Who are your favorite authors?

ralphinlaos · Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 1:44 pm Post subject: Who are your favorite authors?

Do you have favorites? Someone whose next book you just can't wait for? Someone whose book you would buy no matter what the critics say? Someone whom you just enjoy reading and don't care what anyone says?

Some of mine:

John Irving - I just think he's the best American fiction writer we have today. More interesting and readable than John Updike or Joyce Carol Oates or whoever is the critic's darling of the day. From his "The World According to Garp" to "A Widow for One Year" to "The Cider House Rules" to "The Hotel New Hampshire" to his last, "Somewhere I'll Find You." Can't wait for his next one.

Also - John Grisham, not the best writer, but always interesting to me and he usually tells a good story. I haven't been able to find his last two yet, but will. Another one I'd buy without a second thought.

Ruth Rendall - but I think I've read all of her books and enjoyed every one of them. Is she still writing (she must be ancient).

Stephen King - his early works were mostly terrific, but recently I haven't heard (or read) much of him. Is he probably the best selling novelist in the world?

Remember Jean Auel - "The Clan of the Cave Bear," "The Valley of the Horses," "The Mammoth Hunters?" Haven't heard from her lately (that I am aware of).

And Colleen McCullough - I thought her "The Thorn Birds" was wonderful, as was "Tim", "An Indecent Obsession," "The Ladies of Missilonghi." All good reads, but her last (that I know of) was a stinker - "The Touch." I'm waiting for another good one from her.

Non-fiction? I really enjoy reading David McCullough's histories - "The Jamestown Flood," "The Great Bridge" and his biography of Harry Truman, "Truman." Loved them all.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Ralph

Penelope · Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 3:19 pm Post subject:

I like Jean Auel too - she wrote Clan of Cave Bear - when she had about six little children........

Have you heard of Marian Zimmer Bradley? - The Mists of Avalon - this is a book about the Arthurian Legend but written from the Women's point of view. A really unforgettable book......

Lisa St.Aubin de Terrain - The Hacienda - one of the most memorable biographies I have ever read.....but I like all of her books.

I just thought of another wonderful biography by Eugenia Ginsburg - called - Into the Whirlwind - a Russian lady taken prisoner to Siberia during the Stalinist purges.

I also read any by Amy Tan - whatever I can lay my hands on.

Isabel Allende is also an excellent writer and very beautiful too....so that's not fair is it?

I do read male writers as well:

Patrick Leigh Fermor - A Time of Gifts - about his travels in Crete during his college Gap Year.

Thorne Smith - I have read many of his books although one needs to suspend ones disbelief....The Nightlife of The Gods is one of my favourites but my Mum confiscated it when I was 17, because I kept her awake laughing.

Douglas Adams - Hitchhikers Guide to the Gallaxy - and all of his others - at one time I thought I would read these books to the exclusion of all others.....because they just cheer me up.

ralphinlaos · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 1:44 pm Post subject:

I know nothing about Jean Auel except that she was very, very popular at one time. I didn't know she had a big family. She probably got very rich and is just resting on her laurels. Some people do know when to quit.

I've heard of Marian Zimmer, but don't think I have ever read anything of hers. I have to confess; I generally don't like female authors. There are many, many exceptions to this, but when I choose books, they are generally by male authors. Unless, of course, I have read the female author previously and liked her books. I don't know why this is, chauvinism probably. But I do think that male authors are more edgy and usually tell a story with which I can identify more. Maybe males like male authors more than female authors and women prefer women writers. I don't know, but I imagine Danielle Steele and Norah Roberts have more women buyers and David Morrell and James Lee Burke have more male buyers. This is all very general, I know, but no, I have never read Marian Zimmer. If I ever see "The Mists of Avalon," I will certainly pick it up.

Amy Tan and Isabel Allende are two women writers I have read and enjoyed a lot. I think Allende is the daughter of the former president of Chile, isn't she?

I've never heard of de Terrain or Eugenia Ginsburg - I'll look for them.

Penny, have you ever read "The Little Woman," by Alan Burgess (I think that's the title). It's the true story of a young English woman who went to China as a missionary and her adventures during the Boxer Rebellion. A fast-paced, readable and really excellent book (made into a very good movie called "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" with Ingrid Bergman).

Ralph

Penelope · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 2:07 pm Post subject:

Ralph it is 'The Small Woman' and is about Gladys Aylward. I have read it a long time ago because when I was at school, the house names for the girls were, Cavill (after Edith), Nightingale (after Florence) and Aylward (after Gladys). But I was in Nightingale..... Laughing

It was a beautiful film though - Ingrid Bergman was strikingly beautiful and I could just watch her face in anything. I feel the same about Meryl Streep. Ooops, sorry this is supposed to be about writers..... OFF TOPIC!!!!!! Secret

don't tell 'em eh?

I might just add to anybody reading this - that I am reading 'Brick Lane' by Monica Ali - and I think it is one of the best books I have ever read.

ralphinlaos · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 4:14 am Post subject:

Yes, it was Gladys Aylward. I liked both the book and the movie (and wish more people would read the book).

I agree with you; Ingrid was beautiful and one of the best ever. Remember when she had her affair with Roberto Rossellini and the American senate got up-in-arms and she didn't return to America for years (until she got her award for Anastasia, I think).

And Meryl Streep is the best there is right now; she has two or three movies coming out this year (including Mama Mia!).

That's what I like to hear, "One of the best books I've ever read." I'd rather hear that than read a review from Amazon. What's Brick Lane about? Remember a book, years ago, somelthing about "Mews." I remember it was also made into a movie with Maureen O'Hara and was one of my mother's favorites.

Have you ever read "A Town Called Alice" by Nevil Shute? A great book; made me want to go to Alice Springs, Australia. I never did get there. Yet!

Ralph

Maybe it's "A Town Like Alice," I'm not sure.

Ophelia · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 5:44 am Post subject:

Penelope wrote:

polarbearsarecool · Newbie Joined: 21 May 2008 Posts: 4 Gender:

I have a whole bunch of favorite authors, but one of my TOP favorites is Mark Haddon (he wrote that awesomely cool Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time book). That is one of my favorite books. It is not a big huge intimidating book; it is a nice-sized book, and I liked it so much that I bought one for a friend as a gift.

Penelope · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 2:00 am Post subject:

Ralph - I used to have a whole collection of Nevil Shute books and I never read 'A Town Like Alice' because I saw the film, so I read the others....if that makes any sense.

Polarbear - I liked the 'Curious Incident' book too. I read it whilst on a special holiday in India and passed it on to an Indian lady who was an English teacher and fellow passenger on the Toy Train going through the Himalayas to Simla. So that book has some very glamorous memories for me. It was one of those books that was very funny and very sad at the same time. There is a copy in India somewhere with my email address on the free endpaper!!! Smile

I would like to know if anyone has read 'The Olive Readers' - I can't just remember to name of the authoress.....but I certainly remember the book. Very thought-provoking I thought.

jaywalker · Almost a regular Joined: 07 Apr 2008 Posts: 43 Gender:

Penelope, I like Leigh Fermour too. But I never expected to read that someone even remembers Thorne Smith. That was the Sex book for
old timers like me.

Penelope · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:10 am Post subject:

Oooh.......Jaywalker......have you heard of Thorne Smith?

I thought there was only myself on the whole planet who loved him still.

Please keep in touch....talk to me...talk to me....wasn't he wonderful?

He made me laugh so much!!!! And he wasn't even on the same continent.


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