This is the first time I’ve kept a blog and I don’t know if anybody will ever read this, but that’s ok, I’d just like to babble on about good books and maybe talk to other people who share my interest in fantasy.

I’ve always liked reading, but in the past 3 or 4 years, I’ve really gotten into fantasy books. The use of imagination and world-building is very intriguing, especially when combined with some great characterization. Great characters are a must, in my opinion (which would be why my favorite current series is George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire – nothing I have read compares when it comes to drawing a good character or eight).

Since it is the start of a new year, I’ve been trying to think of all the good books I’ve read over the last year. I just finished Greg Keyes’ The Blood Knight today, and so far Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone is quite excellent and I look forward to the next book coming out.

Books I can remember reading in 2006:
The first three books in The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone by Greg Keyes (of course)
Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (yes, I had never actually read that until a couple of months ago)
Most of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett (I have 6 left before I’ve read them all)
Sons of the Oak by David Farland
Promise of the Witch King and Road of the Patriarch by R.A. Salvatore
Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson
Song of the Beast by Carol Berg
Blood Follows: A Tale of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach by Steven Erikson

Series I’d like to read in 2007 (in no particular order):
The rest of Discworld (from Thief of Time to the latest book)
The Coldfire trilogy by C.S. Friedman
The Kushiel books by Jacqueline Carey
The Bridge of D’arnath by Carol Berg
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
Otherland by Tad Williams
The Sevenwaters trilogy by Juliet Marillier
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott
The Deed of Paksennarion by Elizabeth Moon
Darkover by Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Merlin trilogy by Marion Zimmer Bradley
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson
The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker
The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny
The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell

Books I’m anticipating reading in 2007:
House of Chains and Midnight Tides by Steven Erikson
The Eagle by Jack Whyte
Hood by Stephen Lawhead
The Ilium and the Olympos by Dan Simmons
Shaman’s Crossing and Forest Mage by Robin Hobb

Yeah, right, like I’ll get through all those in a year. But who knows, maybe I’ll become independently wealthy this year so I can read and drink coffee all day. One can hope.