Behind the Stacks: Author Recommendations

Today I'm bringing you a list of recommendations for my loyal  listener.  Why not read  one of them while imaginary snow piles around you? Rules: authors on this list must have  at Least two books published, and they have to have been published within the last 100 years. years. Here are some of mine. Who did I leave out? Let me know in the comments blow.

Author;  A.J  Jacobs

Books: Mr. Know it All, The  Year of Living Biblically, Drop Dead Healthy

Why I support this author: He’s so funny, turning an endeavor into some sort of quest. Told with self-deprecating humor and a clever wit, his books are hilarious and definitely well-researched.

Author Angie Kin

Books:: Happiness Falls, Miraclle Creek

Why I support this author: I have to say that out  of all the authors, I know her the least but God, she’s good. You can find the review here (https://www.leighwintersstoryofhope.com/post/miracle-creek-review) for her first book and her second book seems just as promising (I’m halfway through). Both books have a common denominator: autism plays a prevalent role. And also the main characters are Korean families.  I hope Ms. Kim writes more in the future.

Author: Jodi Picoult

Books: 19 Minutes, Mad Honey, Salem Falls, House Rules and many others. Those are just faves.

Why I support this author: Jodi Picoult always casts a web over deep social issues.  19 Minutes was about a school shooting (I think it was supposed to be loosely based off Columbine), Mad Honey dealt with being transgender and dating, Salem Falls takes place when a group of girls accuse a male teacher of molestation (the ending will blow you away) and House Rules is about an autistic boy accused of murder (every writer has one character now that’s autistic). She writes on a variety of subjects so I strongly advise to give her a chance. I read one of her books at 12 for school. It wasn’t age appropriate and I felt awkward there was a sex scene in a book assigned for school. At sixteen, I tried them again and just devoured them. They got me through being grounded. I owe them that.

Author: Penny Vincenzi

Books: A Question of Trust, The Best of Times, The Spols of Time trilogy

Why I support this author I love this author for running so many plots at once. It really gets the ball moving. I love how she sometimes has to put a character chart on the front page so you will know who is who. My favorites are the Spoils of Trilogy. They revolve around a powerful family in England for three generations. Some issues the characters faced were smallpox, war (both World Wars), the Great Depression and the different ways they dealt with things like abortion. Juicy novels, I recommend.

Author Rachel Bertsche

Books: MWF Seeking BFF, Jennifer, Gwenyth and Me, The Kids Are in Bed

Why I support this author: She’s hilarious. The premise of MWF Seeking BFF is that her and her husband moved to a new area and she wants to make friends. So she goes on a quest to have 100 friend “dates” within one year. I’m eagerly to see what ambitious project she does next.

Author J.K. Rowling

Books: Do I have to say it?

Why I support this author: She seamed together the most beloved (and one of the longest) children’s fantasy series. They are still the only fantasy novels I read as a kid. It was just a genre I didn’t  like. But J.K. Rowling enchanted her words. I once heard she planned out all her books. I would love if she wrote a book called “You, Too, Can Write Harry Potter” But I really don’t think anyone else can write it.

Author : Jennifer Close

Books: The Hopefuls, Marrying the Ketchups, The Smart One, Girls in White Dresses

Why I support this author: I actually took a class with this author. She was very helpful with me carving my own memoir. Her books are one part bittersweet, one part snark, one part feel good. I guess that’s a strange way to describe it. But once you see you’ll recognize it. I read The Smart One on my third go-round in the mental hospital and it cheered me up every time. I would even read it to my mom during visiting hours. Once I was out I unleashed myself on the other books. I think Marrying the Ketchups was my favorite so far.

Author : Gretchen Rubin

Books: The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, Better than Before, Life in Five Senses

Why I support this author: I love this author. She’s so upbeat and honest. I feel like she has a curious mind she wants to explore. In her first book she undergoes a “happiness project” where each themed month she does resolutions she think will make her happier. She does a lot of reading and research. Better than Before is about making and keeping habits. Life in Five Senses is a delightful book about  how she explores all five senses. And the best thing is that she can’t get into yoga either. Oh and she’s an abstainer too.

Author: Sarah Dessen

Books: Just Listen, Someone Like You, Lock and Key, The Truth About Forever

Why I support this author This is the only YA content on the list and it fucking deserves to be. Like Jodi Picoult Sarah chooses topics young people are dealing with like dating abuse, bullying, broken families and dead parents. I really liked Just Listen where a girl is sexually assaulted by her best friend’s boyfriend. I won’t get into it but that is not too far from my story. Ever sense a story  has been written for you. Those are rare. But for me that book was one of them.

Author : Karin Slaughter

Books: Pretty Girls, False Witness, Undone, Coptown

Why I support this author: Karin Slaughter is exceptional at crime novels and thrillers. Warning: these are not for the faint of heart. She doesn’t skimp on the graphic parts and I don’t think it’d make a good bed time read. A trigger warning issued for most of the novels: foul language, criminal activity and brutal sexual assault. She was too good at her job. That’s why I stopped reading her.

Author : Jilliane Hoffman

Books: Retribution, Plea of Insanity, Pretty Little Things

Why I support this author This author also focuses on crime but she deals more with the legal aspect after a suspect is caught. I will warn you Retribution is also very graphic particularly the first few chapters. This is not a  beach read.

Author: Jeannette Walls

Books:  The Glass Castle, the Silver Star

Why I support this author  I wasn’t too impressed with her other books but these two books are priceless. One of them was her actual memoir and I think it’s the best memoir I’ve read. It was about her nomadic childhood with her alcoholic and neglectful parents. Case in point: the book opens with Jeannette trying to cook sausages over an open stover and spills the boiling water on her. Oh yeah, and she was only three. The hospital was concerned so her dad smuggled her out and they were on the run yet again. Silver Star was similar- the bond between sisters, absentee fathers/mothers, the looking for belonging. So if you were going to read one book on his list, I recommend The Glass Castle.

Author : Tilly Bagshawe

Books: Adored, Showdown, Scandalous

Why I support this author I: categorize as “escapist” literature but its got to appear on the list at one point. Expect lots of drama, lots of steamy scenes, lots of will they or wont they. These books are my guilty pleasure.  I only have to read them in my room or no one will take me seriously.