TOP TEN TUESDAY | Meet and Read | New Authors (to me) in 2016!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme for bloggers who like books and lists. It's awesome and is graciously hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

It's Best-of-the-Year-List Season, Ya'll!  The most wonderful time of the year!  And this week's particular Top Ten is one of my favorites and it is: 

December 6: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read For The First Time In 2016

I love looking back and recognizing authors that I am thrilled to have been acquainted with in the past year! Without further ado...

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1) Peter Clines

Genre: Science Fiction
Nationality: U.S.A.

I just read and loved Peter Clines' fun and exciting Science Fiction novel, The Fold and have already snapped up another novel of his, 14.  

2) Jaclyn Moriarty

Genre: Young Adult
Nationality: Australia

I read A Corner of White this year and was totally charmed by it.  I also found Moriarty's voice to be very original and interesting.  I will definitely be continuing with that series and checking out more of her backlist!

3) Jennifer Crusie

Genre: Romance
Nationality: U.S.A.

I thought I hated so-called Chick-lit and Contemporary Romance.  Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie convinced me that I don't know myself at all:).  

4) Melissa Lenhardt

Genre: Historical Fiction
Nationality: U.S.A.

I was smitten with Lenhardt's female-led western Sawbones this year and will definitely keep up with whatever she writes.  She also writes mysteries!

5) Claudia Gray

Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-in
Nationality: U.S.A.

Claudia Gray was my introduction to the Star Wars Universe novels with her brilliant book Lost Stars.  I think my second Star Wars book will be her second Star Wars novel Bloodline.  

6) Loretta Chase

Genre: Historical Romance
Nationality: U.S.A.

Considering how fond I am of Regency Romances, it is shocking that it was only this year that I picked up Lord of Scoundrels AND that this was my first Loretta Chase.  Perhaps the best Regency Romance I've ever read.  Way to go Ms. Chase - glad to have met you!

7) Louise Erdrich

Genre: Fiction
Nationality: U.S.A. 

Her novel The Round House is probably (spoiler alert!) my very favorite book I read this year.  Really powerful and engrossing coming of age story on an Indian Reservation.  I've already a couple of her other books and plan on checking out anything she writes.

8) Dorothy L. Sayers

Genre: Mystery
Nationality: British

An oldie but SO good.  I dived into her Lord Peter Wimsey series this year and have loved them to pieces.  

9) Eowyn Ivey

Genre: Fiction
Nationality: U.S.A. 

The Snow Child was such a lovely novel, set in the Alaska Wilderness.  It's fighting a duel in my heart with The Round House for favorite book I read this year.  

10) Rick Riordan

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Nationality: U.S.A.

I am the original Greek Mythology nerd so I should have been all over Riordan years ago but only picked up (and finished) the Percy Jackson series this year.  It was a lot of fun and I see why he is such a phenomenon.

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I included nationality mostly because I'm trying to keep better track of how diversely I've read.  As you can tell I'm not doing to well!  Only two favorite new-to-me authors from outside the U.S. and none in translation.  Good to know. I was also curious about the genre spread and it is predictably pretty diverse.   

So who are the authors that wormed their way into your heart this year?