\n \n\t\t\t\t\tMy list of Must-Read Authors\t\t <\/span>\n\n\t\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/span>\n <\/h1>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n \n If you\u2019ve already read all of these authors, perhaps, you’ll revisit one of their books to read again or for the first time. To those who might find a new author to try, happy reading. Before we get to the list, please don’t judge me too harshly. My top six authors haven\u2019t changed since I was a child.<\/p>\n
1. Chaim Potok<\/strong><\/p>\nThe author wrote about Orthodox Jews, but his book, The Chosen<\/em>, is a coming-of-age story. Certainly, it’s relatable to teens from all backgrounds. It was for me. Mostly, I identified with the boys in the story because Potok masterfully depicted the relationship between them. In addition to its value as a good read, a reader might gain some insight on how to write about complex relationships.<\/p>\nMy favorite books from this author:<\/p>\n
\n- The Chosen \u2013 1967 (This book is the one that did it.<\/a>)<\/li>\n
- My Name is Asher Lev \u2013 1972<\/li>\n
- I am Clay – 1992<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
2. Octavia Butler<\/strong><\/p>\nButler\u2019s books are mostly science fiction. Undeniably, her science fiction books are the ones I enjoyed most. Those books, masterfully explore otherworldliness, while keeping a keen eye on politics and social dynamics too. Additionally, many of her books target change, control, compliance and liberation. All these themes are best highlighted in her series books. For me, Butler is somewhat puzzling too. For example, I find her books unique, and her storytelling exceptional; yet, on occasion, it’s difficult to stay tuned in. Butler tackled the harshness of life with gut wrenching vividness. For this reason, some may have a strong resistance to reading her work.<\/p>\n
My favorites from this author:<\/p>\n
\n- Dawn (The Xenogenesis Trilogy Book 1)<\/li>\n
- Wild Seed (The Patternist Series Book 1)<\/li>\n
- Mind of My Mind (The Patternist Series Book 2)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Among My Must-Read Authors<\/strong><\/h3>\nListed For All the Wrong Reasons<\/em><\/p>\n![\"8](\"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/8-Must-Read-Authors-Mark-Twain-255x300.png\")
3. Mark Twain<\/strong><\/p>\nMark Twain is my most favorite writer. Although, he didn’t write any of my favorite books, I’m hooked. Irrefutably, his skill at spinning tales, using humor, showing the particulars of humanity and ultimately his mastery of vernacular speech keeps him at the top of my list. His words have rhythm. Unlike Shakespeare and other classic writers before him, Twain didn\u2019t lean heavily on pentameters, but somehow, he managed to make his words dance. That\u2019s why I love his work.<\/p>\n
Some works by Twain:<\/p>\n
\n- The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer<\/a><\/li>\n
- The War Prayer<\/a><\/li>\n
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn<\/a><\/li>\n
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court<\/a><\/li>\n
- The Prince and the Pauper<\/a><\/li>\n
- Letters from the Earth<\/a> (Hilarious. H20, Milk \u201cWe enlarged the symbol to H2O,M)<\/li>\n
- Eve\u2019s Diary<\/a><\/li>\n
- Extracts From Adam\u2019s Diary<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Listed For All the Right Reasons<\/em><\/p>\n4. J. R. R Tolkien<\/strong><\/p>\nThe man is a master of place. If you read these books, you\u2019ll have a good idea of what the shire and middle earth looks like in the unspecified time of Samwise, the hobbits, Gollum, Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn. The works of Tolkien have never been out of print. That is a magnificent feat for an author. With word pictures, he sparks the imagination of the reader. Indeed, he does the hard work of keeping the reader in the dream. Over the years, I\u2019ve reread Tolkien\u2019s books. Just as they captured me as a child, they still do today. As I reread, I might impatiently wait for one of my favorite scenes to come on the page. Imagine my disappointment when it\u00a0seems to have moved further into the book than I remembered. At those\u00a0times, I feel deliciously childish and a little irritated. \u00a0<\/p>\n
I have never seen any of the Lord of the Ring movies. Although, I excitedly went to the opening of the first one, I walked out after twenty minutes. Somehow, the motion picture corrupted my imagination of the world this author created. The movie took something magical and made it dark, warlike and sinister. That’s not the way I remember it. I could be wrong because I never gave the films another chance and I don\u2019t intend to.<\/p>\n
My Favorites: (Oh, that’s all of them)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- The Hobbit (my most favorite of them all)<\/li>\n
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring<\/li>\n
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers<\/li>\n
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King<\/li>\n
- The Silmarillion (I think I know who Tom Bombadil is. Do you?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
5. Charles Dickens<\/strong><\/p>\nDickens created knowable and memorable characters. In several countries, his characters have been household names for almost two centuries. We have Scrooge, which is also a term to describe a cheap, miserly or unkind person. Others include David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Sam Weller.<\/p>\n
Writers can read Dickens to understand character development. Even if you don\u2019t enjoy his stories or like his writing style use what you can to learn how to paint characters that your readers will know and see.<\/p>\n
My favorites from this author:<\/p>\n
\n- Oliver Twist<\/a><\/li>\n
- Bleak House<\/a><\/li>\n
- The Pickwick Papers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n \n
Quirky Must-Read Authors<\/strong><\/h3>\n6. Stephen King<\/strong><\/p>\nKing is a man of ideas. His stories tap into our desire for getting outside of the ordinary. He does this on so many levels. I\u2019ve read many King books, but not a single one of them was horror. That\u2019s not for me. Nevertheless, books like Firestarter and The Green Mile had me hooked because they tap into extra human powers. For the most part, I like his early stuff. The man is prolific. Fresh ideas can make up for issues with plot and writing. King has great ideas. I know, I said that already.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
My favorites from this author:<\/p>\n
\n- The Dead Zone<\/li>\n
- Firestarter<\/li>\n
- Shawshank Redemption (short story \u2013 the movie is better than the short-story)<\/li>\n
- The Green Mile<\/li>\n
- Hearts in Atlantis<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
7. George Orwell<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"8](\"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/8-Must-Read-Authors-1984-Orwell-181x300.jpg\")
He is a political writer. The majority of his books are non-fiction. Even his fictional books are about politics. I was about ten years old when I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was so moving. Even today, I think about how the totalitarian regime completely took over and surveilled the lives of all those citizens. Ultimately, it was the ending that really got me. As soon as Winston adopted the ideology of the Big Brother he died. The book, is an Orwellian warning. At the time, I wasn’t old enough to understand all the political themes, but it didn’t really matter. I got lost in the story.\u00a0That\u2019s the genius of Orwell.<\/p>\n
\n- Animal Farm (An allegory for the fight for political power \u2013 specifically in Russia)<\/li>\n
- Nineteen Eighty-Four<\/li>\n
- All Propaganda is Lies<\/li>\n
- Facing Unpleasant Facts<\/li>\n
- Orwell on Freedom<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
8. Kurt Vonnegut<\/strong><\/p>\nHis writing is crisp and punchy. He gets the information out and keeps you wanting more. There is an honesty to his words. From deep inside the writing you know him to be a man of truth. I like that. His books, like Orwell\u2019s are political or societal commentary, but he seems more mellow, funnier, a bit more human and in some ways deliciously weird.<\/p>\n
My favorites from this author:<\/p>\n
\n- Cat’s Cradle \u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>\n
- Slaughterhouse – Five\u00a0<\/li>\n
- Breakfast of Champions<\/li>\n
- Galapagos<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
That’s my list. Please share your list of must-read authors.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n\t \t<\/div>\n\t\t <\/div>\n\t \n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
8 Must-Read Authors Who can Boost your Reading Life. M.H. Mundy Shares A List of Her Favorite Authors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":750,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"builder_content":"
My list of Must-Read Authors
If you\u2019ve already read all of these authors, perhaps, you'll revisit one of their books to read again or for the first time. To those who might find a new author to try, happy reading. Before we get to the list, please don't judge me too harshly. My top six authors haven\u2019t changed since I was a child.<\/p>
1. Chaim Potok<\/strong><\/p> The author wrote about Orthodox Jews, but his book, The Chosen<\/em>, is a coming-of-age story. Certainly, it's relatable to teens from all backgrounds. It was for me. Mostly, I identified with the boys in the story because Potok masterfully depicted the relationship between them. In addition to its value as a good read, a reader might gain some insight on how to write about complex relationships.<\/p> My favorite books from this author:<\/p>
- The Chosen \u2013 1967 (This book is the one that did it.<\/a>)<\/li>
- My Name is Asher Lev \u2013 1972<\/li>
- I am Clay - 1992<\/li> <\/ul>
2. Octavia Butler<\/strong><\/p> Butler\u2019s books are mostly science fiction. Undeniably, her science fiction books are the ones I enjoyed most. Those books, masterfully explore otherworldliness, while keeping a keen eye on politics and social dynamics too. Additionally, many of her books target change, control, compliance and liberation. All these themes are best highlighted in her series books. For me, Butler is somewhat puzzling too. For example, I find her books unique, and her storytelling exceptional; yet, on occasion, it's difficult to stay tuned in. Butler tackled the harshness of life with gut wrenching vividness. For this reason, some may have a strong resistance to reading her work.<\/p>
My favorites from this author:<\/p>
- Dawn (The Xenogenesis Trilogy Book 1)<\/li>
- Wild Seed (The Patternist Series Book 1)<\/li>
- Mind of My Mind (The Patternist Series Book 2)<\/li> <\/ul>
Among My Must-Read Authors<\/strong><\/h3> Listed For All the Wrong Reasons<\/em><\/p> 3. Mark Twain<\/strong><\/p> Mark Twain is my most favorite writer. Although, he didn't write any of my favorite books, I'm hooked. Irrefutably, his skill at spinning tales, using humor, showing the particulars of humanity and ultimately his mastery of vernacular speech keeps him at the top of my list. His words have rhythm. Unlike Shakespeare and other classic writers before him, Twain didn\u2019t lean heavily on pentameters, but somehow, he managed to make his words dance. That\u2019s why I love his work.<\/p>
Some works by Twain:<\/p>
- The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer<\/a><\/li>
- The War Prayer<\/a><\/li>
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn<\/a><\/li>
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court<\/a><\/li>
- The Prince and the Pauper<\/a><\/li>
- Letters from the Earth<\/a> (Hilarious. H20, Milk \u201cWe enlarged the symbol to H2O,M)<\/li>
- Eve\u2019s Diary<\/a><\/li>
- Extracts From Adam\u2019s Diary<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>\n
\u00a0<\/p>
Listed For All the Right Reasons<\/em><\/p> 4. J. R. R Tolkien<\/strong><\/p> The man is a master of place. If you read these books, you\u2019ll have a good idea of what the shire and middle earth looks like in the unspecified time of Samwise, the hobbits, Gollum, Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn. The works of Tolkien have never been out of print. That is a magnificent feat for an author. With word pictures, he sparks the imagination of the reader. Indeed, he does the hard work of keeping the reader in the dream. Over the years, I\u2019ve reread Tolkien\u2019s books. Just as they captured me as a child, they still do today. As I reread, I might impatiently wait for one of my favorite scenes to come on the page. Imagine my disappointment when it\u00a0seems to have moved further into the book than I remembered. At those\u00a0times, I feel deliciously childish and a little irritated. \u00a0<\/p>
I have never seen any of the Lord of the Ring movies. Although, I excitedly went to the opening of the first one, I walked out after twenty minutes. Somehow, the motion picture corrupted my imagination of the world this author created. The movie took something magical and made it dark, warlike and sinister. That's not the way I remember it. I could be wrong because I never gave the films another chance and I don\u2019t intend to.<\/p>
My Favorites: (Oh, that's all of them)<\/strong><\/p> - The Hobbit (my most favorite of them all)<\/li>
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring<\/li>
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers<\/li>
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King<\/li>
- The Silmarillion (I think I know who Tom Bombadil is. Do you?)<\/li> <\/ul>
5. Charles Dickens<\/strong><\/p> Dickens created knowable and memorable characters. In several countries, his characters have been household names for almost two centuries. We have Scrooge, which is also a term to describe a cheap, miserly or unkind person. Others include David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Sam Weller.<\/p>
Writers can read Dickens to understand character development. Even if you don\u2019t enjoy his stories or like his writing style use what you can to learn how to paint characters that your readers will know and see.<\/p>
My favorites from this author:<\/p>
- Oliver Twist<\/a><\/li>
- Bleak House<\/a><\/li>
- The Pickwick Papers<\/a><\/li> <\/ul>\n
Quirky Must-Read Authors<\/strong><\/h3> 6. Stephen King<\/strong><\/p> King is a man of ideas. His stories tap into our desire for getting outside of the ordinary. He does this on so many levels. I\u2019ve read many King books, but not a single one of them was horror. That\u2019s not for me. Nevertheless, books like Firestarter and The Green Mile had me hooked because they tap into extra human powers. For the most part, I like his early stuff. The man is prolific. Fresh ideas can make up for issues with plot and writing. King has great ideas. I know, I said that already.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>
My favorites from this author:<\/p>
- The Dead Zone<\/li>
- Firestarter<\/li>
- Shawshank Redemption (short story \u2013 the movie is better than the short-story)<\/li>
- The Green Mile<\/li>
- Hearts in Atlantis<\/li> <\/ul>
7. George Orwell<\/strong><\/p> He is a political writer. The majority of his books are non-fiction. Even his fictional books are about politics. I was about ten years old when I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was so moving. Even today, I think about how the totalitarian regime completely took over and surveilled the lives of all those citizens. Ultimately, it was the ending that really got me. As soon as Winston adopted the ideology of the Big Brother he died. The book, is an Orwellian warning. At the time, I wasn't old enough to understand all the political themes, but it didn't really matter. I got lost in the story.\u00a0That\u2019s the genius of Orwell.<\/p>
- Animal Farm (An allegory for the fight for political power \u2013 specifically in Russia)<\/li>
- Nineteen Eighty-Four<\/li>
- All Propaganda is Lies<\/li>
- Facing Unpleasant Facts<\/li>
- Orwell on Freedom<\/li> <\/ul>
8. Kurt Vonnegut<\/strong><\/p> His writing is crisp and punchy. He gets the information out and keeps you wanting more. There is an honesty to his words. From deep inside the writing you know him to be a man of truth. I like that. His books, like Orwell\u2019s are political or societal commentary, but he seems more mellow, funnier, a bit more human and in some ways deliciously weird.<\/p>
My favorites from this author:<\/p>
- Cat's Cradle \u00a0 \u00a0<\/li>
- Slaughterhouse - Five\u00a0<\/li>
- Breakfast of Champions<\/li>
- Galapagos<\/li> <\/ul>
That's my list. Please share your list of must-read authors.<\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=748"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":880,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748\/revisions\/880"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
If you\u2019ve already read all of these authors, perhaps, you’ll revisit one of their books to read again or for the first time. To those who might find a new author to try, happy reading. Before we get to the list, please don’t judge me too harshly. My top six authors haven\u2019t changed since I was a child.<\/p>\n
1. Chaim Potok<\/strong><\/p>\n The author wrote about Orthodox Jews, but his book, The Chosen<\/em>, is a coming-of-age story. Certainly, it’s relatable to teens from all backgrounds. It was for me. Mostly, I identified with the boys in the story because Potok masterfully depicted the relationship between them. In addition to its value as a good read, a reader might gain some insight on how to write about complex relationships.<\/p>\n My favorite books from this author:<\/p>\n 2. Octavia Butler<\/strong><\/p>\n Butler\u2019s books are mostly science fiction. Undeniably, her science fiction books are the ones I enjoyed most. Those books, masterfully explore otherworldliness, while keeping a keen eye on politics and social dynamics too. Additionally, many of her books target change, control, compliance and liberation. All these themes are best highlighted in her series books. For me, Butler is somewhat puzzling too. For example, I find her books unique, and her storytelling exceptional; yet, on occasion, it’s difficult to stay tuned in. Butler tackled the harshness of life with gut wrenching vividness. For this reason, some may have a strong resistance to reading her work.<\/p>\n My favorites from this author:<\/p>\n Listed For All the Wrong Reasons<\/em><\/p>\n Mark Twain is my most favorite writer. Although, he didn’t write any of my favorite books, I’m hooked. Irrefutably, his skill at spinning tales, using humor, showing the particulars of humanity and ultimately his mastery of vernacular speech keeps him at the top of my list. His words have rhythm. Unlike Shakespeare and other classic writers before him, Twain didn\u2019t lean heavily on pentameters, but somehow, he managed to make his words dance. That\u2019s why I love his work.<\/p>\n Some works by Twain:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Listed For All the Right Reasons<\/em><\/p>\n 4. J. R. R Tolkien<\/strong><\/p>\n The man is a master of place. If you read these books, you\u2019ll have a good idea of what the shire and middle earth looks like in the unspecified time of Samwise, the hobbits, Gollum, Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn. The works of Tolkien have never been out of print. That is a magnificent feat for an author. With word pictures, he sparks the imagination of the reader. Indeed, he does the hard work of keeping the reader in the dream. Over the years, I\u2019ve reread Tolkien\u2019s books. Just as they captured me as a child, they still do today. As I reread, I might impatiently wait for one of my favorite scenes to come on the page. Imagine my disappointment when it\u00a0seems to have moved further into the book than I remembered. At those\u00a0times, I feel deliciously childish and a little irritated. \u00a0<\/p>\n I have never seen any of the Lord of the Ring movies. Although, I excitedly went to the opening of the first one, I walked out after twenty minutes. Somehow, the motion picture corrupted my imagination of the world this author created. The movie took something magical and made it dark, warlike and sinister. That’s not the way I remember it. I could be wrong because I never gave the films another chance and I don\u2019t intend to.<\/p>\n My Favorites: (Oh, that’s all of them)<\/strong><\/p>\n 5. Charles Dickens<\/strong><\/p>\n Dickens created knowable and memorable characters. In several countries, his characters have been household names for almost two centuries. We have Scrooge, which is also a term to describe a cheap, miserly or unkind person. Others include David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Sam Weller.<\/p>\n Writers can read Dickens to understand character development. Even if you don\u2019t enjoy his stories or like his writing style use what you can to learn how to paint characters that your readers will know and see.<\/p>\n My favorites from this author:<\/p>\n 6. Stephen King<\/strong><\/p>\n King is a man of ideas. His stories tap into our desire for getting outside of the ordinary. He does this on so many levels. I\u2019ve read many King books, but not a single one of them was horror. That\u2019s not for me. Nevertheless, books like Firestarter and The Green Mile had me hooked because they tap into extra human powers. For the most part, I like his early stuff. The man is prolific. Fresh ideas can make up for issues with plot and writing. King has great ideas. I know, I said that already.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n My favorites from this author:<\/p>\n 7. George Orwell<\/strong><\/p>\n 8. Kurt Vonnegut<\/strong><\/p>\n His writing is crisp and punchy. He gets the information out and keeps you wanting more. There is an honesty to his words. From deep inside the writing you know him to be a man of truth. I like that. His books, like Orwell\u2019s are political or societal commentary, but he seems more mellow, funnier, a bit more human and in some ways deliciously weird.<\/p>\n My favorites from this author:<\/p>\n That’s my list. Please share your list of must-read authors.<\/p> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n\t \t<\/div>\n\t\t <\/div>\n\t \n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 8 Must-Read Authors Who can Boost your Reading Life. M.H. Mundy Shares A List of Her Favorite Authors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":750,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"builder_content":" If you\u2019ve already read all of these authors, perhaps, you'll revisit one of their books to read again or for the first time. To those who might find a new author to try, happy reading. Before we get to the list, please don't judge me too harshly. My top six authors haven\u2019t changed since I was a child.<\/p> 1. Chaim Potok<\/strong><\/p> The author wrote about Orthodox Jews, but his book, The Chosen<\/em>, is a coming-of-age story. Certainly, it's relatable to teens from all backgrounds. It was for me. Mostly, I identified with the boys in the story because Potok masterfully depicted the relationship between them. In addition to its value as a good read, a reader might gain some insight on how to write about complex relationships.<\/p> My favorite books from this author:<\/p> 2. Octavia Butler<\/strong><\/p> Butler\u2019s books are mostly science fiction. Undeniably, her science fiction books are the ones I enjoyed most. Those books, masterfully explore otherworldliness, while keeping a keen eye on politics and social dynamics too. Additionally, many of her books target change, control, compliance and liberation. All these themes are best highlighted in her series books. For me, Butler is somewhat puzzling too. For example, I find her books unique, and her storytelling exceptional; yet, on occasion, it's difficult to stay tuned in. Butler tackled the harshness of life with gut wrenching vividness. For this reason, some may have a strong resistance to reading her work.<\/p> My favorites from this author:<\/p> Listed For All the Wrong Reasons<\/em><\/p> Mark Twain is my most favorite writer. Although, he didn't write any of my favorite books, I'm hooked. Irrefutably, his skill at spinning tales, using humor, showing the particulars of humanity and ultimately his mastery of vernacular speech keeps him at the top of my list. His words have rhythm. Unlike Shakespeare and other classic writers before him, Twain didn\u2019t lean heavily on pentameters, but somehow, he managed to make his words dance. That\u2019s why I love his work.<\/p> Some works by Twain:<\/p> \u00a0<\/p> Listed For All the Right Reasons<\/em><\/p> 4. J. R. R Tolkien<\/strong><\/p> The man is a master of place. If you read these books, you\u2019ll have a good idea of what the shire and middle earth looks like in the unspecified time of Samwise, the hobbits, Gollum, Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn. The works of Tolkien have never been out of print. That is a magnificent feat for an author. With word pictures, he sparks the imagination of the reader. Indeed, he does the hard work of keeping the reader in the dream. Over the years, I\u2019ve reread Tolkien\u2019s books. Just as they captured me as a child, they still do today. As I reread, I might impatiently wait for one of my favorite scenes to come on the page. Imagine my disappointment when it\u00a0seems to have moved further into the book than I remembered. At those\u00a0times, I feel deliciously childish and a little irritated. \u00a0<\/p> I have never seen any of the Lord of the Ring movies. Although, I excitedly went to the opening of the first one, I walked out after twenty minutes. Somehow, the motion picture corrupted my imagination of the world this author created. The movie took something magical and made it dark, warlike and sinister. That's not the way I remember it. I could be wrong because I never gave the films another chance and I don\u2019t intend to.<\/p> My Favorites: (Oh, that's all of them)<\/strong><\/p> 5. Charles Dickens<\/strong><\/p> Dickens created knowable and memorable characters. In several countries, his characters have been household names for almost two centuries. We have Scrooge, which is also a term to describe a cheap, miserly or unkind person. Others include David Copperfield, Oliver Twist and Sam Weller.<\/p> Writers can read Dickens to understand character development. Even if you don\u2019t enjoy his stories or like his writing style use what you can to learn how to paint characters that your readers will know and see.<\/p> My favorites from this author:<\/p> 6. Stephen King<\/strong><\/p> King is a man of ideas. His stories tap into our desire for getting outside of the ordinary. He does this on so many levels. I\u2019ve read many King books, but not a single one of them was horror. That\u2019s not for me. Nevertheless, books like Firestarter and The Green Mile had me hooked because they tap into extra human powers. For the most part, I like his early stuff. The man is prolific. Fresh ideas can make up for issues with plot and writing. King has great ideas. I know, I said that already.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/p> My favorites from this author:<\/p> 7. George Orwell<\/strong><\/p> 8. Kurt Vonnegut<\/strong><\/p> His writing is crisp and punchy. He gets the information out and keeps you wanting more. There is an honesty to his words. From deep inside the writing you know him to be a man of truth. I like that. His books, like Orwell\u2019s are political or societal commentary, but he seems more mellow, funnier, a bit more human and in some ways deliciously weird.<\/p> My favorites from this author:<\/p> That's my list. Please share your list of must-read authors.<\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=748"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":880,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/748\/revisions\/880"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mhmundy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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Among My Must-Read Authors<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Mark Twain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
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Quirky Must-Read Authors<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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He is a political writer. The majority of his books are non-fiction. Even his fictional books are about politics. I was about ten years old when I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was so moving. Even today, I think about how the totalitarian regime completely took over and surveilled the lives of all those citizens. Ultimately, it was the ending that really got me. As soon as Winston adopted the ideology of the Big Brother he died. The book, is an Orwellian warning. At the time, I wasn’t old enough to understand all the political themes, but it didn’t really matter. I got lost in the story.\u00a0That\u2019s the genius of Orwell.<\/p>\n\n
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My list of Must-Read Authors
Among My Must-Read Authors<\/strong><\/h3>
3. Mark Twain<\/strong><\/p>
Quirky Must-Read Authors<\/strong><\/h3>
He is a political writer. The majority of his books are non-fiction. Even his fictional books are about politics. I was about ten years old when I first read Nineteen Eighty-Four. It was so moving. Even today, I think about how the totalitarian regime completely took over and surveilled the lives of all those citizens. Ultimately, it was the ending that really got me. As soon as Winston adopted the ideology of the Big Brother he died. The book, is an Orwellian warning. At the time, I wasn't old enough to understand all the political themes, but it didn't really matter. I got lost in the story.\u00a0That\u2019s the genius of Orwell.<\/p>