,

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 — 2,832,930 ratings
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2

by
4.30 avg rating — 4,837,081 ratings
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3

by
4.02 avg rating — 1,197,347 ratings
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4

by
3.97 avg rating — 166,971 ratings
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5

by
4.18 avg rating — 8,605 ratings
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6

by
4.30 avg rating — 4,477,223 ratings
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7

by
4.44 avg rating — 647,244 ratings
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8

by
4.20 avg rating — 5,510,097 ratings
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9

by
4.27 avg rating — 1,629,870 ratings
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10

by
4.19 avg rating — 870,683 ratings
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11

by
4.11 avg rating — 796,182 ratings
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12

by
4.02 avg rating — 176,715 ratings
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13

by
4.27 avg rating — 112,896 ratings
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14

by
4.65 avg rating — 2,151,999 ratings
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15

by
4.08 avg rating — 837,556 ratings
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16

by
4.45 avg rating — 2,746,311 ratings
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17

by
4.13 avg rating — 1,066,745 ratings
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18

by
3.94 avg rating — 2,533,324 ratings
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19

by
4.62 avg rating — 34 ratings
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20

by
4.30 avg rating — 171,683 ratings
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21

by
4.18 avg rating — 3,460,498 ratings
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22

by
4.01 avg rating — 166,704 ratings
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23

by
4.01 avg rating — 176,065 ratings
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23

by
4.10 avg rating — 992,932 ratings
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25

by
4.35 avg rating — 9,969,595 ratings
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26

by
4.12 avg rating — 375,305 ratings
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27

by
3.80 avg rating — 123,728 ratings
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28

by
4.01 avg rating — 21,509 ratings
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28

by
4.04 avg rating — 180,053 ratings
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28

by
4.02 avg rating — 265,337 ratings
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31

by
4.12 avg rating — 389,306 ratings
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31

by
3.90 avg rating — 286,130 ratings
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31

by
4.23 avg rating — 225,899 ratings
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31

by
4.47 avg rating — 11,476,280 ratings
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35

by
4.42 avg rating — 1,298,038 ratings
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35

by
4.11 avg rating — 32,869 ratings
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35

by
4.05 avg rating — 83,016 ratings
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38

by
3.59 avg rating — 5,860 ratings
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38

by
4.04 avg rating — 125,375 ratings
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40

by
3.94 avg rating — 169,271 ratings
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40

by
4.06 avg rating — 4,670 ratings
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42

by
3.96 avg rating — 25,381 ratings
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42

by
3.63 avg rating — 7,452 ratings
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42

by
4.08 avg rating — 32,258 ratings
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45

by
4.44 avg rating — 139,596 ratings
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45

by
4.15 avg rating — 362,940 ratings
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47

by
3.93 avg rating — 20,576 ratings
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47

by
3.94 avg rating — 27,209 ratings
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47

by
3.92 avg rating — 327,015 ratings
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50

by
4.18 avg rating — 43,066 ratings
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51

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16,338 ratings
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52

by
4.21 avg rating — 302,589 ratings
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52

by
4.06 avg rating — 241,471 ratings
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52

by
3.98 avg rating — 143,688 ratings
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55

by
4.01 avg rating — 722,026 ratings
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55

by
4.08 avg rating — 144,099 ratings
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57

by
4.13 avg rating — 6,441 ratings
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57

by
4.26 avg rating — 21,866 ratings
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59

by
4.52 avg rating — 1,088,217 ratings
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59

by
4.43 avg rating — 3,050 ratings
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61

by
4.29 avg rating — 40,587 ratings
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62

by
4.49 avg rating — 989,255 ratings
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62

by
4.24 avg rating — 27,111 ratings
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64

by
4.27 avg rating — 802,719 ratings
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65

by
3.95 avg rating — 9,862 ratings
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66

by
4.25 avg rating — 274,757 ratings
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67

by
3.86 avg rating — 73,103 ratings
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67

by
3.66 avg rating — 16,964 ratings
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69

by
4.13 avg rating — 734,759 ratings
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69

by
3.95 avg rating — 4,208 ratings
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71

by
3.89 avg rating — 27,407 ratings
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72

by
3.92 avg rating — 53,277 ratings
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73

by
3.91 avg rating — 1,655 ratings
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74

by
3.77 avg rating — 3,617 ratings
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75

by
4.07 avg rating — 144,884 ratings
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76

by
3.82 avg rating — 3,030 ratings
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77

by
4.15 avg rating — 7,400 ratings
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78

by
3.84 avg rating — 709,352 ratings
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79

by
3.99 avg rating — 56,352 ratings
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80

by
3.82 avg rating — 15,580 ratings
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81

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 132,173 ratings
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82

by
4.17 avg rating — 186,778 ratings
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83

by
3.90 avg rating — 16,471 ratings
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84

by
3.86 avg rating — 273,795 ratings
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85

by
4.03 avg rating — 11,099 ratings
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86

by
4.27 avg rating — 137,042 ratings
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87

by
4.40 avg rating — 159,597 ratings
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88

by
3.75 avg rating — 78,340 ratings
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89

by
4.14 avg rating — 219,022 ratings
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90

by
3.88 avg rating — 11,309 ratings
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91

by
4.07 avg rating — 62,163 ratings
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92

by
3.93 avg rating — 16,165 ratings
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93

by
4.19 avg rating — 406,012 ratings
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94

by
4.08 avg rating — 5,866 ratings
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95

by
3.95 avg rating — 22,558 ratings
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96

by
4.23 avg rating — 310,535 ratings
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97

by
4.13 avg rating — 213,258 ratings
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98

by
3.91 avg rating — 428 ratings
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99

by
3.58 avg rating — 18,252 ratings
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99 books · 10 voters · list created March 23rd, 2024 by Steve Shelby (votes) .
3 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Steve 987 books
6 friends
~☆~Autumn 8127 books
149 friends
Brian 2191 books
78 friends
Celia 5584 books
750 friends
Fiona 1677 books
248 friends
Angela 3787 books
291 friends
Book2Dragon 16586 books
505 friends
Charlotte Igelkott 3146 books
1 friend

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-1 of 1 (1 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

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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