Favorite Reads

Bedlam131 said:

I used to be heavy into fantasy novels and read just about anything set in the AD&D Forgotten Realms. R.A. Salvatore and the Drizzt Do'Urden books were my favorites. Also liked the books by Raymond Feist about Pug the Magician.

Last 10 years or so started really liking Sci-fi.

David Webber's Honor Harrington and Safehold books.

Man-Kzin Wars books were great.

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I don't know if I am hardcore sci fi or what...I couldn't get into the Dune series and the Star Wars books don't appeal to me...but I like John Scalzi, The Murderbot Diaries, We are Legion (We are Bob).

There is plenty out there.

ill said:

I don't know if I am hardcore sci fi or what...I couldn't get into the Dune series and the Star Wars books don't appeal to me...but I like John Scalzi, The Murderbot Diaries, We are Legion (We are Bob).

There is plenty out there.

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The David Weber Honor Harrington series is, for the most part Clancy in space, if you like Clancy and like Sci-fi you will enjoy the series. The main character Honor Harrington is a little emo at times but, the books are good (probably 30+ novels if you count novels not in the main plotline).

The Man-Kzin Wars books are in set in Asimov's "Known Space" and are a really good read. There are also usually short stories with several of them in one "book."

I did not care for the Dune books either. The Star Wars books were hit and miss for me. I read a lot of them and at least know what happened in between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. It was actually a pretty good story line.

Eric Flint writes some good alternate history stuff too.

Bedlam131 said:

The David Weber Honor Harrington series is, for the most part Clancy in space, if you like Clancy and like Sci-fi you will enjoy the series. The main character Honor Harrington is a little emo at times but, the books are good (probably 30+ novels if you count novels not in the main plotline).

The Man-Kzin Wars books are in set in Asimov's "Known Space" and are a really good read. There are also usually short stories with several of them in one "book."

I did not care for the Dune books either. The Star Wars books were hit and miss for me. I read a lot of them and at least know what happened in between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. It was actually a pretty good story line.

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Pierce Brown's Red Rising is also really really good. I recommend it these days.

ill said:

Pierce Brown's Red Rising is also really really good. I recommend it these days.

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I also recommend the Red Rising series. Just finished book 5 through Audible and will have to wait for the conclusion next year (hopefully).


I did end up starting the Wheel of Time book 1 again recently and it's held my interest this far now that I've had some long drives and mowing sessions where I can get through a chapter or two each session on Audible. Hopefully, it'll continue garnering my interest, as many of my favorite fantasy authors drew inspiration from Jordan and I have time before their own epics get the next edition.

Cobrabit said:

I also recommend the Red Rising series. Just finished book 5 through Audible and will have to wait for the conclusion next year (hopefully).


I did end up starting the Wheel of Time book 1 again recently and it's held my interest this far now that I've had some long drives and mowing sessions where I can get through a chapter or two each session on Audible. Hopefully, it'll continue garnering my interest, as many of my favorite fantasy authors drew inspiration from Jordan and I have time before their own epics get the next edition.

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I have 4 and 5 on my shelf but haven't started them yet.

Cobrabit said:

I also recommend the Red Rising series. Just finished book 5 through Audible and will have to wait for the conclusion next year (hopefully).


I did end up starting the Wheel of Time book 1 again recently and it's held my interest this far now that I've had some long drives and mowing sessions where I can get through a chapter or two each session on Audible. Hopefully, it'll continue garnering my interest, as many of my favorite fantasy authors drew inspiration from Jordan and I have time before their own epics get the next edition.

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I recently bought the full wheel of time series on Kindle because I didn't have all of the books anymore after divorcing and moving and lending and whatever else. It's been years since I read the series, but I loved it when i was younger.

I couldnt do it. I got like 50 pages in and there had been 10 jokes about each of the other guys understanding girls better than i do. And the one bitch had pulled her braid already 17 times. And the rest of the bitches sniffed their noses at the boys 42 times. And i realized it was 14 and 8/10 more books of exactly the same shit. Plus some page long descriptions of dresses and i just bailed.

As much as I loved WoT I just cant see myself ever reading it again.

Bedlam131 said:

I used to be heavy into fantasy novels and read just about anything set in the AD&D Forgotten Realms. R.A. Salvatore and the Drizzt Do'Urden books were my favorites. Also liked the books by Raymond Feist about Pug the Magician.

Last 10 years or so started really liking Sci-fi.

David Webber's Honor Harrington and Safehold books.

Man-Kzin Wars books were great.

Click to expand...

I'm mostly (like 95%) Fantasy these days. I have always been super particular about my sci fi books, and although that was the genre I first started reading there's just so much out there that is so bad. And even some of the good stuff is just written in a way I dont enjoy. I get that it's sci fi but I dont want to have to go study a physics book to understand some concepts. Lots of sci fi reads like physics nerds version of ****.

But I've been reading The Expanse books for a while. I bvb think I'm on book 5 or 6. They're written by 2 guys who used to be George RR Martin's personal assistants, and one of the 2 guys has 2 fantasy series of his own that I enjoyed. They have elements of the "hard" sci fi that I dislike but little enough and non essential enough that I just gloss over it. It's pretty good for sci fi

Plus it has several seasons on Amazon Prime. I havent watched yet but I've heard it's pretty good as well. Both have a very Firefly/Serenity feel to them.


Skyward by Brandon Sanderson is another good sci fi book. But my daughter is 14 and it's her favorite book ever. More of a kids book but still enjoyable. Book 2 comes out I think next week.


I grew up into reading fantasy through guys like Raymond Feist and the Magician and then the extended series. And David Eddings. I've read most everything by RA Salvatore, Drizzt is by far his best stuff. All the Dragon Lance stuff. Pretty much every world of D&D. Before cell phones I once had a bunch of people recommend Marion Zimmer Bradley to me as a good fantasy author. I got to the store and accidentally bought books by Mickey Zucker Reichert and I ended up fucking loving every one of her books. Bradley i didn't end up caring for.

But if you want good fantasy these days
George RR Martin. Feels dumb even recommending it anymore. Patrick Rothfuss. He's a dick and i dont like recommending his books to people, and i really don't think he'll ever bother to finish. But his books are so famn good. Stormlight Archives by Branson Sanderson. His other stuff isn't as good, IMO, but SA is a fucking masterwork. Malazan books by Erikson and Esselmont are personal faves that not everyone loves equally. Gentlemen Bastards started like an all time great and is currently fizzling. I dont personally like Joe Abercrombie but I appreciate more and more how good he is as a writer. Just not my style.

Start with some of those if you ever want to get back into fantasy.

I agree with most of this. I am kind of in the sci fi p0rn nerd where I enjoy when the author gets into the science around his writing. Shit like Neil Stephenson and Andy Weir come to mind. I liked them. Stephenson can be heavy though.

If you want fun sci fi, go for The Collapsing Empire series by John Scalzi. Fun, entertaining, lots of cursing. Do it.

Also, the Bobverse books are entertaining but likely lean towards the science p0rn identified above.

I would say don't do Martin first. His books can be hard to get into and if you don't want to read pages about what food is on the table, you might want to look elsewhere. He is good, but his stuff can be a bit dense.

I like Rothfuss, but there can be a whole lot of nothing going on in his books. It's a kid going to school most of the novel and learning how to shape his magic. It's definitely a good series and I hope we see the next book at some point, but I am in no rush. There is a lot of good fantasy out there right now.

I agree on Sanderson and the Stormlight Archive. Great series and Sanderson pumps out books like no one I have seen. He's solid.

But if you are getting into the genre again...go with something like The Dresden Files or the Iron Druid or Sandman Slim. They are quick easy fun reads and you will enjoy them.

ill said:

agree with most of this. I am kind of in the sci fi p0rn nerd where I enjoy when the author gets into the science around his writing.

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You and I are of like mind here. Man-Kzin Wars delivers on this stuff. Weber's Honor Harrington series does not dig as deep and is more about Galactic-Political angle (as I said a lot like Clancy in space). I would add that Weber is a fan of the "Age of Sail" and the naval battles in the books bear some resemblance (at least in the early part of the series) to old sail ship battles as far as broadsides, etc, go. He also uses a lot of naval ship terminology. The main character is also patterned loosely after Horatio Hornblower.

Weber's Safehold series is "sci-fi" but, is very much an Age of Sail to WWI level tech read. I actually learned a lot about old ships and their nomenclature reading that series.

likely only going to get to 45 out of my goal of 52 books this year...oh well, not too shabby.

currently reading The Dragon Republic by RF Kuang. Second book of The Poppy Wars trilogy. The first was violent and really good. I recommend the series.

Anybody ever read any N.K. Jemisin? I had a rec for one of her trilogies the other day and had never picked up any of her works. Seems like standard fantasy/quest/reluctant heroine stuff

Used 2 B Hu said:

Anybody ever read any N.K. Jemisin? I had a rec for one of her trilogies the other day and had never picked up any of her works. Seems like standard fantasy/quest/reluctant heroine stuff

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I've read the Broken Earth trilogy and enjoyed it.

I think it is the only instance of a book where parts of it are told in the second person. I thought that was pretty cool.

But also, the premise is really good and different than other fantasy. I'd say give it a read.

just finished Blake Crouch's Recursion...that guy comes up with some really crazy ideas using string theory and multiple timelines that really fucks you up. I love it.

ill said:

I've read the Broken Earth trilogy and enjoyed it.

I think it is the only instance of a book where parts of it are told in the second person. I thought that was pretty cool.

But also, the premise is really good and different than other fantasy. I'd say give it a read.

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Thanks. Was hoping it wasn't the usual run of the mill. I was intrigued when I found out she was an African American woman, since there aren't too many minority Sci-fi writers.

I see she had an earlier set called the Inheritance Trilogy, not sure if these are connected in any way but I often like to read an author's earliest works first.

Used 2 B Hu said:

Thanks. Was hoping it wasn't the usual run of the mill. I was intrigued when I found out she was an African American woman, since there aren't too many minority Sci-fi writers.

I see she had an earlier set called the Inheritance Trilogy, not sure if these are connected in any way but I often like to read an author's earliest works first.

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not connected, as far as I know. I have not read Inheritance though.

but I say go for it. I think all three of the Broken Earth novels won Hugo Awards.

second person perspective is trippy. "You walk through the door and you see your lover" or whatever.

Just finished the Superhuman trilogy by Evan Currie. Was a real good read. My only issue with it was some poor proofreading in some places.

Good books though. Part sci-fi, part superhero stuff. Basically an alien probe comes and tries to destabilize earth by giving superpowers to people with high aggression.

About three months ago I completed The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer and it was without a doubt, the most astonishing page-turner I've ever read. If Hollywood made this shit up, nobody would believe it!

I thought nothing would ever come close again but I'm very pleasantly surprised to find out that I was wrong. I'm now reading Adolph Hitler by John Toland and find it a very close second!

Next on the list is 1913 by Charles Emmerson then The Second World War by Anthony Beevor.

Can anyone remember if we have a thread dedicated to history books or specifically WW II? Any of you guys read any of the books mentioned?

breakfast at tiffany's is a very easy and a very short read. excellent choice

HammerDown said:

About three months ago I completed The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer and it was without a doubt, the most astonishing page-turner I've ever read. If Hollywood made this shit up, nobody would believe it!

I thought nothing would ever come close again but I'm very pleasantly surprised to find out that I was wrong. I'm now reading Adolph Hitler by John Toland and find it a very close second!

Next on the list is 1913 by Charles Emmerson then The Second World War by Anthony Beevor.

Can anyone remember if we have a thread dedicated to history books or specifically WW II? Any of you guys read any of the books mentioned?

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You finished Shirer's novel? Well done, as it's so long I haven't given it a fair chance, but have had it sitting on my nightstand for months.

Did you read Beneath a Scarlet Sky? While 'fiction', it is based on a true story and has been proven to have factually accurate, and that is an incredible read.

I usually read 2 books at the same time, and right now I'm reading Breaking and Entering: The True Story of a Hacker named Alien, and then I'm reading 1453 : The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Island and The West".

Both pretty good thus far.

Eco said:

You finished Shirer's novel? Well done, as it's so long I haven't given it a fair chance, but have had it sitting on my nightstand for months.

Did you read Beneath a Scarlet Sky? While 'fiction', it is based on a true story and has been proven to have factually accurate, and that is an incredible read.

I usually read 2 books at the same time, and right now I'm reading Breaking and Entering: The True Story of a Hacker named Alien, and then I'm reading 1453 : The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Island and The West".

Both pretty good thus far.

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Yes, I finished it but was so enthralled that all along the way I was doing my own research on individuals and events; mostly just using Wikipedia and Youtube. I didn't want it to end. I even bought a first edition on eBay in excellent condition (only $40). It was nice and heavy with solid materials. You should read it!

Oh, I forgot to mention that #3 on my list is to re-read The Far Pavilions by MM Kaye. It's been out of print for a very long time but I found one at a used paperback store and intend to use it for my first paperback restoration project as the spine is extremely curled.