Reddit mentions of The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, 2012 Edition

Hi! Welcome to the challenge! The more I read, the more books just seem to fall in my lap. As I read reviews, I do keep a list of books that sound interesting to me. However, I rarely read what I originally "planned" to read. I'm reading almost exclusively on my Kindle right now, and I'm trying to read almost everything for free. Most of my book choices are based on what's available at the library.

Don't feel like you HAVE to be bogged down in a genre, but if you want to try out some sci-fi and fantasy, there are some great books out there.

Good Omens might be a great start for fantasy. It's written as a collaboration between two of my favorite fantasy authors (Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman). It's a LOT of fun. It's also a good choice because it's a stand-alone book. It's not part of a long, complicated series. That way, you can get your feet wet without feeling obligated to read tons of books.

Neil Gaiman also wrote Stardust, American Gods, Neverwhere and lots of other great books in Fantasy. He's a wonderful storyteller.

Terry Pratchett wrote (and is still writing) a huge series of books called Discworld. They're very cleverly done, and they're a lot of fun. If that's a series you're interested in, there are guides that can give you an idea of where to start. Discworld Guide

Sci-Fi can be fun- they're doing a movie for Ender's Game soon. I enjoy the book even if I'm not a big fan of the author as a person.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is beloved by most Sci-Fi fans. Like Pratchett, it's more of a funny, witty approach to the genre.

You might even just want to try some of the Best of Sci-Fi short stories collections like this one here.

That's by no means a comprehensive list, but it's a good starting point.