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Until I started blogging a few years ago, I’d never heard anyone talk about “auto-buy” authors, but the first time I heard the term, I knew exactly what it meant. For me, it’s an author that you’re so confident about that you can be onboard for reading his or her next book without even reading the synopsis. From the moment I heard the term I could also identify many favorite authors to whom that would apply. Today I’m sharing twelve authors whose fabulous writing has earned them a spot on my auto-buy list. This Top Ten Tuesday topic is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Narrowing my list down to 12 was no easy task. To help, I required of myself that they had to be authors I’d read at least two books from and in most cases more. That eliminated all debut authors who have yet to produce a second novel. Many in that category I’ll eagerly snap up their next book. Some of the authors on this list have been there for years and others are relatively new. As we all know, favorite authors can wax and wane, so my list is a fluid one. (The list is in alphabetical order and nothing more.)
Authors On My Auto-Buy List
Fredrik Backman – I first came to appreciate Backman with A Man Called Ove, but it wasn’t until Beartown (my review) that I truly fell in love with his writing style. By the time I got to Us Against You (my review) I was a complete fangirl!
Chris Bohjalian – I’ll be honest, I haven’t loved Bohjalian’s last two books, The Sleepwalker (my review) and The Flight Attendant (my review), but his amazing range keeps him on my auto-buy list. I’ve adored so many of his books including Skeletons at the Feast , The Guest Room, and Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands that I’ll always want to read what he puts out.
John Boyne – I was first awed by Boyne with my very favorite book of 2017, The Heart’s Invisible Furies (my review). This year’s A Ladder to the Sky (my review) I didn’t like quite as much, but I remain a Boyne fan and need to get busy and dive into some of his backlist books.
Peter Heller – Heller is definitely the newest addition to my auto-but list. He first came to my attention with this year’s release, The River (my review). I was so awed by it that I immediately read (and loved) his earlier hit, The Dog Stars (my review). I went on and read The Painter which I also thoroughly enjoyed. There’s just something about Heller’s writing that really appeals to me and I’m eager to read more!
Madeline Miller – Sometimes you just don’t know yourself as well as you think. I ONLY gave Circe (my review) a chance because so many others liked it. I expected to DNF it. Instead, I was awed by Miller’s fresh take on Greek mythology in both Circe and The Song of Achilles (my review). I’d love to get my hands on more mythology from her.
Ann Patchett – If I had to pick my number one auto-buy author, it would be Patchett. I first discovered her with Bel Canto, and have moved on to many others including State of Wonder and Commonwealth (my review). Her ability to write such vastly different stories that sweep you away keeps me a fan. I’m very excited to read her new book, The Dutch House, coming out in September.
Anna Quindlen – The great Anna Quindlen, she can do it all. Fiction and nonfiction. Somehow I’d missed Quindlen before I started blogging, but was quickly pointed to her. I started with Every Last One (my review) which absolutely gutted me, but made me a devotee. I’ve read several others including One True Thing, Alternate Side (my review) and this year’s book of thoughts on grandparenting, Nanaville (my review).
Iain Reid – Reid is perhaps my most unlikely choice for an auto-buy author, but there’s just something about his writing that leaves me wanting more. Both his debut, I’m Thinking of Ending Things (my review), and his sophomore effort, Foe (my review) left me with a lot of questions, but in the best possible way.
Taylor Jenkins Reid – Okay, maybe my number one pick would be Reid. It’s a close call! I first got the bug for Reed’s fabulous story telling with The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (my review), and then grew positively rabid with this year’s mega-hit, Daisy Jones & The Six (my review). I’ve also hit her back list with One True Loves. Anything she writes, I’ll read!
Amor Towles – Towles writes long immersive novels that you get completely lost in and I just love that. Both The Rules of Civility and A Gentleman in Moscow (my review) did that, but in completely different ways. His books tend to be spaced a couple years apart, so it must be just about time for a new one?
Karen Thompson Walker – I first discovered Walker in 2012 with her debut, The Age of Miracles (my review). After that, I’d look every six months or so to see if she had anything new coming out. It wasn’t until this last January that the world was finally rewarded with her second wonderful book, The Dreamers (my review). I hope we don’t have to wait quite so long for her third!
Meg Wolitzer – The Interestings is one of my all time favorite books and for that reason alone I would try anything else Wolitzer writes, and lucky for me she does so much, so well. I’ve especially enjoyed The Ten Year Nap and last year’s well received, timely story, The Female Persuasion (my review).
Who are your favorite auto-buy authors?
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Great list!!! I agree with many of these.
Ditto!
Thanks for List!
Certain of these authors I have returned to and read All their books 📚 !!
So Much Good Writing ✍🏿
My Most Joy in Today’s World.
Thanks, Beth. We often seem to like some of the same books.
Excellent choices! I probably should have included Fredrik Backman–I’ve only had one disappoint from him (MY Grandmother….)
I’ve had a couple from Backman that I wasn’t wild about, too, but Beartown and Us Against You made him a solid auto-buy for me.
You’re making me curious about all of these authors!
My TTT.
Thanks for stopping by. They’re all great writers and aren’t we lucky because of that?!
I definitely would include many you have on your list-Backman, Boyd, and Reid at the top, but I’d include Liane Moriarty (despite the last book, I’m still a fan), Kelly Corrigan, Rainbow Rowell, Celeste Ng, & Jane Harper.
I thought about including Kelly Corrigan, but decided to stick to fiction. She’s terrific.
TJR is a favorite of mine and made my list this week, as well!
It seems everyone loves TJR these days!
Yes to TJR!! I LOVE HER BOOKS! Especially her older ones.
Genesis @ Whispering Chapters
I still need to read After I Do. Maybe I’ll listen to it this summer.
Oh Susie, I think we’re book twins. I’ve been following you for only a couple of months and I’m so glad I came your way.
I’d recently given up on Chris bohjalian. Sometimes when an author gets too successful, I think editors go hands-off. They shouldn’t! I haven’t read all the titles of his you say you like, but I’ll probably put them on the list. He’s generally great for a good, solid, complex story.
I haven’t read any Quinlan or Reid. I’m excited to give those a try. I’d probably keep the the other nine you mention on my list and add Barbara Kingsolver, Chris Cleeve and David Michell.
Yay! I love having book twins and I’m happy you’re following and enjoying my reviews.
I know exactly what you mean about Bohjalian. I haven’t been crazy about his lat two books, either. What keeps him on my list are the great older books I’ve loved and the fact that he hasn’t published a book in nearly two years. For a few years he was publishing a book a year and I think the stories suffered because of that. I’m hopeful that he’s taking longer on his current book and that that will manifest in something less commercial and with more substance.
I considered Barbara Kingsolver for the list, but I actually didn’t finish her last book.
Quindlen is amazing. I’d start with Every Last One.
Thanks for stopping by, Christie.
Boyne’s backlist is Bonus!
Wasn’t Towles a muck muck in world finance and traveling loads, hence the time between novels? I believe he’s “retired” (in his 50s) so more books may be on the way. I saw him at City Arts in SF recently.
Patchett was a go to of mine for the 20+ years until her last two. I hope Dutch House pulls her out of this tail spin. But I will proselytize for The Magician’s Assistant until my dying day.
Anne Tyler is my auto-buy. Not as good perhaps as she once was, but anyone who could write Breathing Lessons AND The Accidental Tourist will live with me forever. Her quirky characters and down to earth, quotidian lives always ring true.
You know more about Towles than I do. I just love his writing.
I seriously thought about Anne Tyler for this list. I have loved so many of her books (especially the two you mentioned), but the last couple haven’t quite worked for me. It was hard to go with only 12, which really was over a “top ten” list!
I agree with a lot of these. Taylor Jenkins Reid, Amor Towles, and Madeline Miller are new to my auto buy list this year. I haven’t loved his back list, but future Backman are on the list.
In addition these, Stephen Rowley is also new to the list this year. Barbara Kingsolver has long been on the list (though I hated The Poisonwood Bible). Joshilyn Jackson is an always listen because her narrating is perfection. I’ll always read the latest JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts). I love that series the way a lot of people love Louise Penny.
I was concentrating on fiction, but Ruth Reichl – both fiction and non-fiction – is also on the list.
I keep hearing about Ruth Reichl and definitely need to try here. I considered Kingsolver for this list, but actually DNF’d her last book. And Rowley? I loved Lily, but The Editor was only okay for me. I do look forward to what he does next though.
Great list. I’d have to add Eowyn Ivey to my list.
I’ve only read The Snow Child from her, but I really liked it.
So many authors I love on this list! Madeline Miller was such a surprise for me, too! I loved Circe and SOA SO much more than I expected to! TJR, Frederik Backman, and John Boyne, too! I would have to add Sally Rooney and Christina Lauren to my auto-buy list, too!
I’ve only read one Sally Rooney and nothing at all from Christina Lauren. I’d better check them out!