Please help...missing Harry Potter

[Lainey1978]

Ah, here we go. I was wondering where to come for recommendations like this. I recently finished reading the Harry Potter series, which left me feeling sad and lost. I want more, but since J.K. Rowling probably won't write more books on my command, I need help (take that any way you want to! ).

I do like fantasy, but I'm picky. I like Harry Potter, Xanth, Incarnations of Immortality...that's all I can think of as far as fantasy right now. Maybe what I need is not something like Harry Potter (although that's what I want), but something that is just as good but in a different genre so that it doesn't have to compete. Any suggestions? (Either for something like Harry Potter or something in a different genre).

[selfer]

The Chronicles of Naria is excellent. Allegorical, adventurous, and entertaining. Far better than the movies, in my opinion...

[Bowlie]

Try George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. The first book is Game of Thrones. It's the best series I've read (although Martin is taking forever to finish it).

Another good series that I like is Anne McCaffrey's Pern series. You can start with The Dragonrider's of Pern or The Harper Hall Trilogy.

Another book that I absolutely loved is Life of Pi by Yann Martel. It's one of my favorite books of all time.

Hope that helps!

[Woodland Nymph]

I second The Chronicles of Narnia; they're amazing reads, though some are slower than others.

[ryan2]

The Chronicles of Prydain are pretty close to Harry Potter material. (The Book of Three, The Black Cauldron, The Castle of Lyr, Taran the Wanderer, The High King)

Classic stuff.

[Lainey1978]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[MoreCowbell]

I just love the Harry Potter series too! I started the books around age 20 and they really got me ok with reading whatever I'm interested in, even Young Adult material. Guess I was snobby before! On that note, if you haven't read any Roald Dahl or even if you haven't read the books since you were a kid you should check him out. The humor and wonderful characters remind me quite a bit of JK Rowling's. Matilda and Danny Champion of the World are probably my favorites. More to check out:

Cornelia Funke…Inkworld trilogy
Philip Pullman…His Dark Materials series
Rick Riordan…Percy Jackson and the Olympians series
Eoin Colfer…The Supernaturalist
Robert McCammon…Boy’s Life, Swan Song
Neil Gaiman…The Graveyard Book
Lauren Groff…The Monsters of Templeton
Stephen King…The Eyes of the Dragon, The Talisman (w/ Peter Straub)
Dave Barry/Ridley Pearson…Peter and the Starcatchers series
Markus Zusak...The Book Thief

[Lainey1978]

Thanks! Yeah, I'm actually reading His Dark Materials series right now. I just finished The Golden Compass, and I'm waiting for the other two to come in at the library.

I kind of know what you mean...I'm 31, and I read the whole Harry Potter series last month! lol. And I'm also reading the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix, which is in the juvenile section of the library. *sigh* But they're good, darn it! I can't help it if a lot of the good books are kids books!

[Bowlie]

I kind of know what you mean...I'm 31, and I read the whole Harry Potter series last month! lol. And I'm also reading the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix, which is in the juvenile section of the library. *sigh* But they're good, darn it! I can't help it if a lot of the good books are kids books!

There are a lot of series for adults that are really good too. I think a lot of people get caught up in Harry Potter and Twilight because they are fantasy but are very accessible fantasy books. I know that for years I would only read Anne McCaffrey because I thought the covers on a lot of science fiction and fantasy books were so hokey looking. I finally broke down and started branching out in my fantasy/science fiction reading and found that a lot of them were really good. I'd suggest going to a bookstore and going through the fantasy section (since you enjoy Harry Potter so much) and reading the backs of the books to find a story that might interest you--and don't judge a book by its cover like I did!

[ChrisSamsDad]

The Narnia books are nowhere near as good as the Rowling books, they're very dated for a start and written for children - some of the language is really really patronising.

The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula Le Guin is a must read, it's pretty much the inspiration for most modern magic books. Terry Pratchett openly says it was a massive influence for him.

[Lainey1978]

Oh, thank you (and Bowlie, too). It's good to have a different perspective on these books. I did read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when I was a kid, and the only impression that it made was that I'd had a similar dream before I read the book.

I'll have to look up the Earthsea Trilogy. Thanks again!

[Bowlie]

Oh, thank you (and Bowlie, too). It's good to have a different perspective on these books. I did read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when I was a kid, and the only impression that it made was that I'd had a similar dream before I read the book.

I'll have to look up the Earthsea Trilogy. Thanks again!

I've read the first book of the Earthsea Trilogy. It was really good!

[ChrisSamsDad]

I've read the first book of the Earthsea Trilogy. It was really good!

Just the first? How did you manage to stop after that?

[Bowlie]

I've read the first book of the Earthsea Trilogy. It was really good!

Just the first? How did you manage to stop after that?

I know right?!! As soon as I finish Dan Simmons' Hyperion series I'll finish it. I have too many series going right now. I'm also reading a few others at the moment. I'll get to it soon though! I promise!

[ChrisSamsDad]

For me it was one of those series that necessitated staying up to 3am several nights on the run.

Though, I should say, nothing else of hers has been anywhere near as engrossing. I heard a radio interview with her a while back and she seems to be an all round decent human being.