# Which two authors would you read...forever?



## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

If you could only read two authors for the rest of your life, who would they be? (Picking only one was too painful!) 
For me, it would be John Sandford and Harlan Coben. First, they're both alive and still writing! And second, they both produce consistently entertaining crime novels.
What are your choices and why?
L.J.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

That's like asking which daughter is my favorite. (Don't worry, Megan. You know I love you more.      jk) 

If I had to choose only two writers, I'd choose Nelson DeMille for sure and probably and Pat Conroy.


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## Bane766 (Aug 2, 2010)

Stephen King...and maybe George R R Martin or Melanie Rawn (although the way those two have been putting out books I'd probably only have Stephen King books).


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

I would have to say Karin Slaughter and James Patterson. I think they are both good writers and I like thrillers. I also love Pat Conroy. He is a great southern writer.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

Harry Turtledove and maybe S.M. Stirling, or Tom Clancy if he keeps doing the Jack Ryan novels.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

Lee Child and W.E.B. Griffin. Out of about 50 books that Griffin has released, only 1 was disappointing, and I think that one was written by his son, even though he was listed as a co-author. Lee Child is my favorite author period. Reacher is the quintessential action hero. He doesn't look for trouble, but trouble sure seems to find him... and the result always makes for a great read!


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## Jen (Oct 28, 2008)

I love this question! 
I'm going to say that if VC Andrews were still alive, I'd still be reading her books - and I'll read the ones she did write forever.  
Probably also Stephen King.  Or Diana Gabaldon, I can't decide.


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## padowd (Jan 14, 2010)

My husband loves Lee Childs books. He loves the Reacher character. He has asked me to put the next one on his Kindle.


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## M-in-Tx (Aug 7, 2010)

Diana Gabaldon, definitely.  And probably Jodi Picoult.


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

I think I would choose Stephen King and James Lee Burke.

Joel


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## Groggy1 (Jun 21, 2010)

L.E. Modesitt Jr.  and John Ringo this week.  Ask me again next week and it may change.  The only reason why I managed to actually list 2 is that the others are no longer writing!!


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Rex Stout
Clifford D. Simak
Roger Zelazny

Those are my two!   

Mike


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

Stephen King... without a doubt my favorite most creative, incredible writer...... and Diana Gabaldon.  Not all of Diana's books, though.... but Outlander is my very favorite and I will re-read it over and over again.


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## pdallen (Aug 3, 2010)

Richard Brautigan and Lewis Carroll. Voltaire runs a close third.


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## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

Roger Zelazny and Steven Brust would be my top two choices. Not easy to make.


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## egh34 (Jan 11, 2009)

Nora Roberts/JD Robb (counts as one) and then I have about 15 that would tie for second.


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## wm ollie (Aug 9, 2010)

stephen king, richard laymon if he was still alive and writing... Joe Lansdale since he isn't


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

1.Sandra Brown
2. a tie between Nora Roberts and Karin Slaughter and Allison Brennan (sorry its impossible for me to narrow down the second choice


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2010)

Tolkein and Rowling. The one has an inexhaustible trove of writing, and the other certainly will before she's through.


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## Malweth (Oct 18, 2009)

Robert Jordan
(and by extension, Brandon Sanderson)
_and_
Terry Pratchett​


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## Birstel (Dec 18, 2009)

David Weber
If I had to pick one it would probably be Terry Brooks, but a lot of authors would tie for this spot.


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## prairiesky (Aug 11, 2009)

James Lee Burke and Pat Conroy....I have never been disappointed in either.


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - there are other authors that I like more, but these two I like consistently ...


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

Mitch Albom and Bernard Cornwell. I _know_ - the two couldn't be more unalike, but they both do what they do very well and I enjoy them for totally different reasons.


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## DLs Niece (Apr 12, 2010)

James Rollins and a toss up between Matthew Reilly or Steve Berry.


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## Debra L Martin (Apr 8, 2010)

Jane Austen and Tolkien


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## chipotle (Jan 1, 2010)

Nora Roberts and ... I don't know.


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## Tip10 (Apr 16, 2009)

Two huh??

Okay how about the Females ones and the Males ones? 

Oh, more specific -- ummmmmm, alive ones and dead ones? 

That won't work either -- them maybe fiction and non-fiction? 

Oh, Okay I gotta pick two huh? Anne McCaffrey,and probably Eddings,Clancy,Tolkein .....
I surrender -- McCaffrey would probably be one but the second one would be up in the air....


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2010)

I'll throw out two more just because they haven't been said:

Big Willy Shakes and Mark Twain


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

PraiseGod13 said:


> Stephen King... without a doubt my favorite most creative, incredible writer...... and Diana Gabaldon. Not all of Diana's books, though.... but Outlander is my very favorite and I will re-read it over and over again.


You and I must be "soul sisters", those are the exact two I was going to list.  Stephen King and Diana Gabaldon.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Arthur Conan Doyle because he was prolific and produced one of my favorite characters and Robert Heinlein for the same reasons!


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

For me it would be Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb and Kathleen Woodiwiss. Kathleen Woodiwiss died a couple of years ago, but I love her books and reread them often.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

egh34 said:


> Nora Roberts/JD Robb (counts as one) and then I have about 15 that would tie for second.


Same here!

I was going to say Diana Gabaldon as my next favorite, but as much as I like her, she talks too much and I don't like all of her books.


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## Bar steward (Jul 29, 2010)

Sue Townsend (Author of Adrian Mole) and maybe John Niven, whose book 'How to Kill your friends' was dark, but very funny


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## river daughter (Jan 12, 2010)

George R.R. Martin and Jacqueline Carey. I want to say Robert Jordan but I'm only on the 6th book of Wheel of Time so far... 

I feel like I have been waiting forever for Martin's next book, Dance With Dragons. If I only had his books to read for all eternity I would be spending most of that time waiting!


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## Casse (Oct 16, 2009)

egh34 said:


> Nora Roberts/JD Robb (counts as one) and then I have about 15 that would tie for second.


My thoughts exactly


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

Alexander Dumas and Shakespeare because I could keep rereading both forever and get something new each time.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

foreverjuly said:


> I'll throw out two more just because they haven't been said:
> 
> Big Willy Shakes and Mark Twain


Thank you. I was wondering why no one had said Shakespeare. But I don't know who my 2nd would be.


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## Dawn McCullough White (Feb 24, 2010)

Hemingway and... Lauren F. Winner.  Of course one is deceased, so there's a limited amount of novels to choose from and the other has written a total of 3 books thus far and I don't know if she has plans to write more, oh, and I don't reread books I've read so I'll be completely screwed if this situation ever truly comes to pass.

Dawn


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

The Bard, Cormac McCarthy or James Lee Burke tied for second place


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

scarlet said:


> Thank you. I was wondering why no one had said Shakespeare. But I don't know who my 2nd would be.


I thought about Twain. Shakespeare is great, but I wouldn't pick him for a steady diet.


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## egh34 (Jan 11, 2009)

luvmy4brats said:


> Same here!
> 
> I was going to say Diana Gabaldon as my next favorite, but as much as I like her, she talks too much and I don't like all of her books.


I think you are my long lost twin!! I was gonna say Gabaldon too, having just finished the first 3 in the series, but I need a break from her. And if I need a break, she does not make the list! Last summer I read the entire JD Robb In Death series, and could NEVER get enough!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I thought about Twain. Shakespeare is great, but I wouldn't pick him for a steady diet.


You have to pick Twain, it's expected.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

scarlet said:


> You have to pick Twain, it's expected.


There are so many great authors that choosing only two is nearly an impossibility (and might be the stuff of which nightmares are made, were we to live under conditions in which we could only read the works of two writers).


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Cindy416 said:


> There are so many great authors that choosing only two is nearly an impossibility (and might be the stuff of which nightmares are made, were we to live under conditions in which we could only read the works of two writers).


I meant it was expected by me for him to pick Twain, he's been on a Twain kick lately.


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## loonlover (Jul 4, 2009)

I'd have to go with Nora Roberts/JD Robb and J A Jance.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

scarlet said:


> I meant it was expected by me for him to pick Twain, he's been on a Twain kick lately.


Oh, OK. I just meant that Twain was among my favorites, too, but it's so hard to choose just two.


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

George R.R. Martin  & Stephen King


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## Vyrl (Jun 7, 2010)

Only two? Not fair! 

Mine:

King and Tolkien.

My wife's:

Anne Bishop and J.K. Rowling


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Arthur Conan Doyle because he was prolific and produced one of my favorite characters and Robert Heinlein for the same reasons!


This! I was going to say Agatha Christie and Heinlein as two that I could re-read endlessly, but this is better.


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## Linda S. Prather Author (Jun 25, 2010)

Kay Hooper and Lincoln Child.  I've read about everything they've written and I haven't found a bad book yet.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Susan in VA said:


> This! I was going to say Agatha Christie and Heinlein as two that I could re-read endlessly, but this is better.


Not only did Doyle produce Sherlock Holmes, probably my favorite single book character if I had to choose just one, but he produced two minor favorites, one of whom would rank in my top dozen, or at least my top twenty....Doyle created Brigadier Gerard, a French officer in Napoleon's army who is the subject of some of the funniest stories (Gerard appeared in only two short story collections, no novels) I have ever read. "How The Brigadier Slew the Fox" is a side-splitting short story, and is easy to find (and legal) on the internet. He also created Professor Challenger, who I like, though he is a far peg below Gerard, let alone Holmes. You may not think you know of Professor Challenger, but you do--He was the main character in "The Lost World" which was made into a movie long ago, and gets periodically remade (the movies ain't that great) as well as in a couple of other novels.

Scarlet is right, I've been on a Twain kick lately. I _LOVE_ his humorous essays, some of which are more entertaining than Brigadier Gerard. I enjoy his semi-biographical stuff, such as "Life on the Mississippi" and I want to read "Roughing It". But the works considered his greatest, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, are merely good books in my view. Twain has the prodigious output I'd be seeking, and he does have some high quality stuff, but he doesn't have the characters who appeal to me as much as Sherlock Holmes and numerous of Heinlein's characters, notably Lazarus Long. Twain's home in Connecticut is an awesome visit, by the way.

PS: Susan, congrats on your exquisite literary taste!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Choosing only one would have been very difficult, as I would have had to choose between Roger Zelazny or Terry Pratchett. Therefore, choosing two is very easy for me: Roger Zelazny and Terry Pratchett.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

THC, you mentioned Gerard several months ago, and it sounded so entertaining that based on that recommendation I downloaded the Complete Works...  and just now, when I checked my Kindle to make sure I wasn't misremembering that, Twain's screensaver came up as if in protest.      (Haven't read the CW yet....  it's on the TBR stack!)

Obviously I need to follow your what-are-you-reading posts for more recommendations.


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Jane Austen and JK Rowling. I love both of their worlds and would gladly inhabit either for the rest of my life.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

KarenW.B. said:


> Jane Austen and JK Rowling. I love both of their worlds and would gladly inhabit either for the rest of my life.


I feel the same way about Jane Austen. I LOVE her writing. Her insight human nature was remarkable, given her young age.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Cindy416 said:


> I feel the same way about Jane Austen. I LOVE her writing. Her insight human nature was remarkable, given her young age.


I've never been a fan of Jane Austen's books (no surprise there) but even I was astounded when I read how young Austen was when she wrote her books. She created something that is still enjoyed 150 years (or whatever it was) later. She must have been brilliant.


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## AlanBaxter (Sep 1, 2009)

I'd have to say Neil Gaiman. I love his stuff.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

AlanBaxter said:


> I'd have to say Neil Gaiman. I love his stuff.


So good that he counts as two authors?


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## AlanBaxter (Sep 1, 2009)

Oops! Just realised it said which TWO authors. In that case it would have to be Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I could read the Discworld books over and over. Especially The Thief Of Time.


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## AlanBaxter (Sep 1, 2009)

NogDog said:


> So good that he counts as two authors?


  You posted that while I was typing a mea culpa!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

AlanBaxter said:


> Oops! Just realised it said which TWO authors. In that case it would have to be Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I could read the Discworld books over and over. Especially The Thief Of Time.


And that way you could read _Good Omens_ without fear of disqualification.


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## AlanBaxter (Sep 1, 2009)

NogDog said:


> And that way you could read _Good Omens_ without fear of disqualification.


Absolutely - possibly one of the greatest books of all time!


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Isaac Asimov would have to count as two authors or more, just based on output.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I've never been a fan of Jane Austen's books (no surprise there) but even I was astounded when I read how young Austen was when she wrote her books. She created something that is still enjoyed 150 years (or whatever it was) later. She must have been brilliant.


It seems as if those who like her write, love it, and those who don't, feel equally strong about it. She definitely reached a particular demographic (hopeless romantics such as I). I have extremely eclectic taste in many things, though, so I can love Jane Austen, and still think _'Salem's Lot_ and _Dracula_ are among my favorite books.


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## Ross Cavins (Aug 2, 2010)

Hands down:

Elmore Leonard

Carl Hiaasen

Never tiring.  Always fun.

-Ross


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## sal (Aug 4, 2009)

James Tiptree Jr.
Phillip K. Dick

(which probably explains a lot....)

Sal


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## Michael Brian (Aug 10, 2010)

I agree!


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Lyndl said:


> George R.R. Martin & Stephen King


Looks like I found my twin as well. These two.

David Dalglish


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## AlanBaxter (Sep 1, 2009)

This is such an impossible question! The two I mentioned before still count, but every time I look at this topic I think of two more!


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## pdallen (Aug 3, 2010)

I can't believe I overlooked Twain & the Bard. But then there are too many great authors to only pick two.


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## Linda Ash (Jul 13, 2010)

I would pick Tolkien and Megan Whalen Turner. Tolkien has a lot going on to keep the grey matter entertained for ages, and MWT's cleverness and characters keep her books free of dust on my bookshelves.


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## Danielleqlee (Jun 21, 2010)

I love the way Stephenie Meyer and JK Rowling tell a story.


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## splashes99 (Aug 11, 2010)

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Stephen King


but close follow-ons would be Rowling and Tolkein


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Am I shipwrecked on an uncharted isle? In that case I probably brought a Kindle stuffed with many books on my round the world cruise and I can read forever. Never mind how I'll recharge it.

I could re-read the complete works of King happily, and all the Heinlein books of my youth. I'd have plenty of time to read that complete collection of Dickens available on Kindle. I should read more Twain than I have. I have only read five Discworlds and plan to read the rest....

This is too hard. Make me choose two people I can stand to live with the rest of my life, that would be easier.


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## Lafittewriter (Aug 6, 2010)

Very hard question...
Some of my favorite authors have not written a ton of books, then you have some cranking them out like machines.

I guess Stephen King. Good stories...Novels, novellas, short stories, series...
Ernest Hemingway


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## newportwa (Jul 18, 2009)

Harlan Coben and Lee Child!


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## RJ Keller (Mar 9, 2009)

1. P.G. Wodehouse
If historians found a long-lost grocery list of his and decided to publish it, I'd buy it.

2. Luke Davies
I bought his latest book, God of Speed, directly from his publishers in Australia a couple of years ago because it wasn't released in the U.S. It cost me around $50 with shipping included. It was worth it.


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## Patricia (Dec 30, 2008)

Definitely Stephen King, then Anya Seton if she were still alive.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

For me  -  it would be  Vince  Flynn  and Jeffrey Deaver and its all about the characters.  Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp is  another Jack Bauer, Deaver's Lincoln Rhymes is  a modern day  Sherlock Holmes..I'm sad  that I'm  close  to reading  all of their books.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

R. Reed said:


> Am I shipwrecked on an uncharted isle? In that case I probably brought a Kindle stuffed with many books on my round the world cruise and I can read forever. Never mind how I'll recharge it.


Well, of course you would have packed your solar charger for your cruise... right?


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

911jason said:


> Well, of course you would have packed your solar charger for your cruise... right?


Ooooh, that's cool. I want one.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

R. Reed said:


> Ooooh, that's cool. I want one.


So did I, until I read the reviews....


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

Well fine... here's another one then. $19.99


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## Bigal-sa (Mar 27, 2010)

Still unique to the list:
Nevil Shute & John Wyndham


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## Figment (Oct 27, 2008)

Stephen King and Pat Conroy (although it would break my heart to leave Terry Pratchett off this list).


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Jane Austen -- because I love her characters.
Ruth Rendell -- because I love her twisted mind.

Suzanne


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## Travis haselton (Jul 24, 2010)

R. Reed said:


> Am I shipwrecked on an uncharted isle? In that case I probably brought a Kindle stuffed with many books on my round the world cruise and I can read forever. Never mind how I'll recharge it.
> 
> I could re-read the complete works of King happily, and all the Heinlein books of my youth. I'd have plenty of time to read that complete collection of Dickens available on Kindle. I should read more Twain than I have. I have only read five Discworlds and plan to read the rest....
> 
> This is too hard. Make me choose two people I can stand to live with the rest of my life, that would be easier.


If you take an orange or a graprefruit. poke a hole in it and let it soak up some gatorade. It will produce enough electricity to charge your devices. I am sure you could find some acidic fruit on an island and do something similar.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

abovelaw said:


> If you take an orange or a graprefruit. poke a hole in it and let it soak up some gatorade. It will produce enough electricity to charge your devices. I am sure you could find some acidic fruit on an island and do something similar.


Okay MacGyver!


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## Travis haselton (Jul 24, 2010)

Thought youd like that lol. Oh yeah authors I would read forever. Eric Van Lustbager and Louis Lamour.


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## Jill1989 (Feb 4, 2010)

Nelson DeMille and Vince Flynn.  I have an unhealthy crush on Mitch Rapp (the main character is most of Flynn's books)


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Jill1989 said:


> Nelson DeMille and Vince Flynn. I have an unhealthy crush on Mitch Rapp (the main character is most of Flynn's books)


I'm SO glad that someone else mentioned Nelson DeMille. I think he's fantastic! I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't read any Vince Flynn books, yet, but I do have quite a few paperbacks and Kindle versions. I'm sure once I start reading them, I'll want to read everything he's written, as it sounds as if he's my kind of writer.


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## arlissadams (Aug 14, 2010)

This may sound like a strange choice for a woman, but anything that Robert Crais writes...I absolutely love Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. Crais is a master at drawing the reader into the location and making you care about the characters. It's hard to resist Elvis Cole's wonderful sarcastic humor, particularly when it comes to assessing himself. Next is Lee Child. I was first introduced to Lee Child at a conference, and was captivated by Jack Reacher. You've never met anyone like him and probably never will, but you've got to cheer him on. Lee's personal presentation is that of an author who could certainly write this character. If you haven't read either of these authors, I heartily recommend them. Reacher isn't for the "faint of heart," so if you only adore cozy mysteries and romance, Reacher is not your guy!


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

J.K. Rowlings for sure, I really wish she would write a new series. I just love her style of writing.

And as popular as he isn't to some, Nicholas Sparks. I love a good don't have to think love story. 

I have quite a few authors that I really love but, I don't love everything they have written (Nora Roberts and Charlaine Harris to name some). 

I also have quite a few "new" authors I have recent;y discovered like Kate Morton and Julie Klassen that I really like but haven't read enough of their work to say I would read them forever.


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## kae (May 3, 2010)

Only two authors? Forever? 

I'd stop reading rather than be chained to any repetition.


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## M.S. Verish (Feb 26, 2010)

Patrick Rothfuss and C.S. Marks.  Both are fantasitic fantasy authors. And we've met both!!


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## yogini2 (Oct 27, 2008)

Two authors:

China Mieville and John Scalzi

kathy


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## 16205 (Jun 8, 2010)

Great topic.

Dean Koontz  and probably John Saul.  

It's tough to pick only 2!


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## WilliamEsmont (May 3, 2010)

Margaret Atwood and ... whew.. tough choice.. Cormac McCarthy maybe?


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## SarahBarnard (Jul 28, 2010)

Robin Hobb and Anne McCaffrey. There are others too but I paper books by those two that I've read so much they've fallen to bits and I've had to find new copies. 

Yeah, I know, the advantages of owning a proper Kindle and not just the PC app. Maybe for Christmas.


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## 5711 (Sep 18, 2009)

Whoa -- tough question and good comments. I have to go with, as of today ...

Graham Greene and Elmore Leonard. 

Just about covers it for me. Come to think of it, I'd probably like to have a drink with them too. 

Steve


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

Nora Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips


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## Sharon Delarose (Aug 17, 2010)

James Herriot and Terry Brooks, except I think I've read them all a gazillion times each and I don't think more are on the horizon.


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## StevenSavile (Jun 23, 2010)

Douglas Coupland and Paul Auster... I think I could live with only those two...


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## JoeMitchell (Jun 6, 2010)

If I could only choose two, R.A. Salvatore and Stephen King.


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

Jenni said:


> Nora Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips


Fun Fact: Susan Elizabeth Phillips lives in my town.


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Dang... the only author I can guarantee I'm going to read forever is... me.

McCaffrey (so much more than Pern, I even like her mainstream novels, especially "The Lady") and... hmm, James Michener.


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## Rhiathame (Mar 12, 2009)

David Weber and Mercedes Lackey...

Wow what a tough choice.


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

KarenW.B. said:


> Fun Fact: Susan Elizabeth Phillips lives in my town.


Cool


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## Whidbeyislandgirl (Apr 19, 2009)

Diana Gabaldon and J.R. Ward.


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## TomBale (Jun 3, 2011)

I'd definitely go for John Sandford. He was the first thriller writer who really got my attention and inspired me to write thrillers. The way he has kept up the standard of his books is astonishing, especially now with the alternating Davenport/Flowers series he's writing two a year.

For my second choice, I'm torn between Lee Child and Michael Connelly, but I think Connelly just edges it for the greater range and depth of his storytelling. The last few Child books haven't quite lived up to the standard of the early ones. I wish Lee Child would try a standalone, as I can't help feeling it might re-energise the series to have a break from it - and I'd love to see what else Lee might come up with!


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

L.J. Sellers said:


> If you could only read two authors for the rest of your life, who would they be? (Picking only one was too painful!)
> For me, it would be John Sandford and Harlan Coben. First, they're both alive and still writing! And second, they both produce consistently entertaining crime novels.
> What are your choices and why?
> L.J.


How about stranded on a desert island, what books would you bring? Pepys diary, annotated, and the Bible, also anotated. You'd be busy for years. And they're re-read worthy.


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Just two? Argh!
I'd say Tolkien and Guy Gavriel Kay, but then what about Dante and Homer? 
I'll probably cheat and make one of them the ubiquitous Anonymous, after all s/he is the most prolific author there is.


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## Dolorous Edd Tollett (May 29, 2011)

I can't decide, sorry, can't do it.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I'd go with Jane Austen and Nelson DeMille.  (I have to add that I'm glad I'll never be limited to only two, though.)


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## 41419 (Apr 4, 2011)

Louis de Bernieres and Philip K. Dick


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

*Stephen King*
*Laurell K. Hamilton*

Really...just two? Ugh!lol!


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## grahampowell (Feb 10, 2011)

Mine would probably be Rex Stout and Erle Stanley Gardner.  Stout wrote the Nero Wolfe series, a blending of a fair-play mystery detective and his hardboiled assistant Archie Goodwin, who narrates.  Tremendously entertaining stuff.  Ditto for Gardner, best known for Perry Mason but also the author of the Donald Lam and Bertha Cool series of private eye novels under the pen name "A.A. Fair".  Also very entertaining.



Graham


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2011)

David Gemmell and Dave Wolverton. Gemmell, because he does for me what Jane Austen does for most women, and Wolverton just so that I can keep rereading _On My Way To Paradise_ every year.


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## MeiLinMiranda (Feb 17, 2011)

Patrick O'Brian and Jane Austen. Something new every time I read them.


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## Fredster (Apr 11, 2011)

Stephen King and Dean Koontz, of course.  

(though Harlan Coben is close to knocking Koontz out!)


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## SandraMiller (May 10, 2011)

This is a hard question!  

First...British author Susan Kay.  She's only got two books, but they are both fabulous and I can't count how many times I've re-read each of them.  I would have to have those two books to survive  

Second...Katherine Neville.  Again, she doesn't have a whole boatload of novels out there, but the ones she has are so awesome I could spend many years re-reading and picking apart each one, learning from her.

Kind of obscure choices?


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## susan67 (Mar 18, 2011)

Stephen King and....it's so hard to pick a second one as ther are sooo many other favorite authors.

James Herriot....if he was still alive and writing.
Jean M Auel...if she would keep writing as well as she did the first four books in TCOTCB.
Dean Koontz
John Saul
Clive Cussler
Thomas Harris
Tolkien

I think I went over the two limit by a little! LOL.


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## scl (Feb 19, 2011)

As of this minute,  L. E. Modesitt Jr. and Jayne Anne Krentz 
It's a really tough question, but I've read more than one of each of their
books more than once and probably will again.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

That is a tough one. I am going to go by large backlist. 

Mary Balogh, I have yet to read a book by her I didn't like. And Lisa Kleypas, for the same reasons.


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## ogzy97 (Jun 1, 2011)

Like Susan 67 and others I would read James Herriot. I've read him over and over. Then I think I would choose either Pat Conroy or Fannie Flagg.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

ogzy97 said:


> Like Susan 67 and others I would read James Herriot. I've read him over and over. Then I think I would choose either Pat Conroy or Fannie Flagg.


I consider the James Herriot books to be great reading. Love Pat Conroy's _The Prince of Tides_ and Fannie Flagg's _Fried Green Tomatoes_. Those two books are among my favorites (esp. _The Prince of Tides_).


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Established authors? Roberts/Robb & ... Shakespeare..

Indies? Dalglish & McAfee. They've got great books so far, and are young enough to continue writing for the rest of my life.

I seriously want to add a TON of other indies though.. I have found some fantastic writers since going indie only.


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## Erica Sloane (May 11, 2011)

Oh, no! I can only pick two?

Okay, in that case I'd pick two very different writers.

Nora Roberts
Nick Hornby


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## kCopeseeley (Mar 15, 2011)

Barbara Kingsolver
George R. R. Martin
Jane Austen (too bad she doesn't write anymore!)
Orson Scott Card

I'm sorry, four is the smallest number I could narrow it down to.


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## SuzanneTyrpak (Aug 10, 2010)

Jane Austen--because I love her characters, and the setting provides great escape for me.

D.H. Lawrence--because I love his writing, characters, the questions his book pose.


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## Grace Elliot (Mar 14, 2011)

Some really good recommends in this link:

For me it would be Margaret George (The Autobiography of Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, Cleopatra etc) because her work is so engrossing. And either Lisa Kleypas (because she has such a huge back list of excellent, absorbing books) or Charles Dickens (because each book takes an eternity to read and he wrote so many...I'd never have to re-read the same book twice!)


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## 5711 (Sep 18, 2009)

Okay, I've changed my mind. Also, I realized they have to be alive. So, if you asked me today:

Philip Kerr
John Lawton

Both write historical crime and espionage series with lots of mystery, great period detail and well-drawn characters, usually set between the 1930s and 1950s. Dark and sometimes quirky. Right down my alley.


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## Tim Ellis (Mar 27, 2011)

Tolkein and Tim Willocks!


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## India Drummond (Nov 1, 2010)

This has to be the cruelest question ever asked on kindleboards!

Five years ago I probably could have answered this easily. Raymond Feist would certainly topped the list for fantasy. At the time I'd read every book he'd written. Then maybe I'd go with crime/thriller for my other one and say Jonathan Kellerman.

BUT! BUT! Here's the cruel part... that was back in the day when I used to walk straight to the bestseller tables in a big chain bookstore to make my selections. Now that I have my Kindle, I'm reading easily 4-5x as much as I did before (that buy button is just too easy) and about 90-95% of the books I buy are from folks I'd never heard of before, but their cover/blurb might catch my eye or I get a recommendation from a friend or even from Amazon. So my horizons have expanded SO much with the e-revolution, and now you want to take it all away?


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

Jules Verne and Edgar Allan Poe


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## Cheryl Bradshaw Author (Apr 13, 2011)

Agatha Christie -- because of the way she came up with the most brilliant clues 

Jane Austen -- for the characters - characters so fantastic, you wish they were real


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## Tess St John (Feb 1, 2011)

SEP, Jennifer Crusie, Lisa Kleypas, and Julia Quinn...I know I cheated, but two was too hard!


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

Sigrid Undset (Kristin Lavransdatter) and Jane Austen.

Miriam Minger


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## HJPRNY (May 26, 2010)

Not really sure but.... Anne Tyler and Elizabeth Berg stand out in my mind.  Strange that no one has mentioned either writer.


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## ChrisHoward (May 14, 2010)

That's a tough one, but I'll go with the first two that came to mind: William Gibson and Richard Morgan.

Chris


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## anne_holly (Jun 5, 2011)

Difficult decision. I would say Jane Austen and Henry James, but James would come back to haunt me if I did, so I've got to go with Jane Austen and George Bernard Shaw. Graham Greene is a very close runner up.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Stephen King and Robert R. McCammon (even though they say his latest was not so good).


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## Picatsso (Mar 24, 2011)

Mary Stewart and Dick Francis


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## JCF (Feb 16, 2011)

Fiction: Elmore Leonard

Non-fiction: Mary Roach


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

William Faulkner
Valdimir Nabokov


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## yogini2 (Oct 27, 2008)

China Meiville and Stephen King


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## Julie Christensen (Oct 13, 2010)

There's no real answer to this question - so, just for fun, I will say Anne Tyler and Laurie King.  Both are still alive.  I LOVE several of their books and would gladly keep reading them.  There are other authors I love more deeply, who have had a profound impact on my life, but some of them (Emily Bronte, Harper Lee) only wrote one book!


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## travelbug (Aug 9, 2010)

Victoria Holt and Rosamunde Pilcher


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## Ann Herrick (Sep 24, 2010)

Sarah Dessen and Shirley Tallman, because I really love their books. Joyce Maynard, because it is fascinating to see how she will incorporate herself/her life into each book. 

I enjoy finding new authors, too.


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## Ryne Billings (May 15, 2011)

David Dalglish and R.A. Salvatore. I'd say Christopher Paolini instead of Salvatore, but Salvatore has a better track record of putting books out there. I'd go crazy re-reading Paolini's three (soon to be four) books so many times.

But, anyways, Dalglish and Salvatore are two of my favorite authors. Their books are also the type that I love re-reading.


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## mesmered (Feb 2, 2011)

Here's two authors that are poles apart but great favourites: Dorothy Dunnett's historical fiction (for thrilling adventure, elegant prose and diverse education) and all Jilly Cooper's titles. (for pure unbridled laughs the British way).


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## MartinStanley72 (May 17, 2011)

Even two is difficult. But, if pushed, the I would have to say Raymond Chandler and Georges Simenon. There are a lot of writers who come close to those two, to the point where they're breathing down their necks, but as difficult as the decision is they're the guys!

Martin

http://thegamblersnovel.com


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## joanhallhovey (Nov 7, 2010)

Stephen King and Ruth Rendell.  Both quite different, both brilliant.
I also have to add the late Patricia Highsmith of the Ripley books.  Unfortunately, I've read everything she's written, and she's gone now, bless her, and I wouldn't want to go over them forever.  King and Rendell are alive and keep turning out new books.

Joan


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Mary Renault and *chews fingernails*

Robert Graves because that gives me great fiction and his translations! He published more than 140 works in his lifetime but obviously his greatest work is _I, Claudius_.

Edit: I'd cry a lot though because what would I do without Stephen King, GRR Martin, and yes indies like Edward Patterson.


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## The Boston Connexion (Apr 20, 2011)

If we are talking fiction only, I would have to go with Mark Twain and James Clavell.


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## nmg222 (Sep 14, 2010)

Stephen King and Daniel Silva.

I think Silva's Gabriel Allon series is the best on the market today.


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## Missy Martine (Mar 13, 2011)

My 2 Choices would be Diana Palmer ( (I love her Long Tall Texan Series) and nobody does a menage story like Annmarie McKenna - I always look for everything they write


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## CRParks (Jun 18, 2011)

Yates and Orwell, probably. Heart and vision.


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Ralph Cotton and .....  Need to give a second one some thought.


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## Ben Dobson (Mar 27, 2011)

Guy Gavriel Kay for sure. He's got everything I like in a book all in one package. Good characters, intricate settings, excitement, drama, and absolutely beautiful prose most of the time.

Secondly probably George R.R. Martin, though even if I had forever, the gaps _between_ books would probably drive me nuts.


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## gatehouseauthor (Apr 22, 2011)

Jack Chalker and Piers Anthony.  Unfortunately, Chalker is no longer with us.


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## Lursa (aka 9MMare) (Jun 23, 2011)

Hah! That's a tough one. Because none have really stood the test of time so far....except:

Dick Francis. While not my favorite author, he's close. I have all his books, started reading them when I was about 13 (I'm 50 now). That man was so prolific, I practically got a book a yr. 

And about 10 yrs ago, I started dreading his passing. He only passed last yr at age 90 and kept writing til the end. He will be sorely missed.


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## David Alastair Hayden (Mar 19, 2011)

Michael Moorcock and J.K. Rowling.

Michael Moorcock has written so many wonderful books and I still haven't quite read all of them. Haven't yet encountered one I didn't love. Harry Potter is just pure, magical story. So enchanting and enjoyable. As for her writing beyond HP, who knows?

Honorable mentions: David Gemmell and Fritz Leiber.


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## Jeff Rivera (Jun 22, 2011)

This is a tough one, I'm not sure I could pick just two. Stephen King is up there and Lewis Caroll. But really I enjoy all the classics so it's hard to narrow it down.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I guess I have to list R.A. Salvatore since I've been reading his stuff off and on since the mid 90s and still enjoy his stuff.

For a second, maybe Chuck Palahniuk.


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## egh34 (Jan 11, 2009)

I would read...Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb and John Hart.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Well, my first choice is easy - Stephen King.

The second has become tougher for me.  For a time it was Robert R. McCammon, but I have now found some great writers thanks to Kindle.  Bryan Dennis, for example, his debut novel "An Epitaph for Coyote" is now one of my all-time favorite novels..but I have no idea if his next book will be as good.


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## ramsey_isler (Jul 11, 2011)

Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. Both have an impressive catalog of existing work, with no signs of stopping. Also, they both write in a variety of different types of formats (novella, novels, comics, etc.)


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## Theresaragan (Jul 1, 2011)

That is tough. I'd have to mix it up a little and go with Stephen King and Susan E. Philips. I would either be biting my fingernails or laughing out loud.


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## Julie K. Rose (Jul 5, 2011)

What a fun thread! I'd have to say Patrick O'Brian and Tolkien. Their books mean so much to me on many levels, and there's so MUCH to read!


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## gregoryblackman (Jul 11, 2011)

Larry Niven and Stephen King


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## Miriam Minger (Nov 27, 2010)

Two more favorites:

Pearl Buck
Stanley Gordon West

Have a great weekend!

Miriam Minger


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

Michael Connelly would have to be one of them.  Not sure about the other one yet.  I have lots more reading to do!

I love reading the responses here.  I'm almost tempted to read a Stephen King novel...but I'm too chicken.


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## Dolorous Edd Tollett (May 29, 2011)

fancynancy said:


> Michael Connelly would have to be one of them. Not sure about the other one yet. I have lots more reading to do!


George R.R. Martin would be one if


Spoiler



he would quit killing off all of his really cool characters



The others on my short list are dead so.................


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## Victoria J (Jul 5, 2011)

Frank Herbert
Tolkien

Unfortunately for me they're both dead.


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## Dolorous Edd Tollett (May 29, 2011)

If we are including dead guys then Robert A. Heinlein and Robert Jordan are pretty high up my list.

Gordon R. Dickson for military scifi. Too many good authors to choose. When I was a kid I read every Louis L'amour and Jack London book I could find.


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## trixiedog (Feb 13, 2009)

John Sandford and Jeffrey Deaver


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