Sorry about that previous post, I became swept up in a wind of ponder.
Ugh, the choices. There are far too many books I could put that I have read continously or have found recently and enjoy so much, but I'll try to settle with five I really prefer.
1. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
~ This for me, and probably many others, was my first Tolkien experience. Needless to say, I kept on reading! Still, it holds a special place in my heart, and the barrel incident, and all the riddles as well.
My 11 year old mind (and the questionable one now) thought Bilbo a genius of wit and love for travel/learning, with a good balance of being reasonable. Basically, a model mind to take inspiration from.
No doubt I do really love Lord of The Rings, especially the first book, and all chapters involving Ents, but I would have to say that The Hobbit was what first had me hooked.
2. The Farthest Shore - Ursula K. Le Guin
~ First of all, I love the works of Le Guin absolutely, and am very glad my friend one day decided to lend the first in the series to me, or I'd never have known about it at ten years old or later.
I love this one the most out of the series, even though it isn't well known as the others. Mostly because, this isn't the typical Ged or his battles. There is so much taking place in the 'grey' that it keeps you wrapped in the story, there is no 'evil' or completely 'good' (which I adore in a story), but it is a wonderful development of fantasy writing. Plus, geography wise, there is far more shown at the rich cultures Le Guin created for all of the islands (and those that lived at the mercy of the open sea). Yes of course Ged is much different than earlier books, but the story shows that even if you are very young or old in years, matters of understanding self and wisdom can come at any age to anyone.
3. The Discworld Series - Terry Pratchett
~ Pratchett is a genius. Simple as that.
I've only come upon his works awhile ago, but now I am pretty much engulfed in it. Plus, Pratchett's works were the ones to finally win over my brother so he'd keep up with the act of reading just because you can, and want to. Something of which I have been trying for a long time to cause, with many works/authors. Another reason why he is a genius.
Plus, no one makes a more convincing character of Death, a real triumph.
It seems very likely and believable that Pratchett's works are something that anyone can pick from to enjoy, or at least learn and get a good laugh out of.
4. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
~ Gaiman makes fairytales and pre-Tolkien something odd but new and yet he also makes it seem as if fairytales are
supposed to be written like Stardust. All the 'traditional' elements are honored, but they are as believable as magical. In short, it is near impossible to imagine someone not laughing, but also impossible not to be drawn in so much that you realize the work is a category and honor of its own. I was a little upset at its treatment cinema-wise, but I definately recommend the work to be read and re-read again for good health.
5. The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
~ Found a copy of it in the bookcase after my dad picked it up in New Mexico of all places (geographically, complete opposite of the mystical and wet Avalon...). At first I was a little deterred by the Arthurian aspect, since all the myths I had encountered before seemed to be much the same, this book showed the falsehood in assuming by cover. I loved it, mostly because I couldn't wholly 'hate' or 'love' any character in the book, it showed a side to the story that I hadn't pondered before, and gave a philosophical lesson as well concerning the nature of state, tradition and religion. Plus, no two characters are marginalized together or into the background, and character development is shown to the fullest, for either good or bad reasons. It's hard to say that there are a wealth of 'supporting characters', which is good.
Okay, that is it for my rambles. I'm going to look at everyone else's recommendations to boost my library up a bit, because it needs it. There are never enough books...
~ Literally, Literary Ka