Authors > A Authors

Advantages: Wonderful writing
Disadvantages: None for me

I discovered Margaret Atwood rather late in life, but as the saying goes, better late than never. One of my students had 'A Handmaid's Tale' as a set book for AS level English literature, and so this was my introduction to this wonderful authoress. I have since read my way through several of her novels, and am currently nearing the end of 'Negotiating the Dead', a non-fiction work about writing itself. Born in Ottawa in 1939, Atwood's infancy was ...
...her brother congratulated her. Margaret Atwood's writing career spans three decades, beginning in 1969 with her novel 'The Edible Woman' and reaching a climax with the award of the Booker Prize for 'The Blind Assassin' in the year 2000. For me it is easy to see why the prestigious prize was awarded to 'The Blind Assassin': it is a brilliant combination of two novels. In the first, Iris Griffen relates the story of her family between the two world ... Read review

Advantages: suitable for all ages no violence, sex swearing
Disadvantages: longer books may be a bit hard going for some

Isaac Asimov ------------------ His name hinting at the authors heritage, Isaac Isimov is of Jewish descent. Born in Smolensk, Russia, his family moved to the USA in the period between the two world wars. By mistake, this was thought that his family fled Russia, but this is not the case. Isaac grew up helping to run his parents sweet shop, and was no doubt gifted as a young child. Picking up reading and writing very early in life. his autobiography ...
...life, and on to university Isaac went from being an exceptional student, to being a very bright one. Was this to do with what and where interests really lay? Even not knowing what he may want to do himself, and the conflicts between what held his interest and what he studied at school? There was an explosion of Science Fiction magazines when Isaac was in his teens / early twenties, and Isaac began writing letters to some of these, sometimes with ... Read review

Advantages: great writing in two genres
Disadvantages: she won't lay off cheap romance

Tami Hoag is a best selling American author of suspense and romance novels. I can only comment on the suspense ones as I never read romance. I first read one of her books, Cry Wolf, last autumn. I was very impressed and decided to read more and do some research on this author. Before publishing her first book, a romance novel in 1988, she held various other jobs. After a number of love stories she moved on to crime writing. Hoag published thirteen ...
...been made into a TV miniseries. Due to her high profile success she also participated in one of Barbara Bush's literary function and was asked to read at it. Here is a quick overview of her work, afterwards I will mention which ones I'm familiar with. Independent crime Novels - Still Waters (1992) - Dark Paradise (1994) - A Thin Dark Line (1997) - Dark Horse (2002) - Kill the Messenger (2004) - Alibi Man (2007) Kovac/Liska Series - Ashes to ... Read review

Advantages: Hard back and paper back. Very good read.
Disadvantages: the need to ensure that the books in a series are read in chronological order.

Val Mcdermid writes about crime, whether it be based on her own Private Eye - Kate Brannigan, or a forensic phychologist-Tony Hill. She writes serials that involves these characters, and another about a lesbian journalist, Lindsay Gordon. (which I have not read.) Some people may already be familiar with Tony Hill, a pyhycologist who suffers from sexual dysfunction, as some of his stories have been dramatised and can be seen on ITV or DVD box sets. ...
...has an unexpected outcome. Val McDermid's writing is contempory, enguaging and suprising until the end. Any of her stories that you choose to read will make you stay up late just tofinish the next chapter, and the next. If you do choose to read any of the books that are in a series, then make sure you do read them in order or you may find that you spoil the suprise in other books. Once you've read one, you will want to read another. ... Read review

Advantages: A great social commentator
Disadvantages: his later books are not as good

I love Douglas Coupland. He is definately one of today's most important and influential authors. His novels include the modern classic Generation X, (1991) Life after God (1994) Girlfriend in a coma, (1997) All families are psychotic, (2001) Hey Nostradamus (2003) and many more. He has also written some non-fiction such as 'Polaroids from the Dead' and 'city of glass'. He is an amazing visionary and there really is no-one else writing like ...
...his books, in the right frame of mind (open that is ha ha) they can be very inspiring and uplifting. (can I point out that I know this is not a review of an audio book but that is the catagory poor Douglas has been stored under on here) ... Read review