I read a lot. I mean a lot. Which means that I've read bunches and bunches of books. I'm not going to list them all here, just a few of my favorite books and authors, and why I feel the way I do about them.
Isaac Asimov - I like just about every piece of fiction that he's written, from the Foundation series to the Robot books to Fantastic Voyage. He was an excellent storyteller.
Robert Heinlein - When I was a teenager, I read a lot of Heinlein. His work strongly influenced my views on life. It was Heinlein who first introduced the concept of polyamory to me, and presented a picture of a functional polyamorous family. There was also a fair amount of sex in his books, which was good, as I sure wasn't getting any at that age. As for the charges of misogyny that are so often leveled at Heinlein, I can see the accusers' reasoning. I can't say that I agree with it.
C.J. Cherryh - While I didn't care so much for Rusalka and the sequel, mostly because they were a bit too grim for my tastes, I'm quite fond of the space opera stuff she's written. I've read Rimrunners and Heavy Time, so far.
Orson Scott Card - I enjoyed The Postman, and I'm very keen on The Memory Of Earth and the subsequent books in the series. Although I'm not at all Christian, I like the almost Biblical feel to The Memory Of Earth. Go figure.
Peter F. Hamilton - Wow. I got hooked on his stuff after a friend lent me a copy of part 1 of The Reality Dysfunction. This stuff is grade-A space opera. Also excellent are his novels that deal with Greg Mandel and Julia Evans, starting with Mindstar Rising. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for science fiction detective stories, and Hamilton has hit it dead center with these novels.
Spider Robinson - He's probably best known for his books about Callahan's Place, a mythical bar located on route 25A in Suffolk County, New York. Don't get me wrong. Callahan's is a great Place. But Spider has written better stuff. Read By Any Other Name for a lot of short examples, or Stardance for a longer one.
Elmore Leonard - I've just started reading his stuff. His stuff gives me a wicked little thrill that makes for a nice change from all the sci-fi.
Mercedes Lackey - One of the better fantasy writers out there today. I've read nearly all of her stuff, except the most recent Valdemar books, which I haven't got around to yet. Of especial interest are the stories about "SKitty", a telepathic feline creature who accompanies spacemen on interstellar journeys.
Dune by Frank Herbert. This was the first adult SF book I ever read. I've read it and re-read it numerous times, but for some reason, I've never gotten deeply into the sequels, though the universe in which it takes place fascinates me.
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I consider this series a must-read for anyone who enjoys good fantasy. While it's true that these books were written for children, I think that adults can enjoy them as well.
That's all I can think of right now. I'll add more when I get around to it.