I was asked a question last week that made me really think — and now I pose it to you, wonderful readers.

Do you have a favorite author or authors? Who are they?

For me, I have fewer favorite authors than I have favorite books. Favorite authors of mine include Aimee Bender, Douglas Coupland (with the exception of his last few books), Laurie Halse Anderson (for her writing and more for her advocacy of reading and of libraries), Donna Freitas (who I blogged about Monday), and Melissa Walker. I can only name a few, and in answering the question, I drew a bit of a blank.

It’s like being asked to talk about yourself — here’s your warning that psychology speak is coming. Our brains are built with connections between ideas, and when we are so intimately familiar with ourselves, being asked to ferret out a few facts to describe ourselves is hard because all of our ideas of ourselves are tightly bound.

This extends to readers, too. Big readers have a hard time pulling out just a few favorite authors quickly because we are so connected to so many.

Ahem, moving back to the point at hand.

I am more of a “favorite books” than a “favorite authors” person. The books themselves become more a part of me than an author does when I am reading, and thus, while I am conscious about who is doing the writing and like to know more about them, it is their work that ultimately sticks with me. I say this, of course, as I partake in a debut authors challenge. Perhaps that’s just it: it’s hard for me to feel confident in having a favorite author who may only have published one work or had only one big hit for me. Books stand alone and feel “safer” as favorites.

So tell me readers, who are your favorite authors? Do you play preference to favorite authors or favorite books? Does it matter?