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#1
09-07-2003, 10:07 PM
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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. 
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#2
09-07-2003, 10:40 PM
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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.
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#3
09-07-2003, 11:12 PM
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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.
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#5
09-07-2003, 11:49 PM
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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.
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#6
09-08-2003, 12:06 AM
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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.
__________________
"Sir, we'd like permission to search your pie."--Captain Stottlemeyer, Monk Playing City of Heroes? Find the Dopers you know and love here. In one of life's great ironies, we play on Virtue. GMRyujin is now known as Doomtrain. Now with 30% more doom. Doom! DOOM!
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#12
09-08-2003, 07:14 AM
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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.
__________________
"You know nothing, Sergeant Schultz"
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#14
09-08-2003, 08:27 AM
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Quote:
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#15
09-08-2003, 09:01 AM
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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).
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#18
09-08-2003, 09:43 AM
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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).
__________________
"What is the cheyfe poynte in shooting, that everye manne laboureth to come to? To hyt the marke." -- Roger Ascham
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#19
09-08-2003, 09:57 AM
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James Ellroy
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#20
09-08-2003, 10:31 AM
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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.
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#21
09-08-2003, 10:35 AM
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This Lindsay Davis sounds interesting. Sell me on it.Please.
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#22
09-08-2003, 10:38 AM
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Paul Auster and Stephen Millhauser. Very different styles, but both are masters at capturing psychological states and both have a unique voice. I think I've read every damn thing Millhauser has written and almost everything of Auster's (can't find his poetry, dang it).
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#25
09-08-2003, 11:07 AM
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Quote:
James Burke Jonathon Kellerman Israel Finkelstein (yep thats his name.. he's an archaeologist) Neil Asher Silberman Martha Grimes tho I am getting disappointed in her lately Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
__________________
We discover when we map the 2004 election results that the states for Kerry have the most Universities and the states for Bush have the most UFO sightings.
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#27
09-08-2003, 11:10 AM
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Another one for Neil Gaiman.
And for those of you Neil fans who haven't read Stardust yet, when you do, see if you can spot Tori Amos in there somewhere...
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#28
09-08-2003, 11:21 AM
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GMRyujin,
Have you read To Reign In Hell, by Stephen Brust? Its really good! I am two books into the Vlad series myself. Neil Gaiman's Sandman stuff is totally mind-blowingly good, but American Gods just felt like so much potential that was never realized. I think it may be a British thing. Oh, Douglas Adams, such a sad thing. I wish he could still be with us. Ok, to the OP, my list would prolly look something like this: Douglas Adams JK Rowling (so far anyway!) Tim Powers Todd Wilbur - Top Secret Recipes (mmm, food) Kurt Vonnegut Neil Gaiman Neil Gaiman and Tim Powers have some stuff I don't like at all, but their good stuff is SO GOOD, I will give anything they write a chance.
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#30
09-08-2003, 11:38 AM
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Quote:
Silver Pigs Venus in Copper The Iron Hand of Mars Poseidon's Gold but then she dropped that idea -- too hard to keep going, I guess. She's also writtten some non-Falco Roman fiction. Another Ancient Rome detectivve series is by Steve Saylor. I haven't read them (Pepper Mill has), but they're set earlier, in the Roman Republic.
__________________
"You know nothing, Sergeant Schultz"
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#33
09-08-2003, 12:39 PM
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The current list is:
Glen Cook George R. R. Martin
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#34
09-08-2003, 12:44 PM
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#35
09-08-2003, 12:56 PM
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I'd probably buy the Lois McMaster Bujold Cookbook (and I'm the sort where if I have to actually boil water on the stove I consider it gourmet cooking).
__________________
"In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves." -- Carl Sagan
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#36
09-08-2003, 01:38 PM
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David Sedaris
Dan Savage Roddy Doyle-I'm even willing to read his biography of his grandparents, just not in hardcover. Nick Hornby Jamie O'Neill-given that At Swim, Two Boys took him, I think, ten years to write, I'd be surprised if his next book came out any time soon, but I'd pick it up as soon as I saw it. Augusten Burroughs Florence King-though I have no idea if she still writes at all. I actually only assume she's still alive because I haven't seen an obituary. Thomas Cahill
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#37
09-08-2003, 01:39 PM
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Stephen Fry (in paperback)
Dick Francis (in paperback) Terry Pratchett (hardback and ebay for ancillary items) JK Rowling (pre-ordered at bookstore) Douglas Adams (even got the Salmon of Doubt audiotape posthumously, and the fiendish game Starship Titanic). sigh... Shouldn't somebody say Cecil Adams?
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#39
09-08-2003, 02:53 PM
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Quote:
Haven't tried a recipe yet*, but Bananana Soup Surprise looks interesting. *I don't cook much either, really. But I love Nanny Ogg.
__________________
"What is the cheyfe poynte in shooting, that everye manne laboureth to come to? To hyt the marke." -- Roger Ascham
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#40
09-08-2003, 03:54 PM
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I forgot [b]Janet Evonovitch{/b] wonderful characters.
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#41
09-08-2003, 04:41 PM
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Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, Peter Straub, Joe Lansdale -- everybody knows about them
David L. Martin -- writes everything from thrillers to literary stuff, always intriguing Ron Hansen -- also writes everything and it's all good Pat Barker -- I started with the Regeneration Trilogy -- she won a big prize for that. Worked backwards to her very first novel, Union Street, and I'll bet most writers would be proud to call that their crowning achievement. And it was her first. This woman is a revelation. Bob Leman -- he's in his 90's and not writing anymore, but if he was, I'd be buying. He was mostly published in Fantasy and Science Fiction and there's a collection of all his stuff out now, Feesters in the Lake, which is the best dark fantasy/horror I've read in years, maybe ever. I used to buy everything Ken Follett wrote but I stopped with The Third Twin. That was kinda hacky, IMHO, and I haven't been back to him.
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#42
09-08-2003, 05:36 PM
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Elmore Leonard has a great touch with characters and plot twists. He's had a few clinkers, but I keep going back.
Carl Hiassen has a way with dimbulb characters and careening plot changes that nobody else has. Andrew Vachss. I thought I knew what gritty was until I read his stuff. Woo, that's hard-edged.
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#45
09-08-2003, 06:35 PM
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Lessee...
John Irving Salman Rushdie Terry Pratchett (obviously) Bob Heinlein Stephen King (though he disappoints me half the time) Ross Thomas James Ellroy Douglas Coupland Nick Hornby Norman Mailer
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#46
09-08-2003, 06:57 PM
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I have to take a crack at Chuck Palahniuck he was highly recommended to me by Christopher Moore who said he only WISHED he could right as good. So tell me whats a good Palahniuck book to start with?
__________________
We discover when we map the 2004 election results that the states for Kerry have the most Universities and the states for Bush have the most UFO sightings.
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#47
09-08-2003, 06:59 PM
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Quote:
__________________
"Okra, the Pod of God!" - Swampbear "I started To Reign in Hell, but was bored out of my mind." - Doomtrain "This is what I love about the Dope, we close ranks and beat these folks like so many baby seals." - Capt Kirk
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#48
09-08-2003, 07:26 PM
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#49
09-08-2003, 07:40 PM
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Stephanie Barron writing a mystery series of Jane Austen as a slueth.
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