Tuesday 19 August 2014

Top Ten Book Fails - Books I Have Been Told To Read

Today's Top Ten topic from The Broke and the Bookish is Ten Books that I Have Been Told to Read Time and Time Again. So I have adjusted it slightly to show the ten fantasy book fails that I think I have - books that everyone else seems to have read that I really ought to be getting to!

1) Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear


This book has been lauded by reviewers all over the place - this and the remaining two novels in the series. It seems like the type of book I would absolutely love, so I now have a copy and it's just a case of finding time in my reading schedule to get to it.

2) Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed


Lots of talk from readers about how this fantasy takes readers away from a typical Western setting, so I would like to read it for this reason.

3) Any Brent Weeks novels


In particular, this series by Brent Weeks. From the sounds of it, Weeks' first series is quite generic, and this is where he really started stretching his writing chops. Definitely one to have a look at.

4) The Wild Hunt series by Elspeth Cooper


I was always very keen to read Elspeth's novels and woefully didn't read the first. There are now two more with the fourth coming pretty quickly as well, so it seems a good time to catch up and have a series binge.

5) Kristen Britain


I confess, this is all about the pretty covers. ALL ABOUT THE COVERS. Deep inside me there is a 14 year old girl who still wants to read horse books...

6) The Hammer by K J Parker


This could really be any K J Parker novel. A number of years ago I tried the series beginning with Colours in the Steel, and I found it rather dense and awkward to read. I have heard that this ended up being the weakest of Parker's work, so I'd like to give this author another try. Any recommendations on which novel to read?

7) The Demon Cycle novels by Peter V Brett


Surprisingly, considering the great success of this series, I haven't read any of them. I have, of course, collected all of them with every intention of reading them, but, once again, I just need to find time.

8) The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson


I sincerely want to read this series (and it would be my first Sanderson novels that weren't associated with the Wheel of Time). I am a little wary about it though because it is an ongoing and absolutely massive series, which means a lot of waiting between books.

9) Days of Blood and Starlight and Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor


I read the first in this series when it first came out and LOVED it. I am very keen to finish reading the trilogy now that it is complete.

10) Touchstone by Melanie Rawn


I know that Rawn is more famous for her Dragon Prince series of novels, which I have fancied reading. However, this newer series feels more to my tastes. I have seen it a few times in Waterstones so far and it won't be much longer before it somehow tumbles into my bag and comes home with me (I will buy it - I just realised that sounded a little like shoplifting).

So those are some of my book fails - novels I really need to start reading. Let me know yours in the comments!

3 comments:

  1. Most of those are books I also need and want to read. Looks like we have many of the same bookfails! :p

    I did read Parker's "The Hammer," and wasn't that impressed. It felt like it dragged on and had little in the way of plot even though there was an extraordinary amount of detail and connecting one small event to another major one. Since then I've read a couple of Parker's short stories that have convinced me to give Sharps a try, at least, and I'm hoping it ends up better.

    And Brett's "Demon Cycle" books will always have a special place with me, since I read the first one during my first hospitalization and it helped me get through a difficult time. It was exactly what I needed when I needed it, so I'm rather fond of it.

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  2. I had high expectations of Range of Ghosts. After reading it, I decided to stop with the series as I didn't find it interesting enough and I didn't enjoy Bear's writing style.
    I had a rather similar experience with The Hammer. I liked this one more but still, I was not amazed either.
    Throne of the Crescent Moon, several Brent Weeks novels, The Demon Cycle and The Stormlight Archives are all in my priority-1 to-read list and await a chance to be read!! I have many more "book-fails" that should have been read long ago but I'd better not go into that! :p

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  3. I've also got Bear, Brett and Sanderson in my long term to read list.

    Kate Elliot, Myke Cole, Sam Sykes have also managed to hide from me

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