The first one that comes to mind is a classic -- The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. It's a retelling of the King Arthur legend... but all from the point of view of the women of the story. Very long but quite the page-turner.

Peter
(The guy who runs Flashlight Worthy)

I loved the Farseer trilogy by Robin Hobb. Some places list this series as the first three of a nine book series, I read all nine. I could have skipped the middle three, they were good, but I did not like them as much as the Farseer books and then I also liked the Tawney Man books, they continued with the characters from the Farseer. I got so involved with these books, I loved the characters, and she is just a great, great storyteller. I had come back to fantasy after years of reading other genres and I was so happy when I found this writer.

Robin Hobb is great, she and other greats like Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch, Brandon Sanderson, and of course George R.R. Martin top the "Top 10" fantasy books for 2009 and 2010 at Fantasy Book News:

http://www.fantasybooknews.com/category/top-10/

Check out anything by Jacqueline Carey. (Kushiel's Legacy series or Santa Olivia).

Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines. Maybe it's not the most popular, but it gives you the feel of a main stream fantasy, without the lengthy number of pages. Plus, it's a story with a lot of well-written humor. It's a random one, but a good one.

"Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell," by Susanna Clarke. A pastiche of fantasy and Austen-esque social parody, it's got thematic points along with being a ripping yarn.

I'm a non-fantasy reader...but absolutely loved "The Chronicles of Prydain" by Lloyd Alexander and read by James Langton on CD - wonderful character acting by Langton.

Spirit Gate by Kate Elliot. (and of course the rest of the Crossroads Series) Elliot is one of the best women working in fantasy right now.

There are so many. Where to start? Tolkien is obvious so let's go with something a little less so:

The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. Book of Swords by Fred Saberhagen. Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. Tales of the Otori by Lian Hearn.

I also second Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles.

Cam Rawls
http://www.twitter.com/camrawls

Stephen King's Dark Tower Series is AMAZING!!!!!!! Best series I have read, ever.

The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik is awesome -- especially recommended for people who like Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series -- it's alternative history, the Napoleonic wars -- with dragons! I am not a big fantasy reader but I love these books.

A relatively new author to hit the racks is Michael Sullivan with his Riyra Revelations series. A light and fun fantacy read, each edition can be a stand alone book. I would pick up The Crown Conspiracy for a fantasy book club...and would LOVE to join that book club if you were in my area!!

The Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen). I read them, my husband read them, his mother and 2 of his siblings read them, and then we passed them on to several of our friends. Everyone we've recommended them to has liked them!

I just finished His Majesty's Dragon, which is the first in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.

Nan mentioned this earlier and I just wanted to second her vote. It's a wonderfully spun tale. It's hard to imagine the war without the dragons now.

The Robert Jordan series of the Eye of the World. There are 13 books, 2 more and the series is finished. When I was reading the first one, people I didn't know would approach me and ask me where I was and how I liked it.Check it out!!! Also,I have compiled a list of characters so when you get to the end books, contact meand I will email it to you.

Little, Big by John Crowley.

and the Onion Girl/Widdershins duo by Charles deLint.

Agree with the Jonathan Strange, but also check out the new (relatively) The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

Guy Gavriel Kay's "Fionnavar Tapestry" trilogy is excellent. I really like Patricia McKillip and Robin McKinley. Oh, and Sharon Shinn, who has written a fascinating and unusual series about a world populated by angels and humans, Samaria.

Loved Jonathan Strange!

Check out books by Connie Willis. I especially recommend The Doomsday Book, a book so rich and varied that it's hard to say what it is: SciFi? no. Historical fiction? kinda. Fantasy? sorta. A real page turner? Absolutely! I also really enjoyed Passages, the Titanic on mind-altering drugs.

The bible!!!

Seriously, The Lord of The Rings was a real page turner for me, the depth of the story telling, the detail that Tolkien created for each race and culture. Simply amazing.

Try Peter S. Beagle. My favorite is his most controversial novel, "The Folk of the Air," in which strong magic is set loose in a college town bearing a suspicious resemblance to Berkeley, CA. A book club might also enjoy his short-story collections, such as the recent "Mirror Kingdoms."

I'm currently reading George RR Martin's, "Song of Ice and Fire" books. Amazing!
Intrigue, betrayal, not too much magic, and - I find this refreshing - the good guys don't always come out on top. HBO has created a mini series based on the first book, Game of Thrones, scheduled to air sometime in 2011

Stephen King - the dark tower series!!!!

Patrick Rothfuss!!!!!!!!!!! THE NAME OF THE WIND. the best book i have ever read, other than the sequal, the wise mans fear. I wish i could make a time machine and go back and read them again and again and enjoy them forever. Im afraid to read new books because of dissapointment. The story affected my life, and my views of everything. Over all, i would pay people to read it, just so they could enjoy it

His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman!

I think we all agree that Tolkien is the benchmark, but there are many other authors worthy of mention.

The Rift War Saga by Raymond E. Feist. Stunning piece of engaging, captivating and enticing literature.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. A brilliantly funny story!

I second the mention of Robin Hobbes. The Farseer books were phenomenal!

I second Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon. A re-telling of the Arthurian legend from the female perspective. No, really. It's crazy good.

I read Lev Grossman's The Magicians last year and really liked it. The sequel is coming out this summer.

Are these the best? I don't know, but I think they're very good, and worthy of reading by any fan of fantasy/sci-fi:

By Tad Williams - "Otherland" (starting with City of Golden Shadow), and "Memory, Sorrow, Thorn" (starting with the Dragonbone Chair)

By Steven R Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (3 books), The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (3 books), and the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (3 so far, 1 to go)

By Ursula K Le Guin - Earthsea quartet (A Wizard of Earthsea, Tombs of Atuan, The farthest shore, and Tehanu)

Warrior Justice by Robb Chase

I was so upset that no one mentioned Patrick Rothfuss until Andrew! Yay! Basically, The Name of the Wind changed my life for the better. And Wise Man's Fear (the second book in the series) is, if possible, even better. Rothfuss is an amazing author. One thing I look for in a book (any book) is for the author to transcend a specific genre, and Rothfuss does exactly that. His writing, plot- and style-wise, is the best bits of everything. I only wish more people read his books!

Empire Of The East, by Fred Saberhagen

I don't know if I overlooked it somewhere but I'm working on The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. So far I've enjoyed every book.

The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher. This Author has a great way of capturing a crisis moment with a reasonable mind and great humor. I have never been so intrigued by a fight scene while cracking up.

I second third and forth Jacqueline Carey, the Kushiel Legacy including my faves Kushiels Dart (I read it at least twice a year), and Kushiels Avatar, Kushiel's Scion and Kushiel's Justice. Dart was her debut and it is beautiful, it transcends genre, epic erotic fantasy. Erotic in places, not entirely,epic first for sure! Includes the Court of Night Blooming Flowers, 13 'Houses' likened to brothels but so much more, each with its own cannon, modestly, giving pain, receiving pain.... that is just a taste, their are corteseans and courtiers all with something they want or something someone wants from them. Betrayal, lust, love, devotion, power, murder, tradition, religion, the crown, the game.
'

Laurell K. Hamilton! She has 2 really great series I'm in the middle of reading! Meredith Gentry Series and Anita Blake series. Also The Nymph King By Gena Showalter.