Tuesday 21 April 2015

Top Ten Tuesday | Favourite Authors


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten ALL TIME Favourite Authors'. This was a tricky topic for me, not because I had too many authors to choose from but because I'm not entirely sure if I have favourite authors to begin with. For example, I love Harry Potter, but having not read any of J. K. Rowling's work other than that series I don't know if I could class her as a favourite author because I might not love everything she's written. Does that make sense?

So rather than choose authors who happen to have written a book or a series that I love, I'm trying to pick authors whose work in general I enjoy, meaning I love them as an author and not just the one book or series they might have written.




Neil Gaiman

(1960-)

This guy is a genius. Pretty much everything he writes is exquisite, and his imagination just never stops. As a writer myself I'm incredibly envious of the way he crafts his fiction, and I think just the amount of adaptations his work has received shows how popular he is: Stardust and Coraline have both been adapted into films, Neverwhere and Good Omens have both been adapted for the radio, and Bryan Fuller, the genius behind Hannibal, is going to produce a TV adaptation of American Gods. My favourite book of his would have to be The Graveyard Book, though American Gods is a very close second.




Roald Dahl

(1916-1990)

I think almost every British child was raised on Roald Dahl's stories. He's probably one of the best children's author ever. Like Gaiman his imagination was unending, and he wrote plenty for adults, too. I devoured his books as a child - I loved everything from Fantastic Mr. Fox to The Witches to Matilda to The BFG to James and the Giant Peach - and I think my childhood would have been incomplete without them. My favourites of his have always been Fantastic Mr. Fox and The Magic Finger, though it's so difficult to pick a favourite.




Jacqueline Wilson

(1945-)

Another of my favourite children's authors. When I was a little older, I read pretty much everything Wilson wrote, I just loved her stories. She never speaks down to children, and she's never afraid to tackle issues that many people think are 'unacceptable' for children's fiction, such as cancer, divorce, sex, death, eating disorders and bullying. I loved her Girls series, and I also loved Lola Rose, The Diamond Girls and How to Survive Summer Camp. My favourite, however, was always The Illustrated Mum.




Daphne du Maurier

(1907-1989)

I don't know why I didn't get around to reading anything by Daphne du Maurier until last year, because I knew I was going to love her. I'm trying to read as many of her books as possible now. Her writing style is so beautiful, and she certainly wrote plenty while she was alive. My favourite book of hers so far has to be Frenchman's Creek - it's just so much fun!




Celia Rees

(1949-)

Celia Rees is another favourite author from my childhood/early teens, the lady who first got me into historical fiction when I stumbled across a copy of Pirates! in my local library. After that I read Witch Child, and I still love them both dearly now.




Frances Hodgson Burnett

(1849-1924)

I didn't actually read any of Frances Hodgson Burnett's books until I was in my 20s, when I finally got around to reading A Little Princess and The Secret Garden, but as I grew up with the film adaptations from the '90s I've always loved those two stories in particular. Out of the books I think The Secret Garden might be my favourite, but only just!




Shirley Jackson

(1916-1965)

Shirley Jackson is another author I only discovered recently, in the past year or so, but I've loved everything of hers I've read. So far I've read The Haunting of Hill House, The Lottery and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. I don't know how she does it, but there's something about her writing style that leaves me constantly uneasy. Her skill isn't in what she says, but what she doesn't say. If you're a fan of horror, be sure to check her out!




Terry Deary

(1946-)

What can I say? I basically grew up on the Horrible Histories books. I'm always going to have respect for the way in which Terry Deary made history fun for children, whether they're children who already love history or children who've always found it intimidating until they open one of his books. If I ever have children they're definitely going to have these books on their shelves.




Seanan McGuire

(1978-)

Also known as Mira Grant, Seanan McGuire is the author of the October Daye series, an urban fantasy series featuring faeries, and also the author of the Newsflesh trilogy which you all know I love by now. I just love her, and I'm making it my mission to read everything she writes. So far my favourite book of hers is most definitely Feed. Not that any of you will be shocked.




Tanya Huff

(1957-)

Another SFF writer who I love and discovered during university. She's well-known for her female-led SFF and her knack for completely subverting gender stereotypes. Her stories are so much fun, and I love her Blood Books in particular!

Who made your list?

23 comments:

  1. I have a confession to make...I've never read anything by Neil Gaimen! I want to, just never got around to it. Great list, I haven't heard of a lot of this authors.

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    1. He's not for everyone, it took me a long time to get into his stuff because a lot of it is spectacularly weird. I recommend starting with something like The Graveyard Book, or maybe even Neverwhere which is a lot of people's favourite! :)

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  2. Such a great list and so many wonderful authors! Awesome to see some love for Neil Gaiman!
    My TTT

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  3. Oh, very good list! I love Tanya Huff -- I met her at Loncon last August, and she was so sweet. My sister's partner had recently died. I don't know why I mentioned it, but Tanya Huff wrote a supportive message for her even though she didn't attend, and signed her favourite book.

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    1. Wow, that must have been amazing! And how lovely of her to do that. :) She sounds wonderful.

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  4. Daphne Du Maurier and Frances Hodgson Burnett are such good picks! I especially loved Rebecca, but haven't read anything else by her.

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    1. I read Rebecca last year and thought it was fabulous, but I think Frenchman's Creek is my favourite novel of hers so far because it's just so much fun. :) I'm aiming to read either The House on the Strand or Jamaica Inn next!

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  5. Nice! I really like how you included the background info, and great pictures! I should really read more Rebecca Du Maurier. I just reread Rebecca and loved it! Shirley Jackson is an awesome choice, and I'm so happy to see Roald Dahl and Frances Hodgson Burnett too! Nice mix of contemporary and classic -- well done!

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    1. Thanks. :) I definitely plan on reading some more Daphne du Maurier - I love the way she writes!

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  6. Interesting list! I cheated and put JKR on there, even though I haven't read all her books. I couldn't help it, that one series changed my life so to me, she's won her place on the list XD I adore FHB, I think I'll reread The Secret Garden and A Little Princess for ever and ever ♥ I still need to read Gaiman (sigh, I suck) but quite a few of his books are on my tbr shelf!

    Thanks for stopping by my post earlier!

    Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows Reviews

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    1. I totally understand why she's on pretty much everyone's list - she is an amazing lady, and I'll always love Harry Potter and the world she created. I guess I just wanted to give a shoutout to some lesser known authors. ^_^

      It took me a while before I got into Gaiman, I only really started reading his work in the past few years, and he's not for everyone, so don't fret! ;) If you would like to start reading some of his work, though, I recommend starting with something like The Graveyard Book or perhaps even Coraline. :) I know Neverwhere is a lot of people's favourite, too!

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  7. Yet again, you remind me that I need to read du Maurier! I actually picked up a short story collection of hers the other day, and have owned Rebecca on my Nook for ages now, so I have no excuses!
    Great List!

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    1. I haven't read any of her short stories yet, but I'd like to. :)

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  8. I loved Roald Dahl and Daphne du Maurier. I could have put them on my list! :-) Thanks for stopping by my blog!

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    1. They're wonderful, aren't they? ^_^ But there are just so many brilliant authors to choose from!

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  9. We share Dahl and Gaiman - I should have added du Maurier to my list! :)
    Check out my TTT.

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    1. It's great to see more Dahl love, thanks for stopping by!

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  10. Oh! Ronald Dahl, he is amazing! Awesome list!
    Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings

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  11. I haven't read a lot of these authors, but I definitely enjoyed Dahl and Burnett as a child. Perhaps I'll have to check some of the others out. :)

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  12. I am the worst, for several reasons: 1: I have only read Roald Dahl from your list, and 2: I Googled all the deceased ones to see what they died of. Which is really creepy, no? That was my takeaway from your list. And THEN, to top it all off, I had to go search why Seanan McGuire decided to be Mira Grant, which was her real name, etc. I... well, I have clearly failed you. But we'll just call it payback for that Peeta stuff the other day ;)
    Shannon @ It Starts At Midnight

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  13. Oh, my, I second Dahl and Du Maurier and Burnett. Especially Dahl. Oh, and Du Maurier. - And Burnett.
    I'm halfway through my first Gaiman ever (Coraline, of course) and I can already see why he has such a following. Can't wait to read more of his work!

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  14. Roald Dahl was on my list too-childhood favourite and if I had more space then Jacqueline Wilson probably would have been too, I devoured her books when I was about 12-13.
    Here is my TTT:
    https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/category/top-ten-tuesdays/

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  15. Roald Dahl wrote one of my most favorite books! The BFG and his others were really good as well. Seanan McGuire is ever bit as wonderful as her books, she's hysterical. I'm glad she's on your list. Great list all around!

    Thanks for stopping by my TTT.
    Alex @ The Book Banner

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