Are there any popular authors that you’ve either never read, or don’t like?
Are there any popular authors that you’ve either never read, or don’t like? ?
I’ve never read any Lee Child or Linwood Barclay and I’m not really a fan of Stephen King! (Although I did like a couple of his earlier books.)
Lee Child’s books are great, love them. Highly recommended. I really battle to read Stephen King.
Jack Reacher is a must! Yes I struggle with Stephen King too. Far too long winded for me
@Karl, yes glad I’m not the only one. I like a good thought out plot, that flows. Another good one is Kathy Reichs, great reads!
yes she is good. Simon Kernick is the master of British thrillers I think ?
Thanks for the tip, I haven’t read any of his books. Will take a look and see ?.
I do not like Jo Nesbo or Tony Parsons, sorry!
I struggle with Jo Nesbo. People pass them on to me thinking they will be right up my street but I can never get more than a few chapters in.
@Avis glad it is not just me!!!!
I love Linwood Barclays books
I was a big fan of Patricia Cornwell and would buy her books the minute they were released until she wrote one which I found so difficult to read. If the book hadn’t got her name on it, I would never in a million years have guessed she wrote it. I tried a few more of her books but it was the same and I haven’t read one since. There are a few authors who I know have many fans and are very successful but they’re books are not for me xx
@Caroline I was the same around books 9 or 10 I gave up
Harry Potter books ?? x
I can not get into Steven King books have tried over the years as I love his films x
@Janey me too x
Janey I did read The Green Mile and liked that better than the film x
@Audrey I have not tried to read that one I would just think it a waste of money if I could not get in to it 🙁
@Janey it would be a waste of money. That’s the only one I’ve read but I have tried other and couldn’t get into them at all x
Green mile is the best Stephen King novel,the film follows the book very well in my opinion.
@Karen It is Steven Kings way of writing i can not get in to
I’m not keen on him either to be honest…I have “under the dome” on my kindle and still not got past the first few chapters….my sister, loves his books and waits for the next eagerly.
King’s detective books aren’t bad, though I can’t read his horror novels. He says in ‘On Writing’ that he starts with a person in a situation and works outwards from that … and to me, it shows. There’s not enough forward momentum because he’s trying to find out where to go next.
I can’t get into King’s or Barclay’s books too …
But i adore lee child…
Probably going to be slated for this but find Jo Nesbo books overrated
@Gwerfyl totally agree ?
It’s a bit of an acquired taste, I agree. I liked the early ones but can’t bring myself to read the last three … he puts Harry Hole through such torture and torment they’re hard to read.
Lots. There are plenty of indie authors and less known authors who write wonderful stories and when you tell people about them they look at you gone out. Also this applies to the repetitive and predictable ‘thrillers’ sold in supermarkets.
Lee Child leaves me cold
I have read every one of Lee Child’s and met him at a book signing, I love them.
I’m not keen on Sue Grafton
Joe Nesbo….read a couple of his books because of a lot of people saying how good he was but couldn’t get him at all.?
Never read Linwood Barclay but want to!
Start with “Trust your eyes”, Stunning!
@Kaisha Love his books. Wasn’t keen on the Promise Falls trilogy though. Apart from the trilogy they are all standalones.
@Susan I loved the Promise Falls trilogy. Met him at Harrogate last year and had new book signed. Still on my to read pile along with about a further 12. Must buckle down and read.
@Linda I didn’t enjoy the years wIt in between books. I think I would have enjoyed it back to back. I met him in Harrogate last year too. I had a gobbledygook, on my part, conversation with him. ??
My favourite is Never Look Away.
I love Faith Martin’s Hillary Greene series but just cannot get into her Jenny Starling novels – it’s as if they were written by a different person.
Not a fan of Lee Child or James Oswald, found Lee Child to be boring & repetitive & James Oswald to be too much like Stuart Macbride but not as good, but that’s just my opinion.
Used to love James Patterson but give them a wide berth nowadays
I still read lots James Patterson but new to this style of books & need direction to what authors to go to next
@Ann Andrew Gross who James co wrote with a few times is worth a try and Linwood Barclay is another good author. I did love all his early stuff but it got to a point where he was co writing with other authors and there seemed to be a new book out every couple of months and they just weren’t up to the old standard.
@Michaela thanks for info. Agree about co writing.
Harry Potter. I’ve no desire to read them nor have I watched any of the films. Not interested in reading the Robert Galbraith books either.
Me too Susan, as I have no desire either to read any of the books. I saw the first Harry Potter film and the last so I knew how the storyline started and ended!
@Ann it’s just a matter of taste.
I can’t bear her style – she seems to be condescending towards her characters. I like her as a person, though, from what I’ve seen.
I’m with you on this one. Harry Potter just never appealed to me at all. I am very pleased with how the books renewed so many kids interest in reading, though.
I’ve never read Agatha Christie or Lee Child! I love Stephen King – earlier the better from him.
@Ellen I read my first two Agatha Christie books last year and really enjoyed them.
I picked up Death on the Nile in a second hand bookshop yesterday, can’t wait to read it. X
I’ve never read Agatha Christie either ? x
I only started to read Agatha Christie recently. Really enjoyable, light reads if you want something quick.
I just read And Then There Were None and The Murders of Rodger Akroyd by Christie and loved them both! I went into them skeptical and was very pleasantly surprised. I agree about King. His earlier works were a lot better. I am not really into his newer work. His short stories are pretty interesting!
When I was a kid I subscribed to a book club that sent you a volume containing 3 Agatha Christies per month. I had about 20 books by the time I stopped the subscription! They’re probably collectable now.
Lee Child I can’t gel with. Jo Nesbo is a mixed bag- the very first ones were awful then they got really good then a bit meh.
@Jo I agree first ones hard to get into ,yes the middle ones r beta,not read any recently tho think stopped on one before police
James Patterson. Utter tripe.
Linwood Barclay is my favourite I must say. Lee Child is great.
Just discovered Chris Collett and the Tom Mariner series. Love them
I love Harry Potter! ? Writers could learn a lot from reading this children’s fantasy series. It is a masterclass in plotting and characterisation, IMHO. I did not like The Casual Vacancy but again, JK Rowling is a master storyteller and the way she sewed the story together was amazing. I have not read her crime books. Patricia Cromwell put me off directive stories when I was in my early 20s. I’d read Robert Harris and moved to her and sadly, didn’t like the writing style.
Use to like Patterson books especially his very early ones….but they’ve gone off the boil now he co-authors with so many others.
@Karen I agree the early Alex Cross series was brilliant.
Speaking as a librarian the one thing that puts me off a book is when someone says “you really should read”.
^^^ This!
really? That’s interesting. How do you select your books?
@Monique It’s the wording, for me. If someone says, ‘Have you read xxx? I wonder if you might like it’, I’ll probably give it a go. ‘You really should’ is too forceful for my inner rebel 😉
@Lesley that’s so interesting. Ha! I’ll have to keep that in mind when I make a suggestion ?
@Monique I’ve always been like that. Ask me nicely and I’ll do anything in my power for anyone. Tell me to and the mule-ears go back, the heels dig in 😉
@Lesley I wonder if it’s to do with the name? I too have the inner rebel!
@Lesley I’m also a Leo, which I’m sure accounts for a lot of it 😉
@Lesley I’m cancer, so I can give a nasty nip if necessary!
Funnily enough I sometimes take “you really should read”… as a kind of compliment. As though the person knows what I like and feels the book is perfect for me. Depends how it’s said and who is saying it I suppose. ?
@Monique when I’m on the issuing desk I always see good books go out! X
@Sharon what have you seen checked out the most recently ? Wait let me guess. Girl on the Train
Not keen on stephen king either..too scary for me. I used to eat james herbert in the 70’s but now I cant read them. I think the magic cottage was the last of his that read. I also cant read ..is it richard harris? Ge wrote silence of the lambs? Terrified me lol
Thomas Harris. Richard Harris was an actor 🙂
I loved Silence of the lambs…it was Extra scary tho…
@James scared me so much I couldnt move off the sofa lol??
James Herbert s books scared me lol
Never read James herbert,though
@James only tried to read one the secret of crickley hall couldn’t finish it lol think it was a film too with Nicole Kidman think they changed the name , couldn’t watch that either lol
The rats was my first eww
@James I really enjoyed Red Dragon. In fact I think I preferred it to Silence of the Lambs.
@Catherine i read that and it scared me to death lol i am a wooss
@Catherine yeah I liked red dragon too tho had to read it quick coz my friend wanted to see the film so I rushed to finish it may read it again think I preferred the book to the film ,tho liked them all really ,think Hannibal was a better read than the film too
@Karen They have made 2 versions of Red Dragon. I have only seen the first one, which was made in the 1980s & is called Manhunter. It was pretty good from what I remember, (though not as good as the book ?).
@Catherine yes I saw that..too scary for me. I can handle violence and torture but that goes too far for me. My son was murdered and I like to imagine the violence and torture being done to his killers. Wish I could hire jack winchester who is my new hero lol
@Catherine there was a remake of it ,it was called red dragon think the remake was beta than first
@Enna xx
The hours I think the film was called
For film version of secret of crickley hall
@Enna I am really sorry to hear that. Truly heartbreaking. I tend not to be able to stomach as much violence now that I am older. (& even less so after having children). Xx
@Catherine its strange really but it gets my anxt out in my head lol
Not a fan of Stephen King either. I’ve never read dan brown
U are really missing…grab a dan brown thriller ASAP….
@James it’s on my tbr list. I got put off by all the hype though
His books are worth the hype….
He takes conspiracy,religion and the thriller genre to another level ….
his plots are both outragrous and plausible,at the same time…
Abbie Rutherford I’m not really into religion but I’ll read one some day. Maybe lol
Abbie Rutherford @Beau his book is well written an had intigue has you wondering much much beta than the film if you ask me x
@Karen not seen the film yet either. I love Tom hanks though x
@Beau the terminal is such a great film not a big Tom hanks fan or a film fan but lvd this xx
@Karen aww yeah I loved that movie. But I do like all his movies. The green mile was my fave lol even though I don’t read Stephen king books xx
@Rachel You’re welcome.
Clever writer is Dan Brown – worth reading. Now reading S/K “Christine’
Oh but I do LOVE this review 😉 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/dont-make-fun-of-renowned-dan-brown/
J.K Rowling. Not interested in the slightest and I think she’s a total bitch on twitter.
Have to say she has gone down in my estimation with her recent tweets.
And her tweets just make me love her more…lol
Her Robert Galbraith books are great
@Victoria Other opinions are available 😉
@Tawny :Talking of tweets/Twitter, how do you say something on it? Can you have two Twitter accounts?
@Robert I have about 5, I think, but only use one these days.
Okay, but how do you log on to Twitter? Please. You know to make a comment.
I’m not joking, I really don’t know –anyone help with this?
@Robert I honestly can’t remember, I’m permanently logged in! Have you set up an account? If so, what is your Twitter name?
Permanently? I believe its Robert.H @Robert
@Robert Yes, once logged in I ask Firefox to remember my log-ins, for most sites. Saves a heck of a lot of time.
Thank you, Lesley. I’ll remember that. However if its open don’t you get 100’2 of unwanted twitters?
@Robert Tweets 😉 You look at Notifications first to see which of them you want to look at, then just scroll through the rest if you are incredibly bored 😉
Stephen King no!!! Tooo scary!!
@Joann I read The Shining and hated it but had go to the end to find out what happened to the little boy
@Pat there’s a sequel to it called doctor sleep not read it though
I liked early Stephen king then after he wrote Tommy knockers I drifted off
@Angie he doesn’t remember writing that, or Cujo!
@Claire I love cujo
Patricia Cornwell. I gave her up when she switched to present-tense narrative. Annoying.
Patterson. My loathing for this ‘writer’ knows no bounds.
She also wrote a complete load of nonsense about a certain ‘Jack the Ripper’ suspect.
??
I haven’t read JK Rolwling Harry Potter, but did read the first Strike book and would read more( time)
I only read one
king book last year,Christie and Du Maurier…
I haven’t read Lee Child or Patterson and loads of other ‘big’ names authors- I read Linwoods book after meeting him last year and wasn’t impressed with the story, but will try another.
I have read all 4 of the strike books and they were brilliant
I’ve never read any of Angie Marsons’s books. No particular reason – they just haven’t made it into my TBR pile yet. I really should remedy that.
@Maggie you should!
@Maggie I prefer the Kim Stone series to the Helen Grace series by MJ Arlidge. One had to give as I got confused
@Susan I couldnt get I to the Arlington ones.
Angela Marsons is brilliant, I think you would enjoy them
Don’t like Stephen King and a lot of the old authors works – prefer new and upcoming authors like Kerry Wilkinson and Carol Wyer
and Robert,H Fellows, eh Judith?
Ian rankin and Peter james
James Patterson
Love Linwood barclay
Love Strike and Robin ❤️❤️❤️
Never read Conan Doyle or JK Rowling. Love Linwood Barclay, Angela Marsons, MJ Arlidge and Nele Neuhauss (probably misspelt that last one ?).
Lee child I think is a very good author stories are gripping
I must admit that a TV interview with Lee Child just put me off reading any more of his. He should have kept fiction for the books he wrote, not his life story. 🙁
I tried so hard to read Anne Rice back in the day. She describes so much, too much for me and I always ended up silently screaming ‘leave something to my imagination Ms Rice!’
Dont like any of em
I recently read The Hunt for Red October as part of a reading group on Goodreads and came to the conclusion that I don’t like Tom Clancy. (I liked the movie)
I really struggle with Hemingway
I can’t stand John Grisham