Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I’ve Read The Most

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week, we’re talking about the authors I’ve read the most. This was a surprisingly challenging topic because I’d rather read a debut author than return to an old favorite. I have a tendency to read one or two books by an author and then never read that author again. That’s because there are so many books and so little time! I love discovering innovative creators and fresh ideas. I usually don’t want to read the same person’s stuff over and over.

This post took a lot of scrolling through Goodreads and counting books on my shelves, but I think I’ve figured out which authors I’ve read the most. (This is one of those moments when having my books shelved by author would have been very helpful . . . .)

*This post contains affiliate links. I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Authors I’ve Read The Most

Lois Lowry

(6+ books read)

The Giver was assigned reading for me in seventh grade. It was the first time I remember being assigned a book that didn’t make me want to commit book arson. I loved The Giver. It sparked my obsession with dystopian literature. It’s possible that my love of historical fiction can also be blamed on Lois Lowry. I don’t know. My bookish past is messy. I’m not completely sure how many Lowry books I’ve read. Goodreads informs me it’s at least six. I have a feeling there were more.

I recommend: Number the Stars, The Giver

Marcus Sedgwick

(7 books read)

I keep returning to Marcus Sedgwick because his novels are weird and varied. When you pick one up, you have no idea what kind of journey you’re about to take. He writes everything from historical fiction, to contemporary, to science fiction, to experimental bizarreness. Most of his books don’t fit into any category. Some of them blew my mind and others made my brain shut down from boredom. He definitely has a wide range.

I recommend: Midwinterblood, The Ghosts of Heaven, Revolver

V.E. Schwab

(7 books read)

I’m not a huge fan of fantasy or science fiction because I’m tired of seeing the same tropes over and over, but V.E. Schwab somehow manages to shake up the tropes enough to make them feel fresh. If you love antiheroes, her work is a must-read. You’ll hate her characters, but they’re so twisted and complicated that you’ll still be thinking about them after you finish the book.

I recommend: Vicious, A Darker Shade of Magic, City of Ghosts

John Green

(7 books read)

I don’t actually remember when I discovered John Green. Probably in my late teens or very early twenties. I just remember loving the topics that his books discuss. His characters are funny, pretentious, creative, and unapologetically intelligent. I wished my high school friends were like them. Now that I’m a proper adult, I think I’ve outgrown John Green books a bit, but I still have good memories of reading them and would recommend them to teens.

I recommend: Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars

Gary Paulsen

(8+ books read)

A preteen favorite! Also, I have no idea how many Gary Paulsen books I’ve actually read. He has written a billion of them. I’m going with 8 because that’s how many I own. Fun fact: All of my Gary Paulsen books were Christmas gifts from my parents. My parents don’t read, so they probably wandered into a bookstore and asked, “What should we buy for a kid who’s obsessed with wilderness stories?” Big thanks to that forgotten bookstore employee because I loved Hatchet. I read it over, and over, and over.

I recommend: Hatchet, Winterdance

Neal Shusterman

(9 books read)

I picked up my first Neal Shusterman book because of Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction. Shout out to Nicole for introducing me to a brilliant author. I’m a slow reader, but I plowed through the Unwind Dystology like it was chocolate cake. JUST GIVE IT ALL TO ME RIGHT NOW. I neglected my entire life for a few days to finish that series. I like Neal Shusterman’s books because he makes me look at the world in ways I hadn’t considered before. He tackles big ethical questions. His dystopias are compulsively readable with tons of plot twists. I can’t sleep if I’m in the middle of a Neal Shusterman novel. I’ll stay up all night to finish it.

I recommend: Unwind, Challenger Deep, Scythe

J.K. Rowling

(9 books read)

The first Harry Potter book came out when I was in elementary school. The seventh one came out when I was in college. This series was a massive part of my life and helped make me a bookworm. I loved the excitement and the community that sprang up around the series. Looking forward to the next Harry Potter book kept me going through difficult times.

I recommend: Buying Harry Potter books from used bookstores. They’re easy books to find, and used bookstores badly need your support.

Arthur Conan Doyle

(9 books read)

Harry Potter helped me survive teenage depression and Sherlock Holmes helped me survive a pandemic. (Well, I’ve survived it so far. It’s not over.) When Coronavirus started spreading in the US, I found myself doom scrolling on Twitter. I was worried about my people and constantly checking on you all. Since doom scrolling is a terrible use of mental energy, I distracted myself by reading (or rereading) every Sherlock Holmes book. If you want to get into classics, I recommend Sherlock Holmes as a starting point. The books are dated, but they’re accessible and faster paced than most classics. Also, who can pass up a good mystery?

I recommend: The Hound of the Baskervilles

Margaret Atwood

(22+ books read)

Margaret Atwood is one of the reasons I went to grad school. After reading a few of her novels as a college student, I developed an interest in narrative structure. I spent grad school studying how structure can be used to build suspense and convey meaning. I know. I’m weird. Normal humans don’t care about that stuff. But, I ended up reading a ton of Margaret Atwood’s work because she’s not afraid to experiment with her writing. In addition to being structurally interesting, her books are full of odd characters and dark humor.

I recommend: The Handmaid’s Tale, Oryx and Crake, The Blind Assassin

Stephen King

(30+ books read)

Stephen King is the reason this blog exists. I hated reading until I found my parents’ copy of The Tommyknockers when I was 11. Now that I’m a grownup with too much reading experience, I can tell you that The Tommyknockers is a terrible book, but it blew my 11-year-old mind. I didn’t know that fiction could feel so real and intense. After The Tommyknockers, I devoured every Stephen King book I could find. I think I was drawn to their unflinching grittiness. You know that bad things are going to happen and none of the characters are safe. My younger self was a suspense junkie.

I recommend: The Long Walk, The Green Mile, Different Seasons

Which author have you read the most?