July 7, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: Most-Read Authors

*I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday: Most-Read Authors.
If you’ve clicked over from That Artsy Reader Girl, Welcome! Please look around and enjoy your stay.
Who is your most read author? It was interesting to crunch the numbers to see which authors made the top of my list. This list reflects reading from recent years and does not reflect my childhood reading. Also, this list is not representative of my favorite authors. Some of my newly discovered favorite authors have only written one or two books.
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Listed in order of the number of books read (not in order of favorite author). I have more than ten authors in this post because #bookproblems
Alexander McCall Smith: 22 Books Read
I love Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (series of 20). I adore the kind and gracious Mma Precious Ramotswe and the cast of quirky supporting characters, and I appreciate the setting and culture of Botswana. A recent favorite is The House of Unexpected Sisters and I look forward to a new installment this fall, How to Raise an Elephant. I’ve tried his Scotland series and I read My Italian Bulldozer, but I prefer the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series to anything else. Each installment is like visiting with old friends. If you are looking for easy-reading, gentle, comfort reads with likable characters and uplifting themes, this might be a good option. They definitely fall in the category of “uplit.”
Louise Penny: 15 Books Read
The best part of this gentle mystery series for me is the character of Chief Inspector Armond Gamache. The setting of Three Pines is an additional draw. One of my favorites of the series is Glass Houses and I’m looking forward to a new installment in September, All the Devils Are Here.
Fredrik Backman: 8 Books Read
If Backman had written 100 books, I would have read them all! They are all different so it’s difficult to choose a favorite. Thus I’m listing all eight! At the moment, he is my favorite author (and will be at the top of this list when he writes more books). I devoted an entire post to Backman here.
Beartown, Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, Deal of a Lifetime, Things My Son Needs to Know About the World, and Us Against You have been reviewed on the blog. I’m eagerly waiting for number nine due out in September, Anxious People.
Susan Meissner: 5 Books
Susan Meissner writes engaging historical fiction, and my favorite is A Fall of Marigolds.
Mitch Albom: 5 Books Read
Do you love Mitch Albom, too? I regret that I’m not yet a Mitch Albom completist. Are you? My favorites are Tuesdays With Morrie, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, and Finding Chika.
Kate Morton: 5 Books Read
I read several Kate Morton books years ago. I considered her a tried and true histfic author that I could fall back on when I didn’t know what to read next. Her last book, The Clockmaker’s Daughter, received mixed reviews, so I’m not sure if she’s still an auto-buy author or not. If I remember correctly, my favorites are The Forgotten Garden and The Lake House.
Ruta Sepetys: 4 Books Read
Sepetys writes YA historical fiction and although I love each of her four books, probably my favorite is Salt to the Sea because it is the most memorable. Have you read it?
Katherine Center: 4 Books Read
OK…if you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m not a huge fan of chick-lit! However, Katherine Center is one author that consistently includes feisty main characters and a side of thoughtful themes. I don’t have a definite favorite but I recently loved What you Wish For (I’ll be reviewing it soon). I’ll definitely take a chance on a new Katherine Center story!
Kristin Harmel: 4 Books Read
Kristin Harmel writes engaging historical fiction. All her stories are compelling and heartfelt. Probably my favorite is the one I most recently read, The Book of Lost Names (will be reviewed on the blog soon). Do you love Kristin Harmel?
Diane Chamberlain: 4 Books Read
Diane Chamberlain is a prolific and popular author and I’ve only read four of her books. The last two I’ve thoroughly enjoyed: The Dream Daughter and Big Lies in a Small Town. I will happily take a chance on a new book.
Anne Tyler: 4 Books Read
Anne Tyler is an exquisite and gifted writer who specializes in character-driven stories, and if you’ve followed my reviews long you might realize that exclusively character-driven stories drive me a little crazy! I need a hint of a plot in addition to delicious characterizations. Clock Dance might be my favorite of the four books I’ve read because there was a bit of tension/conflict/plot. Are you an Anne Tyler fan?
Honorable Mention: 3 Books Read
Several authors fall into this category including Rachel Joyce, Amy Harmon, Jacqueline Woodson, Elizabeth Acevedo, Kate Quinn, Hazel Gaynor, Lauren K Denton, Kristin Hannah, and Sara Ackerman. I look forward to more great stories from all of these authors.
Line of Learning:
As a part of a lab report, my 5th-grade students always included a “line of learning.” What I’ve learned through this analysis is that there is not nearly enough diversity and “own voices” authors in my most-read author’s list. Reading more diversely is definitely my on-going goal. In the “3 Books” category, there are two “own voices’ authors represented (Woodson and Acevedo). Although Alexander McCall Smith is not an “own voices” author, he is an “insider” (according to his bio) and I appreciate reading about Mma Ramotswe and Botswana.
I am happy that 7/10 of my most-read authors are women (and all the authors in the “3 Books” category are women).
Let’s Discuss!
Do we share any most-read authors?
Which author tops your list of most-read authors?
If you conducted an analysis, do you think you would be surprised with the results?
Happy Reading Bookworms!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!
Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
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Happy Reading Bookworms!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!
Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price. This money will be used to offset the costs of running a blog and to sponsor giveaways, etc.
Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.
The book covers and author photos are credited to Amazon or an author’s website.
© ReadingLadies.com
Great list, thanks for sharing! I did not know Backman had written so many – was only really aware of A Man Called Ove and Beartown… And I have the Alexander McCAll Smith books ready to read over the summer.
My TTT is here http://bookloverssanctuary.com/2020/07/07/top-ten-tuesday-authors-i-have-read-most-books-by/
Thanks for stopping by! Love Ove and Beartown! Enjoy your time in Botswana! Thanks for leaving your link…hopping over now…
Alexander McCall Smith is on my list too!
Once I start a series, it’s hard to let go!
Hi there! This is a great list! Alexander McCall Smith! Aaaaah….. Best stories! I’ve read books by Mitch Albom, Kate Morton and Ruta Sepetys as well, but none made my list.
Here’s my TTT
Thanks! It’s good to hear we’ve read some of the same authors!
Thanks for leaving your link…hopping over now…
You are the second reader who has my Alexander McCall Smith on her list, well three, if I include myself. A well-deserved place, I think.
My TTT.
Happy Reading.
Once I start a series, it’s hard to let go! Thanks for leaving your link…I’m hopping over now….
I have that same problem. I now started his Scotland Street series … Sigh.
Might try Susan Meissner 🙂 .
Start with Fall of Marigolds!
I keep meaning to read Alexander McCall Smith’s work. It looks so interesting.
My TTT .
He’s very character driven. He’s prolific but the only ones I really love are the Ladies’ Detective! Thanks for leaving your link…hopping over now…
Susan Meissner and Diane Chamberlain are on my list as well!
They write great stories! 🙌😍
I’ve heard great things about Glass Houses.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
One fav in the series! Thanks for leaving your link…hopping over now….
Great minds read alike! I love Kate Morton, Louise Penny, Katherine Center, Susan Meissner, Ruta Sepetys, and Diane Chamberlain (who I’ve discovered only recently). Great authors, all. I haven’t read anything by Harmel yet, but I have a feeling I’m going to love her as well 🙂
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Book twins!!! 😂😍thanks for leaving your link…hopping over now…
Love this post Carol. I’m trying to get books on curbside pick up at the library and it’s best to have names of older books not in high demand! so there’s a treasure trove here. I’ve read multiple books by McCall, Penny, Backman, Morton, Center and Tyler. My favorites are Kate Morton’s books– really loved the particular characters of The Clockmaker’s Daughter. And my favorite author is Rosamunde PIlcher. Own all her books, not great literature, but I love her real characters, the British/Scottish settings and there’s usually a wise older woman involved somewhere. And I’ve read a lot of Philip Yancy over the years. fun post!!
Thanks for sharing your authors Rhonda! So many great books so little time!
Have you read A Fall of Marigold? That might be an easy one to get at the library.
Clockmakers Daughter drove me a bit crazy when she was still introducing new characters at 60%! I feared she had forgotten about her present day couple!
You’re right…this is a great time to read back list titles! Happy reading!
I loved the Shell Seekers but I think I must be due for a reread because I hardly remember it!
I see so many I love in your list, Carol! Chamberlain, Harmel. This was really fun to read!
Thanks Jennifer! 🙌
I love your list Carol. I agree with your comment, my top ten are not necessarily my favourite authors, but they are the ones who wrote the most and I read. I Anne Tyler and Alexander McCall Smith are probably the only two on your list that I do not read.
You might like the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series!
I keep saying I am going to try it, but still have not given it a go.
Fredrik Backman is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Someday I’ll get to the rest of his backlist.
He’s amazing! 🙌😍
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