I feel like a poser when I think about my favorite authors and their books, because 9 times out of 10 I haven’t read ALL of their books. It’s a weird dichotomy: obviously I WANT to read all of their books… but I also don’t want to run out of their books. You know when you’re just really in the mood for one particular author and nothing else will satisfy you? I’m totally afraid that I’ll run out of books by that author and have nothing new to read from them. This has happened and/or is currently happening with nearly all of my favorite authors. Brittany talked about how there are distinct stages when you find out your favorite author is writing a new book and I think so much of that relates here – the fear and excitement and nervousness and GAH. All the emotions.
Why do I wait and hoard the books?
1. I don’t want to run out of their books.
I hate the idea that there isn’t a book by my favorite author waiting to be read. What do I do if I’m in the mood for their words but don’t feel like rereading? It’s just a nice comfortable feeling when I think that there’s still an unread book by them on my shelf and I know I can wait on reading it for the PERFECT moment. Kasie West, Morgan Matson, and Kody Keplinger are three of my favorites… yet, at the time of reading this post, I haven’t read all of their books. I want to savor them and make sure I always have a book by one of them to read.
2. I’m afraid I won’t like it for some reason.
Sometimes your favorite authors write books that just don’t sound like you’d enjoy them. If THEY didn’t write it, you would probably never bother reading it. But because they did… you know you have to at some point. I haven’t read Jenny Han’s Burn for Burn trilogy yet (written with Siobhan Vivian) because it sounds unlike her cute, fluffy books that I love so much. I know I just need to be in the mood for a revenge/thriller story. Oddly enough, the Katie Finn books (really Morgan Matson) also involve revenge. I’ve heard mixed things about the Broken Hearts and Revenge series in general so I’ve hesitated.
3. I have to space out the feels.
Every time I finish a book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, I’m tempted to go and read Forever, Interrupted right away. I just always need MORE of her words and never want them to end. I stop myself each time because I know that I really need to space out those feels. Each book is extremely character-driven and emotional, so I want to devote a fair amount of attention to it. I’ll probably get to this one (finally) within the next few months, before her next book comes out. I also recently fell for Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s writing with The Fixer duo and have been waiting on The Naturals series. I don’t think my heart and brain can take the thriller pace right now, too soon after The Long Game!
4. It’s a bigger commitment (aka series).
I have this need to binge series if all of the books are released, or at least close to being released. I started Throne of Glass because there is only one book left (two were technically upcoming when I started the binge). That way, I can binge 80% of the series in a row and finish it off with the rest of the world. I did this previously with Winter and The Raven King. I know I should go and read Maggie Stiefvater’s first series but her writing will be something I want to give the proper time to. Other examples? I love Ally Carter and Robin Benway but have put off reading these two series just because of the time investment. I’ll do it when I’m in the mood!
You’re absolutely spot on! I’m the same – I’ve only just started the ToG series because it’s nearly finished, and there’s books by authors I absolutely love that I just haven’t read yet… because what then? Some I’m caught up on (I literally cannot resist a new Sophie Kinsella it HAS to be read) but mostly, I get SO EXCITED for a book and then forget to read it.
For what it’s worth, the Katie Finn books are excellent. Well, the first one in the series is anyway as that’s the only one I’ve read but they’re very fast-paced, though I probably wouldn’t have put 2 + 2 together to know it was Morgan Matson!
Yess I don’t want to catch up on some so I ALWAYS have a backup ready to read!
Interesting! I definitely have backlist books I need to get to. I don’t know that I really have a logic reason. I just haven’t made the time. Or I think I may be afraid I won’t like them as much and then I won’t be able to consider the authors my favorites anymore. Who knows? 🙂
Haha I know what you mean for sure!
I think some authors I shy away from if I have loved everything else by them because I am worried it won’t be as good, for really no reason….lol I don’t do that too often though.
Haha I know what you mean!
This is such an interesting post, as I’m actually the complete opposite! I immediately need to read anything and everything I can by an author I’m loving or consider a favorite. I think it’s mostly because I don’t mind rereading and revisiting all of my favorite moments 🙂
Haha I know what you mean! There are some authors where I will IMMEDIATELY read their latest.
Discussion posts like this are always so interesting! I do but I’m not sure I have concrete reasons for it. I don’t hoard favorite author books on purpose hahah, I think it’s more related to my mood reading! Example: I have the last book in a historical fiction series that I LOVE that I still haven’t read and I don’t know why! I think I want to sit down and give it the appropriate time; I also have two more books by the same author to read. And I need to read Maggie’s first series too. On the whole, I’m more willing to try a book I might not normally if it’s by a favorite author but that won’t necessarily sway me. I totally know what you mean though!
Yess I know what you mean! I have plenty of books where I’m like wait how have I still not read this?! (Basically every time a new Kasie West book comes out…)
My mood reading is totally to blame for some of it.
It’s true that I have a lot of books by some of my fave authors that I still need to read or series that I need to finish. Mostly it’s for reasons 1 & 3 that you listed in this post. The feels get me hard. And I don’t want the author love to end if I read ALL the books. Perhaps in 2017 I will make a goal to catch up on fave authors. 😉
Right! I need to catch up at some point and I WILL but I always savor instead. For as long as possible. haha
YES! I never binge read series or books by the same authors, and mostly it’s because I’m afraid I’ll get sick of reading their work. And obviously I don’t want to do that hahah. The only author I have read all the books of is Rainbow Rowell. And I don’t know why, because she’s not my all time favorite author. I just really liked that ONE book (Fangirl), but the rest of her books could never compare.
Hahah exactly! You don’t want to run out or dislike it or get tired of it. I have to read more Rainbow Rowell. I’ve read Landline, Eleanor & Park, and Fangirl. I actually…was not a fan of Fangirl….eeek. *shunned by EVERYONE*
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