Summer Beach Reads - NonFiction

It is time for beach reads again, although I read anything and everything over the summer. I am really looking forward to a chance to read, having spent months packing, sorting, pitching and moving. Well, I have continued to read, but haven't had a chance to write, yet so want to share some wonderful reads. Hopefully that will happen over the next month or two.
I have a list of authors I follow antcipating their next book, that I simply must read. Locate that sun umbrella, the chaise lounge, the iced tea and then lose myself in another world. Sometimes it is a place (Paris, London, Yellowstone), sometimes it is a person (Shakespeare, memoirs, presidents), sometimes it is a time (medieval Scotland, Puritan New England, the 1960s) and sometimes it is a taste (single malts, organic foods, what to eat next). Entertaining, educational and edifying, these authors never fail me.

Nonfiction writers

Heavily weighted towards history and natural history.

A. Peter Ackroyd, Margaret Atwood (Payback), Stephen Ambrose

B. Nick Bunker, Bill Bryson, Geraldine Brooks, Iain Banks, Alan Bennett

C. Rachel Carson, AJ Cronin, Winston Churchill, William Cronon

D. Bernard DeVoto, Michael Dirda, Richard Dawkins, John Gregory Dunne

E. Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Edward

F. William Fiennes, Niall Fergusson, David Hackett Fischer, Shelby Foote

G. AAGill, A Greig, Stephen Jay Gould, Doris Kearns Goodwin

H. Edward Hoagland, Tony Horwitz, William Least Heat-Moon, Bernd Heinrich, Stephen Hawkins

I. Ian Frazer

J. PD James, Clive James

K. Verlyn Klinkenborg, Barbara Kingsolver, Robert Kennedy Jr, Tracy Kidder

L. Louise Leaman, Robert Leckie, Aldo Leopold

M. David McCullouch, John McPhee, John Muir, Farley Mowat, William Manchester

N. Stephen Nelson, Cynthia Ne
O. Edna OBrien
P. Michael Pollan, Nancy Pearl, Annie Proulx

R. Oliver Rackham, Tim Russert, Teddy Roosevelt

S. Marjori Santani Persepolis, Simon Schama, Ernest Thompson Seton, Arthur Schlessinger, Jr., TC Smout

T. Studs Terkel, Thoreau, Alisdair Taylor,

U. Robert Utley

V. Voltaire
W. Patricia Wells, Simon Winchester, Daniel Worster

Book Lists - Romance

February is I love to Read Month
A Good Book and Chocolate, flowers optional

Romantic Authors

Following the library's (and Facebook) alphabet lists of either books or authors, here is a list of authors that write romance fiction. I personally never knew that Jane Austen or Garrison Keillor were considered romance writers (searching Kindle selections). These are some of the authors I have enjoyed reading, especially classics and Regency or historical novels.

To quote Robertson Davies, 'It is dangerous to condemn stories as junk which satisfy the deep hunger of millions of people. These books are not literary art, but a great deal of what is acclaimed as literary art in our time offers no comfort or fulfillment to anybody.’  from For Your Eyes Alone; the Letters of Robertson Davies, ed. Judith Skelton Grant, Viking Press

A. Jane Austen, Jennifer Ashley, *Laurie Anderson

B. Mary Balogh, *Angela Benson

C. Gail Carriger, *Jennifer Crusie, Mary Chase Comstock

D. Christina Dodd

E. Suzanne Enoch

F. Jane Feather

G. *Diana Gabaldon, *Roberta Gellis

H. *Madeline Hunter, *Deborah Harkness

I. Iris Johansson

J. *Eliosa James

K. Lisa Kleypas, Susanna Kearsley, Lynn Kurland

L. Stephanie Laurens

M. Karen Marie Moning, *Lucy Muir

N. Brenda Novak

O. Constance O’Day Flannery

P. Mary Jo Putney, *Elizabeth Peters, * Nina Coombs PyKare,

Q. Julia Quinn, Amanda Quick

R. Karen Rose, Karen Ranney, Deanna Raybourn, *Pamela Regis

S. *Christina Skye

T. Adriana Trigiani

U.V. Joan Vincent

W. Susan Wiggs, Lauren Willig, Edith Wharton, Kathleen Woodiwiss

X,Y. *Jane Yardley, Rebecca York

Z. Mia Zachary

* Denote authors who have Phds in various subjects and take the romance novel to a new level.

2012 Recommended Reading

2012 Book List  :  THE SHORTLIST! NonFiction
Michael Chabon Maps and Legends: reading and writing along the borders
*Michael Dirda On Conan Doyle
Susan Hill A bit of singing and dancing
*Tony Horwitz Midnight Rising
St. Clair McKelway Reporting at wit's end : tales from The New Yorker Nancy Pearl After Life (Book Lust Rediscoveries)
*Jonathan Yardley Second Reading
Fiction/Literature
Mark Haddon The Red House
Susanna Kearsley The Winter Sea
*Hilary Mantel Bringing up the Bodies
*Paula McLain The Paris Wife
China Mieville The City and the City
Stef Penney The Invisible Ones
Alexander McCall Smith
Jacqueline Winspear Elegy for Eddie
Mrs Queen Takes the Train
Mr Rosenbloom Dreams in English
Mystery
Simon Beckett An Unmarked Grave
*John Connolly
Elly Griffith House at Sea End
*Deborah Harkness Shadow of the Night
Susan Hill Betrayal of Trust
Craig Johnson Walt Longman series
*Laurie King Beekeeper's apprentice:series
*Ian Rankin Standing in Another Man’s Grave
Imogen Robertson Instruments of darkness
Robin Sloan Mr. Penumbra's 24 hour Bookstore
Julia Stuart Pigeon pie mystery
Charles Todd The Confession, Unmarked Grave
Science Fiction
Richard K. Morgan The cold commands
*Patrick Rothfuss Name of the Wind; The Wise Man's Fear Book 1,2
Romance
Carol Carr India Black (series)
Gail Carriger Timeless series
YA
Alan Bradley Flavia De luce
*Kristin Cashore Bitterblue
Adam Gopnik The Steps Across the Water
*Terry Pratchett Snuff, Dodger
*Andrew Motion Silver (Treasure Island)
Movies
Marigold Hotel, Batman, Bond (skyfall) Avengers, Serenity, Hugo, Rise of the Guardians, Pi, Sherlock

* are the 15 best books of the year

Favourite British authors

Just to update the blog, which I have neglected while working on other blogs!

Spur of the moment 15 authors....(OK, it is more than 15, in three minutes!) (But I already have the next batch of 15 too!)

Dorothy Sayers

Ian Rankin

PDJames

Kate Atkinson

Dorothy Dunnett

AL Kennedy

Clifford Hanley

John Connolly

Susan Hill

Kate Morton

Anne Perry

Alexander McCall Smith

Antonia Fraser

Mary Stewart

Andrew Greig

Liz Lochhead

Roger Deakin

Elly Griffiths

Craig Fergusson