Time for the most terribly wonderful comment thread of the month, when I ask you what you're reading, you tell me about it, and then I buy it. I know that happens for you, too, but it's so interesting to hear about what people are reading and liking, right? It's like the best kind of nosy conversation.
Unfortunately for me, I'm not reading anything at the moment. I'm flying this afternoon so I'll have something to read by then (funny how at a book conference it's really easy to find new and interesting things to read) but right now I got nothing.
What about you? What are you reading? Anything you recommend for travel reading, or waiting in the airport reading, or both?
I am re-reading Die for Love by Elizabeth Peters. I wanted to see how (in)accurately she portrayed a romance writers conference, now that I have attended one in real life. It has some humorous moments as well as cringe-worthy ones.
I’m bouncing between two books right now… Hannah Howell’s Beauty and the Beast and a true crime book—The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule. The first because Howell is one of my favorite historical authors, the second because I’m working on a new romantic suspense and need some insight into a serial killer’s mind. 🙂
I was traveling last week, so among other things I downloaded an ebook called Masks by Karen Chance. It’s sort of a prequel to her Cassie Palmer/Dory Basarab books, set in 16th century Venice, and stars the enigmatic and sexy Mircea, who acts as a sort of bridge between the two series. So of course when I got home I had to re-read both series to try to figure out how they fit together chronologically, using Mircea as a sort of index fossil.
Whatever, it’s something to do while waiting for Sixth grave to come out next Tuesday. Unfortunately the next Cassie Palmer book doesn’t come out until November.
Trying to finish up the books in the “Currently Reading” category of my GoodReads account so I can move on to something new (and hopefully not have 5 or 6 books going at one time – it takes SO much longer to finish them that way!). On the stack right now:
“Altered” by Gennifer Albin
“The Story of the Qur’an” by Ingrid Mattson
“The Sandalwood Princess” by Loretta Chase
“The Ideal Muslimah”
I just finished INSATIABLE: PORN—A LOVE STORY by Asa Akira (review at http://thearmchaircritic.blogspot.com/2014/05/asa-akira-insatiable.html ) and I’m about to start WONDER WOMAN UNBOUND (thanks to the glowing review it got here). Woot!
The Countess Conspiracy by Courtney Milan. It’s pretty good so far.
I’m reading (and rolling my eyes at) Hostile Ground, the new mm by Aleksandr Voinov and La Witt. I was really into the first third, and then both heroes became TSTL. Argh.
I finally read and loved two CarrieS recommendations. Dynama by Ruth Diaz and The Stolen Luck. And I also read Bone Rider by J Fally and I was riveted. It’s this crazy mm story that reads like a summer blockbuster. Not for everyone but I had so much fun reading it.
And I also read Sharing Space by Nina Perez – a mf, ir that was issued as a serial, but you can buy the whole set now. I really enjoyed this one – nice contemporary with characters that felt real. The end was too abrupt but I liked the rest.
I’m currently rereading Jo goodman’s If His Kiss Is Wicked. I love this book and the way the two leads interact. the dialogue between the two just seemed so different from the way other romance couples interact. This was the first goodman book I read and as a result I read a number of her other Regency books. I didn’t think any of them were as good as this one.
I’m currently reading Deadline by Mira Grant, but all systems are poised for Skin Game on the 27th (airplane book to the max!)
Speaking of Dresden, the first 7 are on sale for $1.99 each.
And if anyone wants classic gothic, My Cousin Rachel and Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier are on sale for $2.99 each.
Miranda, right there with you. Harry is my boyfriend. I peer pressure everybody with those books.
Agh. I’m not reading anything either right now. I think my brain is waiting for Shield of Winter. Oh! I did finish Enigma by Moira Rogers earlier this week. It was really good.
But I’m leaving for London on Monday and plan on reading at the plane. I’m saving the e-ARC of Ghost Layer that Robin D Owens sent to me when I grumbled that it wasn’t out until August. Some times being friends with the author pays off. 😀
Re-reading The Paris Affair by Teresa Grant. Just finished The Innocent by Taylor Stevens – not romance but a kick-ass female protagonist. This is the second in the series and involves finding a child who was kidnapped into a cult. Very good, though I would read The Informationist first for the back-story of the heroine.
By the way, Rebecca by du Maurier is also 2.99 on B&N – thanks for the heads up, Miranda, I am stocking up.
I just finished Harvard Hottie which is still free on amazon. It was a great light read. It kept making me snort-laugh out loud. I loved that the heroine was strong and smart and independent and the hero was a billionaire but in a wheelchair. Definitely a new one for me.
I just finished G. Willow Wilson’s CAIRO, a graphic novel about (where to start) a jinn, a Lebanese-American teenager, an Egyptian hash dealer, a lost Israeli soldier, a journalist, an activist … The story was fascinating, funny, heartbreaking and hopeful, all at once, as well as beautifully and emotionally illustrated. Wilson wrote ALIF THE UNSEEN, which is one of my favorite novels.
I’m also starting Jo Walton’s AMONG OTHERS and Harry Bingham’s THE STRANGE DEATH OF FIONA GRIFFITHS.
At this rate, I’ve covered the magical realism, SFF and crime categories. It’s been a great week so far.
@Kim W: I went to look at HARVARD HOTTIE on Amazon because I enjoyed your description of the book. Unfortunately, someone else wrote a review, featured at the top, with every detail of the book in it. What is wrong with people?
Darlynne, have you read Willow’s book “The Butterfly Mosque”? I reread it recently and really enjoyed it. 🙂 It’s autobiographical.
Currently reading:
1) “Murder Most Blonde” by M. J. Hatch
2) “The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance” edited by Trisha Telep
and, just arrived as a free ARC from Goodreads,
3) “The Valentino Affair” by Colin Evans
@Heather S: It’s on my list. Ms. Wilson makes me care so much about her characters. I look forward to everything of hers.
I’m reading Susan Wiggs’s “The Apple Orchard.” So far, pretty interesting and entertaining. I’ve got like a zillion books on my Kindle, lots of them free ones. Mary Stewart’s passing made me want to go back reread her. Nine Coaches Waiting, This Rough Magic, The Moonspinners, My Brother Michael…yikes! The list is endless and amazing! What a writer!!
Started Duke of Midnight, as I have a review due in a couple days…. I work well under pressure?
Also reading Crank, because I felt some sort of bizarre need to do a compare/contrast with Go Ask Alice.
I finished rereading Nalini Singh’s Heart of Obsidian and thus the entire Psy/Changeling series in anticipation of Shield of Winter (only 17 more days!)
Started Laura Florand’s Amour et Chocolat series. I had major issues with the heroine’s actions in the first novella All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate. Currently reading the first full-length book and hoping to finish it today.
I just finished The Windflower last night. Organizing my thoughts now for the SBTB discussion later this month.
Just started Cherise Sinclair’s Edge of the Enforcer. Treading carefully…generally avoid sadist stuff, but I’ve been rereading her earlier titles in the Dark Haven (compulsively reread Master of the Mountain three times in a row) and Shadowlands series and naturally that’s led me back to her newest release.
I tried to read Jenna Bennets a Cutthroat Business, but the heroine was so vapid, shallow and dislikeable that I wanted continually to slap her. Could not finnish the book, let alone buy the next book in the series. I don’t understand why so many people seem to like the book, at least according to the Amazon reviews.
I also just read the Body of Evidence by Rachel Grant which I really enjoyed. Great suspence, likeable charachters and great chemistry.
I’m 23 years late to the Outlander party, but I’m reading Dragonfly in Amber. I freaked when Jack Randall showed up not dead and had to switch to something comforting by Kristen Ashley (a re-re-re-read of Sweet Dreams) to soothe me until I can go back to the torture that is Diana Gabaldon…
Currently reading Cordelia’s Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold.
Its an omnibus, and I’ve finished the first book, Shards of Honor which has romance elements to it, but I wouldn’t call it a romance. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a SF book with a strong female lead, but it has a fair amount of violence, and some rapey elements. (Mostly in the background, but also an attempted rape on the heroine. (Not by the love interest.))
I’m also sort of working my way through The Blind Assassin by Margret Atwood on my kindle. It just seems kind of meh so far.
I did a lot of reading last week, because library books were coming due. Two favorite authors, so lots of fun. First I read the two books in Anne Bishop’s new series, The Others. Loved, loved, loved them both! She creates the most fascinating worlds. Then I moved on to the last two books in Nalini Singh’s Archangels series. Also enjoyed, and can’t wait for the new psy-changelings.
Always like hearing what others are enjoying.
Nan-I didn’t realize Mary Stewart died. I’m so sad about this. I have read everything she ever wrote-The Crystal Cave is a book I have read every year since it was published, I practically know it by heart. The Moonspinners is another huge favorite of mine. I used to get all her books from the library and read them over and over. I found many of her books in paperback at Borders several years ago, and was thrilled to be able to buy all of them. She was an incredible writer.
I just finished The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford-which was great. I love the way her characters talk to each other. Now I am reading Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, I wouldn’t say I am loving it, but I am having a hard time putting it down.
I’ll be travelling this Monday and therefore I prefer something which I can finish up pretty fast.I’ll get started on Cosmo Hot Reads.Ripped by Sarah Morgan sounds good..!!
I ran across Sheikh’s Scandal (the first Chatsfield book) at the used bookstore and the Chatsfield was mentioned here so I got it. For a sheikh book it wasn’t half bad. The sheikh was not an alphole like they usually are. The sheikh and the heroine banter! Banter! From a sheikh! And I always liked Lucy Monroe.
I am glomming hard on Carla Kelly, her backlist titles are coupon-eligible for Kobo so between that and this month’s trivia contest I picked up most of her books for $2 or under. Finished Beau Crusoe and Miss Whittier Makes A List, big happy sighs.
I’m also reading Tess Gerritsen’s books, I picked up Gravity partly because of the controversy (partly because it was on sale for $2 very recently) and it was definitely right up my alley. The attention to detail really made me feel like I was there, even if I was ehhh on the final outcome. The only thing having seen the movie-not-based-on-it did was make one of the characters George Clooney in my head, so it was sort of like watching really early seasons of ER. I find her writing is a lot like Robin Cook or pre-meltdown Michael Crichton, neither of whom I enjoy anymore but used to chew through like crazy years ago. I really like her portrayal of women, too. I’d classify it like Outbreak—movie and book both good, both completely unrelated.
Pretty much everything on my wishlist is a pre-order now.
I recently discovered AAR’s 100 Best lists. While I have read many of the included titles, I uncovered some real gems, and I have glutted myself on awesome books all week—Morning Glory by Laveryl Spencer, For My Lady’s Heart by Laura Kinsale (Audible version while traveling. AMAZING!), and The Windflower by Laura London.
I just finished Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt and submitted my review. So I won’t say more about it.
I glommed on to Trenton, Lord of Loss by Grace Burrows. He’s definitely a lonely lord in her series of lonely lords. My god, his childhood was the worst, awful, messy disaster. Fortunately, he finds the widow, Elegy, known to most as Ellie. There are a couple of twists at the end that satisfyingly answer some of the questions that bad marriages evoke. And the villain gets his.
I just ate up Emma Jane Holloway’s The Baskerville Affair. Books 1 and 2 are not really romances, merely preludes to it, but Book 3, A Study in Ashes is adventure, magic, captivity, war, and eventually several HEAs for all of the main characters. What makes Holloway’s characters stand out is that each has a flaw but is also a decent character. And all of them grow as events test them. And the tests are well beyond the LSAT.
Last was Lynn Kurland’s Dreams of Lilacs, which is a straight medieval rather than her usual paranormal. It begins with an amnesia story but then turns into a slight mystery. Although it wasn’t the most frustrating thing, it was annoying that the flower in the story is not lilacs but forget me nots. Probably the most annoying thing is that everyone is beautiful. Next page, they’re beautiful. If you’re a fan (and I am), then I ignored the flaws and delighted in a simple, good, clean (G rating) romance. Sometimes fun is just that—fun.
I just reread The Game of Love by Edith Layton and I finally got hold of Don’t Forget to Smile by Kathleen Gilles Seidel, which I devoured in one sitting this morning. What a great book! It’s a bit dated (published in 1986); the opening scene wouldn’t be possible in a world where everyone has a cell phone, but I just loved it.
I just got myself caught up on Meljean Brook’s Kraken King serial and my gosh it’s wonderful. Each piece is a satisying story in itself but the romance just kicked into swoon-worthy high gear in the latest couple volumes so it’s better than ever.
I also just started Rachel Bach’s Paradox trilogy and it’s making my scifi-loving heart swell with glee at the moment. I don’t usually visualize characters when reading but so far, the space-mercenary heroine is Aeryn Sun in a grey/blue Iron Man for me. Nothing but great there.
After reading and review two books for the RITA rant (the second one is in the mail, I promise), I was in a total reading snit, which is much bitchier and less emo than a reading slump. I broke down and bought Darlene Marshall’s “The Pirate’s Secret Baby” at full price (my financial stability is due to having a $3 limit on ANY book) after having had her other books on my wish list forever. The title was too much to pass up. Seriously. I still giggle inside whenever I think about it. I read and laughed and read some more—in fact, I gobbled it up—and was totally de-snit-ified. I decided that it would be the pirate life for me and read “The Windflower,” which left me rather dazed and confused, but still unsnitted, despite the desire for an over-the-top cover snark. Thanks, Darlene! Your pirates were lifesavers.
I guess I was going Bond. It was Qualisign, not Q thanking Darlene.
Just now finished The King Must Die by N. Gemini Sasson and I’m open to suggestions of what to start on next.
Im rereading Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series (for the hundredth time)- I just love that series. Also reading her other novel Wolfsbane, which is quite interesting.
Oh, my goodness! I’m so glad you took the time to mention you enjoyed The Pirate’s Secret Baby, Qualisign! That just makes my day.
I was blogging over at Heroes and Heartbreakers and ended up mentioning and re-reading two of my favorite Regency romances, The Devil’s Delilah by Loretta Chase and Faro’s Daughter by Georgette Heyer. Both made me giggle and sigh with delight.