Not especially asking for a book recommendation, more of an authorial one.

If I was to tell you my favorite authors (both for writing style and for subject matter, but generally for style) were:

Margaret Atwood
Robin McKinley
Daphne Du Maurier
James Herriot
Ernest Hemingway
Michael Crichton
Anne Rice
Sir Walter Scott
Norah Lofts
Eoin Colfer
(and some more, but I'll leave it there)

What authors might you recommend?

I might add that I like anything historical, a bit lengthy, and a touch of fantasy or science fiction doesn't help.