Top Ten Tuesday: New to Me Authors of 2012

Today is Top Ten Tuesday, a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!  Every week they post a new top ten list and everyone can join in and share their own picks. If you'd like to take part, hop on over to the blog and sign up with the linky. If you don't have a blog, feel free to post your answers in the comments.

This week's topic is: New to Me Authors of 2012.



Here are my top ten:

1) Suzanne Collins. Early this year I finally got around to reading The Hunger Games series, and fell in love. Yeah, I know, what took me so long? I really hope Collins writes a new series soon. My reviews are here, here and here.

2) Veronica Roth. This year I discovered the fast-paced dystopian novel Divergent, and its sequel Insurgent and I now cannot wait for the third installment. Divergent is awesome beyond words, and is nearly as popular as The Hunger Games these days. I can't wait for the movie! Review here.

3) Jessica Khoury. I'm currently half way through Jessica's debut novel, Origin. The characters are so realistic and it's easy to become immersed in the story, set in the lush, beautiful environment of the Amazon rainforest. I love all the animal and nature descriptions, and I think it will be one of my favourites. I have a lot of respect (and envy) for Jessica, as she is a brilliant writer at only 22 years old.

4) Gennifer Albin. I was lucky enough to be part of the street team promoting Gennifer Albin's debut novel Crewel. Not only is Gennifer an enchanting writer, who draws you easily into the unique sci-fi world of Crewel, but she also seems like a lovely person and it was a privilege to help promote her book. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

5) John Connolly. Breaking from my usual routine of reading YA dystopian, sci-fi and fantasy novels, I decided to give this adult crime writer a go. Connolly visited my local Waterstones branch for a book signing, so I picked up a signed copy of his new novel, The Wrath of Angels,  and borrowed the first in the series, Every Dead Thing from my Mum. Connolly seemed like such a nice guy and he had a lovely Irish accent! I don't normally read thrillers, but this one was so gripping and deliciously disturbing. The characters were so fleshed out and the dialogue and plot so believable. It was a more challenging read than some of the YA books I've read recently, but the writing style was so impressive. I will definitely be reading more of Connolly's work.

6 ) Maggie Steifvater. My best friend lent me her copy of Shiver, which was a great read. It was similar to Twilight in some ways, but I enjoyed it much more for a few reasons. Firstly, it's all about wolves (which I adore), and secondly, the heroine is much more independent and gutsy. I've asked for the boxset of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series for Christmas, and Steifvater also has a series about Ravens (The Raven Boys) and Faeries (Lament) that I want to read, as well as The Scorpio Races.

7) Lauren DeStefano. I read Wither towards the start of the year, and it was an enjoyable read. It reminded me a lot of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. The sequel, Fever, is on my Christmas list too. Review here.

8) Marie Lu. Legend was another epic dystopian that I read this year, packed full of action and a kick-ass heroine.

9) Cassandra Clare-I read the urban-fantasy City of Bones earlier in the year. It was a fun read, filled with vampires, demons and other supernatural characters (plus plenty of hot guys), and as a Buffy fan it was right up my street. Cassandra Clare has a ton of other novels out now so I have a lot of catching up to do!

10) Kiersten White- I've followed Kiersten's quirky blog for a while, and finally got a chance to read Paranormalcy this year. Although it was aimed at a slightly lower age group than the books I normally read,  I liked the snarky heroine and it was a fun read. Kiersten has a really funny, unique style. I've since lent my copy to my younger sister and she enjoyed it too. Review here.

What do you think of my picks? What are your top ten authors that you discovered this year?