Can you Name a Single Favorite Author?

John Guillen135 Comments

imagesooo

Photo Credit: 3rd Grade’s a Hoot

In the last few months I’ve talked about my favorite series of books and also my favorite protagonist, but does that necessarily mean that the author of those books is my favorite? I don’t know. Actually, I do. No it doesn’t. If you missed that post I’ll link to it at the end of this, but let’s just say that my favorite series revolves around my favorite protagonist who sometimes goes by the Girl on Fire. I sincerely hope that you know who she is. If not, your life is probably a mess. Just kidding. Not really.

Okay. So now I have to dive into who I think is my single favorite author. If it’s possible to have a single favorite. This is one of those questions that always depends on when you ask. I’d be willing to bet that many people today would name John Green or Veronica Roth as their favorite. Understandable, but I don’t think one’s favorite author should always be changing. I’ve had just two books make the top of my best books read list since I first started it. I think the list has over 120 titles. See, I think one’s favorite author should be treated similarly. If they are truly your favorite, then they should remain so for some time. Not two weeks until you read the next book you deem to be the best ever.

So now that I’ve eliminated Suzanne Collins from the competition, let me see who else might make the top of the pile. Robert B. Parker. I think by the time I’m 35 or 40 I’ll have every book he ever wrote. The number is around 70 divided between several different series. But I don’t think he’s my favorite. Marcus Sakey. He has a handful of books that were truly great. I actually remember the story of every one. Somewhat. But his two most recent books are part of a trilogy that I’ll never read. Much too sci-fi for me when he’s a crime writer. I think there are only two more authors who are seriously in the running for the coveted title of John Guillen’s Favorite Author Award.

Michael Connelly. This guy just does not know how to write a mediocre novel. Harry Bosch is probably the best detective series I’ve read. I’ve also read one of his Mickey Haller novels, great. I really have nothing negative to say about his writing style or any of his books.

Robert Crais. He’s here because of Elvis Cole, who heavily influenced my own Andrew Banks. Again, nothing negative to say about any of his books I’ve read. It took me a long time to start the series because of the title of the first book. I kept hesitating to take a chance, but the climax of that first one was so intense that it was one of those rare times when you can’t read the words fast enough.

After a lot of thought, I can’t pick a winner. These two are the best of the best when it comes to crime fiction today. I deem the competition a tie.

But maybe you can. Do you have a single favorite author who isn’t just whomever is in the spotlight at the moment?

What’s That one Series of Books You Won’t Forget?

135 thoughts on “Can you Name a Single Favorite Author?”

  1. Ahh! This is so hard. I think it’s pretty much impossible for any book lover to answer this. My absolute favorite growing up was Tamora Pierce. Though I haven’t really read her books in a while, she’s probably my all-time consistent favorite. Then JK Rowling, of course. And more recently, Juliet Marillier and CJ Redwine. I think my current favorites are changing, but there are always those authors that just stick with you, no matter what. 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  2. Terry Pratchett. Hands down, not a doubt in my mind. If he could be the only author I could ever read ever, I would still be pretty content. His Discworld series is plenty vast enough, and he’s got quite a few things outside that series, too, should I ever get bored with Discworld, which seems unfathomable.

    Of course, there are a lot of others, some of which are probably better authors. But are they my favorite? Nope. This guy is, without a question.

    Like

    Reply

  3. My favorite author is Stephen King and he has been my favorite since I was 12. Kim Harrison is a very close second though. I usually don’t remember authors too much, just the book. I am currently enjoying James Dashner, the author of The Maze Runner, but we will see if his name stands to time once I have moved on from the series.

    Like

    Reply

  4. Mine has been Stephen King for a while, because I can generally count on enjoying his books. There are plenty of close seconds.

    Like

    Reply

  6. I have lots of authors I love to read, but one author in particular has been on the top of my list since I read my first book by her when I was sixteen. I’ve read almost all her work, and she’s THE person to spark my dream of becoming a writer. That author is Anne McCaffrey – I have yet to read a book by her I didn’t like. Even better, I reread her books and never get tired of the stories … Mostly because there are so many!

    Like

    Reply

  8. It’s really hard to narrow down a few favorites, but the authors that have always stood the test of time for me are L.M. Montgomery, J.R.R. Tolkien and Madeleine L’Engle.

    They’re the authors that have most influenced me as a writer and as a young reader.

    But I have quite a long list of other authors that I love. As everyone does.

    Like

    Reply

  11. Ted Dekker. Has been my number one favorite since the first time I picked up one of his books. No one else has ever really come close. I’m looking at 13 of his books on my bookshelf and I know there’s one more on my nightstand 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  12. Like a couple of others have posted, my favorite author is Stephen King, hands down. I can’t say I’ve enjoyed every book he’s written, but his voice and imagination are terrific, and I still consider The Stand as my favorite book of all time. Close runner-ups would be Shel Silverstein and Dean Koontz.

    Like

    Reply

  13. I cannot pick a favorite author. Robert B. Parker would be in the running, but there are many from which to choose just one. Dean Koontz, John Grisham, Sue Grafton, all very different writers.

    Like

    Reply

  15. Okay, I’m going to answer this seriously, pretty much just to prove that I can make relevant points in important discussions, rarely, but I can. At least I’m sure I can, haven’t tried lately so here goes :p

    I find it impossible to narrow down favourite authors, I have so many, there are just way too many talented writers out there for me to pick and choose, so instead I have a select few that I love for different reasons – their stories, the way they transport you to their worlds, their descriptions, their characters, their sarcasm, the list goes on and on and on and on … but now I’m spamming you so I’ll stop 😉

    Like

    Reply

  19. Cormac McCarthy will probably be my favorite for a long time. Before that it was Margaret Atwood, but I still love her, and have loved her since high school. She just wrote a really awesome book a few years ago, Oryx and Crake. But both of them have been around for a long time. I have a hard time branching out and reading books that aren’t by my favorite authors because why read something that isn’t your favorite. When I go out to a restaurant I tend to order the same thing that I’ve always ordered. I like familiarity. Some novels I have reread three to four times because I enjoy them so much. A friend of mine that was an amazing writer recommended a book by John Gardner, October Light. I tried reading it 4 years ago, and I stopped after a few pages. He isn’t McCarthy, and the book was boring. So I kept rereading McCarthy’s novels XD I’m trying to write less formulaic pieces, so I restarted October Light. The story isn’t great, but the writing is. His prose is definitely unique. I’m reading like 4-5 books at once right now because I’m not the patient sort, lol. I love sci-fi writers as well, but I couldn’t pick one favorite sci-fi author. Well if I had to I would say Orwell and then Bradbury. They come in after McCarthy and Atwood.

    Like

    Reply

      • True. I suppose I have several favorites, and I love them in different ways. Atwood’s books are often more entertaining than McCarthy’s, but she doesn’t have his prose. Orwell writes the kinds of books that haunt you for the rest of your life. If I could only read one author’s books for the rest of my life, I would pick McCarthy though, so of my favorite authors, he is my most favorite. I doubt that will change in the next 10-15 years.

        Like

      • A lot of McCarthy’s novels have been turned into movies. The Road, No Country For Old Men, All the Pretty Horses, and Child of God (released 2013). McCarthy’s most accessible novel is The Road. His other ones aren’t as easy or entertaining to read. Atwood’s most famous book is probably, The Handmaid’s Tale, but I didn’t like that one much. She’s been around for a long time, and it often required reading in high school or college. Orwell is the one that wrote the books 1984 and Animal Farm. Animal Farm and 1984 are often required reading in high school or college. I don’t know if you have heard the phrase,”Big Brother is Watching.” That comes from the novel 1984. McCarthy and Atwood have very stylized writing, so it’s either you love it or hate it. Most people enjoy Orwell because he writes really awesome stories. 1984 was written in 1949, so it’s pretty old. It was Orwell’s prediction of what would happen to the world in 1984.

        Like

  22. By far, I’d only re-read her writing. That’s why I chose her although I have thought about my all time classics.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment