Top Ten Tuesday: New to Me Authors I Discovered in 2021

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

This week the topic focuses on new-to-me authors discovered in 2021. I read many new authors last year. Let’s take a look at some of my faves! I included links to all of the books listed. If you’re interested in learning more about a specific book, just click on the image, and it’ll take you to Goodreads.

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1. Allison Saft

Allison Saft writes amazing young adult fantasy with Gothic vibes. I love everything about Saft’s writing and was beyond thrilled when I found out I was on her ARC team for A Far Wilder Magic. I ADORED the book and haven’t stopped talking about it since I finished it. The book comes out in less than two months, and I’ve already read it twice!

Bio: Allison Saft is the author of eerie and critically acclaimed romantic fantasies, Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic. After receiving her MA in English Literature from Tulane University, she moved from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast, where she spends her time hiking the redwoods and practicing aerial silks.

https://www.allisonsaft.com/

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2. Stephanie Garber

I read Once Upon a Broken Heart before I read the Caraval series, and it was one of my favorite reads of 2021. Of course, I had to read the Caraval series and find out how it all started! I just finished buddy reading all three books, and really enjoyed them!

Bio: Stephanie Garber is the #1  New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of THE CARAVAL SERIES, which has been translated in over 25 languages. Her newest book, ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART, releases September 28, 2021.

When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading or watching television shows with vampires. Now that her dream of becoming a published author has come true, her new dream is to visit Club 33 at Disneyland.

3. Abby Jimenez

Abby Jimenez writes such heart-warming contemporary romances/rom-coms. Part of Your World is such a lovely story, and as soon as I read it, I bought two other books by Jimenez.

Bio: Abby Jimenez is a Food Network winner and New York Times best selling author. She founded Nadia Cakes out of her home kitchen back in 2007. The bakery has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and has amassed an international cult following.

Abby loves a good romance, coffee, doglets, and not leaving the house.

Http://www.authorabbyjimenez.com/

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4. Rebecca L. Garcia

Rebecca L. Garcia writes swoon-tastic romantasy stories!! I first read The Fate of Crowns series and loved it. Then, Garcia came out with the Embracing Darkness series, and I became a fan for life. It’s rich and dark and romantic and so deliciously swoon-worthy!

Bio: Rebecca lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and son. Originally from England, you can find her drinking tea, writing new worlds, and designing covers. She writes YA and NA fantasy. She devoured every book she was given and fell in love with magical worlds, and when she got older, her imagination grew with her.

When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, you can find her traveling, and hosting book signings with Spellbinding Events.

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5. Suzanne Park

I won a buddy read giveaway for Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous and read it with Dini @ Dini Panda Reads. It was a super cute read with some really good messages. Since then, I’ve read two others by Park and loved them too. These are all great books for readers who enjoy contemporary romance.

Bio: Suzanne Park is a Korean-American writer who was born and raised in Tennessee. In her former life as a stand-up comedian, she was a finalist in the Oxygen Network’s “Girls Behaving Badly” talent search, and appeared on BET’s “Coming to the Stage.” Suzanne was also the winner of the Seattle Sierra Mist Comedy Competition, and was a semi-finalist in NBC’s “Stand Up For Diversity” showcase in San Francisco alongside comedians Ali Wong and Nico Santos.

More info about her books can be found at https://linktr.ee/suzannepark

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6. TJ Klune

TJ Klune is such a beautiful writer, and Under the Whispering Door was one of my most poignant reads of 2021. That book moved me in so many ways, and I literally hugged it when I finished. The characters, the messages, the beautiful writing, the immersive world – I adored everything about it and will basically read anything Klune writes.

Bio: TJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it’s important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories. 

http://www.tjklunebooks.com

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7. Roshani Chokshi

I was luck enough to receive the whole Gilded Wolves series from the publisher right before the release of The Bronzed Beasts and binged the series in four days. It is such a fantastic series – so engrossing, and I loved the world-building, characters, and unbelievable banter. Once More Upon a Time is really good too. And it’s a really quick read.

Bio: Roshani Chokshi is the author of commercial and critically acclaimed books for middle grade and young adult readers that draws on world mythology and folklore. Her work has been nominated for the Locus and Nebula awards, and has frequently appeared on Best of The Year lists from Barnes and Noble, Forbes, Buzzfeed and more. Her New York Times bestselling series includes The Star-Touched Queen duology, The Gilded Wolves, and Aru Shah and The End of Time, which was recently optioned for film by Paramount Pictures.

http://www.roshanichokshi.com

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8. Courtney McCaskill

Courtney McCaskill is one of my newest new-to-me authors. When I saw the title of the second book in this series, I immediately thought of the Jonas Brothers song What a Man Gotta Do, and I knew I had to read the series!! lol I love that song. And the books are so good. I definitely recommend them if you like historical romance!

Bio: After reading Black Beauty for the 1,497th time, Courtney McCaskill was inspired to write her own stories. Reviews of her early work were mixed, with her fourth-grade teacher, Ms. Compton, saying, “Please stop writing all of your assignments from the point of view of a horse.”

Today, Courtney lives in Austin, Texas with the hero of her own story, who holds the distinction of being the world’s most sarcastic pediatrician. She is reliably informed by her six-year-old son that she gives THE BEST hugs, “because you’re so squishy, Mommy.” When she’s not busy almost burning down her house attempting to make a traditional Christmas pudding, she enjoys playing the piano, learning everything there is to know about Kodiak bears, and of course, curling up with a great book! Visit her online at www.courtneymccaskill.com. 

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9. Jennifer Estep

I had heard a lot about Jennifer Estep’s books and jumped at the chance to read Capture to Crown. It is such a great story! I loved the characters, the fantasy elements, the ROMANCE!! The next book in the series releases soon, and I am super excited to read it!

Bio: Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. She has written more than 40 books, along with numerous novellas and stories.

In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys hanging out with friends and family, doing yoga, and reading fantasy and romance books. She also watches way too much TV and loves all things related to superheroes.

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10. Raven Kennedy

This is an author and series I heard a lot about on Instagram, and I jumped at the chance to be on the blog tour for Gleam, the third book in the series. I binged all three books in two days. It’s the kind of series that gets better and better as it progresses, and I can’t wait to read the fourth book when it comes out!

Bio: Raven Kennedy is a tea and dark chocolate kind of girl and can often be found binge-watching The Office or The Great British Baking Show. She enjoys writing all kinds of books, because each one brings a different experience. Whatever the genre, she hopes she creates characters you can root for.

When she’s not reading or writing, she’s with her family, probably messing up a recipe or going on a hike that she thinks she can do, but in reality she can’t because she remembers that all she does is sit at a computer all day and write her heart out.

You can connect with her on Facebook in Raven Kennedy’s Reader Group, as well as @ravenkennedybooks on Instagram.

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Have you read any books by these authors? Who are some new-to-you authors that you’d recommend? Comment below!