Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-me authors

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they update their blog with a list of ten things that have to do with a predetermined topic.

This week's topic is: What ten new-to-me authors did you discover in 2013?



1. Alexandra Bracken, author of the Darkest Minds trilogy. I picked up The Darkest Minds earlier this year and instantly fell in love with Alexandra Bracken's unique writing style and her ability to create an action-packed, emotional adventure with a dash of romance; one that remains important without overpowering the plot.

2. Tahereh Mafi, author of the Shatter Me trilogy. Not only is Tahereh Mafi's writing poetic, raw and heartbreaking, but the physical appearance of the Shatter Me series is extremely appealing, with the scratched-out bits of thought. Also, she creates characters that are so complex, I cannot help but fall in love with each and every one of them; the good and the bad. I cannot wait for Ignite Me!

3. Patrick Ness, author of the Chaos Walking trilogy. I am ashamed that it took me so long to pick up The Knife of Never Letting Go because It. Was. Amazing. Patrick Ness, a well-seasoned writer already, is definitely one of my favorite author-discoveries of this past year.

4. Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss and its companion novels. Probably one of my favorite contemporary authors, Stephanie Perkins seems to share Sarah Dessen's knack for creating heartwarming stories full of emotion and fluff.

5. Beth Revis, author of the Across the Universe trilogy. Again, why did I wait so long to pick these books up?! Beth Revis takes a classic Sci Fi idea, inter-galactic travel to a new world, and turns it into a tale of betrayal, love, loss and survival. I could not put any of her books down—you get so attached to the characters!—and finished the entire trilogy in about a month. She is definitely on my author radar.

6. Rainbow Rowell, author of Eleanor & Park. Having only read two books by Rainbow Rowell, I am already well on my way to considering her one of my favorite YA contemporary authors. She seems to have a talent for creating extremely real and touching scenarios with relatable/loveable characters.

7. Robyn Schneider, author of The Beginning of Everything. With humor and wit comparable to that of John Green and Rainbow Rowell, Robyn Schneider is definitely someone whose work I intend to follow.

8. April Genevieve Tucholke, author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. Much like Brenna Yovanoff, Tucholke's writing is very dark and Gothic; a mixture of paranormal and real-life. I loved Between!

9. Rick Yancey, author of The 5th Wave. Being the type of reader who generally tries to stay away from anything Sci Fi, Rick Yancey has turned me on to a whole new genre with his remarkable writing. Not just a story about the classic "Aliens invade Earth," The 5th Wave is a struggle; between humans and their otherworldly oppressors, killing and being killed, survival and death. I connected with every single character in this book and adored the cynical humor of our narrator, Cassie. I decided well before finishing that I would most certainly be checking out the rest of the series as it is published, as well as Yancey's other works.

10. Brenna Yovanoff, author of The Replacement and Paper Valentine. I loved Yovanoff's ability to merge reality with the paranormal; taking an old tale about children being snatched away in the night, giving it a contemporary twist, and then turning it into something remarkable, outlandish and creepy. Both Paper Valentine and The Replacement were just twisted enough to creep me out, and sweet enough to be charming.

. . . .

Seriously though, why am I only just discovering some of these authors now?! Where have I been; under a  rock?

What authors have you discovered (or rediscovered) this year?