Fantasy: don’t like, but feel left out. Try again or give up?

[Anonymous]

I don’t like fantasy books at all. I DO read what I want and I read often and am happy!

But I feel a bit of FOMO with everyone reading Fourth Wing, Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah Maas, etc.

Should I try harder: read without quitting?
Am I missing out?

[Anonymous]

Edit: "give up" was kind of harsh. I guess I mean just leave it...

Or am I really missing out?

FWIW I LOVED Harry Potter (i'm 40 and read them in my 20s as they came out).

[Anonymous]

If it’s not your thing, it’s not your thing. Not every genre works for everyone.

[Anonymous]

I usually like this genre, but there have been times in my life when I wasn't interested in the usual questing and good vs. evil dynamics.

I actually wouldn't recommend Court of Thorn and Roses. Leigh Bardugo's "Shadow and Bone" Grisha books are better.

Can you identify any plot lines you've liked in regular fiction, romance, or fairy tales to give people a sense of your taste? Maybe then people could help you find something appealing to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Edit: "give up" was kind of harsh. I guess I mean just leave it...

Or am I really missing out?

FWIW I LOVED Harry Potter (i'm 40 and read them in my 20s as they came out).

PP. If you loved Harry Potter, would you be interested in trying Harry Potter fanfiction? I did not read Harry Potter until I was an adult with my own kids. But because I loved fantasy and wanted to think about the characters and world-building, I fell down a rabbit hole of fanfiction. There are all sorts of plot lines...many quite clever. It's especially interesting if you were unsatisfied with anything about the series ending. Or if you were more interested in Hermione's POV than Harry's. A lot of it is shipper fic...meaning romance plotlines with different characters. Sound interesting?

[Anonymous]

I don’t like fantasy usually but have gotten a bit more open to it after enjoying several of the Disc World Series.

[Anonymous]

Life is too short to read books you don’t like. There are many many wonderful books out there; no need to force yourself into a genre.

What do you like? Maybe we can suggest new books for you to try.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Life is too short to read books you don’t like. There are many many wonderful books out there; no need to force yourself into a genre.

What do you like? Maybe we can suggest new books for you to try.

I read a lot and am happy with what I read! I just see SO much about new fantasy books and I’m curious if I’m missing out on something amazing!

[Anonymous]

I could’ve written this. I also loved sci fi and fantasy growing up (key examples being the His Dark Materials series, Ender’s Game [some of the series], any Diana Wynn Jones book, Dune, etc— I’ve re-read all of these as an adult and think they still hold up.)

But I could not get into the books you’ve mention. I still like some magical realism and some sci fi but a lot of the more recent series that blow up don’t grab me, so I’ve stopped trying to read them. For example, I also tried “Spinning Silver” and “Uprooted” by Naomi Novak, which were good but didn’t grab me. Also the Paper Magician series was good, no real issues with it, but I didn’t get past the first book. I also tried “A Darker Shade of Magic,” but again didn’t make it past the first book. Finally, I tried NK Jemisin’s “Broken Earth” trilogy, made it through the first book, and didn’t care to continue.

I did quite like “The Magicians”— it kept me interested through all three books. It felt more adult in ways the other series did not. I also like Victor LaValle’s take on folk lore, “Lone Women” being my favorite. I quite like “weird fiction,” which skews towards sci fi, Jeff Vandermeer being a favorite. I do quite like Yangsze Choo, whose books incorporate folklore and magic but aren’t full on fantasy.

[Anonymous]

If you want to give it one more shot I would try Fourth Wing, but it’s also ok if it’s not your thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t like fantasy books at all. I DO read what I want and I read often and am happy!

But I feel a bit of FOMO with everyone reading Fourth Wing, Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah Maas, etc.

Should I try harder: read without quitting?
Am I missing out?

I love fantasy, but I don’t like Sarah Maas either. Fantasy is a very broad genre. What sort of books do you enjoy reading?

[Anonymous]

I liked the Harry Potter books but the Fourth Wing was so tedious, predictable and the sex scenes ridiculous. Read them as my niece is so into them I slogged through both in the series (we go to lunch weekly so supporting her.)

[Anonymous]

Some of the books you mention felt more like YA to me, with a bit more sex. Doesn’t interest me either.

[Anonymous]

Read what you want. I love fantasy, but there are plenty of popular series I didn’t like. Don’t force yourself to continue if it’s not enjoyable. Especially not something like SJM because it’s a 16+ book commitment!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could’ve written this. I also loved sci fi and fantasy growing up (key examples being the His Dark Materials series, Ender’s Game [some of the series], any Diana Wynn Jones book, Dune, etc— I’ve re-read all of these as an adult and think they still hold up.)

But I could not get into the books you’ve mention. I still like some magical realism and some sci fi but a lot of the more recent series that blow up don’t grab me, so I’ve stopped trying to read them. For example, I also tried “Spinning Silver” and “Uprooted” by Naomi Novak, which were good but didn’t grab me. Also the Paper Magician series was good, no real issues with it, but I didn’t get past the first book. I also tried “A Darker Shade of Magic,” but again didn’t make it past the first book. Finally, I tried NK Jemisin’s “Broken Earth” trilogy, made it through the first book, and didn’t care to continue.

I did quite like “The Magicians”— it kept me interested through all three books. It felt more adult in ways the other series did not. I also like Victor LaValle’s take on folk lore, “Lone Women” being my favorite. I quite like “weird fiction,” which skews towards sci fi, Jeff Vandermeer being a favorite. I do quite like Yangsze Choo, whose books incorporate folklore and magic but aren’t full on fantasy.

You are me - I loved and didn't love all the same books. I'm going to check out Jeff Vandermeer and Yangsze Choo. Thank you!