The Gilmore Guide to Books

Connecting Books and Readers One Review at a Time

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Reviews
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Title
    • Reviews by Genre
  • Podcast
  • Policies
    • Review Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Policy

Favorite Debut Books of 2015

December 30, 2015

Apparently, I’m throwing out all the rules and fourteen favorites wasn’t enough for 2015! I’m a rebel, like that. Actually, I’m as surprised as you might be, but when I started looking back at my favorites and saw how many of them were debut authors I decided they needed a post of their own.  I hadn’t thought about it, but I read a lot of debut authors. A lot of GREAT debut authors. What is best is that each of these books is so different from the others. They went from contemporary American life to Vietnam during the fall of Saigon to Nigeria in the 1970s and took me from humorous horror to  a survivalist father who disappears with his daughter. Magical, astonishing reading. You’ve never heard of these authors before, but you’ll be hearing from them again.

 

Debut 1 Collage

  1. Our Endless Numbered Days is a stunner. Peggy loves her father so when he tells her they need to go away to prepare for the end of the world she believes him. For over a decade they live in a tiny shack hidden in the woods until Peggy discovers the truth.
  2. The Sympathizer:  An unnamed narrator working for a South Vietnamese general as a spy for the Communists. After the fall of Saigon his time in America leads to his capture when he returns home. His story is relayed through the ‘confession’ he is forced to write for his captors. And we watch as this drives him to the edge of his sanity.
  3. The Library at Mount Char is hands down, bar-none, the most innovative novel I’ve ever read. Another world set in the midst of our own and populated with some thoroughly bizarre and terrifying people. After finishing this, I wanted to start it all over again.

 

favorite debut

 

  1. Did You Ever Have a Family is a small story of what came before and what’s left after a family tragedy. Quiet and surprising.
  2. Life from Scratch: don’t be shocked, this is a memoir and the only non-fiction on my list (sorry, I don’t read that much of it!). Sasha Martin’s childhood reads like fiction and while suffused with pain ultimately becomes the foundation for her life’s passion.
  3. Under the Udala Trees is set in Nigeria in the 1970s when a girl comes of age and realizes she is in love with another young woman in a time and place where such feelings can lead to death.

That’s it for my for favorites of 2015! Actually, that’s it for my reading and posting for this year. Thank you all for your support and I hope you each have a happy New Year! See you in 2016!

Related Posts

  • Related Posts
on such a full sea
On Such a Full Sea
diver's
The Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty
ru
Ru: A Novel
And Sons
& Sons: A Novel
Woke Up Lonely
Woke Up Lonely by Fiona Maazel

12 Comments
Filed Under: Feature, Reading Tagged: book clubs, favorite books, lists

Comments

  1. Kate @ booksaremyfavouriteandbest says

    December 30, 2015 at 1:49 am

    Did You Ever Have a Family is in my TBR stack – I’m looking forward to it.
    I also loved Our Endless Numbered Days – did you know she’s got another novel on the way?

    Reply
  2. Tara @ Running 'N' Reading says

    December 30, 2015 at 5:59 am

    Catherine, I’ve yet to read Our Endless Numbered Days and I’VE GOT TO DO IT!! I’ve seen it on many lists and posts this year; I’m very intrigued and I’m moving it up on my list. I really enjoy reading debut authors; in fact, I read quite a few this year, too. I need to start keeping track of that statistic, as well. Thanks so much for sharing these and I hope you have a very Happy New Year!!

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      December 30, 2015 at 9:50 am

      Oh yes, Tara! It’s not that long but the writing and plot are unbelievable. We did a discussion of it at TSS and the author joined in which was amazing.

      Reply
  3. Katie McD @ Bookish a Tendencies says

    December 30, 2015 at 6:23 am

    I *still* think about Our Endless Numbered Days quite often! Definitely will devour whatever she comes out with next.

    Reply
  4. Shannon @ River City Reading says

    December 30, 2015 at 7:20 am

    Ugh, I ended up having to take The Sympathizer back to the library before I had a chance to read it but I really want to. I hope it makes it to the ToB shortlist so I have another push to pick it up 😉

    Reply
  5. Marisa @ The Daily Dosage says

    December 30, 2015 at 8:00 am

    You rebel you! I did the same with fiction and short stories for the year. It’s just too difficult to make one list it seems. Happy New Year!

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      December 30, 2015 at 9:48 am

      I’m crazy, right?! Top 10- says who?! But I am finished now. I need to go check out your short stories list because there were some good ones this year.

      Reply
  6. Sarah's Book Shelves says

    December 30, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    Such a great year for debuts! And – many of the 2016 books I’m most excited about are debuts as well.

    Ive had The Sympathizer on my TBR for months now and really would love to get to it. And am with you on Endless Numbered Days and Did You Ever Have A Family.

    Reply
  7. Andi says

    December 31, 2015 at 5:23 pm

    I still desperately need/want to get to some of these. Namely, Our Endless Numbered Days with Did You Ever Have a Family close behind.

    Reply
  8. Jennifer @ The Relentless Reader says

    January 2, 2016 at 6:31 am

    :::Applauding wildly::: Great list, lady 😀 I would put a number of those on my debut list as well. Thanks to you I read, and loved, Life from Scratch. I need to get to Udala Trees…it’s on my pile. (Story of my life!)

    Reply
    • Catherine says

      January 2, 2016 at 2:07 pm

      Thank you! Somehow I believe this is going to be a better year for all of us. and not just for reading! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Save time and subscribe via email

No time to keep checking for new reviews? Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email. No spam!

Currently Reading

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle
by Emily Nagoski
The Dutch House
The Dutch House
by Ann Patchett
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me
by Adrienne Brodeur

goodreads.com

Affiliate Disclosure

I’m an affiliate for Indiebound and Amazon. If you click on a link that takes you to any of these sites and make a purchase I’ll earn a small fee, which goes towards the costs of maintaining this site. Your support is appreciated. Thank you!

Archives

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2023

Copyright © 2023 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in