You know what I love? When an author has a page on their website devoted to recommendations. I’m not saying that this is something all authors should do, but it sure is nice. It caters to my nosiness – what books do you like in the genres you write? Peering at someone’s bookshelves is similar – I want to know what you read, but to have a list of recommendations – I can find out what your favorites are. If I find myself agreeing to an author’s picks I’m inclined to try them out if I’ve never read their books before. I also like how it gives me yet another place to find new-to-me books (as if there aren’t enough places).
I have tried out some books based on author’s recommendations on their websites. Sherwood Smith is why I tried Greensleeves by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. Neil Gaiman is why I read The Winter of Enchantment by Victoria Walker (I read the book before I had a book blog, so the review is only on paperbackswap and goodreads – 
). I thought The Winter of Enchantment was very lovely imagewise, only OK plotwise, but I’m glad I read it. And Greensleeves I recommend heartily, but it’s sadly out of print and not cheap to find used online.
Here are some Author Recommendations:
Kristin Cashore recommends Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley, Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, Cynthia Voigt’s Novels of the Kingdom, Megan Whalen Turner’s Attolia books, Mary Stewart’s Nine Coaches Waiting, and others.
Rachel Neumeier recommends 14 books including The Changeling Sea, by Patricia McKillip, The Blue Sword, by Robin McKinley, Cukoo’s Egg, by CJ Cherryh, The Warrior’s Apprentice, by Lois McMaster Bujold, and A Certain Slant of Light, by Laura Whitcomb
In 2009, Linnea Sinclair recommended in her fan forums Sara Creasy’s Song of Scarabaeus, Julie Czernada’s In the Company of Others, and C.J. Cherryh’s Foreigner series and I’ve put those all on my to-read-one-day list.
Holly Black‘s Suggested Reading List has Lloyd Alexander, Madeleine L’ Engle, Mary Stewart, Peter Beagle, Tanith Lee, Susan Cooper, Diana Wynne Jones,and Michael Moorcock on it, to name a few (she’s also yet another one who recommends Megan Whalen Turner’s Attolia books)
![The Westing Game [WESTING GAME]](https://janicu.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/6a00cd96f8411f4cd50137e038b386860e.jpg?w=115&h=200 "The Westing Game [WESTING GAME]")
Shannon Hale has a lovely long list of recommendations on her website. So many. I love it. She recommends gems like Riddle-Master: The Complete Trilogy, by Patricia McKillip, and Tales from the Sisters Grimmer, by Tanith Lee. (I must say I like her husband’s recs at the bottom of her list too).
Ann Aguirre sometimes posts about books she loved on her blog, and I pay attention. She’s recommended Diana Pharaoh Francis’ Bitter Night, and Liz William’s Nine Layers of Sky, both on my TBR, as well as Jeri Smith-Ready and intriguing romances with idiot heroes.
![Moominsummer Madness [MOOMINSUMMER MADNESS] [Paperback]](https://janicu.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/6a00cd96f8411f4cd50137e11bbca5860f.jpg?w=128&h=200 "Moominsummer Madness [MOOMINSUMMER MADNESS] [Paperback]")
Garth Nix also wrote a long list of recommendations (ah, quite delightful), called “Books Remembered: An Alphabetical Remembrance“. He also has The Winter of Enchantment listed, along with Georgette Heyer, Tove Jansson, Ursula Le Guin and T. H. White’s The Once and Future King (which really should be required reading).
I know I’ve seen more lists on author’s websites, but let’s stop there. Are there lists that you recommend I look at? Do tell!
specficromantic 
Great idea for a post! I actually got the best book recommendations from the lead singer of Better than Ezra. Whenever I’d go to a show, I’d ask him for a rec, then I’d read it and talk to him about it at the next show.
I love it when your favorite authors give you recs though – it’s like a peek behind the scenes.
Oh. My. God!! You are a BTE fan?!! My friends and I used to go to shows when I was in college in the south! I heard they were friendly and hung out with fans after shows. What books has he recommended?!
I sure like Nix if he says read Jansson, yay go Finland 😉
Yep, Garth Nix – I’m a fan of his Abhorsen series. It’s an excellent YA fantasy, IMHO!
GREAT post. I’ve discovered so many good books through author recommendations.
And it’s true. I am annoyingly right about Diana’s books. It’s high time you gave them a whirl. SECRET SOCIETY GIRL is the place to start.
*waits*
I sense a foot tapping as I read this. I know, I know..
Fantastic post!! I’m always reading books (or at least planning to) recommended to me by Sarah Rees Brennan. I love her little recaps and she hasn’t steered me wrong yet!
oo, Sarah Rees Brennan? I will have to look into that. Thanks for the rec. She’s another author who I want to read. I’ve only read a short story – which I loved – it was in The Eternal Kiss and it was really funny. Must read THE DEMON’S LEXICON.
I’m so glad Angie linked to this post because it’s great. Thanks.
Thanks 🙂
What a great idea for a post! I love author recommendations. It’s interesting to see how they’ve affected your TBR, Janice. I need to read more of these – though I agree with you on the fact that they are already so many places to go for them!
Thanks. I know, so many places to find recommendations… and my system for remembering recommendations is really messy. I have tags on the google reader (books-to-read, books-to-skip, and maybe), plus the amazon wishlist, plus emails I send myself. Not to mention a mental list. Signs of a sick, sad addict.
Excellent post! I’m also a huge fan of author recommendations. I love researching about favorite authors’ recommended reads, especially if it looks like we love the same books. I remember I first found out about Sherwood Smith and Megan Whalen Turner from Shannon Hale’s author interviews in her blog. Now, they are two of my favorite authors.
Yes to the multiple Attolia recs in this list! 🙂 Whenever MWT recommends a book, I tend to grab it as soon as I can. Like when she recommended The Lost Conspiracy, which I still haven’t read. I also take note of Sherwood Smith’s recs, I follow her blog in LJ as well as Athanarel. Tamora Pierce also has several lists of recommended books in her site. Like Michelle, I tend to take note of Sarah Rees Brennan’s recs because her summaries are so hilarious. I read The Changeover because of her recommendation and I loved it.
Dude, you know the places to go! Yeah I went and joined Athanarel after discussing those Sherwood Smith extras in the ebook of Crown Duel.
MWT and Tamora Pierce – they are recommended a lot and they have recommendations too? I love it. I also really like that a lot of these authors recommend books that may not have JUST come out – they’re books that have been around and maybe not everyone has read them. *rubs hands* but the world must read them!
I know, I remember. Sherwood is pretty active in that community. I also follow her reviews in Goodreads. Goodreads is another excellent source of author recommendations.
Yes, MWT and Tamora Pierce are both awesome. 🙂 Although I haven’t read all of Tamora Pierce’s books. I think it’s even better if they recommend books that have been around for some time because it feels like you’ve found buried treasure. Yay for oldies but goodies.
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