top ten authors who occupy the most space on my shelves

Tuesday, July 29, 2014 |
Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we all get to exercise our OCD tendencies and come up with bookish lists.  If you’d like to play along, check out this post.

top ten tuesday

This week’s topic was really fascinating to me.  You might say to yourself, “But isn’t that just a list of favorite authors?”  Well, in very simple terms, yes.  But this list also marks out those favorite authors whose books I’ve wanted to reread so much over the years that I’ve collected them on my shelves.  See, early on I didn’t have the resources to collect many books (my mother is laughing to herself across the country – I always found money for books!), and I made a rule: only buy a book if you’re confident you’ll reread it at least twice more, thereby making it more worthwhile to own than getting it out from the library (and possibly running up fines).  In later years it hasn’t been so much about the cost of books as the space for them.  So, looking over my shelves and seeing the books that have survived weeding, have become collectibles, as it were, was fascinating.  And… not very surprising.  *grin*

Top Ten Authors Who Occupy the Most Space on My Shelves


1. Garth Nix – I have one and a half shelves devoted to Nix.  I’ve really liked (or loved!) all of his novels, and I’ve read nearly his entire backlist.  The only Nix stories that don’t make my heart go pitter-pat are his Sir Hereward & Mr. Fitz shorts/novellas, which feature a puppet and a knight.  But hey, that’s doing really well, considering!

2. Robin McKinley – McKinley’s books are just… gorgeous.  I credit McKinley for my love of fantasy and fairy tale retellings.  I am also, always (not-so-patiently) waiting for her next novel. 

3. Neil Gaiman – If I can credit McKinley for starting me on fantasy and fairy tale fare, I can credit Neil Gaiman for my love of dark fantasy, right?  Neverwhere was (for a short while) in danger of toppling Jane Austen’s Persuasion as my favorite book.  I keep it on hand for reading emergencies.

4. Mercedes Lackey – Lackey is a startlingly prolific fantasy writer, and her Edwardian fairy tale retellings (the Elemental Masters series) are basically like book crack for me.  I buy them hardcover the day they release and then they go live on my shelf forever. In series order, of course!

5. J.K. Rowling – I mean… obvious.


6. Sharon Shinn – Dear Angie of Angieville, I blame this one on you.  You turned me on to Shinn, and when I realized that her books were made of swoon, I (naturally) had to start collecting them.  So, THANKS FOR THAT.  For real, though.  Love, Me.

7. C.S. Lewis – Lewis is one of the few writers I loved as a child, and now respect even more as an adult reader.  I enjoy his nonfiction as much as his fiction.  Weird/awesome.

8. Nalini Singh – If I could only suggest one shape-shifting romance series to try, it would be Singh’s.  Her books… yep. They are for me.

9. Patricia C. Wrede – Wrede has written many different types of fantasy: from funny dragon-and-princess escapades to Regency pickpockets-made-over-into-ladies, to an alternate version of America’s Old West. I’ve loved them all.  Wrede is one of my guaranteed, go-to authors, and I’ve been collecting her books since high school.

10. Meljean Brook – Brook’s Iron Seas series is steampunk + romance + diversity + ADVENTURE, and that all adds up to amazing. I find myself counting down the days to the release of her next book (and owning multiple copies of the ones that are already out!).

Honorable Mention: Patricia A. McKillip – Another fantasy love of long-standing.  I can count on McKillip for really beautiful books that are creative, art-filled and intellectual.  I can’t think of anyone else who does that combination quite so well.

Are any of these authors on your collectible list?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great list. I have to read more Robin McKinley stat.

Kristen said...

I still haven't read a McKinley novel I've loved sad to say. I've tried a couple, but none were for me. I know she has tons, so I should seek out something different from her. I <3 HP. I bought the new box set for myself for Xmas.

Gwen said...

Fantastic list! We have a lot in common in this particular TTT - J.K. Rowling (duh), Robin McKinley, Sharon Shinn, and Patricia C. Wrede! I absolutely love your taste in books!

Addicted2Heroines said...

Fun topic =) I've heard of all of these authors, but haven't read most of their books. Darynda Jones, Delilah Dawson, Patricia Briggs, and Laurell K. Hamilton take up a lot of space on my shelves.

Brandy said...

J.K. Rowling-on so many lists today including mine.

C.S. Lewis is also on my list. I thought he would occupy my #1 spot but it turns out he came in second to another favorite author. I was really surprised.

Brandy said...

J.K. Rowling-on so many lists today including mine.

C.S. Lewis is also on my list. I thought he would occupy my #1 spot but it turns out he came in second to another favorite author. I was really surprised.

CaRiiToO said...

Cornelia Funke, Diana Wynne Jones, J.K. Rowling, Salman Rushdie, Jane Austen, William Joyce, Lloyd Alexander, Patrick Rothfuss, Louisa May Alcott, Markus Zusak.

Enbrethiliel said...

+JMJ+

I've been wanting to read Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series for some time . . . but keep putting it off for the most random reasons. Like there never being a proper boxed set at my local bookstore to put on my Christmas wishlist . . . or the books not getting their prices slashed low enough when the bookstore has a sale. =P

How would you compare this series to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Dark Is Rising, or Percy Jackson and the Olympians? (These are some of the few Fantasy series I've completed, but not the only ones I'm familiar with.)

Liviania said...

Tamora Pierce has the most space on my shelves, but I need to prune some of them.

KC said...

Excellent! I just added several authors to my must-reads list!

Jk Rowling? Obviously. Awesomeness at it's finest, really.

Cecelia said...

Enbrethiliel: Thanks for your comment! I'd say that the Keys to the Kingdom series is somewhere between Narnia and Percy Jackson. I loved it - the books kept surprising me by getting more creative in each volume.

Happy reading!

Ryan said...

We share Mercedes Lackey as one of our top shelf hoggers. I have books by a few others on your list, but not in the numbers I do others.

Leslie @ This is the Refrain said...

Your Top Ten Tuesdays are always a collection of authors or titles that I immediately add to my must investigate list! There are always so many who are new to me! This list is great and I'm definitely going to be adding a lot of these authors to my tbr.

Newer Posts Older Posts Home