Top 5 Tuesday || Authors From F to J

If you’re not singing the alphabet in your head to get through this list, what are you doing?

Going only five letters at a time means I keep forgetting to look at the official March T5T topic list from Shanah @ Bionic Bookworm Blog, and I just go through the alphabet in my head until I have the letters I need. Why do things the easy way? Isn’t the pointlessly longer route more fun? But setting debates about alphabetical efficiency aside, here’s my list of top authors from F to J!

F is for Amanda Foody

Amanda Foody’s Shadow Game trilogy has made itself perfectly at home in my heart, and I really appreciate her for it. She’s created a series with so many fantastic characters, many of them queer, and dumped them into complicated, tense political maneuvering against the backdrop of fantasy casinos and street gangs. King of Fools only built on the already fantastic Ace of Shades, and I’m pretty sure Queen of Volts is going to rip my heart out and stomp all over it.

Honestly, I welcome that.

G is for Max Gladstone

I’ve read six of Max Gladstone’s books by now (my favorite being The Ruin of Angels, the epitome of “be gay, do crimes”), and he never ceases to impress. With brilliantly complex characters, an ability to make me care about courtroom procedurals via captivating fantasy lawyers, and a wealth of worldbuilding I could truly learn from, I’m fascinated.

Also, he co-wrote This is How You Lose the Time War with Amal El-Mohtar, and it’s the F/F time travel book of my dreams. I need a copy ASAP.

H is for Alix E. Harrow

If I was in shock when NetGally approved me for Harrow’s debut, I was doubly in shock when I finished. The Ten Thousand Doors of January was brilliant in every way, and took me by surprise on every page. I adore the lyrical style in Harrow’s writing, and fell completely in love with the way she structured her book. She’s one to watch for certain, and I can’t wait for The Once and Future Witches!

Also, I cannot recommend her Hugo Award Winning short story, “A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies,” enough. It’s truly a work of art.

I is for I…as in me, myself, and I

Not going to lie, I feel fake writing this. But I also realized this is a tough letter, and it’s time for some tough love in the form of owning up to my achievements. I may not be published (hell, I’m not even close), but writing brings me joy, and my work is something I’m proud of, even when it frustrates me. I learn more with every project (yes, even the unfinished ones), and I hold onto the hope that I can get my life in order just enough to have more time to dedicate to writing.

And since I’m pretty certain I’ve written at least 500k words just in the last few years, I’m pretty proud of that, too. Good work, me!

J is for Maureen Johnson

Fun fact: Maureen Johnson has the honor of being the first author whose work I reviewed here on the blog! Two years ago, I reviewed Truly Devious, and had a blast doing it! In those two years since, The Vanishing Stair and The Hand on the Wall have since released, and I’ve loved those, too. Back then, I had a sense Maureen would quickly become a favorite author, and I’m so glad I wasn’t wrong!

Now, here’s hoping she writes more mysteries and shares more riddles. She’s been responsible for keeping the puzzle part of my brain occupied for a couple years now. I’m counting on her!

Every time an alphabet challenge comes up, I get all excited! And then I remember some letters are harder than others. Especially when it comes to names instead of titles. Yes, I’m looking at you, I. Pesky letter that I’ve only read one author from and didn’t care for. You made me talk myself up! (Maybe that’s not so bad, though? Hmm… 🤔)

But forget about difficulty. Do we have any shared favorite authors from F to J? Are there some here you haven’t tried yet? Let’s chat!