The things one finds...

[sholio]

oh my god, this commercial is so, so, SO wrong on pretty much every level that I cannot stop laughing at it (at least partly in horrified amazement that it's an actual commercial and not an SNL parody commercial). The shaved cat! THE TULIPS.

You know what I need, I think? A new series of books to be hooked on. It was so lovely to sink into the new Dresden Files book, but it was all over so quickly and now I have to wait for the next one. *chews nails* My reading has been falling off lately -- I'll start books and then abandon them -- and I think a lot of it is because what I really want right now is to fall in love with some characters and spend a lot of quality time with them. Most of what I've been reading lately have been stand-alone genre and literary-type books, but I'm finding them harder to get into. Since I'm not really following any TV shows avidly at the moment, I think that I need to find me some good, escapist brain candy to satisfy my mental sweet tooth.

Recommendations? I'd prefer books with SF or fantasy elements, but I'm open to anything else, too, if you know of something that's good. If you've been reading my journal for any length of time, you probably know what I go for: ensemble casts with relationships more complicated than just "boy meets girl, love at first sight", strong friendships, quality world-building. I like to be surprised and to have a story take me places I'm not expecting. I like genre-mixing (steampunk SF, mystery fantasy). I'm very character-focused; I like to follow the same characters over years and watch them grow and change. I am an absolute sucker for ambiguous and flawed heroes, ambiguous and likable villains, and enemies forced to work together for the common good. I like explosions, and as much as I adore solid world-building, I get bored with infodumps and florid writing very quickly.

A few of the series that are the sort of thing I'm looking for right now:

- Death Gate (Weiss & Hickman)
- Dark Tower (King)
- Discworld
- Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books
- Coldfire (C.S. Friedman)
- Tobias Buckell's Xenowealth books

I've tried both Lynn Flewelling and Janny Wurts and just couldn't get into either one (sorry, xparrot!). I also haven't tried George RR Martin because I'm scared XD, though I have the first Song of Ice and Fire book sitting in my to-read pile in case I manage to get over the fact that everyone keeps telling me these books will rip my heart into a million shreds and dance on the pieces.

Comments

Book recs

[blacklabs2.livejournal.com]

A series that I've enjoyed has been Charles Stross's series starting with the Family Trade with its alternative universe. He normally writes sci fi but this ranges more to fantasy. I'll admit I haven't gotten to the last few books.

If you can stomach sci fi and have taken Latin or some mythology course, then try Dan Simmon's Illium/Olympus series or Vernor Vinge's Fire Upon the Deep/Darkness in the Sky. Both just such good sequences.

I agree with others here on Bujold's Chalion series, although it sort of fell flat after book two for me.

Oldies but goodies - Hambly's Time of the Dark and Tom Dietz's series; if you haven't already read it and you like YA, Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising (I read it sooo long ago but it still holds up)

As far as ambiguous villians go, Joe Ambercrombie's First Law series is hard to beat. It's basically the anti-fantasy, but if you are avoiding cynicism then best to avoid completely. And I'd normally recommend JV Jones' latest series, except it can really be depressing at times and she's like never going to finish the thing.

Re: Book recs

[sholio]

Thank you!

I loved Simmons' Hyperion novels and I've read some of his short stories, but that's pretty much it for my Simmons. And I haven't read the Dark is Rising books since I was a wee tiny thing! Perhaps I should re-read them! I still have my old boxed set around here somewhere...

Have not read Stross or Vernor Vinge. *notes* I vaguely remember reading a book by Dietz a looong time ago (something about Native Americans and alternate universes?). What does he have out that you recommend?

I have Abercrombie's first book sitting in my "too read" pile but I keep bypassing it because it looks so damned depressing. I'll get around to it eventually ...

Re: Book recs

[blacklabs2.livejournal.com]

Abercrombie is both funny and depressing at times. It's also cynical as hell. So you have to be in the mood for that.

I had read Hyperion also and loved those. The Illium series is a lot of fun if you had to suffer through Homer at some point. I'm not sure how he manages to mix Helen of Troy, Odysseus, a robotic alien who is obsessed with Shakespearean sonnets (I simply loved those parts), misfits from the Tempest (Calliban is scary as hell), a society where supposedly no one dies, and a dead archeaologist from INDIANA, and make it interesting and fun. It's so creative.

Dietz was from looonnngg ago. I think Windmaster's Bane was the first in that series. Set in Athens, Georgia (he must have been obsessed with REM at the time), and heavy Celtic influence.

Re: Book recs

[dragon-within.livejournal.com]

Hambly's Time of the Dark

I wore the covers off of my copies of those books!

Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising

I saw the movie... Is the book worth reading even though it's YA?

Re: Book recs

[blacklabs2.livejournal.com]

I heard the movie was awful, but in my opinion, the books can be enjoyed by an adult. I read them as a teenager going on 30 years ago (oh dear) but have reread them as an adult.