My top ten authors

Though all of us pick out titles that we like, there are always a few authors whom we keep going back to. My favourite authors of all time are:

1. Enid Blyton

- Almost every book I've read and enjoyed as a child was written by Enid Blyton. Most notably, the Famous Five series, Mallory Towers and her short stories. I've never enjoyed any other author so much, maybe because the best time to read a book is when you're a child and have a limitless capacity to imagine.

2. J.K Rowling

- With her wildly famous Harry Potter series, she's one of my favourite authors. Enough has been said about this author, so I'll stop here. Her smaller ventures like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The Tales of Beedle the Bard and even the short prequel story she wrote for charity have made their mark. If she goes on to write anything else, I'll be one of the first to read it.

3. Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer

- Possibly the best regency romance writers of all time. Extremely witty, humourous and well-informed, both of them recreate an entire era in my mind every time I read one their novels. Austen is higher on my list when it comes to character sketches and language. Heyer ranks higher on humour, wit and a faithful description of the fashions, practices and popular vocabulary of that day and age.

4. P.G.Wodehouse

- The undisputed master of humour. Need I say more? Apart from his series featuring Bertram Wooster and the all-time favourite Jeeves, he's written several other novels which will leave you in stitches like Damsel in Distress, The Politeness of Princes and The Prince and Betty.

5. Ayn Rand

- Probably one of the few authors who have defined an entire philosophy of moral rectitude based on self-interest and rationalism. Her books like The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, Anthem and We The living expound her philosophy of objectivism. A definite must-read.

6. Agatha Christie

- My only forays into the world of mystery and murder were because of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Hercule Poirot is still my favourite detective till date. I simply can't resist French detectives with egg-shaped heads.

7. Douglas Adams

- He writes the funniest and most deviously insightful science fiction novels. Take a trip to places you've never imagined with his hilariously flawed protagonists and discover the meaning of life, the universe and everything.

8. Susan Elizabeth Philips

- Perhaps not a classic, but her books are fun! She's my most favourite modern romance author. Her novels are a breath of fresh air in the world of romance which is dominated by overly simplistic plots, redundancy and an excess of sensibility or the complete lack of it. Rest assured, her novels are never boring or overly sentimental.

9. George Orwell

- Well known for his dystopic novels like 1984 and Animal Farm. Here's an interesting piece of trivia for you: the famous band Pink Floyd based one of their albums, Animals on George Orwell's Animal Farm. If you like George Orwell, also check out Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

10. Somerset Maugham

- I've only read one of his books, but he's on my list nonetheless. Of Human Bondage was one of the moist poignantly realistic novels I've ever read. We walk through the life of Philip Carey (this book is said to be autobiographical)and watch as he faces being orphaned and ridiculed, dreams about what he wants to be in life, gets trapped in an obsessive passion for a woman and a brief stint of poverty.

Who are your favourite authors? I'd love to know.