Skip to main content

TTT: Favorite New to Me Authors of 2016


This week's TTT topic: Favorite New To Me Authors I Read for the First Time in 2016


Patrick Samphire made his MG debut this year with Secrets of the Dragon Tomb. He also released a novella set in the same world titled The Dinosaur Hunters. I loved both of them and can not wait to read his 2017 release.

Michael Dante DiMartino is one of the original creators/writers of Avatar: the Last Airbender, which I've never watched. (I know.) Rebel Genius is his first novel and I could not put this book down. I'm really looking forward to seeing where he takes this series. Also I will watch ATLA now.



I can't remember who first recommended Joanna Bourne's books to me, but I have a lot of friends who love them. Now I love them too. Her series spans Revolutionary through Post-Napoleon France and its wars with England. British Intelligence agents and French women dedicated to their country in various ways. So. Good. To be honest, I like the first two books way less. I was really happy that I started with book 3 (The Forbidden Rose) because I might have given up if I had started with book 1. And that would be tragic because books 3-5 are magnificent and will be life-long comfort reads. I can't wait for book 6!!!

Lois McMaster Bujold's books have been on my TBR for YEARS. YEARS. I first heard of these books through the Queen's Thief fan community Sounds on LiveJournal. (See. I told you. YEARS.) Why did I wait so long? I think I had worked it up so much in my head, I was a little afraid. But I dove into the Vorkosigan series this year and I'm loving them. Fortunately for me the series is huge so I will be reading new to me Bujold books for years to come.

 Love & Gelato is the sort of contemporary YA book I'm always looking for to recommend. I know a lot of teen readers who enjoy this type of book and I thoroughly enjoy them too. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Jenna Evans Welch offers the world next


Both of these books were written by one author whose work I was already familiar and one author who was new to me. I really hope that Gita Varadarajan and Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich write more books. I will read every one.



Comments

It's so good to hear that about Joanna Bourne, because I read Book 1 when it came out and then never tried any of her others. I'll try Book 3 after all!
Greg said…
I really like Love and gelato and I also look forward to whatever else Welch writes. And Secrets of the Dragon Tomb looks awesome! I'll have to go check it out. :)
Kim Aippersbach said…
You're just discovering LMB now??? I envy you! How far have you gotten?

I remember reading the first couple of Joanna Bourne books several years ago—was there a great opening scene with a blind narrator?—and really enjoying them. You say there are more, and they get better??

Been meaning to get my hands on Dragon Tomb for a while now, and Rebel Genius sounds awesome!

(I bet I would like the contemporary ones, too. They just never excite me as much when I see them ...)
Anonymous said…
RUN, do not walk, to Avatar. RUN. NOW.

Also, I take all the credit for the Bourne books, thankyouverymuch ;)
Brandy said…
Yeah...book 1 had some blurry consent and feeling like the heroine was all out of choices that I didn't like. Books 3, 4, and 5 are truly excellent though.
Brandy said…
It's great if you love adventure, intrigue, and sci-fi with fantasy flair.
Brandy said…
I've only read The Warrior's Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning, and The Vor Game so far.
Brandy said…
I will be watching soon. I promise!

Haha. I think you might have to share credit with some others but okay. ;)

Popular posts from this blog

Favorite Kissing Scenes

When thinking of a favorite things post I could do for February I decided it would have to be kissing. I've already done couples and I was feeling in the mood to do something fluffy and Valentine's related. So kisses it is. I read more MG than YA, and the YA I read tends to not focus on romance so this was actually harder than I expected it to be though a few jumped into my head right away. (And one of my choices does actually come from a MG book. One is adult. Gasp!) The actual scene from the book is quoted followed by my thoughts. The king lifted a hand to her cheek and kissed her. It was not a kiss between strangers, not even a kiss between a bride and a groom. It was a kiss between a man and his wife, and when it was over, the king closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the hollow of the queen's shoulder, like a man seeking respite, like a man reaching home at the end of the day . - The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner Turner doesn't write the

TTT: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly themed blog hop created by  The Broke and the Bookish  and now hosted at  That Artsy Reader Girl . This Week's Topic: Most Recent Additions to My TBR List From Most Recent to Least: What books have recently caught your eye?

This Side of Home

What attracted me to This Side of Home by Renee Watson was the cover. The story hooked my interest. The characters made me fall in love. Maya has lived her entire life in the same neighborhood in Portland hanging out with the same group of friends: her twin sister Nikki, their best friend Essence, and Ronnie, Malachi, and Devin-three boys her father mentors. They have plans for the future that involve each other: prom, college, life. But things in their neighborhood are changing. People are moving in and starting new businesses. Property values are going up as a result. In addition to change, this is also causing trouble. Essence has to move out of her  house when the owner decides he can make more money selling it than renting it. The racial demographics of the school, which has been mostly African American, is shifting. This presents new challenges and choices for Maya and her friends. It brings new people into their lives at the same time. Maya has to figure out how-and if-she wa

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  by Robert Beatty is a thrilling tale of mystery and adventure set at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC in 1899. Having lived in Asheville and visited the house several times, there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to read this. (Also it's MG fantasy, always a bonus for me.) Serafina lives in secret in the basement of the Vanderbilt's spacious vacation home. She has lived there most of her life. Her father worked on the house as it was being built and is the mechanic who runs the massive generator and keeps the electricity going. Serafina is the chief rat catcher, slipping through the halls of her massive home secretly and quietly. She is light on her feet, sees well in the dark, and is quick enough to catch the vermin and keep them out. Serafina knows she if different and strange. Her father insists she stay hidden. But all that changes when one night Serafina witnesses a horrible crime. A little girl, a guest in the house, is fleein

Shorter Musings MG Fantasy

Here are some shorter musings on recent MG fantasy reads. Anya and the Dragon   by Sofiya Pasternack This book is fun. It is a book full of adventure, an obvious bad guy, some more complicated morally gray area characters, and a strong, brave heroine. It is also a book about friendships, community, and fighting for what is right. All things that usually work for me really well. While I enjoyed this, I did feel it was a little overlong and there were certain plot points at the end I didn't love. However, there were things I thought were done really well, such as Anya's Jewish faith and the idea that power needs to be challenged. In the end it was a middle of the road read for me, but it is one I will certainly be recommending to dragon and fantasy adventure lovers I know! R is for Rebel   by J. Anderson Coats This is tough because I usually really like Coats's books. I had such a hard time with this one though on so many levels. It's difficult to get into because t