Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Of Your Auto-buy Authors

(Sponsored by The Broke and the Bookish)

Yes, there are authors whose books I buy, sight-unseen. I don’t need to read a review or cover blurb. If these folks have books coming out, they are usually preordered and ready to be shipped/downloaded as soon as they become available. It’s quite an eclectic list, from narrative non-fiction works to fluffy reads for my many airplane trips. I’ve put them in alphabetical order because it is easier than trying to rank each one, but I would definitely put Erik Larson at the very top of the list if I were to number them 1-10.

Bill Bryson- I read first read A Walk in the Woods on a road trip. Thad drove. I read. We laughed out loud at many of the predicaments he found himself in and we were grateful for semi-soft hotel beds each night as we followed his tale of woe and discomfort on the Eastern Seaboard. I’m a little dismayed to hear about a movie coming out, but I usually am when it comes to book-to-movie adaptations. After A Walk in the Woods I was hooked and have read nearly everything else he has published. Always entertaining!

David Sedaris- I love Sedaris’ outlook on the world. At times it can be a bit harsh (I remember a particular short story about China that I thought was a little rougher on the country than it needed to be), but overall his slightly bitter, slightly sardonic wit keeps me coming back for more.

Erik Larson – This is my number one when it comes to auto-buy authors. Larson is the author who drew me in to narrative non-fiction nearly a decade ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. I started with Devil in the White City and then proceeded to read through his entire library. While I didn’t absolutely love each one (I found Thunderstruck quite baffling), I do love his style of weaving several tales into a single story. I can’t wait for his next publication!

Jodi Piccoult- This is my fluff-pick on the list. When Piccoult first started publishing, I loved her works and bought each one the day it came out, but then after a few, the twist at the end became predictable, so I quit reading them for a while. I had to walk away. But, in the last year or so, I’ve jumped back on the bandwagon, caught up on the missed novels and am ready for a new one. These books have ended up being the perfect reads for long trans-Pacific flights from the US to Malaysia.

John Green- He’s definitely the go-to author in the YA world right now, but he’s more than a flash in the pan. He is able to mix tough topics with an inviting writing style that draws in not only the teenage crowd, but also those of us who have a few more candles on our cakes. Again, I haven’t *loved* every single one of his books, but that doesn’t stop me from picking up his latest publication as soon as I can get my hands on it.

Khaled Hosseini – Hosseini comes close to the top of my must-purchase author list. I have loved all three of his novels and will gladly pay hardback prices to get my hands on his next book as soon as it comes out. His characters and tales are haunting, sticking with me long after the last page has been turned. Please tell me there is something from him on the horizon!

Liane Moriarty- This is my other go-to for plane reading.  Moriarty’s thrillers of mystery and intrigue are the perfect fit for a fourteen-hour flight. They don’t take huge amounts of concentration, so when the dude next to me is snoring his way through Avengers, I can still enjoy flipping through the pages of her latest twisting plot.

Mindy Kaling- Does it count if she only has one book out? I don’t care. I loved her first and am hoping she follows it up with another. Soon.

Sarah Vowell – Another great narrative non-fiction author, Vowel is a master storyteller, drawing me in to topics I wouldn’t normally imagine myself interested in. I love that about her. Ask me if I have a deep desire to read about presidential assassinations and  I will probably tell you no, but then give me the first few pages of Assassination Vacation and I am hooked.

Wally Lamb- You need time if you’ve got a Wally Lamb book on your hands. They are never quick nor easy reads, but they are powerful and thought-provoking. Lamb’s ability to tackle tough topics in a sensitive manner is admirable and while his books often portray situations that are painful to contemplate, they are also a part of the world in which we live. He doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations and I will always buy whatever he puts out next.

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