What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I'd like some recommendations for fantasy or science-fiction preferably, but I'm open to other books that are particularly awesome. I enjoy historical fiction as well, just not that big of a fan of contemporary, modern, or non-fiction.

Give me a recommendation of ONE book that you LOVE and tell me why you love it, avoiding spoilers. Really sell it to me! I find exploring other people's favorite books to be an interesting past-time.

Here is my One favorite book, although it's really hard to choose and largely depends on my mood:

"The Black Prism" by Brent Weeks. I love the unique magic system. The characters are deep, it's fast-paced with interesting action, and there's just the right mix of drama and suspense. Gavin Guile is sexy and charming, with an interesting past. Kip is sadly pathetic at the beginning of the story and does so much subtle growth throughout the story that you barely notice liking him by the end. The women largely act like women, even if they happen to be warrior-chicks (kudos to Brent Weeks for that!) and the men act like men. If you like fantasy, you should read it! If you're a girl, you'll love it, and if you're a guy... my husband says it's bad-a**!

Since others will probably write about my favorite (Ender's Game), I will recommend Native Tongue by Suzette Haden Elgin. This book sits at the intersection of science fiction, feminism, and linguistics, all three of which are fascinating to me. A few years ago, I would have considered the premise of the book to be a tad outdated, but in recent years with the attempts by a certain political party to roll back progress for women, the scenario seems all too plausible: the amendment to give women the right to vote has been repealed. Women have to have a male "protector" and cannot control their own finances or lives. There is a group of people who train their children from infancy on to communicate with aliens from all parts of the universe. The children of this group are all adept at languages and the women begin to develop their own secret language that they hide from the men.

This is contemporary, and it's not sci fi or fantasy, but it is set in a very, very dystopian future. The Road. Terrifying, sad, depressing, will wring out your heart unless your heart is made of stone. There, did I sell it?

I checked your list of fantasy books, and I don't believe I saw this one listed:
The Perilous Gard
This was a wonderful fantasy, set back in the 1500s; and is a take off on the traditional Tam Lin folk tale. So the book focuses on the fairy folk keeping human folk prisoner. It has been many years since I read this book, but I have very fond memories of it. And when I checked its listing on Goodreads, I noted that a lot of other readers also gave the book 5 stars.

I'm not sure if your a fan of young adult books (I love them), but I'm a big fan of Charmed Life. Its a quick read but its full of adventure.

Laura, though I do have to say I'm pretty conservative, Native Tongue does sound like an interesting read. I usually enjoy dystopian literature no matter what party/religion/world-view is being commented on. Thanks for the suggestion! Maybe I'll check it out. Plus, the aliens sound like an interesting backdrop. ;)

Lobstergirl, I just watched The Road and I did become a bit interested in reading it. As a movie, it was slow, but I think it would be better as a book. Thanks for bringing it up!

Beverly, The Perilous Gard sounds like it's just the sort of thing I'd like. I'll give it a go if I can find it through the library system. Thank you!

Kathryn, I'm definitely open to young adult or even teen books. Any book can be great, no matter the age it's meant for if it's well-written. Hey, I like a good kids' book too. ;) Thanks for suggesting it.

I actually (accidentally) read the second book, The Judas Rose, in the series first. I would also recommend it. I would NOT recommend the third one. It is just too weird - and not in an interesting way. The first two stand just fine on their own.

And, yes, the politics is, in fact, more liberal. There are actually a number of interesting connections with the aliens - the question of whether we can learn any language in the universe; the question of human ability compared to that of the aliens; the humor of misunderstanding.

But fascinating to me, is the linguistic angle as well: the idea that when we come up with new words for things, we can think about them in a different way.

If you like fantasy, you've probably already read Robyn Hobb, but Assassin's Apprentice! Amazing start to an amazing series. She creates one of the most real, complex and complete fantasy worlds I've ever encountered. Castles, magic, political intrigue, true love and dragons all on an epic scale!

I just thought of another one, The Color of Distance.

Unfortunately its been years since I read it, but I remember not being able to put it down. Its on my list for bringing over to the UK the next time I'm in the US visiting my parents.

Dystopian fiction: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Because it could so easily be true.

Poison Study is a good YA fantasy. The world is interesting and I especially loved the character interactions. While this is not my "one favourite" book, it's a good one. (my personal fav is actually the first book in a series of approximately 30 or so books, so I'll be nice and not suggest it, since I loved the entire series.)

The Name of the Wind. Fantasy

I have never connected with a hero at such a deep emotional level as I did here. Even now, years after reading it, there are scenes in my head as if they were my own memories, with my own longings attached to them. This story just grabbed ahold of me, so much so that I literally had to remind myself to breathe. I am a voracious reader, but after finishing this book I couldn't read another book for weeks, I couldn't move on.

Oh, by the way, I'm not alone in this. I just checked and it's got a rating of 4.56 with 156,000 ratings.

I don't want to say more than that, because I don't want to give away any of the storyline.

Oops, I should have looked at your books first, looks like you loved it too :)

So how about The Bards of Bone Plain.

Beautifully written. Her bio says she's married to a poet, but her words are like poetry to me. I love stories that intertwine a more recent storyline with an ancient one, and this book does it well.

Laura, I agree with you. Language is interesting. I really will have to consider your recommended book. As you say, new words make you think differently about the same old thing. Very interesting.

Aoife... No, I have to admit that I have never read any of Robin Hobb. I will definitely have to look into the Assassin's Apprentice series. It looks like my friend owns them so I'm off to a good start! Thanks.

Kathryn, The Color of Distance sounds good and has a lot of positive reviews too! Thanks. I guess I'll have to give that one a try.

Susan, thanks for suggesting it. I have read it and I liked it too! Very creepy, which made it interesting.

Ann aka Iftcan, okay, now you simply must tell me about this thirty book series that you love so much. More to read is Always a good thing if the books are good! Oh, and I'll consider Poison Study as well.

puppitypup, Yes, I think The Name of the Wind is the most beautifully written book I've ever read. The Bards of Bone Plain looks and sounds like one of those books that I might hesitate to read due to a concern over it being dry. However, seeing that it's in your list of top five, I'll try to give it a go sometime. Thank you for the suggestions!

Witch World by Andre Norton. This is a series where the main thing holding everything together is the world itself. So the entire series is kind of broken down into a number of different collections. Most of them you can read in any order, but--you definitely want to read the first few in order and before you read any of the others, since they set up the world and introduce most ot the main "areas" of the world. So, it's Witch World Web of the Witch World Three Against the Witch World Warlock of the Witch World and the final one that you have to read in order is Sorceress of the Witch World. After that it breaks down into the different series, until you get to the last 4 or 5 books, and again, they need to be read in order. And in this last group, you get many of the main characters from previous series getting together to perform a series of quests. This is a really interesting world, and, while it doesn't have vampires, it does have a species of were-wolves. (And they are the "evil" were-wolves, nothing like Team Jacob ones, or the Alpha were-wolves beloved of romance novels.)

Anna, so I shouldn't read "The Beast Master" first? For some reason that one is on my to-read list already! I'll have to add Witch World to-read. Thanks for revealing this looooong series to me. Hopefully I enjoy it as much as you have! :)

Abby--The Beast Master isn't part of the Witch World series. It is part of a sci-fi as opposed to fantasy series. For Beast Master it goes The Beast Master Lord Of Thunder Beast Master's Ark Beast Master's Circus and finally Beast Master's Quest. They are set in the future as opposed to Witch World which is set in another dimension/alternate world.

Another dystopian novel: Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Isiguro. Don't let anyone tell you what it's "about," because that alone can be a spoiler.

I’m going to recommend Child 44. And the reason I do that is because if you like fantasy and science-fiction, then you love to be thrown into completely crazy worlds like I do, but you probably wouldn’t normally read a thriller set in 1950s Russia. This book blew my mind. I loved it. I felt like I was trapped in this claustrophobic, scary dystopia where everyone lives in fear. Yet it resonated even more with me because this time period really existed. It’s a great book. :D

Anna, thanks for the explanation. They all sound fairly interesting. I'll try one and see if the author appeals to me.

Susan, my curious streak forced me to read the synopsis of the book on goodreads, but I didn't go down to the review section. Sounds like an interesting book. Thanks. :)

Willow, Child 44 does sound fascinating. I love the feeling of being thrown into a new world - as long as it's done well. I will give Child 44 a try. Thank you!

According to your book list you haven't read David Eddings' Belgariad. This is my favourite fantasy series of all time, YA or adult. Granted, I was an impressionable teenager when it was released in the early 80s, but I must have re-read it a dozen times by now. The straightforward style shows its age a bit, and compared to bloodier modern stuff the action is almost tame, but it is still incredibly readable, full of fantastic ideas, charming details and has a loveable cast of characters. A real page-turner as well. Criticisms include simplistic world-building and politics, and stereotyped characters, but Eddings did it so incredibly well you end up not caring.

The Stand This is a fantastic novel. It is not a horror novel, it is a book about good and evil set in a dystopian America caused by a man made virus. Absolutley brillant.

My current favorite is the Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. Unfortunately its 3 books that really need to all be read. It is an entirely unique world that I love. A short story I love is No One Noticed the Catby Anne McCaffrey. It's very cute and fun and to me different.

Thanks for the suggestion Tim. I'm usually up for trying a new fantasy series! :)

Edcaley, The Stand does sound interesting. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I've never read anything by Stephen King before. Perhaps this will be my first.

Cynthia, the Black Jewels series sounds good, but I saw eight of them! Do I have the right series? Anyway, a long series doesn't bother me. Oh, and that short story sounds entertaining too. Where might I find it?

Abby,

I would say the Stand is a great book too but very long and sad. Black Jewels is 3 main books but there are other novels and collections of short stories set in the same world. The first book is Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop.

Ann McCaffrey's No One Noticed the Cat can be found on Amazon as a used book. Unfortunately not an ebook yet. I found in a store years ago.

I have a lot of favorites but many are classics that you've probably already heard of, so I'll go with This Star Shall Abide. This book is one of my all-time favorite sci-fi novels and a regular re-read. In addition to being a great story, it also blends some really interesting moral and philosophical questions into the mix. The main character, Noren, lives in a small farming town in a mainly rural world; education is minimal unless you're selected to go the City for additional training to become a Technician. The City is also the home of the Scholars, a priest-caste that rules the planet (or do they??). There are lots of surprises and interesting explorations of questions of truth, justice, honesty, courage, and human nature. Engdahl is far from prolific, having written only six or seven books over her entire career, which is a shame because they're all extraordinarily thought-provoking.

The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein (first in the series). I love the idea of the lone female traveler in science-fiction, it's not something that you find every day. The main character, Rowan, is incredibly self-assured and intelligent. Kirstein really makes an effort to create separate cultures occupying the same spaces. Rowan's eventual journey companion Bel is a great example of how differently people on this world interact with it. They work through their differences and become great friends, which is another rarity in science-fiction. Lady friendships!

The Law Of Becoming by Kate Elliott (Jaran #4). It's an unusual fantasy smack bang in the middle of a series. It follows a modern woman living in a nomad warrior society (which unknowingly had an important part in galactic politics). Even though it has a larger plot and explores issues of culture it is essentially a character driven story.

One of my favorite things in books is to visit a completely different society, one that is unique and well-described and then to follow a very interesting character as they make their way through adventures. I'll give 3 books as examples.

1. (historical) Aztec by Gary Jennings. Set in Mexico just before and after the Spanosh invade. The first chapter is kind of strange, but once Mixtli starts telling his life story it gets very fascinating - it's a brutal, savage culture in some ways, but Mixtli is a great character, who loves shocking the priests who are scribing his words, and gosh, the adventures he has!

2. (fantasy) Maia by Richard Adams. This is a prequel to his giant epic Shardik, but stands alone well. Maia is a beautiful young peasant girl whose jealous mother sells her into slavery. On the way to the decadent capital city she is befriended by the wise young woman Occula and together they are sold to a powerful nobleman as sex slaves. Maia is a complete innocent, but Occula has a plan and Maia gets tangled up in it. Political intrigue, sex, adventure, danger and love.

3. (scifi) Friday by Robert Heinlein. Friday is a genetically enhanced courier for a shadowy group. She is sexy and smart and dangerous. She goes on a wild adventure when her group's compound is attacked and she's on the run trying to figure out what happened, stay alive, and maybe make some money. Her final courier job ends in a pretty unbelievable (but good) way.

Oh, just fyi all three of those are older works, from the 80s I think (Maia is a bit hard to find), and there are some things that would definitely be considered sexist by today's standards. Aztec has some very gruesome violence and questionable sex, Maia has a lot of sex, and Friday has a violent rape scene near the beginning and other sex but not extremely described.

if you're into y.a, i'd recommend
Alanna by Tamora Pierce
it is both enduring and entertaining. The plot is simple, yet somehow manages to surprise you at every chapter. the people are well developed, and easy to love.
this book takes you into its world and engraves both its people and its passions into your heart.

Definitely my current favorite (and an author who doesn't appear to be in your list) is Frances Hardinge. Her prose is so lyrical and her plots are genius. They're quirky but serious, with worlds that are just a tiny bit over the edge of believability. I would recommend starting with The Lost Conspiracy (which is a standalone) and, if you like it, continuing on with Fly by Night and Fly Trap.

An epic historical series begins with The Eagle Of The Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. I noticed you liked one of her books, so I thought I'd recommend these.

Also, you might try His Majesty's Dragon. It's an alternate history set at the time of the Napoleonic wars - with dragons. ;)

Dune

My favorite book of all time is To Say Nothing of the Dog, which might be considered more speculative fiction, but certainly contains sci fi elements. It also manages to contain many of my favorite things in one book (time travel, boats, Wodehousian humor, and golden age mystery).

ETA: It's listed as #2 in a series, but it's a loosely connected series sharing mostly just the premise. Between books, Willis changes main characters and tone. I read this one first.

Cynthia, Daughter of the Blood sounds interesting. I think I'll give it a try! Thanks!

Michele, thanks for the recommendation. If it's such a favorite I'll have to give it a go.

Katie, you're right - women friendships are Highly under-represented in literature! Thank you for suggesting it.

Fayley, should I begin with book one? Or isn't that necessary.

Michele, completely different societies are always fascinating. Thanks for your recommendations.

Manny, I've read some other Tamora Pierce, so I really should give Alanna a try. I've heard a lot of good things about it. Thanks.

Elizabeth, The Lost Conspiracy sounds interesting, and I love Rosemary Sutcliff!

Abby - no start with book #4 "The Law of Becoming" is definitely the best. Start with #4 and if you like it go back and read from the beginning - it doesn't spoil so much as make you notice the character growth.

Kate, I have heard of Dune and I know there's also a television series, but why should I read it? What's good about it? Not trying to be snotty, just genuinely curious.

Brenda, To Say Nothing of the Dog sounds very quirky and unusual. I'll have to think about it. ;) Thanks for recommending.

Fayley, I have a Very hard time starting a series out of order. Haha! I'm a bit obsessive that way. Do you think #4 would be better without the first ones? Otherwise, I think I'd like to try it from the beginning.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. Basically, if Jane Austen had written epic fantasy.

Abby, I don't know what to say - maybe you'll love books 1-3, but I found them ok whereas #4 was really very good. Since I had read it first the others were of course compared, although reading them first will change your experience and expectations. I will say that none if the others seemed to have the same cultural perceptions. Love to hear if you read any of these recommendations and what you thought.

The Outsiders is, was, and likely always will be my favorite.

I was the kid that didn't fit in, and the school I went to was deeply divided between the haves and have nots. While I didn't grow up as poor as some of the kids in the book, my family was not affluent. I did, however, have a core group of friends and we stuck together, just like the boys in the book. It's rare that a book will make me cry, but I'm usually a basket case toward the end.

I have always told at-risk kids that I've known and worked with that they need to read the book (or watch the movie if the flat-out refuse to read). It's the best example of "violence solves nothing" or "live by the sword, die by the sword" that I can muster, and there's something timeless, and many of the kids can relate.

I saw the movie when it came out, and I loved it, although the book is better. There is a special anniversary directors cut out there on DVD that has a lot of deleted scenes, and it really rounds it out well. The current kid I'm working with had a rough patch where kids were picking on him for a myriad of reasons, including his lack of money, and he was responding in a negative manner enough that he was sent to a special school. I made him sit down and watch with me (as I knew he would not read the book) and he and I were sharing tissues at the end. I looked at him and said "Where did all of that violence get them?" He said "Absolutely nowhere.", and it really stuck with him. He's doing much better now.

Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold.....

Just read Ready Player One

Hands down the most fun fantasy.sci-fi book I've read.

Oh dear, I keep forgetting to look at your bookshelf first. You and I definitely have the same taste in books :)

Yeah, I should have done that too.

The Wool Omnibus Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1) was a really great read. There are two sequels as well. I've read the first two books and I'm looking forward to reading the third. It's a post-apocalyptic sci-fi-esque book, but I felt that the setting had a neat twist. They're bigger books too, so there's a lot of story in them. Definitely one of my favorite reads of last year!

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer was a great book. I think I liked it because I found that it had such an original storyline(at least to me). Basically, the story is about this guy named Oliver, but the thing is, he's living inside a story.
In the story Oliver lives in, every time the book gets opened, the characters are all brought to the page they are supposed to be on and have to act out their part. Anything the characters were doing before the book was opened gets reset- leaving no evidence that the characters were doing something else. As you may guess, this gets REALLY boring to have to act the same part every time the book is opened.
But all the characters in the book Oliver is in, don't think it's boring. It's something that they have been doing their whole lives. In fact, they think it's strange Oliver thinks about the world outside (where the reader is/the real world).
Now Delilah has been obsessed with the book Oliver is in. She's read it so many times. But it's a children's book. Delilah knows that if anyone found out about it, she'd be even more unpopular then she already is (or, as it's written in the summary, she'd be sent to social Siberia forever.).
Since Delilah read the book so many times, one time while reading it she notices that the picture was slightly changed. Meanwhile, Oliver realizes that she can actually SEE the change. Eventually Delilah learns about the world in the book and tries to help Oliver escape.
The story is told through Delilah and Oliver's point of view but, it also tells Oliver's story (it first starts out with you reading one chapter of the story Oliver is in, then you read Oliver's point of view, then Delilah then it starts over again.... I don't know how to explain it). But my complaint is the pictures shown during the beginning of each chapter of the story Oliver is in. I just don't like how they look (although other people might).
But I just love the idea of the book, and I love the characters (there's this one named Socks that was really funny). Also, Delilah and Oliver try/ think of everyday to get him out, and it was exciting each attempt they made to see if it works.
I'm not sure if you would be interested in it (there is some romance though and I don't really know if you like those kind of books) but I sure loved it (and the cover! For some reason I just love how it looks!) :)

Once again, another great thread! I have found even more titles to check out thanks to this group of amazing members :)

I see you have two books by Neil Gaiman on your list, but not American Gods. One of my favorite books. A continuing theme in Gaiman's work is that gods only have power relative to how many people believe in them. American Gods deals with the struggle between the gods of the old pantheons and the new, American gods - money, celebrity, the media.

Fayley, thanks for your advice. I'll try to give at least one of them a go and let you know what I think. :)

Railyn, It's really interesting to hear how much of an effect The Outsiders had on you, and it's really encouraging to hear how you're helping kids process their choices by being told the story. I have read it, but it didn't really strike a chord with me at the time. I think that I may have been a little too young. It's amazing how a different lens can so affect the experience each person has with a book. Perhaps I'll have to give it another try.

Puppitypup, No worries, I completely got "Ready Player One" from you. I ordered it as soon as I read your review. ;) I really enjoyed it.

Railyn, with so many suggestions to fill up my "to-read" list, I'm just happy to hear each person's favorite book and why. It's fascinating to me.

Sarah, The Wool books sound interesting. I almost always enjoy a good dystopian novel!

Sierra, Between the Lines sounds very interesting. I am eager to try it because I really enjoyed Jodi Picoult's "My Sister's Keeper." She had some interesting plot twists and a writing style I liked.

Lyn, now we all want to hear about YOUR favorite book! :)

Kris, I have to admit that my two brushes with Neil Gaiman have not been positive. As a kid, I was highly disturbed by Coraline, and I really found Stardust a bit flat. However, I would be willing to give the guy another chance if you're going to guarantee that American Gods will blow my socks off! ;)

UPDATE
Of the recommended books, I have read

The Perilous Gard - I really enjoyed the sort of fairy-tale feel to the book, which it managed while still having characters that were deep and relatable. (Often I feel that fairy tales can come across as flat because the characters follow such a set script). This book flew by; it was the best I've read for quite some time!

Ready Player One - This book was fabulous. Again, I thought the characters were great and overall it had a great message about living your life and not getting lost in the fantasy of technology (or books!). Five stars! which I haven't given out since November. Great job.

I love the recommendations. So far they haven't let me down!

(Of the other recommended works, I've already read The Name of the Wind, which I loved, and The Outsiders, which I enjoyed but had a harder time relating to.)