Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: New Authors, Old Year


It's Tuesday and you know what that means!  Time for my favorite weekly meme, Top Ten Tuesday.  Today's prompt is all about new authors you discovered in 2018, which will be a fun one.  Before we get to that, though, here are the deets on how to join in the TTT fun.  It's simple:  click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few guidelines, make and share your own list, then hop around the book blogosphere visiting other people's posts.  It's a great way to spread the bookish love by revisiting favorite blogs, discovering new ones, and, of course, adding great-sounding books to your toppling TBR pile.  What's not to love?

Okay, here we go with Top Ten New (to Me) Authors I Discovered in 2018:


1.  Emily Carpenter—You know I love me a good Gothic yarn, especially when it involves family secrets, creepy old houses, and some nail-biting suspense.  Emily Carpenter's books deliver on all accounts.  She only has three out so far (with another one coming in March) and I read all of them in 2018.  My favorite:  The Weight of Lies.


2.  Lori Rader-Day—I'm a big psychological thriller fan, so Rader-Day's books definitely caught my attention.  I read three out of her four this year and enjoyed two of them.  My favorite:  Under a Dark Sky.


3.  Dervla McTiernan—I loved this Irish author's debut, The Ruin.  It's a dark, but very compelling mystery.  A sequel, The Scholar, will be out on May 14.  I can't wait!


4.  Kristina McMorris—I'm a sucker for historical fiction and I find books about orphans and children in crisis especially moving.  Naturally, then, I wanted to read Sold On a Monday as soon as I heard about it.  I enjoyed it and plan to read more of McMorris' work.


5.  Hester Fox—Fox's ghostly, atmospheric debut, The Witch of Willow Hall, earned lots of buzz last year.  And deservedly so.  I can't wait to see what Fox does next!


6.  Elizabeth Byler Younts—The Solace of Water, Younts' most recent novel, was one of my favorite 2018 reads.  It convinced me to start Younts' Promise of Sunrise trilogy, which is about how World War II affects an Amish community in Delaware.  Having been raised Amish, Younts has a unique perspective on the culture/religion, which gives her books a refreshing authenticity.  My favorite:  The Solace of Water.


7.  Alison Gaylin—Domestic thrillers are my jam, so I had to give Gaylin's books a go in 2018.  I read and enjoyed two of hers.  My favorite:  And She Was.


8.  Emma Berquist—I loved Devils Unto Dust, Berquist's debut novel.  It's a Western/horror mash-up that satisfies on every level.  I can't wait for her newest, Missing, Presumed Dead, which comes out in May.


9.  Joanna Barker—Regency romance is far from my favorite genre, but I do count on them for light, amusing entertainment that I can sandwich between heavier reads.  It's rare for me to really love a book in this genre, but Barker's debut, The Truth About Miss Ashbourne, really charmed me with its tight prose, engaging plot line, and well-developed characters.  I'm definitely keeping an eye out to see what this talented newcomer does next.


10.  Sarah Maine—The first book I read in 2018 was The House Between Tides, Maine's atmospheric debut.  I enjoyed it and have been meaning to try the author's other two novels ever since.

So, there you go—ten authors I discovered last year.  Hm, I just realized that they're all white women and most of them are debut authors.  Interesting.  Perhaps I need to work on diversifying my reading this year?  Anyway, have you read any of these authors?  What do you think of their work?  Which new-to-you authors did you discover in 2018?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will happily return the favor.

Happy TTT!
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27 comments:

  1. Lydia15 January, 2019 07:22

    Sold On a Monday sounds like a very interesting read!

    This is my Top Ten Tuesday post.

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 08:44

      It is! It's loosely based on a true story, which is sad but also fascinating.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
    2. Lydia15 January, 2019 10:42

      You're welcome.

      Delete
  2. Shooting Stars Mag15 January, 2019 07:32

    I have not read any of these, but some of the books do sound good. I like a good psychological thriller.

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 08:46

      Me too! I just can't get enough :)

      Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  3. Darinda @ Nightcap Books15 January, 2019 10:26

    Great list! Some of these authors I'm not familiar with, and a couple of them I've read.

    After I did my stats on books read last year, I realized I heavily favored white women authors - over 60% of my reading list for last year. I diversify a little, but I definitely have my favorites, which are psychological thrillers, cozy mysteries, and YA fantasy. Seems a lot of white women write them. 😀

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 12:33

      You know what? You're totally right. That does explain all the white women! And they aren't all American, so there's that ...

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  4. Jordan @ForeverLostinLiterature15 January, 2019 11:44

    Great others on this list! There are a quite a few I haven't read, but sound great so I'll have to look into them.

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 12:35

      One of the best parts about TTT is finding new books and authors to love!

      Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  5. Mikky15 January, 2019 12:03

    I haven't read any books by these authors but I'm glad you found so many new to you authors in 2018! I hope you find even more in 2019 :)

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 12:37

      Thank you! I hope you do, too :)

      Happy TTT!

      Delete
  6. Iliana15 January, 2019 13:46

    Great list. There are several authors on this list who are on my radar to check out!

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 15:20

      I'm glad you found some that looked interesting. I hope you like their books when you check them out.

      Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  7. J R Lynn @ Eternity Books15 January, 2019 13:59

    It seems like we love the same genres! I'm definitely checking out some of the authors here. Thanks for stopping by my TTT(https://eternitybooksreview.wordpress.com)!

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 15:23

      It's always fun to find other bloggers who like the same genres I do! I'm going to add you to my blogroll so I can keep up with what you're reading.

      Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  8. Katherine P15 January, 2019 14:23

    I haven't read any of these though I desperately want to read Sold on a Monday!

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 15:27

      It's a good one. Sad, but ultimately hopeful. I hope you get to it soon!

      Thanks, as always, for stopping by!

      Delete
  9. Tammy Sparks15 January, 2019 20:12

    I've heard really good things about Devils Unto Dust, but I just haven't had time to read it. I'll definitely try now that I've seen your list:-)

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 20:23

      It's a good one! Totally engrossing and entertaining. I loved it.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  10. Susie | Novel Visits15 January, 2019 20:35

    I love that you included pictures of the authors AND that they're all women. Great authors deserve this sort of recognition.

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    1. Susan15 January, 2019 20:43

      Thanks! I honestly didn't realize I'd included all women until I started adding their photos. LOL. I did read a few male new-to-me authors, but these ladies were my favorite of the bunch.

      Thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  11. Tiffany16 January, 2019 03:59

    i haven't read any of these authors yet, but some of them sounds interesting! will check them out :D

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    1. Susan16 January, 2019 05:08

      I'm glad you found some interesting-looking authors on my list to check out. I hope you love them when you try them :)

      Thanks for dropping by!

      Delete
  12. Helen's Book Blog17 January, 2019 16:12

    That's funny that you noticed they are all white women as I was thinking the same thing. One of the challenges I am taking on this year is to diversify my reading.

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    1. Susan18 January, 2019 07:50

      I need to do that as well! I did read books by men and women of color last year, these ten white women just happened to have authored the books I liked best.

      Delete
  13. Rissi18 January, 2019 06:52

    I've heard of "The Solace of Water," but haven't read it. Someday I'll have to give it a second look to remind myself what it's all about. Glad to know you enjoyed! Happy 2019 reading - and thanks so much for the visit to Finding Wonderland, Susan.

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    1. Susan18 January, 2019 07:52

      It's a great book! It's about a grieving black woman who moves to a house near that of an Amish woman with troubles of her own. The book takes place in Alabama in the 50s, so it's also about race and class and people learning how to get along with each other. I loved it!

      Thanks for coming by!

      Delete

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