Anything by Niven or Asimov.

I'm addicted to Stephen King in the worst possible way. His stuff is mostly bad these days, but I can't help myself.

Robert Graves (I, Claudius, etc) makes me savor every word.

More, to add to my previous post: *Emma Donoghue Frog Music, Slammerkin, Room, the Wonder. All historical fiction with strong women protagonists in diverse times and places.

Isabel Allende, ditto what I said about Emma Donoghue, although there is sometimes a bit of "magic" in her realism, which might not be to everyone's taste.

Isaac Azimov's Guide to the Bible. Azimov, scientist, science-fiction writer, atheist and skeptic, reviews all the bible stories, tells the other names of real characters portrayed there, explains the tribes of Israel and their territories and rivalries, provides detailed maps of biblical stories if they are confirmed by historical/archeological sources, but does not hesitate to say that something is fiction if there is no independent confirmation.

In other words, which Egyptian ruler was the Pharoah? Did you know the "Red Sea" (allegedly crossed by Moses and miracle) was the Reed Sea, a marshy lake?

I've really enjoyed his Old Testament Guide, got bogged-down in the NT version and haven't finished it yet. (I may have already posted this somewhere else on this site, maybe last year.....)

I heard John Irving read an excerpt of "Owen Meany" in Ann Arbor, before it was published. I think I have read ALL of his books, including the very early, pre-Garp ones. It's interesting to observe how he keeps coming back to the same themes, whether bears (especially in the early books), or unusual/intentional families, or physical deformity/injury, or about a dozen other repeat topics.

Pat Conroy is another favorite author. I think South of Broad was his best. Prince of Tides, Beach Music, also very good.

Early Nelson DeMille books were Great. My favorites were Nightfall and Word of Honor. His later stuff is more formulaic, US-vs-Arab-terrorists, but I still read it.

Barbara Kingsolver writes about so many things, fiction and non-. Don't miss the Poisonwood Bible.

Amy Tan, I liked the Bonesetter's Daughter and Saving Fish from Drowning. Made a few false-starts on Joy Luck Club, haven't succeeded there yet.

For non-fiction, Neurotribes by Steve Silberman explains autism and its spectrum in a fascinating way.

Any of the travel books by Bill Bryson. He makes keen observations on the quirks and indiocincrasies of both the British and the American people.