Books and Authors you love

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Great topic.

I agree with all the authors you mentioned and add to it Tom Clancy (may he rest in peace, favorite is Without Remorse), Stuart Woods - just humorous, Brad Thor and Brad Meltzer.  Hiaasen is great as you mentioned.  One of the things I like is authors like Flynn (Mitch Rapp), Clancy (Jack Ryan) and Cussler (almost all of his series - Pitt, Oregon Files, Fargo  etc) brought on coauthors so that their franchises continue after their deaths.

I probably have not "read" more than 2 or 3 books in the last 10 years, I fall asleep about a chapter in.  However, I have consumed 400 - 500 books (probably more ) in that period through audio books.  I have a free account to the New York Public Library (which has thousands of titles available) that I get my books from.  Anyone in NY can get an account.  My daughter gets hers through the Richmond VA library, so I assume the service is available in every state.

No purchasing a book and feel obligated to read it, no trips to the library to check out and return it.  Have tried many new authors this way - a few good, many not so - just quit listening and delete.

While you don't retain as much listening as opposed to reading, it was a great find for me.  80% of the time I am not being paid on the books, I have an earbud in and listening to a book.  Especially great when mowing the yard, doing menial labor, digging out stumps etc or traveling.  Never listen when working with power tools!

I've never listened to an audio book. I used to travel a lot for work - back in the day, and that would have been a great idea when driving from Bingo to Buffalo, Albany, LI, etc. I didn't mention every author I like, but Stuart Woods and Tom Clancy should have been added. I wrote Stuart Woods once and he was rather curt in his response. I told him that if Stone Barrington married his girlfriend Harrington, that her name would become Harrington Barrington. He replied that he already addressed that in book 7 or something like that and told me to go reread it. LOL

Clancy is classic IMO because he's been gone for so long...although, I did add Chrichton who has likewise drifted into the "classic" category...in my opinion anyway.

I agree with you that some of the co-authors from recently deceased great authors is nice - especially the variety of Cussler co-authors. I've read them all and like all of them. I was such a huge fan of Vince Flynn that I felt a pretty big let down when Kyle Mills took over the Mitch Rapp series and have never been able to fully appreciate his writing (flow and verbiage) the way Flynn used to write - which was superb in my opinion. Flynn's loss was America's loss. He had a brilliant mind and when he started writing, the CIA had to approve his books before being published because it was if he had inside knowledge of the everything the CIA was doing. Also, the TV show "24" was basically based on Mitch Rapp and the producers even had Flynn at the production site as an advisor. If I recall, Tom Clancy also had to have some of his books pre-approved by the CIA so as not disclose too much information that might compromise the things they do.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

To pick up where I left off last night, I just devoured the Tom Clancy books.  When I started one, it was hard to put down. 

We have a famous author up here in Maine; Stephen King.  I really enjoyed his initial group of books because he often talked about places here in Maine.  In one book, I forget which, he described exactly the downtown area of Gorham, where I live.  My favorite is "Salem's Lot." When he wrote "The Green Mile," he did it as a serial.  When I'd get a part, I'd read it quickly and then sit on pins & needles until the next part came.  The movie of it was well done.   I knew the lady who had him in her H.S. English class.  She was holding a session on why authors wrote.  He popped up & said, "To make money."  Well, he sure has.

I've read all of the Kenneth Roberts' historical novels & I loved them all.  MGM did a really good job on Book I of "Northwest Passage," but they changed the ending drastically.  I've read & enjoyed Ken Follett's historical novels "Pillars of the Earth" & "A Place Called Freedom."  And, of course, I've also enjoyed many of John Grisham's books.   Another favorite of mine is "We Were Soldiers and Young," a true account of the Vietnam war experiences of Lt. Gen. Hal Moore.  The movie did an excellent job of it even while cutting out parts.

I've read books on the Giants and selected current events (political) books lately; and not that many at all.  I tend to fall asleep if I try reading too long.

I'm not a huge King fan, but I appreciate his writing style. Funny you mentioned the "Green Mile" coming out in series because like you, I'd read the small booklets in an hour or so and then chomp at the bit waiting a month for the next several chapters. By the sixth book, I was in agony waiting for it to be released as was a guy at work who was likewise reading it. He called me one night about 10:30 at night as I had just gotten to bed and told me he just bought the book that was released. I was about to go to sleep but I couldn't stop thinking about it so I got dressed, drove to Wegmans (open 24 hours) and grabbed a copy and stayed up reading it cover to cover as it is short as you know. The next day my buddy and I had a great time over coffee discussing the finale. One of the best books I ever read and I learned to really appreciate his writing style, his imagination, and ability to build suspense. The movie was okay, but didn't have any of the emotional kicks that came from reading the book and in my opinion, was a disappointment. Regardless, I'm not a horror fan so I kinda dismiss a lot of King's writings (even though I appreciate is unbelievable ability to write). I have to say though, that I loved "The Stand" and it was superb.

I've read another writer who uses Maine as the backdrop of the story and he too is from the area and was called by some critics a "King Wannabee". He writes such a variety of genres that it's hard to find his "mystery/thrillers", but there are some. "Mouth to Mouth" was a great book that gives you a feel for rural Maine and includes problems with coyotes, infidelity, semi-incest, murder, etc. Other books of his that are pretty good are "Undone" and "Green Girls", but "Mouth to Mouth" was my favorite of the group.

[LennG]

I also read most of King's early works. I think I stopped after The Stand, but the ones I read I loved.

Funny story, when I was reading The Shining, I didn't want to disturb my wife. We were just married for a few years and I used to sneak off and read in the bathroom at night. It was late and silly me, was reading in the tub (no water) and I got to the part when the boy finally got the courage to open the door to the room that was giving him all that trouble. Just when he opened the door, the people above me dropped something on the floor and scared the hell out of me. I literally jumped 2 feet in the air, came down, and hurt my back. Talk about suspense. When I told my wife, she is still laughing about it.

[Sem]

That

[jimv]

I thought "The Stand" was a great story.  But, I found the language to be excessively vulgar.

[squibber]

I have not read a book in several years. I recently finished a book.  The Guardians by John Grisham. I liked it.

Good thread. There are good suggestions here.