Top Ten Favorite Author Discoveries of 2012
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature from The Broke and the Bookish. This week we are listing our favorite new-to-me authors of the year! I read some debuts I loved and also read some YA powerhouse authors for the first time.
1. Ellen Hopkins – I just recently read Collateral and was thoroughly impressed. I hope more readers give that book a try and I can’t wait to dive into Hopkins’ previous books.
2. Tammara Webber - Easy is one of my favorite reads of 2012, and probably the only book I’ve re-read this year!
3. Sarah Dessen - I read my first Dessen books this year finally, and she is deserving of the queen of contemporary YA title. Can’t wait to read The Moon and More!
4. Colleen Hoover - Slammed and Point of Retreat are lovely new adult reads, and this author also pointed me in the direction of The Sea of Tranquility, so yay for author recs! Looking forward to reading Hopeless later this month.
5. Tara Kelly – Tara Kelly incorporates music into her contemporary books, and music and YA are a great match in my book. So glad Kelly is writing a sequel to Amplified!
6. S.C. Stephens – I read Thoughtless and Effortless back to back and had a little book hangover afterwards. Her characters really stuck with me and sometimes you just need a good angsty series like this.
7. Marissa Meyer – Cinder is such a breath of fresh air, so unique and fun. I loaned out my copy of Scarlet and hear it’s another winner. Hope I get to read it soon!
8. Trish Doller – I liked Doller’s debut Something Like Normal a lot – good male POV about a soldier returning home from Afghanistan. One of my favorite contemporary reads this year.
9. Gillian Flynn – I couldn’t put down Gone Girl - what a crazy, wild ride! And Flynn is writing a YA book now, so that’s something to look forward to.
10. Jennifer E. Smith – Smith has 5 books under her belt, but I’ve only read The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight so far. 2013′s This is What Happy Looks Like looks so cute too.
What authors did you discover this year?
Posted on December 10, 2012, in Top Ten Tuesday, Young Adult and tagged Authors, Books, Ellen Hopkins, Gillian Flynn, Reading, Sarah Dessen, Top Ten Tuesday, Young-adult fiction. Bookmark the permalink. 32 Comments.
I’m embarrassed to say I still haven’t read any Sarah Dessen. Definitely in 2013!
I love Sarah Dessen’s books and I have The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight reserved at my library! My TTT list: http://aliceinreaderland.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/top-ten-favorite-new-to-me-authors-i-read-in-2012/
Alice @ Alice in Readerland
great list, lucy. i totally got easy on my kindle after reading your review. i hope to get to it over the holidays. and argh – gone girl is on my list of books i really really want. i am on the library wait list still though i might break down and buy it at some point.
and i really need to read more sarah dessen. i read lock and key a couple of years ago and really liked it but somehow never got to another of her books. i have several now though so i should really get started.
and yay, scarlet! i am about to lend out my copy, too. i have a friend who can’t wait to read it. i am holding out a little longer but i am hoping it’s just as good as cinder.
Hope you like Easy too! I was on the library wait list for Gone Girl too, and it was in the hundreds then- hope you don’t have to wait too long.
I should have read Scarlet before loaning it- I’m feeling antsy now! Let me know when you start it and we can have a read along.
I need to read Gone Girl- so many people rave about it.
Because I accidentally peeked at a Christmas gift (hey, I didn’t know it was for me lol).. I know that I’m receiving Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl as a gift. I’m very excited to read that. I’ve heard lots of people I know talk about it
Easy, for me, is also one of my top reads for 2012. Have you read her others? Imo, they’re good.. but not as quite as terrific as Easy was.
Trish Doller’s Something Like Normal I very much enjoyed. Miranda Kenneally’s Catching Jordan was quite good. A sports themed YA. I also read Stealing Parker by her, which wasn’t quite as good, but still decent.
Rae Carson and her books are immensely well done. Smart protagonist. Great voice. I’m in the middle of Robin LaFevers’ Grave Mercy and am really liking the book. Great prose.
Hope you enjoy Gone Girl as much as I did! It’s addictive for sure..
I haven’t read any of Webber’s other books yet, though I bought Between the Lines. It’s hard to top Easy, isn’t it?
Glad you liked Catching Jordan, I hear the third companion book is excellent.
Agree about Rae Carson, though I still need to read her second book, as well as LaFevers’ Grave Mercy. Love your taste in books!
I really need to read some Marissa Meyer – heard so much about her!
My TTT post
What a great list! My 2012 Fave Author discoveries include Jessica Brody – MY LIFE UNDECIDED and 52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER (thanks to pal author Mary Pearson for the rec), Morgan Matson – AMY & ROGER’S EPIC DETOUR and SECOND CHANCE SUMMER (thanks to you for your rec), adult fiction author Ann Pachett – BEL CANTO and STATE OF WONDER (thanks to pal Daphne Grab for the rec), and Deborah Heiligman – INTENTIONS (whom I met at a book signing). It surprised me to see how many books I read from my 2012 list are authors I already love. Glad to see they are thriving and still publishing books!
Thanks for sharing your favorites! Hopefully Jessica Brody will make my list next year when I finally check out 52 Reasons or My Life Undecided. I also want to read both the Pachett books. I didn’t read as many debut authors this year either, and yes it’s great to see favorite authors release more and more good books!
I’m listening to Gone Girl on audio now and OMG! I’m almost done with it and just…Wow! You have a lot of great authors on your list! I adore Sarah Dessen and Cinder was so good!
I rediscovered Lauren Oliver. I love her! I also FINALLY discovered John Green. He is truly fantastic.
Yes, agreed! Looking forward to both of their new books
Hopkins is on my list too. But I’m slightly shocked that Dessen is. She is the Queen of YA Contemporary ;D
Sarah Dessen is such a staple to YA lit. I can’t wait for her new book to come out. Great List!
Ellen Hopkins is a genius – you definitely need to read more of her work. I didn’t know Jennifer Smith had other books out – I want to check out This is What Happy Looks Like too!
I haven’t read any of Dessen’s books, despite me having like 3 sitting on my bookshelf! Really need to get to them! I’ve heard nothing but GREAT things about Gone Girl and they’re making me want to read it oh so badly! I’ve got a copy of Scarlet heading my way. Can’t wait to get my hands on it! Great list this week Lucy!
I need to read Dessen, maybe she will be on my list for 2013 new authors! I also have Statistical Probability but haven’t made it to it yet (shame on me)!
Something Like Normal was one of my favorite contemporaries this year, too. I look forward to seeing what else Doller puts out, though I think she didn’t make my TTT list. Ooops! I read too many good books this year!
I tried so hard to finally read a Sarah Dessen book this year, but I didn’t get around to it. I guess she’ll be one of my new-to-me authors for 2013!
Oh my gosh, EASY is killing me! I swear I don’t know what came over me when I told the publisher I was just too busy to read the book?! Stupid, I. Know. Blah, lol.
And Gillian Flynn made my list too. I didn’t realize she was going to try out YA I’m looking forward to seeing that book as well as checking out her backlist of titles. I hope they’re all as psychologically thrilling
Hope you track down EASY sometime soon. It is totally worth a purchase.
I’m with you in wanting to catch up with Flynn’s back catalog. I need to read more from her!
I love some of these authors and now I have to check out the ones I haven’t heard of yet
I have yet to read any Sarah Dessen, but eventually! I’m also intrigued by Thoughtless and Effortless, but my library doesn’t carry them and I’m on a book buying ban until after Christmas. Maybe then…
I discovered Gillian Flynn this year too and I WANT MORE! That book was such a crazy ride. Love Marissa Meyer.
Sarah Dessen is great! My favorite of hers is Just Listen, which I’m guessing you will like too, since music is a big part of the story. Also, glad to see you enjoyed The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, which is on my TBR list for 2013.
I’ll have to read Just Listen next year, and yes the music tie-in appeals to me
Thanks for the rec!
Hope you enjoy Statistical as much as I did!
Marissa Meyer!
I loved Cinder and I can’t wait to read Scarlet.
Mel@thedailyprophecy.
I loved The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. I should have included Jennifer E. Smith on my list. I can’t wait to read This is What Happy Looks Like.
I really need to read Easy. I keep hearing how wonderful it is. I don’t know why I am dragging my feet.
I’m so excited to find another Ellen Hopkins fan! I’ve been touting her work for years, since I read Crank. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her! I’ve got Collateral on my nightstand and Tilt is on my wishlist, other than that I’ve read every one of her books. Enjoy reading her previous books – I 100% recommend Crank, Glass and Fallout.
Your list is awesome, I read Colleen Hoover this year, too (she made it to my list) and Gillian Flynn is a favorite for a couple years already. Several of the authors I have on my TBR pile, I’m hoping to read a few soon!
I read something like Normal and Cinder this year as well! I read Hopkins’ Impulse too. Lots of great picks! Here’s Ours
Been waiting on Gone Girl forever. The waiting line at the library is so long. I’ve also got Cinder on my request list, but I’ve put it on the wait list for a while. Too many other books on my kindle and night stand to read first.