[–] mr_mellow3 ago
The Cloud Atlas "trilogy" by David Mitchell. Everyone is familiar with the movie, and while it was as good as a movie adaptation could have been, it falls seriously short in capturing the worlds and the characters that inhabit them. For anyone who was interested in the philosophy, characters, plot, etc etc, I cannot recommend enough to read Ghostwritten and Number9Dream. The craft with which Mitchell writes is absolutely enthralling and the way he bridges the characters and stories across time and books is incredible.
[–] BobTheTomato 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
The Lord of the Rings series has always been a favorite of mine!
[–] anglosamurai ago
Agree. Anything by Tolkien I'll read. Good thing another of his short stories (not of Middle Earth) will be published soon.
[–] mr_mellow3 ago
After watching the extended version of the films for the first time I've gotten really into the lore and stories/characters that were left out. Is there a specific order in which you'd recommend one read all the books (naturally The Hobbit happens first chronologically, but what about the Silmarillion and other works?)?
[–] BobTheTomato 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
In my opinion. I would read them in chronological order.
The Hobbit
The Silmarillion (which was intended to be a sequel to the Hobbit)
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
There is also Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth which doesn't directly connect to the trilogy but has some similar themes.
[–] Canuckensquid ago
I'll pick a lesser known series by Patricia C Wrede: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. It's for young adults and it leans toward a female audience with memorable female protagonists, although it's a book about dragons, magic and adventure. The subject matter is young enough that you could even read it to a younger child at story time!
Kushiel's Legacy! Similar to GoT with the quasi-Medieval-European setting, and the ridiculous number of characters.
It's a magnificent blend of unique characters, historical content, quests, religion, violence, (mostly of the BDSM sort; fans of 50-SoG might be disappointed because Kushiel's S&M scenes are, oh, WELL WRITTEN,) a sprinkling of romance, and so much more.
And sex. Artfully written.
Because the main character is a courtesan. And a spy. And can speak 5 languages.
The bad guy, or should I say "woman", is just as fabulous, and a worthy opponent to the intelligent Phedre.
GAH I love this series!
[–] [deleted] 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
[–] kontroll 0 points 4 points 4 points (+4|-0) ago
That's a strange one to me! I started hearing a whole bunch of noise about The Lies of Locke Lamora last year, and just shrugged it off since, in all honesty, it kinda sounds like some shitty romance novel. When I finally picked it up earlier this year, however... oh man was I surprised! It's certainly a ride, and a very enjoyable one at that! And the Stormlight Archive. Absolutely loved it! I'm just sad I wandered into another trap where I'll be waiting for more books in the series. XD
Last time I did that it was the Wheel of Time books, which Sanderson so very fantastically finished up; it also opened my eyes for his own books. <3
[–] Noodlesjackson 0 points 5 points 5 points (+5|-0) ago
Probably not the most popular opinion but my favorite is the Dresden files. A wizard and a detective...awesome. The detective part kind of fell away but I was already hooked
[–] lackonius 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Definitely worth a read. There are quite a few authors playing in the modern paranormal sondbox, but Butcher is one of the best. Solid characters, loved it when each book exposed different cultures approaches to magic. The later books have fallen off a tiny bit, but I think that's just because he's getting a bit burned out with the series.
Hopefully his new series gives him some time off of Dresden and a chance to recharge a bit. Always look forward to whatever new novel he comes out with.
[–] Thelastchampion ago
I love the world and magic of Wheel of Time. It had it's downs but the ups really made up for it. After that the Dark Tower is catching up quickly, I'm on book 3 right now and Eddy Dean just broke the fourth wall for the first time. I was quite giddy.
[–] noplastersaint 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
I always found books 7-9 of WoT to just drag on. I was happy when Sanderson took over and wrapped it up although I still wish Jordan would have had enough time left on earth to finish it. I was never really able to get into the Dark Tower, always stopped after book 2. I like King but find his use of deus ex machina to be a bit overdone. The Stand was good, but the ending made me sigh a bit.
[–] Thelastchampion ago
It did, no denying it but I still loved every moment of it. Especially now on my second read through. Book 3 is pretty awesome so far. He lets loose a little bit and it makes it more of a fun read.