Delicious Authors

Wow, sifting through 40 years of delectable reads...trying to pick my top all time favorites. There are so many different flavors of writing that satisfy different cravings. This is a doozy of a brain strain for me. But let me start at the beginning.

Dr. Suess! This is the man that inspired countless hours of giggles, for me as a little girl, and for me as a mother of three girls. My favorite book of his...One fish, two fish, black fish, blue fish...or maybe How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Delightful worlds where anything can and does happen. Imagination run wild, as it should be! It's like a crazy crock pot stew...you never knew what you'd be pulling out of it.

Roald Dahl! I remember pulling James and the Giant Peach off the bookshelf at the little library in Santa Cruz, and I new I had a treasure in my hands. I went home, climbed into my makeshift fort, and didn't emerge for days, okay, so I exaggerate...but I devoured the book, and felt so connected to James left at the mercy of his cruel aunts, poor little boy.

James Herriot! I read every one of these quaint novels about the life and work of an English countryside veterinarian. The descriptions of the countryside and the characters he wrote about (animal and human) drew me in. It satisfies the sweet tooth.

Piers Anthony! I wanted to go to Xanth so bad it's not punny, I mean funny. Loved these books, gorged on them, so to speak. So silly and lighthearted. Fun reads for young adults and adults that want to stay young : ) Warning, might give you gas!

John Steinbeck! I know most kids read of Mice and Men in high school english classes. I never did. I recently read it when it was assigned to my daughter to read. Loved the story and enjoyed the writing style. One of my favorite Bugs Bunny cartoons had new meaning to me...you know the one where the overgrown dog (I think) wants to grab him and squeeze him, and call him George. Those cartoonists were cleverer than I knew! : ) It's meat and potatoes.

J.R. Tolkien! Love, love, love! Amazing world of Hobbits and trolls, of men and dwarves. And the one true ring. Fantastic! Oh, to travel the world on a pony alongside the likes of Aragorn and Gandalf, to spend time (cause you'll need it) talking with the Ents. Like a pint of the finest Ale, this goes down so smooth.

Okay, so one last one. J. K. Rowling! This woman amazed me. We all know her story. Incredible. She is the one that got me thinking, you know, I can do this. She did it with far fewer resources than I have. We have been savoring Harry, Ron, Hermione, and my personal favorites Fred and George, for so many years in our house. I enjoy delving into the pages with my youngest Sierra. When the time is right, many years from now, I'll gladly introduce my Hagrid and McGonagall voices to my grandchildren. Harry Potter books are like those crazy candies from Hogsmeade, magical.

I could probably go on and on. I have read so many books over the years, and I have so many more waiting in my cupboard. Unlike Mother Hubbard, my reading cupboard is never bare. My plate is full to overflowing with tasty literary morsels.