[Rio]

[Alberta's Child]

Depends on whether you're looking at fiction or non-fiction work.

For fiction, I think William Faulkner is the best author I've ever read. For not-so-famous authors, I'm not sure I can even think of a great book off the top of my head.

For non-fiction books, I'd recommend two in particular that are kind of industry-focused and are great narratives to help a reader understand how things work without getting bogged down in details: Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis (about his life working in the bond trading industry on Wall Street in the 1980s) and Uncommon Carriers by John McPhee (a "day-in-the-life" set of stories about different sectors in the freight transportation industry).

[blueunicorn6]

A Rive Runs Through It by Norman Maclean. A finely crafted love story about his family and doing things well.

Some writers are better than others.

[Republicanprofessor]

For fiction, I’m a sucker for thriller mysteries, some of which have more character development than others. Authors: Elizabeth George, Elly Griffiths, David Baldacci and Karin Slaughter.

For non-fiction, my favorite author is Ross King, who writes about art history in a very readable way. He’s written about Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Leonardo’s Last Supper, Monet’s waterlilies, and Canada’s Group of Seven. The last book I have not gotten to yet but the others are fascinating.

[IronJack]

A book named “The Short End,” by Gene L. Coon. You might recognize the author from Star Trek; he wrote several episodes. The book is not sci-fi though. It is about GI’s in Korea. Pretty intense, a little maudlin, but a jagged sense of humor throughout as well. Think M.A.S.H. without the overt PC anti-war BS.

[Chipper]

Military Sci-fi for those who have given up on Star Wars, the Galaxy’s Edge series by Nick Cole and Jason Anspach. I’m reading the series for a second time.

Fight the Rooster by Nick Cole is my favorite book. Nice book about redemption.

Was a fan of Stephen King, but can’t keep reading great writing with crap endings.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Nothing new. The current list is:
Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josepus.
Rats Lice and History by Hans Zinsser.
Spies, Patriots and Traitors by Kenneth Daigler.
Numbers by Moses.
Romans by Paul of Tarsus.

[BraveMan]

I love fiction regarding Time Travel. My favorite author in this genre is "Unknown" Nathan Van Coops.

The Author's Website

[ForMyChildren]

Ross Thomas. Chinaman’s Chance, Missionary Stew, Briarpatch and Ah, Treachery.
Some of the best fiction I’ve ever read. And Frank Muller’s narration makes the audiobook versions an extraordinary experience.

[deadrock]

Just tried a new author(for me) and was highly entertained.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni. A boy born with red eyes.

[deadrock]

Jeff Wheeler the Kingfountain series is worth a go.

[Fiji Hill]

Some of my favorites--and some non-favorites--from my recent reading.

Favorites

:
• Witness by Whittaker Chambers (New York: Random House, 1952) A memoir that can be read on many levels, including as a spy thriller, social commentary and personal journey.

  Books and Battles: American Literature 1920-1930 by Irene and Allen Cherton (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1937) An overview of the literary scene in the 1920's.

• Calvin Coolidge: The Man from Vermont by Claude Fuess (Boston: Little, Brown, 1940) The best biography of Calvin Coolidge

• Out of the Night by Jan Valtin (New York: Alliance, 1941) In his memoir, a bestseller in 1941, Richard Krebs, writing under a pseudonym tells the thrilling story of his life as a Communist revolutionary in post-WWI Germany, his imprisonment in California and later in Nazi Germany, his infiltration of the Nazi government, and finally his escape from the Communists when he fell out of their favor.

• Red Conspirator: J. Peters and the American Communist Underground by Thomas Sakmyster (Urbana, Ill. University of Illinois Press, 2011) An extensively researched biography that shines a light on the mysterious life of the influential Soviet spy known as J. Peters, among his many aliases. Sakmyster's book answers many questions that have baffled Cold Warriors and Cold War historians for decades.

• The Great Idea by Henry Hazlitt (New York: Appleton, Century, Crofts, 1951) A dystopian novel with a happy ending that provides an extensive lesson in free-market economics

Nonfavorite

• One Summer by Bill Bryson (New York: Doubleday, 2013) Poorly written sloppily researched and biased look at the summer of 1927. The author has a pronounced animus toward President Herbert Hoover and relies on highly questionable sources in an effort to smear his reputation.

• The Associate by John Grisham (New York: Doubleday, 2009) Grisham has received loads of critical acclaim, yet this novel greatly disappointed me because of its failure to tie up all the loose ends. Much better and more entertaining is his Playing for Pizza (New York: Random House, 2007)

• A Fighting Chance by Elizabeth Warren (New York: Holt, 2014) Self-serving, selective of facts and a tedious read.

• The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (Boston: Grosset & Dunlap, 1959) This dumbed-down, politically correct version of the bestselling 1930 detective story for young people is downright boring compared to the original.

[laweeks]

An amazing and very important book that ALL Americans should read, especially High School children. It's just incredible what this man went through.

[georgiegirl]

Best and most amusing real life tale of the California Goldrush in and around Goldrush country located all around Hwy 49, Merced River's tributaries and Yosemite. Read it probably 4 times.

[Jemian]

Came A Cavalier is the best book I've read by a not-very-famous-any-more author, Francis Parkinson Keyes.

The author I used to like but don't now is John Gresham.

[Auntie Mame]

Can’t stand Patterson. In fact, when Laura Bush was once asked who her favorite author was and she said Patterson, I lost a lot of respect for her.

[Auntie Mame]

I’ve rec3ently discovered a really good author, I’ve liked all his books; they’re mysteries with a psychologist named Joe O’Laughlin as the main character. The author’s name is Michael Robotham.

Note, if you like books such as “Memoirs of a Geisha,” or “The Goldfinch,” you probably won’t like the books I recommend.

[mass55th]

Right now I'm reading:

"The Essential Dracula: The Definitive Annotated Edition of Bram Stoker's Classic Novel" by Leonard Wolf, Editor.

"The Tinner's Corpse" by Bernard Knight (A Crowner John Mystery)

"The House of Smoke" by Sam Christer

"The Jekyll Revelation" by Robert Masello

And on my Kindle:

"Murder Houses of London" by Jan Bondeson (non-fiction)

As a side note, I'm presently watching a very good movie. It's based on a book (which I didn't read), but will mention it since it has to do with a bookclub that had been formed during WWII on the Isle of Guernsey during German Occupation. The movie is titled:

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society"

It's kind of a Downton Abbey reunion as several of the actors/actresses who starred in the series, are in this movie. It's coming to Netflix on August 10th. Beautiful scenery, funny, and heartwarming.