David Eddings is great. The Belgariad is an awesome series, and I love Eddings' ability to write believable, interesting and likeable characters. The Redemption of Althalus is an awesome book as well, and is a standalone. If you read it after the Belgariad though you might find Althalus and Belgarath to be almost identical.
Raymond E. Feist is probably my favourite fantasy author, I keep finding myself rereading his stuff. Something like umpteen million books are set in the one universe over the course of several generations. Any book can be read as a standalone, though most are intended to be read as part of a series of 4-5 consecutive books. I would recommend starting at the start with the Riftwar saga (Magician, Silverthorn and Darkness At Sethanon). They tell a great story on their own, give background on the world and it's history and introduce the pivotal characters that will remain throughout the series - be it through near-immortality or through their progeny. Even when the characters you loved are dead of old age, it feels good to know what their kids are doing, and their children's children.
