Fiction ~ Author recommendations please ...

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PaddyBloggit

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I'm all out of books to read .. :(

After a day on the computer etc., I like to unwind with a piece of fiction on my kindle. I'm not into factual/biographies (on my kindle).

Authors I like (but I've read all their books) include:
  • John Grisham
  • Ken Follett - all his work including the historical (Pillars of the Eartch etc.) and the Century Trilogy
  • Ben Kane - Eagles at War ( new to this guy - didn't like the book at the start but got into it)
  • John Grisham (all his stuff)
  • I 've read all of Jeffrey Archer's stuff, Jack Higgins/Harry Patterson (his stuff is a bit dated now)

Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch) - discovered him a few months back and read all the books in the series in quick time .... great read at the and of the day. A comparative author recommendation to him would be great.

Authors I tried but didn't like - Robert Crais, James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks. I saw "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng on the New York Times' Best Sellers' List but have now given up on it. Dan Brown hasn't done it for me either. Not into Stephen King either. More the crime/adventure/historical adventure reader. Although, saying that, I've read J.T. Edson (westerns) as well.

I'd be happy to go back a few years to start the series ... I'd have a stack ready to read! :)

David Baldacci's new book isn't out until April 17th ... I'll never last until then.

I'm without a decent book since Christmas .... be grateful for all suggestions.
 
How about some classics, like , A. Conan Doyle ( Sherlock) ,Dickens, Bronte or Austen? They can be great. Or, if you prefer Irish, John MacGahern, Roddy Doyle, Joe O'Connor or John Banville? Some of the Nordic 'noir' is also great, like S. Larsson?
 
You might like Dick Francis, detective type stories with a racing background.

And if you liked Pillars of the Earth, take a look at the Robin Hobb Trilogies - again there's plenty to keep you going.
 
I'll give them all a shot. I tried Dick Francis before, but not into horse racing, so it didn't spur me on.

Not overly enamoured with hitting the classics to be honest. I'll look at the Irish authors mentioned (never been an Irish author that has stood out for me) but will definitely be avoiding Roddy Doyle ... not my cup of tea at all.

Robin Hobb looks promising Thirsty ... added to the list. :)

Cheers guys!
 
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Purple said:
Have you read Sebastian Falks? Birdsong is my favourite novel of all time.
Click to expand...
You keep mentioning this book and I keep meaning to read it!

I've started The Great Upheaval too (at last). Very interesting so far!
 
If you like historical fiction (i.e. Ken Follett) you might like to check out James Clavell. I've only read Shogun so far. It's a bit of a read but was hugely captivating and enjoyable. Another great historical fiction author is Robert Harris.
Another author I really like is Kent Haruf, very easy read with characters you can't but like.

Also, have you read the Game of Thrones set? Am fed up waiting for the next book to come out (he's obviously too busy with the tv series) but there should be plenty to keep you going there!
 
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In terms of crime fiction you won’t get much better than Philip Kerr’s books set in Germany pre , during & post the Second World War featuring his protagonist Bernie Gunther - I think the first in the series “ The March violets “ is cheap on kindle.
James Lee Burke ‘s crime novels set in New Orleans are a great read - “In the electric mist with the confederate dead “ being a personal favorite.
Don Winslow’s “ The cartel “ is the best & most disturbing crime novel I’ve read recently detailing graphically the drug wars in Mexico.
For classic crime fiction I would suggest the brilliant Raymond Chandler ( & not solely because of his Waterford connections ) “ The Big sleep “ is noir at it’s finest , Ross McDonald & Agatha Christie also come to mind.
 
Going with the OPs John Grisham, Ken Follett, Jeffery Archer theme, the next in that line seems Lee Child.

If you want an Irish author (although Lee Child's mammy is from Belfast) but don't fancy John MaGahern try Ken Bruen. Or for something really funny and Irish with a crime background try "A man with one of those faces" by Caimh McDonnell https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31622963-a-man-with-one-of-those-faces
 
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Lee Child books are good easy read. The John Connolly Charlie Parker books I always look forward to. There are also a few good female crime writers these days. Recently discovered Tana Franch and the Dublin murder squad. Enjoyable. Have also enjoyed some books written by people like Kathy Reichs and Karin Slaughter.
 
The Perk by Mark Giminez was quite good I thought. Health Warning though, I'm not much of a fiction reader (more biography/comedy/sport/psychology, odd bit of business), so I'm a bit lightweight. Maybe if someone else has read it they could slot it into the great pantheon of fiction writers.

Herself read the first of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, seemed to enjoy it. I'm a fan of the TV series. Historical fiction (Scottish clans in 1700's leading up to Bonny Prince Charlie), wee bit of time travel, lots of steamy romance (....cough...splutter).
 
Lots of more authors in the mix now ... I'm going to investigate all of them but it may take me some time! :)

The recommendations are much appreciated. I'm back reading my kindle again! yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah! :D
 
Another vote for Lee Child here - There are 23 books in his Jack Reacher series - about US Military MP

If you liked Michael Connelly & David Baldacci'- i think you will like Lee Child!
 
Patricia Cornwell - The Kay Scarpetta series is all about forensics, great if you like a good murder or three
Frederick Forsyth - Gripping and quite twisty
Colin Dexter - Inspector Morse books
Jonathon Kellerman - Kind of whodunnit books
Bill Bryson - Quite good

and although I really think it's geared for children, I just couldn't leave her out

J K Rowling (it's Rowling like bowling; not Rowling like howling! :D) The Harry Potter books - I like the ebooks read by Stephen Fry
 
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