Recently on Bluesky*, I ran across people listing their "Ten writers of whom I've read more than five books" and of course had to look at my bookshelves to put together a list.
*Are you on Bluesky? I have some invite codes if you want to join. I'm trying to get myself off Twitter, but it's hard, as most of the Hockey People I want to follow are still there. And yet the site is such a disaster...
I started to pull together a list, and realized that I could very, very easily--pretty much without trying--make it a list of all women, so I did.
Anne Bishop
Patricia Briggs
Sara Donati
Victoria Goddard
T Kingfisher
Anne McCaffrey
Tamora Pierce
DE Stevenson
Shanna Swendson
Martha Wells
I stopped myself there, but looking at the shelves again, and at my Kindle and books-read spreadsheet, I could easily have listed more:
Lois McMaster Bujold
Frances Hodgson Burnett*
Elizabeth Cadell
Gail Carriger
Dorothy Gilman
Elizabeth Goudge
Charlaine Harris
Georgette Heyer
Sarah Monette/Katherine Addison
LM Montgomery
Elizabeth Moon
Dorothy Sayers
Patricia Wrede
*Not just kids books, she wrote a number of adult books--in the sense of not-kids, not in the "adult" sense.
Nothing against Ben Aaronovitch, or Douglas Adams, or Dave Barry, or Dick Francis, or AA Milne*, but that list is considerably shorter for me.
*Not just kids books, either: he wrote plays and novels before the whole kids thing got started; I particularly enjoy Two People, and Four Days Wonder, as well as his autobiography.
I was actually kind of impressed at how unbalanced the list is, considering that I don't make an effort to read more women. It just seems that, these days in particular, women are writing more of what I want to read.
How about you?
Oh this is fun! I only have data back to 2011, when I started tracking it more, but most of mine are women too! I did try to retroactively enter some at that point but I am sure I missed a lot. My top read (tracked) author is Phillipa Gregory with Stephen King and John Grisham coming in 2nd and 3rd, but that is because when I was a teenager/in my 20s I think I read every book by each of them! I don't think I have read a Grisham book since the early aughts!
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel like we all read Grisham books for a while! I was working in a Barnes & Noble when he got hot, and those books just kept coming in.
DeleteAlmost all authors that I have read more than five of their books are women. Actually, scratch the "almost" - they ARE all women! Oh wait, no, I have read more than five books by David Sedaris. So women and David Sedaris!
ReplyDeleteWhich is an interesting grouping! I wonder how he would feel about being the lone exception.
DeleteLooking at that list and smiling... I gave my granddaughter a copy of Anne of Green Gables for her ninth birthday and promised to buy her the whole set if she liked it. You know she's going to get that set.
ReplyDeleteI had such a hard tome choosing ten authors!!
ReplyDeleteI suspect mine would have a lot of dudes on it. *sigh* I've been trying so hard to read more women in the last three years, but I have to undo forty years of mostly reading men.
ReplyDeleteSue Grafton
JK Rowling
Martha Wells
Becky Chambers
Laura Lippman
JR Ward
Nora Roberts/JD Robb
Naomi Novik
Tammy Faulkner
Judith McNaught
I think because I read a lot of romance and fantasy series, this is pretty easy!
Oh, I got more than 10 into Sue Grafton's, too! I have read a few from most of your list, but not 10 other than hers.
DeleteI haven't read any of the author on your list, at least not that I can recall! I know Anne Patchett is on my list, I am not sure who else, though!
ReplyDeleteWell, more than half of them write sci-fi/fantasy, so if you don't read that, it would explain a lot! That's mostly what I read these days.
DeleteI've read every Dick Francis there is and enjoyed them all yet I don't even like horses. However, I love his writing and characters, plus I always learn about a certain topic that's "featured" whether that's alcohol in "Proof," glass blowing, gemstones, etc. Many on my list are mystery writers. Three that we have in common are LM Montgomery, Dorothy Gilman (Amelia Peabody rocks!) and Georgette Heyer. I read some Charlaine Harris too, a series about a person who could hear from the dead.
ReplyDeleteAh, I love the Dick Francis books too. That man could write! (I find the ones by his son a bit hit and miss. Just not the same.)
ReplyDeleteOh, Felix? I tried but he was a very pale imitation of his father and I gave up.
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