I tend to read almost exclusively fantasy. I’m currently listening to The Hunger Games on audiobook and haven’t decided yet what I think of it. I think I like it, but I’m not having the same Sucked In experience that I’ve heard about from so many others.

If you enjoy YA books, I would recommend absolutely anything by Frances Hardinge. She gets way too little attention, really, and her stories are imaginative and well-written.

For an example of an awesome book that isn’t YA but still fantasy, I would strongly recommend Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell written by Susanna Clarke. I had that one on audiobook as well, and not only was it a good story, the reader was great too which definitely doesn’t hurt. 🙂

I only made it through the first two of the Twilight books before I wanted to do violent things to the main characters. Those books were definitely not for me. 🙂 Personally I’m looking forward to this new JK Rowling book that I’ve been hearing about recently. I’m not sure if that will be fantasy as well, I don’t think it will. But I’ll give it a go anyway, just because it’s her.

If you like Fantasy have you tried Stephen King’s Dark Tower series? It’s kind of a fantasy western. I’ve got rather sucked into it recently…

I’ve heard of those but I haven’t read them. I don’t much care for horror, so I had more or less ignored it based on the author. He so doesn’t write my sort of books. Would you say they are horror-ish or just “normal” fantasy-ish?

Definitely more Fantasy than horror. As you say I was never a massive fan of his horror stuff, but I got given it as a present and it’s really suprised me…

Cool. I’ll give it go, then. Thanks for the rec. 🙂

I’m on GR as well, Angrboda there also.

I tried the Game of Thrones series once, but never made it through the first book. There were so many characters and I lost interest really quickly when I realised that I didn’t really like any of them at all. Lately, though, I’ve been considering giving it another go. I can’t remember what went on in the part that I did read, but I do know what to expect from it. So it’s on the list, but it will take a while before I’ll get to it. I’ve decided it’s time to finish, or at least catch up, on the series I’ve already got started before taking on a new series. Currently just about in the middle of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shadows of the Apt series, which to my surprise I’m rather enjoying. Also getting closer to being caught up on the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. And after I’m caught up on those, I should be totally caught up on all my ongoing series. 🙂

I never got to that point with Game of Thrones when it started to get good. I’ll definitely have to give it a second go. I own the first book already, so there’s no excuse. 🙂

Those are dangerous too, though, because sometimes you just never GET to the next one. 🙂 I’ve managed the first two of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, and had that same need for a break after each book as you, only after the second one I just never made it any further. That’s years ago now and then Robert Jordan passed away in the meantime, which rather broke my motivation. Some time I wonder if I ought to keep a ‘read in this order’ list to make sure I start on the next one before such a long time has passed by. I think I’m about ready to give this one a second go again, even though I’ll have to start over from the beginning. I remember I definitely was interested in some of the characters and in the story. I just sort of fell off.

Oh I know. 🙂 But it’s JKR, so as a Potter fan, I’m interested by default. 🙂

As for the Hunger Games, I was surprised by how much I liked it sort of towards the last half of it. Wasn’t super-impressed by the reader at times, but I got used to her. Had I had it as a book-book, though I’m not entirely convinced that I would have made it past the first third or so. All that stuff before the games got started? Super-necessary yes, but omg I just wished they would get on with it already. (Also, I have a vastly different idea of what awesomely elegant and stylish than most Panem people do, it appears… But then most of them are fairly bizarre already so perhaps that’s not a great surprise.)

I enjoy audiobooks in general. I can listen to them while walking to and from work, or make cooking and housework endlessly less boring. 🙂 Only once have I thought I ought to go out and find it as a book-book, and that was because I had only been able to get abridged versions. On the upside, those were read by Hugh Laurie, who did a fab job. They’re also good for when I’m not sure it’s something I’ll enjoy. I’ve had a few audiobooks that were completely outside my usual genre. I liked them in this format, but would never have made it through them if I’d had to put in the extra effort to read them myself.

@brandymandycandy – we have Stieg Larsson’s whole series here in the house. I didn’t read them @peter did but we did watch all the original language movies and the American one. I thought the movies were well made, but very gritty – not exactly a feel good type of movie. Sweden isn’t portrayed anything like the cozy Scandinavian country I think it to be.
I’m a big thriller/mystery story fan – though since we’ve been running Tea Trade I spend most of my reading time on this site, or related to this site, or looking at tea news/other blogs/ or researching stuff I need for Tea Trade. Instead of being curled up with a good book I”m usually curled up with the laptop. But I have two books waiting to be read currently, they’re not exactly high octane stuff right now – they’re “Face down before rebel hooves” by Kathy Lynn Emerson and “Murder on the Lusitania” by Conrad Allen. I don’t know either of these writers, so we’ll see. Can they be as riveting Tea Trade?

Stieg Larsson described Sweden as “it is ” and not as “we think it is”.

@xavier no I don’t think Sweden is like “that.” It would be a terrible place to live in. I think you’re right of course it’s not just all cozy either. But Sweden is very beautiful with many lovely people, and I wouldn’t say that comes across in the books.

@jackie Well Sweden has its dark side and its dark secrets (like another shinny little country like Switzerland and like any other country).
These books just focus on these aspects and not on the nice people living there (what else do you expect from a polar?).
And I did put ” ” around “it is”.

I like to read these books here. I think they are quite good.

I did quite enjoy that Fifty Shades of Grey you mentioned. Quite a nice little romp, though it rather pales in comparison to the steamy Victorian novels I always packed out with me on my travels…

I mostly like things that have to do with Classic literature and history. I finished “Sister Carrie” by Theodore Dreiser recently and now am reading “Jennie Gerhardt” by the same author. 

I did read “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”a few months ago and the second book “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” but have not gotten around to the final one, yet!