Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
Sometimes it feels like the January Top Ten Tuesday topics are so closely connected to each other that I need to be careful about repeating myself when responding to them.
For that reason, I’ll keep this week’s list short and sweet. Here are five books I read last year from authors who are new to me.
Author: Betty MacDonald
What I Read from Them: The Plague and I
Would I Read More from Them? Yes! I never would have guessed that a memoir about living in a tuberculosis hospital in the 1930s would be so funny or relatable nearly a century later. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for anything else she might have written.
Author: Annalee Newitz
What I Read from Them: Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age
WouldI Read More from Them? Yes! This author had a conversational writing style that made learning about history amusing and educational.
Author: Kathy Iandoli
What I Read from Them: Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah
Would I Read More from Them? No. I found the author’s writing style to be choppy, and she only skimmed the surface on some pretty important questions about Aaliyah’s life. I know that it was probably quite difficult to dig up new information about this singer given how private her family is, but I wasn’t impressed with this biography.
Author: Katherine Arden
What I Read from Them: Small Spaces
Would I Read More from Them? I already have! I’ll be reviewing Small Spaces and it’s sequels on this site in the near future, so stay tuned.
Author: Sandy Skotnicki
What I Read from Them: Beyond Soap: The Real Truth about What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow
Would I Read More from Them? Maybe. There was a lot of excellent information about skin care in this book, but I found the writing to be a bit repetitive at times. So I’d pick up more books from this author, but I might skim through them or only read the sections that are most applicable to my skin in particular.
Katherine Arden is such a great writer. I loved their bear and nightingale trilogy and Small Spaces was a good read too. I still need to read Dead Voices though.
Dead Voices was a good read. I haven’t read the Bear and the Nightingale trilogy yet, but I’m glad you liked it.
Didn’t Betty McDonald also write a memoir of her life starting an egg farm? I think I remember reading The Egg and I and thinking it was very funny.
Yes, she did! I haven’t managed to find a copy of that book yet, but I’ll keep trying. It sounds marvellous.
Just so you know, I did try to comment on your post this week, but Disqus seemed to be having issues. I’ll try again later. 🙂
I haven’t heard of these authors buy will keep them in mind.
Cool!
the plague and I looks so interesting!!! i’m going to have to check out some more on this list
my blog: https://www.writethroughthenight.com
It sure was! I hope you like any of the books from this list that you decide to read.
It’s always a good feeling to discover a new-to-you author. 🙂
For sure!
I like the blurbs you put in about whether you’d read anything from the particular author again, Lydia. And you have such an interesting mix of books, too.
Aww, thanks!
Sounds like a mixed bag of authors. I hope you continue to enjoy the ones you loved that you read.
I love dabbling in many different genres for sure. And thanks.
“The Plague and I” sounds interesting! I also keep meaning to read Katherine Arden but those books always get pushed back.
My post: https://www.dreamcomereview.com/top-ten-tuesday-new-to-me-authors-i-discovered-in-2021/
It was very 1930s and very good for sure.
I hope you like Arden’s books if or when you check them out.
I read Autonomus by Annalee Newitz and really enjoyed it, I need to read more by this author. I hadn’t heard of this one though!
Ooh, I haven’t read that one from her yet. I’ll have to check it out! 🙂
All of the authors you mention are new to me with the exception of Katherine Arden whose books I haven’t yet read but would like to. I will have to check out The Plague and I–it sounds like something I would like. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you. May you enjoy The Plague and I.
It made me so grateful for modern medical treatments for sure.
Small Spaces was where I started with Katherine Arden, too! That is such a fun series, and I’m looking forward to the conclusion later this year.
My TTT: https://bookwyrmknits.com/2022/01/25/top-ten-tuesday-new-to-me-authors-i-discovered-in-2021/
Goodness, I left a comment on your post before noticing your comment here. It’s kind of funny when that happens. 🙂
And it’s very cool that Small Spaces was also where you started off with Katherine Arden. I hope the last book in that series is good. I’m already on the library waitlist for it. Haha!
I know that I tend to open up a bunch of TTT tabs on my browser all at once, and then go through reading them and leaving comments without going back to see who’s commented on my post. So this is probably the internet version of crossing in the mail. 😉
My library didn’t have one of the books in the Small Spaces series when I wanted to read it, so I ended up buying the ebooks. I’ve already put in a preorder for the last book, too. Fingers crossed that it lives up to our expectations!
Ha! I do the same thing, so I’m sure that’s what happened. 🙂
I <3 Katherine Arden so much! I love her Winternight trilogy. I didn't know about this book. I'm going to look into it. Thank you for putting it on my radar! Thanks also for stopping by my blog!
I’ll keep an eye out for her Winternight trilogy! May you enjoy the Small Spaces quartet. The first three books in it are perfect to curl up with on a chilly day in my opinion.
I’ve seen Katherine Arden around the book community. I want to check out her books at some point.
I hope you like them if or when you read them. 🙂
The Plague And I sounds interesting, I’ll have to check it out!
Here’s mine:
https://bookishyarn.ca/2022/01/25/top-ten-tuesday-contemporaries-i-didnt-get-to-in-2021/
It was so unique. I’ve never read anything quite like it. The author truly made me feel like I’d climbed into a time machine and travelled back to the 1930s to stay in a tuberculosis hospital for a while.
May you enjoy it if you read it!
I haven’t heard of these authors. I guess I now I have to go and check them out. Lol
🙂
Oooh I’ve been wondering about Small Spaces as I didn’t like the writing in her other series. Been wondering if its different. Nice to see you enjoyed it.
I sure liked Small Spaces, although I can’t say if the writing in it is different from her other series. May you enjoy it if you read it.
I really liked Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy and did not know about this other trilogy. I will watch for your reviews Lydia.
Thank you. The first one will be out next month!
I sometimes worry that I’m going to repeat myself! Seems like a good mix of reading material here?
I don’t know where that ? came from!
No worries there!
It’s nice to hear that someone else worries about repeating themselves, too.
I adored Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy, but the Small Spaces books have been on my TBR for ages (and I really, really hope to get to them soon!).
Oh, lucky you for still having Small Spaces on your TBR. The final book in that series comes out in August, so you still have loads of time to catch up on it before then if that’s what you wish to do. 🙂
Oh I love Katherine Arden!
My post!
She’s such a good storyteller.
Katherine Arden has been on my TBR, glad to hear you enjoyed her book – I hope to try her writing this year for sure.
Cool! I hope you like her work.
I read and loved The Bear and the Nightingale. I’m hoping to finish The Winternight Trilogy this year. Then I can move onto her Small Spaces series.
Happy reading! I like to finish series before moving on to new ones by the same author, too.
I’ve really liked what I’ve read by Katherine Arden so far! Loved the Bear & Nightingale trilogy, and I enjoyed Small Spaces and the follow-up as well. (I think there’s another in the series that I haven’t gotten to yet.) I have two books by Annalee Neuwitz on my shelves that I haven’t read yet, but I’m really looking forward to them! Glad to hear you encountered some new authors that you like enough to continue reading. 🙂
There is one final book in the Small Spaces series that won’t be out until August. So you could always read book #3 in the meantime if you wished to. 🙂
I hope you like both of the Neuwitz books on your shelf!
Nice list! I like the format you chose for that
Aww, thanks!
Now these all sound like really interesting reads. Especially the first 2!
Happy reading in 2022 and thanks for visiting us earlier.
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by!
What a great list. The Plague and I and Four Lost Cities need to go on my wish list. Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog.
You’re welcome. Happy reading!
I’ve not read any of these books but I’ve heard very good things about Small Spaces. Happy reading! My TTT https://readwithstefani.com/2021-reading-year-in-review/
Thank you! Yeah, it’s been a great series so far.
I loved The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden – she’s such a good writer!
For sure!
I’ve felt that way about some of the TTT topics lately too. I haven’t read any of these books though!
I’m glad you understand that.
These sound really interesting–especially a skincare book! I’m glad you enjoyed so many new authors.
Thank you. Yeah, that skincare book is a good tool if you have any skin issues or even if you want to know how to take good care of your skin. It has so much information that’s current and based in the latest science.
Four Lost Cities sounds really cool! I love a good non-fiction!
It was excellent! I highly recommend it.
I really loved Katherine Arden’s adult fantasy trilogy starting with The Bear and the Nightingale. Small Spaces sounds intriguing as well!
I’ve heard great thing about that trilogy!
Beyond Soap look like an interesting read. I been reading up on essential oils and how to make them. It usually used in soaps and shampoo.
That book has a lot of information about that kind of stuff. You might really like it.
An interesting list!
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/10-authors-i-discovered-in-2021/
Thanks!
I love Katherine Arden’s books, especially her Winternight Trilogy.
That’s awesome.
I love this topic, as I’m learning about so many new authors! Great post!
Yay! And thanks.
THE PLAGUE AND I sounds good to me, too! I find those kinds of memoirs absolutely fascinating.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
Thanks. Yeah, it was amazing. Happy TTT!
The only author I know on here is Katherine Arden and I’ve only read one of her books (the first in The Bear and the Nightingale series) but I loved it so much. Definitely keen to read more by her! Great list 🙂
Thank you! I hope you enjoy the rest of her work, too.
Wow, so glad to see you enjoyed several of these! And I feel you on the repeats, I’ve noticed that with my TTT lists too.
Thank you. It’s interesting you noticed that, too.
Same here. I hope I didn‘t repost any books that I had just mentioned. I hope we are done soon with the backwards look.
I hear you there!
Newitz — I have Autonomous on my TBR pile, but haven‘t gotten round to it yet…
May you enjoy it!
All new authors to me Lydia.. The Plague and I sounds interesting.. I always discover something new when I visit your blog..
Thank you. What a nice thing to say!
New authors for me. Four Lost Cities seems interesting. Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving the link earlier.
You’re welcome. Four Lost Cities was wonderful! I hope you like it if you read it.
Oh my goodness I am SO ECSTATIC to see one of Betty Macdonald’s memoirs on here, and one of the lesser-known ones at that! I’ve only read The Egg and I*, but it was definitely as funny as I imagine this one to be. I’ve been meaning to finish the quartet for a solid decade now — I bought them all for my parents, who loved them, but somehow failed to continue myself! — and I’m so glad you enjoyed this one.
(*also have a solid childhood love of her Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books, which are the main reason I read the memoir in the first place).
Yay! That is actually the first and only book I’ve read from her so far, but it was so good!
Someday I want to read the rest of her work, too. I’m glad you liked The Egg and I so much. That one sure sounds funny.
All these authors are also new-for-me!
I like a lot that you also shared whether you would read more books from them!
Thank you. 🙂
Small Spaces has been on my TBR for a long time. I need to pick it up, I’m very curious about Katherine Arden’s writing. 🙂
Thank you. I hope you like it!