The Best Book/Book Series You've Ever Read?

[samuraiweasel]

Its kind of a tie between

The Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
The Discworld books by Terry Pratchett
The Drenai books by David Gemmell

They're all damn good series and the last two are at least finished.

Im on the hunt for another good series to read....

edit : Forgot Discworld!!!! and David Gemmell!!!

 

[King Toasty]

The Bartimaeus Trilogy. Really original, fantastic characterization and simply amazing atmosphere.

Couldn't have said it better myself

With capslock you could've. Or bacon.

OT: Percy Jackson and the Olympians was also really good. Movie was horrible shit, though.

Captcha: RDR eofeade. Uhm, are you alright, Lord Inglip?

 

[Koroviev]

I enjoy just about anything written by either Dostoevsky or Haruki Murakami.

 

[Chaosweaver]

Discworld, although I found Unseen Academicals to be a bit weaker than the other books.

The Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell is also a top read.

Someone also mentioned the Dune series. I've read the six original books, which are utterly brilliant. Dense, but rewarding. The other books (written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson) are enjoyable but nowhere near the standard of the originals.

 

[RandV80]

The Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. I just wish he'd release his next book already!

The publishing date's been set, it's coming out in July... of this year!

And I agree, used to be The Wheel of Time Series but Martin topped it for me. I still need to get into The Malazan Book of the Fallen series though.

 

[SangRahl]

Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan / Brandon Sanderson
I'd normally just give credit to Jordan, but with how completely impressed I was with Sanderson's continuation with Jordan's notes/groundwork, I had to include him.

Kingkiller's Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss
I know the second novel was only just released, but I have to list 'The Name of the Wind' as one of my all-time favorite reads. The second book disappointed a bit, but overall if held strong as a solid continuation of the overarching story. Now to wait another 2-4 years for the final volume...

Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
Perhaps it is a children's series, but it still was a delight to read in my mid/late-twenties. Solid characters, creative worldcrafting, and enough emotional depth to not be completely saccharine.

 

[DistinctlyBenign]

Discworld, although I found Unseen Academicals to be a bit weaker than the other books.

Really? 'cuz I thought Academicals way miles better than Pyramids. Also, if you read the series from start to finish in order like I did, go back and try and read The Colour of Magic again. The series has a completely different feel now.

That said, I think Academicals is probably the weakest of, say, the last 5 books in the series.

 

[YuffieV]

Mine has to be the Artemis Fowl series.

 

[AnthonTheSkabot]

Thus far, my favorite book is Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore, but that will probably change within the next few months.

 

[LikeDustInTheWind]

The Eragon/Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini. The movie sucked but the books are amazing.

 

[The_Echo]

Single book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Such a good book.

Series: Pendragon by DJ MacHale. It has a bit of a slow start, but it has a lot of twists, wit, and cliffhangers that literally left me sitting there wondering "What the fuck?" for extended periods of time.

Also, John Dies at the End by David Wong. Highly entertaining, but I can't put a rank on it as I haven't finished it yet.

 

[blaise_fire]

I still need to get into The Malazan Book of the Fallen series though.

I'm reading that series right now. Only just started book 3... of 10.

 

[diablomaki]

Eravis Cale has some good books about him by Paul s. Kemp
i just read 2 books in the Monster Hunter International(larry correia) and they were suprisingly entertaining, i recommend them.

 

[Houi]

Seeing some of the responses in these sorts of threads always makes me sad to realise I've read so many awesome books and series which you guys have listed and yet I barely remember many of them.

OT: Geodesica Ascent/Descent. A bit of a weird pair of books but the ending of it just hit me so hard. Nothing says good stories like a sudden change in your entire philosophy about life.

 

[Athol]

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman

 

[Arisato-kun]

The best series I've ever read is Genshiken.

http://myanimelist.net/manga/348/Genshiken

I completely base this off the fact that it's the only book series to change my life.

 

[Chaosweaver]

Discworld, although I found Unseen Academicals to be a bit weaker than the other books.

Really? 'cuz I thought Academicals way miles better than Pyramids. Also, if you read the series from start to finish in order like I did, go back and try and read The Colour of Magic again. The series has a completely different feel now.

That said, I think Academicals is probably the weakest of, say, the last 5 books in the series.

Your last comment is fair enough, I probably should have said that AA was weaker than the more recent novels (especially Night Watch and Thud!).

That said, my least favourite is still Reaper Man. Not to say it's bad, just less enjoyable than the others.

 

[nin_ninja]

'The Wheel of Time' by Robert Jordan.

With help by Brandon Sanderson.

This. 100% this.

Saidin rules.

Saidin is kinda so-so...

We need to find another power, one that men and women can both use. My partner Mierin and I are close to achieving it! Tomorrow, we bore a hole into the Dark Ones prison! Err, uhm, I mean we will bypass these silly limitations of saidin and saidar!!

Wish us luck ; )

That sounds dangerously close to the True Power.....do you have saa in your eyes?

Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan / Brandon Sanderson
I'd normally just give credit to Jordan, but with how completely impressed I was with Sanderson's continuation with Jordan's notes/groundwork, I had to include him.

Brandon has a new series he's working on that's worth checking out too.

The first book is called 'The Way of Kings'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_Kings

I hope he gets the last Wheel of Time book out soon tho.

Also, he's said its probably not till March 2012 that the book will be released.

 

[Browbeat]

Dan Abnett fanboy warning!

Gaunt's Ghosts (12 books+ short stories and universe-extending novels) for portraying a believable regiment of men in a sea of horror and war in an unforgiving future, in a world that barely tolerates them, fighting for a home that no longer exists. Violence, despair, pretend foul language, hairyness, the Taint of Chaos, valor, toilet humor.

close second-

Malus Darkblade (5 books + graphic novels) A noble in a house of Dark Elves, leaned-on by his elder siblings, but wickedly ambitious himself, Malus seeks power at any cost... and spends 5 books paying for it. Humor, wit, violence, clever banter, engaging narrative, skull-based alcohol use.