The Best Book/Book Series You've Ever Read?
- Thread starter Griffstar
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Agreed. I can't wat for A Memory of Light. 1 year left now if he can keep up with his deadline.Sober Thal said:
Best series ever. The depth of it always amazes me. The way he planned things early on in the series that doesn't make sense to the reader until several books later.
Favourite single book: Valis by Phillip K Dick
Valis is . . good, really really good. gah, I don't know quite how to describe it - it was written after Dick had a spiritual/alien encounter with a beam of pink light and started talking greek. it's about himself, as both the author and a character in the book (horselover fat), the comeing of a new messiah, the interconnectedness of all things, dealing with death and grief and the slow disentigration of self. Valis is one of the few books, along with catch 22, that once I've got to the last page I go back to the first and start reading again.
Favourite book series: Flashman by george Mcdonald Fraser
Flashman! What more is there to say? Harry Flashman is a character from the book Tom Brown School Days by Thomas Hughes. he is the archetypical anti hero, a cad, scoundrel, wastrel and coward of the first degree. Flashman is also charming, good with horses, disguises, languages and women. The series is written like a autobiography by an elderly Flashman and has him interfere with many historical events and characters. Oh, and there is sex. lots of sex. Flashman can't help but put it around, wastrel that he is.
Valis is . . good, really really good. gah, I don't know quite how to describe it - it was written after Dick had a spiritual/alien encounter with a beam of pink light and started talking greek. it's about himself, as both the author and a character in the book (horselover fat), the comeing of a new messiah, the interconnectedness of all things, dealing with death and grief and the slow disentigration of self. Valis is one of the few books, along with catch 22, that once I've got to the last page I go back to the first and start reading again.
Favourite book series: Flashman by george Mcdonald Fraser
Flashman! What more is there to say? Harry Flashman is a character from the book Tom Brown School Days by Thomas Hughes. he is the archetypical anti hero, a cad, scoundrel, wastrel and coward of the first degree. Flashman is also charming, good with horses, disguises, languages and women. The series is written like a autobiography by an elderly Flashman and has him interfere with many historical events and characters. Oh, and there is sex. lots of sex. Flashman can't help but put it around, wastrel that he is.
Okay I agree on mat but what was that comment on Perrin? Perrin, while he's no Matt, he's an awesome character. Pull his head out of his ass?Sober Thal said:
He does about as much as all the other characters (very little due to the series ridiculous number of main characters that results in the slowest plot ever) and come on, his romance is the most believable out of the lot. Which again isn't saying much given that the romance are a combination of psychopaths,royalty, four way romances and woman who DOMINATE their respective partners.
But I really don't get that comment. About Perrin.
Waited a long time for that last book to come out. By the time it did, I felt that I should read the entire series again to remind myself what was going on. Seems a shame not to know how it all ended though. I'll probobly get around to it eventually and I can only hope Sanderson did the series justice.Sober Thal said:
For a book standing on it's own, I'll say House of Leaves. It scared the hell outta me.
Series? I'll go with anything by Raymond E. Feist. Probably the Serpentwar Saga if I had to pick just one.
Currently working my way through The Dresden Files. Just finishing book 2. Love it so far.
ps. HARRY POTTER.
Series? I'll go with anything by Raymond E. Feist. Probably the Serpentwar Saga if I had to pick just one.
Currently working my way through The Dresden Files. Just finishing book 2. Love it so far.
ps. HARRY POTTER.
My "best" changes with what I want to read each day. But the serieses (is that even a word?) I keep coming back to are:
The Dresden Files. Can't really beat a supernatural/Spencer mix, and the first person perspective is just wonderful. Dresden is a fun narrator, and I enjoy "watching" over his shoulder.
Some of the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey. I have to qualify this because there are parts of the series I don't like. I always enjoy "Exile's Honor" and "Exile's Valor", because Alberich is my hero and I want more books about him. But the others are beginning to feel a bit repetitive.
Steven King's "Dark Tower" series. Always, always makes me cry. When I read the first book, I had to eat ice from the hotel's ice machine because the description of the desert made my mouth dry. Excellent mix of Western/fantasy/science fiction, and probably King's best work. His magnus opus.
Lord of the Rings, and I include in that the Silmarilion and the Hobbit, because you need all the books to create the whole picture of Tolkien's world.
The Warlord Trilogy by Bernard Cornwell, and the Sharpe series by the same. Because historical fiction is really just too cool when it's done well.
The Discworld series, especially the Watch books. Because Vimes is truly one of the best heroes I've seen in modern literature. My favorite (which is to say, my copy is almost completely worn out) is Night Watch.
The Dresden Files. Can't really beat a supernatural/Spencer mix, and the first person perspective is just wonderful. Dresden is a fun narrator, and I enjoy "watching" over his shoulder.
Some of the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey. I have to qualify this because there are parts of the series I don't like. I always enjoy "Exile's Honor" and "Exile's Valor", because Alberich is my hero and I want more books about him. But the others are beginning to feel a bit repetitive.
Steven King's "Dark Tower" series. Always, always makes me cry. When I read the first book, I had to eat ice from the hotel's ice machine because the description of the desert made my mouth dry. Excellent mix of Western/fantasy/science fiction, and probably King's best work. His magnus opus.
Lord of the Rings, and I include in that the Silmarilion and the Hobbit, because you need all the books to create the whole picture of Tolkien's world.
The Warlord Trilogy by Bernard Cornwell, and the Sharpe series by the same. Because historical fiction is really just too cool when it's done well.
The Discworld series, especially the Watch books. Because Vimes is truly one of the best heroes I've seen in modern literature. My favorite (which is to say, my copy is almost completely worn out) is Night Watch.
Singular book? Mogworld. I fucking loved it. The humour, the characters, the story, everything. Fucking awesome book.
Series?Probably either the Pendragon series by D.J. Machale, or the Septimus Heap series, by Angie Sage.
Nevermind, I'm insane. Artemis Fowl. I LOVE Artemis Fowl. It's what made me love reading.
I need to go buy Atlantis Complex...
Series?
Nevermind, I'm insane. Artemis Fowl. I LOVE Artemis Fowl. It's what made me love reading.
I need to go buy Atlantis Complex...
The Name of the Wind, first part of the Kingkiller Chronicle. I've not read book 2 (it came out a week ago, and I'm broke), but Name of the Wind blew me away. Great narrative flow, amazing world, remarkable characters, everything you'd want in a great book.
Laurell K. Hamilton: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. It's around 18 books now and counting with an awesome storyline and progressive character development. Twilight made werewolves and vampires look like pussies with the exception of the Volturi. Laurell K. Hamilton puts the supernatural back where they belong: In a scary ass place.
the Chaos Walking trilogy. Seriously, that was really good.
There was another trilogy that was really good. Forgot the name of the trilogy but the names of the books are Magic Ship, Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny.
And His Dark Materials trilogy. But out of all those, Chaos Walking is still the best. No doubt about it.
There was another trilogy that was really good. Forgot the name of the trilogy but the names of the books are Magic Ship, Mad Ship, Ship of Destiny.
And His Dark Materials trilogy. But out of all those, Chaos Walking is still the best. No doubt about it.
It's gotta be the Discworld series (Terry Pratchett), especially The Truth, for me... mainly because they were my favourite books as a teenager.
That and the Death Gate Cycle and Darksword trilogy (both by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman)
Other than that, I don't read enough anymore. No hour twenty minute bus trips to get to school these days.
That and the Death Gate Cycle and Darksword trilogy (both by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman)
Other than that, I don't read enough anymore. No hour twenty minute bus trips to get to school these days.
Recently? I'd say the For Esmé ? with Love and Squalor collection of Salinger's short stories - to judge this man solely on The Catcher in the Rye is an injustice to his quality.
a lot have been mentioned but maybe the skyborn/earthborn series i forget which it is. great books cant find the hiveborn though. if anyone knows how tell me.