk about as the new books get closer to coming out....I just started Mistborn this week, and I'm floored by how cool this is....and yes, John....I'd heard of him before the announcement. But that's what made his name stand out a little from the several "new" writers hitting the scene at the time.....
blackrose wrote: "Hi there. I've been lurking for awhile, but I figure I ought to introduce myself if I ever want to join in on the threads..."Have you read The Lightning Thief and/or The Amulet of Samarkand? I thought these were both good kid/YA books. And you should definitely read The Graveyard Book. I loved that one!
Edited: The books don't have anything to do with each other except for my recommendation. It sort of looks like they go together, based on my post, doesn't it?
Hello all. I'm Bronwyn. I'm from metro-Detroit, Michigan. I'm a member of a SciFi & Fantasy group, but don't read a whole lot of SciFi so feel left out somewhat, so this group should be more my style. I've read... Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Harry Potter and LotR, um... The Book of Lost Things, um... It's late, I can't think right now, sorry! :)
I'm always looking for recommendations though, so I'll be digging around in here for new things. :)
I haven't read everyone's intros yet, so forgive my not knowing people yet!
Hello Bronwyn, a fellow Michigander. Consider yourself welcome. =)http://www.cardshark.com/content/view...
JG wrote: "Have you read The Lightning Thief and/or The Amulet of Samarkand? I thought these were both good kid/YA books."I haven't read either of those. I've seen them around, but never picked them up. I'll give them another look-see, though. Thanks for the recommend. :>
Ooo.. I loved the Amulet of Samarkand. Very good for a YA book. =)http://www.cardshark.com/content/view...
Hi I'm Rob,I've been into fantasy / science fiction books ever since I was a small child, and I'm still reading them now that I'm a fully grown child. To be up front I've also just published my first fantasy book but I'll try to refrian from plugging unless anyone directly asks me.
Sorry posted this on the wrong thread to start off, doh!
Welcome, Bronwyn and Rob......hopefully you'll feel more at home here, Bronwyn...
Hi! I'm a Ilana. I'm a teen reader and have been reading pretty constantly since I was really little. I love fantasy and hope to publish some of my writing when I finish it. I read adult as well as YA, but tend to read more YA.
Welcome Rob and Ilana,Rob, there is a special Author Promotions thread where all us GR authors can post info about our work, including synopses, upcoming signings, etc. So, feel free to go there and plug your stuff--that's what the thread is for. Also feel free to nominate your own book for discussion during the next GR Author month.
My bad - posted this in the wrong section - My name is Libby and I'm a book junkie. I was a literature major in college and love Goodreads because it’s like being in a GIANT lit class. I simply love being able to discuss so many books and see other reader’s thoughts.
Fantasy is my favorite genre followed by Mystery & Suspense, then SciFi . I generally lean towards satire and also enjoy Young Adult literature. My #1 favorite author is Terry Pratchett who I don't believe has been mentioned yet in this thread. Terry Pratchett I think the man is simply genius. His wit is unmatched.
I also love Neil Gaiman and Jasper Fforde. I've read the works of Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind, and while I love Fantasy some of the sword play adventure novels are a bit too graphic for me. Of course, I adore the classics - Lewis and Tolkien. I'm a sucker for Arthurian tales and loved Marion Bradley's work in the Mists of Avalon books - superb female characters there. Finally, I also enjoy urban fantasy such as Charles deLint.
Best thing so far about Goodreads is finding new authors and new books! I have already found many great books I otherwise would not be aware of and/or purchase. I especially like that GR is a platform for authors who are not as well known to showcase their work. A prime example is The Crown Conspiracy. I would have completely missed this book if not for GR and I loved it. Can’t wait for the rest of the series and now I’m sharing my copy with others.
I'm really enjoying the chats since most of those commenting really know their books and truly share the love of literature.
Hello all. Newbie to the site and just getting my book lists and reviews going.I'm Greg from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I work for the well-known University here in town. My current work is in the area of copyright investigations.
My profile tells you how I got started reading fantasy and science fiction so I won't repeat it. But I've been a stronger reader since my late teens (short stories, novels, magazines) and few things in life give me greater pleasure than reading a well written piece of fiction.
This love of reading lead me to a Bachelor's degree in Literature and Language and thoughts of teaching that never got fully explored. I worked in the bookselling industry for awhile (Borders) before coming to the University to work.
Besides reading fantasy (mainly high and urban), science fiction, mysteries, and other things that appeal to me, I'm a bit of a coffee fanatic. I've even considered trying to roast beans for the fun of it. I'm also currently hooked on Lord of the Rings Online (explains my profile picture).
If I had to pick my favorite piece of fantasy fiction, I'd probably go with Tolkien's The Hobbit. I find the main character's journey of adventure and self-discovery completely endearing. 
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss would be my favorite recent fantasy read. The depth of storytelling and character development is of the highest quality. I love the world he's creating.Other favorite reads would include: R. A. Salvatore's Dark Elf series; Dune by Frank Herbert; almost everything by Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury; The Stand by Stephen King; and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.
Welcome aboard, Greg. Look forward to discussing books with you. I just re-read [Book: The Hobbit] last month, by the way. Hadn't read it since elementary school, and was pleased to find that it was just as enjoyable and well-written as I remembered. The transformation Bilbo undergoes over the course of the book is really quite wonderful.
Hi,
My name is Jo-Ann M Rodriguez and I am the author of: The Leaf.
I was born n Puerto Rico, but I currently live in Virginia,USA.
I love to read fantasy/fiction. I am currently reading: The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau.
Warmly,
Jo-Ann M Rodriguez
www.joannmrodriguez/net.
My name is Jo-Ann M Rodriguez and I am the author of: The Leaf.
I was born n Puerto Rico, but I currently live in Virginia,USA.
I love to read fantasy/fiction. I am currently reading: The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau.
Warmly,
Jo-Ann M Rodriguez
www.joannmrodriguez/net.
Bronwyn wrote: "Welcome to another Michigander. :)"I'm originally one as well - though I'm a Texas now - I love to see people from my home state!
Jo-Ann wrote: "Hi,My name is Jo-Ann M Rodriguez and I am the author of: The Leaf.
Thanks for joining - always fun to have another author. I saw that you can read an excerpt of your book on Amazon. I'll have to check it out.
Jo-Ann wrote: "Hi,My name is Jo-Ann M Rodriguez and I am the author of: The Leaf.
I was born n Puerto Rico, but I currently live in Virginia,USA.
I love to read fantasy/fiction. I am currently reading: ..."
Hi Jo-Ann - welcome, and how do you withstand the cold???
I've never heard of The People of Sparks, or the author, Jeanne DuPrau - I'd be curious, if you're willing to say something more about this book.
Welcome Jo-Ann and Greg. Jo-Ann, as Author Promotions Moderator, I invite you to use the special Author Promotions thread to put out any and all info of a promotional nature concerning your book. All of us here on the Fantasy discussion group are eager to learn more of your work. Every other month as a group, we pick a book by a GR author to discuss, so when you see the call for nominations, don't hesitate to put your book up, if it's fantasy, of course!
Yo, I'm Sharon from PA. My favorite authors include Robert Jordan, David Eddings (his earlier works), Sara Douglass, Neil Gaiman, Robert A. Heinlein, Douglas Adams, and Mary Stewart.
I love Kushiel's Dart series.
Welcome aboard, Jane and Sharon. Woohoo! Two more Gaiman fans! :-D
Hi guys,I am new to Goodreads.
I absoletely adore to-read list feature and I just started to explore groups.
I love fantasy.
Tolkien, Hobb, Cook are my favourites.
Hi! I'm Liz, currently living in a small town in North Dakota. I LOVE fantasy! I grew up reading a lot of stories about princesses, dragons, wizards, goblins, etc. They are my absolute favorite. I hope to read many fantastic books here (provided the local library carries them, of course ^_^ )!
Welcome Liz. Hi, Astra and Janny,I'm new to the group, as well. I live in a middle sized town in North Texas and have published several short stories and six e books, all having fantasy elements. Four are comedic fantasy and two are dark fantasy.
I've loved fantasy since I was a kid, reading the MythAdventure series and the Amber Chronicles, among others. I love magical and supernatural elements in stories.
Currently re-reading Jim Butcher's Dresden Files and just finished John Connolly's The Reaper. My favorite books are supernatural horror and urban fantasies like Niel Gaiman's books.
Liz wrote: "Hi! I'm Liz, currently living in a small town in North Dakota. I LOVE fantasy! I grew up reading a lot of stories about princesses, dragons, wizards, goblins, etc. They are my absolute favorite. I ..."Hi, Liz.
I hope you don't think that all fantasy should have princesses, dragons, and elves! I didn't write an elf until my third or fourth short story Off the Map(he was a homicidal maniac, like all elves), and I only just now (my current WIP) got around to telling the story of how dragons came to be in the first place (it was my hero's fault, but it was an accident). I try to stay as far away from standard fantasy devices as I can.
As far as your local library is concerned, don't they acquire books based on customer request, or inter-library loan? Or have you considered getting e-books off the web?
Welcome aboard, Astra and Liz. Look forward to chatting with you.
Welcome Greg, Astra, Liz, Sharon, Jane, and Jo-Ann...and anyone else I missed....i'm slacking, and soon John will take my title of "nice guy"
Chris wrote: "Welcome Greg, Astra, Liz, Sharon, Jane, and Jo-Ann...and anyone else I missed....i'm slacking, and soon John will take my title of "nice guy""LOL, never happen, mate.
Hi everybody I'm Tanya, I'm 27, I live with my 9 year old daughter Ally in the UK.
I am what people call a speed reader which means to me I need more books all the time, I love supernatural, horror, sci-fi, comedy, romance, oh ok just about any bloody type of book you can think of.
I currently own nearly 900 books and thats only the ones i felt the need to keep.
I'm looking forward to finding new recomended fictiopn to read.
Hi! I'm Michelle and I live in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I love reading fantasy books, particularly those geared toward young/teen readers. Some of my faves include the Harry Potter series and the Septimus Heap series. There are others, but we'd be here all day if I listed them all. I also enjoy writing and have enjoyed the success of having poetry published in local papers and small anthologies. However, I shifted gears and now write fiction. My first book, "Elysium and the Dominion's Prophesy" was released in March this year.
I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you and learning about books I might like to add to my ever expanding bookshelf.
Hi Tanya and Michelle, welcome to the group :-). Tanya, your reading speed is most impressive. I'm lucky if I get a book read a month...
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
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)
More...
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)
More...
I can certainly understand that :-).