Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

It’s Tuesday, which means that it’s time for Top Ten Tuesday, a book meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s topic is top ten authors who deserve more recognition, which is probably the most difficult one so far. There are a lot of books that I wish more people would read, but when it comes to authors, I’m never sure which ones to choose. (It also doesn’t help that I spent all weekend in Niagara Falls and couldn’t plan my Top Ten Tuesday post in advance, so if it’s rambly and scattered, I’m so sorry!)

Here’s my list, in no particular order:

1. Carlos Ruiz Zafon (The Shadow of the Wind)
Even though I first heard about him a few months ago, I am in love with his Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. Zafon has such a beautiful writing style, and there are so many gorgeous quotes tucked into all of his books.

2. Colin Meloy (Wildwood)
Wildwood is one of my favourite children’s books. It’s beautifully illustrated, intelligently written, and is just a really fun read. Fun fact: Colin is also one of my favourite singers and his band, The Decemberists, is fantastic. Listening to their albums is like hearing a story, so it’s no wonder he’s pretty good at this whole writing thing.

3. Jillian Larkin (Vixen)
The release of the Flapper series was completely overshadowed by Anna Godbersen’s Bright Young Things (which is also good, but much better known because of her Luxe series). I’m slightly obsessed with any book that takes place in the 1920s, so this series was an automatic must-read for me. After all, between flappers, speakeasies and drama that rivals Gossip Girl, what’s not to like?

4. Lauren Morrill (Meant To Be)
Meant To Be is one of the cutest YA contemporary books I’ve ever read. I haven’t been able to find it at any of my local bookstores – which is a shame, since it’s quirky, fun, and set in London.

5. Kelly Creagh (Nevermore)
By now, you guys have all probably seen my many posts about how much I love this series. A combination of dark supernatural elements inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, interesting characters, and a pretty cute, believable romance makes for an excellent yet creepy read.

6. Heather Dixon (Entwined)
Entwined is one of my favourite fairytale retellings. Twelve strong female characters, dark secrets, sweet romance that isn’t the main focus, and some magic make for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Also, the cover is gorgeous enough that I need to buy a copy to display on my bookshelf as soon as possible!

7. Beth Revis (Across the Universe)
I loved Across the Universe. It’s a really neat sci-fi story with so many plot twists and turns. I haven’t read the last book yet since I really don’t wan this series to be over, but I’d be more than okay with it being made into a movie.

8. E. Lockhart (The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks)
Her books are so underappreciated, which is probably due to cover judging (which I almost did with her Ruby Oliver series). They’re filled with quirky, intelligent, strong female leads who are trying to find their place in life, which is something I can definitely relate to.

9. Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind)
His works are becoming better known, due to his inclusion on George R.R. Martin’s list of books that Game of Thrones fans should read. However, despite that, a lot of people still don’t know about The Kingkiller Chronicle, which is an excellent fantasy series. And, you know, it helps that his reviews and blog posts never fail to make me laugh.

10. Sarah Strohmeyer (How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True)
In discussions of contemporary YA writers, Sarah Strohmeyer sadly isn’t mentioned all that often. I loved Smart Girls Get What They Want, and How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True is one of my favourite contemporaries that I could gush over all day (two words: Disney theme-park). They’re such fun, fluffy reads filled with adorably sweet romance, an entertaining plot, and loveable characters.

Who are some of your favourites?