Our Favorite Authors. Who Are Yours?

Hi blog friends! We thought it would be fun to get a discussion going about some of our favorite authors, those we read to pick ourselves up if we are feeling low, or just to get a little inspired. I know for me, reading is one of the things I have always turned to when I was struggling. Sometimes I immerse myself in fiction and sometimes I read non-fiction. So here are some of our favorite authors. Comment below and share your favorites!

Mara’s favorite authors. It’s hard for me to just pick a few because I love so many authors and books, but here’s a list of the ones I read most often:

Toni Bernhard - Because, well, she’s my mom.

Jane Austen - Because her stories make me feel better. Not sure why.

Francis Hodgson Burnett - Because her stories remind me to work on being a better human.

Eckhart Tolle - Because his approach to living life without ego makes sense to me.

Anne Lamott - Because she makes me feel like it’s ok to not be perfect and I love her sense of humor.

Wayne Dyer - Because he soothes me. I don’t always agree with him, but I find his writings helpful. And he always includes a selection of very inspiring quotes from other writers!

James Patterson - Because it’s easy and fun. I always take a James Patterson book on vacation.

John Grisham - Because I enjoy reading stories about law. And also just easy and fun.

Gretchen Rubin - Here, I am actually thinking of her podcast. I love listening to Gretchen and her sister discuss things. When I’m feeling rumpled, I find listening to them very soothing.

Toni’s favorite authors. Since becoming sick, it’s hard for me to read, so I listen to audiobooks. In fact, some of my favorite authors on this list are here only because I originally got their books based on who was narrating. (My favorite narrators are the late Anna Fields, Lisette Lecat, Bernadette Dunne, Richard Poe, and of course Deon Vozov who narrates my books; I chose her as the narrator because she reads the books the way I would had I the skill.)

I’m limiting my list of favorite authors to 10 so I'm aware that I'm leaving some out. Two of them write non-fiction (Andy Olendzki and Sylvia Boorstein), and two of them are on Mara’s list (Anne Lamott and Jane Austen).

Here goes:

Anne Lamott – Because of the reasons Mara gave.

Jane Austen – Because she was such a good writer (“A mind lively and at ease, can do with seeing nothing and can see nothing that does not answer.”) She was a hopeless romantic, and my heartfelt wish is that her books gave her solace since she never found romance herself during her short life.

Harper Lee – Because she wrote To Kill a Mockingbird and it changed my life.

P.D. James – Because I love how she develops each character in detail. And I love that she starts so many sentences with the word “and.” It’s given me permission to do the same in my writing. 

Alexander McCall Smith – Because his books are funny, soothing, and good company when you’re alone like I am much of the time. I love his characters, from Mma Ramotswe in Botswana to poor little Bertie in Edinburgh who’s saddled with the insufferable Irene as a mother. As a bonus, Lisette Lecat narrates his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series.

Andy Olendzki – Because he’s had the most influence on my understanding of the Buddha’s teachings.

Sylvia Boorstein – Because she’s the best storyteller I know.

Donna Leon – Because her Guido Brunetti mysteries are well-written, suspenseful, and full of eccentric characters. I’ve listened to her books so many times that I feel as if I’ve been to Venice. As a bonus, Anna Fields is the narrator.

Marcia Muller – Because her Sharon McCone mysteries take place in San Francisco and its environs, so I know all the settings. As a bonus, Bernadette Dunne is the narrator.

And last but not least:

W. Somerset Maugham – Because his novels speak directly to my heart.