Top 5 Favourite Authors

I feel like I haven't read nearly enough books to have an all-time favourite author. However over my years of reading I've definitely come across some fantastic author's from all manners of genres, five of which really stand out for me as my top five favourite authors. I find these authors just generally amazing and thank them so much for the stories they have created; please note that this list is in no particular order.

Stephen Chbosky: What I love most about Chbosky is his ability to make a character feel so real to you. Whilst reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which might I add is one of my all-time favourite books, I felt a great connection to the character's. Chbosky acknowledges that no person is perfect and therefore in order for a reader to connect to a character they have to see that that character also isn't perfect, a feat that is rarely seen within the YA genre.

Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler: Snicket/Handler is without a doubt one of my favourite childhood authors. The books from A Series of Unfortunate Events hold so much of my childhood and are consequently very nostalgic to me. I was so engrossed by the world he had created for the Baudelaire children and found his stories humorous and just generally enjoyable to read; hopefully I'll move onto some of Handler's adult novels in the near future.

Suzanne Collins: Let's be honest here, you were all expecting to see her here. What really stands out about Collins is her ability to make a book that is categorised to a certain age group appeal to anyone of any age and her triumph of dealing with a manner of complicated and difficult themes in a way that is easy to process and understand. It also wasn't until recently that I realised Collins is actually the author of Gregor the Overlander from The Underland Chronicles and that was easily one of my favourite childhood books, reckon I'm too old to carry on with the series now?

J.K. Rowling: It still shocks me that so many people have yet to lay hands on the Harry Potter series, it just baffles me because Rowling is such an inspiring author. I praise her use of imagination and her beautiful writing style as well as being an all round amazing and fluent storyteller. If it wasn't for Rowling then I probably wouldn't be the avid reader that I am today because she is the author that really got me into reading, I mean imagine a world without Harry Potter.

Katy McGarry: If you've yet to pick up a McGarry book then I pity you because you truly are missing out on such raw writing talent. I find McGarry's novels, such as Pushing the Limits, so captivating because they're so poetically and beautifully written. Her stories build an emotional connection with me that I've had little experience with with other authors. I cannot wait for whatever she writes next.

There are plenty of other authors I adore but at this moment these are the five authors that really stand out for me. Be sure to let me know who your favourite authors are in the comments section.

Summer Reading Tag

Today I decided to do a tag, specifically the 'Summer Reading Tag', which was originally created by Kitkatscanread on YouTube (click here to view her original video). Now, as this tag is YouTube driven and I haven't actually been tagged by anybody, I'm kind of cheating here, but oh well!

It's morning and there's a hint of sunshine in the sky. What book has a good start for you?

A lot of the books I've read have slow starts which create a lot of setup with a general lack in anything exciting occurring so I found this question rather difficult. However I ultimately decided on two books, the first being The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I adore this book, it's one of my favourites, and what I love about the start is that I managed to connect with and fall in love with Charlie's character instantly as Chbosky gives you a lot of insight into Charlie's life and his struggles and I believe that's difficult for an author to achieve in such a short space of time. Secondly I chose Heroes by Robert Cormier. Although overall I found it an average read, the opening sentence is easily the best I've ever come across: "My name is Joseph Cassavant and I have just returned to Frenchtown in Monument and the war is over and I have no face". Need I say more?!

You go outside with a good book in hand. What do you choose?

For those of you that know me this will be very much predictable; it has to be The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It's no secret that the first book in the trilogy is my favourite. I love how despite being a YA novel it is a book that appeals to everyone, regardless of age and/or interest. Collins portrays a great sense of realism in the plot. The themes dealt with are a really interesting mix and I find the story an enormous eye opener to capitalism and the world we live in.

You decide to fetch an ice cream to cool down. Name a chilled out/cool read!

Those who have read Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry may not perceive it as a relatively chilled/cool read as it's such an emotional and heartfelt book. However I picked this book up after completing The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, despite the fact my heart was still seeping from the trauma of that read. I found that McGarry's writing is pleasant and enjoyable to read and it genuinely chilled me, which surprised me as I'm not a massive romance fan, and therefore I was able to relax into the story and the characters effortlessly. So as I said, the actual story itself isn't particularly relaxed, but the writing style is.

The sun gets trapped behind a cloud. How annoying. What book has annoyed you recently?

This is probably the easiest of all the questions as I've never been more annoyed by a book than I have by The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of The Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. The title of this book gripped me straight away and I was so excited to read it, I mean it's such an unusual and interesting title. Nonetheless, I was incredibly let down. Although there were some humourous parts that I enjoyed, overall I was rather annoyed by this book as I found it too difficult to get into and found the political side of it (which may I add takes up about half of the book) incredibly tiresome and colourless.

It's later in the day and the sun has moved you. Time to relocate. What book has amazed you to the finish?

The most obvious choice for this one is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, I mean do I even need to explain myself on this one? Hands down the most heart wrenching, shocking, stunning and amazing read I've ever come across; I just have no words.

The day is almost over and it's been fantastic til' the end. What book has amazed you to the finish?

Yet another book I don't think I need to explain, The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. This book is easily my favourite of the Harry Potter series, no question about it. In this book Rowling finally finds her voice as she delves into more adult themes and situations and I loved that. I also don't think I've ever been so gripped by a book in my life, the plot is just fantastic, it's humorous, action packed and the climax just blew me away. I'd happily read this book again and again and again.