How did I never see this thread till just now? I read a TON. Like 1600+ physical books at my house and who knows how many on my kindles. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett An appreciation of absurdity. This is my personal go-to book. I reread it every few years to pick myself back up and remember to laugh. Because the Apocalypse has never been funnier. The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold Space opera done at its best and with many funny moments. It's big, it's over the top, and it has one of the most unusual lead characters you will ever encounter. The Sun Sword series by Michelle Sagara West Epic fantasy. This 6 book series also overlaps with The Sacred Hunt and House War series. If you like not knowing what's going on exactly in a story, and not getting all the definitive answers (let your imagination go and puzzling skills puzzle away), you will really enjoy this. If that will drive you crazy, this one may not be for you. In The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss I do not know if this is the next Lord of the Rings, or the heir to Tolkien. The series isn't done yet. Book 2 is out, and it's great too. This first book of the Kingkiller Chronicles though is absolutely fantastic. Not many books make people, including me, think an author is about to pick up the Excalibur of fantasy writing (the next Tolkien). This book is just that fabulous. The Stormlight Archive, or The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson Actually, just read something by Brandon Sanderson that is of his own creation (he rose to fame for completing the WoT series for Robert Jordan). I love Warbreaker too by him. And The Rithmatist. Anyway... The Stormlight Archive is the bigger larger series that is 2 books done so far. The Mistborn is a much smaller scale of world building, and that series is complete. I always have a hard time pegging Sanderson down to a style category, because he very much has his own thing going on. He is the system of magic builder. But is it fantasy or is it science fiction (because any technology advanced enough may seem to be "magic")? Whether he is writing fantasy or scifi or YA, it's simply "Sanderson". The Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter Hamilton Is there such a thing as Epic Science Fiction that isn't a Space Opera? I'm not sure if that category exists, but this series defines it. This is the Reality Dysfunction (one of the names of the books nicely describes the whole series). It has more plots than anything else I've ever read, and yet it still manages to work. One of the very few plot driven books that makes my favorites. I'm usually far more into character development type books. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman If you only ever read one graphic novel in your lifetime, this is that one to read. I quote this series more than any other. The writing is fabulous, the artwork is fabulous, and I could keep gushing for hours. Guess who that is on my current signature? Morpheus from The Sandman lol. Nuff said. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Read what Galantisizer wrote in the post above me. Agreed. The Belgariad by David Eddings A really enjoyable and rollicking good time fantasy series. It's also a must read for anyone studying writing and how to use the hero cycle and a character formula. This is the masterwork of how to use tropes and a formula and execute it perfectly. It's also just a blast to read and enjoy I especially recommend this one for any younger readers (and by young, I mean anyone under 20 or so lol). It's a very classic tale of the coming of age for a hero/king who has been raised in hiding as a peasant. The Color of Distance by Amy Thompson What is it like to be stranded on an alien world and to "go native"? This is that book. There are a lot of stories that explore that question. This is my favorite book that explores that question.
*prods inquisitively* Yes, doctor, the thread appears to still be alive, but it is tired and sluggish. Shall I give it a bump to reactivate it? Yes? Right-o, then, let's get this party started. BUMP!
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Jaws The Maze Runner (No idea if any of these were said previously)
So this is still a thing! Sadly, the only book I've read recently is Anne McCaffrey's "To Ride Pegasus" and honestly... I don't recommend it. Not bad, but not what I'd call good either - it's less a novel than a series of short stories revolving around the same characters and theme. An accident on a busy interstate involving a publicly-known astrologer and psychic inadvertently reveals a scientifically measurable aspect to mental "powers" - psychics, telekinetics, and others with a certain Talent for inexplicable phenomena. From there, it charts the foundation of a Center for these Talented people, offering asylum from persecution, and a safe, healthy environment to develop and hone their abilities. So basically it's McCaffrey's take on the X-Men, and Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted in particular.
The Night Circus. Warning - For mature readers. Contains some language. It is an amazing book though. That's all I can really say. Don't quite know the best way to summarize it. Just read it.
Eragon, Christipher Paolini. Set in some kind of medieval times thing but with dragons and lasers and pirates and shiz Basically this guy lives on a farm and his name is Eragon and he finds a "stone" in the woods and figures out its actually a dragon egg and becomes a dragon rider. Now, this is actually a four-boom series called The Inheritance Cycle so you may want to read all of them. Be warned, there is dragons and lasers and pirates and shiz as I mentioned D:
I just finished reading 'Proxy' and 'Guardian' by Alex London. The blurb for the first book is: "Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death. Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own. Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid." It's a great read and I adored both of the books. They're good for anyone who loves YA sci-fi and dystopian genres. Although there is romance in them, it's not the main focus. The end of the 2nd book is quite open and it's what I would consider a realistic and non-traditional happy ending. It's also refreshing to have the second book addressing the aftermath of the character's retaliation against the dystopian government and the reality of revolting and trying to create the ideal society.
No one has mentioned "The Heros of Olympus" series by Rick Riordan? It's a five book series consisting of The Last Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, The House of Hades, and The Blood of Olympus. I think every three chapters, the perspective the story is being told from cycles between 3 characters. It's based on Greek and Roman Mythology. 7 greek/roman demigods have to learn to team up and rise up and fight the earth mother wanting to destroy the western civilization. They also must stop the Greek camp and Roman camp from killing each other off.
Anything by James Patterson, John Grisham, or Lee Child. Also, I am really into The Force of Nature by C.J. Box right now.
There's two other series one is Norse one is Greek and one is the Roman one you mentioned. Read all three
I was quite fond of Ready Player One. In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. TL;DR: There's a virtual world called the OASIS, the creator of which, upon his death, released a treasure hunt to the public hidden within the game; the winner of which would receive his entire fortune. TL;DR of the TL;DR: Rich guy dies, fortune hidden in a video game he made. TL;DR of the TL;DR of the TL;DR: Money and video games.
Worm — A Complete Web Serial: https://parahumans.wordpress.com/ I cannot write a summary to emphasize how amazing this book has been so far, and even though I haven't finished all 1.68 million words, I can say I've read a decent sum so far. I'll leave the synopsis below.. "An introverted teenage girl with an unconventional superpower, Taylor goes out in costume to find escape from a deeply unhappy and frustrated civilian life. Her first attempt at taking down a supervillain sees her mistaken for one, thrusting her into the midst of the local ‘cape’ scene’s politics, unwritten rules, and ambiguous morals. As she risks life and limb, Taylor faces the dilemma of having to do the wrong things for the right reasons."
Yup. Just came out on October 2015. I got a copy, read the copy, went omg, read it forty more times because it was awesome.
