Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I’ve Read the Most Books By

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is about authors we have read the most books by. I decided to focus more on the books I’ve read as an adult, otherwise this list would just be authors like Ann Martin, R.L. Stine, and Beverly Cleary. I devoured series as a kid and prided myself on owning every book in the collections. My shelves were utterly bursting with Babysitter’s Club, Goosebumps, Boxcar Children, and Animorphs books.

In no particular order, here are the authors whose bibliographies I’ve made serious dents into.

John Steinbeck

Growing up near Steinbeck country in California it would be hard to not know the author or his works. My parents instilled a love of his books in me from a young age, a love that still burns strong all these years later. I even got married right in the heart of Steinbeck country!

There are still a couple of his books I haven’t read because I’m not ready to have nothing of his left to look forward to. In the meantime to feed my Steinbeck addict, I make annual pilgrimages to the Steinbeck Center in my alma mater’s university. It’s a sublime collection and reading room that boasts owning one of his typewriters and chairs.

Daphne DuMaurier

My mother’s favorite book of all-time is Rebecca and when she gave me a copy in high school it didn’t take me long to see why. It’s easily my favorite as well. I’ve read at least half a dozen of her other works and own copies of the rest.

Not too long ago I came across a box of free books that had most of this collection in it! It remains one of the best book finds I’ve ever made. And yes, I squealed when I saw them.

Alexander McCall Smith

A few years ago when I was going through a tough time, my husband brought home a book that he thought looked like it might cheer me up. The bright colors of the cover caught his eye and after reading the blurb he decided it sounded like something I’d enjoy. He was absolutely right!

I started plowing through the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books because they are just so delightful. But that’s not the only series McCall Smith writes! A recent Christmas saw two of his other series below my tree as well as a few standalones. None of the other series are quite as charming as the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, but they are all perfect for when I need a book that will make me smile.

Bernard Cornwell

The Last Kingdom series is phenomenal. If you haven’t read any of the series, stop what you’re doing right now and go get the book or Uhtred and I will need to have words with you. I don’t know when this guy gets any sleep because he has a mind-boggling amount of books besides this series. To name a few, there’s the Sharpe books, The Warlord Chronicles about King Arthur, several standalones, and a recounting of Waterloo that made me feel as if I were there in the fields with Napolean. Everything I’ve read by Cornwell has been impressive so I’m pretty glad he’s a prolific writer!

James S.A. Corey

The Expanse is the most extraordinary series ever written and absolutely nothing can change my mind. Because I knew they would be amazing I held off on reading my copies to save the experience. Sure enough, once I started reading them I couldn’t stop.

Thank goodness there are short stories and novellas padding out the series, otherwise I would have read everything in a matter of weeks. When the final book comes out I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself. Let’s just say that the TV show better not get canceled or I’m going to completely lose it.

Neil Gaiman

Even though I was a bit peeved with Gaiman recently after he made some comments about book bloggers, I have to admit the guy knows how to write a book. Fiction, YA, non-fiction- he’s a master of it all.

Margaret Atwood

I don’t think I need to explain why I read everything of Atwood’s I can get my hands on. She is absolutely unparalleled.

Last year I was able to attend a lecture she gave during her promotional tour for The Testaments. Even my husband, who has never read anything by her, was blown away by her at the lecture. Oh, and she answered one of my questions! 😍

Kathy Reichs

Sometimes I need a book where I don’t have to think too hard or invest too much of myself in it. Crime books are my go-to’s for this, a habit I started in university. Whenever I got to the breaking point with academic journals and texts I’d grab the nearest crime thriller I could find to take a break.

John Grisham used to be my jam for this, but once I discovered the Bones series I never looked back. Even though they’re predictable and follow the same formula every freaking time, the characters feel like familiar old friends and are perfect for when I need an escape.

Stephen King

I have such a weird relationship with Stephen King’s books. As I’m reading them I find myself annoyed often, not really enjoying his writing style. Yet, without fail, by the time I finish one of his books I think, “WOW! That was an amazing story.” So I keep reading more of them.

Lately I’ve been reading books written by his son, Joe Hill, who I have to say I’m much more impressed with. I’ve only read a few, but I anticipate that soon I’ll have more of Hill’s books on my shelves than King’s.

H.G. Wells

Any fan of science fiction has read at least an H.G. Wells book or two, but this fan has read most of them. What amazes me is that over a century later so much of what he wrote still holds up. They were incredible stories then and are still incredible stories now.

Are any of these authors on your TTT? Which other ones did you include? Let me know in the comments!