Top Five Favorite Writers

Now that I am a Goodreads author, I figured I’d share the love of writing and reading. Plus it is summer so if you are looking for a beach read you’ve come to the right place. Here are my top five authors in no particular order.

1. Gretchen Rubin. Gretchen is a professional writer, New York City resident,  and mother of two when she pens the bestseller The Happiness Project, which incidentally might be my favorite book of all time. In this book, Gretchen takes a year to address different aspects of happiness like money and family and friendship (each new aspect is a different month). I recommended it to one of my family members who said she heavily disliked it because she found Gretchen to be “self-centered”. Well, the project does center around Gretchen and her experiences but I felt like it was like going on a journey with a close friend.  She went on to write other books in her unique, engaging voice. I own all of them and though my closet would probably give her a heart attack (she has a penchant for cleaning closets) and they have given me inspiration to start my own mini Happiness Projects. Her latest book Life in Five Senses is about how she explores the five senses which is actually sort of a guidebook for someone like them who depends on her five senses for comfort against her anxiety. I am so excited for her next book. I can’t see what she does next.

1. Jennifer Close. I have had the utmost privilege of taking a class with this amazing author. I discovered her when I was in the mental hospital. Her books The Smart One and Girls in White Dresses got me through my fifth hospital stay. I would even read portions of the book out loud when my mom came to visit. Her books are more of  a parody of different things in society- growing up and moving out, politics, getting married. Last year her fourth (and maybe her best?) book came out, Marrying the Ketchups, about a family that owns a restaurant. I devoured it while at the same time taking care to read it slowly so I could savor it.

1. Sarah Dessen. Sarah Dessen is the only YA author on this list and that is because her work is exceptional. She has penned my favorite fiction book of all time, Just Listen about (spoiler) a girl who becomes ostracized after she is sexually assaulted by the boyfriend of her popular friend. Most of Dessen’s stories involve a romantic interest but these are far from your average rom coms. She deals with heavy subjects such as bullying, domestic violence, drugs, and neglect, just to name a few. Her books are so on point with the issues our youth face. This should be mandatory reading in school.

1. Jodi Picoult. When I was sixteen I got grounded within an inch of my life and I needed something/someone to amuse me. Enter Jodi Picoult. She’s like Sarah Dessen but for adults. Her stories usually involve a trial and some controversial issue/ contemporary issue.  My favorite Jodi Picoult is 19 Minutes about a school shooting which I believe is supposed to be loosely based on Columbine. Her most recent book, Mad Honey, is about a transgender girl who appears to be murdered by her boyfriend. I won’t spoil the ending.

5. A.J. Jacobs. I swear this man is a genius. He comes up with the most clever ideas for books and these books require dedication. For example, he wrote The Year of Living Biblically which chronicles a year in which he tries to follow the BIble to the letter. He has another book Mr. Know It All  where he read the encyclopedia cover to cover. Drop Dead Healthy is about  following health advice to improve his body and mind. Right now I’m inn the middle of The Puzzler and I plan to read several more of his books afterwards. Plus he is also very gracious. He actually replied to one of my Tweets regarding his book. Omg, a famous author interacted with me.