Reading Year in Review - Part 7: New authors tried

Well, I can tell you, after yesterday's post, I'm tired of spreadsheets and pivot tables, so this will be short and sweet ("Good", you all think).

It helps that I did a version of this in late October, where I analyzed most of the new authors I've tried in detail (read it here).

So, total number? Did I read as many new-to-me authors in 2005 as I did in 2004? Nope, I did not. I read 63 this year, while last year I managed to read 79.


Outstanding discoveries (using stringent criteria here... the first book of theirs that I read got B+ or better):

The ones mentioned back in October bear repeating:

- Mercedes Lackey
- Shannon McKenna
- Nick Hornby
- Dodie Smith
- Michelle Cunnah
- Cheryl Sterling
- Megan Sybil Baker
- Lydia Joyce
- Kathleen Nance
- Cheryl St. John
- Piers Anthony
- Lisa Marie Rice
- Linda Castillo

... especially because I read only one (!) since then:

- Caroline Linden

Yes, out of 16 books by new authors I tried in the last 2 months of the year, only Linden got a B+. There were a few Bs (Stephanie Vaughan, Kathy Reichs, Janet Mullaney and Karen Marie Moning), but that was it.

Outstandingly BAD discoveries

That was fewer, thankfully. Before October:

- Lynn Kurland
- Carla Neggers
- Patricia Oliver

..and after that:

- Robyn Donald

I did ok with my new authors, I think. A full 56% of them got grades above B-, 35% were in the average range (C- to C+), while only 10% were downright bad.

I've even read more books by 10 of these authors, and, considering the time it takes me to actually get books here, that's a very respectable number!

And that's it for this year! Thanks for reading!