If (author)wrote it, then I'll buy it (book) list.

Every one has an author that they admire and buy their books with nary a preview of what it is about since that writer has never let you down.

While I know my list, primarily cheesy romances, will compale in comparison to the loftier tomes out there that you smurt dopers read, I subject you to it anyways:

**Lynn Kurland ** Her time travel /Ghost books are very engaging, humorous and her language/knowledge of the time period is well done without asphixiating the plot.

**Jayne Ann Krentz ** and Amanda Quick Same person.
Great one day, pool side reads. She has a formula, likeable characters, tawdry sex, a thin but liveable plot.

Barbara Metzger The best Regency writer out there in the terms of sweetness and plot development. No sex. No groping. Excellent plot and characters.

Merline Lovelace well, I’ve only read one of her books and damn. Me like. So she is possibly on my list.

Dara Joy great heroes and heroines. Steamy sex and some actual itty bitty parts of science and that kinda stuff woven into her plots. I mean, like, wormholes aren’t just in apples? fersure.

**JK Rowling ** Nuff said, it’s not like I have a choice.

Kevin Henkes children’s author. Brilliant.

And it looks like I will be adding **Tim Powers ** to my list after starting On Stranger Tides the other day.

I hardly ever read real books anymore. Just seems like life gets in the way. When I’m reading a book, I don’t want to be bothered by anything else.

When I was doing my reading Robert Heinlein, Issac Asimov, and Roger Zelazny were three authors I had no problem with just grabbing something off the shelf with their name on it, only stopping long enough to make sure I didn’t have it already.

Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels(I have to admit she is working her way off the list)
Sharron McCrumbFunny and haunting stories that are vaguely mysteries.

Lindsey Davis (writes about a private eye sort during ancient Rome)

Dana Stabenow Mystery stories set in Alaska. The lead charactor is a strong Native American woman.

For his SF and his occasional jaunts into fantasy, David Weber is the one for me.

Kurt Vonnegut (who swears he isn’t writing anymore)

Umberto Eco -he probably sends me to reference books more than any other author, yet he’s not pretentious.

Karen Armstrong -I like her simplification of very complex religious issues- she’s a good place to start a research.

Michael Shermer - now that Carl Sagan is dead he’s my favorite skeptic.

Fannie Flagg - yes really- I think she’s hysterical and at times profound. I think her book Fried Green Tomatoes (at the Whistlestop Cafe) was many times funnier and more moving than the movie even though I liked the movie a lot.

David Gemmell. His books vary from breath-takingly astounding to pretty damn good, but I’ll buy every one of them, given the chance.

Mickey Zucker Reichert. I’ve just read the first Bifrost Guardians book and every other page I was saying “Holy crap! This is so good! Why didn’t I read it sooner?!”

Stephen Brust. I just finished the first three Vlad books and every other page I was saying, “Holy crap! This is so good! Why didn’t I read it sooner?!”

Neil Gaiman. I picked up American Gods because it sounded so interesting. Then it was Good Omens. Then Neverwhere. I’ve got Stardust next. I have a habit. And his blog is usually interesting.

Robin Hobb. I found the Fitz series to be astounding, Liveship to be amazing. Haven’t started the new one yet.

Stephen King (conditional). I’ll read his fantasy like Gunslinger and Eyes of the Dragon. And On Writing was a very good book. But the horror just doesn’t interest me.

Ann Marston. I lurve me some Celtic fantasy.

Terry Pratchett. If you don’t laugh at Pratchett, you’re missing a humor gland or something.

John Marco. I just love him.

Dave Eggers. I love the way he writes.

Iain (M) Banks - his latest, Dead Air, is a great return to form

Ian McEwan - Enduring Love was so great I’ll read anything by him now

Jack Vance - lyrical SF and fantasy, wonderful stuff

Douglas Adams.

I got some bad news for you, dude …

Christopher Moore is consistently hilarious.

Tom Robbins is always mandatory, even though there are disappointing parts of his latest novels.

Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, J. R. R. Tolkien, Douglas Adams.
Spider Robinson was on that list until he threw me off in Callahan’s Key. Yuuurrrgg.

Agree with furlibusea about Lindsay Davis Her Falco novels (and the other ones) about ancient Rome are great.

Also agree with cstamets about Heinlein. I have everything he wrote, aside from a few hard-to-find bits.

James Burke. I’ve got all of his books. He hooked me with the first Connections series, and I’ve followed everything since.

Dave Barry, until his most recent novel. Barry should stick to his essays, I think.

L. Sprague de Camp – SF writer,fantasist, historical novelist, historian, biographer. He ought to be as well-known as his friend and contemporary, asimov. Great stuff.

Stephen Jay Gould – I’d kill to be able to write essays as he did.

Anything Max Lucado writes!

Did anyone say it had to be a living author? I was gonna cite Anthony Burgess. Not my fault that he suddenly stopped putting out new stuff ten years ago.

Andrew Vachss, Kinky Friedman, Stephen and Tabitha King, Richard Bachmann, Ed McBain, Evan Hunter, Peg Bracken and Lora Brody (the last two being cookbook authors who can actually write).

Douglas Coupland

David Foster Wallace, David Sedaris, Dan Savage, Jonathan Franzen.

Peter S. Beagle for fantasy. Yes, he’s written stuff besides The Last Unicorn. Some of it’s quite good too. Someday I’m going to start a thread about The Innkeeper’s Song.

I second (or is it third?) Neil Gaiman. Good stuff, though I didn’t like American Gods as much as I’ve liked some of his other stuff.

I’ve been reading Nalo Hopkinson’s books pretty consistently lately. I like her way with fantasy too.

I’m also pretty fond of Robert Holdstock (Mythago Wood, Lavondyss).

James Ellroy

There’s only really one for me. I’ll read everything Steven Brust, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, etc. puts out, but I won’t actually buy everything. I’m a poor college student and even used books strain my budget. Thank God for the public library system.

However, I will buy everything Diana Wynne Jones writes.