Well, I noticed that there was a nonfiction and a historical fiction thread in The Watchtower, but I did not see a plain fiction thread. So, I thought I would start one because I read fiction a lot.

What are your favorite fictional books? Is there any author that you prefer over others?

I love the author Rick Riordan. I have read most of his books. I also enjoy the Nancy Drews by Carolyn Keene and the Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon.

Ooh; I loved Nancy Drew, Rachel! My sister has just been reading them as well. Isn't it great when you can pass books on down. I read Biggles Books by Capt. W. E Johns, Agatha Christie's Poirot books, I used to read the Hardy Boys. I don't read anywhere near as much as I used to unfortunately, but I don't like to get rid of them so I have bookshelves and bookshelves of books. I like to collect really old schoolboy stories, but I have so many of them I wouldn't be able to name them all.

Wow! You used to read the Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys, too! Which ones did you like better? I love them both, but I do like the Hardy Boys a little more than Nancy.

I love to read, so I have a lot of books, as well. I do not have a bookshelf yet, so I am having trouble trying to find a place for my books. I have had to stack a good amount of my books on the floor, which doesn't look very neat.

Ooh, me too; it's my Mother's worst nightmare, so I have to try to keep the large pile of books by my bed down at least a little.

Hmm, I actually think I preferred Hardy Boys too, I certainly read more of those than the Nancy Drew. (Random thought here, read and read (pronounced 'reed') are both spelt the same way, so confusing!) *Coughs*

I love reading some Jane Austen and the Bronte books. Kate Moreton's new books are also really well written, I am just reading her newest now.

LOTR is my all-time favorite! Sense and Sensibility, and Wayne Thomas Batson is good too!

I love Nancy Drew too! I have a ton of them somewhere in my house but they disappeared long ago
My current favorite author is Ted Dekker. I've read almost all of his books and have only found three I wasn't a huge fan of. Any other Dekkies here?
Sven: you've read Sense and Sensibility?

I'm on part two right now!

Though I don't look it; I do have apppeal for the finer things of life. Classic literature, music... foods such as caviar and escargot. When I grow older; wine. It saddens me to see my brother spit out perfectly good wine that first time he tried it. I on the other hand had to be told to stop!
(though there is such a thing as too much of a good thing! My parents have never touched a beer; only wine and such on holidays etcetera)

Sven: Somehow I'm having a hard time seeing that

SilvieOfSouthern: Really! So, you have read Nancy Drew, too. Do you have a favorite one? I like The Secret of Shadow Ranch best out of all of the ones I have read.

Lady Liz: I love love love The Clue in the Velvet Mask. Have you read it?

That is a pretty good one! *liking Nancy Drew
(even though he is a guy [hardy boys author isn't my favorite{in other words bad writing}])*

I used to be quite the avid Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys reader.

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys were created by the same man, Edward Stratemeyer, but were mostly written by ghost writers after Stratemeyer had too many series going. That guy had an empire of books.

Carolyn Keene?

You are right, Varon. He just used different pen names.

Really? That's cool!

Wait- really? Carolyn Keene was a guy?

She, or he--whatever --was a guy with a team of writers who cranked out a bunch of different series, if I recall correctly.

Stratemeyer founded something called the Stratemeyer Syndicate, he employed a massive amount of editors, co-authors and copy-writers amongst many others who helped him produce lots of books. He wrote some of the Nancy Drew books but his co authors wrote some as well. He used a woman's pen name for the Nancy Drew books as the books were possibly more aimed for girls. Nancy Drew was created by Stratemeyer. Now I'm babbling.

No you're not, that cleared things up for me. I knew most of that, except I thought Carolyn Keene was one of his co-authors. Now I know I was wrong.

No wonder my friend Lyndsey complains there wasn't any romance in there. *chuckles * We always had this argument that she felt there should be more "romance" and I felt that would distract from the mysteries. *shakes head *

Aha, so he changed his pen name for his audience... rather clever!



Hey! What about Ned!

Ned and Nancy's relationship wasn't romantic enough for her. It took a backseat to the mystery, which I though was how it should be.

Hehe, true. Ned needs to stop being the pacifist of their relationship and do something! Anyway...

Silvie: I have never read that Nancy Drew before, but I think I will now!

Mmmm... I didn't know Carolyn Keene was a guy!

There are a couple other guys in the ND books...


Weird huh?

My Mom used to read the Hardy Boys aloud to us

What did you think of them?

Same here... The Super Mysteries with both of them are pretty good.



Seriously? Huh. I thought it was funny how they wrote so well together on the Super Mysteries. Now I know. Did he write the Bobbsey Twins too? I've only heard of them, but they list them in the back of the books...

Any Boxcar Children fans out there?

My favorite non-speculative fiction author would have to be L.M. Montgomery.

Yes, yes! I love Anne of Green Gables and the Story Girl series... Didn't she write the "Emily of New Moon" trilogy?

Those are good, sweet, humorous books!
Has anyone here read Patricia St. John's books? Those are pretty good. Or the Railway Children... ::drifts away into an aurora of children's books that she loves::

Yes, yes! The Treasures of the Snow movie is pretty good too.

Yep, she wrote the Emily books - I think I actually like them better than Anne's books.

* chuckles * I like The Schoolhouse Mystery (or whatever it's called) best, with 'Freddy' and Mr. Carter. Mr. Carter just plain rocks.

Never read Boxcar Children books.

I read like... three. I liked the first one the best because it was so old fashioned. Annoying how they go from riding around in wagons to buzzing around in cars.