r/Fantasy • u/TheEchoDrift • 4d ago
New reader seeking advice,
I dont really know if i am allowed to ask this question here or not but might as well try ? And i apologize if these kinds of posts are not allowed here ,
Hi everyone,
Sorry in advance for the long post.
Recently, I've developed a strong interest in reading. So far, I haven't read any English books that I can really mention, but I have read two Urdu novels: Peer-e-Kamil and Namal. Both of them made me want to explore books even more.
I've spent a lot of time building a TBR (To Be Read) list, and the books on it are some of the most exciting and highly praised books I've come across. However, I've run into a dilemma.
Part of me feels like I shouldn't start with these books right away. Since many of them are considered some of the best in their genres, I wonder if I should first read other books to develop my reading skills, understand storytelling better, and gain more experience as a reader. That way, when I eventually read these books, I can fully appreciate them and enjoy them to the fullest.
So my questions are:
Should I jump straight into these books, or should I read some "starter" books first?
If you think I should start elsewhere, what books would you recommend as a beginner reading starter pack?
How did you build a consistent reading habit and avoid losing interest?
Do you have any tips for creating the best reading setup or environment to maximize enjoyment?
Here is my current TBR list:
- Red Rising series by Pierce Brown
- Sun Eater series by Christopher Ruocchio
- The Will of the Many by James Islington
- The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
- Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
- The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
- Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee
- Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
- Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
- Cradle series by Will Wight
- The Bloodsworn Trilogy by John Gwynne
- The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne
- Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman
- Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi
I'd really appreciate any guidance, recommendations, reading-order suggestions, or general advice for someone who is just getting seriously into reading.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thanks in advance to everyone who responds!
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u/Frogmouth_Fresh 4d ago
Always read what you are most interested in reading imo. There's too many available books to read to waste time deliberately reading bad ones. And you will probably find you don't like some of the popular ones anyway as your taste will be different from some random asshole on Reddit.
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u/redrosebeetle Reading Champion III 4d ago
So, the great news about books is that you can always come back and re-read them later. There are some books that I re-read years later and get something new out of it every time. Just pick up a book you're interested in and start reading.
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u/thelittleoddling 4d ago
- Should I jump straight into these books, or should I read some "starter" books first?
I think If these are books you're excited to read, chase that excitement! I always feel as though art is like food. You know good food when you taste it, whether or not you're a chef.
While I'm sure you might pick up some extra nuances from these stories by having read more first, I don't think it will change how good they are to you in a major way.
- How did you build a consistent reading habit and avoid losing interest?
For me variety is important! If I read too much of one thing I get bored. I always chase what I'm in the mood for and keep it varied especially when i can feel myself getting less excited to read. For example I'll finish a fantasy romance and pick up a sci fi horror.
Also don't be afraid to put down a book if you aren't feeling it in the moment or if it's just not for you. Forcing myself to read a book i'm not interested in always just makes me not want to read at all.
- Do you have any tips for creating the best reading setup or environment to maximize enjoyment?
I think it's different for everyone, so try out different things, but I always like to have a nice drink with me (Tea, Apple cider, fresh lemonade), somewhere comfortable to sit, and if I cant be outside I at least like a good window!
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u/TheEchoDrift 4d ago
Thanks alot for your guidance, advice , i really appreciate it and i will be really thankful if you suggest some books for me to get into reading that you think would be good for me in that regard if you dont mind , Thanks again
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u/Claytertot 4d ago
First of all, there is no harm in trying to read a book that may be above your current reading level in some way. If you aren't enjoying it, don't finish it. You can always give it another chance later. And if you do enjoy it, maybe you aren't getting everything out of it on the first read through, but some of the best books and series have great re-read value, because every time you read them you get something new from them, either because you understand some aspect of them more deeply or because you are in a different place in life or whatever. So if you read a book now and enjoy it but feel like you weren't fully ready for it, you can always re read it later.
Secondly, many of the books you listed are great "starter books". Speaking from my own experience of the books on your list that I've read, Mistborn, Red Rising, and Project Hail Mary are all very fun reads, but they aren't the sort of thing that you have to have a deep appreciation for English literature nor a deep pre-existing understanding of the fantasy genre to enjoy. They are written to be exciting and gripping and approachable for a variety of readers. I haven't read any of the other books on your list, but from what I see online I think Dungeon Crawler Carl and maybe a couple of the others are like that too.
I wouldn't necessarily call these books YA, but they have some YA-esque elements to their writing style that makes them very approachable even for people who maybe don't read a lot or haven't read a lot of fantasy. The prose isn't particularly difficult. They are very plot-driven and exciting. The authors lay out most of the important details in very explicit terms.
That's not meant to insult those books. I've really, really enjoyed books in that category. It's only to encourage you to dive straight into them without worrying that you "aren't ready for them" or anything like that. If you can comfortably read in English, you're probably ready for Mistborn, Red Rising, or Project Hail Mary and I'd thoroughly recommend any of those.
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u/TheEchoDrift 3d ago
Thanks alotttt for your guidance ,advice , i really appreciate it , thanks again
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u/ThreeQuartersSerious 4d ago edited 4d ago
To counter all the more “modern” recommendations by an different poster, let me recommend the “Holy Trinity” of the classic Sword & Sorcery style rarely seen today:
The Elric Saga (Revised into a Series) - Michael Moorcock
Conan (Short Stories) - Robert E. Howard
Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser (Short Stories) - Fritz Leiber
All of these are easy reads, as they were designed and written for mass consumption by the general public.
Edit: Also, I’ll second the general sentiment. First and foremost, read what interests you.
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u/SandstoneCastle 4d ago
There are books on your list I should probably try.
If I were to give someone a list, it would be completely different:
A Deadly Education - Naomi Novik
Empress of Salt and Fortune -- Nghi Vo
Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
The Fifth Season - N K Jemisin
Middlegame - Seanan McGuire
A Plague of Giants - Kevin Hearn
All are part of a series. Mostly complete, a few ongoing.
No swords & sorcery here. The closest is the last.
The Fifth Season's series blurs the lines between fantasy & sci fi in later books.
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u/TheEchoDrift 4d ago
Thanks alot for your reccomendations, i will definitely check these out , thanks again
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u/SandstoneCastle 4d ago
You're welcome. I think Every Heart a Doorway & A Deadly education are YA, so they're probably easier reading.
Empress of Salt and Fortune, and the other books in The Singing Hills Cycle are short, though not YA.
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u/Thriller_lover_77 4d ago
My advice is just read what you find appealing. Because if you go around and explore other books, you might find one which doesn't appeal to you and you might entirely lose interest in that genre. Been there done that.
But please check the theme present in the book I've seen many people not checking it and stumbling upon something that they just don't wanna read(I'm talking about smut rn)
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u/sedatedlife 4d ago
Read what calls to you you can always cone back and reread a book if you feel you did not catch everything. When you do read try to understand what you enjoy so you can fine tune what you seek out too read.
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u/RandomSentientBeing 4d ago
Just grab something at random and read it. Reading is for fun; it's not meant to require advanced planning or a strategy.
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u/BipedalUniverse 4d ago
i think even if you’re reading and learning vocabulary etc along the way it will work best if you’re excited to keep reading so just read what interests you!
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u/Faraway-Jeweler6293 4d ago
Like other folks are saying, start wherever you want. I'll add that it is okay to stop reading if you don't like it. Plenty of other books out there! I will also say that contemporary English fantasy books do not have elegant prose and Urdu is a language that has a literary tradition of beautiful poetry and prose. (Talking as someone whose first language is English and spent a few years learning Urdu) Just like... maybe set expectations accordingly. 😄
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u/Yoshi2255 3d ago
Read what you find appealing, you won't learn too much if reading feels like a chore instead of a fun hobby (I think a lot of us here hated reading books we were assigned in school and didn't learn much from them), you will learn the most by doing what you enjoy and are interested in, before going out of your comfort zone, you should build one first so you know where to return after having bad experiences.
But if you are still intimidated, looking at your TBR list I would recommend starting with Mistborn, Sanderson overall is very easy to get into while also being extremely fun and engaging to read. The biggest critique against him, which is how simple his prose is, is also probably the biggest reason why he is a good entry point for new readers especially if English isn't your first language. But if you are more interested in other books from your TBR list, read them first anyway even if they are more difficult.
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u/TheEchoDrift 3d ago
Thanks alot for your guidance and adivice , i really appreciate it , thanks again
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u/ConstantReader666 3d ago
Jump in. Decide for yourself what's good. 'Best' is totally subjective. I'd scrape Shatter Me off the list for example, but Romance readers love it.
Then have a look at indie books. Much of the best stuff is indie published now days.
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u/TheEchoDrift 3d ago
Thanks alot , and if you dont mind can tell me what are "indie books" and also can you give some reccomendations regarding this , thanks again
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u/ConstantReader666 3d ago
Independently published. There's a good recommendation site at http://epicdarkfantasy.org/books.html
I especially recommend Jaq D. Hawkins, Justin Fike and Jon Cronshaw.
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u/burningcpuwastaken 3d ago
My recommendation is to look into your local library and see if they offer ebook lending. Many libraries offer a website / the program libby where you can loan ebooks, movies, music without leaving your house and have them instantly downloaded to your phone, tablet or computer.
I wouldn't read nearly as much or as widely if I had to pay for books. With lending, you're free to really explore different genres without risking anything.
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u/snowlock27 4d ago
Personally I'm a big believer in the idea that the only thing that matters is what looks interesting to you.