Top Ten Tuesday – 10 Authors I’d Love to Meet
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Authors I’d Love to Meet. I remember doing a similar topic last year, but the great thing about being addicted to books is that I’m always discovering more authors that I’d love to meet. I’m always interested in meeting authors that I think I could not only chat with about their books, but that (assuming I didn’t just sit there and flail speechlessly because I’m meeting my favorites), I could also have real conversations with about what’s going on in the world socially, politically, etc. and how real world events shape what they’re writing about at any given moment. For those who are interested, here’s my list of authors from last year: Top Top Authors I’m Dying to Meet.
And below are ten more authors that I think would be equally fascinating to meet someday…
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10 Authors I’d Love to Meet
1. ALICE HOFFMAN
Alice Hoffman is the author of Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic, Faithful, and many more, and she has been a favorite of mine for years. Her prose is so lyrical, yet so natural and effortless at the same time. I’d love to talk to her about where she gets her inspiration from for the magical stories she writes.
“Books may well be the only true magic.”
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2. LIANE MORIARTY
LIane Moriarty is the author of the best selling Big Little Lies, which has also been made into a very popular TV series on HBO. I’d love to chat with her about her success. Did she ever imagine that she would basically become a household name when she was writing Big Little Lies?
“The good thing about writing a novel is that you’re creating an imaginary world and can take a break when you need to.”
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3. LEIGH BARDUGO
Leigh Bardugo is the author of two of my favorites series, the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. I’d love to talk to her about how she came up with the whole idea of the Grishaverse, as well as her writing process.
“I think the first trick to writing a feminist work is to write plenty of women. That way you get to write characters, instead of worrying about paradigms.”
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4. MICHELLE OBAMA
I just adore Michelle Obama. She’s so intelligent and an all around class act, and I’m beyond excited that her book is coming out soon. I’d love to meet her not just because of her status as a former First Lady, but just because I think she would be so fascinating to talk to about pretty much any topic.
“Failure is an important part of your growth and developing resilience. Don’t be afraid to fail.”
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5. GEORGE R. R. MARTIN
I think it would be somewhat intimidating to meet George R. R. Martin, but I’d still love to, mainly because I’d love to ask him about his process and if he ever has regrets about killing off some of his characters.
“I have a huge emotional attachment to characters I’ve created, especially the viewpoint characters.”
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6. TOMI ADEYEMI
Tomi Adeyemi is the author of the immensely popular Children of Blood and Bone novel. I’d love to meet her and talk about what comes next for the characters I fell in love with in the first book of this series.
“I want a little black girl to pick up my book one day and see herself as the star. I want her to know that she’s beautiful and she matters, and she can have a crazy magical adventure even if an ignorant part of the world tells her she can never be Hermione Granger.”
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7. BECKY ALBERTALLI
I’d love to meet Becky to thank her for writing wonderful books filled with some of the most relatable characters I’ve ever come across. I can’t wait to read her upcoming collaboration with Adam Silvera.
“People really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows and maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other.” (Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda)
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8. KATHERINE ARDEN
Katherine Arden is the author of one of my favorite series, The Winternight Trilogy. I’d love to talk to her about her inspiration for this series and to see if she would give me a sneak peek of the final book, which I’m dying to get my hands on but it doesn’t come out until January 2019.
“Every time you take one path, you must live with the memory of the other: of a life left unchosen. Decide as seems best, one course or the other; each way will have its bitter with its sweet.” (The Girl in the Tower)
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9. DAN BROWN
I’d love to meet Dan Brown, mainly just to see how many more ideas he has for Robert Langdon books or if he’ll be introducing a new series anytime soon.
“I’m fascinated by power, especially veiled power. Shadow power. The National Security Agency. The National Reconnaissance Office. Opus Dei. The idea that everything happens for reasons we’re not quite seeing.”
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10. RICK RIORDAN
I’d love to meet Rick Riordan to thank him for writing books that have made my son love reading.
“Being a hero doesn’t mean you are invincible. It means you are brave enough to stand up and do what’s right.”
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Impressive list! I think I’d like to meet a couple of my thriller writers, find out what kind of personalities they have to be able to write what they do. Harlan Coben, Karen Rose and J. K. Rowling (writing as Robert Galbraith).
J.K. Rowling would be so much fun to meet. She made my list last year. 🙂
I would love meeting Michelle Obama! And Tomi was at YALC London but thr queue was so long that I could not meet her. I had my book signed thanks to someone early in the queue.
Awww, bummer that you couldn’t meet Tomi. I bet that would have been so much fun.
Definely Liane Moriarty and Becky Albertalli. They were both amazing and have written some of my favorite books..
Right? Same here.
Awesome list!! I would love to meet Stephen King and Daniel Handler. I’d also love to meet Tony Moyle and TL Branson in person! 🙂
I think Stephen King would be so much fun. I’d love to talk politics with him, lol.
Another great list! Like you, I have quite a few I’d like to meet and don’t know if I could narrow it down to just one, but Mrs. Obama and Dan Brown are 2 good ones. I would love to meet Christine Feehan, David Baldacci, Mark Greaney, Sierra Cartwright, Catherine Anderson, Catherine Coulter, JT Ellison, James Patterson, JK Rowling, Jr Ward, Daniel Silva, Catherine Coulter, Brenda Novak, a ton of cookbook authors and many, many more! Your blog always makes me think and I love it! Hugs…RO
James Patterson would be a fun one to meet!
Ohhhh, Suzanne, loving this list — especially Dan Brown! I’d love to pick his brain about … everything really lol
Right?! LOL!
I think meeting Becky would be awesome. I’d also LOVE to meet Michelle Obama. She’s amazing. There are tons of authors I’ve been lucky enough to meet, but many many more I’d still like to meet. A “probably never going to happen” would be J.K. Rowling but I’d also really like to meet V.E. Schwab someday.
-Lauren
Oh yeah, I’d totally love to meet J.K. Rowling and V.E. Schwab some day. They would be so much fun!
I’ve heard Katherine Arden speak twice and she’s super funny, believe it or not! She tells engaging stories even when she’s not writing. I could sit in a room all day with her if I had to 😁
That’s so cool that you got to hear her speak. And I’m glad to hear the experience was such a good one. I’ve read a couple of interviews and thought she just sounded so interesting.
Great list! Michelle’s on mine as well:) Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
I love that you included quotes for each of them. Great list.
Thanks!
Could you also ask George RR Martin if he is ever going to finish the Game of Thrones books 😂😂 I am losing hope! And that is awesome that you were able to find books that made your son love reading! And I think Rick Riordan would love to hear that <3
LMAO! That is a question I would definitely love to ask him if I ever had the chance!
Oh my gosh, meeting Michelle Obama would be incredible. I’ve never read any Rick Riordan books (I know, it’s bad), but he seems like SUCH a nice and genuine person that I would love to meet him anyway! (Though preferably after I’ve read something by him) Wonderful list!
Thank you!
We got to meet Uncle Rick and Bardugo between BookExpos and Yallfest. I have Morarity on my list too. Has she even toured the US?
I don’t think she has yet unless I completely missed it. Hopefully she will sometime soon!
This is a great list! I think George R.R. Martin would be a hoot to meet, and I bet Dan Brown would be super-nice!
I think so too. Hope you’re having a great time on your trip, btw!
I have no idea what authors I’d want to meet because I’d have no idea what to talk to them about, so I love that you included what you’d talk about with the ones on your list! I suppose it would be cool to know more about the inspiration behind things an how they feel about certain aspects of their writing, like killing off characters. And I agree, Michelle Obama does seem like an all around class act!
I have a feeling that even though I think I know what I want to talk to them about, that all rational thought would leave my brain as soon as I actually laid eyes on them, lol.
I met George RR Martin at an event once but I’d love to talk to him in depth, I bet talking process with him would be fascinating. And Liane Moriarty- I totally agree.
Right? Plus, I’d love a few hints about that next book we’re all impatiently waiting for, lol.
Ah, I love that quote from Bardugo!n I would love to meet Arden! Her Winternight series is my favourite too & honestly I would love to get writing advice from her 😀
I agree about getting writing advice from Arden. Her prose and the way she weaves together a story is just incredible.
Oh Katherine Arden, that is a good one!
Isn’t she great?
Yes, I would love the meet Uncle Rick. But I wouldn’t mentioned the percy jackson movies to him lol!
LOL!
What a great list! I would enjoy meeting many of these authors, though I haven’t read some of them yet. I’ve been kicking myself for not putting Rick Riordan on my list.
I think he would be so much fun to meet.
Leigh Bardugo is at the top of my list!
I would love to meet her too. I’m so in love with all of her books.
I love how eclectic your list is! From Beck Albertalli to Michelle Obama. Which, coincidentally, are two that I would love to meet myself. I’ve long found Michelle to be fascinating and inspiring and would love to sit down and just listen to a talk from her. With Becky I’d be more willing to actually engage. How the married mom manages to so perfectly and realistically portray teenagers just amazes me. My high school days were 30 years ago and yet I totally connect with her characters and feel such a connection with them. I’d love to chat with her about that.
I completely agree with you about Becky. I think she would just be so interesting to chat with.
I’d love to meet Tomi Adeyemi, Leigh Bardugo and Rick Riordan. I just missed Tomi when she was in the U.K. this summer, so I’m hoping she comes back for her next book.
My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/top-ten-tuesday-179/
That’s a bummer you missed Tomi. Fingers crossed that she comes back there soon!
What a lovely, wide-ranging list! The only one of those authors I’ve seen in the flesh is George R.R. Martin at a UK Fantasycon where he was guest of honour. He also did a reading. He struck me as a delightful person, who took in his stride the excitement of his many fans with graciousness and humility. He also has a lovely sense of humour. But there are others on your list I’d also like to meet:)
That’s so great that you got to see George R.R. Martin. He definitely seems like an interesting fellow.