Tuesday, January 26, 2021

New-to-Me Authors I Read and Loved in 2020




Christina Soontornvat. I first ran across Soontornvat's All Thirteen, a middle grade nonfiction book about the rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team trapped in a cave, and I enjoyed it so much that I picked up her elementary/middle grade speculative fiction book, A Wish in the Dark. I loved them both so much that I nominated them both for their respective categories in the Cybils, and they both ended up as finalists! @soontornvat

Matt Haig. A friend recommended A Reason to Stay Alive, a memoir by Matt Haig about his time with depression. I thought it was marvelous, and I immediately picked up The Midnight Library, an adult speculative fiction novel. Marvelous, too. @matthaig1

Simon Barnes. No beginning birdwatcher could resist Simon Barnes' How to Be a Bad Birdwatcher. I followed it with A Bad Birdwatcher's Companion. Now I'm eager to read his book, Wilding and A History of the World in 100 Animals. @simonbarneswild

Robert B. Reich. I heard Robert B. Reich speak at Houston's Progressive Forum and was delighted to find that one of his books, The Common Good, was at my public library. I've got his latest book, The System, which I hope to read soon. Reich is one of the first people I've heard speak in a long time who calls it like it is, and yet offers hope. @RBReich

Richard Rohr. How have I missed renown Christian mystic Richard Rohr? I read his book, The Naked Now, last year, and I'm reading a book of his daily meditations, Yes, And... this year. @RichardRohrOFM

Elizabeth Acevedo. I missed her first book and I haven't read her most recent book, but if With the Fire on High is any indication, I should get both of those and read them as soon as possible.

Krista Tippett. Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Mystery and Art of Living not only led to a great author, Krista Tippett, but it also led me to her wonderful podcast, On Being. @kristatippett

Sy Montgomery. How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals, a work of elementary nonfiction, is my first Sy Montgomery, but I couldn't let it be my last. I sought out and read The Soul of an Octopus, adult nonfiction, next. I hope to read more. @SyTheAuthor

Antoine Laurain. I've read Antoine Laurain before, but this year I enjoyed his book, The Reader's Room, so much that I decided to try and read all of his clever stories.

Maggie O'Farrell. I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes With Death
, a memoir of her close calls with death, was my introduction to Maggie O'Farrell. Later in the year I read her fabulous historical fiction novel, Hamnet. More please.



Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.

31 comments:

  1. Thank you for the list! I knew just one only.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, you found a lot of new authors last year! Good for you.

    Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really enjoyed The Midnight Library, too! If you haven't read it yet, you should check out Haig's How to Stop Time. It was good! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed A Wish in the Dark! I really need to pick that up soon.

    Here's my TTT post.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Debs! The Midnight Library is lying in wait for me and Hamnet is high on my TBR list. Antoine Laurrain, why do I recognize his name? Will quickly go and look.

    Love your new Goodreads roll on the left side bar. Now I can see what you read and easily add it to my TBR!

    Happy TTT and I hope you are having a good week.

    Elza Reads

    ReplyDelete
  5. Some of these are on my list for this year! I read Midnight Library this year, a few weeks ago! It was my first by him and I really enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm currently reading The Midnight Library, my first book by Matt Haig, it's been pretty good thus far.
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/01/26/top-ten-tuesday-300/

    ReplyDelete
  7. I must try both Elizabeth Acevedo and Maggie O'Farrell this year! A couple of years ago I read Antoine Laurain for Paris in July - such fun!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am on the library wait list for The Midnight Library. I put myself on three different library lists and I am #1500 something on each one! I may have to buy it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've enjoyed a couple of these authors but especially looking forward to reading Acevedo this year. Great list

    ReplyDelete
  10. I haven't read any of these authors besides Elizabeth Acevedo! She is great!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gosh, most of those authors are unknown to me. The only one I've read is Maggie O'Farrell.

    ReplyDelete
  12. WITH THE FIRE ON HIGH was a great book. It's the only one I've read by Acevedo, but I definitely plan to pick up her others. Her writing is lovely.

    Happy TTT!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm looking forward to reading The Midnight Library (my mom just finished it) and Hamnet, which my book club chose to read this year. Yay! Our group also read The Soul of an Octopus a couple of years ago, which was a huge hit since we live near the Oregon Hatfield Aquarium and can observe the resident octopus. Such a treat! I've heard a lot about Antoine Laurain's books and really need to make an effort to try one this year.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Elizabeth Acevedo is a good addition to any book list!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Some great names here - especially Matt Haig, a personal favourite of mine! I got The Midnight Library for Christmas and can't wait to read it (just been ploughing through my ARCs first). I REALLY recommend his How To Stop Tie and The Humans is a great read too!

    ReplyDelete
  16. How To Be A Good Creature sounds wonderful -- I read The Good Good Pig many years back and really enjoyed it (oh, Christopher Hogwood...), but never thought to look for anything else of hers. I will check this out! And recommend the aforementioned pet memoir as well.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yeah this is good list! I'm interested in getting to the Hamnet novel and The Midnight Library. Both look good. thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Okay, you found a ton! I hope you are just as blessed with amazing reads this year. Here's my post: https://www.nbiblioholic.com/2021/01/hello-it-was-so-nice-to-meet-you.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. I first came across Hamnet in this month's 6 Degrees of Separation prompt. It sounds really good!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I read Matt Haig's How to Stop Time last year and thought it was great. Elizabeth Acevedo is on my list of authors to try for the first time in 2021 so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed her.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I really want to read Hamnet and The Midnight Library. I have to admit though that I want the UK edition of Hamnet. That cover is just so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm excited to get my hands on some Matt Haig and Elizabeth Acevedo books! I've heard such great things!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh, I need to read "The Reader's Room." I don't know this one. And I'd like to read the Reich, too. He does seem very sensible.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Matt Haig and Maggie O'Farrell should probably have gone on my list, but I already had 14. Great list.

    ReplyDelete
  25. What a great theme for a round up! And very dangerous for my to-read list. Some even went straight to my book-order list. Thanks@

    ReplyDelete
  26. I've seen so many raves for that Matt Haig title. I need to check it out for myself.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Matt Haig is at the top of my list of authors to try this year. Between us, my husband and I have several of his novels, and now we need to read them. The memoir also sounds good.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Simon Barnes' On the Marsh is also excellent. A good and varied list!

    ReplyDelete

I hope you will leave a comment so I know you have visited. If you stop by my blog, I will always stop by yours.

Note: Disqus commenting is only available on the web version of the blog. Please switch to the web version if you are using a mobile device.