,

Favorite authors of all time as voted on by readers at least 35 years old.

Guidelines:
  • What? Rules? These will hopefully preserve a useful, quality list of good authors.
  • Do not vote here if you are not at least 35 years old.
  • Please do not select/add any authors unless you have read at least a few authors on the list.
  • Please do not select/add any author unless you have read and liked at least two of their books.
  • This is not a list for your favorite book.
  • If an author wrote only one notable book ... do not add them to this list.
  • This is for authors of good books (plural) ... a touchstone for good reading.
  • Please do not add an author who is already on the list.
  • Please do not add an author who is already on the list with a different book/edition.
  • If adding an author, please select their most popular/well-known book (not a series).
  • We are aiming for an author's most-recognized book, not their best/highest-rated best book.
  • We want their most-recognized work ... even if you haven't read that particular book.
  • When you click on an authors link, the book at the top of their list is generally the most popular.
  • The top book on the authors list is sometimes not their most popular/well-known.
  • If you're certain another book is more-recognized (top 3, nearly as many ratings as most), OK.
  • Please do not select an esoteric/unrecognizable edition of an author's book.
  • The edition at the top of the list of all editions is usually a decent pick.
  • The first edition hardcopy, or paperback, are usually decent picks.
  • Sometimes, artwork is usefully better in a paperback, anniversary, or movie release edition.
  • We're aiming for an edition that is recognizable, has clear font, and the authors name is legible.

Over 35 lists:
Over 35: Favorite Authors of All Time
Over 35: Best Books of All Time
Over 35: Best Books of the 21st Century
Over 35: Best Books of the 2010s

Men Over 35 lists:
Men Over 35: Favorite Authors of All Time
Men Over 35: Best Books of All Time
Men Over 35: Best Books of the 21st Century
Men Over 35: Best Books of the 2000s
Men Over 35: Best Books of the 2010s
Men Over 35: Best Books of the 2020s

General lists (for comparison):
Best Authors Ever
Best Books Ever
Best Books of the 21st Century
1

by
3.74 avg rating — 2,806,281 ratings
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2

by
4.02 avg rating — 1,184,871 ratings
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3

by
3.97 avg rating — 165,549 ratings
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4

by
4.29 avg rating — 4,752,728 ratings
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5

by
4.18 avg rating — 8,482 ratings
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6

by
4.30 avg rating — 4,425,011 ratings
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7

by
4.44 avg rating — 628,934 ratings
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8

by
4.20 avg rating — 5,393,380 ratings
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9

by
4.19 avg rating — 860,387 ratings
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10

by
4.11 avg rating — 790,340 ratings
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11

by
4.02 avg rating — 171,227 ratings
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12

by
4.27 avg rating — 111,417 ratings
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13

by
4.65 avg rating — 2,046,395 ratings
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14

by
4.08 avg rating — 832,004 ratings
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15

by
4.45 avg rating — 2,717,186 ratings
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16

by
4.13 avg rating — 1,054,698 ratings
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17

by
3.93 avg rating — 2,510,732 ratings
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17

by
4.27 avg rating — 1,595,135 ratings
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19

by
4.62 avg rating — 34 ratings
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20

by
4.30 avg rating — 170,226 ratings
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21

by
4.18 avg rating — 3,426,474 ratings
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22

by
4.01 avg rating — 165,412 ratings
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23

by
4.01 avg rating — 174,600 ratings
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23

by
4.10 avg rating — 987,762 ratings
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25

by
4.35 avg rating — 9,806,936 ratings
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26

by
4.12 avg rating — 361,391 ratings
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27

by
3.81 avg rating — 122,599 ratings
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28

by
4.01 avg rating — 21,109 ratings
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28

by
4.04 avg rating — 178,299 ratings
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28

by
4.02 avg rating — 262,082 ratings
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31

by
4.12 avg rating — 387,790 ratings
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31

by
3.90 avg rating — 281,811 ratings
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31

by
4.23 avg rating — 222,517 ratings
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34

by
4.42 avg rating — 1,274,371 ratings
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34

by
4.11 avg rating — 32,643 ratings
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36

by
3.58 avg rating — 5,825 ratings
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36

by
4.04 avg rating — 123,716 ratings
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38

by
3.94 avg rating — 167,606 ratings
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38

by
4.06 avg rating — 4,585 ratings
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40

by
3.96 avg rating — 25,096 ratings
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40

by
3.63 avg rating — 7,431 ratings
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40

by
4.08 avg rating — 32,040 ratings
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43

by
4.44 avg rating — 138,181 ratings
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43

by
4.16 avg rating — 359,924 ratings
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45

by
3.93 avg rating — 20,319 ratings
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45

by
3.94 avg rating — 27,037 ratings
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45

by
3.92 avg rating — 325,939 ratings
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48

by
4.18 avg rating — 42,599 ratings
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49

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16,260 ratings
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50

by
4.21 avg rating — 301,438 ratings
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50

by
4.06 avg rating — 238,797 ratings
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50

by
3.98 avg rating — 143,353 ratings
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53

by
4.01 avg rating — 718,876 ratings
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53

by
4.08 avg rating — 143,413 ratings
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55

by
4.12 avg rating — 6,389 ratings
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55

by
4.26 avg rating — 21,558 ratings
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57

by
4.52 avg rating — 1,073,734 ratings
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57

by
4.43 avg rating — 3,041 ratings
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59

by
4.29 avg rating — 40,327 ratings
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60

by
4.49 avg rating — 953,125 ratings
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60

by
4.24 avg rating — 27,091 ratings
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62

by
4.27 avg rating — 741,299 ratings
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63

by
3.94 avg rating — 9,846 ratings
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64

by
4.25 avg rating — 272,077 ratings
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65

by
3.86 avg rating — 72,696 ratings
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65

by
3.66 avg rating — 16,861 ratings
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67

by
4.13 avg rating — 706,796 ratings
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67

by
3.95 avg rating — 4,189 ratings
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69

by
3.89 avg rating — 27,179 ratings
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70

by
3.92 avg rating — 53,082 ratings
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71

by
3.92 avg rating — 1,654 ratings
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72

by
3.77 avg rating — 3,600 ratings
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73

by
4.08 avg rating — 139,558 ratings
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74

by
3.82 avg rating — 3,024 ratings
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75

by
4.16 avg rating — 7,293 ratings
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76

by
3.84 avg rating — 706,470 ratings
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77

by
3.99 avg rating — 55,834 ratings
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78

by
3.82 avg rating — 15,576 ratings
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79

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 131,228 ratings
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80

by
4.17 avg rating — 183,031 ratings
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81

by
3.90 avg rating — 16,376 ratings
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82

by
3.86 avg rating — 271,265 ratings
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83

by
4.03 avg rating — 11,051 ratings
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84

by
4.27 avg rating — 136,507 ratings
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85

by
4.40 avg rating — 158,111 ratings
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86

by
3.75 avg rating — 78,024 ratings
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87

by
4.14 avg rating — 217,931 ratings
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88

by
3.88 avg rating — 11,223 ratings
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89

by
4.07 avg rating — 61,452 ratings
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90

by
3.93 avg rating — 16,038 ratings
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91

by
4.19 avg rating — 394,837 ratings
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92

by
4.08 avg rating — 5,848 ratings
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93

by
3.95 avg rating — 22,502 ratings
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94

by
4.23 avg rating — 307,062 ratings
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95

by
4.13 avg rating — 212,515 ratings
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96

by
3.91 avg rating — 425 ratings
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97

by
3.58 avg rating — 18,112 ratings
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97 books · 9 voters · list created March 23rd, 2024 by Steve Shelby (votes) .
3 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Steve 979 books
6 friends
~☆~Autumn 8087 books
152 friends
Brian 2176 books
78 friends
Celia 5562 books
750 friends
Fiona 1664 books
242 friends
Angela 3799 books
292 friends
Book2Dragon 16551 books
498 friends
Charlotte Igelkott 3124 books
1 friend

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-1 of 1 (1 new)

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message 1: by Steve (last edited Apr 03, 2024 03:43AM) (new)

Steve Shelby Larry McMurtry, author of Lonesome Dove, is a worthy author. Thanks for contributing his name to the list. Lonesome Dove has ~190,000 ratings, with an average rating of 4.53 (very high quality). The Last Picture Show has ~18,000 ratings, with an average rating of 4.0. This is a representative example of why I have guidelines asking you to put the top book on the author’s list (Lonesome Dove), which is the most-recognized by far, and higher rated, than The Last Picture Show. Many Americans over say 45 have heard of or watched Lonesome Dove (made for TV miniseries) while I concede that I haven't heard of The Last Picture Show. Many people are thus familiar with the title Lonesome Dove, while fewer are familiar with the author’s name. This is why I have the guidelines asking to use the most-recognized book of an author. Please delete The Last Picture Show and re-add McMurtry with Lonesome Dove as the book.

The same can be said for John Updike. Rabbit, Run (top of his list) has ~60,000 ratings, whereas Couples has 5,000 ratings. His author bio says the Rabbit series is his most famous work. Please stick to the most-recognized work of an author, ... lest they do not get voted on as often as they might otherwise … because they are associated with a book that is not well-recognized.


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