In 2017 I shared Favorite Book Features on my favorite books. This year I started a new series—features on my favorite authors! I’m going to return to my favorite books shelf and look into some of my favorite authors. I’ll share about their books I’ve read and why they’re an awesome author. Today’s featured author is the incomparable Laurie Halse Anderson!

Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times-Bestselling author. She writes for kids and teens, and writes both contemporary and historical ficiton. Her books feel so true to life and have a way of putting real faces and heart-wrenching stories on the sometimes undefinable problems that teenagers face today. I’ve read all of her books for teens except for the Seeds of America Trilogy.

While I wouldn’t say that Twisted or Catalyst were very memorable, I truly enjoyed reading Prom, Fever, 1793, The Impossible Knife of Memory, and Wintergirls. And, of course, Speak is my favorite book. And I think I like the graphic novel of Speak (with art by Emily Carroll) even more than the original version. Click on the book titles to check out my reviews of Anderson’s books.

I recently read Anderson’s newest book: Shout, which is a memoir in poems. I loved getting a look “behind the scenes,” learning her history and what led to her writing Speak.

I had the opportunity to meet Anderson in 2016 when she came to speak at a local bookstore as part of her tour for Ashes. In person, she bubbles up with passion for her subjects. She is a fierce advocate for the unheard, and an incredible writer that inspires me every day.

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Have you read any of Laurie Halse Anderson’s books? Which ones are your favorites?