There have been a number of authors who have inspired me over the years and some of them I have only discovered recently. Whether they have made me laugh, cry, or just hooked me into buying more of their work, there are just some books that you will talk about and remember forever.

Unfortunately I don’t have the time to write about all the authors who have inspired me right now, so I’ll save them for future blogs. However, I have noticed a certain trend that crops up amongst some of my favourite books. If the author’s writing style or ideas are quirky, funny, clever and/or unusual, then it will most likely snag my attention. With that knowledge in mind, I couldn’t resist writing about these three particular gentlemen…

1] John Green is an American author known for, but not exclusively, his writing and weekly vlogging. If you don’t know who John Green is then you must have been living under a rock for the past several years! John Green’s name has been everywhere in recent years due to some of his books being adapted into films. You may recognize, ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and ‘Paper Towns’. His debut novel ‘Looking For Alaska’ is arguably his most popular novel and won the 2006 Printz Award. He set up a Youtube Channel called VlogBrothers with his brother Hank in 2007 and since then has launched an educational channel called CrashCourse. The pair and their channels have millions of subscribers and a huge fan base which continues to grow every day.

Ironically, and as I’ve mentioned in other blogs, ‘An Abundance of Katherines’ is my favourite John Green novel even though it doesn’t appear to be as famous or as popular as some of his other works. I also enjoyed ‘Will Grayson Will Grayson’ a colab between John Green and David Levithan. John Green typically writes young adult, coming-of-age stories about boys and girls who are usually quirky, nerdy, awkward, or a combination of all, struggling to figure out their place in the world. It is a very apt theme which continues to resonate with young people growing up in the world today.

Even though I enjoyed ‘The Fault in Our Stars’, ‘Looking For Alaska’, and ‘Paper Towns’, they just didn’t stick in my mind like ‘An Abundance of Katherines’ did. I think it is largely because I felt that these three were slightly darker in nature and not as humorous in comparison to ‘An Abundance of Katherines’. John Green’s writing is jam packed with witty metaphors, original descriptions and life lessons which are quoted all over the internet, and I love his modern, humorous and intelligent writing style.

‘If people could see me the way I see myself – if they could live in my memories – would anyone love me?’ – An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

2] Isaac Marion is another American Author who is known for his best-selling novel ‘Warm Bodies’, which was also adapted into a pretty good film. Alongside writing Isaac Marion is also a photographer, painter and he writes music. He also seems to be pretty active on Twitter!

‘Warm Bodies’ was the first book I read by Isaac Marion and I was utterly blown away by its genius. Never before have I ever read something that has taken an old and almost traditionally accepted concept and flipped it completely on its head. Zombies are usually creatures many would associate with being terrifying, flesh-hungry, emaciated monsters. However, in ‘Warm Bodies’, Isaac Marion’s zombies have thoughts, question their existence and even fall in love. ‘Warm Bodies’ has been described as a romance novel like no other.

I adore Isaac Marion’s writing style and I have reread ‘Warm Bodies’ a couple of times now. I probably over analysed his work here, but I found (and chuckled with a cynical delight) multiple metaphors and descriptions throughout ‘Warm Bodies’ which echoed and highlighted many issues throughout the world today. My brain and eyes absorbed every detail of Isaac’s writing; it is clever, poetic and quirky. I believe that Isaac Marion has a very keen insight into the ways of society and how it subtly affects each and every one of us. I felt that ‘Warm Bodies’ was not only a great and unique story but it was also educational and thought provoking. They say you can read into anything too much if you want to, but I would seriously recommend scanning your analytical gaze over ‘Warm Bodies’.

‘There is no ideal world for you to wait around for. The world is always just what it is now, and it’s up to you how you respond to it.’ – Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

3] Neil Gaiman is an English author of pretty much everything and anything that requires writing, and his work has won numerous awards. He is also very popular and active on Twitter and other social media platforms.

I have read a number of Neil Gaiman’s works but I was fascinated by ‘Neverwhere’ and loved his colab novel with Terry Pratchett ‘Good Omens’ (a book which made me giggle). To me, Neil Gaiman is the master of quirky and unusual.

What I loved about ‘Neverwhere’ the most was how Neil Gaiman took very simple and overlooked parts of everyday life and reimagined them as something entirely different. It is clever in its simplicity yet lays fascinating foundations for the creation of a realistic and complicated hidden world, or in ‘Neverwhere’ language, London Below.  My imagination was completely captured by Neil Gaiman’s writing and his attention to detail certainly had me looking more closely at the outside world.

Neil Gaiman also writes strong and realistic female characters, even if they do have their quirks, Lady Door from ‘Neverwhere’ and Yvaine from ‘Stardust’ instantly spring to mind here. It is a delight to read the interactions between his characters and often highly amusing. I feel that Neil Gaiman too, has a keen insight into the ways of society, and he expresses this in his writing through dry humour and witty metaphors.

‘Richard did not believe in angels, he never had. He was damned if he was going to start now. Still, it was much easier not to believe in something when it was not actually looking directly at you and saying your name.’ – Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

The works from these three authors have occupied many hours for me. John Green writes with honesty about growing up in today’s world, Isaac Marion writes with powerful metaphors, and Neil Gaiman turns the mundane and ordinary into magical. If I received books written by John Green, Isaac Marion and Neil Gaiman on my birthday and at Christmas for the rest of my life, I would be a very happy reader indeed.