a question for authors

[wildsweetone]

ok Here's a question for authors.

What kind of reading material do you read for leisure/pleasure/relaxation?

 

[Axeltheswede]

Favorite Authors

Any author I can read and not be interested in the mechanics of their writing. Examples: Elmore Leonard, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, James Ellroy, John Hall, John Grisham, Fredrick Forsyth, and even Tom Clancy.

 

[karmadog]

reading for pleasure

Short stories: Charles Baxter, Ernest Hemingway, T.C. Boyle

Novels: Cormac McCarthy, Patrick O'Brien, Alexandre Dumas (pere), Shakespeare (I know--plays), Jim Harrison (also his novellas), Confederacy of Dunces (Viva Ignatius Reilly!!)

Non-Fiction: A Peoples History of the Supreme Court, anything I can find about Aaron Burr, Civil War, WWI

If I live a hundred more years I will never be able to catch up on my reading.

 

[mlyn]

I seem to spend more time writing than reading...

But I grew up on Harlequin romances, Barbara Cartland and countless others. I'd have to say the two most influential writers for my style are Georgette Heyer and Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz.)

I've read a few authors here, but I don't want to steal ideas, so I am careful about what I read.

 

[KillerMuffin]

Lately non-fiction involving forensic evidence and autopsies. Fascinating stuff.

 

[Route66Girl]

That's a toughie

I don't have favorites, really. I like so much. So I'll list the last five things I read.

1- Kennedy and Nixon: The Rivalry that Shaped Postwar America by Christopher Matthews. Boy, there's two guys you'd have never guessed had so much in common...

2- Modern Manners by P.J. O'Rourke. Not his best. Try Give War a Chance or Parliament of Whores instead.

3- Every Living Thing by James Herriot. I love James Herriot

4- The Shawshank Redemption: A Screenplay by Frank Darabont. Love the movie, loved the screenplay. Lots of bonuses for fans of the movie, including storyboards, author's notes, a comparison of the script vs. the film, and more.

5- Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz. Some good brain candy.

 

[RisiaSkye]

I basically study for a living, so when it comes to non-work reading, I'll take whatever's close at hand that doesn't require much brain power: magazines, cheesy pop fiction, books I've already read a dozen times...whatever.

For real brain candy, I like mysteries (Paretsky, Patterson, Kellerman, Stuart Woods)--especially forensic science based tales (Cornwell). I also like horror (King, Koontz, Bentley Little, etc.) and humor (Dave Barry, James Lileks, PJ O'Rourke, Lewis Grizzard).

Also, of course, I read a lot of erotica, both online and offline. Gotta know what the "competition" is up to, right? (Yeah, *that's* why I read it.)

 

[MaxSebastian]

I have phases. I had an intense crime phase a litle while ago, starting off with a major Agatha Christie fixation and ending up with me writing a dissertation on detective fiction for my degree (asking the question why 20th century crime writing was dominated by female authors while the 'detective' character was still a very masculine image. This for a geography degree. How about that for stretching the parameters?).

I also had a horror fixation at school, heavily based around the works of Stephen King, just after our headmaster banned the entire school from reading Stephen King due to its 'anti-christian' flavour (I know - go figure!).

Aside from that, I read all kinds of things - Nick Hornby, Dave Barry, Hunter S Thompson, Hemingway, Palaniuk, Elmore Leonard, Mervyn Peake, Tolkien. Oh, and of course JK Rowling - genius of our age.


Occasionally I read the odd story on Literotica, too.

 

[Sabledrake]

Although my so-far-published novels are fantasy, I read hardly any of that genre. My real love has always been horror. King, Koontz, Saul, McCammon, Laymon (though some of these authors protest the horror label) ... horror anthologies ... horror/erotica anthologies like the Hot Blood books ... yum!

Lately I've been branching out into thrillers (Cussler, Sanford, Patterson). Plus, reading McCrumb's "Bimbos of the Death Sun" -- a must for every gamer or fan type -- turned me on to her Appalachian mystery novels.

Recently joined the Harry Potter obsessives.

But one of my all-time faves is "Raptor Red." Just for the pure joy of reading.

What I don't read: romance novels, true crime, scary medical stuff (IMO far, far scarier than horror <g>).

Sabledrake

 

[jon.hayworth]

Fiction falls into 2 categories -
escape - anything light that can just relax my mind John Grisham is good, Tom Clancy, Douglas Reaman, Frederick Forsyth, Mortimer,(whispering) even Jeffrey Archer.

A bit serious Shakespeare, Marlowe, James Joyce

Porn De Sade, Frank Harris, a collection of anonymous victorian authors.

Non Fiction, History - Roman Britain, 16th C Britain, 20thc spies. Cornish history - favourite author AL Rowse.

Law also interests me - but it is not a reading subject.

Books on ESP, Astrology, Supernatural, Tarot Cards, Runes.

Complex or what? I like to think of myself as being a Rennaissance Man born in the wrong time. I detest the narrow mindedness fostered by the specialisation our time seems to force upon people.

jon

 

[wildsweetone]

interesting stuff so far, thanks.

ok here's a tid bit from me.

jane smiley, jared diamond, steven pinker, shakespeare, robert hughes, john gray (for a different perspective), kahlil gibran, the bronte sisters, jd salinger, albert c baugh and thomas cable, jonathan mooney and david cole, numerous mills and boon, harlequin, light readers, some sci fi.

my reading varies from a need to increase my general knowledge (which is really low) to flicking through magazines or just simple basic light romance.

 

[CHEWEY]

I like to read romance novels but sometimes i will pick up a Harlequin if I have an hour , I'm not doing anything in. Also The Green Mile series was excellant, as was the movie. But I really like erotica, It relaxes me or not

 

[Route66Girl]

For Chewey

If you liked The Green Mile then what I had to say about The Shawshank Redemption might particularly interest you.

They were both based on the works of Stephen King, and both were adapted for the sceen and directed by Frank Darabont. Very good stuff.

Sidenote to authors: As I discovered while reading "...Shawshank..." , King is very new-author friendly. He sells the rights for his material for adaptation by other authors for one dollar.

 

[ozeboi69]

various

My tastes vary from drama and supernatural thrillers by Anne Rice and Dean Koontz to the comedy of British authors Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams.

My reading habits depend on my mood. I can find both fiction and non-fiction equally as fascinating and enjoyable.

 

[wildsweetone]

wow

i'm impressed. we sure are a diverse lot!

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

Mostly suspense or horror/thrillers. I sometimes read romances when I want to not really have to think.

I just discovered what could be my new favorite writer, Greg Iles. I read Mortal Fear and this book made me stay up two nights in a row until I finished the whole thing. It was awesome.

 

[Eric623]

Mainly short stories with an edge. I like quirky charactors who live with one foot outside of the box. My all time favorite fiction author is Tom Robbins.

 

[Wolf Bennington]

Favorite Reading

I really enjoy Clancy and Koontz. While Clancy's work has a touch of realism in it, Koontz's work is usually SO FAR out there that you have to work your imagination just to groove in it.

By and large I enjoy action/adventure works, detective novels and non-fiction analytical works. Still, I do truly enjoy reading erotica as written by a lover or potential lover for what there is to learn.

 

[Hitchhiker]

Boring really boring.
Raymond E. Feist-Rift war saga and on....
Robert Graves- I Claudius and Claudius the god
But best of all. George Shipway-Knight in Anarchy and Roman Govennor.
Tend to re-read all the above over and over have tried others but apart from the Flashman series by Goerge Macdonald Fraser.
There aint' much out there thats really different.

You read one murder mystery you've read the lot. You know what I mean dead body smart arse detective thicko murderer gets caught and banged to rights.

Real life is much more fun.
Try this for a different quote.

"Our imagination-The highest kite we can fly!"

 

[Wolf Bennington]

Apology

I feel I should ask forgiveness for having posted a reply. I didn't realize that my taste in reading was so boring. Perhaps one day I can reach the height of perfection as some others seem to have.

 

[Hitchhiker]

read first think, second read again, then reply

before I'm labeled as an eleatist (Who can't spell!)
My reading is boring or would be conscidered by most.
I forgot to mention Tolkien read his work 9 times plus...
So call me an escapist. Still I've stood on the Olivine ice platue.6/88
(Snow scene Lord of the rings- Film)

 

[wildsweetone]

Wolf B

why be sorry for reading something which gives you pleasure, relaxes your mind (maybe body too), takes stress away from your life?

enjoyment is one of the reasons reading has gone to the lengths it has... don't knock it.

do you want to be a clone of another? now that would be boring indeed.

 

[mlyn]

I probably win the boring award

I choose to read a romance story over anything else. But I find myself spending most of my time watching shows on discovery, history and TLC channels.

Maybe tv is the art form for illiterate, but I like visuals, and I love learning more about Egypt, places all over the world... even the crocodile hunter!!!

 

[karmadog]

no stones

What a great thread! I've found things that I want to re-read and some new authors to check out. One of the greatest thrills is to find someone new to read. Even though that means I'll have to live to be 300. You do what you have to do.

 

[wildsweetone]

Glad you're liking it as much as I am Karmadog.
Hope some more authors find time to share