Who's your favorite author and why?

[mommaU4]

Just curious....

 

[taximomfor4]

Mark Twain...just love his style of writing.

 

[NMAmy]

I have so many that it's impossible to just pick one--so I'll give you my top two:

Jasper Fforde--his books are just flat out hilarious and I love all the literary references.
Diana Gabaldon--Her books are so well researched that it makes you feel like you're actually living in another time.

And here are the authors that I always buy the hardback books right when they come out which means I love these authors (I usually use the library for authors I don't know):

Nevada Barr
Douglas Preston/Lincoln Childs
Elizabeth Berg
Joanne Harris
Stephen King
Sue Grafton
J.K. Rowling
Laurell K Hamilton
David Sedaris
Laurie Notaro

 

[Maleficent13]

Rosamonde Pilcher. I can read her books over and over and never get bored. I love her. Actually rereading Winter Solstice right now.

 

[janice1234]

for me, it is james patterson, i love his style. i find it hard to do anything while i am reading his books. i just can not put the book down.

 

[foolishmortal]

http://www.brandonmassey.com/events.htm

Brandon Massey is a great writer who makes the pages turn fast!!

 

[71010]

Another James Patterson fan here. I also love Clive Cussler, Lawrence Sanders,Patricia Cornwell, and Michael Connelly.

 

[DD2Disney]

I love Jane Austen. I love her wit. I think she was such a superb talent to have her books loved by so many 200 years later because we can still relate.

 

[Magix]

I have 5 favorite authors and can't choose just one:

Douglas Adams - very funny and very creative
Hunter S Thompson - just brilliant
Joseph Heller - "Catch-22" and "Something Happened" are amazing works
Matt Ruff - Only 2 books that I know of, but they're complicated, funny and extremely inventive
Patrick O'Brien - I'm on the 5th of his 21 book Aubrey/Maturin series. Wonderful writing and characterizations. All the books make you feel you're a part of each voyage with Lucky Jack.

 

[GoofyDad869]

Robert Harris writes historical fiction. His latest book was "Pompeii" about the Vesuvius eruption in the 1st Century A.D. Most of his books are in the World War 2 timeframe. My favorite book of his is "Fatherland" which regards a murder investigation in 1960s Berlin - but it is during Hitler's holiday season (in the book Germany was victorious). It was an HBO movie in the late 80s or early 90s. Another great book was "Enigma" which was made into a movie with Kate Winslet about 5-6 years ago.

Thomas Harris wrote the Hannibal Lecter books ("Red Dragon", "Silence of the Lambs", & "Hannibal"). The books are better than the movies, in my opinion. I don't think he's written anything recently.

Caleb Carr ROCKS!!! He can just make turn-of-the-(last)century NYC come to life in "The Alienist" and "The Angel of Darkness". "The Devil Soldier" is an excellent biography of an American mercenary (Frederic Townsend Ward) who became a major force to be reckoned with during China's Opium Wars (1850s & 1860s). I got "The Italian Secretary" for Christmas and am working through my nightstand book pile down to it.

The Lemony Snicket series (Daniel Handler)!!! Very imaginative books, and he is a very witty writer without becoming overly cutesy.

Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series are very funny, quick reads.

I like John Irving, Garrison Keillor, David Sedaris also.

 

[Magickndm]

Stephen King....The Dark Tower series. Need I say more?

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

I like alot of different books, not necessarily from one author but one author I wish would write more books is Amy Tan...her stories are fascinating family relationship novels with a lot of history thrown in...really absorbing...I've loved all the books I've read.

I also loved Caleb Carr's writing. Some John Irving (A Prayer for Owen Meany) and one of my fave books is The Poisonwood Bible...

 

[jbdreamer]

I love Jane Austen. I love her wit. I think she was such a superb talent to have her books loved by so many 200 years later because we can still relate.

That what I was going to say!
Her stories are timeless. She makes me laugh & cry.

 

[Tiffann4k]

Diana Gabaldon

 

[alliecats]

C.S. Lewis. I just love his writing style. He was a brilliant man.

 

[liamsaunt]

Lots of my favorites are already mentioned:

• Jane Austen, because I can read her books over and over and still get caught up in the stories like they are new, and her writing style is timeless
• John Irving, because he can make you believe in the most surreal characters and situations, and you follow along every time.
• David Sedaris, because he is the funniest ever!
• I also really like Peter Mayle, because someday I want to have a house in Provence and and sit around the pool drinking pink wine and eating garlicky food. Yes, I am jealous!
• Ruth Reichl, because of the way she writes about food and family, she makes me feel like I know her.
• Alice Munro, I think she is the best short story writer working today. Her stories are gifts.
• Willa Cather, for evoking the beauty of solitude.
• Edith Wharton: I love all of her novels, especially Age of Innocence and the House of Mirth, for the way they capture the cruel realities of societal snobbery.
• Mark Twain, America's best.
• Raymond Carver, stunning short stories. He died too soon. Love Cathedral.
• Ernest Hemingway, for the way he writes about war, still shocking and sad after all this time.
• And and my all time favorite Lewis Carroll. Just because.

Yep, I was an English major.

edited to add the "whys."

 

[Rock'n Robin]

F. Scott Fitzgerald. I teach the Great Gatsby so I know that one backwards and forwards, but I have also read a couple of other novels and lots of short stories, and they are all interesting to me.
I also like Sinclair Lewis and Kurt Vonnegut.
For beach reading, last summer I was really into Luanne Rice.
Robin M.

 

[jimmiej]

Larry McMurtry...two words...Lonesome Dove

 

[powellrj]

John Irving, David Sedaris, Anne Tyler

 

[Pooh67_68]

Stephen King