Top 5… authors I NEED to read
Good morning bookworms!
Today’s Top 5 Tuesday is ‘authors I NEED to read’! Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by the super lovely Shanah over at the Bionic Bookworm. You can visit her here, and join in for Top 5 Tuesday by checking out all the amazing topics that are coming up!
I’m going to take this one as auto-buy-authors, authors that I devour their books as soon as they come out, or authors I am actively making my way through their backlist… which are all the same anyway…
*cough* Also, slight warning… I may fall off the wagon around author 5, have a very smol rant, and then just list a bunch of people. Hahahahahahahahaha, how did this all go so wrong?!
Maggie Stiefvater
Mildly awkward, but this is Maggie’s third week in a row on my Top 5 posts… and I’m not even remotely sorry about it. And for good reason too.
- she’s written my favourite book ever – The Scorpio Races
- she’s written one of my favourite urban fantasy series ever – The Raven Cycle
- she’s insanely talented, and not just with writing – Maggie draws, paints, composes music and plays several musical instruments
- she’s the female version of Ronan Lynch (self-admitted) so I think I might actually love her
I am slowly making my way through her back catalogue of YA books (I only have the faerie books left) and I now buy autographed special edition copies of her books, personalised through Fountain Bookstore when I can.
Holly Black
Another YA author whom I am making my way through the back catalogue of, is Holly Black. I must admit, my love for Holly only started last year when I read The Cruel Prince, but I very quickly fell in love and then tore through The Modern Faerie Tales trilogy and The Darkest Part of the Forest before The Wicked King came out this year.
This year DB and I have (very slowly) been reading The Curse Workers trilogy, and The Queen of Nothing is released in a week. Plus I’ve got a copy of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown on its way.
I must admit, I only found out about the merch thing a couple of weeks ago (I must have been hiding under a rock) and that does put me off slightly… but I love her storytelling, so I might be willing to overlook this.
Charlaine Harris
Not one of my usual authors I scream about, I know, but I have read so many of Harris’ series that I think I would be remiss if I didn’t add her to this list. They are mostly paranormal mystery/crime series, and they are all in the same world which is pretty cool.
To date I’ve read the Southern Vampire Mysteries (aka the Sookie Stackhouse books which was then adapted as the True Blood tv series), the Harper Connelly mysteries, the Lily Bard mysteries, the Aurora Teagarden mysteries (one book to catch up on), the Midnight Texas series, the Anne de Witt short stories Small Kingdoms and Other Stories (which I hope become a full series), and a couple of standalone books.
All in all, it comes to a grand total of 40 books. Surprisingly not my highest read author, but definitely in the top 5.
Janet Evanovich
This may come as a total surprise to some of you, but Janet Evanovich is easily my most read author. And I devour every single book of hers as soon as it hits the shelves. Including Twisted Twenty-Six, which is actually out today (I’m getting husband to stop at a bookstore on our way home from the coast today so I can get a copy).
Don’t get me wrong – at 2-3 books published per year and a lot of co-authors I’m 73% certain that Evanovich has gone down the James Patterson branch of writing (which is to say, not really doing it herself); however, I am complete trash for her series (all of them) even though I know objectively they aren’t very good…
I’m not entirely sure I want to tell you all how many of her books I have read… but I’ll share with the class anyway. I have read fifty-eight novels and five novellas by Janet Evanovich. That is a grand total of sixty-three books, across 8 series plus 8 standalone books.
Author no. 5…
This is actually much harder than I thought it would be, as there are a lot of authors that I could quite easily put here. Authors that have recently become auto-buy authors, or authors that I loved when I was younger and shaped my childhood.
To be honest, if you had have asked me three months ago I would have said Jay Kristoff would be on this list, but I realised today as I was talking to husband that I couldn’t in good faith add him to this list. Of his books that I have read, I really only loved The Illuminae Files from start to finish, but Amie should take the credit for it as much as Jay. I am still not over the ending to Darkdawn (too sappy) and I never finished The Lotus War trilogy or even DEV1AT3 because I lost interest in both books.
Maybe this place should go to Rainbow Rowell or Laini Taylor, but I don’t think they’ve earned it yet. Or Cassandra Clare, Isobelle Carmody or Garth Nix, but I’m yet to read so many of their books that I can’t in good faith put them.
So instead, here’s a list of authors who only have 2-4 books out (or maybe I’ve only read 2-4 of their books), but that I have loved very much, and are definitely becoming auto-buy authors for me:
- C. G. Drews
- Jen Wilde
- Mary H. K. Choi
- Jessica Townsend
- Kristen Ciccarelli
- Megan Shepherd
- Sally Thorne
- Alice Oseman
- Helen Hoang
- Brigid Kemmerer
- Becky Albertalli
- Ashley Poston
- Mackenzi Lee
- Adam Silvera
- Nora Sakavic
- C. S. Pacat
Who are some of your favourite authors?
33 Comments
Fati @ Library of March
I adoooore Maggie Stiefvater! She’s so talented ❤️ I also love Holly Black but I’ve only read The Cruel Prince and Wicked King, I’m a bit overwhelmed with her books I don’t know where to start.
Meeghan reads
Oh, PLEASE let me help you!! There are actually some crossover characters in all of her fae novels, so I think it’s best to start at the very start. So, in order, I think you should read Tithe, Valiant, Ironside, The Darkest Part of the Forest, then reread The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King and then read The Queen of Nothing. It’s 100% worth it because the events of the earlier books really play into the plot of the later ones.
The Curse Workers are in a totally separate world, as is Coldest Girl, so you can read them at your leisure!!
Fati @ Library of March
Ooooh thank you!! I had no idea her fae novels were linked! This is so helpful, thank you so much, I love her writing!
Meeghan reads
I hope you love her other books!! Tithe, Valiant and Ironside aren’t quite as good as her more recent books, but I still really enjoyed them. They did have some annoying characters though……
evelynreads1
Great list! Jay would be on my list, just as Leigh Bardugo and VE Schwab!
(www.evelynreads.com)
Meeghan reads
I need to read more Schwab and Bardugo!! (or just finish a series…)
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Shanah - Bionic Book Worm
Such a great post and so many great authors! Enjoy discovering them 🙂
Meeghan reads
Thanks Shanah!!
silverbuttonbooks
Love your list! Janet Evanovich is actually the first author I read that sparked bookish conversations with strangers. The real question is: are you Ranger or Joe???
Her books used to be funny and sharp but somewhere around 18 it turned into the last season of Friends (that is to say all the characters are parodies of themselves) but I don’t care because I am attached.
And, Holly Black – yes!!!
Meeghan reads
I’m Ranger… all the way!! Morelli is nice, but he’s kind of bland. Also, there was that thing a while back where they were kind of engaged and then they weren’t together any more… and I don’t know. He’s too much life Steph for them to do anything. And yes, I totally understand, but alas, I am also addicted!!
Holly Black is amazing, right?!
silverbuttonbooks
I’m Ranger too. I just keep waiting for him to turn to her and say “You make me the marrying type” and ride off into the sunset in one of his disposable black expensive cars.
Meeghan reads
??? YES!!!! The constant “babe” is super cute. There’s a “babe” moment in the new one that Morelli witnesses, and he doesn’t really take it all that wel!! ??
silverbuttonbooks
Ok, now I have to read it!
Meeghan reads
Also, I have a feeling that we’re coming to an actual end for the series!! The next book (27) is called something like Fortune and Glory, and there’s lots of hints about actual decision making!!
Beware Of The Reader
Bwahahaha Meeghan with your list you are worse than me!!!!!!
Meeghan reads
I know!! I sort of… fell over when I couldn’t think of a fifth author!! ?
Veronika @ Wordy and Whimsical
Ugh, I haven’t heard of the merch thing, and looked it up just now – I’m disappointed, to say the least. It’s such a kick in the face to artists who’ve been creating artwork for her books, some since the very beginning. 🙁 I do love her books, though – Curse Workers, TCP, The Darkest Part of the Forest, and The Coldest Girl in Coldtown – and I want to read her earlier fae trilogy, so I’m happy you enjoyed that! Hope you’ll get around to all these books! 🙂
Meeghan reads
Yeah, I was very disappointed too. Like, I understand that they’re her characters, but she’s in the business of writing books, not making candles or art or whatever merch products are out there. The inspiration for bookish items is hard to create if you can’t use bookish characters or worlds.
reviewerpj
This is great! Maggie Stiefvater is also on my list! I picked up the Raven Boys and really liked it! now just have to continue the rest of the series! I liked Ronan but I’m really curious to see why everyone LOVES him haha
Meeghan reads
Ahhh, Ronan grows on you, kind of like barnacles… i wanted to adopt him after reading The Dream Thieves, this poor messy boy. ??
reviewerpj
Awwwwww is that your favorite book of the series?
Meeghan reads
I honestly can’t tell you which one is my favourite. The whole series is amazing, and things that might have annoyed me in earlier books was explained in later books.
Kristina
Yikes, so many names I didn’t recognized ??? happy to see brigid kemmerer & Alice Oseman on there though!
Talking of Holly Black, have you/will you read the spiderwick chronicles? That’s legit all that i’ve read from her so far ? back in the good ol’ 2008’s days .. (somewhere around that, I remember I was still in primary school so..)
Meeghan reads
I’m not sure about those. I’ve heard great things, but I’ve never really been all that intrigued by them. Do you recommend them??
Kristina
To be honest i’m scared of rereading them now to “spoil” them for my memory XD
If it helps, I was crazy abou them !
Meeghan reads
That does help!! Thank you!! ?
theorangutanlibrarian
Definitely recommend stiefvater and holly black!
Meeghan reads
I know!! They’re both the greatest!!
dbsguidetothegalaxy
I thought I commented but apparently I didn’t ? oh gosh I remember reading Shiver and like thinking it’s the best book in the world ??
We might set a record for the longest time to read a trilogy but I’m here for it!! For Cassel!!
Nora Sakavic!! I love The Foxhole Court so much ??
Meeghan reads
OMG!! Poor Cassell!! ??
Longest buddy read ever…
dbsguidetothegalaxy
?? think we’ll be able to count it as a backlist book for the challenge? ??
Meeghan reads
ABSOLUTELY!!