This Top Ten Tuesday we’re almost sticking with the prompt offered by That Artsy Reader Girl! Except, instead of doing books to get us out of a reading slump, we’re doing authors. Otherwise it turns into sort of a mini-rave session about some of our favorite books, and we already do that enough as it is. These authors aren’t all necessarily sci-fi and horror either. And that’s okay – because one of the things that can pick you up out of a reading slump is reading something outside your normal genres!
Dara Joy – Knight of a Trillion Stars
Dara Joy is sure to present me with a story that is laugh-out-loud funny with loveable characters and moments of pure cheese. – Lilyn
Shirley Jackson – We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Shirley Jackson is always a good read for me. Spending a little time with Merricat and Eleanor always puts me in a good mood. – GracieKat
Kurt Vonnegut – Cat’s Cradle
I usually return to the classics. I love Kurt Vonnegut so books like Cat’s Cradle and Breakfast of Champions are always interesting. – Nico
Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
Weird and wonderful is my go-to pick me up and Neil Gaiman’s quirky storytelling instantly lifts my spirits. The great part is that he writes for all ages so, depending on my mood, I can read the slightly spooky Graveyard Book to my kids. Or I can go balls-to-the-wall horror and kinkery with the likes of American Gods. Whatever I choose from his repertoire I know I’ll finish the book with a renewed sense of, “Ah, so this is what reading is all about.” – Frankie
Shaun Hutson – Slugs
Shaun Hutson will always get me out of a slump because I know exactly what I’m going to get from him and I know the read won’t tax me too greatly. Some personal faves are Deathday, Slugs and Victims. – Olly
Stephen King – The Dark Tower Series
One author that I’ve returned to multiple times is Stephen King. To be more specific, The Dark Tower series (which I’m currently rereading), The Shining, IT, Revival, and Cujo. – Tracy
Nora Roberts – The Key Trilogy
Nora Roberts knows how to spin an engaging supernatural tale so well that I will actually happily accept the romance without rolling my eyes. – Lilyn
Jane Austen – Mansfield Park
I love Jane Austen. I love all of her books to death but Mansfield Park is my ultimate favorite (then Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and Emma). There’s always something to find on rereads (or listens, the audiobooks read by Juliet Stevenson are excellent). Her books are a bit hard to describe. They’re not straight-up romances but they’re not goofy comedy either. The wit is there but if you’re not paying attention you might miss it. I have no idea how often I’ve read and listened to them and they still make me smile and chuckle. – GracieKat
J.D. Robb – In Death series
When writing as J.D. Robb in the In Death series, I love Nora Roberts’ seedy, gritty version of New York in the future and the cast that makes up the series. – Lilyn
M.R. James – A Pleasing Terror: The Complete Supernatural Writings
I love classic horror and M.R. James’ writing is wonderfully horrific. It’s atmospheric, rich and, at times, quite funny. – GracieKat
What about you, ladies and gents? Who are your recommended authors? What about their writing style draws you back to them time and again to help you out of a reading slump? (Or even just give your mood a boost.) Talk to us!
GracieKat was the first co-host of Sci-Fi & Scary, Lilyn’s partner-in-crime, and sub-head of the Coolthulhu Crew. She reviews horror books, movies, and games for the site. She also does a weekly Focus on the Frightful feature, and is the site list-maker. She is also in control of the Sci-Fi & Scary podcast which will relaunch soon.
Gracie is also a member of the Ladies of Horror Fiction crew.
[…] in order to enjoy the stories at different times. The site mentioned “reading slumps” in an earlier post – I am adding Calvin Demmer to my list of authors that can easily shatter a case of the […]
I’m good for Daphne du Maurier, whether her straight romances or supernatural tales (although sometimes it’s difficult to say which is which). The grimly and cynically humorous Ambrose Bierce is another; check out “The Parenticide Club.” And it’s hard to explain why, but M. A. Foster’s two trilogies from the 1980s, on the Ler and the Morphodite, are sci-fi tales that continue to intrigue. The former features an offshoot species of the human race, while the latter features a killer that can strike at the heart of any social order.
I’ve only read Shirley Jackson’s super short We Have Always Lived in a Castle, but since then I’ve always been interested in reading more of her works.
House on Haunted Hill is excellent and you have to read The Lottery. It’s a great short story. I’m starting Hangsaman and so far it’s interesting
Austen rules. Persuasion is probably my favorite of hers though, but that is like saying which cookie is better 🙂
Exactly! I love Persuasion as well, the audio by Jill Masters is pretty good
I’m not a big audio guy, but a new way to experience Austen is always appreciated so I’ll have to go check out that narrator.
Thanks!
Persuasion is tied with Pride and Prejudice in my books.
Persuasion does get unfairly shunted aside a lot. I like Anne and Fanny. I have seen so many ‘analyses’ of Mansfield Park suggesting that even Austen didn’t like her. Why does she call her “My Fanny” then? It’s literally the only time she does that in her novels. I also think Northanger Abbey gets unfairly dismissed but I think that’s more because a lot of time has passed and since it’s spoofing a genre that isn’t popular anymore, some people might not get a lot of the pokes and spins on the Gothic Romances.
I read that when the publisher bought it but wouldn’t release it she tried to get them to or return it. She didn’t have the money at that point so it was let slide a number of years. When her brother bought the rights back (for 10 pds) he informed them that it was by the author of Pride and Prejudice. Bet they were kicking themselves over that one!
Sort of the flip side of the case of the publisher of “Wuthering Heights,” who tried to mislead people into thinking it had been written by the same author as the more popular “Jane Eyre.”
You’re killing me with your romance picks, Lilyn! Who knew you had a such a romantic deep down in there, lol.
I cut my teeth on romance novels lol
Any list with Stephen King and Shirley Jackson is a good one for me!
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What a great variety of authors! I like Jane Austen as well and have been meaning to try Kurt Vonnegut and Neil Gaiman.