Authors I Like.
I read constantly pretty much constantly, always have since I can remember.
If a subject matter interests me, I’ll buy a book (sometimes several books) on it. I also like a really good plain-and-simple story. The best books are the ones where you just fall into the story to the point where stopping reading is a dislocating experience, as you suddenly realise you’re sat safely in bed rather than standing horrified over a dead lady (who isn’t quite as dead as she seems) in a bath. Here are a small sample of some of my favourite authors. I’ve chosen these on the basis that they all write books I can come back to many times, and they always seem fresh and like old friends at the same time. I’ll add to this list as I discover new favourites:-
Stephen King.
Stephen King (in my very humble opinion) is The Daddy of storytelling. I love his almost conversational style, and the substance and reality of his characters. Three pages in, you care about them. Ten pages in, you’re weeping and laughing with them. Personally, I enjoy his non- horror fiction the best. They’re just stories for stories sake, and you never know where they’re going to take you.
Bill Bryson
If Bill Bryson wrote a book about plucking nose- hairs I’d buy it. In fact, I’d probably pre- order it. His books are, without exception, endlessly interesting and gently humorous at the same time. I’ve learned hundreds of interesting facts from reading Bill Bryson, and it never felt like hard work. His travelogue books have had me snorting laughter at many an inappropriate time.
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter is perhaps the shooter’s author. His knowledge of firearms and what they really do, is second to none. He also came up with an incredible character in Bob Lee Swagger. If you really want to get inside a sniper’s head and see what they’re capable of, read Stephen’s Point Of Impact.
Lee Child
The author of the Jack Reacher series (amongst others). Lee has taken the short, sharp sentence construction to its ultimate conclusion. His story- writing is pared down to the bone. Some books are written in the first person, giving a deeper insight into the Jack Reacher character. I think I used the line ‘Nick said nothing’ in The Green Man, by way of a small homage to the uber- stoic nature of Jack Reacher.
George R.R. Martin
Known primarily for his ongoing Game Of Thrones saga, George leans heavily on medieval political machinations for his inspiration. If you want to immerse yourself in a beautifully realised, complex world, this would be a good place to start. With a mind- boggling array of characters and sub- plots, lesser writers would struggle to keep the reader engaged, but George’s rich detail and living, breathing characters have regularly kept me page- turning well past the point when I should have put the bedside lamp out and gone to sleep.
I read constantly pretty much constantly, always have since I can remember.
If a subject matter interests me, I’ll buy a book (sometimes several books) on it. I also like a really good plain-and-simple story. The best books are the ones where you just fall into the story to the point where stopping reading is a dislocating experience, as you suddenly realise you’re sat safely in bed rather than standing horrified over a dead lady (who isn’t quite as dead as she seems) in a bath. Here are a small sample of some of my favourite authors. I’ve chosen these on the basis that they all write books I can come back to many times, and they always seem fresh and like old friends at the same time. I’ll add to this list as I discover new favourites:-
Stephen King.
Stephen King (in my very humble opinion) is The Daddy of storytelling. I love his almost conversational style, and the substance and reality of his characters. Three pages in, you care about them. Ten pages in, you’re weeping and laughing with them. Personally, I enjoy his non- horror fiction the best. They’re just stories for stories sake, and you never know where they’re going to take you.
Bill Bryson
If Bill Bryson wrote a book about plucking nose- hairs I’d buy it. In fact, I’d probably pre- order it. His books are, without exception, endlessly interesting and gently humorous at the same time. I’ve learned hundreds of interesting facts from reading Bill Bryson, and it never felt like hard work. His travelogue books have had me snorting laughter at many an inappropriate time.
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter is perhaps the shooter’s author. His knowledge of firearms and what they really do, is second to none. He also came up with an incredible character in Bob Lee Swagger. If you really want to get inside a sniper’s head and see what they’re capable of, read Stephen’s Point Of Impact.
Lee Child
The author of the Jack Reacher series (amongst others). Lee has taken the short, sharp sentence construction to its ultimate conclusion. His story- writing is pared down to the bone. Some books are written in the first person, giving a deeper insight into the Jack Reacher character. I think I used the line ‘Nick said nothing’ in The Green Man, by way of a small homage to the uber- stoic nature of Jack Reacher.
George R.R. Martin
Known primarily for his ongoing Game Of Thrones saga, George leans heavily on medieval political machinations for his inspiration. If you want to immerse yourself in a beautifully realised, complex world, this would be a good place to start. With a mind- boggling array of characters and sub- plots, lesser writers would struggle to keep the reader engaged, but George’s rich detail and living, breathing characters have regularly kept me page- turning well past the point when I should have put the bedside lamp out and gone to sleep.