I love lists, I love Top Ten Tuesday, and I love The Broke and the Bookish for hosting the very best weekly meme ever.
Here is my list of authors I wish would write another book, in no particular order.
1. Edward P. Jones. Best known for his award-winning novel The Known World, Jones has published two superb story collections: Lost in the City and All Aunt Hagar's Children. I would love another story collection to look forward to.
2. Robin Black's gorgeous story collection If I Loved You I Would Tell You This left me feeling sad-because it is her only book so far....
3. Jo Scott-Coe is a brilliant, observant, courageous former teacher who dared to write honestly about her experiences, and about the politics and gender issues of teaching. Her only book is Teacher at Point Blank: Confronting Sexuality, Violence, and Secrets in a Suburban School. Please, Ma'm, may I have some more?
4. Simon Van Booy. I fell in love with The Secret Lives of People in Love. I haven't read every title by this writer, but I'd like to know that he will keep spinning his beautiful stories.
5. Joan Leegant. As soon as I finished her novel Wherever You Go I was wishing Joan Leegant had another novel. While I'm waiting, I'll console myself with her short story collection An Hour in Paradise.
6. David Rhodes. Rock Island Line and Driftless are two of my favorite contemporary novels, and I really do wish Rhodes would write another.
7. Keri Hulme is the author of The Bone People, a stunning and disturbing book. I wish she would write another novel.
8. Elizabeth Strout just doesn't write fast enough. Every book she writes is so superb. I especially loved Olive Kitteridge and Abide with Me.
9. John Steinbeck. I know, he wrote a lot of books. But still, I have this residual fear that I will run out of Steinbeck books in my lifetime. I guess I will just have to start rereading if that happens.
10. Cormac McCarthy isn't exactly unproductive. And I haven't even read all of his books. In fact, I've read only two. But after reading Blood Meridian I'm feeling almost idolatrous about this book. Blood Meridian is one of the most nearly perfect books I have ever read, so I wish Cormac McCarthy would write it again-only somehow have it be another book. Oh, you know what I mean!
What author do you wish would write another book?
15 comments:
Cormac McCarthy's such an alpha male of literature. His books are so good and unique that he calls the shots with whatever he does. I can't wait until THE PASSENGER comes out. I'm sure it's going to own.
I can never get enough of Terry Pratchett or P G Wodehouse. I wish George Eliot, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and George Orwell had written more. I'd like a new Diana Gabaldon and Audrey Niffeneger. Otherwise I am reasonably content as I still have some Anthony Trollope's that I have yet to read along with some Balzac.
This list reminds me how poorly read I still am! Out of them all, I only recognized 9 & 10. Thanks for introducing me to so many writers! :-D
@Ben-my new mission is to read everything Cormac McCarthy has ever written...
@Scriptor Senex-Oh, if only George Eliot had published just a few more books-nice to know we'll never run out of Trollope!
Yes absolutely on Steinbeck and McCarthy. I haven't read many of the others, although I have Robin Black's short story collection on my TBR.
@Jillian=I promise you they are all worth reading!
@LBC-that's why I love these lists-I always learn about new authors too...
I am so under read - I haven't tried any of these authors yet.
I agree completely with your number 1.
@bermudaonion-I doubt that very much!
@Kinna-Edward P. Jones is so reclusive-I wonder what he is working on right now?
Interesting choices. I can't say I'm super familiar with any of those authors, but maybe I should be checking them out ... The #1 choice on my list would be Patrick Ness. LOVE him.
Glad to have found you via the Hop!
I read The Known World a couple of years ago. A friend of mine reads a book and then passes it on; never keeps it. Anyway, it was in a stack he gave me. He's more a John Grisham-type reader, so I was surprised at it being among the rest. It sat for about six months and I finally picked it up. Wow! It was the best thing I read that year. I am so happy I did. I could definitely go for more and more Edward P. Jones.
@Susan-that's what I love about checking each other's blogs-new book titles for my list!
@Grad-I do wish Jones would write faster!
Richard Siken, the author of the breathtaking Crush... He is depressingly not prolific.
JK Rowling!! My kids and friends and I LOVED waiting in line for midnight releases and rushing home with copies for everyone!
(Having said that Scriptor Senex has a good point with Wodehouse. I am a HUGE fan. (At least he was prolific.))
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