Does anyone have any books or authors that they strongly recommend?

Question

preferably lesser known books

Answer 1

Notes from the Underground by Dostoevsky
Naked by David Sedaris (really anything by him after Naked, too)
The Dharma Bums by Kerouac

Don't know if these count as lesser known or not.

Answer 2

Joyce Carol Oates
Margaret Atwood
Toni Morrison
Hanif Kureishi
Anne Rice
Gregory Maguire
James Patterson
Patricia Cornwell
Janet Evanovich
Jan Burke
Agatha Christie
Stephen King
Dean Koontz
Edith Wharton
Charlotte Bronte

Answer 3

Depends on what you like. My person favorite is the "A Song of Ice and Fire Series" by George RR Martin. It's fantasy, but really realistic and gritty. The characterization and dialog is fantastic, and it reads like a historical novel with magical elements, all set in a very complex and cultured world. It's really cool. the only downside is that it is incomplete, with only four of seven books released so far.

Another fantasy book that is great is "The Lies of Locke Lamora" by Scott Lynch, which is part of the "Gentleman Bastards" sequence, but stands well on it's own as well. It's one of the funniest books I've read in awhile, really fast paced, and not very typical. It's basically about a world class con man who fools everyone, even the guy he's working for. It's just really well written and something I completely recommend. I got through this book in all of two days.

I'd also reccomend these others (they're all non-fantasy):
"The Teammates" by David Halberstam (It's about Ted Williams, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Bobby Doerr, and it's a great read whether you're a Red Sox fan or not, it's all about their friendship, rather than the game itself)
"Are You Dave Gorman?" by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace (Just an absolutely hilarious read.)
"Animal Farm" by George Orwell (I know you asked for lesser known, but if you haven't read this one, go out and get it, it's a really interesting look at society, and a quick read. "1984" is great as well.)
"A Lesson Before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines (Great read)

I could go on, but I'll stop there. Hopefully something there will sound good to you, they're all great reads.

Answer 4

I've been having a great time with the New York Review of Books Classics Series. Lots of very good but either little known or forgotten authors, such as Sylvia Townsend Warner, Barbara Comyns, and Glenway Wescott. I discovered May Sinclair through the series and her excellent novel "Mary Olivier: a Life" (which ran alternately in THE LITTLE REVIEW with Joyce's ULYSSES). Also got hooked on the Irish writer J.G. Farrell ("The Siege of Krishnapur"). I think you can find the entire catalog at www.nyrb.com.

Answer 5

You can't get much lesser known than "Red Bird Just Like This."
It's written by Earl Jesse Stevens. It's an autobiographical look at the real nitty gritty calamaties of the average liar, the tender lover, the noble intentions, the ignoble deeds, and the adventurous soul of us. This guy will either be misunderstood and hated or loved and accepted. He does not pander to the hoi poloi of treacle seekers who seek tittilation and entertainment of an inferior caliber. Probably why he's not considered commercially viable.

Answer 6

Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Taylor
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The House of the Scorpians by Nancy Farmer
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
The Clique Series by Lisi Harrison
"B" is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

I could list more, but you might be upset with my answer because it would be so long!
All of these books are some of my favorite, I would have put The Harry Potter Series but you said lesser known books.
These are my favorite authors too!
I hope you liked my list and I hope this helped with your question.
☺☻☺☻☺☻☺

Answer 7

The Song Of Albion Trilogy; particularly Book One: The Paradise War by Stephen R. Lawhead.

Answer 8

Twilight by: Stephenie Meyer
New Moon by: Stephenie Meyer
The Alex Cross series by: James Patterson
Step on a Crack by: James Patterson
Copper Sun by: Sharon M. Draper
Maximum Ride Series by: James Patterson
Ice by: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Midnighters by: Scott Westerfeild
Jacob Have I Loved by: Katherine Paterson
Smoke Thief by: Shana Abe
Dream Thief by: Shana Abe
Don't Die my Love by: Lurlene Mcdaniel
Romiette and Julio by: Sharon Draper
The Night I Disappeared by: Julie Reece Deaver
The Last Book in the Universe by: W. Rodman Philbrick
The Last Dog on Earth by: Daniel Ehrenhaft
Maybe a Miracle by: Brian Strause
Silver Kiss by: Annette Curtis Klause
Vampire in My Bathtub by: Brenda Seabrooke
Companions of the Night by: Vivian Vande Velde
Children of the lamp series by: P. B. Kerr
Silverwing Series by: Kenneth Oppel

Answer 9

Merecdes Lackey is my all time favorite and i think anybody would enjoy reading any of her books. (did i mention she was my favorite) i also enjoy all writings from Dennis Mckerinan, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Jennifer Roberson, Anne Bishop, Anne McCafferty, Piers Anthony. thats for sci-fi/Fantasy
mystery
Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, Kay Hooper
Romance
Kathleen E Woodiweiss
Jayne Ann Kranz ( and all her other names)
only some of Johanna Lindsey ( her Malory Novels)
i don't now if these are lesser known authors but they i like everything they wright. and i love many Many more.
depending on what you would prefer to read depends on who i would recommend to you. but again i think anybody would like Mercedes Lackey she has several different types of books in many different worlds, even some on this world.
hope you find some new authors or books you like

Answer 10

"The Pope's Rhinocerous". It is a long and breathtaking tale of life in the early renaissance, stretching from a monkish order in the Baltic Sea to warring states in Italy, to the deepest interior of Africa; the descriptions are rivaled only by the plot, which is twisted to make every detail into a single, plausible tale of epic proportions. And yes, it is a very good book.