I was raised with books, and doubt I could begin to list favorite authors. I think the romantic in me has yet to find anything that can replace Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

I also love the "Cat Who" series by Lillain Jackson Braun. (I had the great pleasure of meeting with our own Frostfrog today, and I'll be go to heck, he isn't Qwilleran, after all!)

I love Shakespeare, Camus, Ibsen, O'Neill, and many, many playwrights, but have to confess I haven't read any contemporary plays in some time.

I enjoy Grisham usually, Clancy, and most of the writers who write in the Military genre, along with most all intrigue writers, if the plot is well done. DeMille, Patterson, King, oh, man , I can't begin to list them all.

Patricia Cornwell rocks; I'm reading Isle of Dogs now - I saw a lot of not-so-good reviews on it, but I find it hilarious!! We have an area in our city (Adams Avenue, fellow San Diegans!) where Dadcta and I used to go and buy paperbacks, going through the entire works of Anne McCaffery, Miriam Bradley Zimmer, Piers Anthony, and so forth, for several years. I couldn't begin to tell you the great places these books have taken me (I love Xanth).

Jimmy Buffet has written some terrific books, I can re-read him ad infinitum!! And has anyone ever read Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams? Great cat book, from Tailchaser's perspective, not all fluffy and gooey.

I love Dickens - I remember reading my Grandmother's tiny-print, deep-red leather bound David Copperfield that grandpa had brought her from England when I was nine or ten. My family all are voracious readers. As a child, Grandma and I used to play a game caled "Authors" - ever hear of it? You used a suite of cards that represented different Author's books. So of course I had to read the books, too. Thank you, Grandma!!!!

Loved Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky. I could read Steinbeck over and over and over -- and Edgar Allen Poe is the best with word artistry - have you ever read all his peotry? Whew!!!

In the non-fiction, I like anything by Bucky Fuller, Stephen Hawkings, anything to do with scientific ideas, and read and still re-read a great book called Godel-Escher-Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. It's a real mind puzzler/exerciser. I'd recommend it to anyone!

I have enjoyed most of the Danielle Steele I've read, and am opening up to some long over looked women writers.

My next exploration is going to be the world of Latin American authors. There are some great books out there!!!!!!