it’s no secret that i love to read. voraciously. i’ll give anything a chance, because i’ve found something in just about every genre that i love. however, it’s very rare that i find and author that i love. i’ve learned over the years, that each book needs to be judged by itself, not by the person who wrote it.
take Lisa See. i adored Snowflower and the Secret Fan. the book was compelling, the characters interesting and i found myself constantly wanting to know what happens next. naturally, i jumped on her next book, Peony in Love. i read it as long as i could stand it, but in the end- it chalked up to a spoiled, whiney main character that i couldn’t care less about. if she ever did manage to find love, i didn’t care. i just didn’t want to have to listen to her ignorant, stupid prattling anymore. i dumped that book in my library donation box, and haven’t looked back since.
that’s why i try not to get excited when i see a new book written by a specific author that i’ve enjoyed before.
the authors that my author love awards go to, are different. i’ve devoured every book they’ve written, and gone back for more of the same story several times. my picks aren’t for everyone… my love of fantasy is reflected in my choices for all time favorite authors. i may branch out into other genres, but fantasy literature will always be first in my heart, and on my reading list.
i actually have 2 picks for my Author Love Awards.
the first one, is Terry Goodkind. he gets my “Old Author Love Award”. why old? because his books have been with me since the very begining. they’ve been with me since i stole the very first book in the Sword of Truth series off my mother’s bookshelves. he’s written more than 7 books in that series, and each one was just as unforgettable as the one before it. i’ve read, and re-read them all, and i never grow tired of them. he has a new book out called The Law of Nines, that i haven’t read yet. hopefully he still manages to do his talent justice, because he is an amazing author. it isn’t just his writing ability that makes him one of my all time favorite authors- he’s a real person to me. i’ve never met him, but i’ve actually written fan mail to him, and he’s written back. sure, maybe he hires someone else to respond to fan mail, (i’m not naive enough to imagine the god of fantasy literature himself pouring over my handwritten letter, and responding personally) but that’s okay. i can’t begin to imagine how much fan mail he actually receives, but i can imagine that it’s way to much to pay personal attention to each one. no, what i do give him credit for is making sure that his fan mail is responded to in a personal way. he doesn’t just send a pretty signed bookmark and a generic “thanks for reading” note. both times i’ve received replies from him, i’ve gotten signed book covers, signed book marks, and letters that responded to specific points in the letter i wrote, along with a hefty dose of wisdom and advice that almost had me in tears of inspiration. i love that guy. not just because he writes amazing books, and hasn’t failed me yet… but because he seems to genuinely care about his fans.
my second is the “New Author Love Award”. Brandon Sanderson is fairly new on the fantasy scene… his first book, Elantris, was published only a few years ago…which is fairly green by Terry Goodkind’s standards, who’s books were being taken away by my teachers in jr. high. no, Brandon’s books are new…but they are all amazing. even now, i’m forcing myself to rip my eyes away from the pages of “Warbreaker”, his newest fantasy novel. he may be new to the fantasy world, but his ideas are so refreshing… my favorite thing about Elantris, and the Mistborn series after that, is that they aren’t the same old recycled swords and magic that you get from most fantasy novels. sure, there are swords and magic in all the books (it is fantasy after all) but he gives them a twist that i would never have thought of, and i’m pretty sure nobody else has either. Brandon Sanderson has gone against the tides of fantasy, and brought to the table something new and original. it’s something that is very difficult to do nowadays, and for that he gets my “New Author Love Award”.
now, if you’ll excuse me… i have to get some chores done so i can re-attach my eyes to the pages of Warbreaker.