I have come to the conclusion that I don't like quite a lot of female writers

[OrmIrian]

Nicole Krauss - History of love. Yaaaaaawnn!
Someobody Niffeneagger? 'Time Travellers Wife' made me so cross I wanted to burn the f*ing book!
Even struggled with Zadie Smith.

OK I've had too much soave and I can't think of any more examples but I have come to the conclusion that I don't want endless analysis of emotions, angsting over love affairs. I want interest, something actually happening, description, intellectual analysis. Not who fed who and who didn't and what is the emotional mess that results. If someone behaves badly and irrationally, I want to kow why*, not just put it down to past traumas and say 'of that's OK then'.

Does that make me a bad sister? Or just a man manque?

I love Terry Prathcett. I suspect that indicates serious emotional embolism. But wtf.

I love Virginia Wolf's books

How about The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett or The Siege by Helen Dunmore? I agree, Rose Tremain is fantastic, also love Anne Tyler.

I love you, Janeite and ggirl. (Mind you, I need persuading on Virginia Woolf. Was forced to do The Waves for A level and have never quite got over it. Maybe time to revisit?)

Jane Austen (for me) is and always will be the standard by which all writers shall be judged ...

Well, if you revisit her, perhaps you can persuade me, too? I tried The Waves for A level and ended up just blagging an essay without having finished the book.

Have to admit, there's a long list of books I'd rather read first. I seem to remember writing utter bullshit in the exam, just frantic and random jottings I'd remembered from the margin, that I'd written when I wasn't actually asleep in the class. Set the tone for my whole career ever since!

Kate Atkinson and Jane Yardley (not a hint of chick-lit in either) and good old Iris Murdoch.
I went through an Anita Brookner phase but ended up wanting to slash my wrists so had to stop.
Really wanted to like Brick Lane but just couldn't get through it - don't really know why.

what about

Harper Lee (writer of possibly the best book ever written!)
Dorothy Parker
Edith Wharton
Donna Tartt
Muriel Spark
Maya Angelou
Jane Gardam

and my most favourite writer ever (and after whom my daughter takes her middle name)

Carson McCullers

recently tried with Iris Murdoch but I have to say I find her a bit 'wordy'. Im much more a fan of sparse American writing (as may be obvious) but there are certain lots of good female writers.

I idolised Dorothy Parker when I was a teen. When asked to used the word "horticulture" in a sentence she said:

"You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think."

Brilliant.

I still love Dorothy Parker. She just came right out and said what everyone else was thinking...