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Who is your favourite author or authors? Why do you like them. If I've never read them before which book do you recommend I start with.

Hey Jen,

There are many, many that are my favourites but I'll try and make this coherent...

J.R.R. Tolkein - Lord of the Rings. Enough said!

Neil Gaiman - a fantastic mix of mythological/fairytale and the mundane, with an absurd and sometimes dark streak of humour - if you haven't read any of his I'd suggest Good Omens (a collaboration with Terry Pratchett, based on the story of The Omen) or Anansi Boys, although my favourite of his is American Gods.

Stephen King - I've started getting into him recently by reading his earlier works. Whilst they are horror, he has a fantastic feel for people, dialogue and places and you end up feeling like you live inside the book watching everything happen rather than like you're reading. Although they're very fat, if you're not too daunted I'd try Needful Things or The Stand (I've not got very far through his tons of books yet but have read those two and loved them).

Anne Rice - I've mentioned her in the other group - The Vampire Chronicles is an excellent series.

Daphne du Maurier - spellbinding writing and fabulous characters, for a bit of escapism I'd try Frenchman's Creek first (a romance about a woman meeting a pirate, but a lot better than it sounds!) or for more dark and foreboding try Jamaica Inn.

Guy Gavriel Kay - if you like fantasy at all in the LOTR vein, then try The Fionavar Tapestry, a trilogy where a group of people from our world are transported to a different one where they all have important roles to play. Excellent action and lots of tears (if you're anything like me).

I'm sure there are plenty more that I'm forgetting!

My favorite authors are those which I would never take back to my book trade store. These would never fall under classics, but they are my classics...

The Seville Communion by Arturo Perez-Reverte Intellectual Spanish author, he also has a series, but I like his independents better. This book is a bit mystery a bit novel and very interesting.

Still Life by Louise Penny
This book is everything a mystery should be--reminds me a bit of a modern Agatha Christie.

On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle
This is a cozy mystery, the first in the coffee house series. Best for coffee lovers, take it when you travel or vacation.

Harlan Ellison

Imaginative, sometimes caustic or biting. Sometimes funny. Never boring.

My favourites are the ones I can't bare to lend out and tend to be bought in hardback too.

Jeremy Clarkson - Love his sense of humour and his style.

Anne Rice - I'm not keen on her current work, writing about the life of Jesus Christ but her older work with The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches are what got me into the whole Paranormal genre, the gothic and dark side of vampires is more to my taste and I class these works as Classics (at least on my shelves).

Jeffery Archer - This is one I will probably be criticised for but as an author he is one of my favs, I class his works as political thrillers showing a dark and seedy underworld of modern society.

Terry Pratchett - For me this is an adult version of the magical fantasy land, easy to read and never boring, reading these makes me feel like a kid again and wanting the hero to win through.

These are only a few, I have many more and would love to see who everyone else comes up with.

I have quite a few favourites, but the authors and books that I always reread and go back to are:

Sarah Addison Allen and my fave book by her is The Sugar Queen. I don't know what it is about her writing and her stories but they always capture me.

David Eddings I love his Belgariad series, IMO it is one of the best fantasy series out there, his characters are unforgettable and the story line is strong.

Tad Williams Another really good fantasy author although his sci fi series Otherland is the one I always go back to.

J.R. Ward I adore her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and once I start reading them I can't stop!

Tracy Chevalier Although I didn't enjoy her last book as much, Burning Bright and Fallan Angels are brilliant books.

Okay I have many more and the list keeps increasing but I think I will stop there!

Norah Lofts My favorite writer is Norah Lofts. Most of her books are out of print now but you can get a new copy of The Town House at Amazon.com.
Its very good and the first book in a trilogy. I also recommend Jassy or in Oct The Haunting of Gad's Hall if you like something scary in that month.

The Town House

Gad's Hall

The Haunting of Gad's Hall