Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten New to Me Authors I Read in 2017

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is Top Ten New to Me Authors I Read in 2017.  I read and listened to so many new authors this year and so many of them were authors I've been wanting to read for a ridiculously long time.  And even better - they all lived up to my expectations!

1.  Hazel Gaynor - Gaynor has been on my TBR for years and the book I read - The Cottingley Secret - completely lived up to my expectations. 

2.  Elizabeth Hoyt - I love historical romance but find I tend to go to the same few authors.  I enjoyed Duke of Desire and the 2 novellas - Once Upon a Christmas Eve and Once Upon a Maiden Lane and am looking forward to reading more from her.

3.  Louise Penny - I finally read Still Life at the beginning of the year and while I wasn't necessarily blown away by the mystery itself I was blown away by the writing and just the potential of the series.  I listened to A Fatal Grace a few weeks ago and am excited to see what happens next.

4.  Tana French - I love mysteries and I love books set in Ireland so while it took me so long to get to French's books I have no idea.  I enjoyed In the Woods and am really excited to read The Likeness in 2018.

5.  Maeve Binchy - Binchy is another author that I've wanted to read for ages and the stars lined up perfectly back in November and I listened to A Week in Winter and immediately fell in love.

6.  Victoria Thompson - City of Lies is a little different from her usual mysteries and the beginning of a new series but her writing pulls you in immediately and she made her characters and the world they lived in come alive so completely that she's on my must read list from now on.

7.  Jessica Day George - Tuesdays at the Castle was by far my favorite children's book discovery I read this year.  The only negative is that I can't read it when I was 11 because I think I would have loved it!

8.  Shelley Noble - I love a good "finding what makes you happy book" and The Beach at Painter's Cove had that in spades. 

9.  Alice Hoffman - For some reason Hoffman was never high up on my must read list but I got talked into trying Faithful and I'm so glad I did.  It was really quite wonderful and I'm looking forward to reading Practical Magic in 2018.

10. Beatriz Williams - I read A Certain Age at the very beginning of the year and then went on to read several more books from Williams.  I love her historical fiction and the way she weaves her worlds together.

What are some new-to-you authors you read in 2017?

36 comments:

  1. I'm familiar with most of these authors but a few are new to me.

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  2. Glad you got to start Louise Penny's series. I promise it gets better and better and...

    Also, love Tana French. Hers are loosely connected, but I like how she takes a character from a previous book and makes them front and center in the next.

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  3. People have always told me that they think I'd love Alice Hoffman, but I haven't read her yet. I really must.

    https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2018/01/top-new-to-me-authors-i-read-in-2017.html

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  4. 2017 was a great year for me new author-wise. Looks like you found some good ones also! Jessica Day George was new for me I think in 2016 but I'm now a fan. And Tana french I'd like to try this year!

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  5. Oo Tana French is one of my all time favorite authors! I'm glad you discovered her in 2017 and I'm glad you liked her work.
    My TTT

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  6. Tana French is the best. I read Alice Hoffman last year too and now have Practical Magic to get to this year.

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  7. I haven't read any of these authors but I would definitely like to try a few of these especially Alice :) Thanks for sharing!

    My TTT: http://flippingthruthepages.com/2018/01/top-ten-tuesday-11-new-authors-read-2017/

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  8. you are the 3rd blogger I see today who mentions Penny. so glad for you, she's great. I really like the audiobooks - narrated by Ralph Cosham. here's my list: https://wordsandpeace.com/2018/01/02/top-ten-new-to-me-authors-i-read-in-2017/

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  9. So many great authors! I am so glad I finally read a Hazel Gaynor novel and I cannot wait to read hee other books. I really need to read more by Penny and French. I loved the books I've read by them. I'm reading my first Beatriz Williams book and loving it. And I love Alice Hoffman's books.

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  10. Great list. I read two of these City of Lies and The Beach at Painter's Cove. Both were really good.

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  11. I got all of Louise Penny's books at the second hand bookstore. Now I have to actually read them. lol

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  12. I read Alice Hoffman, Elizabeth Hoyt and Victoria Thompson for the first time too.

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  13. I enjoy Louise Penny's books, and also Maeve Binchy's...it's been a while since I've read one of Binchy's. Her final book is on my list, though.

    I have a Shelley Noble book on my stacks that I plan to read this year.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  14. Lots of authors I haven't tried. :)

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  15. Oh boy, my list is a good length: Laura Lee Guhrke, Julie Mulhern, Maria V. Snyder, Livia J. Washburn, Hilary Manton Lodge, Patricia Briggs, Illona Andrews, etc.
    I will remember what you wrote about Miss Marple. I'm only on Chapter 6 right now; the murder has happened. I will also count my outstanding books of 2017.

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    1. OMGosh, a few times I had to go back and make sure my tally counts coordinated with the number of books I had gone through so far as I was counting backwards from the first book of the year. I made a spreadsheet and my husband taught me the pivot graph function so this will be helpful.

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  16. Oh golly, how I love Tana French!

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  17. I love Jessica Day George and Elizabeth Hoyt. You should read JDG's Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. It's YA and just wonderful. I want to read more Hoyt. I've only read a few books but they are wonderful. I especially loved Dearest Rogue.

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  18. I plan to read most of these authors but have only read one so far. I enjoyed Hazel Gaynor when I read her book a couple of years ago. I need to make time to get to more of these authors.

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  19. Like you, I finally read Louise Penny's Still Life. The story was not bad, it was the language - it flowed, it was rich with wisdom and insight. Fatal Grace was a good read too. I just wish her ebooks weren't so expensive. Janice J. Richardson

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  20. So many goodies on your list! These are authors I’ve been wanting to try out myself. In addition to some of yours I want to read Robyn Carr, Susan Mallery, a bunch of mystery authors, a few British writers and oh, so many more. Thanks for sharing your list. The cover of The Cottingley Secret makes me want to buy it today!!

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  21. My feelings about Still Life were similar to yours - Penny is just such a good writer. I just read the fourth book of the series, and I think it's her best so far. I also love Tuesdays at the Castle. I hope to read the rest of that series this year.

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  22. These are all authors I'm unfamiliar with, but I think Shelley Noble might be a new one to add to my list! Elizabeth Hoyt, too.

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  23. It is so exciting to find a new to you author that you enjoy and want to explore more. I definitely have that Maeve Binchy book in my sights now.

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  24. Yay for finding new authors. The only one I've read is by Alice Hoffman, but that was like 15 years ago. Happy New Year and hope you discover more amazing authors in 2018!

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  25. I really liked Practical Magic when I read it a long time ago. A lot of people seem to like the movie more, but I was just the opposite. Maeve Binchy used to be a favorite of mine. Pretty much any of the ones I read were wonderful but I haven't read her in probably ten years. I hope you enjoy more by her.

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  26. Thanks for sharing. They’re all new to me. In 2017, I just read one new author but I read 5 books of hers. The series was her debut one but she’s awesome.

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  27. I really want to read the second in the Penny series. At this point, it should be my NY resolution :)

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  28. Do you think I should read the previous book from The Cottingley Secret first? I like the sound of the plot. Thanks for your nice comment on my post about blogging 10 years. I think I will just change up how I do things, I'd miss you too!

    Love, love love Tana French and I hope she comes out with a new book this year. Hey, I have some Maeve Binchy books if you want ,e to send you some. Book mail is always nice :-)

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  29. Ack! I forgot to put Hazel Gaynor in my list but I read her for the first time this year too and LOVED her book!

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  30. Nice list! I love Louise Penny, Maeve Binchy, and Tana French. I've heard great things about Gaynor. Victoria Thompson looks like an author I would enjoy as well.

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  31. It sounds like you discovered some really great authors in 2017 - I hope the same can be said for 2018.

    Tana French and Alice Hoffman are two I still want to get to!

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  32. This is a great list! I've recently read The Cottingley Secret and fell in love with it and I've also loved Maeve Binchey's books for years. Let's hope that 2018 is as great for wonderful books as 2017.

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  33. Oh, I'm glad you enjoyed Jessica Day George! I love Tuesdays at the Castle, and the sequels have been fun, too. Next, try Princess of the Midnight Ball, which is probably my favorite retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses."

    I think I've read one Elizabeth Hoyt, and definitely should read more. And Louise Penny has been on my TBR list forever; I keep not getting around to her.

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  34. You certainly got through lots of Irish authors this year! Which makes me so happy :D Louise Penny is an author I really want to try in 2018. And a new one to me in 2017 that I really enjoyed was Ruth Ware.

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  35. I'm so glad you tried Hoyt! She's one of my favorites and the only on your list I've tried. Ahh!

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