Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2012

Tuesday, December 11, 2012


This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for our Top Ten Favorite New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2012. Many of these are authors I’d heard of before, but this was the first year I read one of their books. Now I will be on the lookout for new and old books from all of these authors.
 
1) Tana French (In the Woods)

2) Julia Alvarez (In the Time of the Butterflies)

3) Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo)

4) Wendell Berry (Hannah Coulter)

5) Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl)

6) Joanne Harris (Chocolat)

7) Rainbow Rowell (Attachments)

8) Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (The Yearling)

9) Jess Walter (Beautiful Ruin)

10) Stephen King (The Stand) – I’ve read novellas and nonfiction from King before, but this was the first year I tried one of his massive novels and I absolutely loved it!
 
Image from here.

15 comments:

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

I've read 5 of the authors on your list and have enjoyed most of them and their books --great list.

annieb said...

A Wedding in Haiti by Julia Alvarez is nonfiction that keeps your attention like fiction. Not to be missed. Also, if you haven't yet read Rawlings', Cross Creek, you should. Another nonfiction. I love authors who do both well.

Cecelia said...

What a wonderful list! I loved The Yearling as a kid, and I recently enjoyed Harris' Runemarks. Thanks for sharing your picks!

Tanya Patrice said...

Interesting list with some new-to-me authors :-) But I've read Stephen King and loved his books.

Nikki Steele said...

Hooray Stephen King!

Sigh, don't you absolutely love reading? I mean, Dumas is on your list as a new to you author and yet he's been dead for over a 100 years. Just amazing that somebody from that long ago can still reach out to you now and show you something new and something that you now treasure. -- Romantic aside over :D

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Diane - It's so exciting to realize there are still hundreds of authors/books out there for me to discover.

annieb - I'm adding all of those to my list! I love good nonfiction.

Cecelia - I'm looking forward to reading more of Harris' work. It was just lovely.

Tanya - I was surprised by how much I liked The Stand. I think I'll try his 11/22/63

Nikki - Yes! Isn't that just amazing! I love that I can "discover" a new author that so many people before me have loved for years. It gives us all a shared history, such a beautiful thought.

Joanna Hennon said...

Ooh I love Joanne Harris and Tana French! You discovered so many great authors, what a good year :-)

Melissa Haggerty said...

I love Stephen King! I've actually never read any of his nonfiction.

carol said...

I loved the one Tana Frech I read and I think The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my all-time favorite books.

Jenners said...

I'm so glad you discovered and enjoyed Tana French. She is a master!! And King has such a backlist that you have some great choices (and some not so great ones too).

Sandy Nawrot said...

Yay for Tana French! Every single solitary book she has written is freaking brilliant. This was definitely the year of Gillian Flynn for me...she is another one that is scary clever. Now, you must (MUST MUST) listen to 11/22.63. Make that a very high priority!

Micheline said...

Really interesting list! I'm hoping that 2013 will allow me to crack open my copy of The Count of Monte Cristo...it's been sitting on my shelf for far too long ;) Also really want to read Chocolat! Thanks for sharing.

Micheline @ Lunar Rainbows

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Joanna - It really was a great reading year!

Melissa - He has a nonfiction book called On Writing which is excellent!

Carol - I know I'll be re-reading the Count in the future.

Jenners - I know. I just finished The Likeness and it cemented her as a great author for me!

Sandy - I can't wait to read 11/22/63. It's all I can do to wait until January, but I might not make it.

Micheline D - It was on my list for so long!

Kat @ NoPageLeftBehind said...

I really need to get on the Gillian Flynn train and read Gone Girl already! Also, Wendell Berry is definitely on my must read list of 2013 after reading your praise!

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Kat - I'm curious about her other books now. I've heard they're really good too!