Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. This week I picked my top ten all-time favourite authors! (Oh how do I choose?)

1. Jackie French





Probably an obvious pick for me, but Jackie French's novels will always be close to my heart - plus, she's lovely in person too.

2. Jessica L. Brooks





I met Jessica through Goodreads a couple of years ago and she is honestly one of the absolute nicest authors I know! I love her magical-realism 'Flora' series and 'Cozenage' dystopian series which are both still going.

3. Rachael Craw






I am so glad to have come across Rachael Craw's book Spark last year! It's quickly become one of my favourites, and she as an author definitely has a spark of her own.

4. Ginger Scott

Ginger Scott is one of the best contemporary writer's I've read books from - she gets it so right, and all her stories are so realistic.

5. Kate Forsyth

I have LOVED both of Kate Forsyth's novels that I've read, and can't wait to see what she writes next.

6. Lara Morgan

The Rosie Black Chronicles was my first proper foray into the realm of YA, and it's still the most memorable YA sci-fi series I've read.

7. Megan Abbott

Megan Abbott's novels always have that thrilling allure, with an atmospheric writing style that can't help but draw you in to her fascinating plotlines. I really hope she has another release this year!

8. Rebecca James

Rebecca James has consistently impressed me with her psychological thriller's - they always have that 'unputdownable' quality. 

9. Jane Austen

Because the classics need to be appreciated too - and I honestly love Austen's subtle wit and satire in her novels. I really need to find the time to read more of her work!

10. Charlotte Bronte





I absolutely adore Jane Eyre, so Charlotte Bronte had to make this list!

What are some of your all-time favourite authors? Is it hard to trim it down to just ten?

Discussion: An Open Letter to the Blogging Community

I did have this discussion planned for some point, but being inspired by the post by Jeann @ Happy Indulgence, I decided to post this open letter to the blogging community now.

Dear book-loving bloggers,

There has undeniably been some drama in the global blogosphere in recent months with various issues arising. Luckily here in Australia our close-knit community hasn't been affected as much, but what is happening elsewhere does inevitably have an impact on us all. Book blogging, above all - should be something we choose to do because we enjoy it.  It's an outlet to share our opinions openly, while still importantly giving everyone the respect they deserve. No blogger or author should be subject to harassment online for their actions, whoever they are. Acting immaturely and spreading those negative notions of jealousy and hate will ultimately get us...nowhere.

*end lecture*

Every blog is different, and so too is every blogger an individual. Sure, we all have our own styles and ways of doing things - that's what makes us so diverse and unique. It's only natural that at times we doubt ourselves and look at those follower numbers, thinking they're not nearly as high as some of the 'bigger' or 'more recognised' blogs out there. Yes, we may look at people's book hauls and wish that we had access to those highly-anticipated ARC's as well.

But is this what our blogging experience should be reduced to?

I think not.

Let's get back to basics - Why do we blog? What are our commonalities?

Well, the most obvious one is: we love books.

Isn't this what it's all about? Isn't this why we're book blogging in the first place? If the answer to those questions are yes, then it's this common factor that should be a cause to bond over, and not something to spark all the dramas we've been seeing.

Sharing our passion about the books we love, and supporting the authors who write them is what makes blogging all worth it. Authors out there need our support to get the word out for their novels we believe are amazing, and if we don't like it - it's NEVER an option to go against them personally. Without authors we wouldn't even have books in the first place (so basically - we have a lot to be thankful for.) SHARE THE LOVE PEOPLE!

It may have been said before - but let me reiterate:

We are a COMMUNITY as booklovers, so let's keep acting like one. We all have positive contributions to add to the blogosphere, and it's time to embrace our differences, our opinions, and our inner fangirls. 
#bookloversunite

Discussion: An Open Letter to Authors

Dear Amazing Author,

As a booklover, I have a lot to thank you for. Not only are you responsible for creating the novels that I have come to love, but because of you; I can travel to places I could only ever dream of and experience things that could only happen in my wildest imaginings.

Because of your books, I know that I will laugh and cry - perhaps in equal measure.
I know that I could have the opportunity to witness a character through their highs and lows, and experience all that with them.
I know that I be in awe of what you have made out of that genius mind of yours.

It's true, as you know. that perhaps I won't like every book you write. Yet - even when this does happen, I don't want you to feel bad. Hey, not every book is going to work for every reader: and that's okay too. For every bad review, I hope that there would be ten glowing ones. If your book really impresses me, I might even include some flailing gifs to complement my raving words of encouragement. When I am in love with something you've written, I'll want the whole world to know about it - because your book deserves positive recognition for all the hard work you put into it.

When you have a book event, I'll try my best to be there; because I know how much it must mean to you to see your fans in person. It's as exciting for you as it is for me - because even to exchange a few words with someone I admire for their genuine talent is a very special moment indeed. To hear you speak about your work and writing process is an inspiration, and gives us all hope that we can achieve our dreams with the right amount of hard work and determination.

So to all you authors out there:

And don't you forget it!