Thursday, March 07, 2013

Book Girls Don’t Cry: Judge a Book By its Author

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Inspired by Book Buzzers, Book Girls Don’t Cry is a weekly feature where we each discuss/vent/advise on the chosen weekly bookish topic. Don’t miss Jenni on Mondays, and Amy on Saturdays:
This week’s topic was suggested by Kenia Roman

The Force is Strong With These Ones



We all have authors who, as soon as we see their name on a book, we buy it and read it no question. Most times without even checking what it’s even about, let alone reading the blurb behind the book. So this week we’re going to list which authors we absolutely love! Here is my list of authors whose books I buy based on, basically, the author’s name on it and it alone! And maybe you will find a some that will one day be on your own list as well! 😉
 
Note that I at least have to love 2 books by an author –often from different series or 2 stand-alones– before I dare put them on my highly treasured and exclusive guaranteed-to-love-books-by authors list!
 
 
Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers’ dismay. All efforts to make her produce “normal” stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She’s the author of the NYT-bestselling “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series and “Darkest Powers” young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.


     
 
Kelley Armstrong is 1) Canadian! Booya! And 2) Amazing (duh!). She was one of the very first adult authors I tried reading actually, years ago, with her Woman of the Otherworld series. I loved the series it’s one where each book is a different character POV and they’re all really kick-ass. I then immensely enjoyed her YA series, the Summoning, which remains of my forever-faves! I’m so excited for her upcoming one, Omens!

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Rhiannon’s Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter   

Rhiannon Frater was born and raised a Texan. Though she has lived in various towns all over the state, she finally settled in Austin, Texas where she met her husband and worked as a governmental consultant.
During her travels for her job, she was inspired to write the story of two women fleeing into the Texas Hill Country in an attempt to survive the zombie apocalypse. Originally published as a serial online under the title AS THE WORLD DIES, she later self-published the series in three novels to satisfy the many fans of the story. The first novel in the series, THE FIRST DAYS, won the 2008 Dead Letter Award for Best Book (Fiction). The second book, FIGHTING TO SURVIVE won the 2009 Dead Letter Award in the same category. 

        
I mean, who honestly thought she wouldn’t be on this list? This woman is a mastermind with horror novels–which happens to be one of my top fav genres. So yeah! 😀 But really, her As the World Dies series is one of my all time favorite that is hardly beat by any other. I enjoyed zombie books before, but I do owe her for my addiction to them now!

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Miranda’s Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

     
I liked contemporary, but I rarely read it before absolutely loving Catching Jordan when it came out. I then followed the whole series since and they’re all amazing, even if some of them are out of my comfort zones. It’s like this woman was made for writing the sweetest contemporaries ever! Plus, she’s married to Obama! She told me herself!
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Hannah’s Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Hannah Moskowitz wrote her first story, about a kitten named Lilly on the run from cat hunters, for a contest when she was seven years old. She was disqualified for violence. Her first book, BREAK, was on the ALA’s 2010 list of Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. She is a student at The University of Maryland.

I rate emotionally more than intellectually. 5 stars means I loved it, not that it was a perfect book. I rate honestly.


   

Hannah’s writing style is so unique and different from anything else I ever read! I just love that she can take a story and make it truly and honestly stand out, which makes them memorable–quite the feat in today’s YA apparently. So I KNOW that if I start a book of hers, it will be well worth it!

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The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabbled in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

   
 
Sins and Needles is my newest Favorite of all time reads and her EIT series also rocks. Plus they’re both very different kinds of books so it’s easy to see she has just pure talent! Safe to say I’m all hers at this point! 😀
 

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Courtney’s Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Courtney Summers can’t wait for the zombie apocalypse. Also she is the author of CRACKED UP TO BE and SOME GIRLS ARE, FALL FOR ANYTHING (available now) and THIS IS NOT A TEST (June 19th, 2012), four edgy young adult novels published by St. Martin’s Press.

   
And this one, I mean, hello! It’s Courtney Summers! My list would not be complete with my other zombie fall-in-lover! 😉 This woman also has obvious talent where she can write zombies one day, then contemporaries on another, and slam-dunk them both!


I could list more but it’s getting a bit long so I’ll stop at these top bookish masterminds. I also know there will likely be more on here in the next few years. I hesitate to put authors on my “no questions asked” buy list if I only read one book of theirs, so a LOT probably deserve to be on here and will be very soon!

Who are your must check out authors? 
Do our lists we have some matches? 😉
Also, don’t forget to leave suggestions for future topics you’d like to see! 🙂
You know you love me!
Xoxo, Book Girl!

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Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

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46 Responses to “Book Girls Don’t Cry: Judge a Book By its Author”

  1. Nick

    I knew Rhiannon Frater would be in your list! 😀
    You’re always raving about the awesomeness of her books.
    I haven’t read anything by Kelley Armstrong, but it seems like I need to fix that asap. I’ve heard great things about her books.
    Karina Halle seems to be very popular amongst readers these days. I definitely need to check out some of her books.
    Also, Courtney Summers. I have her books somewhere in my room and I’m planning on reading them over spring break.
    I completely agree about Miranda Kenneally! That woman was made to write some of the best contemporaries. I honestly don’t know which authors I would choose. I’d probably have to ponder over it for days before I can finally make some choices!
    Great post, Giselle!

  2. Jennifer Messerschmidt

    Sadly the only one from your list I have read is Miranda Kenneally and she is a must read and buy! My must buys are Richelle Mead, Michelle Rowen, and Lauren Oliver. I have some new authors that are becoming must reads but off the top of my head those are who I think of.

    • Giselle

      I’m reading my first book by Lauren Oliver now actually–Before I Fall. I never read Delirium but I have owned it for ever I should get on that >.<

  3. Jenni @ Alluring Reads

    Nice list! I had thought of including Halle in mine but I wasn’t a huge fan of The Devil’s Metal so I just couldn’t do it. Hannah Moskowitz almost made mine too! Oooh you really need to read Some Girls Are by Summers, I think you would really love it! Great list!

    • Giselle

      Curious how I’ll like Devil’s Metal. I think you’d like her EIT series though it’s creepy and I hear the rest of the series is epic! Some Girls Are will be on my audiobook list soon! Maybe after Fault in Our Stars.

  4. Amy

    We have one of the same!! I love Rhiannon’s books. I will read anything she writes! I have only read one of Karina Halle’s books, but I have almost all of them. Great picks babe!!

    • Amy

      I read The Devil’s Metal, but I have the first 5 of her EIT series and Sins & Needles which I need to get to. I am sure I will love them. Too funny, I just realized that all of us chose 6 authors.

  5. Christina

    Yes! I agree. For an author to be someone I will recommend to everyone, I need to have loved (generally) two books from two different series or that stand alone. I will make an exception for a companion novel scenario sometimes.

    See, I don’t LOVE Kelley’s books, but I want to read all of them, because I know that I will have a good time when I read one. With the exception of Bitten, because their relationship upset me.

    Rhiannon: I really need to read one of the creepy ones.

    Yay! Miranda Kenneally is happiness!

    I’ve still only read one Moskowitz book. I need to get on that.

    Karina’s so pretty!

    Heck yes, Courtney Summers. Come stomp on my feels!

    • Giselle

      Kelley to me is like one of the first authors that I read actual adult novels by, so she opened up my reading taste much more than before. I wonder how much I would like that series if I read it now? The Elana POV books are my fav. I can’t wait for Omen, too!

      Rhiannon! Yes! I think you’d like the Tale of the Vampire Bride for real. Classic old-school Dracula horror! And you love zombies so I don’t get what the hold up is on her ATWD series! 😛

      “Miranda Kenneally is happiness” 😀

      Courtney Summers is so great! I just finished Cracked up to Be on audio it was awesome! I’ll be reading the one you got me soon, too!

  6. Bailey

    Kelly Armstrong is so talented! The Summing Series is one of my all time favorites as well! Her books never fail to amaze! I really need to read the rest of these authors books. They all sounds like fantastic authors. 😀

    • Giselle

      Yay! I love all of Kelley’s books but in YA her Summoning series is one of my all time favs! That scene in the basement where she was trapped and the ghosts came scene. OMG I almost died!

    • Giselle

      Reading my first Lauren Oliver book now! 😉 I’ll have to check out Tana French I’m not familiar with her. And Stephen King I have not ever read one of his books! So weird being the horror fan that I am, but I only watched his movies.

  7. kimbacaffeinate

    I am reading Hale now, so will let ya know. Frater, Armstrong and Summer are already on my list. Would have to add Amanda Stevens and Mira Grant and oh about twenty more…LOL I read so many genres both in YA and Adult that my auto buy list is HUGE..probably why I read 250 books a year..eh?

  8. Nereyda @Mostly YA Book Obsessed

    Richelle Mead! If she were to start writing baby books I would read them. Her adult series (Succubus Blues) is one of my top 10 series EVER and one series I wish everyone would read. Seriously, it’s brilliant!
    Colleen Hoover is the newest addition to my list. Hopeless, Slammed and Point of Retreat are pure perfection.
    Rachel Gibson is the queen of contemporary romance and the author that got me into reading 6 years ago. Her books are like crack and I’ve read most of them several times. My top 3 favorites I’ve read 6-7 times each and her others I’ve read 2-3 times each. I don’t even care what the book is about; as soon as I see it on Amazon I pre-order it.
    I can never leave short comments on these post, you guys should add a linky 😉

  9. Micheline D

    DEFINITELY agree with you on Kelley Armstrong – and thank you for introducing me to her 😀 Though I’ve only read her Darkest Powers Trilogy + bonus material but I REALLY want to get into everything else she’s written. Next up either The Gathering or Bitten…when I can get my hands on either. I def knew Rhiannon was going to be on this list heh. Oh and I’m keeping your contemporary picks in mind for whenever I get back into a contempo vibe…but it’s been a really long while now >.< eeek! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  10. Michelle

    I LOVE that you put Courtney Summers on your list!!! She’s my fav! I can’t wait for All the Rage! And if you didn’t read Some Girls Are, you so should! Anyway you have a really cool list of authors there… Hannah Moskowitz is one that I’ve been meaning to give another shot to… I read Invincible Summer and it scared me away from her. Her other books have amazing covers and sound really cool, I’ll have to try her again 🙂

  11. Anonymous

    I LOVE Kelley Armstrong books! They´re amazing! I´ve read and loved The Darkest Powers, Darkness Rising and Women of the Otherworld series.
    Another authors for me would be Jennifer L. Armentrout (Covenant, Lux series and Wait for You), Julie Kagawa(Iron Fey series, Blood of Eden and Call of the Forgotten), Richelle Mead (VA and Bloodlines series) and J.R. Ward (BDB series). =D

  12. Anonymous

    Elizabeth Eulburg, Meg Cabot, and Liz Kessler for me! When I hear they’re releasing a new book I get so excited! I definitely judge some books by their author.

  13. Megan R

    I feel bad that I’ve only read one of these authors (Rhiannon). BUT, Miranda Kenneally is on the top of my list to read, especially now that I’ve realized her 4th book has horses! Automatic bonus points!

  14. Mel@Thedailyprophecy

    There are definitely authors on my instant-buy list, like Juliet Marillier and I think I’ve found quite some new authors last year, like Julie Kagawa. From all the authors you’ve mentioned, I’ve only read This is not a test (which I absolutely loved) Teeth was a DNF and I really hope to read a book from Rhiannon soon.

  15. Molli Moran

    OHMYGOSH YES to Kelley (she is so awesome!) and Miranda. I’ve just started Things I Can’t Forget and it feels great to be reading another Miranda book. It’s good to have those authors where you just KNOW they’re going to hit a home run with any book they publish.

    Others of mine are: Victoria Schwab, Jodi Picoult, Myra McEntire, Stephanie Perkins, Patrick Rothfuss, and Richelle Mead!

    Molli | Once Upon a Prologue

  16. Camille Picott

    Ooh, great list! Rhiannon Frater is also on my list. 🙂 Neil Gaiman and Octavia Butler as well. I’m interested in checking out some of these other authors you’ve mentioned!

  17. Stellar

    Suzanne Collins! I read the Gregor the Overlander series when i was a bit younger and loved it, so when The Hunger Games came out, I was all over it! Sadly, most of the authors I’ve read, I haven’t read multiple books not in a series from them….Need to get better at that!

    Stellar @ Boooks, a Coffee, and a Sleepy Kitty

  18. Aman

    I love Kelly Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series too! Other auto buy are? Lets see, there is Nalini Singh (I love her Guild Hunter series), Jeaniene Frost (Who can resist more Bones? ), Colleen Hoover, Abbi Glines, Richelle Mead, Jennifer Echols, Stephanie Perkins, Jennifer L Armentrout, Karen Marie Moning, and Kresley Cole (IAD is my favorite UF series). Oh gosh, the list made me realize how much money O spend. Cut back. Cut back. Cut back!

  19. Eileen

    Lol yay for having those “Must Buy” authors! I’ve actually NEVER read anything by Kelly Armstrong, Rhiannon Frater, Karina Halle, Courtney Summers, or Hannah Moscowitz but I’ve heard such amazingly fantastic things about all of the books so I really need to start some of these books as soon as possible!

    Awesome list! (Of course I’d have Julie Kagawa on my list lol)

  20. Jesse Burgoyne

    I have very few authors on my auto buy list. Courtney Summers is definitely on that list though. Along with Richelle Mead and Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. I’ve been in love with her books since I was thirteen. And LJ Smith (not the new ghostwritten stuff that just uses her name obviously). LJ’s Night World and Dark Visions series have her on my auto buy list for life. There are probably a few others, but I’m a pretty cautious reader. I usually go on more of a book by book basis.

    Jesse @ Pretty In Fiction

  21. Nazish Reads

    I love Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld, and her Darkness Rising series. Bitten was the first ever adult book I read, I think I was about 16 or 17, which is only a few years ago, anyways, the first book I read by her was The Summoning, but I didn’t enjoy the series, mostly because I didn’t like the main character and because I just found the series boring. But I still decided to give her other books a try and I’m glad I did. Women of the Other world is still one of my top favourite series (although I’ve only read the first 5 books so far). When I first heard about The Gathering before it released, I was hesitant because I didn’t enjoy her first YA trilogy, so what if I don’t like this one either, but then when I went to my school library at lunch one day (I was in grade 12 at the time), I saw a poster that said that Kelley Armstrong was coming to sign autographs in the summer at the Indigo that is a 10 minute drive from my house, I decided right away that I would buy the book, get it signed, and read it. Me and my sisters went there, got a photo taken with her and I read the book and liked it. I really need to get my hands on the second book and book 6 of WotO. So many awesome books, so little time.

    My list would also include: Rachelle Mead (her Vampire Academy series is what made me love books so much), Jennifer L. Armentrout (after reading Obsidian, I knew that I would like her other books too, and I was right, after that I read Onyx and Half-Blood, she became one one of my top faves, and I can’t), and a few others.

    -Nazish @ Nazish Reads

  22. Kathy Ann Coleman

    Who would I recommend?

    Rachel Vincent — I’m only on the 2nd book of her Soul Screamers series, but I found the first to be so good that I had to resist giving it a Kat’s Meow and the second is showing itself to be just as compelling. Beautiful writing, intriguing characters and great world building.

    Trinity Faegen — My ratings for her two novels weren’t perfect fives (the second was, the first wasn’t) but again she does characterization well and I really love the depth of her angel mythology. She’s also great at keeping the pacing of her stories moving along quick without losing depth or detail.

    Colleen Houck — Now let me praise the queen of details. Colleen’s books are one part fantasy, one part romance and one part beautiful description that make you feel like you are *there* with her characters. I realize this might not be for everyone, and hey–if I felt it was done wrong this wouldn’t be for me–but it works for her stories since the locales tend to be exotic and exciting and Kelsey has such a great narrative voice.

    Marie Landry — Yes, I realize this could be seen as questionable, as she is my friend. BUT it bears saying that I do love both of the books I’ve read by her, and when I’m saying that having beta’d the second one (meaning I was suppose to be catching everything that seemed off) this is no small feat. (I’m not a rude beta, but I’m a darn thorough one.) What’s great about Marie’s books is the way that they suck you in so that you feel like you are right there inside of her characters’ lives. She’s one of those authors where I’ll try to think of that “great movie” where I saw something and I’ll realize it was part of a book. Not sure how many people ‘see’ books as they read them, but this is something I look for in the stuff I read.

    Kody Keplinger — Courageous and unflinching, Kody’s books tell it like it is, which is vital in contemporary, in my opinion. Her dialog is really spot on and her characters tend to be flawed and yet compelling all at once, which can be a tough thing to pull off.

    Now, here are some that might *become* favorites:

    Kiera Cass — The Selection was far and away my favorite novel last year.

    Cynthia Hand — Just finished Unearthly and thought it was brilliant.

    Courtney Summers — I’ve only read This Is Not A Test so I can’t list her up there yet.

    Liz Fichera — Hooked is my favorite contemporary so far this year; if you haven’t read it yet you should.

    ***

    I could go on, but I’ll stop. 🙂 I’m just glad there are so many epic books out there, just waiting to be read!

  23. Candace

    I’m glad you mentioned Karina cause I have at least one of her books on my TBR.
    On my auto buy list is Lauren Oliver, John Green, David Levithan, Jacqueline Carey, Kim Harrison and probably more I’m not thinking of off the top of my head.

  24. Kara_Malinczak

    Yay for seeing Karina Halle here. If I wasn’t lucky enough to edit her stuff, she would be auto-buy for me too!

    I really need to read more Courtney Summers because I really enjoyed This is Not a Test!

  25. .Ambur.

    Kelley Armstrong and Miranda Kenneally are on my list, too! 😀 I love them both! I’m also a huge fan of Cassandra Clare, Kody Keplinger, Julie Kagawa, and Holly Black! 😀

    I’m definitely going to have to finally read some of Courtney Summer’ books because she’s been on my to-read list for a while and I keep hearing such awesome things! 😀

    Thanks for sharing, Giselle! 😀