Today's random question is for you.
Who are your favorite authors?
What genre books do you gravitate toward?
Have you recently read a book that blew you away?
I've devoured the backlists of my favorite authors. Help! I'm looking for fabulous fiction books to read. Please recommend your favorites. (Thank you, Keli Gwyn, for your help with the inspirational historical market!!) The romance genre is my favorite, but I enjoy any well-written book. Surprise me!
Join me on Friday for one goal!
I tend towards action/adventure and fantasy/sci fi Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series has really captured my imagination. Not for the faint of heart as each book is 800+ pages and it takes time to get into the story because the history, plot and surprises take a long time to build up. Another favorite author is Stephen Lawhead. I especially enjoyed his Merlin/King Arthur series. Now working on Tuck, the third of a series about Robin Hood with a twist.
ReplyDeleteAny Jodi Picoult book-- I have never been disappointed and love her style.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Berg, Picoult, Wally Lamb, Kingsolver, Mitchard...that list goes on!
ReplyDeleteI loved The Help and hope to read more by Stockett.
~ Wendy
Wendell Berry. hands down most favorite of late.
ReplyDeleteI ADORE Susan Elizabeth Phillips for romance.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love Tracy Bateman's and Lani Diane Smith's chick-lit.
But I just recently read a YA book called Hex Hall that was so cute and I really enjoyed!
Hi Jill! I love, love, love Lisa Wingate ... I started with her "Texas Cooking" trilogy, devoured her series that started with "Tending Roses" and am now on her Daly, Texas series. She writes contemporary romance and women's fiction and just has a way of saying things that is really relatable.
ReplyDeleteThough she hasn't written anything in a couple years, I've always enjoyed Patricia Gaffney, particularly Circle of Three.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to have a lot of summer reading with all these recommendations! All the authors Wendy mentioned I also like. I'd also recommend Kit's Law, by Donna Morrisey, Rhinestone Button, by Gail Anderson Dagartz, and The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. The latter is an epic, well researched, beginning with transporting slavery in Africa, to the cotton fields,to evacuation of all Black Loyalist from NYC, to Nova Scotia, back to USA. Beautiful novel. And all three authors, I should mention, are Canadians. Happy reading, Jill! You'll have to let us know your recommendations.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning!
ReplyDeleteOh, this is great!! I'm writing all of these down!
CJ: I read the first three Outlander's last year. What an epic premise! And Jamie--is there a better hero? I don't think so!
Terri: Our library carries all of them--I'll have to try her.
Wendy: I've heard good things about The Help. Must get that one.
Shelby: I'm curious about Wendell Berry. I'm going to peek over at Amazon to see what he writes.
Jennifer: Susan E. Phillips is such a popular author, and can you believe I've never read her books? Definitely will check her out!
Kristi: Stop--you had me at Texas! I love books set there. I've read almost all of Jodi Thomas's historicals, and yep, they're all set in TX!
Joanne: Ooo, can't wait to read it!
Lynn: The title "Kit's Law" intrigues me. I might have to give that one a go first!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Authors I recommend right now?
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge Joanna Bourne fan. She writes historical romantic suspense. She has a new one out this month that I'm dying to read.
In a different genre, I recently read "The Solitude of Prime Numbers" by Paulo Giordano. It wasn't a feel-good book, but I couldn't put it down.
Other than that, I always recommend early Stephanie Laurens--the first books in her Cynster series are terrific.
Ally Blake's Harlequin Romances are sweet, fun, and well-written.
All the Steeple Hill authors write amazing books. I've grown particularly fond of Irene Hannon's Lighthouse series.
For fun, summer reads, try Tori Carrington's Sofie Metropolis series. They have two more coming out this year, and I can't wait to pick them up!
I posted about my favourite book today! You should have a squiz. I imagine you'd like it. :)
ReplyDeleteGood questions. I love romance, but intense ones, not sweet ones. Recently Book Thief and Hunger Games stole my breath. I'm hoping to find a great CBA book that will suck me in too.
ReplyDeleteAnne Tyler. I love her. I recently read Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck. I really like her writing style.
ReplyDeleteJill:
ReplyDeleteRight now I am drawn to historical fiction. I just finished a book by Amanda Cabot, Scattered Petals. It's an historical fiction novel. I read one earlier called Love's Pursuit by Siri Mitchell. I have at least two Kim Vogel Sawyer books on loan from a friend. For a change-off, I am reading Sue Grafton's alphabet mysteries when I have them.
The Alliterative A: I'm coming over to your blog!
ReplyDeleteJessica: I've heard so many good things about Hunger Games. It's going on my list!
Julie J: Anne Tyler. I haven't read her, either! (These comments are making me realize how many authors are out there!)
Quiet Spirit: I adore historical fiction. Thanks for the suggestions!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
My favorite sub-genre is inspirational historicals set in the second half of the 1800s. That's what I write and most often what I read. Choosing favorites is tough since I have so many. A few recent additions are Maggie Brendan, Laura Frantz, Amanda Cabot, and Karen Witemeyer.
ReplyDeleteI will s-t-r-e-t-c-h myself and read outside my narrow niche on occasion. I've discovered some great authors this way. Sarah Sundin wrote a wonderful WWII historical. Candace Calvert and Richard Mabry write captivating medical dramas with plenty of romance to satisfy me. And a moving first-person women's fiction I thoroughly enjoyed was Christa Allan's Walking on Broken Glass.
Hats off to Alliterative A. I just learned a new word: squiz. From content I gather it means a look-see or a peek. Am I close?
I'm SO glad to hear that Jodi (Picoult, that is) is on some people's lists! She lives one town over from me and I've met her on numerous different occasions. I've done theater with her sons, so that's partially why! DEFINITELY a must read!!
ReplyDeleteI love Cheryl Wyatt's Wings of Refuge series. Mae Nunn, Nicholas Sparks, Janet Dean (The Substitute Bride was wonderful if you're looking for Historicals), Alice Walker (THe Color Purple, a must read ifyou've never read it), Wally Lamb (though others have mentioned him)....I don't know, the list could go on and on! LOL!
I just recently read Mae Nunn's newest book and it was fabulous as expected! Not to mention I'm a little character in that one *grin*
I also just reread Lurlene McDaniel's A Rose for Melinda. I don't know if you've ever read her. Her target audience is probably teenagers, but it'll still bring tears to your eyes at any age! Seriously, most, if not all, of her books are centered on cancer patients. They're gut wrenching, but really good in that sad way.
There's a few! Sorry if it wasn't any help!
Hannah
I'm reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (like CJ mentioned above) and they are fantastic, but LOOONG! So, not for the faint of heart.
ReplyDeleteFor fun, quick reads, I'm reading Emily Giffin's Something Blue.
Hi Jill -
ReplyDeleteMy list can't fit here. Since blogging, I've discovered the historical romance genre and Christian speculative fiction. I'm also a fan of mystery/suspense.
I'm currently reading a Kim Vogel Sawyer book, and recently finished "The Last Christian" by David Gregory.
Blessings,
Susan :)
I still love Julie Garwood. Her contemporary is good, but I loved her historicals. Jodi Thomas is another historical gal I like. And I loved Jan Karon's Mitford series about Father Tim:)
ReplyDeleteI am currently reading Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, the newest in their Agent Pendergast series.
ReplyDeleteLOVING IT!
I love anything by Dick Francis, Essie Summers, Sarah Graves, Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series, Ellis Peters' Cadfael series, Mark Mynheir, James Scott Bell's Ty Buchannan series, Tim Downs' Bug Man series...:) I guess I like mostly mysteries to read.
I also love historical fiction. If you haven't read it, you might try "Annie, Between the States" by L.M. Elliot.
ReplyDeleteI gravitate towards romance driven women's fiction. I LOVE a good romance but I like some extra stuff in there too. ;)
ReplyDeleteI lean towards historical fiction. I adore Enid Blyton, Lois Lenski and Laurie Halse Anderson. I just reread Strawberry Girl by Lenski for the umteenth time...
ReplyDeleteFavorite Author: Charles Martin. I'm so excited... he has a new book next week--the first in 2 years!
ReplyDeleteI love 'The Book Thief' by Marcus Zusack. I think that is how you spell his name :)
ReplyDeleteI like Lori Wick, but not all her titles thrill me. Her western series is magnificent.
ReplyDeleteTammy Barley is a new author whose work stuns my hairbows right off. Her only published book is Love's Rescue, but the sequel, Hope's Promise comes out this summer. I've preordered it. That's how great she is. Her genre is historical romance.
I recently finished The Help, and loved it, too.
Since she hasn't been mentioned, Kristen Heitzmann is one of my all-time favorites. Her Diamond of the Rockies historical series was incredible. And I confess, I'm a Nora Roberts fan. I know, I know... not kosher, but her books never fail to pull me into another realm.
ReplyDeleteI sort of like Carol Higgins Clark. Her mysteries are somewhat romantic. Other than that, I like children's books. My latest series was Artemis Fowl.
ReplyDeleteKeli: I went to the library last week and picked up a Julie Lessman book. Can't wait to read it! Thanks for adding more to the list!
ReplyDeleteHannah: How cool to meet Jodi Picoult! I love meeting authors. Thanks for all the new-to-me authors you listed, too!
Beth: Not for the faint of heart, indeed! Don't get me started on Jamie, though...*swooning*
Susan JR: With a title like "The Last Christian," how can I pass it up?? :)
Kara: I haven't tried Julie Garwood. I LOVE Jodi Thomas! I think I've read all of her Texas series!
Erica: Ooh, sounds good! The "Amelia Peabody" series sounds good--has a nice ring to it! I've had a hold on James Scott Bell's "The Darwin Conspiracy" and it just came in to my library--can't wait!
Erin: I haven't tried it, but it's going on my "hold" list at the library. Thanks!
T.Anne: I hear you. I'm game for anything!
Sharon: Well, I'm going to have to read "Strawberry Girl" with that kind of recommendation!
Kristen T: Don't you love it when your fave author puts one out?? I'm adding him to my list! Thanks!
Tabitha: The book thief? What a great title!
Jen: I hear you on the debut author. The first book of Joanna Bourne's knocked my hairbows off too!
Niki: Diamond of the Rockies--sounds right up my alley. I love historicals, and I love American historicals. Bring it on! (And you would not have believed the throng of people waiting to get Nora's autograph at RWA Nationals last year. You're not alone!)
Nancy: Mmmm, somewhat romantic works for me! And I've heard good things about the Artemis Fowl books.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
I gravitate toward literary fiction, although I have been reading a lot of fantasy lately. My favorite author is Donna Jo Napoli.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that you probably enjoy books with some romance, if you aren't opposed to YA, Wildwood Dancing was a pretty good read. I didn't like the sequel as much (which I just finished last night), but WW was a gem.
Wow, lots of great books listed here! We'll second THE BOOK THIEF and HUNGER GAMES and THE HELP. All amazing books in completely different ways. As far as romance goes, Judith McNaught still makes me swoon. Or if you're willing to branch out into YA Simone Elkeles is THE MASTER. Seriously. Read PERFECT CHEMISTRY. You will love.
ReplyDeleteI've been reading alot of romantic suspense lately. My favorite this year has been My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay. I just read the first in Irene Hannon's Heroes of Quantico series. And Blood Ransom by Lisa Harris. I enjoyed every one of those.
ReplyDeleteI recommend Elizabeth George Speare's books:
ReplyDeleteThe Witch of Blackbird Pond, and
The Sign of the Beaver.