We see the same genres on RPGD over and over again. Obviously, Harry Potter mania swept the whole world. The most prolific genre on here now is no longer HP, but high school, although it seems like a lot of those are made by people who just make the same board over and over again, and their sites die within a week.

Do people read things other than Harry Potter? There's a number of prime authors that I never or rarely see RPGs for - Tamora Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones (she wrote Howl's Moving Castle), Robert Jordan, GRR Martin, Robert Aspirin, Terry Prachett (we did get one Discworld RPG recently). Even when people do make these sites, few people want to join.

Even the canon RPGs we do tend to get are high school based, and tend to be the exact same themes as any other high school board - Gossip Girl, A-List, etc.

This brings up another question, and that is are roleplayers too picky now? Do we care more about how a board looks than the actual roleplaying on it? I know beta posted pet peeves in the rant forum, and one of them was about the fact that a lot of people spend all their time in the plotting forums, but there's little real RP going on. Then everyone up and leaves to the next cool-looking RP.

I'm a huge fan of Mr Pratchett. How shattered was I, that he came to Melbourne - and I was stuck in a compulsory self-defence class for my after hours assistance job.

*cries*

Still not over that.

I'm also a huge fan of Meg Cabot, the Princess Diaries are the one reason I got through year twelve psychology. John Marsden (for those Aussies out there) and any of you who can get hold of the book 'Checkers' by Mr Marsden - DO IT! You will NOT regret it. Same goes for Joy Dettman (Mallawindy was brilliant, AND mentioned my hometown!), Max Barry is a brilliant Melbournian author, and creator of NationStates.net, for anyone who's ever been there. Morris Gleitzman wrote many of my favourite children's books, and is well known for his outrageous descriptions... and somewhat questonable storylines.

Celia Dart-Thornton, her 'Ill Made Mute' series was good until she ruined it in the third book, David Eddings... just WOW... (*is still in love with Sparhawk (Elenium/Tamuli) and Silk (Belgarian/Mallorean)*). Traci Harding did alright with the Ancient Future series, though I wasn't hooked.. but ZOMG, Sara Douglass and the Axis Trilogy! MUST BE READ!!

Dave Pelzer's three autobiographical books, starting with 'The Child Called It' are heartbreaking, but brilliant - just don't read the books by his brother if you value literature. Neil Gaiman, best known now for 'Stardust'... but I absolutely adore his short story 'Fifteen Cards from the Vampire Tarot'... he is a magician with words. Bernard Cornwell's Arthur series is not to be missed - nor is Mary Stewart's version.

In short, yes. I read beyond school. I very rarely do anymore.. I just don't have time. But I will sit down with the newest Terry, he is my favourite above all, and I always pick up books when I find them second hand. Cause one day I'll get around to reading them. XD

I've read all of Meg Cabot's books, even the non-PD books. She has such a light style and it's so easy to read. Plus, I love comedy. I'd like to see more adult-style comedic chick lit RPs. I think one of those done the right way might be fun and interesting. I'd like to see more comedy in general, because to me roleplaying is a way to escape from depressing ordinary life.

I've also read Barry, and have a rather middling nation-state. We're the self-proclaimed world's largest importer of chocolate, though. :P:

I've tried to read Eddings a number of times, but I have a hard time with high fantasy. I tend to get real tired and just give up on it. Jordan is the only real high fantasy author I have really liked. A lot of my friends are really into Dragonlance, but I just can't get into them. I've read one of Sara Douglass' books, but same problem applies here. Mercedes Lackey is an exception, because usually her books aren't quite as darkly toned as a lot of other high fantasy.

Other authors I didn't mention are Lois McMaster Bujold, Charles Lint, Cornelia Funke, Caroline Stevemer, and Patrica Wrede.

Max Barry added me as a friend on Facebook.

I thought I should mention that. XD

You need to read Marsden... I swear. He knows the human psyche... the Tomorrow series (a group of teenagers go to the bush for a weekend, come back to find their town has been invaded and Australia is involved in a war...) is just awesome, but Checkers will be my love forever. I read Hugh Laurie's 'The Gunseller', which was absolutely hilarious in a dark kind of way... Cabot's 'Size 12 is not Fat' stands at my favourite of hers, I think. That, or Avalon High.

Paul Jennings is also good for a laugh. Or just to creep you out, he's a bit weird at times.

I actually found a good Tortall-based roleplay a couple of years ago, however I was unfortunately too busy at the time to really get into it.

That being said, I read. A lot. I'm tempted to just give a list of every book on my shelf, however that's both time consuming and reasonably dumb, so I figure highlights of favorite authors will do:

Hilari Bell - more specifically, the Farsala trilogy
Holly Black
Alison Baird - the first two books in The Witches of Willowmere, The Hidden World, and the Wolves of Woden
Libba Bray
Meg Cabot - I personally own two PD books, one 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU book, Avalon High, and Nicola and the Viscount, however I've read all of her teen books excluding Pants on Fire and Jinx, and also her Heather Wells Mysteries.
Garth Nix - both the Abhorsen trilogy, Shade's Children, and the first two Keys to the Kingdom books
Stephenie Meyer
Tamora Pierce - all the Tortall universe books, and all the Circle universe books less Magic Steps (which was crap, but which I plan to get just so I have them all) and Cold Fire
Terry Pratchett - I have two myself, however my Mum has a pile of them in the other room
The complete Harry Potter series, including the two textbooks.
Sherwood Smith - Crown Duel
Margaret Peterson Haddix - the first three Shadow Children books, and Just Ella
Norah McClintock
Kathy Reichs
Anne Brashers
Louise Rennison
Cicily von Ziegesar - all of the It Girl books
Scott Westerfeld
Melissa de la Cruz - Blue Bloods and Masquerade
Helen Fielding
Robin McKinley

...That's not even all of my favorite authors, and yet that list seems disgustingly long o.O

But yeah. I read.

I do not read books, I devour them. You will never (and I mean never) see me without a book somewhere on my person. This is one of the many reasons I detest hardbacks but that's another story all together. Generally speaking I like my Jane Greens and my Lisa Jewels for an easy coffee-table read. They're like paperback Rom-Coms.

From there I'll read Michael Crichton (if you haven't read Prey then you really must, it's outstanding work), Mo Hayder (don't bother with The Treatment if you're not open to taboo subject-matter), James Herbert and Clive Barker. I can't get enough of a good, creepy book and Mo Hayder is stupendous for it.

Kelley Armstrong is my absolute favourite to read. Werewolves, Witches, ghosts and assassins, Oh My! She's just good. Strong character development, good storyline, intense, driven, action-packed and sexy. Just what the modern-gothic needs.

I do like my children's fiction. Artemis Fowl, David Almond's books, Junk, His Dark Materials, those Georgia Nicholson books and my absolute hands-down favourite this year, Skulduggery Pleasant.

I also like Clive Cussler (great if you like a James Bond sort of book), I'm a huge fan of Lord of the Flies and Shakespeare's plays. I've only recently started to appreciate Shakespeare again after seeing King Lear. I tried Pride and Prejudice...could not get past page 30. Blech. Recently started re-reading Crime and Punishment (just brilliant!) Adrian Mole and the Dark Tower series are on my 'to do' list.

In terms of the OP's other question, I think there is a problem with taking a board on face-value and never having the patience and sit down to read the information put up by an admin to help you. People want to go in with their character, ignore whatever plot os going on and play out their character to their own end until they grow bored and want to move on. The same can be said of admins. I see proposals for games practically every day on here and I think to myself, 'weren't you just opening one last week?' While I am not a preacher for the return of ye olde days but there does appear to be an issue of high RPG turnover.

I think there are enormous issues within the RPG world of people not reading. No one wants to, no one has the time, no one wants to invest in a game beyond their own motives. There are far too many players who do not read threads they're not involved in. Regardless as to whether or not the game is, 'big', by not reading at least a few people's threads beyond our own, we're only promoting selfish playing. From there, no one wants to get involved in plot, and struggles to keep up because they're not reading. I have to put up several links and reminders to people when I want them to read something. In the news box, in announcements and sometimes I subtly ask them for their 'input' on a board-post through IM to prompt them to read it.

33.33% of RPG is reading (if we assume the fun factor goes without saying) and I can't see how one can effectively do the other 2/3's (imagination and writing) without it.

I really love reading but it has to be a book that capures my very essence for me to stick to it lately. I just don't have the time to read a book that I'm so-so about. I haven't actually read a book since the 7th HP came out, which is really upsetting to me, but hell, I barely get my work alone done, I can't really give myself leisure time to sit down and read. Of course, I love parousing book stores just to see if something catches my eye. I've found a number of amazing books that way and will continue with my madness =] The next book I'd like to get around to is Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I absolutley loved her first two novels, and even though I'm dissapointed that she didn't use the same characters and ideas in her new book [the other two were sequels of one another], I still think she's an amazing writer and hope that this one is just as good! Also, it may be a little silly, but I absolutley love the Redwall series by Brian Jaques [sp?], they're so cute and imaginative! Sometimes I forget that they're mice and other creatures.

I read a lot. I used to be a book-a-day habit, although now that I can no long enter the library I've been forced to cut back.

I read a lot of fiction that really doesn't lend itself to role-playing. Book like "You Shall Know Our Velocity!" by Dave Eggars and "The Metamorphosis" by Kafka don't exactly scream "role-play me!!" -laughs-

I used to be a huge Tamora Peirce fan, back in sixth and seventh grade, and a year or so afterward (I've got a signed copy of "Lady Knight", even. It used to be my most prized possession). I'm actually rereading them now, five years later. I'm up to "Emperor Mage" from the Tortall series, and apparently now I need to go buy myself the "Trickster" series. XD I'm not much of a fan of her "Circle" book though. They're... meh. Not my style?

I do love me some Terry Pratchett, although I'm more of a Gaiman girl myself (had I not read "Good Omens" this would be different. I was never a "Sandman" fan so I never bothered with Gaiman's books until I picked up the aforementioned "Good Omens".)

Frankly, I don't understand the allure of "Harry Potter"--it's a mediocre book by a mediocre writer, but, eh, whatever floats one's boat, I suppose. I can see how it could be fun to role-play--the whole "magic school" setting, but I don't see the need for 390,854,679,289,032,780,763,780 Hogwarts RPGs.

As for what I do read... Dave Eggars, Jonathan Safran Foer, Kafka (<- I will never remember than man's first name... is it Franz?), Neil Gaiman, a bunch of old Icelandic literature, H. P. Lovecraft, and quite of a few other offers. I'm a light Stephen King fan, when I need a bit of formula horror--I like Peter Straub also.

I'm not much of fantasy fan, truth be told. I love writing it, but I hate reading it. Same with science fiction (minus Asimov, who I love), and cyber punk (I've never read a cyberpunk novel I liked, but I love the idea of the genre.)

I read Harry Potter and loved it. JKR is a very talented writer, but she doesn't hold a candle to who I consider the greatest fantasy writer of all time, Tolkien.

Lord of the Rings is my favorite book series, and you cannot imagine how thrilled I was when I learned they were finally making it into a (good) movie. His writing and thought processes are so intricate. I also love The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, along with his new book, The Children of Hurin.

I also like the Abhorsen Trilogy and the Bartimaeus Trilogy, but Tolkien's works will never be surpassed.

I read constantly, but I think that a good ninety percent of the books that I read would just fail miserably if they were ever put into a RP format. The members would have to know a ton about not only the book but the time period it's set in, the culture of the region in which it takes place, and general history of the area. Unfortunately, I don't think most people would be willing to do any of that which is why the 'gossip girl' type sites are really exploding right now. You don't really have to have much more than your own life experiences to play a character at least semi- accurately.

When it comes to my personal preferences in literature, I've been devouring the classics lately; 'Jude the Obscure', 'The Mayor of Casterbridge', 'Of Mice and Men', etc. I'm not much of a fantasy fan, but Harry Potter and the His Dark Materials books did hook me. I read a lot of satirical and dark comedy books (some of my favorite authors in that genre being Carl Hiaasen and Christopher Moore, not to mention Tom Robbins).

I love reading; my whole family is full of devout readers, and I was raised to read in my spare time. Honestly, I am always surprised when people I know say they hate reading, just because I can't imagine a life where it was emphasized.

One of the main reasons I'm so happy about my schedule senior year is because I don't have much required reading; junior year, I had to read for English and History. Along with the mounds of homework, it left little time (or desire) to read for leisure... but now I have hardly any homework and have a pretty laid-back English teacher who lets us read our books in class, so I have plenty of time.

My favorite author is John Irving; I am in love with his novels and his writing. He is pretty much my idol. I read The Cider House Rules for a junior English assignment, and it was really the most worthwhile thing I ever accomplished in that course. I've just finished The World According to Garp, and I'm working on A Prayer for Owen Meany and The 158-Pound Marriage. His books are more modern, and apparently he was mentored or at least very close to Kurt Vonnegut, so if you like his work you'd probably like Irving's.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is another recent favorite.It's one of the most imaginative and amazing books I have ever read. I can't even explain it properly, it is just so good.

I also enjoy reading YA novels and other light (in terms of difficulty and subject matter) novels. Authors/series I enjoyed are:

- Madeleine L'Engle; I first read A Wrinkle in Time in 5th grade, and still adore her. May she RIP.
- Harry Potter by JK Rowling
- The Twilight series by Stepehenie Meyer; her writing is mediocre, but she's getting better. The storyline is addicting.
- Gossip Girl; I haven't kept up though. It's gotten way too unbelievable for me, but it was a guilty pleasure, haha.
- Sophie Kinsella and the Shopaholic series -- I love British authors. They're so witty.

Sarah Dessen - my second favorite author. She wrote The Truth About Forever, That Summer, Someone Like You, and This Lullaby. They're high school fiction, but unlike Gossip Girl, they deal with real high school drama without sounding completely superficial. I like GG, but Dessen is a really good author and you can relate so easily to her characters. Everything about her novels is just so real, from the dialogue to the course of events. They all seem to have happy endings; somewhat ambiguous, but they're so satisfying.

So yes, I read a lot. I go to the library constantly and I'm always reading during classes when I have nothing to do. But most of the books I read are only good for one-on-one roleplays or just... impossible to put into RP format.

I do a lot of reading, but very little is non-fiction. Like, I CONSUME books on brewing and zymurgy, biology, and fine-art photography. Well, much of the brewing and zymurgy has been research-related, but I still consider it fun. Plus, I've been reading those books cover to cover, with the exception of the one that's over 900 pages, don't have the time for that now. If magazines count, sweet jesus, I consume those too and continue to re-consume them until they fall apart.

I haven't read any fiction since this summer, not even for school. I can't stand literature classes, and I plan to avoid them for the remainder of my college experience. Yes, I can do that.

Oh I enjoy reading. I created a Shadow Children rpg about a year ago but it failed because no one knew what it was about. I also tried creating a Tortall type rpg but based on the Copper Isles too but it also failed. Don't think I didn't try. I spent about 6 months on both of those rpgs. But I am a big fan of books and I am almost always reading. Everyone finds it annoying. I feel ashamed to say that now I am creating a Harry Potter rpg BUT it's completely based on quidditch. So far though, I think I've read over 500 books, not including non-chapter books. (drool) (lovestruck) (happy) (plug) <----- That is how I feel about books.

Oh lordy Mousie -- I adore you! Checkers is insanely awesome. I adored the book and bawled at the end of it. Honestly, it was amazingly written and so real.

That said -- I am having the hardest time finding a Tortall RPG. Tamora is my first fantasy love and would join one of her boards in an instant.

Anyway, I adore reading. Especially works like Terry Pratchett whom you have to read a few times to get all the layers and there are many layers.

However, time is a fickle thing and something I just don't have. *sighs sadly*

Books are my one true love. There's always a book in my purse, and back in high school when I had to read one for English, I would carry around two. Then in AP French last year we had to read books for that class too, so at times I would carry around three different novels at once. Which might explain why a simple purse quickly evolved into a roomy (and heavy) satchel. (sweat)

I love reading fiction, and of course there's my manga obsession, but I guess that doesn't really count. I especially love sci-fi and fantasy, though when I was younger I loved survival stories such as My Side of the Mountain and Gary Paulsen's Hatchet and sequels and The Transall Saga.

I've read just about every book by Anne McCaffrey, and she'll always be one of my favorite authors. The Dragon Riders of Pern series were my first "grown-up" books, after all. Then of course, there're the dozens of other series and authors I love, but there're way too many to list.

Recently I've really been pushing myself to read books by unfamiliar authors. For every oldie-but-goodie novel I buy, I try to buy at least one that I've never heard of before. Ya know, just picking a book with an interesting title off the shelves, reading the back and, if it sounds interesting, buying it. I've been really pleased so far. There've been only one or two duds.

My new favies include John Moore, who writes these funny and clever fairytale-esque novels. I highly recommend him to anyone who likes originality and humor. Then there's The Last Dragonlord by Joanne Bertin. I totally fell in love with that book. Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson, is absolutely amazing and has a unique type of magic called Misting which is totally awesome. I'm aggressively searching for the next in the trilogy but can't find it anywhere, so I'll probably have to buy it online (which is so not as much fun as the triumphant joy of pulling a pristine, inky-smelling book out of its shelf after carefully hunting for it).

However, I don't have a book to read right now! It makes me sad. I've read all the books I've brought with me, save for a quirky comedy and a couple fantasy books Mom bought at a garage sale that don't seem very good, and I'm in the mood for a dark, dramatic sci-fi. *sigh* Ah well, at least I know I'll get gift cards for Christmas, and then I can get some new stuff.

I HAAAAAATE Harry potter, just so you know. =P

But, I read out of school alot, but only specific genres. I'm very picky on books, and tend to reject many if they're sci-fi. I don't think I like sci-fi... XD well, main thing is that, I do, but only certain genres.

I read a lot, but, as I drifted away from fantasy a few years ago I have turned more and more to what a non-reading friend mockingly calls "high literature". I scourge the shelves of fiction, and am currently reading "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Foer, which is hardly suitable for an RPG as far as I can tell, some 50 pages into it. Most of the other books I have read lately have been equally unsuitable; you really can't work an RPG into the plot of a traditional fiction novel, there would simply not be enough to work with.

As for favourite writers, I am particularly fond of Nabokov and Wilde, both witty, and their sheer command of language! And a Norwegian author, André Bjerke, who wrote breath-taking poetry.

Ooooh baby. All I get for Christmas is gift cards to the bookstore XD

Lately though, I haven't been reading a lot of actual novels. But I have been devouring graphic novels by the boatload, because I adore comic books. It's like a series that never ends! Because the worst part of my favourite series is when you finish the last book (like Harry Potter or Uglies) and then it's like...now what?!

But as for my favourites...I can't actually say that I have a favourite author actually, which is odd considering how much I read.

BUT my favourite book is hands down, no question about it, Gone With the Wind. It makes me tear up every time I reach the end of it, it's just so perfect. Especially if you're like me and have a love/hate relationship with happy endings XD

I think the only book I HAVEN'T been able to drag myself through is "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" by Salam Rushdie. I've heard great things about him and all that, so I picked this book for an ISU, but it is awful. At least to me, I can barely understand what he's going on about for half the book! Ugh.

But hmm, favourite other books would have to be Uglies/Pretties/Specials/Extras by Scott Westerfield. Brilliant, brilliant books. I pretty much like anything by Meg Cabot, especially "Size 12 is not Fat" and "Size 14 is not fat either"<3 About the only books by her that I HAVEN'T read are the princess diaries! (not because I'm avoiding them, but if I read a series of books, it has to be in order and they never have the right ones at the store). OH, and Thr3e by Ted Dekker was creepy good...What else, what else...Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Harry Potter, books by Patricia Cornwall (Except her latest, Predator, found that one pretty hard to get through). Bah, I could go on forever!

OH And Shakespeare<3

Okay, really done ^^;

I adore reading, although I recently picked up reading for enjoyment. I went through a spell where I never really read unless I had to because a lot of books I had to read for school didn't particularly catch my interest so reading became this painful process. Then, I picked up the book my mother had bought me [A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray] for my birthday pretty recently [maybe a month or two?] ago and read it cover to cover in a week, and it was pretty long. This was surprising for me, considering I'm a bit of a slow reader.

So now I've been reading a lot more, my current book being New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. I love that series so far. ^^; So although I haven't read a great deal of books I'm trying to read a lot more and incorporate the new vocabulary and writing styles I'm learning into roleplaying [yes, I'm very dorky, I know d;]

I have to agree with you there Sunday. Stephenie Meyer has quite a straightforward, blunt way of putting things. This can be a regular sentence for her for those who don't read her books: "The idea of a distraction from all my worries had me almost excited. Maybe it -would- be fun." (New Moon, 352) But the story is so addicting I can't help but read it quickly.

It is very blunt, and actually pretty juvenile at times.

I remember reading Twilight, when [SPOILERS]
Bella is being attacked by James... Of course the novel is in her POV, but I was just thinking "How in the WORLD is she so lucid when a vampire has just broken her leg and thrown her into a window?" Lmao.
[/SPOILERS]

However, you really can see how she's progressed when comparing New Moon and Eclipse to Twilight. But I really hate seeing people laud her as an amazing writer. There's a difference between being a good author and being a good storyteller; Stephenie is the latter. The former... not so much.

I know this isn't the topic to talk about it, but since we're on the subject... Nicholas Sparks, author of Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember. Ugh, terrible, terrible author. Honestly, he is the only author whose books are better in movie format than novel format, and it annoys me how so many think he's so amazing. Again, good storyteller =/= good author.

Everyone seems to have read the Twilight books. I'd never even heard of them 'til they kept popping in in RPGs. Those are next on my very long list.

Well, I read constantly. There is always a book in my hand no matter where I am.

Harry Potter is my love of course. But I also love the Inkheart series. I know it's a little young but Cornelia Funke is the best author in the world. She beats JKR hands down.

Books by Dan Brown also get a thumbs up. Deception Point was amazing, The Da Vince Code was good, and Angels and Demons seems good too (I'm not done yet).

One books that killed me to read was Pride and Prejudice. Sorry, but I think I'll stick to the movies. That books put me to sleep.

At the moment I'm reading a Midsummer Nights Dream and it is great. Shakespeare may look like and idiot, but he writes like a god. The Odyssey is an all time favorite also.

Ugh, I hate Cornelia Funke's writing. I always thought there was way too much filler, and too many things she put into the books just to make them longer. It drove me crazy. Tolkien beats Funke AND J.K.R. hands down.

As for Shakespeare... I hated Romeo and Juliet, but Macbeth was brilliant. I wish someone would make Macbeth into a movie (cough Peter Jackson cough) with Cate Blanchett as Lady Macbeth, just because I can see her playing that part so amazingly. Anways... yeah. That's all I wanted to say.

Books are love! I adore reading them, obsessing about them, dreaming of which book to pick up next. Generally speaking, I have multiple books with me when I leave the house, just so that I can have one to move onto if I finish the one I'm reading!

I was considering working at Borders for a while, until I realized I would end up owing them money at the end of the week, rather than them owing me a pay check. So, I'm now planning to work at the library. Being surrounded by all those free books is bliss!

Love reading on my own!!!

Only sadly, since Senior Year is wrapping up I'm busier than ever so time is being cut short! However, I'll read just about anything that's handed to me, if I don't get bored within the first couple of pages!

Glad there are fellow readers out there:D

I don't read very much, but I do read sometimes. I chose the 'tv or videogame' category because I think that RPing kind of falls into that class. Yes, I do RP instead of read. :/

Edit: I should note that I also write TONS.

I love to read all the time! :)
I am a huge fan of the Daily Show and so when he has authors on I am always ready to pick up a new book. Besides from HP and the occasional book I read very little fiction. I swear every week I end up spending at least 100 USD in a bookstore.

I read a bunch and then some.

Never without five or six books -- likely a mix between poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction, essays, and memoir. It's all good.

I read everything from contemporary just-published to Plato's "Republic." Local Lit Journals and national magazines and literary supplements. I wish I could sustain myself on literature, alone. ._.;;

No, not obsessed. Not at all.

David Clement-Davies, anyone? I loved Fire Bringer and The Sight, and I've been meaning to get my paws on Fell, and I'm starting The Telling Pool, but I love his style. It's got a way of very strong imagery without being purple-prosey. Unfortunately, many roleplayers have bad connotations with animal roleplays and I bet a game on either the Herla or the Varg would be dismissed, even if it has amazing concepts.

And personally, I'd leap at a Watership Down game. Though I still need to read the book. Rabbit society. ^^

I read what I can, and while I've got a deep passion for non-fiction books, I love a good story, too. But I'm busy, so I can't read a whole lot. And I'll often turn to Video Games for a story buzz, too.

NEIL GAIMAN- yes please and forever. I love the short story you mentioned, Mousie. He's pretty much my favorite author of all time, and If I ever saw an rp based around anything by what he's written (zomg, a Neverwhere RP would just get me all nice and warm inside) I'd probably join in a heartbeat and never ever leave it. I see him as one of the paramount writers of our time. Not to mention he's amazingly multitalented.

I'm one of those sorts who always has a book with her- even when it is the middle of the semester and I'm crunched for time with projects and drawings and god knows what else, it's nice to be able to pick up a book for an hour or so and relax.

So so true. Nicholas Sparks is a horrible author, in my opinion. The concepts for his novels are fascinating, but the way he chooses to present thim is just awful. I tried to read The Notebook about a month ago and then put it down about a chapter in. I never put books down - I'm usually pretty patient - but The Notebook was just bad.

I'm a big fan of werewolves and vampires, as many of the people on here seem to be. I like the Twilight Series, along with the Bloodline Series, Vampire Academy, and Peeps. Some of those novels are pretty crappy, set-up wise, but it's the plot that drives me. :) I also love Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz.

Chuck Palahniuk will forever amaze me. Thus far I've read Diary and Fight Club by him, and both are rivetting. I love the way he writes; it's so visceral it gives me shivers. Next in line on the Chuck Palahniuk train of books is 'Survivor.'

Also love Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, who have been mentioned. Good Omens, being written by both of them, makes me ecstatic. Hilarious. It's a tragic and disgusting prank of nature to diagnose Pratchett with Alzheimer's. The world of fantasy-lit won't ever be the same for me :(

I love Gail-Anderson Dargaz; I just started reading her book "The Cure for Death by Lightning."

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman = my bible. By far my favourite series of all time.

My guiltiest pleasure is Louise Rennison's "Georgia Nicholson" series. If that doesn't ring a bell, perhaps book one, "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging" does? These books are, by far, the most hilarious things I've ever read. I can't read them in public because I humiliate myself. It's basically about a British teenage girl growing up and her mad friends and her mad family. I say they're a guilty pleasure because they're perhaps not meant for someone my age (20), but my 39-year-old friend reads them and loves them so HA!

Also on my list of to-read is 'Fear and Loathing,' 'The Colour of Magic,' 'Artemis Fowl' (read the first, I have this problem with finishing series), 'The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night Time' and 'A Spot of Bother' (same author).

I've read Harry Potter and the Twilight series, and I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither authors are particularly brilliant with words, but their story-telling is amazing enough to keep me turning pages so bravo.

Of course I read! I live for reading.

*Currently reading The Book of Lost Things... Highly reccommend it.*

And we're all RPG nuts, so when we're not writing up our posts.. we're reading the posts of others. :p