Originally Posted by spindles

I loved these when I read them in high school, and re-read them last year. I'm not sure I'd class it as good fiction anymore. Maybe because I already knew what was going happen. Also, a lot of his later books (in this same setting just seemed to be a re-hash) Spoiler: After you have defeated the biggest bad dude in the world, your next book can't be 'oh no, now we've got an even worst bigger badder dude than before'

My recommendations (in no particular order):
Raymond Feist (Magician etc.)
David Gemmell (my favourite is Knights of Dark Renown, but anything of his really)
Elizabeth Moon (The Deed of Paksenarrion)
Tracy Hickman/Margaret Weis (Dragonlance Chronicles).
RA Salvatore (Dark Elf Trilogy etc.)
Tolkien (LoTR and Hobbit) - this has a tendency for being a bit too descriptive at times, but still definitely worth a read. The LoTR does start quite slowly and I can see how it might be a chore to read it - that's a personal call to make. I'd avoid the Silmarillion and others of his - they have a tendency for being 'historical' and dry.
George RR Martin: (A song of Ice and Fire series), though maybe wait until he finishes writing it - nothing like having 4 books and in series read and hanging out for the next 'chapter' An author that kills off everyone that looks likely to be the hero of the story definitely keeps you interested