Fantasy Literature

I don't tend to read much fantasy. My husband is a huge fan, but I'm more into literary fiction and mystery/thriller, with non-fiction sorta hanging out on the fringes. I'd read a few of the Jim Butcher Dresden books, which had enough mystery to them to suit that side of me, but the rest... I've never really bothered.

This was the first year that I participated in book challenges (yes, more than one!), and that of course exposed me to more fantasy. I was really surprised at how many of my choices I've enjoyed reading. I won't go into details about my thoughts on them, but the list includes:

P Djèlí Clark – A Master of Djinn
Alix Harrow – The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Sarah Maas – A Court of Thorns and Roses
Charlie Holmberg – The Paper Magician
Neil Gaiman – Stardust

I'd say that the weakest one in that bunch was The Paper Magician. It wasn't bad, but it paled next to those other books, which were all 4-star reads for me, at least. Those 4 may not have been the deepest or most thought-provoking books out there, but they were well-written and loads of fun.

Coming soon for me is Tolkien's Hobbit. Yes, I'm admitting that I've never read it before now. I've listened to a BBC radio drama of it and enjoyed that immensely. But I've never read the actual book. Or even seen any of the movies. I started it many moons ago, but couldn't get far into it before setting it aside. Having a box to check gives me the impetus to finish books I might not otherwise, so I'll probably finish it this time.

As it is, I don't know if I'll become a "fan" of the genre to read it often, but I'm now more willing to read (and finish) a fantasy book than I was before. I may even pluck up the willpower to tackle a more long-winded writer like Patrick Rothfuss, LOL. My husband has been raving about him for a long time now, and keeps asking me to read it. Maybe next year...