I can't read. Help me write.

I wish I could help you, but I don't know any of those authors (just JK Rowling), and I'm not
even sure if any of my favourite books is similar to those of hers. I've never really thought of that.

If Dickens and Dahl are to your liking, then perhaps Neil Gaiman or Douglas Adams have the right mix of voice and quirky ideas to keep you reading.

You can also dig around for short stories online. They're often free so easy to try out.

Hmmm...Neil Gaiman?

Let's see. Try some of Orson Scott Card's older stuff. Wyrms, Songmaster, Hart's Hope (though that one's a pretty tangly story. It might not be for you.) There's a novel out from a small press called The Scholar of Moab you may enjoy. It involves a two-headed cowboy and aliens, but it's not nearly as silly as my description makes it sound.

I wish I could give you more recommendations. I tend to like the opposite from what you like, so my book shelves are full of long, wordy stuff.

Terry Pratchett?

Maybe some YA suggestions would work for you.
Books tend to be a little shorter and often have a strong voice.

Since I read little YA, I can't offer anything specific.

Not to toot my own horn . . . but I did play French horn for almost 10 years . . . I've had my books compared to Gaiman's and Dahl's, and teachers have told me reluctant readers really like them: Alex_and_the_Ironic_Gentleman and Timothy_and_the_Dragon's_Gate (see links in sig below).

Other than that I totally second the Douglas Adams recommendation. As a reluctant reader myself, it was his work that really got me excited about what you could do with literature ie: have awesome weird and wacky fun.

Can you do your reading more easily with books on CD? The actor's range of voices can help otherwise dull material come alive.

I'll toot it for ya! toot-toot. Try Adrienne Kress. Her Alex is right up Dahl's alley!

Tom Robbins is snappy, quirky, and brilliant.

Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series might be to your liking. I'd say skip the first two books, since his writing got better/plottier/livelier as he went along.

Jasper Fforde.

I'd say Christopher Moore (because he is ALWAYS THE ANSWER) but if you don't like "too much" humor then it might not be right for you. (He is funny but he also writes awesome, intriguing, weird stories--particularly the ones with one-word titles.)

I really liked The Spiderwick Chronicles and Varjack Paw. They're kid's books, but what could be cooler than a cat doing martial arts (Varjack).
Then there's Soon I will be Invincible, it's from a super villain's POV.

Strongly recommend The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. The writing is really fun and clever. I'm listening to the audiobook right now (double speed, for whatever that's worth, though I listen to most audiobooks that way), and the narrator does an amazing job.

It is a longer book, but the episodical nature of it makes it very easy to put down and pick up again, if you decide you need a break in between.

Also recommend Graceling as an audiobook. It's a fun fantasy adventure novel with a full cast as opposed to a single narrator on Audible.

Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart.

Cosmic Crayons said:

I have ADHD, so it's difficult being 'omnivorous' in my reading in that my brain will NOT process certain writing styles. If the style is too serious, or too descriptive, or lacks a strong voice, or too 'poetic', then I'll have a hard time reading it.

These writers work for me:

PG Wodehouse
GK Chesterton
Charles Dickens
Roald Dahl

Click to expand...

Hmm, if Dickens doesn't kill you with over-descriptiveness then you may be more attentive than you think.

The modern writer I idolize is John Updike. Novels, novellas, and short stories. His non-fic is also great. He passed away a few years ago.

I also like a guy named Chang-rae Lee. His novel Aloft is pretty cool. I'm resisting reading his latest because the subject matter looks a little depressing, but I can tell you his writing itself is breezy and lively.

You've got three of my favorite authors in the four you listed, so it may be that you would like some of my other favorites:

Roger Zelazny - Amber Chronicles

Strong voice, not overly serious or descriptive, and a fast moving plot. I think you might like this one.

James P. Blaylock - The Last Coin / The Paper Grail / All the Bells on Earth

Another author with a strong voice and some humor. He can tend to be overly descriptive, especially in his shorter fiction, but these books show off his strengths to great effect.

Some other authors/books that might work:

Kurt Vonnegut
Mark Twain
Neil Gaiman - Already mentioned by others.
Patrick Rothfuss - Already mentioned by others.
George MacDonald - I haven't read his adult books, but the ones for kids certainly fit the bill.
William Gibson
Dorothy Sayers

jjdebenedictis said:

Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series might be to your liking. I'd say skip the first two books, since his writing got better/plottier/livelier as he went along.

Click to expand...

Not too hijack the thread but I just picked up this series ... really looking forward to reading it

Not to hijack the hijacker, but I miss the TV show ... it was really fun ... stupid tv executives don't know a good thing if it popped them in the nose. *walks away, mumbling*

phineas12gauge said:

Not too hijack the thread but I just picked up this series ... really looking forward to reading it

Click to expand...

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled thread topic ...

Just here to add another voice to the Harry Dresden suggestion.

Oh, nevermind. Also, Brent Weeks. I recommended the Night Angel trilogy to my husband as an example of pacy, grab-you writing. I've never found it so hard to tear him away from a book as when he's reading this.

Seconding the Vonnegut recommendation fullstop.

You might like Kelly Link's short stories.

Thomas King.

If you are into fantasy, Glen Cook's Black Company series would work too.

If you're looking for fantasy, you may also like Steven Brust's Taltos series.

Oh and hey, welcome to AW

I must admit I'm struggling a bit here. You don't like too much description but you like Dickens. You like writers to be economical and books to be short, but you include JK Rowling on your list. You don't like Pratchett because of the emphasis on comedy but you like PG Wodehouse and Pixar.

So while I'd really love to help you, I can't quite put my finger on the sort of author that would work for you. I don't know if your issue is the style of writing or the pace of the plot or the type of story, or a mixture of all these issues.

This may be a shot in the dark, but I wonder if you are entirely sure yourself why you like some books and not others? It might not be so much that author does or doesn't work for you. It could be that an individual book just doesn't grab your interest.

We all have different levels of tolerance, stamina, stick-at-it-ability. If a book doesn't appeal to us immediately, how long do we persist with it before giving up? I've never been able to finish Lord of the Rings or Ulysses, yet I know people who have happily devoured every single page of both of them.

And don't even get me started on Harry Potter. I am physically unable to read beyond book 2.

My wife simply could not get on with Wolf Hall. She spent several weeks doing her best, but eventually gave up.

I don't know what ADHD is like, but my guess is that you've got a lower threshold than most. You will get turned off more quickly. If it hasn't grabbed your attention in the first few pages then you are unlikely to stick around to get to the good bits.

In an ideal world you'd like an author or a genre that was guaranteed to hold your interest. I could well be wrong, but I suspect you may be disappointed in this search. Even an author that you normally like can pick a subject that turns you off.

Part of an answer might be to give yourself permission to give up on a book. It's okay to throw a book across the room. Therapeutic even. There are plenty of other books out there. Give yourself permission to be promiscuous.

If the author hasn't grabbed your attention quickly enough, that's his/her problem and not yours. Just hop into bed with someone else.

Another mad, mad idea is ... font size. Okay, I know that sounds ridiculous, but please hear me out. I have this theory that some books turn me off because of the way that the text is presented. So it may be that a book read on a kindle is easier to like for some people because you can adjust the font.

Just a thought.

Apols if I am way off beam here. Feel free to ignore all of this if it's not resonating. I'm just guessing. But if we are pitching in author suggestions, have you tried John Irving?