Need something new to read

[Gidde]

I get my shiny new audible.com credits today, and I read so voraciously that I'm out of ideas as to what to buy. After seeing what folks have come up with for this month's challenge, I figured this would be a great place to throw out a plea for suggestions. So, what are everyone's favorite sci-fi/fantasy books and/or series?

Some of the stuff I've been reading recently (some for the 2nd-20th time):
David Weber's entire catalog
Pern (9th pass books) by Anne McCaffrey
Miles Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
Imager series by LEModesitt Jr
LoTR
Wheel of Time
Midkemia-based book by Raymond E Feist
Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb
Elantris/Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

[tilt]

All by Robin Hobb, If you've read Assasins Quest x 3 - then continue with "Liveships" before returning to the farseers in "The Tawny man" and then back again to the "Rain Wild Cronicles" ... Soldiers Son are also good, but very different and a bit slow - the frist book there is best.
For the more gritty side of fantasy you have to read Joe Abercrombies First Law, fantastic books and the gloves are off when he writes.
An unfinshed series (but still going) are "Songs of Fire and Ice" by George R.R. Martin, really good, lots of lots of characters though, so a lot to keep track off - and don't get to attached to the characters either...
I like the Runelords multilogy also ... a great concept for "magic" in those books, where lords draw abilities from their subjects

That'll tie you over for the summer

[Gidde]

Thanks tilt! I do in fact own the liveships trilogy and song of ice and fire already (come on, GRRM, plzplzplz finish the next book) but i didn't know about the other hobb books, abercrombie or runelords

[tilt]

yep.. hes taking his time with that book... and you forget all those names while you wait
Hobb made 5 trilogies all in all (with one book in the works in the "Rain Wild")
Abercrombie blew me away.. really cool reading - but then again, the "buzz" is that the brittish fantasy authors are the ones to watch these years...

[Coyotemax]

Might not be fantasy, but if you're looking to take a break from your current trend, I've been re-reading the Hammer's Slammers series by David Drake. I've got the first 2 collected volumes, waiting patiently for the third to hit the shelves

Not everyone's cup of tea, it can get pretty gritty at times, but it's military scifi by an author who was actually in the military (Vietnam War) at one point Think Apocalypse Now/Platoon/Full metal Jacket etc with spaceships for transport and hovertanks. One of the more intense reads I've dealt with. On the plus side for new readers, it's mostly collected short stories (with some novellas) so you can put it down for awhile and pick it up later without missing anything.

3 thumbs up (out of two) from this corner.

[Gidde]

After reading Weber I'm actually a lot more open to miltary sci-fi. Drake's Lord of the Isles series was pretty disappointing, but maybe fantasy just wasn't his bag, baby Which is the first book of that series? I tend to spend a lot of time on Baen's e-book store, so I'll definitely pick it up.

Edit: Scratch that question. Baen has an omnibus

[torstan]

If you're open to sci-fi then I'd recommend Iain M Banks - probably Player of Games. They can be quite (very) dark but he is an amazing sci-fi author.

[Gidde]

Audible only has 2 of his: The Steep Approach to Garbadale and Transition. Would either of those work as an intro to his writing, or should I put the other you mentioned on my text wishlist?

[arsheesh]

OK, here are some of my favorites:

1. The Princess Bride: William Goldman.
2. The Last Unicorn: Peter S. Beagle.
3. The Name of the Wind: Patrick Rothfuss.
4. Earthsea (Trilogy): Ursula K. Le Guin.
5. Wraith Squadron (Starwars X-Wing series): Aaron Aliston.

Each of these works deserves more of an introduction because they are all so wonderful in different ways, but I don't want to take up too much space here to write about them. However, if you are interested to know more about any of them and I'd be happy to share a bit about the book(s) and why I think it is so great.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

[torstan]

Hmm, haven't read Transition and Steep Approach to Garbadale is one of his non-sci-fi series. He's got an interesting convention in which his straight fiction books are by Iain Banks and his sci-fi books are by Iain M Banks (by different publishers too). The fiction stuf is good, but very different from his sci-fi. I'd put them on the paper wishlist.

I'll second Earthsea if you haven't read it. Also, I'd recommend Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, or Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.