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Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: 2022 New-to-Me Author Discoveries
12:13 PM
Although I have a ton of favorite authors whose books are auto-reads for me, I also try a fair number of new writers every year. In fact, of the 200 books I read in 2022, 117 (59%) were by authors I hadn't tried before. So far in 2023, I've read 17 books, 10 of which were written by new-to-me writers. Some of these have been duds, naturally, but others introduced me to some great new authors whom I very much want to read more from. I found more than 10 last year, so I had to narrow it down to the ones who stood out most for me.
Before we get to that, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our lovely TTT host, Jana, some love. If you want to join in with your own list, all the details about this fun weekly event are on her blog.
Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2022
1. Jason Reynolds—This iconic children's author was my best find of 2022. He writes contemporary middle-grade and YA books starring Black characters living in urban situations and dealing with everything from ADHD to bullying to gang violence to wrongful arrests. His books are compelling, funny, poignant, and approachable (even to a 47-year-old white woman). I listened to his whole Track series last year. The audiobooks are especially entertaining because of Guy Lockard, Reynolds' long-time friend and a talented actor and narrator.
2. Tamara Berry—Buried in a Good Book, the first installment in Berry's By the Book cozy mystery series, had me smiling and laughing so much that I knew I needed to read more from her. So far, I've read the second book in the series and the first in her Eleanor Wilde cozy series. Her books are just fun! She also writes romances under the names Lucy Gilmore and Tamara Morgan.
3. Fredrik Backman—Backman's been a popular author ever since A Man Called Ove came out in 2014. His books didn't really seem like my kind of thing, so I avoided them until someone in my book club suggested we read Anxious People. I wasn't looking forward to it, honestly, but once I got started, I couldn't stop. What a delightful read! I loved it and now I want to read more by this beloved Swedish writer.
4. Stacy Willingham—I just finished Willingham's second novel, which I liked even more than her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, which I read last year. Her books are engrossing, twisty, and compelling.
5. Sulari Gentill—Although this Australian author has published a number of books, I didn't hear about her until 2022 when The Woman in the Library came out. It's a fun, clever novel that made me want to read more of Gentill's mysteries.
6. Eleanor Brown—Any Other Family was one of my favorite reads of last year. Brown has penned a couple other novels, plus some non-fiction. I'm not really interested in the latter, but the former? Definintely!
7. Lisa Yee—I read a lot of middle-grade novels last year for a few different book awards. Lee's Maizy Chen's Last Chance was considered for the Cybils Awards and while it didn't ultimately make the cut to be a finalist (although it was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature), I very much enjoyed it. I'll for sure be checking out Yee's backlist for more gems.
8. Ali Standish—Yonder was a stand-out read for me in 2022. Standish has written a handful of other middle-grade novels that I can't wait to explore.
9. Serena Burdick—The Girls With No Names broke my heart and made me a Burdick fan. I'm planning to read more of her hist-fic this year.
10. Kimi Cunningham Grant—I've read two of Grant's books, one a non-fiction account of her grandparents' experience in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, the other a contemporary novel about an isolated father and daughter whose secretive lives are interrupted by an unexpected visitor to their remote cabin. She's only published one other book, which I will hopefully be able to read in 2023.
There you are, ten new-to-me authors I found in 2022. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which writers did you discover in 2023? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
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I see so many raves for Fredrik Backman but have yet to try him. Hopefully that will happen this year.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I gave him a shot (albeit reluctantly) and I definitely want to read more of his books. I hope you like his books when you try them!
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Tanya!
Backman made my list the year I started reading him as well. I've only read a couple of his books but want to read more. They're so good! I'm glad you gave him a try.
ReplyDeleteI was really surprised by ANXIOUS PEOPLE. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be at all. Now I need to read A MAN CALLED OVE before I watch the movie.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Deanna!
Tamara Berry was a new one for me last year, too. I loved Buried in a Good Book and can't wait to read it's sequel. :)
ReplyDeleteI didn't like the second book as much as the first, but it was still a fun read. The series just makes me smile :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lark!
This looks like a fun list.
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Astilbe
I'm looking forward to reading more from all of these authors!
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Astilbe!
The first and last sound most interesting! (BTW, thanks for actually commenting about your authors and their books...so many people just posted a list of authors' names, which tells me nothing about how interesting they might be..!)
ReplyDeleteI'm the same way. I like to have at least a little description of the authors/books so I can decide whether they're the kind of thing I'm into or not. If they are, I'll take a closer look. Sometimes I can tell at a glance or with just a few adjectives whether a book/author is for me or not.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Stephen!
Oh wow, #10's novels look amazing. I will have to check them out! And like you, I've never thought Backman's books looked like my kind of thing, so I'm intrigued that Anxious People turned your thinking around and may follow suit someday. As for Reynolds, I've only read the Very Serious YA book he co-authored (All American Boys), but "approachable" (not to mention poignant) was very much the impression I got too.
ReplyDeleteP.S. It's currently not giving me an option to select "Google account" as my comment-as option -- it's grayed out -- so that's why I've been painstakingly anon. I wonder if something's changed in the past year,andor if it has something to do with not having an actual Blogger site, because I was using my gmail address for my Blogger profile and now my only options for following blogs are as "anonymous" or with my real name, which...no.
hah, or maybe it was just my silly browser settings! something about cookies. anyway, much better!
DeleteI've read four books by Reynolds, but they were all from the same series and the series, as a whole, has a lot of humor. His others defintiely look more serious. I'm glad I started with the Track series because while it does deal with some serious subjects, it's also very funny.
DeleteGlad you figured out the commenting :)
Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, RS!
Tamara Berry and Matt Haig are wonderful authors and I enjoy their books very much too.
ReplyDeleteI really like Berry. Her books are entertaining and fun. I've only read THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Haig and it was okay. Thought-provoking for sure.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Wendy!
I've been a long time Backman fan - read everything. Haven't LOVED everything, but loved most of them. Willingham is on my TBR and I enjoyed Gentill also. I love finding new authors and this week is certainly adding to my TBR with every visit!
ReplyDeleteTerrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
https://www.bookshelfjourneys.com/post/ttt-new-to-me-authors-22
Which is your favorite Backman? I'm planning to read A MAN CALLED OVE next because I want to see the movie (love Tom Hanks!). After that, though, what do you recommend?
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Terrie!
I'll be trying Tamara Berry this year. I have an audio of Buried in a Good Book and looking forward to listening. Really enjoyed Stacy Willingham, and yes, I agree her 2nd book was even better than the first. Kimi Cunningham Grant was a new-to-me as well and I really enjoyed her!
ReplyDeleteI bet BURIED IN A GOOD BOOK would be fun on audio! I hope you enjoy it. I was glad to see that Willingham's getting better as she goes. I love that! As for Grant, I would like to read FALLEN MOUNTAINS this year. We'll see if I get to it.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Rachel!
There are a couple of books you've mentioned here that I've thought of reading in the past - Anxious People and The Woman in the Library. Might have to move both a little higher up the TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI recommend both of them! Both are fun reads. ANXIOUS PEOPLE is especially clever.
DeleteThanks for popping in, Pages and Tea!
Fredrick Backman is a must read author for me! I have read a couple others on your list as well. I need to check out Jason Reynolds. I like the sound of his books, and I do read a lot of MG. Great list Susan.
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed the books I've read by Reynolds and I'm definitely planning to read more. I hope you enjoy them when you read them!
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Carla!
Very nice list, Susan! I've read two of the authors and agree with what you said about both - Stacy Willingham and Sulari Gentill.
ReplyDeleteThey're both great! I want to try Gentill's Rowland Sinclair series next. It sounds like a good one. Have you read it?
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Kay!
Happy TTT, Susan! I added Jason Reynolds’s Ghost audiobook to my TBR. I have been wanting to read more MG and it sounds like this is a great place to start. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteI REALLY enjoyed these books on audio. Guy Lockard is super entertaining. The book itself is compelling and well-written and the performance by Lockard adds a whole other level of excellence. I hope you love GHOST!
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Alana!
I read These Silent Woods last year and loved it! I can't wait for Grant to write a new book:-)
ReplyDeleteRight? THESE SILENT WOODS came out in 2021, so it's definitely time for a new one from her :) Write faster, Kimi!
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Tammy!
Great list! I have loved all of Backman's books. He is amazing!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like Backman is pretty universally loved. I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Kami!
What a great list! I've really enjoyed some of Bachman's books, including Anxious People and Beartown. I'll have to look for the Eleanor Brown book you mentioned. The only book of her that I've read was The Weird Sisters, many years ago, but I remember really enjoying it. Nice to see Jason Reynolds on your list! His book Long Way Down is amazing, and I'd like to read some of his other books too.
ReplyDeleteI actually bought a copy of THE WEIRD SISTERS years ago and it's still sitting on my bookshelf unread. I'm more motivated to read it now that I enjoyed Brown's newest so much.
DeleteI'm really loving Reynolds. LONG WAY DOWN is on my TBR list. I'll get to it one of these days!
Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lisa!
Great list Susan and all authors I haven't read YET!🤗📚💜
ReplyDeleteNo matter how many books I read, there are still SO many authors out there that I haven't tried! It's a nice problem to have because there's always new ones to explore :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Susan!
I've not read any of these books or authors before, but I'm glad to see you enjoyed them!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2023/01/24/top-ten-tuesday-404/
I did really enjoy them all. Most of them haven't written very many books so far, so I'm excited to see what's in store from their careers.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Jo!
Great new authors, I've put Buried in a Good Book on my wish list. I've read and really liked a few of Fredrik Backman's books and have Anxious People awaiting although at the moment I am reading his The Winners.
ReplyDeleteBURIED IN A GOOD BOOK is really fun. I hope you like it! ANXIOUS PEOPLE is clever and heartfelt. I'm hoping Backman's other books are just as enjoyable, if not more.
DeleteThanks for popping by, Kathryn!
I have not heard of some of these writers but funnily enough, Stacy Willingham is new to me as of this year, and I still have to read A Flicker in the Dark. I really enjoyed some of Backman's books and I also like Jason Reynolds a lot.
ReplyDeleteI liked ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS better than Willingham's first book, but they're both good reads. I can't wait to see what she does next!
DeleteThanks for stopping in, Dara!
I read Buried in a Good Book last year. There are definitely some laugh-at-loud moments in it! :-)
ReplyDeleteFor sure! I smiled all the way through it because it's just such a funny, entertaining book.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Meezan!
The only authors I've read from your list are Jason Reynolds and Fredrik Backman, both of whom are fantastic. Thanks for the tip about listening to Reynolds's books! I hope you find even more great new-to-you authors in 2023!
ReplyDeleteI think Lockard is an amazing audiobook narrator, especially for Reynolds' books. There's an interview with Lockard at the end of one of the books I listened to that talks about the friendship between him and Reynolds and how they just get each other because of being raised in similar circumstances.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Jen!
This is such a great list, it looks like you discovered some great authors in 2022!
ReplyDeleteI really did find some gems, didn't I?? LOL.
DeleteThanks for stopping in!
I met Jason Reynolds at a library conference one year, and I think I fell in love with him at first sight. He seems like a genuine person and a nice person.
ReplyDeleteOh, how fun! He definitely exudes a real, down-to earth vibe. Effortlessly cool, you know? That's what makes his books so approachable, I think.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Deb!
Backman is one of my favorites. I haven't tried Jason Reynolds yet but my son, who is normally not a big reader, discovered his books this year and has read and loved at least 5 of them so far.
ReplyDeleteJason Reynolds is perfect for reluctant readers, especially boys! I think he has a cool factor that makes him the kind of author who's okay to be seen reading. Also, his books are quick reads that are funny but also poignant and heartfelt. I'm glad your son loves him so much.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Suzanne!
I've read A Man Called Ove, but otherwise all your new to you authors would be new to me as well. Have a wonderful week. - Katie
ReplyDeleteI've had A MAN CALLED OVE on my bookshelf almost since it came out and I STILL haven't read it. I'll get to it soon, I hope.
DeleteThanks for popping in, Katie!
I had the same feeling about Fredrik Backman but a friend convinced me that I should read A Man Called Ove and it was just the way you described it. Now I am thinking, should I watch the Tom Hanks movie?
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my TTT this week.
Tom Hanks is in the movie, so that makes it a no-brainer for me! I love him :) Everyone I know who's seen the movie has raved about it. That convinces me even more that it's one I want to see. I just need to read the book first.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Marianne!
Same here, Susan. But I've been disappointed in a lot of films when I read the book first. I don't want to be disappointed in the book AND Tom Hanks.
DeleteWhat a great list! I've only read from Ali Standish, but a few of these authors are definitely on my radar. Hopefully this will be the year to get to some of them!
ReplyDeleteHopefully! And I hope you enjoy them when you do :)
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Victoria!
Jason Reynolds is on my tbr, too. Hopefully I can finally pick up one of his books this year. I've adored everything I've read by Backman. I finally read Anxious People last year, as well. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteOne of many good things about Reynolds' books is that they're quick reads. The page counts are low, plus the way he writes is engaging, conversational, and immersive so it's easy to get totally engrossed. I hope you enjoy his books when you read him!
DeleteThanks for stopping in!
I am so tempted to pick up a Jason Reynolds book every time I come across one. I am glad to see he is on your list--that might push me over the edge to actually try his work! Backman is a favorite of mine. So I am glad he's on your list. I haven't tried any of the other authors, although I know Berry is one I really want to read. I will have to check out the others too! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLike I said above, one of the good things about Jason Reynolds' books is that they're quick reads, so it's easy to give them a try.
DeleteI definitely want to read more Backman. I have A MAN CALLED OVE on my shelf and I want to read it before I watch the movie. Hopefully soon.
Thanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Wendy!
I love Jason Reynolds. I'm glad you found some good ones in the bunch.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading just one of his books, I could definitely understand his popularity. After reading four, I'm a big fan and want to read everything he's ever written!
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Cheri!
I also read over 200 books last year and although I didn't calculate just how many were by new authors, I did read more new authors than I expected when I checked for this post! I haven't read any of these authors but I do hope to read Backman this year and I've seen Berry on a number of lists. I hope you discover many more wonderful new authors this year :)
ReplyDeleteI knew I had read a lot of new authors, but I was surprised to see that they accounted for over half of what I read last year. From what I've read so far, I think it will be the same this year. We'll see.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Dini!
Great list! I also discovered Jason Reynolds last year—I read his Ain't Burned All The Bright and it was super impactful. I love that you included Middle Grade authors on your list!
ReplyDeleteIt's always nice when your newly discovered authors have a long backlist to explore! I can't wait to read others by Reynolds.
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Nicole!
Love Jason Reynolds and I enjoyed Lisa Yee as well when I read her the previous year.. I have Backman on my list as well, and the rest of the authors/books sound so good!
ReplyDeleteThe nice thing about discovering Reynolds, Yee, and Backman is that they all have backlists that I can explore now. I can't wait to find more books to love by all of them!
DeleteThanks, as always, for coming by and commenting, Lady in Read!
I haven't read or heard about these authors before. I'll have to check them out ;)
ReplyDeleteBackman is the only author on your list that I've read before. I read A Man Called Ove a few years ago and loved it. Last year it was Anxious People. I tried Beartown, and found that one just dragged for me. Thank you for stopping by my blog earlier. I hope you have a great week.
ReplyDeletePam @ Read! Bake! Create!
What a great mix of authors! I read Tamara Berry for the first time in 2022 and really loved her book. I'm looking forward to reading more from her.
ReplyDelete