Rather than a set of favorite authors, Manke thinks of novels, short stories, plays and poems that in his opinion are great works of literature and or are enjoyable to read.  He tends to think of this type of literature in terms of great works of the past and contemporary work that he likes.

Among the works of authors of the past that Manke thinks are enduring pieces of literature is Melville’s Moby Dick and his short story Bartleby the Scrivener.  Moby Dick is highly symbolic.  It touches on themes universal to mankind, and its characters are masterfully created.  The Confidence Man, a cultural satire, is another great Melville novel.

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Manke also enjoyed reading more than once.  The orphan, Tom Sawyer and his friends, Huckleberry Finn, the slave Jim and others are unforgettable characters whose actions, mischief provide pleasure to the reader.

Great Expectations, in his opinion, is also a masterpiece.  Charles Dickens wrote several novels Manke enjoyed greatly.  David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and The Pickwick Papers are among them.  Dickens’ characters and their actions might appear unrealistic at times, but they are always memorable, and at a time when social injustices were widespread Dickens paints vivid pictures of them in his stories.

Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and War and Peace are great works.  Realistic and masterfully written, Tolstoy creates dynamic scenes in which his characters try to make sense of life.  Broad in scope and characters both novels are masterpieces, in his opinion.

Other novels Manke considers outstanding are The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald and Hemingway’s Farewell to Arms.

It goes without saying that Shakespeare’s plays rank high in literature, and have remained timeless.  Who can forget Shylock’s speech, the character Falstaff or Hamlet’s soliloquy, “To be or not to be”? Manke also likes Fridrich Schiller’s plays and poetry especially Don Carlos, The Wallenstein Trilogy and William Tell.  Among his poetry “Songs of the Bells” and “The Cranes of Ibykus” are for him unforgettable.

Contemporary novels Manke likes include Michael Blake’s Dances With Wolves, a story that won wide acclaim with the movie of the same title.  Jeffrey Archer’s, The Eleventh Commandment, a story of the misuse of power and betrayal at the highest level, is packed with suspense.  If there is an author today most of whose novels Manke has read and enjoyed it is John Grisham.  Grisham's descriptions of lawyers and their actions in and out of courtrooms are never dull.  He writes with humor and his main characters are always well developed.  Manke's favorite Grisham novel so far is The Rainmaker.