This week is about new-to-us authors read in 2013 that we really grew to love
Many of those had books out before this year, but I just didn't get to them or was to stupid to see just how amazing they were.
Brenna Yovanoff - The Replacement / The Space Between
Definitely one of my favorite 'discoveries' of the year! The Replacement really tore me apart. I ached inside while I read this book, and yet I'm desperate for a re-read! Brenna's writing is simply breathtaking and her stories have a new, eerie feel to them. I didn't like The Space Between quite as much as The Replacement, but I'm still determined to read everything she writes.
Michelle Hodkin - The Mara Dyer series
Seriously, how did the cover/description for this ever put me off?! Was I mad? Mara wonders about that question too. She's such an unusual girl protagonist for YA! And then there's Noah. And the agonizing wait for book 3. Sigh. I read book 1 in a day. One year of waiting for one day of reading... the balance is a little insane :P
Kimberly Derting - The Pledge
One of my favorite dystopians. Also, I read it at exactly the right time - I was writing a paper on queenship and how queens exercised their power. The world building was amazing - can't wait for The Essence to come out in paperback next month!
A.G. Howard - Splintered
Wonderland, insanity, art, Morpheus, weird scariness and beautiful writing... what's not to like? I was looking forward to this one so much, and it didn't disappoint!
Brent Weeks - The Night Angel Trilogy
I totally re-discovered my love of epic fantasy this year, and this series... holy hell! It's over 1500 pages and I read it in a WEEK (pun not intended). The savagery, the reluctant heroism, the magic, the vastness and complexity of the world and the characters... just wow. I'm really sad it's over though. I hope Weeks writes another series set in the same world.
Veronica Roth - The Divergent trilogy
I know, another one I'm late to the party for. But Divergent electrified me. It made me feel so incredibly alive, as if I was right there alongside Tris! I know many liked Insurgent and Allegiant less, but I thought they were logical consequences of what happened before, and I have major respect for Veronica Roth ending the series as she did.
Tahereh Mafi - Shatter Me
Everyone said this was great, but for some reason I never believed them. I kind of lumped this one in the 'nope' pile together with Mara Dyer. And again I was WRONG. This book is so fantastic! The writing, the imagery and tropes felt new. Do you have any idea how hard it is to come up with a simile that hasn't been used a thousand times over?! I've got book 2 on my kindle and I'll probably read book 3 just after it comes out. So glad I won't have to wait forever to read the next one!
Lauren DeStefano - Wither
Again, I was blown away by the writing most of everything. The world building was great too, but it was the writing that really kept me hooked. Sadly, I thought Fever dragged too much, but I still plan to read Sever and see it all through to the end.
Karen Marie Moning - The Fever series
Another series I just breezed through. It took me a book or two to take to Mac as a heroine, but damn does she undergo some development! And then there's Barrons. For book after book, I kept wondering - just what the hell is he?!
Katja Millay - The Sea of Tranquility
I thought I should at least include one non-fantasy/paranormal/dystopian author, and Katja Millay made me cry like a baby. This book straddles the border between YA and NA but it's one of the most real (and thus painful) contemporaries I've read. Utterly absorbing.
Do we have any books in common on this list? What did you think of them? Want to berate me for waiting so long to read them? :P And what awesome new authors did you discover?
