Books for young adults that I enjoyed as an adult:
Grey King series by Susan Cooper
Ring of Endless Light by Madeline L'Engle (this is part of the series but I've only read the one)
Kind of a guilty pleasure but a pleasure none the less:
The Dragonriders series by Anne McCaffery - The earlier books are the best.
I could recommend:
The Dragonriders of Pern (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon)
The Harper Hall of Pern (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums)
and Moreta. - after that, you're on your own
The book I love only second to LOTR is Emma Bull's War for the Oaks. This takes place in the Twin Cities (my residence). A good cheap copy can be found here:
book closeoutsIf you decide to read this, let me know. I have a 'web site' I can upload that discusses all the locations in the book. (Underage members be aware, the book has some racy parts... but then that Dragonrider series gets a little racy sometimes too.)
I read Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere and liked it a lot. American Gods was... different. A little darker than some fantasy. I'm looking forward to reading Anasi Boys.
If you're willing to go even darker, Charles DeLint never fails to hold my attention. It may not be your cup of tea but for people who list him, he's usually near the top.
At the Barnes and Noble LOTR class, the instructor, Dana Paxson, would provide a book list for people looking for other fantasy. Here's his list: (and now that I reread it.. I should have listed some of these on my list. I'll underline any that I've read and would recommend)
Book List by Dana Paxson This will be incomplete by necessity -- I just can't read all the great fiction that's out there. I hope others will add their own favorites in this thread.
Modern Fantasy for Young Readers These are all classics, highly recommended by many readers, and by me. Many adults avoid young adult fantasy, and fantasy for younger readers, but I love it all. The ideas in these books are often quite mature, and the storytelling is very good. Lloyd Alexander (Welsh mythic fantasy)
The Prydain Chronicles, made up of: The Book of Three The Black Cauldron The Castle of Llyr Taran Wanderer The High King
Susan Cooper (modern fantasy and myth)
The Dark Is Rising Series, made up of: Silver on the Tree The Grey King Greenwitch The Dark Is Rising Over Sea, Under Stone
Ursula K. LeGuin (otherworld fantasy)
The Earthsea Trilogy, made up of: A Wizard of Earthsea The Tombs of Atuan The Farthest Shore Alan Garner (modern fantasy)
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen The Moon of Gomrath Elidor The Owl Service
John Bellairs (fantasy)
The Face in the Frost (one of my best-loved)
Early Modern Fantasy These books predate Tolkien. He read and liked some of them, particularly William Morris and David Lindsay. William Morris (medieval fantasy)
The Well at the World's End The Wood Beyond the World
William Hope Hodgson (horror fantasy)
The House on the Borderland The Night Land (this is way weird in its language and style -- not for everyone)
H. P. Lovecraft (classic horror)
The Colour Out Of Space The Shadow Out Of Time many others
E. R. Eddison (fantasy)
The Worm Ouroboros
David Lindsay (fantasy)
A Voyage to Arcturus (a strange and allegorical favorite - even Tolkien mentioned him)
James Branch Cabell (adult satirical fantasy)
Jurgen (this one got him banned, back in censorship days) Figures of Earth The Cream of the Jest The Silver Stallion Domnei others
Lord Dunsany (fantasy)
The Charwoman's Shadow The King of Elfland's Daughter Over the Hills and Far Away
Mid-20th-Century FantasyThese are classics too, but newer. Mervyn Peake (fantasy)
Titus Groan Gormenghast Titus Alone
Peter S. Beagle (fantasy)
The Last Unicorn (magpie: I've read it.. just don't seem to have the same fond memories that everybody else does about it. Getting made into a movie?)
T. H. White (medieval humor fantasy)
The Once and Future King
Roger Zelazny (modern fantasy)
The Amber Series (Nine Princes in Amber, etc.) - one of my rereading favorites Roadmarks The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth many others
Evangeline Walton (medieval Welsh mythic fantasy)
The Island of the Mighty The Children of Llyr The Song of Rhiannon Modern Adult Fantasy These are newer writers who are currently receiving attention. Emma Bull (modern fantasy)
War for the Oaks Finder Bone Dance
Neil Gaiman (modern fantasy)
Neverwhere (one of the best I've read -- what a storyteller!) Stardust (magpie: I hated Stardust but it was an easy read so it isn't a huge investment in time. Others seem to like it and I won't dissuade you. I just can't recommend it.)
George R. R. Martin (fantasy)
A Game of Thrones A Clash of King A Storm of Swords
I can't do justice to the writers I haven't been able to include in these lists, like Elizabeth Hand (literary SF), Mary Gentle (literary SF and fantasy), Guy Gavriel Kay (fantasy plus), Robert Silverberg(fantasy and SF), Dan Simmons (fantasy and SF), Nancy Kress (SF), Catherine Asaro (SF/fantasy/romance) and ever so many more -- I find them all wondrous and inspiring. I hope the omitted will forgive me.
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one last note from Magpie. My son really liked the Pullman books: Golden Compass, et. al. I thought they were very intersting but a little dark for young teens. Young teens didn't think they were dark, however. Or maybe they did and liked them anyway. I think they're worth trying out and I think they might be getting made into a movie.