To ring in the new year, I’d like to talk about my favorite authors, the writers who inspire me, who move me, and whose writing style I love. Every time I pick up a book of theirs, whether I’ve never read it before or I’ve read it dozens of times, these are the writers who I get excited to read, whose books I savor reading. Let’s dive in.

J. R. R. Tolkien

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: Tolkien is by far my favorite author. The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion are amazing feats of fantasy storytelling that continue to impact the rise of modern fantasy to this day. I’m also a fan of his more obscure stuff, like his academic translations of Beowulf or The Battle of Maldon. I work through a new Tolkien book every year, and often reread his Middle-earth classics. As I learn more about his life as a writer and as an academic, he continues to be a relatable encouragement to me as a fellow fantasy writer / college professor-to-be.

Recommended Books: The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, & Letters From Father Christmas

Madeline L’Engle

L’Engle is an incredible storyteller who calls me to worship God through her creative take on world-building and her perspective on how marvelous Jesus is. Her books have inspired me from a young age, especially in crafting stories and myths that fit into my Christian ethic and worldview. I’ve also gotten into her nonfiction as well, which is, like Tolkien, inspiring to me as a fellow Christian and speculative fiction writer.

Recommended Books: A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet, & Walking on Water

Brandon Sanderson

No one’s new releases get me more pumped than Sanderson’s. I’m still playing catchup on his massive library of work, but my favorites so far are The Stormlight Archive (can’t wait for Book Five to release this year!!!) and Skyward (Book Four was incredible). Sanderson is definitely a master at fantasy world-building, especially with magic systems. Admittedly, the more I read of his work, the more I pick up on his very clear formula for pretty much each of his series, yet I still have enjoyed everything I’ve read of his.

Recommended Books: Mistborn, Skyward, & The Way of Kings

Stephanie Morrill

Morrill is somewhat of an outlier in terms of my genre preferences, as she is not a fantasy writer. Contemporary and historical fiction (with romance, always) is her specialty. She’s a master at writing relatable female characters, sweet and satisfying romantic plotlines, and touching on thought-provoking history (particularly in Within These Lines). I also got to personally learn from Morrill through my time with the One Year Adventure Novel (OYAN) program, both from group sessions and some one-on-one mentoring, so she has a special part in my own growth as a writer.

Recommended Books: Within These Lines, The Lost Girl of Astor Street, & The Ellie Sweet Series

Jill Williamson

Like Morrill, I came to know Williamson through OYAN, and fell in love with her books, a range of fantasy to dystopian, with a Christian spy thriller thrown into the mix. She is a fantastic world-builder (and even has a book on how to do it!), and always writes distinct characters with compelling relationships. Her Mission League series (the aforementioned Christian spy thriller) is my favorite of hers, and a go-to reread for me, as it’s just so unique of a concept. Williamson also writes very grounded Christian fiction that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics and issues, which I also appreciate.

Recommended Books: The Mission League, Blood of Kings Trilogy, & Thirst

Alexandre Dumas

Now we get into a couple of classic authors! I’ve read Dumas’s Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers and enjoyed them both (though see my most recent Reading Recap for some comments on the latter book). Dumas is excellent at writing lively characters, bringing history to life, and weaving compelling themes into the narrative. I’m planning to read more of his work, especially related to the Musketeers, as I like his style and storytelling a lot.

Recommended Book: The Count of Monte Cristo

Charles Dickens

Dickens is another of my favorite classic authors, in large part because of A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations. A Christmas Carol in particular is just a masterpiece, and it makes complete sense to me why it continues to have such a strong legacy in pop culture today. Dickens is excellent at bringing quirky characters to life, and his stories never fail to provide witty and interesting critique of English society.

Recommended Books: A Christmas Carol & Great Expectations

Neil Gaiman

This last addition to the list doesn’t quite feel fair, as I haven’t actually read a lot of Gaiman’s work, but out of all the more recent authors I’ve started to read, he is the most intriguing to me right now. I’ve read Good Omens (co-authored by Terry Pratchett) and Norse Mythology by him, and have read a few other shorter pieces. What intrigues me so much about Gaiman is his writing style, which is clever and instantly draws me into his storytelling. I’m curious to read more of his longer fiction, in part to see if my first impressions hold up. Regardless, his Norse Mythology is excellent; I highly recommend it.

Recommended Book: Norse Mythology  

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Who are some of your favorite writers?