TOP TEN TUESDAY | BEST NEW-TO-ME AUTHORS I DISCOVERED IN 2023

I had a great reading year in 2023. I didn’t read a huge number of books, but I read a bunch that were really enjoyable, that made me think, that taught me something (or something about myself) or that hit upon some universal truth that the author put into words brilliantly. There were a few I know I’ll re-read – at least one I already have. It’s hard to narrow that down, but luckily this is about new-to-me authors, so that makes it slightly easier!

           

Coasting was my last read of the year, and I enjoyed the open and honest tone of the writing, how Downing shares her lack of planning, her doubts and her tough moments. I discovered the YouTube channel run by Roxane Emery and her husband Richard Pink this year – ADHD Love. She has ADHD, but was only diagnosed in adulthood. He is neurotypical. They share what they’re learning, what ADHD looks like, how it affects the lives of the person who has it, but also their family. It’s excellent, and Dirty Laundry was more of the same. The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating was a wonderful book. It’s short, doesn’t bring any kind of drama or really any plot, but it captures exactly what it means to be physically suffering and how where you go in your mind can save you during those times. I loved this, it spoke to my various medical issues and made me feel calm and less alone. A Life in Stitches was my favourite knitting memoir of the year. I loved Herron’s writing style and really enjoyed spending time with her. I hope she’ll come out with a follow-up.

           

I’m not usually that into celebrity memoirs unless the celebrity in question has a story that speaks to me or a really interesting personality. The Rural Diaries appealed to me because it’s about a celebrity couple buying a farm and learning to live on it. They slowly become part of a community, work on it themselves, and deal with a lot of ups and downs along the way. I didn’t expect much from this, but I found it really compelling. I enjoyed Burton Morgan’s narration as well – she has a great voice for audiobooks because it sounds like she’s always smiling. I don’t know what it is about this book, but it really drew me in. A Thousand Ways to Pay Attention is a memoir about one woman’s slow deterioration as she struggles with her mental health and finds it more and more difficult to cope. What she finally discovers about her own mind is a revelation, and this book is a wonderful account of what it means to live with undiagnosed ADHD. Orenstein’s book is an account of a lockdown project she embarked on, partly to learn about a subject she was already interested in, partly to deal with the pandemic, and partly to reconnect with ancestral women’s wisdom. She decides to knit a sweater, but from yarn she made herself. She learns to shear, card, spin and dye her own yarn with the help of local artisans and experts, and then does, in fact, knit a sweater from the resulting yarn. It’s the type of thing I’d do if I had the means. Hannah Gadsby is one of my new favourite people. She’s a fucking legend. She’s funny, but she does not avoid harsh and uncomfortable truths either. I love her comedy (a few of her shows are on Netflix if you haven’t seen them yet), but this book was like a full-length version and meant I got to spend even more time with her. Not upset about that. Not at all. This is a book I know I’ll re-read. Definitely recommend the audiobook if you’re into that sort of thing.

           

I loved Abdelmahmoud’s memoir of immigrating to Canada and learning how to speak a new language and exist in a new culture. His writing is excellent, and he has a lot of insights about identity, culture and family. My Mess Is a Bit of a Life is one I already re-read. Pritchett writes with candor and a great amount of humour about difficult topics, and I’m totally there for it. How to Keep House While Drowning has had a lot of buzz over the last year, but I was only mildly interested until it was recommended to me in the comments. I listened to it, and it was a great, short book that felt exactly like having a friend sit you down and tell you that you’re actually not doing that badly, and it will be okay. Jen Mann is a breath of fresh air. She says the stuff most of us frazzled not-quite-sure-what-we’re-doing moms think, but out loud. It was refreshing and hilarious.

So those are not just some of the best authors I discovered in 2023, but among them are some of my favourite books of the year.

Have you guys read any of these books? Anything else by any of these authors? Do any of them interest you?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.