Thursday Thirteen

Some authors feel like old friends. You meet them in a moment of escape, curiosity, or heartbreak, and somehow, they stay with you. Their characters linger, their stories echo, and their voices become part of your own inner dialogue. This week’s Thursday 13 is a tribute to the women writers who’ve shaped my reading life, some for decades, others more recently. They’ve made me laugh, cry, think harder, and feel more deeply.

Here are 13 women whose books have left a lasting mark:

1. Janet Evanovich

With her Stephanie Plum series, Evanovich delivers mystery with a side of chaos and comedy. Her quirky bounty hunter heroine navigates New Jersey’s underbelly with sass, luck, and a rotating cast of romantic entanglements.

2. L.M. Montgomery

The creator of Anne of Green Gables and other books that follow in the series, Montgomery gave the world a red-headed orphan with imagination and grit. Her stories are steeped in nature, nostalgia, and the quiet strength of small-town life.

3. Jennifer Weiner

From Good in Bed to The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, Weiner writes with humor and heart. Her novels explore modern womanhood with honesty, wit, and a deep understanding of complicated relationships.

4. Lee Smith

A Southern literary treasure, Smith’s Fair and Tender Ladies and Silver Alert, among others, capture the rhythms of Appalachian life. Her characters are flawed, funny, and unforgettable.

5. Louise Penny

Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache series is more than mystery, it’s philosophy wrapped in suspense. Her Canadian village of Three Pines is a place of secrets, redemption, and moral reckoning. I have read all of her books and am waiting on the next one to drop in October, called The Black Wolf.

6. Fern Michaels

I’ve been reading Michaels for years, drawn to her blend of mystery and justice. Her Sisterhood series features women who take matters into their own hands, delivering suspense with loyalty and grit.

7. Nora Roberts

Roberts is a storytelling machine. Her novels are immersive, fast-paced, and filled with strong women who know what they want. Titles I've enjoyed include Legacy, Whiskey Beach, The Villa, and the trio of books The Awakening, The Becoming, and The Choice. 

8. Fannie Flagg

Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes is just the beginning. A Redbird Christmas, The Whole Town’s Talking, and The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion are full of Southern charm, humor, and heart. Her stories celebrate community, identity, and the quiet heroism of everyday life.

9. Jane Austen

The original queen of social satire, Austen’s novels still sparkle with wit and insight. Pride and Prejudice and Emma remind us that manners, marriage, and money have always been complicated.

10. Lois Lowry

Lowry’s The Giver and Number the Stars remind me of the power of young adult fiction. Her stories ask big questions about memory, freedom, and what it means to be truly human.

11. Ursula K. Le Guin

Le Guin’s Earthsea and The Left Hand of Darkness are genre-defying masterpieces. She writes fantasy and sci-fi with poetic depth, exploring identity, power, and the boundaries of language and thought.

12. Juliet Marillier

Marillier’s Sevenwaters series is steeped in Celtic mythology and lyrical storytelling. Her heroines are brave, complex, and deeply rooted in the natural and spiritual worlds. I can get lost in these books.

13. Kristin Hannah

Hannah’s novels, such as The Nightingale, Firefly Lane, The Four Winds, and The Women, are emotionally rich and historically grounded. She writes about love and loss with a tenderness that lingers long after the final page.

These women have written me through seasons of change, curiosity, and comfort. Their stories have been companions, provocateurs, and lifelines. If you’ve read any of them or have favorites of your own, I’d love to hear about it. Who are the women writers who’ve shaped your world?

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 916th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.