Hello!
I don't think it's hard to deduce that I love to read. The feeling of being completely enveloped into a story, connecting to the characters, following the story line, and walking away having gained the experiences that you've read is definitely one of the most enjoyable and satisfying things I've found in my life. With that being said I don't always have the time to fully enjoy the books that I would like to. Because of this I have begun to open up to lighter, shorter reads and have realized that with expanded reading interests I can enjoy reading more and more often.
When time is not a factor I love a good long fantasy or science fiction series. My favorite of all time being the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. I loved the use of magic, the lovable and ever-enduring characters and the balance of action and resting points in the plot.
When looking for a short read, or indulging in re-reading a favorite I adore Kurt Vonnegut. The writing is so distinct with multiple levels that it is really enjoyable for me to read and often times feels like visiting an old friend, picking up one of his stories. My favorite? Probably Welcome to the Monkey House.
In the past year and a half or so I have found a love for audio books as I juggle a full time job and school. At the end of the day I often do not have a desire to pick up a book, but the lack of great fiction in my life found an outlet through audio books that I listen to during my daily commute or whenever I have a moment at work. Experiencing books in this way, one book can stretch over weeks or over a month and I am often interrupted. Because of this I have had to open my tastes up to easier to follow books, and this has given me the opportunity to really enjoy some popular fiction. I just recently finished The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks. While I did not fully enjoy this one due to the setting and a lack of character development, I did enjoy some elements and appreciated the fairly lighthearted story and fun banter between the characters. I might find myself trying a different novel by the author in the future. Some other popular fiction that I have enjoyed in the past year include some suspenseful books including Gone Girl and Silent Sister, both of which I enjoyed.
I am looking forward to further expanding my horizons as well as finding books similar to my favorite fantasy series to cater to the part of me that enjoyed reading them in the past.
I love audio books as well! I (unfortunately) get really car sick if I try to read in the car, so audio books are a great way for me to still do some reading on long trips and such.
ReplyDeleteI have always been slightly attracted to the long fantasy and sci-fi books, but I'm intimidated by how long they are and how many books are usually in a series! What series would you recommend to someone just trying to test the waters?
I know the feeling! You might try a fantasy trilogy first to see if you would feel comfortable with that time commitment first. One of the first fantasy trilogies I read was the Abhorsen triology by Garth Nix. This might be a good place to start if you're open to young adult fiction.
DeleteTry Andre Norton's Witch World series. Some of the books are more straight-forward fantasy, while others blend a bit of SF. None of the stories are very long and I think most can be read without concern for book order.
DeleteHi there! I can relate to "not having enough time" to read the books I would normally like to delve into (historical non-fiction). I go to school full-time and chase a toddler around all day, which means my reading and studies have to wait until nap times and bedtime. Like you, I have gravitated toward lighter and shorter reads because of my time constraints. Recently, I have found that I really like popular science fiction and dystopian novels...Nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you too :)
DeleteAs somebody who does delivery driving to pay the bills, I've been meaning to get into audiobooks. However, I am VERY much not an auditory person. It's difficult for me to focus on what I'm listening to when there aren't visual clues, so I've never had much success. I've heard that it really depends on what the narrator does with the book, so perhaps you have some suggestions? My local library is very tiny, but hopefully they have a decent selection of audiobooks!
ReplyDeleteI agree that for me it depends a lot on the narrator. There have been stories where I was almost positive I would actually love the book but I just couldn't get into it because of the narrator. Luckily, most audio books that I have encountered are fairly neutral and don't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I can take me a few hours to really get into the audio book, because like you, I very much prefer physically reading a book. Just remember if you are listening to a book and realize that you kinda zoned out, you can always rewind!
DeleteI have been eyeballing Terry Goodkind's books recently. Your review of them gave me the push to finally check one out! I haven't always been a sci fi reader because they are sometimes so involved, but if it is well written, I will gladly give it a try!
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend them and I'm glad i convinced you. The Sword of Truth series is one of those experiences that have stayed with me. I would love to be able to go back and re-read the series for the first time again. Good luck and let me know how you like them!
DeleteI LOVE really long fantasy books and series. I couldn't really get into Terry Goodkind's books for some reason, although I did love the Legend of the Seeker show based off on them! I have been listening to audiobooks more recently for similar reason. I don't have much time to devote to sitting down and reading, so audio books allow me to experience books while I'm driving, working, etc. I really like to listen to audiobooks when I'm interested in rereading something, but don't have time to actually read it. For example, I listened to the entire Game of Thrones series since it would have taken so much time to actually read them!
ReplyDeleteI am going to read a fantasy, I am pretty excited about it. I even took a stretch and chose to read a horror novel. You would think with all the crime non-fiction that I would have no problem with a little Stephen King!! I have not switched to audiobooks as that may have allowed me to read much more. I don't even do the Kindle thing but my husband loves audio and ebooks. I have just never been able to switch.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the Sword of Truth series as well. At least the first 3-4 books before I stopped. I've read the 1st book, "Wizard's First Rule," a couple times, and listened to the audiobook version as well. I think that it is a great example of epic, or heroic, fantasy and a good introduction to readers unfamiliar with the genre. Although it is a long book which could be a turn off, it does read fast.
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