Dreamscape

[Hermione]

Barry Hughart's books. "Bridge of Birds", "The Story of the Stone", and "Eight Skilled Gentlemen", in that order.
Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy - "Sabriel", "Lirael" and "Abhorsen".
(These are two VERY different styles, so if you don't like one of them, check out the other.)
Terry Pratchett's Discworld books (again, different style altogether)
Well, if you read all of those it should keep you busy for a few months, so I'll get back to you again when I've got some feedback, eh?

[Irishman]

I'll be lookin' fer them. I aught ta warn ya tho'. If I like the series, I will devour the books within a week or two.

[Cynder]

whatever happened to our book thread? I thought we had one with some great authors & titles in it around here somewhere.....

I love fantasy.. particularly 'lighter' stuff:
Gordon Dickson
Piers Anthony (xanth gets repetitive but check out Ogre Ogre & some of the other earlier ones)
Anne McCaffrey (dragon world & crystal series in particular... but anything of hers is good)
Patricia Wrede (for youth, but fun)
Christopher Stashiff (earliest ones are best)
James Schmidt (but not the ones 'editted' by someone -- they're actually written by the other guy & not very good, but the original Schmidt's are great -- check out the Witches of Karres & Demon Breed &....)
The Misenchanted Sword (forget... was it LE Modistte?)
Tanya Huff (Summoner series & Song Cycle)

I'm sure I'll think of a few more later...

[Irishman]

Once again returning to the Dreamscape.......

Irishman meets up with Belgarath at his tower. At first he wanders around a few times before remembering where the door is. Then he focuses a small amount of his will and says 'Open'. The stone rotates outward revealing a narrow stairway. Starting up he remembers, pauses, and lifts his foot over the loose step.
'Belgarath, are you busy?' he asks as he reaches the room at the top.

[veela]

(appears from thin air) Can I help?

[Irishman]

Irishman nearly jumps out of his skin*a neat, if gruesome, trick*

'Veela, ya scared the bejeebers outta me.' he looks around the clutter of the tower.

'Belgarath! where are you?' , he bellows.

Then a simple seeming man is seen to be studying a strange device. He seems wholly absorbed in his task, not noticing that he has guests.

Irishman winks at Veela and whispers 'Watch this,' he draws a deep breath and yells 'Dinner!'

The man jumps up and looks around at the clutter covering his stove top. Then he glowers at Irishman and says 'That wasn't very nice, my boy. Now I am hungry and haven't got a thing to eat.' He looks forlornly at the stove.

Irishman laughs.'Ok you old faker, Let me clear off some of this mess, and I will see what I can make up.' He glances sidelong at the old man. 'See if you can find chairs for Veela and I to sit on, would you?'

[Hermione]

What? Does Irishman need more books already?
I'd rather get some further indications of his likes, but here goes:

Dave Duncan's "King's Blades" series -"Sky of Swords", "The Gilded Chain", "Lord of the Fire Lands", "Paragon Lost", and I think there are a few more.

Fred Saberhagen's sword series

Brian Jacques' Redwall series (The earlier ones are the best)

Simon Green's... oh, shoot. What was it called? The one where the poor prince had to rescue the dragon from the princess? It was really good, too... Blood Moon? Blood Moon Rising? Blue Moon Rising? Something like that. His "Nightside" series is really good too.

P.N. Elrod's Vampire Files books (they're a little more horror than fantasy, to warn you, but still have a lot of humour to them for all that)

"The Green Rider", I don't remember who wrote it. (Kate Bishop? Kristen G-something?)

Patricia McKillip's "Riddlemaster of Hed" trilogy, and "The Changeling Sea", which is a stand-alone

Phillip Pullman's "Shadow in the North", whatever the other one is, and "Tiger in the Well" series, as well as his "Silver Compass" "Subtle Knife" and whatever the other one is series.

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series

Robin McKinley -absolutely anything by her. I really liked "The Hero and the Crown", "The Blue Sword", "Deerskin", "Sunshine", "The Rose Cottage", and "Outlaws of Sherwood", but she has other good ones too, as well as some short stories.

Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere", "American Gods", "Stardust", "Anansi Boys" and especially "Good Omens", which he did with Terry Pratchett whom I've already recommended to you.

Er... how many more did he say he needed?

[Irishman]

Irishman begins clearing off the stove top, then he tosses a bit of kindling into the fire box and lights a small fire. Seeing that the oven will warm up quickly, he pulls a few covered jars out of his pack and begins working at making the meal.

Quickly realising that Belgarath has little or nothing in his larder, Irishman concentrates and mutters something to himself. A haunch of venison appears alongside the stove. He hefts a sharp blade out of his assortment of knives and begins slicing up the steaks.

Adding a negligent appearing shake of spices from his jars, he quickly fills the tower with the aroma of spiced venison as he adds more wood to the oven in preparation of a fine meal for Veela and his old friend.

[Hermione]

Hey, Irishman, try "Mistborn", by Brandon Sanderson or Sandersen, I forget which. Anyway, the book itself is wonderful and absolutely memorable.

[Dathron]

Maybe I'll go check these out cause it doesn't seem as if Irishman has.

[Irishman]

Hermione! I am most apologetic, I 'ave neglected ta check out tha novel, This time o' year, the purse strings are drawn tight (in me wife's fist). I will hafta check 'em out after the first o' the year. Thank ye fer yer consideration.

'Belgarath, git outta tha' pot, the stew hasna' had the chance ta come ta full flavor yet. And quit pokin' at me venison, it has an hour yet ta be prepared!' Irishman grumbles to himself, canna take me eye offa ya fer an instant....

[Hermione]

What? You think I want you to BUY everything I've recommended?! Heaven forfend! No, no, just go check it out at the library... Make the LIBRARY buy it!

[Irishman]

Ah lass, the problem with that is this. I tends ta check books out, but pay back in overdue fines 3 times the askin' price o' the novel,lol

[Hermione]

? Don't they stop accumulating at the price to replace the volume? You should maybe start attending meetings there and see if you can't get the rules changed. Unless your library isn't getting enough funding elsewhere, in which case, you can live with it! Really!

[Irishman]

True, true. Libraries tend ta become almost unneccessary ta todays' youth. I 'member many a day spent in thar readin' thru book after book, then bein' asked ta leave by the matron fer they wished ta go home. But, I returned all the sooner on the next morn'.

Now they gots them magic boxes(kinda like the one i be sittin' afore) ta do their readin' and searchin' from. *sigh*

[Hermione]

Libraries are still better. That just seems to be forgotten too often...

Besides, there's something wonderful about roaming through the stacks, browsing here and there for new treasures!

[Irishman]

Ya gots that right. I love ta pick out new books just from the Titles or the covers. Trying new authors in that way has opened me eyes up to radically different worlds, dontcha know.

[Hermione]

Yup... sometimes I'll check out a book because it was mis-shelved, so I know somebody else was looking at it. Kind of a recommendation from a stranger!

[Irishman]

The truest problem I seem ta 'ave, is tha' I tend ta get into a series, an' then find that the last book is out of print, and I canna find hide nor hair o' it!

[Hermione]

Oo, that's frustrating!
You've told your local used book store people to call you if they get a copy in?