10 New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2017

New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2017


What reader doesn’t love discovering new authors? Many of the best books I read last year were by authors new to me and I can’t wait to dig into some of their backlists!

This list does NOT include debut authors…since I already honored them in my Best Debuts of 2017 list.

10 New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2017

John Boyne (The Heart’s Invisible Furies, My Review)
My hands down #1 book of the year! And, now I’d like to read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.

Kelly Corrigan (Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I’m Learning to Say)
This book is actually coming out today! But, I read it in 2017 and now I’d like to read Glitter and Glue.

Laurie Frankel (This Is How It Always Is, My Review)
Another one of my Best Books of 2017. I’ve never heard of any of her previous novels, but I’d love for someone to vet them for me!

David Grann (Killers of the Flower Moon, My Review)
Grann’s investigative story about the Osage indian tribe won all kinds of awards last year. And, I’ve been hearing great things about his previous book, The Lost City of Z, so now I’d like to read that.

Katherine Heiny (Standard Deviation, My Review)
Standard Deviation was one of my Best Debuts of 2017 (it’s her debut novel), but Heiny had previously published a short story collection (Single, Carefree, Mellow) that I now want to read.

Dennis Lehane (Since We Fell, My Review
If you’re a regular reader, you know how skittish I am about thrillers. The ones that usually work for me are always “the different kind of thrillers,” and that’s what Since We Fell is. The first part reads like an exploration of a marriage and the second half feels more like a traditional thriller.

Jardine Libaire (White Fur, My Review)
White Fur definitely isn’t for everyone, but it may have been the most gorgeous writing (and hottest love story!) I’ve read all year. I hadn’t heard of any of her previous books, but I’m now itching to check them out.

Taylor Jenkins Reid (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, My Review)
It took a LOT of people raving about this one to get me to pick it up and I’m so glad I did. Yet another favorite of 2017 and I’m hesitantly considering trying something from her backlist. I only say hesitantly because I hear this book is a departure from her previous work.

Gretchen Rubin (The Happiness Project, Better Than Before)
I listened to both these books on audio and, going a bit contrarian here, but I liked Better Than Before better than The Happiness Project (she’s a little less grating and more practical). Now, I want to listen to The Four Tendencies.

Graham Swift (Mothering Sunday, My Review)
This tiny, unique book completely surprised me. And, Swift has an extensive backlist!

What new-to-you authors did you read last year?

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30 Comments

  1. renee wrote:

    I didn’t realize that you hadn’t read Dennis Lehane before! I think he’s fantastic and he brings something different to each one of his books…I really loved Live by Night and World Gone By if you’re ever in the mood for sagas and Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River were so good as well

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
  2. Norrie wrote:

    Apart from Dennis Lehane (who is awesome), i have not heard of these authors before. Some of these books seems fascinating. I think my TBR list will grow again 😀

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
  3. I think you’ll like Glitter and Glue – it made me think of my own parents.

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
  4. I enjoy reading Taylor Jenkins Reid I loved her One True Loves! Great list!

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
  5. We did have a lot in common on new-to-me lists. I want to read more Boyne, especially. Last week, a boy in one of my classes was reading The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and we had a nice talk about how much he liked the book and I shared a little bit about Boyne’s writing history. That never happens!

    You’ve reminded me once again about Mothering Sunday. I still need to read it!

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
  6. Angela wrote:

    I read Taylor Jenkins Reid for the first time in 2017, and I devoured her entire backlist. I just love everything she writes. Seven Husbands is quite a bit different from her other books, I will admit that!

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
  7. Kay wrote:

    I’ve read several of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s books and liked them. I have THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS, but haven’t put it in the queue as yet. It’s been a long time since I read a Dennis Lehane book.

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
  8. Pretty sure John Boyne will be on my list for 2018! I added all of Graham Swift to my list after loving Mothering Sunday, but haven’t read any of them yet.

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Definitely make time for Boyne – it’s absolutely amazing!

      Posted 1.14.18 Reply
  9. I haven’t read any of these books….or authors. But I see at least 2 books here that are on my list — This Is How It Always Is and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Oooh – hope you get to them both!

      Posted 1.14.18 Reply
  10. Madeline wrote:

    I have Boyne’s “A History of Loneliness” on hold. I enjoyed “Since We Fell” so much I read “Mystic River” — which was better!

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Oh tell me how the Boyne goes! And now I’ll have to read Mystic River!

      Posted 1.14.18 Reply
  11. Kate Elkins wrote:

    Many thanks for the review last year of The Heart’s Invisible Furies- I’m a hundred pages from the end. I love this book! What terrific storytelling! I also loved Standard Deviation- I had her short stories so I knew it would be good, but it was even better than I hoped. Also loved Mothering Sunday and Dennis Lehane’s book- which I also read thanks to you. A new to me author that I loved was Lisa See and “The Teagirl of Hummingbird Lane.” Which I followed with Crazy Rich Asians- and thought was a hoot!

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      So glad you loved all those! And I haven’t tried Lisa See…sounds like I should since we seem to have similar taste!

      Posted 1.14.18 Reply
  12. I didn’t even finish the 4 tendencies – it is a sermon/lecture – hardly any entertainment – and she now writes as if she knows everything… Sad … her earlier books were much better. Cheers

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Good to know! Moving it down the list…

      Posted 1.14.18 Reply
  13. Dotty Gross wrote:

    Hi Sarah,
    I read the Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney. I could not put it down. Also, it won an Edgar award and received many starred reviews. Lou Berney is a new author for me. Check it out if you have not read it.

    Posted 1.9.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thanks, I will!

      Posted 1.14.18 Reply
  14. Good list! I am very excited about the Kelly Corrigan book — I might go to a bookstore and buy it tomorrow because I don’t want to wait on a library hold list 🙂

    Posted 1.10.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Yes, do!!

      Posted 1.14.18 Reply
  15. Tara wrote:

    I kind of forgot about Since We Fell (until working on my 2017 reading lists), but it was such a great read; I would certainly be interesting in reading more of his work!

    Posted 1.11.18 Reply
  16. Lauren wrote:

    I have nurtured a grudge against Lehane for a few years now and don’t read his work anymore, but his original Kenzie/Gennaro series is really stellar work. I was also blown away by the Frankel. Trying to think of more great new to me authors but without my list in front of me I’m lost! Several on your list are still waiting in my stacks, so I’m glad to hear they received this honor

    Posted 1.11.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Haha – I’m now super curious about this grudge! Wasn’t the Frankel excellent?! Hope you get to the ones in your stack.

      Posted 1.11.18 Reply
  17. Beth F wrote:

    Great discoveries! I’ve read many but not all of these authors.

    Posted 1.12.18 Reply
  18. Catherine wrote:

    Wait, wasn’t Anna Quindlen new to you in 2017 as well? I know you read Candles first, but telling you about her fiction is my greatest all-time recommendation. I need to look at her backlist and see what I’ve missed.

    Glitter and Glue is marvelous so I need to get after Tell Me More. Ha, just went and added it to my tracker TBR w you as the source! Woo hoo!

    Posted 1.13.18 Reply
  19. Hena Tayeb wrote:

    I’ve been meaning to read 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo good to hear it’s worth the read.

    http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com

    Posted 1.16.18 Reply
  20. Chris SaNn wrote:

    Dennis Lehane is excellent, not only for the Kenzie/Gennaro books but also Mystic River and the Coughlin books. Thanks for the suggestions–not for me TBR pile!

    Posted 1.17.18 Reply
    • God, auto correct and bad typing on my iPhone did me wrong on this post…please feel free to delete.

      Posted 1.17.18 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Haha! No worries – that happens to me too!

      And I’ve heard Mystic River from a number of people now…will have to get to it sometime. Too many books, too little time!

      Posted 1.21.18 Reply

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