Today’s TTT celebrates authors we discovered in 2024. But first, teases!
Fifteen miles in from Guadalcanal’s north coast, up a mountain trail that teases the climber with an apparently endless succession of hillocks, there stands a ridge that offers a magnificent view of the coast and sea. At the edge of this ridge lie the remains of an old kerosene-run refrigerator. (Lonely Vigil: Coastwatchers of the Solomons)
Thinking about this, I am reminded of the concepts of yang and yin, the philosophy of opposing forces. We know that the forces that shape life are in constant flux. The moth that pollinates the flower of a plant is the same species that devours the plants’ leaves when it is still a caterpillar. It is not, then, in the plant’s interest to completely destroy the grazing caterpillars that will metamorphose into the very creatures it relies on to spread its pollen. (The Light Eaters)
Local party officials found themselves between Stalin’s hammer and the grim reaper’s sickle. The problems they saw were objective and not soluble through ideology or rhetoric: lack of seed grain, late sowing, poor weather, machinery insufficient to replace animal labor, chaos from the final push toward collectivization in late 1931, and hungry peasants unable to work. (Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin)
And now, for discovered authors in 2024!
(1) Rachel Joyce gets pride of place, of course: her Music Shop took me wholly by surprise, and she became a “stalk and read all her things” author.
(2) Ruth Ware, who lured me in with an IT-type novel and then kept me entertained with varied thrillers throughout the year.
(3) Toshikazu Kawaguchi, author of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series.
(4) Michio Aoyoma, author of What You are Looking For is in the Library, one of my very favorite 2024 reads. Very much waiting for more work in English translation.
(5) Wayne Grant, two of who’s series I found last year.
(6) Harrison Scott Key, a funny southern humorist who also did the very serious (but still funny) broken-marriage memoir, How to Stay Married.
(7) Becky Chambers, a new-to-me SF author. I read for of her works, my favorite so far being A Closed and Common Orbit.
(8) Doug Brode. I enjoyed his SF detective story SHELLI, which incorporated a lot of android action, and will be looking for future SF releases.
(9) Frank Herbert and (10) Ursula le Guin. Both SF masters whose work I hadn’t yet experienced.
Reading Freely 
It looks like you found some fantastic authors last year. I’ve only read one Ruth Ware book and really need to try some others by her at some point. I do really want to try some books by some of these authors eventually too. Most notably Ursula le Guin but also Becky Chambers & Frank Herbert.
Becky Chambers is a great discovery. I hope she writes more Monk & Robot books.
Deb, I have heard that she is not planning to continue that series, but I also hope she does write more for it. It’s so good!
Lydia
I’m glad you liked Becky Chambers so much. Thanks for stopping by earlier.
Lydia
Ruth Ware is a must read for me. Great list!
ooh I couldn’t get into Becky chambers but definitely want to check out Ruth ware!
One thing about Ware is that all of the books I’ve tried by her have been very different — she’s not formulaic like Grisham or Patterson.
Which of her books did you try? Monk and Robot is very different than Wayfarers. The M&R novels are more philosophical.
I tried monk and robot….I’m still one of those people confused by the “they” usage and honestly I didn’t think some Random should be trying to handle therapy if they aren’t trained, it felt trivial and kind of bad so I DNFd rather quickly
we have 1 in common!
https://wordsandpeace.com/2025/01/28/the-top-ten-new-to-me-authors-i-discovered-in-2024/
The only authors I’ve read from your list are Rachel Joyce and Ruth Ware – two books by each so far, but I’m hoping to read more!
What You are Looking for is in the Library is on my TBR, and I really must bump it up to get to sooner!
Ruth Ware definitely has a variety of thrillers, I’ve still got some older titles to catch up on.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold was so good.
Here is our <a href=”https://www.longandshortreviews.com/miscellaneous-musings/top-ten-tuesday-new-to-me-authors-i-discovered-in-2024/“>Top Ten Tuesday.</a>
Astibe
I enjoy Ware’s books too. The IT one is actually one of my least favorites of hers, but I’m glad it got you hooked on the author!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
I really liked Rachel Joyce’s Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and Becky Chambers just keeps getting better, I think. I also enjoy Ruth Ware’s books, her books are great for when I just need something fun and exciting.
That Teaser from the Lighteaters is so interesting, that’s a nonfic I’d like to read!
These types of Japanese cozy stories often don’t work for me but I love libraries so much I could see myself making an exception for What You’re Looking For is in the Library. 🖤 We both have Chambers on our lists, unsurprisingly 🙂
It’s shaping up to be one of the most fascinating reads of 2025!
That is awesome!! I’m excited for you 🙂
Thank you so much for including me and my novel, SHELLI, amongst your list.
I happened to find this right on my birthday, so it was a great gift. Yesterday, I also received my first youtube book review as well from a guy named Professor Geek, so it’s really nice to see people slowly but surely finding my little book. The sequel, SHELLI: MurderMind arrives in July!
Thanks again–Doug Brode
I will look forward to it!