It seems that 2012 is an auspicious time to be starting a blog about fantasy books – not only is it the Australian National Year of Reading, but it is also the lunar year of the Dragon!
National Year of Reading
2012 is the National Year of Reading in Australia, focusing on teaching children to read and love reading, and also to allow keen readers to find new inspiration. Events are planned all over the country in libraries, bookshops and schools, so if you’re in Australia make sure you check out the Love2Read website at http://www.love2read.org.au to see what’s on near you and how you can get involved.
Year of the Dragon
This year is the Lunar year of the Dragon, considered the luckiest year in the Chinese zodiac. Those born in the year of the Dragon are fierce, ambitious and ready to take risks.
What better way to celebrate the year of the Dragon than by reading a stack of Dragon-related stories? My Year of the Dragon challenge is this: read five books related to Dragons in some way then come back and let me know what you read! Take a button for your site if you wish as well.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Any of the Pern books by Anne McCaffrey (Amazon.com • Book Depository
)
- Even though the first Pern book, Dragonflight, was first published way back in 1969, they remain fantastic stories. The world and characters will stay with you long after reading them!
- The Inheritance series, Christopher Paolini (Amazon.com
- Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance – Eragon and Saphira’s story is an epic one, and I’ve only read the first two so far. Definitely on my list.
- How to Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell (Amazon.com
- There are seven books for young readers about Hiccup and the dragons of Berk. The dragons of the books are quite different from those in the movie – they’re worth a read to get the real story, even if I do like the movie-version Toothless better.
- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Steig Larsson (Amazon.com • Book Depository)
- Not a fantasy title but a thriller. I have heard mixed reviews and have yet to read it myself, but would like to this year.
- The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien (Amazon.com
• Book Depository)
- The classic tale of thirteen Dwarves and one Hobbit’s epic adventure to relieve a dragon of his treasure is timeless and should be re-read on a regular basis. Read it to your little ones before the movie is released in December.
Do you have any other recommendations of Dragon books to read?
I’m trying to think of the name of a series and can’t even think of the authors now.
I can remember it was a 7 book series and the main character was like harplo (or something like that) and Alfred who was a sarten(sp?)
found it,
the deathgate cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
I really enjoyed that series when I was younger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_Gate_Cycle
link to wikipedia that helped me figure out what it was, also main char is Haplo
Aha, thanks.. I remember seeing that series about but I didn’t read any of them. Will check it out!
Oh, you should put all of the Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman on the list, they are fun since dragons can take humanoid form too. Thanks for reminding me of them Aaron!
I’m still in love with the Dragonriders of Pern series and go back to re-read it constantly.
Dragon books… oh so many wonderful ones. The first that comes to mind is the Temeraire series, by Naomi Novik. The first one, His Majesty’s Dragon is just brilliant, although the series goes downhill eventually. It’s an alternate history type fantasy where dragons exist in England in the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
Then there is Robin Hobb. Her Farseer Trilogy is fantastic but only somewhat dragon-related. Her latest set of books in the same universe is The Rainwild Chronicles which gives a very different take on dragons than the traditional stereotypes we’re used to.
Thanks Kae! I’m a Robin Hobb fan from way back.. I must get a copy of the latest one. Temeraire sounds good, thanks!
Temeraire has dragons! By.. Naomi Novak I believe.
There’s a paranormal romance about dragon shapeshifters called.. Hmm.. the series is Elder Races I think? Dragon Bound! Thea Harrison.
Another dragon shapeshifty story but this time a fun little YA – Flying Blind.
Hmm.. Song of Ice and Fire. I say no more, but they count.
Oh oh I just remembered another! Err.. >.<
Oh how's about this? http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/583.Dragons 🙂
Ye gods… that is an awesome list! Now to add to my (already enormous) to-read list 😛
I love browsing Goodreads lists and recommendations when I’m craving something particular!