Tell us about your favorite storyteller, what is your favorite story of theirs and why?
I love mystery novels and think they are severely underrated! In my opinion, it takes great talent and imagination to come up with a mystery that the reader won't figure out halfway through. That is why Agatha Christie is one of my favorite storytellers. Her books are full of adventure, suspense, fun characters, not to mention some amazing settings. I have yet to read one where I have predicted the ending! - Manda (CSU Librarian)
I love reading Nicholas Sparks novels. I do not have much time to read, so I like to escape to the southern settings of many of his stories. I enjoy a beach chair on a balcony overlooking the water while sipping a cappuccino or glass of wine with one of his great southern romances. - Dr. Janell Gibson
Wow! There are so many amazing storytellers, it's hard to pick just one. I have always loved Danielle Steel books and I believe I have read all of them, anxiously awaiting her newest release. She has written nearly 200 novels and I always found that amazing, given that she had 9 children! Her storylines always seem to touch my heart in ways that I never knew existed. Although most of her novels are romance-based, she writes about "real" situations that could happen to anyone. I have recently started reading Charles Martin and I cannot seem to put his books down, reading one right after the other. He too writes of 'real' situations and presents them in ways I never thought about. - Tina Cox
My dad. I mean, if you grew up in the south you know we love our stories. He grew up in under storytellers as well, and I'm glad to say he has passed his love down for this to his children. He's also one of the smartest people I know. We were taught to know our story and the story of the people and places around us. My most favorite thing is when my parents - very organically - will begin telling stories of their childhoods through young adult hood growing up in Greenville, Atmore, and the little towns that surround that part of Alabama. My parent's family's paths crossed in many ways. They were neighbors, did business together, worked in farming and lumber and engaged in social activities in Atmore and Brewton and yet my parents didn't meet until they were adults and had both moved back to Atmore to teach school. My brother and sister and I will literally sit in a sort of awed silence, occasionally asking questions, while our parents talk about the parts of their lives before we were born - college, courting, the people that are friends even 53 years later. It's just so much fun. - Elizabeth Kennington
I love a good storyteller, but as far as my favorite, I think it depends on what I have read most recently that I loved. A couple of months ago I read all of The Giver series, a set of dystopian novels by Lois Lowry. The author draws her readers into the story by including the human element in such a way that truly enables one to identify with the characters and their conflicts. Themes she skillfully, yet simply, intertwines throughout her books are things we all consider or face: the value of life, fear of pain and suffering, good vs. evil, and more. Another of Lowry's books, Number the Stars (which chronicles the plight of a Holocaust survivor), engrosses readers in much the same way. It is the storytellers who make me feel as if I am a part of the story that really leave a lasting impression, and Lowry does just that. - Laura Rhoden
Kate Chopin is my favorite. Best known by most for writing the short story "Story of an Hour" she also wrote a short novella "The Awakening". She often left her endings up for interruption, and I always enjoyed discussions around her materials because everyone had a different view of how it ended. She was a very sensitive and graceful writer who focused on women's lives within realistic fiction. At times when I was reading I felt as if she knew exactly what I was feeling, even though a hundred years had passed since she wrote it. - Jennifer Steinford
My favorite storyteller is one of my best friends, Deborah Boutwell. She knows so much about so many things. However, among the most interesting is that she is the keeper of all family information and has many a story to tell. I am envious, first, that she knows so much about generations of her family, and second, that I did not listen and retain information from my own grandmother. She has started a book so one day you may see her name out there. Until then, I can sit and quilt and craft with her for hours and listen to the generations of history. She is also a wealth of knowledge on Bible history so she totally helps me put the pieces together in the application of Bible study. - Laura Metz
I really like Harlan Coben. His stories are a mix of crime, mystery and psychological thriller. The characters often have some secret from their past and there always seems to be a major twist at the end that I never saw coming. They're a good, easy read. I think I've seen that there is now a Harlan Coben collection on Netflix! - Sara Goroski
My father was my favorite storyteller. I remember many happy hours visiting with family and hearing the tales my father told. They were never repeated exactly the same, always embellished for effect, and so funny. There were many great storytellers in my family who provided hours of entertainment when we got together. Great stories and great storytelling is a wonderful legacy to leave a family. - Caroline Sheely