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I’ve been mildly obsessed with the novels of Nevil Shute for the past three years, and have finally completed my collection of his books — 25 volumes in all, including an autobiography. I still have two books left to read, and they’re lined up at the end of my Shute Shelf. The unread books are both old editions from the 50’s, and have that pleasant library/grandma’s attic smell to them.
This is not the first time I’ve read every book by a given author — I had a Michael Crichton phase in high school, followed by an Arthur C. Clarke phase (I didn’t read everything, but close). Prior to high school, I’m pretty sure I read everything Cynthia Voigt ever wrote. After college I discovered and devoured Neal Stephenson’s work (including the Stephen Bury books).
Anyway, it took me years to track down all the Nevil Shute volumes, and I feel a certain completist satisfaction in seeing them all together on a shelf. When I finish the last one, I’m considering going back and reading them over, chronologically (I hear you get bonus nerd points for doing that). Shute’s books are pretty similar in their details: there’s generally some sort of challenge that necessitates a long journey, a lot of technical material concerning airplanes and boats, and some sort of wartime romance. Despite this similarity of theme (or perhaps because of it), I still enjoy each volume, and reading so much by a single author has taught me something about writing — I can see him experimenting with technique, and I can see his style evolve over time. I’m even considering going to a meetup sponsored by the Nevil Shute Norway Foundation — thus solidifying my status as a superfan.
Anyway, all this got me thinking: which authors have inspired you to read all their work? And yeah, I suppose J.K. Rowling counts.
Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe books and Dorothy L. Sayer’s Lord Peter Wimsey (and Montague Egg!) books and stories.
posted by Ursula on 9-13-2007 at 10:38 am
I’ve done that with Stephen King. I read all of them starting when I was in middle school, and now I’m able to read each new one as he publishes it (although isn’t he supposed to be retired?). Jane Lindskold, George R.R. Martin and Edward Rutherford are all authors whose books I’ve devoured, as well.
posted by Bryn on 9-13-2007 at 10:47 am
I’ve read everything published to date by Kurt Vonnegut and I only hope there’s more things lying around to be published since his death. If not, I’ll just have to start over again.
posted by Ted on 9-13-2007 at 10:50 am
Hmm…The first one was Ann M. Martin (shut up, I was a Babysitter’s Club fan as a kid!) then Avi, then Cynthia Voight, then I wandered in a literary sense for a while before I decided I needed to read everything Jane Austen wrote. Then it was Douglas Adams, and now it’s Kurt Vonnegut.
posted by Becky Travis on 9-13-2007 at 10:56 am
Yeah, Stephen King inspired that same “read ‘em all even if it is his laundry list” kind of behavior for me. Then I went on to Jane Austen, James Patterson, Dean Koontz. Now, when I find a book I like I read everything but that author. Fills my OCD needs!!
posted by JaneM on 9-13-2007 at 10:58 am
I’m currently embarking on a “101 Goals in 1001 Days” project and a number of my goals are the finish reading the complete works of certain authors, including Gadamer, Heidegger, Paulo Coelho, Nietzsche, Lionel Shriver, and F. Scott Fitzgerald (finished all the novels but not the short stories).
Last year I couldn’t help but devour all six books by Kazuo Ishiguro and I’m dying for another one.
I have to admit that I was obsessed with the Baby-Sitter’s Club once, too!
posted by Marina @ Sufficient Thrust on 9-13-2007 at 11:00 am
When I was younger it was always my goal to read all of Madeleine L’Engle’s books. She’s had over 60 published works in children’s fiction, adult fiction and non-fiction, poetry, etc. I only have a couple more to go. It’s so sad she past away last week, but lived a pretty long life.
posted by Lauren on 9-13-2007 at 11:01 am
Meg Cabot and Jasper Fforde…and of course JKR.
posted by Lindsay D on 9-13-2007 at 11:03 am
For me it has been John Irving -when I finished Setting free the Bears.
J. Robert Lennon is another author I read everything of including his blogs.
As well as Wally Lamb and I wish he would hurry up and write another book.
posted by mark schofer on 9-13-2007 at 11:10 am
I’m also in the Stephen King club (Loved the Dark Tower, though for some reason these seem to be his least-read). Steinbeck, I’ve gotta be real close.
Modern authors, slightly less known, I’ve gotta have every book that he’s written - Terry Pratchett. This guy is amazing; anyone who has picked him up and dismissed him as swords and sorcery really needs to read his new stuff. Thud, The Truth, Night Watch, Thief of Time, some of the most poignant social commentary, incredible wit, great characters. I think he’s the modern-day Dickens.
posted by Ian Rey on 9-13-2007 at 11:24 am
Terry Pratchett. I just love his writing style but its hard to get all of his works where I live.
posted by Sally on 9-13-2007 at 11:24 am
Definitely the Babysitters Club. I stopped reading at a certain age though, but it was my definite goal to read EVERY SINGLE ONE, including the Babysitter’s Little SIster series. Remember that?
I am almost finished reading everything to-date of Stephen King and Michael Crichton. Read all of Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling. Almost all of George Orwell, and am working on Ray Bradbury. I can’t say I”m too thrilled with most of the new stuff i read nowadays, so I guess you could say I’m looking for a new writer to get me excited.
posted by Molly on 9-13-2007 at 11:37 am
I had a Vonnegut phase in High School, but he was still writing and I didn’t keep up. Later in life I read almost everything by John Barth, but I couldn’t finish LETTERS.
posted by Frank on 9-13-2007 at 11:44 am
Steven Saylor and Laurie King. Saylor’s detective novels set in ancient Rome with Gordianus the Finder are addictive in their historical detail. Laurie King’s Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell novels are great fun — who wouldn’t want to meet the woman that finally won Holmes’s heart and became his partner in solving mysteries?
posted by Susan on 9-13-2007 at 11:44 am
Started out with the Hardcover Nancy Drew books to the sappy “modern” Nancy Drew when I was younger. I’ve grown up and Haruki Murakami does it for me now — especially his short stories.
posted by Cindy on 9-13-2007 at 11:47 am
A bunch of different series, including but not limited to JKR, Edward Eager, Meg Cabot, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
I am a bit of a chain-reader. I put down a book and pick up another one right away. It’s a sorry addiction, but I won’t quit it for the life of me.
posted by Allison on 9-13-2007 at 11:48 am
Agatha Christie. The woman was brilliant.
George R.R. Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire” series is one that hooks you and won’t let go. Jane Austen. Mercedes Lackey and Patricia C. Wrede, when I was young. And J.K. Rowling is just a given.
posted by Erin on 9-13-2007 at 11:50 am
Okay, I’ll admit that I also read the first 22 Babysitters Club books. After about the fifteenth one, the quality seemed to decline a bit….
posted by Higgins on 9-13-2007 at 11:55 am
Neil Gaiman. Started with Sandman and moved on to his novels and short story collections, all of which I’m pretty sure I’ve read. I still have to catch up on all of the assorted non-Sandman comics he’s written here and there but I did read 1602 (that he did for Marvel Comics).
posted by Rachael on 9-13-2007 at 11:58 am
I have read everything Bill Bryson has ever read. If you love travel and you like droll humor you should check him out!!
posted by Erin on 9-13-2007 at 12:11 pm
Mine are:
Steve Hamilton (excellent detective novels set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan).
Dennis Lehane
Peter Bowen (most of them) - novels about a Metis fiddler/brand inspector who solves mysteries in Montana.
Tony Hillerman - currently reading the 15th book.
Guess you could say I like detective novels.
I also read all of the Encyclopedia Brown books as a child.
posted by Dusty on 9-13-2007 at 12:11 pm
I’ve always had this compulsion, so i won’t even begin to name all of my ‘must-read-everything-they-ever-wrote’ phases, but in recent years:
Haruki Murakami, David Sedaris, Nicholson Baker, and i’m working on Italo Calvino and Roald Dahl right now. It is a satisfying feeling, especially when they’re all lined up on the shelf…
posted by thirty7 on 9-13-2007 at 12:18 pm
Here are mine, in the order I began my obsession them:
Donald J. Sobol (Encyclopedia Brown series)
C.S. Lewis
Stephen Lawhead
Ray Bradbury
J.R.R. Tolkien
Bill Watterson
Kurt Vonnegut
Neil Gaiman
Alan Moore
Mark Twain
Chris Ware
Michael Chabon
When I was attending school for my education degree I read an interesting study that found kids who read series books will often grow up to be the kind of people who read the complete works of a favorite author. The small sample of comments here would seem to reinforce that.
posted by Kyle on 9-13-2007 at 12:21 pm
VC Andrews… RL Stine haha when i was a kid… Louis Duncan.. Agatha Christie… Chuck Palaniuk…
posted by v on 9-13-2007 at 12:42 pm
i read Avi too.. and Roald Dahl…
posted by v on 9-13-2007 at 12:44 pm
I also went through a Shute phase this summer. I inherited a beautiful leather bound collection from my parents (no condolences, they’re not dead, just moved into smaller digs)and started to read through them all. I agree that the themes are similar but each story has its own great twist.
I’m also a bit of a reading-addict (it was either books or heroin)so I’ll just mention one of my favourite authors: P.G. Wodehouse. I’ve read everything, although the Jeeves & Wooster and the private school stories are my favourites.
posted by Worrals on 9-13-2007 at 12:50 pm
I’m one of several people I know that’ve read the complete works of Robert Heinlein.
posted by Ben on 9-13-2007 at 12:53 pm
I have read all the Spenser books by Robert B. Parker, and am currently working through the alphabet mysteries of Sue Grafton. I like the characters these two authors have created, and the way they write. They have inspired me to try my hand at writing. They have not yet inspired me to try to submit that writing to a publisher. Yet.
BTW - I read Dune by Herbert, and it inspired me to look into more SciFi books, movies, etc. I’m still a SciFi fan even though I found Herbert’s book difficult to plow through.
posted by Terry on 9-13-2007 at 1:04 pm
My hubby is positively addicted to Lee Child–his character, Jack Reacher, is interesting and unique. We have all of his novels at home. I haven’t finished them all yet…but I’m well on my way!
posted by sandra bowman on 9-13-2007 at 1:05 pm
One magnificent word: Vonnegut
Haven’t had the chance to read them all, but I’m up to 7 or 8(?), plus a short story collection.
The best so far is Cat’s Cradle.
He genuinely blows my mind.
posted by Tim on 9-13-2007 at 1:05 pm
in elementary school i read all of the r.l. stein books. then i moved on to dean koontz. i stopped sometime in middle school when i got tired of the books basically sounding the same (take one lonely guy living in northern CA, insert golden retriever, meet pretty woman, add scary monster/unexplained phomenon, have sex with woman, defeat monster, live hapilly ever after).
since then i’ve read david sedaris, richard brautigan, augusten burroughs and nick hornby.
posted by itsabecky on 9-13-2007 at 1:13 pm
Christopher Moore
and
Bryan Sykes
posted by tobin on 9-13-2007 at 1:15 pm
I have read a lot of Janet Evanovich’s books, especially the Stephanie Plum series.
All of JKR, as well as an Irish author Marian Keyes (Sushi for Beginners).
Oh and in case you can’t tell, I love books in pastel colored jackets. Pink equals a great beach read for me!
posted by Joanna on 9-13-2007 at 1:23 pm
Up through high school in the mid ’70s, all the Isaac Asimov I could find, and humourist Richard Armour. Later, Douglas Adams. Dante. Most of Shakespeare. Almost all of Robert Parker, Robert Crais and Sue Grafton. Every syllable of Michael Connelly I can get my hands on. And the late Mormon scholar Hugh Nibley.
posted by Rich on 9-13-2007 at 1:29 pm
Terry reminded me - I’ve read all of Frank Herbert’s work too. Tried to slog through some of his son’s prequels too but as hard as Herbert the Elder’s stuff is, his son’s is much worse.
Itsabecky, I too started out with RL Stein and moved on to Koontz! And had the exact same revelation about the Koontz formula. Too funny.
posted by Rachael on 9-13-2007 at 1:32 pm
Vonnegut for me too. (Minus one or two essay collections and I know I skipped on of the last ones, but can’t remember which.)
Tim Powers (I think I’ve done most of those)
Larry Niven.
Working on Agatha Christie.
Rowling
Jasper Fforde (Just finished book 7 of his 10 books in 10 years project).
Robert Jordan (Except the one about the last age of blah blah.) I might quit that though.
Does Tolkein Count?
Here’s my question: Repetitiveness. Why are some authors readable over many works while others are not?
Many People above mentioned Kurt Vonnegut. He’s low on plot and reuses ideas constantly. (To me it’s the humanness and the humanity of his work. The fact that it’s okay to be a person.)
I read many Peirs Anthony novels. Probably the first ten Xanth novels and the First Blue Adept Trilogy and the Xorn trilogy. After a while I could not stand reading another word by Anthony.
The Same goes for Raymond Feist. I read the first 7 books or so (Maybe more) Now I won’t even bother. I recoil at the repetitiveness.
Why is Vonnegut Good repetition while Anthony is not?
Maybe I should ask Gertrude Stein. (Whom I have not read)
posted by mungley on 9-13-2007 at 1:39 pm
Wow, I thought I was a Shute fan because I own 3 of his books and have read 2 of them. I stand corrected.
For years I put off reading the only Jane Austen book I hadn’t read, b/c then there wouldn’t be any left (it turned out to be one of my least favorites anyway)
I’d give my left foot for anything by Yann Martel. Astounding.
posted by cousin on 9-13-2007 at 1:39 pm
Joseph Heller. Oh, and the Babysitter’s Club. Just kidding.
posted by Andy V on 9-13-2007 at 1:40 pm
I’m a big sci-fi/fantasy book fan. My author-obsessions include:
Melanie Rawn
Weiss & Hickman
Robert Jordan
David Eddings
R.A. Salvatore
posted by Stacy on 9-13-2007 at 1:42 pm
Christopher Pike in middle school for all of his horror stories that were just mild enough to still let me sleep at night.
Then I discovered Nora Roberts’ “____ in Death” series and fell in love with her writing style. She’s the one author that stays away from most of my pet peeves.
Others were Douglas Adams, Terry Goodkind (so far . . .), Jack London, and every single thing by James Harriott. I should re-read those . . .
‘Course, I guess if I wanted a long reading list I could start with Isaac Asimov. I don’t think I’m up for over 500 books, though. Has anybody out there read all of them?
posted by Larissa on 9-13-2007 at 1:44 pm
Barbara Kingsolver. I totally dig her eco-conscious fiction, and Prodigal Summer gave me a newfound respect for animals previously thought of as scary.
Also, one summer in middle school I bought the first 75 Sweet Valley High books for $5 at a yard sale and read them all in about 6 weeks.
posted by Adrienne on 9-13-2007 at 1:49 pm
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld
posted by Pragmatic Cynic on 9-13-2007 at 2:05 pm
Scanning the comments, it looks as if I am the only John Grisham fan here. I’m just finishing up his last book–the non-fiction one. I too have read all of Michael Crichton’s books and all of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. I’m more than halfway through Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files books. I believe I have read all of Pat Conroy’s books, also. But other than that… :)
posted by cmk on 9-13-2007 at 2:20 pm
It is a shame that Douglas Adams didn’t write more. I started the Hitchhiker’s series in high school and finished all of them within a week.
These days I am rereading that series, plus anything else I can get my hands on of his.
posted by AJ on 9-13-2007 at 2:27 pm
Back in the day it was Sweet Valley and Baby Sitters Club. Now it’s Markus Zusak, Evelyn Waugh, Robin McKinley, Philip K Dick, Susan Cooper, Shakespeare, and (of course) the lovely Ms. JKR.
posted by Meagan on 9-13-2007 at 2:32 pm
Most of mine have been mentioned already. Roald Dahl was my childhood obsession (Of course I didn’t realize he wrote more adult books till I was one), I’m currently working my way through Pratchett’s discworld (I’m about halfway through). I’ve read nearly everything Neil Gaiman did, including comics, short stories, childrens work, movies and novels. Christopher Moore, Gregory Maguire, Charlaine Harris, Douglas Adams, and being an elementary school teacher I couldn’t possibly avoid HP1-7.
posted by Sara on 9-13-2007 at 2:42 pm
Wow, Encyclopedia Brown had totally slipped my mind until I saw the comments from Dusty, Kyle and the others. I read all of those, and all of the Hardy Boys series (including the Case Files!). More recently, I’ve kept up with Dave Barry and David Sedaris (humor), Clive Cussler (adventure), and Tom Wolfe. From my ‘authors who are easier to keep up with file’ there’s Edgar Allan Poe and Douglas Adams. I went through a Beat phase last year, but can’t count that because I didn’t really read anyone’s entire canon. Oh, and a local flavor: Ed McClanahan. He’s extremely funny and I would highly recommend his works to anyone who would enjoy the Tom Wolfe voice combined with the Sedaris brand of personal-experience humor.
This is a great thread - I’m getting a ton of good leads for future reading projects!
posted by Roger on 9-13-2007 at 2:49 pm
Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman. Oh, and Neal Stephenson for me, too.
I read The Hitchhiker’s Guide sometime in middle school I think, or maybe 5th grade. Thank god I did.
Hey, if we’re allowed to go way, way, waaaaay back, when I was a wee young’un I had quite a penchant for Seuss. Haven’t read any of the new stuff, but I’d wager I read the majority of the old stuff.
posted by Aemi on 9-13-2007 at 2:51 pm
Chuck Palahniuk and Christopher Moore are the current authors I love. I went through a John Grisham phase years ago but that faded away. When I was very young I had multiple series I read: Polk Street Kids, Encyclopedia Brown, BabySitters Club, everything Sweet Valley. Now its down to Chris and Chuck. I am about to start working my way through Zola. I started in my French lit class and its kind of addicting.
posted by Marta on 9-13-2007 at 2:57 pm
I can’t say I’ve read all of Vonnegut’s stuff, but I went thru a phase a few years ago & enjoyed every one that I read.
Christopher Moore is hilarious, & you can read a whole book in about 4 hours (if you have nothing else to do).
With all the mention of Neil Gaiman (I’ve read several) & Terry Pratchett (I’ve read a few old Discworld novels, but I’ve been told his newer stuff is better), I’m surprised there’s no mention of the book they did together (Good Omens) which is awesome.
I’ve read some Neal Stephenson (not the Baroque Ccycle), but I didn’t know about the Stephen Bury stuff.
I like Terry Brooks as well, although I don’t know that I’ve read everything.
Steven Brust is another scifi/fantasy writer that I’ve read most of & always enjoy.
I’ve given up on the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time for now — maybe if he actually finishes it before he dies I’ll read it again.
Also William Gibson, although I’m more into fantasy then scifi.
posted by Evan on 9-13-2007 at 2:58 pm
i’ll definitely second George R. R. Martin and i’ll throw out Tom Robbins. the only way he repeats himself is with his completely bizarre delivery. anybody who can write dialogue for an odd sock, a spoon, a can of beans, a Phoenecian conk shell and a mystical stick is A-OK in my book (Skinny Legs and All).
posted by mri on 9-13-2007 at 3:03 pm
Let’s see … in no particular order: Carl Hiaasen, Jasper Fforde, Janet Evanovich, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Ian Falconer, Mo Willems, Nicholas Evans, Mark Sprague, oh my!
I work in a library, and my co-workers refer to this as an obsessive-compulsive reading habit (pick an author, read everything, move on).
posted by Quiltchicken on 9-13-2007 at 3:16 pm
L. Frank Baum
Agatha Christie
Neil Gaiman
Alexandre Dumas pere
Anne Rice (witches & vampires only, though)
Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes only)
Dorothy Parker
Truman Capote
Douglas Adams
Terry Pratchett
posted by Anita on 9-13-2007 at 3:18 pm
Milan Kundera
Hermann Hesse
posted by chris on 9-13-2007 at 3:27 pm
Larissa:
Not even Isaac Asimov read all of Isaac Asimov’s books. If memory serves, he said in his autobiography “I, Asimov” that he hated reading his gallyes. Since he made so few mistakes, they rarely needed correction and would rather be writing instead of reading his own works. So, he sometimes skipped them.
I can’t remember the exact figures, but in the last half of his life he completed a book every other week and never took vacations. Keep in mind that he never did his work on a word processor; it was all typed out on paper with an electric typewriter. (WOW!) For those who aren’t familiar with Asimov he is the most prolific and diverse author in history.
Plus there were many other things that were fascinating about the man. For instance: He would always end a speech within 60 seconds of the scheduled end time. This despite the fact that he never prepared his comments in advance nor did he wear a watch. He claims that he could tell when the speech should end by reading the body language of the audience.
Isaac Asimov would make for an excellent article in mental_floss.
posted by n2y2 on 9-13-2007 at 3:32 pm
*babysitters club and babysitters little sister–my friends and i used to have reading contests to see how many we could read in a day. (we were nerdy second graders, what can i say?)
*the sweet valley twins and sweet valley high (but sweet valley U was too mature for me. when todd tried to feel elizabeth up in the first book, i was scandalized. mind you, i was 8 at the time….)
and then i grew up:
*Kurt Vonnegut (i’m close, but i haven’t made it through all of them. Cat’s Cradle was what started me off)
*Tom Stoppard (My favorite playwright–I’ve literally read everything he’s written and seen/been in several of his plays)
*Shakespeare, of course. (currently working my way through his complete works)
*Marlowe (who is waaay underrated–and the conspiracy theories about his murder are almost as interesting as his plays)
*F.Scott Fitzgerald
&c.
posted by kay on 9-13-2007 at 3:40 pm
Stephen King, I haven’t read nearly all of his things, but it’s not for lack of trying. I also went through an Anne Rice phase (yes I know, angsty vampires, blah blah.) Currently want to read a lot of Kafka and Vonnegut. Musically, it’s Elvis Costello, who inspires an obsession much bigger than any one I have ever had with an author. Sad, but true.
posted by That girl on 9-13-2007 at 3:43 pm
As a kid:
Babysitter’s club
Sweet Valley high/twins
Laura Ingalls Wilder (I wore my books out, loved her)
Madeline L’Enge
Paula Danzinger and other “young adult” writers
RL Stein
LM Montgomery (I wanted to be Anne Shirley and live at Green Gables)
As an adult
Margaret Atwood
Jane Austen
Bronte Sisters
Rita Mae Brown
Fannie Flagg
Barbara Kingsolver
Julia Alvarez
Paul Theroux
Bill Bryson
Tim Cahill (can you tell, I like humerous travelogues)
I’m sure there’s more. and more and more.
posted by Jenny on 9-13-2007 at 3:55 pm
Mine are
RL STein
David Eddings
Jennifer Cruise
Kay Hooper
Deen Koontz
CS Lewis
posted by Lindsey on 9-13-2007 at 4:19 pm
Orson Scott Card, anyone?
posted by Mimi on 9-13-2007 at 4:30 pm
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, individually and together
Christopher Moore
Neil Gaiman
Ayn Rand
and without shame, Lemony Snicket!!
posted by Anna on 9-13-2007 at 5:04 pm
I’ve read all of Nelson DeMille’s books and am eagerly awaiting the sequel to “The Gold Coast” due out in spring ‘08. Also all of Belva Plain, David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, and all but one Nancy Taylor Rosenberg. DeMille is by far my favorite!
posted by Julie on 9-13-2007 at 6:09 pm
In middle school I think I read just about everything Piers Anthony had written up to that point. I lost interest as I got older though.
Besides Rowling, I’ve made an effort to read all of Vonnegut (I’ve had trouble tracking down one or two rare ones) and I’m working my way through the Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child novels (formulaic, but addictive). Then there’s Robert Jordan, who’s eaten up whole months of my life by now. Currently I’m working on Joan Didion, with whom I’m kind of in love.
posted by Sara on 9-13-2007 at 6:57 pm
I think the only authors I’ve “finished” are Chuck Klosterman, Dave Eggers, David Sedaris and JK Rowling. Well, I haven’t finished HP 7 or “What is the What” (Eggers). But soon.
Oh, also the Hardy Boys guy, provided he stopped writing in 1990.
posted by Jason on 9-13-2007 at 7:00 pm
Hermann Hesse
Roald Dahl
Nick Hornby
posted by Boris on 9-13-2007 at 7:24 pm
OK people, I cannot be the only person who read every Judy Blume books I could get my hands on! I guess she doesn’t count, b/c she continued to write after I moved out of that genre and did a books for adults later. But for the OCD, gotta read the next one, she wins hands down for 2nd (Tales of a 4th Grade nothing) to 5th? grade (Then Again, Maybe I Won’t).
GREAT thread. Thanks for the walk down memory lane for the “younger” stuff and the makings of a great reading list/ Christmas wish list!
posted by Ashley on 9-13-2007 at 8:42 pm
D.H. Lawrence. D.H. Lawrence. D.H. Lawrence. Its an investment.. but I actually flip through “sons and lovers” like a dictionary now . Seriously. Its like marrow in a cup. Untangles your brain as you read it. Read “women in love” in 7th grade.. and found myself having the same conversations as the characters, by accident, in my early 20s. brazilliant insightful man.
Plowed through Robert Jordan too.. but that was less like Marrow, and more like a cocktail in a cup.. joyous still.
posted by Lisa on 9-13-2007 at 9:49 pm
Mine would be Tanith Lee. She’s a young adult fiction writer that penned a series of four books called
Wolf Tower
Wolf Star
Wolf Queen
Wolf Wing
They’re the basic teenaged-girl-fantasy-fiction stories, but her characters are really unique.
posted by heather on 9-14-2007 at 12:16 am
Gideon Defoe…a newer author with only a few under his belt but his pirate satires are GREAT! It’s like reading a Monty Python skit.
There are others, too, like Koontz, John Irving and some of the young adult authors but I think I’m too ADHD as an adult to stick with one author for long.
posted by Amy on 9-14-2007 at 3:17 am
I’ve doing this with Edmond Hamilton, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Robbins. I’ve read almost all the Ray Bradbury (except his new book) and Peter Mayle (not all of his childrens books).
Cheers,
Rich Gombert
posted by Rich Gombert on 9-14-2007 at 5:38 am
Amy Tan
I just love the way you get so immersed in Chinese culture.
posted by Renata on 9-14-2007 at 6:05 am
In some kind of order:
-Kurt Vonnegut, in high school, around the same time I tried to like the Beatles, I got lucky, cause I actually did like his books
-Dr. Seuss, more often than I care to admit
-Donald Sobol, in grade school
-Terry Pratchett (lucky enough to catch him near the beginning) my favorite writer
-Tim Powers
-Neil Gaiman, though as with Powers, they have occasionally ranged farther and wider than I found pleasing, still something magnetic about the storytelling for me
-Jack London at an early age
-Louis L’Amour, three times, each one typified by extended unemployment
-Christopher Moore, again early in the cycle. A little whacked out, but generally entertaining
-Jennifer Crusie, though I stopped when she atarted on novels which were half entertaining and half annoying. She has a gift for funny.
- Elmore Leonard (thank you Susan Rosenkoetter for suggesting him to me), again in high school, when I worked in a library.
posted by Scott on 9-14-2007 at 6:52 am
Right now, I am finishing up Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I read a couple short Holmesian adventures and picked up anything and everything I could by Doyle. Other than that, I haven’t read all of his writings, but I did read the entire Narnia adventures by C.S. Lewis and I have read a couple of his Christian oriented texts. My next goal: Kurt Vonnegut.
posted by Seth on 9-14-2007 at 7:19 am
Mimi - I am with you, I immediately thought of Orson Scott Card. Always young genius protagonist dealing with everyone else’s close mindedness and sometimes stupidity to save other people/species/the world/other worlds. Sound like basic sciFi/Fantasy, but honestly one of the best authors I’ve ever read. The secondary characters are just as interesting as the main, even the ‘bad guys’. Started with Ender’s Game, then read everything else he ever wrote.
posted by Sue on 9-14-2007 at 7:31 am
When I was a kid, I read 80-odd editions of the Baby-Sitters Club serial.
As an adult, my obsessive reading has been much more focused on John Irving and Truman Capote.
I’ve also read everything in Harper Lee’s bibliography, but that didn’t take too long.
posted by Nora on 9-14-2007 at 8:10 am
THIS THREAD ROCKS!! Im so despearate for new authors I accost people in coffee shops to see what they are reading.
OCD is definitely a family trait (although we refer to it as CDO - alphabetcial order - as it should be)
Many echos of the above although I got tons of new ideas - thank you Higgins!
Childhood
Encyclopedia Brown - wow forgot about those!
Nancy Drew
Alfred Hitchcocks the Three Investigators - they had the coolest clubhouse!
Hardy Boys
Bobsie Twins
Trixie Belden - anyone? Beat ND hands down!
I guess Im too old for Babysitters Club (grin)
As an adult
so many so many but the standouts are the ones that I not only read everything they wrote but also have to keep and re-read every few years!
Tom Clancy
Clive Cussler
Robert Ludlum
Frederick Forsythe
Nelson Demille
JD Robb/Nora Roberts
Grisham
Jennifer Chiaveri (quilting theme)
And the standouts:
Jodi Picoult - started with “My Sisters Keeper” and I immediately went out and bought everything else she has ever written
And all time favorite author:
W.E.B. Griffin - military, police and OSS novels with amazingly deep and humorous characters. Ive read them all at least 5 or 6 times and never get tired of them.
Fascinating thread - Interesting that so many flossies are big readers - connection??
jen
posted by Jen Smith on 9-14-2007 at 8:20 am
Charles Dickens
Jane Austen
John Irving
Mordecai Richler
John Wyndham
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Michael Crichton
Margaret Atwood
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Mark Twain
Stephen King
And many more….I become immersed in an author for a while until I run out of things to read.
posted by Ronnie on 9-14-2007 at 8:28 am
The race to space in the sixties led me to the science fiction-space western genre. I loved stories with rocket ships and aliens .
Read all of the stories by ‘Doc’ Smith, especially the Lensmen series.
Robert Heinlein is my all time favorite. First book was “Stranger in a Strange Land”
I have read all of Issac Asimov works that are fiction. (Did you know he loved the NY Mets but would not watch a game because they would lose if he did).
Others would include:
Mark Twain
Michael Crichton
Ann McCaffery
and 90% of all the Star Trek stories ever written.
posted by Dave W. on 9-14-2007 at 9:03 am
No one seems to have mentioned Loren D. Estleman or Walter Mosley. I grab ‘em soon as I spot the author’s name — don’t even need to look at the flap copy. Heck, I’ve even read some of Estleman’s cowboy stuff…
Thaks to everyone else for their lists. They’ve reminded me of some favorites to revisit at my local library, as well as a few authors I’ve been curious to try. I’m sticking the list in my pocket now!
posted by k2 on 9-14-2007 at 9:20 am
I’m a huge Terry Pratchett fan and have read all of them as well as asked British friends for clarification on those little nuances. My latest is Christopher Moore, very, very hilarious author.
posted by Michelle on 9-14-2007 at 10:18 am
I take a somewhat different approach: rather than everything by one author I try to read at least one by every author that piques my interest. However:
L. Sprague DeCamp’s “Conan the Barbarian” stories - pretty imaginative for the time.
Ian Fleming: I have read very nearly (I say ‘very nearly’ because if there’s something out there I haven’t read it’s because I haven’t heard of it, yet.) that was in book form. All of the Bond stories, of course. They are fascinating for the “travelogues” if nothing else.
Then, of course, “Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang”.
Additionally there were non-fictions exploring the diamond smuggling trade of the 1950s and some rather lurid discussions of the ‘underbelly’ of various cities around the world where a polished Englishmen could tread.
posted by Brine on 9-14-2007 at 11:33 am
I’m intrigued by the people who’ve mentioned Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys/Bobbsey Twins. What’s great is that all of these series (and some others that haven’t lasted as well) were the creation of the same man, Edward Stratemeyer. He created all of these characters and many (or most) of the plots and then farmed out the actual writing to various people.
Melanie Rehak’s book Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her does a pretty good job of telling the story behind our favorite teen detective.
posted by Rachel on 9-14-2007 at 11:54 am
My bookshelf right now has a number of nearly-complete authors, mostly because I haven’t gone looking for the stuff that’s out of print. Yet.
Sheri S. Tepper
Sharon Shinn
Catherine Asaro (although her writing is getting less interesting, I still want to know how her whole Skolian saga ends)
Kate Ross
J.K. Rowling
Robin McKinley
Robert J. Sawyer
Terry Pratchett
Tom Robbins
And how about all the authors we started reading in large numbers and just had to stop? Most of the ones I quit reading because the formula just got too old.
Piers Anthony
David (& Leigh) Eddings
Tom Clancy
Dick Francis
posted by Rachel on 9-14-2007 at 12:16 pm
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Nancy Drew
As an adult:
Timothy Zahn
Diana Gabaldon
Jasper Fforde
Laurie Notaro
Douglas Adams
Elizabeth Peters
posted by Jen McM on 9-14-2007 at 12:57 pm
Read all:
Frank Herbert
Joseph Heller
George R.R. Martin (even the Wildcards series)
James Clavell
Aristophanes (the surviving plays anyway)
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Edgar Rice Burroughs
J.K Rowling
Dr. Suess
Alexander Dumas
Keith Laumer
Steven Brust
Ian Fleming
Douglas Adams (Last Chance to See is fantastic)
Robert Jordan (including his Conan novels)
Almost read all but notable:
Vonnegut (think I missed two but Sirens of Titan was my fave)
Tolkien (never could get through the Silmarillion)
Phillip K. Dick (hard to pick up the out of print stuff - and the author that Vonnegut’s Trout was based on btw)
Good to see so many fantasy fans out there!
posted by TerryS on 9-14-2007 at 1:40 pm
Chuck Palahniuk
Stephen King (except for the really new ones)
Richard Laymon
posted by AnnieB on 9-14-2007 at 2:58 pm
Wonderful people like you all make me glad I’m a library person. I try not to buy too many books because, (much to my chagrin) my small house will not accomodate all those I would possess. Despite this, I made it a point to own all of Amy Tan’s adult oriented works. I own everything from “The Joy Luck Club” to “Saving Fish from Drowning.” I really think her essays are best though. I even used to watch the PBS kids’ series Sagwa the Siamese Chinese cat everyday.
To fantasy fans: Author and Playwright Greg Macguire’s works that satirize fairytales like “Cinderella”, and “The Wizard of Oz” are hilarious.
To Higgins: Yes, I admit I do have a small shrine erected in my small dwelling in honor of J.K. Rowling. I’ll shut up now…..
posted by LJ on 9-14-2007 at 5:33 pm
I have not actually finished most of mine because I like to alternate between them, but I definitely have this little obsessive trait as well.
Mine are:
*Jasper Fforde (actually in the middle of the last one of his I haven’t read)
*Haruki Murakami (absolutely love him!)
*Shakespeare (really pretty much impossible to beat)
*Hemingway (I think I’m just lacking some short stories and Islands In The Stream, which I can’t seem to get through)
*Douglas Adams
*Jane Austen
When I was younger, it was Frances Hodgson Burnett (repeatedly), the Nancy Drew books, and the Boxcar Children.
I also do this with music - that would make another interesting topic…
posted by Nicole on 9-15-2007 at 10:37 am
read everything by terry pratchett, officially the funniest author ever.
jim butcher the dresden files include one of the best realised characters i have ever read about. and william king who wrote a lot of black library pieces set in the warhammer universes
posted by jonny on 9-16-2007 at 9:15 am
Several authors in my case: JRR Tolkien, Gabriel García Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Karl May, William Shakespeare, Víctor Hugo, René Descartes, Pablo Neruda, Frank Kafka, Hermann Heise, Emanuel Kant
posted by roy e. on 9-16-2007 at 6:59 pm
I see a lot of Babysitter’s Club mentions, but none of Animorphs a great series that combines science fiction with deep philosophical thoughts on the nature of humanity. I used to work at Scholastic so I have the entire series. My son and I both enjoyed them.
However, as a reader, I am opposed to the proliferation of YA series. When I was a teen I worked through the complete works of Edith Wharton, Isaac Beshevis Singer, and Mark Twain.
As an adult I read all of L. M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and Carl Hiassen.
My latest passion and I’m sorry to say that I finished all 57 of ‘em are the novels of Anthony Trollope. The last few were hard to find, but I finished with John Caldigate, a great book! I recently picked up a book by his mother that I’m thoroughly enjoying. And I see she wrote 41!
posted by ediew on 9-17-2007 at 1:58 pm
Just stopped back by after a couple of days to see what else I need to read. Ashley - guilty as charged, I have to add Judy Blume to my list as well.
posted by Roger on 9-18-2007 at 10:40 am
I can’t believe I got to #77 comment before I saw Charles Dickens!
You can become addictively immersed in any of his writing- and I much prefer it to modern fiction.
If I lived in the time when they were first pubished in serialized form in newspapers, the agony of waiting until the next chapter would have kept me on pins & needles!
posted by Karen on 9-18-2007 at 2:09 pm
I can’t believe no has mentioned
WILLIAM KOTZWINKLE!
posted by di on 9-19-2007 at 5:03 am
You mean some people don’t read EVERY book when they find an author they like???
Mysteries: Anne Perry, Ellis Peters, Edward Marston
Fantasy: Tad Williams, Mercedes Lackey, Kristen Britain, Katherine Kerr
Classics: Shakespeare, Jane Austen (I am so happy to see that name on so many people’s lists!), Chekhov (the plays are dry, but the short stories are fun), Kafka
Children’s: (I admit . . . I still read some of these) Patricia Wrede, Diane Wynne Jones, Madeleine L’Engle, JKR, Cherry Ames (mom’s fault), Bunny Brown (grandma’s fault)
Honestly, though, anytime I find a new author that I like I usually end up following the OCD path and immediately seeking out every book the author has written . . .
posted by Jennifer on 9-19-2007 at 6:17 am
Larry Brown. It started with “Father and Son.” Then I was hooked. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times when I lived in Oxford, MS. He was a man who wrote what he knew and could paint a picture so vivid, that even if you’d never lived in the area, you knew exactly what it looked like. RIP Larry.
My guilty pleasure is Carl Hiassen. What a brain!
posted by Ashley in Memphis on 9-19-2007 at 6:21 am
Tom Robbins — right on, Mri! — and Jasper Fforde, Amy Tan, I’m only missing one or two Stephen King books. At one point, I had read all of Clive Cussler, but not for the past few years. I, too, am working on Jodi Picoult and Nelson DeMille.
posted by Andrea on 9-19-2007 at 6:28 am
StephenKing
John Grisham
Tom Clancy
Robert Ludlum
David Baldacci
Harlen Coben
Nelson DeMille
Trevanian (especially Shibumi)
Richard North Patterson
Brad Meltzer
Dan Brown
Ian Fleming
Mickey Spillane
Robert Littell
And I can’t believe there has been no mention of John D. MacDonald - especially the entire Travis McGee series (each with a color in the title) - Great fun!
posted by Barry on 9-19-2007 at 6:41 am
I read all of Stephen King’s stuff too until he started wandering off his original line. Now I absolutely love Christopher Moore. If you like slightly twisted humor and some sometimes insightful observations, check him out. His book, “Lamb”, is written from the perspective of Jesus’ childhood friend, Biff, and is a real hoot. I love this guy!
posted by Joanne on 9-19-2007 at 6:41 am
Oh yeah! I forgot Hunter S. Thompson…long live gonzo journalism!
posted by Joanne on 9-19-2007 at 6:43 am
I love to read! Here’s my list:
Tom Robbins (Favorite? Skinny Legs And All)
Anne Rice
Marion Zimmer-Bradley (haven’t finished Darkover series, yet)
Michael Moore
J.R.R. Tolkien
There are others, but I can’t think of them off the top of my head. I’m reading so much school stuff that I can’t think of much else!
posted by Jenny on 9-19-2007 at 7:01 am
Okay, Here’s my list of obsessive reading:
Judy Blume yes, even the adult ones!
Lois Duncan
Paula Danziger
Chuck Palahniuk
Stephen King- is it me or did something change for the worse after he left behind Castle Rock, and especially after his accident??
David Sedaris
And Gary Larson- yeah, all the far side collection books!
posted by QT 31415926 on 9-19-2007 at 7:09 am
My “phases” were:
John Grisham
Bill Bryson
Chain Potok
Dan Brown
Simon Singh
Eloi Leclerc
Luigi Giussani
posted by Patrick on 9-19-2007 at 7:13 am
I’d say the first obsession that I had was J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. I just found Middle Earth facinating.
I recently picked up a book of Oscar Wilde’s major works, and I’ve read through The Importance of Being Ernest and The Picture of Dorian Grey. Each of them is well written and I trust the rest of his stuff will be equally as good.
posted by Patrick on 9-19-2007 at 7:14 am
I tend to read everything by a few of my favorite authors but recently have discovered Joe R Lansdale. The books are not as easy to find as some of the others but his Hap Collins and Leonard Pine series is true greatness.
And yes Trixie Beldon is much better than that Drew chick.
posted by Janna on 9-19-2007 at 7:22 am
Lots of great authors
Childhood
Enid Blyton (Especially the Famous 5 series)
L.M. Montgomery
Nancy Drew (yes I read them in numerical order)
L. Frank Baum
Adulthood
Agatha Christie
Anne McCaffery
John Varley (sci-fi)
Isaac Asimov (at least as many as I could and ALL of the Black Widowers)
Robert Heinlen
Thanks for all of the lists of books I have yet to try.
posted by Lolabug on 9-19-2007 at 7:37 am
Hey! If you’re going to include J.K. Rowling, then I insist on getting credit for all books by 1 author read for Harper Lee! J.D. Salinger must be on everyone’s list. I thought I was little weird for reading all of Pearl S. Bucks, but when I look at some of the above lists (especially Barry’s!), I’m thinking there are Psychiatrists just dying to grab that prescription pad - maybe they should prescribe indulging in our non-harmful habits instead.
posted by Connie on 9-19-2007 at 7:39 am
Easy - John D. MacDonald, Tom Robbins, Christopher Moore, John Irving and Richard K. Morgan. I have read “most” of Kurt Vonnegut’s books, but, since I have not read them all yet, he can only get an honorable mention.
posted by Rich Black on 9-19-2007 at 8:01 am
Oh yeah.. I just discovered Carl Hiaasen.. pretty better than average chance that I’ll wind up reading everything of his I can get my hands on as well.
posted by Rich Black on 9-19-2007 at 8:03 am
I love adventure books and found (in a used bookstore) Richard Halliburton. He is a wonderful author and his style is an easy read, and very exciting.
posted by alix k on 9-19-2007 at 8:07 am
my list include’s
Diana Gabaldon (read the series 4 times)
JD Robb (Nora Roberts’ Death series)
Nora Roberts
James Patterson
JK Rowlings
Laura Ingalls Wilder
posted by Denise on 9-19-2007 at 8:12 am
Jose Saramago - smart and funny.
posted by John Messano on 9-19-2007 at 8:16 am
Love this thread!
I went through my “serious” phase in high school. Read everything by Leon Uris, James Michener and John Steinbeck.
Now my obsessions are:
John Irving (A Prayer For Owen Meaney is at the top of the list of my all time favourite books)
Jasper Fforde
Christopher Moore (Love the wackiness)
Sharon Kay Penman
Edward Rutherford
Patricia Cornwell (Kay Scarpetti novels)
Kathy Reichs
Uncle John’s Bathroom Readers
Alexander McCall Smith
And, yes, Stephen King and JK Rowling
posted by Sheila on 9-19-2007 at 8:19 am
L. Frank Baum in my early years and then I graduated to Edgar Rice Burroughs in my High School days. I went without lunch to spend my lunch money on paperback editions of Tarzan, Pellucidar, John Carter of Mars, Monster Men, etc…
posted by Nora Wilson on 9-19-2007 at 8:33 am
Hi
Oh thank God I’m not the only one who is a compulsive reader. I can’t sit still for 5 mins without needing something to read. As a child I read all the Babysitters Club and all off shoots, all RL Stine and Encyclopedia Brown which I had forgotten about before I saw someone else mention him. As an adult (in age only) I love everything by Barbara Michaels (who also writes under the name of Elizabeth Peters. I’ve read every book by Peters but only really like the Amelia Peabody books, and then only when Ramses is under 15.) I discovered Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child a year ago and was hooked. Read all their books within 6 months. I like Preston by himself but not too fond of Child by himself. James Rollins I love too. Kinda similar to Preston/Child. I need some ideas for people similar to Rollins and Preston/Child. I love to read, thank God for used book stores.
posted by Jaimie on 9-19-2007 at 8:41 am
I too am ADD so I haven’t quite finished any, but am well on my way (and already own close to all of):
Michael Crichton
Jonathan Lethem
Christopher Moore
I can’t believe there were no other Jonathan Lethem mentions!
posted by Jen M. on 9-19-2007 at 8:45 am
I will echo many people in saying Michael Crichton, but my favorite author is P. G. Wodehouse. I haven’t read all of his books yet (he wrote over 100), but I’m working on it. Wodehouse is the man responsible for Jeeves, and is said to be the funniest author ever by numerous people, including Douglas Adams, another person who I have read all of his books (at least, novels. I’m not terribly interested in his conservation non-fiction).
posted by Jeremy on 9-19-2007 at 8:52 am
George Orwell, Jean M Auel, Alan Lightman, and from when I was a kid: Judy Blume & Beverly Cleaver
posted by bethie on 9-19-2007 at 8:57 am
Fun question! Of course, JKR. Other children’s authors - L. Frank Baum, Edward Eager, E. Nesbit & John Bellairs. Still re-read them now.
Slightly more grown-up stuff would include Dorothy Gilman (Mrs. Pollifax), Steven Brust, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, Jasper Fforde, Douglas Adams.
Recently started & can’t wait ’til I’ve caught up - Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Moore.
It’s interesting how many names have popped up in multiple people’s lists.
posted by Tam on 9-19-2007 at 9:08 am
Douglas Adams
Isaac Azimov
John Barth (a writer’s writer!)
Arthur C. Clark
Agatha Christie
Ngaio Marsh
Elizabeth George
Robert Heinlein
Larry Niven
Jerry Pournelle
Poul Andersen
Greg Bear
.
.
.
to name a few…
posted by Jeigh on 9-19-2007 at 9:11 am
Barry, at #98, mentions John D. MacDonald and that brought to mind the Bouchercon XIV in New York City, October 21-23, honoring JDM. At the closing banquet honoring him, a young sqirt in blue jeans got up to tell a distinquished bunch of Mystery Writers that he had cut his eye teeth on JDM’s many, many fine mystery novels. He was Stephen King! Just starting out.
The authors I treasure for their writing skills were and are still: Jack Higgins, Peter O’Donnell, Victor Canning,and Edward S. Aarons. I’ve read them all, though Higgins is a recent addition.
Great idea, Mentalists! Or is it Flossers?
posted by Richard Leader on 9-19-2007 at 9:21 am
Spider Robinson
George RR Martin
John Varley
China Mieville
Jonathan Lethem
Terry Pratchett
Eric Frank Russell
Fredric Brown
Orson Scott Card
Douglas Adams
Ken MacLeod
Lois McMaster Bujold
And non-SF:
TR Pearson
WP Kinsella
Armistead Maupin
Carl Hiaasen
posted by Mickdaddy on 9-19-2007 at 9:28 am
A continuing obsession since I learned to read! Back then it was all of the Nancy Drew, Danny Dunn, Hardy Boys, Little Peppers, and Cherry Ames books (I’ve forgotten the authors). Since then…
Susan Wittig Albert, Maya Angelou, Jean Auel, Nevada Barr, Sallie Bissell, Lilian Jackson Braun, Dan Brown, William F. Buckley (fiction, at least), James Lee Burke, James Burke (science), Orson Scott Card, Agatha Christie (at least all published in USA), James Clavell, Stephen Coonts, Patricia Cornwell, Jeffery Deaver, Nelson DeMille, Stephen R. Donaldson, David Eddings, Aaron Elkins (just discovered him; his books are stacked by my bed), Raymond E. Feist, Ken Follett, Earlene Fowler, Dick Francis, Diana Gabaldon, Sue Grafton, Michael Gruber, Arthur Hailey, Erin Hart, James Herriott, Carl Hiaasen, Tony Hillerman, Susan Isaacs, P. D. James, Robert Jordan (sorry to hear he died recently), Stephen King (he lost my interest in the last few years), John LeCarre, John Lescroart, Ira Levin, Robert Ludlum, John D. MacDonald, Alistair MacLean, Gregory Maguire, Margaret Maron, Anne McCaffrey, Sharyn McCrumb, Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky, James Patterson, Ellis Peters, Edgar Allan Poe, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child, J. K. Rowling, Carl Sagan, Dorothy L. Sayers, Alexander McCall Smith, Martin Cruz Smith, J. R. R. Tolkien, Mark Twain, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Irving Wallace, Eudora Welty, Stuart Woods, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
posted by Sharron on 9-19-2007 at 9:34 am
I love British authors, for some reason. I have read all of J. K. Rowling and Jane Austen, but they only have 7 or so each. I’m on a quest to read all of P.G. Wodehouse and once tried to read all of Agatha Christie. I always get into one author for many years, and just read and reread their books until I “discover” someone new.
posted by Val on 9-19-2007 at 9:50 am
Thomas Mann and Herman Hesse.
posted by Touray on 9-19-2007 at 9:53 am
I am so glad to see fans of Jasper Fforde out there. I love his stuff (one of the few authors that I will buy in hardback as soon as it comes out). No one around here (rural Montana) seems to know about him. I also have read almost everything by Dorothy Sayers (still working on the nonfiction), Ngaio Marsh (better than Agatha Christie), and Madeleine L’Engle. I also own most of their books.
Does anyone out there have a book that they keep going back to again and again? For some reason I keep re-reading “The Blue Sword” by Robin McKinley. I have also read almost everything else by her, but “The Blue Sword” is by far my favorite.
posted by MTDoc on 9-19-2007 at 10:07 am
It all started with Pauline Gedge (Child of the Morning, Eagle and the Raven) and then I thought it would be fun to collect, and read, the works of Agatha Christie. The hunt began! Because, of course, they (88 of them!) all had to be used copies.
I recommend ‘A Gentle Madness’ by Nicholas Basbanes,who, in his inroduction, decribes a man, who stole books from libraries, having to undergo psychiatric evaluation to see if he was fit to stand trial because he had stolen the books to keep, not to sell. That gave me pause!
Perhaps I am off topic slightly but I cannot imagine obsessing over a particular author without wanting to have their works in my collection.
My 14year old twin boys still enjoy me reading to them (between the girls and the computer and the video games). We’ve just completed the Potter series and I am considering the Flashman series by George MacDonald Fraser. Looking for those teaching moments! Any comments or suggestions?
posted by Kimberley on 9-19-2007 at 10:09 am
What a great list!! Have been reminded of so many authors I should read…and in addition to many others’ contributions, one of my all time favorite writers is Louise Erdich. I’ve read all her stuff - twice. Will never give her book away. Also like Phillipa Gregory - almost done with her trilogies.
posted by Becky on 9-19-2007 at 10:24 am
Life started with the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys yellow and blue cover books.
Did the Herman Hesse thing, rode my way through all of Louis Lamour westerns and then fell for, what some would call, “trashy romance.”
Nora Roberts, Jayne Anne Krenz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle,Susan Wiggs, are high on my list. I alternate romance with mystery: Laurie King, Sue Grafton, and a few ‘cozy’ mystery writers: Carole Nelson Douglas. Squeezed JKR in also. Have my own library room because I can’t bear to part with any of my favs; have reread them all at least once. Always pick up on something different with each reread.
we all know how much fun and entertaining reading is, why else do we subscribe to Mental Floss?
posted by Susan on 9-19-2007 at 10:25 am
I will have to be included in the all-of-J.K. Rowling group. I’ve also read the gamut of Rita Mae Brown, Tom Robbins, and Kazuo Ishiguru.
posted by Allison on 9-19-2007 at 10:47 am
I don’t have time to even think about all the complete works I have read, but have enjoyed everyone’s lists. I was thrilled to see Christopher Moore appear a few times (still should have been more though) and people who enjoy Moore should really try Mil Millington. I found him through Chris’ blog and obsessively poured through every word on his website and then all 3 books and am now severly depressed because I am out of books by both of them.
posted by K8 on 9-19-2007 at 10:56 am
Vonnegut, William Gibson, Hemingway, Twain
posted by Steve Carl on 9-19-2007 at 11:22 am
Bart King.
I’m a little obsessed with him, and never miss a thing he writes.
posted by Bart King on 9-19-2007 at 12:03 pm
When I was a kid I was obsessed with R.L. Stine (the Fear Street books, not the Goosebumps series–I’m too old for those) and Christopher Pike. These days, I’ve read JKR, Jasper Fforde, Charlaine Harris, Sharon Shinn, Scott Westerfeld, Tamora Pierce, Alice Sebold, and most, if not all, of Stephen King, Garth Nix, John Irving, and Philippa Gregory.
posted by Erin on 9-19-2007 at 12:05 pm
I was glad to see other folks (girls?) read Cherry Ames. That was an old series when I read it. Along with Encylcopedia Brown, I also loved Mrs. Piggly Wiggly.
My grownup favorites:
Jean Auel - The Clan of the Cave Bear series.
Diana Gabaldon
Suzanne Brockman - romance with action.
David Weber - I can’t believe anyone else in this group did not mention him. Honor Harrington rocks and his other stuff ain’t bad either. The Honorverse has about 10 books in it and several anthologies and offshoots. I have read them all out loud to my son who is now 17, and he loves it too. Highly recommend to Kimberly #127.
Doug Marlette - speaking of those who have recently and prematurely died. As well as being an outstanding editorial cartoonist and serial cartoonist (Kudzu), he also wrote a couple of recent fictional books that are just excellent. One is set in NC and the backstory is the textile strikes in the 1930s. The other is about the slain civil rights workers in Mississippi in the 1960s. I had just finished reading them (back-to-back) when he died a couple of months ago. My first thought was that we won’t get to find out what he would have written about next.
posted by Susan Thompson on 9-19-2007 at 12:06 pm
Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Beverly Cleary. Love reading about others’ crazes and phases! :-)
posted by GreenEyedLilo on 9-19-2007 at 12:19 pm
I’m like Sharon - a little bit of lots of authors. My favorites: John Sandford, Sue Grafton, Robert B. Parker,Tom Clancy, Kathy Reichs, Dan Brown, Susan Wittig Albert, Lillian Jackson Braun, Ann McCaffrey, Clive Cussler and Jeffrey Deaver. I love looking at other lists so I can add to mine!
posted by Toni on 9-19-2007 at 1:10 pm
henry miller; david foster wallace; john kennedy toole; anne rice; orson scott card; john irving; edgar allen poe; mark danielewski! & more…
posted by rachelle on 9-19-2007 at 1:12 pm
Dan Brown, after reading davinci code, I picked up all his other works (glad they were all in PaperBack)
Patricia Cornwall- love Kay Scarpetta
John Irving,
Wally Lamb(his style reminds me of Irving)
John Grisham-love legal mysteries
posted by Susan on 9-19-2007 at 1:23 pm
I love anne lamott and must buy and read all of her books each time a new one pops up in the bookstore. The first book that did it for me? “Bird By Bird.” I’d also recommend “Traveling Mercies.” Anne is so down to earth and so damn funny that you’ll find yourself reading passages aloud to anyone close enough to hear.
posted by tina on 9-19-2007 at 1:38 pm
Hey!!
I haven’t seen any mention of the libray of mental_floss publications!!!
Does that count?
posted by Sheila on 9-19-2007 at 1:59 pm
ive been on a big Stephen King kick for about a year and a half now. This is sort of funny though because im a freshman in highschool and my teacher’s look at what im reading and then look at me sort of funny. apparently that’s not the right sort of reading for a quiet, slightly nerdy fourteen year old
posted by Emily on 9-19-2007 at 2:42 pm
Wow, I’m so glad I’m not the only one. Most people think I have a problem. My list for just the past 5 years:
JKR
Terry Pratchett
Christopher Moore
Neil Gaiman (and, yes, Good Omens from Gaiman/Pratchett is one of the best books ever!)
Tom Holt
Douglas Adams
Robert Rankin
Gregory Maguire
Chuck Palahnuik
David Sedaris
Just starting on Chuck Klosterman
Oh, and all of the mental_floss books.
Thanks for the tips on new authors!
posted by jenn t-d on 9-19-2007 at 2:53 pm
Marcel Proust
posted by bob the walrus on 9-19-2007 at 2:58 pm
Tony Hillerman
Sue Grafton (will be soooo sorry when the alphabet is done!)
John Grisham
Clive Cussler
and as a child
the Trixie Belden series
all of Louisa May Alcott
posted by econruth on 9-19-2007 at 3:16 pm
Nonfiction: Corrie ten Boom
(Too powerful to describe! My alltime favorite is In My Father’s House: The Years Before the Hiding Place.)
Fiction: Charlaine Harris (I thoroughly love all of her series except the Aurora Teagardens. Don’t like them at all. Favorites? It’s a tie between Lily Bard and Sookie Stackhouse. Lily wins for best protagonist, but Sookie wins for best secondary characters.), Andrew M. Greeley (I’m slowly but surely devouring all of his fiction. I don’t care for his diatribes, errrm, nonfiction. The Bishop Blackie series is my favorite. If I had to pick my alltime favorite fictional hero, it would be Blackie Ryan. Even more than Batman.), Pearl S. Buck (My alltime favorite is The Good Earth. It still takes my breath everytime I reread it.), Douglas Adams (To this day, whenever I see a street light go out, I think, “Long dark teatime of the soul!”).
posted by Rigel on 9-19-2007 at 5:32 pm
*sigh* kudos to anyone who mentioned George RR Martin. Both my older brother and I thought we had grown out of fantasy back in middle school….and then we found the Song of Ice and Fire. Haha, I read the Animorphs series in the 4th grade religiously, as well as the Boxcar Children in the second grade. I’ve done Dave Barry, Victor Hugo, Lloyd Alexander, Orson Scott Card, Brian Jacques (Oh gosh, I read must’ve read all of the Redwall books at least 3 times during the 5th grade), Crichton, Stephen King, and Robert Browning’s poetry.
posted by Elisa on 9-19-2007 at 7:36 pm
Wow! Lots of responses here - you have definitely resonated with others on this question. Anyhow - any Albert Payson Terhune fans? He was my fav author in jr. hi. Reading Harlan Corben now - excellent!
posted by Clyde on 9-19-2007 at 7:41 pm
Can’t believe there has been no mention of Maeve Binchey. Love her characters. How about Jonathan Gash and the Lovejoy mysteries. Lawrence Block and the Scudder mysteries. New favorite, Gail Tsukiyama’s China stories. I reread J.R.R. Tolkien every few years. The Paddington Bear author, Michael Bond has the hilarious Monsieur Pamplemousse, Gastronomic Mysteries. Carol O’Connell and her character of NYPD Detective Kathleen Mallory.
Oh, and so many more.
posted by Viki on 9-19-2007 at 7:47 pm
Emily 142- don’t feel weird about reading stephen king- he is a phenomenal storyteller and he will be taught in high schools sooner than you think (I teach Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption now) In Junior High, all stephen king all the time. Moved through all the Vonnegut in college and again after, and again later and again when he died. Bless you all for being vonnegut readers. Well isn’t that just nice! Just reread all seven of the Harry Potter books. We will teach them one day in schools as well. All of Carl Hiaasen’s books, go Skink! All of Bill Bryson’s books-Made in America is my favorite, as an English teacher I have used it frequently. Christopher Moore-Lamb is in my top ten ever. John Irving-Garp hooked me when my son was born-he voiced every insecurity I think I had about bringing a new life into the world. Surprised that the book wasn’t much much longer.
More esoteric choices
William Kennedy-the Albany trilogy
Christopher Buckley-His satire is sharp
James Ellroy-good to the last drop- of blood
Kevin Baker
David Sedaris
Mark Twain-still getting through the mysterious stranger, but wow, what a life.
Good Omens-truly one of my faves.
Kim Newman-Anno Dracula very interesting stuff
I do have all the mental floss publications too. My family keeps purchasing everything for holidays and birthdays. I better stop now with one final caveat: Read anything written by David Simon and Edward Burns- The Corner and The Wire-best show on television and the most literary show ever. The truth is found in these books and teleplay/screenplays.
posted by Brian on 9-19-2007 at 7:57 pm
J.D. Salinger, of course.
Dostoyevsky
Franz Kafka
Tom Robbins
Dave Eggars
Albert Camus
Kurt Vonnegut
Chuck Palahniuk
posted by Lucy Wonsower on 9-19-2007 at 8:00 pm
Orson Scott Card, for great insights into what makes people and societies tick, and for giving readers a lot to think about, all built into a plot that doesn’t allow you to put the book down, even when you are dead tired and needed to visit the restroom a couple of hours ago…
Dick Francis for excellent character development
Dianna Wynne Jones for often hilarious fantasy with plots that haven’t actually been done before
Ursula K. LeGuin for writing fantasy that makes a point, and for writing great chic-fantasy
Madeleine L’Engle for integrating science and logical thinking with high standards of morality, in great stories.
posted by Melanie on 9-19-2007 at 8:07 pm
Lots of familiar authors starting with Nevile Shute, Issac Asimov. I also devoured Alstair Maclean, Frederick Forsythe, Tom Clancy, John LeCarre as an adult. One of my first have to read them all authors was Robert Heinlein. A humorist I have enjoyed is Patrick McManus.
posted by Gary on 9-19-2007 at 8:35 pm
I think I only saw one mention of Clive Cussler, but I couldn’t get enough of his Dirk Pitt books.
posted by Pam on 9-19-2007 at 9:21 pm
I had a serious Vonnegut obsession for a while. I’ve read it all- including the likes of Palm Sunday and Bagambo Snuff Box.
I even have an original paperback of Venus on the Halfshell by Kilgore Trout.
His (adopted) son, Mark Vonnegut wrote a book about his dealings with schizophrenia called The Eden Express. I admit I read it only because of Kurt, but it turned out to be a great read.
I read only just past 100 (perused mostly), but I didn’t notice that anyone mentioned JACK KEROUAC! I became obsessed with him also. Reading his biography by Ann Charter, Memory Babe, really made me feel for him. I wrote a poem about Jack after reading Big Sur.
posted by Lisa on 9-19-2007 at 9:59 pm
Douglas Adams and Daniel Handler (including his books as Lemony Snicket), who are both just wickedly clever.
I’m another Stephen King fan, but I admit I didn’t read his nonfiction books On Writing or the one about the Red Sox, so I guess I can’t count him, really. I’ve been working my way through Thomas Berger, but I don’t know if I’ll ever read them all…
posted by Mo on 9-19-2007 at 9:59 pm
JK Rowling
James Patterson
Working on Jan Karon
posted by Beth Agejew on 9-20-2007 at 4:59 am
Terry Pratchett
J. R. R. Tolkien
Algernon Blackwood
Rider Haggard
Georgette Heyer
Piers Anthony
Louisa May Alcott
Jane Austin
posted by Joan Frye, Jr. on 9-20-2007 at 8:08 am
You guys may enjoy librarything.com. You can enter any author or book that you like and it will provide you with suggestions of other similar works. It’s still in beta, but it’s pretty awesome.
posted by Marie Broadmore on 9-20-2007 at 9:31 am
Glad to see so many Jasper Fforde fans out there! Count me in on that. Reading the last one now.
I also worked through a lot of Agatha Christie at one point.
I love Ruth Reichl and am desperate for more.
I am working my way toward reading all Nick Hornby and Michael Chabon.
Started on a Jane Smiley kick for a while but she lost me. Read all of Amy Tan. Read all of Gloria Naylor and most of Jamaica Kincaid.
Love Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City and some of his others are pretty good, but not all the way there yet.
Got on an Alice Munro and Margaret Atwood thing in college for a while. Also a fan of Steve Martin’s stuff. Alice Seybold. Stephen Clarke. David Sedaris.
I am sure I will remember more after I submit this comment. Great stuff on the Encyclopedia Brown, Babysitters, etc. Blasts from the past! I was a closet Nancy Drew fan too (especially the old ones) …
posted by Jessica on 9-20-2007 at 10:00 am
J.K. Rowling (of course) (even the little extra books about Quiddich annd Fantastic Beasts, even if they weren’t actually penned by Joanne herself).
All fiction by Isaac Asimov (and started on his non-fiction, but there are just so many ….).
Anything by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
When I was a teenager, I read all of the Hardy Boys books.
And although this doesn’t technically count as “all the books from one author,” I went through a phase for about 3 years when I was a teenager when I read every science fiction book I could get my hands on, regardless of the author. (-:
posted by Mike on 9-20-2007 at 10:51 am
Dean Koontz - this started in junior high, and of course I read the books under his pseudonyms as well.
John Grisham - in 7th grade The Firm was risque for my innocence and I was moving to Oxford, so…
John Irving - i have read them all twice
David Sedaris - I even bought the audio books taboot for road trips
posted by Gustav on 9-20-2007 at 11:24 am
I have been totally in a British SciFi phase for the last few years. Neal Asher, Iain M. Banks, and Alistair Reynolds are must reads. Jon Courtney Grimwood is also excellent.
But the British author at the top of my list is Richard Morgan - author of the Takeshi Kovacs books. I even pay freight to order them from Amazon-UK because I am not willing to wait the months to years it will take for them to be published in the U.S. I have run into him twice now at Comicon, in 2005 and last summer in 2007, and he is such a regular guy he will talk to you for hours about books, etc.
My tastes have gotten esoteric and I find few people to talk to about the authors I read. Mark Danielewski “House of Leaves” is one of the weirdest yet most satisfying books I have ever read. I persuaded a friend of my husband to read it, so at least I have one person to talk to. I am currently trying to read his new book “Only Revolutions”.
Tim Powers - all his books rock. James Blaylock - very weird universe. And William Browning Spencer. Not that many books, but read them if you can find them.
Another fine British Scifi author - Roger Levy
posted by Julie on 9-20-2007 at 4:06 pm
I’ve read all of: Beatrice Small
Fannie FLagg
Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum series)
Carl Hiassen
Sue Grafton
Thomas Harris
Ken Follett
Ian Fleming
Jan Karron
John Grisham
and a lot of Edgar Rice Burroughs
posted by Sheilagm on 9-20-2007 at 4:33 pm
I’ve read all of:
Peter Robinson
Margot Livesey
Ian McEwan
Kate Atkinson
Jane Austen
Anne Tyler
Sarah Bird
Ayelet Waldman
Michael Chabon
Tom Perotta
J.K.Rowling :oP
Richard Russo
David Lodge
Elizabeth Berg
Jeffrey Eugenides
Julia Glass
Khaled Housseini
Stephen Booth
Scott Smith
Mark Haddon
Some of these are semi-cheats because they’re only written 2-3 books. But I left off the ones who’ve only written 1!
posted by Amy on 9-20-2007 at 8:02 pm
Unless I missed it completely, I found no mention of the books by Chris Bohjalian. Wonderful reading.
posted by Mary Patricia Kelly on 9-20-2007 at 8:21 pm
What? Am I the only person out there who owns all of Shel Silverstein???
And is it odd that I read cookbooks?
posted by amanda on 9-20-2007 at 10:57 pm
I’ve seen some of mine on other comments (some I even forgot)
As a kid:
Judy Blume
Isaac Asimov
Piers Anthony
As an adult:
Anne Rice
Armistead Maupin
Gregory Maguire
There were several that I had intentions to read all their books, after getting a great one, but then found the second wasn’t as good as the first. Example, Chuck Palahniuk.
posted by Jennifer on 9-21-2007 at 5:41 am
Dean Koontz - definitely my favorite, have to read everything he writes, own quite a lot of his books also.
Stephen King - almost…just could not finish From a Buick 8…I have tried so many times…don’t know what it is about that book, but it is ruining my list here.
Ed McBain - I remember reading one of the 87th Precinct novels & then had to go to the library & borrow six at a time until I read them all. All his Matthew Hope novels. And quite a few under his other name, Evan Hunter (before & after I found that out).
Thomas Harris & John Grisham, as well.
posted by Christine on 9-21-2007 at 5:53 am
No, Amanda you’re not odd for reading cookbooks! I do too. Not sure you can get them in the U.S. but there’s a Canadian series here called “Company’s Coming” - there must be about 40 books in the series, and I’ve got almost all of them!(And, yes, have read all those recipes!)
posted by sheila on 9-21-2007 at 7:18 am
Bernard Cornwell - all 20 of his Richard Sharpe Novels on the Napolenic wars; and every one of his historical-ficiton trilogies…all awesome.
posted by aj on 9-21-2007 at 9:40 am
I am stunned!! I didn’t see Thomas Pynchon (I am just reading “Slow Learner” then I’ll be finished).
Also:
The ‘Doc Savage’ Series (read all 187 and re-read them now and again)
Nikos Kazantzakis
Anthony Burgess (all that I could get my hands on)
Kurt Vonnegut
Patrick O’Brien
W. Somerset Maugham (I read one in Korean-only copy I could get)
Richard Morgan
Peter Hamilton
Haruki Murakami
posted by Tim Hilf-Barr on 9-21-2007 at 10:08 am
The only one I’m pretty sure of is Nicholas Freeling. He’s an English writer, living in France most of his life, who had two long series of police novels. The first, beginning in the early 60’s, featured Inspector Van der Valk, an Amsterdam cop; the second, from the mid -70’s on, were centred on the French policeman Henri Castang. The writing is spare, wry and a bit demanding, often skipping from interior monologue to narrative to dialogue without punctuation signposts, but after a couple of books you get his style. He seemed to expect that his readers were knowledgable about history, current events, politics, human nature and the ways of Europeans. The wives are strong and important characters in both series.
There’s also a fairly long list of non-series novels and a couple of non-fiction books about working in the kitchen - not cookbooks, though.
I got a lot of his books from the library so I sometimes lost track of which ones I’d read and I’d end up re-reading but it was never a waste of time. Whenever I see any of his books in a used bookstore or garage sale now I pick ‘em up for my collection or to give away.
Ah heck, I just looked him up in Wikipedia and notice there’s a couple of books I’ve missed!! Well, see for yourself.
Oops, apparently I can’t include links.
And his obit which tells the tale better and at more length than I.
Ditto re: links, but the obit link is in the Wiki piece.
I’ve read most of the books of a whack of our Canadian writers too - Atwood, Munro, Lynn Coady, Jack Hodgins, W.O. Mitchell, Richler, Hugh Hood, etc. but can’t say I’ve downed them all nor likely ever will. I remember going to the library in the small town where I grew up thinking “If I start now I’ll be able to read all these books”. Then a few years later I walked into the Toronto library and that bubble burst. For several years now I’ve promoted the idea of a moratorium on publishing; it wouldn’t really make a difference but for a little while at least we could foster the illusion that we might catch up with the several piles scatttered about the house.
posted by glenn on 9-21-2007 at 10:14 am
Kurt Vonnegut
JK Rowling
Christopher Moore
Jennifer Weiner
Chuck Palanhiuk
Megan Mccafferty
Dostoyevsky
Patricia Wrede
And yes, Shel Silverstein and Mercer Mayer
posted by Lush on 9-21-2007 at 10:47 am
currently, I’m in the process of trying to read everything Dean Koontz has ever written. That includes works written under pseudonyms!
posted by Korin on 9-21-2007 at 11:38 am
In chronological order, as much as my memory permits (some are nearly complete:
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Douglas Adams
James Herriott
Douglas Adams
J.R.R. Tolkien
Ursula K. LeGuin
Kurt Vonnegut
Harlan Ellison
Jean Shepherd
J.K.Rowling
I’m now working on my Neil Gaiman collection!
posted by ChemistMama on 9-21-2007 at 11:48 am
Thomas Hardy.
From my first required reading (”Return of the Native”, for 11th-grade English), I was hooked.
posted by Emilie on 9-21-2007 at 4:38 pm
Peter O’Toole
posted by JT on 9-21-2007 at 5:27 pm
Not much of an author reader but there have been a few that have enticed me enough to read all their titles.
Jasper Fforde, Jodi Picoult, L.M. Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Steve Berry, Dan Brown
posted by bookokie on 9-21-2007 at 5:36 pm
I really got into Chuck Palaniuk after reading… Choke, I think. Yeah. I was kinda disappointed that his other books weren’t as brutally sexual and inventive as Choke, but I still enjoyed them alot.
posted by Olean on 9-21-2007 at 6:14 pm
Tons of them–from Emily Loring when I was a teen to Kathy Reichs, James Patterson, Clive Kussler, Patricia Cornwell, J.K. Rowling (Yes, Harry Potter!), Robert Parker (Spencer), Dan Brown and lots of others. I love to read, and I read for escape and entertainment. I love light fiction that doesn’t take much effort, and more serious that makes you think.
posted by MORY on 9-21-2007 at 7:47 pm
Been an OCD reader since I could read, here is my list in no particular order:
Madeline L’Engle
Nancy Drew
Hardy Boys
Bobbsey Twins
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Papa Hemingway
Mark Twain
Zane Grey
Vonnegut
Tom Robbins
Wallace Stegner
Larry McMurtry
Ed Abbey
Douglas Adams
Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Hermann Hesse
Jodi Picoult
David Baldacci
Wally Lamb
Michael Moore
Pearl S. Buck
JK Rowling
James Michener
John Steinbeck
Barbara Kingsolver
John McPhee
Ruth Reichl
James Herriott
Loved the comment above “you mean there are people who DON’T read everything an author wrote???”
posted by DBK on 9-22-2007 at 11:40 am
What a fascinating series of answers! I didn’t notice that anyone mentioned Harry Kemelman’s Rabbi Small series of mysteries. They are great.
Sarah Vowell and David Sedaris-you can hear them as you read their books, and that really adds to it.
A long, long time ago, I had quite the compulsion to get every single book Asimov ever wrote. I gave up when I realized I’d never find the textbooks he penned, but I do have a huge collection, including The Annotated Gulliver’s Travels.
Now, it’s Terry Pratchett, having picked up his latest, Making Money, just yesterday. Amazingly, his books are cheaper here than in England. However, while studying there last spring, my older daughter found a treasure trove of Discworld maps, guides, The Hogfather screenplay and more at the
Borders on Charing Cross Road. One of each for both of us really loaded down the luggage! But, you feel so smart when you read his stuff and recognize what it is a take-off on!
posted by Kathy on 9-22-2007 at 3:13 pm
It’s such a joy to find kindred spirits …. I read a new book every day or two. Am 71 now and started when I was about 3, so you can imagine how many I’ve read! Started reading this blog at the top and began identifying with all of you.
So many books, so little time!!
posted by Miki Davis on 9-23-2007 at 11:45 am
Harlan Ellison
Ellery Queen
Hunter S. Thompson
posted by Charlie on 9-23-2007 at 12:43 pm
Science: I have (purchased and read) all of Jane Goodall’s Books and purchase any magazine I can find that has articles written by her.
Literary: Emma Donoghue and Sarah Waters
I love Rory Stewart, although he has only published two books.
Guilty Pleasure: Nicholas Sparks…the only fiction writer I buy in hardcover.
I also love Nick Bantock’s Books. I fell in love with his Griffin & Sabine Trilogy and have sought out all of his books. I even have his stationery set, bookmarks, and address book.
posted by Jeimy M. Gonzalez on 9-23-2007 at 4:43 pm
GREG ISLES—–
Try him; you’ll like him!
posted by The Queen on 9-24-2007 at 2:01 pm
Christopher Moore for making me laugh out loud. Early Stephen King for making me afraid to sleep without a night light and Gina and Mercer Mayer for making my 5 year old son appreciate books.
posted by Mary B. G. on 9-24-2007 at 2:09 pm
Tamora Pierce!!!!!!!!!!
posted by Kim on 9-25-2007 at 1:27 pm
No one has mentioned Jonathan Kellerman? Scott Turow? Or Robertson Davies?
All excellent reads.
posted by Bonnie on 9-27-2007 at 1:18 am
Funny I found this discussion today; my mom and I were just going through my bookcase last night and I was deciding what to keep and what to donate to the library. Keepers: Jasper Fforde, Douglas Adams, Carol O’Connell, Martha Grimes, Nevada Barr, Rowling.
When we were kids, we subscribed to a book club that sent three new books of “The Happy Hollisters” every couple of months. My brother, sister,