Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Authors that I Read for the First Time This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly book blog meme hosted by the lovely girls over at The Broke and the Bookish.



The Crimson Petal and the WhiteMichel FaberThe Book of Strange New Things
1. Michel Faber
I read The Crimson Petal and the White in April of this year and absolutely fell in love with Faber's writing. He has such a flowing, effortless style that gripped me and dragged me into his story. I then knew I had to read more of his work, and picked up The Book of Strange New Things, which is so different from The Crimson Petal and the White, but just as magnificent. He has so much range in what he writes about, which I truly discovered when I read yet another one his novels, Under the Skin, which was insanely bizarre. Long story short: Faber is a masterful author and I cannot wait to read more of his already published work (as he is no longer writing :( ).


Lord of the Silver Bow (Troy, #1)David GemmellLegend (The Drenai Saga, #1)
2. David Gemmell
David Gemmell's name is thrown around the fantasy book world all the time, so I finally decided to try his books out with Lord of the Silver Bow, the first in his Troy series. I also love Ancient Greece (you know, if that hasn't been mentioned by now), so I had high hopes for his Troy series. Gemmell's writing is exciting and detail-oriented, and I am really hoping to read more by him next year.


The Other Boleyn Girl (The Plantagenet and Tudor Novels, #9)Philippa GregoryThe White Queen (The Cousins' War, #1)
3. Philippa Gregory
I know, I'm a little late to the Philippa Gregory party, but I somehow picked up Wideacre at the beginning of the year and was shocked by how horrible the main character was and how much I didn't like the book... but at the same time, I could never put it down, which made me intrigued by her talented writing style. I recently picked up The Other Boleyn Girl (finally), as I am a big historical fiction fan - particularly the Tudor era - and loved it. I was not bored for one minute while reading that book, as Gregory's writing is so entertaining that it is nearly impossible to put down.


Kushiel's Dart (Phèdre's Trilogy, #1)Author Jacqueline CareyKushiel's Scion (Imriel's Trilogy, #1)
4. Jacqueline Carey
Carey's reputation as one of the best fantasy authors is well-earned. I finally read Kushiel's Dart this year, and while I didn't follow all the details (so many names and places and politics!), I was blown away by how detailed and well-developed her fantasy world is. If you like epic fantasy, fantasy with highly developed world, or political fantasy - read Kushiel's Dart! I am dying to read more of her work!


Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston ChurchillCandice MillardThe River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey
5. Candice Millard
Millard is easily one of my favorite nonfiction writers, and I would not have discovered her work if I had not been sent an ARC of Hero of the Empire, which then prompted me to read The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic. She writes in such an engaging style that you forget it's not fiction sometimes, and her books are also incredibly well-researched and unique in theme, focusing on a particular time in each subject's life (i.e., Theodore Roosevelt's exploration of the Amazon, Winston Churchill's capture during war).


Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle, #1)Jay KristoffIlluminae (The Illuminae Files, #1)
6. Jay Kristoff
I never realized Kristoff was the author of the popular book Illuminae until I finished my ARC of Nevernight and began searching desperately for more by Kristoff. He is such a creative writer and I fell in love with his writing in Nevernight; I really can't wait to see what else he has in store for future works.


Human ActsHan KangThe Vegetarian
7. Han Kang
Han Kang is a South Korean writer that really seemed to take the book world by storm this year. The Vegetarian was such a heavy read, and the style was simplistic, but at the same time chock-full of meaning and intrigue with each line. Her words and themes stick with me long after reading, and I am so glad I finally picked up her book this year.


StonerJohn  WilliamsAugustus
8. John Williams
I read Stoner this year, and by god, I need more John Williams. Stoner wasn't exactly a 'thrilling' novel, but Williams writing style is really engaging and honest, and something about it just made me fall in love. I really hope I get to some other books by Williams this year, as Stoner has earned a spot as one of my favorite books.


A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic, #1)This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1)
9. Victoria/V. E. Schwab
Yes, yes, I know - how have I not read V. E. Schwab yet!? Well, I finally rectified that this year with A Darker Shade of Magic and This Savage Song, both of which I loved. This woman knows how to create strong world-building, well-developed characters, and complicated yet understandable storylines that always leave me wanting more. 


In the Forest: A NovelEdna O'BrienThe Little Red Chairs
10. Edna O'Brien
So I first heard about Edna O'Brien, a native Ireland author, from a large article/interview spread in Smithsonian magazine. Her words captivated me in the interview, so I immediately requested Into the Woods, from my local library, which is based on a true story about a killer. This book was difficult to read because of the alternative perspectives and writing style, but something about it really drew me in and has made me much more interested in reading more from O'Brien.


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Have you read anything by these authors? Who are some great authors you discovered this year?

8 comments:

  1. I love Philippa Gregory, she has such a different and unique way of telling her Tudor stories. Great top ten!

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  2. Nice to see some new authors I'm not familiar with! I've heard of Philippa Gregory of course and heard that her historical fiction is amazing. And Jacqueline Carey I've heard of but haven't read her stuff yet- she's a local author and I thought that was kinda neat.

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    1. Oh that is neat that she's a local author! I've only read the one book of hers, but it seems like she has a pretty wide array of books.

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  3. Great list! V.E. Schwab made mine as well and I want to read some Jay Kristoff next year since I keep hearing such great things about Nevernight.

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    1. Hooray for us both reading V.E. Schwab! And yes, definitely check him out if you have a chance, it was a fantastic book!

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  4. I read V. E. Schwab for the first time in 2016, too! I don't usually read YA fantasy, and "This Savage Song" definitely wasn't my favorite read of the year BUT I have heard really good things about "A Darker Shade of Magic". I plan to read that in 2017, hopefully!

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    1. So happy to see so many other people reading V.E. Scwab for the first time this year as well! This Savage Song and A Darker Shade of Magic are really different, so I hope you enjoy A Darker Shade of Magic. :) It definitely has an awesome and unique fantasy world.

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