Happy Valentine's Day! 💗
Authors are amazing. I admire them and they inspire me. They're the reason books exist! Books who comfort us, teach us, and understand us. As I turned 20 this week, I wanted to do a couple of posts featuring 20 things involving all things bookish. Seeing as it's Valentine's day, I thought I'd spread some love and celebrate some of my favourite authors!
5 Reasons Authors Are the Best💓
1. They give us books to read
A simple reason why they are the best: they've provided us with all the wonderful books we love!
2. They persevere
2. They persevere
Writing is hard. I've managed to finish writing one book in my life, and it took me many attempts to finally type "the end". Writing takes a lot of determination. I really admire authors for persevering and getting that book finished!
3. They inspire
3. They inspire
My favourite authors inspire me SO MUCH. Whether it be with the amazing characters they create, the important messages they convey, the gorgeous quotes...they really inspire me to write.
4. Their actual job is writing which is AMAZING. It's so difficult writing one book, let alone many!
4. Their actual job is writing which is AMAZING. It's so difficult writing one book, let alone many!
This is something that blows my mind. An author's job is to write, produce several books...it's amazing. How they think of all those plots and characters and relationships...it's incredible.
5. They understand
5. They understand
A lot of the books I've read contain topics that made people feel understood, particularly books published in recent years. Whether it's books that feature more introverted, shy characters (relatable), mental illnesses, sexism...they address important topics and make people feel seen and understood.
My Top 15 Favourite Authors💓
1. Anthony Horowitz
Who's surprised? Probably no one. I started reading Anthony Horowitz when I was 9 (The Diamond Brothers). I picked up the Alex Rider series when I was 12, and then picked up the series again when I was 16. The latest installment was the first book I picked up last summer after finishing my A-levels. Anthony Horowitz's books have been present in my life for over half my life - and I've loved every book he has written. His books are funny, action-packed and utterly engrossing.
2. Cassandra Clare
UM, SHE CREATED WILL HERONDALE AKA THE MOST PERFECT SPECIMEN EVER.
Ahem.
Cassandra Clare's writing is so descriptive and never fails to completely transport me into the world she's created. Her characters are so real. The romances are breathtaking, and the plot twists are gripping.
3. Derek Landy
How can I not have Derek Landy on this list? The Skulduggery Pleasant series has brought me so much joy. My dad and I started reading the series in December 2014. We spent a couple of months reading the series and discussing it. I was obsessed with this series and told everyone and their mother to read it...I love Derek's books a whoooole lot.
4. Holly Smale
I remember first reading Holly Smale books during Bout of Books when I was 15. I was completely absorbed in the book and was in tears from all the laughing! The Geek Girl books never fail to make me smile. I love them SO much. Harriet is such an amazing character, and I absolutely adore her! Her books are the ones I go to whenever I need some happiness in my day!
5. Holly Bourne
Holly Bourne writes with so much honesty. Her books feature amazing female friendships which is not featured nearly enough in YA, and her mental health representation is incredible. My friend and I were discussing today how amazing Holly Bourne representation of anxiety is. SHE GETS IT.
6. Holly Black
I first fell in love with Holly Black's books in 2016. I think I read White Cat first...which I LOVED. Cassel is the most precious cinnamon roll ever. Then I read The Darkest Part of the Forest which was INCREDIBLE, and then I read several more of her books and loved them. Holly Black's writing is utterly magical. Her books are absolutely fascinating . The characters have so many complexities, the plots are in-depth, and the writing is stunning.
7. Jandy Nelson
I still can't get over how amazing Jandy Nelson's writing is. My copy of I'll Give You the Sun pretty much has a tab on every page. Every aspect a book has (plot, relationship dynamics, characters, writing etc) she accomplishes perfectly. Her books are filled with emotion, heart, sensitivity...I just love them a lot, and she's one of my top writing inspirations.
8. Katie McGarry
She is the queen of contemporary books. I absolutely love how complex her characters are and how raw and genuine the romances are. I've read 5 Katie McGarry books, and I'm so excited to read her other books. As someone who wants to publish a YA contemporary book, Katie McGarry is one of my top inspirations. Her books are just so incredibly written and super engaging.
9. Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor is also one of my top writing inspirations (ALL THESE AUTHORS ARE JUST SO AMAZING, I CAN'T DEAL). I absolutely LOVE her writing style. It's spellbinding and completely magical. Her characters are so unique and her world-building is brilliant. 😻
10. Laura Ruby
I've only read Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, but it's enough to let me know she's one of my favourite authors. I'd never liked magical realism before reading Bone Gap. She captures an almost tangible atmosphere in her books; the writing is magical, honest and brimming with emotion. I fell absolutely in love with the characters and their complexities. She created a book that is warm, comforting place. I'm so excited to read more books from her!
11. Maggie Harcourt
Maggie's books are THE CUTEST. The Last Summer of Us completely swept me away when I read it. Maggie's writing is incredible, and I remember just falling completely in love with maannyyyy of the sentences in the book! She writes with such emotion and insight, yet manages to include humour too! I love the romances she writes (hello, Aidan and Lexi) and the friendships too (Limpet, Steffan and Jared, I'm looking at you). If you're looking for super cute books that are also emotional and profound, you definitely need to pick up her books!
12. Nicholas Sparks
He has to be on this list. I read three of his books this past summer and fell in love with every single one of them. They're engrossing, touching and, obviously, heart-breaking. I adore the plots, settings, characters and romances that feature in his books. I'M SO EXCITED TO READ ALL HIS NOVELS.
13. Rick Riordan
PERCY JACKSON! HEROES OF OLYMPUS! KANE CHRONICLES! I really admire Rick Riordan's ability to create novels with brilliant plots, dynamic characters and hilarious one-liners. The Percy Jackson books to me are what the Harry Potter series is to some people. They provide comfort, smiles and the ability to completely lose myself in a fascinating world for moments at a time. I absolutely adore Rick Riordan's books.
14. V.E. Schwab
Have you read A Darker Shade of Magic? IT'S AMAZING. I read it two summers ago and fell in love with it. The concept was so fascinating, and the plot was thrilling. I was constantly on the edge of my seat. I loved the characters and the writing and the world-building. I've read The Archived and This Savage Song and AH - Victoria Schwab is an incredible storyteller. Her books are completely riveting, and it's so easy to be completely absorbed in the worlds she creates.
15. Veronica Roth
I loved the Divergent trilogy, and I loved Carve the Mark. Her writing flows so smoothly. Her characters are always so real, and I always end up loving them. I love the concepts of her books and the romances too. I know a lot of people are iffy about the Divergent series now, but that trilogy is one of my favourites. Carve the Mark is also one of my favourites. I love Veronica's books - I can't wait to read more from her!
Do you love any of these authors? Who are your favourite authors? Let's chat!