Would you buy a book based on author alone?
Without reading the blurb or the title or even knowing what it’s about??! Would you?
I would.
But only for specific authors. There are only a handful of authors I’d do this for without blinking an eyeball. Although, I actually rarely buy books because I’m permanently poor. So I’m just assuming money isn’t an issue here. These authors are incredibly talented. Imagine this:
Author: “Hey, I’m writing a book about –”
Me: “I’ll buy it.”
So who are these lucky fiends who take my money so fast?
1. John Green
This dude is a writing genius. There’s something incredibly soul-wrenching about his characters and the situations he puts them in. His dialogue? Perfect. His description? Fabulous. I could gush all day! But I won’t, aren’t you glad?
Proof that I’m not the only one who would auto-buy from John Green, just look at this:
We don’t know what this book is about. We don’t know what it’s called or what genre it’s in or WHAT YEAR IT WILL BE OUT. But 3,000 people have added it to-read.
That’s power.
2. MAGGIE STIEFVATER
When people ask me who my favourite author is? Maggie Stiefvater is one of the first names I blurt out. She has YET to write a book I don’t like. I mean, how can you please me that consistently??! (I even rated some of John Green’s books low!) Her books are always 4 or 5 stars.
I’m always terrifically scarred at the end.
Um, what’s going to happen to the Raven Boys? WHAT.
3. LEMONY SNICKET
You should have seen my grin when I found out he was writing a new series! You should have seen my tears when I found out there were only 4 books in it. Nooooo. Please, you have to write more! MORE. I own the full 13 book A Series of Unfortunate Event Series. They are my favourites. Read multiple times.
I even own 5 audios on…wait for it…cassette tapes. I prefer the ones narrated by Mister Snicket himself. The ones narrated by Tim Curry are, okay, I’m just going to say it: they’re freakishly weird.
4. MARISSA MEYER
I’m absolutely in love with The Lunar Chronicles. Fairy tale retellings? Be still my beating heart.
BUT THEN SHE WENT AND DID THIS:
Alice in Wonderland is my FAVOURITE classic ever! I’m just…ohhh, could she get anymore awesome? I’d give anything for this book. I. am. so. stinking. excited.
5. AG Howard
You already know I’m seriously obsessed with Alice in Wonderland…so it’s no wonder that the Queen of Alice Rewrites is already on my favourite-authors-of-all-time list. First she made Wonderland creepier than Tim Burton (that takes talent, my friends). THEN she made Morpheus. (Don’t laugh.) THEN she gave Alice wings like a moth.
6. SUZANNE COLLINS
This list isn’t written in any particular order, but I do feel bad for leaving Suzanne Collins so near the end. I love The Hunger Games. It’s one of my favourite series of all time. (That’s saying something, because I’ve been reading for a loooong time!) But she has written the Gregor the Overlander series and I haven’t read it yet.
Bad me.
7. VERONICA ROTH
I heard her say in an interview that she is still writing! Though she didn’t say what or even give a time-frame to when she’d publish more. (I do understand, though.) But I was so scared she’d wouldn’t write anymore! The Divergent trilogy is quite famous. Suzanne Collins hasn’t written anything for YA since The Hunger Games. I’m absolutely relieved Veronica Roth is still writing.
Least to say, I’d buy it. Anything. I think she writes characters who are incredibly realistic and who have a deep love for the important things in life. Like food. Any author who can make a character CHANGE HER LIFE in order to get more interesting food? I’m sold.
“You’ve never had a hamburger before?” asks Christina, her eyes wide.
“No,” I say. “Is that what it’s called?”
“Stiffs eat plain food,” Four says, nodding at Christina.
“Why?” she asks.
I shrug. “Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary.”
She smirks. “No wonder you left.”
“Yeah,” I say, rolling my eyes. “It was just because of the food.” ~ DIVERGENT
I understand this. I understand this a lot.
-~-
which authors would you auto-buy from? do you get ridiculously excited for books you know nothing about? haha that can’t be just me…
Cait likes to be onboard with book hypes. It’s fun! It’s exciting! It…can be a little depressing if the book doesn’t live up the hype. BUT. Her favourite authors have not failed her yet. Currently, she’s silently hyping about Dorothy Must Die and Fire & Flood.
I do have an auto-buy list, and the authors are: Juliet Marillier. That woman. Just YES to everything. Erica Crouch. This girl writes like a … I don't know, just amazingly. Maria V Snyder. Need I say more? Leigh Bardugo, Terri Farley, Jessica Grey, and Marie Lu. They're all fantastic. And in terms of manga: Arina Tanemura. Yeah, as soon as I know that a book is being released by one of the aforementioned authors, I am SO there. I know that I love them, so I know that there's a very high probability that I will love their new book, as well. ;D
*hi fives* We are awesome auto-buyers. (I love Leigh Bardugo!! I've only read Shadow & Bone so far but I'm soooo excited for book #2). I love the probability of liking more of the author's work. I've read a ton of stuff from Dan Wells and he's always impressed me. 😉
Richelle Mead! I like how she puts flaws on her characters. Every character she wrote is "amazing blahblahblah BUT *insert flaw here*".Another author would be Colleen Hoover, her plots may have been cliche but what makes her different is the way she delivers those cliches. Fun article! 😀
Ahh! Flawed characters are. so. awesome. (Okay, that sounds weird, but you know what I mean!) They're sooo much more relatable than Mr/Miss Perfect. x)
MARISSA MEYER IS DOING ALICE IN WONDERLAND WHAT WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD OF THIS BE STILL MY BEATING HEART. Okay, authors I will auto-buy (calm down, Emily): John Green, Kasie West, Marissa Meyer, J K Rowling if she went back to MG/YA, Markus Zusak, Stephen Chbosky, Stephanie Perkins, Rainbow Rowell. There are probably others. Mainly John Green. LOVE this post, Cait 🙂
THAT WAS EXACTLY MY REACTION. HOW CAN I SURVIVE UNTIL IT COMES OUT. I PRETTY MUCH CAN'T. *breathing in, breathing out* Okay, but yes, I should have put Rainbow Rowell on there, because she's yet to disappoint me. 😉 But John Green…yes.
YES YES YES. Everything yes. My personal auto-buys? Suzanne Collins, Marissa Meyer, Rick Riordan, Trenton Lee Stewart, and Shannon Hale. Oh, and Megan Whalen Turner! And also YOU TWO. I would auto-buy your books!!! 🙂 I was reading about some of your WIPs and they sound so dang fascinating…
You have such awesome auto-buys!! *hi-fives for Suzzane Collins and Marissa Meyer* OMG US?!! YOU'VE TOTALLY JUST MADE MY DAY. EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO BLUSH.
Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins and Gail Carriger are basically at the top of my auto-buy list. Terry Pratchett's pretty far up there too!
Rainbow Rowell is AWESOME. I actually can't believe I forgot her. x) (I basically became an auto-buyer after Fangirl, because, COME ON, FANGIRL.)
Awesome post Cait, I would definitely auto buy from Marissa Meyer I think! I need to read more John Green books to make a decision. And with Veronica Roth, well we all know what happened there. Let's just play that by ear shall we? I auto buy anything from Richelle Mead and Rachel Caine.
Haha! I loved Allegiant, so I'm safe there. x) But I know what you mean. Marissa Meyer is just killing me dangling this Heartless out there. Why won't time go faster?!!
Great post! I have quite a few authors that I auto buy….. just because everything they write is always awesome although most of mine are fantasy authors like Terry Pratchett (he's always pre-ordered well in advance, Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind (I obviously have a thing for authors called Terry!) but also people like Richelle Mead, Laurell K. Hamilton, Kim Harrison, Kathy Reichs, Lilith Saintcrow (Lili St. Crow), Stephen King and Dean Koontz, the list does go on but I think it would be best to stop there before the post gets far too long!Thea @ Gizzimomo's Book Shelf
I think my auto-buy authors are Kasie West, Marissa Meyer(who seems like a popular choice!), Patrick Ness, & Markus Zusak. They've all written some of my favorite books! I feel especially like I have a solid handle on how much I like Markus Zusak, Patrick Ness, & Kasie West because they've all published multiple works or series. Marissa Meyer is a bit different since she's only published the Lunar Chronicles so far, but if her next work is as good as TLC? I'll be buying for sure.
The Raven Boys!!!!! Gah! I'm obsessed with them! Anyway, my auto-buys would be Melina Marchetta, Kristin Cashore, Madeline Sheehan and a bunch of other awesome authors! Great picks, Cait!Bethzaida @ Bookittyblog
Dang, most of my favorite authors are dead. . . Kate DiCamillo is probably the one I jump at and sometimes Neil Gaiman.
I agree with so many of these! John Green books are a must buy, always. No matter what. End of story.And now Maggie Stiefvater has completely possessed me AND I NEED THE NEXT RAVEN BOYS BOOK. Because of reasons. And Gansey. Especially Gansey.Also . . . Marissa Meyer . . . I didn't even know about this new book! It sounds amazing. She's done such a good job with the fairytale retellings in The Lunar chronicles I know Heartless will rock every single person's socks of. There will be no socks. Anywhere. In the entire world. Hehe
I'd buy ANYTHING from Marissa Meyer definitely. She's one of my favorite authors of all time. It's like she can never do any wrong with her series! Another auto-buy would be Marie Lu. Despite my not totally liking her Legend trilogy, I like her writing style, and her next book about Dragons is definitely something to look forward to. Also, I'd buy ANYTHING from Anthony Ryan and Anne Bishop. Kyaaaa!Faye at The Social Potato Reviews
I didn't know that Marissa Meyer was writing a Alice in Wonderland retelling *runs off to Goodreads*Sadly I've only read TFioS by John Green (don't kill me) but I do have Looking for Alaska on my shelf waiting on me! Jeaniene Frost, Tahereh Mafi and Veronica Roth are at the top of my auto buy list.
I would love to read an adult book by Suzanne Collins – I wonder if she would do that. But The Hunger Games is my all-time fave, so I'd take YA, too! I tried to read The Raven Boys, and perhaps it was just bad timing, but I couldn't get into it. I have the audiobook, so I'll try that at some point.I'm dying to read Winter and whatever else Marissa Meyer comes up with next!Stephanie @ Inspiring Insomnia
I'm one of those people "waves" (John Green, YES.) I own all of them, though I've only read TFiOS so far. I haven't recovered from it yet I need more time. I think I need to read more of Maggie Stiefvater before she's an auto-buy for me. I've only read the first Raven Boys and I did attempt Shiver but just found it boring (sorry). A.G. Howard though, yup. Anything. Mine. I have a few authors though, Richelle Mead, Loved VA, haven't read the spin-off ones yet, though I own them all so far, Jennifer E. Smith, Kendare Blake, and Tanya Byrne. I read her debut (Heart-Shaped Bruise) after watching Revenge and damn it ripped my heart out, but it is such a beautiful book.Kirsty @ StudioReads
I'll auto-read anything from Marissa Meyer. Yes, yes, yes. YES. I'd also read anything from Rick Riordan (though not a huge fan of his newest series, Heroes of Olympus, no matter how much I love Leo Valdez.)
*giggles* Can't agree with the John Green thing at all, but I'd DEFINITELY auto-buy from Meyer, Collins, and Stiefvater. And you should read the Underland Chronicles soon so I can fangirl with you!
Hm, yes. I'd read just about anything by Marissa Meyer. And if Elizabeth Wein writes anything else, you can count me in immediately.That's actually a hard question for me though, because a lot of my favorite authors are dead. EEEK. Just looked up Elizabeth Wein on Goodreads, and she's got one coming out! . . . in 2015. Of course. I suppose I can wait that long.*Sigh*
UHMM! I COMPLETELY agree with you! I feel like you took everything I wanted to say, thought and felt, and just wrote a post about it….*mind blown*Lisa http://www.turningpages94.blogspot.com
I absolutely agree with all of these! And Markus Zusak, Elizabeth Wein, Libba Bray, ummmmm… Alexandra Bracken, and I'm going to stop naming…. XD
Tamora Pierce… I like stalk her website because she always has at least three books planned to come out in the years to come.
Oh don't you love it when they write a lot?! I love how Maggie Stiefvater always has books coming out.
I'd autobuy from Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth too! 😀 Also Jodi Lynn Anderson and Lois Lowry too! Oh! And these authors named Cait and Mime Drews. I haven't read a book of theirs yet, but they're awesome! 😉
OH LOIS LOWRY. Yup. Definitely! Ohhhhhh YOU MAKE ME SMILE SO MUCH. *starts happy dance*
Nos. 1, 5, 6, 7 <3 <br />I think I've spent thousands just buying books. I'm going to be poor soon!
I'm already poor and I haven't even been book blogging for long. x) Why do these authors continue being so awesome?!! Gah!
Ha! Terry's must just be good writers, right?! (Seriously, Terry and Stephanie are probably two of the most common writers names. It's kind of funny.) x)
Marissa Meyer has basically just put in her plans for world domination, I guess. WE ARE ALL HER LOYAL SLAVES. I feel kind of the same way about A.G. Howard, because I've only read 1 of her series (well, the trilogy's not finished yet) and I'm not sure what she'd write besides that…sooo….I'd still buy it though. x)
Melina Marchetta is awesome, isn't she?! And why don't The Raven Boys books come out faster…why….
That is kind of awkward, isn't it? I'd put Joan Aiken on here…buuut. Yeah. Not happening.
YES HE IS. John Green is for all my contemporary loves and Maggie Stiefvater is for all my fantastical loves. They are probably my favourite authors of all time because they're ALWAYS writing new books! I love Suzanne Collins to pieces, buuuut, she hasn't written anything new for a long time. *cries quietly*THERE WILL BE NO SOCKS. <— THIS IS THE BEST THING OF EVER.
I wasn't a fan of the Legend trilogy at all, actually, buuut, you're right! I SO want to try her new series. It looks seriously mind-blowing.
I live on Goodreads. Basically. Aaand, I'm not going to kill you! I've only read 3 of his books, so far, but that's mostly because of time constraints not because I don't want to. Next up for me is The Abundance of Katherines. I need to stalk my library. Tahereh Mafi is SO awesome!!
Mm…I wonder…I think it'd be seriously interesting if she did! Basically, I'm ready for anything she writes next. Oh, but Mime is reading the Gregor series and she says they're very good still. I just need more tiiiime.
Haha!! YOU WILL NEVER RECOVER. How are you going to survive the movie?? I'm not. I'm just going to accept that it'll ruin my year. Or life. Whatever. Aw, that's okay! I loved Shiver and the others, but they were a tad bit…well, slooooow. I've only read one book by Jennifer E. Smith, but she's quite good, isn't she?!
Yes, I have several auto-buy authors, but it sometimes takes time before an author makes it to the list. Some I can think of are Marissa Meyer, Leigh Bardugo, Juliet Marillier and Julie Kagawa 🙂
Leigh Bardugo is awesome, isn't she?! I've only read Shadow & Bone so far, so I didn't feel like I could put her on yet, but I looooved that book so much!
Another great post! Super relatable. I definitely have those authors I just must buy ALLL of their books, even if the book isn't in my usual genre or something I normally would dislike. These authors just have magical powers to make me enjoy anything they write. Maggie Stiefvater is totally an auto-buy for me! (: Joining her would be J.K. Rowling, Libba Bray, Julie Kagawa, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Cynthia Hand, Stephanie Perkins, Sarah J. Maas, Kasie West…really any author I give 5 stars to goes on my auto buy list. They stay on there as long as they continue great work. No pressure authors! [; Haha loved this post <33 (:
Yesssss, you have such awesome taste. SARAH J MASS. YES. YES. YES. of course we don't pressure our favourite authors to proform awesomely continually. Noooo. Why would we do that? x)
So agreed to every single one of these!Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
*hi fives*
I've only read one Rick Riordan book…*sobs* I JUST NEED MORE TIME.
I want to!! I think Mime just finished book #2…there's 3 isn't there?! I reeeally hope Suzanne Collins writes more someday. She's breaking my heart here.
Elizabeth Wein so emotionally scarred me that I don't think I can handle life very well anymore. Every time Mime and me do something and rock I say, "We make a sensational team." Then I sob. And she just looks at me weirdly.
Haha! BRILLIANT MINDS WE HAVE. *hi fives*
I'm too scarred from Elizabeth Wein…*sobs wildly* I STILL AM NOT OVER CODE NAME VERITY. I was going to read Rose Under Fire, but I thought I should, you know, get my emotions together first.
Haha this is so true!! Marissa Meyer is definitely on my auto-buy list. Really. Just give me everything that woman scraps out. I will happily hand my money over to her 😛
I'll be right behind you asking for the scrapes. *happy sigh* She's all sorts of amazing, right?!
I definitely have one of these lists! Lauren Oliver, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Gayle Forman, Julie Kagawa and Katie McGarry are author's where I don't even have to see the cover of their book, let alone the blurb. They write. I buy. I've only read of Suzanne Collin's from your list, and even though I really liked the Hunger Games, I wouldn't auto-buy her. I'm hopefully reading The Faults in Our Stars, soon! So maybe my list will have a male in it. 😛
EXACTLY. They just need to write more . Haha! No, I'm not pushy at all. 😉 I hope you survive TFIOS! Good luck. *hands boxes of tissues*
I definitely have a few authors that I just cannot get enough of. Stephanie Perkins, E. Lockhart, Meg Cabot, Sarah Mlynowski are probably topping my list. I still need to read the Lunar Chronicles, but they are definitely on my TBR list. Heartless sounds beyond amazing! Great post!
Stephanie Perkins has yet to disappoint me too. How can she be so awesome?!! I can't decide between Lola and Anna so far though…
As we speak, only John Green. But yeah. Absolutely auto-buy.
DFTBA!!!!!!!
Well… Julie Kagawa and Rick Riordan. o_oI probably haven't read half the ones you listed… but LEMONY SNICKET. Long time no read!
LEMONY SNICKET IS ALL SORTS OF AWESOME. I will never forget how addicted I was to that series, and the fact that I'm still consistently rating his books 4-5? I love his stuff. I just. I just love it.
Colleen Hoover, hands down number one. My goodness can that woman make me ugly cry.Followed closely by Tahereh Mafi, if she brought out a shopping list with a cover, I'd throw my money at her. I love her style of writing. But I definitely agree with the lady that brought us the MOTH, I could crawl inside her head and live there.
Tahereh Mafi is sneaky with her awesome. I wasn't sold, nope, and then I WAS SOLD ALL AT ONCE. It's like falling in love with pizza. Also, yes to the Creator of the Moth. I'm afraid I'm just going to line up to buy all her things without caring what they're even about.
If the American paying system wouldn't be so different from here, I'd definitely have bought more Stephanie Morrill! And Valérie Zenatti (she's French) would be on my list as well. Her writing is brilliant.arendedewit.blogspot.com
Is it very different?! Oh…that sucks. :(( I've actually won mostly all of the Stephanie Morill's books so far. It's kind of weird…!! I should actually buy some of her books, though, because she absolutely rocks. XD
Solely from you and my friends raving about the Lemony Snicket books and John Green's books, I want to read them and I don't know very much about any of them XD Ah, the power of influence, Cait. Use it wisely.
YOU SHOULD. I read books solely on people raving. Right now I have Fire & Flood to read and I know, like 2% of what it's actually about. I just know my friends like it. 😉 MWHAHAHA. MY POWER GROWS STRONGER.
I read one Patrick Carmen book and decided it was enough to make me want more. So, I bought 5 hardbacks by him. Two of the pleased me! Two didn't. One is still sitting on my shelf unread. But I would easily buy anything by Marissa Meyer! She's like, my favorite author right now!
Haha! That's intense insta-buying-love! x) You and me both for Marissa Meyer, right?! I can't limit myself to just ONE favourite author, but she is soooo far at the top.
Oh yeah! One's not enough! My top 5 are Marissa Meyer, Robert Liparulo, Lemony Snicket, Suzanne Collins, and Margaret J.H. Shaw (because, you know, I kind of know her personally and her book is AMAZING;P)
Collins, Green, Howard and Roth are the only ones on here that I have read. I would definitely buy more Collins… she needs to hurry up and release something new soon or I might die! I'd also get more Green and be tempted by Roth (the disaster that was the beginning, middle and end of Allegiant put me off a little). I have every single Jodi Picoult book and I buy her next book the instant it comes out. I went through a phase where I tried one and adored it and went through all the books she had out at the time (about 11 or 12 by that point) I just couldn't get enough. I'd also give David Clement-Davies my money if he would release something new :'( I'd give him all of my monies. Veronica Rossi earned herself a spot on my auto-buy list as well. Gah there are so many.
SHE DOES. Someone needs to convince her that the world needs more of her books. Although, I guess it'd be hard to write after the wildfire of The Hunger Games, right? I'd be in total writers block the whole time. x)
I have a few authors like that. I have a few that I used to auto-buy, but don't anymore. The used to included John Grisham and Richard North Patterson. That was when I was in my pre-lawyer legal drama phase. Then after being in the profession that phase ended. LOL Dan Brown is an auto-buy. Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham and Emily Giffin are must auto-buy along with Anna Garner/Libby Mercer and a few others =)
It's funny how our tastes change too, right?! I used to adore all things John Flanagan, but now….? Eh. I haven't even started his new series.
Terry are indeed fabulous writers and I never really thought of all the Stephanie's before but you're right as there are loads of them aren't there?
3… Underland Chronicles books? There's five, actually. 😀 😀 😀
Um yes, and YES. Ilona Andrews, Sarah J. Mass, Cinda Williams Chima, Cate Tiernan, and bunches more. Of course I wouldn't continue to blindly do this if several books in a row were crap, but as it stands right now . . . if they're writing it, I'm buying it. Ps I really like this post ;)Jessica @ Rabid Reads
SARAH J MAAS!! How did I forget her??!! She is the best. If I had money I'd blindly buy books…but for now I just drool on Goodreads and fantasise about being able to blindly buy books. x) N'awww, thanks for stopping by!!
SEE HOW BEHIND I AM?!!
Author: "Hey, I'm writing a book about –"Me: "I'll buy it."L.M.A.O. I definitely have those authors as well 😀 And most of them you listed. *high five* Would probably have to add, like you mentioned above, Maas, and Jennifer E. Smith. I'm so excited for Heartless. Like, there are no words. Fun post!
Jeffrey Overstreet is that author for me. He said he was writing a new series… and I'm soooo excited for it, and was even more excited about it when he said he himself thinks it could be more complex than The Auralia Thread series. Although his next book probably won't be out for at least three… or four… or more years.
HELLO AGAIN.
This post was linked in your new post, and I couldn’t help but come over here and read about ALLLLL THE AUTHORS.
My auto-buys are: Maggie Stiefvater (high five me, fellow Stiefvater fan), Leah Raeder (seriously, even her grocery list will do), Sarah J Maas (I’ve followed her since her days on Fictionpress. It would be blasphemy not to buy all her books), Tana French, Gillian Flynn, Marissa Meyer, Laini Taylor, Leigh Bardugo… oh boy, I think I need to win the lottery. Or marry someone very, very rich.
Like the CEO of a chain of bookshops. That’d be cool.
And yes, sometimes I get so excited about books I know nothing about that I literally get a headache from all the blood rushing to my brain. This is a problem.
Aly recently posted…HELLYEAH! wrapping up ‘Blood For Blood’ World Tour in New Zealand, Australia and Japan with fan-shot live DVD