7 More of my Go-To Authors

Do you ever have a certain mood you want to read a book in, so you pick a particular author? I know I do. For example, if I want to read a story with a curios twist on a common trope, I’ll pick Neil Gaiman. Or maybe I’m looking for compelling characters and unpredictable plot twists: Brandon Sanderson. This method has also led me to know which authors I avoid, but today I’d like to focus on the ones whose works I enjoy.

Authors are organized by last name.

 

1. Megan Bannen

Does it count if you’ve only read one of their books but you liked it so much you can’t wait to read the next one even though it’s not a sequel? Eh, who cares. It’s my blog post. I particularly enjoyed her debut, The Bird and the Blade, so much so, that I eagerly awaited her latest book Soulswift. My library finally bought a copy, and I’m currently reading it!

2.   Susanna Clarke

She only has three books out. Who am I kidding? Only three books?! That’s so cool!!! I’ve enjoyed the ones I’ve read so far. I read her beast-of-a-book Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell back when I was living in England, and I particularly liked the way Clarke connected the fantasy elements with the British culture.

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories was also quite entertaining, especially the one that took place in the world of Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. Crossovers, anybody? Yes, please! I haven’t seen many crossovers outside of graphic novels, so this was a pleasant surprise.

I look forward to reading her latest book, Piranse.

3.   C. G. Drews

I first started following Drews on her blog where she writes as Paper Fury. One of the ways I like to determine if a book is worth reading is by reading her reviews. They’re great.

So are her books, of course! A Thousand Perfect Notes stole my heart with its characters, and her second book The Boy Who Steals Houses was even better. Though they took a while to release in the US (they’re finally here!), I liked to buy them online at Book Depository.

When will the publishing industry give us another one of her books? I know she’s written some! I know you can’t rush publishing, but I can dream.

4.   Neil Gaiman

I know, I know. I’ve only read three of his books. How could I possibly say he’s one of my go-to authors? I highly recommend his speech “Make Good Art.”

Though I wasn’t a particular fan of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I found Norse Mythology to be quite fascinating. Of course, I’m slightly obsessed with Stardust, especially when it’s the audiobook read by the author.

5.   Hannah Heath

It’s not a proper list if I don’t list an indie author. Heath is one of my go-to indie authors because she always includes some sort of disability representation in her stories. That and she writes fantasy and sci-fi, so of course that’s a plus! Her story “Vengence Hunter” made me hate vampire stories less because she puts an interesting twist on the trope. Her story “So I Accidentally Killed the Chosen One” on Wattpad is quite comical. So far, I think “This Pain Inside” from the anthology Strange Waters, is one of my favorites. I look forward to her next piece.

6.   Jack London

As a kid, I used to pick up a lot of animal stories, and I used to listen to the audiobook of White Fang a lot. When I reread the book as an adult, I remembered why I enjoyed the story so much. Of course, his others books and stories can be good too, though I’ve never particularly cared for Call of the Wild. It has been a while since I’ve read it, though.

I particularly like how his stories include the beauties and wonder of nature and humankind contrasted with its deadly nature. No romanticism here.

7.   J. R. R. Tolkien

When I was a kid, my dad once read The Hobbit to my brother and me. Of course, I loved it! I can’t say I’ve read everything by Tolkien, but I grew up enjoying Lord of the Rings movie marathons, and I later dove into the books.

The last time I attempted to read The Silmarillion was when I was studying English lit. So yeah, it’s been a while. I’ll have to give the book another try at some point.

 

Let’s chat! Who are some of your go-to authors? Have you read any books by the ones I’ve mentioned?

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Similar posts: Don’t Judge a Book by its Author, or Should You?; 7 of my Go-To Authors; and Let’s Agree to Disagree: Reader vs. Author Opinion

Book Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Book: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Genre: Fantasy, historical fiction

Awards: Hugo Award for Best Novel (2005), Locus Award for Best First Novel (2005), World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2005), Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature (2005), Book Sense Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction (2005), etc… (Just read it, already!)

My rating: 5/5 stars

Short description: Practical magic

At first, I didn’t know if I would like this book or not. The premise had me feeling a little wary, but I enjoy reading fantasy and felt in the mood for a nice, long book. So I checked this one out from the library. It came in three volumes, making it feel more like I was reading a continuous trilogy instead of a massive, 1,000-page book. (My fingers thank the publisher for this decision by the way; I didn’t experience any of those horrible cramps from holding a heavy book for too long.)

In all, it took me about a week to get through. Although it is not particularly fast-paced, it is rather interesting, and I kept turning the pages wanting to absorb more and more of the story. What I enjoyed most was the writing style. The book had a very English feel, with constant remarks about the weather and the sophisticated nature of scholarship, both of which I can appreciate even more having lived and studied abroad in England.

Likewise, Clarke’s style was quite witty at points and yet practical at others. I particularly enjoyed one scene where Strange is trying to figure out how to move a massive ship that accidentally got beached, he talks through several scenarios with the seamen, much to his confusion with all their nautical terms. Instead of—I don’t know if it would work this way—simply moving the ship, he creates horses out of sand to drag the ship back to sea. Well, I suppose that’s one way to do it!

Another thing I appreciated about the novel was Clarke’s attention to detail. Magic plays a large role in the story, it’s central characters being magicians, but there’s so much more. I’ve never read anything set during the Napoleonic Wars, so it was fascinating to learn more about this time period. Similarly, Clarke includes the impact of war abroad and at home, married life versus a life of single intellectualism, politics, weather (obviously; it’s England), and a particular attention to books.

One particular passage that captures the style and love for books is where Mr. Norrell is invited to a party and, being a scholar devoted to books, finds it a rather awkward occasion:

“He was sick of the noise and sight of so many people and determined to go quietly away, but it so happened that just at that moment the crowds about the door were particularly impenetrable; he was caught up in a current of people and carried away to quite another part of the room. Round and round he went like a dry leaf caught up in a drain; in one of these turns around the room he discovered a quiet corner near a window. A tall screen of carved ebony inlaid with mother-of-pearl half-hid – ah! what bliss this was! – a bookcase.”

Although Mr. Norrell has a tendency to be a miserly, greedy gentleman, it is instances like these when I can’t help but relate with him. But if it came to picking between the magicians Norrell and Strange I prefer Strange, despite the fact that he can be arrogant and mad at times, even deliberately. But I particularly enjoyed the relationship he has with his wife, Arabella.

I would recommend this to readers of fantasy, particularly those who like books, people who love England and history, and/or students who don’t mind long footnotes interrupting paragraphs. While this book may not be for everybody, I’ve been particularly harsh on books this year, and I gave this one 5/5 stars.

For quite a while now, I’d been complaining about not finding the book I was looking for—something fat, something entertaining, and something thought-provoking. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell was just that book. I’m only sad it’s over. Now I just have the BBC adaptation to look forward to...

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Have you read this book? What did you think of it? If you haven’t, has it made it to your TBR list yet? What’s been on one your favorite books so far this year?