Favorite author is def JK Rowling. My fave series would then be HP but after that it’s the Giver quartet by Lois Lowry, and the Throne of Glass Series by SJM
All time favorite book is Dragon’s Bait by Vivian Vande Velde Series is The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima And favorite author is Gena Showalter. ??
The iron fey series is finished but I have not read it yet and she has the immortal rules series that’s finished that is AMAZING and the talon series and I believe the last book is coming out this year
I think I will go to Barnes and Noble Tuesday and get the 1st book. (Not like I don’t have 20 already waiting to be read) I will never be without something to read. Lol
I’m not sure if they’re all available at B&N. I found them at Lifeway, but their stock started at book 2, but I didn’t know that at the time. I found the rest of them on Amazon. Opening Moves was actually written in the middle of the series as a backstory, but I count it as book 1. It might be easier to find them on Amazon.
Thou I must admit, I haven’t read anything in a while either. Mostly bummed that my books are stored away. So I can’t really get to them at the moment.
I think you’d like her, most of her books are written in series of i think usually 3. Their the type where you don’t have to read all of them to understand it but their linked.
That’s a guide to her series, if you wanted to start from book 1. When i first read her, i didn’t know that it was a book from a series. It was just something I picked out and it was a middle book in a series, but i wasn’t confused.
I started reading her way back in grade school. I have all of her older books (not the new ones that are basically written in her style). I’d have a hard time picking a favorite by her. Heaven was great. I think Ruby is my favorite though but its hard to pick one.
I was going to say heaven or ruby!!! My two favs! And yes I read them as a kid. The newer ones are a little too much for me but all the ones from when I was a kid I’ll just always love them. Although now when a series ends I’m always like ok where’s the book about the kids! ?
Sarah J Maas and Liane Moriarty! They are the only ones that I have read all or majority of and loved every one (or at least the most recent. I used to have other favs a long time ago)
Yes ?? it’s my all time favorite series. It’s so beautiful. The ending is good, she ends up happy and where she always wanted. It does get crazy towards the end but it was worth it to me!
Allen, Sarah Addison, Asher,Jay, Brown, Sandra, Hilderbrand, Elin , Tudor, Robins, Bruen, Ken, Young, Wm. Paul, Gaynor, Hazel. These are just the recent ones
Divergent by Veronica Roth,Cinder by marissa meyers,Rose sociaty,Miss Perigrines Home for The Peculiar(i really love this book,a fantastic thriller!!!) and Apostle Thirteen /whritter unknown its a tagalog story,but sadly I haven’t finished reading it because my sister deleted it.
My favorite book is the single volume edition of my favorite series, The Chronicles of Narnia, by my favorite author, C.S. Lewis. =D Isn’t that a nice, tidy answer?
My favorite books, going by how often I read them and so on, would have to be The Black Jewels Trilogy and associated novels. My favorite author is not Anne Bishop though, (she’s absolutely in my top 10) Caitlin Kiernan and Neil Gaiman are probably my favorites… though it is very hard to narrow it down that much.
one of my favorite books Atlas Shrugged. One of my favorite authors Sophie Hannah, writes mysteries. She also was selected to continue the Hercule Poirot series and they’re excellent. Others: Dennis Lehane, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child who wrote the Pendergast series. Alice Hoffman, James Elroy. That’s it for now.
Oh yes “Forgotten Garden”. Was my favorite. Then last year I listened to “The Lake House”. Once again she did an amazing job. Have any of you read “The Secret Keeper?” All three were so amazing. They’d make great movies.
I have a few fave authors especially for their Series, Michelle Sagara -The Chronicles if Elantra. Christine Feehan -The Drake Sisters/ Sea Haven Novels. Anne Bishop -The Black Jewel. Laurel K Hamilton- Merry Gentry Series. Ilona Andrews The Edge Series/Kate Daniels Series. Robin D Owens-Mystic Circle Series.
My favorite author is Rachel Higginson! I have read: Love and Decay, Star-crossed series, and Starbright series by her. I can’t wait to read the Siren series by her!
It’s a novella series that was released in volumes of four episodes. It’s a zombie apocalypse series that is beyond awesome! There is still one volume to come out and I am dying waiting for it
Favorite book: Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Favorite Authors: Lynsay Sands, Claudy Conn, J. R. Ward, Julia Mills Favorite series : Argeneau Series by Lynsay Sands, Black dagger brotherhood series by J. R. Ward, and Dragon Guardsmen Series by Julia Mills
More than I could express in one comment; lately, however, I’ve just finished Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard series. I’ve also enjoyed everything I’ve read by him: short stories, novellas, and novels. He writes horror, mysteries, westerns, adventure, and crime, and he does it exceptionally well.
For people with a more literary bent, I recommend without reservation both Rick Bass and the late Jim Harrison. They’re good for both fiction and non-fiction.
Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West by Wallace Stegner is one of my favorite non-fiction works. Stegner was another brilliant literary writer of both non-fiction and fiction. I reckon I need to add Edward Abbey for both non-fiction and fiction. For fiction, the great John Gardner (Grendel, The Art of Living, The Sunlight Dialogues) is high on my list. John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row along with Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five are two books I reread every couple of years or so.
Steinbeck is one of my favorites too. Last year we visited the Steinbeck Center in Salinas on our way to Napa. In Cannery Row near the aquarium in Monterey they have an elaborate sculpture with a figure of him and also sculptures of some of the Cannery Row characters he wrote about.
Years ago I met John Gardner at a party after he had given a speech at the university where I taught. Everyone was afraid to approach him so I thought he should have someone to talk to. He was very easy to talk with. At the time we both had teenage sons who were a bit rebellious and we discussed that. I wish I could remember more about the conversation, but it was quite pleasant.
Stegner is a marvelous writer. Last year I read Angle of Repose. What should I read next?
Allan Clark, you read Stegner’s best fiction when you read Angle of Repose. The friend who introduced me to Stegner feels that’s his best fiction, and, having read some of his other works, I have to agree; however, for fiction, I would recommend both the Big Rock Candy Mountain and Crossing to Safety. For non-fiction, I highly recommend Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs: Living and Writing in the West; it’s a superb collection of essays. I also recommend Marking the Sparrow’s Fall: The Making of the American West. “Stegner’s son Page has collected, annotated, and edited fifteen essays that have never before been published in any edition, as well as a little-known novella and several of Stegner’s best-known essays on the American West. Seventy-five percent of the contents of this body of work is published here for the first time.” (Quotation from Amazon.)
John Gardner. I was privileged to get to know John when I was an undergraduate student at Southern Illinois University in the early 1970s. I met him socially through my anthropology mentor before I had read any of his work. I was a USAF veteran, and, thus, older than my academic peers. John was kind enough to invite me to sit in on some of his seminars when I was so inclined. And, I had many a beer with him (sometimes with his creative writing students and sometimes in other venues. The last time I saw him was in 1981, when he was in Tucson, Arizona signing copies of his last (and one of his finest works) collection of short stories, The Art of Living. It was a slow afternoon, so we went out back with a couple of cold beers and got caught up with one another. Just an aside; the cover of The Art of Living has a group of motorcycle riders on it; he died in a motorcycle accident. I’m delighted you had a chance to spend some time with him. He was far more approachable that I would have imagined, and I’m glad I didn’t know him from Adam when I had that first encounter.
Finally, John Steinbeck. When I was in the USAF, I was stationed just up the hill from Cannery Row 1967 to 1968 at the Presidio of Monterey. Back then, the only development was the Steinbeck Theatre. Most of Cannery Row at that time was still much as it was in his novel, Cannery Row. I hope that before I shuffle off this mortal coil, I can get back there and see the development and the sculptures of which you wrote. If you haven’t read Cannery Row, I highly recommend that you do so. I reread it every couple or three years. That’s all for now.
Laurie R King: Mary Russel (and Sherlock) series. First one is “The Beekeepers’ Apprentise”. Other than Ms. King: Nevada Barr, and Barbara Kingsolver are definite favorites.
I don’t have an ultimate favourite author but I have found that I have loved everything Brandon Sanderson has written.
Impossible to decide!?
Favorite author is def JK Rowling. My fave series would then be HP but after that it’s the Giver quartet by Lois Lowry, and the Throne of Glass Series by SJM
All time favorite book is Dragon’s Bait by Vivian Vande Velde
Series is The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima
And favorite author is Gena Showalter.
??
Julie kagawa is my fav author
I really need to try her books! Which one should I start with? A finished series, preferably ?
Love Julie!!!
The iron fey series is finished but I have not read it yet and she has the immortal rules series that’s finished that is AMAZING and the talon series and I believe the last book is coming out this year
Awesome! Yeah, the Talon series has been on my list—mostly because the covers ROCK—but I was hesitant to start an unfinished series. Thanks!?
Favourite Series: Harry Potter and The Lunar Chronicles. Favourite Authors: Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen (both of them dead, sadly).
Love Oscar Wilde
A court of thorns and roses by Sarah j Maas
Ilona Andrews – Kate Daniels series.
I have other I like but none compare to it.
Brandon Sanderson. Anything and everything by him.
I have several favorites. I love Christopher Paul Curtis.
Stephen James the Patrick Bower Files series. It’s basically Criminal Minds in paper form. They’re great!!
I will for sure be checking them out!
It’s an 8 book series starting with Opening Moves. He’s an FBI agent trying to raise his teenage stepdaughter alone.
I think I will go to Barnes and Noble Tuesday and get the 1st book. (Not like I don’t have 20 already waiting to be read) I will never be without something to read. Lol
I’m not sure if they’re all available at B&N. I found them at Lifeway, but their stock started at book 2, but I didn’t know that at the time. I found the rest of them on Amazon. Opening Moves was actually written in the middle of the series as a backstory, but I count it as book 1. It might be easier to find them on Amazon.
HP favorite series. Too many authors out there.
Can’t decide that! Too many authors i really like and read too many books i really like!
Have just discovered Wally Lamb … read 4 this past month …
Right now I am loving Kristin Hannah & Harlan Coben
Legend of Drizzt by R.A. Salvatore. Foreigner series by C.J. Cherryh. Fated Blades series by Steve Bein.
Omg! You are the first I’ve met who knows Drizzt! I love Drizzt though haven’t read the books in awhile.
Yes. Love Drizzt.
Thou I must admit, I haven’t read anything in a while either. Mostly bummed that my books are stored away. So I can’t really get to them at the moment.
I dressed up as Drizzt one Halloween but no one knew who it was lol
Really. Awesome. I did Tony Stark once with Arc Reactor. Only a few people got it, the rest just couldn’t get over my chest glowing.
Love Drizzt!
I have several favorite books/series and like a lot of authors but it’s Leigh Bardugo and the Grishaverse I love like crazy xD
I actually have a top 5 lol
1 James Patterson
2 Erica spindler
3 Sandra brown
4 John Grisham
5 Jodi Piccoult
I am reading my first james Patterson book now. So far so good.
Which one if I may ask
Crade and All. Which is actually YA but it sounded good.
Oh that one was interesting lol
Yeah after this i will definitely be looking at his other books.
Love your #4 & 5 authors!
I recommend you’ve been warned read it in a day
Thanks ?
I just noticed erica spindlers on your list. I like her too, wish there were more books by her.
Me too it’s almost a tie between her and JP for 1st lol
I have several authors i like but I can’t decide who i like more than others lol. Lisa jackson is probably one of my top authors.
I think I might have one of hers in my tbr pile
Shes good if you like mystery and crime and suspense .
Cool I do
I think you’d like her, most of her books are written in series of i think usually 3. Their the type where you don’t have to read all of them to understand it but their linked.
I think I have malice
http://www.lisajackson.com/series.cfm
That’s a guide to her series, if you wanted to start from book 1. When i first read her, i didn’t know that it was a book from a series. It was just something I picked out and it was a middle book in a series, but i wasn’t confused.
Wow looks pretty cool thanks for sharing
Your welcome. I’m always looking for book recommendation. So I’m glad to help.
Vc andrews, jackie collins, lisa Jackson, dean Koontz are my authors i read all of their books.
Vc Andrews oh my gosh! I still reread them even now at 27. Heaven will always be my favorite.
I started reading her way back in grade school. I have all of her older books (not the new ones that are basically written in her style). I’d have a hard time picking a favorite by her. Heaven was great. I think Ruby is my favorite though but its hard to pick one.
I was going to say heaven or ruby!!! My two favs! And yes I read them as a kid. The newer ones are a little too much for me but all the ones from when I was a kid I’ll just always love them. Although now when a series ends I’m always like ok where’s the book about the kids! ?
Lol ik. I think the last new book i read by her (even though most of the books are ghost writers) was the butterfly series.
Following..
Linda Castillo
My favourite series is The Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima! Seriously so good
Agatha Christie
Jhumpa Lahiri and Paolo Coelho. They both are THE BEST.
My ultimate favourite book series is House of night By P.C and Kristen Cast …
Sarah J Maas and Liane Moriarty! They are the only ones that I have read all or majority of and loved every one (or at least the most recent. I used to have other favs a long time ago)
Thirst by Christopher Pike
You know i haven’t read out book 5 … I find that her life was to depressing 🙁 do you know how it ends?
Yes ?? it’s my all time favorite series. It’s so beautiful. The ending is good, she ends up happy and where she always wanted. It does get crazy towards the end but it was worth it to me!
Hmmmm …. I hope you ain’t lying … I might have to go read the last book
It is sad at times but I promise she’s happy! Like I said it’s my absolute favorite so maybe I’m biased but it’s just so perfect!!
Throne of glass. Author is to hard! Nicholas sparks, michael connelly, sarah j. Maas and jennifer armentrout
Series: morganville vampires 🙂
I absolutely love that series ☺
I need moree, i wish she would write a spin off series, i feel like she kind of left the series with an open ending
Me too. I’m happy with the series but I do need more books from Morganville even if it’s a spin off series. I want more
Did u read midnight bites too?
No I’ve not read that one yet but it looks really good.
You need too 🙂
Thanks I will keep an eye out for it ☺
Anna Romer!!!
Love all her books once started can’t put them down!!
Favorite author (currently) is Neil Gaiman. Favorite series of all time are the Wizard of Oz books
Favorite book is the Iliad and odyssey by homer.
Or clockwork orange.
My favorite author is Michael Connelly or J.K Rowling.
Loved The Odyssey. I’ve yet to read the Iliad.
Ugh! I’m behind on my Harry Bosch!?
The Iliad is equally as good! I’d definitely recommend 🙂
@Siri don’t feel bad so am I , I prefer Mickey Haller however, I do still love Bosch 🙂
Something about Michael’s writing just sucks me into the books!
Definitely!!??
@Lindsey, I have it on my TBR pile.
The Selection Series ❤ Fave author: Kiera Cass and Rick Riordan ❤
Outlander.
The infernal devices series and pretty much anything by Cassandra Clare ?
Have you read the magesterium series by holy black and Cassandra Clare? The books are wonderful.
I loved them too, but I prefer the Shadowhunter books?
I love Cassandra Clare and all of her books. My new favourite one is Lady Midnight. Absolutely love that book. Finished it in 3 days
I loved Lady Midnight Can’t wait for the new book?
Me neither ?
Harry Potter
“Throne of Glass” and “Daughter of smoke and bone” (I think)
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Love this book.
Me too, it’s my all-time favorite. ?
Yukio mishima
Alice in wonderland by Lewis Carroll
I adore how nonsensical it is!! Sometimes we just don’t embrace what is really silly.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer!!
Dream Man series by Kristen Ashley
Okay, I have a lot of favorites… I’ll try to keep my list short:
The Lunar Chronicles
-by Marissa Meyer
Throne of Glass
-by Sarah J. Mass
All Fall Down (Embassy Row)
-by Ally Carter
Sherlock Holmes
-by Sir Arthur Doyle
And plenty more favorites.. ?
Lunar chronicles
Raised by wolves by Jennifer Lenny Barnes she one of my all time favourite author ?
Cassie Edwards and Lillian Jackson Braun
Jane eyre.
book authors are my favourites. there’s no one less or more fav to me <3
Anything Nora Roberts and JD Robb
Favorite authors Lisa Jackson, Lisa Plumley, Dakota Cassidy, Lynsay Sands & many others. Too many books to pick one.
J .K Rowling,Sidney Sheldon, Jeffery Archer ,Lisa Gardner ,David Baldacci etc
Allen, Sarah Addison, Asher,Jay, Brown, Sandra, Hilderbrand, Elin , Tudor, Robins, Bruen, Ken, Young, Wm. Paul, Gaynor, Hazel. These are just the recent ones
Divergent by Veronica Roth,Cinder by marissa meyers,Rose sociaty,Miss Perigrines Home for The Peculiar(i really love this book,a fantastic thriller!!!) and Apostle Thirteen /whritter unknown its a tagalog story,but sadly I haven’t finished reading it because my sister deleted it.
yes. Robin cook. sheldon.james headly chase. haroold robin.corbit.kenth andreson.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer,
The hunger games by Suzanne Collins and
The Monster calls by Patrick Ness ☺
My favorite book is the single volume edition of my favorite series, The Chronicles of Narnia, by my favorite author, C.S. Lewis. =D
Isn’t that a nice, tidy answer?
The glass demon
Twilight series by stephen meyer
I have two favorite series – Throne of glass and Outlander, and my favotite author has to be Sarah J Maas
Alexader Duma
or; Alexandre Dumas, his famous books the three mucky queers?
@David Yup Dave , I did read all of his books and loved Joseph Balsamo story
Who likes William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
My favorite books, going by how often I read them and so on, would have to be The Black Jewels Trilogy and associated novels. My favorite author is not Anne Bishop though, (she’s absolutely in my top 10) Caitlin Kiernan and Neil Gaiman are probably my favorites… though it is very hard to narrow it down that much.
Sherlock Holmes by ACD
Graham Greene.
In fact I have 2 favourite writers ;Charlotte brontë.and Fyodor Dostoevsky .
Yeah I love the Bronte sisters’works too especially wuthering heights
What about Jane Eyre .it is the novel which brought fame to the brontë sister ….have you read?
Yes ..It’s one of the best novel that I ever read
I think Jane Eyre is much more superior to Wuthering Heights when it comes to the story theme
Indeed it is a masterpiece …once I read it, it taught me a great deal about life
Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber
Philippa Gregory’s historical fiction
The Scorpio Races is my favorite book!
Kiera Cass and Marie Lu are my favorite authors.
Vampire Academy and Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead
Love her books
Joanna fluke all of her books
Dan Brown, nora Roberts, vince flynn ?
C. S. Lewis is awesome!
one of my favorite books Atlas Shrugged. One of my favorite authors Sophie Hannah, writes mysteries. She also was selected to continue the Hercule Poirot series and they’re excellent. Others: Dennis Lehane, Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child who wrote the Pendergast series. Alice Hoffman, James Elroy. That’s it for now.
I have a lot of favorite author I loved all the Pendergast books.
My favoirite series is and will always be harry potter. My favorite author is sarah j maas or dan brown.
I enjoy David Baladacci. Anyone else?
Mee … A frnd just recommended books by him .. and there I am… Just finished reading king and maxwell by David Baldacci .?
shadowislands – city of skies new series!
I agree with you darling ?
@Ines hehe
The bronte sisters, Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, .
B A Paris
There are just too many favourite authors and books for me
I had to cheat to pick an answer… my favorite book is actually seven books… shhhhh
Does anyone read Mark Gimenez’s books?
Peter James’ Dead series, Elly Griffiths’s Ruth Galloway series, The Morland Dynasty….
Has anyone read Kate Morton?
Oh yes, they’re wonderful books. My favourite is The Forgotten Garden.
I love her books!
Oh yes “Forgotten Garden”. Was my favorite. Then last year I listened to “The Lake House”. Once again she did an amazing job. Have any of you read “The Secret Keeper?” All three were so amazing. They’d make great movies.
@Mary love your pup. So cute.
I think “Forgotten Garden” was my fav too but I really liked them all! Hard to choose. I keep waiting for a new one to be released!
Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist
Jane Austen and Eça de Queirós
I have a few fave authors especially for their Series, Michelle Sagara -The Chronicles if Elantra.
Christine Feehan -The Drake Sisters/ Sea Haven Novels.
Anne Bishop -The Black Jewel.
Laurel K Hamilton- Merry Gentry Series.
Ilona Andrews The Edge Series/Kate Daniels Series.
Robin D Owens-Mystic Circle Series.
Michael Connelly – Lincoln Lawyer series, also David Baldacci – John Puller series, and any book by Dean Koontz.
My favorite author is Rachel Higginson! I have read: Love and Decay, Star-crossed series, and Starbright series by her. I can’t wait to read the Siren series by her!
Nice. I like her too. Her heroines’ povs were always entertaining to read haha. Haven’t read her Love and Decay series(?) though
It’s a novella series that was released in volumes of four episodes. It’s a zombie apocalypse series that is beyond awesome! There is still one volume to come out and I am dying waiting for it
Harry Potter is my all time favorite series!
I adore everything by tamora pierce.
My favorite book series is probably Tricksters Choice and Tricksters Queen by Tamora Pierce.
I also love Harry Potter series, Mortal Instruments series, and C.S Lewis author.
Yay! Daughter of the Lioness <3
Love Nora Roberts!
Christopher Fowler Bryant and May series, Louise Penny inspector Gamasch series and anything by Charles deLint
Jacqueline Susann shadow series. I almost have the whole set, thanks to yard sales and thrift stores.
I wanted to add that i loved the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series.
Favorite book: Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Favorite Authors: Lynsay Sands, Claudy Conn, J. R. Ward, Julia Mills
Favorite series : Argeneau Series by Lynsay Sands, Black dagger brotherhood series by J. R. Ward, and Dragon Guardsmen Series by Julia Mills
James Patterson the Alex cross series
Soman Chainani, J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan.
My favorite author is JRR Tolkien and I love everything he wrote.
More than I could express in one comment; lately, however, I’ve just finished Joe R. Lansdale’s Hap and Leonard series. I’ve also enjoyed everything I’ve read by him: short stories, novellas, and novels. He writes horror, mysteries, westerns, adventure, and crime, and he does it exceptionally well.
For people with a more literary bent, I recommend without reservation both Rick Bass and the late Jim Harrison. They’re good for both fiction and non-fiction.
My favorite book is non-fiction, “On Liberty” by John Stuart Mill. Authors: Conrad, Dickens, Collins, Bowles, London, Stevenson.
Beyond the Hundredth Meridian: John Wesley Powell and the Second Opening of the West by Wallace Stegner is one of my favorite non-fiction works. Stegner was another brilliant literary writer of both non-fiction and fiction. I reckon I need to add Edward Abbey for both non-fiction and fiction. For fiction, the great John Gardner (Grendel, The Art of Living, The Sunlight Dialogues) is high on my list. John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row along with Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five are two books I reread every couple of years or so.
Steinbeck is one of my favorites too. Last year we visited the Steinbeck Center in Salinas on our way to Napa. In Cannery Row near the aquarium in Monterey they have an elaborate sculpture with a figure of him and also sculptures of some of the Cannery Row characters he wrote about.
Years ago I met John Gardner at a party after he had given a speech at the university where I taught. Everyone was afraid to approach him so I thought he should have someone to talk to. He was very easy to talk with. At the time we both had teenage sons who were a bit rebellious and we discussed that. I wish I could remember more about the conversation, but it was quite pleasant.
Stegner is a marvelous writer. Last year I read Angle of Repose. What should I read next?
Allan Clark, you read Stegner’s best fiction when you read Angle of Repose. The friend who introduced me to Stegner feels that’s his best fiction, and, having read some of his other works, I have to agree; however, for fiction, I would recommend both the Big Rock Candy Mountain and Crossing to Safety. For non-fiction, I highly recommend Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs: Living and Writing in the West; it’s a superb collection of essays. I also recommend Marking the Sparrow’s Fall: The Making of the American West. “Stegner’s son Page has collected, annotated, and edited fifteen essays that have never before been published in any edition, as well as a little-known novella and several of Stegner’s best-known essays on the American West. Seventy-five percent of the contents of this body of work is published here for the first time.” (Quotation from Amazon.)
John Gardner. I was privileged to get to know John when I was an undergraduate student at Southern Illinois University in the early 1970s. I met him socially through my anthropology mentor before I had read any of his work. I was a USAF veteran, and, thus, older than my academic peers. John was kind enough to invite me to sit in on some of his seminars when I was so inclined. And, I had many a beer with him (sometimes with his creative writing students and sometimes in other venues. The last time I saw him was in 1981, when he was in Tucson, Arizona signing copies of his last (and one of his finest works) collection of short stories, The Art of Living. It was a slow afternoon, so we went out back with a couple of cold beers and got caught up with one another. Just an aside; the cover of The Art of Living has a group of motorcycle riders on it; he died in a motorcycle accident. I’m delighted you had a chance to spend some time with him. He was far more approachable that I would have imagined, and I’m glad I didn’t know him from Adam when I had that first encounter.
Finally, John Steinbeck. When I was in the USAF, I was stationed just up the hill from Cannery Row 1967 to 1968 at the Presidio of Monterey. Back then, the only development was the Steinbeck Theatre. Most of Cannery Row at that time was still much as it was in his novel, Cannery Row. I hope that before I shuffle off this mortal coil, I can get back there and see the development and the sculptures of which you wrote. If you haven’t read Cannery Row, I highly recommend that you do so. I reread it every couple or three years. That’s all for now.
Laurie R King: Mary Russel (and Sherlock) series. First one is “The Beekeepers’ Apprentise”. Other than Ms. King: Nevada Barr, and Barbara Kingsolver are definite favorites.