I think Jonathan Haar wrote A Civil Action. Not sure on spelling of his last name, though.
Eutychus55 – not me, but Grubb’s “Night of the Hunter” is a favorite. I guess I thought that was the only book he wrote.
“Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison and “The Dollmaker” by Harriet Arnow are two books that I keep extra copies of, so I can lend them.
stuffinb - now you’ve met two. Liked “The Stand” and “Swan Song” equally. Post-apocalyptic fiction is my favorite genre.
My current favorite writer is George R. R. Martin. Just finished reading “Fevre Dream” for like the fifth time, and my copy of “A Storm of Swords” is on its way from Amazon UK. Actually, two copies, I ordered both the trade PB and the HC, cuz I didn’t know which one was going to be published first. Can’t wait to curl up with 800 pages of the best fantasy ever written.
And Joe Lansdale. Can’t forget Joe. Anything by Joe.
Authors (in approximate order, but don’t hold me to it):
- Aldous Huxley
- John Irving
- Kurt Vonnegut
- Terry Pratchett
Books (same thing):
- World According to Garp–Irving
- Point Counterpoint–Huxley
- A Prayer for Owen Meany–Irving
- Chrome Yellow–Huxley
Damn I’m predictable 
And FTR: Lord of the Rings frickin rocks, but I haven’t read them recently enough for it to make the list (should dig those out and re-read em).
Easy.
Anything by Iain Banks. I especially liked “Complicity”.
I’m a hardcore Terry Pratchett fan. Also Neil Gaiman. (I just finished listening to his spoken word cd… quite excellent.) Anything in the Discworld series is very good.
Candide, by Voltaire, is a great classic. I also enjoy Anne Patchett, Emma Donahue, and what’s her name… you know, the brilliant one. 
andygirl
My favorites, in no particular order:
Dave Barry (Any of his books)
Robert Parker (Spenser series)
Sue Grafton (Kinsey Millhone)
Richard Lederer (Writes on the English language)
Kinky Friedman (the eponymous detective)
Lawrence Block (Matthew Scudder)
Chuck Shepherd (News of the Weird)
Fran Lebowitz (Metropolitan Life and Social Studies)
Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker’s of course!)
I read a lot of series, and I tend not to pick favorites from them because the characters change over time, and each book is vital to understanding the series as a whole. If that makes sense. 
Robin
I’ll have to go along with the OP. The Notebooks Of Lazurus Long(contained therein) has gotten me through many a tough situation.
John Irving Rocks!
Either “A Prayer for Owen Meany” or “Cider House Rules”
Also, Farley Mowatt’s “A Whale for the Killing”…haunting.
two not-very-well-known-whatsoever books are my Favorites:
“A Soldier of the Great War” Mark Helprin
“Dreams of my Russian Summers” Andrei Makine
recent read that was excellent - “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” - ? Chbosky
Hmmm … fairly ironic that no one has mentioned Cecil Adams yet.
I’m just in love with SK’s style. The Stand was the second book of his that I read, and I knew it was the best book ever written. Swan Song came along much later for me, and it is very good, too, but SK is just the best. I’m actually re-reading Swan Song again right now. It’s great!
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by AuntiePam *
<snip>
stuffinb - now you’ve met two. Liked “The Stand” and “Swan Song” equally. Post-apocalyptic fiction is my favorite genre.
<snip>
Can you recommend any more of this caliber? With characters so developed that they almost become friends? <g>
I truly loved these books.
um, i can narrow it down to three.
-
Of Mice and Men
-
Foucault’s Pendulum, by Umberto Eco
…drumroll, please
- Infinite Jest, by David Foster Wallace
anything by the above authors is great. really it is. I just started rereading Jest yesterday for the third time.
I have to agree with the posters that recomend Guy Gavriel Kay, although I can’t believe no one has mentioned The Lion’s of Al-rassan. The man takes everything I like about fantasy (epic story, elevated tone) and leaves out everything I hate (pyrotechnics, fluff, sloppy writting, loose plot construction). Truly a master. However, when it comes down to favorite book/ author, I have to finally settle my vote on Milton, and Paradise Lost. Same epic and elevated tone, and oh, the language. I can’t read more than 50 lines of Paradise Lost outloud without being struck dumb by what that man accopmplished. I don’t think that the bible is the inspired word of god, but I am pretty damn sure that Paradise Lost is.
I’ve always liked The Annotated Alice
and read it a lot. It tells what everything in Alice in Wonderland refers to. It’s so intricate, I just love to review it.
Balance:
Count me as another fan of Godstalk, though I did not think the sequels held up as well. I met Pat at a convention several years ago, we had a nive chat over coffee. We actually went to the same college, though she had graduated before I transfered in. I have long wished that her work received more recognition. It is immensely superior to much of the crap getting mass distribution in the SF field.
Speaking of which: I have to plug Quest for the Fallen Star (since I am one of the authors). It isn’t even my favorite book, but I do like it. [sub]<<== warning. No objectivity was used in this statement[/sub]
My own favorite books tend to shidt depending upon my moods. At the moment Engine Summer by John Crowley is remembered quite fondly. For those who appreciarte Magical Realism I highly recommend Thornton’s powerful Imagining Argentina.
I would add the Hugo Winner “Eveything and the Dog,” the single funniest time travel novel ever written. I’s a great take off on Jerome K. Jerome’s hilarious novel “Three Men in a Boat,” and is set mostly in Victorian England. Great stuff, including an appearance by Jerome himself.
As for my all-time favorite, thaqt would have to be Harlan Ellison and his collection of short stories, “Deathbird Stories.” The most underappreciated author in the United States, in the tradition of Borges, Swift, Twain and Pasos. Pure brilliance.
Clive Barker’s Imajica is my all time fave book. Clive is also my fave author… duh!!!
The Sound and the Fury-William Faulkner
The Miracle Strain
Anything by Franz Kafka and Albert Camus
That’s all I can think of for now…
I would have to go with “The Phantom Tollbooth,” by Norton Juster. He stretches the meaning of every word and makes you look at them in a different way. This book was an experience.
I know, I know, it’s not a huge, adultlike book with teeny tiny lettering… but it doesn’t have to be to be my favorite, does it?? Anyway, I love this book.