# Favorite Author/Books



## Alix (Jan 23, 2009)

GB got us all talking about our book favorites and I don't want to hijack his stuff any more so I'm starting this one. I have so many favorites in so many genres so I'll post some of mine and I'd love to see yours. Maybe we can all get some new ideas from here.

*Author                 Genre             Title/Character*
Charlaine Harris             Mystery             Aurora Teagarden
                    Mystery             Lily Bard (Shakespeare books)
                    Vampire             Sookie Stackhouse

I love these because the characters are so full and rich. They are never just one dimensional.

Janet Evanovich             Humour/Mystery         Stephanie Plum

What can I say except you will laugh til your sides hurt with every book. (Except #1, its a bit darker)

Linda Howard             Humour/Romance         Mr Perfect/Open Season

Linda Howard has just a ton of books out there. Start with these two though and have a great laugh with them. The other books are either more romancy or more suspense. She is another one who will keep your attention though. 

Christina Dodd             Supernatural/Romance     Darkness Chosen series

These were a good little read. Nice pace, good romance, plot line works for me. Still waiting on the last one though.

Patricia Briggs             Supernatural         Mercy Thompson Series

Not your usual supernatural book. Liked them a lot though. Mercy is my kind of girl. She takes no crap but still has a soft side.

Terry Pratchett             Juvenile/Supernatural     Tiffany Aching/Wee Free Men

OK, what a good laugh. You'll love them and so will your kids. The wee free men had me in stitches and the rest of the story is wonderful too. 


 Edit: ARGH! No matter what I do I can't get it to keep my tabs. I'll attempt to edit this another way so its more readable.


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## jabbur (Jan 23, 2009)

Some of my favorites are
Faye Kellerman's Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus stories.  Peter is a homicide detective and he falls in love with an Orthodox Jewish woman.  The interplay of religion and his and her faith journeys along with the homicide investigations I find interesting.  It's not real deep reading but often page turners.

Dean Koontz - Odd Thomas series.  Not really creepy like some of his stories.  Lighened with some humor.  He also has some decent stories that involve the supernatural but again they are creepy without being scary.  He sometimes really delves into the subjects of belief and the interplay of the natural and supernatural.

Jodi Picoult - The first of hers I read was Keeping Faith.  Wonderful book! These would be considered "chick" books.  

I could name several others but this is a good start.


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## miniman (Jan 23, 2009)

Dick Franics, Isaac Asimov, Ellis Peters

I'm also getting into MC Beaton's "Agatha Raisen" books


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## Alix (Jan 23, 2009)

Ellis Peters, now theres an author I haven't read in ages. Loved her stuff.

Love the Faye Kellerman books too. Not a huge fan of Jonathan Kellerman though. 

I've only read a couple of Dean Koontz. I loved the Watcher. Read another one that was good but the title escapes me. I read a weird one and that sort of did it for him for me. I'll look it up again.


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## jabbur (Jan 23, 2009)

Alix said:


> I've only read a couple of Dean Koontz. I loved the Watcher. Read another one that was good but the title escapes me. I read a weird one and that sort of did it for him for me. I'll look it up again.


 

Some of his really early stuff is really weird.  His writing has taken on a more philosophical life view as he's gotten older and are not as strange.  Yes he still has that supernatural element but it seems more believable and less really out there compared to his early writing.


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## Luvs2Cook (Jan 23, 2009)

Alix said:


> Ellis Peters, now theres an author I haven't read in ages. Loved her stuff.
> 
> Love the Faye Kellerman books too. Not a huge fan of Jonathan Kellerman though.
> 
> I've only read a couple of Dean Koontz. I loved the Watcher. Read another one that was good but the title escapes me. I read a weird one and that sort of did it for him for me. I'll look it up again.


 
I feell the same way about The Kellerman's, love her, can't get into his books.   Read one Dean Koontz book, he was too off the wall.

A few of my other favs, Debbie Macomber,Sandra Brown, Mary Higgins Clark.
I recently picked up a book @ the local book sale for $1.00, never thought I would enjoy Fannie Flaggs, "Can't wait to get to heaven". But for $1, I grabbed it.  I enjoyed this read so much.

Thats it for now, I'm sure I'm leaving out many of my other favs.


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## jennyema (Jan 23, 2009)

IMO one of the finest books ever written was *"A Confederacy of **Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole. * He committed suicide before it was published.  His mother later hounded publishers and one finally relented.  He won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for it.

Two of my other favorite authors are *David Sedaris* and *Augusten Burroughs.*

And *Ann Rule* for true crime.


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## Alix (Jan 23, 2009)

jennyema, you ever read Edna Buchanan? She was a reporter in Miami for years. She has both fiction and true crime stuff.


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## pdswife (Jan 23, 2009)

Victoria Holt - gothic romance 
James Patterson... I like him.. but he's getting to be cookie cutter with books coming out so often writing so many with other people that I only read the CROSS books now.

John Saul... scary ( he makes the bad kids of today seem like good little boys and girls) EASY reading..


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## miniman (Jan 23, 2009)

I have read a couple of Dean Kroontz. but never really got into them - had to finish them but never really enjoyed them. I also like some of James Pattersons stuff and Debbie McComber


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## Fisher's Mom (Jan 23, 2009)

Alix said:


> I've only read a couple of Dean Koontz. I loved the Watcher. Read another one that was good but the title escapes me. I read a weird one and that sort of did it for him for me. I'll look it up again.


Was it Strangers? To this day, it remains one of my favorites.

I also love John Irving. His characters are so freaking weird but I love them.


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## MexicoKaren (Jan 23, 2009)

Jabbur, I agree with you about Dean Koontz, especially the Odd Thomas series. I think he is very under-rated, as is Stephen King. Love them both. I just finished Stephen King's Duma Key. Rich and creepy. Memorable book.

One of my favorite authors is Ruth Rendell, who also writes as Barbara Vine. She is British, and her novels are pretty dark. I just finished The Chimney Sweep's Boy. Some of them have been presented on PBS's "Mystery." Oh, and also Minette Walters. Similar genre. The Sculptress is very good.


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## Alix (Jan 24, 2009)

For a while I was into all the oldies. I really liked Dorothy L Sayers. I recently got back into Carolyn Hart too.


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## Claire (Jan 24, 2009)

I, too, love the Odd series of Koontz.  I'm a huge fan of almost all murder mysteries, from the dark to the funny.  Like both Kellermans, and was disapointed when she seemed to try to go dark instead of her usual series.  Love the oldies that others have mentioned, the mysteries from the 20s, 30s, 40s.  I love series set in locations I've visited or lived in, but also love those set in places I'll never see -- there is a series set in India, one in Bangkok, for example.  I love different cultural/religious settings as well, from the various Catholic priests, the rabbis, the Episcopalian ministers, the Amish.  Then there are ones that are translations; some I love, some are more difficult.  I've read murder mysteries translated from Dutch, French, Hindi, Japanese, and that is just off the top of my head.  

But, in fact, just like I could never tell you my favorite food, I couldn't possibly tell you a favorite author or book.  It is like comparing apples and oranges.  Huh?  No, it is like comparing apples and sushi.  Right now I found some books on Amazon to read to a blind lady I read, and we're on "Vows:  A Priest, A Nun and Their Son."  promises to be interesting.


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## Alix (Jan 24, 2009)

Oh Claire, thanks for the memory prod. Have you ever read any Lindsay Davis? Her Falco mysteries? Set in Vespasian's Rome, Falco is a detective of sorts, and I really loved all of those books. Oh and I liked the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters too. The older ones more so than the new ones, but those are OK too.


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## Claire (Jan 25, 2009)

... and here I thought I'd read them all.  No, never heard of Davis and Falco.  Gee, you'd think with reading something like a dozen or two books a week I'd have read it all.  Will look for them!  No, just a minute.  Those little gray cells are working.  The ones set in ancient Rome?  Yes, I have, just haven't seen one recently.  Yes, I like the Peabody ones, and agree that I like the older ones.  The more recent ones seem more centered on the romances of her son than the adventures of their intreped mother.


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## simplicity (Jan 25, 2009)

jennyema said:


> IMO one of the finest books ever written was *"A Confederacy of **Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole. *He committed suicide before it was published. His mother later hounded publishers and one finally relented. He won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for it.
> 
> Two of my other favorite authors are *David Sedaris* and *Augusten Burroughs.*
> 
> And *Ann Rule* for true crime.


 
I read "Confederacy" sometime in the 80's. It is a memorable book. I loaned it to a friend who had previously lived in New Orleans, knowing she'd identify with part of it, but not knowing what she'd think of the book as a whole. That book got passed around to half the people in my neighborhood.

Thank you for mentioning it. It's special and it's time to read it again.


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## Alix (Jan 25, 2009)

Claire said:


> ... and here I thought I'd read them all.  No, never heard of Davis and Falco.  Gee, you'd think with reading something like a dozen or two books a week I'd have read it all.  Will look for them!  No, just a minute.  Those little gray cells are working.  The ones set in ancient Rome?  Yes, I have, just haven't seen one recently.  Yes, I like the Peabody ones, and agree that I like the older ones.  The more recent ones seem more centered on the romances of her son than the adventures of their intreped mother.



Yes Claire I agree. And the intrepid Amelia is what I read the books for! LOL. Did you ever read Alexander McCall? I hear he is good but I haven't read any yet. 

OK, how about a couple of oldies but goodies. Desmond Bagley and Alistair MacLean.


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## babetoo (Jan 25, 2009)

pdswife said:


> Victoria Holt - gothic romance
> James Patterson... I like him.. but he's getting to be cookie cutter with books coming out so often writing so many with other people that I only read the CROSS books now.
> 
> John Saul... scary ( he makes the bad kids of today seem like good little boys and girls) EASY reading..


 

gosh wish we lived close, we could share, yours are my favorites as well. haven't read any saul though in a long time. just finished a cross book and also one by patterson.


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## pdswife (Jan 25, 2009)

Holt too?  Never have found anyone else that likes her.


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## babetoo (Jan 25, 2009)

pdswife said:


> Holt too? Never have found anyone else that likes her.


 

no holt, don't like the kind of book, bet my daughter has it though.


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## texasgirl (Jan 25, 2009)

#1 John Saul. 
#2 Dean Koontz
There are other ones that are not so weird, lol
I love Jackie Collins! Lucky series is my favorite.
I use to like VC Andrews, until she passed. I havent read any of the daughters stuff.


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## Katie H (Jan 25, 2009)

pdswife said:


> Holt too?  Never have found anyone else that likes her.



You're not alone, Trish.  I enjoy Victoria Holt.  Remember _Mistress of Mellyn _and _Bride of Pendorric?_  I also like to read books by Daphne du Maurier.

Other authors I read are James Patterson (especially his Maximum Ride series - awesome), Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham, John Irving, too many others to list or remember.


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## pdswife (Jan 25, 2009)

oh yeah Katie!!  And Sring of the Tiger!! Pride of the Peacock!


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## texasgirl (Jan 25, 2009)

I forgot about those authors, lol. I think I have them all in paperbacks, hehe. Andrew Greeley is good too.


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## Claire (Jan 26, 2009)

I love Alexander McCall Smith.  My favorite of his series is the African one, but I like all of them.  Andrew Greeley is a must-read for anyone raised in the Roman Catholic church.  Good novels, but also good background.


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## miniman (Jan 27, 2009)

I love the Lindsay Davis books as well. I'm pretty much a reading machine and will pick up most books. Not horror or chick lit though.

I like the No1 Ladies Detective Agency but didn't much like any of Alexander McCall Smiths other books.


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## radhuni (Jan 28, 2009)

My all time favorite are *Arthur* *C*. *Clarke, **Jules* *Verne, **H*. *G*. *Wells, Agatha Christie, Guy de Maupassant, Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay and Styajit Ray.

Tintin & Asterix *_is my all time favorite._


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## Foodfiend (Jan 28, 2009)

I've got a few favorites that I read over and over ad nauseum, they are old friends that when you start reading them, it's like you are sitting on the 50 yard line just watching the story unfold. Well, anyway here goes nothing:

Anne McCaffrey:

Her DragonRiders of Pern
The Rowan Series
The Freedom Series
Acorna
Ship/Brawn Series
and a few stand alones: Nimisha's Ship, and Restoree


Mercedes Lackey:

 Anything about her world of Valdemar

Mercedes Lackey/James Mallory team up:

 The Obsidian Trilogy
The Enduring Flame Trilogy


Jack McDevitt: Anything he's got out. It's on the same genre as Arthur C. Clarke, but he makes you think more. I think he puts more mystery into things. He's dang good!

And Last but not Least:

David and Leigh Eddings:

The Belgariad Series
The Mallorian Series
Belgarath
Polgara

The Elenium Series
The Tamuli Series

The Redemption of Althalus


Those are my main ones I read, even though I do diverge off and read a time-travel romance or two or three as the whim takes me. And if I truly want to read some light stuff I've got all the books to Calvin & Hobbes, Opus, Fox Trot, For Better or For Worse, Baby Blues, Zits, Stone Soup, and Peanuts to read. As well as some graphic novels (all consisting of ElfQuest).


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## Alix (Jan 28, 2009)

FoodFiend, I've read a lot of those too. Love Anne McCaffrey. I think I've read most of hers. 

Speaking of time travel romance, has anyone else read The Time Travellers Wife? I loved that one.


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## Alix (Jan 29, 2009)

Bump. Time Travellers Wife? Audrey Niffenegger (I think) was the author. She has a picture book out too but I loved the story.


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## Alix (Jan 30, 2009)

Well poo. No more readers? No one interested?


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## Fisher's Mom (Jan 30, 2009)

I'm still interested. This is your thread, Alix, so would it be OK if we discussed specific books that we are reading? For example, I just finished a John Irving book, "Until I Find You". I loved it, as I love most of his books. They all feel familiar to me because he always brings some common themes into each of his novels. Wrestling, absent fathers, Exeter. Still, I can never figure out why I love his characters so much because they are all so weird. (I'm sure most of you remember "The World According To Garp".) This book was especially disturbing because there was child sexual abuse in it, which he handled very well and was well researched. Anyway, anyone else read this book? What did you think?


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## Alix (Jan 30, 2009)

Yep yep yep! All book/author info is greatly welcomed. I sometimes feel like I get in a reading rut and I'd love to have a handy reference for some new stuff.


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## Alix (Jan 30, 2009)

Oh and I haven't read that one as I tend to avoid any reference to child sexual abuse (I work with kids who've lived it so it hits too close to the bone for me) I couldn't read Kite Runner for that very reason. 

I also meant to mention Robert B Parker. He came leaping to mind when you mentioned the recurring themes of wrestling etc. RBP does boxing stuff in his.


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## Fisher's Mom (Jan 30, 2009)

Does anybody like Robert McCammon? His are along the super-natural line. My favorites are Swan Song, Boy's Life and Gone South. Even though I read these years ago, my son Nick just told me he is reading Swan Song right now. It's a very good book, similar in story line to Stephen King's The Last Stand. Boy's Life is probably my favorite, though.


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## texasgirl (Feb 1, 2009)

I am reading the Twilight books. Yeah, I know, suppose to be for kids, but, they are GOOD!!lol Finished Twilight in a day and half, will start New Moon tomorrow, lol


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## Alix (Feb 1, 2009)

FM, never read him but I will put him on my "look for" list. Tx. 

TG, I LOVED those books. And hey...Harry Potter was supposed to be for kids too. I sometimes think the juvenile literature out there is better than the adult stuff. Tamora Pierce is juvenile too and I love her stuff too.


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## texasgirl (Feb 1, 2009)

I'm a dreamer, always have been lol I love fantasy stuff.


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## Alix (Feb 1, 2009)

You will like Tamora Pierce then. Read the Protector of the Small series. Loved it.


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## texasgirl (Feb 1, 2009)

Alix said:


> You will like Tamora Pierce then. Read the Protector of the Small series. Loved it.


  Cool! I will look for them after I finish with Twilight.


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## Alix (Feb 1, 2009)

Which will be...Thursday?


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## texasgirl (Feb 1, 2009)

Alix said:


> Which will be...Thursday?


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## Alix (Feb 21, 2009)

Bump. TG, did you finish them? Did you look for the other ones?


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## texasgirl (Feb 21, 2009)

No, I'm just now on book 3, elcipse, lol.
They are borrowed so I have to wait for her to finish them first.


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## Alix (Feb 21, 2009)

You'd best tell her to read faster then!


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## texasgirl (Feb 21, 2009)

I tried, she doesn't listen!! LOL


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