Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023
A bit late for this post, but that's the TTT schedule, and I shall abide by it for organization's sake. :) On second thought, I have a good excuse -- this is the most literal example of "I don't make the rules" ever, lol. Main link-up post is here.
This post is a lot easier than the "top ten books of the year" version, partly because I only ("only") read about 70 new authors, and partly because for me to declare an author a New Favorite, it generally has to be someone with additional books on deck where the majority of them look interesting. Debut authors can make this list, but I have special considerations for them. Which you will see! Because even though this is easier, that still doesn't mean I'm gonna play by the numerical limitations. :)
The books I read of theirs are noted in parentheses.
Side note: my favorite part of making this post annually is finding out what the authors look like, because it feels like they're often missing from either the book jacket or Goodreads (or both!), and even when they have one I tend to forget it quickly after reading.
1. Mimi Matthews (The Siren of Sussex; The Belle of Belgrave Square; Fair as a Star; The Pug That Bit Napoleon)
If you know (my inability to stop mentioning her in these posts), you know. I think she may be the first genuinely auto-read author of adult fiction I've ever had. Her ideas of peak romance and romantic heroes are like a 99% identical match with mine.
2. Louise Platt Hauck (The Pink House; Family Matters)
Even though I didn't end up getting back to any more of her books this year after the two I sampled, I definitely do plan to return to this well of beautifully old-fashioned domestic and romance novels someday. I have kept a hopeful eye out at Half Price Books and estate sales, but alas, have not run across any in the wild yet.
3. Riley Sager (The House Across the Lake; Home Before Dark; Lock Every Door)
His horror-tinged thrillers are ADDICTIVE. I will be looking forward to new releases for the forseeable future.
4. Helen Markley Miller (Beloved Monster)
Midcentury author of young adult fiction -- I am very certain that somewhere among her plethora of work are more novels I would really enjoy.
5. Melissa Ferguson (Famous For a Living)
I really liked this book and her style of romance looks light and fluffy; I can definitely see myself enjoying more. Authors who employ pure fade-to-black when it comes to bedroom scenes get instant bonus points from me.
6. Mollie Rushmeyer (The Bookshop of Secrets)
She only has two at the moment, but I'm really excited for her next one. Christian fiction tends to get a slight handicap from me, but this one wasn't egregious, and I really like her themes so far of ultra-sympathetic main characters, upstanding love interests, and mysteries/quests tied to old books. Very like Nicole Deese, but more book-focused.
7. Audrey Burges (The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone)
I mean, honestly, we'll have to see if my patience for magical realism can hold out past one book...but I think there's potential there, since I loved this one so much.
8. Eleanor Ray (The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton)
Funnily enough, even though I didn't love this one as much as the book above, I'm more excited for her sophomore effort than Audrey's? Fascinating.
9. Mary Kay Andrews (The Santa Suit)
I feel so basic saying this because on the one hand, she seems like the fluffier version of for-readers-older-than-me authors like Elin Hilderbrand and Jodi Picoult, whom you may recall me saying I have no interest in. But at the very least I kinda want to read all of her Christmas novels now, so...
10. Sarah Hogle** (Just Like Magic...and previously, Twice Shy)
**This one is cheating, but I couldn't pick a tenth author I loved without spoiling the bonus section, and I couldn't pick one of those I loved more than the others, and I was going to spotlight her no matter what. I didn't include her on my 2021 list on this theme because You Deserve Each Other sounded awful and 50/50 is not enough...but I simply MUST upgrade her now because after Just Like Magic, I feel like I can trust her to make a lot of concepts work.
(also I just really wanted to feature her A+ author photo, lol)
BONUS ROUND
The following authors only have one novel released, with nothing showing on deck. Which is not enough for me to say for certain that they could be a new fave, because none of these were unabashed five-star reads...but they were all solidly above average enough that I wish I had at least one more option to investigate.
11. Susanna Hoffs (This Bird Has Flown)
My fear is that because she's a celebrity author, clearly patterning the main character after herself or at least her job, this may be a one-and-done (especially since it received lukewarm reception). But she wrote the love interest so well, imagine if she wrote a fully endearing main character, too.
12. Autumn Chiklis (Smothered)
Same fears as the above. But gosh, it was one of my funniest reads of the year; I crave more!
13. Emily Murdoch (If You Find Me)
This was a 2013 release, and then nothing. To be fair, it was more like a 3.5 to me personally, but it was certainly well written, and unique, so I don't get why she's a one-hit wonder when there are so many YA contemporary authors with debuts exactly like this or worse with multi-book deals. Was it Too Serious without going full dark or what?
14. Erin L. Schneider (Summer of Sloane)
Similar to the above, except it's a much lighter novel w/ stronger focus on romance overall, while still dealing with some serious elements. I just don't get why it stands alone when so freaking many of her contemporaries went on to publish at least half a dozen exactly like this and are still active.
15. Megan Paasch (Dream to Me)
Now see, this debut was creative -- I struggled to even figure out what genre I'd describe it as, unless Twin Peaksian can be a genre?? Because that's legit all that fits. With really great character development, so I HOPE she does not go the way of the above; I want to know what's next. (Unless it's a pure fantasy trilogy, because then I am out. But this is only a year old, so I feel like the odds are generally in her favor more than for anyone else here.)
Next week: probably skipping now that we've finally run out of look-back topics and I have to be creative instead of relying on relatively empirical data instead.
As always, these posts are mirrored On Wordpress. If it's not up yet, it will be soon.
This post is a lot easier than the "top ten books of the year" version, partly because I only ("only") read about 70 new authors, and partly because for me to declare an author a New Favorite, it generally has to be someone with additional books on deck where the majority of them look interesting. Debut authors can make this list, but I have special considerations for them. Which you will see! Because even though this is easier, that still doesn't mean I'm gonna play by the numerical limitations. :)
The books I read of theirs are noted in parentheses.
Side note: my favorite part of making this post annually is finding out what the authors look like, because it feels like they're often missing from either the book jacket or Goodreads (or both!), and even when they have one I tend to forget it quickly after reading.
1. Mimi Matthews (The Siren of Sussex; The Belle of Belgrave Square; Fair as a Star; The Pug That Bit Napoleon)
If you know (my inability to stop mentioning her in these posts), you know. I think she may be the first genuinely auto-read author of adult fiction I've ever had. Her ideas of peak romance and romantic heroes are like a 99% identical match with mine.
2. Louise Platt Hauck (The Pink House; Family Matters)
Even though I didn't end up getting back to any more of her books this year after the two I sampled, I definitely do plan to return to this well of beautifully old-fashioned domestic and romance novels someday. I have kept a hopeful eye out at Half Price Books and estate sales, but alas, have not run across any in the wild yet.
3. Riley Sager (The House Across the Lake; Home Before Dark; Lock Every Door)
His horror-tinged thrillers are ADDICTIVE. I will be looking forward to new releases for the forseeable future.
4. Helen Markley Miller (Beloved Monster)
Midcentury author of young adult fiction -- I am very certain that somewhere among her plethora of work are more novels I would really enjoy.
5. Melissa Ferguson (Famous For a Living)
I really liked this book and her style of romance looks light and fluffy; I can definitely see myself enjoying more. Authors who employ pure fade-to-black when it comes to bedroom scenes get instant bonus points from me.
6. Mollie Rushmeyer (The Bookshop of Secrets)
She only has two at the moment, but I'm really excited for her next one. Christian fiction tends to get a slight handicap from me, but this one wasn't egregious, and I really like her themes so far of ultra-sympathetic main characters, upstanding love interests, and mysteries/quests tied to old books. Very like Nicole Deese, but more book-focused.
7. Audrey Burges (The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone)
I mean, honestly, we'll have to see if my patience for magical realism can hold out past one book...but I think there's potential there, since I loved this one so much.
8. Eleanor Ray (The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton)
Funnily enough, even though I didn't love this one as much as the book above, I'm more excited for her sophomore effort than Audrey's? Fascinating.
9. Mary Kay Andrews (The Santa Suit)
I feel so basic saying this because on the one hand, she seems like the fluffier version of for-readers-older-than-me authors like Elin Hilderbrand and Jodi Picoult, whom you may recall me saying I have no interest in. But at the very least I kinda want to read all of her Christmas novels now, so...
10. Sarah Hogle** (Just Like Magic...and previously, Twice Shy)
**This one is cheating, but I couldn't pick a tenth author I loved without spoiling the bonus section, and I couldn't pick one of those I loved more than the others, and I was going to spotlight her no matter what. I didn't include her on my 2021 list on this theme because You Deserve Each Other sounded awful and 50/50 is not enough...but I simply MUST upgrade her now because after Just Like Magic, I feel like I can trust her to make a lot of concepts work.
(also I just really wanted to feature her A+ author photo, lol)
BONUS ROUND
The following authors only have one novel released, with nothing showing on deck. Which is not enough for me to say for certain that they could be a new fave, because none of these were unabashed five-star reads...but they were all solidly above average enough that I wish I had at least one more option to investigate.
11. Susanna Hoffs (This Bird Has Flown)
My fear is that because she's a celebrity author, clearly patterning the main character after herself or at least her job, this may be a one-and-done (especially since it received lukewarm reception). But she wrote the love interest so well, imagine if she wrote a fully endearing main character, too.
12. Autumn Chiklis (Smothered)
Same fears as the above. But gosh, it was one of my funniest reads of the year; I crave more!
13. Emily Murdoch (If You Find Me)
This was a 2013 release, and then nothing. To be fair, it was more like a 3.5 to me personally, but it was certainly well written, and unique, so I don't get why she's a one-hit wonder when there are so many YA contemporary authors with debuts exactly like this or worse with multi-book deals. Was it Too Serious without going full dark or what?
14. Erin L. Schneider (Summer of Sloane)
Similar to the above, except it's a much lighter novel w/ stronger focus on romance overall, while still dealing with some serious elements. I just don't get why it stands alone when so freaking many of her contemporaries went on to publish at least half a dozen exactly like this and are still active.
15. Megan Paasch (Dream to Me)
Now see, this debut was creative -- I struggled to even figure out what genre I'd describe it as, unless Twin Peaksian can be a genre?? Because that's legit all that fits. With really great character development, so I HOPE she does not go the way of the above; I want to know what's next. (Unless it's a pure fantasy trilogy, because then I am out. But this is only a year old, so I feel like the odds are generally in her favor more than for anyone else here.)
Next week: probably skipping now that we've finally run out of look-back topics and I have to be creative instead of relying on relatively empirical data instead.
As always, these posts are mirrored On Wordpress. If it's not up yet, it will be soon.