Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

Welcome to Fantasy Buddy Reads! Tell us a little bit about yourself. :)

HELPFUL THREAD
Group Info and Suggestions: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Edit: if you are an author, you may mention that in your introduction, but any details about your book - title, Amazon/GR links, plot points - should only be put in the self-promotions folder.

I think the unknown people were probably me. I knew they were reading or had read Malazan and figured it would be good to add them.

I'm Scott and also love Grimdark but also most other fantasy, historical fiction and history. Father of five girls, over 1400 skydives, database architect, many triathlons and long distance cycling events as other interests.

Hey, I'm Chris...fan of GRRM since A Game of Thrones and grimdark in general ever since I saw it was a thing. I've actually been a fantasy fan since about the time the first Terry Brooks book came out, and I devoured Lord of the Rings back then too....

I like other stuff too, but fantasy is my go-to comfort zone.

Thanks for the invite, Jenna. I figured it was worth checking out, especially since you were kind enough to join the groups I've invited you to. ;)

Chris wrote: "Hey, I'm Chris...fan of GRRM since A Game of Thrones and grimdark in general ever since I saw it was a thing. I've actually been a fantasy fan since about the time the first Terry Brooks book came ..."

Thanks for stopping by! Hopefully someday we'll get as many members as some of your groups :)

Hey, thanks for the invite Jenna!

I'm Daniel, and I dig most things fantasy and "lighter" sci-fi, which together constitute most of my recreational reading diet. I don't really get the "grimdark" tag, but I do enjoy some things (Malazan, and lately The Black Company) that are flagged with it, for sure.

I have a very real love of the "softer side" of fantasy - Prydain, Harry Potter, Valdemar, David Eddings, etc., and these books often eclipse my enjoyment of the darker stuff.

However, I'd say that Brandon Sanderson pretty much blew everything up in my face with The Stormlight Archive, which I just discovered this year. That level of complexity, but with relatively clear action and being easily digestible, was something I'd never experience before. I've been going nuts on buying books and reading more than I ever had before up to a couple of weeks ago.

Unfortunately for my reading, I just picked up video gaming with my wife again, so my progress has been limited and sporadic lately, but I'm sure I'll be back pretty hard at some point fairly soon.

Hey, my name is Eric. I'm 23 and am going to start pharmacy school in Texas this August. I like all sorts of books except for romance. I would say my favorite genres would be fantasy, sci-fi, and literature (all though not really a genre...). Loved song of Ice and Fire series except I really disliked the last one. Other favorites include wind up bird chronicles and area x trilogy.

I'm currently reading the malazan books although I've fallen behind the group read some since I've been gaming a lot lately.

Daniel wrote: "Hey, thanks for the invite Jenna!

I'm Daniel, and I dig most things fantasy and "lighter" sci-fi, which together constitute most of my recreational reading diet."

Thanks for joining us, Daniel. :)

Eric wrote: "Hey, my name is Eric. I'm 23 and am going to start pharmacy school in Texas this August. I like all sorts of books except for romance. I would say my favorite genres would be fantasy, sci-fi, and l..."

Glad you made your way over here, Eric.

Jenna wrote: "Which is more frightening: having five girls or skydiving?."

My oldest will be 14 in September so the scary stuff is just starting. I think that first date will be a lot like a first jump! :)

Thanks so much for the invite Jenna :-). I've really enjoyed seeing what you have been reading this year! I moderator a group myself but it's more urban fantasy and a mix of other genres depending on what the group picks. It's a lot of fun being a moderator.

I'm a massive book A Song of Ice and Fire fan, yes from back in the 1990's. I sometimes go my gosh I've been reading it that long. Love it. Also big fan of Brent Weeks. I like a mix of fantasy, but usually edge towards grimdark more. Struggle with anything YA or with a sci fi bent.

I'm from Auckland, New Zealand, husband, 3 kids. 8,11 and 12. Who do way too many activities. This is an issue my husband and I seem to have created ourselves. But we enjoy watching them. So when not working it seems like I'm glued to my car carting kids around.

Eric just warning you I do have this slight guilty pleasure of sometimes going through a regency romance blitz. It's my go to genre when I want to read something, but don't really want to engage my brain.

Just a warning on buddy reads, I'm usually late to the party, but will try to keep up :-).

Angela wrote: "Thanks so much for the invite Jenna :-). I've really enjoyed seeing what you have been reading this year! I moderator a group myself but it's more urban fantasy..."

Thanks for joining us! Don't worry about falling behind, you can jump in with whatever books you want. :)

Jenna wrote: "Thanks for stopping by! Hopefully someday we'll get as many members as some of your groups :)..."

Hey, you're on the right track. A group pic with a dragon in it is always a great start!

Chris wrote: "Hey, you're on the right track. A group pic with a dragon in it is always a great st..."

^_^

Angela wrote: "Thanks so much for the invite Jenna :-). I've really enjoyed seeing what you have been reading this year! I moderator a group myself but it's more urban fantasy and a mix of other genres depending ..."

Yea I've tried reading some highly rated YA fiction like the hunger game series but I usually don't like them. Although maybe with the hunger games I didn't like it because I had read battle royale first. And don't worry about the romance. :) I've never actually read any romance (except for Outlander maybe) so I shouldn't judge. I've just always assumed they were like book porn because of the covers.

Thanks for the invite:) Iam Jarek 32. I live in Poland. Iam a Microsoft business account manager. In my free time I enjoy playing basketball in various amateur tournaments. Iam a real big fan of Stephen King and I got into the fantasy genre just a couple of months ago with the The First Law Trilogy and became hooked from the get go. Iam currently reading Deadhouse Gates,King of Thorns and Shadows Linger.
After iam finished with the broken empire and Black Company I would really like to start the Riyria revelations hopefully with someone. I have only done a buddy read like 2-3 Times in my life:)
Other interests..I like to rock out on the guitar and piss the hell out of my neighbours;)

Jarek wrote: "Thanks for the invite:) Iam Jarek 32. I live in Poland. Iam a Microsoft business account manager. In my free time I enjoy playing basketball in various amateur tournaments. Iam a real big fan of St..."

Thanks for joining us, Jarek. :)

Hello everyone! And thanks for the invite, Jenna :)

I am Eli, hailing you all from Denmark. I read primarily fantasy, though I am currently also trying to catch up on a few classics that has been on my to read list forever.

I am really into the whole Grimdark thing as well, some of my favourites being The First Law Trilogy and The Broken Empire Series. It looks like I will find a lot of like-hearted readers in the this group!

I have tried doing group reads before, but always found that too many people in the group made it hard to discuss things properly, so I am really excited try out some buddy reads instead - and hoping to discover some great new books/series in the process.

Hi Eli:) The first law was awesome. Now Iam reading the second book in the broken empire and also loving it. You should try the Black Company also if you havent already

Jarek wrote: "Hi Eli:) The first law was awesome. Now Iam reading the second book in the broken empire and also loving it. You should try the Black Company also if you havent already"

It is already on my to read list!

I just started reading Prince of Fools which seems to promise another dark adventure through the broken empire.

Eli wrote: "Hello everyone! And thanks for the invite, Jenna :)

I am Eli, hailing you all from Denmark. I read primarily fantasy, though I am currently also trying to catch up on a few classics that has been ..."

Hi Eli, thanks for joining! I'm glad you are excited to buddy read. While it can be tough to find a time when other people are available to read, when you find someone, people often discuss a lot more than you can in a group read.

Hi all,
Another greetings from Denmark. Thanks for the invite. I'm in my late thirties, work as a Manager in American company. I started reading fantasy with Dragonlance back in the early 90s in primary school. I grew up with the Wheel of Time (and still love the first three books of the series), but have moved on to the more dark, gritty and 'realistic' fantasy with grey, motivated characters, deeper plots, huge scope and tighter story lines. For that reason Malazan Book of the Fallen is by far my favorite. I also like Scott Bakker, Abercrombie and among my few 5-star books you can also find Cook and a few Sci-Fi books. Most of the best rated is older stuff, but you can find Wexler and Weeks is also there.

I'll (try to) read anything, but due to time constraints (with work) try to keep it to what entertains me the most: Fantasy.

Lundos wrote: "Hi all,
Another greetings from Denmark. Thanks for the invite. I'm in my late thirties, work as a Manager in American company. I started reading fantasy with Dragonlance back in the early 90s in pr..."

Thanks for joining! :) I need to read some Scott Bakker - he's be on my to-read shelf for a while now.

Thanks so much for the invite Jenna! I am also a big fan of the grimdark sub-genre. My favourite series is Malazan, but I also love anything by Mark Lawrence, Daniel Polansky, Abercrombie, and the like.

Tracey the Lizard Queen wrote: "Thanks so much for the invite Jenna! I am also a big fan of the grimdark sub-genre. My favourite series is Malazan, but I also love anything by Mark Lawrence, Daniel Polansky, Abercrombie, and the ..."

Nice to see you here~!

Hello everyone! My name is Samuel, and I've been reading and writing fantasy for as long as I can remember. There really is nothing quite like diving into a new book and finding yourself completely immersed. I especially appreciate epic fantasy but also enjoy modern fantasy, poetry, and the occasional romance--if it's written well. I am happy to be part of the group and look forward to meeting some fellow fantasy lovers! :)

Samuel wrote: "Hello everyone! My name is Samuel, and I've been reading and writing fantasy for as long as I can remember. There really is nothing quite like diving into a new book and finding yourself completely..."

Welcome, Samuel! Glad you found our group. :)

Hi everyone and thanks for the invite Jenna! My name is Samir and i enjoy reading a lot of different genres but fantasy is my favourite, especially grimdark. My favourite series are First Law from Abercrombie and Gentleman Bastard from Lynch. I'm currently reading Chains of the Heretic, book three of another great series called Bloodsounder's Arc from Jeff Salyards.

Samir wrote: "Hi everyone and thanks for the invite Jenna! My name is Samir and i enjoy reading a lot of different genres but fantasy is my favourite, especially grimdark. My favourite series are First Law from ..."

Thanks for joining us, Samir. I've read the first in Jeff Salyards series and really liked it so I'm planning to do the rest of the series. :)

Hello, I found this group and decided to join because I like reading fantasy and don't usually have anyone to discuss it with.

Tammie wrote: "Hello, I found this group and decided to join because I like reading fantasy and don't usually have anyone to discuss it with."

Welcome Tammy! There are lots of proposed schedules for books to read so you can jump in on whichever ones you like, or suggest one of your own. :)

Hello there! Been invited over here by Jenna, thank you for that! You may call me Dan, I'm an English teacher hailing from Brazil and I love fantasy books.

My favorite writer is, and shall always be, Robin Hobb and I pretty much read anything from the fantasy genre, no matter its tag although recent YA literature has left me a tad jaded towards that.

I am also not averse to some light sci-fi and I have a soft spot for Stephen King.

I see this book group has a Shadow Campaigns read scheduled, which is interesting since I've just bought the first 3 books from that! I just might join in on that one.

Dan wrote: "Hello there! Been invited over here by Jenna, thank you for that! You may call me Dan, I'm an English teacher hailing from Brazil and I love fantasy books.

My favorite writer is, and shall always ..."

Thanks for joining, Dan! Glad the Shadow Campaigns read works out for you. :)

Hello everyone! I just discovered this group and decided to join ^^

My name is José and I'm from Uruguay (a tiny country between Brazil and Argentina, for those who don't know xD). I'm a huge fan of fantasy and all its sub-genres, but mostly grimdark and military. Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, Brandon Sanderson, and Steven Erikson are some of my favourite authors.

I have so many awesome series in my to-read shelf that I decided to join this group, it'll be more fun to discuss the books with other people.
Nice to meet you all! :D

Welcome Jose! Nice to meet you :)

José wrote: "Hello everyone! I just discovered this group and decided to join ^^

My name is José and I'm from Uruguay (a tiny country between Brazil and Argentina, for those who don't know xD). I'm a huge fan ..."

Nice to meet a fellow South-American with very similar tastes to me! Welcome!

Thanks for the invite Jenna. Hopefully some of my TBR list and upcoming buddy reads coincide. I was planning to box of all my trilogies and series this year and concentrate on starting Malazan in 2017. Currently reading She Who Waits the 3rd book in the Low Town Series.

Kieron wrote: "Thanks for the invite Jenna. Hopefully some of my TBR list and upcoming buddy reads coincide. I was planning to box of all my trilogies and series this year and concentrate on starting Malazan in 2..."

Thanks for joining us! :)

Hi everybody (in best Dr. Nick voice)

See a few familiar faces, which is always nice. Love me some fantasy and look forward to reading with everyone.

Currently reading She Who Waits, the end of the Low Town trilogy. Has been a great series, love Polansky's style.

Also just recently finished Age of Myth, which I absolutely loved. Great start to a new series from one of my favorite authors

Scott wrote: "Hi everybody (in best Dr. Nick voice)

See a few familiar faces, which is always nice. Love me some fantasy and look forward to reading with everyone.

Currently reading [book:She Who Waits|184282..."

Great to have you. Be sure to vote on the poll.

Did you happen to read the question and follow up I asked Sullivan about the AOM and Riyeria character tie-in? Did you understand how I came to that conclusion? Warning major spoilers for those who haven't read either/or.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Welcome Scott!

I'm really happy to have joined this group, I'm seeing so many people here who read the exact same books I do, that's really awesome. I never get to talk about books with other people because I never find people in my life who read the books I do. I hope this place will be a place for me to do just that!

Welcome, Scott....

So now, 2 Scotts. Both in the FBC, where the 1st Scott here became known as the Other Scott. But since he was the first Scott here, wouldn't that make him just Scott, and the new Scott the Other Scott for this group, while Scott is the Other Scott in the Other Group?

Brainache.

Lol, Chris. I guess I could add the first letter of my last name. That would help :D

Chris wrote: "Welcome, Scott....

So now, 2 Scotts. Both in the FBC, where the 1st Scott here became known as the Other Scott. But since he was the first Scott here, wouldn't that make him just Scott, and the ne..."

Well that is ultra confusing. But good to have you Scott!

I guess we'll be ok as long as neither of you changes your avatars. Like, ever.

Chris wrote: "I guess we'll be ok as long as neither of you changes your avatars. Like, ever."

Hahaha~ don't ever change and we'll be all good. Scott (a moderator of this group, Scott) can also add a "title" if he wants to make it less confusing or he could make us suffer by changing his avatar. All the power is in your hands, Scott.

So, my name is Grace. I turned the big three-oh this year, am a Korean by heritage but identify as and am a proud inhabitant of Canada, land of Timmies and moose and hockey. Currently living the dream working as a producer in sports (you have a 50/50 chance of guessing correctly which company it is I work for) and is why you may see the odd sports book sprinkled in my reading list. Not often though, because I've realized that I'm not a fan of taking my job home with me, which reading sports books tend to feel like sometimes. Too much of a good thing and all that.

My gateway fantasy book kind of sits two-fold. While Narnia was the series that invited me in as a child, it was Lord of the Rings in high school that properly indoctrinated me in the ways of the fantasy book, to the point that I'm a stark raving mad Tolkien purist. (Ask me about those Hobbit movies. I dare you)

The Sword of Truth (well most of it, not the new dreck he's come out with since Confessor) and The Wheel of Time series have both been tackled in my lifetime - and it's debatable if that's an accomplishment or an indictment of the time I wasted on it.

Majority of my reading happens on my one-hour commute one way. Otherwise I have to make time to read, which I struggle with. And is why I don't normally consume books very quickly. Though reading an 800 page tome probably doesn't help either.

I prefer fantasy, but really I read everything and anything. Even the really bad stuff. Because somewhere between Twilight and Fifty Shades I learned to hate-reading. But seriously, don't ask me why I read either of those. It's a long story.

Grace wrote: "So, my name is Grace. I turned the big three-oh this year, am a Korean by heritage but identify as and am a proud inhabitant of Canada, land of Timmies and moose and hockey. Currently living the dr..."

Thanks for joining, Grace. :)

Hello all! My name is Cameron and I am from the USA (specifically Texas). I joined the group as I would like to find a smaller group to do some group reads with. I love all things Malazan... I think I have read 23 of the books now and I am hooked for life. I am reading The Black Company books now, so if anyone wants to join you are more than welcome and I will try to join some of the other upcoming group reads.

Cameron wrote: "Hello all! My name is Cameron and I am from the USA (specifically Texas). I joined the group as I would like to find a smaller group to do some group reads with. I love all things Malazan... I thin..."

Welcome Cameron! Looking for a small group AND you're a Malazan fan? You are definitely in the right place.

Hello! My name is Ya Fatou from the Gambia and I am obsessed with Game of Thrones. I am gutted I cannot watch an episode today and I am currently listening to book 3. I hope joining this group will help me let out some steam lol and also get book recommendations in the fantasy genre. I read almost everything else, however not too fond of non-fiction.