Top Ten Tuesday: New To Me Authors I Read In 2020

I think this is a really fun topic, I usually try to read as many new authors as I can including a lot of debut authors. On this list I didn’t include any debut authors since they’re technically new to everyone. I’d have to say I’m most excited about reading future books by Samantha Downing, Alex North, and Gemma Amor. Unfortunately, there are a few authors I might not try out again as well. Hopefully I can read even more new authors in 2021!

I will link each author to their Goodreads pages if they’re available and also include my full reviews for the books I read by them if I have them finished.

These titles are not listed in any particular order.

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

It has now been moved over to That Artsy Reader Girl.

---

10.) Samantha Downing

I’m almost mad at myself for not reading “My Lovely Wife” by Samantha Downing sooner because then I would have known how amazing she is! I read her new release “He Started It” and it was fantastic, such a wild ride full of twists. I’m so excited for her future books and I can’t wait to read her debut “My Lovely Wife” now as well.

Full Review of “He Started It”

---

9.) Stephen Graham Jones

I feel like Stephen Graham Jones may not be the author for me. Which is really unfortunate because his books always sound great and like I’d enjoy them but so far I haven’t really. I read both “The Only Good Indians” and “Night of the Mannequins” in 2020 and they weren’t terrible books, I just didn’t really like them. Rated them right down the middle, they just aren’t the style of horror book I was expecting and the writing doesn’t vibe with me. Will I keep reading them anyways? Maybe because they sound great but I’ll probably lower expectations.

Full Review of “The Only Good Indians”

---

8.) Lucy Foley

Lucy Foley is another author where I keep adding her books to my TBR, I do own a copy of her novel “The Hunting Party” but I have yet to read that. I read “The Guest List” in 2020 and I was a little disappointed with it, it felt a little over the top and I wasn’t super surprised by any reveals. While I didn’t enjoy that book as much I will read “The Hunting Party” and future releases.

---

7.) Alex North

I actually bought a copy of “The Whisper Man” after reading his newest release “The Shadows” because I was that impressed with it. I haven’t read the former just yet but “The Shadows” was fantastic, I loved the way it blended horror/supernatural elements with the mystery/thriller. I honestly can’t wait for future releases!

---

6.) Adam Cesare

I have a few of Cesare’s books on my TBR as of yet and I can’t wait to read them because “Clown in a Cornfield” was a great read. It was all the “fun” of your typical slasher movie but with a few surprising twists, if you’re a horror fan this is for you.

---

5.) Gemma Amor

I decided to give Gemma Amor a read after having so many fellow horror lovers rec her books (Destiny @ Howling Libraries and Sadie aka Mother Horror) and since she is an Indie/self published author it’s great to support her works! I feel like her books are such hidden gems! I read “Dear Laura” in 2020 and was blown away with how fantastic it was, it was a quick read for me. (Side note: I also just finished “Cruel Works of Nature” this month in 2021 as well, also a great book) I’m looking forward to digging into more of her books.

---

4.) Simone St. James

I’m not sure how I really feel about Simone St. James as an author overall, I think if she released another book that I thought sounded interesting I would add it but I wouldn’t just add it because her name is on it. However, “The Sun Down Motel” sounded right up my alley and it most definitely was. It’s a fantastic book that I went through pretty quickly and really recommend it.

Full Review of “The Sun Down Motel”

---

3.) Sarah Gailey

I have a few other books by Sarah Gailey on my TBR but “Upright Women Wanted” was the book I read first and I was impressed. Their stories are so original and there is always some fantastic, diverse character representation. I look forward to reading my copy of “American Hippo” and “The Echo Wife” soon!

Full Review of “Upright Women Wanted”

---

2.) Elana K. Arnold

Unfortunately, this was a book that kind of put me off the author but I do have a copy of “Damsel” that I am still planning on reading regardless. I read the 2020 release “Red Hood” and really did not enjoy it, it was unique but also really bizarre and I didn’t really agree with the way a lot of the story played out. Hopefully I will enjoy “Damsel” a little bit more.

Full Review of “Red Hood”

---

1.) Iain Reid

Yes, I got sucked into the hype around “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” after the movie was released last year on Netflix. I still haven’t watched the movie though, which was the reason I read the book. Shame on me. Anyways, I’m still not quite sure what I read and how I feel about what I read. It’s definitely a very unique read but also odd. I’m not sure if I will continue reading books by him or not, perhaps if the synopsis sounds interesting.

---

Have you read any of these books? What did you think?
Have you read any books by these authors?
Who are some new to you authors you read in 2020?
Let me know in the comments!

Follow Me Elsewhere: Twitter * Instagram * Goodreads