Today's TTT prompt is a great one—Top Ten Book Titles That Include the Word [Insert Word of Your Choice Here]—but I'm going to scooch ahead to next week's topic instead since I won't be in town on the 14th. That one is: Top Ten Books I Want to Read By New to Me Authors. Naturally, I could make a Top 100 list on this topic, but I'll *try* to stick to just 10.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Before we get to that, though, I want to give a shoutout to Carol over at Reading Ladies Book Club. Every year, she asks fellow book bloggers to join her for a fun collab called Summer's One Must Read Book in which they recommend the one title they most feel like you should read. I've been privileged to contribute for several years now and I love it! The collab is a great way to get new reading recommendations, find new bloggers to follow, and support ones you may already be familiar with. Curious to know which book I recommended? Check out the post here.

1. Red Rising by Pierce Brown—I've had this YA dystopian novel, the first in a popular trilogy, on my shelf for years. It happened to come up in a conversation with friends during our Fourth of July getaway and their rave reviews made me want to give it a go. Although the story was a tad confusing at first, I'm finding it a very gripping read now that I'm into it.

The story revolves around 16-year-old Darrow, who lives in a mining colony beneath the surface of Mars. He performs a dangerous job in a brutal environment for very little reward, but he knows that his sacrifices are necessary in order to make the planet habitable for the people living on a dying Earth. When Darrow suffers a devastating loss, which leads him to a secret resistance group, he learns some shocking truths about his community and his real role within it. Feeling angry and betrayed, Darrow agrees to go undercover as one of the enemy in order to bring down the hierarchy from within. Can he accomplish his mission in a glittering Gold world without losing his earthy Red soul?

2. The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan—This is the first book in a series starring a ghostwriter who solves mysteries. In this initial outing, the writer is penning the story of Senator Dorothy Gibson, the first independent candidate to run for President of the United States. After the shocking results of the election, she has become the most talked about woman in America. It's a prime assignment for the ghostwriter, but when Dorothy's neighbor dies suspiciously, the ghostwriter is roped into another job: helping to solve a murder.

3. Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel—At 77, Pepper Mills is forced into living at a retirement home by her three children. Unexpectedly, she not only makes friends in her new home but she also falls in love. When she begins to experience the symptoms of morning sickness, she's astonished to discover that she's pregnant. The news shocks everyone, leading to a media circus that has everyone from Pepper's children to complete strangers voicing an opinion about what should happen next. Such an intriguing premise!

4. The Stargazer of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt—It's 1851 and Winifred Starbuck's parents are about to embark on their last merchant voyage, a trip of a lifetime from Nantucket Island to San Francisco to China. Forbidden from going, Winifred stows away. Soon, she's on a thrilling adventure, one that will test her mettle, break open shocking family secrets, and change her life forever.

5. The Matchbox Girl by Alice Jolly—No one really understands Adelheid Brunner, a girl who doesn't speak, using only her writing and drawing to communicate. No one understands why she's obsessive about her goal of owning 1000 matchboxes. Dr. Asperger is the one person who seems to get her. When he invites her to live at his pediatric clinic in Vienna with other children like herself, she agrees. It's 1938, however, and things are only getting more heated in the city. Adelheid soon realizes she's in the middle of a dangerous game she can't even begin to understand.

6. The Fort by Christy K. Lee—I saw this historical novel recommended somewhere, but I can't remember where. Was it on your blog? Anyway, it's set during the middle of the bustling Canada fur trade and features an Englishwoman who comes to the country in order to leave her scandalous past behind. To support herself and her young son, Abigail Williams plans to mend horseshoes in her father's blacksmith shop at Fort Edmonton. When her past catches up with her, Abby escapes with a group of voyageurs heading to Montreal. It's a grueling trip, one she must survive in order to finally create the new life she and her son deserve.

7. Liberty Street by Heather Marshall—Also set in Canada, this dual-timeline novel centers around a notorious women's prison. In 1961, an intrepid female reporter goes undercover at the facility in order to investigate shocking claims made by an inmate. Once she's in, though, she may not be able to get out...Thirty-five years later, unidentified female remains are discovered in a small Ontario cemetery. The police investigation leads back to Mercer Women's Prison. 

8. How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson—A self-help book that teaches people how to get away with murder seems to be the playbook a London serial killer is using to do just that. After being on a mental health leave for six months, Detective Samantha Hansen is eager to prove her competence by catching the murderer.

9. Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan (available September 1, 2026)—This mystery/thriller is about sisters who are the only survivors of the plane crash that killed their parents. The experience forges a tight bond between them that can never be broken. Until it is. When one of the sisters disappears, leaving her daughter behind, the other vows to find her, never expecting her search will expose sinister secrets about the sibling she thought she knew better than anyone. 

10. Game, Set, Murder by Monique L. Stover—The first installment in a new cozy mystery series, this book is about Madeline Quinn, a tennis player whose coach is murdered right before an important tournament. Madeline's sister is the chief of police and, although she knows her sibling will do a thorough job investigating the crime, Madeline also knows that, as an insider, she has a unique perspective on the case. Can the sisters figure out who killed the coach?

There you go, ten books I want to read by authors I've never tried before. Have you read any of them? What did you think? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.