Cardigans, Coffee and Bookmarks

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite New-To-Me Authors from 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

This week our list (brought to you by Becky!) is on Favorite New-To-Me Authors from 2012.

Upon entering library school I experienced one of many revitalizations of my reading habits. I found many new, favorite authors because I started reading widely in different ages, genres, and formats. To really call someone a favorite author, however, I need to love at least two of their books or a series. However, I usually connect more to individual books than authors. Here are the exceptions.

Adult

Joe Hill

I discovered Joe Hill first in his Locke & Key graphic novel series. I was impressed with both the creeptastic, intricate story and the amazing illustrations. I read heart-Shaped Box in October to see how he fared with full-length novels and while I wasn't entirely satisfied with his characters, I couldn't put the book down.

Lev Grossman Let's just say it...Grossman is an unfortunate last name. His books, however, are outstanding. I read the magicians and was delighted by the morose, dark view of magical realism and I adored the references to other popular fantasy novels.

Erin Morgenstern Ok so I broke the rule, she only has one book. This book was so outrageously good, however, that Morgenstern was an instant favorite and I will be reading whatever she writes next, regardless of what it is.

Teen

Maggie Stiefvater

Hands down my favorite discovery of the year. The Scorpio Races feels like it was ripped right out of my soul and written down. The Raven Boys has characters that are expertly and painstakingly painted. Ballad is bursting with emotion. Love. Just Love.

John Green Possibly my favorite author of contemporary realism ever. Although his teen characters make most 30 year-olds look immature, the stories are incredibly thoughtful and the characters feel very real.

Alexander Gordon Smith

This author is a somewhat unlikely favorite of mine because I find his writing style to be average and I don't really enjoy the fast pace of his books, but I am obsessed with the story. I just cannot get over the sheer horror he assaults readers with.

Neal Shusterman

Shusterman has a bleak atmosphere in all his novels coupled with thoughtful topics and deeply examined characters. His writing style has excellent balance and his pacing is perfect.

Picture Books
Oliver Jeffers Jeffers' simplistic yet unique illustration style pairs perfectly with his thoughtful and quirky stories.

David Wiesner David Wiesner writes/illustrates for both children and adults. All of his stories have multiple levels and are gorgeously rendered with a hint of magic.

David Shannon I most enjoy Shannon's illustrative style with its rich colors and versatile designs, though his stories are also hilarious and insightful.

So what are your new-to me favorites? Link us up, we wanna know!

Sunday, December 9, 2012

The Sunday Post (12)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

***************************************************************** Last Week

I pulled an all-nighter working on my archives paper and with just 8 pages left to write before I'm free like the wind, I am getting a touch of senioritis. My dear friend Randi passed her Praxis and is officially done with grad school!!! Way to go, Randi! Now for best student teacher this world has ever seen.