Authors

Best New-To-Me-Authors of 2014

/ caitlinemccann / 5 Comments

This week’s Broke and the Bookish weekly meme is all about the top ten authors that are new to me this year. 2014 has been a good year for discovering new books and new writers. I’ve consciously been expanding my horizons and have found some lovely books (and authors) as a result.

Some of these authors have been publishing for quite a while (hence the new-to-me part) but some of these authors are new to the book-blogging community as a whole. So let’s dive in and see who’s who…

*Links and pictures provided by Goodreads*

1. Markus Zusack

I fell in love with Zusack’s writing style and fantastic imagery when reading The Book Thief this year.

2. Diane Setterfield

Ms. Setterfield may not be the most prolific author on this list but she is a top quality writer. This year I have read both The Thirteenth Tale and Bellman & Black, which were both satisfying reads.

3. Marissa Meyer

If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say Marissa Meyer will be featured in many a Top Ten Tuesday post this week. Her Lunar Chronicles series is taking the YA market by storm right now and there is a darn good reason for it! I’ve only finished Cinder and I’m hooked.

4. Joan Didion

This year I read my first Joan Didion book–The Year of Magical Thinking–and it was one of the most profound experiences I have had with a book in a good long while. Not only did it greatly impact me on a personal level, but it effected this blog in a way that still mildly confounds me. I would highly recommend reaching out for a Joan Didion novel in your near future.

5. Emily Giffin

I received my first Emily Giffin novel–The One & Only— in my first PopSugar Must Have box and both were extremely satisfying events. Currently, I have another Giffin novel–Something Borrowed–in my to-read stack from the library. Not sure when I’ll get to it, but I’m excited to give Giffin another go.

6. M.D. Waters

I randomly picked up Archetype, Waters’ first novel, at an airport bookstore. And that one purchased has fueled an obsession. Watch out for Waters; she has some real potential to be a powerful voice in science fiction.

7. John Green

Once again, I would not be shocked if this man made it many people’s Top Ten Tuesday list this week. I read The Fault in Our Stars like nearly every other human this year and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

http://www.carlosruizzafon.com/

8. Carlos Ruiz Zafon

After a hearty recommendation from my friend, Clara, I picked up The Shadows of the Wind, which is the first novel of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. Solid storytelling, with a beautiful take on magical realism.

9. Chuck Klosterman

I’ve always wanted to read some of Klosterman’s essays and I finally got around to it this year! His most recent release, I Wear the Black Hat, was the piece I read from him and it definitely made me want to read more!

10. Michael Crichton

Crichton is an unbelievably prolific writer but 2014 was the first time I ever attempted any of his novels. I read the first Jurassic Park novel and enjoyed it as much as the film.

So that’s it. That’s my list of favorite new-to-me authors from 2014. Did any of them surprise you? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for popping in!

Bookish People Are the Best

/ caitlinemccann / 1 Comment

Long time no see! But the Broke and the Bookish’s weekly meme is exactly what I need to get back in the groove. Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about what ten “bookish” people you would want to meet. I tried to keep my list to those among the living in the hopes that I will one day be able to cross their names off my list. I get kind of bouncy just thinking about the possibilities.

1. J.K. Rowling: I think I would pass out if I actually met this woman. I’m part of Harry Potter generation and I will force feed these books to my children one day. In my mythical free time I’d also like to read her new book, The Casual Vacancy.

2. George R. R. Martin: If you’ve been following my blog, then you know of my slow-building obsession with this man’s work. I’d love to be able to talk to him or have a tour of his writing space. He has to have some form of organizational system to keep all the complexities of his world in order, and I want to know all about it!

3. Alice Sebold: I read her book, The Lovely Bones, for the first time when I was in the seventh grade. It was one of those books that just stuck with me and is one of my all time favorites. I believe a book has to be something special for me to re-read it multiple times, and The Lovely Bones is one of those books. Since Sebold’s novel came from her own experience, I would just like to hear her speak. This might actually happen (squeal) since she’s speaking at Big Orange Book Festival this weekend, which is held at my school, Chapman University. SO PUMPED.

4. Laurell K. Hamilton: Hamilton is from my home town of St. Louis, and her Anita Blake Vampire Series is set there as well. Above and beyond my pride in her being a local author, I would be beyond excited to meet her.

5. Tamora Pierce: If I could meet Pierce, I’d probably hug the woman. She’s the author of one of my favorite series from my pre-adolescence, The Song of the Lioness. The series features the feisty, strong-willed Alanna, whose determined to become a knight. Alanna was one of those characters I looked up to as a young girl, so meeting Pierce would be amazing.

6. William Goldman: I came very close to actually pulling this off about three years ago. I attended a panel that Goldman was speaking on, moderated by none other than John Cleese. But Goldman’s handlers whisked him away from the crowd rather quickly. But maybe being in the same room counts?

7. John Irving: First of all, Irving was kind of a fox when he was younger…did not know that. More importantly, A Prayer For Owen Meany is one of my comfort books. The complexity and details of the story are engaging, but also the concept that there are no coincidences has been pivotal in my life. I’d like to sit down with Irving over a cup of coffee and exchange life philosophies.

8. Margaret Atwood: This crazy, brilliant woman is such an inspiration. I heard her speak once at a conference, but I’d love to get the chance to have a genuine conversation with her.

9: David Sedaris: I can’t imagine not having a great conversation with Sedaris. Whenever I read his essays, I feel the emotions he projects from the page: anxiety, love, angst. I’ve also never laughed so hard at any book as I have at Me Talk Pretty One Day. I cried and my abs got a workout, that doesn’t happen every day, people!

10: The Blurb Writer: I know this job title has an official and more prestigious name, but they write the blurbs on the back of books. I want that job. I want to read tons of books and summarize them. The end.