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[–] BobTheTomato 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago 

The Lord of the Rings series has always been a favorite of mine!

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[–] 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?)?

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[–] BobTheTomato 0 points 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.

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[–] anglosamurai ago 

Agree. Anything by Tolkien I'll read. Good thing another of his short stories (not of Middle Earth) will be published soon.

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[–] SuperMam ago 

Loved it the first time I read it. I tried to re-read it about 5-6 years ago and just couldn't get through it.

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[–] Katya_ 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

I'd have to say The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. If I really have to pick between the two I'd say The Dark Tower is better...I've reread that series so many times...

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[–] kettle 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I looooved Clan of the Cave Bear. I really need to start the Dark Tower series, I've heard so many good things.

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[–] Katya_ 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

It's such a good series. I still have to read the last one though. I moved to Europe a couple years ago and am trying to rebuy them.

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[–] 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.

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[–] 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.

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[–] noplastersaint 0 points 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.

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[–] 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.

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[–] RayLomas 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago 

Hard to decide. I'm leaning towards Dune series by Frank Herbert (definitely not continuations by his son, Brian). It's great, but requires a lot of focus and attention.

God Emperor Of Dune is my favourite of the series, although, it takes time to like it. The first book - Dune is probably the most accessible.

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[–] cstoli 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

I've tried Dune three times now. I've never been able to make it more than about 50 pages deep. What am I missing? Do I just need to push through to get to better storyline?

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[–] RayLomas ago 

First 50 pages are merely an introduction, to get you to start grasping the universe where the whole thing is taking place. Dune actually has a lot of action, which unfolds quickly, once the "intro" part is over, but you need to get to at least 60% of the book before you start to see amazing things.

I remember that when I was ~18 I struggled with Dune, and dropped it. Later started once again when I was 25, and in one month binge-reading episode I've finished the whole series (6 books, ~2-2.5k pages) during less than 1 month.

It's a pretty similar thing to what I remember from the Lord Of The Rings... first pages about Hobbiton, Bilbo, Bilbo's party is boring as hell, but serve a great purpose of introducing you to the completely alien universe. Unlike LOTR, though, I would advise you not to try to make sense of everything you read, not to memorize terms and characters - it's pointless and distracts you from bigger concepts. Dune universe is very strange (hell... sci-fi, space flight and interplanetary wars without computers, who'd think of that in any sci-fi?) so it's perfectly fine to not understand a lot of things. Later, either after rereading, or getting a "woah!" moment when thinking about during a shower, it'll start to fall into place.

Another reason to read and love it, is that this whole book serves a great motivating purpose, at least for me. Some of my favourite quotes:

  • Mood? What has mood to do with it? You fight when the necessity arises — no matter the mood! Mood's a thing for cattle or making love or playing the baliset. It's not for fighting.
  • Arrakis teaches the attitude of the knife — chopping off what's incomplete and saying: "Now it's complete because it's ended here."
  • The mystery of life isn't a problem to solve, but a reality to experience.
  • You should never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die.
  • Enemies strengthen you. Allies weaken.
  • Confine yourself to observing and you always miss the point of your own life. The object can be stated this way: Live the best life you can. Life is a game whose rules you learn if you leap into it and play it to the hilt. Otherwise, you are caught off balance, continually surprised by the shifting play.
  • Seek freedom and become captive of your desires. Seek discipline and find your liberty.

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[–] noplastersaint ago 

I have two that I keep going back to: The Three Musketeers universe by Dumas and the Legacy of the Aldenata series by Ringo. I save Dumas for cold winter days and Ringo for summer-time poolside fun. Been through both at least 3 times now, probably more than 5 for Ringo since they are such a quick read.

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[–] BlastedToMoosh ago 

Piers Anthony's The Magic of Xanth series kept me company for a large portion of my youth, and I definitely recommend it for young adults.

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[–] lackonius 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

Piers Anthony is incredibly clever in his Xanth series. Sometimes they can be a little on the adult side of young adult, but that's my impression from ~2001. Today's kids? probably just fine.

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[–] BlastedToMoosh ago 

I read them in 1995-99 when I was in 3rd-6th grade. A lot of stuff went over my head but towards the end there things were starting to click.

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[–] trollers 0 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago 

I truly enjoy the first two books in the Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. I've found it's a true challenge for a fantasy writer to be both descriptive and engaging, yet Rothfuss does so flawlessly. The only downside is waiting for the third book to be released.

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[–] lackonius 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago 

The Kingkiller Chronicles are pretty good. I agree with the waiting though, too bad quality takes time :/ He's a great story teller and has a lot of content I can't wait to see develop further.

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[–] deviantdreamer 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago 

If you ever get a chance, go see him speak in person. It's rather epic. His writing is hands down some of my favorite.

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