Book Meme...

Clare tagged me for a book meme. I've never done one of these, but since it's about books--one of my very favorite-est things--it should be fun!

Rules
Link to the person that tagged you, post the rules somewhere in your meme, answer the questions, tag six people in your post, let the tagees know they’ve been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog, let the tagger know your entry is posted.

Who is your all-time favorite author and why?

My, my, they do start out with the hard question, don't they? I've been reading profusely and as fast as I can for so long, I don't know if I can pick just one! Hmm...I think I'll have to say L.M. Montgomery. Even though many years have passed since she first dreamt up Anne, Emily, Pat, and all of her other lovely characters, her stories still seem relevant to me today. Her books are usually one of the first ones I snatch off of my shelf when we are going to be traveling and I can spend hours on ordinary days enraptured with her lovely descriptions and the "kindred spirit-ness" of her characters. I usually re-read just about all of her books at least once a year.

Who was your first favorite author and why? Do you still consider him/her to be among your favorites?

Seven was a big year for me book-wise. I discovered the majority of my favorite authors then that I still love to this day. Pride and Prejudice, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, and other such lovely classic books made their way into my eager hands. And as much as I loved the "Little House" series, I think I would have to claim L.M. Montgomery as my first favorite author, also. I received a good majority of her books that year, and to use one of Anne Shirley's expressions, I just drank them in. ☺

Who is the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?

Hmm...maybe Wilkie Collins? I loved The Woman in White. I happened to see it at a sale at Barnes and Noble and as it looked somewhat interesting I decided to splurge. ☺ I was surprised at how interesting it really was, and also surprised at the depth and many intriguing twists and turns the story carried as it was played out.

If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?

Lenora Mattingly Weber, Austen, Longfellow, Elizabeth Gaskell, Louisa May Alcott, Shakespeare, Beverly Cleary, Elizabeth George Speare, Maud Hart Lovelace, Andrew Carroll...

A good many of my favorite authors and favorite books are technically considered children's author's/books. I really don't care, though. ☺ Their stories carry a simplicity along with depth, and somehow often seem more meaningful than "grown-up" novels. They are timeless to me.

Oops! I thought that darling Emma and her lovely blog had already been "tagged". Consider yourself officially "it"! ☺