Who's your favourite author?

Here's the thing. I love books, all types of books, but I don't think I have one favourite author because that would mean sticking to a certain type of genre and I read to see different things. It would be like only reading Dan Brown and after his second book, you already know who the villain is because he always twists the plot in the exact, same way. I want books to transport and surprise me. I do have a few authors that I will always try and read everything they write.

As I mentioned yesterday, Paulo Coelho is a great inspiration to me. His books are spiritual in nature but they also deal with hard social issues like prostitution, suicide and the dark world of the rich and famous. Apart from his storytelling which is unique and easy to read, his writing is thought provoking. He doesn't ask his readers to follow him blindly like some guru, he only gets us to think about what he has written. What I like most about Paulo Coelho is that he has always been close to his fans, and now with the explosion of the social networking phenomena, he actively seeks out contact with his fans. I study Portuguese to one day be able to read his books as he writes them, not the English translation. One of my favourite books is "The Alchemist". You can find his blog here.

Bryce Courtenay is a South African who has spent many years in Australia and writes exclusively on themes coming from these two countries. What I love about his writing is his rawness and head-on approach towards taboo topics such as rape, violence, apartheid and drugs. He doesn't soften over these issues, he tells things as they are and it can be quite difficult for a reader to be able to sit down and get through some chapters as they are emotionally very charged. Being Australian, I enjoy reading any books that are set in Australia, and as someone who is a complete pacifist and a strong believer in justice for all and not just the ruling class, the books Bryce Courtenay writes about his homeland make me furious at times when he talks of the injustice done onto the African population. His best book is "The Power of One" and it tells the tale of Peekay a small boy who battles his way through the hardships of prejudice. Bryce Courtenay has his own website if you want more information.

John Marsden is an Australian author and probably my favourite because of the impact his stories had on my growing up. He writes across many genres but the saga that I strongly recommend everyone to read, even if it is aimed at teenagers, is "Tomorrow, When the War Began". There are 7 of them and they are fantastic. They tell of a hypothetical future in Australia when the country is invaded and how a group of children were unaware because they had been camping in the middle of nowhere. The saga treats the teens as strong, proactive people who try their best to face up to their problems and not run away from their responsibilities to their country, their friends and to themselves. Today's fiction has a lot of weak self-conscious main characters, which is why I like this saga, because these teens are strong, healthy role models. If you want to read more about John Marsden's books, you can find information on his website.

There are many other authors who I greatly admire and enjoy reading, but as August in the month of fiction in NaBloPoMo, let's see if they ask about favourite series etc. It is also coincidental that I have chosen 3 male authors here. I love Fiona Horne, a modern day witch in the 21st Century, and JK Rowling, obviously I am really hoping to be able to write about her amazing Harry Potter series at some stage this month.