Looking for book suggestions

Hey DB,

Reading is arguably the most important skill people can have. It has been something I used to take pride in as a pastime due to the numerous benefits it provides as well as the many different, entertaining stories a person can live and relive just by turning the pages. As a teenager, I used to read a lot - granted, it was mostly SW books that has led to my passion here today. However, after I went to university and reading upon reading was assigned for me to do on subject matters and topics that I had no interest in learning about (and only completed for the credit/mark I needed in the course); I lost interest in reading.

Now I am twenty-six years old and have been out of university for almost three years, and I have found myself picking up books again out of the pure enjoyment. The Hobbit had to be one of the first books I've completed since graduating. Though it was a re-read (having originally read the book as a child) to remind myself of certain details before the movie came out, I was swept away once again. Since last fall I have managed to read a number of books, again with great variety from Game of Thrones to Cloud Atlas and even a few SW comics, but I am always looking for the next great story.

That brings me to this post. Since many of the books I have been picking up lately have been recommendations by fellow members, I wanted to expand this to the DB at large. Now, while I am always looking for a great read, I have also found that in my pursuit for suggestions there also is a large list of "books you need to read before you die" either due to their pop-culture or historical connection (for example: The Great Gatsby, 1984, Dracula, etc.) and I have yet to read these (Dracula is now done ;P).

So what I am looking for with this post are three things:
1) Books you would recommend based on interests (feel free to break it down as you desire)
2) Books everyone should have read
Also;
3) Books you would recommend based on writing (as someone who enjoys writing just as much as reading, any books you would recommend to become a better writer would be much appreciated as well)

Thanks!

Eh, I read a lot of random books, mostly in the fantasy vein.

One series I would suggest is The Age of Discovery series by Michael Stackpole. It's a really interesting take on the idea of magic users... essentially people become magicians by becoming super awesome at one thing. It's a bit weird, but you may want to take a stab at it, I liked it alot.

The next series is the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. A Wizard operating in the open in modern day Chicago. It's awesome. I'd definitely give this (very long, and still running) series a shout.

Finally, I am also a big fan of Butcher's other series Codex of Alera. It's another fresh take on how magic works. Series goes through some weird turns, but I like it none the less.

Finally, breaking out of the Magic realm fantasy, I'd suggest Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Standalone book, based heavily in a futuristic world and has lots of cyber-world / tech dominated fiction. Not exactly a light read, but awesome none-the-less.

Yay books/reading!

Not sure if I can break it up into the sections you had listed...I'll just try and hand out a few recommendations that come to mind. I also read a ton of comics, so not sure if you want any recommendations for comics/graphic novels...lots of variety out there these days, especially if you move away from the basic super-hero stuff

World War Z by Max Brooks - It's a Zombie book, but a good one. I'm not a huge zombie fan, but I really did enjoy this book and how it did the whole post-apocalyptic thing. It's a pretty easy read as well

Word & Void Series by Terry Brooks - Terry Brooks writes a lot of ficiton, mostly known for his Shannara series. This is a trilogy that can stand-alone, and is a "Magic in the real-world" sort of book. The three books are called Running with the Demon, A Knight of the Word and Angel Fire East.

Ender's Game - This is one of those famous books that people should generally read. There's a number of sequels/spin-off books, but this is the first and works well on its own

Dune Series - Again, one of those "famous" books. I would go for Dune and Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. I would probably stay away from the prequel novels by his son, as well as the later novels Frank did unless you enjoyed those first two books.

I went on a bit of a Stephen King kick a few years back...I actually got through the whole Dark Tower series. In all honesty I only really enjoyed the first 4 books...those were good books and then just find out how it ends after I also enjoyed The Talisman and its sequel, Black House. There's also The Stand...you'll either love it or hate it.

Oh, last one off the top of my head is American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Takes a little time to get going, but that was a good read.

I'm a pretty rabid fan of Heinlein, so I'd recommend a number of his works. My personal favorite is The Moon is a Harsh Misteress, and I do like Stranger in a Strange Land as well (but to a lesser extent). Starship Troopers is also quite good, the movie not withstanding. Last but not least, even though it is shorter then some of his later novels, I'm a big fan of The Puppet Masters.

As far as fantasy, I would suggest the Saga of Recluce novels by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.. Things like the Wheel of Time books tend to get a lot of the attention, especially out of the books in the TOR fantasy stable, but I like the Recluce books a lot more. The author jumps around the timeline in the world he's established, showing how characters referenced in the earlier books as nearly mythological constructs actually really acted through making them the main characters of later novels. He also has a very well defined and regulated view of what magic is, one with rules and limits that a lot of magic in fantasy lacks, and uses it to great effect.

Finally, building off Halc's mention of comics above, I'm going to recommend Watchmen as a must read. Yes, it's a graphic novel, but it's not a "comic". It's a great story that asks some serious questions, and it's on Time Magazine's list of the top 100 novels of the last century (along with things like The Catcher in the Rye, Catch 22, and A Clockwork Orange). Also, if you don't read it, noted crazy man Alan Moore will come to your house.

Chronicles of Amber is one of my all time favorite series. Interesting take on well everything really.

Aside from Tolkien one of my favorite Medieval Fantasy writers is Raymond E Feist. Great books with well developed characters and history.

Kingkiller Chronicles.

You're welcome.

Thanks guys for the suggestion, I have actually added all your books on to my reading list. I'm starting with Storm Front (no offense to the rest, had to start somewhere)

Always looking for more suggestions

Awesome awesome choice. Go Dresden

Another good suggestion is James Lovegrove's Pantheon Saga. My personal favorite is Age of Zeus, he takes various different mythology in each book and adds a science fiction spin to it. In one the Gods in question are aliens, another genetically modified humans, etc. It's an awesome read no matter which one you pick.

If you're a fan of guessing allusions and like vampires, Anno Dracula is a great read as well. He even offers a few pages in the back that list where every name that wasn't his own creation comes from. Takes place around the time of Jack the Ripper and its basically what would have happened had Dracula not been stopped in..well...Dracula.

Just read American Gods and Anansi Boys from Neil Gaiman. Both are excellent reads.