Where The Heart Is

I'm not usually one to recommend books in Oprah's Book Club, but hey, if it's a good story, why not? I got interested in this story after seeing the movie, which is usually backwards to most people's experiences. I have found that if I liked the movie, the book must have been really, really good. Hollywood usually does such a hack job making movies from books, but in this case they did a fairly nice job. The book and the movie follow the same plot except for a few twists that were developed, I'm sure, to keep the story moving.
Both the book and the movie are recommended. The movie has Natalie Portman going for it, so it's a no brainer for me. :P

The Arabian Nights

The Arabian Nights is a small portion of the larger collection of tales know as the Thousand and One Nights. Tales of Scheherazade, Sinbad and many more compiled by the amazing Sir Richard Francis Burton, English explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, ethnologist, linguist, poet, hypnotist, fencer and diplomat.. I have to admit, when I get to reading classics, I get a little intimidated, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Drizzt!

This is a fun little series, does not take much concentration to get maximum entertainment. Follow the travels of the legendary Drizzt Do'Urden, the Lone Drow.

The Dragon and the George

I think I read the Dragon and the George four or five times in all and enjoyed it every time. The English Wolf Aragh has got to be one of my favorite characters, the dry humor had me cracking up. A fun book all around.

Quag Keep

Andre Norton is an old school sci-fi and fantasy author whose works like Quag Keep and the Witch World series are unsurpassed for their originality within the genre. Quag Keep is one of the first forays into the role playing realm. I remember this book as one of the ones that really sparked my imagination as a teenager. Enjoy!

Neverwhere

Even though I became a huge fan of Neil Gaiman when I read his Sandman comic book series, this is the book that really cemented it for me. Kind of an off the beaten track book, but I really enjoyed it and it has alway stuck out in my mind as one of the better books I've read. See also Neil Gaiman's Stardust, which was just recently made into a pretty good movie.

Neuromancer

William Gibson's portayal of what the earth of our future could be, struck home for me as I read it. I could see just how things could end up they way this story plays out. It was frightening and not necessarily a flattering picture of our future.

Stone of Farewell

Stone of Farewell, the first in a trilogy, by Tad Williams, is just one of my favorites. I dont know why, but I have to reread it every couple of years and I seem to get something new out of it each time. I know I felt the same way when I re-read the Lord of the Rings trilogy also. His stories are very complex and his plot lines are impeccable. Read this one for pure enjoyment.

Stranger in a Strange Land

Robert Heinlein's books are always so full of detail and he really knows how to focus on the main character in the story. He rarely jumps around from character to character, he sticks with the protagonist through the whole story. Stranger in a Strange Land is the story of a human 'Martian' coming to earth, experiencing all of an earthling's pains, temptations and joys and is reflective of just how out of place all of us tend to feel at some point in our lives.

Dragonriders of Pern

Anne McCaffrey is a storyteller. She does it so well that as soon as you finish one book you are looking for more. The story follows the young girl, Lessa from virtual slavery to becoming the most important woman on her planet. The imagery of the dragons interacting with 'their' humans is detailed and vivid. The Dragonriders trilogy is not the only books about the world of Pern, Dragonsong is also one of my favorites.

Wheel of Time

The Wheel of Time series, beginning with The Eye of the World is just a great story. Period. It has so many story threads, so many characters, so many great yarns buried in a bigger story, that it's hard to put the book down. I hope you have stamina, because there are now TWELVE books in this series, most of which are 1200 pages. I'm thinking that's about one year of entertainment. Enjoy!

Thomas Covenant

This trilogy by Stephen R. Donaldson is a great read. IF, and I say IF, you can get past the whining and self-torture of the the main character, Thomas Covenant, you might just find yourself falling in love with the other great characters in the story: Lord Mhoram, a Lord of the Land; Saltheart Foamfollower, the Giant; and the Bloodguard were my favorites. Before you know it, you will be on the third book, The Power that Preserves, and you will think: There's no more???. Well, relax, there is a second trilogy, starting with The Wounded Land. Not as good as the first three, but pretty good. Wait until you meet Nom. Good times. :P

Elric of Melnibone

Elric is the quintisential anti-hero, he does dispicable things but you cant help but like the guy. He is torn emotionally by all the things that everyone else is and everyone can find something to identify with in the story. This whole series is fabulous, unfortunately, this is the only series of books by Michael Moorcock that I can whole-heartedly recommend.

LOTR

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is the beginning of all reading for anyone who likes sci-fi and fantasy books. All current fantasy books are based on Tolkien's books, I dont care what anyone says to the contrary. He did it first, and better than most have done since then, and is the Benchmark for the genre. I liked his 'prequel' to LOTR, 'The Hobbit', but it never had the complexity or depth that the Trilogy had. To understand some of the motivations behind 'the Ring', you should read the Hobbit. If you turn into a die-hard Tolkien fan, try the Silmarilion also, but it's not something that casual readers would be into.