Top Ten Tuesday: 2018 New to Me Authors

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Hey friends! It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in Top Ten Tuesday, and I thought this would be the perfect week to join back in, as the theme is “Authors that were new to me in 2018”. There were actually quite a few of those for me last year, mainly because I read a lot of debut novels, but I decided to focus more on the well established authors whom I have just now got around to discovering for myself. There are a wide variety of genres that the authors below feature their stories in, so I’m hoping there will be something that appeals to everyone in this post. These are in no particular order, and I equally enjoyed each of these writers’ work as the year went along.

1) HOLLY BLACK- YOUNG ADULT + MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY

I know I know, it’s crazy weird that it took me until this year to read one of THE most popular authors in YA fiction, but better late than never right? I managed to read both The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King, plus the Tithe trilogy. All were enjoyable, but I think I was partial to Tithe and The Wicked King as my favorites. Kudos to Black for incorporating characters from her original trilogy in her Folk of the Air books.

2) DEANNA RAYBOURN- HISTORICAL FICTION + MYSTERY

2018 was the blessed year that my friend Laura encouraged me to read my first Veronica Speedwell novel, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Historical fiction is always a hit or miss for me, but sassy, classy, and a little bit smart assey Veronica is everything we need in a female led mystery set in the Victorian age. A bonus here for readers are squeamish of graphic romance is that her “romantic” interest is very low key, and focuses on the witty banter more than the steamy scenes. So far I’ve read the first three in the series, with A Dangerous Collaboration sitting on my kindle as we speak. I urge you, even if you aren’t typically a fan of historical fiction, to give these a try for light, witty, and humorous breath of fresh air.

3) MEG GARDINER- THRILLER

If you followed my blog, Goodreads, or Instagram account at all last year then you already know I fell head over heels in love with Gardiner’s UNSUB series. Every once in awhile, you just need to pick up a good ole serial killer thriller and throw caution to the wind. These are really fun, because they focus on a fictional killer inspired by a real one! While I’m anxiously awaiting the third in the series, Ransom River and The Shadow Tracer both look like they will be an excellent way to pass the time.

4) CHRISTINA LAUREN- ROMANCE (CONTEMPORARY + ROMCOM)

YES, I AM JUST AS EMBARRASSED FOR MYSELF AS YOU ARE! The rumors are true; I had never read a novel by writing duo Christina Lauren until 2018. As they write in a number of genres, I decided to go all in and try a bit of everything. While I found that their Beautiful Bastard series wasn’t for me, I discovered I really dig their contemporary romance and rom-coms! One of my favorite books of last year was Josh & Hazel’s Guide To Not Dating, and it’s one I could see myself re-reading this year just to feel that same level of gut busting laughter again. If 2018 taught me anything, it’s that we can all use a hearty laugh from time to time, and the number one place I reach for that now is under the Christina Lauren section of the bookstore.

5. J.K ROWLING- MIDDLE GRADE FANTASY

This may be the most shocking admission to you guys, but I was 28 years old reading the Harry Potter series for the first time. I was confident I wouldn’t enjoy these books as much as people claimed I would, due to the hype, but have mercy they were really quite excellent. When I finished these, I sat down pondering how different the world would be if Rowling had never followed her dream and shared this world with us. Can you imagine if all of this still existed only in her head, and not for the rest of us? Anyway, this one is kind of cheating because I have read her Cormoran Strike series, but since that’s under a pseudonym I let it slide. 😉

6) DIANA GABALDON- HISTORICAL FICTION + ROMANCE

Once again, I passed on the Outlander series for years due to it being historical fiction, and coupled with the fact that each novel in the series can be alternatively used as a doorstop, so let’s just say I was intimidated. As the tv show began gaining momentum, I found myself intrigued and wanting to read the series before giving the show a shot, so when my girl gang decided that book one would be our book club read for that month, I was in. I’m so glad I gave it a try, because I loved it! Between the copious amounts of research that went into giving these books the feel of accuracy they carry and the time travel aspect, I was sold. I’ve only made it through the first two books, but I’m hoping to read at least one more in 2019.

7) COURTNEY SUMMERS- YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Courtney Summers is an author that has been on my radar for many moons, but just as I was acquainted with her name was when I had begun to phase out of contemporary young adult fiction. I’ve come back around since then, and most of her novels have a darker flair, which automatically made me want to pick up her latest, Sadie, when offered a review copy. To say that Summers is an authentic author who writes engaging stories circling difficult topics would be an understatement, and I am so glad to live in a world where authors such as Courtney are publishing novels for teenagers, and especially teenage girls.

8) CHRISTOPHER RICE- THRILLERS + PARANORMAL

All hail Prince Christopher, son of Queen Anne and mother of all things that go bump in the night! Chris has been an exceptional find, because out of all three books of his I’ve read so far, I’ve enjoyed every single one. I’m trash for his Burning Girl series and I finally had the pleasure of seeing what all the fuss is surrounding his debut novel, A Density of Souls. I’m hoping to cover even more of his backlist in 2019, as I’ll need something to pass the time until the next Burning Girl installment comes out… No pressure Chris! 

9) K.A. TUCKER- ROMANCE + SUSPENSE (A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING)

Kathleen is another author that has been on my radar for years, but I shamefully held off on reading until 2018. The beauty of Tucker’s collection of novels is that there’s something for everyone. She’s written YA, NA, and Adult fiction in the contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and thriller genres (plus more I haven’t even experienced yet). I’m hard pressed to pick a favorite, but I really connected with The Simple Wild and her gorgeous writing of the Alaskan frontier. If you haven’t picked up her books yet, she’s a must read!

10) SUZANNE COLLINS- YOUNG ADULT/MIDDLE GRADE FICTION

Yes, I’ve finally read The Hunger Games trilogy. 😉

What authors did you first discover in 2018? Who was your favorite new author of last year? ❤