Here's where I recommend some of my favorite books.
The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall The most marvelous of books. A group of villagers, thrown out of town by their fearful, short-sighted neighbors, set out to save their entire community from a threat no one else believes is coming.
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley If you've ever wondered what it would be like to fight a dragon, this book will show you what it takes. Completely absorbing.
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams In the first scene of this book, a young man shirking his kitchen duties passes the time watching a beetle crawl by. In the second scene, an ailling king visits his throne room for the last time. What follows is epic storytelling that has you eagerly following its characters through every twist and turn. Once you visit the land of Osten Ard, part of you will never leave.
Tehanu by Ursula K. LeGuin A novel of rare subtlety, power and grace. LeGuin's deftly-drawn characters struggle to live their lives in the face of challenges both magical and personal. Just like all of us. Castleview by Gene Wolfe An unstoppable roller-coaster of a book. The small Illinois town of Castleview, so named because...is that a castle over there? Must be a trick of the rain. You've never read anything like this; so vivid you can smell the eggrolls.
Escapement by Jay Lake The universe is a giant clockwork in this astounding novel. A extraordinary heroine whose mechanical tinkerings can literally change the world must find her way across it. Through rousing action and darkly violent turns, the story never loses its humanist center, and you will cheer characters both human and mechanical while seeing sights you've never seen before.