# Favorite authors



## pomlover2586 (Feb 14, 2009)

Post your Favorite Author here!

J.K. Rowling.....now it we could only get her to hop on the Kindle bandwagon!!

Kat Martin.....really good romance novels!


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

I don't have a single favorite author, but here are some that I will buy anything (and have) that they have written:

Rex Stout
Clifford D. Simak
Jim Butcher
John Stith
Roger Zelazny
Wilson Tucker
Fredric Brown
John Dickson Carr
Thorne Smith
Guy Gilpatric
Chad Oliver
Leigh Brackett

Everyone who has heard of more than two of the above, raise your hand. 

Mike


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## LDB (Oct 28, 2008)

Conan-Doyle
Twain
Vince Flynn
Tom Clancy
W E B Griffin
Cliff Stoll
James Herriot


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

jmiked said:


> I don't have a single favorite author, but here are some that I will buy anything (and have) that they have written:
> 
> Rex Stout
> Clifford D. Simak
> ...












Stout, Butcher and Carr. Do I get a prize?

My favorite author for many years is Susan Howatch. Unfortunately, only two of her books are Kindleized.

There are many others that I love, but Howatch is definitely my favorite.


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

Stephen King
Neil Gaiman
Patricia Briggs
Jim Butcher
Kim Harrison
Charlaine Harris
JK Rowlings

Making me choose favorites is like asking a mom to choose her favorite kid


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

gertiekindle said:


> Stout, Butcher and Carr. Do I get a prize?


You get to be on my Christmas card list. If you knew what a short list that was, you'd be impressed. 

Mike


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## stinsmom (Feb 20, 2009)

John Grisham
Jodi Picoult
JK Rowling (though a little miffed with right now)
Suzanne Brockmann
Jack London
Stephenie Meyer


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

Nora Roberts (also J.D. Robb)
Elizabeth Lowell
Kathleen Woodiwiss (no longer with us, but I love all of her books.)
Catherine Coulter
Julie Garwood
Janet Evanovich


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## love2read (Nov 23, 2008)

Jodi Picoult
Jodi Thomas
Suzanne Brockmann
Catherine Coulter
Elizabeth Lowell
Linda Lael Miller
Ruth Langan
Lauraine Snelling
Lori Wick
Jack Cavanaugh
Tim Lahaye
Jerry Jenkins
Lynn Austin
Max Lucado
Catherine Anderson
Pamela Crooks
Fern Michaels
Lisa Gardner
Lisa Jackson
Sanda Brown
Sharon Sala
Jillian Hart
Gilbert Morris


To name a few


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Jeff Hepple
Al Past
Rye James
Michael Hicks
Louis L'Amour
Tony Hillerman
Diana Gabaldon
WEB Griffin
Dan Brown

at a minimum - the first four are my very most favorites!  I will read ANYTHING they write, even a grocery list


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Fun!  To start with:

Madeleine L'Engle
C.S. Lewis
Frank Peretti
Stephen King
Ted Dekker
John Ortberg

I don't think I've read enough to rank her as a favorite, but I'm enjoying Philippa Gregory's historical fiction since I've gotten my Kindle.


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## WalterK (Mar 2, 2009)

In no particular order...

William Gibson - Haven't read his new stuff, but loved the original cyberspace 'trilogy'
Neal Stephenson - I haven't read as much of his work as I would like, but what I've read I enjoyed.
Alastair Reynolds - Rapidly becoming a favorite in terms of his short work - Need to read the Revelation Space series.
Iain M. Banks - Love, love, love the 'Culture' novels.
Richard K. Morgan - Big fan of the first two Takeshi Kovacs novels - although I still haven't gotten round to Woken Furies.
Isaac Asimov - Just a great writer who was incredibly lucid.
Harlan Ellison - Everything he writes is immensely readable.
Stephen R. Donaldson - His creation of the 'Land' in the Covenant novels is one of the greatest achievements in fantasy literature, IMHO.
Arthur C. Clarke - Love the old classics from Clarke.
Alfred Bester - Really ahead of his time.
Phillip K. Dick - A bit hit or miss, but I love some of his work and consider *The Man in the High Castle* one of the greatest SF novels ever written.
Lucius Shepard - Perhaps my favorite contemporary writer in terms of literary style.
Terry Pratchett - I had to edit this to add Mr. Pratchett. The Discworld novels are about as fun as it gets with regards to reading.

Edit: Oh, and I've definitely heard of
Clfford D. Simak, Wilson Tucker, Leigh Brackett, Roger Zelazny, and Frederic Brown.

- Walter...


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2009)

jmiked said:


> I don't have a single favorite author, but here are some that I will buy anything (and have) that they have written:
> 
> Rex Stout
> Clifford D. Simak
> ...


I've heard of nine. For ten years, I lived 20 miles away from Leigh Brackett.

Errr..... I mean... Clifford _who?_


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2009)

WalterK: I was tempted to buy the latest Gibson when I was at B&N yesterday.  But I'm naturally assuming it will be on Kindle when I am done with the book I'm reading.  I mean... it's GIBSON. 

And I'm thinking of starting a "classic SF club" here.  jimiked and I would preside, but you'd be a welcome member.


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## Tanner Artesz (Feb 2, 2009)

My favorites, and I'll forget some...


Terry Brooks
Mark Twain
Roger Zelazny
Charles Dickens
Gary Paulson
JRR Tolkein
Lloyd Alexander
Edgar Allen Poe
CS Marks


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## JetJammer (Jan 18, 2009)

Okay, this was tough.  No way I could pick a favorite, or even close to a favorite.  I limited myself to 30, each of which I've read every single book they've ever published.  I'm sure there are more...

Douglas Adams
Issac Asimov
Lawrence Block
Ray Bradbury
Lee Child
Agatha Christie
Kresley Cole
Michael Connelly
Robert Crais
Charles Dickens
Arthur Conan Doyle
Alexander Dumas
TS Elliott
Janet Evanovich
Dick Francis
Sue Grafton
James Joyce
Dean Koontz
Norman Mailer
Ngaio Marsh
W. Somerset Maughan
A.A. Milne
Edgar Allan Poe
Terry Pratchett
John Sandford
J.R.R. Tolkien
Mark Twain
John Updike
J.R. Ward
Thornton Wilder

Reading this forum has been good though, reminded me of a few authors I should look up again!


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

I am SOOOOO   disappointed that I was the only one to acknowledge our very own - HRUMPH


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

Bacardi Jim said:


> And I'm thinking of starting a "classic SF club" here. jimiked and I would preside, but you'd be a welcome member.


I'll vote for that. The depressing thing is that when I first read most of what's called classic SF, it was newly published.  

Mike


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2009)

jmiked said:


> I'll vote for that. The depressing thing is that when I first read most of what's called classic SF, it was newly published.
> 
> Mike


I was only a decade or so behind you.


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

My favorites:
CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, LM Montgomery, H. Rider Haggard, Indu Sundaresan, Cornelia Funke, Alice Hoffman, Amy Tan, Gail Carson Levine, JK Rowling, Ann Radcliffe....


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## KindleKay (aka #1652) (Jan 20, 2009)

Hrm...

OK:

JK Rowling
Janet Evanovich
Charlaine Harris
Jan Karon
Marian Keyes (esp Rachel's Holiday)

And prob a ton more....I just need to think on it!!


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## thefuture4 (Jan 21, 2009)

R.A. Salvatore
C.S. Lewis
Stephen King
Christopher Paolini


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## WalterK (Mar 2, 2009)

> I'll vote for that. The depressing thing is that when I first read most of what's called classic SF, it was newly published.


For myself, started reading SF (and fantasy to a lesser extent) in a big way in the early '80s. Authors such as W. Gibson, B. Sterling, L. Shepard, D. Drake, M. Swanwick, H. Waldrop, G. Benford, D. Brin, etc. were newly published for me, while I played catch up with the established authors such as Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Cordwainer Smith, Lester Del Rey, Ray Bradbury, Gordon Dickson, Roger Zelazny, etc. etc. Definitely on board for an classic SF discussion, book of the month, etc., etc. There are certainly classics that I could stand to revisit (or in some cases experience for the first time.)

BTW, I cannot believe that I forgot to mention Gene Wolfe in my initial post. Just an incredibly literate story teller. The original four novels that comprise the Book of the New Sun: *The Shadow of the Torturer*, *The Claw of the Conciliator*, *The Sword of the Lictor*, and *The Citadel of the Autarch* are amongst my favorite works of fiction.

- Walter...


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

JK Rowling
JD Robb/Nora Roberts
Diana Gabaldon


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

IThis is hard and I know it'll be rolling around in the back of my mind for awhile...but in no particular order (although I suppose there's a subconscious order...)

Robert B Parker
Harper Lee (even though there was only one book, I've read it several times)
Sue Grafton
Nancy Pickard
Charlaine Harris is becoming a favorite
Nelson DeMille
Anne Rivers Siddons
Herman Wouk


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## Tippy (Dec 8, 2008)

David Baldacci,
Nelson DeMille
Dan Brown
Diana Gabaldon
Karen Robards
Linda Howard
Janet Evanovich
Lisa See


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2009)

WalterK said:


> For myself, started reading SF (and fantasy to a lesser extent) in a big way in the early '80s. Authors such as W. Gibson, B. Sterling, L. Shepard, D. Drake, M. Swanwick, H. Waldrop, G. Benford, D. Brin, etc. were newly published for me, while I played catch up with the established authors such as Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Cordwainer Smith, Lester Del Rey, Ray Bradbury, Gordon Dickson, Roger Zelazny, etc. etc. Definitely on board for an classic SF discussion, book of the month, etc., etc. There are certainly classics that I could stand to revisit (or in some cases experience for the first time.)
> 
> BTW, I cannot believe that I forgot to mention Gene Wolfe in my initial post. Just an incredibly literate story teller. The original four novels that comprise the Book of the New Sun: *The Shadow of the Torturer*, *The Claw of the Conciliator*, *The Sword of the Lictor*, and *The Citadel of the Autarch* are amongst my favorite works of fiction.
> 
> - Walter...


I originally discovered Michael SwanwicK some twenty-plus years ago when I was working at a bookstore and took a chance on The Iron Dragon's Daughter as my weekly free book. (It had just come out in paperback.) I enjoyed the book, but my store didn't carry any of his other books and I kinda forgot about him. I rediscovered Swanwick last year and now own several of his books. He is an underrated, under-acknowledged talent.


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## MichelleR (Feb 21, 2009)

Lots and lots of good choices, but I don't see Dennis Lehane -- love him!



Soon to be a Major Motion Picture, Y'all. (I hope they don't mess it up!)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/


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

JetJammer said:


> Robert Crais


Of course! How could I have left him off my list!

Pre-Kindle he was on my very short "buy as hardcover" list.

Mike


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## stargazer0725 (Feb 10, 2009)

Okay, here's mine:

Michael Crichton
James Clavell
Larry McMurtry
Scott Turow
Stephen King
John Grisham
Dean Koontz
James Patterson
Janet Evanovich
Diana Gabaldon

There's probably another 10 or so that I snap up all of the new releases for, but I thought I'd conserve space.


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Janet Evanovich is good, except when she co-authors - yuck


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

C. J. Cherryh
Isaac Asimov
Robert Heinlein
Arthur Clarke
Terry Brooks
Raymond Feist
Wilbur Smith
Julian May
John Steinbeck
Ernest Hemingway
Jack London
Tom Clancy


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## intinst (Dec 23, 2008)

In no particular order:
Issac Asimov
Robert Heinlein
Roger Zelazny
Andre Norton
Anne McCafferey
Arthur C. Clarke
Barbra Hambly
Michael Crichton
Agatha Christie
Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb


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## davem2bits (Feb 2, 2009)

My List:
Nevada Barr
John Irving
Kurt Vonnegut
John le Carre
Tony Hillerman
Peter Robinson
Owen Parry
Michael Connelly
Ken Bruen
John Straley
Martin Cruz Smith


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Terry Pratchett
Raymond Feist
Robert Asprin
Terry Brooks
Robert Jordan
Anne McCaffrey
Mercedes Lackey
J.R.R.Tolkien
J.K. Rowling
Peter David
C.S. Lewis
Dave Barry (the Peter Pan books)
Mary Higgins Clark
Carol Higgins Clark
Jill Churchill
Sue Grafton
Mary Stewart
E.L. Konigsburg
Madeleine L'Engle
Judy Blume
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Ruth Chew
Patricia Coombs

(stopping now - keep wanting to add more)

EDIT:  Do need to add Donna Andrews - her Meg Langslow books just make me laugh


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## Rhiathame (Mar 12, 2009)

Keri Aurther
Kim Harrison
Kelly Armstong
Merceedes Lackey
Anne McCaffery
Robert Aspin
Alan Dean Foster
Simon Greene
David Weber
Particia Cromwell
and that is off the top of my head


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

A.S. Byatt
Barbara Kingsolver
Alice Walker
Robin McKinley
Pamela Dean
Ntozake Shange
Jane Austen
Julian May
Wild Bill Shakespeare
Toni Morrison

It's hard to narrow the list. Really Hard.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

KMA said:


> A.S. Byatt
> Barbara Kingsolver
> Alice Walker
> Robin McKinley
> ...


Glad to see another Julian May fan.


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

geoffthomas, I've always found it strange that Julian May was not more popular.


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## ELDogStar (Dec 19, 2008)

I will be honest enough to explain that I have not been a  "reader" for long enough to have favorite authors.
They vast majority of folks on this board seem to have been, if not life long readers, then readers for much of their lives.

Me not so...

I am quite new to "regular" reading....

There was a definite "thing" that helped me make the switch, but that is a topic for a different thread.

Once I have even one favorite author I will come back and post it!

Eric


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## Anju  (Nov 8, 2008)

Looking forward to it ElDogStar  

Try some of our own authors - I personally think they are great.  

I did find in the lists that there are many duplications in my own unprinted lists, so you have good ideas of authors to look for, all sorts of genres, and I for one am delighted you are now a reader


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

ELDogStar said:


> I will be honest enough to explain that I have not been a "reader" for long enough to have favorite authors.
> They vast majority of folks on this board seem to have been, if not life long readers, then readers for much of their lives.
> 
> Me not so...
> ...


Welcome to our world; or the many worlds of the avid reader. I think I started devouring books at age 8; maybe 10 at the latest.


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## Boston (Nov 7, 2008)

Harlan Coben


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## Kindgirl (Jan 31, 2009)

David (and Leigh) Eddings - Belgariad and Mallorean, my favorite books of all time.  I first read them in my teens and read them again whenever I need a fix.  Best story ever.  I have asked them to get more of the series Kindleized.

C.S. Lewis  - Narnia series (read these for the first time at age 12 and have re-read them over the years) and Screwtape Letters especially.

Neil Gaiman - This is a new one to my list.  I've only read The Graveyard Book, Coraline, and am currently reading Neverwhere, but really like his work.  I will probably end up reading every book he has on Amazon.

JK Rowling - Say what you will, the girl created an entire world which had me at hello.

Frank Peretti - Spiritual Warfare Sci-Fi.  Need I say more?

Diana Galbaldon - Discovered her because of Kindleboards, and love her!  (thanks guys!)

... off the top of my head.  There are many more but these are my all time favorites.


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2009)

I suppose it's time I chimed in. Not sure why anybody would care, but it's time nevertheless.

Clifford Simak
Robert Silverberg
Stephen King
Alfred Bester
Isaac Asimov
Terry Pratchett
F. Paul Wilson
Lloyd Alexander
William Gibson (but NOT Neal Stephenson)
Douglas Adams (surprise!)
Jane Langton
J.R.R. Tolkein
William Goldman (probably my overall favorite)
Donald Westlake
Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket)
Walter R. Brooks (Freddy the Pig)
Michael Swanwick
Ray Bradbury
Poul Anderson
L. Sprague deCamp & Fletcher Knebel (both together and separately) 
John Grisham up until and not including The Chamber


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## speters (Feb 18, 2009)

Growing up I couldn't get enough Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut and J.D. Salinger. In recent years I've grown to appreciate Mark Twain more than ever, and really like Malcolm Gladwell's work.


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2009)

speters said:


> Growing up I couldn't get enough Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut and J.D. Salinger. In recent years I've grown to appreciate Mark Twain more than ever, and really like Malcolm Gladwell's work.


Like there's so much Salinger out there to get. I can't get enough Harper Lee myself.


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

Kindgirl, I re-read the Belgariad and Mallorean every year or so, too. I remember reading Pawn of Prophesy when it first came out. I was in second grade and thought it splendid. I followed both series through my teen years and it was a sort of quiet haven in my growing up.

BTW, Good Omens (Gaiman's collaboration with Terry Pratchett) is absolutely delightful. My oldest daughter insists that Coraline is better, but she won't be seven for a few more weeks and she's a little biased.


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2009)

Ummm... it's impossible to fully appreciate Good Omens unless one has either read or seen the movie version of The Omen. And if your six-year-old has seen The Omen, then you're a bad, bad mother.


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

Bacardi Jim said:


> Ummm... it's impossible to fully appreciate Good Omens unless one has either read or seen the movie version of The Omen. And if your six-year-old has seen The Omen, then you're a bad, bad mother.


That's what I told her (that it's funnier if you've seen The Omen, not that I'm a bad mother--she gets to decide on that for herself). She has to wait, though, six is WAY too young. I gave up a long time ago on censoring her reading, but I'm dang protective when it comes to more visual media.

I did have to remind her that giving dramatic readings of Dracula is something she should avoid at playdates.

Maybe I am a bad mother...


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## Guest (Mar 14, 2009)

KMA said:


> That's what I told her (that it's funnier if you've seen The Omen, not that I'm a bad mother--she gets to decide on that for herself). She has to wait, though, six is WAY too young. I gave up a long time ago on censoring her reading, but I'm dang protective when it comes to more visual media.
> 
> I did have to remind her that giving dramatic readings of Dracula is something she should avoid at playdates.
> 
> Maybe I am a bad mother...


Hrrrmmmm.... my mother allowed me to read anything I could get my hands on. But would not allow me to see R-rated movies without her until I was 17. (I saw several at the drive-in before that, but only with her.)

Look how I turned out. 

Take that as you will.


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

Some of my favorite authors include but are not limited to:

Mark Twain
Jeff Hepple
David Guyton
Jerry Travis
Kevis Hendrickson
Jeff Inlo
Steven King
Frank Peretti

And not necessarily in this order. And I love them all.

-sailor


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## bernilynn (Nov 22, 2008)

Ohhhh, favorites:

Mary Stewart (the Merlin Trilogy)
Stephen King
David Baldacci
Anya Seton
James Clavell
Janet Evanovich
Clifford Simak
Julian May (the Pliocene/Galactic Milieu series)
Zenna Henderson
Olivia Goldsmith
J.K. Rowling
Carl Hiaasen
Dean Koontz (the early books)
Diana Gabaldon (the Outlander series)
Christopher Buckley
Daphne Du Maurier

and many more!


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## Kindgirl (Jan 31, 2009)

KMA said:


> Kindgirl, I re-read the Belgariad and Mallorean every year or so, too. I remember reading Pawn of Prophesy when it first came out. I was in second grade and thought it splendid. I followed both series through my teen years and it was a sort of quiet haven in my growing up.


Haven is the perfect word for them! Funny, heartwarming, and oh-so-creative. My World of Warcraft characters are even named after several of the characters in the books (Islena, Cenedra, Velvet, Adara)


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

Bacardi Jim said:


> Hrrrmmmm.... my mother allowed me to read anything I could get my hands on. But would not allow me to see R-rated movies without her until I was 17. (I saw several at the drive-in before that, but only with her.)
> 
> Look how I turned out.
> 
> Take that as you will.


You don't seem too bad. Will I be banned from the boards for saying that? Is it heresy?

I'm just careful with movies because scary images give both of my girls nightmares. Honestly, they have a tendency to self-censor more than I would ever think of doing. I think reading allows them a little more control.


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## amanda924 (Mar 9, 2009)

Margaret Mitchell (Gone With the Wind is my absolute favorite book of ALL TIME)
James Patterson
Dean Koontz (Strangers is one of my favorite books)
Frank McCourt
Stephenie Meyer
VC Andrews (I grew up on it, what can I say? I don't much care for the newer stuff but everything at least thru the Landry series)
Myself (though I'm not yet published!)


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## V (Jan 23, 2009)

Frank Herbert
George Orwell
Aldous Huxley
Brent Weeks
David McCullough
John Scalzi
Philip K Dick
Walter Isaacson
Harlen Ellison
Joseph J Ellis
Issac Azimov
Robert Middlekauff
Jack Campbell
Alan Dean Foster
Joe Haldeman


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## Esther (Dec 21, 2008)

amanda924 said:


> Margaret Mitchell (Gone With the Wind is my absolute favorite book of ALL TIME)


Amanda,
I would love to read GwtW one of these days. Can you recommend any of the available Kindle editions? I find that with public domain books, there is variable quality in the kindle formatting. I'll down some of the samples. Thanks for reminding me about GwtW!
E.


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## amanda924 (Mar 9, 2009)

Esther,
I've only had my kindle for 6 days and so I haven't bought any of the amazon versions yet, (although I have about 8 paperback/hardback copies, no lie! ) and I'm not sure if you can get it for free or not () but I did read one review that said one page was missing from a version...watch out for that because you don't want to miss a WORD much less a page! 

If I can find a good version I'll let you know...


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## kguthrie (Feb 23, 2009)

Vince Flynn


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

bernilynn said:


> Ohhhh, favorites:
> 
> Mary Stewart (the Merlin Trilogy)
> Stephen King
> ...


I love the Pliocene Exile and Galactic Millieu Books, too!


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## wilsondm2 (Dec 8, 2008)

Cool thread - just found it. Here's my contribution:

Robert Heinlein - all time favorite - he shaped my thinking growing up. TANSTAAFL!!!!

Isaac Asimov
Ben Bova
Stephen King
Conan-Doyle
Clive Cussler
Kelley Armstrong
Tolkein
JK Rowling
Frederik Pohl
Cliff Stoll
Richard K. Morgan
Mike Resnick
Joe Hill

And on my soon to be favorites list - Al Past - Distant Cousin is a great read so far.

and lots more I've probably forgotten to mention.


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