2014 Debut Author Challenge

I’m not super-active over on GoodReads at the moment, but it was so much fun perusing this list of 2014 YA, MG, and NA debuts! So many authors I recognize–some of them from back when they were entering contests or signing with their agents, some from writer friends I’ve been cheering for even longer, and some I hadn’t heard of before and am thrilled to have discovered them here! I will probably read even more than the ones I’m listing in this post, but I picked my top twenty I’m really looking forward to reading.

SAMSUNG

  • No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown. I cannot wait for this book. Yes, Jaye is one of my critique partners. Yes, I’ve read this book before. Still, I am so excited to read it in its final form! Ahhhh!
  • Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman. Munich in the 1930s? This book sounds so up my alley I can’t even. Is it April yet?
  • A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller. I pretty much love turn-of-the-20th-century anything, but throw in dreams of a career in the Arts, and I’m a guaranteed reader. Can’t wait for this!
  • The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. I have to admit that the title grabbed me with this one. The description makes it sound like just the sort of literary novel I love, so I’ve got high hopes!
  • Strange Sweet Song by Adi Rule. I hadn’t heard of this one before, but a fantastic singer and magic coming from the woods? Sounds like a mysterious page-turner!
  • The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer. Another one I hadn’t heard of before this list, but it also sounds gorgeous and delicious.
  • Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy. Love the way this sounds like a kind of reverse-Fault-in-Our-Stars.
  • Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis. I’ve really been waiting for this one, and seeing the spooky cover and blurb made me want it all the more. Looks like a total page-turning mystery!
  • Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin. As if Bourne Identity meets Divergent isn’t enough, I was already a huge fan of this author for her writerly perseverance. Plus, she’s really funny on twitter.
  • The Chance You Won’t Return by Annie Cardi. This sounds like such a moving read, but on top of that, I’m psyched to dig in because I was lucky enough to read the author’s first chapter of a different story at a workshop with Nova Ren Suma at NESCBWI last year, and I absolutely loved her writing. Can’t wait for this!
  • Gilded by Christina L. Farley. I love international settings, so Korea with some magic thrown in sounds pretty cool to me!
  • All Four Stars by Tara Dairman. This just sounds totally adorable. An 11-year-old restaurant critic? I can’t wait for the hijinks!
  • Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis. Snow White in space? Yes, please.
  • At Your Service by Jen Malone. Ahhh, Jen’s first published book! Like ALL FOUR STARS above, this just looks like a super-fun read, and I can’t wait for it!
  • Hook’s Revenge by Heidi Schulz. I have been waiting for this one since I first saw the deal announced on twitter. Captain Hook’s daughter in a Lemony Snickett voice, people!
  • Any Way You Slice It by Kristine Carlson Asselin. This one had me at the Mystic Pizza comparison. I’m pretty sure I know what I’ll be eating when I read this one.
  • Nil by Lynne Matson. The stakes totally grabbed me–a year to escape the island or, um, DIE? Sounds like a total page-turner to me. I’m already invested before I’ve begun reading!
  • Pointe by Brandy Colbert. I’m a sucker for anything with ballet, and I’ll admit that the cover totally drew me in even more, so I’m hoping I love it!
  • The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine. This sounds like a cute, fun romance, but on top of that, I was lucky enough to hear the author read from this book a couple of months ago. So funny! Looking forward to reading the rest.
  • Behind the Scenes by Dahlia Adler. Again, I’m a sucker for anything with the Arts, so I was already interested in this, but I also happen to know that some of the author’s favorite books are some of my favorite books, so that makes it all the more enticing.

Like I said, I’ll hopefully end up reading even more than these, so please share what debuts you’re most looking forward to this year!

7 thoughts on “2014 Debut Author Challenge

    • kiperoo says:

      Yes! Very cool cover. I think I’m shooting for 75 this year. I got too stressed trying for 100 last year and didn’t come close.

  1. Like you, I’m eagerly awaiting the release of JRo’s book! Whee!! And I’m also looking forward to The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows…, which I just came across online and absolutely LOVE the sound of. Thanks for the heads up about all these other great-sounding books. 🙂

    • kiperoo says:

      I think we have very similar tastes, so I’ll have to look up your recs too. 🙂 Already added that one you mentioned to my list.

  2. Can’t wait for Hook’s Daughter. Loved the cover too. I read Mad, Wicked Folly and really liked it. Great writing and story and I loved the authentic history woven into the story. I know that era from Mary Poppins but to see it from this perspective was really neat. A bit more realistic. If you like historical, you might like In the Shadow of the Blackbirds – loved it!

    Also, can’t wait for Any which way you slice it. I know it will be awesome!

    Happy reading!

Leave a Reply