I've run out of things to read lately and looking for some suggestions. I will read just about any story as long as the writing is good, characters are interesting, and it's creative.
My favorite books are ones that take place in a historically accurate setting, but I'm fine with fantasy as long as the author doesn't try too hard to recreate everything and rename everything just for the sake of "world building".
I'll drop some recent books below, along with my personal ratings:
Some of my favorites:
- Anything by Joe Abercrombie – 10/10 – My favorite author. Protagonists are flawed, "bad" guys typically have reasonable or understandable motivations, the writing is fantastic, and so creative.
- Game of Thrones – GRR Martin – 10/10 – Great writing, complex characters, creative story, some of the best story telling of all time. Only negative is that it will never be finished.
- Anything by Robin Hobb – 10/10 – I like these probably more than I should. The writing is beautiful and the stories are creative. However, the bad guys tend to do bad things and are unlikeable and evil just because the author feels like she needs bad guys.
- Andy Weir – 10/10 – Good writer, just not many books released.
- Aubrey/Maturin Series – Master and Commander – Patrick O'Brian – 10/10 – I read all of these and I'm glad I didn't quit during the first book when I my head was swimming from all the nautical terminology. Loved the character development, the historical setting, the relatable motivations of the characters in the stories, and the adventures in general. So good.
- Kingsbridge Series by Ken Follett – 9/10 – The protagonists are complex, the bad guys are perhaps a little too one dimensional, but the writing is good and I loved these.
- Horatio Hornblower Series – C. S. Forester – 9.5/10 – Protagonists are flawed, antagonists have reasonable motivations, well written, and definitely one of my favorites.
- Shogun and most of the writing by James Clavell – 9/10 – Author has a great understanding of Asian cultures and Shogun is one of my favorite stories of all time. Well written and complex characters. The only book I couldn't enjoy was Whirlwind, never did finish that one.
Books I do not like. Not trying to start an argument, but hopefully this makes clear the kind or writing I dislike:
- The Way of Kings – Stormlight Archive – Brandon Sanderson – 0/10 – This is everything I hate about fantasy writing. I usually finish every book I start, but I just couldn't with this one. Everything in their world was made up and ridiculous. No spoilers, but they don't use money or coins or anything normal, it's some weird glowy stones. They don't farm, they grow things in big bubbles or something? Horses are different, armors are different, weather is different, everything's different just because it has to be different. It was so tedious to read.
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros – 2/10 – I hated this book. The main character was boring and ridiculous. I don't mind some sex scenes, but this author was just so horny. The bad guys were bad just because they were bad and liked to be bad, completely one dimensional.
- Stephen King – 4/10 – I tend to like the writing, dialog, and creativity, but overall he takes the stories in weird directions and I'm just not a fan.
- Sharpe's Tiger – Bernard Cornwell – 2/10 – The kind of historical fiction I don't like. The protagonist is super strong, super fast, super good looking, and super boring. He can kill a whole army alone because he's essentially Rambo. The bad guys in the story are just mean and terrible all the time and it's boring.
Others:
- Defiance of the Fall – JF Brink – 5/10 – I enjoyed the first few books, but it's gotten tiresome and the latest book was terrible.
- Strange the Dreamer – 6/10 – Creative and interesting. The antagonists are a bit more complex than some fantasy.
- The Dresden Files – 2/10
- The Children of Time Novels – 7.5/10 – Creative sci-fi. A little slow moving and sometimes boring.
- For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ernest Hemingway – 8/10 – Good historical fiction, nicely written, unique setting, small in scope but high in stakes. Loved many things about this story.
- East of Eden – John Steinbeck – 7/10 – Well written, but wanders at time and tries too hard to be deep and meaningful.
- Lies of Locke Lamora – Michael Page – 6/10
- Dune – Frank Herbert – 7/10 – Seems like I should like this more than I did, but something about it didn't click for me.
- Armada – Ernest Cline – 5/10
- Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien – 8/10 – Good story and a classic, but it's been a while since I read it so maybe I didn't appreciate it.
by srv656s
12 Comments
I’m a big fan of the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. Space opera with great characters and relationships. You could start almost anywhere near the beginning of the series, but I’d start with *Shards of Honor* (which stars the main protagonists parents) or *The Warrior’s Apprentice* (first book featuring the main protagonist).
The guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,
The book thief,
The hearts invisible Furies by John Boyne,
Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead,
The long ships by Bengtsson,
The physician by Noah Gordon,
I Claudius,
The king must die and Bull From the Sea by Renault,
Til we have faces by c s Lewis,
White tears by Hari Kunzru,
The amazing adventures of kavalier and clay,
The thief by Megan Whelan Turner and sequels,
Trading in danger and sequels by Elizabeth Moon,
Dungeon Crawler Carl
The Black Prism
Daglish’s current series (name escapes me atm)
The Aeronauts Windlass
Either of Megan O’Keefe’s finished trilogies
Fredrick Backman’s Beantown series ? Not fantasy, but its set in one/two small towns and the author ‘world builds’ around the towns and the characters in them. love love love these characters sm
Here are some of my favorite series:
Robert jordan – wheel of time
Jean auel – earth’s children
Cj archer -glass & Steele
Ellie Griffith -Ruth Galloway
Sara Donati – wilderness
If you’re ok with YA: Harry Potter, Eragon books, Percy Jackson books, maze runner, hunger games, divergent books
Outlander but supposed to be more books coming
Mistborn by Sanderson is not as off-world as Way of Kings, from what you say. I haven’t read WoK yet but Mistborn was good.
{{The famished Road by ben okri}}
Book 1 the famished Road
Book 2 songs of enchantment
Book 3 infinate riches
Check out Mark Helprin, especially *A Soldier of the Great War* and *Winter’s Tale*.
maybe try “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco
I would try the Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee (first book is Jade City) – one of my favorite series of last year. Excellent character development and plot lines. Each book is better than the last!
MICHELLE MORAN- NEFERTITI OR ANY OF HER BOOKS
The Flashman papers series by George MacDonald Fraser.
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
The Cyteen Trilogy by C.J. Cherryh