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Where would any of us book lovers be without the many gifted authors doing the hard work to create brilliant stories they’re willing to share with the world? I envy their talent and appreciate their efforts. Today I’m highlighting ten new-to-me authors who simply wowed me with their words last year. This list includes no debut authors because, let’s face it, they’re new to all of us! In case you missed it, I shared My Favorite Debuts of 2019 back in December, so today I’m featuring established authors I first had the pleasure of reading in 2019.
When looking at new-to-me authors from 2019, I decided to limit it to fiction since I devoted quite a bit of time last fall to nonfiction books from 2019. From the fiction authors, one clearly moved to the top of the heap and I think I’ll save that author for last. The rest of the best, I’m covering strictly in alphabetical order.
9 Authors I’m Eager to Read More From
- Tara Conklin – My first “A” book of the year, The Last Romantics stayed with me right through to the end making my Best Books of 2019. (my review)
- Blake Crouch – I still wouldn’t consider myself a science fiction fan, but Recursion‘s twisty time and again thriller definitely made me a Blake Crouch fan. (my review)
- Andrea Dunlop – You don’t read a lot of books about skiers or the tango, but Dunlop wove both into We Came Here to Forget, one of my most memorable books from last summer. (my review)
- Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen – I actually read two books from this writing team last year, starting with An Anonymous Girl (my review) which I loved and ending with The Wife Between Us (my review) which didn’t quite do as much for me. I’m very much looking forward to this duo’s new book coming in March, You Are Not Alone.
- Laila Lalami – Who isn’t a sucker for gorgeous writing combined with a well told story? That’s exactly what Lalami delivered with The Other Americans. (my review) Her memoir of what it means to be an American AND an immigrant, Conditional Citizens, comes out in April. I’ve already secured a copy!
- Clare Mackintosh – I simply loved After the End and how Mackintosh explored the consequences of both sides of an incredibly tough decision. (my review)
- Sally Rooney – Stories about dysfunctional relationships are among my favorites and that’s exactly what you got with Normal People. Not everyone loved it, but I was a big fan. (my review)
- Colson Whitehead – I know. I know. How is it possible that I am only now reading Whitehead? I’ll need to go back and read The Underground Railroad because The Nickel Boys made me a huge fan. (my review)
- Caroline Zancan – We Wish You Luck might be a 2020 book, but I read it in 2019 and Zancan’s storytelling using the collective voice simply wowed me. I look forward to reading more of her work. (my review)
My #1 New-to-Me Author from 2019
- Peter Heller – I first found Peter Heller when I listened to and loved The River (my review). I was so taken by Heller’s writing combined with the wonderful narration of Mark Deakins that I went onto listen to first The Dog Stars which I loved just as much (my review), and then The Painter, which I found almost as good as the other two. Without a doubt, I’ll be first in line for all future Heller books.
Do you have any favorite new-to-you authors from 2019?
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Yay to Blake Crouch! I’d recommend Dark Matter, I liked it even more than Recursion, which I loved!
Dark Matter is on my backlist TBR. Just need to find the time and the right mood to get to it.
You need to read Celine by Peter Heller. My favorite book of his.
I tried Celine, but couldn’t get into the story. It was so different than his other three and I was expecting another sort of “guys’ Story. I should give it another try.
Definitely check out Dark Matter.
Will do.
I guess I should read Tara Conklin and Andrea Dunlop. Sounds like you liked both a lot. Peter Heller is an enjoyable novelist … though he’s quite the outdoorsy macho man writer which sometimes has me rolling my eyes (a little) about the women or relations in the books … still it’s all right. I haven’t read Celine yet but have read his others.
I think the macho man side of Peter Heller’s writing is what I enjoy so much. It’s so different than the books I typically read, that I’ve just really sunk into them. I also listened to all three which we know can be a whole different experience and it helps that Mark Deakins is such a fantastic narrator.
Every time I read your blog, I add something else to my TBR! We Came Here to Forget sounds particularly good.
I’m going to go with Taylor Jenkins Reid. I started the year reading Evelyn Hardcastle and then read Daisy Jones. Loved both of them!