I like to read...Really really like to read. What do I read? Well here is a list.
Top Books
- David Gemmel
- Legend
- Waylander
- Sword in the Storm
- Midnight Falcon
- Troy Trilogy
- Jennifer Roberson
- Sword-Dancer
- Sword Born
- Sword Sworn
- Margaret Weis & Tracky Hickman
- Death Gate Cycle 1-4
- Brent Weeks
- Night Angel Trilogy
- Rosemary Sutcliff
- Eagle of the Ninth Trilogy
- Philip Pullman
- Golden Compass Trilogy
- Wilber Smith
- River God
- Warlock
- A Falcon Flies
- The Angels Weep
- Birds of Prey
- Monsoon
- Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
- Obsidian Trilogy
- Tolkien
- The Silmarillion
- The Hobbit
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
- Mercedes Lackey
- Brightly Burning
- The Black Gryphon
- The Last Herald Mage Trilogy
- Anne McCaffrey
- Dragonsdawn
- Dragonflight
- The White Dragon
- Dragonsong
- Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Moon & James Mallory
- Sassinak
- Frank Herbert
- Dune
- Larry Niven
- Destiny's Road
- Orson Scott Card
- Enders Game
- Enders Shadow
- Andre Norton & Sasha Miller
- To the King a Daughter
- Knight or Knave
- A Crown Disowned
- Michael Chrichton
- Jurassic Park
- The Lost World
- Timeline
- Anne Rice
- Interview With a Vampire
- Robert Ludlum
- The Bourne Identity
- Eloise Jarvis McGraw
- Moccasin Trail
- Ken Follett
- The Pillars of the Earth
- Alexandre Dumas
- The Count of Monte Cristo
- Rudyard Kipling
- Just So Stories
- ?
- Beowulf
- C. S. Lewis
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
- The Horse and his Boy
- The Silver Chair
- Frederik Pohl
- The Heechee Saga
- W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neal Gear
- People of the Wolf
- People of the Fire
- People of the Lakes
- Douglas Adams
- The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1-4
- David Weber
- In Fury Born
- Off Armageddon Reef
- By Schism Rent Asunder
- By Heresies Distressed
- James Clavell
- Shogun
- Terry Goodkind
- Wizards First Rule
- Stone of Tears
You may be wondering why some series are not completely listed...Well it's because they just don't measure up. Generally they are still good, just not awesome.
Why?
So what constitutes an amazing book? Well the characters have to be full bodied, real, ie have good and bad traits. I really hate pure and wonderful people. Characters with grouchy moments, angry moments, selfish moments are much easier to emphasize with. I also like character development, Bane from Midnight Falcon evolves 3 or 4 times as major events happen in his life. I like female leads, they generally have to be extra tough. Secondary characters have to be almost as full and real as the main character. And the intereactions between characters have to be real, I talk differently to someone i don't like vs am indifferent vs like. I have different ways of answering the phone based on who is calling and how I feel. This needs to be reflected in the books I read.
There must be a good solid story line, no gaps, no stumbles, and definietly no leaps of faith. I really don't like duex ex machina (*cough* Arthur C. Clarke *cough*). Generally the overall feeling has to be a bit sad or mellow, it tends to highlight the brighter moments, it also makes the character feel stronger. I like definite climaxes, I don't want hills, I want sharp peaks. I want the end to be in doubt, or not perfect. I like it when the hero wins everything only to have it not as they dreamed. Lavan and Vanyel follow the horribly predictable valdemar storylines, yet they are more edgey and the ends are completely different than you would predict based on the series. Not that I want their victory turn to ashes, but be different then planned. The Hobbit is a good example, or Moccasin Trail.
If there is magic, it's gotta follow rules. I hate new rules being added in partway through the story. If there is no magic, or so little it's a side note, DON'T ADD IT IN or make it important later on. If it wasn't for the pure awesomeness of the rest of the book, I would knock Warlock (Wilber Smith) off the list for this.
If you're going to deal with physics (like space flight) remember them...There is no drag or air resistance, so X-WINGS DO NOT SPIN IN CIRCLES if 1 side of the engines are knocked out.
More Books I Like
Im not going to list the here, Instead I'll take a photo of my collection.
