Authors I Continue to Admire

John Irving
The World According to Garp; Cider House Rules; A Prayer for Owen Meany; A Widow for One Year; The Hotel New Hampshire
Irving first novel was "Garp" and it is still my favorite of the ones I have read. I read it about 20 years ago and was totally awestruck by it. 20 years later, I am still taken by the "Under Toad" and Irving's eccentric characters and bizarre twists and turns of the story. I remember my husband commenting on how one night I would be crying while reading it and the next night laughing hysterically. How many books can do that to the reader?? I've enjoyed all the titles listed above. I don't plan on reading his just published "Until I Find You." I've read too many negative reviews and I don't want to read Irving on the way down.

Jane Hamilton
Book of Ruth; Map of the World; A Short History of a Prince
Three great novels; my favorite is "A Short History of a Prince." It 's a story about a man coming to terms with his homosexuality and learning to live with himself and his family. Beautifully written; very memorable.

Ian McEwan
Amsterdam; Atonement
Both are terrific, although I think "Atonement" is more of a pageturner. There's a murder mystery involved and it keeps the reader enthralled. I haven't picked up his latest: "Saturday" but I'm definitely planning on it!

Wally Lamb
She's Come Undone; I Know This Much Is True
Great big stories that immediately grab you and keep you turning the pages. "She's Come Undone" is the story of Dolores Price. While most kids her age were dealing with the monumental importance of the latest Beatles single and how college turned an older sibling into a long-haired hippie, Dolores was grappling with such issues as divorce, rape, and mental illness. Whether you're disgusted by her antics or moved by her pathetic ploys, you'll be drawn into Dolores's warped, hilarious, Mallomar-munching world (mamzon.com). Lamb's second novel is the story of twin bothers, one of whom is diagnosed with schizophrenia (if I remember correctly) and the story centers on the relationship between the brothers. Both novels were equally wonderful.