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Zenbane
Zenbane
Honored Contributor
September 13, 2018
Question

The Official "Books Worth Reading" Thread

  • September 13, 2018
  • 153 replies
  • 26635 views
I used to be an avid reader, but over time I've found it difficult to commit to the literature being released. I figure I just must be missing out on the good stuff. Use this thread to recommend the "best of the best" that you've encountered.

I've read all but the last "Game of Thrones" (Ice and Fire) books. However, my favorite series of all time is Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. Before that, I read a ton of fantasy and horror books, but none worth really recommending. Probably my favorite Stephen King book is Needful Things.

Any other readers out there?

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      Zenbane
      ZenbaneAuthor
      Honored Contributor
      November 4, 2019
      Prince of Thorns sounds like something I may need to read next. I am very much hunting for that "unlike anything I've read before."

      I finished Book 1 of Mistborn. I was very addicted to that story and its characters. Much of it was unpredictable, and there was a very large amount of original material.

      This series (and writer?) is known for the elaborate way of describing magic systems. I really enjoyed that part. Although, truth be told, about halfway through I realized that the idea of Allomancy in Mistborn is very similar to how abilities work in the world of Naruto:
      • Burning Allomantic metals is akin to using up Chakra.
      • Each "type" of Allomantic metal is akin to the various "natures" of Chakra.
      • The relationship between a Misting vs a Mistborn is similar to the relationship between someone who uses Jutsu vs someone who has a Kekkei Genkai.
      • The methods to learn and master Allomancy is very similar to mastering various Jutsu.

      I'm a huge fan of the Naruto franchise so the similarities tend to stand out. But other than that, I found Mistborn to be just what I needed. I've already purchased Book 2 & 3.
      Luciferous
      Inspiring
      November 13, 2019

      JeremyC85 said:


      Luciferous said:

      So you think prince of thorns trilogy is better than Mistborn? I'll probably look them up then.


      Honestly it's close, but yes. Prince of thorns is the best series I've ever read. It's unlike anything I've read before. If your going to get that series, do yourself a favor and do NOT read nay spoilers. There are a few HUGE twists that can be easily ruined 


      @JeremyC85  As we are talking about books unlike any other, have you read 'The book of the new Sun' trilogy by Gene Wolfe ? Not sure I would recommend it to everyone, it is the most strange and at the same time incredible series I have ever read. Deep and weird doesn't come close to describe it.

      By the way just started Prince of Thorns.
      JeremyC85
      Inspiring
      November 13, 2019
      No, I've never heard of it... Checking it out on Amazon now! It will be awhile though as I'm currently reading the "traitor son cycle" and have two books to go. 

      Awesome that your reading the prince of thorns! Please let me know what you think 
      Luciferous
      Inspiring
      November 14, 2019
      Don't want to recommend 'The Book of the New Sun' because it is so strange, not sure everybody would like it.

      So far enjoying Prince of Thorns and wondering where the hell it is going, it certainly starts with an unusual protagonist.

      At the moment I feel like I am following Joffrey's origin story from game of thrones lol 

      Luciferous
      Inspiring
      November 19, 2019
      Ok listened the Prince of Thorns and it is a very good book. Must admit took me few chapters to get into it, as it is a very different kind of hero and I had no idea where the author was going with it. I'll definitely be getting the next two, thanks for recommendation.

      Funny me mentioning Joffrey before, they actual say it is a game of thrones in the book. Not sure if it was written before or after?

      RattyUK1096940
      Inspiring
      November 19, 2019
      Harry Harrison's Deathworld Trilogy & Stainless Steel Rat Series
      All of @snowdog list
      All of Anne McCaffery's books...  But the Pern (Dragon) books especially...
      Many of the previous mentioned here too are excellent.
      PC info: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X - Sapphire 7900XTX - 32GB DDR4 4000 - 3 NVMe + 3SATA SSD - Quest 2 & 3
      Luciferous
      Inspiring
      November 20, 2019
      Anne McCaffery's I think I read those when I was a young man. The Golden Torc maybe.
      RattyUK1096940
      Inspiring
      November 20, 2019

      Luciferous said:

      Anne McCaffery's I think I read those when I was a young man. The Golden Torc maybe.


      One of the 'good' things about her Dragon Riders of Pern series was that much was written as a female protagonist yet didn't alienate a male reader, very subtle :)
      PC info: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X - Sapphire 7900XTX - 32GB DDR4 4000 - 3 NVMe + 3SATA SSD - Quest 2 & 3
      JeremyC85
      Inspiring
      November 20, 2019

      Luciferous said:

      Ok listened the Prince of Thorns and it is a very good book. Must admit took me few chapters to get into it, as it is a very different kind of hero and I had no idea where the author was going with it. I'll definitely be getting the next two, thanks for recommendation.



      Happy you enjoyed it so far! 
      Zenbane
      ZenbaneAuthor
      Honored Contributor
      December 9, 2019
      Quick update,

      I just finished Book 3 of the Mistborn trilogy. As a lover of puzzles (it's my favorite gaming genre), this series is an absolute gem. I burned through all three books in the trilogy rather quickly. I don't think I've read any series that has so many interwoven stories, formulas, and connections that sensibly unfold with surprise throughout such a rich tale of science, combat, power, and religion. Fantastic read!

      On the downside... and to my dismay...
      It literally ends the exact same was as the Sword of Truth series. FML. They both end with a character obtaining a Godlike status, narrating to the reader as they put the Universe, Planets, and Life itself back to the way things were before all the tragedy happened.

      I could tell that I was being setup for it, when I noticed some direct cross-over with the third Matrix film. There's a part in the Book 3 of Mistborn where the Neo-like hero flies high above what the world knew as a darkened sky, goes beyond it, to see the clear view beyond. And then falls back down to darkness and ash and combat. As I read it, it perfectly narrated that scene from the 3rd Matrix film. It was then that I thought, "oh crap. This author put all his effort in to the awesome puzzles and combat of the Mistborn tale. But the overall story is going to follow a formula when it comes to its conclusion."


      I'll probably move on to the next part of the Mistborn series: Wax and Wayne. Overall though, my hunt continues for something truly original.

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