Books: Book(s) you are Currently Reading | Part II

[Nizdizzle]

Anyone can recommend any under the radar fantasy novels? I've burned through many of the big ones and got a fantasy itch. Can be a series, or one-offs.

Some of the series I've read and really enjoyed:
Wheel of Time
Everything in Sanderson's Cosmere
The Kingkiller Chronicles
ASOIAF
Malazan: Book of the Fallen
The Gentleman Bastards
The Books of Babel

 

[Chili]

Awesome. I'm adding this to my list. A couple of years ago I read Getty's book "How to be rich." If you want more Getty when you finish this - it was a great read.

Noticed that book and will check it out. His autobiography is easy to read, can imagine that book would be similiar.
He was pretty open in the book I'm reading, although he didn't get into the kidnapping of his grandson too much. Just explained that the court cases against the accused were still pending at the time and he didn't want to influence the outcome. He did explain that he didn't cave into the ransom demands right away for fear of putting others in his large family at risk.

 

[Thucydides]

 

[NyQuil]

Anyone can recommend any under the radar fantasy novels? I've burned through many of the big ones and got a fantasy itch. Can be a series, or one-offs.

Some of the series I've read and really enjoyed:
Wheel of Time
Everything in Sanderson's Cosmere
The Kingkiller Chronicles
ASOIAF
Malazan: Book of the Fallen
The Gentleman Bastards
The Books of Babel

I've read your list (aside from Books of Babel) and enjoyed all of them as well.

-Joe Abercrombie's "The First Law" series is pretty compelling and different. Antiheroes abound and tropes are gleefully trampled on.
-The classic A Wizard of Earthsea leads off a trilogy by Ursula LeGuin. Think Hogwarts but a bit darker with a more introspective and high fantasy approach reminiscent of Tolkien's style.
-Dragonlance became an overly commercial franchise but the original Chronicles and Legends trilogies by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are definitely worth reading. It's based on actual D&D modules so the standard conventions apply but the characters are compelling and it's probably the series (besides Tolkien) that launched my interest in fantasy as a kid.
-Another good series (7 books!) by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is the Death Gate Cycle. It offers a pretty unique spin on the usual elves, dwarves and humans dynamic.
-The entire Riftwar series (~30 books!!!) by Raymond Feist is a decent read. I liked the "Serpentwar Saga" books in particular but you probably have to start at the beginning with Magician which is good.
-If you liked WoT, a similar (almost clone-like in parts) series are the Terry Goodkind books starting with Wizard's First Rule. It's your typical farm boy becomes a hero.
-Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a bit like the Gentleman Bastards in that it focuses on a slightly fantastic version of medieval Rotterdam (called Ketterdam) where street gangs and criminals are the proverbial heroes.
-The Belgariad and the Mallorean by David Eddings are part of the canon of high fantasy dating back to the early 1980s.

I could never really get into Terry Brooks, Guy Gavriel Kay or Anne McCaffery but they are much beloved as well.

There are a few sort of fantasy/science-fiction hybrids out there that are worth reading:

-Otherland by Tad Williams
-Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
-Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin

If you ever want to go full-science fiction, that's where my guilty pleasures have been over the last decade or so (aside from occasional forays back into fantasy).

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Still on Speak, Memory but quick pickups at the bookstore yesterday: The Beach by Alex Garland (A teenaged favorite. Highly curious to see how it holds up, as he's a novelist who gave it up to turn good director), The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien and The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

 

[Thucydides]

 

[Communal Blood]

 

[Communal Blood]

Anyone can recommend any under the radar fantasy novels? I've burned through many of the big ones and got a fantasy itch. Can be a series, or one-offs.

Some of the series I've read and really enjoyed:
Wheel of Time
Everything in Sanderson's Cosmere
The Kingkiller Chronicles
ASOIAF
Malazan: Book of the Fallen
The Gentleman Bastards
The Books of Babel

Joe Abercrombie's The First Law. He's also working on a new series, The Age of Madness, which is excellent so far.

 

[Deport Ogie]

Anyone can recommend any under the radar fantasy novels? I've burned through many of the big ones and got a fantasy itch. Can be a series, or one-offs.

Some of the series I've read and really enjoyed:
Wheel of Time
Everything in Sanderson's Cosmere
The Kingkiller Chronicles
ASOIAF
Malazan: Book of the Fallen
The Gentleman Bastards
The Books of Babel

A relatively new series I thoroughly enjoyed is The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. Some reviews have called it a new WoT but I tend to stay away from comparisons like that, I just know I couldn't put it down until I completed the set.

 

[Nizdizzle]

Joe Abercrombie's The First Law. He's also working on a new series, The Age of Madness, which is excellent so far.

I have read The First Law trilogy. I thought it was just okay, never really clicked for me. I'll give the new series a shot sometime though.

A relatively new series I thoroughly enjoyed is The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. Some reviews have called it a new WoT but I tend to stay away from comparisons like that, I just know I couldn't put it down until I completed the set.

I think this is the one I'll go with. Lofty comparison, but if it can come even close to WoT I'll be a happy man. It took me about a year to read WoT, and I remember I felt depressed for two or three weeks after completing the series that I couldn't get lost in that world anymore.

 

[Deport Ogie]

I think this is the one I'll go with. Lofty comparison, but if it can come even close to WoT I'll be a happy man. It took me about a year to read WoT, and I remember I felt depressed for two or three weeks after completing the series that I couldn't get lost in that world anymore.

You'll have to let me know what you think. Obviously, it's not as mind-numbingly YUGE as WoT and some of the similarities are a bit spurious but again, I don't personally care much about all that because I found it to be a good story.

Also, stick with it if things seem a bit confusing initially. There's some time-jumping and some fuzzy memory type plots but if you like it and stick with it it will all be clear by the end.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

A favorite from my high school years and I like Garland as a director. I'm excited to see how it holds up.

 

[Chili]

Watched The Iron Mask a while ago and became an instant fan, have watched several other of his films since (some on Youtube) .

From the book, he inspired the creation of Superman, Batman, Snow White's Prince Charming, and partially Mickey Mouse.

He's a great screen presence, his stunts are pretty impressive. Just watched Robin Hood and forgot I was watching a silent movie. Best way I can describe his films are that they are fun. Good book too includes background from the early days of film making.

 

[Thucydides]

 

[End of Line]

 

[Thucydides]

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Interesting. Just starting it? Let me know what you think.

 

[End of Line]

Interesting. Just starting it? Let me know what you think.

Yep. Just picked it up after reading The Quiet Americans by Scott Anderson. My opinion of Frank Wisner changed pretty drastic after reading it. Solid book that's 471 pages long lol.

As for the Russia book, I'll let you know how it goes for sure once I finish it. Taking a break from Intelligence and Politics after it. Have some Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology books I want to get into. Have to keep the mind fresh.

 

[Thucydides]

Yep. Just picked it up after reading The Quiet Americans by Scott Anderson. My opinion of Frank Wisner changed pretty drastic after reading it. Solid book that's 471 pages long lol.

As for the Russia book, I'll let you know how it goes for sure once I finish it. Taking a break from Intelligence and Politics after it. Have some Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology books I want to get into. Have to keep the mind fresh.

I feel you. I tend to be the same way and can stick to one subject - book after book after book. Good to keep things interesting by switching it up.

Never heard of the quiet americans. you recommend?

 

[End of Line]

I feel you. I tend to be the same way and can stick to one subject - book after book after book. Good to keep things interesting by switching it up.

Never heard of the quiet americans. you recommend?

Highly recommend. It’s been one of the best books regarding specific individuals in the early CIA I’ve ever read.

As for switching it up, I feel as if I do it because if I don’t the material will eventually become stale despite it being what I’m into.

 

[Thucydides]

Highly recommend. It’s been one of the best books regarding specific individuals in the early CIA I’ve ever read.

As for switching it up, I feel as if I do it because if I don’t the material will eventually become stale despite it being what I’m into.

I've added it to my want to read. Are you on Goodreads?

 

[End of Line]

I've added it to my want to read. Are you on Goodreads?

Cant say that I am. I’ll have to check it out.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

What are you people using to read in terms of e-readers? I'm currently on an old Dell Venue 7 tablet from 2014 which I use in airplane mode for ePubs with MoonReader+. The battery life is still very good but obviously it isn't as good on the eyes as actual e-readers supposedly are although it does at least allow you to scroll rather than have to change the whole page.

I was thinking of getting a Kindle during the Prime sale but apparently they're a bitch to put ePubs on without conversion so I think I might go with the 6" Kobo Clara.

 

[robertmac43]

Anyone can recommend any under the radar fantasy novels? I've burned through many of the big ones and got a fantasy itch. Can be a series, or one-offs.

Some of the series I've read and really enjoyed:
Wheel of Time
Everything in Sanderson's Cosmere
The Kingkiller Chronicles
ASOIAF
Malazan: Book of the Fallen
The Gentleman Bastards
The Books of Babel

I went through a similar search for new fantasy stuff last year after reading most of the bigger series . Here are some of my recommendations, some are lesser known, some are more well known series that you hadn't listed:

KJ Parker - The Fencer Trilogy
Andrzej Sapowski - The Witcher Series
Marlon James - Black Leopard Red Wolf: This book is not for everyone so maybe look into it first
Alex Marshall - The Crimson Empire Trilogy
Jesse Bullington - The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart: Another one not for everyone .
Guy Gavriel Kay - A Brightness Long Ago
Jeff Vandermeer - The Southern Reach Trilogy
Stephen KinG - The Dark Tower

 

[robertmac43]

I was thinking of getting a Kindle during the Prime sale but apparently they're a bitch to put ePubs on without conversion so I think I might go with the 6" Kobo Clara.

I just bought a Kindle paperwhite second hand. It's actually a lot easier to get book son it than I first thought it would (there are some helpful conversion websites which I could message you about).

All in all great purchase!

 

[Nizdizzle]

What are you people using to read in terms of e-readers? I'm currently on an old Dell Venue 7 tablet from 2014 which I use in airplane mode for ePubs with MoonReader+. The battery life is still very good but obviously it isn't as good on the eyes as actual e-readers supposedly are although it does at least allow you to scroll rather than have to change the whole page.

I was thinking of getting a Kindle during the Prime sale but apparently they're a bitch to put ePubs on without conversion so I think I might go with the 6" Kobo Clara.

I've been using the same paperwhite for about 7 years now, I upgraded to an Oasis the other day because of the Prime sale (hoping it arrives today). I've really enjoyed the paperwhite. Great battery life, very easy on the eyes, and it fits well in my hands, although maybe a bit too small.