Wednesday, December 30, 2009

LIST: New Author Finds in 2009

I read a lot of new authors this year, and I've divided the top 14 into several categories:


I liked them so much, I read more than one:

John Green Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Let It Snow
- writes with a wonderful voice, young adult books for everyone. I lent An Abundance of Katherines to anyone who would take it

Malcolm Gladwell The Tipping Point, Blink
- pop psychology written so easily, using great examples to make his point, examples that you remember

Sarah Dessen Just Listen, Keeping the Moon
- another young adult writer with easy, enjoyable books

Elizabeth Berg The Pull of the Moon, The Art of Mending
- dependably written characters, with an interesting look at relationships. Heavy chick-lit? Not light and fluffy, but from a strong woman's point of view

Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games, Catching Fire
- young adult dystopian, with the most awaited third book in a series to come next year. I don't often buy new releases, but this series was gobbled up by myself and my 12 year old


first book I read by the author, but definitely not the last (other titles to read in brackets):

Linden MacIntyre
I read The Bishop's Man (Causeway, The Long Stretch)
- a new Maritime author, with the heart of Cape Breton in him

Michelle Moran I read Nefertiti (The Heretic Queen, Cleopatra's Daughter)
- historical, Egyptian books, fabulous and engrossing

Christopher Moore I read Lamb (Fool, the Stupidist Angel)
-funny, funny, funny!

Elizabeth Strout I read Olive Kitteridge (Amy and Isabelle)
-great character study in Olive, written with such unique perspectives

Sarah Addison Allen I read Garden Spells (The Sugar Queen)
-magical and wonderfully light

Only book they've written, hurry up! I want another! (maybe not technically their only book)

Brian Selznick The Invention of Hugo Cabret
- loved, loved this book. The combination of pictures and story, was amazing. I'd love to read another book like this one

Gil Adamson The Outlander
- great page-turner, adventure, love story set in the wild west of Canada. Another book I recommended to everyone, with some beautiful writing (Adamson is a poet)

Andrew Davidson The Gargoyle
- I was leery of picking this one up, but I fell on the love-it side of the argument. The ambition of this book, and the love stories

Josh Brazell Beat the Reaper
- There must be more adventures of this doctor in the witness protection program, the potential is too great to stop at one. Brazell is a doctor with a wicked sense of humor

New authors are so much fun to discover. I'm going to try the New Author Challenge next year, and keep better track of my-to-me authors.

Who was your best author find in 2009?

5 comments:

  1. I really need to give John Green a try. I discovered his website long ago. I love his sense of humor.

    Elizabeth Berg is an author I've been wanting to read for awhile now, but haven't yet managed to get to.

    Isn't Michelle Moran's Nefertiti great? I look forward to reading more by her soon too.

    I need to give Christopher Moore another try. I didn't care for the one book I've read by him.

    Elizabeth Stout is definitely an author I need to try. And Sarah Addison Allen. I could re-list all the authors you mention probably--they're all ones I want to try. LOL

    I will be looking over my reading list for the year sometime today and will have a better answer to your question then. I read so many great authors. I'm sure my list would be long too.

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  2. I read John Green, Sarah Dessen, Suzanne Collins, Sarah Addison Allen, and Gil Adamson for the first time this year, too. :)

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  3. wendy - sometimes it's almost discouraging to read someone else's list of books or authors, to realize how many other great books and author's there are to try.

    Time flies so quickly, I was looking on your blog for when you picked Broken for You as one of your favorite books of the year, and I was all over 2008, searching. It was from 2007! How does time go by so quickly? That means it's been 2 years that I've been planning to read that book.

    I look forward to seeing your favorite reads of the year.

    kailana - we're reading twins this year!

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  4. I thought you might like to know that I spent part of a Christmas gift card on John Green's An Abundance of Katherines tonight. All because of you. :-)

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  5. I think Sarah Dessen was my best find this year. I really enjoyed Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader too though. I read 27 new to me authors! (I listed them a few days ago, if you're interested.)

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