Tag Archives: authors we love

Authors We Love: Mary Shelley

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A contributor to the Gothic and feminist movement, Mary Shelley was an extremely influential author of the 19th century. Shelley’s legacy can still be seen in literature, which is why it’s important to understand her background and what prompted her works.

Shelley’s feminist nature was undeniably a result of the influence of her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft. Wollstonecraft was an extremely radical writer who wrote a Vindication of the Rights of Women, calling for equality for women and trailblazing the empowerment of women in education. 

Another notable figure in Shelley’s life that had a great influence on her writing was her husband, Percy Blysshe Shelley. Percy Shelley was a famous poet who is best known for his poems: Ozymandias, Ode to the West Wind, and Adonais.

One of the main reasons Mary Shelley’s impact can still be seen today is due to her most famous book: Frankenstein, also known as the Modern Prometheus. In Frankenstein, Shelley explores many themes such as nature vs. nurture, familial responsibility, romanticism, and revenge.

 Frankenstein is still a required read for many middle schools and high schools, which is definitely necessary as it can teach important life lessons to people of all ages. The ideas within Frankenstein such as the danger in pursuing advancements in technology are extremely applicable to today with the developments we are seeing with AI technology.

Mary Shelley was an extremely powerful force in literature during her time as an author, and this legacy has certainly lived on into the 20th and 21st century as we can still see her influence in a variety of artistic works today.

– Taylor O.

Books by Mary Shelley are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. They are also available to download for free from Libby.

Authors We Love: Donna Tartt

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Donna Tartt is an American novelist who writes psychological fiction. You may have seen her literary works before, some of which include: The Secret History and The Goldfinch. Personally, I have read many of her novels, and enjoyed all of them. She has an intense, nuanced writing style that really draws you into the world that she creates.  Her novels have a very mysterious, often melancholic vibe to them. 

Her most recent novel, The Goldfinch, is a stunning 780 pages long. Despite its slow-pace, Donna still manages to maintain a captivating and engaging story. It is one of her most intricate and emotionally profound novels. It– rightfully so– has earned her many awards. In 2014, Tartt won not only the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, but additionally the Andrew Carnegie Medal in 2014. The book was also adapted into a film.

Similarly, The Secret History is another prominent novel by Donna Tartt. This book has such a distinctive feel to it. I recommend you give it a try if you haven’t already. It is an incredible book; I wish I could read it for the first time again!

Tartt has touched many people with her novels. In an interview, she states that,” I’ve had some moving letters from people in prison. I also love hearing from young people who have been inspired to study classics.” Tartt highly values the deep impact her books have on readers. She is also a very humble person, who is genuinely passionate about literature. She is also incredibly talented, even at a young age. She wrote her first poem at just five years old! 

Overall, Donna Tartt is an amazing author. Her novels are a work of art, and she is an inspiring person. I recommend you give her books a try.

Book by Donna Tartt are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Authors We Love: Toni Morrison

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Nobel prize winner and renowned professor, Toni Morrison, is a very influential writer whose impact deserves more discussion.

Hoping to inspire multiple generations, Toni Morrison created her works to appeal to both a young adult audience and an older audience. Her main focus throughout her writing was to show the beauty within the culture she grew up in under the influence of her family.

By incorporating Black culture into her writing, Toni Morrison has gone on to inspire not only the African American community, but other communities as well in an effort to foster a society that celebrates originality and a strong sense of character.

Some of Toni Morrison’s most famous works include: Beloved (which won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction), The Bluest Eye, and Song of Solomon. Beloved specifically details the story of Sethe, a runaway slave, as she navigates life in a world where the ghost of her deceased daughter haunts her family. This story was extremely touching for me to read because I have always had a love for history, and hearing a historical fiction novel Morrison’s perspective was specifically enlightening for me. 

The importance of examining the work of Toni Morrison in literature is evident as she has served to showcase the unjust society in which many African American people lived, specifically women, and its impact on the world we see today.

 Morrison’s perspective is one that goes beyond what schools often teach from textbooks, and gives a deeper meaning to the hardships that many faced in the 19th century.

– Taylor O.

Books by Toni Morrison are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Authors We Love: Kate Chopin

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Influential and inspirational, author Kate Chopin is a notable individual for her necessary contribution to American literature.

Acting as one of the earliest feminists in her time, Kate Chopin wrote frequently in hope of defying the societal norms for a woman in the mid to late 19th century. Chopin embodies this  same mindset as reflected in her novels, such as The Awakening in which she uses a strong female character to show what it means to develop a sense of individuality.

Around the world, Chopin is recognized as one of the world’s most essential author’s, and the lessons within her novels have transcended the era in which they were written. 

Like many other important authors to us today, Chopin was criticized during her time–even having her books banned–as her work was controversial in nature. For this reason, it is necessary to evaluate and commend the impact her work has had on female writers worldwide as she was often disregarded during her own time.

Chopin’s work helps us to understand many themes such as existentialism, transcendentalism, and realism, in order to see how these themes were perceived throughout history. Her work itself was often influenced by her personal life and her beliefs as a woman who fought the incarcerating gender roles experienced in the 19th century.

If you happen to stumble upon a writer whose work was once banned due to it sparking controversy, consider their position and learn more about them. Oftentimes, the books that were the most poorly received during their conception are the most impactful to our lives today.

– Taylor O.

Works by Kate Chopin are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Authors We Love: Franz Kafka

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As one of the most notable authors of the 20th century, Franz Kafka has continued to influence and inspire a new generation of writers. In order to understand the immeasurable impact Kafka has had on literature, we must first come to appreciate his story.

To say the least, Kafka did not have an easy upbringing. Born on July 3rd, 1883, Franz Kafka immediately found himself in an abusive and demeaning parental situation. While Kafka’s overbearing Dad initially halted his dreams of becoming an author, Kafka certainly did not fail to produce beautiful works. 

Kafka is well known for his ability to manipulate characterization as a tool to embody real life problems and situations. His most notable work achieving this feat is a novella titled The Metamorphosis.

The Metamorphosis tells the tale of traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, who finds himself waking up as a bug-like creature one morning. Within the novella, Kafka uses Gregor’s character to emphasize the melancholic nature that lies within the overworked and underappreciated working class. This ability to commentate on the state of society within literature is a major strength of Kafka that has continued to live on in the efforts of following author’s.

Kafka’s influence lives on every day, and this impact in literature has even been coined with a term: Kafkaesque. Meaning “a characteristic of the oppressed or nightmarish qualities” shown within “Kafka’s world,” the term Kafkaesque has grown in great popularity in recent times. 

So, whenever you are reading a new book, consider the influence that Kafka may have had on the author. I guarantee if you learn to appreciate Kafka’s work, you will see the world in a new light.

– Taylor O.

Works by Franz Kafka are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. They are also available to download for free from Libby.

Authors We Love: J. D. Salinger

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J. D. Salinger, or Jerome David Salinger, was a famous American writer whos works are most notably known in the hit novel Catcher in the Rye and “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.”

Similar to Holden Caufield, Salinger was also raised in New York, attending New York and Columbia University. Salinger shortly after chose to stick with writing, and began having his work published in news articles and magazines in the 1940s.

In 1942, Salinger was drafted into the U.S. army. He was an interrogator, and questioned prisoners of war on the Italian and French side. Salinger was also deployed on D-Day, and continued to fight in the Battle of the Bulge.

Throughout this tough time in his life, Salinger was known to even keep his writings with him while in battle. He witnessed German concentration camps firsthand, and saw the many horrors of WWll with his own eyes. Salinger was shortly after hospitalized for post-traumatic stress.

After his return from the Army, Salinger continued to focus on his writing. His first book that gained a substantial amount of traction was “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” The book includes a character named Seymour Glass, who spends an afternoon on the beach with a little girl he meets, before taking his own life soon after.

His work had even grown so popular, Salinger’s story of “Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut” was made into a movie titled “My Foolish Heart.” The movie had been adapted so poorly that Salinger refused to ever sell the rights of his story to a production studio again. Even the record breaking novel ‘Catcher in the Rye’ has yet to be adapted into film because of Salinger’s disappointment.

Salinger’s first and only full-length novel was published as of July 16 1951. Catcher in the Rye took the world by storm when released, and is still seen being taught in the high school curriculum. The novel starring Holden Caufield was a Fiction Finalist for the National Book Award, but has surprisingly never received an official award.

Salinger was known to live in solitude, settling in a 90-acre chunk of land in Cornish, New Hampshire. Salinger stated that this secluded life was to not be interrupted during his important working years.

Salinger published his last works in 1963, having the collection take up almost the entire magazine. After this, his life was primarily filled with love affairs and family complications, never able to return to writing. Salinger had made it clear that he still continued to write, but that none of his works would be published until after his death.

Up until the day he died, Salinger continued to live in Cornish. His work is still unpublished as of writing this blog, and fans of Salinger’s work have been speculating the reason for this since his death in 2010. Salinger’s son had stated that the family is doing everything they can to get the posthumous book published as soon as possible.

Salinger set the stage for many upcoming writers to have confidence in their work, and was an example that many looked up to. His work continues to inspire readers like me to this day, and will be an unforgettable figure in novels.

-Harrison S

Several titles by J. D. Salinger are available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. Some titles are also available to download for free from Libby.

Authors We Love: Elisabetta Dami

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Although the most acknowledgeable authors tend to be writers of adult novels or even young adult books, it doesn’t mean that children’s book authors should get any less credit. At around age seven or eight, I remember my mom and I would visit the Mission Viejo Library practically every week. I would always go to the children’s section and look for another book to read—specifically any book from the Geronimo Stilton series. Only now in my high school years would I finally reminisce on my past and realize who was behind all of the stories that established my love for reading.

An award-winning author with her worldwide Geronimo Stilton and Thea Stilton books, Elisabetta Dami was born in Milano, Italy. Her father was a writer himself before she was born, so by the age of 13, Dami was already working for him as a book editor. At 19 years old, she began writing stories of her own but only began publishing them later in her life. In her 20s, she went through a series of adventures by earning her pilot license, traveling all around the world, running marathons, and even immersing herself in indigenous cultures.

With a passion for seeing the world, volunteering for sick children, studying different cultures around her, and creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Dami incorporated her love for adventure into stories for children. This was essentially the birth of the Geronimo Stilton series. The first book was titled, Geronimo Stilton: Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye (2000), starring a shy mouse who owns a newspaper company, yet falls into the most dangerous situations and uses academic knowledge to find his way out.

As the popularity of the series grew, Dami continued writing more books that branched out to create a world of her own. Some of her best books include The Kingdom of Fantasy (2003), Cat and Mouse in a Haunted House (2000), and The Phantom of the Subway (2000). The author has written over 100 children’s books, published them in 49 different languages, and has sold 180 million copies globally. She continues writing at the age of 63 and helps kids all around the world develop a profound love for reading.

I used to be a huge fan of Elisabetta’s novels; as I look back on my childhood, I’m able to see how much of an impact her books had in my life. Although it’s relaxing to sit down with a nice book, I admit that my passion for reading has somewhat diminished. Perhaps it was easier to entertain children through the art of storytelling than in our modern age, or maybe it’s simply because I haven’t picked up an enticing book in a while. Nonetheless, it’s always nice to appreciate—and thank—the authors who hold a centerpiece of our childhood.

– Natisha P.

Authors We Love: Rupi Kaur

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Rupi Kaur Has Been Accused of Plagiarism: Did She Steal ...

Rupi Kaur is a Canadian-Indian poet known for her prose publications Milk and Honey, The Sun and her Flowers, and most recently, Home Body.

Born in Punjab, India, on 5th October 1992, Kaur immigrated to Canada with her family when she was very young. She grew up poor- her father was a truck driver who was on the road for long periods of time, and her mother was often busy taking care of Kaur’s three younger siblings. However, poetry and art were a large part of her upbringing- her father would write prose poems for her mother, and her mother loved to paint. When she was still a university student, she began posting her short prose poems onto Instagram, and gained a modest following on her social media platforms. In 2009, she began performing her poems for small events, under the simple stage name of “Kaur.” After dozens of failed submissions to publishing houses, journals, and magazines, Kaur self-published her first book of poetry, Milk and Honey, in 2014. The book was a massive success, and later re-published by Andrews McMeel- one of the leading poetry publishers in America. Three years later, in 2017, Kaur released The Sun and her Flowers. It was an even greater success than Milk and Honey, garnering Kaur millions of dollars in book sales and millions of new followers across her social media platforms. In November 2020, Kaur released her third book- Home Body. The book became one of the bestselling books of the year.

Kaur’s work deeply resonated with me personally. In her writing, she discusses prominent themes in today’s world. She succinctly and beautifully captures the niche feelings of growing up an immigrant in a new country, in a new world- especially as a young girl. She also masterfully dissects sensitive topics such as those of sexual violence, and the politicization/sexualization of women’s bodies in today’s society. Her writing is simple, beautiful, and therapeutic to read. They are truly incredible dissertations on everything from the fallacies of love to the difficulties of family to the oscillating pendulum of self-love and self-hate that people often have with their bodies. I would recommend her work to everyone!

-Vaidehi B.

All three books mentioned above contain some sexual themes that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur is available for checkout from Mission Viejo Library. Milk and Honey and Home Body can both be downloaded for free on Overdrive.

Authors We Love: Junji Itō

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American horror typically depicts a psycho lurking around in a motel, zombies brought back from the dead, or clowns eating frightened children. Junji Itō has shaped the way viewers define horror forever, bringing stories to life by drawings made from ink and paper. Unlike American horror, he illustrates supernatural events such as mysterious spirals, blood-sucking vampire bats, and much more.

Born on July 31st, 1963 in Nakatsugawa, Gifu, Japan, Junji Itō developed his love for horror at a young age. His older sisters would read him Kazuo Umezu and Shinichi Koga–famous horror manga authors during the 1960s–in Japanese magazines. Other authors such as Hideshi Hino, Yasutaka Tsutsui, Shinichi Koga, H. P. Lovecraft, and Edogawa Ranpo became major influences to his work as well.

Junji Itō’s career as a manga author began around the 1980s, when he won the Kazuo Umezu Prize after entering a short tale to Gekkan Halloween. The submission later turned into a Japanese horror manga series titled Tomie. Afterwards, he quit his previous job and pursued his hobby of writing and drawing as a full career.

Junji Itō’s works were popular in Japan, yet they only gained popularity in the United States late into his career. In 2019, Itō won an Eisner Award for his manga reinterpretation of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Known as the Academy Awards of the comic industry, Itō became one of few foreigners to receive an Eisner Award. This year, he was once again nominated for an Eisner Award under the category of “The Best Writer/Artist” for his horror comic Jigokusei Remina.

Most of Junji Itō’s creations portray a dark, impulsive universe filled with the worst traits in any human, specifically greed, jealousy, and irrationality. There are recurring themes of grotesque horror, inevitable consequences of one’s own actions, seemingly ordinary characters that gradually submit to compulsion, and settings that break down and collapse into a state which reflects our own society. As a result, all of his mangas portray the beauty and underlying horror in every story. Itō’s most popular manga is arguably Uzumaki, a three-volume novel that depicts the journey of a teenager, Kirie Goshima, who witnesses an ordinary town fall under a curse of spirals. Another famous novel is Smashed, consisting of multiple short stories such as addictive honey that flattens those who drink it, a valley of mirrors, and “earthbound” people. These novels may be the most well-known, but Itō has a variety of underrated books, series, and movies to choose from.

As a lover of horror, I’ve grown to admire Junji Itō’s novels for their distinctive illustrations and plots. They truly allow readers to feel more than just fear. The ties between Itō’s fictional and nonfictional factors truly brings out different emotions because it reflects our own world.

Junji Itō is still alive at the age of 57. Although he may not be publishing any novels in the near future, his history of twisted tales that connect our deepest unknown fears to real life truly proves he’s the master of horror.

-Natasha P.

The works of Junji Ito are available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Author’s We Love: John Green

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You may recognize some of the famous novels Paper Towns, The Fault In Our Stars, or Looking for Alaska. As you may have guessed by the title, these iconic novels were written by John Green. John Green is an American author, who makes content on YouTube, and is a co-creator of Crash Course. He attended Kenyon College and earned his bachelor of art’s degree with a double major in English and religious studies.

John Green is the New York Times bestselling author of Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, The Fault In Our Stars, Turtles All The Way Down, and The Anthropocene Reviewed. While the majority of these are novels, The Anthropocene Reviewed is a collection of essays that are nonfiction and awakening. He very recently went on a virtual tour for The Anthropocene Reviewed which took place from May 17th to May 22nd. His novel, The Fault In Our Stars was made into a movie, as was his novel, Paper Towns. Additionally, Looking for Alaska was made into a series on Hulu. On his and his brother’s YouTube channel (VlogBrothers) they help fight poverty by raising money and have planted thousands of trees in the past. On top of this, he teaches World History, Literature, Economics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Government, and etc., on Crash Course along with other people. 

Personally, I love reading John Green’s novels and seeing them in film as well. I’ve noticed that a lot of his books are deep, detailed, and original. His books have always made me think bigger and open my eyes to the different situations the characters are in. Overall, John Green is definitely an amazing author to check out and keep up with. He’s making a great impact on the world.

-Kaitlyn Y.

The works of John Green are available for checkout at the Mission Viejo Library.