Indonesians Who Love English Books discussion

Hi fellow bookworms, I'm curious to know who are you favorite authors (you know who they are, you own every copy of the book they write) and why you like them.

I have a long list of favorite authors but I narrow it into 3:

1. Patrick Ness
For me, Patrick Ness is one of the best authors living today. I love the way he weaves a story and creates characters that we care so much. His story somehow manages to wretch my heart and rip it apart; it's so powerful.

2. Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman is a household name for every fantasy lover. You can't call yourself a fantasy lover without knowing who he is. What I love most about him is his idea; Coraline is one of the best example (other is probably The Graveyard Book, love it!). I couldn't believe how and where does he get all the ideas for his stories because those are wonderful and magical. Last but not least is his writing style; it flows effortlessly.

3. Agatha Christie
I grew up reading Christie's books (and ended up collecting them). Her books aren't heavy or difficult; airport book is probably the right term for it. What I love the most about it is probably the fact that it's crime story (always have a soft spot for crime story) with a bit of phychological perpective.

Then there are Tolkien, Rowling, Gaarder, Coelho, Zafon, etc but let's stop at 3 because if not, it'll be endless list.
What about you?

@Lynossa: I also love Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls is easily one of my favorites. But I haven't had the chance to read his other books, so he's not my fave author yet. I'm very interested in his The Knife of Never Letting Go though, can you tell me your comment on this book/series?

1. Albert Camus.
I read The Stranger when I was in the uni and was blown away. The way he wrote was simple yet deep and his way of looking at the world/life was so similar to mine, I remember sitting there not moving for at least ten minutes after finishing the book, repeating some of the key paragraphs that affected me so much. After that, I hunted all his works. The Myth of Sisyphus is equally satisfying but I will always have a soft spot for The Stranger.

2. Ursula K LeGuin.
Awesomeness personified. She can do both SF and fantasy and her stories are always intriguing. Her world building is top-notch and she is a very good writer.

3. Terry Pratchett
I think Discworld series is very entertaining. I know that Pratchett's kind of humour is not for everybody, but it never fails to cheer me up. I have this habit of saving up the books, only reading them when I am in a gloomy mood. Death and Night watch series are the best.

@Anny : The thing about Patrick Ness is, as far as I know, his books are classified as YA, but his stories don't really have a YA vibe. You know, the simple plot, the cliched teen angst, the very one dimensional characters. I think that's what makes his works much more interesting to me than the average YA authors. Anyway, I just bought 'More than This' and plan to read it this weekend. Have heard a lot of good things about Chaos Walking series, will check them out later.

My favorite authors?

1. David Levithan.

I fell in love with his writing when I read The Lover's Dictionary. At that time, I was like "Wow, this book is brilliant!" And since then, I became a fa of his books. I haven't read all his books yet, but, to me, David Levithan has a great way in delivering story. Everytime I finish reading his book, I always learn something about life. I didn't like YA books in the past, but David Levithan made realize that YA books don't have to be cheesy. I adore him so much.

2. Virginia Woolf

I just read Mrs. Dalloway and have The Years in my to-read list and I really wish my mind will be smart enough to read her other books. But, I determined to read her other books. To me, Virginia Woolf was a genius! The way she created her novels and the characters and how she weaved every scene in her novels, to me, was brilliant! I don't know if this is considered favorite authors or not since I haven't got every copy of her books, but, I admire her writing.

I guess, for now, I only have those two writers since I don't particularly a fan of particular writers. But, those two writers are the ones that inspire me and makes me craving more for their books :)

Anny wrote: "@Lynossa: I also love Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls is easily one of my favorites. But I haven't had the chance to read his other books, so he's not my fave author yet. I'm very inte..."

The Knife of Never Letting Go is the first reason I love Patrick Ness. He made me cry so many times (hope that won't deter you). Ds is right, Patrick Ness isn't the typical YA authors who try to sell angst, love triangle, brooding male character and Sue-ness. Instead of calling it YA, I prefer all his works as coming-of-age because it focuses on how the young main character tries to survive and become more mature.

@DS,Lynossa: Thanks for the insight! I'll definitely pick the Chaos Walking series then. I love a good cry though, one that wrench and gut your heart especially.

If by definition a favourite author is one whose all of his/her writing I own, then I don't have one, I always prefer to experiment around looking for books with authors's I haven't read before. Nonetheless, comes close to having read all of his books would be Frank mcCourt. I love how he wrote, it pulled you along, and he's got the Irish humour of taking misery without falling into self-pity.

I also read plenty of books from Richard Dawkins, because he's written on many different angles on the topic of genetics and evolutionary biology (I don't care much about books he wrote on other topics). Another popular science writer I like is Bryan Sykes.

As for fiction writers, I don't really have a favourite, I read fictions on the merit of the books, not the author, so even if I read 2-3 books from the same author (which is not a series), that's because the different books pulled me in on their own, not by the name of the author on the cover.

1. Peter Hessler

Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present and River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze were the books that made me fall in love with travel genre.

2. Barbara Kingsolver

Kingsolver wrote on diverse cultures (Africa, Mexico, Indian) with such rich and detailed descriptions, her books were always a feast to me. Her characters usually had many flaws and yet that's precisely why they're so interesting.

3. Ann Patchett

This one I discovered purely by chance. I picked up State of Wonder and I couldn't put it down. The language and prose was so beautiful it made me swoon from the first paragraph alone. I admit that Patchett's storytelling was less than perfect and sometimes the characters came out as too perfect, but I couldn't resist reading her books if only to read those beautiful sentences.

There's a few others too: Chris Cleave, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Jared Diamond, etc. Patrick Ness might also made it on the list once I read more of his books.

@Anny : A Stranger in Olondria has tons of beautiful prose. It might start a bit slow, but I found that after you persevere, it's worth it.

@Ds: Thanks for the suggestion! I'll look it up =)

Anny wrote: "2. Barbara Kingsolver"

I always wanted to read Kingsolver. I have two of her books sitting on my shelf for some time now Prodigal Summer and Pigs in Heaven. I don't know why I haven't picked them up yet. I should put them higher on the list.

Stephen King and JRR Tolkien.
King is an amazing story teller...all he had written are fantastic. And Tolkien...well, do I need anymore reason? he created new languages, incredible middle earth and believable creatures.

the great Stephen King.... He's the first author who got me hooked into reading in the first place. He's a master of storytelling; he created characters who you could really really love (or hate). His books always tell stories of common (read: real) people like you and me dealing with extraordinary circumstances, and it makes it easier to relate to these people and care about what happens to them. He can sends a chill to your bone like no other authors can. Well, he's a master of horror ain't he?

The great Haruki Murakami. People say he's overrated. That kind of argument doesn't hold water, imho. Why would the critics' opinions affect the quality of the books? Anyways, reading his works is akin to having a wonderful surreal nightmares; I love it.. Lol

The great JRR Tolkien or the great George Orwell. The reason? Because they are great!!

Oh my last comment is only for fiction writers.. My fav non-fiction writers: the great Robert Wright, Malcolm Gladwell, David Sedaris, Richard Dawkins, Bill Bryson... Susan Cain's Quiet and Greg Epstein's Good Without Good resonate deeply in my mind long after I finished em.. But both of them only have one book so I dont know if I could say that they are my fav authors.

@Chris
we have same fav authors :) Yes King is amazing, not only in writing horror, he is also good in other story (remember Shawshank?)

I also like Murakami tho I don't mention him as my fav

@Novia
Yes, indeed! :)

Yes, I love his non-horror stories as well: different seasons (including shawshank), green mile (it's magical realism, I guess?), 11/22/63, misery (I guess it's still a horror story but more of psychological horror).

His non-fiction works are also amazing: danse macabre and on writing.

It may sound cliche, but he could write a telephone book for all I care and I will still read it :D

The only problem I have with him is that he rarely comes up with a satisfying ending for his stories. But the same goes to the LOTR trilogy, IMHO (I guess a lot of people would beg to differ). Luckily, my philosophy in reading fiction (or in life :D) is that it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. As long as I have a fun ride, I don't care where it ends lol.

My favourite author is :
1. Ernest Hemingway.
Why : I love his terse prose and short sentence.
His heroic protagonist, bold & strong.
His first point of view, so subjective and
so natural.
2. Jules Verne.
Why : His geographical and science fiction details
and accuracy are wonderful. Eccentric characters
with unique names.

My favorite author is definitely John Green. I love his style of writing. His books can make you cry and laugh at the same time.

@Chris I love TLOTR's ending and also The Hobbit, no complain from me ;)

as for King, yes sometimes he couldn't finish it well but most of the time they were satisfying...but yes the journey is always amazing. YOu know, I am a picky reader, I often left books unfinished and whenever I found myself unable to finish a couple of books...I need one King's book to recharge my reading mood.

btw have you read Dr Sleep? I am still waiting for the paperback.

@Novia

Dr. Sleep is on my reading list. Arrrr.. why don't ye get it online.. got mesself th'book for free (aye, im a pirate).

Okay, so I narrowed my list into one author only.

1. John Green

Love him or hate him, you gotta admit he has one heck of a talent revolving things around words and creating a lovable character. (and ripping your soul apart after every book, but let's not discuss that.) He has this unique sense of writing that can totally make you laugh and cry at the same time. In my opinion, his best works include, his most recent work, The Fault in Out Stars and his debut, Looking for Alaska.

With rules set by Lynossa, I have no favourite author. I don't usually care who the author is, where are they from, etc. It's not necessary for me to read their books. When I know who they are, their character/opinions (if they throw it out somehow to my face) I might dislike them for their opinions and ban their books from my shelves/reading list. I don't have every book published by any author. I have favourite authors, who weren't translated into English, but I can't not mention them. :D

I have most books by Alfred Szklarski(his series of Tomek Wilmowski's adventures) but not all. The books are in Polish only, afaik. The adventures of young Wilmowski around the world, the curiosity and respectfulness towards the other cultures, the details, the patriotism of the boy (in the beginning), his father and father's friends (it's set during the time Poland was occupied by neighbours and not existing on the world map). I think that this series got me interested in foreign cultures and kinda decided on my life career. ;)

My favourite Polish (living) writer would be... Witold Jabłoński whose books... I haven't read yet. ;) Starting this month, but I met him and was charmed with him, I've read his articles, interviews and I know we share a lot of outlook on the world. I had some problems with buying his books but lately I got some of his books from the library. Not translated into English. He's the exception, I got to like him as an author (if I may say so) because of his character and opinions. ;)

My newest favourite Polish writer is Stanisław Lem. One of the best known Polish writers and translated into over 40 languages (English included). He wrote sf stories/novels like Solaris or The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy. I think that reading him earlier, I wouldn't enjoy his books as I'm doing now. His books aren't easy, but my current life experience and awareness makes me admire his insight. It's hard to write a sf book 40-50 years ago related to Earth's future so it's still valid and believable/interesting after all this time. But he's doing it. And he's skilled with shaping the world through word - ah those neologisms. :D

Among my favourite foreign authors would be: Celia S. Friedman (The Coldfire Trilogy) who made a great and complex world, a mix of sf and fantasy. The characters in her books are complex also, and not the easy black&white. I plan to read more of her books. She's an inspiration for me.

Neil Gaiman. Terry Pratchett (the humour). Haruki Murakami (I've read a lot of his books and still love him ;)). I could add Lynn Flewelling and Mercedes Lackey for their lovely portrayal of (important) LGBT characters in fantasy. But they also made interesting worlds. How do I choose my favourite authors? I've read many/most of their books, often repeatedly, and after that I'm still willing to buy their books. Or I know the books by heart but I still read them. ;)

It's nice to see you are passionate about some authors, but I think that's overdoing it.
Lynossa, you wrote You can't call yourself a fantasy lover without knowing who he is. about Gaiman. Tho Gaiman is one of my favourite authors, with the zillions of fantasy writers, nobody is forced to know anybody whose fan you are (or some other person). There are so many subgenres of fantasy that nobody needs to know who is the author in the (sub)genre he/she doesn't read.

Elgard wrote John Green. Love him or hate him, you gotta admit he has one heck of a talent revolving things around words and creating a lovable character. Sorry, I don't care about him at all. I ignore him. How you want to force your opinions (admit anything) on people who aren't interested in reading his books in the first place?

Imho, it all comes down to personal taste. I like those authors because I think they have extensive, high quality and interesting body of works. I have friends who think Camus boring and depressing. I, on the other hand, think Harry Potter quite overrated, yet I don't go around saying 'you HP fans, you simpleton. Read some real literature, will you.'

My point is, in threads like this, it helps to let go of judgmental tones. People may like different things. It will be less irritating too if people would stop saying things akin to 'admit it, he's great~', which was my knee jerk reaction when I read Elgard's words about Green. Please forgive me, but the guy writes saccharine and melodramatic YA books. To me, he's like pop YA's One Direction. Huge appeal, minimum substance. See what I did there?

I don't mean to sound patronizing, but can we just share about our favourite authors? I like threads like this because it's more interesting to pick up book recommendations from friends rather than Goodreads' algorithm suggestion feedback. We only have 22 posts so far, but I've already written down Bryan Sykes, Barbara Kingsolver and Ann Patchett on my to-read-list. It's awesome~

Kama wrote: "It's nice to see you are passionate about some authors, but I think that's overdoing it.
Lynossa, you wrote You can't call yourself a fantasy lover without knowing who he is. about Gaiman. Tho Gaiman is one of my favourite authors, with the zillions of fantasy writers, nobody is forced to know anybody whose fan you are (or some other person). There are so many subgenres of fantasy that nobody needs to know who is the author in the (sub)genre he/she doesn't read."

No no, you got me wrong. I'm not saying you can't call yourself a fantasy lover if you aren't a fan of Gaiman. What I mean is Gaiman is a very famous fantasy author that everyone who reads fantasy - a fan or not - bound to stumble upon his works - whether he/she likes it or not - since he is quite productive (not just novels, I'm talking about Dr.Who as well).
It doesn't mean a person HAS TO KNOW Gaiman, it's just that all fantasy lovers I know, know Gaiman (love, like, hate or indeferent toward him, but definitely know him).

@Ds, yes, that's exactly the purpose of this thread, to share. I know some people don't follow certain authors, but I know some do - I do - and it's always nice for me to find new author that his/her works might be enjoyable to me.
And when I wrote you know who they are, you own every copy of the book they write it's more like a joke actually. I don't even have every copy of Patrick Ness's books but I love his works dearly and will try to get all of then. Sorry if I wasn't clear in expressing my thought.

Haruki Murakami is my fave author. I just like his style and his surealism. Sometimes his work is confusing and hard to understand, but i just have to free my mind to understand him. His works always tell about lonesome, depression, solitary and seeking kind of self identity or love. Beautifully written, in my opinion. I like South of The Border and West of The Sun. It left something in my mind.

I also like Pramoedya Ananta Toer. He is super! His Tetralogi and Arus Balik impress me. His details, his characters, omigod..that's what i call a literature. :)) Nowaday, i havent find any Indonesian author that can write as good as him.

@Ds: where do you find Stranger-Camus? I searched in some bookstores..but didnt find it. And its ebook is expensive.

@Namida : I tried looking for Pram's Buru Quartet at Gramed for years but so far no luck. I asked the staff, they said they didn't have them. I was very sad, especially when I found out that the works of Umar Kayam, Romo Mangun, Ahmad Tohari are out of print. Aren't those supposed to be a part of our country's literature that should be cherished? That kind of works should be perpetually available to people, just like how Bronte, Dickens and Bradburry are always there to be read. I finally managed to read Buru Quartet and Ronggeng Dukuh Paruk, though. In English. Yes, folks. One of my friends tracked down a few copies available in a second hand bookshop in Australia. Imagine that. Miris. He bought a copy of Burung-burung Manyar too for me. Second hand, mint condition, though.

Sorry. I suppose that's a bit OOT. Where did you find them, btw?

A friend bought The Stranger for me @ Plaza Senayan's Kino bookstore years ago. Are you based in the capital? I think Kino should have it. Perhaps try the Philosophy section?

My latest author 'crush' would be Joe Abercrombie. Probably because I love grimdark fantasy and he is a true disciple of George RR Martin.

Others include Tolkien (obviously), Terry Pratchett (Discworld series is probably the funniest series ever), JULES VERNE the ultimate classic scifi author (his voyages extraordinaire novels were so much fun) and GEORGE ORWELL, which I think could write anything about everything and made it interesting and fun to read. I like 1984 and Animal Farm, but I think Homage to Catalonia is his best work.

Silvana wrote: "I like 1984 and Animal Farm, but I think Homage to Catalonia is his best work."

I haven't read Homage to Catalonia but my ex bf said it's his favorite Orwell's as well (he often quoted it). Is it similar to 1984 or Animal Farm or has its own distinguished style?

I have a lot of favourite authors, and with time, the list changes, although it is mostly always filled with fantasy and horror authors.

These days, though, my most favourite is Terry Pratchett. His Discworld series are so good I try to delay reading the books due to my concern of running out of Discworld books to read when he's really pulled down by his dementia. I have a lot of his books, but I have read only a few of them :p

My (frequent) visits to a certain independent bookstore here and my chitchat with the customer service, especially the SF/F buyer, bring me to the world of Ender, and after 2 books of these series (and I am hoping to read all books from this series and others from the same author n the near future), I think I can say in advance that Orson Scott Card will be my next favourite author this year. I never fancy reading any sci-fi novels before, but it seems that 2014 will be full of them.

@Ds: You cannot count on bookstore in Indonesia, especially the chain bookstore. They only store the most recent best sellers. If your book is not a best seller, you got at most 3 weeks display in the store. If you want to find some classic Indonesian literature, you have to find them in second hand book shop. I have got some connection, just PM me if you need some.

@Ds: Homerian (independent) bookshop in Jogja has the Pram's Buru tetralogy books, at least a few days ago. They are popular, so maybe they are not available anymore now, but you'd better ask him directly.
I think he is in Goodreads, too, but strangely I can't find him. This is his FB: https://www.facebook.com/detektifbuku...

@Ds: I bought Pram books while i was in Bandung..at Palasari, long before that book market burned. Yea..you cant count on Indonesian bookstores for classic Indonesian author. But you can try bookstore in TIM. If you're lucky you would find it. It locates beside XXI.

Hm..i'll try my luck in Kino..so far, i just have read The Plague-Camus which was a loooong time a go. Hehe..

Lynossa wrote: "Silvana wrote: "I like 1984 and Animal Farm, but I think Homage to Catalonia is his best work."

I haven't read Homage to Catalonia but my ex bf said it's his favorite Orwell's as well (he often qu..."

Very different. It's an account of his involvement during the Spanish Civil War. This is my non-spoiler review (well, nothing to spoil actually LOL): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

He also wrote very good essays. One of my personal favorites is Shooting An Elephant, telling about his experience as a police officer in Burma. It's available online too.

Ds wrote: "@Namida : I tried looking for Pram's Buru Quartet at Gramed for years but so far no luck. I asked the staff, they said they didn't have them. I was very sad, especially when I found out that the wo..."

It might actually be easier to find the Buru Quartet in English version. I got a set from Amazon.

My tastes run to fantasy or urban fantasy and if you ask me about all time favorites as in an author whose books I will maim someone to get?

There are two.

1. Jim Butcher. He is amazing, not only for delicate and rich world-building but also characters who creeps into your heart and rips it out (in a good way). Some writers when writing a series lag as the series go further, Jim Butcher does not let up. His worlds and characters and story-lines and plots just become more layered and intricate and emotion-gripping.

I love both his Codex Alera ( which he wrote as a bet that he can write a good book with a bad idea, the idea was Pokemon and the Lost Roman Legion) and his Dresden Files series.

2. Ilona Andrews writers of Kate Daniels series, Innkeeper series, The Edge series and Kinsmen.

Same with Butcher, this husband-wife duo makes a staggering world inside their books and the way they twist mythology with the characters of their book is insane.

What I like about these two is that even how fantastical or epic-ridden their story is, the core of their book is humanity; the frailty and strength of it, the flaw and the facets of it.

And the more books the series have, the better it is.

D.F. wrote: "My tastes run to fantasy or urban fantasy and if you ask me about all time favorites as in an author whose books I will maim someone to get?

There are two.

1. Jim Butcher. He is amazing, not only..."

I love both Jim Butcher and Ilona Andrews :). Also FYI, Ilona Andrews currently working for Dali novella, and they put some Indonesian culture there! :D

Ren wrote: "D.F. wrote: "My tastes run to fantasy or urban fantasy and if you ask me about all time favorites as in an author whose books I will maim someone to get?

There are two.

1. Jim Butcher. He is amaz..."

I KNOW!!! I hound their website daily for snippets. Have you read Jim/Dali novella Magic Dreams?

Come to think o it Indonesia has gotten a rise of mentions in TV series, movies and books.

Lynossa wrote: "Hi fellow bookworms, I'm curious to know who are you favorite authors (you know who they are, you own every copy of the book they write) and why you like them.

I have a long list of favorite autho..."

I'm just going to seconded you on Patrick Ness. He is a very talented author, and his writing is sharp. I love that he never looks down on teenager, he never tries to dumb-down the stories, eventhough he mainly writes for YA. And yet, it is still Young Adult. I love how he always manages to touch dark subjects, uncomfortable territory, and yet he manages to show hope at the end of the tunnel. His writing style is also beautiful, and oh God his writing hurts in the best way possible. So, yeah. I hope more people can enjoy his writing.

Other author that I like:

Frances Hodgson Burnett is (still) my literature heroine. I love her heroine in her children's book: Sara Crewe and Mary Lennox will always have a place in my heart (...especially Sara Crewe, my dear imaginative gal.) I love her beautiful writing. I like that the writing is 'romantic' and how it emphasize on hope, yet it doesn't feel saccharine (YMMV, of course.) Reading her novels bring me nostalgia.

Kurt Vonnegut is another favorite of mine. His satirical, yet tender voice is lovely. While most people always talk about him as he is the master of dark humor—and I concede, he is skillful at that—but for me, what wins me over is that there is still hope, and love, and caution. The balance between 'dark' and 'hope'—leaning towards dark, obviously—is very charming, and I enjoy it. I also love that he uses literature devices as he please, albeit with varying degree of success (I enjoy the 'short chapter' in Slaughterhouse-Five, not so much in Cat's Cradle.) I guess, him being himself is the reason why I enjoy him a lot.

George Orwell is another author that I respect—although I don't know whether 'like' would be appropriate. I respect his novels (both 1984 and Animal Farm are great novels) although I also realize that I don't enjoy it the way I enjoy other novel—they're not 'squee-ing' novels, they're novels that left you with questions (and I'm still questioning whether 1984 would make a better essay than fiction, but whatever.) I do really enjoy his essays—they are sharp. His essays are way better than his fictions, IMHO.

There are still others, but that's for another time.

btw, @Silvana: I waaant to read Homage to Catalonia. I only have read bits and pieces of it. (I hate reading ebook, ugh.)

Ireisha wrote: "Frances Hodgson Burnett is (still) my literature heroine. I love her heroine in her children's book: Sara Crewe and Mary Lennox will always have a place in my heart (..."

YES! I have a really really special feels when it comes to Mary, Colin and Dickon from The Secret Garden. I love how even as annoying Colin and Mary, I couldn't hate them. Reading The Secret Garden gets you to that child-like wonder, but at the same time you could feel the maturing of the characters. It's just perfect and I agree that it somehow always feels nostalgic, isn't it?


Some other favorites that I can think of (and I won't mention JK. Rowling for obvious reasons):
Jane Austen - Typical, I know. But for me, I just couldn't help loving her books. The main reason why I love her so much would be the characters she wrote. The heroine, despite sometimes being the cliched good girl isn't perfect. They have flaws and I could certainly relate to aspects of their personality. And not to mention her leading men! You couldn't help but swoon or dream about them. And despite the "heroine always gets her man" aspect of her books, I always felt that it's well-deserving.

Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket - The Series of Unfortunate Events were basically part of my childhood. But aside from the nostalgic value I have, his writing really are superb and it captivates you. The way he writes and how he worded them, the way he weaves the morals and wisdom.

@Natasya: Oh, I really wanted to read The Series of Unfortunate Events too. Too bad there are no libraries where I can borrow them (buying them all are a bit too much).

@Ireisha: I adore Sara Crewe! Unlike The Secret Garden, which I already knew about before reading the actual book (I think I'd read a manga version and watched a movie version beforehand), I went into The Little Princess knowing nothing about it, and I fell in love with Sara. What an amazing girl. A true princess, really.

@Natasya: Yay, another Austenite! I just love her way with language.

Natasya wrote: "Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket - The Series of Unfortunate Events were basically part of my childhood. But aside from the nostalgic value I have, his writing really are superb and it captivates you. The way he writes and how he worded them, the way he weaves the morals and wisdom. "

I agree with you, Lemony Snicket's writing is really good; I love his writing more than I love the characters.
Unfortunately his recent series is not as interesting as Series of Unfortunate Events; maybe it'll pick up later, but the first book is just okay.

J.K.Rowling. Simply because her writing is magical.

I just started reading English novels about a year ago so I'm still exploring different authors, but the ones that I love at the moment are:
Rainbow Rowell: her simplicity of writing is very intriguing.
She has a way of writing cute and adorable romance :)

John Green: I know this a typical choice, but his writing is so unique. I only read The Fault in our Stars by him, but I really really want to read his other books. I love his choice of words.. very intelligent and smart.
And he explores characters from unique perspectives.. ones that aren't discussed often.

Patricia wrote: "I just started reading English novels about a year ago so I'm still exploring different authors, but the ones that I love at the moment are:
Rainbow Rowell: her simplicity of writi..."

I have to agree. I love Rainbow Rowell. Her writing isn't the best out there, it's simple, but her plot execution is just marvelous. It's cute, adorable, easy to read, and it just makes you giggle and squeal all over :D

I don't really have a favorite author, I usually choose books by the back cover, if it sounds good I read it :) But I do read all the series that Rick Riordan writes (the kane chronicles, percy jackson, heroes of olympus). and i really like his writing. I like Riodan's humor and sarcasm that he puts in the books.

This is not going to meet a simple answer. The more I read, list of favorite authors is getting longer. But of all the authors, here are my answer:
- George Orwell. In the Animal Farm. Here his writing is simple, with boldness in relating animals in the farm to actual humans in history. In simplicity, I can say, description on feelings and ideas is at its best.

- Ray Bradbury. In all his books I have read. His morale stance on how a human should be within the society and with himself is written subtly to make his points that in the end all the outwardness does not really matter, at all.

- well yes, Kurt Vonnegut. In Slaughterhouse 5. His biography tells a different side of him - a stuck in the moment family man who tried to make a living while holding his pride up high. The harshness of reality he faced in his life was described best in his book as a surreal experiences his character could escape from.

- of course, JK Rowling in Harry Potter series. Someone who created a whole new world in her mind and put it into writings that could be enjoyed by billions people, young and old, is something spectacular.

- last but surely not the least, John Steinbeck in Travel With Charley. A pisces, his dreamy imagination combined with his ability to write and tell about his surrounding brings his book as something sweet - although sometimes gloomy, that one could not get enough of.

There.

Have anyone mentioned Mitch Albom on his/her list? He is actually one of the genius author..

Well, I love Trudi Canavan's book mostly, but well it's rather slow in the story but has a richly detail on the book's universe. And of course George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice And Fire, well you know the reason,since I really love Fantasy - Fiction,I really hooked up to the genre

my favorite author would probably be J.K.Rowling. The way she wrote the Harry Potter series, they were all very engaging, and so far the only series I've re-read more than twice. But it probably has something to do with the fact that I grew up with Harry Potter, the sentiment and all.

Also, I liked John Grisham. I borrowed a few of his books, and I remembered really liking them but I can't remember what are the titles and the details, hahaha! It was back in Junior High. One of my personal ambition is to re-read those books and hoping to feel, "Ah! Right! This was the book I read back then! I know what happens after this!" (still working on this ambition haha) I was awed by the world that he wrote. All those legal case and twists and conspiracies... it made me keep guessing what will happen next and wondering if those things actually occur in real life.

Dan Brown. I first read the Indonesian version of Da Vinci Code, but I re-read it in English a few years later and got hooked, and gobbled up (most of) the rest of his books after that. (I haven't read Deception Point or Digital Fortress, though). The tight relation of the plot with existing symbols that we recognize from all around us, I think this is what first pulled me to read Brown's works. Even though sometimes Langdon's adventures got a bit repetitive but since every book discusses a different set of symbols and histories, it was always interesting for me.

Who else. Hmm, I also love Julia Quinn's The Bridgertons series and a few of Nora Roberts' romance books because my friend recommended them to me and I couldn't put those books down until I finished them all. The main characters are mostly smart and so good with words, and the romance... oh the romance. With a perfect amount of witty humor, too, in my opinion. Hahaha! I couldn't help but to keep reading.

As for the other authors, I read maybe only one or two books from them and even though I really like them, I haven't read enough to know if I really like their writing style or just the particular books that I read.