As an avid reader, I have read many books over the years. Ranging from romance to historical fiction, I have yet to find a book that hasn’t transported me into the thick of the plot. Having read so many books, I have found some genres and writers that have stuck out to me. I have discovered that my favorite genre is fantasy, and realistic fiction is a close second with science fiction trailing right behind. The different worlds, ranging from utopian to dystopian, never ceases to amaze me. Some of these books that have dragged me into their universe are Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, the Legend series, and Cinder. All of these authors have left me wanting more, and have provided me with worlds of random knowledge. My top 10 authors that have done this are the following:

1.) Rick Riordan- This writer is the creator of the Percy Jackson series, Magnus Chase, Heroes of Olympus, and the Kane Chronicles. His writings have brought awareness to ADHD and other mental illnesses through the life of Percy. He not only tears down the stigmas that go with them, but he creates a world in which they thrive with others like them as half-bloods. He created the books after his son asked him to tell him bedtime stories about Greek gods. 

2.) J. K. Rowling- This is the creator of the Harry Potter books. She is one of the few authors who has given away her millions to charities to help others in need. Rowling also has created a world in which magic comes alive and it really does take you to Hogwarts castle and makes you believe that you can be a wizard too. (even though most of us are past 12, and sadly never got our letters.)

3.) Marie Lu- Marie Lu is the writer of the Legend series, Warcross, The Young Elites, The Kingdom of Back, and Skyhunter. Her books are based in dystopian worlds that are turned around by the main characters. Although they come from rough backgrounds, they show that you don’t have to have money or high social standing to change the world you live in. 

4.) James Patterson- This dude has written so many books that I am not going to take the time to list all of them. He has written fiction, fantasy, adult novels, mysteries, and probably lots more. The chances are that you have definitely read one of his books whether you know it or not. The best part about his writings are that they make you feel like the main character, and the plots and plot twists are always meticulously thought out. 

5.) Marissa Meyer- This the creator of the dystopian Cinder series, Renegades, Instant Karma, and a couple of other books. In her writings she creates brand new worlds that are thought out in ways that don’t seem humanly possible. She not only creates new money systems, but whole new ways of living in her books, and that is truly remarkable to me. 

6.) Kerri Maniscalco- She has created amazing fantasy books like the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, and the new Kingdom of Wicked series. This author writes more like historical fiction/mystery that borders on fantasy. She takes you back to the olden times (1888 to 1891) of Whitechapel, London when Jack the Ripper was still active. Maniscalco’s plot and characters are extremely thought out and smart in ways that you wouldn’t think possible. Her main character Rose breaks down the gender norms for the time, and is by the end seen as a respectable woman in her field of work. 

7.) John Flanagan- This is the writer of the Ranger Apprentice series, and its sister series, the Brotherband Chronicles. He started writing to encourage his son to start reading, which I thought was very cute. He wrote the Ranger Apprentice to show his son that heroes don’t always have to be all mighty and muscular, as long as they have a strong will and a big heart. The books in general are a bit boyish, but I enjoyed them nonetheless and they left me wishing that I could go back to the olden times and shoot with bows and arrows. 

8.) Jobie Hughes & James Frey- I know that this one is two authors together, but I genuinely love both of them. They created the series I am Number Four together. But if you look at the back of the book where the author’s name is, you see the same thing in every book: the name Pittacus Lore and a description that makes you wonder whether the book is based on a true story or not. It also says that his whereabouts are unknown, which I quickly looked up on google thinking that I could outsmart this writer. As it turns out, Pitticus Lore is a pseudonym, so his whereabouts are truly and irreversibly unknown. 

9.) Suzanne Collins- This is the creative author of the Hunger Games series, Gregor the Overlander, Year of the Jungle, and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Her creative take on a dystopian world/government that can only run through yearly organized killing sprees is weirdly and carefully planned out. Nevertheless, I loved these books and the deep character developments and plots that Collins brings to the table. 

10.) Margaret Peterson Haddix- Haddix has created many books over the years, and a couple that stand out are the Among the Hidden series, Double Identity, Palace of Mirrors, the Found series, The Shadow Children, The 39 Clues, and The Summer of Broken Things along with many others. Her books are fantasy that border on mystery, but that is the fun part about them. They may seem a bit kiddish now, but in middle school, this was the stuff I lived on. Her books are like Peg Kehret’s, who is a mystery writer, but brought to a whole new level. My mom would read these books to my sister and me during the summer, so whenever I reread them, I only hear them in my mother’s voice. 

Altogether these are my top favorite fantasy authors. Their books have shaped who I am with their plot twists and creative heroines. Between the pages of these books I have found shelter in the safety of their words. They have taken me to different universes that have either made me dream of places where the world is at my fingertips to being grateful of this imperfect planet we live in. In the end, whenever these innovative authors come out with a new book, you can bet that I will be down at the library getting it the very same day.