Marg's Man
Member
The What Are You Reading Now? thread got me wondering.
I was going to put it as a supplementary question but it seemed more sensible to start a new thread...
So who is/are your favourite author/s?
I have no single favourite. At best I can only make a short list of writers whose brilliance prevents me from separating them from each other. In alphabetical order they would be:
Isaac Asimov - grand master of science fiction and inventor of the term Robotics. 'Nuff said!
Arthur Conan Doyle for the two most irascible heroes ever written about; Sherlock Holmes and Professor GE Challenger.
Jeffery Deaver for his realistic portrayal of contemporary forensic science in psychological thrillers.
Colleen McCullough for her Masters of Rome series. An absolutely superlative characterization of life in Republican Rome. My history in my school days was almost non-existent. Before I read this I had never heard of either Gaius Marius or Publius Cornelius Sulla or their influences on the man generally regarded by modern times as the greatest of all Romans. Historically quite accurate, this series awakened an interest in ancient History I was never able to achieve at school.
Edith Pargetter (writing as Ellis Peters) for her wonderfully gentle 20 murder mystery novels set in 12th Century England. Look for A Morbid Taste for Bones to meet her main character, the Benedictine herbalist monk and retired Crusader Brother Cadfael. Note though this is the weakest of the series because she hasn't got her characters properly established, that's achieved in the second book.
Terry Pratchett for his impish and intelligent humour especially the Discworld. You cannot read too far into his books with getting a belly laugh. He says that he has occasionally been accused of literature. You HAVE to be VERY widely read to 'get' every joke in his books. easy child 2/difficult child 2 is particularly obsessed with Pratchett. She had read many of his books but would tell us of times in school when she would burst out laughing during a lesson (usually English literature) as she suddenly 'got' another Pratchett witticism. If you like Harry Potter then you read Pratchett when you grow up.
Nigel Tranter for his amazing 90+ novels that bring the history of Scotland to life. Although I am a fifth generation Australian, my ancestral roots are in Scotland. Again my lack of history schooling let me down and these novels went a long way to educating me. Most importantly they showed me where to look to check on their accuracy.
Marg's Man
I was going to put it as a supplementary question but it seemed more sensible to start a new thread...
So who is/are your favourite author/s?
I have no single favourite. At best I can only make a short list of writers whose brilliance prevents me from separating them from each other. In alphabetical order they would be:
Isaac Asimov - grand master of science fiction and inventor of the term Robotics. 'Nuff said!
Arthur Conan Doyle for the two most irascible heroes ever written about; Sherlock Holmes and Professor GE Challenger.
Jeffery Deaver for his realistic portrayal of contemporary forensic science in psychological thrillers.
Colleen McCullough for her Masters of Rome series. An absolutely superlative characterization of life in Republican Rome. My history in my school days was almost non-existent. Before I read this I had never heard of either Gaius Marius or Publius Cornelius Sulla or their influences on the man generally regarded by modern times as the greatest of all Romans. Historically quite accurate, this series awakened an interest in ancient History I was never able to achieve at school.
Edith Pargetter (writing as Ellis Peters) for her wonderfully gentle 20 murder mystery novels set in 12th Century England. Look for A Morbid Taste for Bones to meet her main character, the Benedictine herbalist monk and retired Crusader Brother Cadfael. Note though this is the weakest of the series because she hasn't got her characters properly established, that's achieved in the second book.
Terry Pratchett for his impish and intelligent humour especially the Discworld. You cannot read too far into his books with getting a belly laugh. He says that he has occasionally been accused of literature. You HAVE to be VERY widely read to 'get' every joke in his books. easy child 2/difficult child 2 is particularly obsessed with Pratchett. She had read many of his books but would tell us of times in school when she would burst out laughing during a lesson (usually English literature) as she suddenly 'got' another Pratchett witticism. If you like Harry Potter then you read Pratchett when you grow up.
Nigel Tranter for his amazing 90+ novels that bring the history of Scotland to life. Although I am a fifth generation Australian, my ancestral roots are in Scotland. Again my lack of history schooling let me down and these novels went a long way to educating me. Most importantly they showed me where to look to check on their accuracy.
Marg's Man
And I'll try your suggestion.
How could I have forgotten Janet!!! Bob the dog is my favorite!