This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is a freebie, and since I love making best-of lists in December, I thought I’d start with the best authors I discovered this year. So far in 2019 I’ve read 113 books, and 75 of those are authors I read for the first time. I included authors writing different types of books, and books written in a unique style. I’m looking forward to reading more from these talented writers. If you have other recommendations by these writers, please let me know!
- Sarah Moss: for Women’s Prize-nominated (but sadly not winning) The Ghost Wall. She’s also written The Tidal Zone, Night Waking, and Bodies of Light.
- Louise O’Neill: for the very powerful Asking For It. This book still haunts me. Also on my TBR is her Only Ever Yours.
- Susan Orlean: for The Library Book. I’d heard of The Orchid Thief and loved the movie based on it, but this was my first read by her.
- Elizabeth Acevedo: for the moving The Poet X. Her latest is With the Fire On High.
- James Baldwin: I loved the poetry of If Beale Street Could Talk. Other books by Baldwin include Go Tell It On The Mountain, The Fire Next Time, and Notes of a Native Son.
- Rebecca Makkai: The Great Believers was one of the most powerful books I read this year. I’m not sure what else to read by her though.
- Ruth Reichl: I read more about food this year than I normally do! Reichl’s engaging narrative style made her memoir Save Me the Plums much more than a book about food. She’s written a number of other vividly-titled memoirs, including Comfort Me With Apples and Tender at the Bone.
- Angie Kim: I loved her debut novel Miracle Creek, and meeting her made me appreciate her work even more.
- Lori Gottlieb: her highly-praised Maybe You Should Talk to Someone gave me so much to think about, and I loved getting an inside look into what therapy is like.
- Rachel Kadish: I loved her historical novel The Weight of Ink, about Jews in 15th century England, Portugal and Amsterdam. She has two other novels.
And a few more just-for-fun writers: Silvia Moreno-Garcia for The Gods of Jade and Shadow, Scarlett Peckham for her steamy historical romance novels, and Tricia Levenseller for her Pirate King series.
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. What authors did you discover this year?
