What do the writers here read?

[Lauren Hynde]

I read quite a bit, here in Lit, usually from a few selected authors, or the top rated stories of a category I'm interested in at the time. Four, five stories a week would be a good estimate, but sometimes I can read that in a single day.

When I'm offline I read a lot, too. Technical books, of course, but mostly contemporary fiction. Bret Easton Ellis, Iain (not M.) Banks, JG Ballard, Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Coupland, Malcolm Brandbury...

 

[Boota]

I read a bit of everything. If something grabs my interest, I read it. I usually have three books going at any one time. All different styles. Right now I'm reading a vampire novel, a biography, and a book on the history of the U.S. Supreme Court. I have a few favorite authors that I always follow. Stephen King, Nelson DeMille, Christopher Moore. I've recently been turned on to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series.

I've read a lot of the Lit authors. I follow a lot of links. There is just so much here, I could never read it all.

 

[Lovepotion69]

I read a fair deal of Lit stuff. Lately I've actually tried to read stuff written by AH authors. Normally I never check who has written a story. In a way that sucks as I have one story I really liked, but got no clue who wrote it. Darn.

Outside of Lit I read a lot too. Not as much as when I was younger, but a decent amount to keep me sane. Lately it's been a lot of Christian Jacq (set in ancient Egypt), Anne Rice, Robin Cook (medical thrillers), Dean Koontz, Stephen King and just finished Marian Keyes' "Sushi for Beginners".
Current fave author is Tony Parsons. Just fell in love with his style. I used to like Anne Rice's style, lots of detailed descriptions etc, but lately I'm more into short and concise.

/LP

 

[sweetnpetite]

Every couple of weeks or so I go to the library and check out a pile of books- usually non-fiction. Right now I've got some books about Charlemagne, a couple about archeology, some on memory, a handful on grieving and another pile on money and investing. (Wow, I really need to return some of those!) I also like to read magazines such as "Science and Mind" and pretty much any thing that catches my eye. Especially children's magazines in history or world cultures. Maybe someday, I'll even write for them. I really love MS. magazine, but haven't read it in a while and anything with a spiritual, or feminist bent. I'm also interested in Gypsies, and am reading a fiction novel on that topic.

I was reading several Oprah books when they had them all together at the library, but I really don't feel like searching them out just for that purpose, so I'll read them as I come to them. the first few of her recomendations did not thrill me, but I didn't give up and found "The Poisonwood Bible" to be one of my new favorates.

I also loved, "The Red Tent" and "The DaVinci Code" which were not on her list, just thought of them as examples of some fiction I really liked.

I like Fantasy, but NOt particularly Science Fiction, and tend to get annoyed when they are all cramed together as if they were the same thing.

On lit, I used to like to read BDSM and non-concent, but now I find myself reading more often from the top list and more for research purposes than for pleasure. (I really need to stop that)

If I were reading for pure pleasure (on lit), I would be scouting for "Quality Smut" which is to say, really dirty nasty stories with no literary value but with some understanding of the human animal and the english language (ie, readable, believable, and enjoyable- though not neccessarily realistic) very 'Penthouse Forum" but kicked up maybe one or two notches. And when I'd find them, I'd give them all fives, even if they lacked any character development, plotline or meaning beyond purient interest. (So ha- to all the literary snobs )

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

I don't read much here that I'm not asked to read. With all due respect to the writers here, many of whom are my friends, looking for a good piece of fiction here is something like looking for romantic love in a whorehouse.

---dr.M.

Damn, why didn't I ever think of that? Of course, in my sportin' days, I never had the money needed to go looking for love in all the wrong places.

As for Lit writers, Killer Muffins' list is a good one. I'd include some more folks such as the good Doc Mabeuse, Thesandman, Colly, Master V, MaxSabastian, ronde, and of course the incomparable DurtGurl.

For what it's worth, ronde gets a special tip-of-the-hat-covering-my-bald-spot for coming up with one of the better titles I've seen here at Lit, "Eighteen Wheels & A Denim Miniskirt." It's his new submission in the Romance category.

Rumple Foreskin

 

[The_Darkness]

As for Lit writers, Killer Muffins' list is a good one. I'd include some more folks such as the good Doc Mabeuse, Thesandman, Colly, Master V, MaxSabastian, ronde, and of course the incomparable DurtGurl.

A very accomplished list indeed!

 

[steve w]

Outside of Lit, my favourite authors are -

James Ellroy - fantastic pace, anger, emotion, violence, and glittering thought processes

F Scott Fitzgerald - the best writer of all time about the disintegration of people and relationships

Joseph Conrad - epic prose, and anyone who learns a new language just so they can write in it has my vote

Ray Bradbury - great sci-fi writer but also a fantastic writer about childhood, very evocative

Henning Mankell - Swedish thriller writer with a very clever, simple prose style. Although that may be just translation - Swedish Lit members - help me out!

Richard Matheson - Another great sci-fi writer, whose books are always deeper than they first appear

Carl Hiaasen - fast, funny, clever, and truly oddball characters