Top Ten Tuesday used to be a weekly post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. “It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” This is definitely something I can understand and want to participate in.
Happy Tuesday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, and if you celebrated holidays, I hope they were nice and low-stress. We had a nice, laid back end to Passover, and started the week off nicely. Maybe it’s because we didn’t have to do all the cooking we normally do for the holiday, but by the end of the weekend, I was feeling so much less stressed. Mom is doing well, and making sure to do her PT and follow up appointments.
This week’s prompt is books that surprised me (in a good or bad way). I noticed that I’ve read quite a few debut books, and want to talk about debut authors that knocked my socks off. Here are ten of my favorite recent debut reads that surprised me in the best way:
- Maya and Natasha by Elyse Durham. This historical fiction tells the tale of twin girls born to a prima ballerina, and raised as ballerina in Soviet Russia. The way their lives intertwine and diverge was fascinating.
- Weyward by Emilia Hart. This multigenerational saga of three women featured elements of magical realism and I couldn’t get enough of it.
- The Cloisters by Katy Hays. Set in a less-visited museum in NYC, Hays took readers on a thrilling roller-coaster ride, and I loved it. The way that the story also included tarot cards in a position central to the story was done beautifully.
- Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Reading this visceral, grief-fueled memoir of a difficult relationship between a mother and daughter, was so infinitely relatable it earned a place on this list.
- Maame by Jessica George. I was fascinated by this portrayal of a family of Ghanaian immigrants, and how the relationships and expectations can really weigh on a person.
- Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. This debut was made into a series, and it was fantastic! This is one of the few instances where the book was as good as the show.
- Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott. A fantastic debut, this one mixed folklore with fantasy and family in the best possible way. Besides, how can you pass up a story about Baba Yaga’s famous house on chicken legs?
- The Push by Ashley Audrain. When this book came out, everyone was buzzing about it, and it’s the kind of book that permanently lives in my head.
- Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor. A sprawling, ambitious novel, this one reminded me of a Desi-inspired version of The Godfather, yet still wholly unique and original.
- The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore. Another story inspired by the witch Baba Yaga, this one seamlessly wove in folklore with more historical elements, and was a book that I couldn’t put down even if I wanted to.
So what are some of your favorite debut books?
Categories: Top Ten Tuesday
Leah's Books 
The first pick/title on your list is one I haven’t heard off… but the cover art drew me in and your little explanation of the story intrigues me more! One I’ll have to add to my mental checklist of titles I want to know more about! Glad you enjoyed these all. 🙂
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Awesome! I’m glad that it brought out your curiosity.
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Crying in the H Mart is so good. I like this list of books and didn’t know these were all debuts.
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Crying in H Mart blew my mind, especially since I read it a few years after my father had passed away. There was a lot of identification, and I too wish I had asked him so many more things about his life.
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I still want to read Maya and Natasha. Weyward unfortunately didn’t work for me.
My TTT: https://laurieisreading.com/2025/04/22/top-ten-tuesday-books-that-surprised-me/
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Maya and Natasha was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it. And Weyward seemed to be one of those books where you either love it or hate it, with no middle ground.
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Maame was one of my favorite books the year I read it. I love looking at other cultutres, and see how their “norms” vary from those I’m used to.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/the-ks-have-it-ten-titles-starting-with-k/
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I was expecting to enjoy it, but I was blown away by how amazing Maame was, and especially for a debut. One of my favorite things about reading books from other cultures is how much I can learn about them, while also being able to see how similar our thoughts and emotions are, even across huge divides.
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Now I’m craving noodles. haha!
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LOL! It’s always a good time to have noodles.
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oh i love your take on this week’s theme! It’s so fun when a debut novel is that good! My TTT
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It really is fun when reading a debut novel to find a new favorite author.
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Great list! Crying in H Mart was so good, but so sad! It made my list today.
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It was really sad, but such a powerful novel. I read it a few years after my dad passed away, and I was so impressed by how eloquently she was able to express her grief.
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These look good. I’ve had my eye on Black Cake for ages!
Glad that your mum is doing well and that you had a nice end to the holidays. After 2 weeks off school my son went back today. It was strange, but needed as there are only so many things that you can do over the holidays!
Have a great week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
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Emily Jane, you need to read Black Cake soon, it is such an incredible book. Also, Hulu adapted it into a TV show, and it was done beautifully even with the little differences there were.
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🤣 I think it is available at the library…I have overstretched myself a bit this month 🤣
I don’t know if I can get Hulu here. We have so many other subscriptions
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I hope you get the chance to check it out. The book was amazing.
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🤞🏼
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I’ve only read two of these books – Weyward and Maame – and they were both brilliant.
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They really are! I find myself seeking out debuts more often now, because there are so many great ones out there.
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I’m glad your mom is doing well. I really loved The Hunted Heir by Jayna Breigh. I rarely read debut novels because I don’t expect much but this one was outstanding.
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Thank you! It’s always such a pleasure to pick up a debut and have it be so good.
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Great list! I listened to the audiobook version of Weyward, and it was very good. Have a wonderful day!
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Thank you, and sorry for how late the response is!
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Great list, Leah! The Cloisters and Weyward are absolutely two debuts that knocked my socks off.
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Thanks, Becky! I loved those debuts, and enjoyed both of their follow-up books as well!
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I haven’t read any of these yet, but I do have three of them at home waiting!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you.
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Well, when you get to read them, I hope you love them as much as I did!
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