Who are your favorite authors and Why?

[Rapture]

I've never been into Adult themed books that much. I prefer children/teen stuff still today in general. (Can Manga be included?)
I'll point out to, that the books/authors I list are the only ones where I really, really enjoyed every bit of it. If I had to recall each book, I could repeat more than 90% of each one back to you, that's how much I enjoyed them.

(1) John Flanagan - Never got into the Ranger's Apprentice, but the Brotherband Chronicles are great. The character "Thorn" (Really the author) explains things the same way my father does, even the exact same details. So it's nice to see a person who has a similar personality/thinking. And I can relate to a lot of it also.

(2) Ken Follett - Read "The Pillars of the Earth" & "World Without End" (His other ones are amazing also, but these two are my favorite!). The plot takes around over 40+ years (give or take) to finish. Your reading a complex story of a group of 5-10 people and how their "destiny" unfolds and intertwines with each other. Pillars of the Earth is the first one. I think it was the first adult themed book that I became interested in. Adult themed coming-of-age I guess is a category for it.

(3) Nancy Farmer - The "The House of the Scorpion", another great book. It's another "coming-of-age" theme. The other series "Sea of Trolls" is another coming of age with some Norse mythology mixed in.

(4) Jonathan Stroud - Does a series called "Bartimaeus Sequence". Another coming-of-age theme, hes got a great way of separating the two main characters (later three) personalities apart from each other. Nathaniel the ever hungry power human, who teeters on light and darkness. Kitty the poor, but strong willed girl who fights for justice, and Bartimaeus. The whole powerful demon who has millenniums worth of knowledge and experience and knows exactly what to do when he wants to insult you. The way the trio interact with each other are hilarious.

(5) Manga/Manhwa (Japanese/Korean versions of American Comics, like Superman.) It's literature, contrary to what people may believe. Love it, anime sucks. (Except !!Spirited Away!!)