Thursday Next Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 (edited) Having finished A Song of Ice and Fire (as far as is possible) and purchased a Kindle (would that I had done this the other way around...) I am reading far more now than I have recently. So I'm looking to broaden my reading horizons. I've long been a fan of Jasper Fforde (obviously), and thoroughly enjoyed GRRM's stuff. I've just started Larsson's Millennium Trilogy but I'm not sure where to go from there, so what I would like from all the wonderfully well read people here is for you to talk about any book you've read and enjoyed that was first published in the last 10 years (or so). I value the opinions of my peers more than Amazon ratings and what not. No restriction on genre, or anything like that, just recent books that you enjoyed (or didn't if you want to warn people off an author, but let's keep it mostly positive eh?). Why the last 10 years? Well, we all know what the classics are, I can google for "100 books to read before you die", but newer authors are sometimes harder to pick up on and I'm loathe to restrict myself to reading books that have been high profile enough to be turned into films. Have at it, and thanks for your contributions. EDIT: Note that by "of the decade" I don't mean greatest of the decade, just want to pin everyone to the last 10 years. Edited November 18, 2011 by Thursday Next Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyber Rat Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I got burned out from reading in High school (we really had to read a lot of books in a very short time frame), but I do enjoy reading something now and then. So, take this as a disclaimer that I am not a heavy reader. I'd recommend a few things from Paul Auster: Moon Palace, Book of Illusions, Brooklyn Follies, Mr. Vertigo and Oracle Night. I think from the whole lot, I'd say go with Moon Palace and Book Illusions. I know he has a bunch of other books, but I haven't read them all (going through Mr. Vertigo at the moment, actually). The Two Gentlemen of Lebowski is also an interesting read. I've heard good things about Within Ruin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanb Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I've heard good things about Within Ruin. I've heard it sucks and the author carries on cocking about with the Kindle version. One slightly less obvious fantasy-ish series I've being following (since most of you know I'm a fan of the more obvious Pratchett) is the Three Worlds Cycle. I started with the second series (there's 2 quartets n a trilogy) cos there was a bunch of airport books (unless Florida has WHsmiths) left in the house we stayed at on holiday. It was pretty good read so I tracked down the rest, then found out there was 4 books before this lot and three books on their way. I say fantasy-ish because while there's magic n shit, it's more scientific explained. The fact that some are called Mathmancers n Geomancers should give a sense of how this works. As the "Three Worlds Cycle" should also give away, it's based on three planets, though most of the action is on Santhenaar. You can start with either the first series, or the second. There's a 200 year gap between them both and all you miss is a few references, but the third set is only 10 years later so quite heavily tied with the middle series. The first set is more fantasy based, the second part is where it gets a touch more scientific in it's explanation of how magic works. It also has a more grand sweeping story of war and "alien invasion". Another that I've mentioned before is Nightwatch series. Set primarily in Moscow following "The Others", slightly supernatural people maintaining a balance between light n dark (not good n evil, that's one thing I like is it's kinda heavily leaning upon the main characters questioning of the morals of what they're doing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted November 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 Ooooh, Night Watch, good suggestion. Liked the films. I'll grab a sample of Three Worlds Too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterDex Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I wouldn't call it the book of the decade but I really enjoyed reading through The Last Wish - the first book in The Witcher series. It's a quick and fun read and provides a greater insight into Geralt and the world he inhabits. Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of the games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Heart Posted November 17, 2011 Report Share Posted November 17, 2011 I quite liked Good News, Bad News by David Wolstencroft (creator of Spooks). A sort of dark comedy/thriller about two spies put on the same post (without knowing) who then both receive an order to assassinate the other. And, yeah, The Last Wish is a very good collection of short stories. I'd recommend it even if you didn't know about the games but liked fantasy stuff. And Past Mortem is an enjoyable light read. Depends on whether you like Ben Elton or not though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faiblesse Des Sens Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. No doubt about that one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 My favourite book I've read over the last few years is The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. It's the story of a man's life from his childhood in Mexico to working for Diego Rivera and Frieda Carlo and Trotsky to the communist trials in the USA. It has a slightly melancholy tone,but it left me a slightly different person after I read it. A brilliant read though not so profound is Carter Beats the Devil. It's about a magician in the 1920s who gets embroiled with the death of the president of the USA. It's got wit, drama and emotion and you will absolutely rip through it. My only word of caution is that the author's seconed book "Sunnyside" isn't half as good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luftwaffles Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 My favourite book I've read over the last few years is The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. It's the story of a man's life from his childhood in Mexico to working for Diego Rivera and Frieda Carlo and Trotsky to the communist trials in the USA. It has a slightly melancholy tone,but it left me a slightly different person after I read it. That is a really, really good book. Had to read it for an english class a few years ago, but I recently re-read it and it was just as good the second time around. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFlyingGerbil Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 I never re-read books as I read so slowly I can't keep up with my backlog, but that is the one book I will definitely come back to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 What a well read bunch you all are. Thanks so much for the suggestions. I've got enough samples queued up on my Kindle to last me months already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saturnine Tenshi Posted November 28, 2011 Report Share Posted November 28, 2011 (edited) I tend to gravitate toward Dungeons & Dragons wrt fantasy simply because of the familiarity and connected world. Still, I have to suggest Terry Goodkind's The Sword of Truth series which began in '97, but most of it was released in the last ten years. Oh- oh! Oh! Cannot forget The Kingkiller Chronicles. It does things for me, unspeakable things. If you don't mind the Forgotten Realms setting, I'm a champion of Richard Lee Byers' Haunted Lands trilogy and The War of the Spider Queen saga(which the fella also participated in). Edited November 28, 2011 by Saturnine Tenshi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thursday Next Posted April 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2012 Gonna give the Three Worlds a crack having been through the Watches series. I do need to re-read Game of Thrones though. Might save that for the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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