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Original poster

Who is your favourite author?

132 replies

CockleburIck · 26/02/2023 13:12

Looking to explore literary pastures new, so need some inspiration!

My long term favourites have always been Charles Dickens and Jane Austin. Love the language and the humour.
And, more up to date I also enjoy a bit of Stephen King: so much warmth, humanity and humour in his writing, even, or especially, when writing about horrible things.
Also like David Mitchell, the occasional Martin Amis, and earlier Ian McEwan (he got sloppy and pretentious latterly)

What about you?

OP posts:
stressedoutstudent · 26/02/2023 15:24

Chris Carter

WandaWomblesaurus · 26/02/2023 15:25

JK Rowling (Her Strike books are pageturners)
Angela Carter
Kazuo Ishiguro
Sarah Waters
Rose Tremain

BebbanburgIsMine · 26/02/2023 15:26

Elizabeth Chadwick
Barbara Erskine
Sharon Penman

Bernard Cornwell (Saxon Stories only)
Matthew Harfy

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Books
LyndaSnellsSniff · 26/02/2023 15:31

Carson McCullers. Nobody paints a better picture of Depression-era American Deep South. Her writing was most definitely not cheerful but I can feel the heat of the summers radiating from the pages.

Cooroo · 26/02/2023 15:34

CockleburIck · 26/02/2023 13:12

Looking to explore literary pastures new, so need some inspiration!

My long term favourites have always been Charles Dickens and Jane Austin. Love the language and the humour.
And, more up to date I also enjoy a bit of Stephen King: so much warmth, humanity and humour in his writing, even, or especially, when writing about horrible things.
Also like David Mitchell, the occasional Martin Amis, and earlier Ian McEwan (he got sloppy and pretentious latterly)

What about you?

If you like them you'd probably love Anthony Trollope - I'm a big Austen and Mitchell fan too.

Cooroo · 26/02/2023 15:36

Haha I see FifthTimeLucky already got in there with Anthony Trollope!

Newlifeintherain · 26/02/2023 15:44

John Grisham.

LozzaChops101 · 26/02/2023 15:47

I know people think she’s a bit derivative, but I have been waiting for Sarah Waters to hurry up and write something new for NINE YEARS

Elderflower14 · 26/02/2023 15:49

Katie Fforde

GiveMyHeadPeaceffs · 26/02/2023 15:57

I quite like Donna Tartt though she definitely seems a bit marmite to many.

Currently love Natalie Haynes and also Madeline Miller, very into my Greek mythology at the moment.

Love John Connelly's earlier books and also Jo Nesbo.

But I must admit that the only author I tend to preorder is Natasha Pulley. Bedlam Stacks and The Watchmaker of Filigree Street are two of my all time favourites.

StColumbofNavron · 26/02/2023 15:57

Balzac didn’t write Germinal, Emil Zola did. Zola is an incredible writer, but much of his writing is not uplifting, it’s rather realist about Parisian poverty in the late 19th century. A bit Hardy-esque I guess.

From a classics ‘canon’ perspective I would recommend spreading into Europe if you haven’t already.
Balzac
Zola
George Sand
Tolstoy is very readable and his two big ones (W&P and Anna Karenina) have very short chapters
Boris Pasternak

My favourite contemporary writer ever is Louis de Bernieres.

I also like
Amitav Ghosh
Elif Shafak
Amor Towles
Simon Sebag Montefiore’s fiction
Santa Montefiore for light touch historical fiction
V S Naipaul

NightOwlNotEarlyBird · 26/02/2023 15:59

Clive Cussler
Harlan Coben
Jodi Picoult

BaroldFromEastenders · 26/02/2023 16:02

Madeline miller
Frances hardinge
robin Hobb

thefactsarefriendly · 26/02/2023 16:03

Virginia Woolf, traditionally. But in terms of authors I have returned to many times: CJ Sansom, Michelle Paver, Ali Smith, Margaret Atwood...

Twazique · 26/02/2023 16:04

Also Robin Hobb!

thefactsarefriendly · 26/02/2023 16:04

LyndaSnellsSniff · 26/02/2023 15:31

Carson McCullers. Nobody paints a better picture of Depression-era American Deep South. Her writing was most definitely not cheerful but I can feel the heat of the summers radiating from the pages.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter blew me away.

Yirk · 26/02/2023 16:05

Ian mcewan
Margaret Atwood
Jodi Picoult
Dave Mitchell
Any of the classics.

MiniJellyBeans · 26/02/2023 16:06

Kate Atkinson
Maggie O'Farrell

Newstartonwards · 26/02/2023 16:07

Natalie Haynes I love her work

and the Mistborn Trilogy - how that ever passed me by I don’t know was recommend to me on a reading book forum and I brought the first one and literally could not put it down.

countdowntonap · 26/02/2023 16:07

Margaret Atwood, Douglas Coupland and Bret Easton Ellis.

FallonofDynasty · 26/02/2023 16:11

Jonathan Coe,
Christopher Brookmyre
Kate Atkinson
Ann Patchett

NorthernSoul55 · 26/02/2023 16:16

On an Australia binge at the moment, so Jane Harper, Garry Disher, Chris Hammer.
Mick Herron, already mentioned, laugh out loud funny and good tales.
Le Carre for more serious spy fiction, imo a beautiful writer.

UnaOfStormhold · 26/02/2023 16:16

Lois McMaster Bujold. Amazing character-driven sci fi and fantasy with strong women characters and some fascinating exploration of what technological developments (e.g. artificial wombs) would have on society. She is herself a fan of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer and one of my favourite of her books is an absolute tour de force of social comedy in a sci fi setting.

MrsJBaptiste · 26/02/2023 16:18

Alex Cross
Angela Marsden
Micheal Wood

BevMarsh · 26/02/2023 16:19

I think you can guess mine😂

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