Top Ten Tuesday – December 9, 2014: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2014

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TOP TEN TUESDAY
December 9, 2014

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the wonderful blog at The Broke and the Bookish! This week’s topic: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2014

The top ten new-to-me-authors is one of my favorite categories! This year I ended up binge reading two series in particular that will surely be on this list and somehow those authors instantly became some of my favorites. It’s so interesting to look back and see your life before these books like, “Why did I wait so long to read these!?”

SARAH J. MAAS

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The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass # 0.1 – 0.5) – Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) – Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) – Sarah J. Maas
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) – Sarah J. Maas

WHY did I wait so long to read Throne of Glass!? It seems so silly now, but really when I first tried it, I was not ready for fantasy yet. I did not love fantasy like I do now (I don’t know how but I totally fell in love with fantasy over these past couple years) and I had actually returned it to the library and decided to try again some other time. Thank goodness I did! I ended up not only enjoying Throne of Glass but binge reading the rest of the series (up to this point) and falling in love with those, PLUS pining for Sarah’s newest book, A Court of Thorns and Roses coming out next year (but I’m already drooling over all those ARCs floating out there)!

BRANDON SANDERSON

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Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn #1) – Brandon Sanderson
The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) – Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson was another immediate, head-over-heels in love author. I binge read the Mistborn trilogy plus the first spin-off book (technically #4 in the series) and I fangirled HARD. I am totally in love with this series and also can’t wait to read more of Sanderson’s books! Lucky for me, I’m SO late to this parade that I have plenty of books to choose from as far as what I should start next!

EMERY LORD

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Open Road Summer – Emery Lord

I think Emery Lord was a new favorite for tons of people this year with her debut, Open Road Summer, coming out this past spring. I immediately fell in love with the book and went crazy when I got her second novel, The Start of Me and You (which comes out in March but I read in November) from Bloomsbury for review (and general flailing). I love Emery’s writing and she quickly became a favorite of mine! So happy to see her having so much success this year!

LIZ CZUKAS

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Ask Again Later – Liz Czukas
Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless – Liz Czukas

Liz Czukas is another author who had a debut release this year and I had a similar experience with her books like I did with Emery Lord’s — I love her debut, Ask Again Later, and had an absolute BLAST reading her second novel, Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless early this fall (it releases TODAY)! Her writing is so much fun and her characters are a blast. I am definitely a fan and she’s a instant preorder author for me all the way! AND I just finished her new adult book When Joss Met Matt (under the name of Ellie Cahill) and I LOVED IT!

SCOTT LYNCH

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The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard #1) – Scott Lynch
Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastard #2) – Scott Lynch

Wow, TWO adult fantasy authors on a top ten favorites list. Who could have possibly guessed that a couple years ago, right? I was so heavy into YA and not a fantasy person and the adult fantasy selections that I’ve been reading have been spot. on. for my tastes! I adored The Lies of Locke Lamora and its sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies. I’m holding off on book three until book four is in sight because I need to space them out juuuust a bit! I don’t want to get ahead of myself. It’s a seven book series!

ABIGAIL HAAS

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Dangerous Girls – Abigail Haas
Dangerous Boys – Abigail Haas

Two words: DANGEROUS GIRLS. This book absolutely floored me (not to mention it has the added special bonus of BEA memories since that’s when I read it!) and I also enjoyed her second novel (though not related), Dangerous Boys. These mystery/thrillers were so much fun to read and Dangerous Girls was just so incredibly realistic which made it scary. (Thank goodness I didn’t end up in jail when I was in Aruba!!!) Just loved these books.

MARIE RUTKOSKI

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 The Winner’s Curse (The Winner’s Curse #1) – Marie Rutkoski

The Winner’s Curse is not Marie Rutkoski’s first book, but it was the first I’d read from her and I really loved the world and the characters that she created! With visions of the feelings of The Winner’s Curse dancing in my head, I read book two in the trilogy, The Winner’s Crime, the other week and WOW. That was just amazing. I love that it’s a fantasy world but one that doesn’t incorporate a magic system like is traditionally expected. Honestly, I just can’t wait for the last book! (Or, you know… March. When The Winner’s Crime comes out.)

LEILA SALES

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 This Song Will Save Your Life – Leila Sales
Past Perfect – Leila Sales

I didn’t quite fall head over heels with This Song Will Save Your Life like some did but I did still REALLY enjoy it. I also read Past Perfect this year which Estelle had gifted to me for Christmas and loved that one too! I will definitely be on the lookout for Leila’s new book coming out in 2015! Can’t wait to see what it’s all about!

DAHLIA ADLER

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I read Dahlia’s debut new adult novel, Last Will and Testament (out TODAY!!!) and absolutely loved it. It was everything I’ve been looking for in a new adult novel and that made me even more excited to get to her YA release, Behind the Scenes (with a companion coming out in 2015)!

ERICA O’ROURKE

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 Dissonance (Dissonance #1) – Erica O’Rourke

HOW how how have I not read anything by Erica yet!? I read Dissonance right before I got to see Erica O’Rourke at an event with Susan Dennard and Sarah J. Maas and I LOVED IT. It was SUCH a “me” book and to hear Susan and Sarah flail about her previous books too… Gah. I will have to read more ASAP!!


There we go! My top ten new-to-me-authors! I can’t wait to read more from each and every one of them too!

Hi, I'm Brittany!
Hi, I'm Brittany!

I'm an avid reader, candle-maker, and audiobook lover! Here you'll find book reviews, fun blog posts, and my other loves of photography & craft beer!

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21 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday – December 9, 2014: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2014

  1. Alexa S.

    So many brilliant authors on this list, B! I love the way the Maas covers look lined up like that – and I’m so thrilled that you read and fell in love with Sarah’s Throne of Glass series, which is one of my absolute favorites <3

  2. acps927

    Marie Rutkoski and Brandon Sanderson both made my list as well, though I’ve only read Steelheart by Sanderson so far. I hope to read Mistborn in the not too distant future!

  3. Stormy

    You have so many excellent authors on your list! Emery Lord & Abigail Haas also made my TTT today for new authors this year, but so many of these authors would have made my list for previous years, like Sarah J Maas & Leila Sales. I really liked Dahlia Adler’s Behind the Scenes so I’m thinking of giving Last Will and Testament a try even though NA and I haven’t always gotten along. I’ve heard good things about it from quite a few people now.

  4. Cassi @ My Thoughts Literally

    Sarah J. Maas and Brandon Sanderson made my list too. I also fell in istalove with Sanderson this year! I read 8 of his books and if I didn’t limit myself to one book in a series my best of the year would probably be full of nothing but his stuff! I do still need Scott Lynch, Abigail Haas, and Marie Rutkowski but they are all in my TBR! Great list!

  5. Rachel

    I basically need to bookmark this post – because if I haven’t already read and loved the books on your list (Sardothian and Westfall 4eva!) then your list is made up of books I’ve been debating and now know I need to read (Mistborn)! I’ll have to check out the others too!

    R x

  6. Becky LeJeune

    What an excellent list! I have quite a few of these still in my TBR (I’m hoping for a copy of Assassin’s Blade for Christmas so that I can start that series in particular!).

  7. Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook

    We both have Liz Czukas in common! I just love her books! I still haven’t read Sarah J. Maas even though everyone raves about her books. I must make time for them soon. I’m curious about Dahlia Adler and I’m glad to hear you liked her book so much.

  8. Teen Underground

    Yes, yes, yes to Sarah J. Maas!! I finally couldn’t take the hype anymore and decided to read Throne of Glass, and I LOVED it!! Now I’ve just got to fit in some time to read the rest of the series. I’ve got my eye on Marie Rutkoski, too… I’ve heard so many great things!

  9. Rebecca @ The Library Canary

    Yay for reading Sarah J Maas!! I discovered her in 2013 and I can’t even handle my feels over her books. I am DYING to get my hands on ACOTAR!! I’m so happy that you gave her books another chance and that you’re now loving fantasy! I really want to read Brandon Sanderson. I bought Mistborn the other day on Kindle. Maybe I should make that a New Year’s resolution. I also got a bit into adult fantasy this year, though not as much as you. Have you read Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss? That one was amazing and he actually made my list today.

    I also really enjoyed Top Ten Clues You’re Clueless. It was so light and cute and I definitely want to read more from Liz in the future. And Marie Rutkoski made my list as well! Dying to get my hands on the Winner’s Crime especially with the blogosphere blowing up about it lately. Great list, lady!

    1. Brittany Post author

      ACOTAR. omg, who ever thought I would be excited for a fae story? Haha. I used to so not be into fantasy but I love Sarah’s writing and fantasy is growing on me VERY QUICKLY as in… I think that’s what I read the most of last year haha!
      I have not read NotW yet but it’s on my “must-read” list for 2015!!!
      I LOVE Liz’s books. When Joss Met Matt was totally fantastic tooooo.

  10. Samantha

    Oh my God, Scott Lynch. Yes. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the words ‘SEVEN BOOK SERIES’ in conjunction with his name. I’m also putting off book three for now… or I’m trying to. I think I must hover over the ‘checkout’ button once a day at this point. So tempting! And I am also with you on Brandon Sanderson. Or at least… I think I am? I remember loving THE FINAL EMPIRE but I’m a quarter of the way into THE WELL OF ASCENSION but I had to put it down. I’m bored out of my tree! Politics, politics, random people no one cares about, politics…. please tell me it picks up!

    1. Brittany Post author

      YES, omg. I cannot wait for more from Scott Lynch! I really do want to read the third book closer to the 4th’s release because who knows how long we will have to wait for 5! Haha.
      OMG YES, please keep reading WoA!!! It definitely does get better. It’s definitely more political than Mistborn but it is all going somewhere – I promise – and you have to finish because The Hero of Ages is TO DIE FOR 😀

    1. Brittany Post author

      I tried TOG when I wasn’t ready for it but I’m SO glad I revisited it! I totally loved it. But I do hate when an author is soooo sweet and you just feel so bad for not getting into their books 🙁

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