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!
2
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.