Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme created by The Broke and the Bookish blog.
This week’s topic is: New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2017
I discovered some wonderful authors in 2017, and can’t wait to read more of their works.
I’m thrilled that this list is made up entirely of women writers! #readmorewomen
Connie Willis
When I read To Say Nothing of the Dog last summer, I suspected that I had found another favorite author in Connie Willis. This hunch was confirmed while reading Doomsday Book. I hope to read the rest of the Oxford Time Travel series this year, although I’ll be sad to reach the end. Let me know which of her standalone books I should pick up first!
Ann Patchett
Commonwealth was my favorite read of 2017, and I am happy to have (finally) discovered Ann Patchett’s brilliant writing. I have State of Wonder waiting on my shelf, and may have to pick up Bel Canto this year too.
Mackenzi Lee
Mackenzi Lee’s The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue was a pure joy to read. I’m so excited that she has not one, but two books coming out this year!! I will absolutely be snapping up Bygone Badass Broads and the sequel to TGGTVAV, The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy.
Eve Chase
I found The Wildling Sisters to be an engrossing and atmospheric novel that ticked so many of my bookish boxes. I loved it so much that I immediately tracked down a copy of her debut novel Black Rabbit Hall, which I fully intend to read in 2018.
Sarah Maine
Another novel in a similar vein to The Wildling Sisters that I loved last year, was Sarah Maine’s The House Between Tides. I hope I’ll enjoy her second novel, Beyond the Wild River, just as much.
Helen Oyeyemi
Helen Oyeyemi’s lyrical prose and strange storytelling blew me away in White is for Witching. I can’t wait to explore more of her work, but am not sure where to start. Please let me know if you have a recommendation!
Laura Purcell
I had high hopes for The Silent Companions and was not disappointed in the slightest. In fact, it was one of my top books of the year. I am eagerly awaiting Laura Purcell’s second spooky Victorian novel, The Corset.
Sarah Perry
Speaking of novels I had high expectations for, Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent was one of my most anticipated reads for the better part of a year. Once I finally read it, I didn’t want it to end. I hope Sarah Perry releases another richly detailed historical fiction novel ASAP.
I also loved the debut novels of :
Yaa Gyasi
The beautiful and heartbreaking Homegoing was my second favorite book of the year. I look forward to following Yaa Gyasi’s writing career in the future.
Brit Bennet
The Mothers was such a strong and vivid debut. Brit Bennet’s writing is stunning and powerful. I can’t wait to see where she goes next.
What authors did you discover in 2017? Who do you plan to read this year?
Dwell in Possibility 
I still need to read Mackenzie Lee. She’s been on my TBR for a long time, now.
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I highly, highly recommend The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. It’s such a fun romp!
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I have Brit Bennet’s novel, The Mother’s in my massive ‘To Be Read’ pile!! I really need to read this novel!
Here’s my TTT post for this week: https://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2018/01/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-new-to-me.html?showComment=1514915871093#c5665488240840941833
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I hope you enjoy it, Lisa!
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Oooh, Bel Canto is so good. I haven’t read Commonwealth yet but it’s on my list. Her nonfiction is excellent as well!
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I’m so glad I discovered Patchett this year. It sounds like I have a lot of great writing to look forward to! Hope you enjoy Commonwealth when you get to it!
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I read Ann Patchett at the end of the year and loved her writing! I think I’ll check out Bel Canto next … I have Homegoing on my list for this year and can’t wait to get to it. It sounds so good! I’ll have to check out some of your other authors, too. Great list!
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Yay for discovering Patchett in 2017! I wish I had read her work sooner, but at least now I have a lot of great books to look forward to. Hope you enjoy Homegoing, Kristilyn!
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Exactly. It’s always the worst when you find a new to you author and they only have one book! 😂
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I’m so looking forward to reading the Essex Serpent after seeing so many good things about it!
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It certainly lives up to the hype IMHO. Hope you enjoy it!
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Love Connie Willis and I definitely want to read more Ann Patchett! I read Helen Oyeyemi’s Boy, Snow, Bird last year and actually found it a bit disappointing. Well the ending is particularly what I had a problem with, so the book might still be worth a read. Actually I think its worth giving her another chance in 2018. A lot of the books on your list are on my TBR
My TTT https://franlaniado.wordpress.com/2018/01/02/top-ten-tuesday-new-to-me-authors-i-read-in-2018/
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I’m so happy to have discovered Connie Willis and Ann Patchett in 2017. That’s interesting about the ending of Boy, Snow, Bird, because I was a tad disappointed in the ending of White is for Witching too. It was a little too abrupt and unresolved. I absolutely loved Oyeyemi’s prose, but there were a few plot/narrative elements that could’ve been stronger. Perhaps she’s not the best at endings?
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It’s possible. I’m still interested enough to check out some of her other books, but hopefully I’m not left feeling unsatisfied with the way all of them end!
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I didn’t get my list posted, by Connie Willis, Yaa Gyasi and Ann Patchett would have been on it! I loved To Say Nothing of the Dog. I read a different book by Oyeyemi and struggled with it.
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Yay, looks like we discovered similar authors in 2017! Happy 2018 reading!
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I haven’t read any of these authors…you picked such wonderful books! I want to read Mackenzi Lee and Helen Oyeyemi.
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Thanks Camillea! I hope you enjoy both Mackenzi Lee and Helen Oyeyemi!
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Yaay!!! I also have a ton of female authors on my list! Technically, only 9/10 are women. I couldn’t help myself…
This is a great list! Sadly, I haven’t read any of these authors yet. 😳 I am looking for something lighthearted and fun to pick up next— any from this list you’d recommend?
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Woohoo for women writers!! From this list, I’d say The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is the most fun and lighthearted. It’s a funny and exciting adventure story with diverse characters, a sweet romance, and a touch of magic. To Say Nothing of the Dog is also a ton of fun, although a little more demanding of a read than TGGTVAV. Happy reading, Jackie!
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Thank you so much for the recommendations, Jessie! I’ve requested them both from the library, as TGGTVAV (what a title!) has a HUGE wait list!
This is a series book, I see. Does that mean TGGTVAV have a cliffhanger ending? For the longest time, I thought it was standalone…
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You’re very welcome, Jackie! It is technically part of a series, but stands very well on its own. The next book will be from the POV of one of the secondary characters with perhaps an appearance or two from the protagonist of TGGTVAV. Sorry there’s such a long wait, but hope you enjoy it when you get to it!
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I LOVED the Doomsday Book! There’s a sequel that I haven’t yet read but always remember I want to when I come across Willis.
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It was so amazing! To Say Nothing of the Dog is the next book in the series, and I can highly recommend it. I loved it ever-so-slightly more than Doomsday Book. Hope you enjoy it too if/when you pick it up!
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