Read On...Fantasy Fiction: Reading Lists for Every Taste

by Neil Hollands, Barry Trott (Editor)

So,you're looking for some great new fantasy reads? Or perhaps you're looking for fresh reading lists for handouts and to post on your library's Web site? If so, this guide is just the ticket. Created to offer a different perspective on the fantasy genre and reach a broader reading audience (including fans), the book offers new reading paths for fantasy lovers. It organizes more than 800 titles into over 100 lists, in such categories as The Magic of Fantasy's Best Trilogies, The Fellowship is the Companions on a Quest, Fan-to-Sea-Nautical Fantasy, and When Groan Men Puns as a Fantasy Tradition. The organization and approach are based on various appeal factors of the genre. A great tool for advising readers, creating reading lists for library Web sites, flyers, and newsletters, and making checklists or reading plans for adults and teens who enjoy fantasy fiction.

Genres: Fantasy, Reference

232 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2007

About the author

I'm a librarian in Williamsburg, Virginia, where I specialize in readers' advisory and collection development. Lately, I've come to think of myself simply as a "bookman." It's a way of life.

I also write about books. My first book, Read On... Fantasy Fiction, came out in 2007, and my second, Fellowship in a Ring, a handbook for science fiction and fantasy book groups arrived in late 2009. I briefly had a monthly column, "Every Book Its Reader," for Booklist magazine.

I read a variety of fantasy and science fiction, nonfiction (especially history), historical fiction, mysteries, and literary fiction. I like theater, travel, movies, and puzzles in my spare time.

Reviews

[Neil]

OK, I wrote this so I'm not going to give it a star rating or tell you it's the best thing ever. But it is a good broad review of what was in print in fantasy in 2007. I also hope I succeeded in my goal to write it with a little more verve and humor than the average readers' advisory or reference book. I love the fantasy genre and I hope that comes through as well. By approaching the subject through various appeal factors and plot elements that particular readers might enjoy, I hope it will help librarians improve their collections and advise readers and help readers fine tune their lists of which books they want to read. Every book published is not for every reader, and my book will work the best for you if you understand what you like and don't like, but it will also help you develop that sense of distinction between different types of fantasy.

As for the idea mentioned by one review that any of the blurbs were taken from the back of the book, it's just not true. I wish in some cases that I could have done that... It would have made the book a lot easier to write! I suspect it's just the case that when you try to capture the content of a book in four or five sentences without giving away too much, one annotation can sound a lot like another. That said, I do think you'll find these annotations are a more focused on the strengths of each book, especially as they apply to the list they're included in. These aren't just bad rehashing of the plot.

Different books from the same series (and in a few cases repeat entries for the same book) do show up in multiple lists. That's intentional. But it's all clearly labeled when reading order in a series is important. A book or series can appeal in many different ways, so to me it made sense to highlight some of them in multiple places.

I hope I will get a chance to revise this book as the field changes. I think I would already enhance the sections on paranormal/urban fantasy/fantasy romance which are adequate but could go further in trying to differentiate the many different new series being written. (I do think, however, that many of these books more properly fit the conventions of romance fiction than they fit the conventions of fantasy fiction).

My other big dream for this book would be that it could be marketed and sold at a price point that would get it in the hands of readers, not just librarians.

I welcome any feedback. Hope you enjoy it!

[Vincent Stoessel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice bibliography nicely organized. My only trouble with it is that it's a little dated at this point but anything like this is going to have this problem. Would prefer to see this as a periodical, updated quarterly perhaps to keep it fresh. Still recommend checking it out.

[Schnaucl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good resource if you're looking for new fantasy titles to add to your list. The focus is very heavily weighted toward traditional fantasy, but there are a few urban fantasy titles as well. I found nearly 20 books to add to my too read list, though granted, a few of them I'd already been considering reading.

These lists are subjective, of course, so there are books I would have included and others I probably would have left off. Hollands did include books over a good period of time. There are a few books that date back to the the late 1800s, many books from fantasy's "golden age" in the 70's and 80's as well as books from the 90's and 00's. There are even few books that were published in the last year or two. Harry Potter is mentioned, of course, but there are also a few novels that fit into the new wave of urban fantasy. (I think there should have been more, but urban fantasy is a special interest of mine).

The book does have a few failings, however. Several books or books from the same series are mentioned repeatedly in various categories and the the description of each book is very brief and at least in one case nearly lifted word for word from the back of the book.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and well organized.

[Brock Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful. I keep trying to toss it, but keep returning to it. It's funny. The book is large enough that your favorite is probably included, but maybe not in the exact list you would have chosen.