LibraryThing: This site connects readers with forums and profiles to help find other books one might like.

Digital Recommendations 

Romance Authors
Sandra Brown: Although her books may not technically be romances anymore, I still consider the romantic aspects romances. I do warn that her books tend to be darker, and have concepts normally not included, from my experience, in romance novels. Wikipedia book list
Catherine Coultier: Her FBI series with Agents Savich and Sherlock are wonderful. (Sherlock is not a Holmes rip off; she is nothing like Holmes.) They are not the most realistic, but the characters are worth a little cheesy fiction. Her books do have some graphic content and the occasional paranormal aspect. For the best inpact, I recommend reading them in order. It explains a lot about how they met and why Sherlock views life the way she does. (Her most recent novel, I read, was so bad I wondered if her books are now being written by an incompetent ghost writer.) Wikipedia book list
Janet Dailey: Varying romances both historical and modern. Her stories vary greatly from one to the next; her writing is consistently fantastic. Wikipedia book list
Jude Deveraux: Varying romances from historical to modern. She has the Montgomery family line that starts in England in historical times and continues into the Montgomery/Tagerts in the United States. Except for her newer, paranormal-related books, her romance novels tend to be lighter then Nora Roberts and definitely lighter then Sandra Brown. Wikipedia book list
Eileen Dreyer: Sinners and Saints is the one book by her that I read. I liked it. It is weird and has topic matter that is unusual for romance novels I have read. Please be advised that the book has taboo subjects and levels of family dysfunction I cannot put into words. No Wikipedia book list
Heather Graham: Wonderful romances that tend to have plots related to ghosts and mediums (people who can communicate with ghosts.) Stories involve violence and can be disturbing. I enjoy them. I will note occasional/random intimacy scenes that seem to come from nowhere. But beyond that oddity, wonderful books. (Her Krewe of Hunters series makes me wonder if she's been reading Kay Hooper's Bishop FBI series. Its corny in places, but not bad.) Wikipedia book list
Jayne Ann Krentz: I really like her books, especially her Arcane Society series. Her characters are wonderful, more in their imperfections then anything else. (Historical Arcane Society series are penned as Amanda Quick. Science Fiction Arcane Society are penned as Jayne Castle.) I recommend starting with the beginning of the series. The books are connected and will make more sense. Wikipedia book list
Kay Hooper: Her books are good, but contain dark topics and graphic violence. Her Bishop FBI series is good, a bit repetitious in a couple places, but I like them. Please beware that some of her books are about serial crimes. Other books are general romance. Wikipedia book list
Iris Johansen: Pandora's Daughter is the one book I really like by this author. It is a paranormal romance novel in my mind, however, it has some dark topic matters. Wikipedia book list
Nora Roberts:  Variety of plots, locations and occupations that vary from race car drivers to business owners. Her books often have darker topics, such as her Chesapeake Bay series which has characters that have dealt with serious abuse and a female character who was previously assaulted. I love her MacGregor series and own many of its books.  Wikipedia book list (incomplete)
JoAnn Ross: Her Blue Bayou/Callahan Brothers Trilogy is fantastic. Wonderful setting and great characters. The brothers are very different, but all are/were in law enforcement. Book two introduces you to the FBI agent and the actress whose parents are still hippies. Topics include violence, but I don't remember how much. Wikipedia book list
Mariah Stewart: Wonderful books, although plots involve violent crimes. I enjoy her connected FBI trilogies. Please be advised of serial crimes. Additionally, she has lighter books that are general romance and have no violence. Wikipedia book list

Science Fiction and Fantasy
Piers Anthony: His Incarnations of Immortality series is wonderful and potentially offensive for his interesting view on religion. While the entire series would be a good read, book 7 And Eternity is fantastic and seriously blasphemous. Please enjoy.
Isaac Asimov: He is known for a number of wonderful science fiction classics. I highly recommend The Gods' Themselves. The title is somewhat misleading. It is not based on religion but science.
Lincoln Child: His books are more technically/scientifically oriented then the ones he writes with Douglas Preston. I found Terminal Freeze to be particularly disturbing. Expect graphic violence.
Michael Creighton: While known for the movies for Jurassic Park and Congo, the books are more reasonable, although more technical. And graphic. (The books and the movies are two very different things.)
John Darnton: I really liked his book Neanderthal. It goes into archaeology and how some discoveries are not healthy for the people finding them.
Peter David: I know his writing from the Star Trek The Frontier Series. He wrote the entire series. Captain Calhoun is an interesting combination of Star Trek characters. Somewhat like taking Worf and combining him with Captain Kirk. For those who like Star Trek, and can handle plots more in line with the original series, I recommend it wholeheartedly.
C.S. Friedman: This Alien Shore is a science fiction book that just grabbed my mind and wouldn't let go. I have not seen another book like it. It has aspects that are similar to other science fiction books, but it is definitely worth reading.
W. Michael Gear and Katherine O'Neal Gear: They write individually and as a team. I have read one of their Anasazi books but cannot remember the title. I have also read Raising Abel, a fantastic book on genetics, science and running afoul of religion.
Robert Heinlein: Stranger in a Strange Land gives a very interesting view on organized religion. It could be incredibly offensive do to its views on religion. I will note that a female character makes a comment that indicates the writer has problems with women. Please ignore it. The book is worth reading.
Frank Herbert: I love Dune. Its a great read. It does have some content that might not go over well with all readers. Baron Harkonen is not a good person.
Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child: They have a series with a main character named Pendergast. He is an oddly appealing FBI investigator with odd hobbies. Pendergast investigates crimes with paranormal and downright bizarre aspects. They also have books that are loosely affiliated. The Ice Limit leaves you wondering at the end exactly what type of screw up the characters caused. Expect graphic violence.
James Rollins: His Sigma series is really good. I recommend reading them in order, or they won't make sense. His other books are great too. He does wonderful things with science. His writing is so captivating that readers will suspend disbelief for the utterly insane. (His later Sigma series, after Last Oracle, gets repetitious and boring.) Alter of Eden has some merit.
William Shatner: I do get a good laugh at his acting. His writing is fantastic, however. He has Star Trek titles and the Tek Wars series. His Star Trek books obviously involve Captain Kirk. His writing is better then his acting.
Marion Zimmer Bradley: I am particularly fond of Forest House and Firebrand. Has mature topics and violence. She also is known for Mists of Avalon which I could never get into.

Thrillers, Suspense and books I'm not sure how to classify
Steve Berry: I liked his Cotton Malone series. Some cool stories. It gets repetitious like most series in this section.
Jeffery Deavers: I have read a book in his series about a kinesics (body language) expert and a book in his foresinc expert series. Very good with psychology and science. Please note violent content. I do not remember how graphic.
Barry Eisler: His Rain series introduces his readers to an assassin who is very likable for killing people. In retrospect, the character has a real person feel despite the unusual occupation. More Daniel Silva then Matthew Reilly.
Lisa Gardner: I read her book "Hide" this week. It was bizarre and graphic. It was different. And it wasn't predictable.
Tess Gerritsen: I am reading my second book in her series with Jane Rizzoli, a homicide detective. The books are bizarre and graphic. But the plots are interesting and keep one guessing. I thought I had a general idea what was going on in the first book of hers that I read. Boy was I wrong.
Dean Koontz: For readers who enjoy the bizarre, ranging from experiments gone bad to government conspiracies, this is a good author. His older books are less... fluffy, perhaps. Watchers, Dark Rivers of the Heart and the Door to December are fantastic. I have read them multiple times. Odd Thomas, the first one at least, is endearing. I recommend reading that series in order because the first book explains Odd Thomas and why his name is very apt.
Stephen King: I normally do not pay any attention to Stephen King. Everyone likes and dislikes different authors. For the most part, I do not like his writing. However, I recommend Firestarter (which is much better then the movie,) Bag of Bones and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. If you like books where the bad guys regret ever looking at the good guys, and probably anyone else, badly by the end, Firestarter is the book for you.
John Nance: He writes action books based around planes and pilots.
Matthew Reilly: If you like action books that run a mile a minute, these are the books for you. While not the most realistic, they are entertaining. Scarecrow, a Marine in a few of his books, is a hero to cheer. He can do the amazing, odd-defying and likely impossible without breaking much of a sweat. Great action books. Temple is another book by Reilly that takes an unlikely candidate to be a hero, thrusts him into the insanity of centuries-old mysteries and pissing contests between US military forces and tosses in some homicidal racists. By the end of his books, the body count looks like a Shakespearean tragedy. Maybe even worse. But worth reading if you enjoy action movies that are heavy on action. Where can I get a Maghook?
James Patterson: I liked his Alex Cross series. It is definitely one to read from the beginning. Cross is a somewhat down-to-earth family man who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. These books are graphic, violent and relate to serial crimes. I am no longer able to stomach them.
Karin Slaughter: I find her main characters, in the books of hers I've read, unique in that they are less perfect. They are not the typical police officers I have seen. One goes into the social stigma associated with early teen pregnancy. The other has a learning disability and issues associated with having grown up in the social service system.
Carlene Thomson: I was unsure about where to put this author, so I decided on here. Last Seen Alive is the book by her I like. It is a good book. I cannot remember how graphic the violent content is.

Books Suitable for Teens
J.K.Rowlings: Harry Potter is a wonderful series. Great characters and wonderful character and plot development. By book 4, is is no longer suitable for younger teens nor those who prefer lighter reading.
Lois Lowery: I read The Giver in high school. I doubt I can describe it and do it justice. It talks about a world where everyone is the same and life is ordered. Its incredibly disturbing and definitely an eye opener.

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