Top Ten Tuesday #4 - 2015 New-to-Me Authors!

Top Ten New-To-Me Favorite Authors I Read For The First Time In 2015

What do you think of when you think of new-to-me authors? My instinct says that it is authors who are not 2015 debut authors, but were authors that I picked up for the first time this year. Here is a list of the best new-to-me authors I've read so far this year!

Sophie Kinsella

This is a classic case of, "better late than never!" I kept hearing great things about her stand-alone books, so I decided to give them a try. And I'm really glad that I did because it gave me the opportunity to fall in love with Sophie's writing without feeling the pressure to commit to a 8+ (and growing) series. 

I am so glad that I have read Sophie's books and I look forward to many more in the future.

Read in 2015:

Remember Me

Can You Keep A Secret

Twenties Girl

The Undomestic Goddess

I've Got Your Number

Finding Audrey

Colleen Hoover

You may be surprised to discover that I am new to the Colleen Hoover train.

I didn't pick up her books until 2015!

I have loved most of her works and there is something so addictive and fast-paced about her writing.

2015 was supposed to be my year to take all the unread CoHo books I had on my shelf and get them read and I succeeded for the most part!

Read in 2015:

Slammed

Point of Retreat

This Girl

Hopeless

Maybe Someday

Maybe Not

Ugly Love

Confess

Jonathan Maberry

I wasn't sure if I should put authors that I have only read one book by on this list but I loved this man's book SO much that I couldn't not!

I was challenge by a friend to read Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry at the end of 2014. Of course, I almost waited until the year was over to get to it. And I will be the first person to tell you I'm not a fan of zombie. I just find them weird and usually gross. HOWEVER, I didn't know what I was getting into with Joe Ledger. He's my new book boyfriend and I have since bought the entire series and can't wait to read more about Joe!

Read in 2015:

Patient Zero

Mary E. Pearson

When The Kiss of Deception came crashing into my life, I wasn't ready for it. I loved it and was literally DYING for the next book in the series. So when The Heart of Betrayal finally came out, I read it immediately. I love them so much, so when I found out that Mary had other books, I finally decided to pick them up. I just finish the first book in her Jenna Fox series and have picked up the second two books from the library to read!

Read in 2015:

The Kiss of Deception

The Heart of Betrayal

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Morgan Rhodes

Ah, Falling Kindgoms.

Morgan Rhodes also came crashing into my life in 2015. Her books were getting an insane amount of hype on the internet and so I decided to finally pick up the first book and read it. And then I immediately when out and bought the next two. Morgan's Falling Kingdoms series is hailed as YA-Game of Thrones and/or light Game of Thrones and to a point, I would say that's true, but it is definitely it's own entity and definitely worth reading!

Read in 2015:

Falling Kingdoms

Rebel Spring

Gathering Darkness

A Book of Spirits and Thieves

Anthony Doerr

All the Light We Cannot See is probably my favorite book of all-time. I bought it originally in the summer of 2014 and read about 80 pages of it and never continued on for whatever reason. So when my book club decided to read it, I jumped in. I cannot begin to tell you what this book means to me. It's SO beautifully written and it definitely changed my life. I have since bought all of Anthony's other books and hope to read some of them in 2016.

Read in 2015:

All the Light We Cannot See

Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins is an iconic name when you think of young-adult literature. She is ground-breaking and constantly challenging the world in which teenagers live. Her stories are heart-breaking and brave and while I've only read three of her books, I look forward to reading many more.

Read in 2015:

Crank

Glass

Fallout

Andrew Smith

Ryan Dean West!

I finally read Winger and then it's sequel, Stand-Off in 2015. I had been putting it off despite the hype around the book because I didn't see how I would want to read a book from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy. But I was wrong and I fell in love with Ryan Dean (despite being so annoyed with him sometimes) and Andrew Smith's writing. I look forward to reading more of his books in the future!

Read in 2015:

Winger

Stand-Off

Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy is one of the most hyped series on BookTube and in the YA book community. I couldn't stop hearing about it in 2014 and though I had bought the books, I never actually picked them up until halfway through 2015. And while I really enjoyed them, I didn't ever connect fully to the characters. So I was happy to hear that Leigh was writing another series set in the Grisha world (which is AWESOME), and I was much happier with Six of Crows. I like Leigh's writing and I look forward to seeing what she does next!

Read in 2015:

Shadow and Bone

Siege and Storm

Ruin and Rising

Six of Crows

Meg Cabot

And last but not least, we have Meg Cabot, author of the very famous Princess Diaries series.

I never read Meg's books growing up, despite being the right age for them as they were released. The truth is I didn't read much middle-grade/young-adult as a teen. So I decided to finally read the iconic series this year, after the newest book, Royal Wedding came out. The series is light-hearted and fun and while I didn't LOVE it, I enjoyed the world and would like to pick up other books by Meg.

Read in 2015:

The Princess Diaries

Princess in the Spotlight

Princess in Love

Princess in Waiting

Princess in Pink

Princess in Training

Party Princess

Princess on the Brink

Princess Mia

Forever Princess

Royal Wedding

Top Ten Tuesday #2 - Upcoming Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To

*This list is in no particular order.

• A Monster Calls 
• Patrick Ness. Enough said.
• A Monster Calls was one of my top books of 2014. I was so moved and captivated by it and I think a movie adaptation will be SO interesting.
• I'm trying to view it as a new and separate work, so I don't get my expectations too high, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't dying to see it!!
• The Shack 
• This is a book I need to reread. I read it in college (so a long time ago) and it's a book that has always stuck with me. It's so abstract and out there, so I'm SUPER interested to see how they do it.
• Me Before You 
• This is sort of becoming the list of books I need to read before the movies come out :)
• I have Me Before You sitting on my shelf for quite awhile now, but I have been hesitant to pick it up because I was spoiled on the ending.
• I still plan to read it and I know the movie adaptation has Sam Claflin (Catching Fire) and Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) starring... so despite being spoiled, I still plan to pick it up before the movie release!
• The Fifth Wave 
• Yet another TBR book. Sort of.
• I have to admit I've lost steam to pick up The Fifth Wave in the last year.
• It was very hyped a couple years ago when I found BookTube and the book review world, but I feel like it has lost steam and has move mixed reviews now that the hype has died down...
• But still, I would be interested to see how Chloe Grace Moretz handles this sci-fi story.
• Allegiant 
• Oh, Allegiant. How though is detested by many.
• I am not one of those people who HATES Allegiant, but I also wasn't completely blown away like I was with Divergent.
• Still, I plan on seeing both films, though maybe not in theaters.
• Ascendant 
• Allegiant Part 2 has gone rogue and renamed itself Ascendant.
• I have no idea what this title change means but I think it's at least interesting.
• This is the film that people have been waiting for and I think that it's going to be a hot mess.
• I'm sorry... I thought Insurgent was terrible and I have little hope left for the last two films. But I will see them.
• Mockingjay Part 2 
• This is the film we are SO CLOSE to getting and the one that is probably at the top of my anticipation list (okay, it's second)!
• I have loved all 3 films we have gotten from this series and I am waiting on baited breath for the final installment in a few weeks.
• My body is not ready.
• Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children 
• Nobody shoot me, but I haven't actually read Miss Peregine's.
• Waits for pitchforks...
• I meant to years ago and even my sometimes reader husband has read it over a year ago.
• This adaptation is coming out in 2016 and is already filmed.
• It was directed by Tim Burton and will be a big success at the box office.
• Now to read it.
• Maze Runner: The Death Cure
• I will be the first to tell you that I have no intention of reading the Maze Runner series.
• I've just heard enough bad things about the books, that I've lost all motivation to press on.
• However, I did LOVE the first movie, The Maze Runner. I thought it was fun and much more action-packed than I was anticipating.
• I haven't yet seen The Scorch Trials, but I'm excited to get to it soon!
• The Death Cure is the third book in the original trilogy and I look forward to the movie adaptation!
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
• Have you seen the pictures?
• Have you heard of JK Rowling?
• Have you heard of Harry Potter?
• Are you from Mars?
• I cannot express how excited I am for a fresh new story set in the Harry Potter universe. I'm excited for the time period, the story, the ACTORS.
• Seeing all the promo release stills of Eddie Redmayne as Newt is DOING THINGS TO ME.
• The best part of being in the HP fandom right now is that JK Rowling is letting the world live on with plays, movies, and new books. She is giving us more of the world because frankly, there is an infinite quantity left to give.
• This movie is going to be amazing... no if's and's or but's about it.

What upcoming book-to-movie adaptations are you anticipating?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature by The Broke and Bookish.

Top Ten Tuesday #1 - Debut Authors

Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel

*This list is in ascending order, with my most anticipated being last!

Sandy Hall

I might be cheating the slightest bit on this one, but I realized I haven't read that many debut authors this year! Sandy Hall debuted last year through Swoon Reads and I picked up her book because: 1) The cover is flipping adorable. 2) It was newly released in paperback, which is very rare in the US. 3) I heard the premise and was so intrigued. I thought A Little Something Different was downright adorable and it has made me a fan of Ms. Hall. Her newest book JUST came out October 20th and I bought it, but haven't yet read, so I think this counts!

Nicola Yoon

Nicola's debut novel was a classic case of "I loved the idea, but the book wasn't perfect." I had a couple issues with Everything, Everything, but overall I think the idea was great and most of all, I really enjoyed Nicola's writing style and choices. So because of this, I am eagerly anticipating whatever she comes out with next. 

Aziz Ansari

 Unless you've been living under a rock, you know who Aziz Ansari is. He is one of the new and fresh faces of today's Hollywood elite comedians. He started in stand-up and carries his off-the-cuff sarcastic humor wherever he goes. Aziz got his big break on the beloved sitcom, Parks & Recreation, starring Amy Poehler. It was on Parks & Rec that Aziz captured the hearts of America, playing the despicable yet lovable Tom Haverford. Modern Romance was Aziz' debut novel and was quite surprising. Most people, including myself, simply assumed it was a typical comedian memoir, but it was actually a book studying and assessing the state of modern dating and relationships with the addition of technology. It was surprisingly refreshing and unique and it made me very excited to see what Aziz will write next!

 Sara Bareilles

Sara Bareilles is a debut author but not writer. As a musician who writes most of her own music, Sara is not stranger to pen and paper. And I think this translated perfectly into her debut memoir, Sound Like Me: My Life (so far) in Song. I think it was authentic and honest. Sara put herself out there and I can't wait to see how her career goes moving forward. I would love to see a Part 2 to her first book, chronicling the next years of her career.

 Amy Zhang

Amy Zhang is amazing. She's currently in college and also writing books. She wrote Falling Into Place in high school. Yes, you read that correctly, HIGH SCHOOL. I was blown away by this book when I read it last year. I think fans of If I Stay by Gayle Foreman will enjoy the story and I can't wait to check out her upcoming book, This is Where the World Ends in 2016!

 Nathan Filer

You might have been living under a rock if you missed the hype that was The Shock of the Fall in 2014. Nathan Filer's book was everywhere and especially on BookTube. I wasn't reading a lot of adult literary fiction at the time, so I waiting until the hype died down to read it. And I am so glad that I did because I thought it was amazing. A story of mental illness and how secrets and family can mold and shape us, it was a stunning debut. Hopefully we will get something from Nathan Filer soon in the future!

 Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes was one of the most hyped YA debut novels of 2015. It was EVERYWHERE, and I mean everywhere. I was lucky enough to win a Twitter giveaway for a signed arc, so I got a copy a few weeks early. AEITA was a fantastic debut fantasy novel with a world similar to that of the Roman Empire. I was thoroughly enthralled and cannot wait for the second book in the series as well as anything else that Sabaa writes in the future! 

 Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was also one of the most hyped YA releases of 2015. There has been a big movement this year in the book community to read diverse books and I feel like Simon was one of the books that became the face of the #weneeddiversebooks movement. So I was excited to read it just for that, but I was so happy when the book itself was actually really good, not just for it's social message. Becky has a great writing style with amazing comedic timing and I am very excited to see what she writes next!

 Celeste Ng

What do I even say about Everything I Never Told You? It was Celeste's debut novel and I really have a hard time accepting that fact. It is adult literary fiction that tackles so many important issues from racism to family to marriages and infidelity and so much more. It blew me away and I really fell in love with Celeste's writing style. It packs such a punch for being such a short book. If you haven't read it, GO GET IT NOW. I'm not kidding, this was amazing! I cannot WAIT for Ms. Ng's next book!

 Leslye Walton

And last but absolutely not least, we have Ms. Leslye Walton, author of one of my favorite books of all times, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender. I cannot even begin to describe my love for this book. It was stunning, so so SO beautiful and an absolute masterpiece. And like Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, I still have no idea how such a beautiful book was told in so few pages. I am waiting eagerly to hear of any books news about what Ms. Walton will write next because I need that book YESTERDAY. If you have not read Ava Lavender, please go pick it up. You will not be disappointed. 

So there you have it! My top debut authors of late.

Thanks for stopping by!

What debut authors are you excited about? 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature by The Broke and Bookish.