Suggestions?

[Insomniac]

Okay, so....being a busy mommy and an army wife have kind of gotten me off of reading for the last few years. Also, I have no idea what's good. I got into reading some of my brothers books this weekend while I was watching his children, and I'd like to start reading again.

I really like fantasy, but I've found that a LOT of fantasy is really, really silly. Now, I'm not exactly looking for something on par with Tolkien, but I'd like something you might call "Tolkien light". :D I like Orson Scott Card, I love Tolkien, and I ADORE C.S. Lewis, but I am a mommy, and my brain is not up to the task most of the time.

Any suggestions? *plead*

BTW - The books that I was reading were the Dragonlance Chronicles. They were almost on the verge of silliness, but were also easy to read and engaging. So maybe somewhere between that and the others.

[$tormin]

Maybe try the Last of the Renshai trilogy.
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Renshai-Trilogy/dp/0886775035

[Kallysti]

Have you ever read Robin Hobb? She's one of my favorite authors of all time. It's a little lighter read than Tolkien, at least in intricacies & involvement, though the stories themselves are rather dark :) Start with the Farseer trilogy (Assassin's Apprentice being the first one).

I do, of course, have many, MANY more books in mind but I don't want to go too overboard (and I'm at work atm, hehe).

[Katuyah]

I highly recommend Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series if you haven't read those, or perhaps Tom Clancy's line of books with Jack Ryan.

[SirGraystone]

Robin Hobb i enjoyed her Liveship Traders trilogies more, it's in the same world the Farseer trilogy but the stories are not connected together. Liveship are about ship, that come alive after been captain by 3 generations of the same family.

Robert Jordan wheel of time is good, but it seem to stretch forever with 11 books so far all between 800-1000 pages.

More on the light and "silly" side David Eddings Belgariad and Malloreon series but still entertaining to read.

[Dermiti]

If you like Fantasy I would recommend the Halfblood Chronicles.

Elvenbane
Elvenblood
Elvenborn

They are by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey

The 4th book Elvenbred is slated for release in Sept 2007. Its a really cool story.

[Insomniac]

Awesome! Thanks so much for all of the suggestions, guys! I'll be looking into all of them. :)

[Zarithar]

I'll second the Robin Hobb recommendation, and add to that George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. No silliness to be found by either of those authors.

[Stagecoach]

I would like to mention David Drakes(Lord of the Isles series), Tad Williams(Memory Sorrow and Thorn series) and Raymond E. Feist.

[wiccalight]

Not to sure if you would like this series but I'm currently reading a series of five books put out by Harry Turtledove, the first is called "Into the Darkness".

The author is a big name in alternative history fiction, in this series he takes facts from WW2 and places them in a fantasy setting. I have read a few of his other series and I have always liked how he has no quams in killing main caracters and he treats the "bad guys" in a realistic way, they are not just The Bad Guys, they see their views as just and worth dieing for.

Of cource if your looking for light reading and dont mind sci-fi there is always Star Wars lol, I'm also reading the new Legacy series and while its not the best Star Wars books it is decent.

And yes I cant just read one book at a time, There is also the latest WH40K book series that I am reading as they come out lol.

[Bobthepenguin]

Definitely love the David Eddings' books, and the Wheel of time.

For a short series, try Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen by Garth Nix. Love them. Or, on a Sci-fi kick, Lois McMaster Bujold has a series called the Miles Vorkosigan series. Very excelllent.

[Insomniac]

Wow! Thanks so much, everybody, for all the great suggestions. I just finished reading the Farseer trilogy. Now I remember why I stopped reading in the first place. The books were awesome! The ending.....was not as bad as I was dreading, but not as good as I was hoping. :D But now I can sleep again. Seriously. Instead of being sucked into the book, only to come back to hearing Lily crying and realizing that it was 7 a.m. Incredibly well written. Definitely a Robin Hobb fan now. =)

[Saroc_Luclin]

If you're interested in some more modern fantasy (magic in a current day world type things) then the three series I've been reading lately include:

Diane Duane's Wizardry series. You usually find them in the Young Adult section, and they'll probably be fairly light reading, but I really enjoyed most of them.

Weather Warden books by Rachel Caine. It's popcorn reading, don't expect anything really in depth, and it verges on Mary Sue-ish at times, but I've been liking it.

and of course Jim Butler's Dresden Files. The SciFi series hooked me on it, but the books stand well on their own IMO.

[DarKatan]

Um...

Terry Goodkind-Even though I am getting tired of his latest books, the series starts off with a bang.
Terry Pratchett-Best author ever
Terry Brooks-You can get half the series for under 20$
Tad Williams-
Greg Keyes-
Raymond Feist-His new stuff is awesome
Margaret Weis-Xanth is awesome
Tracy Hickman-With Weis, and I like her Dalamar the Dark from Dragonlance
L.E. Modesti
R.A. Salvatore-I actually prefer the Scarlet cape, and Woods out Back series
Neil Gaiman-American Gods
Eve Forward-Villains by Necessity
Mary Gentle- Grunts
Melanie Rawn-
Fred Saberhagen-
Richard Awlinson-Avatar Trilogy
Ed Greenwood-Everybody loves Elminster, dont they?
Robin Mckinley-The Hero and the Crown

[Elsedragon]

Spear Weilders Triolgy by R.A Salvatore good too.. And I hope I spelled that right.
I agree the Dresden Files is good read too.. I can't pick up a book about Harry without finshing it.

[Zarithar]

Margaret Weis-Xanth is awesome


Piers Anthony writes the Xanth novels (the first four or so are alot of fun), not Margaret Weis.

[DashCat9]

Weis and Hickman's Non-Dragonlance work is actually pretty good.

The Deathgate Cycle in particular is awesome.

[Hilbur]

Try Anne Bishop's Black Jewel series, Daughter of the Blood being the first book. Dark fantasy with touches of levity. The books Belladonna and Sebastian are also quite good.

John C. Wright's The Chronicles of Chaos series is also pretty good, more modern type fantasy with a very weird twist. Orphans of Chaos is the first book I believe.