I’ve seen several blogs whose proprietors have mentioned authors whose books they’ve read ten (or more) of. Here are a few of mine. I’ll add to the list over time since I tend to read all of the works of authors I discover that I like. In no particular order:
- L. Frank Baum
- Charles Dickens
- Jules Verne
- Robert Heinlein
- Fyodor Dostoyevsky
- Victor Hugo
- Isaac Asimov
- Dorothy Sayers
- G. K. Chesterton
- Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Piers Anthony
- Steven Jay Gould
- Mark Twain (Sam Clemens)
- Agatha Christie
- Louis L’Amour
- P. G. Wodehouse
- Erma Bombeck
- O. Henry (collections of short stories)
- C. S. Lewis
- H. P. Lovecraft (mostly collections of short stories)
- H. Rider Haggard
- Rudyard Kipling
- Walter Scott
- Robert Louis Stevenson
Lots and lots more especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery writers.
Not a bad list, but erm, a word about Gould:
“Now it is not very hard to find out, if you spend a little while reading in evolution, that Gould is the John Kenneth Galbraith of his subject. That is, he is a wonderful writer who is bevolved by literary intellectuals and lionized by the media because he does not use algebra or difficult jargon. Unfortunately, it appears that he avoids these sins not because he has transcended his colleagues but because he does does not seem to understand what they have to say; and his own descriptions of what the field is about – not just the answers, but even the questions – are consistently misleading. His impressive literary and historical erudition makes his work seem profound to most readers, but informed readers eventually conclude that there’s no there there.”
— Paul Krugman, back when he was readable. He says it better than I ever could. Read Dawkins instead.
BTW, I’ve been meaning to check out Wodehouse. Is there any particular book you’d suggest starting with?
Thanks. I’m aware of Gould’s shortcomings but I think he’s an entertaining science writer.
Starting to read Wodehouse is not unlike setting out to sale solo around the world—a huge, brave, and uniquely rewarding activity.
The first Jeeves novel was, of course, My Man Jeeves. Many find Joy in the Morning the highlight of the series. My own favorite series is the Psmith (pronounced ‘Smith’) series. The first novel in that series was Mike. I like Leave It To Psmith. For many the Blandings series is it. The first novel in the series is Something Fresh.
Wodehouse started publishing in 1902 and continued for more than 80 years. Quite a bit is out of copyright. Here is the first collection of Jeeves stories, online.
Thanks for the reccommendations and the sample, Dave. I’ll have a look.