I love the Top Ten meme hosted by The Broke & the Bookish, especially when I'm currently mired in long books, making topics for posts slim pickings.
This week's topic is everyone's favorite...all time favorite authors. I have a lot of favorite authors, so my criteria became who do I like to reread. After all, it's one thing to read everything by an author, but it's real commitment to reread everything two or more times!
Austen - I've seriously stopped counting how many times I've read all of Austen's novels.
Gaskell - I have read all of Gaskell, and a few (N&S, W&D) more than once and I plan to revisit others as well.
Gabaldon - I have read the Outlander series, and have reread the series at least once, and the first book three times.
Dickens - I'm still working on reading all his works, but have read more than half, and several novels multiple times. We have a complicated relationship, but we're good friends right now!
Shakespeare - Read/watched the entire set of plays, except the ones with dubious authorship towards the end, and never tire of revisiting the plays.
Steinbeck - I started reading Steinbeck early and while I haven't read everything he wrote yet, I regularly revisit old favorites (Of Mice and Men, East of Eden, Cannery Row).
Jude Morgan - I actually haven't yet reread any of his fabulous novels, but I know I will. He fictionalizes literary types better than anyone else.
Edward Rutherford - I absolutely love his novels about places and regularly reread my favorites (London, Sarum, The Forest, New York); Paris is on my reading list for this year.
Tracy Chevalier - there is something about her subjects and writing that just click for me; I have yet to read one of her novels that doesn't do it for me. From Girl With the Pearl Earring, to The Lady and the Unicorn, to Remarkable Creatures, to The Last Runaway, they're all great.
Daphne duMaurier - the grand dame of the psychological thriller, a genre that I love, she is superb and her stories, even the spooky ones like Don't Look Now, are always satisfying.
You have several authors on your list that I love, especially Daphne du Maurier. But I am not familiar with the work of Jude Morgan or Edward Rutherford. I'm going to have to look into their work. I am impressed that you've read all of Gaskell! I've read North and South, and I have Wives and Daughters which I'm planning to read this year.
ReplyDeleteI like your honesty - you and Dickens have a complicated relationship. He's like that, you know?
ReplyDeleteLiking to reread formed part of my criteria too, otherwise it was too hard to narrow the list down! Jude Morgan is one I have read nearly all of, but not reread -- Tracy Chevalier too. I read "Sarum" and loved it but haven't read others by Rutherford. Sounds like I should have a look.
ReplyDeleteGreat list of authors. I always find it hard to choose favorites...do I pick a new favorite author over an author I've been reading longer? I guess I love too many authors. But you've got me wondering who I'd pick as my Top 10. Hmm... I'll have to give that some thought. :)
ReplyDeleteI love these lists.
ReplyDeleteYours is great though. Though I have not read all these authors I am working on it!
With that I just put together a list of my top three and I had difficulty deciding.
I so agree what you have to say about Dickens. It is complicated but in the end I love him :)
Jude Morgan I haven't heard of but since I know you have great taste in books I'm going to look into his work.
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