Seeking recommendations for large, engrossing stories to get lost in

Recommendations
#1

I’ve gotten into a real reading rut! The last ~10 books I’ve read haven’t captured my interest at all. They’ve mostly all been depressing non-fiction that was somehow also boring and didn’t feel worth my time.

I’d like to just get sucked into some good fiction for a while. I love The Golden Compass, love Dune, really enjoyed one of the Jack Reacher books (The Midnight Line)… I think I’m looking for big, sweeping fantasy/sci-fi or a suspenseful mystery or just something cheap and easy and fun.

Any recommendations?

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#2

So, not really what you are asking for, but I just posted a thread about one of my favorite series that I’m working my way through right now.

John Scalzi’s Old Man War series is pretty fun and easy. Same with the Red Rising series (though it’s YA I think?). I really enjoyed Timothy Zahn’s Icarus Hunt recently also. Have you read the Expanse series? Those are pretty popcorn sci fi fun.

Or have you read any Brian Sanderson? The Mistborne series was pretty fun, a little overwritten though.

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#3

I’m getting into the Broken Earth / Fifth Season series by NK Jemisin!

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#4

I was going to say Broken Earth as well (I’m 2 of 3 books in and enjoying it) but I see from Goodreads you’ve already read 'em @morgane!

Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis trilogy (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago) is pretty cool. I wouldn’t quite put it with my all time faves, but very interesting premise and a fun read.

Also if you like Le Guin, this one looks amazing, may get a casual online reading group started for it next month-ish: Always Coming Home

I would totally recommend The Moonstone, classic and a ton of fun.

Two I thoroughly enjoyed, not high literature but extremely fun and better than expected: Leigh Bardugo’s duology Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, a solid rollicking YA fantasy heist story.

I also thought the whole Crazy Rich Asians trilogy was great! Silly but also pretty killer satire and lots of ~drama~ and a really enjoyable easy read.

#5

Thank you all!! @spike I’ve never heard of this series but I love dry British humor so I’m going to see if the library has these books!

@tarngerine yep, already read that series :slight_smile: But it reminds me that she’s written others books too… I should look into those.

@Brendan wow thank you for all the suggestions!! “solid rollicking YA fantasy heist story” is probably exactly what I want to read right now.

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#6

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb! She’s written… a lot in the world. But the story arch over her first trilogy ends nicely, so if you don’t want to pick up the others you don’t have to.

Or I sometimes recommend Ship of Magic by her as a first book. It’s in the same world, just a really distant part with unrelated characters. It has more characters (each chapter usually follows a different character) & more awesome women. And the character development/transitions is pretty amazing (hated some at the beginning and totally did a 180 later).

Basically a choice between a really mopey emo boy assasin arch or cool women pirates.

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#7

Oh I really liked Robert Bennett Jackson’s Founders series, starting with Foundryside. A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is also a quick, fun, and very feel-good.

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#8

+1 for Robin Hobb!! Spent my teenage years obsessed with that series and have re-read it many times as an adult.

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#9

Big +1 to six of crows/crooked kingdom! I got sucked in deep to that.

Another fun YA series if you love an unreliable narrator and fantasy political intrigue: The Queens Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. The first book is fun but simple, but things heat up more in the second book. There’s 5 total so far. It has the fun twists and political intricacy of Game of Thrones. Lots of writerly sleight of hand.

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan is a ridiculous, fun YA fantasy send-up. If you’re a fanfiction head like me, it’s like reading an extremely long and excellent fic.

Also want to shoutout The Company series by Kage Baker. It’s like 12 books, plus there’s some extra short story collections? Premise is immortal androids who save treasures from the past to preserve for the future, so combines elements of sci fi and historical fiction. It can be uneven and occasionally problematic, but is also very fun. I don’t really know if she manages to stick the landing in terms of the main plot line through the series, but the world/premise/characters are really rich and she’s a very funny writer. The short stories may actually be the best parts since she can play with her premise without getting bogged down by the grand overarching plot. She usually explains the premise in those stories, so you can read them standalone if you want.

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#10

Thank you all SO MUCH! I’m about to go all out at the SF Public Library >:)