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Pony Talk => Off Topic => Topic started by: Sugar on July 09, 2016, 08:33:54 PM

Title: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Sugar on July 09, 2016, 08:33:54 PM

Hey there!

I'm heading book shopping on Tuesday, and I'm looking for books to read!  I get a bit overwhelmed when I visit my local Indigo Books - they keep reorganising, and I get all disoriented and never know what to buy. :huh:  I really love high fantasy, YA or otherwise, and anything with a strong dystopian flavour to it.  Can anyone drop a few recommendations?  Recent books I've read and absolutely adored include:

Dies the Fire (and the eleven books after it in the Emberverse series), by SM Stirling (strong contender for favourite books of all time, no joke)

Vampire Academy (and its sequels) and Bloodlines (and its sequels), by Richelle Mead (and I just bought her The Glittering Court with high hopes)

Partials (and the rest of that sequence), by Dan Wells

The Sweep series, by Cate Tiernan

The Iron Fae books, by Julie Kagawa (didn't enjoy her Immortals books quite as much, oh well)

The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss

and Throne of Glass (and the others so far in that series), by Sarah J. Maas.

That's just this past little while; I'm looking over my bookshelves and I also see the House of Night series, all the Cassandra Clare books (except Lady Midnight), Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, Hunger Games books, and a passel of nonfiction I won't even get into.  Just to give y'all an idea of which way my reading compass leans.  So yeah, please feel free to let me know what this voracious reader should sink her teeth into next! ^.^  Thanks!

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: NovelNerd on July 09, 2016, 09:20:38 PM

Have you read the 5th wave book series yet? I just started, but they seem good. I can look on my kindle and find some more as I always get what my students recommend since they now know what I enjoy. :lol:

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Honeycomb on July 09, 2016, 10:33:49 PM

Have you signed up for goodreads.com? I love that site, you rate what you have read, and they recommend books based on your preferences. It's so addicting!

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Bommels on July 10, 2016, 08:03:38 AM

I've been recommended The Kingkiller Chronicles on the grounds that I love love love Robin Hobb's Assasin's Apprentice, so maybe the recommendation goes both ways? ;)

If you're into romance, vampires, werewolves and sassiness, I'd also like to recommend the Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carrigher. Don't forget to have a cup of tea while reading!  ^.^

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Keemax on July 10, 2016, 08:56:17 AM

Personally I'd recommend any of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels.  ^.^
There's over 40 to choose from and you don't have to read them in any particular order. While they are fantasy novels they also cover a wide range of other genres (always including humour). I, unfortunately, have yet to read all of them but I'll try to sort the ones I can remember off the top of my head into themes/categories below.

- Crime/Mystery: Feet of Clay, Maskerade (that may not be the correct spelling), Snuff

- 'The Death Collection' (explores the adventures of the character 'Death'): Mort, Soul Music

- 'The Unseen University Collection' (explores the adventures of the faculty and, on occasion, the students of a Wizard University): Interesting Times, The Lost Continent

But if you aren't sure and just want to read something that will introduce you to all of the topics/themes and his general writing style, then I'd recommend picking up his first two novels 'The Colour of Magic' and 'The Light Fantastic' where the latter is an immediate continuation of the former.

Terry Pratchett's novels are also considered to be critically well-received, so if you ever needed to reference an exemplar text for a report, these would work just fine  :)

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Storybelle on July 10, 2016, 09:44:42 AM

Unf, I back up the suggestion of Goodreads. My book want list has tripled since I signed up there.

Here are my suggestions!

If you like fantasy I suggest 'Snow like ashes' and 'Queen of the tearling.' The first is YA, the second is not. Both have well made fantasy worlds, interesting female heroines (especially Kelsea of 'Tearling') and are great at dragging you into the world and story. Ooh almost forgot 'Red Queen' by Victoria Aveyard.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I will read these books until the day I die. It's a fantastic futuristic retelling of fairy-tales, including Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel. I read the first two in the series in two days. Could not put them down.

Some other favourites of mine are Kiera Cass' the Selection series, Kendare Blake's Anna dressed in blood and The Lie tree by Frances Hardinge.

Oh and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I have literally never identified with a fictional protagonist more.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Kanchii on July 10, 2016, 04:56:41 PM

The Hollows by Kim Harrison (first book is Dead Witch Walking) is THE BEST

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Sugar on July 10, 2016, 06:13:36 PM

Ooooooo... somany really good-sounding suggestions!  Thanks, everybody!  I've got a much better idea now of what to keep an eye out for. ^.^  I'm sure my trip to Indigo's gonna be great!  (If pricey...!)

Thanks, also, to those of you suggesting Goodreads - idk why, but I always forget about it... :blink: Just naturally spinny, I guess! :lol:

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: lunar_scythe on July 10, 2016, 06:49:30 PM

Anything by mercedes lackey; its all fantasy stuff, she has i think 3 major seperate worlds full of series and a few smaller ones not tied into those? Some of her stuff is classed as YA, but i think most of it is in the regular fantasy/sci-fi section.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: northstar3184 on July 10, 2016, 07:15:33 PM

Another good method of finding books is to use Amazon's recommendations based upon what you own, like, and have read. That's how I've discovered many books & authors.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: kaoskat on July 11, 2016, 04:28:31 AM

Fablehaven

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: scarletjul on July 11, 2016, 08:24:24 PM

Hmm...

The Maze Runner books are more dystopian and far, far better than the films, IMHO

Fantasy/Sci-Fi:

Christopher Pike's Thirst/Last Vampire Series (though I prefer the first 3)
Frewin Jones' Faerie Path Series
Kiera Cass' The Sire
Alex Flinn (Beastly, Kiss in Tine) also writes good fairy tale fantasy.

I second the Mercedes Lackey recommendation.  I'm also partial to Neil Gaiman.  :)

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: dragonfly on July 13, 2016, 08:24:29 AM

The Faerie Path (https://www.amazon.com/Faerie-Path-No/dp/0060871040/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468423731&sr=8-1&keywords=faerie+path) books by Allan Frewin Jones are great YA, so are the Stravaganza (https://www.amazon.com/Stravaganza-City-Masks-Mary-Hoffman-ebook/dp/B004P1JDD0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468423707&sr=8-2&keywords=city+of+masks) books by Mary Hoffman. If you want darker YA fiction, try the Lost Voices (https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Voices-Trilogy/dp/0547482531/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468423653&sr=8-1&keywords=lost+voices) trilogy by Sarah Palmer.

If you want to try some dark, fun historical fiction, go for the Poisoner trilogy (https://www.amazon.com/Poison-Novel-Renaissance-Poisoner-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B003P2WO7W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468423776&sr=8-2&keywords=sarah+poole) by Sara Poole!

For my favorite YA dystopian novel ever, hunt down a copy of Sherryl Jordan's Winter of Fire or see if you can find at your library, it's out of print. It's on eBay for around $26 - well worth it! I have occasionally found it at used book shops.
 

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: SilverHorsey on July 13, 2016, 08:52:36 AM

"The Glory" by Lauren St. John is a gripping read about a 4000 mile horse race across US wildest countrysides. I loved it :)

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: ringwraith10 on July 25, 2016, 08:58:09 AM

If you haven't read the Dragon Lance series, it's a must for High Fantasy. The series may look intimidating, but you really only need to read the first six books in the series (they're the main story -- all other books are spin-offs or fan fiction). And I, of course, strongly recommend Goodreads as well. :) Here's my Goodreads profile if you want to glean any ideas from it: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2384499-kirsten-rodning

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: DappledHazel on August 08, 2016, 02:26:09 PM

Have you read the Warrior Cats series? Personally I like them. :)

Title: Help me find books to read?
Post by: Sora on September 04, 2016, 03:55:12 PM

Hello everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? Boring rl stuff got in my way, yada yada  :P

I was wondering if you awesome guys and gals could help me out though. My favourite book series, Dexter, ended last year and now I have nothing to read. Why? Because I'm a picky reader. So could you pony peeps help me discover a new book or series?

Here are my likes and dislikes:

Spoiler

Likes
*Humour - this is probably the most important thing. It can be subtle (like it is in Dexter). I love sarcastic characters, hero or villain!
*Fantasy
*Adventure
*Animal-based stories (like the Guardians of Ga'Hoole)

Dislikes
*Romance stories (I'm fine with characters falling for each other during the book, but I'm not so fine with that story overtaking the main plot)

I'll check out any books that are posted here!

Title: Re: Help me find books to read?
Post by: joce on September 04, 2016, 04:32:33 PM

Game of thrones

The hobbit

I just read the strain series and loved it but that almost goes more into horror than fantasy.

God I have read so much and that's all that pops in my head lol!

Looked at the kindle!

The shining and then dr. Sleep

I really liked the Jurassic park books to and have never heard anyone else talk about them!

World war z if you like apocalyptic stuff.

Title: Re: Help me find books to read?
Post by: Stormness_1 on September 04, 2016, 06:20:30 PM

Try 'Under The Dome' by Stephen King, and 'The Returned' by Jason Mott. Both great books with TV shows that you can watch as well if you can't let go of the world when you're done! If I think of any others that fit your preferences I'll keep posting, and I'll come back for recommendations, too! I'm going on a 16-hour flight each way for a 5-week holiday, so I'm loading up my kindle!

Title: Re: Help me find books to read?
Post by: Bekuno on September 04, 2016, 07:19:46 PM

I recently started reading Wings of Fire, an animal series about dragons. Also maybe something like Felidae, which is about cats but it's horror/mystery and more adult.

John Dies at The End (plus it's sequel) and Futuristic Violence & Fancy Suits are good horror/sci-fi/comedy books. They always make me laugh but are still really interesting.

Watership down is another good animal book.

I've heard many good things about Firebringer, but I haven't had a chance to get a copy for myself yet.

Title: Re: Help me find books to read?
Post by: Honeycomb on September 05, 2016, 12:04:17 AM

Goodreads.com!!!

You will discover so many books there based on your preferences!

Joce, I second Jurassic Park. I first read it when I was 10, before the movie came out, and I cried bitterly at the end when they left the island and it was destroyed...

Title: Re: Help me find books to read?
Post by: Bommels on September 05, 2016, 04:16:05 AM

If you like fantasy tropes and what can be achieved by playing with them and subverting them, I recommend the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett :) Lovely dry british humour, great puns. Maybe you could try starting the series with a later release. I've heard lots of good things about Guards! Guards! or Going Postal.

Have fun reading and discovering :)

Title: Re: Help me find books to read?
Post by: joce on September 05, 2016, 07:41:38 AM

yes to the discworld books!!

And glad someone else has read Jurassic park.

I'm going to have more stuff to read and reread now lol! Thanks!!

Title: Re: Help me find books to read?
Post by: little.fox on September 05, 2016, 08:29:08 AM

I can very much recommend The Abbhorsen series by Garth Nix. (YA fantasy)

Are you open to comics at all? If so, you should check out Mouse Guard!

And I second Goodreads.com, it's priceless!

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: scarletjul on September 05, 2016, 05:06:21 PM

I only read the first Jurassic Park book (I lost interest in Lost World) but I quite liked it.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Sora on September 06, 2016, 12:47:06 PM

Thanks everyone!  I'll definitely be checking these out. I think I might have read Jurassic Park when I was younger, but it never hurts to go back again!
Thanks again all, I knew I could rely on this board to help me with this :D

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Beldarna on September 07, 2016, 03:30:05 AM

I will not recommend what I usually do, but instead name three authors I discovered this past year.

John Gwynne has written four books in a series called the Faithfull and the Fallen. It is about a prophecy being fullfilled and an upcoming God-War (simple god vs devil-story set in another world). It is simple in the way the good guys are good and the bad guys are truly bad. But there is a complexity to the story I really like and like AsoIaF every chapter follow the perspective of different characters.

Anthony Ryan has written a story called Blood Song and it is also a story about faith vs non faith but in another way. The maincharacter is an unvinsible warrior which sounds simple but is anything but.

Both stories are debutes and both has made me awestruck and I've read a lot during my years. I'm also not religious in any way but I find it interesting to see faith and belief and religion take such a huge part in a fantasy series and how the authors approach it.

I would also give a tip about Patrick Rothfuss whos books about Kvothe is amongst the best I've read in years! His words flow so beautiful it's like reading music. The name of the wind is the first one in the trilogy called The Kingkiller Chronicle. Unfortunaly only two out of the three books are out and noone knows when the third will come.. but he has signed a movie contract for the series so hopefully he's working on finnishing it.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Ponyfan on September 07, 2016, 07:18:24 PM

The Waterfire Saga is pretty good if you're looking for a fantasy read. There is a little romance in the books but it's mostly secondary to the main plot. The 3rd book was my least favorite in the series due to the fact that a large portion of the story takes place in a prison camp. Also the 4th book gets a little weird at times, but overall it's a good series.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Tak on September 07, 2016, 07:51:53 PM

Sarah J. Maas has another series that is great. A dog's purpose trilogy. The Lupi series by Eileen Wilks. I could come up with more. All I do is read.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: True on September 08, 2016, 02:40:05 AM

Well I was going to suggest a book my moms coworker wrote, but I guess its only available on e-readers. I have a physical copy but I guess she only had a few printed.

Either way if anyone else is interested. Its called "The Blood of Nerys" By SK Balk
Its got that dystopian theme, science has been wiped out, and people have turned to magic. there's a blood illness that plagues the land and one woman keeps people prisoners so she can use their blood to "cure" people.

I thought the book was ok for her first book, but the plot could use some work (but that could just be me). Some things seem to go unexplained that I feel needed to be explained, the ending also heavily suggested that there would be a book two, but when I talked to her she said otherwise and I quote "it doesn't lend itself to a sequel." There is also a bit of adult language.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Koudoawaia on September 08, 2016, 09:16:43 AM

I second DragonLance.

Also:
Age of Fire series by E.E. Knight The first three books shares a tragic event from the perspective of one of three dragon siblings who each believe they were the sole survivor of said tragedy. They don't know they have living siblings and these books follow the growing up years of each hatchling afterwards.

All of the Requiem books by Daniel Arenson. There are many trilogies he's written about them. The Song of Dragons trilogy is the first. Requiem is the name of a culture of people who can turn into dragons. Weredragon is actually an insult to them and of course their enemies always call them weredragons and there's usually somebody wanting to wipe them out.

The Summer King Chronicles by Jess E. Owen. This is a series of four books about gryphons. One named Shard is prophesied to be the Summer King who will free his pride from one that conquered his pride long ago but he does a lot more than that.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: Galactica on September 08, 2016, 10:27:40 AM

Well I have loved the books in your original post so maybe we have some similar tastes in books.

I Highly HIGHLY recommend every book written by Robin McKinley.  I can personally vouch for the awesomeness of Sunshine, Shadows, Rose Daughter, The Hero and the Crown, the Blue Sword, Pegasus, Beauty; a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Spindle's End.... and plan to buy and read through the rest asap!

They are fast paced, involve female heroines, and usually a liberal dose of magic. GOOD STUFF. SUCH GOOD STUFF!

The only complaint I have is that every time I get to the end of one of her books, I am sad to find there is not a second or third or fourth.  (Although a couple of them are essentially in the same world)

I also just enjoyed the Sarah Maas Throne of Glass books- the first couple better than the end ones. Not my favorite books of all time but worth a read.

Title: Re: Looking for book recommendations, please!
Post by: nessa16 on September 08, 2016, 02:28:01 PM

I'm finally getting back into reading myself and am rereading Harry Potter. I would recommend Keri Arthur books especially the Riley Jensen Guardian series followed by her Dark Angel series set in the same world. They are paranormal action/romance. Also Jeaniene Frost's Cat and Bones series read in order including short stories and spin offs. These are some of my very favorites. Kickass female leads with vampires, werewolves and other paranormal creatures.

Christopher Pike books are good too if you want a nostalgic Jr. High feeling to paranormal and horror. My favorites are his Friends trilogy a who-done-it high school story with twists. The other is his Last Vampire/Thirst series even though I haven't read the newest additions to the series, just the original 6.

Lael Miller has a good vampire romance series.