With social media fragmenting, I’m bringing back my old “You Tell Me” Wednesday discussions to try to get good old fashioned blog conversations going. If you’re reading in a feed reader or via email, please click through to the post to leave a public comment and join the discussion!
As a reader, I’m a generalist by design.
Because of my work with authors, it behooves me to familiarize myself with as much of the market as possible, which usually means reading one book by a particular author and moving on. I’m typically one and done.
But there are authors who sneak under my defenses. If Emily St. John Mandel or Kazuo Ishiguro dropped a new novel tomorrow, I’d clear my schedule.
Who are yours?
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Art: Reading on the garden path by Albert Aublet
Meg says
Sherry Thomas, Amor Towles, Katherine Center, and Emily Henry.
Deborah Gray says
Robin Hood:
I’m on the 2nd book of her 3rd trilogy, and it’s like an addiction. I never want her series to end. She’s now 72 and I keep thinking: how many more books does she have in her?
Robert Galbraith (AKA JK Rowling):
As much as I hated A Casual Vacancy (her first adult book), I was glad I picked up her pen name series, because she found her voice in these novels and they’re compelling.
There are others, of different genres, that would be on my radar and I’d definitely read, but these are the ones I’d drop everything for.
Deborah Gray says
Robin Hobb!
Patsy Shepherd says
I was just going to say Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling) but you beat me to it, Deborah Gray. And I’m always ready for another John Sandford Prey story or William Kent Krueger. But most of all, Tana French.
Carolyn Carlquist says
Joan Didion and Cormac McCarthy.
Neil Larkins says
From years ago, William Golding. If they found a lost unpublished manuscript I’d be in seventh heaven!
Same with Thurber.
Meredith Mansfield says
Lois McMaster Bujold (great character-driven stories), and T. Kingfisher (but not all of her stories. I love the quirky fairy-tale take offs and the humor of the Wonder Engine/Sword/Paladin stories which are all turning out to be connected.)
Rikhia Fisher says
David Sedaris, Ann Leary, Haruki Murakami!
Yvonne T Osborne says
Myself.
Just kidding!!
Honestly, I can’t say for sure but probably Mick Herron.
Ekta Garg says
Fredrik Backman and TJ Newman
E. Jamieson says
Maggie Stiefvater (who is supposedly writing something for adults now? I have my fingers crossed so hard), and Pierce Brown
E. Jamieson says
Maggie Stiefvater (who is supposedly writing something for adults now?? I have my fingers crossed for that one), and Pierce Brown
Jim Brown says
He’s only published one book so far but if you enjoy reading fact based espionage thrillers, of which there are only a handful of decent ones, do try reading Bill Fairclough’s Beyond Enkription. It is an enthralling unadulterated fact based autobiographical spy thriller and a super read as long as you don’t expect John le Carré’s delicate diction, sophisticated syntax and placid plots.
What is interesting is that this book is so different to any other espionage thrillers fact or fiction that I have ever read. It is extraordinarily memorable and unsurprisingly apparently mandatory reading in some countries’ intelligence agencies’ induction programs. Why?
Maybe because the book has been heralded by those who should know as “being up there with My Silent War by Kim Philby and No Other Choice by George Blake”; maybe because Bill Fairclough (the author) deviously dissects unusual topics, for example, by using real situations relating to how much agents are kept in the dark by their spy-masters and (surprisingly) vice versa; and/or maybe because he has survived literally dozens of death defying experiences including 20 plus attempted murders.
The action in Beyond Enkription is set in 1974 about a real maverick British accountant who worked in Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) in London, Nassau, Miami and Port au Prince. Initially in 1974 he unwittingly worked for MI5 and MI6 based in London infiltrating an organised crime gang. Later he worked knowingly for the CIA in the Americas. In subsequent books yet to be published (when employed by Citicorp, Barclays, Reuters and others) he continued to work for several intelligence agencies. Fairclough has been justifiably likened to a posh version of Harry Palmer aka Michael Caine in the films based on Len Deighton’s spy novels.
Beyond Enkription is a must read for espionage cognoscenti. Whatever you do, you must read some of the latest news articles (since August 2021) in TheBurlingtonFiles website before taking the plunge and getting stuck into Beyond Enkription. You’ll soon be immersed in a whole new world which you won’t want to exit. Intriguingly, the articles were released seven or more years after the book was published. TheBurlingtonFiles website itself is well worth a visit and don’t miss the articles about FaireSansDire. The website is a bit like a virtual espionage museum and refreshingly advert free.
Returning to the intense and electrifying thriller Beyond Enkription, it has had mainly five star reviews so don’t be put off by Chapter 1 if you are squeamish. You can always skip through the squeamish bits and just get the gist of what is going on in the first chapter. Mind you, infiltrating international state sponsored people and body part smuggling mobs isn’t a job for the squeamish! Thereafter don’t skip any of the text or you’ll lose the plots. The book is ever increasingly cerebral albeit pacy and action packed. Indeed, the twists and turns in the interwoven plots kept me guessing beyond the epilogue even on my second reading.
The characters were wholesome, well-developed and beguiling to the extent that you’ll probably end up loving those you hated ab initio, particularly Sara Burlington. The attention to detail added extra layers of authenticity to the narrative and above all else you can’t escape the realism. Unlike reading most spy thrillers, you will soon realise it actually happened but don’t trust a soul.
Jim Brown says
Do read and where possible view on screen these best in class espionage thrillers:
Fiction – Len Deighton – Funeral in Berlin – shame they chose The Ipcress File for a remake rather than this.
Fact based – Bill Fairclough (a distant relation) – Beyond Enkription in The Burlington Files series – an unadulterated noir sui generis novel but read some of the more recent intriguing news first on TheBurlingtonFiles website which is delightfully advert free.
Fiction – Mick Herron – Slow Horses in The Slough House series – an anti-Bond masterpiece laced with sardonic humour.
Fact based – Ben Macintyre – The Spy and The Traitor + A Spy Among Friends – must reads for all espionage cognoscenti and pals of The Times.
Fiction from long ago – Eric Ambler’s produce – little talked of nowadays but he wrote some excellent spy thrillers and had a load more of his novels converted to films than John le Carré had his “oxen turned into bouillon cubes”!
paul W stephens says
April 5, 2024 – Friday
Here’re three of authors I have truly enjoyed reading. Mind you, I’m not an avid reader, though I’d like to be. However, first, I’ve got to finish what I had started years ago.
The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski
Found this paperback on a display rack in a speed reading class in 1973. Yes, that was 50 years ago. It was one of many books the class had to chose from for required reading. I’m glad to have picked a winner. There’s no way I could tell you – chapter-by-chapter – what the book’s about, but it definitely left an indelible “scar” in my head.
Golden Boy: Memoirs of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth
His writing style captivated me. So descriptive. He, too, is a very good story
teller. On my bookshelves, I have four other books of his that I can’t wait to crinkle the
pages.
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews
Ms. Andrews’ writing flows along so nicely. Her writing style and choice of words made the book come alive. (I hope I’m doing that in my writing.)
Thanks.;
JP Wright says
Yes, I will admit it. I am chafing at the bit for the new Stephen King coming out in May. Just as I have for every new book he’s put out since “Carrie” hooked me as a teenager. He’s like Lay’s potato chips. Nobody can read just one.
Wendy says
Another Scott O’Dell Book to relive my childhood.
Laura says
Claire Keegan writes succinctly and beautifully. I love everything by Sebastian Faulks and Kate Atkinson. Aravind Adiga is very funny. I loved ‘Amnesty’.
Jenny says
I’m standing up for romance authors here, so anything by KJ Charles, Courtney Milan, Sarah Maclean and Tessa Dare. I also love Kate Atkinson.
weiwei says
Madeline Miller! Makes me cry…
Marlene Cullen says
Elizabeth Berg. I re-read her books every summer . . . my summer treat!