THE RETURN OF BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS!

[tricia868]

I am somewhat tempted to tell people that all I want for my birthday this year is books.  I doubt my family will buy me volumes of Bleach, but regular books are a very common thing for me to want, so...


I'm asking for must-reads.  I'm a bookworm who will read just about anything, but I have a soft spot for fantasy.

Comments

[geekofthegate.livejournal.com]

Dude, read anything in the Tales of Redwall series by Brian Jacques! I especially recommend Sunflash the Mace, Lord Brocktree, and Rakkety Tam, but there are seriously about 20 in the series and the early ones are the best. =D Basically, imagine a fantasy world setting, minus magic, and all of the characters are animals instead of humans, but they act just like humans. And they have wars and swordfighting mice and badger lords and it is incredibly awesome. I would call them a must-read for any fantasy lover. ^^

The Gil Beckman Mysteries are also amazing - they are about a security gaurd at an amusement park who used to be a policeman and who solves these mysteries that show up at the amusement park (which in itself provides a lot of fascinating settings and scenarios). There are four books in the series that progress into each other. It's a Christian series, but honest to goodness, the humor rivals Harry Dresden's. I am so serious. And the writer makes it seem really realistic. =D

[theguindo]

If you're gonna read Redwall, Redwall, Mossflower, Mattimeo, and Marlfox are the ones you want.

Especially Marlfox.

[geekofthegate.livejournal.com]

The man is right. Marlfox IS indeed amazing. The first one I ever read was Outcast of Redwall, so that one is good as an introduction to the series.

I actually don't recommend reading Redwall (the book) first. While it IS the first one ever written, it is really very different from the rest of the series (he changed a lot of stuff after that book), and it wasn't a favorite of mine. But it is good, too. =)

[theguindo]

Yeah Mossflower's the first one I read and I recommend starting there since it gives you a better perspective on Redwall.

[geekofthegate.livejournal.com]

It IS good since it's like the start of Redwall, so that's true. =) I like Outcast of Redwall because it gives a good feel for Redwall Abbey as it appears in most of the books, plus it has some good adventure in it. =D Most of the early ones are good starters, really. You shouldn't read Lord Brocktree or Legend of Luke or Martin the Warrior first because they are both set way early, and you will appreciate them a lot more if you read the books that talk about those characters. They are reaccuring names throughout the series, and those books talk about the actual characters and their pasts before the abbey was built. Excellent books, though.

[tricia868]

XD I own everything in that series up through... Triss, I believe? I haven't read them in years, maybe I should do some rereading.

[geekofthegate.livejournal.com]

I used to reread those books so many times...XD I once bragged that I had read every single one of them at least 3-5 times. That doesn't stand anymore, as I haven't read the new ones quite as much, but still.

My bros and I collected a lot of the books, but my cousin down the street has the ENTIRE collection. In hardback. 8D