Reader Mailbag: New Authors You Read in 2015
In the January 2016 Newsletter(subscribe to the right!) we asked How many New Authors did you read in 2015?.
I personally only read a few. My list: Paula Hawkins, Kyle Mills,Andy Weir, Andrew Grant, Gregg Hurwitz, Lisa Unger.
Here’s the readers feedback:
Aynn: Two new authors:Craig Johnson — the Longmire series and Peter Mayle — The Vintage Caper and The Corsican Caper. New in 2016 already: Kerry Greenwood.
Jackie W: I belong to a mystery book club that reads a book a week (although I often miss a week)and so I would guess that I have read at least 10-15 new authors this past year. One new author to me which I enjoyed reading was Ngaio Marsh. I will read other books by her given the chance.
Gail P: I’m an Anglophile so all my authors are British, and I loved them all: M J Arlidge, Clare Donoghue, Graham Masterton, Emily Winslow, SJi Holliday, Lesley Thomson, Jake Woodhouse (take place in Amsterdam)
Rhea P: In 2015 I found new authors who have become my favorites. It meant catching up with a lot of series that they have. I got into dystopian books a bit and found Trisha Leigh, Stephanie Erickson and Michelle Muckley. For romance, I found and am now a fan of J.L. Drake (The Broken Trilogy), T. K. Leigh (A Beautiful Mess series) and Amanda Maxlyn. The two new authors whom I can say are now my ultimate favorites are Denise Grover Swank (she has about 5 different series but especially the Rose Gardner series) and Allison Brennan who writes mysteries including the Lucy Kinkaide series. I’m sure there were other new authors I found but these stand out the most.
Brenda Best: I have 54 authors new to me in 2015. (Is that a lot? I don’t know!) Of these 54 authors, 17 impressed me enough that I read more than one of their books. Many of these authors write series and I’m still in the processing of reading them. For nine authors, it was their debut book in 2015.
Sharon P: In response to your Newsletter, I decided this year to try some new authors. Not a lot, but your website which I just discovered has such a “living room feel” discussing books just like we are all in a reading circle. So I am looking forward to discovering new authors by just reading your reviews. You have already given me some in the current January newsletter. Here are the authors I tried Craig Johnson, Dennis Lehane, Edward Marston, Keith Richards,Alexander McCall Smith. By far, Craig Johnson is my favourite.
Phoebe D: My books that I discovered in 2015 were “Wild Card series” by the guy who wrote game of thrones, he compiled them they were written by a lot of different authors and some that I knew and a lot that I had not heard of. Also i found books written by Richard Castle they were of the tv series the books that Castle is suppose to have written an interesting take on a tv show. Anyway I enjoyed them
Spael: The 1st new author I read in 2015 was…….Paula Hawkins……WOW!!!!!! can’t wait till she writes another book. Read all of Kyle Mills….. Love him. Read every book that Greg Hurwitz has written……He is incredible. His books are simply Thrillers!!!!! Love trying new authors, it’s exciting, refreshing and another author to add to my list.
Oswaldo: Mark Sullivan, The Robin Monarch series.
Book #1 ROGUE
BOOK #2 OUTLAW
BOOK # 3 THIEF
This new series is awesome, only 3 books in the series so far, but definitely 5 star’s
Fredericka D: This is the first time I’ve replied. I assume you mean new authors to me, not to the literary world. I have enjoyed, among others this past year, Jacqueline Winspear, Bryan Stevenson, Victoria Thompson and Elizabeth George. I’m waiting, impatiently, for a new one to come from Deborah Crombie and of course, Louise Penny.
Kathryn E: Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra takes simple concepts and turns them inside out, just mind blowing; Brad Taylor – Pike Logan OMG; CJ Lyons – loved everything I’ve read and her books are so hard to find; Connie Suttle – cannot wait to read her second book; Pierce Brown – Red Rising yes, yes, yes; Roger Hobbs – Ghostman and Samantha Shannon – Voyants and Shannon Mayer – Stitched are all incredible inventions; Shelly Laurenston – all of her books make me laugh out loud, they are hysterical; Zoe Sharp writes just like Lee Childs – yeah; Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series is good, too.
Tena: Stop the world so I can spend time reading!!! There are so many books out there and sooo little time!
Love Craig Johnson’s “Walt Longmire” series–read all & watched–now on Netflix–great. Also David Rosenfelt’s series about Golden Retrievers–beautiful, funny. Thanks for your lists, ideas, and books!!
Julia C: After a 10 year reading drought, I can’t stop and of the 84 books I read in 2015, 32 of the authors were new to me.
James Dashner, Jacqueline Winspear, Ransom Riggs, Jonas Jonasson, Kristin Hannah, Nick Hornby, Helen Simonson, John Green, Tiphanie Yanique, Ian Fleming, Hanya Yanagihara, John Kennedy Toole, Cory Doctorow, Susan Meissner, Barbara Trapido, Ellen Marie Wiseman, Thomas Hardy, Neal Shusterman, Muriel Spark, Ken Kesey, Sloan Wilson, Ray Bradbury, Arthur Koestler, Shirley Jackson, Mario Puzo, Andy Weir, Rachel Simon, Neil Gaiman, Nancy Mitford, PK Dick, Dalton Trumbo, Leonard Wibberly .
(I had to ask Julia how she was able to read so many books. She replied:)
My new treadmill is the secret to 84 books— it goes up and down by itself with google earth flashing behind my kindle (keeping that little part of my brain that needs to be entertained beyond what I am currently doing, occupied.)
I have an excellent memory when it comes to the books. I had 3 bookstores for 10 years and knowing books was my life. (After closing them, all book knowledge vanished from my brain for the next 10 years, but I guess that was enough time to let it seep back in.) I do, however, really like how random books often weave together.
And, my main secret to keep them apart is this… When I find I’m losing my gusto for reading or the books are blending together, I use John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee books as palate cleansers. They are short, complete and satisfying and leave me refreshed and ready for the next new thing. I shudder to think what I’m going to do when I run out of fresh McGees. (I read them 30 years ago, but I think I will always love them.)
Kathleen C:
Michelle Moran
David McCullough
Christopher Fowler
Glenn Cooper
Drew Hayes
Kevin Richey
F. Paul Wilson
Dave Zeltserman
Neil Zawacki
Jim Stevens
Pathetically short list. I thought when I retired I would have more time to read, but that hasn’t been the case.
Bruce D: A little story about finding a new author. There was a time when I amused myself with only westerns, Thank God for (William Johnstones Preacher books). Then one day I read Appaloosa by Robert B Parker. I enjoyed it and decided to try another Robert B book. I have now read 40 of them. Guess you could say I found a new author that day.
Sandy K: Pauline Hawkins – Intrigued by hype
Liane Moriaty – Heard she was refreshing, she is have read ll her books thus far
Arnaldur Indradson – Love Nordic authors, Nesbo, Mankell, so thought I’d try him, read 4 this year
Sara Blaedel Another European author, read three so far, not disappointed.
Please everyone read the Nightengale by Kristin Hannah. What an absolutely beautiful story. It is a book that will make you cry and laugh….
I have to say something in praise of non fiction and non fiction HISTORY! I like good historical fiction, but also real history, and biographies….currently am reading the new Alison Weir (excellent historian!) book on “The Lost Tudor Princess, the life of Lady Margaret Douglas”…..Love all the Weir books I’ve read (basically all cover figures or events from British history)…..
Her book “The War of the Roses” is the best ever on that rather confusing conflict, makes SENSE out of it, though for those Kindle users out there, I’d recommend buying it as a book, so you can dog ear the references to genealogies and other important dates/ facts……Seems like at that time almost all men had about 4-5 common first names, same with women, which CAN be confusing! BUT its a well written and exciting book!
ALSO, her book on “Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster” by Alison Weir……she was a mistress of a Royal Duke, John of Gaunt, one of the wealthiest royals of his time….she gave him several children and among their descendants are the Tudors, the Stuarts, the following kings and queens of England, and include the current Queen of England and royal family, many other royals and “just regular people” and several U.S. presidents…..(many of you may remember the Anya Seton historical novel “Katherine” which tells a “version” of Katherine’s life, much fictionalized).
———————————————————————————
Also, am reading another Brit’s series, this first book in the series is: “Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors” by Peter Ackroyd…..very good so far! Starts with the neolithic settle meant of England, then the layers of invaders and “others” who come there….
————————————————————————————
I’ve also re read the Steven Saylor books about ancient Rome, set in the era of the fall of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Imperial era…..it is fictionalized, but very historically accurate, and is based on the story of a man living in Rome and his family…..This is the Roma Sub Rosa series, 12 books, should definitely be read in order!
Being a Mystery, Foreign Intrigue guy, I really read books in those areas. I picked one up the other day and I’m really enjoying it for a number of reasons. The Author is young, from New Zealand, wrote 3 books that were published over there while in college, this is his first US publication, and I believe he was just signed to an agreement here in the states recently. I think he is good and has a future. At least I like him. He actually writes like an American, uses our vernacular and jargon extremely well, good with geography here in the states, and does not make mistakes with firearms. I’m a former Special Ops guy, so I look for certain things. “American Blood.” Ben Sanders. A Thomas Dunne book for Minotaur Books. An imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group. Copyright 2015 by Ben Sanders.