Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's prompt is "New-to-Me Authors I Read in 2020."
For many of us, 2020 was not a typical reading year. My goals, challenges, and projects were upended as I turned to books for comfort. That meant more rereads, backlists titles from favorite authors, memoirs, and quite a few lighter books. Here are my favorite author discoveries, listed in the order that I read them.
Kevin Wilson, Nothing To See Here
Rachel Lyon, Self-Portrait with Boy
Claire Lombardo, The Most Fun We Ever Had
T Kira Madden, Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls: A Memoir
Nella Larsen, Passing
Connie Schultz, The Daughters of Erietown
Lucy Foley, The Guest List
Bess Kalb, Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as Told to Me) Story
Austin Channing Brown, I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
Fredrik Backman, Anxious People
Have you read any of these authors? Who was your favorite author discovery last year?
I'm Still Here sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteAnd Anxious People has been on a few lists this week!
My post.
Lydia - I want to go back and read some of Backman's earlier novels. Can't believe it's taken me this long to get to his work!
DeleteI've read Backman's Ove and Anxious People is waiting patiently for me on my Kindle. I have read most of what Lucy Foley has written but it's formulaic. I'd give her another go but she seems to follow a pattern which is too predictable for me.
ReplyDeleteTi - I'm planning to read Foley's The Hunting Party, but not sure where to go with Backman. Ove seems the obvious choice though...
DeleteI've read Nothing to See Here and am in the middle of The Daughters of Erietown. Kevin Wilson's was one of my favorites of 2020. I need to read his previous book(s?).
ReplyDeleteLes - The Family Fang is the other Wilson novel I've been thinking about reading. Hope you're enjoying The Daughters of Erietown!
DeleteAnxious People was my favorite book of 2020. Glad you found his writing with that one. His other books are good, too.
ReplyDeleteDeanna - It took me two tries to get hooked on Anxious People, but once I was in, I loved it! Not sure which of his novels I'll pick up next.
DeleteI love this list. Every year it seems that I discover a dozen or so really great writers for the first time. The only one on your list that I'm familiar with is Backman. I've read all of his now, and really like his style. Anxious People may be my least favorite of them all, but I enjoyed the twists in that one a lot so I suppose that tells you how much I enjoyed his other books.
ReplyDeleteSam - If Anxious People is your least favorite Backman, I'm curious to know which one you'd suggest I read next. I was thinking about Ove.
DeleteThe first Backman book I ever read was Beartown, and I followed that with its sequel Us Against You. These two are much more serious than the other Backman books I've read, but they really do make you think about small town society and how unfair it can be. I was hooked immediately on Backman and couldn't wait to read more.
DeleteHe has another two-book series ( Britt-Marie Was Here, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry) that is also very good. It's more like Anxious People in that there are lots of twists and reveals along the way.
Thanks, Sam. My daughter suggested Beartown, too. I think she's read all of Backman's books except Anxious People.
DeleteI would very much like to read Kevin Wilson's book. Thank you for reminding me of this.
ReplyDeleteDeb - Wilson's book was one of my favorites last year!
DeleteI haven't heard of most of these. THE GUEST LIST is one I have read, although I found it disappointing. Always a bummer. I know I'm in the minority on this one, though. Glad you found lots of new authors to love!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Susan - The closed door mystery concept in The Guest List intrigued me... I don't read many mysteries, so it kept me guessing. Not sure when I'll get to her other books though.
DeleteI've read the Wilson, Schultz and Backman books - the Backman was my favorite. The Guest List is on my TBR but on back burner as her previous book: The Hunting Party was a DNF for me.
ReplyDeleteDiane - Hmm, The Hunting Party was the other Foley novel I was going to try. Your DNFing isn't a good sign... thanks for letting me know.
DeleteI have liked the books I've read by Lucy Foley and Fredrick Backman. I have Anxious People waiting for me on my TBR shelf.
ReplyDeleteHelen - I plan to read more of both of those authors.
DeleteI just read The Guest List and really enjoyed it. I previously read her other book, The Hunting Party, and also liked it!
ReplyDeleteAngela - Glad to hear that! I'm thinking of trying The Hunting Party next.
DeleteNothing to See Here is on my TBR list. I am in the middle of Anxious People. Frederik Backman is a fabulous and varied author. Thanks for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteAnne - From what I understand, Backman's books don't follow a set pattern. I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.
DeleteLucy Foley is on my TBR. Her books look entertaining and spooky!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I thought The Guest List was very atmospheric! It would be a great choice for RIP.
DeleteVicki - Do you have a favorite Backman? I'll definitely read more.
ReplyDeleteI have read Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls. T Kira Madden was one of my favorite new to me authors last year.
ReplyDeleteJudy - I'm sure your review figured into my decision to read Madden's book!
DeleteI haven't read any of those but Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls and I'm Still Here are on my list! Looks like you read some good ones. I'll have to check the others out.
ReplyDeleteHeather - Both of those were very good... especially on audio!
DeleteI really need to read Nothing to See Here! So many others I want to read as well from your list. I did read Anxious People but unfortunately it didn't work so well for me. I'm definitely open to trying another of his books though!
ReplyDeleteIliana - I loved Nothing to See Here. It was my favorite audiobook last year. Sorry to hear about Anxious People... the first time I tried it, it was a DNF for me. The second time I persisted, finally got into it, and was eventually rewarded. Not sure what Backman I might try next.
DeleteI liked Daughters of Erietown too. I read Lucy Foley's other book and found all the characters unpleasant although it was definitely a page turner!
ReplyDeleteCLM - I wonder if Foley always writes unpleasant characters? None were particularly likable in The Guest List, but I kept turning the pages!
DeleteI want to read Anxious People as I like the author, and I have not read any of the other books on your list.
ReplyDeleteTerra - Anxious People is the only Backman book I've read. Will probably try Beartown next... just saw this morning that there will be a movie.
DeleteI've read two and am in the minority with Backmann whom I've still to enjoy! the others need investigating. Thanks for the list.
ReplyDeleteMystica - It was definitely a good year for author discoveries! Quite a few new favorites.
DeleteI haven't read any of these authors, JoAnn, although I have been a lot of good things about Lucy Foley, so hope to read something of hers someday. Some of the great new authors I discovered in 2020 were Robert Dinsdale (The Toymakers), Hazel Gaynor (The Cottingley Secret) and Natalie Jenner (The Jane Austen Society). 🙂
ReplyDeleteI have Nella Larsen on my Kindle, yesssss !
ReplyDeleteIzaBzh - Ooh, I hope you like it. The ending packs a punch!
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