Over the past few months, I have had the pleasure of adding a new name to my treasured list of authors who have written multiple books that I love.
The newcomer is Abraham Verghese. His three books, which I read almost back-to-back, are called Cutting for Stone, My Own Country and The Tennis Partner. The last two are actually memoirs, but they read almost like fiction, so I’m permitting them in this list of fiction authors.
Creating this list of 11 authors was enjoyable, however I feel that going so far as to create a list of my favorite books would be so hard that it would become a negative experience. That said, Cutting For Stone was one of the best books I have read in years.
Are you ready for the list?
I’ve read four solid books by Umberto Eco, the best of which were Foucault’s Pendulum and The Name of the Rose. Some of the places we visited in Italy were actually inspired by his books.
There are several authors who I left off this list, despite their having provided me with hours of entertainment. It felt wrong to elevate Douglas Adams, Dan Brown, JK Rowling, Robert Jordan, Jodi Picoult, George RR Martin, PG Wodehouse and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the level of the shining stars on my list. Call me a snob, if you must!
A number of authors also fall short because I have only read one fabulous book by them, or because I’ve read books by them that ranged from wonderful to less-than-wonderful. First among them is John Steinbeck. East of Eden was breathtaking while The Grapes of Wrath was an effort to finish. Others on this dubious list are Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Anita Diamont, Salmon Rushdie, Paulo Coelho and George Eliot. Perhaps they will make the cut in the next iteration.
I don’t typically read about the lives of my favorite authors, but this year I did hear John Irving speak at Town Hall, in Seattle. He was promoting his latest book, In One Person. It revolves around a bisexual man and includes a lot of detail about AIDS. I didn’t think it was up to his usual standards. One of Abraham Verghese’s books, which I did enjoy, tells the story of Verghese’s role as a doctor when HIV first hit small-town America. Between these two books I learned more than I ever intended to about the devastating spread of HIV and all of its grisly symptoms. A further connection between these two authors is that they both attended the Iowa Writer’s workshop and apparently they are good friends. I think this explains some of the similarities (which I can’t resist) in how they foreshadow and unravel a storyline.
The newcomer is Abraham Verghese. His three books, which I read almost back-to-back, are called Cutting for Stone, My Own Country and The Tennis Partner. The last two are actually memoirs, but they read almost like fiction, so I’m permitting them in this list of fiction authors.
Creating this list of 11 authors was enjoyable, however I feel that going so far as to create a list of my favorite books would be so hard that it would become a negative experience. That said, Cutting For Stone was one of the best books I have read in years.
Are you ready for the list?
- John Irving
- Umberto Eco
- Abraham Verghese
- Bryce Courtenay
- Ian McEwan
- James Michener
- Margaret Atwood
- Ayn Rand
- Zadie Smith
- Barbara Kingsolver
- Sarah Dunant
I’ve read four solid books by Umberto Eco, the best of which were Foucault’s Pendulum and The Name of the Rose. Some of the places we visited in Italy were actually inspired by his books.
There are several authors who I left off this list, despite their having provided me with hours of entertainment. It felt wrong to elevate Douglas Adams, Dan Brown, JK Rowling, Robert Jordan, Jodi Picoult, George RR Martin, PG Wodehouse and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the level of the shining stars on my list. Call me a snob, if you must!
A number of authors also fall short because I have only read one fabulous book by them, or because I’ve read books by them that ranged from wonderful to less-than-wonderful. First among them is John Steinbeck. East of Eden was breathtaking while The Grapes of Wrath was an effort to finish. Others on this dubious list are Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Anita Diamont, Salmon Rushdie, Paulo Coelho and George Eliot. Perhaps they will make the cut in the next iteration.
I don’t typically read about the lives of my favorite authors, but this year I did hear John Irving speak at Town Hall, in Seattle. He was promoting his latest book, In One Person. It revolves around a bisexual man and includes a lot of detail about AIDS. I didn’t think it was up to his usual standards. One of Abraham Verghese’s books, which I did enjoy, tells the story of Verghese’s role as a doctor when HIV first hit small-town America. Between these two books I learned more than I ever intended to about the devastating spread of HIV and all of its grisly symptoms. A further connection between these two authors is that they both attended the Iowa Writer’s workshop and apparently they are good friends. I think this explains some of the similarities (which I can’t resist) in how they foreshadow and unravel a storyline.
GReat, thanks for some new ideas of books to read!
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