February 11, 2011

Most Read Authors

Books and Babbles is a fun post where I can share anything about books, and just babble on. Or, even babble about movies, hot topics, whatever strikes my fancy.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Books and Babbles post so to start off I decided to high light a new feature at goodreads that was brought to my attention by The Story Siren.

On the My Books page, in the left sidebar lies the Tools stuff. Now it has most read authors with all of the other fun tools.  Just like The Story Siren the list of most read authors was a bit of a surprise.  So I’ll go over my top 10 most read authors.

1st-3rd Place  nine books read

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, Book 6)The first place winner is not as much as a surprise to me.  Richelle Mead has been my literary obsession ever since I stumbled across Mead’s Succubus Blues.  It was my first voyage into the PNR section of the store.  Also the first time that I felt possessed to pull an all nighter to finish a book out side of the Harry Potter sertes.  After hungrily waiting for the next book in the series I had to satisfy myself with Vampire Academy after that I never looked back.  I’ve read every book Mead has released, except for the final 3 books of VA.  What can I say I can’t bring myself to end it.

A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark, Book 1)Coles appearance in the top 3 really surprised me.  Not too long ago it seems like I was one of the many readers out there who scorned the Immortals After Dark series.  The cover and the description really called to the anti PNR side of me.  Thankfully the power of Richelle Mead, Jeanine Frost, Larrisa Ione, and many other awesome authors made me brave enough to try IAD out.  Now Cole has found a treasured place on my shelves, and I’m beyond excited for the upcoming release on Feb. 15 for the latest book in the series!

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)For some reason Snicket making it into the top 3 position seems like a let down.  The first two have such stories and bring up wonderful memories.  Sadly I was simply caught up in the rush for the series.  Don’t get me wrong Snicket is the bomb and the writing style is really original. 

 

 

4th Place eight books read

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)Ah. Harris-Harris-Harris.  This series is one of my all time favorites.  It makes me itch just thinking of reading the next book!  However, it wasn’t always that way.  The covers for this series really threw me.  UGLY!  Was the thought that came to mind when ever I saw them sitting on the shelf or when Amazon would try to thrust them into my shopping cart.  The Sookie Stackhouse Series is proof that ugly covers hide wonderful things.

5th-8th seven books read

The Eye of the World (The Wheel of Time, Book 1) It skipped my mind when I was thinking about authors who would make my most read list that my beloved Robert Jordan would make the list.  When I read his name I could feel all of my passion for the author coming back, especially my passion for Epic Fantasy.  It brings such sadness to know that I had stopped reading at book 7 because it was taking longer and longer for the books to release.  Especially now that Jordan's dead.  I keep saying to myself that Ill go back and reread them, because this series deserves it. Marked: A House of Night Novel

Having the house of night series on my MRA list seems beyond embarrassing.  I remember how disappointed I was when I bought the book when it first released, only to realize the writing was crap that even a teenager should have been ashamed to pop out.  “Boobies”, “brown sugar pop”, and numerous other embarrassing words and word combinations junked up the pages.  Yet I found myself completely addicted all the way to chapter 2. Next thing I new I had the book all gobbled up and just frantic for the next one.  That’s basically the pattern for this series. Shame for being a fan, the need to gobble them up, anticipation for the release, justification for purchase, and repeat.

Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1) The fourth book in the Hollows Series was just coming out for the first time the year I finally picked up on the series.  For some reason the series had never caught my eye and I just continued to ignore the titles.  Until the fateful day I stumbled into a bookstore in a back woods town.  The selection was small, but they had clearly made the most of it.  That day Dead Witch Walking called to me, I sat down in the store and read the first half then and there.  After begging some money off my mom, I took the book home and finished it that morning.  Harrison’s books were then consumed as fast as I could get the cash for them.  To this day I’m a die-hard Hallows fan.  No other author has been able to make me connect with the character like Harrison did for me in this series—still continues to do. The Witches of Eileanan

Kate Forsyth.  Just the mention of the author’s name sends shivers of pleasures all through my body.  Hands down she is my favorite Epic Fantasy writer.   The first book starts out slow, but that’s only because you need to take in the world of Eileanan in all its glory.  The series is rich in Irish dialectic, Irish customs, and a whole new mythology that will blow your mind socks.  It makes me sad that the series never really got the attention that it deserved.  Maybe too many readers just wouldn’t give it a chance because of the Irish accent in the dialogue.  If your a fan of EF this is a series you HAVE TO READ.  The magic, plot, characters, and so many other things are what makes fantasy readers loyal to the genre.

9th-10th Place six books read Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, Book 1)

So far I’ve read only two books of Caine’s Weather Warden series.  It’s a fresh new concept and I love it.  Strangely it’s her Morganville Vampire books that bring the count up here.  It’s not mind blowing, but it’s fun and original in it’s own way.  Caine has a certain style in her writing, a wit, and the gift of writing characters that readers can immediately fall in love with.  Whether it’s a powerful magic wielding creature to a wimpy nerd, they all call out to the reader.

Guilty Pleasures

Very relieved that Hamilton made it on to my MRA list.  Hamilton was the first UF adult author I had ever read back in the time that UF was not common and certainly did not have a genre name to look for them by. Anne Rice was an author I could never get into. So, I had only been reading the YA authors of the time—you know Vivian Vande Velde, Annette Curtis Klause, Amelia Atwater Rhodes, and a few others.  Let’s just say Hamilton changed my reading life forever.  If you’re a fan of UF, there is no reason to miss the Anita Blakes series.  I’ll be the first to admit I’ve stopped at book six for fear of the “new Anita Blake” that fans forewarn about, you’ve got to take a chance sometimes for something this good. 


Mmm. Trips down memory lane are so fun, especially when it’s memories about the books we love.  Looking at my most read author list one thing is clear:

I need to read up on my series.

Just seems like I don’t read too many books in a series I like.  I’ll start up on book one and then never continue a series that I know I’m just crazy about.  What can a reader say but “too many books, too little time.”

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