Author Cage Match

January 11, 2014

tags: Bout of Books 9.0, Dan Wells, Daniel Polansky, Drew, Joe Hill, Jonathan Maberry, Jonthan Howard, Kerry Greenwood, Lists, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mira Grant, Nick Harkaway, Stephen King, Tamora Pierce, Tana French

Drew and I were talking about who our Top Five Favorite Authors would be. And I said that to get mine down to just five would be a cage match of epic proportions. So, then he made me do it. I ended up with two lists because the final cut actually made me kind of sick to my stomach. And then, I realized that there was an easy workaround. So I took it and made two lists. Because two is better than one… Usually.

The Rules:
Must consider works only during my at the bookstore (2006 – present)Author must have published at least two books.
You must consider all books written

Mary Robinette Kowal
Photo from the Author’s website

My Preliminary List:
Jonathan Maberry
Nick Harkaway
Mary Robinette Kowal
Tamora Pierce
Dan Wells
Kerry Greenwood
Jonathan Howard
Gail Carriger
R.L. Lafevers
Mira Grant

Nick Harkaway
Photo from the author’s website

My Final List:

Nick Harkaway
Tamora Pierce
Mary Robinette Kowal
Mira Grant
And now I have a cage match between
Jonathan Maberry/Dan Wells/Kerry Greenwood

Kerry Greenwood – I’ve read all the Phryne Fisher and all the Corinna Chapman books. I’ve probably read some of the books five times in the last six years.

Dan Wells
Photo from the author’s website

Dan Wells – I haven’t finished all of his books. (I’m a terrible, terrible person. I haven’t read Fragments or Ruins yet. Yes, I have a copy of Ruins and I haven’t read it yet. I’m fired from life.) I just haven’t been in a dystopian mood for a while.

Jonathan & Rosie at a book signing
Photo from wikipedia

Jonathan Maberry – He’s kind of my hero. Buuuuuuuuuuut… I haven’t finished the Benny Imura series. And I can’t finish Dead of Night. It’s really really really good. But, I know how it ends and I know how I am when I try to read books like that. I get all mopey and depressed for days. And I’m sorry, but I just don’t have time for that right now. So, I haven’t read it.

Kerry Greenwood
Photo from Wikipedia

Ok… I’m kicking Kerry Greenwood out because although I love her, I don’t get quite as… flustered? about her. She’s wonderful, and I can read her any time. I can read her when I’m sad she will cheer me up. I can read her when I’m happy and I will be more happy. But… I don’t clutch her books to my chest and cuddle them like puppies, which I do with works from the rest of the authors on my list.

Now we come to an author that I’ve babbled at incoherently and an author for whom I have actually mugged a sales rep to get an advance copy of his next book. I’ve also caused a rep in New York to go infiltrate the Griffin offices to get me a bound ARC that they weren’t officially admitting was available. So, you understand, I have strong feelings about both of these authors.
At the end of the day, I’m going to have to, with great reluctance, declare for Jonathan Maberry. (I’m sorry Dan. I’ll make you a bacon pecan pie to make it up to you.)

Now, if we change the requirements to only authors I have discovered in the last seven years, then Tamora Pierce gracefully bows out and takes her position with authors like Diana Wynn Jones, Eva Ibbitson, and Jane Austen.