General Discussion

@Flufferb

Oooo Dark fantasy, yes please, and long stories are my adhd goblin brain's favorite thing (give me a 24+ hour audiobook or long book when I have time to sit down a read with amazing world building and I'm sold)

@Requacy

The fact that its called Space Opera makes my brain giggle. I was a band kid in middle/high school so I'll give it a look over.

@quincely

ooo, sounds interesting I'll add it to my list of things to check out.

@Fenyx

You had me at D&D and 39 books. While I've never played myself, I love watching/listening to others play, so defiantly will add this to my check it out and loose lost of my hard earned money too list.

@Silverfoxmage I have only played one actual campaign, but I've played several games based off D&D. Neverwinter, D&D Online, Baldur's Gate... I want to play more actual D&D, but I'm introverted and don't like being around people that much. The game I played was all online because it was with people all over the country, so that was fun. The GM even commissioned all of us paintings based off our characters. Had them done with medieval paints and everything. I will cherish it forever.

Seconding or thirding The Locked Tomb. The reader is excellent and the books are enormously fun.

The Murderbot Diaries are similarly good. Murderbot just wants to watch its soap operas and be an introvert! Why do humans keep trying to become its friend and also nearly dying?! I tend to put these on when I'm having a bad day, and they're always comforting.

I listen to more nonfiction than fiction. The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed is one of the best books I have ever read or listened to. It's a biography of the Hemings family, who were enslaved by and related to Thomas Jefferson, one of the founders of the United States. The author was one of the early advocates for the Hemings' descendants claim that Jefferson was their ancestor via his children with Sally Hemings, a claim that the Jefferson estate frantically denied right up until DNA evidence proved it (and even then they tried ...). The book is written in a wonderful, conversational style and with a sensitive appreciation for all its subjects, and the audiobook reader has a lovely, engaging voice.

I highly reccomend 'The starless sea' to everyone, and I think it especially fits with the kinda of fantasy you've listed! It's about storytelling, and stories within stories, and magic doors and secret underground libraries and the magic of stories annnnddd it definitely gets a bit weird in the second half (it kind of goes from magical realism to magical surrealism which can be a bit of a hard switch) BUT it's still open of my favourite books of all time.

Also I know someone reccomended the Temeraire series (which is great), I also reccomend the rest of Naomi Novik's work, especially Spinning Silver. It's also about magic crossing into the world and magic doors and secret places. I think I have a type hahaha.

@Fenyx I understand the introverted want of wanting to play more games that involve people, but not really wanted to be around all the people long enough to play said game 100%.

@azarias I'm 2/3 through the first locked tomb book and I'm hocked. I'll give the rest of your suggestions a look over too (I don't mind nonfiction, I just tend to need to sit still to listen to it for some reason *Shrugs*)

@Bugless oooo I think I have the first book of the Temeraire series sitting in my "need to read at some point" pile. The Starless sea sounds interesting, I love a good story filled with magic and mysteries.

I’m gonna slide in here and mention some books that I’ve read and my dad has listened to:

• “The Expanse” by James S. A. Corey. It’s science fiction, and it kinda focuses on the political and social effects of human expansion through the solar system, along with some aliens! It’s considered a more “realistic” science fiction, with things like “flipping-and-burning,” and other physics and astronomy stuff.
• Anything by Brandon Sanderson. :3 He mostly writes high fantasy. Most of his fantasy books take place in a universe called the “Cosmere,” and some of his series include the Stormlight Archive and Mistborn. His books can be kind of long though, and it can be overwhelming to find a place to start, so I suggest starting with a standalone book or even a novella. I honestly suggest looking up a guide. It’s complicated, but sooo worth it. Also the fandom is cool