Are there authors that you've "outgrown" or aren't as captivated as you used to be?

[Stacey]

I ask this because I couldn't get enough of Elizabeth Berg and I just saw she has a new one out, but I wasn't as excitied as I used to be with a new release from her.

[Annika]

Great question! Jodi Picoult - I used to get her newest release almost the day it would come out and immediately devour it. Now, I have her books on my wishlist for paperbackswap and figure if I get it fine, if not, that's fine too. I feel somewhat disillusioned by her books lately.

[Mary]

LOVE this question, Stacey! Elizabeth Berg has started to become hit and miss for me, but I always end up buying her new ones with great hope (and just bought this new one with fingers crossed). I still haven't read ALL of her newer ones but I expect to at some point. Annika, your answer, Jodi Picoult, is mine also -- ABSOLUTELY! I think I just got tired of her emphasis on adolescents and the predictable twist at the end, plus I've felt like her writing in general has slacked off. I didn't buy her last one and haven't bought her new one (and doubt I will). Others in the past who've lost me are Patricia Cornwell and Susan Isaacs. Two other old faves who I've stopped counting on are Nancy Thayer and Anne Rivers Siddons, but the right circumstances could convince me to give them a last chance.

[Theresa]

Oh, me too with Jodi Picoult. Since she's gone commercial her books have a diluted feel. More regretfully, I am getting the same feeling from Anne Tyler. I don't even look at Patricia Cornwell any more but have no regrest about that.

[Gretchen]

This is a reason i don't read series or any author back to back.

I'd say John Grisham is really hard for me to pick up for fear of same old same old.

Jodi Picoult I'm catious with as well.

[Beth]

I cant get myself to read Grisham, David Baldacci and Richard North Patterson anymore. I find myself going to new authors or those that have only one or two books out

[Leslie]

Elizabeth Berg and Jodi Piccoult are two for me although I always read Piccoult-I usually get a free one at work so like to try it out and I still have hopes she will be good as she used to be. The last one actually did surprise me in that it didn't surprise me if that makes sense. lol

I'm also wary of my guilty pleasure-Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb and Maeve Binchy actually. Oh how I loved Glass Lake and Circle of Friends...I can't remember the last one I read.

[Liz]

I won't read Patricia Cornwell anymore. And I was quite disappointed with the last Susan Isaacs I read - just too, too shallow. I still enjoy Janet Evanovich, but I don't get as excited over the new ones as I used to. And I gave up on Lilian Jackson Braun's cat books awhile back. I realize she's getting quite old, but her books have started just meandering to an end - sometimes with just a mention in passing of "whodunnit". I know they're supposed to be character driven, but you still have to play fair with the mystery readers.

[Carol]

I've tired of Sue Grafton. I don't jump on Atwood's latest either.

[Laurel]

Oh....Maeve Binchy, Leslie. I haven't thought of her in so long. I used to love her books and probably haven't read one since my son was in 1st grade and he's now 23. I guess you could say I've outgrown her. I actually don't follow a lot of authors I used to consider as "must reads." I pick a book more on story than on author now.

[Heather]

Patricia Cornwell's books have become unreadable. Also, I agree with the comments about Jodi Piccoult. Her books have become too predictable.

[Gretchen]

Leslie wrote: "Elizabeth Berg and Jodi Piccoult are two for me although I always read Piccoult-I usually get a free one at work so like to try it out and I still have hopes she will be good as she used to be. The..."

I loved The Glass Lake!

[Caroline]

This is a great question. I have never read lots of books by a single author, though, so I don't feel I can answer this. I have heard so many times, though, that Picoult's books are repetitive in their plots, and that turns me off from ever reading one.

[Mary]

Caroline, I wouldn't suggest discounting Picoult altogether. Some of her earlier ones were really quite good, which is why so many of us here got hooked initially. The same was true of some of the others mentioned (Cornwell, Berg, Grisham, Isaacs, Evanovich, Grafton, Binchy). Ideally, authors should get better and better, though it seems like the opposite is true. Sad. :-(

[Caroline]

Mary wrote: "Caroline, I wouldn't suggest discounting Picoult altogether. Some of her earlier ones were really quite good, which is why so many of us here got hooked initially. The same was true of some of th..."

Good to hear. I do have three of Picoult's books on my shelf: My Sister's Keeper, The Pact, and Vanishing Acts. I don't plan to read more than those ones I already own--except for maybe Handle With Care since everyone says that one is amazing.

[Stacey]

Start with My Sister's Keeper! I liked House Rules, too (one of her very recent).

[Leslie]

Gretchen wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Elizabeth Berg and Jodi Piccoult are two for me although I always read Piccoult-I usually get a free one at work so like to try it out and I still have hopes she will be good as she ..."

Gretchen I have reread the Glass Lake so many times. It is beautiful.

p.s. can someone tell me how to properly respond to people's posts? I am so techno challenged.. :-(

[Dannielle]

I will give anyone a 2nd or 3rd try but I don't buy James Patterson or Janet Evanovich anymore.

[Stacey]

Dannielle wrote: "I will give anyone a 2nd or 3rd try but I don't buy James Patterson or Janet Evanovich anymore."

James Patterson is my guilty pleasure~smirk

[Dannielle]

I got tired of his Alex Cross series but I still like the Women's Murder Club. I just read them so fast...it's better I just borrow them.

[Libby]

I finally burned out on the Stephanie Plum books.

[Melki]

Like many of you, I am SO over Patricia Cornwell. I'm
still annoyed that I bought Elizabeth Berg's latest in
hardback. There are 3 series authors I read, out of habit I guess, since I don't really even like them anymore - Earlene Fowler, Diane Mott Davidson, and Sarah Graves - though I get them from the library, so I'm only wasting time, not money. All of Evanovich's Plum books are virtually the same these days, but I keep readin' 'em anyway.

[Miranda]

I'd agree on Jodi Picoult, John Grisham. And Alexander McCall Smith.

Sometimes though, I just overdose on authors while I'm going through a phase, and then find if I pick up one later, it's like an old reliable car, where it isn't a fancy ride with all the new gadgets but it gets you where you need to go LOL

[Stacey]

Miranda wrote: "I'd agree on Jodi Picoult, John Grisham. And Alexander McCall Smith.

Sometimes though, I just overdose on authors while I'm going through a phase, and then find if I pick up one later, it's like a..."

I agree! Nice analogy.

[Liz]

Well, I just read the latest Mary Higgins Clark I'll Walk Alone and I think I'm going to have to add her to this list. It wasn't a terrible book, it was just too predictible. But then, I even predicted that. ;-) Plus it turned out to be an Alvirah & Willy book & I don't really care for those. Didn't mention it until halfway down the back inside jacket though.

[Kris]

Jodi Picoult, Elizabeth Berg, and John Grisham have all definitely moved to the edge of my radar. As has Maeve Binchy. Just finishing a triple-header with Jen Lancaster, because I needed a light, funny read. Although, there is always a lesson in there somewhere.

[Liz]

I was just reminded by some of the posts on another topic about Stephen King. I loved his earlier books, but as his books got longer & longer I found myself less interested. If the only way to make your book suspensful is to make it longer, there's something wrong. I did read Cell though & liked it.

[Joe]

I haven't picked up a Stephan King book in years...maybe decades. I read ALL of his early ones.........am I wrong?

[Gretchen]

Stephen King is hit or miss. Don't read them all but will give a new one a try if it looks interesting. Cell is on my TBR shelf.

[Stacey]

Cell is worth your time :)

[Robert]

Have to say very disappointed in last 2 John Gresham books The Confession and Theodore Boone They were very predictable and no real excitement

[Sam]

I used to love Stephen King and just couldn't read enough of his work but now, although I do still enjoy them, I can't read them one after another. I've found I'm the same with a lot of series books now though. I like to vary my reading both authorwise and genrewise rather than just sticking to the same stuff all the time (personally I largely 'blame' Goodreads for that, there's just so many different books popping up on here all the time!)