Books for me to read

[Doubtful]

I highly recommend Charles Stross's 'Laundry' series of novels (The Atrocity Archives, The Jennifer Morgue, The Fuller Memorandum).

They're a great combination of cold war / Lovecraftian horror and spy thriller, with a healthy dose of geekdom thrown in (There's a great short story as a compliment to The Jennifer Morgue, featuring a lot of nods to BOFH and NWN server for demons).

Other than that, depending on your level of French / Italian, I'll also recommend the sheer awesomeness that is Hugo Pratts Corto Maltese books and other books.

[Seheren]

Dragonlance series , start with the beginning , and look for the books about the characters back stories, gives you alot more indepth info into each of the characters, not to mention just great books all together, and you understand whats going on in each of the characters lives when the Series takes over . Think its Dragons of autumn which is first, but dont quote me

I would say the Weis & Hickman books in general are very good. 7 Book series titled Death Gate Cycle are among my favorites. I have read it several times over the last few years.

Totally got a Kindle that I will use to replace the massive loss of books from the flood.

And I am in agreement that the books with Raist and his hulking brother Caramon are just awesome.

[Silas North]

Can't believe I forgot the Dark Tower series. Thank you Glaes.

[glaes]

Almost better to read most of his other works before reading dark tower. Especially The Stand and Behind the Eyes of the Dragon

[Thief Of Navarre]

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, but also recommend just about any of his works, some of my favorite being Salem's Lot, The Stand, and Insomnia.

Yeah the Dark Tower series, they are hard getting into but well worth the effort if you have the patience for like eight books! The opener: The Gunslinger is very short and a real easy read to get you started, the scale is dramatic after the first couple though..

As stated the Stand was very good also.

[DM_Equinox]

Incarnations of Immortality (Series) Piers Anthony

Definitely. I'm not ashamed to say I learned 85% of my English from this man. His vocabulary range and voice is nothing short of amazing. (Though the Xanth series is admittedly an acquired taste)

[HowNowBrownCow]

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin is down right fantastic. He is sometimes compared to Tolkien, but the great thing is, he's not Tolkien. Tolkien uses tons of detail where Martin's strength is the development of characters. It makes reading the books more exciting.

The first book is A Game of Thrones.

[gbbishop]

elizabeth hayden - rhapsody series was really fun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabe...apsody_Trilogy

I think some Neil Gaiman would go a long way he writes in a wide range from young adult and up.
specifically i would recommend the graveyard book and stardust.
for heavier reads american gods and neverwhere.
http://www.neilgaiman.com/


more fantasy? Garth Nix the sabriel trilogy was TOP NOTCH
and last but not least
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabriel


Brandon Sanderson the Mistborn Trilogy, this i think was one of the finest fantasy novels to have been published since the lord of the rings. and i certainly enjoyed it more than JRR T.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistborn_series

[Machiavelli]

I highly recommend Charles Stross's 'Laundry' series of novels (The Atrocity Archives, The Jennifer Morgue, The Fuller Memorandum).

Further proof that you're a proper nerd. Only nerds can handle Charles Stross. And yes, I love those books too.

Nobody seems to have mentioned Joe Abercrombie, who's a fairly new author writing very dark fantasy (he has a trilogy, can't remember the names right now). In terms of other recent dark fantasy novels, 'The Steel Remains' by Richard Morgan is also one not to be missed.

[Kaizen]

Nobody seems to have mentioned Joe Abercrombie, who's a fairly new author writing very dark fantasy (he has a trilogy, can't remember the names right now).

'The First Law' Trilogy. Fuckin' ace.

[Machiavelli]

'The First Law' Trilogy. Fuckin' ace.

Very fuckin' ace. All of the standard fantasy conventions completely turned on their head and made naaaasty. I love it.

[Kaizen]

i was going to make a character off the inquisitor.... but i dont think i could do him justice.


on a side note ... here's a must read non fantasy book:

Motherless Brooklyn

[Mocker67]

I would suggest the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Erikson. And then anything by Glen Cook, particularly his Black Company series, but he does sci-fi excellently as well.

[prismaticcrow]

I've been reading Battle Royale recently. This book is just wonderfully fun and very enjoyable.