Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

(Debut authors, authors who seem to have taken a hiatus, OR for those who read classics authors you wish would have written another book before they passed.)

1. Jane Austen (Deceased) I haven't read all of Austen's books, but I think I've read half in less than a year. I feel as though I don't want to finish all her books because then I would dislike knowing there is no more. I could re-read, but there is no feeling like picking up a book for the first time and discovering a great love for it. Also, Austen's kind of my rock. If I have many bad books, I know can find Austen and rediscover a happiness in reading.
2. David Eddings  (Deceased) He wrote my favourite series of books and though he did write others, he never revisited this series. I don't want to say he left things unanswered, because I felt he did round off everything satisfactorily, but there were still other things I wanted to know about, other things I wanted to watch as they grew. I adored these characters and people too much.
3. Erin Morgenstern Though I doubt it happening, I'd love being able to dive back into the Night Circus either by her writing a new book or by an extension/sidestory. I just love this too much.
4. Kathryn Stockett I couldn't say she has taken a break or anything because with the film and her life, I imagine she's been ever so busy. Still, I loved the book and would appreciate another.
5. Michelle Paver I've read a lot of what she has written, and I find her a really engaging author that creates wonderful atmospheres and brilliant antagonists. She has other books, but I don't think I'd like them like I'd like her most recent writings. I actually don't mind what genre she's in. The series I read was YA/Teen Fantasy but another stand alone book was a Ghost Story; I loved both equally.
6. Douglas Adams  (Deceased) I imagine anyone who has read anything by him- either the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books, the radio script, or his other series can appreciate his unique wit and way of making people confused without ostracising them. He does it in a friendly, funny way. I always feel sad to think that he died, especially after reading stuff Stephen Fry wrote in his autobiography.
7. Muriel Barbery She's written something else and though I went to buy it, reviews warded me away. They said it wasn't bad, but if you'd read The Elegance of the Hedgehog (which is my favourite book) you might dislike her other book. Still, I may relent at some point since I loved her novel so much.
8. Stieg Larsson  (Deceased) I can think about him without feeling sad: he wrote all the books, left them with his publisher, and died before he could see them published. I wonder how he would feel knowing the response people had to them. And even though he lost me sometimes, he did have an insight into something that doesn't get a lot of press/
9. Anthony Horowitz Now he is neither my favourite writer nor one with remarkable skill: but he's good at coming up with stories and ideas for stories. The only reason I put him here is that he has written 4 books in a five book series but hasn't done the last one yet! When he did he publish number 4? 2008. Grrr. 
10. Stephen Chbosky Perks of Being a Wallflower is a well-known and well respected book, and I'm not asking that he write a sequel or anything, but I can appreciate his ability to write and craft really superbly realistic characters. I adored the book (are you seeing a trend in this list?) and I'd enjoy being able to buy something else by him and have him lose me in a great story I'll recommend to every passer-by.

Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

God, what an amazing meme! I've come out of my lack of blogging because I must do this. Nicely, this also gives me two posts today, I think. Or will do.

Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

1. Harry Potter. Everyone will say this, but that is because it is so true. I'm full of Harry Potter love
2. The Hunger Games. Okay, I didn't think of this myself, but I agree with everyone who did say this.
3. The Help. I've only just recently finished it but it was amazing.
4. The Belgariad. My favourite series ever. If I could read this again, I'd get the same smug smiles like I'm sharing a joke with the characters, or the content full face smiles when I predicted something. Fantastic series of books.
5. Pride and Prejudice. This was my first foray into Austen's books and I was blown away that I liked it so much. I love getting something that you thought would be bearable, but ends up being one of the most amazing things ever.
6. Eragon. Kind of my first real stab at High Fantasy that set me up in what kind of books I loved thereafter.
7. Necropolis. It is the fourth in the Power of Five series, but it blew me away. I was terribly impressed considering the 'Meh' attitude I had to the other books.
8. The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. Another one of those great books. I was incredibly sad when this series ended. It wasn't a bad ending but I felt so lost when it was over. I think if I read it for the first time now, though, it would seem perhaps too young.
9. The Elegance of the Hedgehog. My favourite book. Yes, my favourite book and series are separate. I have to break the rules of book favouritism in order to satisfy my book love. I sort of think I'd like to read it again for the second time since that was when I really fell in love.
10. The Perks of being a Wallflower. Another great books that left me blown away when I finished. Everything just worked about that books and I can't express how wonderfully it was: both in idea and execution.

Okay: all done. I had to miss Divergent and The Road but they are both spiritually part of the list. I was also really in love with Enclave (which was like my first Austen foray) and The Millennium Trilogy which was great in its own separate right. In a way, it'd be kind of nice to just start reading again. To go through those week and years of reading and then the realisation that you love books. That you have read so many great things and then it hits you: what else is out there?

Friday Hop Trois

Reading Challenges: Did you sign up for any this year?

How has your progression been?

This is the first year I've signed up for a reading challenge, because I don't like to set myself targets. They seem great to me really: I can easily motivate myself, I like long term goals and working towards them, as well as never setting myself unachievable targets. I tend to set them more as a way to maintain what I have already managed. The reason I would rarely set them is that if I missed the target, it would only be by a small amount and I'd really get on my own nerves for having done that.

However, I did sign up to read 50 books this year (via goodreads) and I am on top of it at the moment. In fact, I'm ahead. But I expect to fall behind now I've started school. Ah, well. 'twas good while it lasted.

Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it.

Yes, yes and yes! Until I started really reading properly (this year) I used to be re-reading all the time. I've read Harry Potter more times than I can count, I read The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness by Michelle Paver at least thrice, His Dark Materials four times and, my most re-read, the Belgariad and the Mallorean. I must have read them into the twenties.

The reason I re-books tends to be because I can't really get over the fact the book finished. The characters, with whom I've enjoyed many hours laughing and crying with, forever call me back. This is first year that I haven't read The Belgariad and Mallorean in a long time, but I want to. I just feel I can't because I always have a new book I could read and I feel I must read. I kind of think I might set aside a month each year for any re-reads I want. I have many books I want to re-read too because I was so in love with them (e.g. To Kill a Mockingbird) while I want to re-read ones I've read and disliked to see if my opinion has changed (e..g Dorian Gray.

Happy Hopping everyone! I hope I was at least bearably interesting.