Does it have to be fiction? Dan Savage's non-column books ("The Kid", "The Committment", and "Skipping Towards Gomorrah") are pretty fun, and I think the pace and narrative style qualifies them as romps.

I don't think it HAS to be fiction, but I couldn't tell you the last non-fiction book I finished reading all the way through.

I think I would actually enjoy a lot of non-fiction stories, since I like things with real basis.

Hmm, in that case, 1632 by Eric Flynt, perhaps? Alternate history Europe. The Foreward/Introduction is key: the author says, "ok, look, this is a kludge, alright? The chars don't know what's going on, but now you do. So stop worrying about X and instead focus on Y."

Well, Stephenson really tends to start off running (though I'd expect you should stay away from his 17th-century series).

If you've not read Jim Butcher, I'd recommend trying his Dresden Files ("Stormfront" is the first one, I believe).

Unfortunately, my "generate the names of authors you've read" circuits seem to be on the fritz today, so I'm not coming up with many names to test your criteria against.

i strongly second both of these, though Stephenson does sort of tend to bog down in the middle -- i like what happens in these sections, but they annoy some people. along the lines of Butcher and some of Huff (and to an extent Harris), i've been enjoying Kim Harrison's series that starts with Dead Witch Walking, though it's been creeping into Laurell K. Hamilton territory lately.

it's a little hard without having an idea of what else you've read. i'm always surprised by what people have and haven't read, and so accidentally fail to rec things. how about Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman? ooh, maybe War for the Oaks by Emma Bull (her books Finder and Bone Dance are also really excellent, but i like War for the Oaks best for starting -- great fun urban fantasy, with music!) hmm. Sorcery and Cecelia probably counts as a romp, and is charming and wonderful. if you're not adverse to YA, some Diana Wynne Jones books certainly count (maybe Howl's Moving Castle, most of the Chrestomanci Books, Tale of Time City oh, definitely Deep Secret, among others...), and perhaps Tamora Pierce's Alanna books... Joan D. Vinge's Psion, Catspaw, Dreamfall trilogy might be good. Possibly Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan books?

*wry smile* i could talk about books all day, but it would definitely help to have more of an idea of what specific books you've already read, liked, and disliked...

I have been enjoying the Dead Witch walking series, but the last one was a bit... wandering.

I seem to only be able to read the Death disc world books. it's weird.

I've read Neil gaiman's short stories, Amercian Gods, Neverwhere? and Coraline. They were enjoyable, but I'm not sure I'd like more of his stuff. I liked Americain Goes the best, I think.

I love urban fantasy! I'll check that out.

It sounds like you've got me at least on the right path! your suggestions sound great.

I was about to suggest Sorcery and Cecelia (and its TWO sequels one of
which is newnewnew which bert got us for Christmas woohoo did I eat
too much sugar today or what!)

Charles de Lint has some other urban fantasies (I've recently read
Greenmantle, and there is also The Onion Girl and Forests of the Heart) which are not completely rompy, good reading but have more sadness/darkness to them I think.

John M Ford's The Last Hot Time is another urban fantasy.

and other Borderlands stuff (Finder is in the Borderlands universe) such as
Will Shetterly's NeverNever and Elsewhere (they are supposed to be young adult, but whatever, I like the characters.)

i'm terribly fond of the Death discworld books (especially the ones featuring Susan, like Soul Music and Thief of Time, but i also like the Witch ones (Witches Abroad was my first discworld novel) and some of the later Vimes/Watch ones. the Wizard ones are probably my least favorite. you might try his YA Tiffany Aching series, starting with The Wee Free Men?
American Gods is probably my favorite of Gaiman's non-comics fiction, though i might have to vote from The Sandman as his best work, still.
if you haven't read Good Omens, you really should try it, even if you're unsure about how you feel about Pratchett or Gaiman separately. it's a wonderful, hilarious novel about the Apocalypse.

i'll second honeyartichoke's suggestion of Zelazny's A Night in the Lonesome October. the His Dark Materials trilogy and Garth Nix books are both wonderful, in interesting, somewhat-dark epic-ish-but-not-cliche fantasy sort of ways.

hmm, what else. you might try Steven Brust's Jhereg novels. Patricia C. Wrede has some other fun books, like the Dealing with Dragons series and the Mairelon the Magician books. i seem to remember Bruce Bethke's Headcrash as being pretty rompy, but i read that a long time ago so i'm not totally sure. if you don't mind a strong dose of romance in your SF and Fantasy, i enjoy Sharon Shinn a lot, and some of it is pretty fast-moving. Diane Duane's Young Wizards YA series is pretty fun, especially the first few, starting with So You Want to Be a Wizard...

good luck! :)

I've read, and liked a few of the Dresden Files, but couldn't get started on the next one in the series. I should likely try again, especially with the TV series coming soon.

I havne't been able to get started on stevenston either. I've tried a number of times.

Drop by my place this week and we can go over my bookshelves. I'll get a better idea what you like and make a suggestion or seven. Meg might, too.

(I'm working from home for at least the rest of the week, so just drop by at a convenient time and I'll take a break)

Some thoughts from a quick scan of my bookshelves:

Moon Called, Patricia Briggs
The Weather Warden series, Rachel Caine - starts with Ill Wind
The Vampire Earth series, E. E. Knight - starts with Way of the Wolf; post-apocalyptic, so a bit dark
The Liaden Universe, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller - starts with Local Custom, but the first few can really be read in any order
Freehold, Michael Z. Williamson

I second the recommendation for Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (in fact I've liked most of her books and have all but one of them, but the rest of them are more traditional fantasy). Very good : Raven's Shadow and Raven's Strike (i forget which one came first)

Very fun trilogy (if you don't mind the YA label)- His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, starts with Golden Compass
Also nice - Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix, starts with Sabriel
I also second recommendations of Diana Wynne Jones, i've liked most everything I've read by her)

I would also recommend Robin Hobb - starting with Assassin's Apprentice

Sean Russell - Initiate Brother and Gatherer of Clouds

Roger Zelazny - Night in Lonesome October

C.J.Cherryh (mostly sci fi) - Angel with the sword, Chanur books, Rim Runners

Michael Swanwick (off beat kinda surreal sci fi) - i think mostly out of print; probably most rompy might be Stations of the Tide or Vacuum Flowers.

That's probably enough for now :-)

Altered Carbon, Richard K. Morgan. Noir/tough-detective, but in a future San Francisco where you keep brain backups, and you can buy bodies to put them in. The detective is hired by a millionaire, who wants to know why he committed suicide yesterday.

Dread Empire's Fall, Walter Jon Williams (in 3 volumes). Not an outright romp, but battle, murder, treason, and two really good lead characters.

Kiln People, David Brin. About a future where the air is a lot cleaner, and the price society paid is that there's corpses all over the place :-)

The Skinner, Neal Asher.

Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross. Separate novels with a common character - a computer that is now effectively God, and whose main commandment is that thou shalt not time travel to before God was born. Killer villains.

The Life of the World to Come, Kage Baker. Almost a romp. Definitely characters and action and humor.

Sunshine, Robin McKinley. The only vampire novel I've read in, umm, forever, but it was recommended.