New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2021

I only read 12 books last year and four of them were rereads. That means, at the most, I could’ve only discovered eight new-to-me authors in 2021, which I did. However, I didn’t like all of the new-to-me books/authors I read. Here are my top five and one honorable mention new-to-me authors I discovered in 2021:

Beth O’Leary: THE FLATSHARE was my favorite book of 2021. I absolutely adored it. I loved Tiffy and her eccentricity and Leon and his quiet, sweet personality. The notes they wrote each other were the best. I laughed and smiled all throughout this book. Their romance was heartwarming and a treat to read. I also enjoyed the heavier themed aspects of THE FLATSHARE, especially what Tiffy dealt with. It felt very real and plausible.

Leigh Bardugo: I really enjoyed reading NINTH HOUSE. I’ve always been interested in secret societies like Skull and Bones at Yale. When I heard about NINTH HOUSE, I knew I had to read it. I loved this gritty tale of magic and murder among college students. I really like Alex and I have high hopes about her and a certain someone in the rest of the series. I was blown away at what Bardugo accomplished with the story and where it leads for the next book.

George Takei: Reading about George Takei and his family’s experience in THEY CALLED US ENEMY was very eye opening and heart wrenching. Even with what I was “taught” or read about in school about the Japanese internment during WWII, I didn’t know most of what Japanese Americans went through in these camps. It’s so disheartening that humans are capable of treating other humans like this simply because of their race and nationality.

Emmanuel Acho: I read UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN. Acho doesn’t pull any punches as he discusses race, Black culture, and racism in a very open and sometimes uncomfortable conversation with his readers. I thought Acho’s words were eye opening and they gave me a lot to think about. If more white people were willing to sit down and read his words, maybe we could actually learn from our mistakes and end racism and bias once and for all.

Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD: I’m glad I read BIASED via audio book as Dr. Eberhardt reads her own book and was a fantastic reader. She was very engaging to listen to. She came across as genuine as she had experienced some of the discrimination she wrote about herself. I thought the information on implicit bias was very interesting. I think the information in BIASED is important for people (read white people) to learn, especially in today’s political climate.

Honorable Mention (sort of)

• Rachel Hawkins: I also read THE WIFE UPSTAIRS. I didn’t like it very much. I only gave it two stars. However, I’m willing to give her another shot as I haven’t read her Hex Hall series yet and I really want to.

What about you? Which new-to-you authors did you discover in 2021? Do we have any in common?