Your favourite novelist

[It's Snake Pliskin]

I like books by Dan Brown, John Grisham and many others.

Just read the Da Vinci Code and found it very entertaining. It was a good escape from reality for a while.

Are there any opinions on Ken Follett and his novels?

 

[ghotib]

Follett's "Pillars of the Earth" is right up there on my list of desert island books, but for some reason any others he wrote that I've read haven't stuck.

Haven't read Dan Brown; enjoy John Grisham when I read him but don't seek him out.

Big fan of Sara Paretsky, but don't know that she'd make it to the island. Tolkein definitely would - does he count, or is the desert island a different topic?

Lemmeseenow: Science Fiction: Ursula LeGuin, Isaac Asimov, Arthur Clarke, Larry Niven,

Crime and thrillers: John le Carre; Sara Paretsky; the Scottish bloke who wrote "Number One Ladies Detective Agency"; Robert Parker; Dorothy L Sayers; Clancy when I'm in very bad mood and want to stay there.

Fantasy: Tolkein; Tolkein; "The Neverending Story" (the book not the film. The film was a grotesque bastardisation. Can't remember the author's name, but he's German); did I mention Tolkein? David Eddings; Tolkein

General: George Eliot; Dickens; Jane Austen (I love the slow pace and immense detail of 19th century novels; very refreshing); Henry James (though it's hard to get started with him); Henry Fielding;

Changes over time - I read a lot more detective stuff now than I once did. These guys have been pretty high on the list for quite a while though.

Fun topic.

Cheers,

Ghoti

 

[tech/a]

Tara Moss.

I believe she can write too!

 

[The Estimator]

Yup Dan Brown is great. I like Andy McNab because he brings the touch of realism to his novels being ex-SAS. For non-fiction "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking is fantastic but you really need your thinking cap on and you often find yourself sketching little diagrams out on pads to get your head around the stuff. Primal Fear was a great read. You cant go wrong with The Power of One as long as you follow it with Tandia. Thats enough for now.

John

 

[Knobby22]

Jasper Fforde (Latest hot writer)
David Brin
Connie Willis (The Doomsday book is a classic read).
Issac Asimov

 

[Julia]

I've tried Dan Brown's books but was put off what was presumably an intriguing plot by such basically bad writing.

For relaxation I like crime fiction. Favourite authors: (long way out in front - Lee Child: central character is ex military policeman "Reacher". If you haven't come across this author, get one of his books from the library. It just "works".)
Jeffrey Deaver
Ridley Pearson
Michael Connolly
William Heffernan
David Baldacci
Robert P. (or B?) Parker (tongue in cheek funny)
Tess Gerritson
Stephen Leather
Lawrence Block (sometimes).

Probably for women only, sometimes Joanna Trollope fits the mood.

Julia

 

[GreatPig]

For quality of writing, although some of their books may not always be the easiest to read, I'd say Gene Wolfe, Guy Gavriel Kay, Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan, and Barbara Kingsolver. There are heaps of good writers, but these are amongst the best in my opinion, and some of their books make up the ranks of my all-time favourites.

Over the years, I've also enjoyed a lot of Stephen King, James Michener, Robert Heinlein, Brian Aldiss, and Tom Robbins books. The latter in particular is something of an acquired taste.

Then there are some writers who've put out some very good individual books, although I've either not really liked or not read other of their works, like Bo Caldwell (The Distant Land of my Father), Alice Sebold (The Lovely Bones), Isobel Allende (a number of hers), Gabriel Garcia Marquez (100 Years of Solitude and Chronicle of a Death Foretold), Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove), DBC Pierre (Vernon God Little), Yann Martel (Life of Pi), and the one I'm currently reading, Donna Tartt (The Secret History).

And that's just for starters...

Cheers,
GP

 

[dutchie]

James A Michener - Hawaii
Exodus
The Source
The Covenant
Centennial
Chesapeake
Alaska
Mexico
Caravans

(Sometimes the starts are a bit heavy but don't let that put you off.)

 

[GreatPig]

James A Michener - Hawaii
Exodus

The Exodus is by Leon Uris.

GP

 

[dutchie]

GP- oops my mistake.

Leon Uris is also a good writer.

Did anyone else start their reading careers with comics like I did.

Favourites were: The Phantom and Superman.

Don't see them around these days.

 

[son of baglimit]

personally i preferred charles m schultz - his books were full of adventure, emotion, deception - and gee snoopy was so funny sometimes !!!

 

[Profitseeker]

Lee Childs.

 

[brerwallabi]

If you want something light and humourous but well drafted - Ben Elton
Otherwise
Linda La Plante
Leon Uris
Isaac Bashevis Singer
Leo Tolstoy
Patrick O,Brian

 

[emma]

Margaret Attwood, Margaret Drabble, Robert Drewe, Peter Goldsworthy, Kerry Greenwood, Reginald Hill, Thomas Keneally, Barbara Kingsolver, Barry Maitland, Alex Miller, Joyce Carol Oates, Annie Prioux, Matthew Reilly and Tim Winton - to name a few

 

[Stan 101]

Shibumi by Trevanian,

great read.


Cheers,

 

[brerwallabi]

Shibumi by Trevanian,

great read.


Cheers,

Agree on this book, I read it about 20 years ago, I still have it somewhere, thanks for reminding me about, I will see if I can dig it out from somewhere.
The only trouble with old paperbacks is they smell, so I can't read in bed as my wife objects to the odour of old books.

 

[Knobby22]

Terry Pratchett
Joseph Heller

And if you have read these novelists, you will know where my name comes from.

 

[GreatPig]

I've read a couple of Pratchett but couldn't really get into them. For some reason, I don't find his humour particularly funny.

Read all about Yosarian and the crew years ago though, and enjoyed that book.

Washington Irving

 

[Stan 101]

Shibumi by Trevanian: Agree on this book, I read it about 20 years ago, I still have it somewhere, thanks for reminding me about, I will see if I can dig it out from somewhere.
The only trouble with old paperbacks is they smell, so I can't read in bed as my wife objects to the odour of old books.

yes, i read it about 20 years ago, too. you might find a good copy in a library. also, his 'summer of katya' and 'the main' are dark, but a great read.

cheers

 

[RichKid]

I've enjoyed James Clavell's novels, he was quite a character himself. The ones set in Hong Kong are particularly good for business minds, not sure how much of it is accurate though: Taipan and Noble House.