A is for Authors

A few years ago, I read a new fiction author from every letter in the alphabet. This time around, I decided to report on which fiction authors from A-Z I've actually read!

Adams, Douglas: Although I've read and enjoyed the Hitchhiker series, I enjoy the Dirk Gently books more, especially The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

Aird, Catherine: A British mystery writer. These light reads are very pleasant although the earlier ones--which I prefer--are not always easy to track down. I recommend The Religious Body and Parting Breath as two of Aird's best.

Alcott, Louisa: Of course! However, the book I enjoyed as a youngster wasn't Little Women but Under the Lilacs. (In general, I am sticking to adult fiction; however, Louisa May Alcott falls under the genres of children, YA, and adult fiction--the latter for books like A Long Fatal Love Chase, which I have also read--so I went ahead and included her here.)

Allingham, Margery: Another British mystery writer. She created the detective, Campion. I confess that although I have read a few of Allingham's books, I never got into them like I did with books by other Golden Age mystery writers. The only one I can remember with any clarity is the one where Campion loses his memory: Traitor's Purse.

Anderson, Poul: Poul Anderson is the science-fiction writer I attempted to read for my A-Z Book Reviews. I failed.

Anthony, Piers: I was a big fan of Piers Anthony when I was a teen, meaning I read several of his Xanth books. However, I haven't read anything of his in years--probably due to my resistance to super-loooong fantasy/sci-fi series.

Alexander, Tasha: She writes the Lady Emily series. These are mystery/suspense books set in Victorian England. They're okay books, but I actually prefer Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey Series, which I'll discuss more when I get to "R". (Comparisons of this kind are unfair: Why not just enjoy both series?! But I find Alexander's writing a little too slow; I figure if I'm going to read a large, historical suspense novel, I might as well choose one that flows quickly. However, there is no reason not to just read both authors.)

Archer, Jeffrey: I have read exactly one book by Jeffrey Archer, and it is absolutely hilarious: Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.


Asimov, Isaac: I'm a huge fan! I never got into the Foundation Series, but I LOVE the Robot books (I don't count them as a "series" since I've never read them that way--no continuity required). They are sci-fi mysteries--with robots! How great is that!!

Auel, Jean: I got in trouble for reading Auel in eleventh grade. I sat in the back of math class and read The Clan of the Cave Bear. I then started failing math. I then got moved to the front of the class and had to put the book away. Lesson learned: be more clever about reading fiction in the classroom. And don't fail tests.

The "Gentleman" is Darcy

Austen, Jane: Austen, of course, is a favorite! It was  reading an Austen tribute for the A-Z Book Reviews that got me interested in writing A Man of Few Words, my own tribute to Pride & Prejudice. I am currently working on a tribute to Persuasion which will hopefully be published this Spring (2013). I highly recommend the recent annotated versions of Persuasion, Pride & Prejudice, and Emma.

I'm sure there are more "As" but these are the ones I remember at the moment. "B"s will follow!