Favorite Writers

[TeenageRepublican]

I thought it would be cool to start a thread on favorite writers.

These are mine, in no special order:

Dean Koontz:
He's got a good style and a great voice. So far, all the novels I've read of his have kept me up all night reading.

Tom Piccirlli:
I'm friends with this guy on MySpace and we talk frequently. His writing style is unique and he's pretty great at what I like to call the "Lovecraftian effect". I recommend him for Koontz fans, he's excellent.

Michael Chrichton:
A bit looney but I like his style. Timeline has to be my all time favorite of his. I was disappointed by Airframe.

H.P. Lovecraft:
Probably the father of "what you don't see is your worst enemy" type of horror. Many "fans" claim he was an Atheist.
I personally don't believe that. There were several hoaxes about Lovecraft and that one was flared by an Atheist that liked his work. If you look at some of his stories, you can see that he probably believed in God.
Herbert West, one of the evil dudes from one of his stories, was an Atheist who decided to play God and died a horrible bloody death due to zombies.
Plus, he married a Jew.

Stephen Crane:
I like him because of his book The Red Badge of Courage. That displayed what war was really like and what courage really is.

Ann Coulter:
The female version of Rush Limbaugh. Enough said.

I'll continue my list later.
What are your favorite writers?

[Naturalized-Texan]

Vince Flynn, Robert B. Parker, Tom Clancy, Stephen Coonts, Nelson DeMIlle, Bill Sammon, Ann Coulter, Richard Miniter, Jonathan Kellerman, Faye Kellerman, James Patterson, Rex Stout, Agatha Christie, William F. Buckley, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Michael Crichton, John D. MacDonald. That's all I can think of off hand.

[TeenageRepublican]

Vince Flynn, Robert B. Parker, Tom Clancy, Stephen Coonts, Nelson DeMIlle, Bill Sammon, Ann Coulter, Richard Miniter, Jonathan Kellerman, Faye Kellerman, James Patterson, Rex Stout, Agatha Christie, William F. Buckley, Walter Williams, Thomas Sowell, Michael Crichton, John D. MacDonald. That's all I can think of off hand.

Isn't John MacDonald the one who wrote those novels that inspired C.S. Lewis?
I forgot about Tom Clancy. He's a good one. I haven't read James Patterson yet, how good is he?

I'm debating with myself whether I should add Sutter Crane (the evil horror writer from John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness) or not.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Dean Koontz, Edgar Allan Poe, Patricia Cornwell, Sue Grafton, Lilian Jackson Braun, Brian Lumley, David Baldacci, Dorothy Gilman, Agatha Christie, Laura Ingraham, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Sowell, Rush Limbaugh, Mike S. Adams




Okay Suzie SmartyPants, :smirky: . So, I forgot the most important one,

God. His Book has been on the Best Seller List since the printing press, :D.

[Suzie]

Colleen McCullough, Alton Brown

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. ;)

[Elgalad]

In no particular order at all..

SF/Fantasy:

J.R.R. Tolkien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jrr_tolkien), C.S. Lewis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cs_lewis), Ray Bradbury (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bradbury), Fred Saberhagen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Saberhagen), Phillip K. Dick (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_K_Dick), Robert Heinlein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_heinlein), Robert A. Salvatore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Anthony_Salvatore), Robert Jordan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_jordan), Phillip Jose Farmer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Jose_Farmer), Harry Harrison (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Harrison), Fritz Leiber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Leiber), Piers Anthony (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piers_anthony)

War/Spy Novels:

Tom Clancy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_clancy), Ian Fleming (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Fleming), W.E.B. Griffin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W.E.B._Griffin), Oliver North (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North)

Horror:

Stephen King (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_king), Dean Koontz (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Koontz), Anne Rice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_rice)

Mystery/Detective Fiction:

Elmore Leonard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmore_Leonard), Lindsey Davis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindsey_Davis), James Lee Burke (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lee_Burke), John Sandford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sandford_%28novelist%29), James Patterson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Patterson)


-Elgalad

[TeenageRepublican]

Dean Koontz, Edgar Allan Poe, Patricia Cornwell, Sue Grafton, Lilian Jackson Braun, Brian Lumley, David Baldacci, Dorothy Gilman, Agatha Christie, Laura Ingraham, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Thomas Sowell, Rush Limbaugh, Mike S. Adams


Homes, if you like Koontz, read Piccirilli. He and Koontz have a close writing style and they have a friendship.
Here's what Koontz said about A Choir of Ill Children:
"A wonderfully wacked, disorienting fully creepy book." --Dean Koontz
I recommend him, he's ALMOST better than Koontz.

[mkafrica]

Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Louis L'amour, Herbert G. Wells, Jules Verne, Mary Shelley, Voltaire (certain books), James Fenimore Cooper, John Grisham, Walter Scott, Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, Alexandre Dumas, Ted Bell, Stephen Hunter.

And of course, the Bible, by God :)

Edit: How could I forget Tolkien?? lol

[Naturalized-Texan]

Isn't John MacDonald the one who wrote those novels that inspired C.S. Lewis?
Not that I know of. John D. MacDonald wrote the Travis McGee detective novels about 40 years ago. I read them all then and I'm now re-reading them. He also wrote Cape Fear that was made into a movie of the same name.

I forgot about Tom Clancy. He's a good one. I haven't read James Patterson yet, how good is he?
I am in the process of reading James Paterson's Alex Cross series about a black police detective in DC. The first book in the series, Along Came a Spider, was made into a movie starring Morgan Freeman. The movie was good, but somewhat different from the book. The books are excellent.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

I am in the process of reading James Paterson's Alex Cross series about a black police detective in DC. The first book in the series, Along Came a Spider, was made into a movie starring Morgan Freeman. The movie was good, but somewhat different from the book. The books are excellent.

How many in the series have you read, NT? I finished Cross a while back, and I must say I became very disappointed in the series because his writing started taking liberal poliical overtones. I liked the stories, but not the PC trash he threw in, I guess to make law and order palatable to liberal tastebuds. If he writes another in the Cross series, I won't be reading it.

Same thing happened with Sara Paretsky's VI Warskhawski series and Janet Evanovich's number series.



EDIT: I like John Sandford's "Prey" series better than Patterson anyway.

[Maggie_T]

William S. Maugham, P.G. Woodehouse, Oscar Wilde, Ann Coulter, Peter Mayle, right off the top of my head.

[Jack_Savage]

John Sandford, Dean Koontz, Vince Flynn (less his current one) Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler (less the ones he wrote with his son) Robert Ludlum (not the ones he wrote with others), Jonathan Kellerman. There are a few others but this is my main list.

[sealman]

My all-time favorite writer: Raymond Chandler. As one critic put it, he could make the English language jump through hoops. Also, SJ Perleman, possibly the funniest writer who ever lived. And Robert Benchley. And Dashiell Hammitt (even Commies can have talent). I was weaned on Edgar Rice Burroughs: the first four or five Tarzan books are the best; everything after that is dross. Sadly, I can't think of anybody alive today who I enjoy.

[Naturalized-Texan]

How many in the series have you read, NT? I finished Cross a while back, and I must say I became very disappointed in the series because his writing started taking liberal poliical overtones. I liked the stories, but not the PC trash he threw in, I guess to make law and order palatable to liberal tastebuds. If he writes another in the Cross series, I won't be reading it.
Mary, Mary is next on my list. I haven't seen any PC stuff so far, but I doubt that it'll keep me from continuing to read the Cross series.

[Lubbock]

Haven't gotten to Vince Flynn yet.

My list would follow NT petty closely --especially Rex Stout and McDonald. I love the timeless old stuff. Stout, of course, is a lot "older stuff" than McDonald. I guess McDonald was the original eco-wacko. It's amazing to read his warnings about Florida over population/over building and the destruction of the coastline and natural habitat of so many plants and wildlife.

Does anyone, or has anyone read Patricia Cornwell?

I used to. Her early books are pretty good. I got started reading her because she was a "hometown girl" --Richmond, Virginia.

I had to quit her about six or eight years ago, and appraently a lot of other readers/fans did as well.

I think she just finally wore her characters [Scarpetta, Marino and Benson] out, as well as, the graphic violence and gore, gore, gore, just finally got to be too much.

All of that fighting and name calling between Scarpetta, Marino and Benson got to be real irritating. I wouldn't stay in a room for a split second with anyone who talked to me the way those people talk to one another.

If anyone hasn't read Michael Connelley, do yourself a favor and start. If you like John Sanford, you'll like Connelley.

[Lubbock]

Mary, Mary was excellent, NT. Just finished it a couple of weeks ago.

[Rhino]

Tom Clancy
Herman Wouk
Tolkien

There are others, but those are the main ones that come to mind.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Does anyone, or has anyone read Patricia Cornwell?

She was on my list. I like her books, and I didn't have the problems with them as you. I have not read her tome regarding Jack the Ripper though -- not interested in that subject.


If anyone hasn't read Michael Connelley, do yourself a favor and start. If you like John Sanford, you'll like Connelley.

Not familiar with him; will have to order one of his books from the library. Any recommendations for a first read?

Had a friend recommend Clive Cussler too, can anyone tell what his books are about / like?

[TeenageRepublican]

Had a friend recommend Clive Cussler too, can anyone tell what his books are about / like?

His books have a lot of Adventure in them. Have you ever seen that movie Sahara? That's based off of one of his novels. He also wrote one called Raise the Titanic.

[TeenageRepublican]

I just got done reading Piccirilli's The Dead Letters. It's about a man tracking down a serial killer, Killjoy, after he kills his daughter. It's a good novel about redemption and asks the question "Is revenge the answer?" Plus, it had a ton of horror in it. It was almost like a Koontz novel...almost.

[PrezLeefun]

With the exception of Ann Coulture, Austin and JKR I dont have favorite authors. Just favorite books.

[Lubbock]

Not familiar with him; will have to order one of his books from the library. Any recommendations for a first read?

Go to his website and they probably have the books in order of release. Black Ice, I think was one of the first. Or Balck Echo.

Harry Bosh is his LA detective in the series. He's written other books out of the Bosch series, and I do not care for them. Unlike John Sanford who writes a series other than "Prey" --the Kidd books, which I think are excellent, I do not care for Connelley's other books out of the Bosch series.

As to Cornwell, I got curious about why I have been so turned off by her in the last several years, so I went all the way back to the beginning and found her first several books in paperback and reread them. Thouroughly enjoyed them. I think it was somewhere around Point Of Origin when she killed off Benson --who, it turns out wasn't really dead, that I began to get sick of her. Sick of having the Lesbian thing be front and center --of course, given the fact that Cornwell is a Lesbian, I guess that's what you have to expect.

Point Of Origin was her first book after she became persona non grata at the FBI Accademy --and we all know the scandal/story behind that, so she had to put Lucy with the ATF.

Point Of Origin was when it all came apart for me.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Go to his website and they probably have the books in order of release. Black Ice, I think was one of the first. Or Balck Exho.

Harry Bosh is his LA detective in the series. He's written other books out of the Bosch series, and I do not care for them. Unlike John Sanford who writes a series other than "Prey" --the Kidd books, which I think are excellent, I do not care for Connelley's other books out of the Bosch series.

I will check it out, thanks :thumb:.

Sick of having the Lesbian thing be front and center --of course, given the fact that Cornwell is a Lesbian, I guess that's what you have to expect.

K, THAT I didn't know! Yep, you're right, . . . .

She's gone off the deep-end. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Cornwell)
In her later years Cornwell has quietly been involved in a lesbian relationship. Cornwell recently married under the recent court-order changes allowing Same-sex marriage in Massachusetts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage_in_Massachusetts). The couple reside in the Boston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston) area. <SUP class=reference id=_ref-2>[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Cornwell#_note-2)</SUP>

[TeenageRepublican]

Since we're on the subject of gay writers, I thought I should post this. This is a Writer's Digest article (this magazine is good, I've subscribed to it) about gay, lesbian, bi, and transgender writers. This is an interesting article.


On The Edge: Alternative Fare
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender literature is a genre that, by all accounts, has arrived. by Jordan Rosenfeld

WE'RE HERE! WE'RE QUEER! Get used to it!

The rallying cry of many a gay-pride parade could easily be the slogan for the current state of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender literature (often summed up under the acronyms LGBT or GLBT). In its infancy, this literature was the rare place in mainstream culture that gay and lesbian readers could find a reflection of themselves.
The climate of the 1970s gave birth to phenomena like Armistead Maupin's serialized Tales of the City novels and small presses dedicated to gay/lesbian works. By the 1980s, a profusion of gay/lesbian bookstores had opened around the country. Since then, the literature has emerged from the sidelines and the underground to claim a place of its own in the literary world, with successes including Michael Cunningham's Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel, The Hours; Sarah Waters' historical novels featuring lesbian protagonists; and the syndication of Alison Bechdel's lesbian-centric comics and her graphic memoir, Fun Home.
"I think gay and lesbian publishing is thriving," says Charles Flowers, executive director of the Lambda Literary Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting gay/lesbian literature through awards and reviews. "There are a lot of presses and a lot of books coming out. But the question is whether they're reaching readers. There are fewer gay/lesbian bookstores, and distribution challenges."
The literature may be thriving, but Flowers says it suffers from a lack of review, especially in the mainstream press. "The books are just not as big a part of the pie as I would like them to be in the cultural coverage."
This is one of the reasons that Lambda puts out its own review of LGBT titles, called the "Lambda Rising Book Report," covering many sub-genres, including romance, mystery and academic studies.
GIRLS' CLUB
Of all the LGBT titles, lesbian ones appear to be the tougher sell. Raphael Kadushin is senior acquisitions editor for The University of Wisconsin Press, and creator of their Living Out series, devoted to gay and lesbian memoir.
"I was pitching a book in New York, a very universal book that just happened to be about a lesbian, and I said to the reviewer, 'You probably won't review this because you've already done your lesbian book for the year,' and he looked at me, and with no trace of irony, said, 'Yes,' " Kadushin says.
Flowers says this is indicative of longstanding resistance and ignorance. "Lesbian literature tends to be published at the small-press level," he says. "Maybe [Showtime's TV series] 'The L Word' is changing this because people think, 'oh, sexy lesbians who read' but [lesbian] women still have a harder time at the New York level."
John Scognamiglio is editor-in-chief at Kensington Books, one of the largest independently owned New York publishers with a dedicated gay/lesbian list. He confirms that lesbian titles haven't done as well for his firm. "Every book we publish has to make money for the publisher and we have realistic expectations," Scognamiglio says. "The lesbian market hasn't been as successful for us as what I like to call the boy books, so we've cut back on them. One exception is our author Fiona Zedde, whose novels do really well. I've made a point to not package them as lesbian books. Her novels—Bliss, A Taste of Sin, Every Dark Desire—are just packaged as novels. We don't say the heroine is getting involved with a woman."
To some, this kind of marketing smacks of marginalization—especially to author and publisher Len Barot, who is best known under her pen name, Radclyffe. She entered the literary world as a writer of lesbian fiction. After some modest success through self-publishing, she founded her own lesbian publishing house, Bold Strokes Books.
The firm now publishes up to 42 new titles a year, has been recognized with various literary awards, and has worldwide distribution. Bold Strokes' sales, she says, are doing well. This may be because the majority of their books are genre books, which tend to sell better than literary books no matter the sexuality of the protagonists.
"We do great mystery, fantasy and speculative fiction, and there are a lot of heterosexual women who enjoy our romances, but we're not going to pretend on a cover that it's not a lesbian work," Barot says. "We're writing a particular work for a particular audience. I think we offer a great service to the community."
Despite their lack of representation in the bigger New York houses, small lesbian presses such as Bold Strokes, Intaglio Publications and Cleis Press are doing steady business with their lesbian-specific audiences.
Kate Sweeney is the author of the Kate Ryan Mystery series and other books published by Intaglio.
"The fact that Kate Ryan is a lesbian is secondary, but it's part of the story nonetheless," Sweeney says. "So anyone can pick up these books, read a good mystery and a little romance, and if it's lesbian in content, trust me, they won't go blind if they read it."
While Sweeney feels indebted to her mostly lesbian audience, she does want to see her work enter the mainstream. "Times are changing, however slowly it may appear," she says. "There will come a time, I truly believe, when lesbian/gay literature will be swimming in the mainstream. I have faith in humankind."
BOY BOOKS
Alexander Chee's first novel, Edinburgh, featuring a gay protagonist, won him critical acclaim and did very well with not only gay readers, but mainstream (read: heterosexual) ones, too. Edinburgh was published by Picador, an imprint of Holtzbrinck Publishers, and his forthcoming novel, The Queen of the Night, will be published by Houghton-Mifflin.
"As a gay writer I like to tell people, 'You get the parade before you get to the championship game.' Gay fans are intensely supportive, and I received fan mail early in my career," Chee says.
The secret to gay fiction's success may be that the category lends itself to two of the largest book-buying demographics: gay men and heterosexual women. "Straight women may be slightly more comfortable with gay characters," says Richard Labonte, a reviewer of LGBT titles for the syndicated book review column, Book Marks. Another writer who is cited for his ability to sell books without couching that he's gay is essayist David Sedaris. "It's interesting that he always casually mentions his boyfriend or partner and that doesn't put people off," Kadushin says. "There's something very hopeful about that."
http://www.writersdigest.com/articles/rosenfeld_ote_alternativefar.asp

[DesertFox]

Dante. Shakespeare. Tolstoy. Cervantes. Goethe. All in the original.

[Lubbock]

Oh, Homes!

Then you don't know the GOOD STUFF on Cornwell.

Let me fill you in.

If you've been a long-time reader, you know all about Scarpetta's involvement with the Behavorial Science Unit at the FBI --Benton, then Lucy joined the FBI.

Because Cornwell always protrayed the FBI in such a favorable light, she was given unlimited access to the Academy at Quantico, and to Agents --and because Quantico is so close to Richmond, it was a great place for research.

I don't remember the year now, it was in the '90s, Cornwell got into a Lesbian relationship with a MARRIED Agent, who was also married to an AGENT. When the husband/Agent found out about the relationship between Cornwell and his wife, he went off the deep end. Bonkers. Nutso. Ran all over Falls Church and surrounding area, shooting at anything that moved, and when he got cornerd by the local cops, he ran into a church and TOOK THE MINISTER HOSTAGE! Held him for several hours.

It took the FBI HRT to get him and the minister out alive.

Oh, it was a Major Scandal!!!

Needless to say, Cornwell was asked to hand over her Gold Plated Visitors Pass, and to my knowledge, she has never been allowed back onto the grounds of the Academy from that day to this.

EDIT: Here's the link to Connelly's website [I was spelling his name wrong]: Link: (http://www.michaelconnelly.com/Book_Collection/book_collection.html)

And one correction: I had forgotten that Connelly wrote the Terry McCaleb books --worth reading. Blood Work --made a movie, stared Eastwod.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Oh, Homes!

Then you don't know the GOOD STUFF on Cornwell.

No, I sure didn't! But you know, looking back, that explains a lot within the context of the books. I suppose if I knew then what I know now I wouldn't have enjoyed them as much as I did. I don't think I'll be bothering with any of her other works now, that's for sure.

You know my disillusionment with writers and their fare definitely seems to be because I'm noticing more and more a PC agenda in their works. Janet Evanovich REALLY disappointed me, as I liked her books at the beginning (One for the Money, Two for the Dough, etc.). Same with Sara Paretsky.

I wonder why there aren't more writers with a more conservative bent to them? Seems if it's not political or espionage thrillers (Vince Flynn, Tom Clancy), the mystery/murder/whodunit writers have to embrace alternative "lifestyles" and liberal political agendas. And they don't even fit with the idea of law and order!

EDIT: Here's the link to Connelly's website [I was spelling his name wrong]: Link: (http://www.michaelconnelly.com/Book_Collection/book_collection.html)

And one correction: I had forgotten that Connelly wrote the Terry McCaleb books --worth reading. Blood Work --made a movie, stared Eastwod.

Thanks again! After I make it through the nine books I have waiting for me at the library, I'll order some of those, :smirky:.

[CzechPrince]

Poe & Rand,

Huxley, Shakespeare, Dante, Chaucer.

If you couldn't tell I love British Literature.

[Lubbock]

Does anyone read Jill Churchill?

[TeenageRepublican]

Haven't heard of her.

[Lubbock]

You wouldn't have.

She writes "lite" little mysteries: Jane Jefferies Mysteries: A Midsummer Night's Scream, Bell, Book and Scandal, Mulch Ado About Nothing, Fear of Frying.

I usually pick up one of her books for a fun read after a couple of non-fiction "heavy reads."

She's also written a mystery series set in the 1930's --Depression Era, set on the Hudson River.

I really enjoy her books.

Does anyone read "The Cat Who . . . " books?

[Naturalized-Texan]

I realize that Clarence Thomas is not a writer by profession, but I thoroughly enjoyed his book, My Grandfather's Son. It is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. I highly recommend it.

Justice Thomas didn't say so directly, but reading between the lines I could see that, as I've stated often, the reason that Anita Hill was willing to be used to lie about him sexually harassing her was that she had the hots for him and he repeatedly spurned her advances. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Does anyone read "The Cat Who . . . " books?

:catplus:LOVE Lillian Jackson Braun (she's on my list too)! Quilleran makes me think of Tom Selleck with a really thick mustache, :smirky:. Those books would make a great made-for-tv mysteries series! Can you imagine Koko and YumYum? I would do live action, not CGI too. They did a good job on that animal movie about the two dogs and the cat that traveled across country to get home ...what was the name of that movie? Michael J. Fox voiced the American Bulldog, Sally Field voiced the cat, and Don Ameche voiced the Labrador.

[TeenageRepublican]

You wouldn't have.

She writes "lite" little mysteries: Jane Jefferies Mysteries: A Midsummer Night's Scream, Bell, Book and Scandal, Mulch Ado About Nothing, Fear of Frying.

I usually pick up one of her books for a fun read after a couple of non-fiction "heavy reads."

She's also written a mystery series set in the 1930's --Depression Era, set on the Hudson River.

I really enjoy her books.

Does anyone read "The Cat Who . . . " books?

Do you mean mysteries with less gore, violence, sex, language, than other mysteries? Those are called Armchair Mysteries. They're meant to be calm and cozy (I don't know how a mystery can be cozy).

[TeenageRepublican]

:catplus:LOVE Lillian Jackson Braun (she's on my list too)! Quilleran makes me think of Tom Selleck with a really thick mustache, :smirky:. Those books would make a great made-for-tv mysteries series! Can you imagine Koko and YumYum? I would do live action, not CGI too. They did a good job on that animal movie about the two dogs and the cat that traveled across country to get home ...what was the name of that movie? Michael J. Fox voiced the American Bulldog, Sally Field voiced the cat, and Don Ameche voiced the Labrador.

I know this is either The Incredible Journey or Homeward Bound.

[UnkHiram]

Really Hard Question

Sci Fi

Turtledove, Eric Flint, Saberhagen, Assimov, Bova

Western

La'mour, Compton, Cotton, Zane Grey, William Johnstone

Thiller

Cussler (not so much anymore), Herman, Bond, Coyle, Flynn

Fiction

CS Forrestor (Hornblower), Alexander Kent, Dudley Pope, Conan Doyle

[UnkHiram]

I know this is either The Incredible Journey or Homeward Bound.

The Movie in Question is Homeward Bound, which was a remake of the Incredible Journey. Which is one of the very few times that a remake is better than the original. The only other case that jumps to mind is Angels in the Outfield

[TeenageRepublican]

The Movie in Question is Homeward Bound, which was a remake of the Incredible Journey. Which is one of the very few times that a remake is better than the original. The only other case that jumps to mind is Angels in the Outfield

I didn't like the sequel to it though.

[garlicguy]

Isn't John MacDonald the one who wrote those novels that inspired C.S. Lewis?


Close. That was George MacDonald, and his works inspired more than a couple of the favorite authors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_MacDonald) appearing in this thread.

Just tryin' to help...

:biggrin: gg

[TeenageRepublican]

Close. That was George MacDonald, and his works inspired more than a couple of the favorite authors (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_MacDonald) appearing in this thread.

Just tryin' to help...

:biggrin: gg

You win a cookie, again.

[Lubbock]

And does anhyone read Tony Hillerman?

[Lubbock]

Side Note: Vince Flynn was on one of the FOX Afternoon Talkers yesterday, discussing Waterboarding, its effectiveness, why it should not be outlawed, and why no President should ever announce what means of interrogation should be off the table.

I think Flynn said Thompson was the only Republican candidate who had the right answer.

Someone with the wherewithall might be able to look up a transcript of the interview --it was either on Cavuto or Gibson [we were in the midst of a science project here: I was watching a ten-year-old put pinto beans into vinegar water, so I was distracted.]

President Bush is [or has already] going to have a sit down with Flynn to discuss terrorism and fighting it.

Apparently, GWB wants to get Flynn's take on the situation.

I haven't done any research on Flynn's bio, but there must be a lot of things in the man's background that are veeeeeery interesting.

He's a lot younger than I had pictured him.

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

Side Note: Vince Flynn was on one of the FOX Afternoon Talkers yesterday, discussing Waterboarding, its effectiveness, why it should not be outlawed, and why no President should ever announce what means of interrogation should be off the table.

I think Flynn said Thompson was the only Republican candidate who had the right answer.

Actually, Thompson wasn't asked about waterboarding at the YouTube debate, it was Romney who ended up having a bitter exchange with John McCain over it.

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ZjtFNktPLA&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8ZjtFNktPLA&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

McCain is an absolute IDIOT! I got so angry listening to him over this waterboarding thing -- Romney was NOT advocating torture, or even waterboarding, he SAID we don't need to broadcast to the enemy what will and won't do when it comes to dealing with enemy combatants and prisoners! Oooh, I wanted to slap McCain silly when I heard him talking about "then we'll have to pull out of the Geneva Convention" yada-yada-yada. For someone who's got that much military service behind them, you'd THINK he'd get the point of what Romney was trying to say ... and I'm not even a Romney fan, but on this one he was spot on.

Sorry for the tangent -- McCain really burns my biscuits. :flame:

[PrezLeefun]

I agree Homes. It was the one thing I felt comfortable saying I agreed with Romney on.

[Lubbock]

Ah. Okay. I'm glad you squared me away on that. Romney.

Like I said, there was a huge distraction going on at my house.

:listen:

:confused:

EDIT: It just hit me, what else Flynn said in regard to waterboarding: He was asked when we should not use it: he said when al Qaeda put on a uniform and declared themselves affiliated with a nation, then they would be subject to Geneva Convention --exempt from "torture."

Until such time as al Qaeda affiliates themselves with a nation and wears a uniform, anything goes when it comes to getting information.

And before you start on the uniform thing, a dirty turban and baggy pants is not a "uniform."

[garlicguy]

You win a cookie, again.

Bless you, my son.

gg http://www.websmileys.com/sm/angels/teu35.gif

[Jack_Savage]

Side Note: Vince Flynn was on one of the FOX Afternoon Talkers yesterday, discussing Waterboarding, its effectiveness, why it should not be outlawed, and why no President should ever announce what means of interrogation should be off the table.

I think Flynn said Thompson was the only Republican candidate who had the right answer.

Someone with the wherewithall might be able to look up a transcript of the interview --it was either on Cavuto or Gibson [we were in the midst of a science project here: I was watching a ten-year-old put pinto beans into vinegar water, so I was distracted.

President Bush is [or has already] going to have a sit down with Flynn to discuss terrorism and fighting it.


Vince Flynn's character, Mitch Rapp has run into several Ron Paul types. What he does with them is convince them to become patritoc. If they don't, if they continue to obstruct the efforts of the troops, he waterboards them. Paul-Heads need to read it. It shows what is coming. Vince Flynn books are flying off the shelves in the book stores. It shows the trend. The funny part of it is, probably Ron Pauls people will like reading him and leave Ron Paul after they finish the book.

[TeenageRepublican]

Bless you, my son.

gg http://www.websmileys.com/sm/angels/teu35.gif

I'm sorry, but I just found out that Bubba confused the cookies with Monica and they're kind of...icky...

[TeenageRepublican]

There's a writer that I'm thinking of that I liked but I can't remember his name. He wrote 2001. Does anyone know who that is?

[Jack_Savage]

I just noticed Newt Gingrich has a new book coming out next month titled
From a world that fails to a world that works.

That will be an interesting read on his view of how Americans can be more effective.

[TeenageRepublican]

I got The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz on Saturday. So far, it's good.
The main dog in it isn't better than Einstein or Orson.

EDIT: I have a Dean Koontz question, is Fear Nothing a sequel to Watchers?
I thought about it. The parents of Christopher Snow were scientists who were testing on animals and Orson, the black lab, came about. That was in Fear Nothing.
In Watchers, Einstein is put through scientific experiments and came about. Both dogs are super smart.
I know there's a second Fear Nothing novel, Seize the Night, but the question's been bugging me a lot.

[Naturalized-Texan]

There's a writer that I'm thinking of that I liked but I can't remember his name. He wrote 2001. Does anyone know who that is?
Are you referring to 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke?

[TeenageRepublican]

Yep, N-T.

You win a cookie...

[UnkHiram]

There's a writer that I'm thinking of that I liked but I can't remember his name. He wrote 2001. Does anyone know who that is?

Arthur C Clark

[CzechPrince]

I also forgot to mention Christopher Hitchens. While an atheist, he is brilliant and I love reading his work.

[ThomasMore]

I'm a big fan of the writing of Edward George Earle Lytton Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, especially his opus, "Paul Clifford."

What other work of art could open with this stirring sentence?

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.

Gak.

[mkafrica]

EDIT: I have a Dean Koontz question, is Fear Nothing a sequel to Watchers?
I thought about it. The parents of Christopher Snow were scientists who were testing on animals and Orson, the black lab, came about. That was in Fear Nothing.
In Watchers, Einstein is put through scientific experiments and came about. Both dogs are super smart.
I know there's a second Fear Nothing novel, Seize the Night, but the question's been bugging me a lot.

I pulled this info from Wikipedia:

Fear Nothing is in several ways a successor to 1987 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987) Koontz novel Watchers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchers_%28novel%29).

But it doesn't really elaborate on it too much.

LINK (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_Nothing_%28novel%29)

[TeenageRepublican]

mfafrica, thanks!

You win a cookie, too.

[mkafrica]

You win a cookie, too.:clap::boogie::yum:

Yum!

[RogerFGay]

Isaac Azimov
His science background is put to good use as well as his insight into cultural variation and its meaning from the fact that he was a Russian immigrant to the US. This helped him create more meaningful other cultures on the various worlds in his stories. Lots of classic sci-fi innovations that have since been stolen by others to the point of making them cliche - but I've still never seen them done better. His Commander Data like robot hero has still not gone out of date. Maybe next year we'll be able to create a positronic brain.

Douglas Adams
"If it walks like a duck ..." Loads of fun.

Jules Verne
When I was young. His descriptions of the way things worked were fascinating, even though it wasn't good to look back and really try to understand them well - they didn't really make sense - just written so well that the ideas really seemed like something the first read through.

H.G. Wells
By reputation only. I've never actually read any of his books. I've just heard interesting descriptions of his writing ability and comparisons with Verne, who apparently critisized his sci-fi writing for not being descriptive enough about how things are supposed to work. Some good movies have come out of his writing though. Wells was both a fiction and non-fiction writer, and studios cut deeply into some of the philosophical preaching in original versions of films that he worked on. He was an ardent feminist, but his personal reputation suggests that might have just been part of an approach that helped him get laid a lot.

[hdmundt]

Fiction:
John Le Carre
Sinclair Lewis
Harlan Ellison (when I was young)

Non-Fiction:
George F. Kennan
Edward Timperlake / William Triplett

Humor:
Oscar Levant
S.J. Perelman (when I was young)

Some favorite books by other authors:
The Ugly American (William Lederer and Eugene Burdick)
A History Of British Secret Service (Richard Deacon)
"C" A Biography Of Sir Maurice Oldfield (Richard Deacon)
The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich (William Shirer)
The Shape Of Content (Ben Shahn)
The Man Who Was Thursday (G.K. Chesterton)
Death Of A Salesman (Arthur Miller) [play]
Cold Warrior (Tom Mangold)
The Puzzle Palace (James Bamford)
Chinese Intelligence Operations (Nicholas Eftimiades)

Author a few of whose essays I read years ago and will return-to in retirement:
Michel de Montaigne

Most daunting book that I haven't finished, but will complete some day:
The Man Without Qualities (Robert Edler von Musil)

[Sarah]

Robert Heinlein
Larry Niven
Isaac Asimov
Michael Crichton
Margaret Wander Bonanno
David Mack
Peter David
Dean Ing
Michael McCollum

[Kathy30]

Lillian Jackson Braun
Rita Mae Brown
Elizabeth Peters
Lincoln Child
Ann Coulter
Michelle Malkin
Carole Nelson Douglas
Mark Twain
Sir Walter Scott
Shakespeare

I confess to a special weakness for cat mysteries

[mkafrica]

Lillian Jackson Braun

I confess to a special weakness for cat mysteries

I have to admit, I like the "Cat Who" series. They're pretty funny sometimes.

[TeenageRepublican]

I forgot to mention Jason Alexander. He's a writer for Writer's Digest and his stuff is so freaking hilarious!

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

I forgot to mention Jason Alexander. He's a writer for Writer's Digest and his stuff is so freaking hilarious!

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:_DkHTyWiNj7p6M:http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper851/stills/3ffcec06df889-65-1.jpg (http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper851/stills/3ffcec06df889-65-1.jpg)

THIS Jason Alexander?

[TeenageRepublican]

Lol. No.
I actually goofed with his name. It's Kevin Alexander (I DO watch reruns of Seinfeld a lot). I'm not sure if he's publised a book or not. But he's a super funny columnist.
Here's his latest column:
The Special Edition Deleted Column with Director's Commentary (http://www.writersdigest.com/writerslife/The+Special+Edition+Deleted+Column+With+Directors+ Commentary.aspx)

Hello Friends. You know how--when you, um hypothetically, buy the DVD of The Notebook (http://www.writersdigest.com/writerslife/ct.ashx?id=a1cf4bf6-38f2-4fc3-b294-1abe2bd8183a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.imdb.com%2ftitle%2ftt0332280% 2f)-- there are all those special features and deleted scenes with Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling that you're so glad you got a chance to see, because they really have a great chemistry (http://www.writersdigest.com/writerslife/ct.ashx?id=a1cf4bf6-38f2-4fc3-b294-1abe2bd8183a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.eliwhitney.org%2fgil%2fmicros copes%2fno14_1l.jpg)? Well consider this blog entry a sort of writing deleted scene fresh from the floor of the editorial cutting room. What you're about to read is an entry I wrote for my This Writer's Life column that wasn't used because it focused entirely too much on my personal as opposed to my professional writing life. Rather than just burying it in the time capsule (http://www.writersdigest.com/writerslife/ct.ashx?id=a1cf4bf6-38f2-4fc3-b294-1abe2bd8183a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.ontargetbsa.org%2fimages%2fti me_capsule.GIF) in my backyard with the rest of my rejected works, I thought it would make a nice teaching point to show that--even after three years of writing a column--I still get things rejected. (http://www.writersdigest.com/writerslife/ct.ashx?id=a1cf4bf6-38f2-4fc3-b294-1abe2bd8183a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.theinternetsite.com%2fhhp%2fS igns%2fRejected.gif) Plus, with global warming (http://www.writersdigest.com/writerslife/ct.ashx?id=a1cf4bf6-38f2-4fc3-b294-1abe2bd8183a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.filmweb.no%2fbilder%2fmultime dia%2farchive%2f00100%2fAl_Gore_i_An_Inconv_100607 o.jpg) and everything, I think it's part of my duty to recycle, especially 1100 words worth of material. Anyway, here she is, for no extra charge, my Special Edition Deleted Column.

The Best of,
What's Around
(http://www.writersdigest.com/writerslife/ct.ashx?id=a1cf4bf6-38f2-4fc3-b294-1abe2bd8183a&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3dc4K imcjhSis)
DMB


Several weeks ago, I got a call from my mother. Normally, I get lots of calls from my mother, most of them focused around the infrequency with which I answer my phone, but I could tell from the tone of her voice that this was more serious. She informed me that my grandmother had rather unexpectedly gotten very sick very fast and that there was little that could be done. After a few moments of stunned silence, my mom then informed me that my grandmother had a request. She wanted me to write something for her to be read at an upcoming family gathering.

“Did she specify what she wants me to write?” I asked my mom, hoping what she really wanted was some sort of 3 or 4 line rhyming poem, a pre-pubescent Kevin Alexander specialty.

But I wasn’t going to get off that easy. “Whatever you want to do is fine, dear,” my mom said. “Grandma said you’d know just what to write.”

After I hung up with my mom, I sat and thought about what I was going to do. I felt both honored and extremely nervous. I was upset, of course, as I love my grandmother and she’s played a large part in raising me and sickness and loss are never easy to deal with, but I also knew she was older now and she’d lived a great life and so I couldn’t pretend that a small part of my mind wasn’t expecting something like this. And seeing how I’m the only one in my family who writes anything longer than a grocery list, my grandparents had long ago asked me to write and read their eulogies when they passed.

As a writer in a family of non-writers, you come to expect to handle these types of tasks, and, personally, I think they’re the most rewarding. Don’t get me wrong, I love and crave the vanity and personal pleasures of seeing my name in print and spend upwards of twenty minutes a day Googling myself in new and creative ways, but there is something so intimate and honorable about being given the chance to celebrate the life of someone you loved, something so emotionally powerful and important that you can’t help but be taken in by it. Writing is one of those rare skills that afford you the chance to take thought, emotion and coherency and put it towards the memory of another. But writing something honoring someone’s life after they’re gone is one thing. Doing it while they’re still alive is a completely different story.

I spent the next week or so in a daze, my work falling off, my head clouded by the task at hand. No matter what I’m writing, I tend to go through three stages during the writing process. The first is elation, because I’m so excited about getting a new assignment. This usually consists mostly of me bragging to my friends about the cool and unique opportunity I’ve been afforded and why my life is so much more artistically profound than theirs. Other people tend not to like my elation phase. Standing in direct contradiction is the second phase, which could be most aptly summed up as the despondency phase. It’s during this phase that I realize the weight and breadth of said task, and begin to, in the words of my roommate, “lose my shit”. The one positive aspect of this phase is that my apartment gets very, very clean. The final phase is, of course, the “you’ve left yourself with no time to do anything else so you better sit your ass down and finish this before you get fired” phase, which is pretty much self-explanatory.

Because of the uniqueness of this assignment and the limited time frame I was working in, I seemed to be experiencing all three phases simultaneously. I was obviously excited, but that excitement was crippled by a horrible fear of failure, and a voice in the back of my head that kept reminding me of the importance of the task at hand. Talking to Ramsey didn’t help much either.

“Dude, you have to make this perfect, like some Gettysburg Address/Good Will Hunting type shit,” he said, when I told him about what I was expected to do. “Wow. That’s a lot of pressure. If I was you, I’d probably have completely freaked out and—as you know—I pretty much dominate pressure situations.”

My main problem was that I didn’t know what sort of thing to write. Should it be some sort of eulogy-esque remembrance or a nostalgia-inducing poem or something funny to rise spirits? Should I get other family members involved? What about word count?

After another week of sleepless stress, I finally decided to ask my grandfather. I’d been putting off talking to him about it, mostly because I feared that any more talk of my grandmother’s sickness would be too stressful for him. And, if I’m being honest with myself, I also kept quiet because I secretly fear bringing up sad or distressing topics, often taking painful lengths to avoid talking about them while internally freaking out. Not exactly healthy, I know.

http://www.writersdigest.com/writerslife/

[Jack_Savage]

I got The Darkest Evening of the Year by Dean Koontz on Saturday. So far, it's good.
The main dog in it isn't better than Einstein or Orson.

I just finished The Good Guy a month ago, is The Darkest Evening of the year as good as that, I'm thinking of getting it? I just don't know if I will like a dog story. I like suspense.

[TeenageRepublican]

I just finished The Good Guy a month ago, is The Darkest Evening of the year as good as that, I'm thinking of getting it? I just don't know if I will like a dog story. I like suspense.

So far. It has a stalker in it. It's not just a dog story. Dean Koontz also fit in a romance in there.
There was a review (on phone) between Colorado Morning News and Dean Koontz recently about the book. It's quite interesting. For this, you don't need to register. It's totally free and must listen for any Koontz fan.
You can really tell he's a terrific guy.
http://www.850koa.com/cc-common/mediaplayer/player.html?mps=cmn.php&mid=http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/29876/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/29876/668/richmedia/DEAN_KOONTZ.mp3?CCOMRRMID=9291693&CPROG=RICHMEDIA&MARKET=DENVER-CO&NG_FORMAT=newstalk&NG_ID=koa850am&OR_NEWSFORMAT=&OWNER=668&SERVER_NAME=www.koaradio.com&SITE_ID=668&STATION_ID=KOA-AM&TRACK=Dean_Koontz

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

I just picked up four new books from the library yesterday!

Power To The People by Laura Ingraham
Witness by Whittaker Chambers
and two Flynns
Transfer of Power & The Third Option

[Jack_Savage]

totally free and must listen for any Koontz fan.
You can really tell he's a terrific guy.


He is a real person. Genuine. Thanks for the link. I'm getting it today.

[BarryC]

Henry Charlton Beck, his non-fiction stuff only. Starting in the 1920s he travelled all over Southern New Jersey searching out the ghost towns and any people he could find that still lived in them or remembered what they were like. Most of those ghost towns are very much the way they were when Father Beck was here. (he was also an Episcopal priest). His last non-fiction book came out in 1956 and he died in the 1960s. He also wrote detective novels but I've never even seen any of them. I rarely read fiction, unless it's a book that's directly related to Southern New Jersey.
Another favorite author is Robert A. Peterson, a local historian and author who just died a couple years ago at the age of 47. I knew him quite well and attended his funeral. Bob was also the headmaster of our local Christian school, which is run by the church my parents attend.
Then there is John Pearce, another local who wrote one book, Heart of the Pines. It's a huge hardcover history of all the ghost towns and current towns within Washington Township, Burlington County. It's a fantastic book. I know him well and he's a member of my Yahoo group. He's also a Lutheran minister.

Our Conservative commentators (Ann Coulter, Rush, Sean Hannity, etc.) would be in my list of favorite authors if I owned or read any of their books. But I don't have any of their books except Ann Coulter's book, "Godless: The Church of Liberalism". I have not yet read it.

[TeenageRepublican]

I just picked up four new books from the library yesterday!

Power To The People by Laura Ingraham
Witness by Whittaker Chambers
and two Flynns
Transfer of Power & The Third Option
My mom got Power to the People the first day it came out. I haven't read it yet, mostly because it doesn't quite grab my attention like Ann Coulter's stuff. I like Laura Ingraham and her show. Even though I do think she doesn't need as many sound effects that she uses.


He is a real person. Genuine. Thanks for the link. I'm getting it today.

No problem D4R.
I strongly recommend Tom Piccirilli if you like Dean Koontz thrillers. I've only read one novel of Tom's (I plan on reading more, but Koontz still has me hooked to his latest novel) which is The Dead Letters. It is such a jaw dropper!
Tom is like Koontz, but just a bit different. He uses a little more profanity than Koontz, but not too much. And he has a better sense of humor. We've talked to each other comment-wise on MySpace, he actually answers his fan mail/comments.
He even answered my question about he and Dean (Tom thanked Dean in The Dead Letters). Apparently, they're pen pals...
Here's the back of The Dead Letters:
Five years ago, Eddie Whitt’s daughter Sarah became the victim of a serial killer known as Killjoy, and Whitt vowed to hunt him down—no matter what the cost. But the police have given up. And Killjoy has stopped killing…and in some bizarre act of repentance has begun kidnapping abused infants and leaving them with the parents of his original victims.

The only clues to Killjoy’s identity lie in a trail of taunting letters. And even as they lead Whitt to a deadly cult—and closer to his prey—he begins to suspect that, like his wife, he’s losing his grip on reality: Sarah’s dollhouse is filled with eerie activity, as if her murder never occurred. As dark forces rise around him, Whitt must choose—between believing that evil can repent…and stepping into a trap set by a killer who may know the only way to save Whitt’s soul.

[Jack_Savage]

No problem D4R.
I strongly recommend Tom Piccirilli if you like Dean Koontz thrillers. I've only read one novel of Tom's (I plan on reading more, but Koontz still has me hooked to his latest novel) which is The Dead Letters. It is such a jaw dropper!
Tom is like Koontz, but just a bit different. He uses a little more profanity than Koontz, but not too much. And he has a better sense of humor. We've talked to each other comment-wise on MySpace, he actually answers his fan mail/comments.
He even answered my question about he and Dean (Tom thanked Dean in The Dead Letters). Apparently, they're pen pals...
Here's the back of The Dead Letters:
Five years ago, Eddie Whitt’s daughter Sarah became the victim of a serial killer known as Killjoy, and Whitt vowed to hunt him down—no matter what the cost. But the police have given up. And Killjoy has stopped killing…and in some bizarre act of repentance has begun kidnapping abused infants and leaving them with the parents of his original victims.

The only clues to Killjoy’s identity lie in a trail of taunting letters. And even as they lead Whitt to a deadly cult—and closer to his prey—he begins to suspect that, like his wife, he’s losing his grip on reality: Sarah’s dollhouse is filled with eerie activity, as if her murder never occurred. As dark forces rise around him, Whitt must choose—between believing that evil can repent…and stepping into a trap set by a killer who may know the only way to save Whitt’s soul.


Thanks I'll give him a try. I'm going to read Koontz book first, just got it. :thumb:

[TeenageRepublican]

I also like Chuck (Charles) Dickens. His work is inspirational. My favorite novel/la(?) of his is A Christmas Carol. I think it's a terrific story about a man being forced to face redemption the hard way.

[Lubbock]

Robert Utley is a wonderful Texas Historian for any of you Texans who are interested.

I finished his second book [of two --started backwards] of the history of the Texas Rangers. Most interesting was the era of the Garrison Rangers.

Also, if anyone is interested in Ranger history is Joaquin Jackson's One Ranger. He grew up around Lubbock, but spent his Ranger career On The Border. He was a Garrison Ranger. Infact, he may have been one of the last Rangers sworn in by Homer Garrison.

[TeenageRepublican]

Robert Utley is a wonderful Texas Historian for any of you Texans who are interested.

I finished his second book [of two --started backwards] of the history of the Texas Rangers. Most interesting was the era of the Garrison Rangers.

Also, if anyone is interested in Ranger history is Joaquin Jackson's One Ranger. He grew up around Lubbock, but spent his Ranger career On The Border. He was a Garrison Ranger. Infact, he may have been one of the last Rangers sworn in by Homer Garrison.

That actually sounds pretty good. I like learning about the old west.
Of course my favorite moment in old west history is the OK Corral Gunfight. I can just imagine Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday with company walking down that road about to deliver some justice upon lawbreakers. You can never do that now, you'd get sued for apparently killing innocent people.

[TeenageRepublican]

I have more authors.

Jonah Goldberg
I have read his columns and look I'm looking forward to reading Liberal Facism.

James Patterson
I just finished reading "Big Bad Wolf" and it was a fantastic book. I am looking forward to reading more of him, also.