I've been an avid reader of fantasy and sci-fi books since I can remember - reading C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and the book that really dragged me into it all - Terry Brooks's Elfstones of Shannara, which I read when I was 14. I still read a lot, and I've taken to posting reviews of the books here. Enjoy.

Seventh Son, by Orson Scott Card

Seventh Son

I picked up this book from a Barnes and Noble on a whim while Linda and I were out Christmas shopping.

This is the first book in the acclaimed saga of Alvin Maker. In an alternate 19th-century America, settlers have spread across the country, magic is a reality, and a seventh son has been born to a seventh son. He is destined for greatness--if his enemies don't stop him first.

I'd heard about Orson Scott Card, but never read anything of his. I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed. I was very distracted at first by the language - "She gave no never mind to it" - but soon got over it.

This book contrasts religion and magic. Magic is more demonstrable than religous miracles, yet there are some who disbelieve both, and who attribute good and evil to either. In a frontier America that contains Puritans and Prophets, Indians and Wizards, the author is left to paint his vision of what America might be were magic real, and had events happened a bit differently.

Altered Carbon, by Richard Morgan
Amber Spyglass, The, by Philip Pullman
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
Anguished Dawn, The, by James P. Hogan
Batman: No Man's Land, by Greg Rucka
Battle Circle, by Piers Anthony
Battlefield Earth, by L. Ron Hubbard
Beasts of Barakai, The, by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Black Monday, by Scott Reiss
Broken Angels, by Richard K. Morgan
Catch Me If You Can, by Frank Abagnale
Caught in Crystal, by Patricia C. Wrede
Cell, by Stephen King
Clash of Kings, by George R. R. Martin
Contact, by Carl Sagan
Cradle of Saturn, by James P. Hogan
Daughter of the Sun, by Lonnie Ezell
Deception Point, by Dan Brown
Decipher, by Stel Pavlou
Digital Fortress, by Dan Brown
Dragon and the George, The, by Gordon Dickson
Dune, by Frank Herbert
Eldest, by Christopher Paolini
Eragon, by Christopher Paolini
Eye of the World, The, by Robert Jordan
Feast For Crows, by George R.R. Martin
Fight Club, by Chunk Palahntuk.
Flightless Falcon, by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Fool Moon, by Jim Butcher
Footfall, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Forensic Files of Batman, by Doug Moench
Frankenstein, Book One: Prodigal Son, by Dean Koontz
Frankenstein, Book Two: City of Night, by Dean Koontz
Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin
Godslayer, by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Golden Compass, The, by Philip Pullman
Grave Peril, by Jim Butcher
Great Train Robbery, by Michael Crichton
High Druid of Shannara Series, by Terry Brooks
I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
In God We Trust, by Jean Shepherd
Invaders Plan, The, by L. Ron Hubbard
Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton
Kingdom Come, by Elliot S. Maggin, Mark Waid, Alex Ross
Last of the Renshai, by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Legend of Nightfall, The, by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Legend That Was Earth, The, by James P. Hogan
Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow
Master of the Five Magics, by Lyndon Hardy
Next, by Michael Crichton
Nor Crystal Tears, by Alan Dean Foster
Phylogenesis, by Alan Dean Foster
Prey, by Michael Crichton
Return of Nightfall, by Mickey Zucker Reichert
Runelords, by David Farland
Seventh Son, by Orson Scott Card
Sleeping Dragon, The, by Joel Rosenberg
Stand, The, by Stephen King
Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
State of Fear, by Michael Crichton
Storm Front, by Jim Butcher
Storm of Swords, by George R.R. Martin
Subtle Knife, The, by Philip Pullman
Summer Knight, by Jim Butcher
Sword of Shannara, by Terry Brooks
Swords Against Deviltry, by Fritz Leiber
The 4400: The Vesuvius Prophecy, by Greg Cox
The Flash: Stop Motion, by Mark Schultz
The Postman, by David Brin
Time Travelers Wife, The, by Audrey Niffenegger
Timescape, by Gregory Benford
Twilight Eyes, by Dean Koontz
Two Faces of Tomorrow, The, by James Hogan
Wild Cards, by George R.R. Martin
Wizard's First Rule, by Terry Goodkind
Woken Furies, by Richard K. Morgan
World War Z, by Max Brooks