Literary Recommendations

[RaistlinMC]

By now, I think we all know N.K. Jemisin is pretty awesome. Her Broken Earth trilogy is a modern masterpiece, full stop.

But her latest book, the first in a new series, called The City We Became is like nothing I've ever read. I don't think it's the best book I've ever read, but damned if it might not be the most original book I've ever read. It's...unclassifiable. Fantasy? Yep. Sci-fi? Sure. Set in modern day New York City? You bet'cha.

Do yourself a favor and pick it up. It's wild, wild stuff.

[RaistlinMC]

I just finished an excellent novel called "Swing Time" by Zadie Smith. She's rightfully best known for her debut novel "White Teeth" (which is freakin' fantastic) but hasn't really had a hit since then. But in my humble view, "Swing Time" is a darn close second place finish amongst her work.

I also just started "The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah, the author of "The Nightingale". It seems good so far, but not as compelling as that last one I mentioned. The writing is still good, but as far as settings go, I'll take the WWII Vichy France of of "The Nightingale" over the Dust Bowl midwest of America in this latest one any day.

[RaistlinMC]

Thanks for the recommendations, Aurore! Consider them officially added to my ever-growing list. :)

[Aurore]

Love many of the books already mentioned. I can add the Urth books by Gene Wolf (Shadow of the torturer etc).

Currently reading a rather amusing series by Craig Alanson called Expeditionary force. It's not the best by any means but it is good, light and entertaining and has a focus on small unit tactics in a science fiction setting.

I also like the Honorverse books by David Weber, and even more so the Safehold series by the same author which is great for history and game fans who ask 'what if I were sent back in time and needed to get a medieval nation up to modern tech as quick as possible' There is no time travel but the question is the theme of the series, is answered in detail and is done in the middle of a war against initially overwhelming odds (odds which get turned around fascinatingly over time as higher and higher tech eventually leads to the sad spectacle of wooden ships against ironclads and better. But the bad guys are really bad - David Weber is not a great character writer so he keeps it simple, the evil guys are very evil and you get to cheer when they end up on the receiving end of modern infantry warfare with mortars, grenades, mines, artillery, etc). Good fun read.

[RaistlinMC]

Just finished Stephen King's new book called Billy Summers. Good, good stuff! Not at all stereotypical King - no monsters this time around, though there are a few great Shining easter eggs - but it's a damned good detective-style story without a doubt. I'd definitely recommend it to King fans and newcomers alike.

[RaistlinMC]

Since last posting here, I've read a few good books actually!

First, I read N. K. Jemisin's first trilogy ever, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which isn't as famous or as well reviewed as The Broken Earth series (which is, let's be honest, a modern-day classic) but it was still super good. If you're a fantasy lover - and really, who isn't here? - pick those up asap.

Right now, I'm finishing The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. It's a mixture of a coming-of-age novel and baseball story, with five different perspectives throughout the book. Super good and very well reviewed. If you like good, realistic fiction or baseball (or both), this is the book for you.

[Blackfox42]

Well the thing is I haven't started it yet because I'm quite scared with the scale of the book... is it contained on it's own world or do I have to read his previous work?

That's the great thing about Sanderson.

Each Series is self contained. You do not need to know ANYTHING about the rest of the Cosmere (That's the universe most his books take place in, btw) to enjoy each series on its own.

However, as Ra said, the more of his Cosmere works you read, the more little tidbits of interconnected-ness you'll catch onto. Completely unnecessary, but gorgeous.

I'm sure eventually there will be a series that ties in the over-arching story of the Cosmere and requires knowledge of all the books....but it hasn't happened yet.

[RaistlinMC]

Just reading those will do the trick, though - like Stephen King - the more Sanderson you read, the more you find connections between stories and worlds.

[mormegil]

Don't just think about starting the Stormlight Archive; do it! You'll be so glad you did. :)

Well the thing is I haven't started it yet because I'm quite scared with the scale of the book... is it contained on it's own world or do I have to read his previous work?

[RaistlinMC]

Don't just think about starting the Stormlight Archive; do it! You'll be so glad you did. :)

[mormegil]

Currently Reading:

Phillip C. Quintrell's The Terran Cycle book 2
Terry Goodkind's Stone of Tears
thinking of starting Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive
and some NSFW work by Serena Silverlake

[RaistlinMC]

Ohhhhhh I couldn't agree more about N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth Trilogy! It's incredible. I've gotta read more of her stuff, clearly, because those suckers are masterpieces.

And speaking of Stephen King, for anyone who might be interested in him but isn't a horror person, his Bill Hodges trilogy in recent years have been excellent detective stories without ever getting too old-school horror. They begin with Mr. Mercedes. Good stuff if monsters and magic aren't your cup of tea.

[cailano]

I've got a few:

I like Brandon Sanderson, too, but his Stormlight Archive books are pretty damn long. It's hard to get me to commit to a 1000 page book. I read The Way of Kings, but if I were to recommend a Sanderson series, I'd go with Mistborn. My favorite Sanderson book is actually a novella called The Emperor's Soul, and Elantris was also very good. Supposedly those last two are set in the same world, but they don't have much to do with each other.

For classics, I love Robert E. Howard (Conan), Michael Moorcock (Elric), and Karl Edward Wagner (Kane). That's some sword-and-sorcery goodness, right there. Given our current era, I should probably mention that these books are decidedly non-woke, so you have to enjoy them on their own terms. Fritz Leiber's Fafrd and the Grey Mouser books are also a lot of fun.

For more modern books, if you're in the mood for some action-packed tales, I'd recommend Michael Sullivan's Riyria books. Those could be taken right out of someone's D&D campaign, but I don't mean that in a bad way. The books have a lot of twists and some excellent pacing.

If you want something with a little more depth, try reading NK Jemisin's Broken Earth Trilogy. That is the best fantasy series I've read in probably ten years. They are not light-hearted books, but they are very, very good.

And Rasit, I'm taking your recommendation on 11/22/63. Somehow that one flew under my radar. I haven't read anything by King in a few years, looks like it's time to go back to the well.

[RaistlinMC]

I loved it, Fox. I absolutely, positively loved it.

Honestly, somehow Sanderson is only getting better at page 5000 when most folks start losing their steam. I can only think of one author who has gotten better at this stage in a fantasy epic, actually: Stephen King.

The final three books of The Dark Tower blow the first three out of the water...save for the always-and-forever perfect very first line: "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

Full English-teacher-geek disclosure here: that totally unnecessary comma makes the whole fuckin' line. It's a perfect example of breaking the rules knowingly, sensationally.

[Blackfox42]

So, Ra, how was it?