Although I have a ton of favorite authors whose books are auto-reads for me, I also try a fair number of new writers every year. In fact, of the 200 books I read in 2022, 117 (59%) were by authors I hadn't tried before. So far in 2023, I've read 17 books, 10 of which were written by new-to-me writers. Some of these have been duds, naturally, but others introduced me to some great new authors whom I very much want to read more from. I found more than 10 last year, so I had to narrow it down to the ones who stood out most for me.

Before we get to that, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our lovely TTT host, Jana, some love. If you want to join in with your own list, all the details about this fun weekly event are on her blog.

1. Jason Reynolds—This iconic children's author was my best find of 2022. He writes contemporary middle-grade and YA books starring Black characters living in urban situations and dealing with everything from ADHD to bullying to gang violence to wrongful arrests. His books are compelling, funny, poignant, and approachable (even to a 47-year-old white woman). I listened to his whole Track series last year. The audiobooks are especially entertaining because of Guy Lockard, Reynolds' long-time friend and a talented actor and narrator. 

2. Tamara Berry—Buried in a Good Book, the first installment in Berry's By the Book cozy mystery series, had me smiling and laughing so much that I knew I needed to read more from her. So far, I've read the second book in the series and the first in her Eleanor Wilde cozy series. Her books are just fun! She also writes romances under the names Lucy Gilmore and Tamara Morgan.

3. Fredrik Backman—Backman's been a popular author ever since A Man Called Ove came out in 2014. His books didn't really seem like my kind of thing, so I avoided them until someone in my book club suggested we read Anxious People. I wasn't looking forward to it, honestly, but once I got started, I couldn't stop. What a delightful read! I loved it and now I want to read more by this beloved Swedish writer.

4. Stacy Willingham—I just finished Willingham's second novel, which I liked even more than her debut, A Flicker in the Dark, which I read last year. Her books are engrossing, twisty, and compelling.

5. Sulari Gentill—Although this Australian author has published a number of books, I didn't hear about her until 2022 when The Woman in the Library came out. It's a fun, clever novel that made me want to read more of Gentill's mysteries.

6. Eleanor Brown—Any Other Family was one of my favorite reads of last year. Brown has penned a couple other novels, plus some non-fiction. I'm not really interested in the latter, but the former? Definintely!

7. Lisa Yee—I read a lot of middle-grade novels last year for a few different book awards. Lee's Maizy Chen's Last Chance was considered for the Cybils Awards and while it didn't ultimately make the cut to be a finalist (although it was a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature), I very much enjoyed it. I'll for sure be checking out Yee's backlist for more gems.

9. Serena Burdick—The Girls With No Names broke my heart and made me a Burdick fan. I'm planning to read more of her hist-fic this year.

10. Kimi Cunningham Grant—I've read two of Grant's books, one a non-fiction account of her grandparents' experience in a Japanese internment camp during World War II, the other a contemporary novel about an isolated father and daughter whose secretive lives are interrupted by an unexpected visitor to their remote cabin. She's only published one other book, which I will hopefully be able to read in 2023. 

There you are, ten new-to-me authors I found in 2022. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which writers did you discover in 2023? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Are you the kind of reader who keeps a close eye on all the new releases coming out? Or are you one of those who couldn't care less? Maybe somewhere in between? I love keeping tabs on the up-and-comers so I know when my favorite authors are releasing new titles and which others I don't want to miss out on. It's not necessarily that I'm going to read them all right away; I just like knowing what's coming down the pipe. This week's TTT prompt is right up my alley: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023. Mine includes my usual blend of historical fiction, mystery/thriller, and a couple middle-grade reads to round things out. I can't wait to see what's on your list this week. My TBR list is going to be in trouble this week, I can already tell!

If you want to join in the TTT fun (and you do!), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023  

- in order of publication date - 

1. The Stranded by Sarah Daniels (published January 3)—Dystopian fiction might be passé, but I'm still a fan. This first installment in a planned series sounds compelling. It's about a luxury liner-turned-refugee ship that's been confined to the oceans since a devastating war turned the world into a post-apocalyptic nightmare. The passengers are getting antsy, desperate to see what's left of civilization on dry land, and they're about to take drastic action in order to escape the Arcadia, which has become—to them—a floating prison.

2. All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham (available January 10)—Isabelle Drake has barely slept a wink since her toddler was snatched from his crib one year ago. Even suffering from severe insomnia, she has only one purpose: finding her son. Desperate for any lead, she agrees to be interviewed by a true crime podcaster. His disturbing obsession bothers her, as does the paranoia and doubt that seem to be taking over her mind. Is she slowly going insane? Is she misremembering something from the night her baby disappeared? Where is Mason and how far will Isabelle go to bring him home?

3. Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies by Stacey Lee (available February 7)—I love Lee's Chinese-themed YA historical fiction, so I'm intrigued by her newest, a middle-grade fantasy. It's about a 12-year-old boy who prevents a robbery at a curiosity shop in Chinatown and is gifted an item from the store as a reward. Winston's disappointed when he gets a perfectly ordinary broom and dustpan, until strange things start happening and he wonders what exactly he's gotten himself into...Sounds fun!

4. The Woman With the Cure by Lynn Cullen (available February 21)—This historical novel tells the true story of Dorothy Horstmann, a woman from humble, immigrant beginnings who became a medical doctor when it was almost unheard of for females to do so. In the 1940s and 50s, she's at the forefront of the race to find a vaccine for polio. When push comes to shove, she has to decide what she's willing to sacrifice in order to save the world from a devastating disease.

5. Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen (available March 7)—I enjoy Nielsen's historical middle-grade novels as well as books about maritime disasters, so I'm excited to read her newest. It's about a young stowaway on Titanic. One minute, Hazel's marveling at the great ship; the next, she's fighting for her life as the mighty vessel sinks into the sea.

6. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (available March 7)—In 1975, Jane Larkin disappears from her home without a trace, leaving behind her husband and three children. There are no signs of a struggle and her pocketbook remains in its proper place. Although authorities suspect Miranda's husband of murder, they can't prove it, and he remains free to raise his trio of traumatized children. When Miranda's body is found two decades later, the family is forced to reexamine what happened to Jane and who is at fault.

7. A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon (available April 1)—Deborah Samson, a penniless indentured servant, longs for freedom and adventure. The Revolutionary War provides a surprising opportunity for liberation. Deborah disguises herself as a boy and joins up. Will fighting for her country finally give her life purpose? Is she brave enough to be a hero? Will she be able to conceal her secret long enough to find out?

8. Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling (available April 4)—Camp Zero is an American building project located in Canada's frozen tundra. In an effort to help her mother, a Korean immigrant displaced by climate change, Rose agrees to work as a spy to uncover Camp Zero's many secrets. What is the building project really about? And why is there an army of elite women soldiers camping nearby? Rose won't stop until she finds the answers, however dangerous the investigation might be.

9. Homecoming by Kate Morton (available April 11)—Of all the books on my list, this is the one I'm most looking forward to. Morton is one of my favorite authors and she only publishes every 2-3 years, so I always get excited when she announces a new book. This one concerns a horrifying crime in Australia that has remained unsolved for many years. When Jess, a journalist living in England, gets a call summoning her to her grandmother's home in Sydney, she discovers a shocking connection between her family and the long-ago crime. What really happened on Christmas Eve 1959?

10. The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda (available April 11)—I'm a fan of Miranda's propulsive thrillers, so I'm excited for this one. It's about a group of friends who reunite on the tenth anniversary of a terrible accident. When one of them disappears, it casts a whole new light on the decade-old tragedy.

There you go, ten new releases I'm eagerly awaiting. Are you familiar with any of them? Which up-and-comers are you looking forward to reading? I would truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.