The Women of Fantasy

Ever walked into the bookstore, grabbed a terrific looking fantasy book only to find halfway through you hate it (but must finish)? Here are my tips for finding the perfect fantasy to read - including when you are crunched for time (wailing toddler, airport, store about to close, etc. etc.)

1. Patience - sometimes the perfect book will find you - no really! A relative will offer it up, a friend will not stop talking about it, or it will turn up everywhere you look until you have to read it to find out what the fuss is about. (And if it turns not to be all that perfect at least you have something to talk about)
2. Research - Recently I introduced my fantasy obsessed little brother to Amazon and taught him how to look up reviews and utilize Listmania to find books he likes. I find tons of books this way and they can be really cheap! Also, if I look up a book I've read and loved it will give me recommendations based on it.
   
3. Take a break - Sometimes just reading something from another genre for awhile (mystery anyone?) will refresh your perspective on Fantasy. Fantasy is one of those genres that tends to get a bit repetitive and lacking in fresh ideas now and then - wait a bit and something great will show up.
4. Do Judge a Book by it's Cover - but don't make it a habit. The key here is to a) read the summary, b) skim through the pages to see if it looks exciting or boring, and c) realize you are taking a risk and try to be open minded. Good books can still be found this way, especially if they are near books you like.
5. Ask Staff - of course, this assumes you are in one of those bookstores with helpful people - and you can also ask the person by you. Just realize if it is a 15 year old boy looking at Star Wars books and you are going for feminist fantasy, you may not like his recommendations.
6. Author Loyalty - Mercedes Lackey, Juliet Marrilier, P.C. Cast - these are a few of my favorite authors and I've not read too much I didn't like by them. Usually if I want to play it safe but have no time (screaming 2 year old anyone?) to skim books and ask others for help I just snatch one I haven't read by a favorite author. OK, still semi-risky but the odds are better I'll like it.
7. Surf the Web - Last but not least, read blogs about fantasy books. (Like this one.) You may not agree with the blogger, and their is still a risk you won't like what they recommend, but at least you'll have some fresh titles to consider.

Thus ends my list of how to choose the perfect fantasy book. Agree/Disagree? Got other methods that work for you? I want to hear it. Leave me a comment!

Posted by Jen at Wednesday, May 21, 2008