I'm a little late to the TTT party today, but I hate missing out on this fun weekly event, so here I am! Today's prompt—Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023—is an easy one, at least for me. I counted it up and of the 223 books I read last year, 146 of them were by authors I had never read before. Many of them were debut authors, although a few were by authors who have been around for awhile that I've just never tried out before. I love discovering great new writers to love, especially when they have a long backlist for me to explore. 

Before we get to my list, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our fabulous host, Jana, some love.

1. Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows—I realize this is three authors, but since I've only ever read the books they've written together, I'm going to count them as one. This creative trio pens a wholly entertaining YA series that I discovered last year with My Calamity Jane, an alternate history (with werewolves!) novel set in the Wild West. I enjoyed it so much, especially on audio, that I've since listened to My Plain Jane and am currently in the middle of My Imaginary Mary. The books mix history, sci-fi/fantasy, horror, humor, (a little bit of) romance, and lots of imagination to create funny, action-packed romps that are just all-over delightful. Bonus: they're PG rated, which is not always easy to find in YA.

2. Alice Feeney—Daisy Darker is, well, dark, but it's also engrossing and compelling. Even though I saw the Big Plot Twist coming, I still quite enjoyed the read (listen, actually). I'll definitely pick up more of Feeney's books.

3. Meg Shaffer—Shaffer's debut, The Wishing Game, got a lot of buzz when it came out and deservedly so. While it may not be the most unique or pulse-pounding read, it's wholesome and uplifting, a happy book that made me smile. I need more of those in my reading life, so hopefully Shaffer's next novel will have a similar vibe. (I just looked it up and The Lost Story, a "wondrous" novel about two boys' mysterious disappearance in a mysterious land, is coming out on July 4. Yay!)

4. Erin Bow—I loved Bow's latest, a contemporary middle-grade novel called Simon Sort of Says. Bow mostly writes fantasy, which isn't really my thing, but I'm definitely up for more realistic fiction by her.

5. Katherine Marsh—Speaking of realistic middle-grade fiction, I also really liked Marsh's moving historical novel, The Lost Year. As with Bow, I'm looking forward to reading more of her realistic fiction.

6. Nicole Deese—Christian fiction can be hit or miss for me. Before I Called You Mine was the former. You better believe I'll be checking out Deese's backlist and watching what she does going forward.

7. Peng Shepherd—The Cartographers is an imaginative adult portal fantasy that doesn't really feel like fantasy (if that makes sense). I enjoyed it, though, and plan to look for more books by Shepherd. Ooh, I just checked out her website and her forthcoming book, All This & More (available July 9, 2024), sounds super intriguing!

8. Carlene O'Connor—I enjoyed the first book in O'Connor's new County Kerry mystery series and am looking forward to the next one. The author also pens a couple of cozy mystery series set in Ireland that I want to check out.

9. Emily Inouye Henry—Henry's debut, a YA historical novel about discrimination against Japanese Americans during World War II, was inspired by her own family history. It's a beautiful, touching book that I loved. Henry's sophomore effort is a picture book biography about a Japanese American NBA star. I'm not really interested in that, but I'll be keeping an eye out for whatever Henry does next.

10. John David Anderson—Anderson's latest middle-grade novel, The Greatest Kid in the World, made me laugh out loud, but it also has a tender poignancy that touched me. I had never heard of the author before; obviously, I've been missing out!

There you go, ten new-to-me authors that I found last year. Have you read any of them? Which of their books are your favorites? Which awesome writers did you discover in 2023? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here (although I'm a little behind currently).

It's August already. Huh. How did that happen? July was a busy month for me and my family, but I still managed to read two bookish books:

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney centers around an eccentric old woman who is also a well-known author of children's books. She invites all the members of her dysfunctional family to her private island to celebrate her 80th birthday. Tension is already high, even before the birthday girl is found dead in her kitchen. Her death is just the beginning of a violent, deadly game reminiscent of And Then There Were None. Who is killing off the Darkers? And why?

This thriller is exactly what it says it is—dark—and yet, I found it irresistibly compelling and clever. I listened to the book on audio and the narrator, Stephanie Racine, gives a pitch-perfect performance that matched the story to a T. 

I also enjoyed The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. This gentle novel is also about a famous author who lives on his own private island. In this case, he's a recluse who hasn't penned a new book in years. When Jack Masterson announces he's finally written another novel and he's offering it as a prize to the winner of an exclusive competition he's hosting, everyone is shocked. The hand-picked contestants have to solve puzzles in a race against time—and each other—to earn the life-changing prize. 

Unlike Daisy Darker, this book is uplifting, optimistic, and magical. I really liked it. 

As for bookish books to read in August, I'm hopefully going to pick up some of the ones I've mentioned already in these monthly posts. I'm not going to add anymore to the list at this point. However, I did just learn some exciting news. Jennifer Ryan—one of my favorite authors of World War II fiction—has a novel coming out in 2024 titled The Underground Library. It's about three very different women who come together to save the library that means everything to them amidst the chaos of war. I can't wait!

What bookish books did you read in July? Which are you planning to pick up in August?

Happy July, everyone! It's the middle of the month somehow and I'm just now getting around to posting this monthly update. So sorry. Between traveling for the Fourth, having oral surgery, and trying not to melt in record breaking heat, I've been a little busy, I guess. 

I managed to read two bookish books in June:

I re-read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson for book club. I loved it the first time I read it a few years ago and loved it again the second time. It was a hit with everyone in my book club, too. If you haven't read it, do. It's a lovely novel that emphasizes the power of reading, among other inmportant themes.

Although I was a rabid Little House on the Prairie fan as a kid, I didn't know much about the life of its author outside of the autobiographical elements in her books. Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser talks all about Laura Ingalls Wilder's life as a woman, a pioneer, an author, and a mother. I found it very interesting. 

July is turning out to be a good month for me and bookish books. I started the month with this one:

Translated from Spanish, I Lived On Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín is about a young girl living in Chile during a time of political upheaval. When her parents come under suspicion from the dictatorial government, they are forced into hiding and she is sent to live with an aunt in the U.S. Throughout the ordeal, the girl finds comfort in words and books. 

I'm reading this gem right now:

When a beloved but reclusive children's author who hasn't published in years suddenly announces a by-invitation-only competition that will reward one lucky winner with an unimaginably lucrative prize, Lucy Hart is stunned to find herself one of the competitors. The 26-year-old is desperate to adopt a vulnerable young boy who's floundering in foster care, but she doesn't have the money to provide the stable home he needs. Winning the author's contest could change both of their lives forever. What will she find when she sets foot on magical, mysterious Clock Island?

I'm loving everything about The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer, from the gorgeous cover to the warm, likable characters to the intriguing plot. It's engaging and fun so far.

The audiobook I'm listening to right now also has some bookish themes:

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney is a thriller about an estranged family who gathers at their grandmother's isolated manor for her 80th birthday. Nana is a beloved children's author and illustrator who's made a tidy fortune that all of her descendants want a (large) piece of. When she dies suspiciously, each of the party attendees becomes a suspect. Who killed Nana and why? And who's next on the killer's hit list?

Happy June! How did your May go? Mine was busy and, once again, I did not read any bookish books during the month. I read a few that had books in them, but it wasn't a main theme so I'm not counting them. Just to reiterate, though, this is a laidback challenge and you choose what counts as a "bookish" book. If you think it counts for the challenge, it totally does! 

My book club chose The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson for our May read, but we didn't meet until tonight. I loved the novel when I read it back in 2020. My plan was to re-read it before book club, but I'm still only about 100 pages in. So, for May, I'll finish the re-read, then go on to its sequel, The Book Woman's Daughter. Those will happen this month for sure. 

Here are a couple other possibilities:

I'm a big Carol Goodman fan and her newest, The Bones of the Story, sounds like a compelling bookish thriller. It's a locked-room mystery about a group of people who took a creative writing class together in college 25 years ago. A terrible tragedy involving their professor marked their time together. When people start dying at a commemoration event, it becomes clear that the past is coming back to haunt the present.

Vero over at The Moon Phoenix has been raving about The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer and it does sound like a fun read. It's about a super popular children's writer who mysteriously stopped publishing years ago. Everyone is shocked when he announces not only that he has written a new book but also that he is hosting an exclusive competition in which the winner takes home the only copy of his coveted new story. The stakes are impossibly high for the four people chosen to compete. Who will emerge the victor?

What bookish books are you planning to read in June?