Top Ten New-To-Me Favorite Authors I Read For The First Time In 2015

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

I didn't read too many new authors this year, which is a little disappointing. So, this list was a bit difficult, but I am happy with the outcome!

1. Ernest Cline

2. Jandy Nelson

3. Andy Weir

4. Ransom Riggs

5. Danielle Paige

6. Jessica Sorensen

7. Victoria Aveyard

8. Lauren Morrill

9. RC Lewis

10. JL Berg

ARC Review: What's Broken Between Us by Alexis Bass

Author: Alexis Bass
Number of Pages: 241
Publisher: HarperCollins

Synopsis:

"Alexis Bass’s heartbreakingly beautiful second novel is a tale of love, loss, and learning to forgive, perfect for fans of Gayle Forman and of Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything.
A year and a half ago, Amanda Tart's brother got behind the wheel drunk and killed his best friend. Today, he's coming home from prison.
Amanda's been the one living with the fallout, made worse by her brother's recent unapologetic TV interview. People think he's a monster. Still, she loves him. It's her dark secret, until she starts getting close to Henry again--whose sister is paralyzed from the accident. 
A year and a half ago, her brother destroyed his life. Now Amanda has to decide if she'll let his choice destroy hers."

I have mixed feelings about this book so there are a lot of things I liked about it, but at the same time a lot of things I didn't.

On one hand...

This is a beautifully written novel with the realities of a life after prison. It shows not only the difficulties the family must endure, but the entire society as well. Everyone had a different reaction when they saw Jonathan, Amanda's brother, and it was very interesting to see the relationships he grew in and out of as a result.  

Although...

I was not too fond of the characters because they all seemed overdone. I understand that the entire experience would have been very emotional, but some of the things the characters did seemed really unreasonable. 

Personally, if I don't like the characters I won't enjoy the plot as much, but I don't think that held true with this book. Amanda was my least favorite character, and I was still interested by her reactions to the events around his, at least those concerning Jonathan. 

Even though the book was short, the author did an amazing job of bringing the to life by adding all the ups and downs of life without being overly dramatic. There were so many parts at which the story could have ended with a happily ever after, but the author was able to create a book where all the possible endings were put down by the realities of life. And when the end truly came the reader was left with an understanding but a craving for more.

I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a short, contemporary book with a realistic plot. It'll keep you on your toes without knocking you off into the fantasy of happily ever afters.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars!

2015 YA Author Bash with Stephanie Oakes (Interview & Giveaway)

I am honored to have Stephanie Oakes, debut author of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, here today!

Stephanie Oakes is a teacher and YA author from Washington State. Her debut novel, THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY (Dial/Penguin, June 9, 2015), about a girl who escapes from a religious commune only to find herself at the center of a murder investigation, is based on the Grimm fairy tale, "The Handless Maiden."

THE ARSONIST, her second YA mystery through Dial/Penguin, is scheduled for publication in fall 2016.

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

"The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, her ability to trust.
And when she rebelled, they took away her hands, too.
Now their Prophet has been murdered and their camp set aflame, and it's clear that Minnow knows something—but she's not talking. As she languishes in juvenile detention, she struggles to un-learn everything she has been taught to believe, adjusting to a life behind bars and recounting the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of—if she’s willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.
The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly is a hard-hitting and hopeful story about the dangers of blind faith—and the power of having faith in oneself."

1. The synopsis of my book gripped me immediately. How do you come up with a book idea like this?

It was inspired by a fairy tale called “The Handless Maiden.” I love fairy tale retellings, but I hadn’t read too many contemporary retellings. If anyone out there is interested in writing a book but can’t come up with a story, I’d really recommend retelling a fairy tale or myth. It was extremely fun to take an established story and interpret it in a new setting.

2. What was your biggest fear in writing your debut?

I had a really clear vision for the book from the moment I thought of the idea, so I think probably my biggest fear was of not having the skill to make my vision into reality. I’ve learned that that fear—and all of the other fears I ran into during the process—was very normal and something most authors worry about.

3. Your debut is a long book-how would you describe your book in two words.

My book in two words: “dark” and “hopeful.”

4. Who/what are your inspirations when writing?

I get inspired by anything and everything—movies, video games, music, poetry, other people, things I see, things I overhear. Of course, one huge source of inspiration is other writing. Even if what I’m reading for pleasure has nothing to do with what I’m writing, I can still generally take little writing lessons from every book I read.

5. Is there anything that surprised you in writing Minnow's story?

I was surprised that, when writing, characters can develop a mind of their own. I thought I knew where the story was headed, but several characters taught me that the book needed to go in a different direction. I’ve learned that this is part of my process and now I give my characters lots of opportunities to tell me where they want the story to go.

6. Are you currently working on another book? If yes, what can you share about it?

I’m doing revisions for my second book, another YA mystery called The Arsonist, tentatively slated for late 2016. It’s part modern and part historical, and very twisty and turny.

7. This is a question I like to ask all authors who join us here on Little Bookworm Reviews, what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

I’d recommend that aspiring authors cut themselves lots of slack. Writing a book isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. The one thing all published authors have in common is perseverance.

Thank you so much for joining us Stephanie!!

Stephanie is giving away a signed, personalized hardcover of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly!

Ends December 26, 2015 12:00 AM 

[US Only]

a Rafflecopter giveaway