Chelsea's 3 Favorite Authors
"What I like in a good author is not what he says, but what he whispers." - Logan Pearsall Smith
So, I have this problem with music. I LOVE music. I know all the words (unless you ask my boyfriend who swears I can't even get my favorite song lyrics right - which he might have a point, but I digress), but ask me who the band is or what the name of the song is and my mind goes blank. The same thing happens when you ask me about my favorite books or who my favorite authors are. Lucky me, Kelli and I decided a great blog topic would be for us to write about our top three authors. Ha! So, let's see how this blog plays out!
1. Nicholas Sparks
When I first began writing this blog my mind immediately went to Nicholas Sparks. I think I was in middle school when I first stumbled upon his books. My best friend's grandmother had a lot of his books and she let me take one home to read. I even remember what this book was - A Bend in the Road. The turmoil the main characters - and even some of the supporting characters - had to go through was just heart wrenching. I then began devouring his books. I've read every book he's written and am always so excited when he announces a new one will be released soon (which he just recently did!). Nicholas Sparks is able to bring you the happy ending we all desire when reading a romance, but you also get real life turmoil and hardships that make you believe in the type of love he writes about even more.
My favorite book of his is, you guessed it, The Notebook. I don't know what it is about Allie and Noah's love, but it always has me coming back for more. Maybe it's that I'm a romantic at heart and I hope that everyone can find a love that is both passionate and a place of refuge. A Bend in the Road and The Rescue are also high up on my list of favorites by Nicholas Sparks. Now if we switch topics for a moment to movies, then A Walk to Remember is my all-time favorite. This is one of the few times I will say I actually enjoyed the movie over the book. Many people may say that every Nicholas Sparks book is the same. There's love, there's tragedy, etc. etc. They're not wrong, but his books are comfort reads that I always fall easily back in to and are always there for me to escape into another person's love story.
2. Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
You might be wondering why these two are lumped together and it's because they're a sister duo who writes books together! Before I dive into why they're on my favorite author list, I have to give Kelli props for my love of these authors. Originally, Kelli had suggested Caroline and Susanne's Zodiac Academy series to our book club, but we vetoed it for another book. Kelli ended up reading Zodiac Academy anyways and became obsessed and she kept suggesting the book until I caved (she's never steered me wrong before). Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Well, at least until the last Zodiac Academy book. I won an ARC and started reading it back in December, but didn't pick it back up until recently. Caroline and Susanne have a way of tearing your heart right out of your chest with their writing. As a reader, I have a love/hate relationship with this. I was tired of being hurt by them, but I just always needed to know what was going to happen next so I've finally picked up where I left off!
Like I said before, Caroline and Susanne (known as the Evil Sisters in their Facebook group because they LOVE to leave their books on major cliffhangers) have a way of making you feel all the feels (I think Kelli used that exact phrase in one of her blogs!). In one book I'm pretty sure I was ecstatic and then also went through the five stages of grief, and then did it all over again. I've only read the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and Zodiac Academy series, but that's over 12 books total! I never tire of their creativity and their ability to weave multiple stories together. I so look forward to reading their other books!
3. Autobiographers
I know, I know. I kind of cheated with this one, but I really do love autobiographies and memoirs! I love getting a peek into other people's lives and I especially love it when they publish an audiobook and read it themselves. This is actually my preferred way of reading autobiographies and memoirs. I feel you get to hear the book how the author really imagined it being read. They're able to add in their own humor, tones, etc. into the book when they're the ones reading it. It just adds a little something extra to the book and the stories.
Some autobiographies or memoirs I've read that I would suggest include:
Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality by Sarah McBride
Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Death, and Drums, Drums, Drums by Travis Barker
Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson
Group: How One Therapist and a Group of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate (I gave this one 5 stars)
Idiot by Lara Clery
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl
Narrowing down your favorite authors can be difficult, especially if you read a lot or read a wide variety of books. Have you read any books by the authors I mentioned? If not, maybe you'll find a book of theirs you can add to your TBR! If you’d like to see what I’m reading now, check out my Goodreads or follow 2 Girls Bookin' It on Instagram and Facebook! If you’re excited to see what other topics we’ll be covering in the coming months, make sure to subscribe. Thanks for reading with me!