Lately I’ve needed some books that are easier to read than my usual. Raymond E. Feist is a great Fantasy writer but keeping track of the generations in any of his books involving The world of Midkemia can take a good 10 minutes to figure out (or remember when re-reading), and Matthew Reilly is non-stop hard-core action.
For easier reading I turn to books aimed at a younger audience that are still enjoyable. Harry Potter might be a good example particularly the earlier books. Personally however I turn to Emily Rodda (her real name is Jennifer Rowe. Emily Rodda is the pen name she uses on her books for younger audience) any Deltora book is good (Deltora Quest series 1, 2, and 3 or Star of Deltora series).
I also look at John flanagan‘s Rangers Apprentice and Brotherband books.
I have recently finished Rick Riodans Kane Chronicles and the Kane Chronicles/Percy Jackson short story’s.
I’m just wondering if I’m the only one that does this and if so what you read?
I used to be Ray Feist's "hometown" bookseller, where he would launch every new book. Good guy, really smart and fun to be around. But yeah, the cast of characters would almost fill the NYC phone book at this point.
I was very lucky to meet Matthew Reilly for his launch of Six Sacred Stones but I’m from a small town without a bookstore so the only well known author we get is one that grew up here. I hope to be the second :)
I’m a little jealous. I love meeting authors that write what I enjoy reading and Feist is my favourite!
I managed a general bookstore in La Jolla, CA, a beachfront resort town (where Raymond Chandler and Dr. Seuss both lived, among many others) just outside San Diego, so there were lots of homegrown authors like Ray, and it was a place people loved to travel to. Then I opened Mysterious Galaxy, a science fiction/fantasy/mystery/horror specialty store in San Diego--still open and thriving after 29 years (though it's under new ownership now). I got to know and sometimes become friends with authors of every stripe and caliber, from folks like Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison and Michael Connelly and George R.R. Martin to those just starting out. In fact, I knew Feist and Connelly from their first books onward, and Martin very early in his career. Not everyone has their kind of success, obviously, but it was definitely inspirational for me as a would-be writer. Many years later, I've got more than 50 novels under my belt, assorted nonfiction, short fiction, and tons of comics and graphic novels.