SBD -- New authors

[jmc_bks]

A couple of weeks ago I mourned the passing of Linda Howard from my auto-read list for Smart Bitches Day. Cindy recommended that I think of new authors I've found, instead of mourning the "loss" of an older one.

With that in mind, I opened up my handy-dandy spreadsheet of books read this year (courtesy of Rosario) and sorted it by "New author?" Surprise: 92 of 212 books read or attempted were written by authors who were new to me. A great many of those 92 new authors were ~meh~, I'd read them again if I happened to pick up a book by them, but I'm not going looking. A significant percentage of those authors are ebook authors, as well, some of whom are not in print books yet, just electronic.

Here they are, the best of the new to me authors so far this year:

Evangeline Anderson -- I liked her ebook The Assignment a great deal, although it may not be to everyone's taste since it is m/m.

Laurie Halse Anderson -- Speak is one of the best books I've read all year.

Anjali Banerjee -- I loved Imaginary Men, which I blogged about here.

Darlene Marshall -- Her historicals set in colonial Florida are excellent. My favorite: Smuggler's Bride, although Captain Sinister's Lady and Pirate's Price are good, too.

Naomi Novik -- dragons in the Napoleonic period, what a unique idea.

Megan Whalen Turner -- her YA books about Eugenides the Thief are keepers, and all appear on my "Best of" list so far.

J.R. Ward -- this is sort of a cheat, because she's not new to me this year and didn't appear on the spreadsheet as a new to me author. But she's new in the last year and a half, and already has autobuy status for her Brotherhood series.

ETA: Kate Rothwell, whose novella under the nom de plume Summer Devon I liked, along with her historical romance, Somebody to Love. I've reviewed them, well, more a drive by than a review, but neither is on my spreadsheet. I'm off to compare the spreadsheet version to the handwritten version in my planner.

Comments

[sarahf.livejournal.com]

I loved "The Assignment" too, but I bought another ebook by Anderson--a short novella--and OMG did it suck. Let me know what you think of the new paper book and I might consider buying it.

Like your new set-up!

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Thanks re: the set-up. I was ready for a change, even though I did like the orange template I was using.

I have another ebook of Anderson's on my reader, Dirty Girl, but I haven't read it yet...I think. I'm kind of bad about keeping track of what I read electronically.

Chapter 1 is excerpted here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/discussionboard/discussion.html/102-1600453-6900933?ie=UTF8&cdForum=&cdPage=1&cdItems=3&asin=0758215355&store=&cdThread=Tx2IXHY7MA46JET). The cover looks a little campy.

[(Anonymous)]

What's m/m. Is it -- gasp -- the love which shall not be named?

Sounds like fun, if so. I've never read one of those ;)

Doug

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

The love which shall not be named? -- that sounds so melodramatic, but yes, it is a gay romance. Or erotic romance. Check out Bam's review here (http://www.dionnegalace.com/books/2006/07/assignment-by-evangeline-anderson.html).

[rosario001.livejournal.com]

92 out of 212 new? Wow, you are pretty adventurous! I've tried quite a few new authors this year, but it's 40 out of 130 for me.

I really liked The Assignment; need to write my review soon. I wonder if she has any other m/m books?

My outstanding discoveries of the year so far:

Susan Carroll (her Faire Isle trilogy was fabulous, and I'm really liking her St. Leger books)

Nalini Singh (Slave to Sensation!!)

J.R. Ward (took me a while to get started with her... the silly names scared me)

Evangeline Anderson (same as you)

Portia Da Costa (erotic romance that's VERY erotic)

Helen Fielding (not Bridget Jones, another book, Cause Celeb)

Lauren Willig (I had a blast with The Secret History of the Pink Carnation)

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what sort of back list Evangeline Anderson has. I found another ebook that is erotic romantic suspense, but it is still in my virtual TBR pile.

I've heard of Portia Da Costa, but I don't think I've seen her books in the bookstore. Worth searching for?

[(Anonymous)]

heh. Was it guilt or money? I don't care, I'll take it.

I just listened to the last Bartimaeous tape and wasn't as crazy about it as the others, but I do like the trilogy (another YA) by Jonathan Stroud.

I found Bonnie Dee and MA Riley . . . oooo and Loretta Chase! I discovered her in the last year. and Pamela Britton (but her historicals)

I loved those Megan Whalen Turner books too.

I'm still discovering To Say Nothing of the Dog. I'm not reading it quickly like some novels. That's because much of the fun comes from the language.

Hmmm. I know I read more. Next time I'll take notes.

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Oh, it was the money, definitely :) When I compared my spreadsheet to my written journal, I found two weeks of books that hadn't been transferred to the spreadsheet. ::sigh:: I need to just make it a habit to update the spreadsheet and lose the book journal. That's what this blog is supposed to be for, anyway, right?

Jonathan Stroud -- I've heard wonderful things about the Bartimaeus trilogy, and I even bought the first one after Doug raved about it...but it is languishing atop Mt. TBR, waiting for rescue.

[(Anonymous)]

whoops.
That last one was kate r. But since I'm here anyway...I'm reading Gerald Durrell aloud to one of my kids and I'd forgotten how funny he is. Exaggerated humor? Who cares. Sometimes it's so funny I start laughing so hard I can't read it.

[rosario001.livejournal.com]

The one I read (The Tutor), definitely. It was very good. I have another one in my TBR but I haven't yet read it.