Thursday 17 October 2013

5 Authors I Should Have Read but Haven't


The idea for this post came from a booktuber called supersushipizza who talked about the five authors who she hasn’t read but wants to and I got the idea of writing about mine. And mine are also authors who I feel like I should have read by now. Without further a do, here they are!

Patrick Ness
The beloved author of The Knife of Never Letting Go, A Monster Calls and the brand new More Than This is already a YA institution. He’s constantly cited as a favourite author and his books are showered with praise and awards by the literary world with every year. I actually have The Knife of Never Letting Go and A Monster Calls so I really have no excuse, but I am kind of worried that I won’t be as blown away by him as I want and expect to be...

Markus Zusak
Oh, The Book Thief, how left out I feel. Everybody raves about this book and with the film getting closer and closer I feel even more like the loner kid on her own in the corner of the playground. I’m planning to read The Book Thief this month and I have a box of tissues and expectations waiting for the weekend I plan to dedicate to this book. I can't risk taking it to work and bawling in the staff room at lunch time.

Margaret Atwood
The First Lady of Feminist Fiction. Although I started The Handmaid’s Tale, I didn't finish it before I had to take it back to the library as it was on hold. It’s one of those books that has been in my periphery for years and years and during my final year of university when I took several modules revolving around women’s and feminist fiction, my interest in her exploded. I fully intend to get myself a copy of The Handmaid’s Tale and then plow through her backlist.

Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell is the equivalent of the YA blogosphere’s star pupil at the moment and though I have Fangirl and Attachments, I’m yet to actually read her masterpieces. Her books sound like everything I love in a contemporary novel: gorgeous romance, beautiful writing, realistic and relatable characters and endlessly involving. Gah, I need to get on this!

Maureen Johnson
I follow Maureen on Twitter and Tumblr and she is hilarious. But she's also really interesting and her pieces on what's going on in the literary, and real, world are fantastic and completely on the money. Then you have the legions of fans she has for her contemps and the Shades of London series and there's really no excuse, is there?

Take a look at the video that inspired my post!


Which authors do you feel you really, really should read? Which of these should I start with? Are there any authors you think I’ve missed from this list?

Sophie

8 comments:

  1. If I had seen this list a few weeks ago, we would have had a fair few authors we hadn't read together!
    Alas, I am now halfway through The Knife of Never Letting Go - It took me a while to get into it and now I've had a spoiler I may struggle to finish it but I have read some of his writing at least!
    Maureen Johnson - I just finished 13 little blue envelopes last week and again it took me a while but once I was immersed in the story saw why people like her work so much! Looking forward to Name of the Star.
    Margaret Atwood - I actually read Handmaiden's Tale AGES ago and thought it was a great story, I hope you get around to finishing it soon!
    Rainbow Rowell & Markus Zusak - I'm in the same position as you! Own their books but haven't read them! I keep meaning to though as everyone raves about them!

    Great post! Thanks for sharing Sophie!

    Faye :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Out of those five I've only ever read one Rainbow Rowell book, which I loved. I have More Than This at home yet I've still never read a Ness book. I need to read The Book Thief. So I'm with you on these choices. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I so should have read some of these - I really love the sound of More Than This and Fangirl is most certainly on my radar.

    Oh and I highly recommend the Shades of London series ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sophie, I refuse to talk to you until you read a Rainbow Rowell book. What are you doing with your life?! Rainbow is right up there with my favourite authors and Fangirl is my favourite book of all time.

    I still really need to read something by Maureen Johnson and I have The Name of the Star sat on my TBR pile so hopefully I'll be able to read it soon; I find her so funny on Twitter!

    Loved reading this!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ooh great post! Seriously woman, you need to read Rainbows books. Like, yesterday! I feel quite guilty for not reading Patrick Ness' books, but they are just so big and intimidating....

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great post Sophie! Yeah, I really need to read Patrick Ness and Maureen Johnson, but surprisingly I think I've read something by everyone else! I can send you my copy of The Handmaid's Tale, if you want to borrow it? I think on my list would be some urban fantasy authors, like Kelley Armstrong, or maybe the uni books I didn't actually read :p

    ReplyDelete
  7. You've got me thinking now about who I haven't read...of your list, Patrick Ness is as amazing as everyone says (although the Knife of Never Letting Go takes some getting into), I don't think that the Book Thief is particularly wonderful and I didn't enjoy 13 Little Blue Envelopes but I do love Maureen Johnson on Twitter! The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favourite grownup books :-) but I've never even heard of Rainbow Rowell! Obviously that needs fixing...

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think I saw that you're reading The Book Thief at the moment? I still haven't read it. I didn't much like it both times I attempted it. However! I absolutely adore his other books! I loved I Am the Messenger and his books about the Wolfe family. Fighting Ruben Wolfe and Getting the Girl especially.

    I have no idea which authors I'd put on my own list. You've got me thinking now...

    ReplyDelete

Leave a message, I'd love to hear from you!