My money is very, very precious to me. I work hard and so I don’t just make it rain carelessly. I also don’t just automatically purchase books by ANY author. Instead, there are certain factors or qualifications that matter to me when  putting an author on my PURCHASE WITHOUT QUESTION list. They may seem arbitrary, but to me, at least, these things matter.
1. John Green
Why?:Â John Green writes quirky and unique characters who revel in being smart — like in An Abundance Of Katherines and aren’t made to feel like losers because they have brains. I love that he writes in a way that trusts the reader to be intelligent enough to understand what’s going on instead of writing down. I also typically find myself wanting to highlight every single page of his books, like The Fault In Our Stars, for example..
2. Sarah Dessen
Why?: Straight up, there is comfort in familiarity. With most of her books I know what to expect and I know that going into them I am going to usually like the main character, be into the love interest (Along For The Ride), fall for the secondary characters (The Moon And More) and envy the setting.
3. Rae Carson
Why?: When an author has me so attached to the characters and storyline, that I don’t mind certain characters being killed off to get there, that’s an automatic WIN. Seriously, Rae Carson is like the George RR Martin of YA, people die out of nowhere, but such is life. Her writing is incredibly compelling and I certainly count The Girl of Fire And Thorns and The Crown Of Embers among my favorite YA fantasy.
4. Kristin Cashore
Why?: To me, the mark of an author really being a TRUE autobuy is when you purchase their book even if it wasn’t exactly as AMAZING at their others. Like, straight up I didn’t love Bitterblue as much as Graceling or Fire, but I still bought it because I LOVE Cashore’s writing and want to support her career. Also, I have met her in person and she is incredibly gracious and wonderful — and that matters to me when considerations of dropping money are involved.
5. Richelle Mead
Why?: Legit, any author that can make me super pumped up over vampire books, ignore a love triangle AND talk theories over DMs on twitter absolutely deserves to be on my autobuy list and y’all, Richelle Mead is exactly that author, Â whether she is simultaneously writing me swoons and sobs, like in Shadow Kiss, or WILL THEY WON’T THEY like in The Golden Lily, she is one of my favorite authors.
6. Patrick Rothfuss
Why?: There is only one author I’ve reviewed where I have re-read their book AFTER reviewing it (and then review the audiobook form that I re-read) and that author is Patrick Rothfuss. He’s created one of my favorite characters ever, Kvothe, and while I was not one hundred percent in love with The Wise Man’s Fear, The Name of The Wind remains one of my favorite fantasy recommendations and audiobooks. And you know? I am still optimistic about book three.
7. Lauren Oliver
Why?: Look, if Lauren Oliver wrote a math textbook I would straight up purchase it just because there might just be a nugget of brilliance in there. While mileage definitely varies between her books, they are all automatic reads and purchases. I don’t always order them as soon as they come out because I like to wait to see if she’s doing any signings near me, but yeah after Before I Fall and Liesl And Po, I will read pretty much anything she writes.
8. Brian Selznick
Why?: I love pictures. I love stories. I love words. Selznick’s books have those in spades, and so after being completely in love with both The Invention  Of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, I’ve decided I will read the hell out of all of his books.
9. Libba Bray
Why?: I’ve met Libba Bray several times and each of those times she has been lovely and hilarious and kind. That means a lot to me. I find her books utterly brilliant and own all of them — signed copies except for Going Bovine and her Great And Terrible Beauty trilogy remains among my favorites. I also fell head over heels for The Diviners and so, Libba’s books are always on my most anticipated must purchase list.
10. Juliet Marillier
Why?: Sevenwaters. Sorcha. The Light Isles. Wildwood. Just a few words that do nothing to sum up the whole of Marillier’s work and why it is amazing. I love that Marillier infuses magic into her stories and words and the feelings her books give me.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke And The Bookish.
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Fantastic list. I have some of the same authors, like John Green, Sarah Dessen and Richelle Mead. I have actually never read anything by Rae Carson, so I will have to check it out…especially if she’s one of your auto-buy authors!
I agree with you. My list is less of an auto-buy and more of a will-most-likely-buy-but-definitely-read list. lol
I also have Richelle Mead on my list. Have you read her Georgina Kincaid series? I haven’t yet, but I definitely plan to.
“Look, if Lauren Oliver wrote a math textbook I would straight up purchase it just because there might just be a nugget of brilliance in there.” I love reading your posts, April, because I feel like you say how I feel before I even realize it. I’d buy that textbook. I’d probably buy it signed. I’d likely try and memorize it (and fail because I suck at math). But YES.
Yes. Good. See this is why I love your blog because you have good taste.
This is great! There are so many YA books to read, but an endorsement like this bumps a few authors up the list. (Cashore, for example, is an author I keep meaning to check-out.) I am with you 100% on Selznick; he’s top of my list as I know that whatever’s between the pages will delight me. Thanks for this!
So many great authors that I still haven’t read yet. GAH! I gotta get on this, like, STAT. I would definitely add Bray to my list as well as Maggie Stiefvater, David Levithan, JK Rowling, Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child and Andy McDermott.
Wonderful choices, lady!
AHHH SO MANY GOOD AUTHORS. Had I made a TTT today, I definitely would’ve put John Green, Sarah Dessen, and Lauren Oliver. They’re all amazing authors and while I haven’t loved everything they’ve written, I always know I’ll at least enjoy it somewhat. Libba Bray is pretty awesome too. I wouldn’t auto-buy her, but I can’t deny that she is a fantastic author.
Yes! John Green! Sarah Dessen! Lauren Oliver! So many great authors. 🙂
Kristin Cashore SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY LIST!!!
(what was i thinking?! clearly i *wasn’t* and that’s the trouble)
Ahem. Love your choices, and thanks for sharing!
John Green was my number one too, of course.
So, Sarah Dessen was totes almost on my list, but the last one I read, Dreamland, was not my fave, so she got ousted for the moment. lol. My love is fickle.
Rae Carson depends on what she does next. I have mixed feelings so far. Excited for the final book on audio though!
Kristin’s also on my list. HOLLA.
OMG, Patrick Rothfuss DOES look like a gnome. That is crazy. I don’t even know how to handle the awesomeness of that.
Also, I am straight up jealous of how many of these authors you have met!
So the other day my sister and I somehow ended up watching the special features section of How to Deal. Not my favorite movie ever… but they have a feature on the history of YA lit! And – having inspired How to Deal -Sarah Dessen is all over it!
We enjoyed that a lot…
I love that picture of you with Libba Bray and Gwenda Bond. I’ve only read books by John Green, Libba Bray and Kristin Cashore. I really need to read Girl of Fire and Thorns.
I love how much stock you put in the authors you love being friendly and wonderful in person. And HELLO how awesome that you’ve MET so many of them!! Kristin Cashore is so solid, I can’t even. I’m rereading Fire right now and it’s reminding me how excellent she is. Bitterblue is coming up next, which I haven’t read yet, but I have hope! Also, I can’t even tell you how close I was to putting Patrick Rothfuss on my list. I’m actually kind of annoyed with myself that I didn’t now. He’s AMAZING.
YES!! You are the only other person I’ve seen so far who has picked Rae Carson! YES!
My TTT: http://shelversanon.blogspot.com/2013/02/top-10-tuesday-my-top-auto-buy-authors.html
Yeah, Sarah Dessen is pretty much the end all be all to beautifully written YA contemp.
Also, could you believe I haven’t read anything by Juliet Marillier? I KNOW. Judge away.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Libba Bray. I wish I could meet her, but she hasn’t come to Toronto, at least not lately. I just read The Diviners and I was blown away. She’s awesome (and also on my TTT). 😀
Love your list! I really need to start reading Richelle Mead and Libba Bray this year. So happy to see Lauren Oliver on the list!!!
YES, Richelle. I will forever and ever geek out over Richelle books with you.
I really think I need to read Juliet Marillier’s books because they sound like the kind of thing I’d enjoy. I don’t even know why I haven’t read any of them yet!
YES! I love all these authors, especially John Green, Juliet Marillier, and Kristin Cashore, although nearly all the others would make my list as well. Fantastic Top Ten! 😀
Sarah Dessen and Libba Bray are definitely two of my favorites as well. I still need to catch up on so many of these authors and their books though, and I feel like I am forever behind. FML.