Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books I Want to Read by New-to-Me Authors

by Lily

I started to love reading a few years ago. There are so many books in the world that it's almost impossible to read every one, but I will always try to read as many books as I can fit into my life. I have many books on my to-read list, many of which are part of a series or by some of my favorite authors that I've read books by before. However, I think it's important to read books by a variety of authors to explore different writing styles and new stories. You might find your new favorite author, or a story that you love, or a new genre that you hadn't encountered yet. These top ten books are on my to- read list and are written by authors that I have not read before. 

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a long time. This is the first book in The Seeds of America trilogy. It's a historical fiction about a thirteen year old girl named Isabel fighting for her freedom. This seems very interesting to me and I can't wait to finally pick it up and learn about history from the point of view of someone who had to live through it. 

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

My friend read this book and recommended it to me. I haven't read any books by Lynn Painter yet, but I've heard great things about her writing and stories. This is a YA rom-com about a girl named Liz and her neighbor Wes. I would like to read this book as an introduction to the romance genre. 

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

I enjoy science fiction and dystopian books, so this seems like a great series. It even incorporates beloved tales into futuristic new adaptations. It is a four book series with a prequel. Each book is inspired by a different fairy tale story, with twists that you wouldn't expect. I have not read any books by Marissa Meyer but they all seem exciting and are definitely high on my to-read list. 

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

This book seems good, and I have heard great things about it. It has been adapted into a movie and a stage musical, showing how much people love this book. It was written by a teenage girl and shows realities and many relatable themes. This book is loved by many, and I hope to read it soon. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice is a classic loved by millions. Jane Austen is a very popular author, and wrote six major novels, although this might be her most popular of all. It follows Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy as they first meet and eventually realize they might have initially misjudged one another. It has been turned into movies and even TV shows. Jane Austen has inspired many with her great writing and storytelling. I can't wait to start this book and read the rest of her novels as well. 

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle 

This is a broad topic because Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes as a series of short stories and four novels. However, his stories have been put into collections or rewritten to fit into a single book, and read in many different formats. I would love to start reading mysteries, and I feel like the perfect way to start is with a loved classic character such as Sherlock Holmes. Many have read the stories of this famous fictional detective. It has inspired so many books, movies, and shows that many people have heard of, and enjoy The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. 

Satellite by Nick Lake 

I love science fiction and space so I'm excited to read this book by Nick Lake. A boy makes his first trip to Earth after being trained by astronauts for years while living on a space station. It's a captivating sci-fi adventure that I will surely love. 

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

This book was recommended to me by a friend who found it interesting. The story follows Salama Kassub in Syria in 2011, at the start of the Syrian revolution. She is a volunteer at the hospital, while trying to find a way out of the country before her sister gives birth. She is faced with the hard decision of whether to flee or stay loyal to her country and her family. She begins to see how it is a war but also a revolution. This is a literary fiction book with good themes. It shows her struggles and how she overcomes it. 

All The Noise At Once by DeAndra Davis 

I saw this on the Florida Teens Read collection for 2026-2027 and immediately wanted to read it. It's about a teen boy with autism named Aiden whose brother is arrested falsely trying to protect him from a bully. As Aiden tries to get his brother out of jail, he is faced with many struggles and needs to find his own voice. 

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis 

This is a historical fiction set in Chicago in 1910. Four African American Girls have strong ambitious dreams. Defying the expectations of others, they pursue challenges and seek independence and love from others. I can't wait to dive into the stories of these brave girls written by Krystal Marquis. 

The Florida Teens Read Challenge

Florida Teen’s Read is "a list of fifteen titles that have been chosen by a committee of fourteen school librarians specifically to engage high school students in reading and reflect their interests as well as represent a variety of genres, formats, reading levels, viewpoints, and ethnic and cultural perspectives." Teens spend the year exploring the titles and voting on their favorites. Before it is announced who wins for the 2024-25 school year, here's our take on some of the books from the list. What was YOUR favorite?

Accountable: the True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives it Changed by Dashka Slater

Accountable is a true story about how someone's actions can affect the rest of their life. She focuses on the emotions of the individuals affected from the offensive posts on a private Instagram account. I enjoyed reading this book since it reminded me that everything posted on the online can be shared. The theme of justice and regret are prominent in the book. I would recommend to someone looking to read a true story that showcases important lessons about technology.  -read by Brooke

Breathe and Count Back From Ten by Natalia Sylvester

Breathe and Count Back From Ten had potential written on its tombstone. I truly wanted to enjoy this novel, as I believe it brought multiple relevant topics to the table; however, the topics it engages with are never fully fleshed out and unfortunately did reach a true resolution. In this story, we encounter Verónica, a Peruvian-American girl who has both a disability (hip dysplasia) and big dreams. The summer before her senior year, she obtains a job at the Mermaid Cove, an attraction in her Florida hometown. The novel touched on cultural differences, familial strife, and life with a disability. All of these subjects have so much value, especially in our current society. With that being said, I honestly found Verónica to be very unlikable and ungrateful to her parents. Obviously, there is a cultural difference and age factor at play in that relationship, but still, I would’ve enjoyed it more if there had been more empathy for her parents. Overall, even though it touched on interesting topics, I definitely think it could’ve been better executed.  -read by Anna

The Do-Over by Lynne Painter

The Do-Over focuses on main character, Emilie, when Valentine’s Day starts to repeat over and over again. Through her experiences, she starts to see the world from a new perspective. I absolutely loved reading this book. It was an adorable story that was very entertaining. - read by Brooke

Midnight at the Houdini by Delilah S. Dawson

Midnight at the Houdini is about Anna, the daughter of a rich Las Vegas hotel owner. She goes to one of her father’s hotels after a tornado makes driving home unsafe. She becomes stuck in the hotel and must figure out how to escape before it is too late. I liked the unique plot of this book and would definitely recommend it to readers who like magic. -read by Brooke

Queen Bee by Amalie Howard

Queen Bee is a book with a very interesting concept. The story follows Ela Dalvi on her quest for revenge. Ela wants to get revenge on her childhood best friend Poppy, who killed their relationship over a boy. Ela wants to infiltrate the elite society of London and get even with Poppy. But when a familiar face from her past appears, she questions whether revenge is the answer. I really liked this book. The characters were interesting, and I liked reading about Ela’s plans. It really felt like I was part of the story. The only problem that I had with this book was that the constant back-and-forth time switching made it difficult to keep track of the characters and the current timeline. -ready by Holly

Remember Me Gone by Stacy Stokes

Remember Me Gone is centered on the life of Lucy who lives in a small Texan town. Her family has a business that allows people to erase their bad memories and once she starts to learn more about it, she decides to figure out what memories she is missing. I enjoyed reading this book but at some points, it was hard to understand. -read by Brooke

Seven Percent of Ro Devereaux by Ellen O'Clover

I was massively excited to read Ellen O’Clover’s Seven Percent of Ro Devereux. It sat perfectly on the gray shelf, playing the part of my next good read excellently. I genuinely loved the premise of this YA novel. It was original and believable. Ro Devereux is a fun, intelligent STEM girlie whose life explodes with the creation of her app MASH (Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House), which can predict its users’ futures to a 93% accuracy. Ultimately, I badly wanted to like this book and was greatly disappointed. Ro (and other characters in the novel) took the app’s predictions way too seriously, and Ro’s best friend ended up being the only main character who truly had common sense. Ultimately, I badly wanted to like this book and was greatly disappointed. -read by Anna

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight is an all right book. This book is set at a summer camp where guests pay to experience living in a slasher film. Charity, the main character, plays the role of “Final Girl”. Her life is going great at the camp: business is rolling in and she’s found a group of friends. But it all changes when the danger suddenly becomes more real than she could imagine. I liked the concept and writing of the story (and the queer rep!), but there was one part I couldn’t get over. I didn’t like how there was a cult featured in the book. I felt that the story should’ve had a warning that there was a prominent focus on a cult. -read by Holly

Florida Teens Read 2023-24: Our take

Florida Teen’s Read is a list compiled of some of the best books in order to encourage teens to read. Teen Book Guild members read a majority of the books on the list, and share their thoughts below. Enjoy the descriptions, and maybe you’ll gain some fantastic books to add to your to-read list along the way!