This is more of a "classic" entry for me. Sometimes I am just not in the mood to read a new book, and pick up an old one. This past week, after cleaning off some of my bookshelves, I found my Mercedes Lackey books tempting me.
Currently, I am thoroughly enjoying the podcast series "The Secret World Chronicle" by Ms. Lackey and Steve Libbey. Although sporadically posted, the episodes are great. For the most part, they are well-recorded and edited, and the reader does a really great job (Veronica Giguere does most of the narration).
But my 
introduction to Ms. Lackey's writing came through her Valdemar books, starting with the "Heralds of Valdemar" series, including "Arrows of the Queen," "Arrows Flight" and "Arrows Fall". Now, I'd probably classify this as YA fantasy. Some of the other Valdemar books, not so much YA. This series (which I have in a single volume from SFBC) is one I reread every few years. It is a really great coming-of-age story about Talia, a young girl from the back country who is Chosen to be a Herald, and learns how to deal with the trials, tribulations and politics of her new world.
So, once I reread this last week, I had to continue on to "By The Sword," which is a sort-of sequel. The first part of this book follows the story of another young girl, in a neigboring kingdom, who choses to follow the career path of mercenary fighter, and how her decisions ultimately bring her to Valdemar, and into the sphere of the heralds (and the reader gets to see an older Talia, too).
I won't go on and reread the next books. I admit that they didn't grab me as much as these first ones did. But other of Ms. Lackey's books are also well worth a read. But since I haven't reread them lately, I won't comment on them now.