Top Ten Tuesday: My Bookshelf's Most Popular Authors

This week's theme at The Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday is "Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From."  This is kind of a funny one for me, and I think I lucked out because the top ten authors I own the most books from, I've actually read at least one book by each.  Since it's kind of my MO to decide that I should like an author, with no actual grounds than other people's good opinion, I suspected at least one of those collections would make the list.  Not so!  While these ten wouldn't all go down as my favorite authors, I have at least read and enjoyed their work at one time or another.  Since I tend to give away my books when I'm done reading them to make room for yet more unread books, this list still tends more toward the "aspire to read" instead of the "well-loved favorites."  Without further ado, here are the top ten authors taking up space on my overburdened bookshelves:

1. Stephen King comes in head and shoulders above the rest with a hefty 24 owned by me (and who knows how many there would be if I didn't have a tendency to give away the books I've read!).  I'm a Stephen King fan from way back, and I've probably had most of these books from way back, too, though I still manage to accumulate some more whenever he comes out with a new one.  Stephen King was one of my favorites when I was in high school, and one of the few favorite authors I haven't abandoned since I've gotten older.  My favorite:  Insomnia.

2. Dean Koontz.  Another favorite from high school.  He's kind of on his way out of my bookshelves, but even though I jettison a few of his titles every time I do a bookshelf purge, I still have 16.  Sometimes I'm just in the mood for one of his...whenever I can manage to disregard the heinously constructed metaphors.  My favorite:  Cold Fire.

3. Elizabeth Berg.  In the far distant past I decided that Elizabeth Berg was an author I should like.  I own a whopping 10 titles of hers and have read approximately two.  Luckily I actually liked the two I read, so I have high hopes for the rest.  My favorite: Open House.

4. Jodi Picoult.  10 titles here, too.  I've read one that I didn't even own in the first place.  My favorite by default: My Sister's Keeper.

5. Louise Erdrich.  Another 10 booker!  All the purchases of which can be attributed to my love for the favorite: The Master Butcher's Singing Club.

6. Neil Gaiman.  Here's a relatively new addition, as opposed to the authors I've been accumulating for years and years.  Also one of the authors on this list that I'm more well read in as opposed to...more aspirational about.  Anyhow - 9 titles. My favorite:  Neverwhere was my first, and still my favorite.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane is a close second, though. 

7. Alice Hoffman. It's highly likely that I started collecting Alice Hoffman waaaay back when Here on Earth was chosen for Oprah's Book Club.  Now I have 9, but the only one I've read is my favorite (by default again, but it's really good!):  Skylight Confessions.

8. Chris Bohjalian.  8 titles.  My favorite (by default again): Midwives. 

9. Anita Shreve.  This is another author I've debated kicking off my shelf soon (a la Dean Koontz).  I liked The Pilot's Wife, but both Light on Snow and Sea Glass left me disappointed.  For now, still 8 books on my shelf.  My favorite: The Pilot's Wife.

10. Joanne Harris.  Despite having 7 of her books on my shelves, I still haven't read, arguably, her most famous one, Chocolat.  My favorite: Five Quarters of the Orange.

Honorable mentions:

John Grisham - 7 (another favorite from way back that I should probably let go)
Barbara Kingsolver - 7 (and I haven't read a single one)
Melissa Marr - 7 (I intend to finish the Wicked Lovely series someday, really.)
Terry Pratchett - 7 (Wherein I occasionally sample some Discworld.)


I'd love to hear some of your favorites from the above listed authors, if you have any.  Chances are I already own them, it's just a matter of what to read first!

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