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Hosted by Estella's Revenge,
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Since we are linking up with linking up with:
Top Ten Tuesday.
Here are ten of my favorite author discoveries of 2014
Pascal Garnier (1949-2010)
I first heard of this French noir author from a review of his Moon in a Dead Eye on JacquiWine's Journal. Based on that review, I checked the library catalog and placed holds on what was available. Here are the three I read. Loved them all. There are some others I haven't read, will try to acquire them.
Edwidge Danticat (1969- )
Claire of the Sea Light jumped into my hands from the new book shelf at the Library. The author's name was vaguely familiar but I'd never read anything by her. This was an enchanting story. I intend to read more by Danticat. This is one of several novels with a Caribbean setting that I read this year. It is set in Haiti
Wiley Cash (1977- )I read This Dark Road to Mercy for the April Readathon. It worked so well that I made A Land More Kind than Home one of my selections for the October Readathon.
Schlink, Bernhard (1944- )
I Purchased a novel, The Reader, by this German writer at a used book sale. I had heard of him but never read him. I intended to read it for German Lit Month VI, but decided to read a book of his short stories Flights of Love for the event.
Eduardo Halfon (1971- )
These two books by this Guatemalan author came to me from Belleviue Press in a LibraryThing giveaway. As far as I know they are the only two of his works translated into English. I hope there's more to come.
Daniel Alarcón (1977- )
Alarcón is an American (born in Lima, Peru). He writes in English. This novel it about a traveling theater company and is set in an unnamed South American country.
I first heard about Alarcón on Twitter.
Gina B. Nahai (1961- )
The Luminous Heart of Jonah S. is a stunning saga of Iranian Jewish refugees in Los Angeles. I'm ready to start seeking for more works by this author. I discovered this one on the publisher's website after reading some other excellent books from Akashic books.
Amazing Debuts
The next four are all debut novels. Looking forward to seeing more from these promising authors.
Lauren Owen
The Quick, a dark tale of Vampires in Victorian London is a stunning debut novel. Blog hop win at
Unabridged Chick
Eric Charles May
May is an established author of non-fiction and short fiction. Bedrock Faith, about a Chicago South Side neighborhood, is his first published novel.
Helene Wecker The Golem and the Jinni is another great debut novel. Two unlikely characters meet in New York City in 1899. An enchanting story of an unusual alliance.
NoViolet Bulawayo
Another excellent debut. We Need New Names was shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.
About a young girl's journey out of Zimbabwe and to America.
It was very hard for me to pick favorites, I read so many great books from authors who were new to me, including many that I featured in other posts for this project.
Did everyone else have a year with so many great new (to you) authors that it was difficult to narrow it down to ten?
I kick myself everytime I see At Night We Walk in Circles, for I had it from Penguin's First To Read program and I didn't find the time to read it before it expired on my kindle. So mad at myself! Glad to see your post, which has many, many new to me authors. Almost all. :)
ReplyDeleteI think I got it from the library. One of those books I thought I was reading in translation and the realized that he writes in English.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any of these, but I really, really want to get to Wiley Cash's books soon. They look excellent.
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Both of these have interesting characters, tense situations, and good pacing--which made them perfect for the Readathons.
ReplyDeleteI've only read Danticat (with this same novel this year) and Shlink but it was a long time ago. After reading The reader, I've wanted to read all his works but after being disappointed again and again I've stopped. I've read Flights of Love in French and it was okay.
ReplyDeleteMy library has two books by Alarcon but not this one. One is a short stories collection about war which is not a topic I'm fond of but the other one, Lost City Radio seems to be totally the kind of story I love. Thanks for drawing my attention towards this writer!
Oh, and I've learned thanks to your post that Pascal Garnier was dead (and I'm French :S) I had tried to read his novel The Panda's Theory which had a huge success in France but I've failed.
Lost City Radio is one I want to read. I'm not to interested in war stories, either. Of the Garnier i read, I liked Moon in a Dead Eye best. I think that was because of the setting in a retirement community.
DeleteI haven't heard many of these books, but I really want to read The Golem and The Jinni. I've heard so much about this one and I have to get to it soon.
ReplyDelete-Jon from Bookish Antics!
It was a fun read.
ReplyDelete