Authors who specifically focus on books and reading:
* Neil Gaiman: Many of his works, especially "The Sandman" series, feature characters who are book lovers, collectors, or whose lives are deeply affected by books.
* Javier Marías: Marías' novels often explore themes of literature, memory, and the act of writing itself, with characters deeply involved in literary worlds.
* Margaret Atwood: Atwood's works often deal with the power of language, the impact of stories, and the role of books in shaping our understanding of the world.
* Jonathan Safran Foer: Foer's novels, particularly "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," examine the way books and stories can both comfort and complicate grief and trauma.
Authors who frequently use books as metaphors or symbols:
* Salman Rushdie: Rushdie's works often weave together themes of storytelling, myth, and the power of narratives, with books often acting as symbolic representations of these ideas.
* Haruki Murakami: Murakami's novels often feature characters who are deeply connected to music and books, using these elements to explore themes of isolation, memory, and the search for meaning.
* Gabriel García Márquez: Márquez' magical realism often blends reality with fantasy, with books sometimes serving as portals to other worlds or as symbols of hidden truths.
Authors who create characters obsessed with books:
* J.K. Rowling: The "Harry Potter" series is a prime example. The books themselves are magical objects and the characters are obsessed with them.
* Stephen King: King often uses books and their characters to explore the darker side of human nature and the power of imagination.
To give you a more specific answer, could you tell me what kind of books you're interested in? What themes or genres do you prefer? Knowing more about your tastes will help me narrow down the possibilities!