Sam’s Friday Top 5: “Drop Everything” Authors

First, I want to qualify this Top 5 by saying these are authors whose body of work has been such that I don’t even have to read the book jacket when their new books are released. I just sign up for them from the library, or I download them on my Nook right away. By “body of work” I mean they had to have produced more than just one series to fit on this list. While I love series books, it’s hard to know if you would necessarily like something else an author decides to write that isn’t series related. In which case, you may be a fan of the series, not necessarily of the writer apart from the series. That’s why Janet Evanovich and J.K. Rowling are not on this list. And, believe it or not, but if I had written this list just four years ago, Danielle Steel would have been on it. Okay, now on with the festivities!

5. Michael J. Fox.

Ah, you didn’t know I would start off with a non-fiction author, but here it is. While Michael J. Fox is my favorite actor of all time, he also is a really great and funny writer. His books have inspired me and made me laugh out loud, all at the same time. He takes a very tough subject, his illness, and he makes it as funny as his films, or as his sitcoms. Being able to tackle something of that magnitude with grace, humor, but a serious side as well takes a lot of work. I look forward to his next book. If you haven’t read any of his books to this point, I would recommend starting with Lucky Man.

4. Chris Bohjalian.

My wife vehemently disagrees with me on this selection, but this one was immediate for me. I knew from the very first page of Midwives that Bohjalian had that certain magic that would make me enjoy anything he had to say. Now, while he took a minor stumble on the ending of The Night Strangers (I found it to be a bit too far-fetched, even for him), the writing was still spectacular, and I don’t regret reading it despite its clunky ending. He’s definitely a “drop everything” author for me because of the mystery he brings to his novels without making them strictly mysteries. And his usually has the most amazing surprise endings. Even though you know the ending will be a surprise, he blends good twists in so you’re still really surprised. If you haven’t read any of his books to this point, I would recommend starting with The Double Bind.

3. Cassandra Clare.

If you love young adult fiction like I do, then you know exactly who Cassandra Clare is. Her books are addictive, from start to finish. Now, I realize that she has only written series books to this point, but she doesn’t quite fit into the category I mentioned earlier. This is because she has written two dynamic series, and her writing style carries over. The Mortal Instruments series introduces readers to an entirely different world where shadows come to life and battles cross into other realms. The Infernal Devices series is a prequel series and introduces the world to readers. Both are must-reads, which is what puts Cassandra Clare into third place. If you like The Hunger Games, I suggest reading Cassandra Clare. She’s better. If you haven’t read any of her books to this point, I would recommend starting with City of Bones.

2. Dean Koontz.

Normally, I would put him first, but I was extremely disappointed with not only the ending of 55 Shadow Street, but as a whole I thought the work too derivative and cookie-cutter for a writer on the level of Dean Koontz. However, the most recent installment in the Odd Thomas series was exactly what I expected from him, so he has somewhat regained his place in my “drop everything” category. He used to write about really strange, otherworldly topics, but more recently he has been strictly mystery, which hasn’t been bad, just different. I completely enjoyed his Frankenstein series, which takes the monster to the 21st century, along with its creator. If you haven’t read any of his books to this point, I would recommend starting with Dragon Tears.

1. John Grisham.

I don’t really care what anyone says about him. That his works are all the same (they’re not). That he writes way too mainstream (so what). That he isn’t creating classics (again, so what). That he writes essentially screenplays, knowing the book will be turned into a movie anyway (not true). All of that doesn’t deter me, because unlike authors like Nicholas Sparks or Dan Brown, I know Grisham will tell a story from start to finish, and that story will be rife with realistic human drama and characters you can relate to, and understand. It’s that feeling of connection to his characters that keeps me coming back to Grisham and makes him my top “drop everything” author. Even when he’s writing his sports books (see: Playing For Pizza), or his non-fiction book (see: The Innocent Man), or his ode to Christmas (see: Skipping Christmas), or even his A Painted House novel, Grisham brings his “everyman” characters to life with the same verve. If you haven’t read any of his books to this point, I would recommend starting with The Firm.