Read something!

While I've fallen out of the habit recently, I typically read like a crazy person.

I read fast. I tear through books at an alarming rate. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was ingested and digested in less than twenty-four hours. It has always been thus.

So, I've decided to write a small list of books that I think some of you would enjoy. Some of these are not going to shock or surprise anyone, while others might make you blink. Keep in mind that they are in no particular order.

Also, many (indeed, most) of these books are fantasy, because that's my preferred genre.

And here we go!

• Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I list this one first because it's the one I'm currently reading (for the third time). Probably the funniest book I've ever had the privalege of reading, and possibly the only one to make me laugh out loud. This book is about the End of Days, and offers an hysterical and insightful view of humanity and faith. If you have any semblance of a sense of humor, you will enjoy this book.


• The Discworld series, by Terry Pratchett. Fantasy satire at its best. Every book in this long-running series is both funny and original. While not for everyone (say, for example, those who have had their sense of humor shot off in some war somewhere), I've yet to read one that didn't make me smile. And since they're all relatively short (by my standards, anyway), they're good "on the go" books.


• American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. A book about...well, it's difficult to say. It's a book about forgotten gods, and their battle for existence. Sort of. In reality it's a book about a man named Shadow who is caught up in the middle of said battle, and...stuff. Huh. Just read it and find out. It's a dark book, but probably my favorite.


• Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Yes, that's right, good ol' LotR. Many of my friends, after reading this book, have made comments to the effect of "Eh, nothing original here," which makes me want to slam their collective faces into a deep fryer. It doesn't seem original because it IS the bloody original! Almost all modern fantasy is a knock-off of this classic work of fantasy. It's slow paced, but that's not a bad thing in my (rhetorical) book.


• A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.R. Martin. This is actually a series of books that is still being written. This story is the single most mature fantasy series I've ever read. I guess you could call it an "historical fantasy". Not for the faint of heart, but one hell of a good read. Possibly the only book series out there that keeps me guessing 'til the very end. Each book is pretty long, but not in a bad way. Those that have a hard time remembering names and places may have an issue reading these, since each book introduces several characters that influence the plot.


• Tigana, by Guy Gavriel Kay. A fantasy book about patriotism and the sins of the past. A deeply emotional book that is invested with a profound sense of pride and sorrow. A fantastic novel.


• Dune, by Frank Herbert. The best sci-fi book I've ever read. There are too many major plot points in this book to describe without giving away anything, but generally speaking this book is about the battle for the planet Arrakis, whose precious mineral known only as Spice holds the destiny of all mankind. A brilliant book that spawned a whole series that I wasn't all that fond of (though I'm looking into giving it another go), but this book stands on its own with ease.


• The Farseer Trilogy and The Tawny Man, by Robin Hobb. Six books about the same man, Fitz the Assassin. Read about Fitz's life from childhood to adulthood, and marvel at all the different ways he gets completely fucked over!


• The Wheel of Time, by Robert Jordan. A long (long [long]) running fantasy series that I recommend with a disclaimer: These books are all long (500+ pages), there are 11 of them currently, the last book is being written (supposedly), and the author might die before he finishes (which he'd better bloody not, or I'll dig his ass up and force him to finish). For all that, I enjoy these books enough to recommend them. About the Last Battle between Good and Evil, and the man who is destined to save the world...assuming he doesn't go crazy bugshit loco before he has a chance.


• The Elenium and The Tamuli, by David Eddings. Six books about Sir Sparhawk, Pandion Knight and a man born without destiny. David Eddings has a very wry sense of humor that I enjoy, but his writing is not without faults: first, that his characters sometimes run together, and second, that he tends to recycle plots (The Tamuli, for example, is basically the same story as The Elenium with a fresh coat of paint). For all that, I love the character of Sparhawk, and have read these books several times.


• The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay. A fictional book about racism and the human spirit. Has a strong message that goes down easy, without being pretentious.


• The Dark Tower, by Stephen King. A series of seven books that combines fantasy, horror, sci-fi and, for one book, romance to create a series that is...well, terribly strange. I didn't enjoy the last couple of books as much as the earlier ones (the first two, The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three, are simply fantastic), but I'd still give the series a look.


• The Conan stories, by Robert E. Howard. These stories are pure pulp, but despite that the writing is solid and the character is incredible. Join this lone Cimmerian in his adventures across the Earth, battling evil sorcerors and plundering fabulous riches as he goes! This stuff is pure and shameless entertainment.


• Farenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. A work of (semi)fiction about censorship and its effect on society. A damn good book.


• The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury. A series of sci-fi/horror short stories that are played out through the use of a man's magical tattoos. Lots of dark stuff in here.

Alright, that's more than fifty books. I think that'll be sufficient for now. I might update the list at a later date!

Enjoy! Peace!