Top 5 Tuesday is a weekly meme created by Shanah, the Bionic Book Worm, and now hosted by Meeghan at Meeghan Reads.
This week’s topic:
Top 5 new authors of 2021
(Tell us all about your favourite new authors, either debut authors from 2021 or new-to-you this year.)
I met some great new-to-me authors this year who I’d love to read more from. Here are my top five.
Camilla Bruce
At the top is Camilla Bruce whose In the Garden of Spite I read earlier this year, thanks to Mogsy and Tammy. The novel is a historical thriller about a female serial killer in the late 1800s. It’s slow paced but such a riveting read. Both my aunt (who I made read it) and I want to read more from Bruce, and I need to get another copy of the book to let my mom read it too (I gave my copy to my aunt).
Mateo Askaripour
Next is Mateo Askaripour. I read his Black Buck with my book group earlier this year and loved it despite how angry and frustrated I was at times while reading it. It’s a contemporary satire (although… I don’t think the author considers it a satire, so maybe it’s not…?) about a young Black man from Brooklyn who gets a job in sales at a startup in NYC. It was an uncomfortable read but gripping as well, and I highly recommend it.
Eli Brown
Oh my gosh, Eli Brown’s Cinnamon and Gunpowder was such a delectable read. I’m so mad at myself that I took this long to read it. It’s historical fiction set in 1819 about a renown chef who’s kidnaped by the pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot to cook her exquisite meals every Sunday in exchange for his life. The prose and the protagonist’s voice are what hooked me to this one, making me hang on every word. I can’t wait to try another book by this author.
Jordan Ifueko
I had such a fun time reading Ifueko’s Raybearer, a YA fantasy novel about a girl who’s half human and half enslaved spirit who sees the past of whomever or whatever she touches. Ifueko hooked me to the world she created in this story, which is strongly inspired by African cultures and folklores. I look forward to reading the second book in the duology.
Katy Rose Pool
Pool’s There Will Come a Darkness was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. It’s the first in a YA fantasy series that seems set in a world that resembles ancient Greece. It’s about several teens who are connected in bringing about a prophecy. It was such a good read, and I can’t wait to see how the plot unfolds in the other books.
Ooh, Cinnamon and Gunpowder and There Will Come a Darkness are both on my wishlist, so I’m super glad you loved them!! Thanks for sharing, and I hope you had fun last week ❤️
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Thanks! Both of those are worth trying out.
Happy Holidays!
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I still haven’t found a copy of In the Garden of Spite but every time I hear you mention it… I check my library again :p
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Aww lol hope you’re able to get hold of a copy.
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It’s so weird I can’t even buy a copy on the kobo!
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Oh man! That sucks.
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I discovered Kwane Jackson and Molly Clavering this year – two very different authors who I will be reading more of. A good list from you!
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Oh cool!
And thanks! 🙂
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I read In the Garden of Spite but for whatever reason it didn’t work as well for me. I would like to try more by her, though. Probably the new-to-me author I’d most like to read again would be Anthony Ryan, who’s book, The Pariah, blew me away.
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I remember you stating that about In the Garden of Spite. I totally get it, but it would be cool to try something else by her to get a stronger sense of her writing/storytelling.
Ooh. That’s one I want to try — Pariah. I keep hearing good things.
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Camilla Bruce! She’s so good. And she has a new book coming out next year, I think😁
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Really??!! I gotta check it out!
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I’m so happy I was able to help you discover Camilla Bruce! She’s a recent discovery for me as well and now of course she’s a must-read author.
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🙂 I’m glad I learned about her through your review. I’m so eager to try more by her.
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Raybearer is definitely on my list of best debut authors too
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I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Def a good one.
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Thank you for keeping us informed of the years new authors!
Best,
Shira
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Oh no prob. But these are “new to me” authors. I should have mentioned that. 🙂 I’ll update the post when I get a chance.
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🙂
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