Top Ten Tuesday: A Triumphant Return

Guys! Remember how Top Ten Tuesday is a thing? Me too! *Shifty eyes*. No but seriously, long gone are the days I'd wake up early on a Tuesday to try and get my link up early, and when I'd get so so excited by my stats on that day because visitors! Yay!* I don't even remember the last time I did one of these, and I wouldn't have been doing it today but I saw Sarah's this morning, and I thought yes. I like this topic. Because, the thing is, I read a LOT of authors that I already know because I'm pretty sure I know what I'm getting with them, so I appreciate the opportunity to show some new-to-me authors some love.

Top Ten New To Me Authors of 2013

1. Cheryl Strayed- This is very very technically a lie, because I've been reading Strayed's Dear Sugar column for years now, BUT this year was the first I read actual books with her words in, and I loved them both so much. Also I just wanted to try and get everyone to read Strayed. Again.

2. Albert Camus- Camus is one of those writers that I'd always heard of but had never really read anything by. This year I read The Outsider/The Stranger (same book, different titles) and it really pushed a lot of my happy/interested buttons.

3. Carol Rifka Brunt- So far, Rifka Brunt has only written one novel, but Tell The Wolves I'm Home is so amazing that I would honestly read anything she's got. Anything. I love her so much that I sort of want to go to Devon and stalk her a bit, but I'll try not to...

4. Ira Levin- For the RIP challenge this year, I read both The Stepford Wives and Rosemary's Baby, and I was really impressed by both. It's not often that a story you feel like you know really well is still interesting to read, but somehow with Levin, it is.

5. Maria Semple- Where'd You Go Bernadette. 'Nuff said.

6. Piper Kerman- I don't know that I think Kerman is the most supreme writer ever, or whether I just really really liked Orange is the New Black, but either way, I would probably read more things that she's written, yes.

7. Ernest Cline- Ready Player One was so much fun (even if I can't believe it was only this year that I read it) that if Cline's next novel is even half as good, it'll be great.

8. Banana Yoshimoto- I also can't believe that I only discovered Yoshimoto this year, or that I've only read one book by her even though I keep buying more (They're so teeny that I don't want to run out of them!) I was truly really impressed by Kitchen, and excited to read more.

9. Lauren Groff- I read Arcadia near the start of the year, and even though I've found it to be sort of forgettable, I know that, when I was reading it, it was beautiful. Would definitely look out for more of her books.

10. Charles Portis- TRUE GRIT. It's amazing. I don't even know what other books Portis has written, but I know that I would give them a try any day.

There! Wasn't that fun for us all? Mostly I was impressed by how many new-to-me authors I've read this year, and I'm going to try and keep that up in the new year, too.

*I wish I was kidding about this, but nope. This was my life for a little while.