This is a list of my favorite books and authors. Pick up the New York Times and you can find the list of Best Selling Books and Authors. While I am an avid reader, I do not confess to have read every Best Selling Book. What I will tell you here is about my favorites among that long list and try to entice you to try some if you haven’t read them. They are basically categorized by authors as I tend to latch on to authors and read everything they write. Seldom do they disappoint me.
I began reading at an early age when I was maybe 10 or 11. That is when I found my first library. I don’t remember that first visit, but I do remember the long walk to the library every two weeks. It was maybe 2-3 miles. It was in a small New England town and it was a white building that looked a lot like a small church without the steeple.
When I was 12, we moved from that town. We moved to Ohio, and there was no library nearby. But we only stayed in that house for a year and then, when we moved, there was another library just one block away. I was elated and devoured all the “teen” books the three years we lived in that house. The title of one book from that whole period still remains in my memory. I am 85. That book was called Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly (1942). I was only 16 at the time and it seemed very daring to me. It is still available on Google – amazing.
So you see, books have been my entertainment for many, many years. I can’t remember a time when there wasn’t a book on my nightstand. At least one chapter is my sleeping pill. Sometimes, depending upon the content of that chapter, lights out got extended a little longer and sometimes much, much longer.
My choices of books vary depending upon my moods, but I do not read science fiction or extremely gory or scary books. I also do not read many non-fiction books. My choices usually run to romance, just everyday themes, and light mystery, although some political and/or legal books also catch my eye.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS AND AUTHORS:
Barbara Delinsky
Barbara Delinsky writer of romance novels weaves a stunning and intricate tapestry of life, love, and acceptance.
Some suggested titles: An Accidental Woman, Not My Daughter, While My Sister Sleeps
Barbara Taylor Bradford
Barbara’s series about the Harte Family Saga is full of family traumas and jealousies as well as in-depth workings of the fashion industry and a department store.
Catherine Coulter
Catherine is an American author of romantic suspense thrillers and historical romances Her FBI series has had me hooked for several years with protagonists FBI special agents Savich and Sherlock (husband and wife).
Christina Tetreault
Christina Tetreault’s series The Sherbrookes of Newport, with their billionaire lifestyle, has provided hours of delightful reading time for me.
Debbie Macomber
In her novels, Debbie Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of connection and hope. She’s the bestselling author of the Cedar Cove and Blossom Street series include some of her most popular heartwarming novels. Always a feel-good story.
J A Jance
Jance has three separate series – The Beaumont Series, the Joanna Brady Series, and the Ali Reynolds series Two of the three are set in Arizona, with the Beaumon series set in Seattle. Joanna Brady series is set in Southeastern Arizona in and around Bisbee., while the Ali Reynolds books are centered around the Sedona area.
Beaumont is a police detective. In earlier books, he was active on a police force, but as he aged, his carer changed to a special state investigation group called SHIT. He is now “retired”, although married to the Police Chief in Bellingham, WA, and continues to be drawn into investigations. Always a totally interesting and entertaining read.
Joanna Brady is the Sheriff of Cochise County with lots of activity happening in those small towns and wide-open counties. They have a southwest aura to them.
The Ali Reynolds books are now more techie-oriented, but they started with her as a TV reporter in Phoenix.
Those who know me on Facebook have the “privileged” to see my weekly blog that is based on Jance’s weekly blog. She always manages to bring something to my memory to set me off.
MORE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS AND AUTHORS
J. D. Robb
J D Robb is Nora Roberts writing under this pseudonym for her mystery “death” series. These are great mysteries. The only thing I don’t like about them is that the titles are all “xxx in Death”,. The xxx changes with each book, but for me, it is impossible to keep track of which I’ve read.
Janet Dailey
Janet Dailey is another author that we have lost. She died in 2019. Her romance stories all had a sense of Western and Cowboys. Her books are still available.
John Grisham
John Grisham, a lawyer, always gives us good legal-type stories. His debut novel “A Time to Kill”, set the expectations for the ones to come. “The Firm”, “The Pelican Brief”, and “The Rainmaker” followed with equally compelling stories.
Lee Child (Jack Reacher)
I’m sure you all must have heard of Jack Reacher by now. He is the protagonist in Lee Child’s series of books. I’ve read almost all of them. I stopped reading them when Tom Cruise, was cast as Reacher in the movies. Reacher in the books is 6 feet plus, and a very rugged guy. We all know Tom Cruise was nowhere near that height or that persona. I have always avoided seeing movies based on books I’ve read. Reading, of course, allows us the opportunity to form mental pictures of the characters and the surroundings. The movies never match my mental pictures, thereby spoiling both the book and the movie.
Linda Feinstein
Linda Feirstein was an NYC prosecutor. The main character in her books is Alexandra Cooper, who is also a prosecutor in Sexual Offenses crimes. These books are all set in NYC with a focus on a specific area in the city. She provides a lot of interesting, behind-the-scenes information about the setting. The first book of hers that got me started with her series was set in and around Grand Central Station and was absolutely fascinating to me. I once actually got lost in Grand Central Station coming home from college. We arrived by shuttle from Penn Station on a track that was completely foreign to me. After wandering for what seemed like hours, I called my Dad to ask for help. He just laughed at me and said if I didn’t know where I was there was no way for him to help me. He said, “Ask someone”.
Additionally, back to Linda Feinstein, Alex owns a home on Martha’s Vineyard, so we get glimpses occasionally of that area too.
Marcia Muller
Marcia Muller has a detective series in San Francisco and northern California. I guess I am drawn to them because I am familiar with the San Francisco area.
Mary Higgins Clark
Mary Higgens Clark is another mystery writer who has had a long, successful career. I’ve read her books for years and years. I loved every one of them. Alas, she is no longer publishing new books, but she does contribute with her daughter occasionally.
Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts’ books cover a whole range of genres. Some are romances, occasionally in a trilogy, which I’ve enjoyed. Others of her books are into the occult, which is not my cup of tea. She writes as J. D. Robb for the “in Death” series and has also written under the pseudonyms Jill March and for publications in the U.K. as Sarah Hardesty.
Two of my favorite series are The Chesapeake Bay Saga about the lives of four brothers in the Chesapeake Bay and The Inn Boonsboro Trilogy about the restoration of an inn in Boonsboro, Maryland. Both are great stories.
Robyn Carr
Robyn Carr writes what I call “nice” books about interesting people in interesting locations. She has three main series – Virgin River, Sullivan’s Crossing, and Thunder Point. Virgin River is a rugged outpost deep in California’s redwood forests. It was built by men of honor for the women they love. Thunder Point is a small, ordinary town at the base of towering cliffs in Oregon, tucked into the curve of a picturesque bay. Any one of the books is an enjoyable evening of reading.
Sandra Brown
Reading a Sandra Brown book is always a chilling, nail-biting experience. ‘They usually encompass an abduction and imprisonment and some other sort of terror. But they always have a good ending. You can pick any one of them, it is sure to be a good read.
Sophie Kinsella
Sophie is British and has a wry sense of humor. Her books are great fun to read. The characters are always doing something crazy. I love them. Two that I can recommend off the top of my head are Wedding Night and I’ve Got Your Number. Both are so funny. Wedding night has a sister trying to derail her sister’s honeymoon because she thinks the sister has married an old flame on the rebound. You can’t imagine what happens. Absolutely hilarious. She also has a Shopaholic series that are all funny. When I worked in the Used Book store, if we had a copy come in, I loved introducing it to a new person.
Steve Martini
Steve Martini’s main protagonist is defense attorney Paul Madriani. There are 16 books in the series. All are good stories.
Stuart Woods
Stuart Woods series has brought many hours of delightful reading. His main character is a single wealthy lawyer, so there is always some sort of legal investigation thing going on. Stuart may be a little sexist from time to time, but I just read past them.
Sue Grafton
Sue Grafton died in December 2017 after completing 25 of the planned 26 novels using the alphabet for the titles. I have not read her last two, X and Y. but I have enjoyed all the rest. Most were light mystery stories, but the review for the Y book says it is the darkest and most disturbing of all her books. I’ll have to get those last two.
IN CONCLUSION OF FAVORITE BOOKS AND AUTHORS
Whatever books and authors you choose, I urge you all to spend some time with a book. Start your kids early. I have just listed a few of my favorites here, but reading is becoming a lost art. I have even graduated from paper book to a Kindle. This is mostly because of my lack of mobility and difficulty getting out to libraries. Fortunately, both the libraries plus the Internet provide me with great, easy downloads whenever I want them. ENJOY A GOOD BOOK TODAY!!
