I think my favorite author at this point is Nora Roberts. I like reading fiction and crime type stories. I don't usually go for the scary, blood and guts type of books, but occasionally I'll read one. The crime mysteries are good, like Sue Grafton's ABC books.
I live on the Central Coast of California, and her stories are written about this area...only she names the town Santa Teresa...that's a fake name for Santa Barbara.I used to be a cop, so the law enforcement element in these appealed to me.
I would have to say that the books the most surprised, and delighted me, were the Mitford books, by Jan Karon (not sure I spelled that right). They were not books that I would have chosen, as they were about a religious man, which initially wouldn't have interested me....but my mom told me I'd like them...and I did! The descriptions of the places and people were so vivid that I felt that I was there and knew the people!