Let's Get To Know Each Other: Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

This week The Broke and The Bookish want to know who we think are the Top Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition.  I did this topic way back in March 2011; I won't repeat authors.  I didn't even make it to ten last time. Can I 2+ years later?  I'm going to include along with the author's name, something they've written that I've enjoyed.  In no particular order.

1. Lauren DeStefano - The Chemical Garden Trilogy

2. Miriam Toews - A Complicated Kindness

3. Morgan Rhodes - Falling Kingdoms

4. Colleen McCullough - The Thorn Birds

5. Katherine Mansfield - The Garden Party

6. Zora Neale Hurston - Their Eyes Were Watching God

7. Khaled Hoseinni - And The Mountains Echoed

8. Richard Ford - Canada

9. Octavia Butler - Kindred

10. Donna Morrissey - The Deception of Livvy Higgs

I reached ten!  I know some of these authors have won awards and have multiple books under their belt, but a lot of them I don't see on other blogs.  I don't read about them in newspapers and magazines.  I try to talk about them in real life with people and they don't know who they are!  For some of these authors, if it wasn't for Goodreads or my attraction to pretty/interesting book covers, I might not even know about them.  Some are "classic" authors that have been forgotten when others are constantly discussed.  Each of those ten books I loved, for different reasons, and I would recommend them.

Who do you think deserves more recognition?

The Thorn Birds

I can’t believe how much I loved The Thorn Birds. It was long, but so well written, you don’t even feel the time pass. Colleen McCullough created more than just a story or an interesting narrative. McCullough created a dynasty, a family you could believe was real and grow attached. Even now, I miss them.

Though there were many unexpected events throughout the story, The Thorn Birds had a practically perfect ending. I wouldn’t call it neat, more like final. Yes, the reader might wonder about Justine’s future; she is only 30 by the end of the novel. The reader might also wonder a bit about who takes over Drogheda. However, I don’t feel like there are any lingering questions. The story does not need a sequel or an interview with the author asking her what she things the future would hold for the Cleary line. When The Thorn Birds is over, it’s over.