Obituary Thread (for our authors!)

[Lesley]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Two obits--both of which hit me hard:

First--beloved children's author Beverly Cleary, age 104 (!!). Creator of Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and others See:
https://tinyurl.com/kw427aaz
Second--..."

Yes, sad to see them both go, especially Beverly Cleary. I was so surprised also to see she was 104.

[Jackie]

Beverly Cleary was a national treasure, for sure. if anyone is up for a retro read of one of her "first love" books, I would enjoy that. my favorite is either The Luckiest Girl or Sister of the Bride.

[Karlyne]

My favorite was Emily's Runaway Imagination!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Yes, what an amazing long life Cleary had. The only Cleary title I own is Fifteen, although libraries in our area carry some of her children's titles.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

She just scrapes in a a Retro writer but one of my favourite children's writers,Jill Murphy, has just died of cancer. I just loved the Mr and Mrs Large books, which were written for parents as much as their young children.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Mu...

[Karlyne]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "She just scrapes in a a Retro writer but one of my favourite children's writers,Jill Murphy, has just died of cancer. I just loved the Mr and Mrs Large books, which were written for ..."

Somewhere I have the Large book where Mr. and Mrs. go out to a business dinner and dance. It explains just what it takes to get ready to go out without the kids, and, although the grandkids enjoyed it, I reeeeally liked it!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Karlyne wrote:"Somewhere I have the Large book where Mr. and Mrs. go out to a business dinner and dance. It explains just what it takes to get ready to go out without the kids, and, although the grandkids enjoyed it, I reeeeally liked it! ."

I loved that one. I have found The Last Noo-Noo on You tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXDK0...
(I don't like the narrator's reading of it much though)

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Wilbur Smith has died;

https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...

[Barb in Maryland]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Wilbur Smith has died;

https://www.theguardian.com/books/202..."

Carol
Thanks for the info and the link. I tried a few of his books, but never finished any, so I can't really comment on his work, except to say 'not for me'.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

I think I tried one & it was a dnf.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& British writer Fay Weldon has died.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fay_Weldon

I saw her speak at a book festival many years ago, & she was a most entertaining speaker.

[Barb in Maryland]

American author John Jakes, who wrote many popular historical novels, has died at age 90.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jakes

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "American author John Jakes, who wrote many popular historical novels, has died at age 90.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Jakes"

Thanks for letting us know, Barb. I haven't heard of this author, although I recognise the North & South books name.

[Barb in Maryland]

Oh, he was a big deal in the U.S. in the 1970s and '80s.
I never read any of his books, but my younger sister was a big fan.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Her first book was published in 1979, so she just fits in our timeline.

Anne Perry (aka Juliette Hulme) has just died aged 1984.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Perry

I didn't realise she had moved to the States.

[Susan in NC]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Her first book was published in 1979, so she just fits in our timeline.

Anne Perry (aka Juliette Hulme) has just died aged 1984.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Perry

I didn't realise she ha..."

Me, either. I read her new books annually for years, the Thomas Pitt series, and several of the William Monk series. Life got in the way and I lost track of both series, but in the last several years, discovered Thomas and Charlotte Pitt’s son Daniel had grown up, and was getting a series of his own - those have been enjoyable.

[Barb in Maryland]

Oh, how sad. I'm reading her latest Daniel Pitt mystery right now. I see that she has one more book coming out later this year.
According to the NY Times, she moved to California in 2017, and that she had suffered a heart attack in Dec 2022.

[Peggy]

I’ve never read any of Anne Perry’s books, but I found the movie Heavenly Creatures fascinating.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

I always felt a bit conflicted about reading any of her books, because on one hand she & Pauline were very young when they murdered Pauline's mother, but on the other, she (as far as I know) never showed any remorse for it.

I do know I have a novella of hers in the house somewhere. I might get to it this year.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

He just fits into our time period with his first two novels. Often controversial British novelist Martin Amis has just died.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Famed American writer Cormac McCarthy has just died. He was first published in the 60s.

From his bio on Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormac_...

Doesn't sound like he was a joy to be married to!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Alice Munro has died :(

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/au...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Nelson DeMille has died. I've not read him, but at the start of his writing career he was prolific.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_...

[Valerie Book Valkyrie]

Thank you Carol, so sad! I have read, and enjoyed, all his books; am especially fond of his character John Corey.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& she just squeaks into our time period (her first novel was published in 1979) but Barbara Taylor Bradford has just died.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara...

[Barb in Maryland]

Carol She's So Novel ꧁꧂ wrote: "& she just squeaks into our time period (her first novel was published in 1979) but Barbara Taylor Bradford has just died.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara..."

Oh, I read several of her earliest sagas. She sure knew how to write strong, determined women.

[Elinor]

One of my favourite authors has died, David Lodge. His books would make great retro reads.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& Joseph Wambaugh has died. His best known books The Onion Field & The Choir Boys were from the 1970s.

I've sent a message to Support to update his bio on here. :(

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_...

[Barb in Maryland]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "& Joseph Wambaugh has died. His best known books The Onion Field & The Choir Boys were from the 1970s.

I've sent a message to Support to update his bio on here. :(

..."
I'm not sure I ever read any of his books, but I was certainly aware of them! I may have to go back and try a book or two. It looks like his last book was in 2012. That's a nice 40+ year career.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

British mystery writer Peter Lovesey died a few days ago. He started writing in the 70s, was last published in 2024.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_L...

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

& Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa has just died. His writing career started in 1959.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_V...

[Barb in Maryland]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "British mystery writer Peter Lovesey died a few days ago. He started writing in the 70s, was last published in 2024.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_L..."

I was just about to write in about him. The Washington Post finally got around to printing an obit for him--almost three weeks after he died! Anyway, I loved the fact that his first mystery was the winning entry in a contest. His prize was 1,000 pounds, which was a big boost to his income. Then the publishers wanted a second book. Thus a career was born. I enjoyed his books, though I didn't come close to reading all of them.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

I've never read Lovesey, but I'm sure I have one on my kindle. Our library system has a few of his, but after our time period. He had a very long career.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

His best known books were written in our time period.

Frederick Forsyth has died. Sounds like he had an interesting life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederi...

[Barb in Maryland]

Sorry to hear that.
I remember reading The Day of the Jackel when it first came out. I was impressed! I don't believe I read every thing he wrote, but I read a number of them.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Sorry to hear that.
I remember reading The Day of the Jackel when it first came out. I was impressed! I don't believe I read every thing he wrote, but I read a number of them."

I have definitely read The Day of the Jackal - but so long ago that I don't remember anything about it!

[Cphe]

I have The Fourth Protocol coming, it was recommended on another group I frequent.

I've read a couple of his over the years and mostly enjoyed them.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

I only just discovered this, but NZ children/YA author Maurice Gee died a few days ago. His early books just fit into our time period.

[Lesley]

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "I only just discovered this, but NZ children/YA author Maurice Gee died a few days ago. His early books just fit into our time period."

My favourite of his books is Under the Mountain and the TV series made of it.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Lesley wrote: "

My favourite of..."

That is the Gee book I own! Another one to try to get to this year!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Did anyone else enjoy the children's books of Janet & Allan Ahlberg?

Janet died of cancer quite some time ago (Allan later remarried) but Allan has only just died.

Out of their well known titles, Each Peach Pear Plum was in our time period, Peepo (published in the States as Peek-A-Boo!) is only just outside it.

I loved those books.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_a...

[Barb in Maryland]

Oh, I remember their books! My son was born in 1975 and these were fun books to get from the library. I think I enjoyed them even more than he did!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Barb in Maryland wrote: "Oh, I remember their books! My son was born in 1975 and these were fun books to get from the library. I think I enjoyed them even more than he did!"

The secret of enjoying reading to children is to love the books too!

[Barb in Maryland]

Carol
So true!

[Ellen]

My daughter's favorite and mine was The Jolly Christmas Postman. Wasn't written till 1991 but loved the pop-ups.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

Anyone here read Horror?

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro has just died. She was first published in the late 70s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea...

[Barb in Maryland]

I certainly recognize her name! However, I never read her Saint-Germain vampire books, nor did I realize how much else she wrote.

Thanks, Carol, for the notice.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ , She's a mod, yeah, yeah, yeah!]

I'm really stretching things here, but British mystery writer Ann Granger originally wrote historical romances as Ann Hulme & her first one was published in 1979.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Gra...

Sounds like she had an interesting life!