Top Ten Tuesday – New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024

On By Erin @ Cracker Crumb LifeIn Uncategorized

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

Today’s Prompt is New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024! When I went back and looked at the authors I read in 2024, I was surprised to learn that out of the 66 books that I read, 58 books were written by new to me authors. I had a big year of new to me authors! I had no idea honestly, that it was that high of a number.

So for this post, I am picking a few of the 58 that I haven’t talked about as much on here.

The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines || Sisters of the Lost Nation || The Berry Pickers

Last year I put a lot of effort into reading that had diverse representation. I was especially on the lookout for middle grade books that have casual inclusion of characters who use a wheelchair or have a disability, for my son. He doesn’t need to read about what it is like to have a disability – he already knows that. What he does need are stories that show these characters included in things and part of things.

I was so happy to find The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines! The main character is a wheelchair user, but she also fights monsters. Pretty cool if you ask me!

Sisters of the Lost Nation is a book written by and indigenous author, about indigenous characters. It was a horror story, and it was excellent. It not only has horror elements but also highlighted the invisibility of missing indigenous women in the world – how they disappear and their disappearances are not often as investigated as thoroughly as they should be, if at all.

The Berry Pickers also carries that theme, but in a very different way. Peters wrote such a heartwrenching novel with The Berry Pickers that I found myself tearing up frequently.

Clueless at the Coffee Station || Haunted Ever After || Christa Comes Out of Her Shell

Clueless at the Coffee Station is a cozy mystery written by an independent author, who I learned about from Lisa at Boondock Ramblings, another independent author. Clueless was such a good book, and I loved that it is set in my own home state of Michigan! The author, who now lives in Japan, actually is originally from a Michigan town about ten miles away from me.

I love Halloween and this fall I went crazy reading all the fall/ghosts/spooky books I could – but I also wanted them to not be as scary as a straight up horror. DeLuca’s Haunted Ever After was absolutely perfect and I can’t wait to read another book set in Boneyard Key.

Christa Comes Out of Her Shell is a book I picked up because the main character is a scientist (and we need to read about more female scientists!) who studies snails. I love snails! This book made me laugh out loud at times, but also had its more serious moments. It was the first Waxman book I have read and I will be reading more.

A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic || The Teller of Small Fortunes || Flowerheart

My favorite genre (sub-genre?) is cozy fantasy and I loved all three of these.

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic is straight up a fantasy version of the Bake Off. I wanted to eat everything the characters were baking, and I just really enjoyed this cozy book.

The Teller of Small Fortunes is another cozy that is full of found family, one of my favorite tropes. I am hoping for another book from this author about these characters!

Flowerheart was just a fairy tale-esque cozy fantasy, that was the perfect read for spring.

The Only One Left || A Psalm for the Wild-Built

I finally hopped on the Sager train and was so happy that I did. I could not put this book down! I was sucked into this crazy story and when it was over all I wanted to do was talk about it with other people!

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is another book that I devoured and then wanted to talk about with everyone. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but I really did. I read somewhere that it was “cozy sci-fi” and I agree. No wonder I liked it.

And those are my ten, plus a bonus for good measure!

47 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday – New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2024”

  2. Wow, what a fantastic reading year you had with so many new-to-you authors! I love how you focused on diverse representation and cozy reads across genres—it really shows how much thought you put into your reading choices. The cozy fantasies need to be on my TBR!

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  4. The Teller of Small Fortunes and Psalm for the Wild-Built are both on my list. So many books, so little time.

    If you like cozy fantasy, might I suggest S. Usher Evans? Her Weary Dragon Inn series is complete (ten books), and she’s started a new series, Pobyd Perfections Bakery. I read everything she writes.

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  14. Wow you read books by a huge number of new authors last year, I’m truly impressed that you managed to limit this list to just 11 of them 😂

    I really want to read The Teller Of Small Fortunes sometime. It sounds so good and the cover is pretty irresistible. I haven’t read a Sager book before but The Only One Left is the one I’m hoping to start with this year. And I’m pretty sure I have Flowerheart on my Kindle. I’ve also just added Sisters To The Lost Nation to my TBR as it sounds really interesting.

    Heres hoping you find even more fantastic authors in 2025.

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    1. Lol! I was stunned when I saw how many I had read that were new to me!

      I love that cover too. And the book was really wonderful as well. It is definitely a soothing, comfort kind of read. I read two books by Sager last year, and I liked The Only One Left the best out of the two. Sisters of the Lost Nation was so good too! I definitely will be reading more by Medina.

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      1. I’m not surprised 😂

        I really want to start checking out more cosy fantasy so it’s definitely one I’m hoping to pick up this year. Out of curiosity what was the other book that you read by Sager? I hope you enjoy whatever you pick up by them next. I hadn’t heard of the author or book before so I’m really glad you shared it.

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  17. Literary Feline's avatar Literary Feline

    The Lumbering Giants of Windy Pines sounds fun! I read Jen DeLuca’s Haunted Ever After this past year and really enjoyed it. I’ve read a couple of her other books as well in the past–they were great too! I still need to read Christa Comes Out of Her Shell, but I did really like another book of hers. I hope to read The Teller of Small Fortunes. So many great titles here!

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  18. marsha57's avatar marsha57

    I need to do a better job of keeping track of books I read. I just use the Goodreads challenge. But, then I have a hard time finding when I read what book when. I’m pretty sure I read lots of new to me authors, but I couldn’t tell you how many. Riley Sager may have been one for me, too.

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

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    1. I am terrible at tracking my reading online. I am much better doing it with paper and markers in my planner. Lol. And now that I started my reading journal with all the stickers and quotes and thoughts on the book, it is even easier. I look forward to that part of finishing the book now too, the adding it to my reading journal and making the page. Lol.

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  19. RAIN CITY READS's avatar RAIN CITY READS

    What a great list! I’m adding all three of your cosy fantasy recommendations to my TBR immediately – I only just discovered the genre (predictably, with Legends & Lattes) this year, and I don’t know where to look for more – but I want it! So thank you so much for pointing me to some more I can try!

    I really love the bit at the beginning where you said “He doesn’t need to read about what it is like to have a disability – he already knows that. What he does need are stories that show these characters included in things and part of things.” This is such a very, very important distinction. I know that books that show what different disabilities or conditions are like are important for those who don’t know – I support those wholeheartedly. But it’s equally important, as you say, to also have books that just have the full spectrum of human experience existing and doing things. I feel like there aren’t as many of those, but they’re vital. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about this, it made me feel emotional, but in a good way. 💕

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    1. Aw thank you!! That is exactly how I started – Legends and Lattes! Lol. I didn’t see myself as a fantasy reader at all, and this cozy fantasy love that I have snuck up on me!

      I very much agree! We need books to be both windows and mirrors! It has been very difficult to find elementary level books that are mirrors for Wyatt – it seems they are more focused on allowing others to see in, which I also support, especially at that age. Thank you for all the kind words!

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  20. Great list! I really enjoyed the Jen DeLuca book and am so hoping it’ll be a series. I read Riley Sager for the first time in 2024 and am looking forward to reading more. Abbi Waxman was a new author to me too in 2024 but I read a different book. I need to read that one!

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  23. This is a wonderful list, and I’m so glad that you found a badass character who uses a wheelchair to read with Wyatt.

    You’ve got so many on here that are on my TBR. I love cozy fantasy, and Flowerheart is totally giving cozy fantasy vibes just by the cover!

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